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NCM Fathom Events Brings “The Nutcracker Mariinsky Ballet” in 3D to Theaters for One Day!

NCM^® Fathom Events, More2Screen and EuroArts Music bring the magic of Tchaikovsky’s beloved holiday ballet, “The Nutcracker,” to life on the big screen for the first time in stunning 3-D in select theaters with RealD™ 3D technology. “The Nutcracker Mariinsky Ballet” on Monday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m., with special matinee screenings in select theaters, was pre-recorded at the historic Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg in December 2011 where the original Nutcracker first made its debut 120 years ago in 1892. This special cinematic holiday event will draw audiences into the performance on stage, taking them on a magical journey with Clara, her Nutcracker, exquisite dancers and toy soldiers.

“The Nutcracker Mariinsky Ballet” tickets are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom website (theaters and participants are subject to change). This special holiday presentation will be broadcast to more than 500 select movie theaters through NCM’s exclusiveDigital Broadcast Network and also via the new digital cinema projection systems.

The ballet opens with a Christmas Eve party and a young girl, Clara, being given a nutcracker doll by her godfather, Drosselmeyer. Later in the evening when Clara sleeps, she finds herself in the midst of the Nutcracker’s battle against the Mouse King and his army of mice. Coming to Clara’s aid, the Nutcracker is transformed into a Prince and journeys with her to an enchanted island where spectacular celebrations are held in their honor.

This production showcases the impeccable virtuosity of two of the Mariinsky Theatre’s rising stars – Alina Somova as Clara(Masha in the original Russian ballet) and Vladimir Shklyarov as the Nutcracker. EuroArts Music International filmed “The Nutcracker” in 3-D for this cinematic event.

Under the leadership of General and Artistic Director and renowned conductor, Valery Gergiev, the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russia was the first ballet company to embrace 3-D technology with the theatrical release of “Giselle in 3D” in 2011, distributed worldwide by More2Screen, and NCM Fathom Events in the U.S.

“The Mariinsky Theatre is one of the world’s leading opera and ballet companies with a far–reaching global profile,” said Gergiev. “Through ground–breaking projects like ‘The Nutcracker in 3-D,’ produced to the same exacting standards for the big screen as for the stage, we are able to share our beautiful productions with many more people worldwide.”

The Mariinsky Theatre was the original home to Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” in 1892, when it made its worldwide debut, and this brand-new version in both 2-D and 3-D marks the 120^th anniversary year of the ballet.

“Attending ‘The Nutcracker’ ballet each year is a long-standing holiday tradition for many families across the world,” said Shelly Maxwell, executive vice president of NCM Fathom Events. “With Tchaikovsky’s eternally popular score, the grand staging and exquisite costumes, this Mariinsky Theatre production of ‘The Nutcracker’ in movie theaters will be a unique way to experience this beloved classic.”

About National CineMedia (NCM)

NCM operates NCM Media Networks, a leading integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology. The NCM Cinema Network and NCM Fathom Events present cinema advertising and events across the nation’s largest digital in-theater network, comprised of theaters owned by AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) and other leading regional theater circuits. NCM’s theater advertising network covers 183 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50) and includes over 19,300 screens (over 18,400 digital). During 2011, approximately 680 million patrons (on an annualized basis) attended movies shown in theaters in which NCM currently has exclusive, cinema advertising agreements in place. The NCM Fathom Events live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is comprised of over 720 locations in 170 Designated Market Areas® (including all of the top 50). The NCM Interactive Networkoffers 360-degree integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing 41 entertainment-related websites, online widgets and mobile applications. National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 48.6% interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.ncm.com or www.FathomEvents.com.

About More2Screen

More2Screen is the UK’s leading distributor of alternative content events with more than six years of experience acquiring and distributing world–class opera, ballet, music concerts, theatre and special event films to cinemas across the globe. New content is being added to a fast–growing portfolio on a regular basis and productions released internationally include 2D/3D LIVE and recorded formats. www.more2screen.com

About The Mariinsky Theatre

The Mariinsky Theatre, (formerly the Kirov), is one of the leading opera and ballet companies in the world. Its origins date back to the 18th century and its founder Catherine the Great. As the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, it was the most famous ensemble of the Tsarist Empire and its history is interwoven with many ballet greats including Rudolf Nureyev, Vaslav Nijinksy, Anna Pavlova, and Michel Fokine. The Mariinsky Theatre is enjoying a second golden age under the dynamic, forward–thinking leadership of General and Artistic Director, Valery Gergiev. www.mariinsky.ru/en orwww.mariinsky.us

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Filed Under: Film Headlines Tagged With: 3d, brings, day, events, fantom, nutcracker, ...

CD Review: Green Day “Uno!”

Green Day
“Uno!”
Reprise Records
Producer: Rob Cavallo/Green Day
Tracks: 12

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“Uno!” is the 9th and latest studio release from the East Bay punk/pop band Green Day. The album is also the first in a trilogy of albums by the band that will be released over the course of a few months. “Uno!” is being released via Reprise Records and features 12 new songs produced by Rob Cavallo (Alanis Morissette, Kid Rock) and Green Day.

Two parts “Dookie” and two parts “21st Century Breakdown” would be the best way to describe the latest release from Bay area rockers Green Day. The first in a series of albums titled “Uno!”, “Dos!” and “Tre!” the album features a much more scaled back sound very reminiscent of earlier Green Day albums. Gone are the themed rock-opera layouts which accompanied the bands previous two release and with the help of veteran producer Rob Cavallo the band sounds better than ever. From catchy radio friendly tunes like “Stay the Night” and “Sweet 16” to the edgier “Let Yourself Go” the band covers all the bases. I really enjoyed the album however I could have done without the song “Kill the DJ”. The composition of the song just doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the songs and did nothing more than disrupt the albums flow.

With “Uno!” yielding a number of great tracks I can’t wait to hear what will be included on the next two albums. Though I think the band is taking a bit of a risk doing 3 separate releases I wouldn’t expect anything less from a band with an album titled “Dookie” to their credit. “Uno!” does a great job showcasing the bands progression while still containing that classic Green Day sound and style.

Track Listing:
1.) Nuclear Family
2.) Stay the Night
3.) Carpe Diem
4.) Let Yourself Go
5.) Kill the DJ
6.) Fell For You
7.) Loss of Control
8.) Troublemaker
9.) Angel Blue
10.) Sweet 16
11.) Rusty James
12.) Oh Love

Blu-ray Review “Mother’s Day (1980)”

Directed by: Charles Kaufman
Starring: Nancy Hendrickson, Tiana Pierce, Deborah Luce, Frederick Coffin, Michael McCleery
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Anchor Bay
Release Date: September 4, 2012
Running Time: 90 minutes

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

I have been a big Troma fan from probably when I was way too young and even was an extra in one of their films, “Terror Firmer” but I was never a huge “Mother’s Day” fan. This was originally released by Troma Entertainment in 1980 and of course back then it shocked critics and developed a huge cult following among horror fans. Darren Lynn Bousman (director of films in the “Saw” series) even helmed the 2012 remake starring Rebecca De Mornay. The film just doesn’t hold up today and even though look and sounds nice on Blu-ray doesn’t really “wow” me. Overall Troma fans can at least rejoice and everyone else can just continue going on with their lives.

“Mother’s Day” follows three young women abducted by homicidal momma’s boys Ike and Addley, while camping. Ike and Addley are goaded by their “Mother” into violent and graphic acts of torture against the three women. While doing everything to stay alive, the three women muster the courage escape, and serve their maniacal abductors some old-fashioned justice! Relating to the films around its time like “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, this film will definitely offend the weak of heart!

Since the film is over 30 years old, this film definitely shows its age. It does though feature an all-new HD transfer and looks decent overall with its 1080p resolution and in its original aspect ratio: 1.85:1. The audio track though is impressive sporting its Dolby TrueHD 5.1 goods. The special features on the disc are nothing special really. There is an audio commentary by the director, as well as an interview with behind-the-scenes footage There are also trailers and other sneak peeks. The only new extra is a newly created featurette with Eli Roth (Producer of The Last Exorcism, Grindhouse and Hostel 1 & 2).

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 1980, bluray, day, mothers, review

Blu-ray Review “Father’s Day”

Directors: Astron-6
Starring: Adam Brooks, Mackenzie Murdock, Matthew Kennedy, Conor Sweeney
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Troma Entertainment
Release Date: August 14, 2012
Running Time: 99 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
EXtras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I think Astron-6 and Troma teaming up on this film is definitely a good match. Do I think they made the perfect film, no. The film is not only offensive, it is extremely offensive and almost hard to watch. But that was the plan and what was expected for sure, so it does not come as a shock. It doesn’t make it anymore watchable though. I’ve been watching Troma films for over 20 years and vulgar they have always this is a new high…or low for even them. Astron-6 definitely should get credit for trying to make a film that is so over-the-top it actually works…mostly minus the male/male rape. They even did this on a ridiculously low-budget of $10,000 and it looks like it costs at least 10x that. So I commend the special effects, especially the green screen work that is very impressive. This is really a true grindhouse film even including a commercial about two thirds of the way through. Maybe this film wasn’t 100% for me personally, it definitely has an audience I assume (but not a very wide one though).

There is really no words that can describe this film. From the trailer it makes it seem that this focuses on The Father’s Day Killer, but there is so much more including genital mutilation and many scenes of male rape. If you are not a fan of acts of sodomy and other gross behavior you might want to skip this film all together. But if you aware of Troma’s style you might be looking for this. The general story follows Ahab, a man who is seeking a violent revenge on the man who raped and murdered his dad. He joins up with an unlikely duo of a priest named John and a street hustler, Twink. Together the three set out to find this so-called Father’s Day Killer and get their revenge.

The video presentation on this Blu-ray does look rather decent, even though its comes with an MPEG-2 encode and its purposely scratchy print and VHS quality aspects. The film also includes an aspect ratio: 1.78:1. I understand that this film trying to really be a Grindhouse film, so the Dolby Digital 2.0 track is in-line with that. Since it is on Blu-ray though, there is a certain expectation of quality…even though it is Troma. The audio is simply rather disappointing. The Blu-ray presentation comes in a great packaging with old school video store stickers. It comes in a four-disc set with one Blu-ray disc, two DVDs and even one CD. The release is limited edition and numbered out of 5,000. The Blu-ray contains just the film and an HD trailer, there are no special features. The first DVD comes with the film in standard definition and a trailer and a two very short deleted scenes. The rest of the special features are located on the second DVD disc. The fourth disc includes a CD Sampler of songs from the film’s soundtrack.

While though, the special features are presented on the second DVD disc and besides being all in standard definition, there is no shortage of them. Lloyd Kaufman introduces the film at Comic-Con, which also starts with the beginning of the film. There are the same deleted scenes as the first DVD, no idea why they duplicated. There are four features focusing on foreskin, ranging from the original “Father’s Day” foreskin to extended to animated to TV version, but all offensive. There is a Behind the Scenes Slideshow, which runs less than 5 minutes. There are two “Make Your Own Damn” features on Fuchman and on a Tire Iron. Similarly, there is a faux “Create Your Own Damn Award Winning Movie Poster The Dude Designs Way”. I am a big fan of The Dude Designs personally. “Roll Out the Blood Carpet” runs just over 15 minutes and covers the various different “Father’s Day” premiere nights. “Troma & Astron-6 Charm Festival of Fear” is a short 5 minutes Q&A at Toronto. It’s not Troma with nude shots and that calls for “Super Tromette Elena Recreates the Low Life”. “Father’s Day Article at Rue Morgue Magazine” is so pointless and hard to read. “Babies the Fathers Gave Birth to Before Birthing Father’s Day” are shorts from Astron-6 including “Lazer Ghosts” and “Cool Guys”. “Make Your Own Damn Green Screen! (A Lesson by Lloyd Kaufman)” is the best feature focusing on those sequences, Lastly there are to non-connected with its with director James Gunn and South Park’s Matt Stone.

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Darren Lynn Bousman talks about remaking “Mother’s Day”

Darren Lynn Bousman is known best for his work on the “Saw” franchise and to cult fans of “Repo! The Genetic Opera” and “The Devil’s Carnival”. Darren recently took out some time to chat about his remake of the classic 1980 Troma film “Mother’s Day”.

Mike Gencarelli: What can you tell us about your version of “Mothers Day”?
Darren Lynn Bousman: We wanted a film that paid homage to the original without copying it. We wanted this film to be its own thing. We didn’t want to make a carbon copy because the film already exists. We tried to make something that had similarities to the first film while keep it independent.

MG: When did you join the project?
DLB: I was there from the beginning. Brett Ratner approached me about it and then him and another friend and I developed and wrote it.

MG: How did you know you had your mother with Rebecca De Mornay?
DLB: After our first phone call she was so particular about everything. She was particular about everything single aspect. To me that showed she cared. There was no bullshit and she got it. I knew we had her at that point.

MG: What are you most excited about now that the film is released?
DLB: I am glad people are finally going to get to see the film. Once a director turns in their movie you never know what’s going to happen. We tested high and thought this movie was going to be a big hit. The film then ended up sitting on the shelf for a few years. Now that it’s finally out I hope it finds an audience. I hope people will see it and support it.

MG: How does this film compare to your other films?
DLB: Every movie I have done has been completely different. This movie is more along the lines of a “Saw” film but more adult. You can’t compare it to something like “Devil’s Carnival” which is completely out of the box. “Mother” is more of an adult thriller/drama.

MG: What do you have planned next?
DLB: “Devil’s Carnival: Episode 2”!

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Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: bousman, darren, day, film, lynn, mothers, ...

Concert Review: “End Game Tour 2012” Rise Against, A Day To Remember &Title Fight

“End Game Tour 2012”
Rise Against, A Day To Remember, Title Fight
Date: Tuesday, May 8th 2012
Venue: New York State Fairgrounds

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Rise Against played the Chevy Court at the New York State Fairgrounds on Tuesday, May 8th as part of the bands “End Game 2012 Tour” The tour is in support of the band’s latest album of the same name which was release earlier this year. The tour line-up also featured Title Fight and the always entertaining A Day To Remember. Even though the weather at times was not the best causing a number of giant mud pits each of the three bands put on a solid performance for the assembled crowd.

Title Fight from Kingston, PA kicked off the show and received a warm reception from the crowd which was a mixture of styles and ages. Crowd favorite A Day To Remember were up next and once the band hit the stage the energy level went through the roof. The bands set featured flying beach balls, toilet paper and a giant hamster ball which singer Jeremy McKinnon used to walk over the top of the crowd. The later part of the bands set featured some of the bands more popular songs such as “Better Off This Way” and “All I Want”. As the storm clouds began to move in and day shifted to night headliner Rise Against would take the stage. After a brief intro taken from the 1970 film “Catch-22” the band launched into a thought provoking, energy filled set. The band wasted no time and played song after song. Though the band sounded muffled at time their set was still very tight. The set featured a number of Rise Against staples as well as some new songs off of the “End game” album. Later in the set fans were treated to an acoustic performance of “Swing Life Away” and a few other acoustic numbers. The band closed out the night with an extended version of the hit song “Savior” which left the muddy masses tired but still had them begging for more.

A Day to Remember Set List:
1.) The Downfall Of Us All
2.) A Shot in the Dark
3.) I’m Made of Wax Larry, What Are You Made Of?
4.) My Life For Hire
5.) All Signs Point to Lauderdale
6.) 2nd Sucks
7.) You Be Tails, I’ll Be Sonic
8.) It’s Complicated
9.) Homesick
10.) Better Off This Way
11.) Have Faith In Me
12.) All I Want
13.) The Plot to Bomb The Panhandle
Rise Against Set List:
1.) Survivor Guilt
2.) Ready to Fall
3.) Collapse (Post-Amerika)
4.) The Good Left Undone
5.) Broken English
6.) Help Is on the Way
7.) Disparity by Design
8.) Drones
9.) Re-Education (Through Labor)
10.) Blood to Bleed
11.) Satellite
12.) Paper Wings
13.) Prayer of the Refugee
14.) Audience of One
15.) Swing Life Away
16.) Make It Stop
17.) Give It All
18.) Midnight Hands
19.) The Strength to Go On
20.) Savior

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Filed Under: Concert Reviews Tagged With: 2012, concert, day, fight, game, remember, ...

SyFy Kicks off Summer 2012 with Memorial Day Weekend Movie Festival

SYFY KICKS OFF SUMMER 2012 WITH MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND MOVIE FESTIVAL

PREMIERE OF SUPER SHARK ON SATURDAY, MAY 26 AT 9PM

NEW YORK – May 18, 2012 – Syfy will kick off Summer 2012 with a four-day, Memorial Day weekend movie extravaganza highlighted by the dyn-o-mite premiere of Super Shark, starring classic TV stars Jimmy Walker (“J.J.” on Good Times) and John Schneider (Smallville, Dukes of Hazzard) on Saturday, May 26 at 9PM (ET/PT).

Syfy launches the holiday festival on Friday, May 25 with a Nightmare on Elm Street marathon. Creature features devour the Saturday, May 26 schedule, including Sharktopus and Lake Placid 2, the highest rated Saturday Original Movie ever.

On Sunday, May 27, Syfy unleashes a theatrical movie bonanza ranging from Serenity and Stealth to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Closing out the long holiday weekend on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, Syfy will present films such as Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace,starring Daniel Craig as 007.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)

Hot Topic and Her Universe Team Up For Launch On Star Wars Day

May The 4th Be With You
Hot Topic and Her Universe Team Up For Launch
On Star Wars Day

On May 4th, Star Wars fans celebrate George Lucas’ revered space saga to show that the Force is truly everywhere. They refer to this day as “May the 4th Be With You.” This year, clothing retailer, Hot Topic, is celebrating with the fans in a big way by offering, for the first time, new Star Wars fashion tops and hoodies from Her Universe, the female sci-fi genre line created by actress Ashley Eckstein, voice of Ahsoka Tano on the hit animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The Star Wars By Her Universe line will debut on Hottopic.com and in select Hot Topic stores on May 4th with the first 50 customers who purchase a Her Universe item online at Hottopic.com receiving a FREE Star Wars Tote Bag. This will be the first time fans can get this exclusive new tote bag from Her Universe featuring a custom pattern using Star Wars symbols, a $20.00 value for free, as a gift to the first 50 fans. In addition, all day on May 4th Hottopic.com will be offering 20% off all Star Wars merchandise and will have special Star Wars features and content on their Hot Topic Facebook and Twitter pages.

“Hot Topic has always been my personal retailer of choice when it comes to fangirl fashion,” said Her Universe founder Ashley Eckstein. “Together we would like to thank the fans for their loyalty and support on this special day with these new designs and promotions.”

Close to half of all Star Wars fans are female which is why Hot Topic and Her Universe will have a number of new styles and designs for those fans to look “Geek Chic” – from racer back tank tops and fashion tops to a unique Princess Leia hoodie. One of the most anticipated pieces is by popular Star Wars artist and designer, Denise Vasquez, whose stunning new Darth Vader dolman top utilizes design elements inspired by the Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). “My T-shirt design for Her Universe was inspired by my love for my Latin culture and my love for Star Wars,” said Vasquez. ” I incorporated one of my favorite Darth Vader quotes in my design, which shows a positive message for Geek Girls like me who will wear this shirt with pride. ‘La Fuerza es fuerte con este’ …’The Force Is Strong with this one!’

Her Universe was launched in 2009 by actress and entrepreneur Ashley Eckstein, and her partner, The Araca Group, known as one of the most innovative theatrical production and merchandise companies in the world. Her Universe was created to directly address the expanding market of female fans by entering into its first agreement with Lucas Licensing to develop and produce a line of female-centered Star Wars apparel and accessories. The success of that line was followed up with a collection for the Syfy network including such shows as Battlestar Galactica. Visit www.hottopic.com to purchase the new Her Universe Star Wars collection. You can learn more about Her Universe by going to www.heruniverse.com and by following Eckstein on Twitter and visiting the Her Universe Facebook page.

Photo credit: Kelsey Edwards – Kelsey Edwards Photography

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Filed Under: Film Headlines Tagged With: day, hot, launch, star, team, topic, ...

“New Years Day” Blu-ray Giveaway [ENDED]

THANK YOU FOR ENTERING, THE CONTEST HAS ENDED. WINNERS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN AND NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL. PLEASE CHECK BACK EVERY WEEK FOR NEW GIVEAWAYS!

Warner Bros. Pictures is proud to announce the release of the hit romantic comedy New Year’s Eve on DVD and Blu Ray May 1st! This all star comedy stars Ashton Kutcher, Michelle Pfeiffer, Katherine Heigl, Sofia Vergara, Hilary Swank, Sarah Jessica Parker, Zac Efron, Jon Bon Jovi, and Josh Duhamel! If you would like to win a copy of this film on Blu-ray, leave a comment below with your favorite New Years Eve story! This giveaway will be open until Tuesday May 8th, 12pm Eastern Time and is only open to residents of the United States. Only one entry per person, per household; all other entries will be considered invalid. Once the giveaway ends, Media Mikes will randomly pick out winners and alert the winners via email.

April is a perfect time to think about all those resolutions you made that may have been placed on the backburner. With the New Year’s Eve Resolution Reset Blog App you can double check and make sure you are on the right path to making your resolutions come true!

* Take The Quiz! Are you on your way to making the most out of 2012? Take this quiz and find out if you are a Resolution Renegade!?
* Personal New Years Eve Tips! We want you to make your resolutions come true, so to help you achieve your goal we will get you some awesome tips to jump-start your resolution this year!
* Get Social! Spread the word about the New Years Eve. Tweet to your audience with the #ResolutionReset hashtag!

Blu-ray Review “Mother’s Day”

Directed by: Darren Lynn Bousman
Starring: Rebecca De Mornay, Jaime King, Deborah Ann Woll, Shawn Ashmore
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Anchor Bay
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Running Time: 112 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

I may be one of the only horror fans but I was never a huge fan of the 1980 Troma horror classic, “Mother’s Day”. It is good but nothing special. This remake easily advances and improves on the film quite a bit. This film is a lot more graphic and in your face. It is directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (“Saw II, III and IV”, “Repo! The Genetic Opera”) and he really gets a chance to stretch his arms and kick some ass. Rebecca De Mornay definitely gets a triumphant return into the starlight as the crazy-ass killer mom.

After a bank robbery gone wrong, three brothers are on the run from the law and seek refuge in their house. They discover though that their mother lost the house in a foreclosure and the house is now occupied by its new owners, a group of friends looking to party. Of course things turn out worse for group of kids when mommy comes home and encourages her sons to torture the current owners of their old home. It gives a new meaning to the term “Mommy knows best”.

Anchor Bay’s Blu-ray is quite impressive and looks great in the 1080P transfer and its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1. There is also a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio track included with works well with the score and jumps. This release also comes with a DVD copy of the film as well in a combo pack. The bad news is that there is very little special features. In fact the only extra is an audio commentary with Darren Lynn Bousman and Shawn Ashmore. It is decent overall but not enough to hold its own.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, day, mothers, review

Major Giveaway: Celebrate Earth Day with BBC & Media Mikes! [ENDED]

THANK YOU FOR ENTERING, THE CONTEST HAS ENDED. WINNERS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN AND NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL. PLEASE CHECK BACK EVERY WEEK FOR NEW GIVEAWAYS!

Celebrate Earth Day with Media Mikes and BBC, as we would like to giveaway some amazing prizes. If you would like to win one of these great prizes below, all you have to do is “LIKE” our Facebook page and then post “BBC” and the name of your favorite nature program i.e. “Frozen Planet” or “Planet Earth” etc or leave us a comment below if you don’t use Facebook. This giveaway will be open until Sunday April 29th at Noon, Eastern Time and is only open to residents of the United States. Only one entry per person, per household; all other entries will be considered invalid. Once the giveaway ends, Media Mikes will randomly pick out winners and alert the winners via email.

1 Limited Edition Planet Earth Globe (Blu-ray)
1 Frozen Planet Blu-ray and Theatrical Poster
1 BBC Natural History Collection (Blu-ray)

“Frozen Planet” Synopsis:
You’ll be filled with awe and amazement every time you watch this stunning BBC series about our planet’s best-loved, wildest and most elusive creatures, captured on breathtaking, high-definition film in the Earth’s most extreme habitats. Shot entirely in high-definition film, with revolutionary new aerial photography. From the team behind Blue Planet, including the esteemed and beloved Sir David Attenborough.

Also be sure to enter “ULTIMATE POLAR BEAR ADVENTURE SWEEPSTAKES” courtesy of BBC Home Entertainment and Tauck. You can have a chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to observe these magnificent, endangered polar bears up close as well as discover the rich human and natural history of Manitoba, Canada. To Enter, Visit: www.frozenplanetdvd.com. Only persons residing in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, United States and Yukon who are at least 21 years of age can enter. NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY.

DVD Review “Another Happy Day”

Directed by: Sam Levinson
Starring: Ellen Barkin, Kate Bosworth, Ellen Burstyn, Thomas Haden Church
George Kennedy, Ezra Miller, Demi Moore
Distributed by Phase 4 Films
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 119 minutes

Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: N/A

This film has one heck of an outstanding cast and the performances are great…although it doesn’t make a good film. The film is billed as a black comedy but there is hardly anything comedic about it, in fact it is very depressing. Ezra Miller is really stepping up as being the go-to guy for messed up roles, especially after co-starring in “We Need to Talk About Kevin”. Ellen Barkin also gives a very intense performance but man she looks really OLD!! The film was the winner of the Sundance Film Festival’s Screenwriting Award and it no shock as the story is quite well done but the two hour running time definitely drags the film down.

The movie focuses on one messed up family that is getting together for a wedding. The wedding is for Lynn’s (Ellen Barkin) oldest son Dylan. Things get complicated when her other son Elliot (Ezra Miller) gets out of control and issues with her yet-to-arrive daughter Alice (Kate Bosworth). Lynn also has to deal with her ex-husband (Thomas Haden Church) and his new wife (Demi Moore) as they try to take over the wedding. Lynn is pushed to the limit and how much is she able to take before her and her family goes over the edge.

This film is the debut of writer and director Sam Levinson and he definitely shows potential especially with the script. The DVD does not come with any special features which does not give this release any extra points. Everyone has dysfunctional families but this one definitely takes the cake. If you are looking for some great performances, this might be interesting to take a look into but otherwise I would take a pass on this one.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: day, dvd, happy, review

Film Review “5 Star Day”

Director: Danny Buday
Starring: Cam Gigandet, Jena Malone, Julianna Guill, Will Yun Lee, Max Hartman
Distributed by: Breaking Glass Pictures
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 97 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“You are going to have 5 star day”. Many people follow horoscopes daily and believe it paves the path for their day. I have never really followed nor even read them for myself. This film follows one person born on a specific day at a specific time at a specific place and his goal to complete his thesis comparison on horoscopes. This film This film is packed with comedy, drama and some really great performances.

Cam Gigandet plays Jake Gibson a down on his luck guy, who loses his job, his girlfriend and his car in one day, despite his vibrant horoscope. Cam sets out to complete his thesis project and disprove horoscopes. He tracks down three people who were born on the same day and at the same place as himself and find out how they spent their recent birthday. He wanted to see if the others followed their horoscopes or were similiar to Jake’s day. On his journey Jake meets Sarah Reynolds (Jena Malone), Yvette Montgomery (Brooklyn Sudano) and Wesley Henderson (Max Hartman). He ends up exploring how they spent their birthday but got a lot more than he expected on his trip.

Cam Gigandet known best for his role in the first “Twilight” film, really gets to shine in this film. He is funny, charismatic and really strong character. Jena Malone has less of a role but is really packed with drama as single mother on the brink of losing her daughter. I really enjoyed the performance from Max Hartman. I thought he was very funny and his scenes were the highlight of the film. This film is definitely worth checking out.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: 5, day, film, review, star

“InSight” Hits Theaters Labor Day

Who Killed Allison Parkes?

Find out when Director Richard Gabai’s “InSight” hits theaters on September 2nd.

Shot in the seedy Boyle Heights district in Los Angeles, InSight follows Kaitlyn (Natalie Zea), an ER nurse who while tending to a young stabbing victim, Allison, is accidentally electrocuted by the defibrillator that was being used to save the woman’s life. Almost immediately she starts to experience the victim’s memories. Kaitlyn turns to family, friends, and the police, but no one takes her seriously, so she takes it upon herself to solve the crime – as the terrifying visions threaten her sanity. Ultimately, Kaitlyn teams up with detective Peter Rafferty (Sean Patrick Flanery) and weaves her way through the victim’s past in an attempt to discover the brutal truth about the murder and herself.

“InSight” stars, Sean Patrick Flanery (Boondock Saints, Powder, Saw) , Natalie Zea (Justified, Californication) Adam Baldwin (Chuck, Independence Day, Full Metal Jacket) Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future, Taxi, Star Trek, Aadams Family) Thomas Ian Nicholas (American Pie, Rookie of the Year) Max Perlich (Blow, Cliffhanger) Juliet Landau (Ed Wood, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Veronica Cartwright (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Alien, Witches of Eastwick, The Birds.) Angeline-Rose Troy is introduced as Allison Parkes.

PARTIAL THEATER LIST (growing every day!)… THEATER UPDATES will be found here:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134429686644880

“InSight” is the first release for Check Entertainment Distribution, a new company founded by and for Independent Filmmakers. Independent films have been squeezed off of the big screen for too long and CED has a plan to change all that.

Braeburn Entertainment and Celco present a Check Entertainment/G.C. Pix LLC Production. Directed by Richard Gabai, Written By Aaron Ginsburg and Wade McIntyre; Produced by John Constantine, Larissa Michel, Richard Gabai, Executive Producers Elaine J Constantine, Richard Iott; Co-Producers Scott Peck, Devon Iott, Heather Longerbeam; Editor Jeff Murphy; Director of Photography Scott Peck; Production Designer Gabor Norman.

CAST on IMDB:

Sean Patrick Flanery: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001218/
Natalie Zea: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954036/
Adam Baldwin: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000284/
Christopher Lloyd: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000502/
Thomas Ian Nicholas: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005272/
Max Perlich: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001611/
Juliette Landau: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0484460/
Veronica Cartwright: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001021/
Angeline Rose Troy: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2894027/