The Smurfs Blu-ray Invades Sony Pictures Animation

Dec 2, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

The Smurfs take over Sony Pictures Animation with the new Blu-ray releaseBack in June, I was invited to the Sony Pictures Animation facility to get an early look at The Smurfs, so it's only fitting that I came back to SPA for an event celebrating The Smurfs on three-disc Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD December 2. The three-disc Blu-ray includes the brand new animated short The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol, a smurfy version of the classic Charles Dickens story. The short centers on Grouchy (George Lopez), who is normally rather happy during Christmas, but is his usually cantankerous self this year. Papa Smurf brews up a potion to get Grouchy back into the Christmas spirit, which features the Smurfs of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.

I got to watch this animated short at SPA, which is a lot of fun, especially for longtime fans of the original animated series, since most of the short is done in the traditional hand-drawn style fans of the original animated series will recognize. It's a wonderful trip down memory lane for those like me who grew up on the original show, with many of the voice actors returning from the The Smurfs movie such as George Lopez as Grouchy, Anton Yelchin as Clumsy, Fred Armisen as Brainy, and Hank Azaria as Gargamel. It was interesting watching the old-school version of Gargamel with the new-school voice of Hank Azaria.

We also had the chance to preview some of the special features on Blu-ray, including the Smurf-O-Vision Second Screen Experience, which allows users an interactive experience in sync with the movie on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. When you watch the movie and have Smurf-O-Vision synced in with the movie, you can open Jokey Smurf's presents, fill up your screen with Smurfberries or mushroom houses, pop popcorn, or even zap Gargamel with a lightning strike. If the young boy sitting next to me was any indication, kids will love these activities, especially the Gargamel lightning strike. That kid must have zapped Gargamel 100 times in just a few minutes, and he was having a blast doing it. to download this app for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.

There are also several other interactive activities the kids will love on this Blu-ray, including the GoldRun app for your iPhone or iPad, where you can literally take a picture with one of the Smurfs. There are six different Smurfs, such as Brainy, Grouchy, and Papa Smurf, which you can add into your own photos with this app. You can to download this app from the Apple store. If the kids loved zapping Gargamel, I have to imagine they'd get a kick out of a Smurf standing next to them in a photo.

This Blu-ray set also includes a holiday-themed add-on for the popular Smurfs Village game, which is available for Apple and Android devices. This add-on can only be accessed through the Blu-ray, which includes new holiday quests and characters from The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol.

The Smurfs Blu-ray will also be the first title to feature Sony's new UltraViolet Digital Copy, an innovative new version of the digital copy which puts your movies in "the cloud." Users can sign up for a free account at UVVU.com, and then you can either stream The Smurfs directly from their servers, or download your own copy onto your laptop or smartphone. Here's what Jeremy Glassman had to say about this emerging technology.

"What you do is, your Blu-ray disc comes with a code, and you're actually able to add the digital rights for The Smurfs to your UltraViolet digital library, and you're able to stream the movie, or download a copy to your PC or Mac. It's an entirely new way to watch a movie. You can watch it at home streaming or on the go."

Jeremy Glassman also mentioned that you can add up to six friends or family members to your UltraViolet account, who can access your library. This UltraViolet Digital Copy really takes your viewing experience to the next level, with this Cloud-based platform that allows the flexibility to stream the movie from the UltraViolet servers, or download a copy to watch on various devices. Other upcoming titles which will feature UltraViolet Digital Copy are The Hangover Part II on December 6, Colombiana on December 20, and Final Destination 5 on December 27.

That about wraps it up from my day at Sony Pictures Animation for The Smurfs, which arrives on three-disc Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD December 2.

The Smurfs was released July 29th, 2011 and stars Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofía Vergara, Tim Gunn, Madison McKinley, Meg Phillips, Julie Chang. The film is directed by Raja Gosnell.

The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol was released December 2nd, 2011 and stars Jack Angel, Fred Armisen, Hank Azaria, Gary Basaraba, George Lopez, Melissa Sturm, Anton Yelchin. The film is directed by Troy Quane.

View the original article here

Image Entertainment Launches Faith-Based Slingshot Pictures

Sep 28, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

Alleged will be the first movie from Image Entertainment's Slingshot Pictures bannerImage Entertainment, Inc. is proud to announce the launch of a new label, Slingshot Pictures. The line will focus exclusively on faith-based titles and be managed by industry veteran Suzette Schafer who has been hired as Senior Vice President. The Slingshot Pictures brand will premiere in November according to Image Entertainment Chief Acquisitions Officer Bill Bromiley.

"With a current estimate of $4.5 billion annually, the faith-based market continues to grow and, at present, is underserved," commented Bromiley. "With the addition of Suzette and her vast knowledge of this market, we have identified several films that we feel are perfect for audiences and will continue to add more films to the label's library."

"I'm excited to be launching this new label for Image Entertainment," said Suzette Schafer, Senior Vice President, Specialty Product. "It is our goal to acquire films that have strong family values, messages of hope and are life affirming as well as spiritually enriching. Slingshot Pictures will bring these films to audiences through standard distribution channels as well as explore new innovative outlets to broaden accessibility and bring inspirational content to consumers worldwide"

The first film under the new banner will be Alleged, a stirring romantic period story set during the infamous 1925 Scopes "Monkey Trial" that pitted believers in Creation against those who believed in evolution in the unblinking glare of the national media. Available on November 8, 2011, Alleged stars Nathan West (Miracle), Ashley Johnson (The Help), Fred Dalton Thompson (The Genesis Code), Brian Dennehy (Cocoon) and Colm Meaney (Star Trek: The Next Generation).

Two additional films have been acquired for the Slingshot Pictures moniker and are being slated for release in 2012. They include Decision and The Heart of Christmas.

In Decision, a family in despair rediscovers its faith in this uplifting drama from the producers of WWJD: What Would Jesus Do?Natalie Grant (four-time GMA Dove Awards Female Vocalist of the Year) stars as Ilene, who struggles to make ends meet after the tragic death of her firefighter husband (country music star Billy Dean). When she begins to lose control of her heartbroken teenage son Jackson (Michael Rosenbaum), she reaches out to her estranged father Wyatt (Rusty Whitener), a farmer, to take in the troubled boy. Wyatt is a good man but set in his ways, and Jackson resists Wyatt's attempts to instill in him the virtues of hard work and his Christian values. Gradually, they form a bond that will require Jackson to find an inner strength he never knew he had to avert yet another family tragedy.

Based on the inspirational holiday song "One Last Christmas" by best-selling artist Matthew West, The Heart of Christmas tells the story of one family's quest for their two-year old son, stricken with leukemia, to experience one last magical Christmas. Their journey and desire to savor every moment would change their lives, and the community around them, forever. The films stars Candace Cameron Bure (Full House), Jeanne Neilson (Faith Like Potatoes), and George Newbern (NCIS, Father of the Bride). Also featured are Dendrie Taylor (The Fighter, Jarhead), Erin Bethea (Fireproof), Anita Renfroe (Bless This Mess) and Burgess Jenkins (Remember the Titans, Shunning).

Schafer joins the Image Entertainment team with over 24 years of experience in the field of home entertainment. She most recently served as the head of faith and family division for the Weinstein's Genius products where she built strategic, point-of-sale relationships with Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target, Blockbuster and many others. Prior to her time at Genius, Schafer was Senior Vice President of Sales at GT Media, a subsidiary of Gaiam, where she was responsible for entertainment and fitness being sold. She successfully launched such high profile kids and fitness brands as Felix the Cat, Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit, Billy Blanks Tae Bo, The FIRM and Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds. Schafer was a major force in establishing a presence within the CBA (Christian retail) market by opening a direct relationship with Family Christian Stores, which represent 30% of the Christian retail segment. She was actively involved in the placement of such faith-based properties as Megiddo: The Omega Code 2, Charlton Heston Presents the Bible, Jerry Jenkins, Though None Go with Me, Christmas Shoes and more. Over the years, she's worked with Sony Pictures, Hit Entertainment, USA Films/Polygram, Turner and Orion.

View the original article here