2013 Summer Movie Preview

It’s becoming a Media Mikes tradition. Ever since the start of this site our Summer Movie Preview has started off with a Marvel Comic-based film; “Iron Man 2,” “Thor” and “The Avengers” have been previewed. This year, with “Iron Man 3” already in theatres, we’re changing it up. But not to worry – “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is only a year away! Here is a look at many of the films heading to a multiplex near you between now and Labor Day. An (*) after the title denotes a film that the Mike’s are most anticipating.

Thanks again to the Internet Movie Data Base for certain synopsis information and remember, as always, the opening date noted is subject to change at the whims of the studios.

MAY 10

AFTERSHOCK

Starring: Eli Roth and Selena Gomez Directed by: Nicolas Lopez

While vacationing in Chile a group of travelers decide to party at an underground nightclub. After a massive earthquake hits they must tunnel their way out unaware of what waits for them.

THE GREAT GATSBY*

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire Directed by: Baz Luhrmann

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel is brought to the screen for the third time, this time in 3D. Leo is Jay Gatsby, Mulligan is his beloved Daisy and Maguire is neighbor Nick. In the hands of Lurhmann it should be incredible in 3D.

NO ONE LIVES

Starring: Luke Evans and Derek Magyar Directed by: Ruyhei Kitamura

A gang of ruthless highway killers kidnap a wealthy couple traveling cross country only to shockingly discover that things are not what they seem.

PEEPLES

Starring: Craig Robinson and Kerry Washington Directed by: Tina Gordon Chism

Commoner (Robinson) crashes his girlfriends family’s swanky reunion in the Hamptons to ask for her hand in marriage.

MAY 17

BLACK ROCK

Starring: Kate Bosworth and Lake Bell

Directed by: Katie Aselton

Three childhood friends reunite for a girls weekend on an island off the coast of Maine where a mistake leaves all three fighting for their lives. Written by Mark Duplass.

POPULAIRE

Starring: Berenice Bejo Directed by: Regis Roinsard

Working girl Rose is a terrible secretary but an incredible typist. Her boss sets out to establish her as the fastest in the world. Bejo co-starred in the Oscar winning “The Artist.”

STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS*

Starring: Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto Directed by: J.J. Abrams

The crew of the Enterprise are called into battle when a member of Star Fleet becomes a one man weapon of mass destruction. Can anyone say “KHAN!!!!!!” (Maybe)

 

MAY 24

BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Starring: Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy Directed by: Richard Linklater

The third film in the almost two decades old “Before” series finds Jessie and Celine in Greece nine years after we last saw them. Hawke, Delpy and Linklater wrote the script.

EPIC

Starring the voices of: Jason Sudeikis, Christoph Waltz and Chris O’Dowd Directed by: Chris Wedge

A teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and evil is taking place. She bands together with a rag-tag group of characters in order to save their world — and ours. Director Wedge created the first “Ice Age” film and is the voice of Scrat!

FAST AND FURIOUS 6

Starring: Vin Diesel and Paul Walker Directed by: Justin Lin

I’m not even going to look this one up: Dominic Toretto and Brian O’Conner team up with others, including Dwayne Johnson, to drive really cool cars really fast. The fact that I know Diesel and Walker’s characters names actually scares me.

THE HANGOVER PART III

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis Directed by: Todd Phillips

After Alan’s father passes away the Wolfpack take him to Vegas. But things go wrong when Doug actually IS kidnapped by a gangster looking to settle a score with Mr. Chow.

MAY 31

THE EAST

Starring: Ellen Page and Alexander Skarsgard Directed by: Zal Batmanglij

An operative for an elite private intelligence firm finds her priorities irrevocably changed after she is tasked with infiltrating an anarchist group known for executing covert attacks upon major corporations. How cool to actually have a last name that begins with “Batman”

THE KINGS OF SUMMER

Starring: Nick Robinson and Nick Offerman Directed by: Jordan Vogt-Roberts

Three friends decide to spend their summer building a house in the woods and living off the land.

NOW YOU SEE ME

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher and Mark Ruffalo Directed by: Louis Leterrier

An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money.

THE PURGE

Starring: Ethan Hawke and Lena Heady Directed by: James DeMonaco

If on one night every year, you could commit any crime without facing consequences, what would you do? Over the course of a single night, a family will be tested to see how far they will go to protect themselves when the vicious outside world breaks into their home. Summer movie number two for Hawke!

 

JUNE 7

AFTER EARTH

Starring: Will Smith and Jaden Smith Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

A boy and his injured father crash land on Earth 1,000 years after events forced the evacuation of the planet.

THE INTERNSHIP

Starring: Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson Directed by: Shawn Levy

Two former salesmen find their way into a coveted internship at Google, where they must compete with a group of young, tech-savvy geniuses for a shot at employment. Vaughn co-wrote the screenplay.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING*

Starring: Nathan Fillion and Clark Gregg Directed by: Joss Whedon

How else do you follow up “The Avengers?” A modern take on Shakespeare’s classic tale.

WISH YOU WERE HERE

Starring: Joel Edgerton and Felicity Price Directed by: Kieran Darcy-Smith

Four friends decide to take an exciting South-East Asian vacation. Only three come back.

JUNE 12

THE IS THE END

Starring: Seth Rogen, James Franco and Danny McBride Directed by: Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg

A party at James Franco’s house turns crazy when the apocalypse hits. The stars (and others, including Michael Cera and Jonah Hill) play over the top versions of themselves. If the “R” rated trailer is any indication this could be this years “TED.”

JUNE 14

THE BLING RING

Starring: Emma Watson and Leslie Mann Directed by: Sofia Coppola

Inspired by actual events, a group of fame-obsessed teenagers use the internet to track celebrities’ whereabouts in order to rob their homes.

MAN OF STEEL*

Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams and Michael Shannon Directed by: Zack Snyder

Seven years after Superman returned he does again, this time in a retelling of the tale by fanboy favorite Zack Snyder. The addition of “Dark Knight” writer/director Christopher Nolan as producer makes “Man of Steel” this summer’s “Avengers” in way of anticipation.

STUCK IN LOVE

Starring: Greg Kinnear and Jennifer Connely Directed by: Josh Boone

An acclaimed writer, his ex-wife, and their teen-aged children come to terms with the complexities of love in all its forms over the course of one tumultuous year.

JUNE 21

MANIAC

Starring: Elijah Wood Directed by: Franck Khalfoun

Just when the streets seemed safe, a serial killer with a fetish for scalps is back and on the hunt.

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY*

Starring the voices of: Billy Crystal, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi Directed by: Dan Scanlon

In this prequel to “Monsters Inc,” Mike Wazowski (Crystal) and James Sullivan (Goodman) meet in college where they learn they have nothing in common.

UNFINISHED SONG

Starring: Terence Stamp and Vanessa Redgrave Directed by: Paul Andrew Williams

Grumpy pensioner Arthur honors his recently deceased wife’s passion for performing by joining the unconventional local choir to which she used to belong.

WORLD WAR Z*

Starring: Brad Pitt and Matthew Fox Directed by: Marc Forster

A United Nations employee traverses the globe in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments; threatening to decimate humanity itself.

JUNE 28

COPPERHEAD

Starring: Peter Fonda and Billy Campbell Directed by: Ronald F. Maxwell

A family is torn apart during the American Civil War. This is director Maxwell’s third film covering the Civil War after 1993’s “Gettysburg” and 2003’s “Gods and Generals.”

THE HEAT

Starring: Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy Directed by: Paul Feig

An uptight FBI special agent is paired with a testy Boston cop in order to take down a ruthless drug lord. The hitch: neither woman has ever had a partner – or a friend for that matter.

WHITE HOUSE DOWN

Starring: Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum Directed by: Roland Emmerich

Emmerich had so much fun destroying the White House in “Independence Day” that he’s back to do it again. In this original story terrorists attempt to take over the presidential mansion and it’s up to a wanna be Secret Service agent to save the day, which sounds nothing like this past springs “Olympus Has Fallen.”

JULY 3

DESPICABLE ME 2*

Starring the voices of: Steve Carell, Benjamin Bratt and Kristen Wigg Directed by: Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud

Gru is asked to join an Anti-Villains League to help combat a new bad guy named Eduardo, formerly voiced by Al Pacino but now played by Bratt.

THE LONE RANGER

Starring: Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer Directed by: Gore Verbinski

Native American warrior Tonto recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid, a man of the law, into a legend of justice. Things go well until Reid discovers what the word “Kimosabe” really means!

JULY 5

THE WAY, WAY BACK

Starring: Sam Rockwell, Toni Collette and Steve Carrell Directed by: Nat Faxon and Jim Rash

Over the course of his summer break a young man gets a job at a local amusement park, where he comes into his own thanks in part to the friendship he strikes up with one of the park’s managers. Two Steve Carrell films in (2) days – his fans will have an overdose.

JULY 12

CRYSTAL FAIRY

Starring: Michael Cera and Gaby Hoffman Directed by: Sebastian Silva

A boorish, insensitive American twenty-something travels to Chile, managing to create chaos at every turn.

GROWN UPS 2*

Starring: Adam Sandler and Kevin James Directed by: Dennis Dugan

Lenny (Sandler) moves his family back to his old hometown to rekindle the hijinx with his childhood buddies. Remarkably Rob Schneider is NOT in this film, which means whatever debt Sandler owed God has now been repaid. Sadly he now apparently owes another because Nick Swardson is in it.

PACIFIC RIM*

Starring: Charlie Hunnam and Idris Elba Directed by: Guillermo del Toro

When an alien attack threatens the Earth’s existence, giant robots piloted by humans are deployed to fight off the menace.

JULY 17

TURBO

Starring the voices of: Ryan Reynolds and Paul Giamatti Directed by: David Soren

A freak accident might just help an everyday garden snail achieve his biggest dream: winning the Indy 500. I’m assuming it makes him 6 feet tall and gives him feet so he can drive a car?

JULY 19

THE CONJURING

Starring: Patrick Wilson and Lili Taylor Directed by: James Wan

A husband and wife team of Paranormal investigators work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful entity, the couple find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives. Director Wan helmed the original “Saw.”

GIRL MOST LIKELY

Starring: Kristen Wiig and Annette Bening Directed by: Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini

A failed New York playwright awkwardly navigates the transition from Next Big Thing to Last Year’s News. “Glee” fans who hate Darren Criss and/or his character, Blaine (guilty), will be sad to see that he’s also in this.

ONLY GOD FORGIVES

Starring: Ryan Gosling and Kristin Scott Thomas Directed by: Nicolas Winding Refn

A drug-smuggler thriving in Bangkok’s criminal underworld sees his life get even more complicated when his mother compels him to find and kill whoever is responsible for his brother’s recent death.

RED 2

Starring: Bruce Willis and Helen Mirren Directed by: Dean Parisot

Retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses (Willis) reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device. Anthony Hopkins joins the cast of oldsters.

R.I.P.D.*

Starring: Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds Directed by: Robert Schwentke

Based on a popular graphic novel, a recently slain cop joins a team of undead police officers working for the Rest in Peace Department and tries to find the man who murdered him.

JULY 26

BLUE JASMINE

Starring: Alec Baldwin and Cate Blanchett Directed by: Woody Allen

All I know about this film is what was sent to me in a press release by Sony Classic Pictures: “the film tells the story of the final stages of an acute crisis and a life of a fashionable New York housewife” It also co-stars Louis C.K., Sally Hawkins and Andrew Dice Clay.

FRUITVALE STATION

Starring: Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer Directed by: Ryan Coogler

The true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008. If my memory serves me, Oscar is the young man who was arrested at a local Oakland-area transit station and then, as horrified onlookers watched, was shot in the back by a policeman who later claimed he thought he was tasing him.

THE WOLVERINE

Starring: Hugh Jackman and Will Yun Lee Directed by: James Mangold

Wolverine makes a voyage to modern-day Japan, where he encounters an enemy from his past that will impact on his future. Mangold is the director of films like “Walk the Line” and “CopLand.” I’m anxious to see his take on an action-based film.

JULY 31

THE SMURFS 2

Starring: Neil Patrick Harris and Hank Azaria Directed by: Raja Gosnell

The Smurfs team up with their human friends to rescue Smurfette, who has been kidnapped by Gargamel, since she knows a secret spell that can turn the evil sorcerer’s newest creation – creatures called the Naughties – into real Smurfs.

AUGUST 2

2 GUNS

Starring: Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg Directed by: Baltasar Kormakur

A DEA agent and an undercover Naval Intelligence officer who have been tasked with investigating one another find they have been set up by the mob — the very organization the two men believe they have been stealing money from.

300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE

Starring: Eva Green and Sullivan Stapleton Directed by: Noam Murro

The Greek general Themistocles battles an invading army of Persians under the mortal-turned-god, Xerxes.

THE SPECTACULAR NOW

Starring: Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley Directed by: James Ponsoldt

A hard-partying high school senior’s philosophy on life changes when he meets the not-so-typical “nice girl.”

AUGUST 7

PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS

Starring: Logan Lerman and Sean Bean Directed by: Thor Freudenthal

In order to restore their dying safe haven, the son of Poseidon and his friends embark on a quest to the Sea of Monsters to find the mythical Golden Fleece and to stop an ancient evil from rising.

AUGUST 9

ELYSIUM

Starring: Matt Damon and Jodie Foster Directed by: Neill Blomkamp

In the year 2154 the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth.

LOVELACE

Starring: Amanda Seyfried and Peter Sarsgaard Directed by: Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman

The story of Linda Lovelace and her controlling husband/manager Chuck Traynor. Also featuring James Franco as Hugh Hefner.

PLANES*

Starring the voices of: Dane Cook and Val Kilmer Directed by: Klay Hall

Like “Cars” but with airplanes. Dusty is a cropdusting plane who dreams of competing in a famous aerial race. The problem? He is hopelessly afraid of heights. With the support of his mentor Skipper and a host of new friends, Dusty sets off to make his dreams come true. Wow! I should have said “Exactly like ‘Cars’.”

WE’RE THE MILLERS

Starring: Jason Sudeikis and Jennifer Anniston Directed by: Rawson Marshall Thurber

A veteran pot dealer creates a fake family as part of his plan to move a huge shipment of weed into the U.S. from Mexico.

AUGUST 16

AUSTENLAND

Starring: Keri Russell and JJ Field Directed by: Jerusha Hess

Obsessed with the BBC production of “Pride and Prejudice”, a woman travels to a Jane Austen theme park in search for her perfect gentleman.

KICK-ASS 2*

Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz and Jim Carrey Directed by: Jeff Wadlow

Costumed high-school hero Kick-Ass joins with a group of normal citizens who have been inspired to fight crime in costume. Meanwhile, the Red Mist plots an act of revenge that will affect everyone Kick-Ass knows.

AUGUST 17

AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS

Starring: Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck Directed by: David Lowery

An outlaw escapes from prison and sets off to find his wife and introduce himself to the daughter he’s never met.

THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITIES OF BONES

Starring: Lily Colins and Jamie Campbell Bower Directed by: Harald Zwart

Based on a popular novel, when a woman is attacked and taken from her home in New York City by a demon, a seemingly ordinary teenage girl finds out truths about her past and bloodline on her quest to get her back.

THE WORLD’S END*

Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Martin Freeman Directed by: Edgar Wright

Five friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from 20 years earlier unwittingly become humankind’s only hope for survival. From the same team that brought you “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz.”

AUGUST 28

YOU’RE NEXT

Starring: Eric Bana and Rebecca Hall Directed by: John Crowley

Bana and Hall are lawyers — and ex-lovers — who find themselves put at risk after they join the defense team for an international terrorist’s trial.

AUGUST 30

GET AWAY

Starring: Ethan Hawke and Selena Gomez Directed by: Courtney Solomon and Yaron Levy

Hawke stars as Brent Magna, a man who must get behind the wheel and follow the orders of a mysterious man to save his kidnapped wife. Movie number three this summer for Hawke.

ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US

Starring: One Direction Directed by: Morgan Spurlock

A documentary featuring the goings on of One Direction in concert. Documentarian Spurlock is an odd choice as director, unless the band plans to eat at McDonalds a lot.

DON JOHN

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Scarlett Johansson Directed by: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

JGL plays a man who is addicted to online pornography and must work to find intimacy with his potential true love. Gordon-Levitt also wrote the screenplay.

PRINCE AVALANCHE

Starring: Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch Directed by: David Gordon Green

In the summer of 1988 two highway road workers decide to leave their city lives behind. The isolated landscape becomes a place of misadventure as the men find themselves at odds with each other and the women they left behind.

Infographic: Breakdown of Characters in “Cloud Atlas”

Here is a further breakdown of the chart, from top to bottom: Credit to CinemaBlend.com

Jim Sturgess: In 1849, he is Adam Ewing whose friendship with escaped slave Autua (David Gyasi) inspires him to give up his father-in-law’s slave trade and join the abolitionists with his wife Tilda (Doona Bae). In 2012 he reappears as a hooligan-loving highlander who attacks Nurse Noakes (Hugo Weaving) to defend Timothy Cavendish (Jim Broadbent) and his friends. But Sturgess leaps to action hero status in 2144 as freedom fighter Hae-Joo Chang who frees Somni-451 (Doona Bae) and inspires her to join his rebellion that aims to end the slavery of clones. Finally in 2321, he’s an Adam once again, this time Zachry’s (Tom Hanks) brother, who meets a bloody end.

Doona Bae: In 1849, she plays Tilda Ewing, who rejects her father Haskell Moore’s (Hugo Weaving) slave trade business and joins her husband Adam (Jim Sturgess) in the abolitionist movement. In 1973, she resurfaces as the Mexican woman (not pictured) who saves Luisa Rey (Halle Berry) and Joe Napier (Keith David) from the gun happy Bill Smoke (Hugo Weaving), then makes her final appearance in 2144 as Sonmi-451, a fabricant who becomes a political activist and ultimately religious icon.

James D’Arcy: Absent from the earliest-set tale, D’Arcy debuts in 1936 as a young Rufus Sixsmith who falls hard for dramatic composer Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw) but fails to save him from himself. But 37 years later, he saves untold lives as old Rufus Sixsmith who attempts to warn the world about a dangerous plan for a faulty nuclear power plant by whistleblowing to reporter Luisa Rey (Halle Berry). Surprisingly, in 2012, he resurfaces as the gruff and growling Nurse James who helps Nurse Noakes keep the residents of the prison-like old folks home under thumb. His arc seems to end in 2144 as the Archivist, who takes down Somni 451’s life story and is suggested to defy the ruling authority by releasing her revolutionary message.

Halle Berry: In 1849, she gets little more than a featured extra role as a Maori woman that Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess) sees toiling on a plantation. But 1936, she’s the elegant Jocasta Ayrs who cheats on her ailing composer husband (Jim Broadbent) with his assistant Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw). Then in 1973, she’s an outright hero as Luisa Rey who nobly investigates the corrupt business practices of Lloyd Hooks (Hugh Grant) even when it puts her—and her love interest Isaac Sachs (Tom Hanks)—in the way of hitman Bill Smoke (Hugo Weaving). In 2012, she and Hanks romance gets little chance to blossom, though she is an Indian party guest who catches the eye of Dermot Hoggins (Hanks) before he hurls a literary critic to his doom. In 2144 she helps sow the seeds of rebellion as Ovid, a surgeon who risks his freedom to set free fabricants for the rebellion movement of Neo Seoul. Lastly, in 2321 she is the brave and brilliant Meronym, a prescient who risks her life trekking into the lost ruins of a fallen civilization in hopes of sending a distress signal she hopes will save what remains of mankind.

Jim Broadbent: First in 1849, Broadbent is Captain Molyneux who is crass and cruel, kicking the poor cabin boy (Ben Whishaw) before the watchful eyes of Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess). But things grow darker in 1936 with Broadbent playing the pretentious and credit-stealing Vyvyan Ayrs who bullies, threatens and tries to steal Robert Frobisher’s (Ben Whishaw) masterwork symphony “Cloud Atlas.” He does not appear in the Luisa Rey section, but later reads of her life story as the cantankerous publisher Timothy Cavendish who heads an escape from the prison-like old folks home where Nurse Noakes (Hugo Weaving) reigns. In 2144, he plays an impoverished musician performing in the streets of Neo Seoul, and his final incarnation comes in 2321 as a prescient (not pictured) seeking a new world free from mankind’s blunders.

Hugh Grant: Grant’s dark arc begins in 1849 as Reverend Giles Horrox, who firmly believes women and people of color are inherently beneath him. A brief appearance in 1936 has him as the abrasive hotel heavy who prevents young Rufus Sixsmith (James D’Arcy) and Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw) from having a proper goodbye. Next up in 1973, he is Lloyd Hooks, the sleek but vile businessman who knowingly puts lives at risk—and victims in the way of Bill Smoke’s (Hugo Weaving) gun—for his own financial ends. His crimes are cruel but petty in 2012 as Denholme Cavendish who imprisons his brother in Nurse Noakes’ (Hugo Weaving) old folks home for an old blow to his pride. But in 2144, Grant is the unsavory Seer Rhee who keeps the fabricants of Papa Song in line with brainwashing drugs, propaganda, and violence while also using his position to rape his clone slaves. This all leads to his final bloody turn as a ghoulish cannibal who is more animal than man as he slaughters the friends and family of Zachry (Tom Hanks) in 2321.

Hugo Weaving: Appearing in each era, Weaving begins as Haskell Moore, father-in-law of Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess) who profits from slavery in 1849. Though not pictured above, he next plays Tadeusz Kesselring, friend of Vyvyan Ayrs (Jim Broadbent) who is suggested to have Nazi ties in 1936. By 1973 he’s a full on hitman as Bill Smoke, whose hellbent on killing Luisa Rey (Halle Berry) and anyone else who Lloyd Hooks (Hugh Grant) needs silenced. 2012 he’s a beast of a broad as Nurse Noakes, who isn’t a murderer, but a bully, thief and cruel dictator of the old folks home that imprisons Timothy Cavendish (Jim Broadbent). In 2144 he plays Boardmen Melphi, the politician who decides Somni-451 (Doona Bae) must be executed to suppress the revolution that demands fabricants (clones) should be treated the same as full-bloods (non-cloned humans). Lastly he is the epitome of evil as Old Georgie who is essentially the devil that plagues Zachry (Tom Hanks).

Tom Hanks: The long loved star begins his journey as the treacherous Dr. Goose who tries to murder Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess) for his gold. Then in 1936, he’s an unnamed hotel manager who gleefully blackmails Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw) for his last prized possession, the waistcoat of Rufus Sixsmith (James D’Arcy). But there’s a turn for the better in 1973 where as Isaac Sachs he finds a spark of love with Luisa Rey (Halle Berry) and so chooses to help in her investigation of corporate corruption. 2012 brings a darker role as Hanks tackles the fiery tempered writer Dermot Hoggins who chucks a cruel critic off a balcony to a bloody end. Next he flexes his comedy skills as an actor (not pictured) who plays Timothy Cavendish in the biopic of his life, a movie that inspires Somni-451 (Doona Bae). Finally for Hanks, he plays Zachry the cowardly goat herder who redeems himself by saving his niece from bloodthirsty cannibals, and at long last finds lasting love with Berry’s Meronym.

Shirley Jones to Finally Appear in Nebraska! (Omaha to Be Exact)

After an Oscar-winning film career that has taken her to Iowa (“The Music Man”), Maine (“Carousel”) and, of course, “Oklahoma,” Shirley Jones will be appearing later this month at a benefit screening of “Carousel” to be held in Omaha on Friday, May 24th.

With a multitude of successful benefit screenings under his belt, including “The Godfather,” “Jaws” and, most recently, “American Graffiti,” Bruce Crawford has chosen, for his 32nd Classic Film Event, one of the most beloved musicals of all time, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Carousel.”

Miss Jones will be on-hand for the screening as will Mandy MacRae Daley, daughter of the film’s co-star Gordon MacRae. Also in attendance will be world renowned pop artist Nicolosi, who will unveil an original art design he created for this event honoring the film’s stars (Jones and MacRae) and Rodgers and Hammerstein, which will be available as an official United States Postal Service commemorative envelope.

The event begins at 7:00 p.m. and will be held at the Joslyn Art Museum’s Witherspoon Hall, 2200 Dodge St. in Omaha.

Tickets are $20 at all Omaha-area Hy Vee food store customer service counters.
Proceeds benefit the Omaha Parks Foundation. For more information call: 402-926-8299

“Withered World” – An End of the World Web-Series to Debut This Week

“Withered World,” a new web-series which tells about the last day on Earth through the eyes of a diverse group of filmmakers, debuts this week, Tuesday, April 23 at 7:00 p.m. It can be viewed at www.witheredworld.tv

The series, conceived by Bryce Young (who also wrote and directed the first episode), deals with the way the human race deals with their last day on Earth. Filmed entirely in Kansas City, using all Kansas City talent both behind and in front of the camera, the series kicks off with “A Man’s Tale.” In an interivew with Young, which will be posted later this week, he told Media Mikes that his fellow filmmakers were given no direction or plot points to follow. His only instructions were that their short films deal in some way with the human race and it’s last day on this planet. I found the first episode very intriguing and can’t wait to see what happens next week! Enjoy!

 

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GoDigital Acquires Coming of Age Comedy “Age of Summerhood”

GODIGITAL ACQUIRES COMING OF AGE COMEDY “AGE OF SUMMERHOOD”

The Feature Will Be Available on Digital and Cable Video-On-Demand This Summer

LOS ANGELES, April 22, 2013- GoDigital announced today the acquisition of digital and cable video-on-demand distribution rights to AGE OF SUMMERHOOD, a youthful, lighthearted comedy following four riotous boys at what they perceive to be the pivotal stage of their development – summer camp. Written and directed by Jacob Medjuck and narrated by John Cusack, AGE OF SUMMERHOOD will see a digital release via GoDigital in summer 2013.

“I went to camp for 11 years – there were so many experiences worth noting,” said writer and director Jacob Medjuck. “Years later, these are the backbone of a film that I’m incredibly proud of, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to work with GoDigital to share it.”

Distributing partner GoDigital shares this sentiment: “The subject of this film is inherently relatable for virtually any audience,” explained CEO Logan Mulvey. “From the taglines to the actors, new and returning, the entire experience is utterly and undeniably enjoyable and we couldn’t be more eager to introduce it to the public.”

About GoDigital:
Launched in 2008, GoDigital has built one of the industry’s premier digital distribution networks and has distributed over 400 films through their output arrangement with Lionsgate and direct deals with iTunes, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Playstation, Vudu, Fandor, DISH, and Avail-TVN. In 2012, GoDigital acquired Might Entertainment, creating a full-service digital distribution company with dedicated acquisitions, sales, marketing and technical operations teams with a library of over 1,000 catalog films. Following a highly lucrative capital infusion from Preferred Ventures, GoDigital also recentlypartnered with 108 Media, a Toronto-based sales company, to handle all distribution for the Canadian company. GoDigital’s latest titles include the Josh Gad and Hilary Duff comedy “She Wants Me”, horror-comedy “The Selling”, as well as a range of topical documentaries including Javier Bardem’s “Sons of the Clouds: The Last Colony”, the oil spill expose “The Big Fix”, and the popular CNBC-featured documentary, “Unraveled

“Lil Bub and Friendz” Premieres at Tribeca

Lil Bub, the internet cat star owned by Indiana musician Mike Bridavsky received a red carpet welcome on Thursday night  as  the documentary she stars in, Lil Bub and Friendz, made its debut at the Tribeca Film Festival. While last year’s fest featured a feline-centric short titled “CatCam,” Lil Bub is a feature-length doc, dubbed by co-director Juliette Eisner as “the most epic cat video in the entire world”.  It also features Bub’s peers, Grumpy Cat and the man behind animated viral phenomenon, Nyan Cat. Eisner and co-director Andy Capper discussed the appeal of cat videos at the premiere.

 

So why are people so obsessed with cats?

Eisner: I mean that’s a good question. We try to kind of answer that in the film but I think it has to do with the unscripted nature of the cat video. People don’t really see cats doing strange things often because they’re not as you know, out there as a dog per se.

Capper: Dogs are just out there…cats you have to live at someone’s house for like five years til you have access.

Eisner: People just keep cat videos open at their desktop while they work every single day and it just makes them feel fuzzy inside. Fuzzy and warm. So this is an hour-long fuzzy and warm film.

 

Bub owner, Bridavsky carried Bub down the carpet as her signature physical appearance—Bub lacks any teeth, has a constant overbite due to a shortened lower jaw, extra toes and a bone condition in her legs—also causes difficulty walking.

 

How’s Bub handling the red carpet and all of this attention?

Bridavsky: It’s great, she’s just cold right now.

 

Her health is okay?

It is, she has a bone condition that makes it hard for her to walk. Sometimes her bones get inflamed and she is in some pain but I have a very good vet and specialists who take care of her.

 

How’d you choose the name Bub?

Bridavsky: I actually just, the first time I met her, I just picked her up [holds Bub aloft] and just went ‘Hey Bub!’ And that was it.

 

So not a Wolverine reference?

Bridavsky: It’s not but we’ve done stuff with Wolverine since because of it.

 

How’s fame changed Bub?

Bridavsky: It has not changed her.

 

How about you?

Bridavsky: Yea, probably.

 

In what way?

Bridavsky: I have a famous cat now!

 

As for whether or not the filmmakers are all ‘cat people’, Bridavsky has four other cats who reside in his studio, Eisner revealed in the post-screening Q&A that she had cats dubbed Brother and Sister growing up while Capper was missing his feline friend who was back home in London.

Lil Bub and Friendz will be screened tonight (4/20) as part of the free Tribeca Drive-In series with additional public screenings on Tuesday and Thursday. Information regarding tickets can be found on the Tribeca Film Guide.

Meanwhile, you can check out Bub’s official Youtube channel at youtube.com/lilbubbub

Blu-ray Review “Fortress”

Starring: Christopher Lambert, Kurtwood Smith, Loryn Locklin, Clifton Collins, Jr., Jeffrey Combs, Vernon Wells
Director: Stuart Gordon
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Miramax Echo Bridge
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Run Time: 95 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: N/A

“Fortress” is a very underrated sci-fi/action film from the early 90’s. It is directed by the amazing Stuart Gordon, who also delivered us the cult classic “Re-Animator”. It stars ‘Connor “Highlander” MacLeod himself, Christopher Lambert, who kicks some major ass. Besides Lambert, there is a very impressive supporting cast including Clifton Collins, Jr. (“The Boondock Saints II”), Jeffrey Combs (“Re-Animator”), Tom Towles (“The Devil Rejects”), Vernon Wells (“The Road Warrior”). The film still holds up today in terms of ass-kicking sci-fi action. This is the first time that “Fortress” has been released on Blu-ray, it is not the best we have ever seen it but for $5 bucks, can you really go wrong?

Official Premise: The year is 2017. The first child is yours. The second is “theirs.” After losing their first baby, John and Karen Brennick dare to have another. Caught trying to cross the border, the ex-war hero and his pregnant wife are sentenced to a sadistic futuristic prison buried 33 stories beneath the Earth. Computers control inmates’ bodies and minds, and newborn infants are being used to create a new breed of human robots. No one has ever gotten out alive. But not even the most overwhelming technology can extinguish one man’s passionate love for his wife and child.

The Blu-ray presentation is not the best that I have seen, especially recently from Echo Bridge. The 1080p transfer with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 feels a little dull and missing a real polished finished.  The colors are a little muted but the scale of the film still is well-represented in high-def, especially the aciton. Nonetheless, it is not perfect but still a sure step up from past DVD releases. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 surround track is decent but not phenomenal.  It works well for the film itself and compliments the action and dialogue well. Lastly there are no special features included here like most Echo Bridge releases.  I wish they would have taken a page from the impressive “Jersey Girl” and “Hellraiser: Deader” recent Blu-ray releases.

Josh Duhamel Narrates “Planet Ocean” On Blu-Ray and DVD on April 9th

JOIN NARRATOR JOSH DUHAMEL ON AN INSPIRATIONAL VISUAL VOYAGE INTO THE ASTONISHING AND REMARKABLE HEART OF OUR EXISTENCE

PLANET OCEAN

AVAILABLE APRIL 9, 2013 ON BLU-RAY™AND DVD

FROM UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Universal City, California – Directed by highly acclaimed photographer, filmmaker and environmentalist Yann Arthus-Bertrand (Home) and narrated by actor Josh Duhamel (Transformers, Life As We Know It), Planet Ocean is a cinematic adventure that invites viewers of all ages to change the way they look at the ocean and appreciate its greatest natural mystery. Planet Ocean will be available on Blu-ray™ and DVD on April 9, 2013 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

Through dazzling aerial and underwater imagery captured in extreme geographical conditions worldwide, Planet Ocean delivers an unprecedented journey into the least known regions of our planet. The stunning documentary aims to captivate as well as provide understanding of humankind’s relationship to the ocean and stress the urgency of making sustainable change. Brought to life with dynamic and relatable narration, this groundbreaking film can be enjoyed by the entire family.

Planet Ocean will be available on Blu-ray™ and DVD.

Blu-ray™ disc unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring perfect hi-def picture and perfect hi-def sound.

DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing the movie in more places, both at home and while away.

BONUS FEATURES (BLU-RAY™ and DVD):
· THE MAKING OF PLANET OCEAN
· IN THE SKIES ABOVE RIO: Breathtaking images of Rio de Janeiro’s magnificent shores will inspire you with wonder and delight.
· UNDERWATER: Uncover the natural mysteries of marine life with Planet Ocean’s team of underwater cinematographers.
· SHANGHAI: Extraordinary aerial photography of Shanghai’s busy harbor underscores the significance of ocean commerce.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION – BLU-RAY™:
Street Date: April 9, 2013
Copyright: 2013 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Selection Number: 61126490 / 61126510 (CDN)
Running time: 1 Hour, 33 Minutes
Layers: BD-50
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen
Rating: Not Rated
Languages/Subtitles: English, Italian, Castilian Spanish, Japanese, Brazilian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Latin American Spanish, Norwegian, Russian, and Swedish
Sound: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Free Screening/Filmmaker Q&A for "Chasing Beauty" in Kansas City

CHASING BEAUTY  – A Documentary Film
www.chasingbeautyfilm.com

Upcoming Screening on Thursday, March 28, 2013

Kansas City, MO – Please join us for a free promotional screening of the new
documentary film, CHASING BEAUTY, at Screenland Crossroads at 8:00 pm on
Thursday, March 28th, 2013. A panel discussion will follow featuring Director Brent Huff, Jenny Wheat (Wheat Photography / Manifest Talent), Heather Laird (President of the Film Commission of Greater Kansas City), Jennifer Mangan (President of Exposure Model and Talent), Kenny Johnson (Photographer), Mark Jones (I & I Talent and owner of Global Stars Network), Michelle Davidson (Host KC LIVE).

CHASING BEAUTY takes a candid look at the beauty industry and the people that drive it. The film provides a rare glimpse behind the glossy covers and into the intriguing and complex world of modeling. This documentary features interviews with supermodels, photographers, agents, designers, plastic surgeons, makeup artists and psychologists to ask the questions… what is beauty and is it worth the cost?

Cocktail Hour: 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm!!
Screening: 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Q & A : 9:30 pm – 10:00 pm

Screenland Crossroads
1656 Washington
Kansas City, MO 64108
Tel. 816.421.9700

Tickets are FREE on a first-come, first-served basis – early arrival is encouraged!

R.S.V.P. chasingbeautydocumentary@gmail.com

Disneynature’s Breathtaking Feature “Wings of Life” Lands on Blu-ray® Combo Pack, Digital and on Demand April 16, 2013, in Time for Earth Day

LIFE BLOOMS THIS SPRING WITH DISNEYNATURE

DISNEYNATURE’S BREATHTAKING FEATURE “WINGS OF LIFE” LANDS ON BLU-RAY® COMBO PACK, DIGITAL AND ON DEMAND APRIL 16, 2013, IN TIME FOR EARTH DAY

 BURBANK, Calif. (March 8, 2013) — Spring is in the air—literally—as Disneynature prepares to unveil “Wings of Life,” a spectacular, closer-than-close, high-definition look at the intricate world of butterflies, hummingbirds, bees and bats, and their life-sustaining collaboration with flowers. Directed by Louie Schwartzberg (“America’s Heart & Soul”) and narrated by Academy Award® winner Meryl Streep, “Wings of Life” will be available on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Digital and On Demand on April 16, 2013—just in time for Earth Day.

“In the chaos and craziness of our day-to-day lives, few of us stop to consider what’s happening behind the scenes in nature that makes our lives possible,” said Streep. “This film is a stunning adventure that literally takes flight alongside all kinds of winged creatures—butterflies, bees and bats—each working hard to pollinate our planet.”

Said Schwartzberg, “For me, the joy of doing this film is to be able to explore worlds that humans can’t easily experience—bats sipping nectar in the middle of the desert at night, orchid bees expertly manipulated by a bucket orchid, exotic hummingbirds flying like airborne dancers, and a clustering monarch colony with millions of butterflies. I hope to share the spectacle of nature and to spark in others the sense of wonder I have about the natural world.”

Employing multiple cameras, both time-lapse and high-speed cinematography and extraordinary patience (while nature took its time unfolding), filmmakers shot on location in more than a dozen areas, ranging from the El Rosario Preserve in Michoacán, Mexico, to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Park in Arizona. “Wings of Life” features extraordinary imagery shot with digital cameras—one capable of frame rates of up to 1500 frames per second, and the use of a pinhole lens, which allowed the cameraman to get within millimeters of an insect subject while retaining a clear view of the background. The resulting imagery—intimate and breathtaking—is brought to life for audiences through spectacular high-definition picture and sound quality.

To celebrate the debut of “Wings of Life,” Disneynature has made a contribution to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF) to protect pollinators worldwide. The DWCF has already supported more than 20 projects across North America focused on protecting pollinators and their habitats. Grants have helped conservationists save endangered butterflies, expand habitat for honeybees and educate children about the importance of pollinators and how they can help protect them.

The “Wings of Life” Blu-ray Combo Pack includes a sneak peek at Disneynature’s 2014 big-screen adventure “Bears.” In an epic story of breathtaking scale set against a majestic Alaskan backdrop teeming with life, the film, which is currently in production, follows two mother grizzly bears as they impart life lessons to their impressionable young cubs.

ABOUT THE MOVIE:

From Disneynature, the studio that brought you Earth, Oceans, African Cats and Chimpanzee, comes Wings of Life — a stunning adventure full of intrigue, drama and mesmerizing beauty. Narrated by Meryl Streep, this intimate and unprecedented look at butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, bats and flowers is a celebration of life, as a third of the world’s food supply depends on these incredible — and increasingly threatened — creatures.

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg, Wings of Life utilizes riveting high-speed, time lapse and macro filmmaking to showcase in spectacular detail these unsung heroes of our planet.

Official Poster for the Netflix original series "Hemlock Grove"

Available on Netflix April 19, 2013

From Executive Producer Eli Roth
 
Developed by Brian McGreevy & Lee Shipman
 
Starring Famke Janssen, Dougray Scott, Bill Skarsgård, Landon Liboiron, Penelope Mitchell and Freya Tingley
Synopsis: From executive producer Eli Roth and based on Brian McGreevy’s novel of the same name, Hemlock Grove is a riveting one-hour murder mystery that revolves around the residents of a former Pennsylvania steel town. When 17-year-old Brooke Bluebell is brutally murdered, any of Hemlock’s peculiar inhabitants – or killer creatures – could be suspects. Through the investigation, the town’s seamier side is exposed, revealing nothing is what it seems. Beautiful, terrifying and graphic, Hemlock Grove is unlike anything else in its genre.
All 13 episodes of Season 1 will be available exclusively on Netflix
beginning April 19, 2013
 
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Jay & Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie Tour Kicks off on April 20, 2013

Jay and Silent Bob are back! Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes are hitting the road with their new animated film, JAY & SILENT BOB’S SUPER GROOVY CARTOON MOVIE – which blazes across America in a series of one-night-only shows starting April 20, 2013 in Atlanta at the Center Stage Theater.  The legendary best buds from Jersey are back to dispense weed and wisdom in cartoon form and audiences will have the opportunity to watch the new movie and stick around for a rip-roaring Q&A afterwards.  Tickets go on sale Friday, March 1, 2013 at http://seesmod.com/groovymovie.

Produced by Mewes and directed by first-time filmmaker Steve Stark, JAY & SILENT BOB’S SUPER GROOVY CARTOON MOVIE features the voice talents of Eliza Dushku, Tara Strong, Ralph Garman, Neil Gaiman, Ben Gleib, Jon Lovitz and the podcast stars of Smith’s SModcast Network! When they can no longer stomach the ever-growing weed of suburban crime, Jay & Silent Bob take on the mantles of costumed avengers Bluntman & Chronic, smashing super-villains they accidentally create! Can the Doobage Duo save their beloved Jersey ‘burbs from their new arch enemies, the League of Shitters? While clearly not the comic book movie the world wants, GROOVY MOVIE is the comic book movie the world needs!

“This is what can happen when you put the plug in the jug, kids!” said screenwriter and SModCo head honcho Kevin Smith of Producer (and friend of Bill W.) Jason Mewes. “I’m crazy proud of Jay for turning the soul-crushing bummer that is sobriety into productivity, making something as funny and fun as GROOVY MOVIE in the process!”

“As an actor, it was awesome to play Jay again,” said producer and voice talent Jason Mewes. “But as a producer, I sweated every nickel because I wanted to keep the budget low… And dirty.”

The budget for GROOVY MOVIE: $69,000!

“That budget figure not only makes us proud, it makes us giggle,” Smith went on to say. “We live in an age of wonder where you can make a whole cartoon movie for well under a hundred grand! And the super hero who made miracles happen for next to nothing in cost was our genius director, Canadian animator Steve Stark!”

“A few years back, Steve was a Jay & Silent Bob fan who Tweeted us a YouTube cartoon he made from an episode of SModcast,” Mewes explains. “Now the guy’s directed an entire Jay & Silent Bob cartoon movie! And since we’re using Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and YouTube to sell tour tickets, it’s like the whole cartoon’s made possible by the power of social media! SNOOTCH!”

Forgoing a standard theatrical release, SModcast Pictures (a division of SModCo) will repeat the city-by-city, one-night-only structure of their groundbreaking RED STATE USA Tour and cap each Groovy Movie screening with a performance of their Jay and Silent Bob Get Old podcast –  the wildly popular live show which has sold out tours across the US, Canada, the UK and Australia. All 103 live shows recorded to date are available for download at SModcast.com and iTunes. Mewes has also produced home video versions of the show entitled, Jay and Silent Bob Get Old: Teabagging in the UK, Jay and Silent Bob Get Irish: The Swearing o’the Green, and Jay and Silent Bob Go Down Under.

Complete ticket and tour information is available athttp://seesmod.com/groovymovie and the trailer can be seen at http://youtube.com/seesmod.  “Like” Jay and Silent Bob on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/JayandSilentBob.

About Jason Mewes (Jay)

Jason Mewes (@JayMewes) is the Creative Producer at SModCo Internet Radio (SIR), which launched in May 2011, as well as the Creative Producer at SModCo Internet TV (SIT), which launched in May 2012 and lives online as a YouTube channel.   SModco produces Mewes’ weekly video blog called,Mewes News, which was also the first SIT video to air.  Best known as the vocal half of the on-screen comedic duo, Jay and Silent Bob, Mewes has reprised his role as the celebrated character, “Jay,” in a number of films. With cult-fans following his controversial antics, Mewes has captured audiences with rebellious banter against his unspoken other half and longtime friend, Kevin Smith (Silent Bob). Since the beginning of the duo’s offbeat work together, Mewes and Smith have continued to build on their beloved character driven roles from the Jay and Silent Bob series.  Most recently, Mewes wrapped Spoilers, alongside Smith, an original online series for Hulu and in 2011, he co-hosted the TV series, Cinema Enema, which reviews film in an off-kilter way.  As an actor, Mewes can be seen in a starring role in the Wunderkind Pictures feature, Noobz, as well as The Last Godfather, Money Shot, K-11, and Rock Jocks. Mewes’ most noted film credits include: Smith’s award-winning Clerks,Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Clerks II, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.  This string of cult hits all celebrated and continued Mewes’ infamous role as “Jay,” a bawdy, fast talking, and over sexed but very likable guy.  For his successful and brow-raising portrayal, MTV honored him with 2007’s Dirtiest Mouth Award.

About Kevin Smith (Silent Bob)

Kevin Smith (@ThatKevinSmith) is the fat guy who got thrown off the plane.  He also made CLERKS once.

JAY & SILENT BOB’S SUPER GROOVY CARTOON MOVIE TOUR DATES

April 20     Atlanta, GA           Center Stage Theater
April 21     Washington, DC     Warner Theater
April 22     Tarrytown, NY       Tarrytown Music Hall
April 23     New York, NY        Best Buy Theater
April 24     Boston, MA           House of Blues
April 25     Philadelphia, PA      Keswick Theatre
April 29     Santa Barbara, CA  Lobero Theater
April 30     Sacramento, CA     Crest Theater
May 2       San Francisco, CA  Warfield Theater
May 5       Los Angeles, CA     The Wiltern
May 9       Portland, OR          Bagdad Theater
May 15     Seattle, WA           Moore Theater
May 17     Kansas City, MO     Midland Theater
May 18     St. Louis, MO         The Pageant
May 19     Chicago, IL            The Vic Theater
May 20     Indianapolis, IN       Clowes Memorial Hall
May 21     Royal Oak, MI         Royal Oak Music Theatre

May 22    Milwaukee, WI         Pabst Theater

Dates for New Jersey, Texas and Canada will be added in late March.

 

Related Content

"LEGO Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite" Coming May 21, 2013

TT ANIMATION PRODUCES FULL-LENGTH FILM

BASED ON POPULAR VIDEO GAME

LEGO Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite! Coming May 21, 2013 

FROM WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Clancy Brown reprises Superman: The Animated Series role of Lex Luthor on Blu-rayTM Combo Pack, DVD, On Demand & Digital Download

BURBANK, CA (February 26, 2013) – DC Comics’ greatest superheroes and their arch nemeses face-off in an action-packed, hilarious battle in LEGO Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite. Based on the popular video game, TT Animation produced the full-length animated feature for May 21, 2013 distribution by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment as a Blu-ray™ Combo Pack ($24.98 SRP) and DVD ($19.98 SRP), On Demand and for Digital Download. The Blu-ray™ Combo Pack will include UltraViolet™*. Release will include an exclusive Lego Clark Kent/Superman figurine on pack while supplies last.

LEGO Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite provides the ultimate blend of action and humor guaranteed to entertain fanboys of all ages. The film finds Lex Luthor taking jealousy to new heights when fellow billionaire Bruce Wayne wins the Man of the Year Award. To top Wayne’s accomplishment, Lex begins a campaign for President – and to create the atmosphere for his type of fear-based politics, he recruits the Joker to perfect a Black LEGO Destructor Ray. While wreaking havoc on Gotham, Lex successfully destroys Batman’s technology – forcing the Caped Crusader to reluctantly turn to Superman for help.

LEGO Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite features the definitive voice of Lex Luthor, Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption, SpongeBob SquarePants), who set the standard for Luthor’s vocal tones in the landmark Warner Bros. Animation television production, Superman: The Animated Series.

Renowned videogame/animation actors Troy Baker (Bioshock Infinite, Batman: Arkham City) and Travis Willingham (Avengers Assemble, The Super Hero Squad Show) provide the voices of Batman and Superman, respectively. The cast also includes Christopher Corey Smith (Mortal Combat vs. DC Universe) as the Joker, and Charlie Schlatter (Diagnosis Murder) in a hilarious turn as the voice of Robin.

Award-winning director/producer Jon Burton helms the film from a screenplay by David A. Goodman based on a story from Burton and Goodman. Jeremy Pardon is director of photography, and executive producers are Jill Wilfret and Kathleen Fleming. Executive producers are Benjamin Melnicker and Michael Uslan.

“LEGO Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite packs the right combination of action and humor to delight superhero fans from ages 3 to 103,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Vice President, Family & Animation and Partner Brands Marketing. “We’re proud to provide a film that can be enjoyed by adults and children alike, making for ideal family entertainment.”

LEGO Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite Blu-ray™ Combo Pack has over 2 ½ hours of exciting content, including:

  • Standard and high definition versions of the feature film
  • UltraViolet™*
  • Featurette – “Building Batman” – An all-new featurette.  Ever thought about making your own batman movie? Join a group of children as they learn from master LEGO builder Garrett Barati, and animate their own Batman mini-movie with LEGO.
  • Teaser– “Lego Batman Jumps Into Action” – Garrett Barati’s original Batman teaser, created for LEGO Super Heroes, shows what this master stop-motion animator can do with just a few click, click, clicks of LEGO.
  • Shorts – “LEGO/DC Universe Super Heroes Video Contest Winners” – The excitement of DC Universe Super Heroes and the joy of LEGO building brings together action-packed short films from five winning submissions
  • Two bonus episodes from Batman: The Brave and the Bold (“Triumvirate of Terror” and “Scorn of the Star Sapphire”) and one episode from Teen Titans (“Overdrive”)
  • Assorted trailers

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment:

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment’s home video, digital distribution, interactive entertainment/videogames, direct-to-DVD production, technical operations and anti-piracy businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. WBHEG is responsible for the global distribution of content through DVD, electronic sell-through and VOD, and delivery of theatrical content to wireless and online channels, and is also a significant worldwide publisher for both internal and third party videogame titles.

About DC Entertainment:

DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner.  DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world.  In January 2012, DC Entertainment, in collaboration with Warner Bros. and Time Warner divisions, launched We Can Be Heroes—a giving campaign featuring the iconic Justice League super heroes—to raise awareness and funds to fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.

BATMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics. (s12)

The Mad Max Trilogy Blu-ray™ Collection Debuts June 4 From Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

THE MAD MAX TRILOGY

BLU-RAY™ COLLECTION DEBUTS JUNE 4

FROM WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT 

Mel Gibson Stars in the Franchise that Made Him a Star 

Burbank, Calif. February 25, 2013 – Mad Max, the sci-fi franchise that introduced Mel Gibson to the world, will come together for the first time as a Blu-ray collection when Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) debuts the Mad Max Trilogy on June 4th.

The three films – Mad Max (1979), Mad Max Road Warrior (1982) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) – are all set in the near-future in Australia. From the very first film, Oscar® winner George Miller (Happy Feet, 2006) proved a master at creating the gritty, bleak dystopian world and staging the incredible car stunts and crashes in the era when stuntmen, not computers, achieved the effects. All three movies starred Mel Gibson, virtually unknown until after the second film, as Max Rockatansky, a highway cop traveling through the Outback in a society descending into chaos. The films started Gibson on his road to international superstardom, led to his signature Lethal Weapon series, and later two Academy Awards® for his roles as producer and director of Braveheart(1995).

This must-own collection for action fans is available in limited premium tin packaging and makes a perfect gift for Father’s Day. The collection will sell for $49.99 SRP on Blu-ray Disc™. Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, which is making its Blu-ray debut, will also be available as a single along with Mad Max Road Warrior. Order due date for all is April 30th.

About The Films

Mad Max (1979)

George Miller’s first entry in the trilogy, Mad Max packs brutal action and insane stunts as it follows the inevitable downfall of relentless cop Max Rockatansky (Gibson) in a world gone mad. Living on the edge of an apocalypse, Max is ready to run far away from it all with his family. But when he experiences an unfortunate encounter with a motorcycle gang and its menacing leader, the Toecutter, his retreat from the madness of the world is now a race to save his family’s life.

Mad Max Road Warrior (1982)

The sequel to Mad Max, Mad Max Road Warrior provides action-packed, “automotive” entertainment, telling the story of a selfish-turned-selfless hero and his efforts to protect a small camp of desert survivors and defend an oil refinery under siege from a ferocious marauding horde that plunders the land for gasoline.

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

Mel Gibson returns for his third go-round as the title hero who takes on the barbarians of the post-nuclear future – and this time becomes the savior of a tribe of lost children. Music superstar Tina Turner co-stars as Aunty Entity, a power-mad dominatrix determined to use Max to tighten her stranglehold on Bartertown, where fresh water, clean food and gasoline are worth more than gold.

THE MAD MAX TRILOGY ON BLU-RAY

Street Date: June 4, 2013

Order Due Date: April 30, 2013

Catalog/UPC #: 1000334058 / 883929266661

Pricing: $49.99 SRP

Mad Max Run Time: 94 minutes; Rated R

The Road Warrior Run Time: 91 minutes; Rated R

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome Run Time: 107 minutes; Rated PG-13

CD Review: As They Burn "Will, Love, Life"

As They Burn
“Will, Love, Life”
Victory Records
Tracks: 11

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“Will, Love, Life” is the debut Victory Records release from French metal band As They Burn. The group’s line up consists of vocalist Kevin Trevor, Hoby Arinoky- guitar, Fabio Meschini- guitar, Ronald Pastor- bass, Milton Bakech- drums and Bastien Jacquesson on machines. Together the group brings their own unique blend of modern nu-metal spread across 11 all new tracks mixed by Jason Suecof (All That Remains, Trivium, Motionless in White).

If Slipknot was to come out today minus the masks and crazy samples you would have As They Burn. The band’s music is brutally aggressive and features intricate melodic undertones that provide a solid structure for the songs to take shape around. Tracks such “Isis” and “When Everything Falls Apart” jump right out of your speakers almost severing your eardrums with their sheer power while tracks such as Vision Part 2” and “Frozen“Z(h)ero” feature more laid back arrangements that while melodic in approach still have the power to jump up and bite you at any moment. Vocalist Kevin Trevor covers a lot of ground as he is able to take his voice from a stomach churning growl to an eerie drone while the rest of the band is equally technical. When you think of Paris, France you may not think of heavy music however As They Burn sets the record straight with their approach to the ever growing genre.

Track Listing:
1.) Medicine 2.0
2.) Origin
3.) Dream Collapse
4.) The Conscious Man
5.) Isis
6.) Frozen Vision Part 1
7.) Frozen Vision Part 2
8.) When Everything Falls Apart
9.) Z(h)ero
10.) F.R.E.A.K.S.
11.) Sons of Shiva

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