DVD Review “Doctor Who: Limited Edition Gift Set”

Actors: Matt Smith, David Tennant, Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper, Freema Agyeman, Karen Gillian
Number of discs: 41
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: BBC Home Entertainment
Release Date: November 20, 2012

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

BBC Home Entertainment is answering the prayers of every Doctor Who fan just in time for the holiday season with the release of “Doctor Who Limited Edition Gift Set”. This limited edition Doctor Who collector’s box feature over 70 hours of “Doctor Who” amazing-ness plus many more of special features. The set also includes a collectible 11th Doctor Sonic Screwdriver, three original art cards and the comic book, “Doctor Who at Comic Con.” To honest I was a little disappointed with the packaging since it is a bit of a pain to open and close. Also in order to get to the comic book and card, you need to remove all of the contents. The 11th Doctor Sonic Screwdriver alone is a $30 value and is overall pretty rad to play with. The three original art cards are super cool as well and will look nice in a frame. Lastly, the comic book included “Doctor Who at Comic Con”, is a nice addition as well. This should satisfy all fans of the series but if you have been purchasing each series DVD as it has been released, the extra disc and goodies might not be worth the price.

This gift set includes the series in it’s DVD format spread out of 41 sci-fi packed discs. There are no Blu-ray’s included though. We all know that first few series of “Doctor Who” were shot on standard definition video, but since the 11th Doctor they have been releasing them on Blu-ray. So in this gift set, I understand them including only DVD to keep it uniform but I still prefer my Blu-ray releases of Series 5 and 6. So we get Series 1-6 and The Complete Specials (The Next Doctor / Planet of the Dead / The Waters of Mars / The End of Time Parts 1 and 2) included in their previously released packaging. Series 1-4 has never been released on Blu-ray and are currently only available on DVD. While Series 5-6 and The Complete Specials are also currently available on Blu-ray.

This gift set also includes a DVD of never-before-released specials including: “The Women of Doctor Who”, “The Timey – Wimey of Doctor Who” and “The Destinations of Doctor Who”. “The Women of Doctor Who” looks at the great women behind ever time lord. “The Timey – Wimey of Doctor Who” looks into what timey-wimey is exactly with star Arthur Darvill. “The Destinations of Doctor Who” takes up in a time machine to the travels through the universe, you never know where you”ll end up including the year 5 billion. These specials have all originally aired on BBC America but have never-before-released on DVD. They are must have for all “Whovians”.

Series 1 includes all 13 episodes of the BBC sci-fi classic, which served as the reboot for the show. It was written by Russell T. Davies and starred Christopher Eccleston as The Doctor. His joins up with companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) to save the world. I liked Eccleson as the Doctor but something was a little off about the way he portrayed him. Episodes included are: “Rose”; “The End of the World”; “The Unquiet Dead”; “Aliens of London”; “World War Three”; “Dalek”; “The Long Game”; “Father”s Day”; “The Empty Child”; “The Doctor Dances”; “Boom Town”; “Bad Wolf”; and “The Parting of the Ways”.

Series 2 included all 14 episodes, primarily written by Russell T. Davies. It also introduces a new Doctor, played by David Tennant. In this series, it features the tenth Doctor continuing to travel with companion Rose Tyler. I liked Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor but Tennant taking over was simply brilliant. Episodes included are: “The Christmas Invasion,” “New Earth,” “Tooth And Claw,” “School Reunion,” “The Girl In The Fireplace,” “Rise Of The Cybermen,” “TheAge of Steel,” “The Idiot”s Lantern,” “The Impossible Planet,” “The Satan Pit,” “Love & Monsters,” “Fear Her,” “Army Of Ghosts” and “Doomsday.” This series really has some of the best episodes to date.

Series 3 includes all 14 episodes and stars David Tennant as the Doctor with companion Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) after Rose Tyler became stuck in the parallel world..forever. I was never a fan of this series but it has seen grown on me, since it packs some wonderful intense episodes. Episodes included are: “Smith and Jones”, “The Shakespeare Code”, “Gridlock”, “Daleks in Manhattan”, “Evolution of the Daleks”, “The Lazarus Experiment”, “42”, “Human Nature”, “The Family of Blood”, “Blink”, “Utopia”, “The Sound of Drums”, “Last of the Timelords” and the 2006 Christmas special “The Runaway Bride”, starring Catharine Tate.

Series 4 includes all 14 episodes and continues David Tennant playing the Doctor, in his last go around (until the specials) with yet another companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), who appeared first in “The Runaway Bride”. Episodes included are: “Partners in Crime”, “The Fires of Pompeii”, “Planet of the Ood”, “The Sontaran Stratagem”, “The Poison Sky”, “The Doctor”s Daughter”, “The Unicorn and the Wasp”, “Silence in the Library”, “Forest of the Dead”, “Midnight”, “Turn Left”, “The Stolen Earth” and “Journey”s End”. Overall decent season but not a big fan of Catherine Tate but at least we get more Rose Tyler. Also very sad to see the end of Tennant playing the Doctor.

Series 5 includes all 13 episodes and begins the next wave of the franchise with Matt Smith taking over as The Doctor and Karen Gillan, as his companion, Amy Pond. This is by far one of my favorite seasons as a whole, in sense of the storyline. Episodes included are: “The Eleventh Hour”, “The Beast Below”, “Victory of the Daleks”, “The Time of Angels”, “Flesh and Stone”, “The Vampires of Venice”, “Amy’s Choice”, “The Hungry Earth”, “Cold Blood”, “Vincent and the Doctor”, “The Lodger”, “The Pandorica Opens” and “The Big Bang”. This series is just a wonderful introduction to the companion and really dives the story right from the beginning.

Series 6 includes all 13 episodes and returns the adventures with Matt Smith as the Doctor and Karen Gillan as Amy Pond. Also joining them is Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams and Alex Kingston as River Song. This season started with the death of the Doctor, which ran through the whole series. Definitely an exciting arc for the show. Episodes included are: “A Christmas Carol”, “The Impossible Astronaut”, “Day Of The Moon”, “The Curse Of The Black Spot”, “The Doctor’s Wife”, “The Rebel Flesh”, “The Almost People”, “A Good Man Goes To War”, “Let’s Kill Hitler”, “Night Terrors”, “The Girl Who Waited”, “The God Complex”, “Closing Time”, “The Wedding Of River Song”. These episodes reveal quite a lot of the series. Matt Smith is quickly becoming my favorite Doctor. Amy Pond is also my favorite companion to date.

Series 1 special features include commentary by cast and crew on all episodes, numerous making-of featurettes, video diary with Piper and an interview with Eccleston. Series 2 special features include commentary by cast and crew on all episodes, video diaries with Tennant, Doctor Who Confidential and Picture-in-picture commentary on The Girl in the Fireplace, The Age of Steel, The Impossible Planet, and Doomsday. Series 3 special features include commentary by cast and crew on all episodes, Doctor Who Confidential, Music and Monsters, Freema’s tour of the studio, David Tennant’s Video Diaries, Deleted scenes and Outtakes. Series 4 special features include commentary by cast and crew on all episodes, Doctor Who Confidential; video diaries with Tennant; Deleted scenes; Teasers and trailers; Retrospective featurette and Children in Need “Time Crash”. Series 5 special features include audio commentaries from cast/crew; newly filmed scenes written by Steven Moffat, called “Meanwhile in the Tardis”; Doctor Who Confidential; Monster Files; Outtakes; video diaries and Teasers and trailers. Series 6 special features include audio commentaries from cast/crew; five Night and the Doctor specially recorded scenes and episode prequels; two sketches recorded for the UK’s Comic Relief charity event; Monster Files; Doctor Who Confidential and BBC1 Trails.

I highly recommend this limited edition gift set if you are just being introduced to this show or if you have never purchased any of the previously released DVDs. If you are looking for something to hold you over until “Doctor Who” returns next year with the second part of series seven, which features a new companion joining the 11th Doctor. Until then…enjoy revisiting this fun and exciting series.

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Book Review “Sesame Street Brand New Readers Box Set”

Author: Sesame Workshop
Reading level: Ages 4 and up
Paperback
Publisher: Candlewick
Release Date: September 11, 2012

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

I am not the biggest fan of “Sesame Street”, I prefer Disney but they cats know how to teach kids.  I mean I turned out pretty decent from my Sesame Street learnings.  This book is called “Brand New Readers” and could not be any more engaging for little kids who are learning to read.  It comes in a very nice hard case with individual books included inside.  There are ten short full-color books featuring Big Bird, Grover, Elmo, Abby, Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster, and more.

If that is not enough there is also a fold-out poster with full-color stickers, which is used for tracking which books are read.  It is topped off with a “Brand New Readers” certificate of achievement, which will assist in building children’s confidence when the series is completed. There is also a make-your-own Brand New Reader book, which will work to encourage our brand-new writers.  This book will allow act as a great teaching for a parent to make reading not only easy but also fun. This is a must for all kids, who are looking to take the next step in their life.

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Disney to Buy Lucasfilm for $4.05 Billion; “Star Wars: Episode VII” Slated for 2015

 

DISNEY TO ACQUIRE LUCASFILM LTD.

Global leader in high-quality family entertainment agrees to acquire

world-renowned Lucasfilm Ltd, including legendary STAR WARS franchise. 

Acquisition continues Disney’s strategic focus on creating and monetizing the world’s best branded content, innovative technology and global growth to drive long-term shareholder value. 

Lucasfilm to join company’s global portfolio of world class brands including

Disney, ESPN, Pixar, Marvel and ABC. 

STAR WARS: EPISODE 7 feature film targeted for release in 2015. 

Burbank, CA and San Francisco, CA, October 30, 2012 – Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. in a stock and cash transaction. Lucasfilm is 100% owned by Lucasfilm Chairman and Founder, George Lucas.

Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney stock on October 26, 2012, the transaction value is $4.05 billion, with Disney paying approximately half of the consideration in cash and issuing approximately 40 million shares at closing. The final consideration will be subject to customary post-closing balance sheet adjustments.

“Lucasfilm reflects the extraordinary passion, vision, and storytelling of its founder, George Lucas,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “This transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content including Star Wars, one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with Disney’s unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses, and markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term value.”

“For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next,” said George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm. “It’s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I’ve always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I’m confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come. Disney’s reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products.”

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Lucasfilm, a leader in entertainment, innovation and technology, including its massively popular and “evergreen” Star Wars franchise and its operating businesses in live action film production, consumer products, animation, visual effects, and audio post production. Disney will also acquire the substantial portfolio of cutting-edge entertainment technologies that have kept audiences enthralled for many years. Lucasfilm, headquartered in San Francisco, operates under the names Lucasfilm Ltd., LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound, and the present intent is for Lucasfilm employees to remain in their current locations.

Kathleen Kennedy, current Co-Chairman of Lucasfilm, will become President of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Additionally she will serve as the brand manager for Star Wars, working directly with Disney’s global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize the value of this global franchise. Ms. Kennedy will serve as executive producer on new Star Wars feature films, with George Lucas serving as creative consultant. Star Wars Episode 7 is targeted for release in 2015, with more feature films expected to continue the Star Wars saga and grow the franchise well into the future.

The acquisition combines two highly compatible family entertainment brands, and strengthens the long-standing beneficial relationship between them that already includes successful integration of Star Wars content into Disney theme parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris and Tokyo.

Driven by a tremendously talented creative team, Lucasfilm’s legendary Star Wars franchise has flourished for more than 35 years, and offers a virtually limitless universe of characters and stories to drive continued feature film releases and franchise growth over the long term. Star Wars resonates with consumers around the world and creates extensive opportunities for Disney to deliver the content across its diverse portfolio of businesses including movies, television, consumer products, games and theme parks. Star Wars feature films have earned a total of $4.4 billion in global box to date, and continued global demand has made Star Wars one of the world’s top product brands, and Lucasfilm a leading product licensor in the United States in 2011. The franchise provides a sustainable source of high quality, branded content with global appeal and is well suited for new business models including digital platforms, putting the acquisition in strong alignment with Disney’s strategic priorities for continued long-term growth.

The Lucasfilm acquisition follows Disney’s very successful acquisitions of Pixar and Marvel, which demonstrated the company’s unique ability to fully develop and expand the financial potential of high quality creative content with compelling characters and storytelling through the application of innovative technology and multiplatform distribution on a truly global basis to create maximum value. Adding Lucasfilm to Disney’s portfolio of world class brands significantly enhances the company’s ability to serve consumers with a broad variety of the world’s highest-quality content and to create additional long-term value for our shareholders.

The Boards of Directors of Disney and Lucasfilm have approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, and other customary closing conditions. The agreement has been approved by the sole shareholder of Lucasfilm.

Note: Additional information and comments from Robert A. Iger, chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company, and Jay Rasulo, senior executive vice president and CFO, The Walt Disney Company, regarding Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm, are attached.

Investor Conference Call:

An investor conference call will take place at approximately 4:30 p.m. EDT / 1:30 p.m. PDT today, October 30, 2012. To listen to the Webcast, turn your browser to http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/investors/events or dial in domestically at (888) 771-4371 or internationally at (847) 585-4405. For both dial-in numbers, the participant pass code is 33674546.

The discussion will be available via replay on the Disney Investor Relations website through November 13, 2012 at 5:00 PM EST/2:00 PM PST.

About The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with five business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, interactive media, and consumer products. Disney is a Dow 30 company with revenues of over $40 billion in its Fiscal Year 2011.

About Lucasfilm Ltd.

Founded by George Lucas in 1971, Lucasfilm is a privately held, fully-integrated entertainment company. In addition to its motion-picture and television production operations, the company’s global activities include Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, serving the digital needs of the entertainment industry for visual-effects and audio post-production; LucasArts, a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software worldwide; Lucas Licensing, which manages the global merchandising activities for Lucasfilm’s entertainment properties; Lucasfilm Animation; and Lucas Online creates Internet-based content for Lucasfilm’s entertainment properties and businesses. Additionally, Lucasfilm Singapore, produces digital animated content for film and television, as well as visual effects for feature films and multi-platform games. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

Certain statements in this communication and the attachments may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements relate to a variety of matters, including but not limited to: the operations of the businesses of Disney and Lucasfilm separately and as a combined entity; the timing and consummation of the proposed merger transaction; the expected benefits of the integration of the two companies; the combined company’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical fact. These statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Disney and Lucasfilm regarding future events and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Neither Disney nor Lucasfilm undertakes any obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Such differences may result from a variety of factors, including but not limited to:

  • legal or regulatory proceedings or other matters that affect the timing or ability to complete the transactions as contemplated;
  • the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully;
  • the possibility of disruption from the merger making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships;
  • the possibility that the merger does not close, including but not limited to, due to the failure to satisfy the closing conditions;
  • any actions taken by either of the companies, including but not limited to, restructuring or strategic initiatives (including capital investments or asset acquisitions or dispositions);
  • developments beyond the companies’ control, including but not limited to: changes in domestic or global economic conditions, competitive conditions and consumer preferences; adverse weather conditions or natural disasters; health concerns; international, political or military developments; and technological developments.

Additional factors that may cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements are set forth in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Disney for the year ended October 1, 2011, under the heading “Item 1A—Risk Factors,” and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the SEC by Disney.

ROBERT A. IGER, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY 

REMARKS FOR ANALYSTS REGARDING DISNEY’S ACQUISITION OF LUCASFILM LTD.

As we just announced, The Walt Disney Company has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm and its world class portfolio of creative content – including the legendary Star Wars franchise – along with all of its operating businesses, including Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound.

George Lucas is a visionary, an innovator and an epic storyteller – and he’s built a company at the intersection of entertainment and technology to bring some of the world’s most unforgettable characters and stories to screens across the galaxy. He’s entertained, inspired, and defined filmmaking for almost four decades and we’re incredibly honored that he has entrusted the future of that legacy to Disney.

Disney has had a great relationship with George that goes back a long way – with Star Wars theme attractions in our parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris and Tokyo. This acquisition builds on that foundation and combines two of the strongest family entertainment brands in the world. It makes sense, not just because of our brand compatibility and previous success together, but because Disney respects and understands – better than just about anyone else – the importance of iconic characters and what it takes to protect and leverage them effectively to drive growth and create value.

Lucasfilm fits perfectly with Disney’s strategic priorities. It is a sustainable source of branded, high quality creative content with tremendous global appeal that will benefit all of Disney’s business units and is incredibly well suited for new business models, including digital platforms. Adding the Lucasfilm IP to our existing Disney, Pixar and Marvel IP clearly enhances our ability to serve consumers, strengthening our competitive position — and we are confident we can earn a return on invested capital well in excess of our cost of capital.

Star Wars in particular is a strong global brand, and one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with hundreds of millions of fans around the globe. Its universe of more than 17,000 characters inhabiting several thousand planets spanning 20,000 years offers infinite inspiration and opportunities – and we’re already moving forward with plans to continue the epic Star Wars saga.

The last Star Wars movie release was 2005’s Revenge of the Sith – and we believe there’s substantial pent up demand. In 2015, we’re planning to release Star Wars Episode 7 – the first feature film under the “Disney-Lucasfilm” brand. That will be followed by Episodes 8 and 9 – and our long term plan is to release a new Star Wars feature film every two to three years. We’re very happy that George Lucas will be creative consultant on our new Star Wars films and that Kathleen Kennedy, the current Co-Chair of Lucasfilm, will executive produce. George handpicked Kathy earlier this year to lead Lucasfilm into the future. She’ll join Disney as President of Lucasfilm, reporting into Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn and integrating and building the Star Wars franchise across our company.

Our successful acquisitions of Pixar and Marvel prove Disney’s unique ability to grow brands and expand high-quality creative content to its fullest franchise potential and maximum value.

We’ve leveraged Pixar’s terrific characters and stories into franchises across our company – from feature films to consumer products online games, major attractions in our theme parks, and more.

The 2006 Pixar acquisition delivered more than great Pixar content — it also delivered the means to energize and revitalize the creative engine at Walt Disney Animation – which was crucial to our long term success. Animation is the heart and soul of Disney and our successful creative resurgence will be on full display this weekend when Wreck-It-Ralph opens in theaters across the country.

Our acquisition of Marvel three years later combined Marvel’s strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters with Disney’s creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and an integrated business structure that maximizes the value of creative content across multiple platforms and territories. Our first two Marvel films – Thor and Captain America grossed a total of more than $800 million at the box office. This year, Marvel’s The Avengers grossed more than $1.5 billion to become the world’s third highest grossing movie of all time – and an important and lucrative franchise for us.

We’re looking forward to a robust slate of new Marvel movies – starting with Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World next year, followed by Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014. And, as we announced previously, Joss Whedon is writing and directing Avengers 2 and developing a Marvel-based series for ABC.

Pixar and Marvel both fit our criteria for strategic acquisitions – they add great IP that benefits multiple Disney businesses for years to come, and continue to create value well in excess of their purchase price. The acquisition of Lucasfilm is in keeping with this proven strategy for success and we expect it to create similar opportunity for Disney to drive long-term value for our shareholders.

We’re clearly excited about this move forward. We believe we can do great things with these amazing assets….we have a proven track record of maximizing the value of our strategic acquisitions…. and we’re poised to do the same with this one.

JAY RASULO, SENIOR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CFO, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY 

REMARKS FOR ANALYSTS REGARDING DISNEY’S ACQUISITION OF LUCASFILM LTD.

Lucasfilm, and more specifically the Star Wars franchise, fits perfectly within the Disney portfolio of intellectual properties and the strategic and financial implications of this acquisition are compelling. Our team has spent a tremendous amount of time evaluating this deal and we have concluded we are uniquely positioned to maximize the value of Lucasfilm’s IP in a manner that can generate substantial value for our shareholders above and beyond the purchase price.

In this transaction we will acquire rights to the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, a highly talented and expert team, Lucasfilm’s best-in-class post production businesses, Industrial Light and Magic and Skywalker Sound, and a suite of cutting edge entertainment technologies. Our valuation focused almost entirely on the financial potential of the Star Wars franchise, which we expect to provide us with a stream of storytelling opportunities for years to come delivered via all relevant platforms on a global basis.

There are a number of ways our company will derive value from Lucasfilm’s intellectual property—some of which can be realized immediately while others will accrue to us over time. George and his team have built Star Wars into one of the most successful and enduring family entertainment franchises in history, as well as one of the best selling licensed character merchandise brands in the U.S. and around the world. However, we believe there is great opportunity to further expand the consumer products business. Today, Star Wars is heavily skewed toward toys and North America. We see great opportunity domestically to extend the breadth and depth of the Star Wars franchise into other categories. We also plan to leverage Disney’s global consumer products organization to grow the Star Wars consumer products business internationally.

Let me note that in 2012 Lucasfilm’s consumer products business is expected to generate total licensing revenue that is comparable to the roughly $215 million in consumer products revenue Marvel generated in 2009, the year in which we announced our acquisition. With renewed film releases, and the support we can give the Star Wars property on our Disney-branded TV channels, we expect that business to grow substantially and profitably for many years to come.

We also expect to create significant value in the film business. We plan to release the first new Star Wars film in 2015, and then plan to release one film every two to three years. These films will be released and distributed as part of our target slate of 8-10 live-action films per year, and will augment Disney’s already strong creative pipeline for many years to come. Lucasfilm has not released a Star Wars film since Revenge of the Sith in 2005. However, adjusted for inflation, as well as growth in both international box office and 3D, we estimate the three most recent Star Wars films would have averaged about $1.5 billion in global box office in today’s dollars. This speaks to the franchise’s strength, global appeal and the great opportunity we have in the film business.

We also expect to utilize Star Wars in other businesses including Parks & Resorts, in games and in our television business. These initiatives were also considered in our valuation.

Under the terms of the agreement, Disney will buy Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion, consisting of approximately fifty percent cash and fifty percent in Disney stock. Based on Friday’s closing price of Disney stock, we expect to issue approximately 40 million Disney shares in this transaction. We continue to believe our shares are attractively priced at current levels and therefore, we currently intend to repurchase all of the shares issued within the next two years– and that’s in addition to what we planned to repurchase in the absence of the transaction.

Our valuation of Lucasfilm is roughly comparable to the value we placed on Marvel when we announced that acquisition in 2009. Our Lucasfilm valuation is almost entirely driven by the Star Wars franchise, so any success from other franchises would provide upside to our base case. I realize it may be a challenge for you to quantify our opportunity given the limited amount of publicly available information. But to give you some perspective on the size of the Lucasfilm business– in 2005, the year in which the most recent Star Wars film was released, Lucasfilm generated $550 million in operating income. We’ve taken a conservative approach in our valuation assumptions, including continued erosion of the home entertainment market, and we expect this acquisition to create value for our shareholders.

In terms of the impact on our financials, we expect the acquisition to be dilutive to our EPS by low single digit percentage points in fiscal 2013 and 2014 and become accretive to EPS in 2015.

Our capital allocation philosophy has been consistent since Bob took over as CEO. In addition to returning capital to shareholders, we have invested, both organically and through acquisitions, in high quality, branded content that can be seamlessly leveraged across our businesses. Our acquisition of Lucasfilm is entirely consistent with this strategy, and we’re incredibly excited by the prospect of building on Lucasfilm’s successful legacy to create significant value for our shareholders.

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Exclusive Giveaway for a Numbered Copy of “The Devil’s Carnival” Ringmaster Edition Blu-ray & DVD Set [ENDED]

Congrats to our winner, who was nice enough to share a photo with us for her with her DVD!

To celebrate the release of “The Devil’s Carnival” on Blu-ray and DVD, Media Mikes will like to giveaway a copy of the Ringmaster Edition Blu-ray & DVD Set is limited to 6,660 numbered copies, and boasts a collectible booklet with all of the lyrics from the movie. This edition also features over two hours of never-before-seen footage of “The Devil’s Carnival” including “Making-Of,” “Road Tour,” and “Special Makeup & Prosthetic Effects” featurettes, as well as exclusive audio commentary tracks by Darren Lynn Bousman, Terrance Zdunich, and T.D.C.’s cast and crew. If you would like to win this numbered limited set, please leave us a comment below or send us an email and let us know your favorite song from the film. This giveaway will be open until November 2nd and is open to readers WORLDWIDE. Only one entry per person, per household; all other entries will be considered invalid. Once the giveaway ends, Media Mikes will randomly pick out winners and alert the winners via email.

Click here to read our RAVING review of this amazing release

After dozens of stops across the country, on October 23rd “The Devil’s Carnival” will be available on Blu-ray, DVD, iTunes, Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. Ringmaster Editions are available exclusively from www.TheDevilsCarnival.com, and Sinner Editions can be purchased only at Hot Topic retail stores.

Check out our interview series from the film:


Brianna Evigan
Darren Lynn Bousman
Emilie Autumn
Jessica Lowndes

Miss Hannah Minx
Nivek Ogre
Terrance Zdunich

“In “The Devil’s Carnival”, sinners are invited to a theme park where they endure the repetition of their transgressions. What chances do a conniving kleptomaniac, a gullible teenager, and an obsessed father stand when facing their own moral failings? Lucifer and his colorful cast of singing carnies invite you to grab a ticket to “The Devil’s Carnival” to find out!

“The Devil’s Carnival” features twelve original songs, written by Zdunich and Saar Hendelman, directed by Bousman, produced by Sean E Demott and Joseph Bishara (Insidious), and stars Victoriandustrial rocker Emilie Autumn, Dayton Callie (Sons Of Anarchy, Deadwood), M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan (of the Grammy award winning, cult metal giants Slipknot), Briana Evigan (Step Up 2), Sean Patrick Flanery (The Boondock Saints), Maggie “Captain Maggot” Lally and The Blessed Contessa (of The Bloody Crumpets), J. LaRose (Insidious), Jessica Lowndes (90210), Mighty Mike (of Mini Kiss), internet star Hannah Minx, Ivan Moody (of the chart-topping heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch), Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects), Ogre (of the legendary industrial band Skinny Puppy), Marc Senter (The Lost), Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas), Alexa Vega (Spy Kids), and Terrance Zdunich.”

 

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Blu-ray Review “The Prophecy: The Complete Collection – 5 Film Set”

Directed by: Greg Spence, Gregory Widen, Patrick Lussier, Joel Soisson
Starring: Christopher Walken, Eric Stoltz, Viggo Mortensen, Virginia Madsen Elias Koteas, Vincent Spano, Russell Wong
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
Release Date: November 6th 2012
Running Time: 428 minutes

The Prophecy: 4 out of 5 stars
The Prophecy II: 3.5 out of 5 stars
The Prophecy 3: The Ascent: 3.5 out of 5 stars
The Prophecy IV: Uprising: 3 out of 5 stars
The Prophecy V: Forsaken: 3 out of 5 stars

Finally! Echo Bridge has released all 5 “The Prophecy” films in one Blu-ray release. They have previous been split up in all shorts of different sets. But now we get “The Prophecy / Prophecy II / The Prophecy 3: The Ascent / The Prophecy IV: Uprising / The Prophecy V: Forsaken” all together in one release…and it is great! There is no upgrades from previous release, so if you have them then stick with those.  But if you’ve been holding out, then this is your time! I have been a fan of these films (yes, even the sequels) and I am happy to get a chance to have them all in collection.

“The Prophecy” follows an L.A. homicide detective, who while fighting to stop the forces of evil, finds an unlikely ally in an elementary school teacher. Together they race against time and terror to save the world as we know it. The Prophecy: God’s Army” brings the returns of Christopher Walken as the menacing angel Gabriel. The only hope for survival in the battle of good and evil lands in the unborn child of an innocent woman (Jennifer Beals)…unless Gabriel catches her first. “The Prophecy 3: The Ascent” concludes the Gabriel trilogy, as fearsome armies of rebel angels wage war in heaven and on Earth, Pyriel, the brutal Angel of Genocide, rises to power and intends to destroy mankind. The only one on Earth with the ability to stop the bloodshed is Danyael, who was born of an angel and a woman.

Next we come to the sequels without Christopher Walken: “The Prophecy: Uprising” jump starts the series again, when an ancient religious manuscript lands in the hands of an unsuspecting young woman, she is suddenly thrust into the center of an epic battle between ruthless fallen angels. “The Prophecy: Forsaken” follows the fighting for control of the Lexicon – an ancient religious text that reveals the arrival of the Antichrist – a group of fallen angels will stop at nothing to capture it and the young woman who possesses it.

The Blu-ray presentation on all these films are similar to the previous releases from Echo Bridge, that which are quite impressive. All five of these films are presented with 1080p high definition transfer except “The Prophecy 3: The Ascent” which is only 1080i, not sure why this could be fixed. The audio tracks are split up with all different results.   presented with a Dolby Digital have a sharp 5.1 DTS track.   “The Prophecy 3: The Ascent” comes with a 5.1 track and lastly “The Prophecy II” only comes with a 2.0 Stereo track. There are no special features included on these very full release. If you are a fan of the series and looking to own the complete series, then this is a cheap and quick way to get these films on Blu-ray.

 

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Blu-ray Review “Stallone Three-Film Collector’s Set (Rambo: First Blood / Cop Land / Lock Up)”

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Peter Berg, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro
Number of discs: 3
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Lionsgate
Release Date: August 14, 2012
Running Time: 327 minutes

3-Film Collection: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

With Stallone being a hot topic with “The Expendables 2” in theaters, Lionsgate Home Entertainment is bundling together three films from the iconic action star’s career, including: “Rambo: First Blood (1982)”, “Lock Up (1989)” and “Cop Land: The Director’s Cut (1997)”.  As much as I love Rambo, I would really have another great 80’s Stallone film like “Over the Top” in its place here.  Also as great of a film, “Cop Land” is I also would have like to see them include only 80’s Stallone.  Nonetheless at least the Director’s Cut of the film is included.  If you are looking for a dose of Stallone to get you psyched for “The Expendables 2”, you should definitely check out this release…especially for it’s low cost.  Now Lionsgate…one question, where is volume two?

“Cop Land” shows Sylvester Stallone in a different light in this edgy crime thriller sharing the screen with all-star cast – including Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel and Ray Liotta. Stallone plays Freddy Heflin, the sheriff of a small and seemingly peaceful town until he uncovers a massive, deadly conspiracy among these local residents and is forced to make a dangerous choice between protecting his friends and upholding the law.  We all know that one of Stallone’s best roles is John Rambo. In “First Blood”, he stars as the ex-Green Beret haunted by memories of Vietnam. When Rambo becomes the target of a massive manhunt, he must use all his combat skills and weapons training to stay alive and outwit his pursuers.  “Lock Up” stars Stallone as Frank Leone as he enters Gateway Prison, a nightmare jail where every minute is hard time. Leone goes head-to-head with the warden, who will stop at nothing to get him, in order to survive.

The three-disc package presents each title in its original aspect ratio – 2.39:1 for “First Blood” and 1.85:1 for “Lock Up” and “Cop Land”. Each title also comes packed with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 EX tracks.  Believe it or not I feel that “First Blood” and “Lock Up” are a tie for the film that looks the best.  Funny how they are also older than 1997’s “Cop Land”.  Nonetheless the presentations are impressive all around.  “Cop Land” steals the best audio track of the pack, followed by “First Blood” in a close second and “Lock Up” in third.

The special features are jam packed with goodies.  “First Blood” features two audio commentary tracks from Stallone and novelist David Morrell.  There is a featurette called “Drawing First Blood”, is an impressive making-of documentary running just over 20 minutes. There are about 5 minutes  of deleted scenes including the controversial alternate ending.  Lastly there is a trivia track including.  With “Lock Up” there is a brief but decent making-of featurett. “Sylvester Stallone Profile” features interviews with Stallone in addition to behind the scenes footage of the cast and crew.  There is a behind-the-scenes featurette with interviews with the cast within a collection of raw clips.  Lastly there is a theatrical trailer included.  Lastly “Cop Land”  includes a great commentary track with writer/director James Mangold, producer Cathy Konrad, and actors Sylvester Stallone & Robert Patrick.  There are two short deleted scenes with optional commentary by Mangold, Stallone and Konrad.  “Cop Land: The Making of an Urban Western” is a basic behind-the-scenes featurette, topping off at almost 15 minutes.  Lastly there is a short “Storyboard Comparison” piece, running under 2 minutes.

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Blu-ray Review “The Prophecy Collection: 4 Film Set”

Directed by: Gregory Widen, Patrick Lussier, Joel Soisson
Starring: Christopher Walken, Eric Stoltz, Viggo Mortensen, Virginia Madsen, Vincent Spano
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
Release Date: April 3, 2012
Running Time: 344 minutes

The Prophecy: 4 out of 5 stars
The Prophecy 3: The Ascent: 3.5 out of 5 stars
The Prophecy IV: Uprising: 3 out of 5 stars
The Prophecy V: Forsaken: 3 out of 5 stars

First off, Christopher Walken delivers one of his best roles as Gabriel in this franchise. I am psyched to have this series available on Blu-ray.  Though, I am very disappointed with that fact that “The Prophecy II” is M.I.A and why isn’t it included in this box set. I am absolutely clueless on that one but it is a little irritating overall. This collection does include the first and third, both with Christopher Walken and then also its back-to-back sequels four and five. Overall this series is always fun to watch and continues to be entertaining throughout each viewing.  Not the best Blu-ray transfers but still enough to make this worth the purchase.

“The Prophecy” follows an L.A. homicide detective, who while fighting to stop the forces of evil, finds an unlikely ally in an elementary school teacher. Together they race against time and terror to save the world as we know it. “The Prophecy 3: The Ascent” concludes the Gabriel trilogy, as fearsome armies of rebel angels wage war in heaven and on Earth, Pyriel, the brutal Angel of Genocide, rises to power and intends to destroy mankind. The only one on Earth with the ability to stop the bloodshed is Danyael, who was born of an angel and a woman. “The Prophecy: Uprising” jump starts the series again, when an ancient religious manuscript lands in the hands of an unsuspecting young woman, she is suddenly thrust into the center of an epic battle between ruthless fallen angels. “The Prophecy: Forsaken” follows the fighting for control of the Lexicon – an ancient religious text that reveals the arrival of the Antichrist – a group of fallen angels will stop at nothing to capture it and the young woman who possesses it.

The Blu-ray presentation on these collection sets are usually lacking the perfect Blu-ray quality but are still better than DVD. What I found is weird is that all these films are packed with 1080p high definition transfer except “The Prophecy 3: The Ascent” which is only 1080i. Each film is also presented with an impressive 5.1 Dolby Digital track, which is an impressive stand for Echo Bridge. Like most Echo Bridge releases there is no special included for any of these films, unlike the past DVDs. But if you are a fan of the series, and don’t mind missing the second film, this is a cheap and quick way to get the films on Blu-ray.

 

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Blu-ray Review “Mimic: 3 Film Set”

Directed by: Guillermo del Toro, Jean de Segonzac, JT Petty
Starring: Mira Sorvino, Jeremy Northam, Charles S. Dutton, Bruno Campos, Alix Koromzay, Lance Henriksen, Amanda Plummer
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Lions Gate
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Running Time: 270 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

The “Mimic” franchise was started by one of the greatest and visionary directors of our time Guillermo del Toro. It all started from him. Though he wasn’t happy with the film, so luckily this film set includes the director’s cut of the film and a whole lot of extras. This set is rounded out by its direct-to-video sequels “Mimic 2” and “Mimic 3: Sentinel”. There is something about direct-to-video sequels that I loved from Miramax like “Children of the Corn” and “Hellraiser”. They are not the best movies but they are true to this series and just fun to enjoy for fans of the series. All three films come backed with great visual effects, even the sequels. If you don’t own “Mimic” on Blu-ray already, I would highly recommend picking up this great collection.

The first film “Mimic” started it all with the ‘Judas’ breed of a new insect in order to prevent an epidemic. The film is directed by the fantastic Guillermo del Toro and it packs such a great cast. The second film “Mimic 2” picks up four years after, where the mutated cockroaches have now undergo another metamorphosis and plan on taking over again. To sum up this franchise, “Mimic 3: Sentinel” gives this series a new twist. Directed by JT Petty, the mutant breed of these giant insects comes back again and the world finds out that the ‘Judas’ breed is far from extinct.

The Blu-ray presentation are all absolutely stunning. The first “Mimic” not only looks great in its high def 1080p transfer, it sounds beyond fantastic with its DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. The rain and special effects are showcased perfectly with this audio track. The other films also pack a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, which also shines very well. All three of the films are very dark but yet they look fantastic, overall very impressive transfers.

“Mimic: The Director’s Cut” comes packed with some very impressive special features. There is a “Video Prologue with Director Guillermo del Toro” and “Audio Commentary with Director/Co-writer Guillermo del Toro”. The audio commentary is very informative, as they always are with him. “Reclaiming Mimic” is a featurette that focuses on how the original vision for the film was brought in for this new cut. “A Leap in Evolution – The Creatures of Mimic” is featurette on creating these amazing creatures. “Back into the Tunnels – Shooting Mimic” is a featurette on the film’s dreadfully wet and dark shooting locations. There are three deleted scenes, including an alternate ending. There are six “Storyboard Animatics”, which I enjoyed but which they were longer. Lastly there is a gag reel included.

For direct-to-video sequels, “Mimic 2” and “Mimic 3: Sentinel” also come with some decent special features. They are in SD like most of the “Mimic” extras but still decent. The second film has “5 Days of Mimic 2”, focusing on the production. “Behind the Sound of Mimic 2” focuses on creating the score for the film. Lastly included also are a few deleted scenes. The third film comes with an decent behind-the-scenes featurette, which I enjoyed. An audio commentary with Writer/Director J.T. Petty, which was also informative. Lastly there was cast auditions included as well.

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Johnny Cash’s 80th Birthday Celebration Set to Kick off February 26

JOHNNY CASH’S 80TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION SET TO KICK OFF FEBRUARY 26 WITH GROUND-BREAKING ON THE RESTORATION OF HIS DYESS, ARKANSAS BOYHOOD HOME

Archive Recordings from Sun and Columbia Years, Johnny Cash Museum and Much More Planned for 2012 to Pay Tribute to The Man in Black

LOS ANGELES, CA – (Tuesday, February 7, 2012) — America’s much-treasured icon Johnny Cash, who would have turned 80 years old on February 26, will be the focus of a series of tributes and celebrations in 2012, starting with the official ground-breaking of the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home Project in Dyess, AR. ‘A number of family members including Cash’s children Rosanne, John Carter, Cindy and Kathy Cash Tittle, plus at least seven of his grandchildren, will be on hand for the launch event scheduled to take place February 26, 2:00PM at the Dyess Community Center, followed by a birthday tribute.

Said Rosanne Cash, “February 26th, 2012 marks the 80th anniversary of my father’s birth. On that day, the extended Cash family will gather at his boyhood home in Dyess, Arkansas, to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home project: an undertaking long in the planning, and a great honor and thrill for our family. This entire year we celebrate not just his roots and history, but the breadth and depth of his artistic legacy, his spirit and authenticity, and the love and rhythm he brought to all our lives which continues to inspire millions of people around the globe.”

The Johnny Cash Boyhood Home Project will be a permanent tribute to Cash’s early life and that of his family’s, as well as reflect an historical slice of American life during the 1930’s Great Depression. Arkansas State University is spearheading the restoration of not only the house that Cash grew up in and its various outbuildings, but has taken under its wing several other Dyess historic buildings in an effort to preserve the town’s rich heritage. ASU’s end-goals include the establishment of a Johnny Cash museum, a space for educational workshops, classes, and demonstrations, the creation of tourism-related jobs in the town, and providing scholarships to ASU for deserving students from the Dyess area.

ASU’s Dr. Ruth Hawkins, who initiated Arkansas’s Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and other Arkansas heritage sites, is overseeing the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home Project. “We are working very hard to achieve authenticity in this restoration,” said Dr. Hawkins. “Based on photos and the recollections of family members, the house will be furnished as it was during the 1930s and 1940s when the Cash family lived there. We’ve gone so far as to take core paint samples from the house and send them for lab analysis to ensure that we have the correct colors.

Fundraising for the project began last August with the first annual Johnny Cash Music Festival held on the ASU Jonesboro campus. The concert featured performances by John Carter Cash, Rosanne Cash, George Jones, Kris Kristofferson, and many others, all of whom donated their time. The Cash family is committed to hosting the Festival yearly, and has earmarked all proceeds for the Dyess restoration project.

Johnny Cash, known as “J.R.,” grew up in Dyess Colony, an agricultural resettlement community in Arkansas that was part of the “New Deal,” the government’s economic program that provided relief to desperately poor families. In 1935, the Cash’s were one of 500 original families who received a brand new Colony house, 20 to 40 acres of land, a mule and seed for farming (less than 40 houses remain). Life in the Dyess Colony served as a tremendous influence on the young J.R., with the back-breaking work he did in the cotton fields, and the music he sang in church and heard on the radio providing the inspiration for many of the songs he would later write, such as “Five Feet High and Rising” and “Pickin’ Time.”

Also set for this year-long birthday celebration is the opening of the new Johnny Cash Museum in downtown Nashville. On display will be many items from the legendary House of Cash that closed in 1999, as well as additional memorabilia endowed by the Cash family. Details will be announced shortly. Also in celebration of Cash’s 80th birthday, Columbia/Legacy will release a series of archive titles beginning with Bootleg IV: The Soul of Truth slated for April 3. More information will be announced shortly. In addition, three documentaries on Johnny Cash’s life are in various stages of development.

Separate from spearheading their father’s 80th birthday celebrations, John Carter and Rosanne Cash are each busy with their own projects. Rosanne, whose book “Composed: A Memoir,” was released in hardcove.

 

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“Laurel & Hardy: The Essential Collection” 10-Disc Set Arrives October 25th

TIMELESS SOUND-ERA FILMS FROM THE LEGENDARY HAL ROACH LIBRARY DEBUT IN ONE EXTRAORDINARY DVD SET  FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE U.S.

LAUREL & HARDY: THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION

Digitally Remastered And Digitally Restored, Loaded With Over Two Hours Of Special Features, The Spectacular 10-Disc Set Arrives October 25 From RHI Entertainment And Vivendi Entertainment

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA – Celebrating the genius of the most beloved comedy team of all time, LAUREL & HARDY: THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION debuts in a stunning 10-disc set on October 25, 2011 from RHI Entertainment and Vivendi Entertainment. With a comedic style that defined an era and created a legacy that is still celebrated today, 58 of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy’s talking shorts and feature films, produced under legendary movie mogul Hal Roach from 1929 through 1940, are now available for the first time in the U.S. all together in one magnificent collection.

Transferred in high definition for the first time and digitally enhanced for home viewing in the finest quality available to date, the set contains favorites that have been enjoyed for generations including Helpmates, Hog Wild, Another Fine Mess, Sons of the Desert, Way Out West, and the Academy Award® winning film The Music Box.

LAUREL & HARDY: THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION comes housed in collectible, book-style packaging with an extensive, detailed film guide. The set also boasts over two hours of special features including exclusive, never-before-seen interviews with comedy legends Dick Van Dyke, Jerry Lewis, Tim Conway and more, who discuss the enduring impact and influence of Laurel and Hardy.

Additional features include commentaries by Laurel and Hardy aficionados, along with a virtual location map that allows viewers to take an interactive tour of the iconic places in and around Los Angeles where Laurel and Hardy filmed. Available for the suggested retail price of $99.98, LAUREL & HARDY: THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION showcases some of the most cherished and hilarious films in cinema history and is a must-have for comedy fans and collectors everywhere.

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“God Bless Ozzy Osbourne” Set For November 15 Release Via Eagle Rock Entertainment

“GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE’ BLU-RAY AND DVD SET FOR NOVEMBER 15 RELEASE VIA EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT

New York, NY (September 27, 2011) –Eagle Rock Entertainment are proud to announce the November 15 release of GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE on DVD and Blu-ray [MSRP $14.98 for DVD, $19.98 for Blu-ray].

Shot over the course of three years, GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE is an unrivalled look into the mind of legendary rock icon Ozzy Osbourne.  GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE tells the life story of Ozzy, as seen through the eyes of his youngest child, Jack Osbourne, who worked alongside directors Mike Fleiss and Mike Piscitelli.  During the documentary, Ozzy recounts his troubled youth, his early career with Black Sabbath and the impact of fame and addictions on his first marriage. Viewers will also witness the second chapter of his life as a family man with Sharon, during which his addictions grew to a frightening level, as well as hear Ozzy and his children explain his attempts at staying clean, ultimately resulting in more than five years of sobriety. Music fans will also see live performances from around the world, including rare behind the scenes clips of Ozzy on and off stage, in his dressing rooms pre-show, to his nights in a series of hotel rooms. Throughout GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE, audiences are given an inside look into the life of a rock star, from the good times to the bad.

The DVD and Blu-Ray of GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE also features additional previously unseen footage not seen in the theatrical release including new interviews, classic archive footage of Black Sabbath and OZZY OSBOURNE, along with a Q&A with OZZY and Jack Osbourne and behind the scenes footage from the Tribeca Film Festival.

The New York Times (4-15-11) has described it as a movie that “unblinkingly chronicles the chaotic life and times of rock’s most notorious cut-up, from his miserable working-class childhood…to his latter-day sobriety.”

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A MEDIAMIKES EXCLUSIVE – On the set of “The Avengers”

If you travel to the city of my birth, Cleveland, Ohio, you will find many great things to see downtown. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Progressive Field. Cleveland Browns Stadium. New York City.

You read that right. Smack dab in the middle of downtown Cleveland the new Disney/Marvel Films production of “The Avengers” is going full force, with Hollywood doing it’s best to turn “C-Town” into the Big Apple.

From what I can tell, parts of New York City have been badly damaged. Piles of rubble and vehicles, including a city bus, are strewn across East 41st Street (one quibble with the production if I may – the “East 41st Street” sign was large and purplish – not what you’d normally see if you visited Times Square. If these scenes are, in fact, set in New York City – the bus and taxi cabs bear New York state license plate – let’s be accurate).

“The Avengers,” starring, among others, Robert Downey, Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Samuel L. Jackson and Jeremy Renner, is scheduled to open on May 4, 2012.


A vacant city bus rests against a pile of rubble.

Note the New York State license plate.

 Taxis stacked liked pancakes.

More destruction.  Note the sign on the Parking Garage reads “Premium
      Parking for Grand Central.”

On Set.

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Interview with James Wan & Leigh Whannell

James Wan & Leigh Whannell are the director and the writer of “Insidious” (respectively).  The started their career by creating the “Saw” franchise.  Since then the guys have worked together on various other projects including “Death Sentence” and “Dead Silence”.  James and Leigh took aside some time during their very busy press day for “Insidious” to chat with Movie Mikes about the new film and working together again on this project.

Mike Gencarelli: James, Tell us about how you became attached to “Insidious”?
James Wan: This is a project that happened when I met with one of the producers of “Paranormal Activity”, we hit it off.   I met with the rest of the gang and introduced them to my partner in crime Leigh Whannell.  We said “Guys we want to do a project together”. We all got along so well, we decided to go out there and work on a film together.  That marriage became “Insidious”.

MG: Leigh, Tell us about coming up with this idea for the script?
Leigh Whannell: This idea, like all, James and I came up with it together, even before we came up with “Saw”.  We were trying to find something that we could shot in a really low budget way.  We had a goal for a $5,000 budget for a film and we were trying to come up with idea that would suit that budget.  The core idea at the heart of “Insidious” is what we came up with.  I don’t want to give anything away to the readers but the end is what we essentially came up with.  We thought it was pretty good and almost went with it.  But one day James called me and said he had the idea of two guys chained up in a public toilet.  I thought that was a better idea and I am glad we went with that.  So we filed the idea for “Insidious” in the file cabinet in the back of your brain. When James had the meeting with Steven Schneider, one of the producers of “Paranormal” that he was just talking about… we came to the belief that we would be pretty foolish by not making this film.

MG: You guys have worked together on every project now, would you consider this project to be you’re most difficult?
JW: I think this actually has been the most fun project that Leigh and I have working together on.
LW: I agree, but not easiest in terms of coming up with the idea, writing the film and directing it.  That stuff is hard…and it is definitely hard to do those things on a small budget. But the ease came from great people.  The cast and crew were just so easy to get along with.  The producers were so great and stayed true to there word by letting us make a film we wanted to make, while also giving us great ideas and thoughts.  They were true collaborators. Everything was just so great.  I definitely have had the most fun working on this, the same as James.

MG: Since the film was low budget, did you feel still feel you were able to achieve everything you wanted?
JW: Oddly, this film actually cost less to make than “Saw” and “Saw” was very low budget.  Yet the ironic thing is I managed to pretty much make the movie I wanted to make.  I think this is the reason why, “Saw” was my first film and  I didn’t have a filmmaking infrastructure around me.  I didn’t have the support or a crew that I knew.  Fast forward to four films later… “Insidious” is my fourth movie, even though it is less money, I have brought in a really great team of people and crew.  I got a cinematographer that I love…an AD that is brilliant…costume and production design…hair and makeup…everyone came to work on this film because they wanted to work with me again. I managed to get an A quality film for basically a no-budget movie.

MG: James, Why did you take on the task of editing as well as directing?
JW: Purely because I love editing [laughs].  It is a simple as that.  I love editing just as much as directing.  I have always edited my own stuff back in film school.  When you get to Hollywood people do not want you to wear yourself too thin.  So usually you have to give up the editing aspect of it.  Due to this being such a small movie and in some way real garage filmmaking for me, it was very experimental.  I got to shoot digital for the first time, which I loved.  It allowed me to do a lot of things that I couldn’t do with film.  I cut it myself in my bedroom on my little Macintosh Apple computer.  It was very liberating.  I thought only I would be able to crop the scare sequences because I shot it knowing how I planned to edit it.  That is the only way I would be able to get around shooting a film in only 22 days. I had a very strong specific way on how I was going to cut.  For me, I felt the scare scenes needed to be very effective and that all comes from how the film is edited and how the sound interacts with that footage.  If you are one second off, then your whole scare sequence is thrown off the curve.

MG: This film looks quite scary especially for PG-13, tell about working within that rating?
JW: Particularly, I know for Leigh he was just setup to write the script and it just so happened to fall into the PG-13 world.  For me it was definitely more conscious.  I didn’t want swearing, I didn’t want blood and guts.  I honestly believe that a lot of it has gotten lost in the last few years.  I think in a big part thanks to the franchise that Leigh and I have created.  People have forgotten that you can make a very scary movie without blood and guts.  You can make a very suspenseful with out throwing buckets of blood at the screen and you can do it this creepy atmosphere that gets into your head.

MG: How was it working with horror genre favorite, Lin Shayne?
JW: I have known Lin Shayne for a while now and there was only one person I wanted to cast for the role.  Most people know here for some of the over the top stuff that she has done but for me I know her and she is more than capable of doing the drama.  She is really great at it.  I really I wanted to give her the chance to do that on this film. Since she comes from a comedic background there is a great quirkiness to the role, which I think is fantastic.

MG: Leigh, did you right the part with Lin in mind?
LW: James told me very early on that he wanted that character set for Lin Shayne to play.  I have worked with her and I was able to write the character for her, which is awesome.  It is always easier to write a character for somebody you know.  You can take years of life experiences, quirks and habits and put it into the character.  That is actually how I build from the ground up. I always like to base characters on people I know because it is the easiest access point.  It was great writing the character having her in mind.  I also wrote the ghost hunters characters for myself and Angus Sampson.  With Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson’s characters, I didn’t know them so I based the characters on people I know in my life.

MG: Leigh, you not only started the “Saw” franchise but also starred in it, were you always planned to take on both roles?
LW: Yeah, that was our plan! As I said before we were trying to make a film for $5,000 dollars. That was our post film school plan. James wanted to direct something and I wanted to act in something. We were frustrated, so we came up with the idea and went out and did it.  I love acting.  I just enjoy it as much as I do writing.  I am not afraid to say that if I write a film I love to put myself in it, that way I can still be involved in the filmmaking process after the writing is done. The writing is where it all starts.  These are the plans for the house and you can’t build anything without the blueprints. Once I start I want to be there on the building site.  I want to be hammering some nails and helping out.  So the best way to do that is to be acting.

MG: What do you guys have planned next together?
JW: We have separate things we have been working on that we always check with each other about.
LW: Together as the team the Wan/Whannell brand…we are talking about doing a Sci-Fi.  We have come up with an idea and we really like it.  We ran the idea past some investors and they really liked it.  So that is definitely upcoming.

MG: Do you feel nervous going up against this weeks new films?
LW: Yeah for sure! We are always nervous about going against big films.
JW: Our film is a small little film and it is hard to compete with big studio films, “Hop” and “The Source Code”.  Those are big studio films, with huge marketing behind them.  We are here to nip at the hills.

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Interview with Brian Yunza

Brian Yunza is a Director/Screenwriter/Producer known best for his work on the “Re-Animator” and “The Dentist” series. Most of his film work falls into the horror genre. Brian has also started production company, Fantastic Factory. He has worked quite a bit with Stuart Gordon and they are both big fans of H.P. Lovecraft and together they have developed several of his stories into films. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Brian about his films and what he has planned upcoming.

Mike Gencarelli: Can you reflect your favorite film in the “Re-Animator” series?
Brian Yunza: My favorite of the “Re-Animator” films is the first one because that not only invented the thing but it was also the first movie I had produced. Not to mention that it was the most successful. When you make a movie for the first time everything is new, every situation is unique, each challenge is fresh. Just like a first love, a first film is a process of discovery that can’t be repeated. If “Re-Animator” had turned out badly perhaps I would have buried the memory and moved on to another movie for my fond reminiscences. The sequels have a place in my heart, of course, but I am well aware that each of them had the goal of fulfilling certain expectations created by the first film.

MG:Tell us about working on “The Dentist” series? Would love to see that series continue?
BY: The first film in the series originated as an idea by the head of Trimark Pictures, Mark Amin. I agreed to develop and direct his idea and at that time my company would have also produced it for him. Mark didn’t insist on a particular story, only that the film should focus on the fear of sitting in the dentist chair, not on some fantastical or sci fi type of twist. We listened to pitches from over two dozen writers before settling on the story, and even then the script didn’t give us what we wanted. The process of working with Trimark was a very supportive and congenial one, and when I went off to Canada to produce Crying Freeman I was happy for them to make the movie without me if that worked out better for their schedule. When I returned and new writer had made some interesting improvements in the script and Pierre David had come on board to produce. I rejoined the project even though the budget had been slashed and worked on the script with on of Pierre’s executives while we were in pre production. Trimark did a great job of helping us find an appropriate and talented cast for the movie, and I can’t say enough about Corbin Bersen and his contribution to the film. He was more than just a lead actor, he was always there to help solve problems with creative solutions. I was insecure about The Dentist- I just didn’t know if it was going to work. I had never had such a minimalist situation for a story which led me to design the shooting of the movie more than I ever had before. It also had something I was not experienced in which was a ‘body count’. I was concerned that the killings be stylish and visual. All the sound and music was done by Alan Howarth in his studio in a very short time. Finally, when it was all over and I had seen it with a few audiences my fears were allayed and I realized that it did work and Corbin’s dentist character was truly memorable. The sequel was more difficult in many ways, not just because the budget was even smaller, but because I was unable to work with the script until the weekend before we began shooting. So, Corbin (and leading actress Julian McWhirter) would have dinner each evening after work to review and amend the scenes for the next day. The sequel is less successful than the original, but a lot of fun in its own way- mainly because the Dentist character is so much fun to watch. Corbin and I have discussed often our desire to continue the series. But we can’t because we don’t control the rights. Corbin is determined to revive the character. It was the character that introduced him to genre films and he now he loves the genre.

MG: When making “Return of the Living Dead III”, how much did you lean on the prior films in the series?
BY: I don’t think I “leaned” on the previous “Return” films at all. I admire the first one greatly, and was very aware that it was an unofficial sequel to “Night of the Living Dead”- so I wanted to respect both of those movies while doing something original. The straight forward horror of Romero’s film and the EC Comics style of O’Bannon’s film both influence “Return 3″”, but I think that the film that screenwriter John Penney and I fashioned goes its own way. Some fans were not happy that “Return 3” wasn’t as comedic as the first, but as a fan myself I find “Return 3” to be a very satisfying, fun horror film. I changed interpreted the underlying mythology of the living dead in a way that I felt did justice to both Romero and O’Bannon- the Trioxin gas remains as the reanimating agent, but the saliva of the living dead was able to turn victims into zombies. The studio, Trimark, insisted on only one requirement- that the movie contain “brain eating”- so I decided that the living dead ate flesh, not for the meat, but for the nerves in it, and the biggest bundle of nerves was the brain. So, you can see that I wanted to take the story a little more seriously that “Return 1”.
I didn’t draw on “Return 2” for inspiration as I thought it had been burdened by the requirement to carry on characters from the first film and to be wildly comedic. I was actually more inclined toward an ironic humor and especially the character of Julie as a living dead heroine. After making “Bride of Re-Animator” I realized that I was most interested in the character of the “Bride” and she only showed up in the third act. So with “Return 3” I was able to make that kind of character the core of the movie.

MM: Going from working in the horror genre, how did you get involved with Disney and “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” as co-producer and writer?
BY: After making “Re-Animater”, Stuart Gordon (director of “Re-Animator”) and I were having a BBQ at my house and decided that we should make a movie for our young children. I recalled imagining myself to be smaller than a blade of grass as a kid, riding on an ant, and how exciting that would be. Stuart immediately saw it as a Disney movie and we quickly came up with the idea of an inventor who shrinks his kids. We were able to get a meeting with a development executive at Disney and on a plane ride back from Rome (where we were shooting “From Beyond and Dolls”) Stuart and I wrote out the whole story on a legal pad and pitched it upon arriving in LA. Surprisingly Disney loved the idea and immediately and put it into development. For the next year we worked on the project making set designs and storyboards, casting and special FX. We built all the sets in Mexico (full sized since there were no digital FX back then). Unfortunately, a few weeks before shooting Stuart had health problems and had to bow out.

MG: What was the most challenging film you have worked on?
BY: That’s almost impossible to say because there have been so many difficult ones. But, I would say that the first film I did in Spain, the one that kick off the Fantastic Factory and demonstrated whether the idea of producing genre films in Spain using Spanish crew and talent would work, is one of the candidates for most challenging. That was “Faust: Love of the Damned”. One that would top “Faust” is the one I just finished, “Amphibious 3D”. Shooting in Indonesia with Indonesian crew and some Dutch key personnel, doing it in 3D and having lots of creature FX and CGI- well that was incredibly challenging. The guys who built the 30 foot long sea scorpion lived in the middle of the island of Bali, worked on the floor and had never been on a movie set before. But the main thing that made the production difficult was the collapse of the financing in the middle of the production. This is one of the main reasons for disorganization and insanity on a movie set: the lack of a solid financing structure. Everything is in flux. It is like building a house with a faulty foundation. However, maybe by challenging you don’t mean difficult, but, well, “challenging”. In that case certainly “Re-Animator” qualifies because it was the first movie I produced, and it was immensely challenging to try to do something one has never done before. Or “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids”. Designing a movie for a mass audience with the Disney tradition to live up to is pretty challenging. Or how about “Beyond Re-Animator”? Making a “Re-Animator” movie that isn’t a complete failure when the only other person on the set that has an inkling of what we are trying to achieve is Jeffrey Combs. Shooting with a completely Spanish crew with mostly Spanish actors and trying to live up to the expectations of the fans was seriously challenging. You know all the movie productions have been involved with been very challenging, and a lot of that has to do with the goals we set for ourselves. One each one I try to raise the bar as high as I possibly can – and that’s the challenge.

MG: Do you think you will ever continue the “Re-Animator” franchise?
BY: I have been doing my best to continue it. After my years doing the Fantastic Factory I came to LA with the plan to get financing for a trilogy of “Re-Animator” sequels that would continue and bring the saga to a close. It was kind of shocking to be to not find a strong desire to participate at places like Lionsgate and New Line. Well, even then the business was changing. I continued developing the stories for the three films, and at one time thought that we had the financing in place for the first of the trilogy, “House of Re-Animator”. That was to be Herbert West in the White House. Stuart Gordon was going to direct and William Macy agreed to play the re-animated president. I wanted to have Dan Cain come back so we could have a good confrontation between him and West. But, the financing fell through. Then Obama got elected and Stuart lost his enthusiasm because he enjoyed the idea of using some of the irony in the film in political satire. The political angle to me was less interesting because I am of the opinion that politics works fine in sci-fi, but horror is more the domain of psychology and religion. At present I am actively developing a script for “Re-Animator Unbound”! It is the story of what happens after Herbert West’s adventures in the White House and he has gotten black ops funding for an experimental project. For the first time he has a fully equipped laboratory. Once I get the script in order I will try to get Jeffrey Combs to agree to do it and, one way or another, get the financing for it.
By the way, Stuart Gordon is presently presenting his adaptation of “Re-Animator” into a musical comedy- entitled, believe it or not…”Re-Animator :The Musical”. It is really entertaining and should be a big hit.

MG: Tell us what other upcoming projects are you woking on?
BY: I am currently working with The Little Film Company’s Robbie Little on the financing plan for “The Men”, a sci-fi thriller by Dan O’Bannon (“Alien”, “Total Recall”) which Stuart Gordon will direct. The script is really great, about a woman who discovers that all men are aliens – so you can see that even though it is a thriller it will have a good dose of irony. It is a project that I worked with Dan on way back twenty years ago so I am really thrilled to be seeing it finally get going. Of course, I am working on “Re-Animator Unbound!” I am developing a 3D immersion film called “Necronauts” based on the short story of the same name. And I just finished co-writing with John Penney a pretty wild script called “The Pope”. Mainly I am working on arranging for a financing facility for making another label, or line, of films.

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