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Toy Review: Playmobil “Knight Rider” Car and Figures

“Knight Rider”

K.I.T.T./Figure Set
Playmobil

Our Score 4 out of 5 stars

“Knight Rider, a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist. Michael Knight, a young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law. “Playmobil adds yet another classic vehicle/figure set to their ever-growing retro line of toys with the addition of everyone’s favorite talking super car “Knight Rider”. Joining the ranks of previously released vehicles and figures from such classic 80’s films as “Back to the Future “and “Ghostbusters” to television series such as “Star Trek” and “The A-Team”, K.I.T.T. and his dapper navigator Michael are right at home.

Much like every other kid who grew up in the eighties “Knight Rider” was easily one of my favorite shows. Long before Siri could answer all your questions with the click of a button there was K.I.T.T. The snarky, ever loveable mobile companion to the uber cool Michael Knight. Playmobil has captured all that charm and nostalgia with their latest release. Included in the easy to open, displayable packaging along with Michael Knight and Kitt are figures of Devin Miles and Dr. Bonnie Barstow who come with a bevy of accessories to help keep Kitt and Michael going. From Devin’s desk and computer to Bonnies mobile diagnostic lab and tool set this set spares no details. The Michael figure even comes complete with his communicator watch and signature upturned collared jacket. I mean how cool is that?! The real gem in the set much like in the television show is K.I.T.T. From its jet-black exterior to its highly detailed dash and tan interior to its removable roof, flip up headlights and rotating license plate Playmobil nailed it but, that’s not all! With a touch of the hood, you get six different voice and light sequences which only add to the products over all entertainment value. I believe my son and I had just as much fun cycling through the different voicings as we did playing with the set as you never knew what K.I.T.T. was going to say next.

Playmobil continues to outdo themselves with every release and the “Knight Rider” set is no exception. From its eye-catching packaging and easy assembly to the high level of detail included in each piece this set is perfect for both display and or play. Though we did find the front light to be a little too bright for extended play and the volume of the voice sequences to be quite a bit lower than in previous released vehicles we still had a blast playing with the set on its own and integrating it in with other Playmobil products. The easy to open packaging, detailed directions and solid build quality make for a great purchase that will last for years to come. Parents, pop that collar, que up your favorite episode from the television series, grab your youngsters and let “Knight Rider” and imagination do the rest.

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Filed Under: Misc, Toys Tagged With: car, figures, knight, playmobil, review, rider, ...

4DX Theater Experience Review “Transformers: The Last Knight”

Directed by: Michael Bay
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Josh Duhamel, Stanley Tucci, Anthony Hopkins
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Release date
Running time: 149 minutes

4DX Score: 4 out of 5 stars
Film Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Recently, I have been contacted to see if I wanted to review one of this Summer’s movies the brand new 4DX Theater Experience. This is not your typical movie going experience. Here is an example of the effects that you can expect going into a 4DX screening: water, air, bubbles, fog, scents, motion seats with vibration and ticklers as well as environmental effects like rain, storming, snow, wind and lightning. This seemed like the ONLY way to see a film like “Transformers”. Currently, I believe there are only a handful of these theaters across the United States, one of them luckily being in Orlando FL at the Regal Pointe Orlando Stadium. If you are in the area or are lucky enough to have one local to you, I would highly recommend checking out this experience at least once.

“Transformers: The Last Knight” is the fifth installment in the Hasbro toy inspired franchise. Honestly, each film sort of blends together. The plots in the past films have been convoluted and confused and this film is no different. Is it entertaining…YES! Will I remember it and be able to distinguish between it and the previous four films….NOPE! Just pure popcorn Summer fun. If you dig explosions and robots, then it worth checking out then for a mindless two and half hours. But let me tell you one thing, seeing this film in 4DX definitely made it a better experience for sure and if you are thinking about seeing a 4DX film, “Transformers” is a great example to test it out with.

If you have ever visited Disney World parks and went on the attractions “Honey I Shrunk the Audience”, “Captain EO” or “Mickey’s PhilharMagic”, this 4DX Theater Experience reminded me of all of those combined together and more. I have to admit though, by the end of the two and a half hour movie of “Transformers”, I was exhausted. This is definitely not for those people that just want to kick their feet up and escape into a movie. This is a workout. You are almost constantly moving the whole time, some times subtle movement and sometimes huge motion jumps, twists and turns…I definitely saw a popcorn bag get tossed during my screening. Personally, I wouldn’t want to see every new film that comes out like this but I can definitely see it being an event to do every once in a while right the right film comes out. If you are curious though about this do not wait, definitely check it out because it is definitely an experience.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: 4dx, experience, knight, review, theater, transformers, ...

Book Review “Nella the Princess Knight” by Christine Ricci

Age Range: 3 – 7 years
Grade Level: Preschool – 2
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Release Date: March 7, 2017

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“Nella the Princess Knight” is the latest new animated preschool series to come out of Nick Jr. This show quickly became one of my 5 year old’s favorite series. The show is cheesy and drives me nuts personally but my girl loves it and that is all that matters to me. This is the first book in the “Nella the Princess Knight” series and tells the story of “Nella’s Unicorn Rescue”. Since receiving this book, it has become a staple for my daughter at bedtime. If your kids has discovered this show I would recommend the book for sure…and if you haven’t discovered the show my daughter would highly recommend it.

Keeping it with the family, the story is written by Christine Ricci, which is a curriculum consultant on Nick Jr. shows like “Blaze and the Monster Machines” and “Team Umizoomi”. The show is cute and works well for kids because it focuses on relationship development and positive messaging for preschoolers and promotes them to be courageous. That is a message that I want my daughter to have as she is soaking up everything around her and growing up. I look forward to future books from Random House Books for Young Readers and I hope they continue this series for “Nella the Princess Knight” for a while!

Tanner Beard talking about working on Terrence Malick’s “Knight of Cups”

With James Brown gone, Tanner Beard may easily be the new “hardest working man” in Hollywood. A recent acting job turned into a gig where he not only continued to star in the film but also co-write, co-direct, help produce, supervise the music AND do his own stunts! He is also executive producing the next two films by creative (and reclusive) filmmaker Terrence Malick. While preparing to head to Germany for the upcoming Berlin Film Festival where one of the Malick films, “Knight of Cups,” is representing the United States in competition, Mr. Beard took time out to talk to me about sixties-style movie making, who Martin Weiss is to him and whether or not there really IS a Terrence Malick.

Mike Smith: Hello fellow Virgo!
Tanner Beard: Virgo is the best you can be! Do we share the exact same birthday?
MS: Not the year, but the date.
TB: (laughing) My man!

MS: Give us a little introduction to “6 Bullets to Hell.”
TB: “6 Bullets to Hell” is a throwback to the classic Sergio Leone’ films back in the day. Kind of like Clint Eastwood – “A Fistful of Dollars” – or the original “Django” kind of style.

MS: You wear at least four different hats on the project. Was that something that was important to you to ensure a certain vision?
TB: You know, I haven’t told a lot of people this but I actually went out there as an actor and a little less than halfway through shooting they called a big meeting and we were told that the funds were about to run out. But because what we had shot so far looked so good my production company decided to come in and finish it. So we spent every night re-writing the script and making it the best we could with the time allotted that we had to shoot. It’s really an interesting story of how it got made that we haven’t shared with anyone yet.

MS: (slyly) Do you want to share it now?
TB: (laughing) Yeah. We kept sending the dailies back to the states and I kept saying it’s so great because we’re doing it like they did in the sixties. There was no sound. We decided to ADR everything after we were finished like they did in the sixties. We were shooting on the same set that literally made Clint Eastwood famous. Half of our crew was from all over the world. There were six or seven different languages spoken on set daily. We were literally making a “spaghetti” Western just like they did back in the sixties. And I said to my production company “what do you think about us coming in and taking it over?” To make it more for an American audience, as opposed to its original European market. And we ended up making a classic, late night, drive-in movie style film. It was so much fun. I learned how to ride a horse on that movie that’s for sure.

MS: What, if anything, can you share on “Knight of Cups?”
TB: “Knight of Cups” is a film with an unbelievable cast and an unbelievable director. I still pinch myself when I see my name near any of those people. People who I grew up studying and learning. I used to study Terrence Malick in film school. So now, later on, to even have my name anywhere next to his is unbelievable. It’s still settling in. Christian Bale is one of my favorite actors so to be up there with him is pretty surreal. I actually haven’t seen the full film yet…just bits and pieces. So I’m probably more excited about seeing it in Berlin then others since I haven’t seen the completed film yet.

MS: This questions is tongue in cheek but, I mean, the man is so reclusive. Have you ever actually SEEN Terrence Malick?
TB: (laughs loudly) I have! Though I’ve never seen him in America. My offices are very close to his so you would have thought I’d have run into him sometime…maybe seen him at the grocery store. But he is so dedicated to his work…he’s not out and about too often. There have been a couple times that we were supposed to go to dinner but some schedule conflictions came up. When I was in Cannes last year I got to meet him very briefly. It was a very cool moment for me because some people don’t even know what he looks like because he is SO dedicated to his craft. He’s not out on the red carpets. I am looking forward to spending more time with him in Berlin, which makes the trip so much more exciting and important to me.

MS: I had to ask. I saw a note on another untitled Malick project you are working on that stated on September 16, of last year, it was reported that a photo of Malick was taken on the set.
TB: Was that in Austin? The Ryan Gossling film?
MS: Yes.
TB: I’m surprised more pictures weren’t taken, since that’s a great day to take them on! (laughs)

MS: I couldn’t help noticing a big coincidence in your acting credits – who is Martin Weiss and why do you play him so often?
TB: (laughs) Oh my God! That’s a funny story. Probably six or seven years ago…maybe longer…I was beginning to find my way as an actor out here. Back when you used to answer actor ads on Craigslist. A really kind gentleman named Roger Lim actually was making a film and I thought it was just….that I was just making a baseball movie. But it turned out to be four movies. So it keeps showing up. He shot enough footage to make four films so my character keeps going. I actually haven’t seen them but I guess I shot more than a trilogy in two weeks!

MS: After fourteen years you’re releasing “The Beaver Trilogy, Part IV.” Is this a continuation? Is Bill Hader taking over from Crispin Glover?
TB: No, Bill Hader is actually narrating the documentary piece. “The Beaver Trilogy” has been a very interesting cult film for a long time. Jack Black was very aware and interested in it. The director has just done so much with it. It’s based on a real encounter that was videotaped and then it was re-created with various actors. Crispin Glover did a version of it very, very early on. Sean Penn did a version of it way before “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” So there were three different versions of it. It was the filmmaker’s thesis project. He created this really weird chance encounter. And now part IV is the documentary that ties all three of them together and lets the story in on where these interesting pieces came from. It’s a very cool and quirky documentary. I think people are going to like it. And it drew the attention of Sundance early on. So it’s very odd that a chance encounter from 1979 is still being talked about today.

MS: What else do you have in the pipeline?
TB: There is an animated feature that we’re working on now. We’re very early in the pre-production stages. It’s called “Fridgeport.” And we’re working on a Christmas movie called “Just Claus,” which we just started casting to being shooting in February that hopefully will be out by Christmas.

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Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: beard, cups, knight, malicks, talking, tanner, ...

DVD Review “Legends of the Knight”

Actors: Denny O’Neil, Gotham Chopra, Jill Pantozzi, Kye Sapp, Lenny B Robinson
Directors: Brett Culp
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Virgil Films and Entertainment
DVD Release Date: November 18, 2014
Run Time: 76 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

When you think about Batman, you might be also not about him being powerful and moving but after watching this documentary, I do not think I will ever think about him in the same way. This film, funded by more than 1,100 people from around the world, shows how the characters has proven to be an inspiration to millions of people facing disease, disability or hardship. “Legends of the Knight” follows encourages people to find your own courageous paths. We really see how important the character of Batman is to people. Very moving and definitely quite emotional.

Official Premise: Batman has always held a special place in the hearts of superhero fans. Orphaned at a young age, he is an emotionally intense mortal whose compassion and sense of justice have helped him rise to heroic heights. “Legends of the Knight” weaves together the uplifting true stories of individuals who have embraced their inner superhero, overcome devastating obstacles, and unselfishly given to their communities because of their love for the Caped Crusader.

This film was funded online by fans and is being released on DVD and Digital HD. The running time is just under 80 minutes but it is very effective. Be sure to have a tissue on hand since this one got me a few times. The special features included are a little light. I would have expected a little more perhaps some more extended interviews and possibly focus on the crowd funding. Included is a Charity Screenings featurette. There are just shy of 15 minutes of delete scenes included. Lastly there is a trailer included.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: dvd, knight, legends, review

Book Review “Star Wars The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight”

Author: Tony DiTerlizzi jsut him
Age Range: 6 – 8 years
Grade Level: 1 – 3
Series: Star Wars
Hardcover: 64 pages
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press
Release Date: October 7, 2014

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

As a father of a two year old daughter, it is a fathers dream to have my daughter follow in my footsteps with my love of all things “Star Wars“. Ever since she was born, she has had “Star Wars” jumpers and outfits. Since Disney bought LucasFilm they have been doing great things for the series. They have some great new content for kids.

“Star Wars The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight” tells the classic tale of good versus evil set in a galaxy far, far away, quickly became a cultural phenomenon during its time, inspiring a generation of story lovers and storytellers. The story is told through Ralph McQuarrie’s concept art. It is kid friendly and a great way to get your kids interested in the series.

Author and illustrator, Tony DiTerlizzi is the co-creator of the middle-grade series, “The Spiderwick Chronicles”. This book is his first teaming up with Lucasfilm to retell the original Star Wars trilogy in a picture book. I hope that they are planning to do many more of these.

CD Review: “Knight of Badassdom: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”

“Knight of Badassdom”
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Composer: Bear McCreary
Label: Sparks & Shadows
Run Time: 65 minutes

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

“Knight of Badassdom” is no question of the coolest titles of all time. It is directed by Joe Lynch (“Wrong Turn 2”, “Holliston”) and has been waiting to be released for a few years now. It follows three best friends (Peter Dinklage, Steve Zahn and Ryan Kwanten) and LARPers as they take to the woods to reenact a dungeons and dragons-like scenario fresh out of the mythical Middle Ages. It is a nerd’s dream come true. When I heard that Emmy Award®-Winning Composer Bear McCreary (“The Walking Dead”, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”) was making original music for the soundtrack, I high-fived the closest person to me out of shear excitement. If that isn’t enough there is still more the album features performances by heavy metal and rock names including Brendon Small (Dethklok), Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio), Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa), Steve Bartek (Oingo Boingo), Ira Ingber (Bob Dylan), Pete Griffin (Three Inches of Blood) and Joe Travers (Zappa Plays Zappa). This album is dripping with amazing talent. It is also quickly becoming one of my favorite albums to listen to.

What I look for in an album is something I can listen to over and over. “Knight of Badassdom” is a good album but it is great after multiple listens. I found myself catching little things that I didn’t catch the first time. This is not only an amazing score to the film but also a pretty kick ass rock/metal album. I really love Dethklok’s music by Brendan Small and you can really here his contribution and influence on this. There are also some really killer solos and rhythm guitars featured on this album. They went above and beyond here with these tracks. There are also featured vocals from Brendan McCreary and Raya Yarbrough on a few tracks. I love composer Bear McCreary because you can tell that he is just such a cool guy. He read the script for this film and was totally behind it. The guy is a Grammy winner and yet he still backs a small film like this by releasing it under his record label, Sparks & Shadows. He is one of the biggest composers in the business right now and I hope he continues to back future projects like this!

Speaking of amazing rhythm guitars, props need to go to Mike Keneally, Pete Griffin, and Joe Travers for rocking that section. Doug Aldrich’s insane guitar solo on “At the Gates” is a highlight on the album. One of the main things, I love about this album is how all over the place it is. From Ira Ingber playing the “down-home slide guitar” to Steve Bartek bringing the horror cues to the playing of Scottish pipes by Eric Rigler (who was featured on the score to “Braveheart”). There is a lot of range in this score and it is very entertaining. I easily left it on for about 8 hours on loop yesterday and it didn’t bore me out at all…and that is the true test to an album for me. Do you feel the urge to skip a track? No? Then you have yourself a really winner for sure! eOne Films is releasing “Knight of Badassdom” with TUGG screenings beginning on January 21st and available digitally and on VOD as of February 11, 2014. The soundtrack is available now everywhere including Amazon and iTunes. Don’t miss this album and be sure to support this film!

Blu-ray Review “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Deluxe Edition)”

Starring: Peter Weller, Michael Emerson, Gary Anthony Williams, David Selby, Ariel Winter, Mark Valley
Director: Jay Oliva
Number of discs: 3
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: October 8, 2013
Run Time: 156 minutes

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

When I saw that Warner Bros was releasing “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns” with Part 1 & 2 complete together, I thought it was a bit of a double dip but I have to let everyone know that it is not at all. This deluxe edition releases takes the two parts and puts them into one seamless cut, which runs nearly two hour and thirty minute. I will repeat that a two hour and thirty minute Batman movie, I mean HELLO NERD ALERT!! I thought the first part was great but the second part was better but having them together just makes the entire film work so much tighter. Easily this is the most bold and risky DCU animated movie yet and it only gets better with easy viewing. Highly recommended picking up this release for any Batman fan.

Official Premise: It is ten years after an aging Batman has retired, and Gotham City has sunk deeper into decadence and lawlessness. Now, when his city needs him most, the Dark Knight returns in a blaze of glory. Joined by Carrie Kelly, a teenage female Robin, Batman takes to the streets to end the threat of the mutant gangs that have overrun the city. And after facing off against his two greatest enemies, the Joker and Two-Face, for the final time, Batman finds himself in mortal combat with his former ally, Superman, in a battle that only one of them will survive.

If this brand new seamless cut wasn’t enough Warner Bros delivered this combo pack with a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet and packed it with some amazing new extras. The 1080p looks stunning (like the solo releases) and works perfectly with the mix of hand-drawn animation and CG effected for the film. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track works perfectly with the action as it explodes off the screen and kicks you in the face. It also complements Christopher Drake’s score very well.

So along with all the special features from the previously released part one and two Blu-ray’s, this deluxe edition continues to prove why it is worth the additional purchase. There is a fantastic new audio commentary track with director Jay Oliva, writer Bob Goodman and voice director Andrea Romano. The track is a blast and packs a ton of great information. This is especially cool since part one and part two didn’t include an audio commentary previously. There is also a fantastic new documentary called “Masterpiece: Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns”, which narrated by actor Malcolm McDowell. It included tons of great interviews with Miller himself and covers the story from the comic to the film and everything in between. Must see for any fan!

I thought the special features on part one are good but not stunning but put them together with the new extras and part two and it all comes together so well. Part one included. “Her Name is Carrie… Her Role is Robin” is a look at the role of a female Robin. “Batman and Me: A Devotion to Destiny, The Bob Kane Story” is a 2008 documentary that looks into the life of Batman creator. “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 Sneak Peek” is a behind the scenes look into the second part. ”The Dark Knight Returns” Digital Comic is a very short 4-page preview of Miller’s Batman epic novel, I would have loved to see the complete comic converted. Lastly there are two classic episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series Episodes”, ”Two-Face, Parts 1 & 2″, though not in HD.

The special features are more impressive than “Part 1″ release. First up, we have “From Sketch to Screen: Exploring the Adaptation Process” is a behind-the-scenes documentary which looks into the extensive work that has went into converting this comic to a movie. ”Superman vs. Batman: When Heroes Collide” is a look into who would win this epic battle. “The Joker: Laughing in the Face of Death” is a look into the twisted villians role in this final chapter. “Additional Episodes: From the DC Comics Vault” is collection of classic episodes including “The Last Laugh” and “The Man Who Killed Batman” from Batman: The Animated Series and “Battle of the Superheroes!” from Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Lastly there is an extended preview of the DCU animated movie, ”Superman Unbound”.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: batman, bluray, dark, deluxe, edition, knight, ...

Blu-ray Feature “The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector’s Edition”

Actors: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhar, Tom Hardy
Directors: Christopher Nolan
Number of discs: 6
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Run Time: 456 minutes

From the very first time that I picked up a Batman comic back in the 80’s, he was always my favorite superhero. When you think about the word superhero and then think about Batman, some can debate whether or not his is really super. But in my eyes he is definitely a hero. Batman is one of the more darker of comic book heroes. His back story is grim and he is always battling himself with what he is doing and why he is doing it and always looking for a way out. Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” trilogy has been the best portrayal of the caped crusader to date, no question. His vision of these characters are so deep and lined with tons of great themes. These themes are what take this film beyond the typical superhero action film into something with much more depth and drama. Now that Nolan’s chapter for The Dark Knight has come to an end and we are celebrating the recent release of “The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector’s Edition”, I wanted to take some time to look into these themes that are presented in these great films. I figured we have all seen the film, so I wanted to focus on something new.

When you think about “Batman Begins”, it’s main focus was the rise of our hero. His struggle and fight through his own issues and fear is what made him the hero that he became. Heroism in the film is an apparent theme. The city of Gotham has never had anyone to look up before like him and putting their well-being over his own is what helped Bruce Wayne transforms himself into their hero. This also brings up point of what makes a hero? Batman wouldn’t be where he was if he didn’t experience all his pain and suffering. That is what made him a hero and helped him to overcome it. Another theme that plays a prominent factor in “Batman Begins” is fear. Like I said Bruce Wayne fights not only the villains in the film but also is own fear. His fear of bats and his want to strike fear into his victims are two main points. Also focusing on fear would be the Scarecrow, who hoped to expose the city to fear with this hallucinogen drug.

Anarchy comes to mind when I think about “The Dark Knight”. The Joker’s role in the film is to just spread anarchy and wreck havoc in Gotham. He doesn’t have any clear reasons or purpose, he just does it because it is fun and it entertains him. His back story isn’t clear at all, especially since he changes it every time he tells the story when he asks “You wanna know how I got these scars?”. He is one of the great villains in history due to that reason of him being unpredictable and unreasonable. To be honest, I think that we are all scared of anarchy in general and what it would bring if there really was someone like Joker terrorizing our streets. That is why it resonates with us so well and we are enamored with this character. Betrayal is also a theme that The Dark Knight faces himself when the city of Gotham turns there back on him after the death of Harvey Dent.

In “The Dark Knight Rises”, I have always felt that it is a blend of all the themes from the previous film and wrapping up all open-ended questions. Carrying over from “The Dark Knight”, Bruce Wayne is dealing with the denial from Gotham turning their backs on him. He continues to fight with him fears of continuing to put on the cowl and fighting for justice. He questions his intentions and almost let’s it get the better of him. With the character of Bane, the idea of order really comes into play. Bane wants to take all order out of Gotham and succeeds for the most part when the city is under his control. His character also deals with a bit of betrayal as well as we see in his back story when we find out what made him snap. Human nature is also a very big part of the film, as we see what happens when the order is removed from society. Luckily strength defeats the chaos in the film as we seen not only Batman’s rise over his enemies and his own struggles but the city itself as they step up on their own.

So obviously these are only a few of the dozens of amazing themes included within these three very well made films. Before Nolan’s trilogy for “The Dark Knight”, you would never have thought that a “superhero” movie would have this much depth and character to it. I believe that it has changed the path for the future of these films and it will open doors for filmmakers to expand the universe of this films. I would love to open the door as well to everyone reading to point our your favorite themes from these films as well in the comments below. If you are looking to revisit these great themes and enjoy these films again, I would highly recommend picking up “The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector’s Edition”.

This amazing release includes all previous special features from the films as well as a bunch of one extras as well. “The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of The Dark Knight Trilogy”, is a behind-the-scenes look on the franchise and is full of never-before-seen footage, rare moments, and exclusive interviews. “Christopher Nolan & Richard Donner: A Conversation” is a sit down chat with directors Christopher Nolan (“The Dark Knight Trilogy”) and Richard Donner (“Superman”). Lastly there are the complete IMAX® Sequences included for “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises”. There is also some great new and exclusive memorabilia including three premium Mattel Hot Wheels Vehicles: Batmobile, Batpod and Tumbler. There is a newly commissioned collectible art cards by Mondo featuring Scarecrow, Joker, Bane, Harvey Dent, and Ra’s al Ghul and a 48-page book featuring production stills and behind-the-scenes images from all three movies. Lastly, you get digital copies of all the films to add to your Ultraviolet account. Act quick though since this set is limited and numbered to only 141,000 copies.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, collectors, dark, edition, feature, knight, ...

“The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector’s Edition” Blu-ray Debut September 24

All Three Films, New Special Features, and Memorabilia

Burbank, Calif. July 1, 2013 – Christopher Nolan’s reimagining of the Batman franchise beginning with 2005’s Batman Begins enjoyed phenomenal critical and box-office success.

Now on September 24, Nolan’s three Batman films – Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises – will be released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment as The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector’s Edition. The six-disc set will feature all three films with their existing extra content, two new featurettes and exclusive new collectible memorabilia. This must-own collection for fans of DC Comics’ Caped Crusader is available in premium packaging and will sell for $99.97 SRP.

About the Ultimate Collector’s Edition (UCE):

*Disc 1 – Batman Begins Feature and Special Features

*Disc 2 – The Dark Knight Feature

*Disc 3 – The Dark Knight Special Features

*Disc 4 – The Dark Knight Rises Feature

*Disc 5 – The Dark Knight Rises Special Features

*Disc 6 – Bonus Disc of New Special Features (details follow)

NEW Special Features:

The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of The Dark Knight Trilogy – The inside perspective on the fascinating story behind the creation of one of the most celebrated franchises and how it changed the scope of movie making….forever. Full of never-before-seen footage, rare moments, and exclusive interviews with Guillermo Del Toro, Damon Lindelof, Michael Mann, Richard Roeper, Zack Snyder and others.

Christopher Nolan & Richard Donner: A Conversation – For the first time, Directors Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Trilogy) and Richard Donner (Superman) sit down to discuss the trials and triumphs involved in bringing the two most iconic superheroes of all time to the big screen, and how Superman influenced Nolan when developing Batman Begins.
IMAX® Sequences: The Dark Knight; The Dark Knight Rises – See your favorite scenes as they were intended in the original IMAX^© aspect ratio

Exclusive NEW Memorabilia:

Premium Mattel Hot Wheels Vehicles: Batmobile, Batpod and Tumbler
Newly commissioned collectible art cards by Mondo featuring Scarecrow, Joker, Bane, Harvey Dent, and Ra’s al Ghul
48-page hardcover book featuring production stills and behind the scenes images from all three movies

About The Films

Batman Begins (2005)

Batman Begins explores the origins of the Batman legend and the Dark Knight’s emergence as a force for good in Gotham. In the wake of his parents’ murder, disillusioned industrial heir Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice and turn fear against those who prey on the fearful. He returns to Gotham and unveils his alter-ego: Batman, a masked crusader who uses his strength, intellect and an array of high tech deceptions to fight the sinister forces that threaten the city.

The Dark Knight (2008)

The follow-up to Batman Begins, The Dark Knight reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne in his continuing war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves effective, but soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker (Heath Ledger), who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces Batman closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante. Maggie Gyllenhaal joins the cast as Rachel Dawes. Returning from Batman Begins are Oldman, Michael Caine as Alfred and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.

Dark Knight Rises (2012)

It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act.

But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane. Christian Bale stars, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Morgan Freeman.

THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY: ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S EDITION (BD)

Street Date: September 24, 2013

Order Due Date: August 20, 2013

Catalog/UPC #: 1000372133 / 883929308002

Pricing: $99.97 SRP

Note: All enhanced content listed above is subject to change.

Matthew Modine reflects on working with Stanley Kubrick in "Full Metal Jacket" and Christopher Nolan in "The Dark Knight Rises"

Matthew Modine is probably known best for playing Pvt. Joker in Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket” and Louden Swain in “Vision Quest”. He recently appeared as Deputy Commissioner Peter Foley in “The Dark Knight Rises” and will be appearing later this year as John Sculley in upcoming “jOBS”. Matthew also is set to produce and voice act in Ralph Bakshi’s latest film “Last Days of Coney Island”, which is currently trying to become funded via Kickstarter. Matthew took out some time to reflect working with Stanley Kubrick in “Full Metal Jacket”, Christopher Nolan in “The Dark Knight Rises” and his role in “jOBS”. Check out the first part of our interview with him, here.

Mike Gencarelli: Can you believe that it has been 25 years since “Full Metal Jacket” and here we are still discussing it all these years later?
Matthew Modine: It is amazing. It is a testament to Stanley Kubrick and his genius. He didn’t make movies that are disposable. They continue to have relevance long after they have been released, whether it is “Paths of Glory”, “Dr. Strangelove”, “2001: A Space Odyseey” or “A Clockwork Orange”. They are just films that continue to speak to audiences. I always remember something that Stanley said “A film should be like a good piece of music. Something that you can listen to over and over again and have relevance long after it is written”. I think he tried to approach film with that mentality like a great piece of music.

MG: Tell us about the origin of your book “Full Metal Diary”?
MM: I had a tremendous experience working with Kubrick and I kept this diary while I was working on the film. He also allowed me to take photographs on the set. I had this 2 1/4 x 2 1/4-inch Rolleiflex camera that I tucked inside my jacket when we were in Vietnam and then kept in my foot locker when we were filming the boot camp. It was very rare that he allowed me to take photographs on the set because he was such a secretive and private filmmaker, but he almost encouraged it. I don’t know why but I am very grateful that he did and gave the opportunity to be able to share what that looked like. The thing about keeping my diary is that Kubrick often asked me to read my diary out loud to everyone on the set. The thing that it encouraged me to do was tot hen keep a very good diary with accurate notes. The thing that I love about the diary is that it is the voice of a young man that is in a situation that he really doesn’t understand. It is not a reflection is my point. It is not somebody looking back at a time working with Stanley Kubrick, as a recollection. What you experience when you reach it is this naive person about a circumstance that he doesn’t understand and I think that makes it quite unique.

MG: How did your diary go from book to the new iPad app?
MM: I was approach by Adam Rackoff. He used to work for Apple. He was one of the geniuses that worked for them. Steve Jobs was his boss. He was responsible for opening stores, advertising and more. I had done a presentation at the Apple Store in Soho talking about how the book was made on a Mac. He really just loved the book and knew that their were only 20,000 copies of the books made each with a serial number. So years later, the iPad come out with these amazing apps. He told me that he thought it would be an perfect iPad app. He said he would have me record the story in my own voice, do characterizations for the people talked about in the stories, have someone do original score along with sound effects and create this amazing and deeply immersible experience for people to enjoy with iPads. The final thing that sealed the deal for me is that he said that it would be something that Stanley Kubrick would be proud of. So with us holding the bar that high for Stanley Kubrick, that was the criteria for this…was it good enough for Stanley? In the end, I think we created something that he would definitely be impressed with.

MG: Last year you played Deputy Commissioner Peter Foley in “The Dark Knight Rises”, tell us about that experience?
MM: The thing that was amazing about that film is that people are always comparing Christopher Nolan to Stanley Kubrick. As big as that film was, as large as the cast was, the budget…everything – when you came on the set of “The Dark Knight Rises” it felt like an intimate independent film. Nolan creates an environment on the set that makes it feel very intimate. He doesn’t have a video village. He has this little monitor he wears around his neck. He is not one of those directors that is hiding behind a bunch of monitors and away from the set. He stands on the set and is with his actors and his crew. He is curious about what his technicians are going and what the actors are thinking and saying. I think that may not sound like what a director is suppose to do but you will be surprised at how many filmmakers are not that involved. There is so much chaos on a film set that you don’t know who is directing the movie. Is it the producers? Is it the writer? The crew? The director of photography Nolan is really the the captain of his ship. His wife is his producing partner and his brother is his writing partner. It is just a very tight and intimate environment. I mean how often does anyone have such a great character arc in that kind of a film. I just hope I get the opportunity to work with him again.

MG: You mentioned Apple and later this year you also have your role of John Sculley in “jOBS” coming, what can we expect?
MM: I haven’t seen the finished film but it was extraordinary to work on. I think that Ashton Kutcher did an amazing job from the work I saw. He was really fully committed to doing Steve Jobs justice. It is amazing to see how much he began to look and sound like him. I am looking forward to see it. I know it closed the Sundance Film Festival, was received positively and received a distribution deal. So all the signs are that it will be an entertaining film.

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Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: christopher, dark, full, jacket, knight, kubrick, ...

Blu-ray Review "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – Part 2"

Actors: Peter Weller, Michael Emerson, David Selby, Michael McKean, Ariel Winter
Directors: Jay Oliva
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Run Time: 78 minutes

Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

After viewing “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – Part 1”, I was literally counting down the days till “Part 2”. Well it has finally arrived and holy shit is it amazing!! Frank Miller’s 1986 novel comes to a stunning conclusion. I thought that “Part 1” was amazing but then this film came around and it literally blows this the first out of the water. Peter Weller really kicks some major ass as the aged Batman and while Michael Emerson is no Mark Hamill he does a decent Joker. Batman not only battles The Joker but also The Man of Steel, Superman. Frank Miller really captured the essence of our caped crusader and it has been well represented here. This film is as epic as they come.

Official Premise: The Dark Knight along with new sidekick Robin have finally reclaimed Gotham City and allowed a ray of hope to penetrate the reign of terror that The Mutants had cast upon his city. With Batman back in the spotlight the extended media coverage has awoken a far worse evil at Arkham Asylum The Joker! Forever destined to be mortal enemies The Joker has a diabolical scheme that may pull Batman down to the darkest levels of insanity. While on the horizon a global catastrophe races towards Gotham and with it comes a familiar face The Man of Steel though this time he has Batman in his sights. Witness as the aging Dark Knight wages a tireless war against crime while proving that courage and will are indeed timeless.

Warner Premiere has really delivered another fantastic Blu-ray combo pack like with “Part 1” also including a Blu-ray + DVD + Ultraviolet Digital Copy. The 1080p is crystal clear and works perfect with the animation. The action is this amped up with the epic battle between our two superheros. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 delivers the mood and action of this concluding chapter perfectly. Both the audio and video are in part with “Part 1” and equally successfully.

The special features are more impressive than “Part 1” release. First up, we have “From Sketch to Screen: Exploring the Adaptation Process” is a behind-the-scenes documentary which looks into the extensive work that has went into converting this comic to a movie. “Superman vs. Batman: When Heroes Collide” is a look into who would win this epic battle. “The Joker: Laughing in the Face of Death” is a look into the twisted villians role in this final chapter. “Additional Episodes: From the DC Comics Vault” is collection of classic episodes including “The Last Laugh” and “The Man Who Killed Batman” from Batman: The Animated Series and “Battle of the Superheroes!” from Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Lastly there is an extended preview of the next DCU animated movie, “Superman Unbound”.

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Blu-ray Review "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – Part 1"

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

After Christopher Nolan’s fantastic trilogy, DC and Warner Premiere has decided to keep it dark and go with Frank Miller’s groundbreaking “Dark Knight Returns” arc. The animated film itself is split into a two-part feature-length films. They take a more violent and brutal look into our comic book anti-hero. “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – Part 1” is one of the best films to come out of the DC Animated Universe. You forget that this film is only an animated film with how epic this feels. I wish that all of the DC Animated films took a page from this film. I am not sure on Frank Miller feels on this but it feels like it literally jumps off his page on into your face!

Warner Premiere has really delivered a beautiful Blu-ray combo pack including a Blu-ray + DVD + Ultraviolet Digital Copy. The 1080p looks beyond amazing and works perfectly with the mix of hand-drawn animation and CG effected for the film. DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 works perfectly with the darkness that this film carries. The action explodes off the screen and kicks you in the face.

The special features includes are good but not spectacular. “Her Name is Carrie… Her Role is Robin” ius a look at the role of a female Robin. “Batman and Me: A Devotion to Destiny, The Bob Kane Story” is a 2008 documentary that looks into the life of Batman creator. “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 Sneak Peek” is a behind the scenes look into the second part. “The Dark Knight Returns” Digital Comic is a very short 4-page preview of Miller’s Batman epic novel, I would have loved to see the complete comic converted. Lastly there are two classic episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series Episodes”, “Two-Face, Parts 1 & 2”, which would have been amazing if it was in HD but it is not.

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LAIKA’s Travis Knight & Arianne Sutner chat about creating “ParaNorman”

Travis Knight is the CEO/President/Lead Animator of LAIKA, which is the animation studio behind films like “ParaNorman” and “Coraline”. Arianne Sutner is the producer of “ParaNorman”. “ParaNorman” is the latest film from the studio and will be released on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack on November 27th, 2012. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Travisa and Arianne about their work with stop-motion and what they have planned next.

Mike Gencarelli: Arianne, you’ve been working in stop-motion since “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, what is it that draws you to this medium?
Arianne Sutner: When I was starting out I was always a fan of animation and family movies. I was working in the Bay area and the movie that was happening around that time was “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas”. Part of it also was that you get to work on the project for a long time and it was still very new at the time and very exciting. When I started working in that environment, I just love that you create everything by hand. There were these fantastic stages that you get to work on and also the fact that it was this collaborative process. You really get to feel everything and get very involved. I really fell in love with it. I worked at other places like Pixar, in their beginning and they are making fantastic movies. But it is the experience of working on these movies that I love so much and the kind of people that are drawn to them. I always say that it is really fun and Travis says that I am crazy, which is true. You really get your hands dirty and get to collaborate and with some real great artists.

MG: Travis, How does the LAIKA President & CEO also end up being the lead animator on projects like “Coraline” and “ParaNorman”?
Travis Knight: I have been an artist my entire life. I fell in love with stop-motion, since I was child. Ultimately, I wanted to figure out how it was done before the internet or animation schools etc. So I was just learning by practice. It is something that has been a part of my life for 30 years now. I was an artist long before I was an executive. I have described myself as an artist trying to find his inner-executive. As I have been trying to move the company forward, it was always important to me as I began the process of building the company that I never lose the direct connection with the work because it’s what it is all about. It is why we do this. It is why we got drawn to creating something of great beauty. It is something that is critical to me. I think also to have the head of the studio in the trenches with all the other artists and filmmakers, rolling up my sleeves and getting my hands dirty and being a part of the creative process helps to define the sensibility of what the company is all about. We really are all about finding a beautiful way of telling these classic stories in this extraordinary art form of stop-motion.

MG: Arianne, You took on the role of producer in “ParaNorman”; what was your most challenging aspect?
AS: I think it is to make sure that the script we got was so beautiful, so well picked, so ambitious and overall something that was really special that had various different layers. Also that it was at the same time entertaining and had certain messages that we believed in. We wanted to make sure that it brought to life the way that Chris (Butler) intended it. While also making sure that we met Travis’ standards and to have the best stop-motion animation in the world. I think that was my biggest overall challenge that I was reaching for everyday.
TK: Arianne is fairly humble. She really is like a little marvel. She held the entire production on her shoulders. Every day some new crazy challenge was thrown her way and she handled all them with this amazing grace. The fact that we brought this extraordinary film on time and under budget is a testament to her leadership.

MG: Travis, How does the production on “ParaNorman” differ to “Coraline”?
TK: With “Coraline”, it was the first film that we had done from the ground up. So everything was new. We were forging new ground. In some ways we didn’t know better. We had really grand ambition and wouldn’t accept the fact that we couldn’t do certain things with conventional stop-motion, in the sense of what you can do in this medium. So that meant incorporating technology that wasn’t done before. The natural enemy of stop-motion, this age old craft, is technology. We decided to embrace technology and to bring that forward as part of the process with digital capture systems, 3D photography, laser cutters and rapid prototyping. That way we were able to embrace the machine in a way that hasn’t been done before. It allowed us to expand the scope of the movie. We built on that to an incredible extent for “ParaNorman” and we took it even further than we could have imagined for “Coraline”. I think that process of innovating to tell incredible stories in this medium by fusing those two aspects together, art craft and technology, led us to a place where we can really seize our ambitions and see them realized on the big screen. When you look at the evolution in the visual stylization in the technical execution between “ParaNorman” and “Coraline”, it is fairly remarkable that it happened in only three years.

MG: Why do you think that stop-motion films tend to deal with darker subject matter?
TK: That is an interesting question. We can’t fully appreciate what that means until we see how the thing plays out in the fullness of time. I think when you look at the history of stop-motion film; there is a very small amount of films made in this medium. You can attribute about half of them to two guys, Tim Burton and Henry Selick. They have this dark gothic sensibility. When these guys make the films they want to make…they make them. I think you can look at our films and they don’t have that sensibility. They have this warmer sensibility that is distinctly British but is all very entertaining. So I think you need to look at those two things and see that there is nothing inherently creepy or dark about stop-motion. I think also when you have an inanimate object that is brought to life by the hands of an animator; there is something weird about that. They move is this weird jerky kind of way, which does gives a certain creepy feeling. One of the things that we have been trying to do at LAIKA is to really take the performances in the animation of these stop-motion puppets to an entirely new level and make them feel very human. So that people can connect with these emotional characters on the screen. It is really difficult to do that in stop-motion. I think it was important us to get over that hurdle of making these things creepy. I think you can certainly see with “Coraline” and “ParaNorman” they share some DNA in common. Moving forward, I do think that it is important for us at LAIKA to expand what we do and that is telling different kinds of stories in different kinds of ways. So when you see the next handful of films from our company hopefully they will not look or feel like anything we’ve done before.

MG: What’s next in the cards for LAIKA?
TK: We are very selective on the project that we take on. Currently we do have about ten projects in various forms of development. It is a combination of things that are adaptations of literature and original projects. “Coraline” was an adaptation of a Neil Gaiman novel and “ParaNorman” was an original idea. These things take a long time to make since the pace is graceful. There was about three years between “Coraline” and “ParaNorman”. There will be about two years between “ParaNorman” and our next film. We are trying to truncate the time period, so ultimately we are on an annual release schedule and releasing a film every year. It is a challenge and is difficult to do that but it is something that we are shooting for. But that is path that we are aiming for.

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Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: arianne, chat, creating, knight, laikas, paranorman, ...

Blu-ray Review “The Dark Knight Rises”

Actors: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy
Directors: Christopher Nolan
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: December 4, 2012
Run Time: 165 minutes

Film: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

Prior to the release of “The Dark Knight Rises”, there were many questions that were being asked. Most importantly “Could it actually be better “The Dark Knight”? Well, the answer is no but it is still fantastic and easily one of the best films of the year. “The Dark Knight” exists in a world entirely of it own. It is by far the best superhero movie to date, yes even better than “The Avengers”. “The Dark Knight Rises” does provide a very satisfying ending to a fantastic trilogy from Christopher Nolan. I am sure some might disagree but I was left very happy with how the events came together in this film. But I have to give Tom Hardy the coolness award since Bane was easily my favorite part of the film and no, his voice was not a problem for me at all. In fact, his voice was one of the factors that I loved the most. Speaking of voices, I am also glad that Bale calmed down his Batman voice, so it is not so cowlI saw this film in IMAX and though it is a hard act to follow the Blu-ray presentation is extremely impressive as well.

This releases comes in a three-disc set including two Blu-rays and one DVD. There is also a Ultraviolet digital streaming copy included. Warner Bros’ 1080p transfer does look stunning, as I started to say above. The most important factor is that the switch between traditionally filmed sequences presented at 2.40:1 and 70mm IMAX scenes presented at 1.78:1 are seamless. Though, I was impressed most with the audio on the film. Literally my surround sound was pumping with this DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. I wasn’t a major fan of Hans Zimmer’s score prior to this but I was really digging it on this Blu-ray. I see myself revisiting this score again now. Overall easily, one of the best Blu-ray presentations of the year!

Before we get to the special features, I would like to quickly mention that Warner Bros has just released the new “The Dark Knight Rises FX” app, which is jam-packed with some really cool features including being able to shoot their own video and have the Camo Tumbler drive through it; put themselves in the Camo Tumbler in a photo. You can also impose yourself into The Dark Knight Rises “RISE” poster and also place the mask from Batman, Bane or Catwoman onto your own photo. This is highly recommended for all fans of the film. The app is free and available now from the App store and is compatible with 4th generation iPod touch devices, iPhone 4, iPad2 and the New iPad. Check it out, here.

The special features are impressive and a really step up from fellow-superhero Blu-ray release “The Avengers”. Most of the extras of located on the second Blu-ray with the exception of “The Second Screen Experience”, which allows allows you to sync your device with the Blu-ray for additional content. The first feature on the second disc is quite the whooper filed under “Production”, running just over an hour. It is consisted of twelve featurettes including “The Prologue: High-Altitude Hijacking,” “Return to the Batcave,” “Beneath Gotham,” “The Bat,” “Batman vs. Bane,” “Armory Accepted,” “Gameday Destruction,” “Demolishing a City Street,” “The Pit,” “The Chant,” “The War on Wall Street” and “Race to the Reactor.” They feature Christopher Nolan along with cast and crew as they dig deep into the film’s production. “Characters” are broken down in two three featurettes, totally about 30 minutes, including “The Journey of Bruce Wayne,” “Gotham’s Reckoning” (Bane) and “A Girl’s Gotta Eat” (Selina Kyle). “Reflections” consists of two features including “Shadows & Light in Large Format” which focuses on Wally Pfister role and “The End of a Legend” looks into the end of this trilogy. “The Batmobile” is an awesome piece on of the coolest aspects of Batman…his car, it also runs just sign of an hour. Lastly there are four theatrical trailers summing up this release.

Official Premise: The Dark Knight Rises” is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act. But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane.

“The Dark Knight Rises” available on Blu-ray Combo pack, DVD and for download 12/4!
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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, dark, knight, review, rises

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