Burbank, Calif., July 14, 2014 – To celebrate Elvis Week, the historic Orpheum Theatre in downtown Memphis will host the world premiere of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s newly-remastered Elvis: That’s The Way It Is on August 16.

This year’s Elvis Week will be held from August 9-August 17 at Elvis Presley’s Graceland in Memphis.  Fans who attend the Elvis That’s The Way It Is screening will be treated to the newly remastered film along with extras such as rehearsal and actual performance footage that were not included when last shown as a feature film. Audiences will also get to experience a special performance by Elvis’ Imperials members Joe Moscheo and Terry Blackwood, along with Darrell Toney and Lynn Royce Taylor.* This will be a special farewell performance by Moscheo who recently retired from the group. Fans can also view “Elvis: That’s The Way It Is” related artifacts direct from the Graceland archives that will be on display in the lobby. This event will be hosted by Tom Brown, Vice President of Original Productions for Turner Classic Movies (TCM).

Tickets are available for purchase via Ticketmaster.com, by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000, at any Ticketmaster outlet or at the Orpheum box office. For more information on this or other Elvis Week events, visit Graceland.com.

Additionally the newly-remastered Elvis: That’s The Way It Is will be shown in almost 300 theaters around the U.S. for a limited engagement. Fans unable to attend the Elvis Week world premiere will still have a chance to see Elvis on the big screen and enjoy an inside look at a cultural icon often labeled the “King” of rock ‘n’ roll. The documentary depicts Elvis as a master showman, following him as he prepares for his big opening-night performance in Las Vegas. Information including a list of dates and locations can be found at www.Graceland.com/events.

Elvis Aaron Presley

(1935 – 1977)

Elvis Presley was one of Hollywood’s top box-office draws, starring in 31 feature films and two theatrically-released concert documentaries over the course of his career. His music was as much a part of his box-office success as his good looks and charisma. In fact, some of his top-selling songs were from the movie soundtracks. Eleven of his soundtrack albums made it into the top ten on the Billboard Album charts and of those, four became number one hits. It is estimated that Elvis has sold over a billion records worldwide, more records than any other artist in record industry history, and even 30 years after his death, Elvis still conquers new legions of fans as even compilations of his RCA recordings, such as “Elvis 30 #1 Hits” and “Elvis 2nd to None,” have both topped the Billboard charts of best-selling albums.

More biographical information is available at the official Elvis Presley Web site, www.elvis.com.

 

New from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on August 12, 2014

Elvis: That’s The Way It Is – Two Disc Special Edition, which was re-edited and remixed for its acclaimed release in 2001, will now debut on Blu-ray™ as a Premium Digibook.

• Disc 1(BD) contains the 2001 Special Edition, newly remastered with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack and Special Features.
• Disc 2 (DVD) contains the 1970 Original Theatrical Version and Special Features.

 

In celebration of its 50^th Anniversary Viva Las Vegas will also be offered as a Premium Blu-ray Digibook. These Premium Digibooks include rare behind-the-scene photos and are available for $27.98 each (SRP).

*Performance appearances subject to change.

Academy Awards® and Oscar® are both registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Blu-ray Disc™ and Blu-ray™ and the logos are the trademarks of Blu-ray Disc Association.

Warner Home Video Blu-ray Discs™ offer resolution six times higher than standard definition DVDs, as well as extraordinarily vibrant contrast and color and beautifully crisp sound. The format also provides a higher level of interactivity, with instant access to extra features via a seamless menu bar where viewers can enjoy features without leaving or interrupting the film.

 

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment’s home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees, as well as directly to consumers through WBShop.com and WBUltra.

Actors: Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, Jamie Foxx, Rodrigo Santoro, Leslie Mann, Jake T. Austin
Director: Carlos Saldanha
Directors: Carlos Saldanha
Rated: G (General Audience)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: July 15, 2014
Run Time: 101 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

When I saw that “Rio 2” was being released, I wasn’t really super excited for it. It is one of those kid flicks that was good but nothing special at all. What “Rio 2” does have is a fantastic A-list cast including Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Bruno Mars, Miguel Ferrer, Jamie Foxx, Rita Moreno, Jemaine Clement and Kristen Chenoweth. The sequel is a bit of a mess in terms of story but it is quite pretty to look at and my two year old daughter enjoyed it quite a bit as well.

Official Premise: Blu (Eisenberg), Jewel (Hathaway) and their three kids are living the perfect domesticated life in the magical city that is Rio de Janeiro. But when Jewel decides the kids need to learn to live like real birds, she insists the family venture into the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in with his new neighbors, he worries he may lose Jewel and the kids to the call of the wild.

20th Century Fox is giving this film the Deluxe Edition treatment including a Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy. One thing this film does use well is the added third dimension. The flying scenes are great and very well executed. There are a few other gags were the added format works well additionally. I watched this in 2D also and it was just as enjoyable, so to me that is a win win, especially since my daughter doesn’t do the glasses well.

The 1080p transfer overall is just extremely solid. The colors in the film are outstanding and the animation just so crisp and sharp. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 was a delight as well since the film is packed with very fun music. I actually think that that was my favorite part of the film was the music, in that sense it reminded me of “Happy Feet 2”, terrible movie but fun music.

Besides amazing audio/video, Fox jam-packed this Deluxe Edition with some fun special features for the parents and the kids. “Boom, Shake, Snap: The Local Sounds of Brazil -The Bodybeats of the Barbatuques” is a three part featurette including “How to Play the Barbatuques!”; “Rhythmic Rio” and “The Upbeat Uakti Jam”. “Birds and Beats: The Singing Talents of Rio 2” looks into the voice talent that bring these characters to life. “Nigel the Shakespearean Cockatoo and Friends” is a fun feature on the character that Jemaine Clement voices.

If you didn’t get jist of this movie having to do with music and dancing, it is drilled home with “Music, Dance, Sing-Along Machine”, which is a three part collection of music that will get you up and shaking that butt. With “Music Machine” we get 10 songs including “What Is Love”, “Beautiful Creatures” and “I Will Survive”. In the “Dance-Along” there are 4 songs including “Ô Vida” and “It’s a Jungle Out Here”. In the “Sing-Along”, there are 6 songs including “Welcome Back” and “Don’t Go Away”. “You Be the Judge” is a collection of funny auditions from Tapir, Monkey and Turtle.

There are music videos for “What is Love?” Music Video by Janelle Monáe and a multi-language sequence for  “I Will Survive”. Lastly, there is is a deleted scene, still hallery, theatrical trailers and a “Rio Refresher” included to catch you up from the first film. So there is not much in terms of the production itself but these are fun and very entertaining features for the whole family to enjoy.

 

Starring: Luci Christian, David Matranga
Director: Shinji Aramaki
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: July 22, 2014
Run Time: 93 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

“Appleseed Alpha” is based on the original manga by “Ghost in the Shell” creator Shirow Masamune. This series has had a great life to do starting in 2004 with the first film “Appleseed” and in 2007 with “Appleseed Ex Machina”, this CG-animated film is a prequel to the series and one of the best installments to date. I love the new look of this film and I couldn’t take my eyes of the TV. Luci Christian and David Matranga return as the voices of Deunan and Briareos as well. If you are looking for a state-of-the-art action packed CG film, look no further.

Official Premise: Left to survive in a post-World War society, two mercenary soldiers – Deunan and her cyborg partner Briareos – are sent on a mission on the outskirts of their war-torn city. During the operation, they run into Iris and Olson, two citizens from the utopian city of Olympus, who might have a way to save the world but the ruthless Talos and the scheming warlord Two Horns have their own plans. It’s up to Deunan and Briareos to safeguard their newfound contacts and help save humanity’s last hope.

Sony is releasing this film as a combo pack including Blu-ray + UltraViolet Digital Copy. The 1080p transfer was simply amazing. I immediately fell in love with the the animation style. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track was easily the highlight though with a killer music soundtrack. This film includes some great songs from today’s top international music artists, including Yasutaka Nakata (CAPSULE), Skrillex & Alvin Risk, androp, CAPSULE, DJ FUMIYA (RIP SLYME), PASSEPIED, Q;indivi+, tofubeats, AKLO, 80KIDZ, nishi-ken, and RAM RIDER. In terms of special features, there is a great filmmaker commentary track with director Shinji Aramaki and 11 making-of featurettes that track the cover the film from script to screen.

Starring: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: July 29, 2014
Run Time: 137 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

Director Darren Aronofsky has come ALONG way since his first film “Pi”, which was shot for $60,000 and mostly without permits etc. Now he is making $120 million dollars films and I saw good for him since he is a great director. “Noah” is the theatrical re-telling of the story of Noah’s Ark from The Bible. This film has had a lot of controversy surrounding it but I actaully really enjoyed it. It has a fantastic cast including Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly and Emma Watson, whom all deliver great performances. The film is paced well and is visually stunning. Plus it is cool to find out it was partly shot in Long Island, NY (my hometown). Make not be straight from the pages of the Bible, which is not a bad thing, but this is a very visually entertaining movie. Key word being that exactly…movie!

If you don’t know the premise for this film, then you probably shouldn’t be seeing it. But here it is anyway “Noah (Crowe) suffers visions of an apocalyptic deluge before taking measures to protect his wife (Connelly), children and thousands of animals from a coming flood.” I love that before the film they had to put the following text in to make everyone happy. “The film is inspired by the story of Noah. While artistic license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide. The biblical story of Noah can be found in the book of Genesis.” This is a movie people not a freaking biopic…chill out.

Paramount is delivering “Noah” as a combo pack with a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD included. They have also created one of the best Blu-ray presentations that I have seen all year. The 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer is absolutely fantastic. You can see that a lot of work went into this film in post and the digital effects are superb and very detailed. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 is also outstanding. Since this is taken from the Bible, it is quite epic and the when the flood comes raise the volume and just enjoy this great well-balanced track.

The special features included on this release are good and add up to about an hour of extra content. I would have loved to seen a commentary track but these are still solid. “Iceland: Extreme Beauty” focuses on the shooting in Iceland, it’s benefits and difficulties and contains some great behind-the-scenes footage. “The Ark Exterior: A Battle for 300 Cubits” talks about planning and building of the film’s ark. It also includes some great on-set footage. “The Ark Interior: Animals Two by Two” is a deeper focus on the ark and the process that went into bringing it and it’s passengers to life.

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington, Mireille Enos, Joe Manganiello, Max Martini, Josh Holloway
Director: David Ayer
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Universal Studios
Release Date: July 22, 2014
Run Time: 109 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn’t really been up to his prime recently with his latest films outside of “The Expendable” franchise. They have been decent (except “The Last Stand”) but not big draws at the box office. “Sabotage” is no different in that department but it is quite a wild ride. It is low-key yet very gritty, gory, in-your-face and actually quite awesome. It is from the director of “End of Watch” and the writer of “Training Day”. and it really has that same kind of feel as those films, which is a great thing. This is definitely not your typical Schwarzenegger films and that is also a good thing. Action fans, should check this out!

Official Premise: When DEA task force leader Breacher Wharton (Schwarzenegger) storms a heavily armed cartel safe house, rogue members of his team use it as a cover to steal $10 million in cash. But just when they think their secret is safe, agents begin to be killed off one-by-one and everyone becomes a suspect, including the squad itself.

Besides Schwarzenegger, “Sabotage” packs a solid cast including Sam Worthington, Olivia Williams, Terrence Howard, Joe Manganiello, Josh Holloway and Mireille Enos. Great talent here and the ensemble really works well together. I think this film should have received much more attention. People just see it is “another Schwarzenegger comeback” and look the other way. I think we are going to see some great things from director David Ayer. If you haven’t seen “End of Watch”, I also highly recommend that…stunning film.

Universal delivered “Sabotage” as a combo pack including a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD copy. Universal also delivered again with a fantastic Blu-ray presentation. The 1080p is fantastic, like I said gritty and dark but with a really nice polish on it. Same goes for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, which works well with the film’s action. Now we get to the special features, which are a big let down for me. There is a short behind-the-scenes look with “Making of Sabotage” and few alternate endings and deleted scenes included.

Starring: Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Kate Mara, Morgan Freeman
Director: Wally Pfister
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: July 22, 2014
Running Time: 118 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

Man oh man, when I heard that “Transcendence” was terrible, I just couldn’t believe it. Executive produced by Christopher Nolan and directed by his long-time cinematographer Wally Pfister and starring Johnny Depp, how could you go wrong? Damn, this was a terrible movie. This was really the Rebecca Hall show anyway, whom I am not a fan of. The story is so messy and it seems like they wanted to take this in WAY too many directions and it ended up failing in all of them. Plus when you find out this cost $100 million dollars and just wonder…how? Check Mr. Depp’s pockets. Leave this one for basic cable unless you really are bored…and want to be more bored.

Official Premise: Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp) is the foremost researcher in the field of Artificial Intelligence, working to create a sentient machine that combines the collective intelligence of everything ever known with the full range of human emotions. His highly controversial experiments have made him famous, but they’ve also made him the prime target of anti-technology extremists who will do whatever it takes to stop him. However, in their attempt to destroy Will, they inadvertently become the catalyst for him to succeed; to be a participant in his own transcendence.

Warner is releasing this as a combo pack with a Blu-ray + DVD and UltraViolet Digital HD digital copy included. The 1080p looks great with the very few visual effects included. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track works for the score, which is not that great anyway. The special features includes four featurettes. The first is “What is Transcendence?”  looks into the concept with cast and crew. “Wally Pfister: A Singular Vision” focuses on the director and the production. “Guarding the Threat” is a debate about the dangers of “transcendence.” “The Promise of A.I.” gets prove from actual scientists and the filmmakers. Lastly there are two viral videos and trailers included.

Own “Transcendence” on Digital HD now and on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on July 22nd.

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Starring: Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman and Jason Clarke
Directed by: Matt Reeves
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 2 hrs 10 mins
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

I’m currently co-authoring a book about the making of movie sequels. Among the earlier ones were the very successful “Planet of the Apes” films. Five in total, they took moviegoers to what they thought was a distant planet, underneath it, back to it and then finally watched the conquest of and the battle for it. Almost three decades after the last film, Tim Burton put his very puzzling stamp on a remake/reboot/reimagining of the original 1968 film. Another decade would pass before Hollywood went back to the well with the very well done “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” which did away with the time travel plot and brought the apes to us. Now that we’re all caught up, let’s talk about “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.”

The time is now. While the genetically evolved apes from the first film, led by Caesar (Serkis, in what should be an award winning performance) occupy the woods mankind, overwhelmed by the ravages of disease now lives in camps that were one time major cities. We find such a group of survivors in what used to be San Francisco. While on an exploration mission outside the city, a group of humans come across two young apes. A standoff occurs, broken when one of the group panics and fires his gun. The ape is only wounded but the shot of the gun brings out a shrewdness of apes (yes, dear readers, if you want to impress your friends tell them that a group of apes is referred to as a “shrewdness), led by Caesar. Caesar still remembers the kindness he received from some humans and brokers a peace between the two factions. This does not sit well with Koba (Toby Kebbell), a fellow ape who longs to battle. He will soon get his wish.

Much darker than “Rise,” “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” rises and falls on the large shoulders of Andy Serkis. He gives Caesar a quiet dignity and, if possible, almost makes him human in his emotions. He does not want war, even when those around him insist on it. Serkis conveys more with his eyes than many actors do with their words. From the anger or betrayal to the joy of holding his newborn son, Caesar is the strongest and best drawn out character in the film. Serkis is joined by other actors who also bring out the emotions under their computer generated fur. Kebbell is angry and bitter as Koba while Karin Konoval, as the gentle orangutan Maurice (a nice nod to the late Maurice Evans, who appeared in the original 1968 film), is kind and caring. On the human side, Clarke and Keri Russell do well as the leaders of the observation group, as does Kodi Smit-McPhee, as a young man who spends his time sketching his new simian friends. Oldman is a little over the top in his distrust of the furry fellows. Perhaps someone told him that Hollywood is actually a town run by apes.

Visually the film is outstanding. The apes and their world are rendered well as is the inner workings of what is left of the city of San Francisco. As for the 3D…once again it brought nothing to the film but a lot of blurry images in the foreground. I honestly think the process needs to be saved for animated films, where it seems to work the best.

Actors: Derek Hough, BoA
Director: Duane Adler
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: July 22, 2014
Run Time: 110 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I am getting a little tried of the same movie every time. I can deal with the “Step Up” films because they are amazing to look at and have great dancing but even they are wearing on me. “Make Your Move” is the latest dance from from the co-writer of “Step Up” and “Save the Last Dance”. It makes too big mistaking casting non-actors, Derek Hough from TV’s “Dancing With the Stars” is an outstanding dancer…actor not so much. Same goes for Korean pop star BoA, great singer…not a wonderful actress. Plus the film is nearly two hours long, I was yawning and rolling my eyes and not so much sitting on the edge of my chair by the time this ended.

Official Premise: The music is pumping, the dance floor is moving and Donny (Derek Hough, TV’s “Dancing With the Stars”) stops when he sees the beautiful Aya (Korean pop star BoA) performing with her hip-hop Cobu crew at the hottest underground club in New York. They come from two different worlds, but they speak the same language — dance. When the couple finds themselves in the middle of a bitter rivalry, they must choose between family ties or their love for each other. Now, they must make their move.

Sony usually has been really good about Ultraviolet digital copies but this one does not include one, which is a bit odd. I am not sure why they pick and choose which release gets it and which doesn’t. The 1080p transfer works well with the dance scenes, as does the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks, which delivers with the tunes. In terms of special features we get a commentary track with Writer/Director Duane Adler & Choreographers Napoleon & Tabitha D’umo, a featurette “Making the Moves” and a few Deleted Scenes.

Actors: Greg Kinnear, Thomas Haden Church
Director: Randall Wallace
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony
Release Date: July 22, 2014
Run Time: 99 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

Normally, I am not a huge of inspiration faith based films but this one drew me in right from the trailer. I went to catholic school all my life and I was an alter boy for many years, but I still don’t know where I really stand with faith. This is based on the No. 1 New York Times best-selling book by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent. Greg Kinnear really gives a fantastic performance here, I got to give it up to him. While I was a little skeptical here, I could still recommend it to those faith crazy people for sure and those in the middle like myself as well.

Official Premise: Heaven is for Real recounts the true story of a small-town father who must find the courage and conviction to share his son’s extraordinary, life-changing experience with the world. Starring Academy Award® nominee Greg Kinnear (Best Supporting Actor, As Good As It Gets, 1997) as Todd Burpo, the real-life father whose son Colton claims to have visited Heaven during a near death experience. Colton shares the details of his amazing journey with childlike innocence and speaks matter-of-factly about things that happened before his birth … things he couldn’t possibly know.

Sony is releasing this film as a combo pack including a Blu-ray + DVD and Ultraviolet digital copy. Solid 1080p transfer & DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. here are some decent special features as well continuing the inspirational journey. First we get a featurette ““Colton Goes to Heaven””, which takes us behind-the-scenes into the task of bringing the book to the big screen. There are also two Blu-ray exclusive featurettes. ““The Making of Heaven is For Real” look into the production itself with cast interviews. ““Creating Heaven” talks about the films religious themes. Lastly there are six deleted scenes included.

Starring: Scarlett Johansson
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: LIONSGATE
Release Date: July 15, 2014
Run Time: 106 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Scarlett Johansson playing a man-eating alien? Sounds good to me! “Under the Skin” is definitely one hell of a unique film. Most of it feels very unscripted, which is was, and feels like you are watching from a hidden camera, which you were. Scarlett Johansson is literally fantastic in the role, she is emotionless, erotic and just amazing. The film is so strange and different, so if you are expecting big special effects etc, look somewhere else. This has a very minimalist feel to it and is driven by an amazing (and extremely disturbing) score by Mica Levi. Plus Ms. Johansson strips down for the first time very artfully, which is not a bad sight but also at the same time a little strange. Watch it and you will know what I mean. Definitely not for everyone but I haven’t stopped thinking about this creepy little film.

Official Premise: A voluptuous woman of unknown origin (Johansson) combs the highways in search of isolated or forsaken men, luring a succession of lost souls into an otherworldly lair. They are seduced, stripped of their humanity, and never heard from again. Based on the novel by Michel Faber, Under the Skin examines human experience from the perspective of an unforgettable heroine who grows too comfortable in her borrowed skin, until she is abducted into humanity with devastating results.

Lionsgate is releasing this film as a combo pack with a Blu-ray + UltraViolet included. Like I mentioned above, the film has a very handheld look and feel to it, so the 1080p transfer varies. There are some shots though that are just stunning and look absolutely amazing. I especially loved the alternate dimension scene in the run down house, really well shot. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is also a real winner for this release. Mica Levi’s score is creepy as well and really sounds amazing. There is only one special feature called “Making of Under the Skin” but it is split up into multiple featurettes focusing on various aspects of the film. I would have loved to see a commentary track included to help explain various aspect deeper of this film.

Experience The Legend When The Action-Packed Family Film Arrives On Blu-ray, DVD and Video On Demand August 5 From Lionsgate Home Entertainment

Digital HD Available July 15

SANTA MONICA, CA, June 2, 2014 – Kellan Lutz (The Twilight Saga franchise) headlines the newest incarnation of the iconic tale Tarzan®, available on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD) and DVD (plus Digital) exclusively at Walmart August 5 from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. The film will be available on Video on Demand and Pay-Per-View everywhere the same day. Tarzan will be available three weeks earlier on Digital HD July 15. Based on the ‘Tarzan’ stories created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, one of the most classic coming of age stories of all time is now completely re-imagined for a new generation in stunning CGI-animation. In its initial theatrical release the film has grossed over $35 million globally. Directed by Reinhard Klooss (Animals United) from a screen story and screenplay by him as well, Tarzan also features the voice talents of Spencer Locke (Resident Evil: Afterlife) and Jaime Ray Newman (TV’s “Mind Games”).

During an expedition to a remote African jungle, the Greystoke family’s helicopter crashes, leaving one survivor: the young boy J.J., nicknamed Tarzan. Raised by gorillas, Tarzan lives by the laws of the jungle — until he encounters another human being, the courageous and beautiful Jane Porter. For Tarzan and Jane, it’s love at first sight — and the beginning of a thrilling adventure — as Tarzan uses his instincts and intellect to protect his jungle home and the woman he loves.

With bonus material including three behind-the-scenes featurettes, Tarzan will be available on Blu-ray and DVD exclusively at Walmart for the suggested retail price of $19.99 and $19.98, respectively.

BLU-RAY/DVD SPECIAL FEATURES*
• “Behind the Scenes with Kellan Lutz and Spencer Locke” featurette
• “Becoming Gorillas” featurette
• “The Making of Tarzan” featurette

You might know Jason Momoa from his amazing role of Khal Drogo in the first season of “Game of Thrones” and for playing the lead role in the 2011 remake of “Conan the Barbarian”. He is also rumored to be playing Aquaman in DC Comics’ upcoming films like “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Justice League”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Jason about his latest film “Road to Paloma” and what we can expect.

Mike Gencarelli: “Road to Paloma” is your first film as director, writer, and producer and you also star in the lead role; how was it wearing all these hats?
Jason Momoa: It was one of my greatest achievements. It was also one of the funniest things that I have done. I work on so many sets where there are just tons of people. We did this film with a very small crew and a bunch of my best friends. We went out bought all the equipment and just did it. I just wanted to show the world my vision. The acting wasn’t really a stretch for me but putting the movie together was the main challenge for me. I loved doing it on this very small level. It was almost like doing theater. We would rehearse and rehearse and once we had the right light, we were ready to go. Stanley Kubrick once said you can spend 10 years writing a script and then you have to shoot it in 10 days. I just wouldn’t want to do that. I would rather take less money and have the freedom.

MG: This is a road movie, so let’s talk about the journey as an actor/filmmaker that you took with this film?
JM: It was crazy. I just want to go back to acting…I will be in my trailer [laughs]. No but, it is like having a child, really. We called it the never ending movie. It has taken up 3 1/2 years from start to finish but most movies do. It was still an amazing experience for me.

MG:I was hoping to see you all set up with full war paint…
JM: You will see it! You see a glimpse in the trailer. We chose not to put it in the film. The scene really grabs you and puts you in the edge of your seat. But the pacing didn’t work well in the film. It will be out on the Blu-ray release though, so at least you can see it.

MG:How was it getting to work with your wife Lisa Bonet?
JM: It was great and also very hard. It is scary because these are characters you are playing and you don’t want to give too much of your personal life but at the same time you want it to be real. She killed it though and I was a wreck [laughs]. She is amazing.

MG:How did you get involved with WWE Studios?
JM: They have a huge fan base and they thought there fan would really dig this. It is a beautiful film and really has something to say. I think that is why Michael Luisi and WWE got behind it because it has a lot of heart. It has a little bit of everything action, love, passion, fighting and I like that a lot.

MG:What else do you have in the cards coming up next?
JM: I am working on the passion project of my life. Right now, it is called “Enemy in the Valley”. It is a true story, based in the 1890’s taking place in Kauai. Back in the day, when someone got leprosy, they would just drop them on an island and leave them. There wasn’t proper law. So this is his story about how he defends himself and his family and became a hero in Hawaii. It is a drama period piece. To me it is like “The Last of the Mohicans” meets “The Proposition”. It is definitely my “Braveheart” for my people. It is a dream role for me and I will be directing also. So I can’t wait to get started.

 

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Mill Creek Entertainment  is releasing six new titles to their Blu-ray catalog on July 22nd. We have the following Matthew Robbins’ “The Legend of Billie Jean” (1985), Phil Joanou’s “Gridiron Gang” (2006), Joel Schumacher’s “Flatliners” (1990), Luis Llosa’s “Anaconda” (1997), John McTiernan’s “Last Action Hero” (1993), and Mike Newell’s “Donnie Brasco” (1997). We received four of these six to review for the site but the results are in and we are not very impressed with these releses.

“Anaconda” Official Premise: A film crew headed by anthropologist Steve Cale and director Terri Flores journey through a river to find a mysterious Indian tribe and shoot a documentary on them. They save a guy called Paul Sarone from a sinking boat. He offers to help in their search for the tribe, but he is actually a snake-hunter looking for legendary anaconda snake, and when Cale is bitten by some tropical insect, Sarone takes over the boat.

I do not think that “Anaconda” is a very good film today. It thought it was good when I saw it in theaters many years ago but it certainly hasn’t stood up to time. This is the not the first time that this film has been released on Blu-ray either. It was put out back in 2009 by Sony Picture. It had a solid 1080p transfer, as does this, and a rocking Dolby TrueHD 5.1, unlike this. This Blu-ray only trumps a Dolby Digital 2.0 track, which is barely DVD quality in today’s standards. It also includes no special features of any sort, though the 2009 Blu-ray was bare bones as well.

“Donnie Brasco” Official Premise: Posing as jewel broker Donnie Brasco, FBI agent Joseph D. Pistone (Johnny Depp) is granted entrance into the violent mob family of aging hitman Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino). When his personal and professional lives collide, Pistone jeopardizes his marriage, his job, his life and, ultimately, the gangster mentor he has come to respect and admire. From acclaimed director Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral), and featuring an extraordinary supporting cast including Michael Madsen, Anne Heche, Bruno Kirby and James Russo, Donnie Brasco is “one terrific movie!” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone).

Being an Italian man with a huge Italian family, it is hard not to quote this film at least once a month. It’s a fugazi!! “Donnie Brasco” has also been released before by Sony Pictures dating back to 2007. Though in that release only the Extended Cut was included. This release now only includes the Theatrical Cut. The 2007 Blu-ray included a nice LPCM 5.1 track and a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, while this one only includes the latter. That is two for two of these new releases from Mill Creek with only DVD quality audio. Top it out with no special features, even though 2007 release extras sucked they at least still has something.

“Flatliners” Official Premise: An ambitious, charismatic medical student persuades his classmates to take part in a reckless experiment. To see if there is life after death, they will kill themselves: temporarily shut down (“flatline”) their heart and brain functions to briefly experience clinical death. Their horror begins when they realize that although they’ve come back alive… they haven’t come back alone.

It has been many years since I last watched this film, it is still a great ride. “Flatliners” has continued to flat line for their Blu-ray releases. In case you are not seeing a trend here. This film has also previously been released by Sony on Blu-ray dating back to 2007. It came with disappointing 1080p transfer and a flat LPCM 5.1 audio track. This release continues that trend but also only includes a Dolby Digital 2.0 track for the audio, which fares even worse than the original. Lastly, there are no special features included at all, which though matches the previous release.

“Last Action Hero” Official Premise: Danny Madigan knows all the first 3 Jack Slater movies in and out. The 4th one is just about to be released too, and with a magical ticket Danny really gets to know that movie in and out too, literally speaking. During one of the action climaxes Danny is transported into the movie, into a world following other rules than the real one. Benedict, one of the evil guys, gets hold of the ticket and escapes out to the real world, a world where evil guys can actually win. Danny and Jack follow him back to the real world to get back the ticket and stop Benedict from killing the actor playing Jack.

“Last Action Hero” was never my favorite Schwarzenegger film. It has its moments but nothing too memorable. This film like the past three has received a Blu-ray release back in 2010 from Sony Pictures. It includes easily the best audio and video of the four combined. Though the 1080p transfer holds up with this release, once again we are missing out on a solid action packed DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track for a lame Dolby Digital 5.1 track. There are no special features included either but in case you are skipping around here, none of these have any extras included.

So I know these don’t sound to flattering from but if you like these films, it is worth the less than $10 bucks to pick them up. They are not stunning Blu-ray releases at all but they are worth a few bucks if you have a hankering to revisit these films and do not already own them, just as long as you aren’t looking for an impressive release you will not be disappointed.

Chazz Palmenteri is known best for his roles in films like “The Usual Suspects”, “A Bronx Tale”, “Bullets Over Broadway”, in which he received an Oscar nomination. Chazz brought his one-man play “A Bronx Tale” back to Broadway in 2007 and since then he has been continuing to tour each year with this show. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with him about the show and what he has planned next.

Mike Gencarelli: “A Bronx Tale” hit Broadway in 2007 and hasn’t stopped since; tell us about your journey you are taking with this one-man show?
Chazz Palmenteri: I originally did this back in 1989 and I brought it back to Broadway in 2007 since there was a whole generation of people that didn’t get to see it. It was just going to be Broadway for six months and that’s it. It was such a huge success, they wanted to do a National Tour and I thought I would finish in Vegas. So I did it again in Las Vegas in 2009 after the tour and then it became show of the year and they just keep calling me back. Now I do the like two or three dates a month traveling it around. I want to keep doing it. I can’t stop because people keep wanting to see it.

MG: The show is a real physical workout; how do you prepare for it each night?
CP: I just stay in really good shape. I work out a lot. I am on the treadmill a lot. I watch my weight. I just take care of myself and that is the only way that you can prepare for this. You really just have to be in really great physical condition.

MG: How long do you see yourself touring with this show?
CP: I still am doing plenty of film and TV but I am going this in between gigs. I love doing it. I don’t know, I will continue to do it until I can’t physically or people don’t want to see it.

MG: Ever considered filming it and releasing it on Blu-ray/DVD?
CP: I have thought about that but I haven’t decided what I wanted to do with the show yet. But we will see.

MG: What else you got in the cards next?
CP: I do have a big film that I wanted to talk about. I will be in London this month shooting, “The Kray Brothers” with Tom Hardy. I am really looking forward to that.

Here are the rest of the upcoming show dates for the tour of “A Bronx Tale”:

July 12th – Atlantic City – The Golden Nugget
Oct 4th – Buffalo NY – Kleinhans Music Hall
Oct 10th & 11th – Huntington LI – The Paramount Theater
Oct 17th – Morristown NJ – Mayo Performing Arts Center

Starring: Rod Serling, William Shatner, Burgess Meridith, Bill Mumy
Directed by: Ida Lupino, James Daly, Douglas Heyes
Not Rated
Studio: Image Entertainment
Release date: July 4, 2014
Running time: 425 mins

Episodes: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: N/A

In what is being touted as a 55th Anniversary Edition (the show began in 1959), Image Entertainment has released a collection of seventeen of the best and most memorable episodes of the ground breaking television series “The Twilight Zone.”

Conceived by the great Rod Serling, “The Twilight Zone” was one of the first television programs that not only entertained but made you think about society and the choices made by the people in that society. It was also a show about irony. A book-loving bank teller finds that the world has been altered by war and finds himself surrounded by thousands of volumes in the local library. Then he breaks his glasses. Or the seemingly sane man who sees a gremlin on the wing of the plane he’s currently flying on. Or the man who goes for a walk in his old home town and discovers that, in the Twilight Zone, you CAN go home again.

Among the classic episodes included here include the three referenced above (“Tme Enough At Last,” “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” and “Walking Distance.”) Other popular episodes in this collection include “To Serve Man,” “The Masks” and “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street.” These episodes also boast casts made up of some of the most popular actors of the era (or those that would go on to be) including Shatner, Meridith, Ron Howard, Gig Young, John Carradine and Cloris Leachman.

These seventeen shows are a fine way to start your collection if you’re a “Twilight Zone” fan and a great way to discover one of the best shows ever put on television if you’re not.

 

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