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

Take Shelter

Take Shelter - Filmcritic.com Movie Review Filmcritic.com RSS Twitter Facebook filmsite.org The Greatest Films 100 Greatest Films Greatest Quotes The Oscars Most Controversial Films amctv.com Story Matters Here AMC Movie Guide AMC News Games & Quizzes In Theaters New Reviews: Tucker and Dale vs. Evil Take Shelter What's Your Number? 50/50 Dream House Weekend (2011) You Don't Like the Truth: 4 Days Inside Guantanamo My Joy See All In Theaters Reviews

Coming Soon

New On DVD New Reviews: Fast FiveSubmarineScream 4JigBuckTransformers: Dark of the MoonThe Ledge See All New On DVD Reviews

Top Rated By the filmcritic critics By the filmcritic community Columns & Features Recent Stories "Contagion," George Lucas, and Women in Scifi Film: It's Mailbag Time What Do DC Comics Changes Mean for Anne Hathaway's Catwoman -- and Beyond? A World Without "Star Wars": What Would It Be? Remember the "Footloose" Soundtrack? Not Like This, You Don't Top Ranked Columns Interviews John Scalzi on Sci Fi Movie Mix Tape Nadel on Comic Book Movies Top Ten See All Columns & Features

Trailers & Video Coming to Theaters In Theaters New on DVD Trailers by Genre Trailers by Decade In Theaters Take Shelter Reviewed by Sam Kressner on Sep 29 2011 Rated by critic: Rated by users: Rated by you: Photo Gallery
Sam Kressner full bio of Sam Kressner

There's a storm brewing in Take Shelter, the Sundance hit from writer-director Jeff Nichols. A psychological excavation of one man's descent down the rabbit hole, Nichols's sophomore effort begins in the calm before impending disaster. Blue-collar construction worker and Midwest family man Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon) is a prototypical everyman -- nurturing, paternalistic, and taciturn. At work, Curtis finds comfort in simple pleasures, manning the drill-bit alongside his best friend Dewart (Shea Wigham) and sharing chilled post-work beverages from an igloo cooler. At home, Curtis's wife Samantha (Jessica Chastain) supports the family unconditionally. She prepares breakfast in the morning, attends sign language preschool, and endures long phone calls to her insurance company about an expensive procedure for their hearing-impaired daughter. God's country, America's heartland is a slice of complacent life. Everyone's scratching to get by and doing so with neighborly politeness and solidarity.

All is interrupted when Curtis starts to experience seemingly psychotic episodes. There is a portentous weather-front on the horizon: nightmares of oleaginous rain and predatory cannibals complemented by deafening, clear sky thunder and visions of crows flocking in the thousands. As expected, Curtis keeps mum, but this everyman also turns inalterably erratic. Using his house as collateral, he takes out a ten thousand dollar loan to refurbish his backyard storm shelter. He borrows equipment from his job, begs Dewart to lend a hand, and unearths the stable ground below, desperately risking everything for which he has worked. The flood is upon us, and Curtis will do anything to save his family from biblical wrath. Admittedly subject to a schizophrenic lineage (his mother was diagnosed at a similar age), Curtis actively pursues professional counsel. Despite his friends' mounting skepticism and Samantha's confusion (and eventual consternation), Curtis remains undeterred. The storm shelter must be built at all cost, and he will be vindicated.

Drenched in Old Testament overtones, Take Shelter decidedly, and quite thankfully, never proselytizes, intones, or mentions -- even in passing -- words of scripture. Why discuss the obvious? As a result, the film avoids bombast. Though the title demands the viewer take immediate precaution, Nichols plays out the narrative in a slow burn, toying with the audience's mounting discomfort. Mostly without relying on cheap shocks, Take Shelter enjoys its journey, knowing how to form and sustain disquieting terror. And when it finally ends in a bewildering cataclysm that is both highly satisfying and frustratingly open-ended, Take Shelter reveals itself to be engaging, problematic, and indebted to its star.

Michael Shannon captivates, inhabiting a man on the brink of psychological disaster,. He is a volcanic presence -- dormant upon arrival and ready to burst at any moment. The Chicago stage veteran began his career under the wing of lauded playwright Tracy Letts. Shannon appeared in the first runs of Killer Joe and Bug, both of which are now canonized in late-Twentieth Century American drama. He has made a career of playing the mercurial sort, a man on the edge. Even his natural smile is slightly crooked. It may seem difficult to comprehend why an actor of his caliber and features -- a chiseled jaw-line, handsome by all accounts -- took so long to become a leading man of the screen. But then you notice his eyes, a lazy left. It becomes clear. Shannon possesses a transfixing, formidable stare; his thin shoulders slumped, it looks as though he has the weight of the world on his back. And in Take Shelter, he does. He doesn't merely carry the film, as if it were some thespian burden; rather, he lifts Nichols's text until it stands erect and levitates, suspended in mid-air. Curtis LaForche may or may not retain celestial insight, powers associated to some sentient prophet; but Shannon belongs in a rarefied group of masterful craftsmen. His awesome talent reduces mere mortals to silent awe.

Tweet Comments: See more in: Take Shelter Michael Shannon Jessica Chastain Shea Whigham Katy Mixon Kathy Baker Ray McKinnon Robert Longstreet Guy Van Swearingen Lisa Gay Hamilton Tova Stewart Jeff Nichols Tyler Davidson Sophia Lin Jeff Nichols Newest Oldest Most Replies Most Liked
About This Film from the AMC Movie Guide Don't Miss Take Shelter by Sam Kressner 50/50 by Jesse Hassenger My Joy by Chris Cabin Weekend (2011) by Chris Barsanti More from AMC Sites AMC Blogs AMC Movie Guide Filmsite Flashback Five - Your Favorite Tom Cruise Movies Tom Cruise Trivia Game Orlando Sentinel Calls Show One of Best of All Time; Gilligan Named A Top TV Showrunner Sign Up Today for the Breaking Bad Newsletter and Get All The Latest Delivered to Your Inbox What You're Saying About Why Don Cheats

Go to AMC Blogs at AMCTV.com

The Greatest 100 Movies of All TimeNicole Kidman's Best MoviesMatthew McConaughey's Best MoviesJohn Wayne's Finest WesternsGreatest Westerns

Go to AMC Movie Guide on AMCTV.com

The Best or Greatest Film Scenes Greatest Film Lines and Movie Quotes Academy Awards® - The Oscars 100 Greatest Films

Go to Filmsite.org

Filmcritic.com Home In Theaters New on DVD Top Rated Columns & Features Trailers & Video Sitemap Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions Contact Advertising & Syndication RSS AMCtv.com filmsite.org Copyright 2011 American Movie Classics Company LLC. All rights reserved.

Some movie data from: Freebase, licensed under CC-BY
Some additional movie data from Wikipedia, licensed under the GFDL

View the original article here

EXCLUSIVE: Mimic Bug Design Blu-ray Featurette

Sep 23, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

We have an exclusive special feature clip from Mimic, which hits shelves in a new Director's Cut on Blu-ray September 27. Click on the video player below to watch director Guillermo del Toro explain his bug designs in this genre thriller.

A disease carried by common cockroaches is killing children in Manhattan. In an effort to stop the epidemic, entomologist Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) creates a mutant breed of insect that secretes a fluid to kill the roaches. This mutant breed was engineered to die after one generation, but three years later Susan finds out that the species has survived and evolved into a large, gruesome monster that can mimic human form.

Video Prologue with director Guillermo del ToroAudio commentary with director/co-writer Guillermo del Toro"Reclaiming Mimic" featurette"A Leap In Evolution" featurette"Back Into The Tunnels" featuretteDeleted scenesStoryboard animaticsGag reel

View the original article here

Netflix Announces Streaming Deal with DreamWorks Animation

Sep 26, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

DreamWorks Animation announces streaming deal with NetflixNetflix, Inc. and DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. today announced a new multi-year licensing agreement that will make Netflix the exclusive subscription television service for first-run feature films and select television specials from DreamWorks Animation, the award-winning creators of such beloved franchises as Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon.

Beginning with its 2013 feature films, new DreamWorks Animation titles will be made available for Netflix members to watch instantly in the pay TV window on multiple platforms, including television, tablet, computer, and mobile phones. Under the agreement, certain critically lauded and commercially successful DreamWorks Animation catalogue titles - including Kung Fu PandaMadagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Chicken Run and Antz, among others - will also be made available to Netflix members over time.

"DreamWorks Animation is one of the few family entertainment brands that really matters. The studio is brilliantly creative, technologically innovative and incredibly successful at making films and TV shows that delight people of all ages," said Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer of Netflix. "This agreement strengthens the lineup of great family content Netflix members will be able to watch instantly and also increases the number of hit first-run films we'll have available in the pay TV window."

"Netflix has emerged as an innovative brand with an impressive track record for attracting high-quality content providers to its service and we look forward to making DreamWorks Animation titles available to over 24 million Netflix members in the U.S.," said Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer of DreamWorks Animation. "This arrangement allows us to get more value for our content while giving us a greater degree of flexibility in how we distribute it across multiple platforms in today's evolving digital world."

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Sources: DreamWorks Animation, Netflix

View the original article here

Spy Kids: All the Time in the World Blu-ray and DVD Arrive November 22nd

Sep 26, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

Anchor Bay Entertainment and Dimension Films announced today the home video release of the fourth film in the action-packed family film franchise, Spy Kids: All the Time in the World, from dynamo director Robert Rodriguez (Sin City). Lead by Jessica Alba (Little Fockers), Spy Kids: All the Time in the World features a talented ensemble cast that includes funnyman Joel McHale (TV's Community), comedian Ricky Gervais (TV's The Office), Jeremy Piven (HBO's Entourage), Danny Trejo (Machete), Rowan Blanchard (The Back-Up Plan), and newcomer Mason Cook - along with the franchise's long-standing cast members Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara, who have appeared in all four Spy Kids features.

Heading to retail on November 22, 2011, Spy Kids: All the Time in the World is available for a SRP of $39.99 for the Blu-ray Combo Pack, which includes a Blu-ray, a standard definition DVD, a Digital Copy of the film, as well as a special bonus disc that includes a 3D Blu-ray version of the film-for a total of 4 discs; and $29.98 for the standard definition DVD.

The action packed franchise is back...with the next generation of Spy Kids! Marissa Cortez Wilson (Jessica Alba) has it all: married to a famous spy-hunting television reporter (Joel McHale), with a new baby and intelligent twin step kids, Rebecca (Rowan Blanchard) and Cecil (Mason Cook). When the maniacal Timekeeper (Jeremy Piven) disrupts her domestic bliss-threatening to take over the planet-Marissa comes out of retirement as a top secret agent. With Armageddon quickly approaching, Rebecca and Cecil are thrust into action! With a little help from some familiar Spy Kids friends, Carmen (Alexa Vega), Juni (Daryl Sabara), their faithful dog Argonaut (Ricky Gervais) and some mind-blowing gadgets, they just may be able to save the world!

The Spy Kids: All The Time In The World Blu-ray and DVD bonus features include an interview with director Robert Rodriguez; a "Spy Kids Passing the Torch" featurette; a "Spy Gadgets" clip; deleted scenes; and more! Note: Special features are subject to change. Learn more about Spy Kids: All the Time in the World at SpyKidsMovie.net.

Sources: Anchor Bay Home Entertainment

View the original article here

EXCLUSIVE: The Cleveland Show: Season 2 DVD Clip

Sep 21, 2011 by Brian Gallagher

We have an exclusive clip from The Cleveland Show: Season 2, which hits the shelves on DVD September 27. Click on the video player below to watch Cleveland Brown harshly deny his son Rallo on their driveway basketball court.

The Cleveland Show Season 2 follows everyone's favorite soft spoken neighbor, Cleveland Brown (Mike Henry), as he settles into married life with his high school sweetheart and their blended family in his hometown of Stoolbend, VA. Cleveland's second wife, Donna (Sanaa Lathan), is a strong-willed and tenacious woman who puts family first and often has to come to her husband's rescue or protect him from dangerous situations. Her two unruly kids - boy crazy teenage daughter Roberta (Reagan Gomez-Preston) and pint-sized 5-year-old Rallo (Henry) - can often be found conspiring with or against their insecure and naïve step-brother, Cleveland Jr. (Kevin Michael Richardson).

Cleveland's neighbors and sidekicks include loudmouth redneck Lester (Richardson); religious talking bear Tim (Seth MacFarlane) and his wife, Arianna (Arianna Huffington); and hipster wanna-be Holt (Jason Sudeikis).

Deleted scenesFeaturettesCommentaries

View the original article here

You Don't Like the Truth: 4 Days Inside Guantanamo

You Don't Like the Truth: 4 Days Inside Guantanamo - Filmcritic.com Movie Review Filmcritic.com RSS Twitter Facebook filmsite.org The Greatest Films 100 Greatest Films Greatest Quotes The Oscars Most Controversial Films amctv.com Story Matters Here AMC Movie Guide AMC News Games & Quizzes In Theaters New Reviews: Tucker and Dale vs. Evil Take Shelter What's Your Number? 50/50 Dream House Weekend (2011) You Don't Like the Truth: 4 Days Inside Guantanamo My Joy See All In Theaters Reviews

Coming Soon

New On DVD New Reviews: Fast FiveSubmarineScream 4JigBuckTransformers: Dark of the MoonThe Ledge See All New On DVD Reviews

Top Rated By the filmcritic critics By the filmcritic community Columns & Features Recent Stories "Contagion," George Lucas, and Women in Scifi Film: It's Mailbag Time What Do DC Comics Changes Mean for Anne Hathaway's Catwoman -- and Beyond? A World Without "Star Wars": What Would It Be? Remember the "Footloose" Soundtrack? Not Like This, You Don't Top Ranked Columns Interviews John Scalzi on Sci Fi Movie Mix Tape Nadel on Comic Book Movies Top Ten See All Columns & Features

Trailers & Video Coming to Theaters In Theaters New on DVD Trailers by Genre Trailers by Decade In Theaters You Don't Like the Truth: 4 Days Inside Guantanamo Reviewed by Sam Kressner on Sep 29 2011 Rated by critic: Rated by users: Rated by you: Sam Kressner full bio of Sam Kressner

It's 2003, one year after Omar Khadir's capture. Through a fuzzy, black-barred videotape -- recently declassified by the Canadian government -- the fifteen year old Guantánamo detainee, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, rocks back and forth in his chair. He cradles his head, wailing. Induced by excruciating psychological manipulation, deterioration, and ultimately complete degradation, Omar's muddled whine turns to childish plea. He cries out for his mother. The boy begs helplessly. All he wants is to return home.

During a 2002 firefight that resulted in the destruction of an Al Qaeda-linked house in Afghanistan, Omar was accused of having thrown a grenade in the direction of a medic, killing the Delta Force soldier. But the situation may not have been so clear-cut: For starters, conflicting forensic evidence reveals that Omar may have been too wounded to commit such an act.  Then there is Omar's testimony, in which he details having been abandoned by his terrorist-linked father in the now decimated home and ordered to assist in building bombs to fight the Northern Alliance.

The question posed in You Don't Like the Truth: 4 Days Inside Guantánamo is not that of Omar's innocence. We will never know what truly happened. Rather, the crux of the film lies in the legal "black-hole" that Guantánamo detainees find themselves in. Is it possible to hold a man, let alone a child, accountable to the status of Prison of War, illegal under United Nations law since the days of the Nuremberg Trials?

Inter-cutting candid interviews with culled segments of Omar's non-violent, four-day interrogation, Montreal-based filmmakers Luc Côté and Patricio Henriquez play the edited product for a variety interviewees: Omar's pro-bono lawyers, former Guantánamo detainees, Omar's mother and sister, a former military 'enhanced interrogator', a host of Canadian/United States government officials, and a muckraking journalist. Muted in tone and rhetoric, the carefully modulated You Don't Like the Truth allows most of its experts to recount personal experiences and encounters with Omar as they exhort the dangers, ineffective intelligence, and dehumanizing practices by which the United States systemically obtains information post 9/11. The film's greatest asset though is the declassified footage, a first from Guantánamo. Upon the arrival of Canadian officials, Omar naturally seems naturally elated, believing he has been saved, so to speak, by his home government. One of the officials even refers to himself as a fellow Scarborough native.

However when it becomes apparent that the three interrogators who came bearing a Subway sandwich and Coke are, in fact, merely there to extract information, Omar turns evasive. And, as Côté acknowledges in a filmed interview, it is as if the interrogators arrived only to check off a list of Omar's disclosures, so they may successfully return the pre-ordained answers to be handed into superiors. What we have here is bureaucracy at its most pernicious.

We see how a boy who has endured extensive physical torture, abandonment, and alienation comes to terms with life entrapped in legal limbo. Oddly, the footage is not all that unnerving or disturbing to watch, but rather distancing -- almost Brechtian. Before exiting, one of the interrogators paradoxically remarks, "We can't do anything for you. Only you can help yourself." And then the distancing effect dawns on you. We, the American public, have become inured to the loss of Habeas Corpus. Perhaps that is what makes You Don't Like the Truth likely the most important film you will see this year.

Tweet Comments: See more in: You Don't Like the Truth: 4 Days Inside Guantanamo Omar Khadr Luc Côté Patricio Henriquez Luc Côté Patricio Henriquez Newest Oldest Most Replies Most Liked
About This Film from the AMC Movie Guide Don't Miss Take Shelter by Sam Kressner 50/50 by Jesse Hassenger My Joy by Chris Cabin Weekend (2011) by Chris Barsanti More from AMC Sites AMC Blogs AMC Movie Guide Filmsite Flashback Five - Your Favorite Tom Cruise Movies Tom Cruise Trivia Game Orlando Sentinel Calls Show One of Best of All Time; Gilligan Named A Top TV Showrunner Sign Up Today for the Breaking Bad Newsletter and Get All The Latest Delivered to Your Inbox What You're Saying About Why Don Cheats

Go to AMC Blogs at AMCTV.com

The Greatest 100 Movies of All TimeNicole Kidman's Best MoviesMatthew McConaughey's Best MoviesJohn Wayne's Finest WesternsGreatest Westerns

Go to AMC Movie Guide on AMCTV.com

The Best or Greatest Film Scenes Greatest Film Lines and Movie Quotes Academy Awards® - The Oscars 100 Greatest Films

Go to Filmsite.org

Filmcritic.com Home In Theaters New on DVD Top Rated Columns & Features Trailers & Video Sitemap Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions Contact Advertising & Syndication RSS AMCtv.com filmsite.org Copyright 2011 American Movie Classics Company LLC. All rights reserved.

Some movie data from: Freebase, licensed under CC-BY
Some additional movie data from Wikipedia, licensed under the GFDL

View the original article here