Shout! Factory TV Presents The Aquabats! Super Show! Super Marathon Stream Saturday, December 5

A Full-Day Marathon of the Daytime Emmy Award-Winning Comedy Rock Series Hosted by the Aquabats

Aquabats, let’s go! Shout! Factory TV will proudly present The Aquabats! Super Show! Super Marathon on December 5 to celebrate the fan-favorite musical comedy series’ debut on Shout! Factory TV. The marathon will feature every episode of The Aquabats! Super Show!, the unaired pilot episode, specials and music videos.

Fans can hang out with The Aquabats as they answer popular questions from the fans, share never-before-heard trivia and behind-the-scenes tidbits and showcase actual props from the show. One lucky winner will also receive a prize pack including a Fender guitar signed by The Aquabats and a signed, limited edition vinyl copy of the band’s new album Kooky Spooky…in Stereo!

The Aquabats! Super Show! premiered in 2012 on the Hub Network and aired for two seasons and a total of 21 episodes. The series was helmed by Christian Jacobs, Scott Schultz (creators of the series Yo Gabba Gabba!), and director Jason deVilliers. Throughout its run, the show received eight multiple Daytime Emmy nominations and one win. Shout! Factory previously released 

The Aquabats! Super Show!: Season One on DVD in 2013. Based on the superhero mythology of The Aquabats!, a real comedy rock band which series co-creator and lead singer Jacobs formed in 1994, The Aquabats! Super Show! follows the comic adventures of a fictionalized version of the band, a musical group of amateur superheroes, as they haphazardly defend the world from a variety of villains and monsters. Styled similarly to the campy aesthetics of 1960s and 1970s children’s television and Japanese tokusatsu, The Aquabats! Super Show! utilizes various mediums of visual styles and special effects, mixing live-action storylines with cartoon shorts, parody advertisements and musical interludes.

The marathon begins Saturday, December 5 at 9 a.m. PT and will continue all day. The stream can be viewed on ShoutFactoryTV.com; Shout! Factory TV’s Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, and Android apps; and the following digital streaming platforms: Twitch, Pluto TV, Samsung TV Plus, Comcast Xfinity, Xumo, Vizio, Redbox, IMDb TV, STIRR, Sling TV, THETA.tv and Local Now. 

Every episode of The Aquabats! Super Show! is also now available for viewing on demand on ShoutFactoryTV.com; Shout! Factory TV’s Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, and Android apps; and on various Shout! Factory TV branded channels including Tubi, Amazon Prime Channels, and the Roku Channel.

About The Aquabats! The Aquabats!, formed in 1994 in Orange County as a way to have some harmless fun in a music scene that took itself too seriously. Their Paul Frank designed “power belts,” trademark rash guards, black eye masks, “anti-negativity” helmets and onstage antics quickly caught on, earning the group a fiercely loyal following that spans generations. Their line-up and music is continuously evolving, including Blink 182’s Travis Barker as former drummer “Baron Von Tito.” In 2012, the band debuted The Aquabats! Super Show!, a live-action musical action comedy television series which aired on the Hub Network. The show received eight multiple Daytime EMMY nominations and one win. To date, The Aquabats’ music library includes The Return of the Aquabats (1996), The Fury of the Aquabats! (1997), The Aquabats vs. The Floating Eye of Death (1999), Myths, Legends and Other Amazing Adventures, Vol. 2 (2000), Yo! Check Out This Ride! (EP, 2004) Charge!! (2005), Radio Down! (EP, 2010), Hi-Five Soup! (2011), and 2020’s newest addition – full studio album Kooky Spooky… In Stereo! Current members are Christian Jacobs as “The MC Bat Commander” (lead singer), Chad Larson as “Crash McLarson” (bass, vocals), Ian Fowles as “Eaglebones Falconhawk” (guitar), Richard Falomir as “Ricky Fitness” (drums), and James Briggs, as “Jimmy the Robot” (keyboards, woodwinds, vocals). 

About Shout! Factory TV Shout! Factory TV is a digital entertainment streaming service that brings timeless and contemporary cult favorites to pop culture fans. Shout! Factory TV offers an unrivaled blend of original programming and TV shows and movies curated from major studios, independent producers and its own distinctive entertainment library. The Shout! Factory TV family of channels also includes Mystery Science Theater 3000, TokuSHOUTsu™ and Johnny Carson TV, with more to come soon. Shout! Factory TV provides an immersive, high-quality viewing experience across a wide variety of platforms: online at ShoutFactoryTV.com, on smartphone devices, tablets and connected TV, and via apps on the Roku player, Android, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV. Shout! Factory TV is also available as a branded channel on Amazon Prime Channels, Comcast Xfinity, IMDb TV, Pluto TV, Redbox, Roku Premium Subscriptions, Samsung TV Plus, STIRR, Tubi, Twitch, Vizio and XUMO, among others. For more information, please visit ShoutFactoryTV.com.   

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SHOUT! FACTORY TV ANNOUNCES NORTH AMERICAN STREAMING ACQUISITION OF THE AQUABATS! SUPER SHOW!

Multi-Year Agreement Grants Shout! Factory TV Streaming Rights to Daytime Emmy Award-Winning Comedy Rock Series
Shout! Factory TV, the multi-platform digital streaming arm of Shout! Factory, and The Aquabats! today announce a distribution alliance to bring the fan-favorite musical comedy television series The Aquabats! Super Show! to streaming entertainment platforms in North America. 

The multi-year alliance provides Shout! Factory TV with SVOD, AVOD and linear streaming digital rights in the U.S. and Canada to all episodes of The Aquabats! Super Show!, including the unaired pilot episode and specials.   

Shout! Factory TV plans a timely rollout of The Aqubats! Super Show!, expected later this year on its streaming service. As excitement builds, Shout! Factory TV, in collaboration with The Aquabats!, will announce additional news and activities in forthcoming months. The Aquabats! Super Show! premiered in 2012 on the Hub Network and aired for two seasons. The series was created by Christian Jacobs,Scott Schultz (creators of the series Yo Gabba Gabba!), and Jason deVilliers. Throughout its run, the show received eight multiple Daytime Emmy nominations and one win. Shout! Factory previously released The Aquabats! Super Show!: Season One on DVD in 2013. 

Based on the superhero mythology of The Aquabats!, a real comedy rock band which series co-creator and lead singer Jacobs formed in 1994, The Aquabats! Super Show! follows the comic adventures of a fictionalized version of the band, a musical group of amateur superheroes, as they haphazardly defend the world from a variety of villains and monsters. Styled similarly to the campy aesthetics of 1960s and 1970s children’s television and Japanese tokusatsu, The Aquabats! Super Show! utilizes various mediums of visual styles and special effects, mixing live-action storylines with cartoon shorts, parody advertisements and musical interludes. 

“The Aquabats! are back at Shout! Factory, and we couldn’t think of a better home for Seasons 1 and 2 of The Aquabats! Super Show!,” said Christian Jacobs (The MC Bat Commander).“Take a look at their catalog and you’ll see a lot of the stuff that inspired Super Show! in the first place. We hope our fans enjoy watching The Aquabats! right alongside some of our all-time faves like Kamen Rider and Ultraman Leo, and we look forward to new folks discovering our wacky rock and roll adventures!” 

“As fans first, we’re thrilled to once again be working with The Aquabats!. The Aquabats! Super Show! has a devoted fanbase that has cemented the show as a pop culture phenom. We look forward to not only making it available for more fans to discover via streaming on Shout! Factory TV, but also taking advantage of the digital medium to give current fans new and unique ways to experience the show,” said Gene Pao, Shout’s SVP of Digital Enterprises. “As we actively expand our reach in streaming and digital platforms, acquisitions like this epitomize the fan-driven content we continually produce and pursue.”
About The Aquabats!
The Aquabats!, formed in 1994 in Orange County as a way to have some harmless fun in a music scene that took itself too seriously. Their Paul Frank designed “power belts,” trademark rash guards, black eye masks, “anti-negativity” helmets and onstage antics quickly caught on, earning the group a fiercely loyal following that spans generations. Their line-up and music is continuously evolving, including Blink 182’s Travis Barker as former drummer “Baron Von Tito.” 

In 2012, the band debuted The Aquabats! Super Show!, a live-action musical action comedy television series which aired on the Hub Network. The show received eight multiple Daytime EMMY nominations and one win. 

To date, The Aquabats’ music library includes The Return of the Aquabats (1996), The Fury of the Aquabats! (1997), The Aquabats vs. The Floating Eye of Death (1999), Myths, Legends and Other Amazing Adventures, Vol. 2 (2000), Yo! Check Out This Ride! (EP, 2004) Charge!! (2005), Radio Down! (EP, 2010), Hi-Five Soup! (2011), and 2020’s newest addition – full studio album Kooky Spooky… In Stereo! 

Current members are Christian Jacobs as “The MC Bat Commander” (lead singer), Chad Larson as “Crash McLarson” (bass, vocals), Ian Fowles as “Eaglebones Falconhawk” (guitar), Richard Falomir as “Ricky Fitness” (drums), and James Briggs, as “Jimmy the Robot” (keyboards, woodwinds, vocals). 

About Shout! Factory TV
Shout! Factory TV is a digital entertainment streaming service that brings timeless and contemporary cult favorites to pop culture fans. Shout! Factory TV offers an unrivaled blend of original programming and TV shows and movies curated from major studios, independent producers and its own distinctive entertainment library. The Shout! Factory TV family of channels also includes Mystery Science Theater 3000 and TokuSHOUTsu™, with more to come soon. Shout! Factory TV provides an immersive, high-quality viewing experience across a wide variety of platforms: online at ShoutFactoryTV.com, on smartphone devices, tablets and connected TV, and via apps on the Roku player, Android, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV. Shout! Factory TV is also available as a branded channel on Amazon Prime Channels, Comcast Xfinity, Pluto TV, Redbox, Roku Premium Subscriptions, Samsung TV Plus, STIRR, Tubi, Twitch, Vizio and XUMO among others. For more information, please visit ShoutFactoryTV.com.

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Filed Under: Music, Music Interviews, TV, TV Headlines Tagged With: acquisition, american, announces, aquabats, factory, north, ...

THE B-52s: LIVE AT US FESTIVAL TO ARRIVE ON DVD AND DIGITAL ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2020 FROM SHOUT! FACTORY

Travel back in time to a carefree Labor Day weekend in 1982, when The B-52s: Live At The US Festival comes to DVD and digital platforms on September 4th, from Shout! Factory. The performance features all five founding band members, and the film is dedicated to Ricky Wilson, who passed away 5 years after the US Festival performance. In brand-new interviews included in The B-52s: Live At The US Festival, band members Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, and Cindy Wilson talk about Ricky, and what he meant to their unique sound, along with memories of performing at the US Festival.

Dance this mess around with the all-time, good-time party band The B-52s in a wild and unforgettable live performance. This hour-long set, recorded at the inaugural US Festival in 1982, had the crowd dancing from start to finish, and was considered to be one of the best of the entire festival.

“It was hot as hell in the desert but as soon as we got going we had the audience dancing up a dust storm,” says Fred Schneider.

This rare footage shows off the joyous energy and unique spirit that has been a hallmark of their music and live performances for over 40 years.
Packed with 13 hits and favorites from the group’s early years, including “Rock Lobster,” “Planet Claire,” Private Idaho,” and others, Live At US Festival is the first-ever live concert DVD release from The B-52s’ classic era, and a tasty slice of rock history that’s an absolute must-see for anyone who likes to party out of bounds!

The B-52s: Live At The US Festival is available for pre-order now at Shoutfactory.com and amazon.com.

The B-52s: Live At The US Festival Performances:

Party Out Of Bounds

Give Me Back My Man                                                                               

Planet Claire

Throw That Beat In The Garbage Can                            

Lava

Mesopotamia

6060-842

Big Bird

52 GirlsDance

This Mess Around

Private Idaho

Rock Lobster

Strobe Light 

About Shout! Factory: Shout! Factory, LLC is a diversified multi-platform media company devoted to producing, uncovering, preserving and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their entire careers sharing their music, television and film favorites with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s entertainment offerings serve up feature films, classic and contemporary TV series, animation, live music and comedy specials. In addition, Shout! Factory maintains a vast entertainment distribution network which delivers culturally relevant programming, movie and audio content to all the leading digital service providers in North America and across multiple platforms. Shout! Factory owns and operates Shout! Studios, Scream Factory, Shout! Factory Kids, Shout! Factory Films, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Timeless Media Group and Shout! Factory TV. These riches are the result of a creative acquisition mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. Shout! Factory is based in Los Angeles, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com.

About The B-52s: Selling over 20 million albums worldwide, The B-52s—Fred Schneider [vocals], Kate Pierson [vocals], Cindy Wilson [vocals], — have quietly impacted alternative music, fashion, and culture over the course of four-plus decades. They count John Lennon, Madonna, James Murphy, and Michael Stipe among their disciples. Panic! At The Disco, Blood Orange, The Offspring, Pitbull, Roger Sanchez, and DJ Shadow have sampled classics from the band’s discography as Seth MacFarlane’s FamilyGuy, The Simpsons, Sugarland, and more offered up covers of their own. They inched towards the forefront of the post-punk movement in America codified by 1979’s self-titled The B-52s. Not only did the record go gold, but it also placed at #152 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” and #99 on VH1’s “Greatest Albums of All Time.” The gold-selling Wild Planet arrived hot on its heels in 1980. With Keith Strickland brilliantly filling the void in with music composition and live show guitar duties, 1989’s watershed Cosmic Thing elevated the B-52s to another galaxy altogether. It moved 5 million-plus units and spawned a string of Top 10 smashes in the form of the GRAMMY®-nominated “Roam” and “Love Shack”—which Rolling Stone lauded on the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”

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Kansas City Stage Review: “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – the Musical

  • “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”
  • The Kauffman Center – Kansas City, Missouri
  • January 21, 2020 

Oh, how sweet it is! Filled with colorful costumes, magical set designs, and wonderful songs that will put a smile on your face, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” now performing at the Kauffman Performing Arts Center in Kansas City, Missouri, is a terrific musical the whole family can enjoy. Based upon the 1964 children’s novel of the same name by British novelist Roald Dahl (1916-90), “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” was first adapted for the silver screen in 1971 and then again in 2005 before premiering as a musical in 2013 in London.

 The musical version takes us to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory where, after being shut up for 40 years, the legendary chocolatier (Cody Garcia) decides to venture out into the real world to find an heir. Disguised as a chocolate shop owner, Willy ends up befriending, in a small way, a local boy named Charlie Bucket (Ryan Umbarila). Charlie lives an impoverished life just down the block with two sets of grandparents, who never leave their bed, and his widowed, overworked mother. 

Charlie is a dreamer to the tenth degree and so, it’s only natural that he becomes enamored with the idea of getting a Wonka chocolate bar in order to get a golden ticket. The five lucky recipients of which will get to go on a tour of Willy’s factory with the chance to win a lifetime supply of chocolate. Of course, the whimsical and quirky Willy has other plans. Charlie ultimately proves himself to be a good-hearted lad, especially when compared to the other four children who reveal themselves to be brats, each meeting their own unique, laughable fate during the tour. 

The first half of the show contained a couple of heartfelt moments between Charlie and his Grandpa Joe (Steve McCoy) that pulled at the heartstrings. Umbarila had an overall nice stage presence but was overshadowed a bit by McCoy’s charismatic delivery of his comedic lines. Despite Charlie’s underdog nature, the most fascinating character remained Wonka himself. However, his portrayal during the first act was a little flat, which was accompanied by a sluggish pace even with a few entertaining dance sequences. 

The true highlight of the night’s show was the second act. It was fun, lively, colorful and thoroughly entertaining. Garcia delivered a superb performance down the stretch run with a portrayal that was reminiscent of a blend between Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp. Supported by a solid orchestral performance, the musical’s second act was punctuated by well-choreographed Oompa Loompas who generated the biggest laughs of the night. 

In the end, don’t wait for a golden ticket in a candy bar to see “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” because it will be gone before you know it. 

“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” runs in Kansas City at the beautiful Kauffman Center through January 26th. For tickets in KC or for the rest of the tour, click HERE.

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Filed Under: Theatre Reviews Tagged With: charlie, chocolate, city, factory, kansas, musical, ...

Shout Factory Release “Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends)” on Blu-Ray and DVD

The Documentary “Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends)”
Out Now on Blu-Ray and DVD
From Shout! Factory

The November 13, 2015 terrorist attack in Paris claimed 130 lives around the city – 89 of them at the Eagles of Death Metal’s Bataclan Theatre concert.

Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends) spotlights the American rock band as they recount their experiences before and after the tragic events. The film explores the deep bonds between band co-founders Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme (also a member of Queens of the Stone Age), as well as the intense connection the band has always had with its devoted fans, which moved them to return to Paris to perform once again in February 2016.

Directed by Colin Hanks, Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends) includes accounts of fans who survived the Bataclan attack, extensive behind-the-scenes footage of the band, and interviews with Bono and The Edge of U2 … and serves as a portrait of resilience in the face of unspeakable horror and a life-affirming coda to the events of November 13.

To Purchase the film click here: Shout! Factory

To read our review of the film click here

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Blu-ray Review “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: 10th Anniversary Edition”

Actors: Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, David Kelly, Helena Bonham Carter, Noah Taylor
Directors: Tim Burton
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: March 3, 2015
Run Time: 115 minutes

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I can’t believe that it has already been 1o years since Tim Burton rebooted the 1971 cult classic hit “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” with his film “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. Despite most of the critics and public, I did enjoy this film. Johnny Depp is a looney in it and nails the role. Of course he is no Gene Wilder but it is also a completely different movie, so give and that there. This is a film that only Tim Burton could have remade. So even though I love this film, this 10th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray doesn’t really impress at all.

Official Premise: An eccentric chocolatier, Willy Wonka (Depp), long isolated from his own family, launches a worldwide contest to select an heir to his candy empire. Five lucky children, including Charlie (Highmore), a good-hearted boy from a poor family who lives in the shadow of Wonka’s extraordinary factory, draw golden tickets from Wonka chocolate bars and win a guided tour of the legendary candy-making facility that no outsider has seen in 15 years. Dazzled by one amazing sight after another, Charlie is drawn into Wonka’s fantastic world in this astonishing and enduring story.

The only real selling point of this release is for a snazzy new case and an exclusive 30 page photo book with photos and stills from the production and also a personal message from Tim Burton. That is all. There is no additional improved video or audio presentations here. We get the same special features as the previous 2011 release as well. Not that either of those were bad originally but in terms of upgrade to this release, there really isn’t any reason to purchase this unless you are a die-hard fan or if you have never owned this Blu-ray before.

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Extended Director’s Cut of Cliver Barker’s “Nightbreed” Scheduled to Be Released in 2014 from Scream Factory

Shout! Factory and Morgan Creek Productions officially announced today a strategic distribution alliance to bring Clive Barker’s classic horror film “Nightbreed” extended director’s cut to the home entertainment marketplace in the U.S and Canada and on digital entertainment platforms next year. The announcement was made by Shout! Factory’s founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos along with and David Robinson, President of Morgan Creek Productions. The news initially broke at Comic-Con 2013, however the agreement formally reached by both parties occurred today.

For years rumors swirled about substantial missing footage from the film. A fan-driven movement was created (www.OccupyMidian.com) to see the full version of the film restored and re-released, which was not only a more faithful adaptation of Clive Barker’s book “Cabal,” but is what originally he intended “Nightbreed” to be.

Clive Barker said, “I had a dream about the tribes of the moon. They would live in a city called Midian and, though they were monsters of every shape and size, they would be the heroes of a movie called “Nightbreed.” However, when I made the movie, the studio was not comfortable with this inversion of the classic structure. They wanted the monsters to be simple-minded scare machines, while I wanted them to be the dark side of all of us, mysterious and misunderstood. Finally, with this new version of “Nightbreed,” which contains over forty five minutes of previously unseen material, my original vision has been realized. Come with me to Midian, the city of monsters. The tribes of the moon await us.”

“We are excited by this opportunity with Morgan Creek and are huge fans of Clive Barker. His cinematic works and brilliant storytelling continue to captivate fans worldwide,” stated Shout! Factory’s founders in a joint statement. “We look forward to working closely with Clive to bring his original vision to life.”

Shout!’s SCREAM FACTORY plans an aggressive rollout of “Nightbreed” extended director’s cut through physical home entertainment releases and a variety of digital entertainment distribution platforms sometimes next year.

“We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank the fans,” noted Robinson. “Without their hard work and persistence, this would have never become a reality. Clive Barker is one of the greats, and we are tremendously proud and excited to be working with him and Shout! Factory on this release.”

The original “Nightbreed” was released in 1990 by Morgan Creek Productions and Twentieth Century Fox. Directed by Clive Barker, the film starred Craig Sheffer, Anne Bobby and David Cronenberg and centered on a tribe of monsters and outcasts known as the Nightbreed that hide from humanity.

The official “Nightbreed” page can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/FansOfNightbreed

About Morgan Creek
For over twenty years, Morgan Creek Productions has produced numerous highly successful and critically acclaimed motion pictures including the Young Guns and Major League franchises; Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves starring Kevin Costner; and Ace Ventura, the hit comedy that established Jim Carrey as one of the leading comedians of our time. Morgan Creek recently released Dream House, starring Daniel Craig and Naomi Watts. Currently in production is the biopic Tupac which is scheduled to start production next year. For more information, visit MorganCreek.com.
Insert Morgan Creek Productions boiler plate

About Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory, LLC is a diversified multi-platform media company devoted to producing, uncovering, preserving and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their entire careers sharing their music, television and film favorites with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s DVD and Blu-Ray™ offerings serve up feature films, classic and contemporary TV series, animation, live music and comedy specials in lavish packages crammed with extras. Shout’s audio division boasts GRAMMY®-nominated box sets, Broadway cast albums, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable “best of” compilations. In addition, Shout! Factory maintains a vast digital distribution network which delivers video and audio content to all the leading digital service providers in North America. Shout! Factory also owns and operates Timeless Media Group, Biograph Records, Majordomo Records, HighTone Records and Video Time Machine. These riches are the result of a creative acquisition mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. Shout! Factory is based in Santa Monica, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.co

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Filed Under: Film Headlines Tagged With: 2014, barkers, cliver, cut, directors, extended, ...

“The Hot Spot / Killing Me Softly” on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory, August 13th!

Shout! Factory is releasing two sexy thrillers on Blu-ray for the first time! The double feature of The Hot Spot / Killing Me Softly will be in stores August 13.

THE HOT SPOT
Experience film noir like never before when a lowlife drifter (Don Johnson, Django Unchained), who sells used cars in a Texas burg, robs the local bank and gets involved with two sultry women: one bad, one innocent. Based on Charles Williams’ 1952 novel Hell Hath No Fury and directed by Dennis Hopper, this steamy noir also stars Barry Corbin, Charles Martin Smith, Jack Nance, Jennifer Connelly, Jerry Hardin, Leon Rippy, Virginia Madsen and William Sadler. Rated R.

KILLING ME SOFTLY
From the very moment that Alice (Heather Graham, The Hangover) locks eyes with Adam (Joseph Fiennes, American Horror Story), a mysterious stranger, she is catapulted into a whirlwind of intense erotic desire and adventure, risking everything just to be with him. But when secrets from Adam’s past begin to surface, Alice finds herself in a bizarre and potentially lethal situation she can’t escape. Acclaimed director Kaige Chen directs this contemporary suspense thriller, now on blu-ray for the first time. Unrated and uncut.

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DVD Review "The Factory"

Actors: John Cusack, Jennifer Carpenter, Dallas Roberts, Mae Whitman, Sonya Walger
Directors: Morgan O’Neill
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: February 19, 2013
Running Time: 104 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: None

When I think about John Cusack, I do not think about direct-to-DVD releases.  In fact it almost makes me upset since he is a really great actor and deserves better. I found out that this film had finished shooting in mid 2008 and has been stuck on a limbo shelf for the past five years.  I am not sure why since it has an impressive cast including Jennifer Carpenter from “Dexter” and Mae Whitman from TV’s “Parenthood” and “Arrested Development”. The film is a by-the-book serial killer thriller but delivers a nice surprise ending.

Official Synopsis: Present. Buffalo. The unforgiving winter. A killer roams the streets, abducting women on cold, quiet nights. All prostitutes, missing persons with no one to miss them. He leaves behind no traces, no clues; nothing. Detective Mike Fletcher (John Cusack) is the one cop on the force bent on bringing him to justice. Mike sees the tragedy in all of this: that these poor women are alone in life, and in death. They have no one to stand up for them – no one except him.

“The Factory” is directed by Morgan O’Neil, who is relatively unknown.  He has done two films “Drift” (2012) and “Solo” (2006) that no one has heard of. Thought he does a decent job here.  The film is produced by Joel Silver (“The Matrix” trilogy) and Dark Castle Entertainment. So you know that their is talent behind this. The DVD comes with no special features at all besides a an UltraViolet digital streaming copy. I understand why this film wasn’t released but if you are a fan of Cusack or Carpenter from “Dexter”, it is worth checking out.

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Blu-ray Review “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory” 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition

Directed by: Mel Stuart
Starring: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum, Julie Dawn Cole, Paris Themmen, Denise Nickerson & Michael Bollner
Distributed by: Warner Bros.
MPAA Rating: PG
Running time: 100 minutes

Ultimate Collector’s Edition: 5 out of 5 stars

I have seen “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory” an uncountable amount of times. I have also interview most of the cast/crew, check it out here. It is for sure in my top 5 films of all time, no question. So obviously, I will not need to say more about the film…and plus who hasn’t seen “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory” at least once. When this film came to Blu-ray, I think I smiled for a complete 24 hours straight. The film is meant for this format. The colors are so vibrant, rich and brought to life on this release. The sound and music are perfect and really makes singing along very easy…come on, you all know the words. Now with the Ultimate Collector’s Edition, we get the perfect beautiful Blu-ray release and SOOOOO much more…

Besides the Blu-ray and DVD disc, the set some with a 144-page paperback book, “Pure Imagination: The Making of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory” from director Mel Stuart talking about the production from behind the scenes. Next is a replica production correspondence in a heavy paper envelope and it contains 14 letters.  A reprint of the cast list, a letter from producer Stan Margulies to Pia Arnold, a handwritten letter from Gene Wilder to Mel Stuart, a note from producer David L. Wolper to Mel Stuart and some of the letter included. There is a Wonka Bar tin container which holds four multi-colored scratch-n-sniff pencils and a scented chocolate eraser. There is also a replica of a Wonka golden ticket with an online code for a new prize giveaway. I mean if all that isn’t worth the purchase alone then you obviously aren’t a fan of this film.

The special features are a little light and not in HD but there has never been real extras on any of the releases in the past so it is not a shock. Being a fan of this film for almost 30 years, the audio commentary is worth the price of the set alone which included all five Wonka kids, Peter Ostrum (Charlie Bucket), Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt), Paris Themmen (Mike Teevee), Michael Bollner (Augustus Gloop) and Denise Nickerson (Violet Beauregarde). It is fun and very entertaining. The first extra is called “Pure Imagination: The Story of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory”, which runs about 30 minutes and pretty much is a verbal coverage from Mel Stuart behind the scenes book. There are four karaoke-style sing-along videos for “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket,” “Pure Imagination,” “I Want It Now” and “Oompa-Loompa-Doompa-De-Do.” Come all though…we all know the words! There is a really cool vintage featurette from 1971, which is really interesting and of course disc 1 wrap with the 1971 theatrical trailer. The second disc only has two special features first with “Mel Stuart’s Wonkavision” which is a new featurette that has Mel Stuart reminiscing about the film. Lastly, “A World of Pure Imagination” is a newly found vintage featurette with the interview with author Roald Dahl.

Synopsis: A poor little boy wins a ticket to visit the inside of a mysterious and magical chocolate factory. When he experiences the wonders inside the factory, the boy discovers that the entire visit is a test of his character. Special Features: Scrumptious Documentary, Pure Imagination: The Story of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, Mouth Watering Commentary With The Wonka Kids, 4 Sing-Along Songs, Vintage 1971 Featurette, Stills Gallery & Theatrical Trailer.

Available on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, On Demand and for Download 10/18! http://bit.ly/oSDajR

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 40th, anniversary, bluray, chocolate, collectors, edition, ...

“Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory” Interview Series

“Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory” was one of my favorite films growing up (and still is today).  There is just something about this film that is so special and you can tell with certain movies how they get passed down generation to generation.  It is surely a film that will never been forgotten.

2011 is a very special year for the film as it is the 40th anniversary.  I wanted a chance to interview the cast and director from the film and get a chance to discuss the film with them.  Not only did I have an amazing time doing so but also I made a few friends a long the way.  I really hope you enjoy these interviews.  We are still hoping to add a few more to this list…so stay tuned!

WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY INTERVIEWS:


Denise Nickerson
Diana Sowle
Julie Dawn Cole
Leonard Stone

Mel Stuart
Paris Themmen

 

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Filed Under: Commentary Tagged With: and, chocolate, factory, interview, series, the, ...
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