The Avengers Promo Art and Featurette

Aug 31, 2011 by B. Alan Orange

More promo artwork from the upcoming The Avengers tie-in comic book Road to the Avengers has been discovered, featuring Loki, Nick Fury, and The Avengers team assembled. A featurette of the same name has also arrived, which will be included on the Thor Blu-ray and Thor 3D Blu-ray, in stores September 13th. You can check out the Road to the Avengers featurette and the images below.

The Avengers comes to theaters May 4th, 2012 and stars Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, Clark Gregg, Tom Hiddleston. The film is directed by Joss Whedon.

View the original article here

EXCLUSIVE: Scarface Blu-ray Special Features Clip

Sep 6, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

We have an exclusive clip from the upcoming hi-def debut of Scarface, which is available on Blu-ray for the first time starting today, September 6. Click on the video player below to watch actress Jillian Barberie, director Antoine Fuqua, and many others discuss the importance of the dinner scene in this gangster classic.

In the spring of 1980, the Mariel boatlift brought thousands of Cuban refugees to the sun-washed avenues of Miami in search of the American dream. From acclaimed director Brian De Palma, Scarface is the rags-to-riches story of Tony Montana (Al Pacino), who finds wealth, power and passion beyond his wildest dreams...at a price he never imagined. Tony Montana's meteoric rise, lavish life and soul-destroying fall anchor an epic film that inspired a worldwide following. Pacino is at his most memorable as Montana, blasting his way to the top of Miami's drug underworld in a bravura performance.

The Scarface Phenomenon - This all-new documentary presents Scarface as a unique phenomenon in cinema history. It explores how a film plagued by controversy leading up to its release has become a Hollywood classic, influencing a whole new generation of filmmakers and leaving a lasting imprint on popular culture.Deleted ScenesThe World of Tony Montana - Experience the world of the ultimate gangster and hearfrom experts on the real world violence, fear and paranoia that surrounds a drug lord.The Rebirth - Director Brian De Palma, producer Martin Bregman, actor Al Pacino, and screenwriter Oliver Stone revisit the history of Scarface, from the inspiration of the original Howard Hawks classic to the evolution of the script.The Acting - Join the filmmakers, Al Pacino and Steven Bauer to discover how each of the roles was cast and how Brian De Palma worked with his actors to get unforgettable performances.The Creating - A fascinating, controversial and definitive journey through the making ofthe film, which began with the production being forced to leave its initial location in Florida. Discover how the chainsaw scene was filmed, learn about the production design, thephotography, and the struggle to get the film an "R" rating.Scarface: The TV Version - A revealing and hilarious montage of film clips comparing the theatrical version to the network television version of Scarface.The Making of Scarface: The Video Game: Immerse yourself in the world of Scarface in this behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the video game.

U-Control Features On This Blu-ray Disc:
Scarface Scoreboard-Watch Scarface like never before. Keep track of the number of times the "F" word is used and monitor the bullets fired!Picture in Picture-Access interview footage of Brian De Palma, Al Pacino, Screenwriter Oliver Stone, and others without interruption to the movie experience. Also featured is a scene comparison between the 1983 version of Scarface and Howard Hawks' original film.BD-Live - Access the BD-Live Center through your Internet-connected player to geteven more content, watch the latest trailers and more.Pocket Blu App - USHE's groundbreaking pocket BLU app uses iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Smartphone, Android, PC and Macintosh to work seamlessly with a network-connected Blu-ray player and offers advanced features such as:Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live functions with ease.Video Timeline: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the movie.Mobile-to-Go: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray discs to save to mobile devices or to stream from anywhere there's a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy exclusive content on the go, anytime, anywhere.Keyboard: Enter data into a Blu-ray player with your device's easy and intuitive keyboard to facilitate such Blu-ray features as chatting with friends and sending messages.

Scarface was released December 9th, 1983 and stars Al Pacino, Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Robert Loggia, Miriam Colon, F. Murray Abraham, Paul Shenar. The film is directed by Brian De Palma.

View the original article here

Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-ray Changes Revealed!

When Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith hit screens in May of 2005, one of the most derided aspects of the film, a scene that was mocked inscrutably, was the homage to Frankenstein, which saw Anakin Skywalker, transformed into the evil Darth Vader as we know him from the original classic, lumbering off an operating table locked in his new black robotic armor screaming a cartoonish, "Noooooooooooooooo!"

Quite frankly, it made a lot of diehard fans mad. They thought it was ridiculous. Stupid. That it ruined an otherwise serviceable film in a prequel trilogy that is mostly disliked by the older generation of Star Wars enthusiasts. As rumored, and now known as officially true, George Lucas, in his infinite wisdom, has gone back to Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi and added this same guttural, pain-laced cry of "Nooooooooo!" to the scene where Darth Vader saves Luke's life, by picking up The Emperor and throwing him into the dark depths of the new Death Star before it is destroyed. What this proves more than anything is: George Lucas is totally f'ing with us.

He has to be. At the age of five or six, most of us thought Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope was a perfect film. We were wrong. Over the years, George Lucas has done plenty of tinkering with all six films in this live-action series, continuing to do so well after their theatrical and home video releases. On September 16th, Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-ray will be making its debut. And the creator of this beloved world just couldn't help himself yet again. Like a scab, he just keeps picking at it, making it bleed and puss, and now it will never heel.

We chronicled the technical changes made to this Blu-ray set in early August. At the time, we also told you that George Lucas had gone in and changed some of the actual content of these films. The Force.net has now gone through the entire box set, and has noticed seven major changes to these classic space adventures that may or may not upset fans who were planning to pick up the Blu-ray. Video clips featuring these changes have all come online.

First up, we have two tweaks to Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. The first one occurs when R2D2 gets zapped by the Jawas. There are now magical rocks that cover his hiding place, which disappear when the Jawas capture him. The second change takes place during Luke's tangle with the Sand People. The audio on Ben Kenobi's Krayt Dragon call, which scares away the Tusken Raiders, has been amplified and update. You can see photos of the magical rocks and video of the new Krayt Dragon call below.

Four new alterations have been made to Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi. Remember Sebulba from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, that evil little dick that walks on his hands, who tried to sabotage Anakin's pod racer? He comes from a race of nasty jerks known as the Dug. One of these Dug have been added into the scene inside of Jabba's Palace. We also get a change to the scene where C3PO and R2D2 arrive at Jabba's Palace. George Lucas has enhanced the door to make it look much larger than it is. Further along in the movie, digital effects have now allowed all of the Ewoks to blink. And then, finally, we get the most controversial change of all, Vader screaming, "Nooooooooo!" As he tosses The Emperor to his death. Check out all of these changes in the videos below.

The last major change, which has been widely reported already, is the presence of a CGI Yoda in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, which was done to match the way Yoda looks in the next two films, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. You can check out the clip below.

According to The Force.net, Darth Vader's notorious "No!" audio change has been confirmed by Lucasfilm in the New York Times. Another contact at Lucasfilm had this to say about the changes.

"Yes, the updates are confirmed. We hope fans will wait to see for themselves how they fit into the Saga before making any judgments.

Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-ray arrives September 16th. Will you buy it or boycott? Whichever the case my be, its obvious that George Lucas doesn't care.

View the original article here

EXCLUSIVE: Kelly McGillis Talks Top Gun 25th Anniversary Blu-ray

Aug 29, 2011 by B. Alan Orange

Top Gun is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this Tuesday, August 30th, with an all-new Blu-ray release. The number one movie of 1986 is set to return fans to the Danger Zone in Hi-Def, and it remains one of the greatest adventures of all time. We caught up with Tom Cruise's leading lady, Kelly McGillis, to reminisce about Top Gun and to celebrate its birthday. Here is our conversation.

Is this fun for you to reminisce about Top Gun? Where do you hold the movie in regards to your career?

Kelly McGillis: (Laughs) I don't think about it much. It was fun. It was great. I had a great time doing it. But I don't dwell too much on what I've done. I have to deal with what I am doing today.

So, you haven't even gone back and seen the movie since 1986?

Kelly McGillis: No. I have not. I have seen glimpses of it when my kids are watching it on television. Maybe, when I am walking through the house doing laundry, I will see some of it. But no, I have never sat down to watch it.

What do your kids think about the movie?

Kelly McGillis: Now that they are grown, they don't sit around and watch my stuff. No. My youngest daughter did have a big crush on Tom Cruise. I told her (laughs) she was one of five billion. Good luck. She was around eight at the time.

So, even with the movie coming to Blu-ray, you won't watch it? Its just one of those things you did, it's gone, all part of the past?

Kelly McGillis: No. I have no desire to sit around and watch myself. I find that kind of weird.

Some people might think its weird. Other people get a kick out of watching themselves. I guess it depends on the person...

Kelly McGillis: I guess. I wouldn't feel very comfortable doing something like that.

We're sort of experiencing a Kelly McGillis resurgence. You are starting to pop up in more and more movies lately. Do you think that's in large part due to the filmmakers of today having been fans of Top Gun when they were younger?

Kelly McGillis: I don't know about that. I think I have been busy, raising my kids. I think it's that I have just been trying to go back to work. Working as an actor.

When Skateland came out, a lot of people were excited to see you in that movie. It's been fun to watch you come back...

Kelly McGillis: Oh, I don't know. That is very nice. I don't know what people think, honestly. I just don't know.

Do you have any fond memories you can share about being on the set of Top Gun?

Kelly McGillis: Oh, it was just fun. It was like being at camp. Everyone was really nice, and we had a great time. All of the boys and I lived together in the same hotel complex. So we hung out together all the time.

I remember when the movie came out, a big deal was made about the elevator sequence, where you are wearing your hat. You had to re-shoot that scene, and there was a problem with your hair. What exactly was going on there?

Kelly McGillis: Yeah, I was working on Made in Heaven at the time. I wouldn't cut my hair. We had to put a baseball cap on my head. The producers weren't happy about it. What could I do? Someone else was paying me at that time.

What are your thoughts on the film's place in pop culture?

Kelly McGillis: I don't know. It just seems to me like it's a good fun movie. Its good guys and bad guys with a lot of sexy planes. Good-looking people. It seems to me that it's a fun film. I think there is a lot of value in escapism. I would think that people would enjoy it.

It's a film that has really held up. In fact, there is talk of a sequel. Has anyone approached you about that? Or is that something you wouldn't even be interested in?

Kelly McGillis: Oh, I think I am far too old to do that now. I don't think I would even be interested, to tell you the truth. Its like, I have already done that, you know?

You have the Innkeepers coming up, and you just did the vampire thriller Stake Land. Are you a fan of the horror genre? Or are these just the movies you seem to be getting offered right now?

Kelly McGillis: These are just little films that came to me. I think The Innkeepers came about because it was the same producers who did Stake Land. I only worked on The Innkeepers for ten days, which I thought was really great. Stake Land? Director Jim Mickle talked to me, and I really liked him. It was shot near where I lived, so that was really easy and great. That is why I did that movie. I also liked the apocalyptic theme of it. And the extremism. I have never seen a horror movie, to tell you the truth. I don't like watching those kinds of movies, because I don't like to get scared. But I loved working with Jim Mickle. The Innkeepers I did because I thought it was a quirky little film. The producers had asked me to do it.

Ti West, the director of that movie, is a big fan of yours. What was it like working with someone who seeks you out in a specific manner like that?

Kelly McGillis: It was very nice. Ti West is a nice guy, and I think he has a lot of talent. It was a lot of fun.

What can you tell me about your character?

Kelly McGillis: I play a has-been actress that turns into a psychic person. That is about it. I don't know what else to tell you about it.

What else are you working on right now?

Kelly McGillis: I just finished a little film called Tio Papi. It is a family values film. It takes place in Washington Heights, in New York. It's about a guy who ends up having his brother's seven or eight kids come into his life. It is just a sweet little movie. I have just a little part.

What does the work you are doing now give you, that you don't feel you were getting back in the 80s or 90s?

Kelly McGillis: I don't know. Part of my desire is to be a character actress. And to be able to be older, and be okay with that. I want to do the small little parts that are more interesting and fun. Rather than have this huge responsibility of carrying the movie. Feeling like I have to be perpetually thirty.

Do you feel that looking at the work in that way opens new avenues for you, that may have not been available to you in the past?

Kelly McGillis: I don't disagree. That interests me more. Doing these fun little character parts. It seems more interesting to me than being a romantic lead. Plus, I don't know...In your fifties, you can't be the romantic lead unless it's an all-older film. Those are few and far between. That is not the mainstream. I would really rather just be a character actress, and play my age, and be comfortable with that.

Do you think you'd ever do a weekly TV series? Or is that too much responsibility to place on your shoulders?

Kelly McGillis: I don't know. I would certainly do something like that it if it came up. I don't have an attitude about one genre being better or worse than the other. Yeah.

Top Gun 25th Anniversary Blu-ray hits stores this Tuesday, August 30th.

Top Gun was released May 16th, 1986 and stars Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt, Michael Ironside, John Stockwell, Barry Tubb. The film is directed by Tony Scott.

View the original article here

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Blu-ray and DVD Hits September 30th

Sep 9, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

Spectacular action, stunning visual effects, non-stop thrills and fan-favorite characters including Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Sam Witwicky rocketed Transformers: Dark of the Moon into the stratosphere, with the latest installment of the wildly popular Transformers franchise surpassing its predecessors to earn over $1.1 billion at the worldwide box office. From Paramount Pictures in association with Hasbro, the breathtaking film redefines the scale, scope and emotional impact of what a blockbuster can be with the ongoing epic story of the mighty Autobots in a thrill-packed adventure that the whole family can enjoy. Distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment, the film will debut in a Blu-ray/DVD Combo with a digital copy and on standard DVD on Friday, September 30, 2011, followed by a deluxe Blu-ray and DVD release, including a Blu-ray 3D, in the coming months.

"For fans who can't wait, the Blu-ray release in September will deliver an awesome ride with the movie in stunning 1080p high definition and a 7.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack that was personally overseen by our phenomenal supervising sound mixer just for the Blu-ray," said director Michael Bay. "As you know, we put a lot of effort into the 3D experience for the theatrical release and I want to make sure we get it right for home viewing-and that process takes time. So stay tuned for an even more incredible release that will include the film on Blu-ray 3D and loads of bonus features."

From director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg, in association with Hasbro, Transformers: Dark of the Moon explodes with high-octane action when a mysterious event from Earth's past erupts into the present day threatening to bring a war to Earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save us. Stars Shia LaBeouf (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), Josh Duhamel (Life as We Know It), Tyrese Gibson (Four Brothers) and John Turturro (The Good Shepherd) have returned along with a host of new stars including Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy), Frances McDormand (Fargo) and John Malkovich (Beowulf). The film also features the voices of Leonard Nimoy(Star Trek) and Hugo Weaving (Captain America: The First Avenger) and introduces newcomer Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

The Transformers: Dark of the Moon Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 7.1 Dolby TrueHD and-in a first for Paramount Home Entertainment-English 5.1 Discrete Dolby Digital and English 2.0 Discrete Surround Dolby Digital tracks, each of which was individually mastered to ensure optimal sound for the home entertainment experience. The disc additionally features French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description with English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.

The DVD in the Combo pack is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, English 2.0 Discrete Surround, French 5.1 Surround, Spanish 5.1 Surround and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The digital copy is presented in English 2.0 Stereo with no subtitles.

The single-disc DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, English 2.0 Discrete Surround, French 5.1 Surround, Spanish 5.1 Surround and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.

The Transformers: Dark of the Moon Blu-ray and DVD debut will be supported by a massive marketing and promotional campaign befitting the mega-hit status of the franchise. In addition to a multi-million dollar advertising blitz spanning television, print, radio and online, a stellar array of allies has joined forces with Paramount Home Entertainment to transmit the Autobots' message to all inhabitants of the globe.

Hasbro will host a "Roll Out In Prime Style" sweepstakes in the U.S. giving entrants the chance to "Win a Ride to School" with the Autobots! The grand prize winner will be picked up by Bumblebee and transported to school where Optimus Prime will be waiting with Transformers toys and products in his trailer. Details are available at TransformersPrimeStyle.com.

Also in the U.S., Hostess will feature Transformers images on millions of packages and will have thousands of displays in grocery and convenience stores across the country. The company will also host a branded "Transform Your Treat" sweepstakes that gives consumers the chance to win a variety of valuable prizes. Additionally, Hostess will offer consumers a $4 rebate on the purchase of Transformers: Dark of the Moon Blu-ray or DVD with purchase of two (2) Hostess products (additional details available at HostessCakes.com). Energizer will offer coupons good for $5 off the Transformers: Dark of the Moon Blu-ray or DVD at retailers throughout the U.S. via special displays and packaging.

In Canada, 250,000 Kernels Popcorn Shakers have been outfitted with Transformers: Dark of the Moon promotional branding in support of a consumer sweepstakes tied to the home entertainment release. The Popcorn Shakers will be available at major retailers across the country.

A mysterious event from Earth's past threatens to ignite a war so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save the planet. Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and the Autobots must fight against the darkness to defend our world from the Decepticons' all-consuming evil in the smash hit from director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon was released June 29th, 2011 and stars Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Julie White, Kevin Dunn, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Alan Tudyk, John Malkovich. The film is directed by Michael Bay.

Sources: Paramount Home Entertainment

View the original article here

Star Wars Gets Edited Again for Blu-ray Release

Aug 23, 2011 by B. Alan Orange

George Lucas adds some new surprises into Star Wars: The Complete SagaStar Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-ray will be available on September 16th, and The Digital Bits were the first to get a sneak peek at this nine disc set. They've revealed that Lucasfilm, under the supervision of George Lucas himself, has gone back and made even more changes to these films, which have already been tooled with beyond any fan irritation.

Some of the changes are for the better and are purely technical. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace will finally contain the entire film image from its digital transfer, meaning that none of the picture is lost from the original file to the DVD, as it was when this chapter in the saga was first released on the DVD format. To see the difference in image, and how much of the actual picture is being restored,

There have been overall improvements in the image quality of all six films, as they are being mastered from original digital source material. The unnecessary edge-enhancement and color-timing issues, which made some of the lightsabers on display in the 2004 releases look washed out, have also been corrected. George Lucas has also, in his infinite wisdom, gone back and corrected some of the more quirky visual mistakes that he originally, intentionally left in the last time these movies were reworked. For instance, when the Wampa attacks the Tauntaun, we will no longer see the puppeteer's arm at the edge of the frame. The audio has also been greatly improved on all six movies.

Those all sound like legitimate changes necessary in updating Star Wars for its Blu-ray release, even though erasing some of the more charming on-screen mistakes may tick off certain fans. The disturbing news is that George Lucas has gone back through the films, adding in new "surprises" and additions that could royally piss off those hardcore audience members who were hoping to see the original, uncut trilogy included here.

The first three Star Wars movies, as originally released in theaters, will not be included as part of this set. But there will be some new additions, starting with a digital Yoda that, some speculate, will be reinserted over the puppet used in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. As far as we know, Frank Oz's original puppet work in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi is being left intact.

What are these new surprises? Well, we'll have to wait for Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-ray to be released on September 16th to find out, as Lucasfilm is keeping this information a secret. Here is what The Digital Bits had to say about these new surprise changes.

"These should probably be best considered new 2011 versions of these films, and not the 2004 DVD versions. All the fixes and corrections alone justify this in my opinion, but there's another reason too... and you can probably guess what it is: Once again, George Lucas has apparently added a few new "surprises" into these films. I don't know what they are and didn't get to see any of them on Friday, but I was assured that there will be "new things to notice" when we watch the films. I think we can safely assume that one of them will be the new all-digital Yoda in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Way back when Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sithwas released on DVD, ILM digital effects supervisor Pablo Helman confirmed to me that the puppet Yoda in Star Wars: Episode I was replaced with a digital version to better match his appearance in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. In fact, the Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith DVD extras includes a clip of the Star Wars: Episode I digital Yoda. However, this Blu-ray set is really the first opportunity we'll have to see it in full. What the other changes to these films may be, I have no idea, but I suspect there will be no lack of blog posts on this very subject within hours of the first discs becoming available to fans."

Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-ray arrives in stores on September 16th.

View the original article here

EXCLUSIVE: Janet Waldo Talks Rockin' with Judy Jetson

Aug 19, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

Actress Janet Waldo got her start with minor film roles and radio acting in the 1940s, but her real calling came with a role in the seminal animated TV series The Jetsons as Judy Jetson. The long-running series also spun off into several animated TV movies, one of which is Rockin' with Judy Jetson, which was just released on DVD for the first time on August 16 through Warner Archive. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Janet Waldo over the phone about this new DVD release. Here's what she had to say.

I was going through your filmography and I read you did some radio and a few live-action movies as well. I was curious how you originally came across voice acting?

Janet Waldo: Well, I was brought to California to do film. I did do a number of films, bits and pieces, and Silver Stallion was one of them. I think I was doing that in between options, but the best thing that ever happened to me was discovering radio. I was totally relaxed doing radio, and, actually, Bing Crosby introduced me to radio, because he did a radio show and invited me to see his radio show. I thought, 'Hey, this is great. You don't have to wear makeup or memorize your lines. You don't have to wear false eyelashes.' When I came to California, the first thing they did was send me into the office and redo me, and that's what they did. I have some wonderful pictures, but I found it inhibiting to me, because it's so much about how you look. I was scared of that, but I did a lot of stuff.

Can you talk about your initial thoughts about The Jetsons and this wonderful character, Judy? Can you talk about what one goes through in creating a voice like that? Did you draw on other people in your life for that voice?

Janet Waldo: Well, Judy was a cinch, because I just did my own voice. I just did Judy, but I worked with all sorts of people who were doing lots of other voices. I really, really learned from them and wanted to do other voices. I talked to Joseph Barbara, and actually, he auditioned me on the phone a couple of times for other characters, thinking I could do other voices. He said, 'Make me a tape.' My husband, he wasn't my husband at that time, but he wrote all sorts of wild characters for me. I wanted to do everything but Judy. Judy was a natural for me. It was just me being excited, but the other things I did, like the mother-in-law on The Flintstones, these weird characters I just loved to do because they were just so far-out and wild. I did a lot of things on Smurfs. I portrayed Hogatha, which was a wicked but ravishing witch. They were all totally different from what I experienced, but when I first came to cartoons, I used my own voice.

With a show like The Jetsons, which started in the late 1960s, with the concept like this, were you being shown artwork right away, and what did you first think of it, especially in that timeframe, seeing this future come to life?

Janet Waldo: The first time I saw The Jetsons was the first rehearsal. That was the initial beginning of The Jetsons and that's when I was called in. Joseph Barbara read the script and they had the cartoon guys, when we were recording, they came in and watched us and drew pictures of us in action. They would integrate our movements in the characters. That's when I was really intrigued with The Jetsons. The writers were fantastic because they had such great imagination and they had us all imagining what it would be like in the future, living on the moon, and all of these fun things. We had all these gadgets which were totally intriguing, like the hairstyle gadget, where you would press a button and it would change your hairstyle. The slidewalks began after The Jetsons, the microwave oven. I'm waiting for the talking vacuum cleaners. As you know, Rosie the Robot, we had a system on our house, a security system, and it says 'Door close. Open door.' We call her Rosie because it's shades of The Jetsons. I think The Jetsons' influence has been so tremendous on young people who have let their imaginations go and have become intrigued with inventing new things. There's always something new and every time it happens I think, 'Hey, we did that on The Jetsons.'

When you were doing this, did you all have maybe a year in mind, of when you would see a flying car or something like that?

Janet Waldo: We're all waiting for the flying car. I was walking around the block the other day and there was a little car parked in front of a neighbors house. I thought, 'My gosh, The Jetsons have landed! It's a Jetsons car!' A young man came running out saying, 'Do you like my car?' It turns out he was a big fan of The Jetsons and he invented this little car that looks like a Jetsons car.

With the movie, Rockin' with Judy Jetson, it seems that's one of the final spin-off movies they created. Can you talk about where that idea originally came from?

Janet Waldo: Well, I think they wanted her to be a rock star. I thought was a great idea because Judy Jetson was the kind of person who probably would be a rock star. Also, she loved Jet Screamer. 'Baby, baby, baby,' you know. She had this huge thing for Jet Screamer and was very influenced by him. I thought it was just a natural thing. They did the same thing with Rockin' with Judy Jetson that they did on the first one with Jet Screamer. She invented a song for Jet Screamer and Elroy invented another one and they got mixed up. The same thing happened with Rockin' with Judy Jetson. Judy never wrote good songs, Elroy came up with the good one. I think they wanted Judy because she was the type of person who wanted to be a rock star.

It was reported awhile ago that Robert Rodriguez wants to do a Jetsons movie. I was curious if you thought it is time for a new version, either animated or live-action, in this day and age with the technological advances we have now?

Janet Waldo: I think that is the true appeal of The Jetsons, the technology. It intrigued so many people. I hope that flying car really happens. I'm not sure that will happen, but everything else is happening.

Would you be on board if they brought The Jetsons back with a new version?

Janet Waldo: Are you kidding? I would do it 24-hours a day! I think it's such fun what The Jetsons did and I'm very proud to have been a pioneer with The Jetsons.

Are you still working in voice overs today?

Janet Waldo: Yes, I still do whatever they ask me to do, whenever I get a call for voice work. I even audition, which most of my friends in the business will not do, but I like to audition because you never know what you're going to discover. I have to tell you that, in those days, they would say, 'Judy Jetson is a typical teenager who lives in outer space.' Today, if I do something, they say, 'Suzie is about five feet tall, she has a great imagination, she's very emotional,' and they'll give me five paragraphs to describe her. Then you look at the copy and it's like three lines (Laughs). But it's fun. Most of my friends in the business will not audition anymore. I'm not asked to audition a lot, but I love to audition. I love the whole exercise of voice over. I am also writing a book now, called Out of Orbit. I don't know if I'll change that title or not. I'm also working on something that my husband wrote, which is called The Last Letters of General Robert E. Lee. My husband's name was Robert E. Lee and he was enamored with the General and knew all about the battles and everything. He wrote this thing called The Last Letters of General Robert E. Lee, and it's correspondences between a young girl and the General, and it's a 40-year correspondence. It's a challenge for me, as a radio performer, to play the girl. She becomes older and he becomes older. I hope one day to get it published. I'm always active doing something. I hope you love your work as much as I love mine.

Was your husband a descendant of the General?

Janet Waldo: No, he wasn't. I don't know why his parents named him Robert E. Lee, but he said, 'You can't live with a man's name for a lifetime and not be connected with him.' So he wrote this wonderful correspondence they have for 40 years. It's very moving. My aim is to get it published, and I've had a lot of people who want to produce it as well.

So it could become a movie once it gets published?

Janet Waldo: Yeah, I would love that. I think it could also be a television show, but it's my dream to get it published because it was the last thing that he wrote. He was so moved by it.

What would you like to say to any fan of The Jetsons who may not have seen Rockin' with Judy Jetson to get them to pick up this new Warner Archive DVD?

Janet Waldo: Oh, you must see it! Everybody I talk to always say they love The Jetsons and I hope a lot of people check it out. You wouldn't believe how many people I run into every day who say they still watch The Jetsons. All of the cartoons I did, people still talk about them and The Jetsons always wins the race. I think Rockin' with Judy Jetson should do very well, especially if people find out about it. In fact, I will be getting a few copies myself. They make wonderful Christmas presents.

Excellent. That's about all I have for you. Thank you so much for your time. It was a pleasure talking to you.

Janet Waldo: I loved talking with you too.

You can order Rockin' with Judy Jetson through Warner Archive if you .

View the original article here

EXCLUSIVE: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark DVD Clip

Aug 19, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

We have an exclusive clip from the upcoming Warner Archive title Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, which will be available on DVD August 23, three days before the remake Don't Be Afraid of the Dark hits theaters on August 26. Click on the video player below for a glimpse at this 1973 TV movie starring Kim Darby and Jim Hutton.

to order this new DVD from Warner Archive.

It's back! The classic TV MOW that continues to cast a spell almost 40 years after it was first broadcast, in a new remastered and enhanced edition. Sally (Kim Darby) and Alex Farnham's (Jim Hutton) marriage has a sinister wedge driven through it, when her occult "imaginings" threaten to derail his career after they inherit Sally's grandmother's house. Also starring William Demarest.

View the original article here

Marty Mcfly's Nikes from Back to the Future Part II Becoming a Reality?

Frank Marshall and Nice Kicks are hinting at a release of Marty Mcfly's futurist "Nike Air Mags" from Back To The Future Part II. When NiceKicks posted their article, the film reference immediately sparked a online frenzy, with talks ranging from a 3D re-release of the trilogy to a remake of the first film.

Director Frank Marshall tweeted:

"Something big is coming soon, Can't say anything yet. No one should know too much about their own destiny."

Soon after Marshall followed up with another Tweet that read:

"Going to need a lot of hover boards..."

...with a link to the video below, showing racks of the Nike's, and and the musical queues from the Back to The Future score. Check it out below, and lets us know what you think...

Back to the Future Part II was released November 22nd, 1989 and stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Thomas F. Wilson, Elisabeth Shue, James Tolkan, Jeffrey Weissman, Casey Siemaszko. The film is directed by Robert Zemeckis.

View the original article here

CONTEST: Win Super Hybrid on Blu-ray

Aug 24, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

Super Hybrid comes racing to Blu-ray and DVD on August 23, which stars Oded Fehr and Shannon Beckner. We're celebrating this high-octane new release and we're giving away copies of this new Blu-ray to our readers. These Blu-rays will certainly move fast, so find out how to win these 1080p discs below.

Just "Like" (fan) the MovieWeb Facebook page (below) and then leave a comment below telling us why these prizes must be yours!

If you already "Like" MovieWeb, just leave a comment below telling us why these prizes must be yours!

In the tradition of such "car from Hell" films as Christine, The Car, and Maximum Overdrive, Super Hybrid has been dubbed "a fun monster movie" (Blueprint Review.) From the producer of Punisher: War Zone and the director of One Missed Call comes the next generation in killer car movies with Super Hybrid, a high-speed thriller pitting man against the ultimate driving massacre machine!

"Under The Hood of Super Hybrid" - making-of featurette

Super Hybrid was released August 23rd, 2011 and stars Shannon Beckner, Oded Fehr, Ryan Kennedy, Melanie Papalia, Adrien Dorval, Duncan Fisher, Josh Strait, Kent Nolan. The film is directed by Eric Valette.

View the original article here

Horrible Bosses Blu-ray and DVD Debut October 11th

Aug 31, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

The Warner Bros. comedy Horrible Bosses will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 11. The standard DVD will be priced at $27.87 SRP, while the Blu-ray, which comes with a standard DVD and an UltraViolet Digital Copy, will cost $35.99. The standard DVD will not include any special features. Take a look at the cover art and Blu-ray special features details below.

For Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day), the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few too many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con, the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers...permanently. There's only one problem: even the best-laid plans are only as foolproof as the brains behind them.

Extended Cut Feature Film with 8 minutes of all new hilarious moments not seen in theatresTheatrical Cut Feature FilmMy Least Favorite CareerSurviving A Horrible BossBeing Mean Is So Much FunDeleted ScenesMaking of the Horrible Bosses soundtrackUltraViolet Digital Copy

Horrible Bosses was released July 8th, 2011 and stars Jason Bateman, P.J. Byrne, Steve Wiebe, Kevin Spacey, Charlie Day, Lindsay Sloane, Michael Albala, Jennifer Aniston. The film is directed by Seth Gordon.

View the original article here

Scarface Invades Los Angeles

Aug 25, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

Al Pacino and Steven Bauer reunite at the Scarface Blu-ray party in Los AngelesIn today's cinematic landscape, the word "remake" is often associated with disdain among critics and ardent movie fans. It's probably safe to say, though, that even the hardcore haters of remakes will praise one remake in particular, the 1982 classic Scarface, a movie that forever changed the landscape of crime and criminals, primarily through Al Pacino's iconic portrayal of Tony Montana. Scarface is finally making its debut on the Blu-ray format on September 6, with a luxurious Limited Edition Gift Set also available on that date, which comes with a handcrafted cigar humidor.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment held a special event at the Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles last night to celebrate this high-def release, which featured exquisite gourmet Cuban food, a performance by Ludacris, and lavish setting which Tony Montana would have surely approved of. Despite all these bells and whistles, most in attendance were likely drawn to the event for a Q&A session with actors Al Pacino, Steven Bauer, F. Murray Abraham, Robert Loggia, and producer Martin Bregman. The sizable crowd was whipped into a frenzy when Al Pacino took his center throne seat at the panel, in very high spirits for this reunion.

Producer Martin Bregman, who previously worked with Al Pacino on Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon, revealed that it actually wasn't too arduous of a process to get Scarface off the ground.

"I would like to say it took a lot of work, but it didn't. It took four phone calls. "

One of those phone calls was from Al Pacino to Martin Bregman, after the actor first saw the original 1932 version of Scarface, which starred Paul Muni as Tony Camonte.

"My first experience was seeing Paul Muni's Scarface at the Tiffany Theater here in Los Angeles. I went and saw the film and then I called Martin Bregman and said, 'I think we can do this. I think there's a remake here.' He, very wisely and astutely, got out here, saw it, and put the whole thing together." Al Pacino and Steven Bauer share a laugh at the Scarface Blu-ray partyThe actor also thanked his Dog Day Afternoon director Sidney Lumet, who came up with the idea for the movie to begin with Tony Montana first arriving to America on a raft. Al Pacino also said that he feels a special connection to Scarface because there were no sequels or further remakes after this legendary version. "There is no Scarface 2 or Scarface 3. There is none of that with this picture. It was just Scarface. And I think there's something to that."

F. Murray Abraham chimed in, saying there were no sequels because, "who would want to be held up to this," which brought on a wave of applause from the audience. Steven Bauer, however, revealed that some fans believed that his character, Manny Ribera, wasn't actually dead.

"Everyone always says, 'Your toes were wiggling when they pulled away. Your toes were wiggling. You survived.' No, I didn't."

Steven Bauer also discussed why he believed Scarface still resonates with movie lovers to this very day.

"Most of the world comes from hunger or comes from very, very meager beginnings. So most of the word identifies with Tony Montana. Let's face it, you all identify with someone who comes from nothing and wants it all, and almost gets it. In fact, what happens is, he gets it and it's not enough. And that's the morality of the story, thank God. That's what people identify with, because everyone identifies with Tony Montana. It doesn't matter about the violence or the language or the clothes in the movie, people identify with these characters. That's why it stands up after all these years."

Al Pacino told a very interesting story which indicated how immersed he was in portraying Tony Montana, even on his days off.

"I was playing Tony every day, shooting 14-hour days for nine months. I went with my girlfriend on my day off and her friend has this dog, this rabid dog. I get to the door and this dog starts leaping at me. I just cocked my hand back. I love Tony Montana, man. I couldn't do that."

Despite Scarface's celebrated status today, the critics in 1982 did not respond to it and it was considered a financial failure. However, the movie did have a few early allies like directors Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, who said, "Great movie. But people in Hollywood are going to hate it. Because it's about them." While that statement may have been true at the time, there is no hatred for Scarface in Hollywood today, which was proven at last night's fantastic event.

After the Q&A session, Ludacris hit the stage, delivering a fantastic set with his own live band, performing such hits as "Area Codes," "Move Bitch," and my personal favorite, "Southern Hospitality." I even saw Steven Bauer move past me to get closer to the stage while Luda was performing. It was a superb way to close out a fabulous night with the stars of Scarface.

That about wraps it up for my coverage on the Scarface event in Los Angeles for the upcoming Blu-ray release on September 6. If you want to watch this Scarface Q&A session/reunion for yourself, you can click on the video player below. You can also to access our gallery of photos from this event.

Scarface was released December 9th, 1983 and stars Al Pacino, Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Robert Loggia, Miriam Colon, F. Murray Abraham, Paul Shenar. The film is directed by Brian De Palma.

View the original article here

Green Lantern Blu-ray and DVD Debuts October 14th

Aug 23, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight... take the oath to serve and protect when Green Lantern flies onto Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital Download on October 14th from Warner Home Entertainment Group. Starring Ryan Reynolds (The Proposal) in the title role, DC Comics' legendary super hero soars to the edges of space, where a war has been raging between those who rule with fear, and those who protect life: the Green Lantern Corps.

Warner Bros. is proud to be the first studio to announce titles available with UltraViolet Digital Copy. Ultraviolet Digital Copy allows consumers to instantly stream their movies from a digital cloud to computers, tablets and smartphones. All DVD and Blu-ray discs of Green Lantern will include a bonus Ultraviolet Digital Copy, which will give consumers easy access to the movie anytime, anywhere.

Additional details for the ecosystem requirements and general information on UltraViolet are available at the end of this press release.

Featured on the Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and the Blu-ray Combo Pack is an Extended Cut of the film featuring new scenes not seen in theaters.*

In addition, the Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and the Blu-ray Combo Pack will offer Sony PS3 users an access code to unlock the Sinestro Corp Batman Skin for the highly anticipated Batman: Arkham City video game. The skin will give users the ability to fight crime with the help of the yellow power of fear, giving Batman a unique yellow costume in the story campaign and in the challenge maps.

Directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale), Green Lantern also stars Blake Lively (TV's Gossip Girl), Peter Sarsgaard (Knight and Day), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes), Academy Award nominee Angela Bassett (What's Love Got to Do with It) and Academy Award winner Tim Robbins (Mystic River). Also featured are the voice talents of Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush (Shine) and Oscar nominee Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile).

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, an elite, powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. Warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him the ability to create anything his mind can imagine. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Reynolds).

Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal's humanity is one weapon no member of the Corps has ever had, and if - with willpower, determination and the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Lively) - Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax... he will save the Earth and all of mankind from certain destruction.

Green Lantern will be available on Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, featuring a 3D hi-definition, a hi-definition, a standard definition and a digital copy of the theatrical film, for $40.99, Blu-ray Combo Pack, featuring a hi-definition, a standard definition and a digital copy of the theatrical film, for $35.99 and on single disc DVD for $28.98. The extended cut will be in hi-definition on the Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and Blu-ray Combo Pack only.

On October 14th, Green Lantern extended cut can be purchased for permanent download and the theatrical film can be rented on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game consoles.

It will also be available to rent via kiosks and subscription on November 8.

*Extended Cut included only on 2D Blu-ray Disc

Green Lantern will be available digitally in High Definition (HD) VOD and Standard Definition (SD) VOD from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
UltraViolet is a groundbreaking new way for consumers to collect and enjoy their favorite movies and TV shows at home and on-the-go, across a wide range of devices, including computers, tablets and smartphones.

The UltraViolet Digital Copy includes a Standard Definition Digital Copy of the 2D theatrical version of the film. Special features are not included. Consumers must enter redemption code by October 14, 2013 to redeem offer. Digital Copy now includes streaming and 3 downloads. If the offer is redeemed prior to the deadline, delivery of streaming and downloads will be available at no additional charge for 3 years from date of redemption. Not compatible with all devices. Compatible devices subject to change. See packaging for restrictions and details.

Green Lantern was released June 17th, 2011 and stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Temuera Morrison, Jenna Craig, Jon Tenney, Mike Doyle. The film is directed by Martin Campbell.

View the original article here

EXCLUSIVE: John Dykstra Talks X-Men: First Class Blu-ray

X-Men: First Class will be the first summer movie of 2011 to hit home on Blu-ray and DVD, arriving this Friday, September 9th. Received well by both critics and fans alike, Matthew Vaughn directs this latest X-Men adventure, offering a prequel that reveals how Professor Charles Xavier joined Erik Lensherr to create and form a band of evil-fighting mutants, only to have a difference of opinion tear them apart forever. It also introduces the devilishly fun Hellfire Club to the X-Men theatrical franchise.

Fans who pick up the Blu-ray this Friday will be able to choose from two different premium collectable covers, one featuring Professor X (James McAvoy) and his X-Men, the other featuring Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and the Hellfire Club. This Blu-ray also gives access to two hours of exclusive interactive special features, plus ten Marvel X-Men digital comics which revelas a never-before-seen X-Men: First Class backstory.

The movie achieves a great deal of its charm from the extraordinary talents of Visual Effects Supervisor John Dykstra, a legend in the business who has worked on such timeless classics as Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, to Spider-Man, to Inglourious Basterds. We recently caught up with John at the X-Men: First Class Blu-ray launch party, and chatted with him about the film.

Maybe a little too modest about his own place in the history of cinema, John Dykstra offered insight into the creation of January Jones's Emma Frost, whose mutant powers allow her to morph into diamond form. It was perhaps the most challenging effect to achieve for the movie. He also spoke about CGI verses reality, and how audiences are now starting to confuse the two. He also let us know what he thinks about the recent tweaks George Lucas has made to A New Hope for the upcoming Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-ray.

Here is our conversation.

Take us through the difficulties in creating January Jones' Diamond form for the character of Emma Frost

Jennifer Lawrence stars as MystiqueJohn Dykstra: That was really hard. We went through an immense amount of artwork. The guys at Rhythm and Hues did many, many manifestations and simulations of what diamond would actually look like in real environments. It's huge, because you are reflecting and refracting, and you have to differentiate between the two in terms of the motion, the color, and the contrast. The sharpness of the line determines whether it looks like crystal, or glass, or plastic. Coming up with a means to create a form that is tessellated, like polygons, that didn't look like a computer-generated character, was really a difficult challenge.

There is one scene towards the end of the movie, where Nicholas Hoult, as Beast, delivers a line, and the make-up doesn't quite move with his mouth. What keeps you from going in during post to fix that? Me, I think it's rather charming to see that...

John Dykstra: It really comes down to a case-by-case basis. Matthew Vaughn, as a matter of choice, prefers to do as much stuff practical as he can. As a matter of course on this movie, our efforts at animation were informed by the actor's original performance. Much more so than perhaps the execution of things you may see in a Spider-Man movie. Where you have to make the guy do some sort of super human feat that you simply can't try to have a stuntman do. Because they can't do it. They would turn into a puddle of blood and flesh. We definitely looked for the anomalies that gave a sense of reality. That is something the computer doesn't do very well.

Nowadays, when we see a movie like X-Men: First Class, we tend to assume that everything on screen is a CGI manifestation. When actually its not. It's actually a real, practical set that we are looking at. Have you had any feedback in response to what people were surprised to learn was actually real and not computer generated?

John Dykstra: That would suggest that I have spoken to a broad range of people about what is CG and what is not in this film. I think the CG stuff...Look, when you see something you know cannot happen, it triggers an alarm in your brain. We are so familiar with the human form, and especially the expressive movements of the human form, that when you start doing facial features in CGI, it's almost always a giveaway. You just cannot be as subtle as a real actor can be. Not even in the really well executed films. I thought Avatar did a terrific job. But even then, you knew there were no blue people that are 8 feet tall. It all comes down to if it's a misdirection, or, not misdirection, but whether you understand that it's CG because of some technical execution, or because your brain goes, "I don't know that that could happen." Now, the fleet at the end of the movie? A lot of people have asked us where we got war ships. To do that. Of course there are no war ships. Of course not all of the shots are going to be practical. Because, you wouldn't be able to get a fleet of ships. There are a couple of real ship shots in there. When the guys are jumping off, and having the fight on deck. But, the big wide shots are all CG. I think they did a great job of making those look realistic.

Before you go, can I get your thoughts on George Lucas once again changing Star Wars: A New Hope for its Blu-ray release next week?

January Jones stars as Emma FrostJohn Dykstra: God love him! He should tweak it until his heart's content. You never finish a movie. It is always pried from your grasping hands. There is always something you can fix. Does it always make it better? Mmm...That is questionable. I think executing something, you make decisions as you execute, in terms of priority. Sometimes those priorities are formed by more than just whether or not it was a good technical execution.

X-Men: First Class arrives on Blu-ray and DVD this Frist Class Friday, September 9th.

X-Men: First Class was released June 3rd, 2011 and stars James McAvoy, Laurence Belcher, Michael Fassbender, Bill Milner, Kevin Bacon, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence, Beth Goddard. The film is directed by Matthew Vaughn.

View the original article here

The Weinstein Company Launches Video On-Demand Label

Sep 6, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

The Weinstein Company forms new VOD labelThe Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that Tom Quinn and Jason Janego have joined forces with TWC Co-Chairmen Harvey Weinstein and Bob Weinstein to create a new TWC label to bring new films and other specialty entertainment to audiences simultaneously across multiple digital and traditional platforms. Quinn and Janego will serve as Co-Presidents of the yet-to-be named label, which will be based in New York. The announcement was made by TWC COO David Glasser.

Quinn and Janego were among the first in the film industry to explore the potential of emerging digital platforms and were in the vanguard of developing new strategies for alternative distribution during their tenures at Magnolia Pictures, where they were Senior Vice President and Head of Legal & Business Affairs, respectively. In 2005, Magnolia became one of the first distributors to implement the day/date releasing, premiering Steven Soderbergh's Bubble and Alex Gibney's Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room simultaneously in select theaters and on DVD. Over the next several years they expanded on the premium VOD/theatrical platform model with such films as James Gray's Two Lovers, Neil Marshall's Centurion, Takashi Miike's 13 Assassins, Alex Gibney's Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer and Freakonomics, the documentary based on the bestseller, enabling these specialty and independent releases to compete alongside studio content.

The new label makes TWC the first studio to premiere select titles across multiple platforms via immediate-access digital and traditional media and will bring TWC's unique, high-quality films to larger audiences than ever before. As Co-Presidents, Quinn and Janego will develop content and distribution strategies that move beyond the on-demand model, with a goal of establishing the new label as a marquee destination. Quinn and Janego will oversee acquisitions, productions and distribution of label content. Both will report to Harvey and Bob Weinstein and David Glasser in New York.

Quinn and Janego will be on-site at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival to begin scouting titles for the fledgling label. It is anticipated that the label will release its debut title in the first half of 2012.

Said Quinn and Janego, "Our experience in digital distribution has been eye-opening and inspiring; we see it as a new frontier for studios and for independent filmmakers of every stripe. It makes perfect sense that the godfathers of modern independent cinema, Harvey and Bob Weinstein, would be the first studio chiefs to launch a business dedicated to these new platforms, and we are thrilled to be working alongside them in this new venture. We can't wait to get going."

Commented Harvey and Bob Weinstein, "It's an exciting time in filmmaking; technology has made film a more democratic medium than ever, for artists and audiences. There are just so many great movies being made all over the world, and the new digital platforms make it possible for more people than ever to see them. We are thrilled about launching this new label with Tom and Jason at the helm: not only are they innovators with a deep understanding of all things digital, they're two guys who love movies like we do. In a lot of ways, this label is an expansion on the work we've been doing for more than 20 years, and with Tom and Jason aboard we think it will chart a path into the future."

Added Glasser, "My tenure with TWC has coincided with seismic changes in the cinema landscape, particularly with respect to the digital revolution and the advent of new platforms for watching movies. Our new label represents a forward-thinking approach to an evolving marketplace, and is a natural step for us as a studio built on specialty films. Perhaps most importantly, it's a realistic and exciting way to grow TWC as a studio while staying true to the love of film that is so strong in Harvey and Bob, and in our new partners, Tom and Jason."

Previously, Quinn spent more than seven years at Magnolia Pictures as SVP and Head of Acquisitions. He created Magnet Releasing, Magnolia's genre arm, the Six Shooter Series, as well as the annual Oscar Shorts Program. He's acquired and distributed over 100 films including Ong Bak: Muay Thai Warrior, Man on Wire, The Host, The World's Fastest Indian, Jesus Camp, Let the Right One in, and Woman Thou Art Loosed. His recent films include: Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times, Melancholia, 13 Assassins, Hobo with a Shotgun, Trollhunter, FREAKONOMICS, Centurion, I Am Love, Monsters, and Food, Inc.. His productions include: Outrage, Cocaine Cowboys, Splinter, and The ABCs of Death. Quinn is also a programmer, having worked for Philadelphia, Atlanta, Woodstock, and ActionFest, a festival he was instrumental in creating. Prior to joining Magnolia, he was at Samuel Goldwyn for seven years, eventually becoming VP of Acquisitions, where he was responsible for acquiring Raising Victor Vargas and Super Size Me. Quinn's first industry job was working in domestic film publicity for Nancy Willen at Dennis Davidson Associates.

Prior to joining TWC, Janego had his own consultancy and legal practice focusing on the development of innovative strategies for the production, financing and distribution of content in all areas of the entertainment business. In his career as an executive, lawyer, consultant, and producer's representative, Janego has been involved with over 250 films. Previously, he was the Chief Operating Officer at Big Beach Films, a New York-based production company whose credits include Away We Go, Is Anybody There? and Sunshine Cleaning. Before joining Big Beach, Janego was Head of Business & Legal Affairs for Magnolia Pictures, Magnolia Home Entertainment, and Landmark Theatres, all of which are subsidiaries of the vertically integrated media company Wagner/Cuban Entertainment. Janego has also worked at Miramax Films and with the film sales company Cinetic Media. Earlier in his career, he was employed as an attorney in the legal department of the NBC television network and with Artemis Records. He also serves on the Committee on Film at the Museum of Modern Art.

Sources: The Weinstein Company

View the original article here

EXCLUSIVE: Thor Blu-ray Special Feature Clip

Sep 7, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

We have an exclusive special feature clip from the highly-anticipated home video release Thor, which will hit the shelves on Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, and DVD on September 13. Click on the video player below to watch how director Kenneth Branagh and actor Colm Feore created the character King Laufey.

The epic adventure Thor spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the mystical realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is The Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. As a result, Thor is banished to Earth where he is forced to live among humans. When the most dangerous villain of his world sends its darkest forces to invade Earth, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero.

Commentary by director Kenneth BranaghMarvel One-Shot: The ConsultantFeaturettesRoad to the Avengers11 Deleted Scenes with optional commentary

Thor was released May 6th, 2011 and stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård, Kat Dennings, Clark Gregg, Idris Elba. The film is directed by Kenneth Branagh.

View the original article here

Farscape: The Complete Series Blu-ray Debuts November 15th

Sep 8, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

Although the status of the U.S. space program is in flux, those wishing to explore the furthest reaches of the cosmos need to look no further than Farscape: The Complete Series Blu-ray Edition. This November, home viewers will be transported through a wormhole across a thousand galaxies to the stunningly original universe of this groundbreaking cult classic from The Jim Henson Company, finally available in spectacular hi-def! Bringing together all four complete seasons (88 episodes) and over 15 hours of bonus programming across 20 blu-ray discs, this definitive collection, optimized for HD from the European PAL masters - the highest quality available source elements -- delivers the most optimal viewing experience for the series which TV Guide named "one of television's best cult shows ever". And, on November 15, it will be available for fans both new and old for $199.95 SRP.

A+E Networks Home Entertainment, one of the pioneers of TV DVD collectibles, and The Jim Henson Company have worked closely together to guarantee that this Blu-ray Edition will satisfy the series loyal fan base. "With Farscape, we work hard to meet our fans' high expectations and this new Blu Ray release utilizes the highest quality source materials available so I know our audience will not be disappointed," said Brian Henson, Chairman of The Jim Henson Company and executive producer of Farscape. "A+E Networks Home Entertainment has met all the challenges that, given the nature and age of the series, are inherent with a show like Farscape and the result is that all four seasons of Farscape look better than ever before."

The superb High-Def picture and sound isn't the only cause for celebration as this set also includes a brand-new documentary: Memories of Moya: An Epic Journey Explored featuring revealing new interviews with creators Brian Henson and Rockne S. O'Bannon, writer Richard Manning, and stars Ben Browder and Claudia Black as they look back at the legacy of the sci-fi classic.

In addition to this new documentary, the Farscape Blu-ray set also includes ALL of the bonus material from the bestselling DVD release: over 15 hours episode commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, trailers, promos and more.

An imaginative fusion of live action, state-of-the-art puppetry, prosthetics and CGI, Farscape, produced by The Jim Henson Company in association with RHI Entertainment, featured mind-boggling alien life forms, dazzling special effects, edge-of-your-seat thrills, irreverent humor and unforgettable characters -- all brought to rich life by the creative minds at Jim Henson's Creature Shop. Strap in and hold on tight for the extraordinary adventures of astronaut John Crichton, (Ben Browder) who, after a freak accident, finds himself surrounded by hostile aliens and soaring through the cosmos aboard Moya, a glorious living space ship. Hunted by the relentless Peacekeepers, he allies himself with Moya's crew -- Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black), Luxan warrior Ka D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe), azure priestess Zhaan (Virginia Hey), spritely Nebari thief Chiana (Gigi Edgley), Dominar Rygel, the deposed royal ruler of the Hynerian Empire and Pilot - to search for a way out of this inconceivably alien world and return home.

In addition to the complete Blu-ray Edition, day-and-date, A+E Networks Home Entertainment will also release single season blu-ray sets. Each BD release in Farscape: The Complete Seasons 1-4 Blu-ray Editions will contain over 18 hours of cosmically cool entertainment -- 22 episodes on five discs packed with incisive and stimulating bonus features for $69.95 SRP.

A+E Networks Home Entertainment, part of the Consumer Products Division of A+E Networks, is a distributor of non-theatrical programming, featuring collectible DVD and Blu-ray editions of the high quality programming from A&E Network, HISTORY, and Lifetime, as well as acquired classic programming and sports. A+E Networks Home Entertainment brings the best of critically acclaimed entertainment presented in award-winning packaging to the special interest category.

Blu-ray Includes:

20 Blu-ray discs featuring 88 complete and unedited episodes from the four-season run (1999-2003), remastered from the highest quality source material availableCollectible packaging featuring all-new series artwork29 Episode Commentaries, including Premiere with Brian Henson, Rockne S. O'Bannon and Ben Browder; Jeremiah Crichton with Claudia Black, Producer/Writer David Kemper, Browder and O'Bannon; Bone to Be Wild with Anthony Simcoe; Relativity with Lani John Tupu (Crais/Voice of Pilot) and Director Peter Andrikidis; and, Bad Timing which features Browder, Black and Kemper discussing the series' final episode.A Brand-New documentary - Memories of Moya: An Epic Journey Explored featuring revealing new interviews with the cast and creators.Multiple featurettes and documentaries including "In the Beginning: A Look Back with Brian Henson"; "Making of a Space Opera" and "Inside Farscape: Save Farscape," on which fans, cast and crew discuss the fate of their beloved series.Multiple video profiles featuring archival clips and cast/crew discussing their characters and roles on Farscape.Over 90 minutes of deleted scenes.Slideshows and archival photo galleries, including character concepts and promo photos.Production design galleries featuring screenshots, rough drafts and concept slide shows.Behind-the-Scenes interviews with Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Anthony Simcoe, Virginia Hey, Gigi Edgley, Paul Goddard (Stark), Wayne Pygram (Scorpius) and more.Original TV promos and trailersSources: A+E Networks Home Entertainment

View the original article here

EXCLUSIVE: Spencer Susser Talks Hesher

Sep 10, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

Like many filmmakers trying to break through in Hollywood, writer-director Spencer Susser began his career by making short films. Like many excellent filmmakers, those short films became long films, and Spencer Susser made his feature directorial debut with the fantastic indie Hesher, which hits the shelves on Blu-ray and DVD on September 13. Hesher is still one of my favorite movies of the year thus far, centering around a grieving, broken family (Rainn Wilson, Devin Brochu, Piper Laurie) whose lives are given a bizarre jolt when a mysterious long-haired rocker named Hesher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) makes his way into their lives... and their garage. I recently had the chance to speak with director Spencer Susser (who co-wrote the script with Animal Kingdom writer-director David Michôd) over the phone to discuss his directorial debut. Here's what he had to say below.

I actually caught the movie on Saturday of opening weekend at the Arclight, with the Q&A.

Spencer Susser: Oh, awesome.

I really enjoyed it. It's still one of my favorite movies of the year so far.

Spencer Susser: Awesome. That's cool.

I was wondering if you could talk about the inception of this project. I know you co-wrote it with David, but there is a story credit from a different writer. I was curious how that script came to you, and how did that original version change?

Spencer Susser: Well, basically, I was told about this script called Hesher and I was like, 'Oh, I know what a Hesher is. I like that' (Laughs). I got very excited about the name, so I read it and it was just this super broad comedy about a group of teenage nerds that meet this heavy metal character and he teaches them how to play for their battle of the bands. The main kid was this albino kid, who's such a nerd. It said in the first couple of pages that he was so white that he took his shirt off at the beach and it blinded everyone around him, they're all covering their faces. His mom is a teacher at the high school and his dad is a janitor, I don't know, it was just very, very silly. But, I loved the title, and that's kind of where I started. I guess that was sort of the seed planted that got me going, but I didn't know what movie I was going to write. I didn't have any idea what it was going to be. As I started writing, it just started out going into this place and I ended up just writing about something that I knew, something that was honest. It wasn't really until later that I added the Hesher and I just loved that title. That's really where that all comes from, but it's a very personal story, something that I experienced. It's not something that was in some script.

So it was just that name, and your experience and this bizarre character that all meshed together?

Spencer Susser: Yeah. I started to write this film about a boy and his dad who had experienced a loss. I just didn't want to make a totally depressing film. Part of it was I wanted it to be really honest and sincere in those ways, but I thought by introducing this crazy character, it would make this film fun to watch, so it wasn't just this heavy-handed stuff. I like movies that make you laugh and cry and feel all kinds of different emotions. One thing I heard from one of the reviewers was that it would confuse people. Is it a comedy or a drama? Well, it's both. Life is not one thing or the other. It's everything all the time. Why do you have to pick one? I guess because it's easier to sell.

I think we're starting to move out of just these one-genre movies. Hesher is the perfect example of both a drama and a comedy and it's hard to picture it in either category.

Spencer Susser: If you think about it, what are the greatest comedies? I don't know what they are, but I guarantee you care about those characters and there's a lot more drama in there that makes you want to know what's going to happen to those people. It's not just non-stop laughs. It can't be. That's not enough.

Yeah, I totally understand that. Now, you have a really amazing cast here, but I was actually quite blown away by Devin and his performance. Can you talk about discovering him and how that really tied the movie together?

Spencer Susser: Yeah, there were a couple of big challenges in making this movie, and one of them was to find a 12-year-old boy who can carry a movie. He's basically in every scene, it's his story, and the emotional journey that he has to go on is a big ask for a young boy. How do you find someone with that experience, either acting that in a film or that life experience to pull from. It's pretty difficult, and I couldn't find either, really. We saw hundreds and hundreds of kids. I had these wonderful casting directors Justine Baddeley and Kim Davis-Wagner, and they worked on Where the Wild Things Are. They had basically seen every kid, all around the world, who was in that age group. It just wasn't that simple. We saw tons of kids and there was just something about Devin. He hasn't experienced the stuff that the character went through, but he had this real honesty. I knew that if I could figure out how to get him to be honest in these scenes, that it would work. At the end of the day, he was just so brave, a smart kid, and he was willing to go to these kind of scary places and experience this stuff. I think it would be hard for anyone to say that it's not good acting, because he's not acting, he's feeling. That stuff is real. That's him experiencing something like that. That goes for Joe and Rainn and Natalie (Portman). Both Natalie and Joe also come from acting as a child, and I feel like it's a completely different process when you're a kid. You don't have much stuff to draw from. It's just a really honest thing. I don't know. I always think kid actors are the best, because they don't know how to act, but they know how to feel. We all know how to feel, but sometimes kids can access that stuff easily. Not all kids can do it, but the kids that can, you can't deny it. There's no way anyone could ever say that Natalie's acting isn't better than anyone's in The Professional. She's just a kid going through that stuff. They find it and it's so special. Devin just went there, and it was scary because when I cast him, I wasn't sure he could do it. It wasn't until we really got into it that it started to make sense.

You talked about how the character of Hesher evolved when you were writing the script. When Joseph Gordon-Levitt came on board, did the character go to another level? Did you rework the character once he signed on?

Spencer Susser: Not really. That was another big challenge, finding Hesher. When I was writing it, I couldn't picture an actor who I knew playing the role. I just wanted him to be Hesher. When you meet him for the first time, I wanted the audience to go, 'Oh, that's Hesher.' Not, 'Oh, that's so-and-so dressed as a character.' With that being said, it was such a specific tone and note that he needed to play, that I had to look at the best actors I could. I was really lucky. I like to say that I had an embarrassment of riches with the actors who were interested in playing Hesher. I wanted the actors to audition me as much as I was auditioning them, because I knew I needed them to trust me 100% and to go to new places and to really feel safe in my hands. I got into a room with a handful of different actors, and we just played with it. Joe is someone... typically, I would have lunch or a coffee with the actor and we'd talk about it and I would give them a lot of back story and a lot of information to think about it. Then, a few days later, we would go try it, just me and the actor, and have a play. Auditions are weird as well. It's like, 'Here's this thing I've been working on for the past five years. Have a read and I'll see you tomorrow and let's see what you've got.' I really was not looking for someone's take on the character. I didn't want your version of Hesher. I had a very, very specific idea of who he was and how he was and how he spoke and how he moved. I needed to find someone who was willing to do that, and capable of doing that, and who could make it feel raw. When I met with Joe initially, I thought, 'He's just such a nice guy and he's just the opposite of Hesher.' But, I knew he was a great actor and, once I got in the room with him, it was like, 'Holy shit. This guy is the real deal.' He really transformed. His performance in the film is quite a technical performance, but it feels so loose, even though there is very little improv in the film. It's all very tightly scripted and choreographed and the fact that he makes it feel so off-the-cuff, it's really amazing what he's capable of. He really turned into that guy.

I even said after the movie that, I know he's had a wonderful career, but that was one of my favorite performances of his. I was blown away. It was just so fun to watch him.

Spencer Susser: It's funny. When I first started working with Joe, I knew Joe, and as we got into it, he slowly became Hesher, and he was Hesher for a long time. When I cut the movie, I hadn't seen him, I was just in this bubble, making the movie, living with this character, and then afterwards, when we caught up again and started to hang out, I didn't recognize him. I was like, 'Who the f&%k is this nice guy, this Joe guy?' Not that Hesher isn't nice, he's just nice in a different way. He was a different person, you know.

I remember during the Q&A at the Arclight, there was some talk about getting the rights to Metallica's songs and how that was a bit of a challenge. Can you talk a bit about that, and was there ever a backup plan if it fell through?

Spencer Susser: Well, I didn't have a backup plan. I don't know if it was a struggle so much, but everybody told me that it was never going to happen. The Metallica songs are in the script, and everyone said, 'Yeah, you've got to take that out. They're not going to give us the music, and even if they did, we couldn't afford it.' I said, 'No, that's what it's supposed to be. That's what it is.' They said, 'Well, OK, we'll just change it later.' So I shot the film and cut the film and I put in those songs that I thought were the right ones and everyone said, 'You've got to take those out. We're not going to get those.' I said, 'How do you know?' I just kept pushing that it was right and, eventually, we sent the film to Metallica and I wrote them a letter and told them how I ended up there and why I thought it was important and they loved the film and basically gave us the music. They were awesome the whole time.

Were you listening to these songs on the set, to get you into the mindset?

Spencer Susser: Certainly for Joe, I would send him all kinds of articles and videos and songs, yeah, a lot of Metallica, but I also sent him these mixed CD's for his collection. He's quite a unique character and there's a lot to him that's not on the surface. There's so much buried under the surface. But yeah, Joe listens to music a lot when he works, and it helps, but I know he did listen to a lot of Metallica. It was also specific Metallica, the older, earlier Metallica stuff, the Cliff Burton stuff, that Hesher responds to more than anything.

Is there anything that you're working on right now that you can talk about? Anything you're writing or looking to direct in the near future?

Spencer Susser: Yeah. I made a short film a couple of years ago called I Love Sarah Jane. I'm working on the script for a feature version, which is something I'm really excited about. Hopefully that will be my next project, but I have a couple of other things that I'm working on as well, but that's my main focus right now.

Are you looking at any cast members for that yet?

Spencer Susser: Not yet. I'm just focusing on the story. I have a couple of people in mind, but it's still early days.

For people who didn't get a chance to see Hesher in theaters, or people who might be on the fence about the movie, what would you like to say about why they should pick up the Blu-ray and DVD on September 13?

Spencer Susser: If you're on the fence, get off and spend two hours and watch a movie. I don't know. I tried to make a film that was different, that I hadn't seen before but that I had wanted to see. In a lot of ways, I think there's a lot in it for everybody. There are a lot of layers to the film, and I'm always surprised at who likes the film. There are certain people who I know are going to like it. I remember after one of the first Sundance screenings, we were in the parking lot and these two older women in their 60s were slowly making their way towards me in the parking lot. I was like, 'Oh shit. Here we go.' They said, 'We love your movie!' I was like, 'Really? Why?' They said, "We just love that guy.' I said, 'What about all the language and this and that?' They said, 'That's that guy. They needed that guy.' They totally got it! It was really nice. In a lot of the screenings, there are always a lot of really interesting and different types of people who like the movie, who really respond to it. That's always nice to hear. People who have experiences loss respond to the movie in a different way. A lot of people have thanked me for taking this subject very seriously and treating it with respect. It's all based on your life experience. I think all art is. Why do you like a song? Because it rings true to you. But yeah, I think there's a lot in it. Some people can't get past the "F word" and they hate the movie. There are a lot of "F words" in the movie, but its from a person who talks like that. It's who he is.

Excellent. Well, that's about all I have for you, Spencer. Thanks so much for your time, and I really enjoyed the film. I'm definitely looking forward to your next project.

Spencer Susser: Thank you so much. Take care.

You can pick up director Spencer Susser's fantastic feature debut Hesher when it hits the shelves on Blu-ray and DVD on September 13.

Hesher was released May 13th, 2011 and stars Natalie Portman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rainn Wilson, John Carroll Lynch, Piper Laurie, Devin Brochu, Frank Collison, Audrey Wasilewski. The film is directed by Spencer Susser.

View the original article here

CONTEST: Win Bereavement on Blu-ray

Aug 29, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

The Anchor Bay horror-thriller Bereavement will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on August 30. We are celebrating this new genre title with a contest where we're giving away copies of the Blu-ray to our readers. These high-def discs will surely go fast, so enter this contest today.

Just "Like" (fan) the MovieWeb Facebook page (below) and then leave a comment below telling us why these prizes must be yours!

If you already "Like" MovieWeb, just leave a comment below telling us why these prizes must be yours!

In 1989, a 6-year-old boy is lured into the vehicle of a stranger. The stranger is a serial killer with a tendency of butchering teenage girls. In the basement of a rural Pennsylvania slaughterhouse, he will teach the boy everything he knows. Five years later, teen Allison (Alexandra Daddario of Hall Pass) comes to live with her uncle (Michael Biehn of The Terminator) following her parents' death. In time, she will discover the boy and his madman mentor. And they will all be plunged into an unimaginable evil from which there may be no escape. Nolan Gerard Funk (Deadgirl), Brett Rickaby (The Crazies), Valentina de Angelis (Gossip Girl) and The Deer Hunter (The Deer Hunter) co-star in this graphic and acclaimed shocker from writer/director Stevan Mena about family, torment, and the nightmare absolution that is Bereavement.

First Look: ON THE SETThe Making of BereavementTV SpotDeleted Scenes with optional audio commentary by Writer/Producer/Director Stevan MenaScreenplay (DVD-ROM)Theatrical TrailerAudio Commentary with Writer/Producer/Director Stevan MenaStill Montage

Bereavement was released March 4th, 2011 and stars Alexandra Daddario, Michael Biehn, Peyton List, John Savage, Nolan Gerard Funk, Spencer List, Valentina de Angelis, Brett Rickaby. The film is directed by Stevan Mena.

View the original article here

X-Men: First Class Blu-ray Extended Scene

Aug 24, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

A new extended scene has arrived in advance of the Blu-ray and DVD release of X-Men: First Class, which hits shelves on September 9. Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) make their way to a strip club to recruit the winged stripper Angel, portrayed by Zoë Kravitz. Click on the photo below to watch this new video and see just how Charles and Erik convinced Angel to show them her special gift. You can also take a look at this home video release's special features below.

Before Charles Xavier (McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Fassbender) took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time, working together to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. The film features a star-studded supporting cast, including Academy Award-nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone), January Jones (Mad Men), Rose Byrne (28 Weeks Later), Zoë Kravitz (Zoë Kravitz), Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man), Lucas Till (Walk the Line), and Emmy Award-nominee Oliver Platt (The West Wing).

10 Marvel "X-Men" Digital Comics with exclusive X-Men: First Class Backstory ComicCerebro Mutant Tracker: The complete interactive Mutant Database with interactive videos giving fans the ability to learn about their favorite mutants in the X-Men film franchiseChildren of the Atom: An eight-part behind-the-scenes featurette, charting the film from pre-production through post-production, including visual effects techniques and cataloguing X-Men transformations through prosthetic make up and costume design"X" Marks the Spot: An interactive feature allowing viewers the opportunity to learn more about specific scenes with talent interviews and behind-the-scenes footageExtended and Deleted ScenesBD-Live Portal with additional Cerebro Mutant Tracker profilesComposer's Isolated ScoreTheatrical Trailer

X-Men: First Class was released June 3rd, 2011 and stars James McAvoy, Laurence Belcher, Michael Fassbender, Bill Milner, Kevin Bacon, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence, Beth Goddard. The film is directed by Matthew Vaughn.

View the original article here

Captain America: The First Avenger on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D October 25th

Aug 27, 2011 by The MovieWeb Team

Amazon is now taking pre-orders for the Blu-ray release of the 2011 summer blockbuster, Captain America: The First Avenger. The Paramount/Marvel Studios co-production will be available in a 3D Limited Edition combo pack (Captain America: The First Avenger - Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy) and a standard combo pack (Captain America: The First Avenger - Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy), as well as the Captain America: The First Avenger DVD. These will hit retail with starting prices of $54.99 and $42.99 respectively.

The Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III) directed feature stars Chris Evans as the iconic superhero along with Hayley Atwell (The Duchess), Hugo Weaving (The Matrix) and Tommy Lee Jones (No Country for Old Men). The film tells the origin story of Steve Rogers' transformation into the super-soldier Captain America and his mission to stop Nazi officer Johann Schmidt/Red Skull. Captain America performed strong at the box office last month and has hauled in over $316 million worldwide to date.

The Blu-ray for Captain America: The First Avenger will feature DTS HD Master Audio 7.1 and a 2:39:1 aspect ratio. Though Paramount has yet to fully detail the release, an unconfirmed listing of special features is outlined below.

Captain America: The First Avenger streets on October 25th, 2011.

Captain America: The First Avenger was released July 22nd, 2011 and stars Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Dominic Cooper, Richard Armitage, Stanley Tucci. The film is directed by Joe Johnston.

View the original article here