Win Passes To See “Run All Night” in Kansas City on March 11th [ENDED]

So successful was our giveaway last week that, once again, Media Mikes is teaming with Warner Brothers to give (50) of our readers (and a guest) another chance to see the upcoming film, “Run All Night,” this coming Wednesday night in Kansas City.

The film, which stars Liam Neeson and Ed Harris, will be shown on March 11, 2015 at the Cinemark Palace on the Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri. The screening will start at 7:30 p.m.

All you have to do is go to http://www.wbtickets.com/MediaMikesRAN to receive your pass for (2). Passes are on a first-come, first-served basis. Good luck!

http://www.runallnightmovie.com
https://facebook.com/RunAllNightMovie

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National Bubble Week – Celebrate with Gazillion Bubbles – March 8th-14th

Despite what the thermometer says for many in the country, spring is just around the corner. And with spring comes flowers, warmer weather, children playing outside and Gazillion National Bubble Week (March 8th  – 14th).

National Bubble Week originated in 2000 as a way to celebrate spring. Because bubbles are such an iconic, fun outside toy, it’s only natural to use these floating spheres to usher in the season synonymous with outdoor play, laughter and sunshine.

Here are some ways everyone can celebrate!

First, get some bubbles! Gazillion Bubbles solution makes the biggest, brightest and most colorful bubbles around! And ramp it up with awesome bubble toys!

o   Gazillion Bubble Monsoon — create a skyward storm of bubbles instantly! Simply replace the cap on the bottle of bubble solution with the auto-feed cap (included), attach the solution bottle to the machine, press the button and watch in amazement as the sky fills with bubbles!

o   Gazillion Bubbles Tornado — This machine may be small, but once you pour in Gazillion Bubbles solution, you’ll instantly see an endless flurry of bubbles with the Gazillion Bubbles Tornado!

o   Gazillion Bubbles Bump-N-Go Bubble Car – Fuel the car with Gazillion Bubbles solution, turn the car on and watch as it drives around, blowing bubbles on the go! Don’t worry if it bumps into something, it will change direction and keep moving while a trail of bubbles follows in its path.

Try out some bubble tricks! How do bubbles work? Are bubbles always round? What happens to bubbles when you change the temperature? Test out these questions and more with fun, easy bubble experiments.

o   Find all the bubble experiments here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/bh3rgf7lp8wzt53/Bubbleexperiments.pdf?dl=0

Take the bubble test! Did you know:

o   A Bubble Gets Its Color From Iridescence: As waves of light pass through the bubble, it gets distorted by reflecting off different layers of soap film.

o   You Can Freeze Bubbles: A bubble’s shell is composed of a layer of water molecules surrounded by two thin layers of soap. Technically, a bubble will freeze below 32 degrees Fahrenheit like all water. The only problem is that bubbles tend to burst after a few seconds, so in order to see a bubble freeze, the temperature needs to fall to a temperature that will freeze water molecules more quickly.

o   Why Do Bubbles Burst?: Anything that fractures the tenuous layer of water molecules can cause a bubble to burst. For example, a gust of wind or an object (like your finger) will easily cause a bubble to burst. Also, a bubble will burst if enough of the water molecules evaporate.

o   Many Bubbles Makes A Foam: When many bubbles are joined together, it becomes a foam. From cappuccinos to the foam on the top of your beer, bubbles are all around us.

Gazillion Bubbles are loved the world over by people of all ages.  There’s even a Gazillion Bubble Show in New York City (http://gazillionbubbleshow.com/), and an exhibit at the So Cal Children’s Museum focused on them.  For kids, bubbles are pure fun for spring and summer outdoor frolic.  For adults, (where you’ll find them at events such as proms, weddings and more,) they symbolize peace, harmony and beauty.

Our suggestion:  start BUBBLE SEASON right, and pop into a store today to stock up.  And don’t forget to share your bubble memories and enter the annual photo contest with prizes monthly March 1, 2015 to August 30, 2015 www.facebook.com/funrisetoys.

Socialize with us – #BubbleWeek – @GazillionBubble, and www.facebook.com/funrisetoys

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Filed Under: Toys Tagged With: 8th14th, bubble, bubbles, celebrate, gazillion, march, ...

America’s Favorite Furry Monster Makes Learning Fun as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and Sesame Workshop Release “Sesame Street: The Best of Elmo 3” on DVD and Digital March 3, 2015!

DVD Includes Bonus Full-Length Feature, “Elmo and Abby’s Birthday Fun”!

BURBANK, CA (February 18, 2015) – Elmo is back and more lovable than ever as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, release Sesame Street: The Best of Elmo 3 on DVD and digital on March 3, 2015 for $14.98 SRP. This trip down memory lane will teach Elmo fans both young and old about the importance of friendship and helping others. Elmo sings and dances his way through numbers, letters, vocabulary, and emotions with his Sesame Street pals and a few famous friends like Melissa McCarthy, Taye Diggs, Drew Brees, Romeo Santos, and many more! Order due date is January 27, 2015.

Elmo fans will love this new DVD where everyone’s favorite furry and red friend is reminded of all the fun, friends and music he’s made on Sesame Street. Join Elmo as he does “The Elmo Slide,” finds out about “The Power of Yet” with Janelle Monae, and sings about the number 5 with the band Train. Elmo learns about counting, vocabulary and even how manage his emotions in the hit song, “Belly Breathe” with Colbie Caillat and Common. This special collection is filled with Elmo moments fans will treasure. As an added extra, this release features a special bonus title which will provide over two hours of Elmo!

“With such great response from the release of Sesame Street: The Best of Elmo 2, Warner Home Bros. Home Entertainment is thrilled to release the next edition, Sesame Street: The Best of Elmo 3,” said Jeff Brown, WBHE Executive Vice President and GM of Non-Theatrical Franchise Marketing. “Kids now have the opportunity to see their favorite TV character’s most memorable segments all on one fantastic DVD.”

Celebrating its impressive 45th anniversary this season, Sesame Street is the #1 top-of-mind preschool show with moms. The series has received more Emmy awards than any other show in television history, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award.

About Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street which reaches 156 million children across more than 150 countries. The Workshop’s mission is to use the educational power of media to help all children reach their highest potential. Delivered through a variety of platforms, including television programs, digital experiences, books and community engagement, its research-based programs are tailored to the needs of the communities and countries they serve, helping children everywhere grow smarter, stronger and kinder. For more information, visit us at www.sesameworkshop.org.

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

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Filed Under: Film Headlines Tagged With: 2015, 3, americas, bros, digital, dvd, ...

NCAA March Madness vs. NBA Playoffs – A Battle of the Basketballs

Any basketball fans out there? As we approach the end of the season, the burning question for sports way is which is the best way to end it properly. Some will same NCAA March Madness and some will say NBA Playoffs. If you are conflicted, take a look at this amazing infographic and let it give you the facts behind each.

Feel free to enter your comments below and let us know what are your thoughts, feeling and of course most importantly predictions for the end of this season!


Via: Equip Supply

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Filed Under: Commentary Tagged With: basketballs, battle, madness, march, nba, ncaa, ...

Cher Announces “Dressed to Kill” Tour Beginning March 22nd in Phoenix

49 City North American Tour Celebrates the Legend’s New “Closer To The Truth” CD

It’s now official. The one and only Cher herself revealed that she will kick off her “Dressed To Kill” 49 city North American Tour beginning in Phoenix on March 22nd with stops in NY, LA, Boston, Las Vegas, and other major markets. Cher shared the happy news with her fans following her performance on the Today Show this morning.

A full list of “Dressed to Kill” tour dates and cities follows this release. The national tour promoter is Marshall Arts USA. For ticket information and to sign up for tour updates please go to Cher.com.

Cher’s previous tour “The Farewell Tour” later dubbed “The Never Can Say Goodbye Tour” was one of the most successful tours ever by a solo artist and played for a record-breaking 325 dates and seen by over 5.5 million people.

American Express® Cardmembers can purchase their tickets to select cities before the general public beginning Monday September 30th, 10am through Thursday, October 3rd, 10pm.

For all online tickets purchased (presale and general public), ticketholders will receive a free copy of Cher’s new album “Closer To The Truth”, out September 24th on Warner Bros Records.

Cher is in New York this week celebrating the album’s release with upcoming appearances on David Letterman (Sept. 24th) and Live! with Kelly & Michael (October 1st). Cher will also be appearing as a mentor with Blake Shelton on NBC’s The Voice airing in October.

CHER ‘DRESSED TO KILL’ TOUR
Sat, March 22 Phoenix, AZ  – US Airways Center
*Mon, March 24 Houston, TX – Toyota Center
*Wed, March 26 Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Fri, March 28 Little Rock, AR – Verizon Arena
Sat, March 29 Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
Mon, March 31 Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Wed, April 2 Pittsburgh, PA – Consol Energy Center
*Fri, April 4 Washington DC – Verizon Center
Sat, April 5 Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun
Mon, April 7 Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre
Wed, April 9 Boston, MA – TD Garden
Fri, April 11 Indianapolis, IN – Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Sat, April 12 Detroit, MI – Joe Louis Arena
Wed, April 23 Buffalo, NY – First Niagara Center
Fri, April 25 Montreal, QC – Bell Center
Sat, April 26 Ottawa, ON Canada – Tire Centre
*Mon, April 28 Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Wed, April 30 Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
Fri, May 2 Cleveland, OH – Quicken Loans Arena
Mon, May 5 Charlotte, NC – Times Warner Cable Arena
Wed, May 7 Raleigh, NC – PNC Arena
*Fri, May 9 Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
*Sat, May 10 East Rutherford, NJ – Izod Center
*Mon, May 12 Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena
Wed, May 14 Jacksonville, FL – Veterans Memorial Arena
Fri, May 16 Orlando, FL – Amway Center
Sat, May 17 Ft. Lauderdale, FL – BB&T Center
Sun, May 25 Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand
Wed, May 28 Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
Fri, May 30 Lincoln, NE – Pinnacle Bank Arena
Sat, May 31 Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
Mon, June 2 Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
Wed, June 4 St. Louis, MO – Scottrade Center
Fri, June 6 Milwaukee, WI – BMO Harris Bradley Center
Sat, June 7 Chicago, IL – Allstate Arena
Mon, June 9 Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena
Wed, June 11 Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
Fri, June 20 Winnipeg, MB – MTS Centre
Sat, June 21 Saskatoon, SK – Credit Union Centre
Mon, June 23 Edmonton, AB – Rexall Place
Wed, June 25 Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
Fri, June 27 Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
*Sat, June 28 Seattle, WA – Key Arena
Mon, June 30 Portland, OR – Moda Center
*Wed, July 2 San Jose, CA – SAP Center at San Jose
Sat, July 5 Ontario, CA – Citizens Business Bank Arena
*Mon, July 7 Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center
*Wed, July 9 Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
Fri, July 11 San Diego, CA – Valley View Casino Center

(*American Express® Cardmembers can purchase tickets before the general public.*)

 

 

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Win Family of Four Pack to See Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival at UCF Arena in Orlando FL This March! [ENDED]

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AND WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL. PLEASE CHECK BACK EACH WEEK FOR NEW GIVEAWAYS!

To celebrate Disney Live!’s latest show “Mickey’s Music Festival”, Media Mikes would like to giveaway a FAMILY FOUR PACK of tickets to see the 5:30pm show on March 3rd. If you would like to enter for your chance to win one of these great prizes, please leave us a comment below or send us an email indicating your favorite Disney character. This giveaway will remain open until February 15th at Noon, Eastern Time. This is open to residents of the United States only. One entry per person, per household. All other entries will be considered invalid. Media Mikes will randomly select winners. Winners will be alerted via email.

Mickey Mouse and friends rock the world with the stars from The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story in their new touring show Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival. Disney hits are remixed to the hottest sounds of today featuring hip hop, pop, swing, reggae, rock, country and much more! The irresistible lineup of performers, including Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy; Ariel, Sebastian and Ursula; Jasmine, Aladdin and Genie; and Woody, Buzz and Jessie; are among the more than 25 Disney stars featured in this jam session fit for the entire family! You can’t resist dancing, singing, playing your air-guitar and laughing with this band of characters! Come join them at Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival for a lively concert experience guaranteed to deliver enough rockin’ memories to last a lifetime.

UCF Arena, Orlando FL
March 3, 2013
View Venue Info

Visit the official show web site

Visit the Facebook page

 

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Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival Comes to the UCF Arena in Orlando FL This March!

Mickey Mouse and friends rock the world with the stars from The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story in their new touring show Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival. Disney hits are remixed to the hottest sounds of today featuring hip hop, pop, swing, reggae, rock, country and much more! The irresistible lineup of performers, including Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy; Ariel, Sebastian and Ursula; Jasmine, Aladdin and Genie; and Woody, Buzz and Jessie; are among the more than 25 Disney stars featured in this jam session fit for the entire family! You can’t resist dancing, singing, playing your air-guitar and laughing with this band of characters! Come join them at Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival for a lively concert experience guaranteed to deliver enough rockin’ memories to last a lifetime.

Coming soon to:
UCF Arena
March 3, 2013
View Venue Info

Visit the official show web site

Visit the Facebook page

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Filed Under: Art/Theatre Tagged With: area, disney, festival, fl, live, march, ...

3D Blu-ray Review “Laurel & Hardy: March of the Wooden Soldiers in 3D”

Actors: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy
Directors: Gus Meins
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: 3D Classics
Release Date: October 30, 2012
Run Time: 77 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Laurel & Hardy are comedic legends…always will be.  “March of the Wooden Soldiers” is based on Victor Herbert’s 1903 operetta “Babes in Toyland”. This 1934 film has been spectacularly restored and presented in color…but there is still more this new release from Legends Films has been enhanced with a stunning stereoscopic 3D transfer.  The film is still a little bit creepy (as it has always been), but still fun to watch around the holidays. This is the first time that you have ever seen this film like this and let me tell you it looks good!

Official Premise: Imagine an enchanted fantasy world of timeless characters and magical moments where nothing goes right for the clumsy toymakers Stannie Dum and Ollie Dee. When a notorious scoundrel, Barnaby, demands to marry the beautiful Little Bo Peep, guess who secretly emerges as the blushing bride? Based on the original Babes in Toyland, this movie is a dazzling spectacle of 6-foot wooden soldiers, Mother Goose characters and the beloved team of Laurel and Hardy.

The original black and white tape was completely restored using the Legend Films proprietary restoration technology and then was colorized in High Definition resolution. So on this release we have the fully restored color and black and white versions.  There are no special features included on this release though unfortunately. I would have loved to see some classic shorts or other vintage goodies.  Nonetheless, Legend Films has scored again with another great restored and in this case 3D conversion. Can’t see what they have planned next.

 

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Re-imagined “Footloose” to hit Blu-ray/DVD on March 6


“Footloose,” the 2011 update of the classic 1984 film, will hit the shelves
this coming Tuesday, March 6th.

The “FOOTLOOSE” Blu-ray/DVD combo pack includes over an hour of bonus features such as deleted scenes, a look back at the original film, featurettes on the stars and their dancing, commentary by Brewer, music videos and more. In addition, all Blu-ray and DVD releases available for purchase will be enabled with UltraViolet, a new way to collect, access and enjoy movies. With UltraViolet, consumers can add movies to their digital collection in the cloud, and then stream or download them – safely and securely – to a variety of devices.

FOOTLOOSE Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack
The FOOTLOOSE Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English
5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby
Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description with English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The DVD in the combo pack is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with English
5.1 Dolby Digital Surround, French 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround, Spanish 5.1
Dolby Digital Surround and English Audio Description with English, French,
Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The digital copy is presented in English
and is compatible with iTunes® and Windows Media. Bonus features on the

Blu-ray are as follows:
· Commentary by director Craig Brewer
· Jump Back: Re-Imagining Footloose
· Everybody Cut: The Stars of Footloose
· Dancing with the Footloose Stars
· Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by director Craig Brewer
· “Footloose” Music Video by Blake Shelton
· “Fake ID” Music Video by Big & Rich
· “Holding Out For A Hero” Music Video by Ella Mae Bowen
· Footloose Rap

FOOTLOOSE will also be available on a single-disc DVD presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround, French 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround and English Audio Description with English, French and Spanish subtitles. The disc includes the following special features:
· Commentary by director Craig Brewer
· Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by director Craig Brewer
· “Fake ID” Music Video by Big & Rich

Read Media Mikes Blu-ray/DVD review of “Footloose” here:

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“In the Land of Blood and Honey” Available March 27th on Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack

Academy Award® Winner Angelina Jolie Makes Her Acclaimed
Filmmaking Debut with the 2012 Golden Globe® Nominee for
Best Foreign Language Film – IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY

Featuring Both Authentic Language Theatrical and Never-Before-Seen English-Language Versions of the Film Available March 27th on
Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack. Get Both Versions Early on Digital and VOD – February 24th*

“Extraordinary! A total triumph!” -Danny Miller, MSN News

“Brilliant! A powerful, important, humane and uncompromising film.” – Pete Hammond / BACKSTAGE MAGAZINE

“Jolie is a startlingly effective director.” – John Powers / VOGUE

Culver City, CA (2/13/12) – From Academy Award® winner Angelina Jolie (Best Supporting Actress, Girl, Interrupted, 1999) comes the acclaimed war drama IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY, available March 27th on Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Jolie makes her stunning directorial and screenwriting debut with this gripping tale of love and survival set against the backdrop of the Bosnian War. Nominated for a 2012 Golden Globe® Award for Best Foreign Language Film, IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY has been hailed by critics as “the starkest, most relentless film about war since Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket.” (David Ehrenstein, Quarterly Review of Film & Video). Now, movie fans can experience this riveting film with a Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack which includes two versions of the film –the authentic language film with English subtitles on the Blu-ray and the English language version featured on the DVD disc. Both versions of the film will arrive early on VOD and Digital on February 24th.

The Blu-ray combo pack includes a “Making of” featurette that goes behind the scenes of filming in two languages with a local cast, who share their painful stories of their personal conflict during the war. Exclusively available on the Blu-ray version is a Q&A with Jolie and Actress Vanesa Glodjo.

IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY is the winner of the Producers Guild of America’s 2012 Stanley Kramer Award, which honors films whose “achievement or contribution illuminates provocative social issues in an accessible and elevating fashion.”

Synopsis: Set against the backdrop of the Bosnian War that tore the Balkan region apart in the 1990s, IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY tells the story of Danijel and Ajla, two people from different sides of a brutal ethnic conflict. Danijel, a soldier fighting for the Serbs, and Ajla, a Bosnian held captive in the camp he oversees, knew each other before the war, and could have found love with each other. But as the armed conflict takes hold of their lives, their relationship grows darker, their motives and connection to one another ambiguous, their allegiances uncertain.

IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY features an all-Bosnian cast that includes Zana Marjanovic, Goran Kostic and Rade Serbedzija, cinematography by Academy Award® winner Dean Semler (1990, Best Cinematography, Dances with Wolves) and music by Academy Award® winner Gabriel Yared (1997, Best Music, The English Patient). It was produced by Angelina Jolie, Graham King, Tim Headington and Tim Moore.

The film has a run time of approximately 126 minutes and has been rated R for war violence and atrocities including rape, sexuality, nudity and language.

Blu-ray™ and DVD Bonus Material:
· “The Making of In the Land of Blood and Honey” Featurette
· Deleted Scenes
Blu-ray™ Exclusive:
· Q&A with Writer/Director Angelina Jolie and Actress Vanesa Glodjo

“Academy Award®” is the registered trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

* English-language version available on select providers.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; worldwide television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 142 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.

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DVD Review “The Ides of March”

Directed by: George Clooney
Starring: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright, Evan Rachel Wood
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 101 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Normally, I stay far away from political dramas but this drew me in with its one hell of a powerful cast. George Clooney not only co-stars he directs, produces and co-wrote this film. Ryan Gosling continues to take over the world of acting. Paul Giamatti also gives a great performance and has great execution on his lines. Which brings me to discuss the dialogue in the film.  It is so sharp and leaves you hanging on every next word. The pacing of the film is also so fast yet very precise and well planned. This is a must to check out for sure if you haven’t already.

The story follows Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling), the Junior Campaign Manager, who is working with for Mike Morris (George Clooney), Governor of Pennsylvania, as they are campaigning to win the preliminaries for Ohio and secure the candidacy for the Democratic party. Of course in any political race there is lies, deceit and cover-ups. All that and more is included in this story and it asks the question: How much are you will to give up to win and how far are you looking to go?

The special features are a decent overall are are mostly saved by a strong commentary track from George Clooney and co-writer/co-producer Grant Heslov. It is a great companion to the film as they discuss the making-of elements of the film. Definitely enjoyable. Next up, the feature “Believe: George Clooney” features Clooney talking about wearing all the different hates on this production. Lastly “On the Campaign: The Cast of The Ides of March” is a short discussion with the actors in the film about the film and their roles. Even though the extras are short they still leave you mostly satisfied. Though in case you are looking for more the Blu-ray release contains more extras than the DVD.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: dvd, ides, march, review

Film Review “The Ides of March”

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman and George Clooney
Directed by: George Clooney
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 41 mins
Columbia

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

There’s something about getting emotionally connected to the candidate in a political thriller that always leaves me a little sad at the end. No matter who it is. Willie Stark (played brilliantly by Broderick Crawford and, in the 2006 remake, by Sean Penn) in “All the Kings Men,” Bill McKay (Robert Redford) in “The Candidate” or even Jack Stanton (John Travolta as a slightly veiled Bill Clinton) in “Primary Colors”…they always turn out to be human. You can now add to the above list the name of Mike Morris.

As the Ohio Democratic Primary approaches, there are clearly only two men with a chance to win. The one we’re following is Pennsylvania Governor Mike Morris (Clooney). Well spoken and charismatic, he has made a believer out of junior campaign director Stephen Myers. Not only does he like Morris’ ideas, he thinks of him as a friend. “Would you rather work for a friend or work for the president,” he’s asked. In his mind, Stephen is doing both. However, as is often the case, the so-called “perfect” candidate is anything but.

Based on the “Farragut North” by Beau Willimon and adapted for the screen by Willimon, Clooney and Grant Heslov, “The Ides of March” smartly signals to filmgoers that “serious” movie time has arrived. With a perfect cast…the first five actors on screen have a combined eleven Oscar nominations for acting and three Academy Awards…the film is an unabashed look at the prices those who run for public office must pay. No matter how noble ones ideas are, they will always be forgotten and replaced by the next noble idea. As campaign upon campaign begin to take their toll on those involved, it’s up to Stephen to decide whether or not he backs the candidate who runs on “INTEGRITY” but sadly doesn’t know what it is.

As I noted, the cast is outstanding, with Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei and Jeffrey Wright joining those highlighted earlier. Gosling, who I felt was mis-cast in “Drive,” is well cast here, as is Evan Rachel Wood, an intern helping work the campaign. Clooney has a slight role, really, with the majority of screen time being devoted to those behind the scenes. Director Clooney’s decision to shoot a majority of the film in close ups pays big dividends. With nothing else to take away your attention, you are focused on every word…every nuance…every hint of false flattery or earnest appreciation. A previous Oscar nominee for directing “Good Night and Good Luck,” Clooney could easily find himself on the short list this coming year.

 

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