MAN UNDERGROUND (2016) is about how hard it can be for one man to get the truth out to the people when nobody wants to hear it or believe it. Especially when shadowy forces in the hush-hush inner government would rather such truth remain secret despite the obsessive efforts of one lone conspiracy theorist (i.e. "nut") to shine a light on it.
Unkempt, eccentric loner Willem Koda (George Basil) is the "nut" in question, or at least he seems like one to the waitresses at the diner in rural Middle America where he eats the same thing every day.
One of them, Flossie Ferguson (Pamela Fila), takes a shine to him and, being an aspiring actress, agrees to appear in an autobiographical shot-on-video film Willem has decided to make with his goodnaturedly nerdy pal Todd Muckle (Andy Rocco) in order to tell Willem's story to the public more effectively than with the occasional sparsely-attended speech or social media video.
So far, the whole thing seems to play like an ultra-dry deadpan comedy, especially when we start to see the three of them filming Willem's comically overdramatized account of his past trauma under the most amateur of conditions.
The events that made him the man he is today, we find, involve his working as a geologist for the government until having a terrifying close encounter of the worst kind after uncovering a sealed underground vault.
We know of Willem's horrific past experience, resulting in a painful breakup with his wife, solely through these humorously-staged, laughable recreations (there are no dramatic flashbacks), and thus have no way of knowing whether he's telling the truth or simply tragically delusional.
Still, the smartly-written script of MAN UNDERGROUND by co-directors Michael Borowiec and Sam Marine manages to come up with some spooky clues here and there which, at times, have us hanging on this pathetic, socially-malajusted paranoiac's unsettling nocturnal encounters as though we're watching a low-key political thriller or an episode of "The X-Files."
All of this potential background intrigue, meanwhile, is presented within the context of three societal misfits (and Flossie's annoying boyfriend Francis, played with smooth-nerd aplomb by Felix Hagen) making a glorified home movie while stumbling through their own awkward relationship problems--most of which stem from Willem's mercurial, distrustful nature--as deadpan humor gives way more and more to increasingly absorbing human drama.
The film's climax, in fact, is surprisingly dramatic, and by this time the writer-directors have managed to make these borderline-farcical characters more than sufficiently well-rounded enough for us to care about them. More than that, they're quite thoroughly sympathetic and likable, even realistic in their own way, which is due in no small part to some wonderfully deft performances by the leads.
MAN UNDERGROUND is unlike any "conspiracy theory" story I've seen, mixing subtle humor and serious drama the way real life often does, with the same variances in tone and lack of clear-cut resolution, and with the same kind of unsettling yet somehow appealing unpredictability.
Tech Specs
Runtime: 93 mins.
Format: 1:85 Flat
Sound: Dolby 2.0
Country: USA
Language: English
Website: www.IndicanPictures.com
Genre: Sci-Fi/Horror/Comedy
Six All-New Episodes and a Special Featurette with the Adorable Tinky Winky on DVD September 5
Family Entertainment with Developmental Benefits
CULVER CITY, Calif. (July 28, 2017) – The wonderful world of Teletubbies is back with 6 all-new adventures for your little ones when TELETUBBIES: FOLLOW THE LEADER arrives on DVD on September 5.
Celebrating 20 years of entertaining families across the world, the new generation of Teletubbies is designed to appeal to today's tech-savvy infants and toddlers through relatable storylines, and high-tech features including their Touch-Screen Tummies and Tubby Phone smartphone. Parents will be able to provide their toddlers with creative learning experiences that are fun, playful and inclusive.
The DVD encourages early social skills, including taking turns, physical activity and coordination, as well as recognizing colors, objects and patterns.
Synopsis: Join Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po as they laugh, play, sing, dance and share big hugs. Teletubbies makes exploring and experimenting so much fun, your child will shout "Again! Again!". Contains six new episodes, including “Follow the Leader”.
Bonus Feature Includes: · Meet the Characters: Tinky Winky
TELETUBBIES: FOLLOW THE LEADER has a run time of approximately 75 minutes. The collection is not rated.
ABOUT SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.
ABOUT TELETUBBIES Originally created in 1997, Teletubbies is one of the most successful global children’s brands of all-time. Targeted at young pre-school viewers, it has reached over 1 billion children to date. The original episodes have aired in over 120 territories in 45 different languages.
Debuting on Nick Jr. in May 2016, the new Teletubbies series (60 x 12 min. episodes) stays true to the original series but is designed to captivate today’s digital toddlers with updated elements and visual CGI-enhancements. The characters now have Touch-Screen Tummies and high-tech gadgets like the Tubby Phone smartphone, introducing a contemporary twist for a new generation of pre-schoolers. The multi award-winning Teletubbies encourages young children to watch television creatively, providing a safe and beneficial viewing experience. Teletubbies is produced by DHX Media. www.teletubbies.com
ABOUT DHX MEDIA DHX Media Ltd. (TSX: DHX.A, DHX.B; NASDAQ: DHXM) is a leading children’s content and brands company, recognized globally for such high-profile properties as Peanuts, Teletubbies, Strawberry Shortcake, Caillou, Inspector Gadget, and the acclaimed Degrassi franchise. One of the world’s foremost producers of children’s shows, DHX Media owns the world’s largest independent library of children’s content, at 13,000 half-hours. It licenses its content to broadcasters and streaming services worldwide and generates royalties through its global consumer products program. Through its subsidiary, WildBrain, DHX Media operates one of the largest networks of children’s channels on YouTube. Headquartered in Canada, DHX Media has 20 offices worldwide. Visit us at www.dhxmedia.com.
Artsploitation Decks the Halls with a "RED CHRISTMAS" Craig Anderson's Festival Hit Opens in Los Angeles August 25th Blood-Soaked Holiday Cheer to Spread in Limited Release "An energetic, candy-colored romp through genre tropes that manages to take its subject matter seriously while poking fun at itself at the same time." -- Variety "Quite simply, Wallace can do no wrong, and Red Christmas proves that she still is - and always will be - a horror force to be reckoned with." -- Horror Film News
Philadelphia, PA - Artsploitation has unwrapped a gift for all the bad boys and girls with the upcoming limited release of the Australian horror film Red Christmas. Veteran television director and actor Craig Anderson makes his feature debut with Red Christmas, combining the banal horror of family gatherings with the issues of abortion, feminism, ethics, religion and privacy, with a blood-splattered twist on what happens when secrets refuse to stay dead.
Genre icon Dee Wallace (The Hills Have Eyes, The Howling, E.T., Cujo, Critters) stars as the stressed-out mother of a squabbling family, gathered together in a remote Outback estate on Christmas Eve. Their petty dramas threaten to blacken the holiday until a mysterious and deformed stranger appears at the door seeking bloody vengeance. Red Christmas will open in Los Angeles August 25th for a weeklong run at the Laemmle Music Hall, and expand to screens in San Francisco, Denver, Dallas and more over the coming weeks.
August 25th Theatrical Release: Laemmle Music Hall 3 9036 Wilshire Blvd Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Dee Wallace headlines as Diane, a matriarch presiding over the gathering of her squabbling grown children on Christmas Day. Tensions give way to terror when a deformed stranger appears at the door with vengeance on his mind. Diane must protect her family as limbs are severed and secrets are brought into the light.
The old "haunted apartment" routine gets another crack at chilling our jaded blood in APT 3D (2014). And, in its own slow, low-key, almost minimalist sort of way--with a few unexpected elements tossed into the mix, including sci-fi--it kinda does.
First-time writer-director Zack Imbrogno (with co-director Horst Dieter Baum) plays it like a slow tease, never giving us too much information at a time but always keeping us on edge, making us wait for each little clue as to what the hell's going on.
It all starts when Ben (Imbrogno) and his girlfriend Erin (Maxxe Sternbaum) move into the New York apartment of Ben's sister during her three-month jaunt to Africa. Ben's all excited about his new TV-writing job, but Los Angeles girl Erin feels like a fish out of water and hates being left alone during the day. This is just the beginning of a growing rift between them.
Making matters worse is a pushy, too-friendly neighbor named Chris (Jordan Lewis), whom Erin eventually suspects of stalking her. The tension level is increased when we're shown brief glimpses of this. But is he simply a pervert? Or is there something more complicated, and perhaps more sinister, at work?
The apartment is small and modern, hardly the spacious old Gothic layout we see in such films as THE RESIDENT, but the directors manage to make it eerie enough with peripheral touches we almost don't notice--a shadow flitting across the wall, a closed door creaking open a crack--and weird, unexplained noises emanating from the most unlikely places.
It seems like a simple case of either stalking or paranormal infestation, except there are other things at work here such as UFOs glimpsed from the rooftop and bizarre visions that come over both Ben and Erin. Some of the physical manifestations they experience along with these hallucinations seem...well...alien in nature.
APT 3D strings us along expertly and maintains a constant level of suspense, brimming with paranoia, that neither overdoes it nor loses its tension. The gradual introduction of the more unbelievable, improbable aspects of their baffling plight only adds to our rapt involvement, even when we share Ben and Erin's skepticism when the enigmatic Chris turns out to be their main source of information.
Any more than this I'm loathe to reveal, save that this modestly budgeted mini-thriller with limited locations, a tiny cast, and a modicum of visual effects lets its actors and story carry us along in lieu of spectacle or sensation. It's like a crackerjack extended episode of some excellent TV anthology like "The Outer Limits" or "Friday the 13th--The Series."
The one sticking point--which may be a make-or-break thing for many viewers--is the abrupt ending. Just when I think it's switching into high gear, there's the fadeout leaving us hanging. But the more I thought about it, the more satisfied I was with the way APT 3D gives me just enough information and then allows me to imagine what happens next.
Tech Specs Runtime: 79 mins Format: 1:85 Flat Sound: Dolby SR Country: USA Language: English Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller Buy it at Amazon.com
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Sony Pictures) Release Date: September 1, 2017 On Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Sept. 19
40th Anniversary Trailer and Poster
After an encounter with U.F.O.s, a line worker feels undeniably drawn to an isolated area in the wilderness where something spectacular is about to happen.
Written and Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Produced by: Julia Phillips and Michael Phillips
Cast: Richard Dreyfuss Teri Garr Melinda Dillon with Francois Truffaut as Lacombe
The story of a man frantically trying to juggle family and career, THE MAN FROM OUTER SPACE (2017) is a simple, somewhat threadbare tale even though it's made up of two interwoven storylines.
In the first one, Louis (Christopher Mychael Watson, UNTOUCHED) is an aspiring screenwriter whose big break comes when he and his narcissistic young agent Kyle (Darren Hummel) are allowed the privilege of pitching some story ideas to big-wig producer Harold (Todd Christian Elliott).
But when Louis gets cornered into whipping up a script over the weekend, this conflicts with all the fatherly stuff he's promised he would do with his daughter Makayla (Aliyah Conley), putting him in the dog house with both her and his rather unyielding wife Alyssa (Erica Auerbach, UNDERCURRENT).
The second storyline consists of the relatively pedestrian sci-fi yarn Louis is making up on the fly about an astronaut from Mars who crash-lands on post-apocalypse Earth and discovers two inhabitants, a mother and her daughter, living in the wild.
The three characters are played by Louis and his family, so it becomes clear pretty quick that this is all a metaphor for what's going on in his real life at the moment. The astronaut will eventually have to decide what's more important--his mission, or the relationship between him and his new "family."
In his feature debut, writer-director Ben Hall does a decent job with a modest budget while giving us a story so predictable that actually watching it to the end feels like going through the motions.
The real-world Louis has my sympathies as he desperately struggles to make good on his big break despite being made out as a neglectful father by a wife who seems to have zero empathy and understanding for him. The kid I can understand, but Alyssa really turned me off as a character.
Fantasy-Louis is somewhat more interesting despite the fact that his big sci-fi saga--the one that's supposed to grab the demanding producer's attention--is about as original and deep as "Space Ship Sappy" with the Three Stooges.
And when some of his fellow astronauts from Mars show up acting all arch and threatening, it reminded me of TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE. Which was fun in a way, but not terribly involving.
My reaction to THE MAN FROM OUTER SPACE as a whole was similarly mixed--fun at times (mainly the bad sci-fi elements) but not all that engaging overall. Maybe next time Louis could come up with a more harrowing script based on his life, and call it "The Man Who Was Almost Nagged To Death."
Although "Saturday Night Live," "MADtv" and other sketch shows have captured some of the flavor of "Laugh-In," no other comedy show has matched it in terms of its hyper-speed outrageousness and offbeat sensibility. -- The Los Angeles Times
"The frenetic, chaotic comedy still earns laughs 50 years later... it's a wonderful time capsule of the era" -- DVD Talk
From 1968 to 1973, anarchy reigned supreme on NBC, and network television was never quite the same -- Winston-Salem Journal
MORE LAUGH-IN FROM TIME LIFE? YOU BET YOUR SWEET BIPPY!
THIS SEPTEMBER, TV'S GROUNDBREAKING VARIETY SHOW LAUNCHES AT RETAIL WITH A ZANY, STAR-STUDDED INAUGURAL SEASON DVD SET
ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON
Street Date: September 5, 2017 DVD SRP: $24.95
The 4-Disc Set Features 14 Remastered Episodes from the Landmark Emmy® and Golden Globe®-Winning Series - 64% of Which Have Never Before Been Available at Retail -- Hours of Bonus Programming Including the Pilot Episode and a New Interview with Creator George Schlatter; Guest Stars Include Harry Belafonte, Milton Berle, Johnny Carson, Cher, Tim Conway, Sammy Davis Jr., Sally Field, Jerry Lewis and Many More!
PROGRAM SYNOPSIS The '60s gave us "in-crowds," "be-ins" and "love-ins," and starting in 1968, the happening place for free-form comedy was Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, broadcast from beautiful downtown Burbank. Straight man Dan Rowan and wisecracking co-host Dick Martin led a gaggle of goofballs through a rapid-fire assault of one-liners, skits, bits and non sequiturs that left viewers in hysterics and disbelief. Anything and anyone in the public eye was a target. Political correctness? Forget it! The off-the-wall groundbreaking, Emmy Award-winning show would go on to anchor the Monday 8 p.m. time slot on NBC until March 12, 1973, transforming both pop culture and the medium of television.
Following the acclaimed release of LAUGH-IN: THE COMPLETE SERIES (available exclusively through TimeLife.com/Laugh-In), the TV-DVD archivists at Time Life are making ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON available for classic TV aficionados and comedy lovers alike. Comprised of 4 DVDs and 14 complete episodes - 64% of which have never before been available at retail -- the star-studded set delivers audiences to the beginning of the landmark series which became an instant classic and one of the most popular shows in the history of television.
Flip Wilson as Adam (now residing outside of the Garden of Eden); Tim Conway and Cher as John Smith and Pocahontas; a silent salute to presidential candidate George Wallace; a Mod, Mod World look at the Olympics -- these are just a few of the zaniest things crammed into Season 1. Also making their appearances for the first time: Goldie Hawn's giggly blonde, Judy Carne's "Sock-It-To-Me" girl, Jo Anne Worley's anti-chicken-joke militant, Ruth Buzzi's perpetually-frustrated spinster and Arte Johnson's "verrry interesting" German soldier. The biggest news, however, was the first national television appearance of Tiny Tim, the ukulele-toting, falsetto-singing throwback to a bygone era of American pop music. He made the rest of the cast seem normal -- and Dan and Dick squirm. The show's first season was also highlighted by long running fan favorite features including "Sock It to Me," "Cocktail Party," the "Joke Wall", and the first appearance of Johnson's elderly Tyrone F. Horneigh and Sammy Davis Jr. introducing the all-time classic sketch "Here Comes the Judge".
ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON includes hours of specially-produced extras, including the rare Laugh-In pilot, an all-new interview with creator and executive producer George Schlatter, 25th Anniversary Cast Reunion Highlights and Laugh-In Bloopers.
CAST Dan Rowan Dick Martin Pamela Austin Ken Berry Eileen Brennan Ruth Buzzi Judy Carne Barbara Feldon Henry Gibson Goldie Hawn Larry Hovis Arte Johnson Gary Owens Jo Anne Worley
PROGRAM INFORMATION Format: DVD/4 Discs Running Time: 869 minutes Genre: TV DVD/Comedy Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Audio: Stereo
A lot of people these days only know Harvey Korman from his Mel Brooks movies ("That's Hedley!"), but there was a time before that when his star shone brightly as the Emmy-winning second banana on TV's legendary "The Carol Burnett Show."
Time-Life's DVD release THE BEST OF HARVEY KORMAN assembles four complete (more or less) nostalgia-heavy episodes from 1969-71, three of which haven't been seen in 40 years, and they serve as a real time machine back to the way variety shows looked in those days.
Watching them now, the show's comedy is as incredibly corny as it can be, with paper-thin writing and forced punchlines, but also with a laidback informality (the performers break character often to either ad-lib or crack up at each other) that continues to appeal.
Production-wise, it often looks almost like a local TV production even though it was a top-rated show on a major network. Strangely enough, this also adds to the show's charm--it didn't need a big budget with such likable performers to keep audiences happy.
Chief among these of course was Carol, that lovable, rubber-faced genius of physical and verbal comedy who always came across as the superstar next door. She was a bundle of sparkling personality, especially during the celebrated Q & A segments with the studio audience.
Korman was second only to her in versatility, playing everything from henpecked husbands to weaselly lotharios (as in the lengthy and tedious Latin lover sketch) and everything in between.
Rounding out the cast was cartoonishly handsome Lyle Waggoner, forever goodnaturedly spoofing his own manly image, while a sweetly callow Vicki Lawrence was the perennial "kid sister" before her eventual breakthrough as "Mama."
Comedy skits alternate with often cringe-inducing song and/or dance numbers, with the first episode in the set giving Lyle and Vicki solo songs that are less than memorable. Even veteran performers such as Bernadette Peters, Nancy Wilson, and Diahann Carroll can't do much with the tacky arrangements they're given. (A pre-"Jeffersons" Isabel Sanford appears briefly as a housekeeper in one segment.)
As for Korman, his appearances in the set are sporadic--the episodes seem pretty much picked at random and don't really showcase his best work at all. The fact that he's in them seems enough to qualify them for inclusion here.
A skit in which he appears in drag seems to be the collection's highlight. Other points of interest are "The Old Folks" (Harvey and Carol as a doddering elderly couple), a solo comedy song emphasizing Harvey's vanity, Harvey as Richard Nixon, and a guest appearance by future castmember Tim Conway who would become Harvey's most frequent comedy foil.
While not exactly THE BEST OF HARVEY KORMAN as the title suggests, it's fun to watch these episodes again after all this time and relive those decades-old memories. Still, viewers who aren't seeing these creaky old skits and corny musical numbers through a golden haze of nostalgia might wonder what all the fuss is about.
It isn't often that your run-of-the-mill teen slasher pic actually defies and/or exceeds expectations, but WTF! (2017) lives up to its title by doing just that.
Not that it reinvents the wheel or anything. It's just that debut director and co-writer Peter Herro has managed to toss in all the familiar ingredients and whip up something that doesn't taste like the same old microwaved mess.
Perez Hilton's cameo is, thankfully, brief, as he yells "F***ing spring break, pussies!" at a pool party (perfectly setting the film's early tone) and tries to be Steve-O for five minutes before disappearing. (Yay!)
Then, it's off to a secluded cabin in the woods for our cast of bratty young party-hearty-ers and a fun-filled weekend of alcohol, weed, sex, skinny-dipping, and death.
(Oh, and just to get a couple of things out of the way to begin with -- there's no Wi-Fi and no cell phone service.)
All the stereotypes are here and then some, along with many of the familiar tropes (including the gas-station hick who warns the kids to "stay away from that place") which, by now, are so comforting that we sort of welcome them.
In fact, this movie wants to be predictable so that it can play around with, and sometimes bend, all our expectations. Not to mention the fact that letting go and indulging in all the foolishness this genre has to offer, if done right and with tongue firmly in cheek, can be fun.
WTF! does just that by being a nicely-filmed self-parody pretending to be a serious horror flick. The kids inhabit their roles to the hilt--the spoiled rich girls, the horny frat boys, the various loners (final girl, sensitive boy, etc.)--and actually play them with conviction.
This is especially true once it finally dawns on them that party time is over and the gore has hit the fan. It's rare, but in this case the ensemble acting actually improves once the cast are expected to emote their heads off. They're terrific, in fact, as is Herro's direction.
Not only that, but after some pretty brutal kills, there's a nifty twist that I didn't see coming. Or rather, I sorta saw it coming but not quite from that direction. "WTF!", indeed.
The MOD physical release of WTF! (SRP $14.95) is available exclusively from Amazon.com Available Nationwide on Cable VOD and Digital HD
Cast: Hayden Christensen, Bruce Willis, Gethin Anthony, Megan Leonard, Tyler Jon Olson, Shea Buckner
In order to reconnect with his son Danny (Ty Shelton), big shot Wall Street broker Will (Hayden Christensen) takes his family on a hunting trip to the cabin where he grew up.
While out hunting with Danny, the trip takes a deadly turn when they stumble upon several robbers and witness the murder of one of the criminals.
After becoming entangled in a bank heist gone bad that results in the kidnapping of Danny, Will is forced to help the kidnappers evade the police chief (Bruce Willis) and recover the stolen loot in exchange for his son’s life.
Watch the Trailer
Genre: Thriller
Rating: R for violence and language
U.S. Release Date: July 21, 2017 (In Theaters and On Demand)
Run Time: 97 minutes
Directed by: Steven C. Miller Written by: Nick Gordon Produced by: Randall Emmett, p.g.a., George Furla, p.g.a., Mark Stewart
“Mind-blowing. You’ve never seen anything like it.” –Kevin Steincross, FOX-TV “Scarlett Johansson is terrific.” –Stephanie Zacharek, Time SCARLETT JOHANSSON STARS IN THE VISUALLY STUNNING AND ACTION-PACKED FILM Breathtaking Vision of the Future Debuts July 25, 2017 on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray 3D™ and Blu-ray™ Combo Packs
Get It Early on Digital HD July 7
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – “Totally riveting” (Bill Zwecker, FOX-TV) and filled with “heart pounding excitement” (Pete Hammond, Deadline), the thrilling and eye-popping GHOST IN THE SHELL arrives on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and On Demand July 25, 2017 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. The future comes early on Digital HD July 7. Set in a world where people are enhanced with technology, GHOST IN THE SHELL follows Major (Scarlett Johansson), who believes she was rescued from near death. The first of her kind, Major is a human mind inside an artificial body designed to fight the war against cyber-crime.
While investigating a dangerous criminal, Major makes a shocking discovery – the corporation that created her lied about her past life in order to control her. Unsure what to believe, Major will stop at nothing to unravel the mystery of her true identity and exact revenge against the corporation she was built to serve. A “visually stunning” (Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly) “classic in the making” (Dan Casey, Nerdist), GHOST IN THE SHELL also stars Takeshi Kitano, Michael Carmen Pitt, Pilou Asbæk, Chin Han, and Juliette Binoche.
The GHOST IN THE SHELL 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray Combo Packs are loaded with over 50 minutes of fascinating special features. Scarlett Johansson, director Rupert Sanders and other cast and crew take you behind-the-scenes to talk stunts, special effects and intricate fight sequences. Plus, take an in-depth look at the real-life science behind robotics; discover how cyber-enhancements give each character specialized super–soldier abilities; and learn about the original anime as well as the inspirations behind the visually stunning view of the future. The film also boasts a Dolby Atmos® soundtrack* remixed specifically for the home theater environment to place and move audio anywhere in the room, including overhead.
Ghost in the Shell Blu-ray Combo Pack The GHOST IN THE SHELL Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD compatible), French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The DVD in the combo pack is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The combo pack includes access to a Digital HD copy of the film as well as the following: Blu-ray • Feature film in high definition • Bonus Content: o Hard-Wired Humanity: Making Ghost in the Shell o Section 9: Cyber Defenders o Man & Machine: The Ghost Philosophy DVD • Feature film in standard definition
Ghost in the Shell 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack Fans can enjoy the ultimate viewing experience with the 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, which includes the Blu-ray detailed above, as well as an Ultra HD Disc presented in 4K Ultra HD with English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD compatible), 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 Combo Pack also includes access to a Digital HD copy of the film.
Ghost in the Shell Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack includes a Blu-ray 3D presented in 1080p high definition with English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD compatible), Parisian French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Castilian Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, German 5.1 Dolby Digital, Italian 5.1 Dolby Digital, Japanese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description, along with English (UK), English (UK SDH) Bahasa Malaysian, Brazilian Portuguese, Cantonese, Castilian Spanish, Czech, Danish, Dutch, European Portuguese, Finnish, Parisian French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin American Spanish, Mandarin Simplified, Mandarin Traditional, Norwegian, Romanian, Slovakian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, and Ukrainian subtitles.
The Blu-ray Disc™ in the combo pack is presented in 1080p high definition with English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD compatible), Canadian French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Latin American Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, and English Audio Description and English, Canadian French, Latin American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese subtitles. The Blu-ray includes the same content listed above and the Combo Pack also includes access to a Digital HD copy of the film. Ghost in the Shell Single-Disc DVD
The single-disc DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The disc includes the feature film in standard definition.
Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures and Reliance Entertainment present an Arad Productions/a Steven Paul production, a Rupert Sanders film: Scarlett Johansson “Ghost in the Shell.” “Beat” Takeshi Kitano, Michael Carmen Pitt, Pilou Asbæk, Chin Han, and Juliette Binoche. Music by Clint Mansell and Lorne Balfe. Costume designers Kurt and Bart. Editors Neil Smith and Billy Rich. Production designer Jan Roelfs. Director of photography Jess Hall, BSC. Executive producers Jeffrey Silver, Tetsu Fujimura, Yoshinobu Noma and Mitsuhisa Ishikawa. Produced by Avi Arad, p.g.a., Ari Arad, p.g.a., Steven Paul and Michael Costigan. Based on the comic “The Ghost in the Shell” by Shirow Masamune, published in Japan by Kodansha Ltd. Screenplay by Jamie Moss and William Wheeler and Ehren Kruger. Directed by Rupert Sanders. About Paramount Home Media Distribution Paramount Home Media Distribution (PHMD) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), home to premier global media brands that create compelling television programs, motion pictures, short-form content, apps, games, consumer products, social media experiences and other entertainment content for audiences in more than 180 countries. The PHMD division oversees PPC’s home entertainment and transactional digital distribution activities worldwide. The division is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment content on behalf of Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and CBS and applicable licensing and servicing of certain DreamWorks Animation titles. PHMD additionally manages global licensing of studio content and transactional distribution across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices and emerging technologies.
About Dolby Atmos Dolby Atmos delivers moving audio—sound that can be precisely placed and moved anywhere in threedimensional space, including overhead. It brings entertainment alive all around the audience in a powerfully immersive and emotive experience. To learn more about Dolby Atmos, visit dolby.com/Atmos. GHOST IN THE SHELL
Street Date: July 7, 2017 (Digital HD) July 25, 2017 (4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD)
U.S. Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence, suggestive content and some disturbing images
Canadian Rating: PG, not recommended for young children, violence
* To experience Dolby Atmos at home, a Dolby Atmos enabled AV receiver and additional speakers are required, or a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar; however, Dolby Atmos soundtracks are also fully backward compatible with traditional audio configurations and legacy home entertainment equipment.
Genre: Thriller Cast: Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, Charlotte Gainsbourg with Val Kilmer and J.K. Simmons
Michael Fassbender (X-Men series), Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation), Charlotte Gainsbourg (Independence Day: Resurgence), Val Kilmer (Heat) and Academy Award® winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) star in The Snowman, a terrifying thriller from director Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), based on Jo Nesbø’s global bestseller.
When an elite crime squad’s lead detective (Fassbender) investigates the disappearance of a victim on the first snow of winter, he fears an elusive serial killer may be active again. With the help of a brilliant recruit (Ferguson), the cop must connect decades-old cold cases to the brutal new one if he hopes to outwit this unthinkable evil before the next snowfall.
A Working Title production—in association with Another Park Film—the thriller is executive produced by Nesbø, Niclas Salomonsson, Martin Scorsese, Alfredson, Liza Chasin and Amelia Granger.
The film was shot entirely on location in Norway in the cities of Oslo and Bergen and the area of Rjukan.
Directed by: Tomas Alfredson Screenplay by: Hossein Amini and Peter Straughan Based on the Novel by: Jo Nesbø Produced by: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Piodor Gustafsson, Robyn Slovo Executive Producers: Jo Nesbø, Niclas Salomonsson, Martin Scorsese, Tomas Alfredson, Liza Chasin and Amelia Granger
WAR TAKES NO PRISONERS IN THE GRITTY WWII EPIC 1944
Estonia's 2016 Official Oscar Entry for Best Foreign Language Film Makes its North American debut on DVD and Digital August 1, 2017
DVD AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT WALMART
A little known chapter in World War II history pitted brother against brother in one of the bloodiest conflicts of the war. From director Elmo Nüganen comes 1944, Estonia's biggest domestic box office success and the country's Official Entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2016 Academy Awards®. On August 1, this "gritty war epic" (Variety) debuts on DVD and Digital from Film Movement.
Revealing the tragic aftermath of the invasion and occupation of Estonia after the onset of WWII, 1944 recounts one of the most painful chapters of 20th century history for the beleaguered Baltic country. First seized by Soviet Russia, then by Nazi Germany, Estonia ended up with more than 50,000 men of combat age conscripted to fight for the Red Army and over 70,000 for the German military. The result was effectively a civil war, with former friends and neighbors forced to slaughter each other on the battlefield.
From July's battle of the Tannenberg Line to the Red Army's occupation of the Sorve peninsula at the end of November, 1944 is depicted through the eyes of Estonians fighting on opposing sides. With the Russians on the offensive, the outnumbered SS dig in to repel the Soviet advance on the Third Reich. Yet, half of their infantry are local Estonian recruits, drafted from Siberian Labor camps and sent back to their homeland wearing enemy uniforms; now, they must find a way to survive one of the deadliest battles of World War II.
Humanizing the conflict, director Nüganen chooses to focus on two high ranking officers: Karl (Kaspar Velberg), a country boy turned SS officer, also haunted by his inability to prevent his family's deportation to Siberia and Juri (Kristjan Ukskula), son of a communist collaborator, recruited from the Estonian Defense Forces by the Soviet Red Army.
The Hollywood Reporter says that Nüganen, who made his feature-length debut with 2003's historic Names in Marble (which, until 1944 held the Estonian box office record) "stages battlefield action with an impressively kinetic in-your-face energy" and has "a flare for directing action with tense scenes of trench warfare." They go on to say that the script, penned by Leo Kunnas, a novelist and former high-ranking Estonian military officer, is "rich in historical detail."
The 1944 DVD features the original Estonian language version with English subtitles, as well as an English dubbed track. The DVD also includes the bonus animated short, Le Deux Vies de Nate Hill (The Two Lives of Nate Hill) from director Jeanne Joseph, examining the dualities of chance and fate.
1944 (100 minutes) Directed by Elmo Nüganen. Starring Kristjan Ukskula, Kaspar Velberg, Maiken Schmidt, Hendrik Kalmet, Karl-Andres Kalmet, Peeter Tammearu. A Film Movement release.
English Language Track; Original Estonian with English Subtitles | 5.1 Surround /2.0 Stereo | 2.39:1
PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN Release: October 27, 2017 Genre: Drama
In a superhero origin tale unlike any other, the film is the incredible true story of what inspired Harvard psychologist Dr. William Moulton Marston to create the iconic Wonder Woman character in the 1940's. While Marston's feminist superhero was criticized by censors for her 'sexual perversity', he was keeping a secret that could have destroyed him.
Marston's muses for the Wonder Woman character were his wife Elizabeth Marston and their lover Olive Byrne, two empowered women who defied convention: working with Marston on human behavior research -- while building a hidden life with him that rivaled the greatest of superhero disguises.
Professor Marston & The Wonder Women Official Channels:
Albert (Jon Wachter) is one of those dorky, withdrawn, borderline characters who seem to need just a little push to go off the deep end into the wonderful world of coo-coo. And, in his case, to transform into BAG BOY LOVER BOY (Severin Films, 2014).
He's a hot dog vendor in New York who's very lackadaisical about his job and basic sanitation in general (dropped hot dogs go right back on the grill) and dreams of being an artist or, better yet, a photographer, even though he knows nothing about art or photography.
When a portly professional photog named Ivan (Theodore Bouloukos, AFTER.LIFE) is smitten with Albert's extreme ordinariness and offers to pay him to pose, Albert dully goes along with it thinking he'll get some photography training out of the deal.
Instead, he's the co-subject of a series of perverse sex pictorials in which he is directed to put a plastic bag over a sexy model's head and mimic strangling her to death while Ivan eggs him on with sick exhortations and snaps away.
With such dreadfully unhealthy stimuli simmering in his overheated brain, Albert, left to his own devices when Ivan is suddenly called away to a big photo shoot in Italy, takes over the studio late at night and starts luring women there in order to satisy his raging new passions for (a) really bad photography, and (b) putting plastic bags over women's heads and strangling them to death.
Looking somewhat like something Abel Ferrara might've cooked up in his spare time, BAG BOY LOVER BOY has the muted, gritty-grimy aura of an 80s slice-of-urban-decay thriller like LIQUID SKY but without the neon veneer or quirky score.
There's a bland, matter-of-fact quality to Albert's homicidal deeds that underscores how truly sociopathic, disturbed, and almost comically self-obsessed he is. (We get several brief glimpses into his mind which are telling.) In fact, the ease with which he slips into his horrific new lifestyle tells us that he's been on a hair-trigger all along, just waiting for the right impetus to steer him toward his true calling.
With all of that, the film is rife with understated, tongue-in-cheek (and very dark) humor that begins with Albert's ridiculously disconnected nature itself and then really kicks in when the flamboyantly vain and profane chatterbox Ivan shows up (Theodore Bouloukos is both naturalistic and over-the-top in the role and is brilliant).
I love it when Ivan glibly defends the terminally apathetic Albert against a couple who witness him retrieving a hot dog from the floor for their consumption--the dialogue seems improvised, it's so sharp and realistic. Another particularly humorous scene involves woefully inept photographer Albert being schooled by a camera shop clerk as to why his Polaroids are turning out so blurry.
Humor and tragedy are nicely combined later on during Albert's seriocomic encounters with various victims, including Ivan's overbearing assistant Jackie (Kathy Biehl), who stumbles onto his nocturnal activities, and his friend/secret love Lexy (Adrienne Gori), who actually agrees to pose for his increasingly sick photos in exchange for a place to stay. There's even a foray into cannibalism that yields ghoulish giggles.
The Blu-ray from Severin Films is in 1080p full HD resolution with English 2.0 stereo and optional English subtitles. Bonus features consist of a trailer, two brief, comical student films by star Jon Wachter, and a commentary featuring director Andres Torres, actor Theodore Bouloukos, and editor Charlie Williams.
After an abrupt climax, BAG BOY LOVER BOY ends unexpectedly--not with a bang (although there is one), but with some deliciously curdled character moments that send us off with a wry smile. It's almost a feelgood flick in its own sick way, albeit one that might leave you feeling like you just got dropped on the floor and tossed back onto the grill.
