Oldboy will get to March

1/29/2014 10:45:43 AM, by Guido Henkel The new sony Pictures Home Theatre just revealed particulars concerning the approaching remake from the Korean 2003 cult classic Oldboy, arranging a DVD and Blu-Ray Disc discharge of the film in March.
“Oldboy” is really a provocative, visceral thriller that follows the storyline of Joe Doucette (Josh Brolin), a guy who's abruptly kidnapped and held hostage for 25 years in solitary confinement, without no reason. As he is all of a sudden launched without explanation, he starts an obsessive pursuit to discover who jailed him, simply to uncover the real mystery is the reason why he was set free.
The DVD version will feature an anamorphic widescreen change in the film with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio as well as contain Alternate and Extended Moments in addition to a Featurette known as “Talking Heads”. The Workout Video Promo may also be incorporated.
The Blu-Ray version will have a hd presentation and include exactly the same bonus materials. Additionally, however, it will likewise contain two additional Featurettes, named “The Making of Oldboy” and “Transformation.”
“Oldboy” come in stores on March 4 for $30.99 on DVD and $35.99 on Blu-Ray Disc. Secure your copy today at Amazon . com.comView the original article here

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire debuts in March

1/24/2014 10:38:06 AM, by Guido Henkel
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire debuts in MarchToday, Lionsgate Home Theatre has introduced the approaching DVD and Blu-Ray discharge of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, arranging the title for March.
In line with the best-selling second novel of Suzanne Collins’ award-winning trilogy, having a script by Simon Beaufoy and Michael DeBruyn and directed by Francis Lawrence (I'm Legend), The Hunger Games: Catching Fire starts as, against all odds, Katniss and her fellow tribute Peeta have came back home after making it through The Hunger Games. Winning ensures they must change, departing their family members behind and attempt a “Victory Tour” with the districts. On the way, Katniss senses a rebellion being applied – one which she and Peeta might have sparked. In the finish from the Victory Tour, Leader Snow announces a deadly 75th Hunger Games that may change Panem forever.
The DVD version from the release will feature an anamorphic widescreen transfer with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio as well as incorporate a Commentary Track with Director Francis Lawrence and Producer Nina Jacobson. It will likewise contain an array of Erased Moments along with a Sneak Look of Divergent.
The Blu-Ray Combo version will offer you up a 1080p hd transfer having a DTS 7.1 HD Master Audio track. As extra supplies you'll also find the Commentary Track with Director Francis Lawrence and Producer Nina Jacobson and also the Erased Moments around the release, but additionally, it will likewise contain “Surviving the overall game: Making Catching Fire”, a 9-part feature-length documentary.
“Catching Fire” will get to stores on March 7 for $29.95 on DVD and $#9.99 like a Blu-Ray combo that consists of our prime definition version, the DVD version as well as an UltraViolet Digital HD form of the film. Secure your copy today at Amazon . com.comView the original article here

The Ides of March

Bill Gibron is a veteran film critic from Tampa, Florida.Scandal in politics is nothing new. It's been a part of the process since favors could be fostered with the drop of a dollar. So when a movie like The Ides of March hints that it will offer up yet another look at a controversial candidate beset by the dire decisions of a bunch of power hungry yes men, the stakes are raised substantially. After all, there's everything from All the President's Men to Primary Colors to contend with, and with the 24 hour news cycle seemingly breaking a new outrage nightly (if not hourly), expectations within such a storyline are very high indeed. That's what makes The Ides of March all the more disconcerting. While well acted and expertly directed, it doesn't tell us anything we don't already know or suspect. Instead of really shocking us with something unsavory, we wind up walking down the same sex scandal road.

In the hotly contested battle for the Democratic Party's nomination for President, two candidates have emerged - the favored Mike Morris (George Clooney), Governor of Pennsylvania and sitting Senator Pullman (Michael Mantell). The former is guided by the political pro Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and heralded young gun Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling). The latter is led by seasoned vet Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti). In the key state of Ohio, trouble starts brewing between the camps.

Both want the endorsement of former contender Senator Thompson (Jeffrey Wright) and are hounded by New York Times reporter Ida Horowicz (Marisa Tomei). When a young intern (Evan Rachel Wood) in Morris's camp befriends Stephen, her subsequently discovered secret sets things spiraling out of control. It leaves our earnest consultant wondering if he can continue working for someone so flawed, as well as what to do with such potentially explosive information.

You expect better from George Clooney. From Confessions of a Dangerous Mind to Good Night and Good Luck (Heck, even Leatherheads), he's an interesting filmmaker with an equally unusual eye for material. From a baffling biopic of one of TV's most memorable producers to the coming of age of professional football, he knows source. So it's disappointing the something like The Ides of March isn't more compelling. Clooney coming to the political arena with his obvious creative and philosophical bent boldly displayed should be something sensational. Instead, the performances and expert highlighting of same have to make up for a core conceit that's as old as the mistress or the missing campaign funds. We don't much care what did or did not happen in a hotel room in Iowa, but the movie makes a massive mountain out of this otherwise minor personal molehill.

The source material, a play entitled Farragut North, obviously believed that bravura stage acting would overcome the derivative nature of the narrative. On film, such connections are tenuous at best. The audience has to believe in the people and issues at hand or they will tune out and turn off. Here, no matter how great Gosling, Hoffman, Giamatti, Tomei or Wood are -- and they are indeed excellent -- the reason for all the internal uproar and professional backstabbing is specious at best. Without spoiling the surprise, it's the kind of trouble that probably plaques most in positions of power and yet never makes it beyond a bevy of well-paid problem solvers.

Clooney clearly wants to send a message to the American people. He wants them to understand that politics have been and always will be dirty, that even the most noble and likeminded among the participants will eventually fall into the temptations that come with such a commitment. It's just too bad then that the eventual reveal is so redundant. We expect more from the star...and the subjects he chooses to champion.

View the original article here

March Of The Penguins (DVD) Review

One of the more surprising films of 2005, and perhaps the most intriguing, was March Of The Penguins, a full-length feature film documentary cut from the same mold as a PBS National Geographic special. Directed by Luc Jacquet, the film had its origins in France, but the narrative theme is neither French, nor English, or for that matter, reflective of any nation's cultural influence. Instead, March Of The Penguins is a truly rare cinematic masterpiece that transcends borders, language, and culture. Its brilliant portrayal of the Emperor penguin in his natural habitat offers universal appeal to audiences everywhere by reinforcing the themes of love, companionship, life, and the struggle to overcome the hardships of an oftentimes cruel and unforgiving world.

The US version of March Of The Penguins is narrated by Morgan Freeman, a stellar choice for the role as his precise, yet folksy, voice serves to underscore the magnitude and the magic of the annual journey endured by these fascinating animals. The visuals of the film are powerful in their own right, but I doubt the movie would've enjoyed the massive commercial success it did without the strength of Freeman's performance. In the opening scenes, Freeman introduces us to the Emperor penguin and its icy homeland of Antarctica. As winter approaches, penguins from all over the continent make an instinctive annual voyage across rugged and inhospitable terrain in search of the ancient Emperor penguin mating ground.

Along the way, audiences learn every particular detail of the arduous task that awaits the Emperor penguins. With thousands gathered together, each must find a mate. Once the relationship has been consummated, a single egg is the product of their pairing. But the egg is fragile, subject to easy fracture and the hazardous conditions of extremely low temperatures. As such, the male penguin must protect the egg while the female returns to the ocean in search of food for herself and her yet to be born offspring. In the interim, high winds, driving snow, and freezing elements pound away at the swarm of male penguins as they desperately protect their respective eggs. Amazingly, the herd instinctively protects itself from the relentless cold by rotating those on the outside into the middle and vice versa, so that the burden of the cold weather is shared equally by all.

Once winter subsides and the females return, the newly hatched baby penguins face the additional threat of predators. The males must make their own journey to the ocean, and the budding toddler penguins must be initiated into the ways of their world, all so the process can take full-circle and start all over again next year...

One of the highest grossing theatrical documentaries ever released, March Of The Penguins is an utterly fascinating film. In contrast to the usual mind-numbing action-packed blockbusters produced by Hollywood (and demanded by those of us in the viewing public), March Of The Penguins is both educational and entertaining. You'll find yourself perched on the edge of your seat in anticipation as these rugged creatures engage with the harshest elements of nature. You'll root for the heroes and boo the villains, but despite the absence of a contrived Hollywood plot, you'll find yourself truly captivated by this charming film - the story of struggle, the story of triumph, the story of life... March of the Penguins.

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a movie review site [http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com] where you can find more reviews like this one of the March Of The Penguins (DVD) Review [http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com/2006/03/march-of-penguins-dvd.html].