Elvis: That’s The Way It Is – Two Disc Special Edition First Time on Blu-ray™
and Premium Digibook
Remastered Elvis: That’s the Way It Is Set for Special Screening August 16 at Orpheum Theatre in Memphis during Elvis Week

Viva Las Vegas 50TH Anniversary
New as a Premium Digibook

Burbank, Calif., April 22, 2014 – To celebrate Elvis Week, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will release of two of “The King’s” fan favorites on August 12 as Premium Blu-ray™ Digibooks.

Elvis: That’s The Way It Is – Two Disc Special Edition, which was re-edited and remixed for its acclaimed release in 2000, will now debut on Blu-ray™ as a Premium Digibook, newly remastered, and with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack. In celebration of its 50th 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).

This year’s Elvis Week will be held from August 9-August 17 in Memphis at Elvis Presley’s Graceland. As part of the festivities, the historic Orpheum Theatre in downtown Memphis will host the world premiere screening of Warner Bros.’ newly-remastered Elvis: That’s The Way It Is. Fans in town for Elvis Week will be treated not only to the newly-remastered film, but will also get to experience an outtake performance or sequence never before seen on the big screen, along with some special on-stage surprises still to be announced. Tickets will be available for purchase on May 1, 2014 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.

About the Elvis Titles
Elvis: That’s the Way It Is Two Disc Special Edition Premium Digibook
With thousands of feet of materials including sequences added to capture with greater intimacy Elvis’ performances and his creative process behind-the-scenes, the previously released Elvis: That’s The Way It Is – Special Edition is now being made available as a Blu-ray™ two disc Special Edition Premium Digibook. Denis Sanders (Shock Treatment) directed this “rockumentary.” Academy Award® nominated[1] Lucien Ballard (The Wild Bunch) was the cinematographer, following the show’s development from rehearsal to stage.

Special Features:
Disc 1 (BD) 2001 Special Edition and Special Features:
Patch It Up: The Restoration of Elvis: That’s The Way It Is
12 Outtakes – song/nonmusical sequences
1970 Original Theatrical Version
Disc 2 (DVD) 1970 Original Theatrical Version and Special Features:
12 Outtakes – song/nonmusical sequences

Viva Las Vegas 50th Anniversary Premium Digibook
In his highest grossing movie, Elvis shares the screen with Ann-Margret, easily creating the most electrifying teaming Elvis had on screen. He plays Lucky Jackson, a Grand Prix race driver working at a casino to raise cash for a new engine; she’s a hotel swimming instructor – and the romantic action revs up from their first meeting. George Sidney, who also directed Ann-Margret in Bye Bye Birdie, combines the hormonal heat wave with fascinating sights of ’60s Las Vegas. David Winters (West Side Story) choreographed the 10 musical song-and-dance scenes which also featured his dancers. Songs include the high-roller title track, the stars’ duet on “The Lady Loves Me,” her sultry “Appreciation” and The King’s version of Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say.” The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 stereo.

Special Features:
· Commentary by Steve Pond, rock journalist and author of “Elvis in Hollywood”
· Featurette Kingdom: Elvis in Vegas
· Theatrical trailer

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.

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Photo Credit: Manfred Baumann

You might know William Shatner as Captain Kirk from “Star Trek: The Original Series”, or Denny Crane from “Boston Legal”, either way the man is a legend in the business. At age 83, he is still going strong and has tackled everything from acting to theatre to being an author. In 2012, he returned to the stage on Broadway with his one-man show, “Shatner’s World”. Since then he took the show on tour and now it will be playing in movie theaters for a special engagement on April 24th through Fanthom Events. Media Mikes had the special privilege to chat with Mr. Shatner about the show and his outstanding career.

Mike Gencarelli: You took “Shatner’s World” from Broadway, then touring and now to cinemas; what has been the highlight for you this journey?
William Shatner: The highlight is at the end of the evening…I think I am safe in saying that at every performance that I have done, the audience had stood up and applauded at the end. The emotion that comes over the footlights between me and the audience has moved me to tears many times. The audiences affection at the end of the evening is palpable and that is truly the highlight for me, Mike. And for the price of a movie ticket, you can see a Broadway play in theaters. This is a live capture of the Broadway play and it will be released in 700 theaters and you can see it for the price of only a movie ticket. So you can’t beat that.

MG: “Shatner’s World” calls back to your roots starting off in theatre; how was it returning back to that setting?
WS: I have been asked for years, since the last time I was on Broadway, to come back and do a play and in some cases a musical. But they needed to get at least a six month commitment and I didn’t have that time available. So I thought “I guess that’s it for me and Broadway”. But within months of saying that came an opportunity to go back to Broadway with this show and I even was able to go to the the exact theater where I was for my last Broadway play. So the irony of that, or the beautiful or symmetry of that is not lost on me.

MG: What was the the name of that last Broadway show?
WS: It was “A Shot in the Dark” with Julie Harris…many years ago.

MG: In “Shatner’s World”, you mentioned several struggles on your career early on; what would you say is your defining moment?
WS: I have the kind of career that was a slow build. Every time something sensational was going to happen it didn’t work out that way it was suppose to. There was this slow wave of attention and activity that I think actually climaxes in this one-man show. To go on stage alone for an hour and a half to two hours and hold an audience and get the kind of reaction I’ve been am getting, that is the cumulation of years of experience and attention. It didn’t happen suddenly, there was no defining moment. Instead, there was a series of small wavelets as apposed to a tsunami.

MG: Having such a full career, what were some of the hard decisions you had to make to cut out in order to get this show down to an hour and a half?
WS: There were many parts that didn’t make it, especially getting the show ready for Broadway. I had to sharpen and refine and reduce it to it’s supreme moments, if you will, where it epitomizes everything that I wanted to say. Not only stories but also extraneous words, so it is a difficult process. The core of this show was to say “Yes” to life. To give this idea, this concept, that life is precious and needs to be embraced with both ears and smothered by you because it is over so quickly. So the stories that went along with that core were the stories that I kept.

MG: I loved the energy that you brought to the stage; how do you channel all that energy running around on stage and still while being funny and charming?
WS: It is part of the entertainer’s magic, I guess, but that is my energy and it comes from my core. That is what I bring to you on stage, you being the audience. I feel that there is a magical link between me and the audience. I feel it and you feel it. I am there for you. We are having a love affair, the performer and the audience. I actually feel the embrace and perform to that and that is energizing to me.
MG: I have to honestly say that from just watching the show, I felt pumped and I didn’t even see it in person, so congrats on that as well for being very effective.
WS: I am so glad to hear you say that, thank you. That is a lovely compliment and I appreciate you saying it.

MG: You bet!, what would you say is biggest challenge doing a one-man show?
WS: There is a number of challenges. You are talking continuously for two hours and trying to remember the words. It is not unlike musicians doing a set and having the set numbers in front of them. They have clues as to what is next. So that is what I had but it still had to remember those words. So now that I haven’t done this in many months I am going to be in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand on June 19th, 20th, 21st doing the one-man show, which is what a thrill let me say, so I am going to have to re-learn the lines now. So that is a challenge but not only that but I am going to have to teach the show to an individual on how to work that software for the electronics and the media. So that is going to be a challenge in Las Vegas. Then I am going on a tour for a few selected dates in January and have to re-do that again. So the dint of the words and the expenditure of energy that is so orgasmic [laughs] and you have to be ready for it, so those are challenges also.

MG: You mentioned your musical career in the show; do you have any plans to go down that road again?
WS: Well, I have been asked to do a cover album…and I just may do that. I love music. I can’t sing or sustain a note but what I do have is the musicality of the language. Many languages, English among them, has an intrinsic melody and rhythm that needs to be sought out, if you will. It is one thing to speak like we do but another to find the heart of the language and I love that. So my ability to be able to combine that musicality of the words with a melody line that comes in behind it, it became a signature thing. I just love doing it and I am anxious to do it again, so whether it is an album or live. I did perform my newest album, which is called “Ponder the Mystery”. I did it three times with Billy Sherwood’s group in the Los Angeles area last year and it got a great response and I would love to repeat that.

MG: From being an actor, author, spokesperson etc; what is left on your bucket list that you want to do?
WS: Oh my goodness. I haven’t done anything in life. I feel unaccomplished and I feel like I have done nothing [laugh]. Being a performer, once the performance is over…it is gone. It is in the ether. It may have just as well not happened. The next night is the next challenge. It is a challenge of many kinds. It is a challenge of redoing that performance that only you can remember. The challenge is also that if there will be an audience for that performance. I am feeling that way right now. Doing all this publicity is an attempt to fill that gap that I hope that 700 theaters will be filled up with people coming to see the show on April 24th. There is so much to do and so little time left to do it.

JOSS WHEDON AND KAI COLE’S BELLWETHER PICTURES RELEASE “IN YOUR EYES” TO A WORLDWIDE AUDIENCE
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE FILM’S APRIL 20 PREMIERE AT THE TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL

Whedon makes surprise post-screening announcement.

Film is now available at www.inyoureyesmovie.com, powered exclusively
by the Vimeo On Demand platform.

NEW YORK, NY (April 21, 2014) – At the Tribeca Film Festival last night, Joss Whedon and Kai Cole’s Bellwether Pictures made an unexpected move with its latest feature, IN YOUR EYES, giving instant access directly to fans around the world with a digital release immediately following its world premiere at the Festival. Whedon announced the plan in a surprise post-screening video message:

IN YOUR EYES is available now as a $5.00 digital rental on the film’s website: www.inyoureyesmovie.com. The release is being powered by the Vimeo On Demand platform and has been translated into Spanish, German, Portuguese, French, and Japanese for the worldwide release.

Bellwether Pictures, founded by Joss Whedon and Kai Cole, is a micro-studio committed to creating quality independent films and utilizing modern tools of distribution to bring these titles directly to their audience.

The company’s first film was Whedon’s contemporized Much Ado About Nothing. Their newest project, IN YOUR EYES, written and executive produced by Whedon and directed by Brin Hill (Ball Don’t Lie), adheres to this mission by skipping the traditional modes of distribution and taking the film directly to fans via a digital distribution strategy.

Cole explained: “It was always the plan to release IN YOUR EYES in a new and exciting way. It’s no secret that the distribution landscape is shifting rapidly and there are tools at our disposal as filmmakers that we could only dream about ten years ago.”

In partnership with Bellwether Pictures is producer Michael Roiff’s Night & Day Pictures (Waitress, Save the Date), which shepherded the film through production and has been instrumental in forming and executing the release strategy.

Roiff echoed Cole’s sentiments: “We’ve been aiming to do something like this from the get-go. When you work with Joss and Kai – you don’t get to say ‘but this is how it is usually done’, you have to say ‘and now for something completely different’.” He went on to say, “Finding a partner like Vimeo to power this release was incredible. They are fantastic people working to make the future of distribution happen today.”

“We are honored to be partnering with the masterminds behind IN YOUR EYES to bring the film directly to audiences worldwide,” said Vimeo’s General Manager of Audience Networks Greg Clayman. “As big Whedon fans we were drawn to the film immediately and our shared vision for disrupting traditional distribution models made this an amazing collaboration all around.”

A timeless boy-meets-girl story, wrapped in a supernatural, Whedonesque world, IN YOUR EYES stars Zoe Kazan, Michael Stahl-David, Nikki Reed, Mark Feuerstein, Jennifer Grey, and Steve Howey.

In the frozen East Coast winter, Rebecca (Zoe Kazan) is withering away in a life of cocktail parties and lonely nights as the sheltered, soft-spoken wife of a successful doctor. Across the country in sun-drenched, arid New Mexico, charismatic ex-con Dylan (Michael Stahl-David) is struggling to find his footing and a fresh start. When these polar opposites realize they share an inexplicable connection, a unique metaphysical romance begins.

Ralph Steadman is a British Gonzo artist that is best known for his work with American author Hunter S. Thompson, author of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”. After meeting each other in 1970 to cover the Kentucky Derby, Steadman and Thompson formed a long-time relationship. Steadman’s did the artwork for Thompson’s books over his career. He is also an author himself having written numerous books focusing on his drawings…or as Hunter would have called it his “filthy scribblings”, according to Ralph. This April, “For No Good Reason” makes its U.S. debut in NYC, which is a documentary on Ralph’s career. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Ralph about the film and his work with Hunter S. Thompson.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about how you got approached for the documentary “From No Good Reason”?
Ralph Steadman: The director Charlie Paul initially came down to see me, then the producer Lucy Paul. This was over a period of twelve years, you know. They would stay for lunch, we would talk and then we would carry on. So over twelve years, we made this film. It just seems so long ago from when we first started it. They got Johnny Depp involved, which was good because he has become a personal friend of mine over the years. He is such a great guy, easy going, warm, genuine and terrific fellow…
MG: I loved Johnny’s narration in the film as well, very nice touch.
RS: Oh yeah, it was lovely. I agree.

MG: How did you feel about having a documentary about your life done?
RS: I first thought “For God’s sake…why?” “For no good reason”…that is what Hunter would have said. I used to always ask “Why are we doing this Hunter?” and he would always say “For no good reason, Ralph” [laughs].

MG: How was it seeing some of your drawings brought to life and illustrated in the film?
RS: That was quite interesting. I couldn’t be an animator in old Disney way when they used to draw one picture and then other but slightly different and then you would put them together like a flip book and they would actually move. The only thing I liked like that was doing something simple like a dot or a splat and putting it in a book form and flipping it and watching it move, that to me was magic. I like doing that kind of thing. But seeing my drawings in the film was really great.

MG: I find it so interesting that you said in the film that your work is unprofessional and “it is as unexpected to me as it is to anyone else”; can you talk about this aspect?
RS: Yeah, that is because I don’t do any pencil work. I never plan anything. I just begin and the drawing becomes what it becomes. My reaction every time is “I don’t know how I did that”. I am always amazed. “How the fuck did I do that?”, I usually say. It’s like Ludwig Wittgenstein’s idea that only thing of value is that thing that you cannot say but you can see it. I like that a lot.

MG: So how did your splatter technique come about then?
RS: Oh that was clumsiness. I was clumsy. I said “Oh shit” when I flicked my wrist with my pen but I realized it made this beautiful sweep of blots. I thought to myself them “Oh I like that, it’s quite nice” So I started to use it more deliberately. I would spill ink all over the place. I liked the idea of putting a sheet of paper on the studio floor taking a bottle of ink high on a ladder and dropping it. Not all of it…but just enough. It would make terrific, radiating splatters of different designs. Then you look and think “Hmm, it could be a spider” and I would go from there.

MG: Looking back at the film now, how do you feel that it has come together?
RS: I was amazed by it actually. After twelve years, it was nice to see it all come together. They did cut out a few things that I would have liked them to keep in like my art teacher, Leslie Richardson. This was a pity since I really wanted him in it. What they were after was the notoriety including the fame of Johnny Depp. So poor Leslie Richardson, who is now 93, was left out. But he still goes around kicking old ladies and children in the streets [laughs].

MG: Tell us how you originally crossed paths with Hunter Thompson?
RS: When I was planning to come to New York in 1970, I had some friends that invited me to stay with them in the Hampton’s. They were soon to be married, so I felt a little uncomfortable saying with them for a long period of time. So after staying a little while, I was going to leave for the city and I was about to leave when there was a cal from a guy named J.C. Suarez. He was an editor from Brooklyn. He wanted me to come to Kentucky and meet an ex-Hells Angels, who just shaved his head. I asked why did he do that and he said “Why? Because he’s a Hells Angels. He is a rebel”. So I asked “What for?” He told me that he was not only looking for a photographer but for an artist and they saw my book of pictures called “Still Life with Raspberry”, which was my first book of collected drawings. Don Goddard was the foreign editor of The New York Times and he had found the book in England and then came back and said that they need to put me with Hunter Thompson. So that is how it happened.

MG: Do you feel that your career would have been different if your path’s didn’t cross?
RS: As far as I was concerned, meeting Hunter and going to Kentucky was a bulls eye for me. For all the people that I could meet in America, he would be the one…go figure. Meeting Hunter was the best thing for me in terms of making a career. What we did for journalism was that we became the story and that became know as gonzo journalism. That was really what was so good about it. One day, this guy Bill Cardoso told us that the Kentucky Derby piece we did was “pure gonzo”. Hunter never heard the word before and it really stuck. He used to say “Don’t do those filthy scribblings”. He used to call my drawings filthy scribblings [laughs]. He used to also tell me “Don’t write Ralph, you will bring shame on your family”. But he always loved to sort of go against you but on purpose because he would know that it would provoke me and my work would benefit.

MG: “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” is one of my favorite books and the movie is great as well…
RS: The thing is people get too sniffy about the movie and things like that. They say that it is not quite this or quite that. No! It is a version of the book. I didn’t mind it, especially since the whole damn thing, “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” was a crazy idea to begin with.

MG: Do you recall how long it took you to complete the illustrations for the “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” book?
RS: I think I did nine pictures in a week and it was done. The rotten thing was that I ended up selling all of the originals since I was told it would be a good career move. I think I got $75 dollars each for them. Can you imagine what they are worth now?

MG: Has your drawings been affected since the death of Hunter S. Thompson?
RS: No, not really. I have been doing bird drawings for the last few years. I don’t like drawing politicians any more, I can’t be bothered. They are so awful. I don’t feel so bitter about it. I do not feel like I am trying to change the world. I have changed the world enough since I started and it is worse now than when I started [laughs]. So good, I have done what I had meant to do [laughing]

MG: Yeah, you start off the film saying you set out to “change the world”; I was going to ask if you felt that you have accomplished that goal?
RS: We’ll you look around, I have done my part but bloody computers have changed everything.The business and also people in general. You can’t walk down a side street without somebody passing you by and they are not looking at you or around them, they are looking down at their phone. I had to go on a train recently to Halifax for a show of my drawings and there was this woman on the train that was a good example. She had red hair which was long down one side and shaved on the other side. I have a drawing of it in my book here. She was so awful, I had to draw her. But she had her makeup out in one hand and her phone in the other from the moment she got on the train. That is the problem about the invasion of the computer, like Twitter. Everyone wants to tweet you now. So that is very weird to me.

MG: Tell us about your latest book “Proud Too Be Weirrd”?
RS: I collected together a bunch of things that I never had no good reason to use [laughs]. I thought I would start with the first page and go through my studio finding this and finding that and just building the book from there and that is how I worked on it. This guy Steve Crist from AMMO Books got in touch with me about doing it. He used to work at TASCHEN. Benedikt Taschen rang me after the book was made and said he was actually very disappointed because he wanted to do the book, but at the time I didn’t know this. He did my book with Hunter, “The Curse of Lono”. Steve Crist used to work with Benedikt and that’s where he began. He sort of adopted the style of big book like TASCHEN did. I really like the title “Proud Too Be Weirrd” and it is a great book

MG: What are some of the artists that inspire you?
RS: I love Picasso. He is such an inspiration for me. There is a film called “The Mystery of Picasso” that is really worth seeing if you can get a copy. It is fascinating for me to watch him at work. The director, who made the film, was allowed to by Picasso to be in the studio with him. This is what Charlie did with me as well for our film. Picasso would set things up for him including painting on glass and having him film from the other side. This is amazing work and it really continues to inspire me.

MG: Are you working on anything else new currently?
RS: I got a new book of creatures that I am working on right now. These are completely made up creatures for example instead of a pelican; you do a pelicant [laughs]. You have to keep doing something otherwise what is the point. I guess I am taking advice from my father, who couldn’t bear to just sit about. I am also learning how to etch steel plates as well. So I suppose I should continue to carry on.

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Cast: Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Philip Abbott, Stephen Brooks, William Reynolds, Lynn Loring
Seasons 1-7
Made-To Order DVD
Distributed: Warner Archive
Rating: Not Rated

Series Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“The FBI” was a long running crime drama, which spanned from 1965-1974. It ran 240 episodes over 9 seasons. The show starts Lynn Loring, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. and Stephen Brooks. He was replaced by William Reynolds after the second season. This show is known for delivering some great up and coming and also established talent for guest appearances (see below fore more). What is also most interesting about this show is that it continued to be successful throughout it run and in fact the sixth and seventh seasons where its most popular. J. Edgar Hoover was even a series consultantfor this show until his death in 1972. Fans of this show should get this seasons, while they are available!

Warner Archive is responsible for giving this show a revisited life on DVD. They have been releasing each season since 2011. Season seven is the latest to come out this year and I have a feeling that they should be able to wrap up the remaining two seasons as well before the end of 2014. They are made-to-order and will not be produced forever, so I expect these to become quite rare once the eight and ninth season are released and the series is complete.d They seasons have not been fully restored by Warner Bros but they are taken from the highest quality transfer available. So these episodes might show a little age but they are still impressive on DVD.

“The FBI: The First Season Part One” Official Premise: From the files of the crime-fighting agency! Drawing in large part from actual Bureau investigations, The FBI is on the case with an exciting 4-Disc Collection of Season One’s First 16 Episodes from the fondly remembered series that ran from 1965 to 1974. Agent Lewis Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) and Special Agent Jim Rhodes (Stephen Brooks) rely on real-life FBI detection techniques (and the occasional hunch) as they track lawbreakers ranging from organized crime bosses and extortionists to saboteurs and escaped convicts.

“The FBI: The First Season Part Two” Official Premise: More action-packed stories from the files of the crime-fighting agency! Drawing in large part from actual Bureau investigations, The FBI is on the case with an exciting 4-Disc Collection of Season One Episodes 17-32 from the fondly remembered series that ran from 1965 to 1974. Agent Lewis Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) and Special Agent Jim Rhodes (Stephen Brooks) rely on real-life FBI detection techniques (and the occasional hunch) as they track lawbreakers ranging from political assassins and smugglers to spies and terrorists bent on destroying the U.S. Supreme Court building.

Season one packed some really amazing guest stars including Robert Blake, Beau Bridges, Dabney Coleman, Robert Duvall, Jack Klugman, Leslie Neilsen, Burt Reynolds, Ed Asner, Lew Ayres, Ed Begley, Charles Bronson, Colleen Dewhurst, Arthur Hill, Paul Lukas, Kevin McCarthy and Kurt Russell.

“The FBI: The Second Season Part One” Offcial Premise: The Sixties were kicking into full swing as The FBI moved into its sophomore season. Agents Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., more taciturn than ever) and Rhodes (Stephen Brooks) are dispatched to the far-flung corners of the USA by Assistant Director Ward (Philip Abbott) to tackle the big ones – kidnapping, extortion, murder, espionage and terror. Produced with full government cooperation with stories drawn from the real files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, The FBI set a new high mark in the depiction of law enforcement on television, giving viewers TV that was equally thrilling as it was realistic.

“The FBI: The Second Season Part Two” Official Premise: The second half of The FBI’s sophomore season sees Agents Erskine ((Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) and Rhodes (Stephen Brooks) battling threats both foreign and domestic at the behest of Assistant Director Ward (Philip Abbott). The action amps up to all-star heights in the two-part episode “The Executioners,” in which the agents take on a fractured La Cosa Nostra.

Season two saw the return of Robert Blake along with Ralph Meeker, Jack Lord, Richard Anderson, Fritz Weaver, Suzanne Pleshette, Ralph Bellamy, Gene Hackman, Alejandro Rey, Louis Jourdan, Peter Graves, Jessica Walter, Bradford Dillman, Charles Grodin, William Wellman, Jr, Walter Pidgeon, Telly Savalas, Susan Strasberg, Celeste Holm and Robert Duvall.

“The FBI: The Third Season Part One” Official Premise: Shortly before the Summer of Love signaled a radical shift in popular culture, the smartly dressed agents of The FBI marshaled their talents to keep the nations safe from a myriad of menaces both foreign and domestic. Under the auspices of legendary executive producer Quinn Martin, The FBI’s third season had the craft of creating teleplays “produced with full government cooperation and based on real FBI cases” down to a science – well before today’s forensic descendants. Special guest stars playing victims and victimizers of the Cold War and the war on crime waged by Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) and Special Agent Colby (William Reynolds).

“The FBI: The Third Season Part Two” Official Premise: They’re straight arrows, all right – and they’re aimed right at our country’s foes. The second half of The FBI’s third season sees the nation’s enemies take a decided turn to the worst. Bank robbers, blackmailers, saboteurs, defectors, embezzlers, their victims and accomplices. Among the specific case crimes drawn from the real files of the FBI and tackled by Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) and company in this compendium are espionage, extortion, kidnapping, murder and interstate transport. So strap on your badge and fire up the Ford.

Season three includes film noir queen Phyllis Thaxter, ’60s siren Carol Lynley, and stage and screen stalwarts Henry Silva, Kevin McCarthy, William Windom, Anne Baxter, Bradford Dillman, Lynn Bari, Fritz Weaver, Robert Walker and Suzanne Pleshette and the return of Ed Asner with Martin Sheen as a deadly pair of kidnapping brothers.

“The FBI: The Fourth Season” Official Premise: As the Summer of Love faded to the winter of our national discontent in the fall of 1968, Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.), Special Agent Colby (William Reynolds), and Assistant Director Ward (Philip Abbott) continue to battle the nation’s enemies, foreign and domestic. Delivering drama at the height of its powers, The FBI’s well-oiled machine of TV talent continued to draw in the star power – both the iconic and the up-and-coming.

Season four delivers appearances from golden age great Ralph Bellamy, TV superstar Chad Everett as well as include Dawn Wells, Susan Strasberg, Dorothy Provine, Cicely Tyson, Lynda Day, Gene Tierney, Dean Stockwell, Robert Duvall, Harrison Ford, James Caan, and young teenage Ron Howard.

“The FBI: The Complete Fifth Season” Official Premise: As the Sixties come to an end and a new decade begins, it’s business as usual for Inspector Lewis Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) and the men and women of the FBI as they continue to protect America from enemies within, in this hard-hitting fifth season collection. Inspired by actual cases and produced with the personal support of J. Edgar Hoover, these 26 action-packed episodes find Erskine, Special Agent Tom Colby (William Reynolds) and assistant director Arthur Ward (Philip Abbott) on the hunt for murderers, kidnappers, bank robbers, hijackers, extortionists, communist spies and more.

Season five’s guest stars include now Oscar winners Robert Duvall (again) and Jeff Bridges, Hitchcock femmes Vera Miles and Laraine Day, Anne Francis, Sam Elliott, Jack Klugman, David Cassidy, Joe Don Baker, Cicely Tyson and Harrison Ford (again).

“The FBI: The Complete Sixth Season” Official Premise: At the dawn of the Seventies the Culture War captured as much attention as the Cold War, and the storylines seen in this sixth season of The FBI (drawn from real Bureau files) reflected this. While still on the watch for saboteurs and spies acting as agents for foreign powers, the dedicated crimebusters of the Bureau, as personified by Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.), Special Agent Colby (William Reynolds), and Assistant Director Ward (Philip Abbott) were just as likely to be tasked with tracking down psychotic Vietnam veterans or stopping college kids with a terrorist bent.

“The FBI: The Complete Seventh Season” Official Premise: As the 70s came into its own, the intrepid agents of the FBI saw the Cold War and the Culture War cool down, but the domestic war on crime start to come to a boil. Whether its suburban salesmen roiling with self-loathing who plan the perfect crime (Bradford Dillman) and don¹t care who they cross in the process (an ice-cold Clu Gulager), crushed lumber merchants with a fail-proof kidnap cache (John Colicos), or syndicate-raised hit-men with the heart of an angel (Martin Sheen, redeemed by Meg Foster), the intrepid professionals of the bureau, Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.), Special Agent Colby (William Reynolds) and Assistant Director Ward (Philip Abbott) have the savvy and the science to bring them all to heel.

Season six continues the trend of great guest stars including Martin Sheen (again), Joan Van Ark, Billy Dee Williams, Robert Loggia, Bradford Dillman, Dabney Coleman, Suzanne Pleshette, and William Shatner (playing as a rogue customs officer turned drug dealer!).
Guest stars from season seven include Lindsay Wagner, Mark Hamill, Dabney Coleman, Stefanie Powers and Vic Tayback. So if you are a fan of this show, I couldn’t recommend these seasons enough.

Starring: Daniel Wu and Nick Cheung
Directed by: Dante Lam
Not Rated
Running time: 1 hour 52 mins
China Lion Films

In Cantonese with English subtitles

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

During a daring daytime robbery, the police and bad guys are shooting it out in the middle of a busy street packed with bystanders. When one of the bags of money falls open into the street, one of the robbers notices a black velvet bag spilled into the street. Looking down incredulously he asks, “are those diamonds?” Thus begins one of the best action films (and psychological thrillers) I’ve watched in a very long time.

Dave Wong (Wu) is a dutiful cop. As we learn more about him we find that he became a cop in order to give his life an almost calm normalcy. While in the emergency room of a local hospital Dave learns that a badly injured man needs blood. Feeling it is part of his job to protect the people he gladly donates. It is only later, when he finds that the man he helped was the mastermind of the robbery, that things begin to spiral downward, especially after he is chastised for his good deed by his superiors. Dave begins to recede into his old self, often hallucinating that he and the crime boss are the same person. He is self absorbed in his own world, where fiery images dominate his thoughts. As his guilt progresses Dave slides deeper and deeper into an abyss he may not be able to escape.

I am a huge fan of director Dante Lam, especially his 2012 film “The Viral Factor.” He brings to the screen an amazing combination of John Woo’s visual flair and Martin Scorsese’s story detail. This film is no exception. As the film moves along…as we move along in Dave Wong’s world, we begin to put ourselves in his shoes. These moments blend in perfectly with some of the most amazing action sequences I’ve seen on screen in years. While watching this film I kept thinking this would be a great story for Scorsese to tackle, as he did in 2006 when he turned “Infernal Affairs” into the Oscar-winning “The Departed.”

The film is also helped by a strong script and an even stronger cast. As Officer Wong, Wu is mesmerizing. Deep down he’s a good man who wants to do good things. However, the demons that haunt him, from his past and from the present, conspire to knock him down. The film rests solely on his shoulders and he carries the load with seeming ease. If you’re looking for a wild ride during this calm holiday weekend, you can’t do any better than “That Demon Within.”

“That Demon Within” opens today in select North American cities, including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and Washington D.C.

Starring: Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly and Thomas Haden Church
Directed by: Randall Wallace
Rated: PG
Running time: 1 hour 40 mins
Sony Pictures

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

“Heaven Is For Real” is a film that absolutely knows its audience. And while I am not part of that particular audience, I can acknowledge how easy it is to like this movie. Based on the novel of the same name, this film is the story of the Burpos; a middle-class family from a small town in Nebraska. Todd Burpo (Kinnear) is the patriarch of the family and the main character. He is your genuine, Midwestern, all-American father; Pastor of his church, a volunteer firefighter, he works a full-time job and plays on the softball team. Yet, despite his busy life, his family is struggling financially. Those financial troubles are made worse when Todd’s youngest son, Colton (Connor Corum) is suddenly taken to the hospital. While being operated upon he claims to have visited Heaven. As if to prove his claim, he recalls seeing his parents doing things he was not around to see and visiting relatives of his that he had never met nor heard of.

Based on a real life event, I will say that I do believe that the Burpo family believes Colton’s story. However, if I only had this film to go on I don’t think I would be as convinced. The story is told in such a ham-fisted way that, to me, the storytelling ruins the story. The first act is comprised of almost nothing but scenes that set-up the next scene, only to have the following scene mirror the previous one. All of the actors are likable enough – as are their characters – although I noticed a lack of chemistry between Kinnear and Kelly Reilly, who plays his wife, Sonja. Not only did I not find them a convincing married couple, I actually found it hard to accept Reilly as a Midwestern housewife. The cast does a credible job but I just found the story too contrived. The one performance I did enjoy was delivered by young Connor Corum. He’s cute and funny and does not come across like a typical child actor. His performance kept me watching, along with the beautiful Midwestern scenery.

The film suffers from being overly melodramatic. So much is thrown at this family in the first half that it weighs the story down. The trials that this family goes through, when added to some clichéd characters, gives the film the appearance of a fictional, scripted story, not a film dealing with real events. A main flaw is the constant highlighting of the family’s financial situation. No doubt it was part of the story, but the film never does resolve the situation. As far as the audience knows, when the film is over, the Burpos are still deep in debt with no way out.

It’s also worth noting that the film is heavily steeped with religious overtones and images; primarily those of the Christian faith. While that may be perfect for the people who purchased and enjoyed the book or for a sponsored Christian audience, it may be off-putting to those with either a different belief or none at all. On the positive side, I commend the filmmakers for not toning down the religious themes to reach a wider audience. This film will reach its intended audience and they should receive it well.

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy McWilliams and Lynsey Taylor Mackay
Directed By: Jonathan Glazer
Rated: R
Running Time: 108 minutes
A24 Studios

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Jonathan Glazer must have taken a course on Kubrick and fallen in love with his haunting style. That’s the only way I can describe the bizarre first couple of minutes of “Under the Skin” with its foreboding soundtrack and look straight out of “2001: A Space Odyssey”. Just like “2001”, it may take years for people to appreciate the visually eerie and unsettling feast that “Under the Skin” is. While it may seem like a simplistic tale of an alien luring men for nefarious reasons, there is a sense of fondness that slowly creeps in as the movie progresses.

The unnamed alien assumes the skin of an attractive female (Johannson). She drives across the murky land of Scotland in a full sized white van, constantly stopping to ask for directions to men walking on the street, hoping that maybe they’re heading the same way. That’s so she can offer a ride and seduce them into coming back to her place. From the outside, her “home” appears like any other shabby flat, but on the inside it’s a glassy room devoid of color. Pitch black liquid allowing us to only see the lioness and her victim, her articles of clothing slowly being peeled off while the man can’t get his off quick enough. She lures them across the vast emptiness while the nude men slowly sink into the floor and into their demise.

“Under the Skin” never touches upon the existential questions that surround our alien. Why is this thing here? What exactly does it do with the victims? While these are interesting questions, the movie focuses more on the alien living in the human skin. Suddenly our alien from another planet is fascinated by its skin, possibly absorbing the thoughts and feelings of the predecessor that lived and breathed in its flesh. Those stale eyes that stared blankly at everything earlier in the movie now show fear, concern and sympathy. She goes from stalking prey to looking in scared wonder at the human experience.

Our alien rarely talks and only shifts from sexual visual cues to facial twitches of emotions. Despite the vast amounts of graphic nudity, it never feels or looks sexual in nature. The vibes radiating around the alien or the victims appear to be predatorial. Even later in the movie, bare in front of a mirror, it appears to be entranced by the muscle and tissue it stretched over itself. Johannson’s abilities as an actress really shine here as she remains mute while conveying the inner workings of our creature. Oddly enough no one ever becomes suspicious during the 108 minutes that something might be off with this girl.

It’s a fascinating movie to watch because we never feel comfortable enough to relax throughout the first half and in the second half we’re constantly questioning along with this being. There’s a key turning point that I don’t want to give away and it’s definitely one of the more awkward, unsettling moments. What makes the scene so important is that we go from an unnerving first act to a curious second half. Plot points are told through scenes that constantly perturb the audience. Accompany that with the fact there’s little dialogue, it can be a very alienating film for general audiences. Don’t listen to any dissenters; this is definitely the most visually striking sci-fi movie of the year.

Starring: Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman and Rebecca Hall
Directed By: Wally Pfister
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 119 minutes
Warner Bros. Pictures

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Transcendence” is a clever “What if?” that lacks the necessary ingredients to keep it thoroughly crisp. In our rapidly changing society and even faster technological advances, “Transcendence” presents it’s take on the infinite possibilities that are constantly being worked on. While on the outside, it may simply seem like artificial intelligence gone mad, “Transcendence” has a gooey philosophical core about our culture’s godly acceptance of robotic machinery.

Dr. Will Caster (Depp) is one of the leading minds behind the creation of A.I. Along with his wife, Evelyn (Hall); they are constantly working hard on a sentient program called PINN. The machine requires an entire room filled with processors to operate and has a kind female voice. A terrorist-like organization by the name of RIFT (Revolutionary Independence From Technology) opposes these ideas and executes a singular one-day attack on the A.I. scientist community, which includes Will. Will is pierced with a radioactive bullet that will slowly kill him and Evelyn has a drastic decision to make: Let Will live out the rest of his days at home or transfer his mind into a computer?

So obviously, Evelyn, along with Will’s friend Max (Paul Bettany), begins the process of taking his mind and uploading it onto the PINN endoskeleton. Ironically Max is philosopher of sorts when it comes to society’s willingness to embrace the high-tech Gods, so it’s a bit odd that he would help Evelyn in her quest to turn Will into a digital Frankenstein. To no one’s surprise, the transfer of human thoughts and emotions into a massive data file is a sweeping success. A digitized face of Will appears on screen and in seconds begins to talk and respond. That’s when Will finally realizes, “Maybe we shouldn’t have…”

This is when the movie kicks into the “computer self-awareness” sci-fi cliché. While most take the trope and ride into a more action driven direction, “Transcendence” seems content with letting the plot simmer until the final few moments. During that time you’re only left to wonder if Will actually is inside that machine or if the programming has become a singular entity using thoughts and feelings as a ruse to obtain more power. Sure he finds a way to use nanobots to restore human limbs and repair tissue in split seconds, but once those miniature robots are inside its human, he’s able to remotely control their actions.

The director, Wally Pfister, is a cinematographer by trade and it definitely shows. While Johnny Depp may be the main drive of this movie, Rebecca Hall turns in one of her best performances since “The Prestige”. Morgan Freeman appears to be a miscast as the generic comic relief that feels unnecessary. The film has a lot of ideas, but it never can really settle on one and excel. The notion that Will’s mind has exceeded human intelligence and become a CPU deity is an interesting one, but the script is constantly juggling clichés that distract from this promising concept. Our character’s plight is one that could change the face of the planet, but never feels like it’s on the world stage. In light of my complaints, I had a blast watching the metaphysical material pop up, sometimes blatantly and sometimes lightly. Not a bad first outing for Pfister, but definitely some room for improvement.

“Jimmy and Sam are two college graduates who return home and find themselves working at a small pizza shop that pops up out of nowhere. It doesn’t take long for them to suspect that they’re working for two cosmic freaks with more sinister intentions than simply delivering pie. What is happening at the Killer Pizza shop? What is behind their secret recipe?”

That is the synopsis of ‘Killer Pizza’, the definitive feature-length picture about growing up, getting jobs, and surviving a Killer Pizza monster invasion.

Today I sat down and talked with the creative team behind the film: co-writer/director Kai Winikka and co-writer/producer Erin Darley. Both filmmakers live in Lawrence, Kansas and are graduates of the University of Kansas.

B.C. Allen: How was it that you two first met?
Erin Darley: When I was a Freshman at K.U., Kai was one of the Presidents of Film Works.
Kai Winikka: I ran a Cult Movie Night, once every month during my Senior Year, through Film Works. Film Works was an extra-curricular for freshman whom weren’t able to get into some of the production classes. It was more of a student-driven organization. Erin was a cult-film enthusiast, and it was always a big thing to get girls to show up. I always made more of a point to reach out to Erin since she was really into it. I’d tell her, “Ya know, we’re showing ‘Breakin’’ and ‘Jaws 4’, you have to come: bring your friends!”
ED: It was just a bunch of nerds coalescing, keeping each other motivated.
KW: It was a group of dinguses getting together to make movies.

BCA: What previous projects have you worked on together?
ED: “Porn & Pudding” was a thing. Everyone loved that. And that spawned a club. There is a “Porn & Pudding” club, and it was actually pretty serious. Kai is shaking his head because he is ashamed that I’m telling everyone this.
KW: That’s YOUR film, that’s not my film. (laughs) Our first real collaboration was probably
“Bustin’ Out”, where we both co-wrote and co-directed. It was for the 48-Hour Film Festival about superheroes, so naturally we made a Women-In-Prison movie. It was about a woman whose evil twin imprisoned her with a bunch of other women – whom were played by men — ED: Chicks with d*cks in chains.
KW: And there was an amulet that allowed her to shoot lasers out of her breast-icles.
ED: And then there was “Nanny Goat” which starred my sisters.
KW: And my basement in K.C.K.

BCA: What the origin of the idea for ‘Killer Pizza’?
KW: “Nanny Goat” was originally Plan A for the 48-Hour Film Festival, and if it didn’t work out, Plan B was “Killer Pizza”, but it was a lot sillier at the time. “Nanny Goat” did well and ended up winning the Audience Award. It was originally going to be about a babysitter, so naturally they order pizza; and of course the pizza ends up killing them.
ED: I always say that it goes back to standing there and deciding whether “Nanny Goat” was going to work and Kai just said, “If it doesn’t work out we’ll just order a pizza and we’ll throw it on your sisters and it will be eating them. And then at the end of the movie it crawls up to the camera, looks at the camera, and belches.”
KW: It’s come a long, long way from there. Although “Killer Pizza” is about a Killer Pizza and has Ron Jeremy in it, I’d like to say that this is a legit horror movie. It’s not campy at all.

BCA: You mention Ron Jeremy, how is it that he became attached to this project?
KW: I did a documentary in 2008 called “XXX in the Midwest” and Ron came to Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas to do a debate. So we waited in a long line afterward to meet him and he did the interview, had no issues, and signed the waiver like it was nothing. It left an impression, like he’s someone who is down for anything. He’s known as the hardest working man in show business, and he doesn’t say no, well, if it’s the right project.
ED: I came back from Colorado last year and Kai said that if I helped him write “Killer Pizza” then we’d get Ron Jeremy to be in it and we’ll put it on Kickstarter.com. So we wrote a part for him. And when we thought we were done with the script – which was three drafts ago – we knew it was time to contact Ron Jeremy. We sent him a letter, not knowing how long we’d have to wait to hear back from this guy. I went off to work, at a restaurant, and I was checking my e-mail obsessively, and he e-mailed us back within thirty minutes, and he said “Yes.” And I still have the letter, which started, “Dear Hedgehog,…”

BCA: What would be the biggest hurdle for this production?
KW: The biggest challenge I think will be the effects, that’s what I anticipate it being. There are a lot of them and they are elaborate; and there is a lot of testing that has to go down beforehand. And they can still go wrong, like on set, the day of. Also making sure we can make our day and keep the production sailing.

BCA: What makes you want to use practical effects as opposed to digital effects?
KW: It has more charm. There is more heart to it. I am a big believer in visual effects when they are combined with practical, but this movie doesn’t really call for that.
ED: I think C.G. is trying to be realistic, but it doesn’t always work. Regular effects don’t always look super real, but the suspension of disbelief takes care of a lot of that for us; but it’s more fun, I would say.
KW: It’s the heart. C.G. comes close, but not close enough.

BCA: Do you have a specific look you are going for with this film?
KW: It’s going to be a really dark film, so the idea is to go in and bring the black way, way down, and taking a lot of the color out. That idea is really appealing to me. The look of the film “976-EVIL” is the kind of look I am going for.

BCA: When was it that you started to write, or realized you wanted to be storytellers or filmmakers?
KW: In high school, a group of guys and myself were making “Jackass”-type videos. We were doing it every week, and then every day; and it got to a point where I was telling them they’d have to do it again because it wasn’t good enough, and my friends told me I was taking all the fun out of it. It grew from there.
ED: I made high school movies, too. But I didn’t discover my writing ability until college. I’ve just always done it as a fun, personal thing. I write poetry, and short stories. Screenplays are great, but there’s no one who is going to tell you that screenplays are literature. They are great if you think in terms of images. Screenplays are awesome if you think of a great story; you can just bang out a series of images and dialogue and say “That’s done.” And if you want to you can go back to it and add the prose later.

BCA.: What is the endgame for “Killer Pizza” are there any specific festivals you are looking at?
KW: I think the best festival out there for this genre would be Fantastic Fest. And of course, show it locally at the Kansas City Film Festival.
ED: I defer to Kai on that. I want to see this movie, and that’s all I am thinking about. I figure I’ll just make this movie to watch it myself, and then take it from there.

Killer Pizza is a feature-length weird horror film to be shot Summer of 2014 in Lawrence, Kansas.
Kai and Erin are currently crowd-sourcing the funding for “Killer Pizza” with a Kickstarter campaign.

Actors: Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson
Director: Kasi Lemmons
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Run Time: 93 minutes

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

I am sucker for musicals, especially around the holiday season. “Black Nativity” got lost in a sea of films that came out late last Fall. The film posts a very impressive cast including Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Tyrese Gibson, Jennifer Hudson and Mary J. Blige. I really enjoyed the gospel take of these traditional Christmas songs, but when the music stops the fun stops for me. I was literally yearning for the next song in order to make myself enjoy this film.

Official Premise: Struggling to pay the bills, single mom Naima (Jennifer Hudson) sends her teenage son Langston (Jacob Latimore) to live with his estranged grandparents, Reverend Cornell and Aretha Cobbs (Forest Whitaker and Angela Bassett) in New York City. At first Langston resents their strict household, but with the help of new friends — and a little divine intervention — he embarks on an inspirational journey of self-discovery that brings the whole family together.

I personally don’t understand why Fox chose to release this film in April especially due to its themes but I guess they just wanted to drop it out. They also tried to change the cover art to make it seem less holiday related but it fails in my opinion. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track really gets a nice work out through these gospel-infused classics. The only special features included on this release are some Blu-ray exclusive deleted scenes and promotional featurettes. Nothing special at all.

Actors: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott
Director: Ben Stiller
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Run Time: 115 minutes

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

“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” was released last holiday season and basically lost in a sea of films. The film boasts an incredible cast. Ben Stiller is fun yet also inspiring in this film, also takes on director duty as well. I love his more dramatic work. Kristen Wiig is also growing on me quite a bit recently. When you watch this film you are just blown away by the shooting locations. When you find out that this costed $90+ million you easily understand why. For those people that are daydreamers wishing for an adventure daily, this is a great film to check out. It may not be for everyone since it isn’t your typical film but I really enjoyed it and I have a feeling this is going to have a life after theaters.

Official Premise: With sweeping cinematography and stellar performances “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, tells the story of a timid magazine photo manager who lives life vicariously through daydreams and when a negative goes missing must embark on an incredible true-life adventure. With stand-out performances from Ben Stiller (“Night At The Museum”, “Meet The Parents”), Kristen Wiig (“Saturday Night Live”, “Bridesmaids”), Adam Scott (“Parks and Recreation”) and Shirley MacLaine (“Wild Oats”).

“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is released as a combo pack including a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD Ultraviolet copy. The 1080p transfer on this film is absolutely stunning. They really shot this in some amazing locations and it really transfer well to Blu-ray (though I am sure it was more beautiful in theaters). The DTS-HD-MA 7.1 is a nice surprise as well and really adds a lot to the film’s experience. Between the action and the score, I was in love with this track. Also included inside this combo pack is a special gift of a Shutterfly 20-page 8×8 hardcover photo book which is valued at $29.99. Honestly, love the movie or hate it but if you can pick this up cheap at Target or Amazon, it is worth the purchase alone.

In the special features section, there is a nice in-depth look on the behind-the-scenes of the film. It is split up into nine different sections including a look into the following “The History of Walter Mitty”; “The Look of Life”; “That’s A Shark” (my favorite); “The Music of Walter Mitty”; “Icelandic Adventure”; “Nordic Casting”; “Titles of Walter Mitty”; “Sights and Sounds of Production” and “Pre-Viz”. There is also a collection of five deleted scenes, two extended scenes and two alternate scenes. For photo buffs there is an amazing Reference Photography Gallery included. Then wrapping up the extras is an Music Video for “Stay Alive” by José González and a Theatrical Trailer.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – Sizzling thriller #EM3 (Eenie Meenie Miney Moe), chronicling the tense journey of a drug dealer, comes to Redbox on April 15, 2014.

It is Miami Beach, but it may well be LA, Chicago, NY, Atlanta, Dallas, or anyone’s backyard, where hustlers play and the game has no rules.

Featuring electrifying performances by the likes of Andres Dominguez, Hangover Part 3’s Oscar Torre and International Music Artist Ky-Mani Marley, #EM3 is a sexy, thrilling, and hip drama that serves as a reminder that every choice has its rewards and consequences.

When Raul (Dominguez), Miami tow truck driver with a secret car thief habit, builds a network to fence his stolen goods, his criminal franchise prospers. But, when he and his new neighbor Nikki (Belkys Galvez) spark a spur of the moment relationship, it sets off a deeper affection that begins to dismantle Raul’s finely tuned conspiracy ring. Raul on his quest for a “High Score” makes an important choice that has an unexpected outcome with never imagined consequences affecting everyone around him including the only love of his life.

Called “wilder and crazier than anything you might have imagined” by the Miami Herald, #EM3 combines a sizzling, sweat-inducing story that plays to the beat of some of today’s hottest artists, including Thirstin Howl the 3^rd, Otto Von Schirach, Mayday and Miami Beat Wave.

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Starring: Karen Gillan and Katee Sackhoff
Directed by: Mike Flanagan
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 45 mins
Relativity Media

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

If the new film “Oculus” were a drug, it would be dope; because that’s what this movie is. I entered into watching it knowing almost nothing about it. All I knew was that it was a horror film put out by WWE Studios which, for whatever reason, was always said in the past with negative connotations. This film, I believe, should give the production company a little more respect. I’ve never been a fan of MTV, but if it weren’t for that station’s book and film division we wouldn’t have gotten the novel “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” or the film it inspired.

“Oculus” isn’t a haunted-house story as much as it is a haunted ITEM story with said haunted item leading to a myriad of phenomena within a house. The story finds the Russell family coming into possession of a mirror known as the Lasser Glass. This glass comes with a history of either harming its owners or causing the owners to harm themselves. The film does a terrific job within the first fifteen minutes of imbuing the Lasser Glass with a sense of supernatural power. By the time you reach the twenty-minute mark you fully believe, as much as Kaylie Russell (Gillan) does, that this mirror absolutely has the ability to do harm.

Kaylie’s brother, Tim, (Brenton Thwaites) is released from an institution, a place he has been since he was a young child after being held responsible for the shooting death of his father. Upon his release Kaylie recruits Tim to follow through on a promise they made as children: destroy the Lasser Glass.

This film is so saturated in nuance and subtlety that multiple viewings are definitely needed to appreciate the care put into the crafting of the film by director Mike Flannagan, who also co-wrote the script. With repeated flashbacks going from the present day to a period labled “11 Years Earlier, it could be very easy to lose the thread of the story. The flashback scenes are saved in part by the fact that 2002 doesn’t look too much different than 2013. Hair and clothing styles are relatively the same.

Credit director Flannagan with being very meticulous and ensuring a dozen instances of continuity while taking the story from one time to another. All of the scares are solid and come from within the story; none of the scares feel forced. Even the ones you could see coming were still executed in a way that it was unnerving. The special effects are well done and not overused, blending perfectly with the special make up effects.

What really holds this film together are the performances, which lend an air of believability to the story. Most notable are young actors Annalise Basso and Garret Ryan. Both youngsters deliver performances that belie their youth. Again, this is a haunted item story that feels like a haunted-house story. And as a haunted-house story it is the best I have seen since 1980’s “The Changeling.” Simply put: it’s a great ride!

Starring: Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner and Chadwick Boseman
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hour 49 mins
Summit Entertainment

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

In 1994 the film “Major League II” had the hapless Cleveland Indians heading to the World Series. Sadly, because of a labor dispute the real World Series was cancelled that season. However, in 1995 the real Indians did, in fact play in the World Series.

It’s 2014, and the NFL player draft is about to begin. Holding the seventh pick in the draft is Cleveland Brown general manager Sonny Weaver, Jr. (Costner) Sonny’s first two years at the helm have not been the best, both for the Browns and him personally. Injuries hurt the club, causing losses to pile up. It got so bad that Sonny made a tough decision and fired the team’s beloved coach, who also happened to be Sonny’s father. Coach Weaver passed away during the off season and now Sonny must not only grieve for the man who taught him everything he knows about football but he must keep the Cleveland faithful happy

An incredible inside look into how NFL teams wheel and deal, “Draft Day” is an excellent film for anyone that ever rooted for the home team. It is a little “football nerd” centric so if you’re not a draft junkie or only have a passing interest in your team you may find it a little boring.

With the draft 12 hours away we find Sonny making phone calls. Should he take the defensive player he’s been scouting for years? The running back that’s the son of a former Brown. Or should he trade away the future by grabbing the number one pick from the Seahawks by offering future first round picks? It’s not an easy decision to make. Especially when the local fans are already calling for your head on the call in radio shows. Left with nothing to lose, by the end of the day Sonny will have considered all of the above.

Told with humor, and with the obvious support of the NFL, “Draft Day” is just the film to see before the real draft starts on May 8. Costner leads a great cast of characters, all with their own personalities. Denis Leary is the newly hired coach, intent on keeping the team’s quarterback. Garner is the team’s number cruncher, as well as Costner’s behind the scenes girlfriend. She started the day with an announcement of her own so to say Sonny is stressed out is an understatement. As the countdown to pick number one comes to a head the wheeling and dealing go into overdrive!

What’s funny about the film is that they present it as right before this year’s draft, with the Seahawks picking first. Ironically, the Seahawks won the Super Bowl last year so they’ll actually pick last! Which is why I mentioned “Major League II.” Who knows, maybe movie magic will return to the Forest City and we’ll see the Browns next February in Arizona. But I wouldn’t bet on it!

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