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'Nazis at the Center of the Earth' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser] More zombie Nazis will invade Blu-ray this April! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, the Asylum will be releasing 'Nazis at the Center of the Earth' to high-definition on April 24. Researchers in Antarctica are abducted by a team of masked storm troopers. They are dragged deep underground to a hidden continent in the center of the earth. Here Nazi survivors, their bodies a horrifying patchwork of decaying and regenerated flesh, are planning for the revival of the Third Reich. The film stars Dominique Swain, Josh Allen, Christopher Karl Johnson, and Jake Busey. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is only $24.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Nazis at the Center of the Earth' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 24.Posted Thu Feb 2, 2012 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
Sundance 2012 Interviews: 'Robot and Frank' Writer Christopher Fordby Luke Hickman [teaser]Ever since attending NYU Film School a few years back, Christopher Ford has written a slew of features and shorts, but 'Robot and Frank,' this year's Salt Lake City opening night gala film, is his first to ever be made and seen by the masses. This is also his first time at Sundance. If this is what he's capable of pulling off as a newbie, it will be fun to see what he does as he becomes a more seasoned writer.[/teaser] 'Robot and Frank' is the story of a senile old man (Frank Langella) whose son (James Marsden) buys him a robotic caretaker. Before long, Frank learns that he can manipulate his robot, so the two head off on a heist-filled adventure. HDD – Luke Hickman: Alright. First time at Sundance and - Christopher Ford: Yes! HDD: - how is it? Christopher Ford: It's amazing! This is my first fully produced movie script, so it crazy to me. I haven't gotten to see any movies. HDD: Are you going to see any? Christopher Ford: I want to – uh – but it's kinda too crazy. But it's cool because I have other friends that I went to school with that have movies here. It's weird. My friends are here so it seems like "it's happening." HDD: Where did you all go to school? Christopher Ford: NYU. HDD: What are some of the movies that your friends have here? Christopher Ford: There's 'Bachelorette,' which has an awesome cast - a lot of fun people to work with. There's the Mike Birbiglia one – 'Sleepwalk with Me' – with one of my producers from film school. And a lot of short films. There are so many people here that I know. HDD: Being your first film produced, this has to be extremely surreal. Christopher Ford: Oh, yeah. And it all happened really fast. We obviously had the right content, but then we shot it this summer, [director] Jake Schreier started editing in September, and we had to get it ready for January. It's kinda crazy, right? HDD: Yeah. I was at the premiere when you guys were talking about this at the Q&A after the movie. Wasn't it a 21-day shoot? Christopher Ford: 20. We wanted one more day, but … . Yeah, it was during the summer too, so it sucked. HDD: When did you find out that you were accepted to Sundance? Christopher Ford: Ummm. About Thanksgiving. HDD: From your position, how did the whole application process go? Christopher Ford: Our producers did. That was their job. Galt Niederhoffer put together our cast, our application to Sundance and made it happen. So, I wrote a script, got notes for everybody, was there when they shot it, and they made all of this happen. It felt really good to be in their hands. HDD: Good producers! Christopher Ford: Yeah! HDD: Do they include you on all of the business aspects of it from here - like any bites you've received about distribution? Christopher Ford: Oh, yeah. We're definitely buzzing with that stuff right now. But that's kinda their business. They keep me informed though. It's involves Jake more in the actual decision, but they let me know. To me, this is all a bonus from having it made. HDD: How long ago did you write the script? Christopher Ford: I guess I started writing the feature script in 2010, or maybe the end of 2009. But it's funny, it was short before from back in film school, so the idea is from 2002. HDD: Was it one of the first shorts you ever made? Christopher Ford: No, it was actually the last one – my senior thesis film that I directed and Jake produced. I basically learned from it that I wanted to be a writer over a director. HDD: Is it hard handing you scripts over to a director, to Jake? Christopher Ford: No. No. I trust him. I'm really lucky because I'm really good friends with the director. I was on set the whole time. He wanted me there for my writer's viewpoint on what we were shooting. HDD: Seeing the final product, is it how you imagined it? Christopher Ford: Yeah. Pretty much. It's actually better. It's collaborative. Everyone brings something with them. Like Frank Langella – he brought so much to the character of Frank, even when I was still in the writing phase. Actors, they read the script and see everything from their character's point of view. That could be bad, but because they were experts, they were like, "No way. Why would the character do this?" And that's actually really helpful. HDD: So it's a learning process at the same time? Christopher Ford: Oh, yeah. Absolutely. HDD: How did you get this cast? Christopher Ford: It was Galt. It helped that we got Frank interested first. Maybe there's not a lot of parts for older guys – and it's playful. We met him at some restaurant. He wanted to see if we were passionate about the script. And he said, "Sure I'll do your movie … if it happens." And when it all came together, he was like, "Oh! Ok. Here we are." And he was great. HDD: What about the rest of the cast? How did you land Susan Sarandon, James Marsden and Liv Tyler? Christopher Ford: I think once we landed Frank, it peaked their interest in the script. I think they wanted to work with him. It's funny how James Marsden has been in two other movies with him – not as his son, but as his nephew. And again in 'The Box.' Marsden was also Susan Sarandon's kid in two movies. I think there's a family resemblance here. HDD: It's an awesome cast. I'll tell you, part of the fun for me when watching the movie was that I had no idea that it was turning into a heist film, that Frank would coax this robot in breaking and entering. Christopher Ford: (laughs) We originally did not have that part. In the short, the son drops the robot off. It's all sad. Frank dies in the end. HDD: Do Frank and Robot become buddies like they do in the feature? Christopher Ford: Yeah-yeah-yeah. There was also the whole library plot, but it was more focused on reading. HDD: Well, with books disappearing and everything going digital, it looks like things might be going the way of the movie. It's applicable. Christopher Ford: Oh, yeah. What's crazy is that in 2009, when I was thinking all this up, I thought, 'What would they have? Maybe a little tablet computer? What would I call it?' At the time there was no iPad, but now it's all happening. I swear! My thought of tablet computers became totally real. We caught up to reality. HDD: Now we just need them to be see-through like yours in the film. Christopher Ford: Exactly! Maybe the robot is next. HDD: I was laughing at the Q&A after the premiere when someone in the audience asked you how far away we are from this technology. Jake plead the fifth and you said 2025. Christopher Ford: (laughs) HDD: How have the Q&As been? You get your handful of good questions and the occasional weirdo one. Christopher Ford: Oh, it's fun! It's crazy because I went to a lot of Q&As in film school and it's odd to be conducting one. It's funny because Jake it is kinda shy. When he comes out to introduce the film in the beginning, he's quiet and small. It isn't until they begin asking questions that he warms up. HDD: So, what's next? Have you written anything? Are you writing anything? Christopher Ford: I think the biggest thing right now is that I'm writing a horror movie for Eli Roth that he's producing. Another friend from film school is going to direct. It's called 'Clown.' HDD: Oh, you know what? I saw this on IMDb, right? Christopher Ford: Yeah. It's a cool story. Me and my other friend John made a fake trailer for a horror movie called 'Clown' as a joke, we put it on YouTube and it got some attention. We put in as part of trailer – to make it seems real – that it was directed by Eli Roth. It was the perfect note to make this really horrible movie about a clown killer. And then [Roth] saw it because someone sent it to him and he called us up and said, "This is a really good idea. Let's do it!" HDD: He loves that viral stuff, doesn't he? Christopher Ford: Yeah – and it's awesome! HDD: So, first you're working with your buddies, now you're working with Eli Roth. Christopher Ford: And my buddies! And [Eli Roth] is a really nice guy. HDD: Which part of the process are guys in with 'Clown?' Christopher Ford: Right now we're just locking up the script, pre-production stuff. I'm not exactly sure when we're shooting – probably in the summer again, which I'm kinda dreading because of the whole 'Robot' thing. We were shooting in upstate New York and we were in almost record-setting heat. Humid times. The woman in the robot suit, Rachel – it was dangerous. We had to stop every once in a while so she wouldn't pass out. That was not fun. There are parts on the suit that you can kinda see through, so she had to wear this black suit. If you saw it, it was supposed to resemble circuits. And she was just sweating it up in that thing the whole time. She's short - like 4'11" - but she's a dancer – a sexy go-go dancer. HDD: Go figure. She had the robotic movement down. There's not a time in the movie where she doesn't seem robotic. Christopher Ford: Exactly. It was weird. There was this zen sort of things she had to do to focus on standing still while Frank was yelling at her. It was kinda bizarre. HDD: I've got to tell you, I enjoy the typical Sundance movies, but it's always fun to see something like this here – like a PG-13 heartfelt dramatic comedy - because it unexpected. We need more of it. Christopher Ford: It's got a lot of genres mixed together, so it's unique in the end.Posted Wed Feb 1, 2012 at 01:45 PM PST by: -
Sundance 2012 Interviews: Lizzy Caplan from 'Save the Date'by Luke Hickman 'Save the Date' is one of the many great R-rated female-centric comedic dramas at Sundance this year. Lizzy Caplan stars as an aspiring artist who has to take life in small steps. As if moving in with her boyfriend wasn't traumatic enough, when he proposes to her in front of a large crowd she freaks out and ends the relationship right there. [teaser]Lizzy Caplan sat down mid-festival to talk about 'Save the Date,' female-driven comedies, and horror movies.[/teaser] Lizzy Caplan: It's nice to be sitting down, not made-up and not in front of a camera! HDD: No on-screen stuff today? Lizzy Caplan: Not that I know of. I'm done – done with those bitches. (laughs) HDD: But you don't mind if you're shoot for a movie, right? Lizzy Caplan: Not at all. That's fun. The shoot [of 'Save the Date'] was quick, super quick – the best kind. HDD: How were the rehearsals? Lizzy Caplan: I'm not generally a huge fan of rehearsals, but I think it's important to spend time with the people you're going to be working with – especially if you're supposed to be sisters or have some kind of long relationship. But in my rehearsals with Alison [Brie], we'd read one scene and both think, 'Oh, this is going to be just fine.' I think it was more of a confidence booster for [director Michael] Mohan than it was for us, to see if we'd be able to pull this off and have a hopefully believable sister relationship. HDD: They didn't test you two together first? Lizzy Caplan: (sarcastically laughs) Screen test? This isn't the sort of filmmaking that screen tests. HDD: You know what I mean – to see if you two worked together well, which you do. Lizzy Caplan: Thanks! I knew Alison's work and she knew mine and Michael Mohan knew both of our bodies of work so he could tell that we were both from similar worlds, that we had a certain cadence – no, "cadence" is the wrong word for it – a certain kind of way of doing comedy that, when you're working with someone who does as much comedy as Alison does, it's easier. Plus, we both have blue eyes – what else do you need to be sisters? HDD: (laughs) I've read that 'Save the Date' is being called a comedy, a romantic comedy, and a dramedy. How do you see 'Save the Date?' Lizzy Caplan: It's strange. We saw it with just the cast a few weeks ago and I think those first cast screenings are just everybody sitting there quiet, freaking out about their own performance, but all of us were cuddling up and saying, "You were good - No, you were really good! I was terrible, but you guys were really good." It's one thing to get through that and another thing to get through it with an audience. I was weirdly uneasy about calling it a romantic comedy, but watching it with an audience, it got some big laughs. We weren't expecting that. 'Mad Men's Alison Brie showed up, not the one from 'Community.' (in an attitude-filled teenage voice) She's on two shows – one's a comedy, one's a drama. HDD: Do you think 'Bridesmaids' sort of opened the door for more female-driven R-rated comedies? Lizzy Caplan: It's funny to answer the 'Bridesmaids' question for this movie [and not for my other movie here at Sundance]. Of course ['Save the Date'] is centered around this wedding that never occurs [in the narrative] – it's more of a plot point for [Alison's character] than mine – but 'Bridesmaids' for sure opened tons of doors for comedic actresses. Without that movie doing so well, tons of [movies with those types of] actresses, especially at the studio level, would never be made. I don't think it affected ['Save the Date'] directly, but just the fact that more people want to see women being funny now is, of course, super helpful. HDD: Does it bother you having to do so much sex in a movie? Lizzy Caplan: They actually cut one scene out - thank God - a very graphic one with Mark Webber. I texted Mohan saying, "Haha! You cut out that thing, right! Hahaha," just totally joking and he said, "Yes." And I said, (sigh) "I can totally watch this movie now." Both of the guys [I had to fake sex with] were terrible, terrible, terrible at it and I found them both completely repugnant. (laughs) ... I love it when guys have to wear embarrassing kind of stuff in movies because we girls are always forced to wear embarrassing stuff. HDD: What else are you working on right now? Lizzy Caplan: I have another movie here called 'Bachelorette.' (sarcastically) It's scary, very very scary. It's got a great cast. They're awesome, very awesome. Both of these movie have amazing casts – for hanging out with as well as working together. HDD: After 'True Blood,' any chance you'll return to the horror genre? Lizzy Caplan: I'd love to do more, but it's hard to find horror movies that are good. I don't know why they can't make them good. Although I hear the one that's here [at Sundace] - what's it called? HDD: 'Black Rock?' Lizzy Caplan: 'Black Rock!' I hear that one's good. HDD: It's another female-centric comedic genre movie here at the festival. Lizzy Caplan: I love a good comedy horror. HDD: What about 'Scream 5?' Lizzy Caplan: I can try to dip in on Alison's territory!Posted Wed Feb 1, 2012 at 01:00 PM PST by: -
Sundance 2012 Interviews: 'Community's Alison Brie on 'Save the Date'by Luke Hickman Each year there seems to be a reoccurring theme that pops up in films at the Sundance Film Festival. 2011 was all about religious fanatics, and 2012 seems to have been heavily influenced by 'Bridesmaids.' 'Save the Date' is one of the many great R-rated female-centric comedic dramas at Sundance this year. Lizzy Caplan stars as an aspiring artist who has to take life's changes in small steps. As if moving in with her boyfriend wasn't traumatic enough for her, when he proposes to her in front of a large crowd she freaks out and ends the relationship right there. Alison Brie plays her sister, the encouraging and supporting figure in her life. [teaser]Halfway through the festival, Alison sat down with me to talk about 'Save the Date' and the uncertain fate of her network series 'Community.'[/teaser] HDD – Luke Hickman: So how has all the media been? Alison Brie: I love the movie and I forgot how fun it was going to be to talk about it. We haven't been talking about it every day since we shot it – it's not like we call each other on the weekend and talk about it. (laughs) HDD: When did you shoot? Alison Brie: Recently. Summer. Like the end of July. HDD: Playing sisters, did you and Lizzy know each other before shooting the film? Alison Brie: We did not. We got together and had dinner once before [shooting] and had one rehearsal. We did one sort of crash-course rehearsal with just the two of us and [the director] in a plain room, mapping it out. And I don't even think we rehearsed every scene, just the key scenes – outside the bridal shop and outside the club in the beginning where Lizzy first gets proposed to. We talked through the dialog to make it our own. It was more about making sure that we were all on the same page about what was happening in a scene. It was more talking it out than reading it and working at it. HDD: Well, it works really well. You two are great together. Alison Brie: Thanks! And you saw [the movie]! HDD: Of course I saw it! Alison Brie: It was funny doing the interviews on the first two days when people were like, (in a low dumb manly voice) "Soooo, what's it about?" Which is fine, just funny because people were asking us about something they knew nothing about. HDD: You've seen the movie, right? Alison Brie: Yeah! HDD: I spoke with Mark Webber a few days ago about 'The End of Love' and we talked about him having three movies up here this year and he said he hadn't seen one of the movies yet. I can't remember if it was this one. Alison Brie: It must be 'For A Good Time, Call …' because we had a "cast screening" [of 'Save the Date']. HDD: And it's a very funny movie! Alison Brie: There were laughs in places where I didn't expect them to be, like when it shows my character's mom at the bridal shower. Everyone cracked up [at the premiere] and I thought, 'That is kinda funny,' but when we were in it, it seems to have more depth and to be more dramatic because we were just playing the reality of these scenes. We weren't (in a vaudevillian voice) "playing it for comedy." We weren't bringing that (in a vaudevillian voice again) "comedy razzle dazzle." (laughs) HDD: I've got to ask – any word on the return of 'Community?' Alison Brie: Hmmm. HDD: We need it back. Alison Brie: Thank you! We're still shooting episodes, so we're finishing up the rest of the season. We have three more episodes to shoot and [NBC] keeps on saying vaguely, "It may come back in March or April." It's going to depend on what's going on with other shows. They really want to air the rest of the season. We're all feeling optimistic because it's better to feel that way than - uhh - the other way. The fans have been really great about it. The flash mobs have been awesome - HDD: - the beard pictures - Alison Brie: - the beard pictures! People have been sending in a lot of letters to the network. It's been really awesome. I feel like – I've never been prouder of our show than witnessing how it's affected all these other people. HDD: I interviewed Brit Marling about 'Another Earth' and she talked about how great it was to appear on 'Community' because the writers have had the freedom to do whatever they want. Alison Brie: Yeah! They do! [Creator] Dan Harmon really fights for that. He's got such integrity when it comes to his work. The network had been great to let us get away with a lot, but they also take a lot of prodding from Dan let him get the things that he want onto the show. [NBC] is such a great place for supporting really creative shows. HDD: What else are you working on right now? Alison Brie: I have a movie coming out in April called 'The Five-Year Engagement' with Jason Segal and Emily Blunt and Chris Platt. HDD: I love that cast. Alison Brie: Yeah! It's another wedding movie. It's all about wedding movies right now, it seems like. (goofy voice) Girls be getting married.Posted Wed Feb 1, 2012 at 12:30 PM PST by: -
'Madonna: Truth or Dare' Blu-ray Dated and Detailed[teaser]Madonna's controversial 1991 documentary is getting the high-definition treatment in April. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Lionsgate is preparing to release 'Madonna: Truth or Dare' on Blu-ray on April 3. From the rain of Japan, through threats of arrest for 'public indecency' in Canada, and a birthday tribute to her father in Detroit, this documentary follows Madonna on her 1990 'Blond Ambition' concert tour. Filmed in black and white, with the concert pieces in glittering MTV color, it is an intimate look at the work of the music performer, from a prayer circle with the dancers before each performance to bed games with the dance troupe afterwards. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and the original theatrical trailer. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'Madonna: Truth or Dare' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 3.Posted Wed Feb 1, 2012 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
'Melancholia' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The acclaimed sci-fi drama from director Lars von Trier will take a bow on Blu-ray in March. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Magnolia is working on 'Melancholia' for a Blu-ray release on March 13. The film stars Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Kiefer Sutherland, and was nominated for numerous awards including the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival where Kirsten Dunst won for Best Actress. Specs have yet to be revealed, but the Blu-ray will include: About Melancholia, The Universe, The Visual Style, Visual Effects, HDNet: A Look at Melancholia, and Theatrical Trailers. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Melancholia' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 13.Posted Wed Feb 1, 2012 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
HDD Spotlight Bargain: 'Amadeus: Director's Cut' Blu-ray $7.99 at Amazon[teaser]The digibook release of this classic film is now under $8 at Amazon![/teaser] The online retailer is selling 'Amadeus: Director's Cut' (digibook) for just $7.99 (78% off suggested list price). Click here to be linked to the offer. Don't miss out adding this must own release to your Blu-ray collection for a terrific price!Posted Wed Feb 1, 2012 at 07:32 AM PST by: -
'Hugo' Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D Announced[teaser]Martin Scorsese's acclaimed family film will debut on Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D at the end of February. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Paramount is preparing 'Hugo' and 'Hugo - 3D' for a a release on February 28. Recipient of more Academy Award nominations than any other film, 'Hugo' was honored with 11 total—including Best Picture and Best Director—and has already won Martin Scorsese the Golden Globe for Best Director, was named the best film of 2011 by the National Board of Review, and was cited by more than 150 critics as one of the top 10 films of the year including writers for Associated Press, New York Times, Rolling Stone, Time, Entertainment Weekly, New Yorker, New York Daily News and The Hollywood Reporter, among others. Called “magical and enchanting” (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times) and “one of the wonders of the world you need to see” (David Edelstein, New York Magazine), 'Hugo' is bursting with dynamic action, sumptuous imagery and a heartwarming and magical story that audiences of all ages can enjoy. Welcome to a magical world of spectacular adventure! When wily and resourceful Hugo discovers a secret left by his father, he unlocks a mystery and embarks on a quest that will transform those around him and lead to a safe and loving place he can call home. Academy Award-winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese invites you to experience a thrilling journey that critics are calling “the stuff dreams are made of.” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone). The Blu-ray/DVD/Ultraviolet Digital Copy combo packs will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack, and supplements include five featurettes: Shoot the Moon, The Cinemagician: Georges Méliès, The Mechanical Man at the Heart of Hugo, Big Effects - Small Scale, Sacha Baron Cohen: Role of a Lifetime. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray $44.99 and the Blu-ray 3D is $54.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Hugo' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under February 28.Posted Wed Feb 1, 2012 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
Top 5 / Bottom 5: Gwyneth Paltrowby Aaron Peck [teaser]It's a well-known fact that High-Def Digest editor-in-chief Mike Attebery has a special fondness for Gwyneth Paltrow (and by fondness, I mean blinding hatred largely inspired by goop). That's why for this week's Top 5 / Bottom 5 article I decided that we'd take a look at Gwyneth Paltrow's filmography and see if we couldn't point out the good and the bad.[/teaser] I know everyone has been chomping at the bit to get 'Shakespeare in Love' on Blu-ray. It comes out today, which is why we're highlighting Mrs. Paltrow here. Now let's check out the best and worst that Paltrow has to offer while Mike is out buying his third and fourth copies of 'Bounce.' The Best 'Contagion' I have to admit, this takes some lady-balls. That's right, I went there. Paltrow is an international star. She's known everywhere, and she usually headlines whatever movie she's in. So it was just a bit crazy that not only was she the first one to die in Soderbergh's worldwide plague movie, but she also was part of the Best Scalping Scene of 2011. It was truly a gasp moment when the autopsy doctors flopped the top part of her head over onto her face. Didn't they know they were operating on Mrs. Coldplay?! For a movie star with her recognition, taking on a role like the one of Patient Zero, Beth Emhoff, was a pretty gutsy move. 'Iron Man' It's one of those movies where she's not the main focus and that's a good thing. She's a great Pepper Potts and adds a nice calming feeling to the manic world of Tony Stark. She doesn't have to do much other than run errands and conveniently find herself in peril at the end, but that's exactly what a damsel in distress should do anyway! 'The Royal Tenenbaums' Ah, Wes Anderson's comedic masterpiece. Even if her role was completely miniscule in this movie I'd still have it on her list. 'The Royal Tenenbaums' is a movie like 'The Big Lebowski' which will continue to be loved year after year. People, such as myself, often revisit the Tenenbaum household because the movie is that good and that funny. Isn't it about time that we got a 'Royal Tenenbaums' Blu-ray? 'Se7en' She's hardly in this and even for her most pivotal moment in the movie – you know, "What's in the boooooox!" – she's not even around. However, I'd be remiss if I didn't recognize one of the best modern day thrillers on this list. Yeah she may have only about 10 full lines of dialogue, but she plays an important role in a fantastic movie. 'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow' Every so often I'll revisit 'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow' and realize all over again how much I really enjoy watching it. It's just so fun and so inventive. Even in the days of Zack Snyder green screen mayhem, there's something different about Kerry Conran's sepia-toned 40s-themed future. It's full of life. It's fun. And after nearly 10 years, it's still visually stunning. The Worst 'Country Strong' Did you even watch this movie? My guess is no. I'd like to tell you right now that you're better off. This movie reeks of shameless self-promotion. It's no secret that Gwyneth Paltrow is pursuing a career in music, because being a mega-movie star with an empire of goop just isn't enough apparently. She's even starred on 'Glee' and gone on tour with them. She like totally wants to be a singer. Beyond the trite screenplay and the awful, flat characters, 'Country Strong' was simply made so Paltrow could show off her singing prowess, which isn't all that great anyway. 'Great Expectations' Directed by Alfonso Cuarón this all style and no substance drama failed to click in so many ways. It's been quite a while since I've seen this movie. I remember renting it as a teenager because Paltrow was lying half-naked on the cover staring at me. Beckoning me to rent it. None of my boyhood fantasies ever panned out and I was left watching a middling effort from a director who would soon go on to direct some fantastic films. 'Hush' I reviewed 'Hush' a few months ago and laughed much of the way through it. If it wasn't for Jessica Lange's hilariously great overacting the movie would've been completely unwatchable. Paltrow sulks around on screen doing nothing more that screaming and gasping whenever she figures out some new horrid information about her sociopath of a mother-in-law. 'Hush' is a corny as thrillers get. 'Shallow Hal' I put 'Shallow Hal' on the Worst List for Jack Black, so it only makes sense to include it on Paltrow's Worst List too. This movie is so offensive on so many levels. The sad part is that it thinks it's somehow standing up for obese individuals and people who look different, when in reality it's driving an even bigger wedge between them and society. I literally hated almost every moment of 'Shallow Hal'. 'Sylvia' No really, she starred in a movie called 'Sylvia' which told the story of literary icon Sylvia Plath. From what I remember of this movie it was A) dreadfully boring and B) one of the most overly dramatic, biopics I've ever watched. It's an almost unbearable two hours in runtime. There's nothing worse than watching a sappy melodrama that runs on into the 120 minute range. Gwyneth Paltrow has had some good movies (Yes, Mike, it's true), movies I even enjoy watching, but her bad movies are really, really, really bad. What do you think of the list? Are there movies that would've made your top five that weren't included? Or are you like Mike, thinking that we should've just done a Bottom 20 List? Let us know in the forums by clicking the link below.Posted Tue Jan 31, 2012 at 01:50 PM PST by: -
High-Def Digest-Digest: January 31st, 2012by Dick Ward [teaser]January has been a crazy busy month. The first week was all about recovering from New Year's and Christmas celebrations, and right when it was time to get things back on track, in comes CES. After CES, of course, comes another week of recovery. If your January was anything like ours, you probably had a difficult time keeping up with the big news. Lucky for you, we've gathered up all the really juicy bits and compiled them for you in the High-Def Digest-Digest.[/teaser] Blu-ray News 'The Adventures of Tintin' Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D Pre-orders Live Peter Jackson produces, Steven Spielberg directs, Steven Moffat and Edgar Wright were among the writers. Add to that a star studded cast and you've got 'The Adventures of Tintin,' which is available for pre-order now. A release date has yet to be announced, but we're hearing sometime in March. 'The Muppets' Dated and Detailed for Blu-ray "Life's a Happy Song" when you've got a brand new Muppet movie on Blu-ray. No longer will the memories of the movie be "Pictures in my Head!" I'll have a "Me Party" and watch the movie on repeat until I can't decide if I'm a "Man or Muppet". It doesn't matter though, because there's a "Rainbow Connection" between the Muppets and I. Also the song "Mah Na Mah Na" is on the soundtrack but I couldn't think of a way to use it in a sentence. 'Harold and Maude' Dated and Detailed for Blu-ray 'Harold and Maude' is a classic dark comedy that's getting a Criterion Collection Blu-ray release complete with a 1080p transfer, commentary by producer Charles B. Mulvehill and Hal Ashby biographer Nick Dawson, and a brand new interview with Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens. This one hits April 17th. 'Chinatown' Blu-ray Detailed Polanski's classic film starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston is coming to Blu-ray on April 3rd. You get commentary by Robert Towne and David Fincher as well as a retrospective and a few other juicy tidbits. Vizio Launches a Google TV Powered Blu-ray Player and Streamer Vizio is bringing Google TV to a streaming device, but also to a new Blu-ray player this year. The Blu-ray player does 3D movies, Vizio Internet Apps and comes with a QWERTY remote. Gear and Industry News Aaron's Sundance 2012 Journal If you haven't been checking out Aaron Peck's daily recaps of his experience at Sundance, you've been missing out. He's seen a crazy amount of films in one week and he has opinions on all of them. Aaron has also snagged some really cool pictures, in case you're not the readin' type. Panasonic Reveals Six New Blu-ray Players - Four of Which are 3D Capable You don't have to like or even care about 3D, it's getting to the point where you won't have much of a choice. The majority of Panasonic's new players are 3D capable and can convert 2D video into the third dimension - even from sources like Netflix. Samsung's 2012 Blu-ray Player Lineup Includes One Compact and One Sporting HDMI Inputs Samsung is trying something a little different with the two players its decided to highlight this year. The E6500 gives you HDMI inputs so you can change sources directly through your player while the ES6000 goes for the smallest footprint possible. Panasonic Unveils 2012 Plasma TVs All but one of Panasonic's new sets are 3D capable, but only the VT50 offers the Infinite Black Ultra Panel, built in Wi-Fi, Viera Connect and 2D to 3D conversion all in one package with ISFcc calibration software and 8-Train speakers. Sony Announces Three New TV Lines for 2012 Sony is trying something new this year. Instead of introducing a huge range of TV lines that are just barely different from one another, Sony simply has three - the entry level BX, the step-up EX and the top-of-the-line HX. Videogame News 'Resident Evil 6' Announced for November - Includes Co-Op Play You'll be waiting until November, but 'Resident Evil 6' looks like it will be well worth it. You and your buddy will take on the roles of Chris and Leon as you fight the classic 'Resident Evil' enemy - zombies. 'Guild Wars 2' Coming in 2012, Beta Testing Starts in Spring In February, select press members will be invited to a closed Beta of ' Guild Wars 2.' in March and April, beta invites will ramp up so that more people have the opportunity to get in on the action. The Vita 3G Launch Bundle Packs an 8GB Card, a Free Game and 250MB of Free 3G While the 3G version of the PlayStation Vita may not appeal to everyone, the launch bundle might be difficult to pass up. You'll get around $50 worth of bonuses in addition to the ability to activate 3G service if you should feel the need. Namco Bandai Says Your Cries for a 'Dark Souls' PC Port Have Been Heard 'Dark Souls' is a surprising console hit, considering the game's grueling difficulty and deep, complex systems. That's the sort of thing usually found on PC - a place where 'Dark Souls' doesn't exist. Thanks to a fan petition, Namco Bandai has heard the demand for a PC port and will hopefully listen to the 83,000 fans that signed. Insomniac is Done with the 'Resistance' Franchise We knew that Insomniac was breaking off from making Sony exclusive titles, but it's now been confirmed that the company is done with 'Resistance' completely. The company will be looking at new IPs moving forward.Posted Tue Jan 31, 2012 at 12:30 PM PST by:
