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'A Bullet for the General' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]The 1967 film Spaghetti Cinema hails as "one of the greatest spaghetti westerns ever made" is planned for a high-definition release in May. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Blue Underground is working on 'A Bullet for the General' for Blu-ray on May 22. At the height of the Mexican revolution, a mysterious young American (Lou Castel of 'Fist in His Pocket') joins a gang of marauders led by El Chucho (Gian Maria Volonte of 'A Fistful of Dollars') on a series of savage raids to steal guns for a powerful rebel general. But when the Gringo brings his own cold-blooded ideals to the bandits, El Chucho discovers that the real weapons of war belong to no army. In a land ravaged by poverty and violence, can true freedom be bought with a single bullet? Klaus Kinski ('For a Few Dollars More') and Martine Beswick ('Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde,' 'Thunderball') co-star in this legendary western directed by Damiano Damiani from a powerful screenplay co-written by Oscar-nominee Franco Solinas ('The Battle of Algiers,' 'The Big Gundown'). Also know as 'Quien Sabe?,' this thrilling epic features some of the most surprising performances, radical politics and shocking violence of any 'Spaghetti Western' ever made. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, and suggested list price for the Blu-ray is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'A Bullet for the General' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under May 22.Posted Tue Jan 31, 2012 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
Beyond the Blu - January 2012by Dick Ward [teaser]Sure, the normal fans can get the special edition Blu-ray and call it a day, but some of us are cut from a more obsessive cloth. We don't just want the movie and the commentary and the special features. We want even more. [/teaser]We want memorabilia and books and even things that are only tangentially related. That's what Beyond the Blu is all about - the cool and weird stuff you can pick up with your brand new Blu-rays. This installment focuses on the movies released last month. Yeah, a touch later than usual, but with CES and all it's been a busy month! Real Steel Sure, it wasn't a great movie, but 'Real Steel' had some very cool things going for it, like robots. Robots fighting one another. It's also not a 'Transformers' movie, which is an added bonus. Sadly, we don't yet have our own fighting robots, but we can pretend we do by picking up some classic Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots to play with. If a hot date asks why you have them, just tell them it's for when your nephew comes over to play. Or just explain how awesome it is. The former seems like a safer bet. Adaptation This probably isn't breaking news, but Charlie Kaufman is awesome. He was going layers deep into weirdness with movies like 'Synecdoche New York' before Nolan got all ham fisted with the idea. He also wrote the incredible 'Adaptation,' wherein Nicholas Cage plays Charlie Kaufman, who is struggling with writer's block in trying to adapt a book. The movie was inspired by Charlie Kaufman's struggle with writer's block while trying to adapt a book. The dreaded inability to create helped the screenwriter in this case, but few of us can get away with completely ditching our assignment to write about writing our assignment, so Overcoming Writer's Block is for us. Dutch Remember how I said the word "tangentially" in the intro? This is what I'm talking about. 'Dutch' was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid and the last time I saw it, the flick still held up. A lot goes on in the movie, including a cameo by Arnold Palmer, inventor of the Arnold Palmer, which you can totally drink while watching this movie. When he wasn't revolutionizing the way we see iced tea and lemonade, Arnold Palmer likes to play golf. Twister / Poseidon / The Perfect Storm It's not a great three pack, but 'The Perfect Storm' at least borders on good. There's a nice little speech or two in there and George Clooney does his whole "being unreasonably handsome" thing, so it's worth a watch. If you want a better insight into the story though, check out the book ' The Perfect Storm: a True Story of Men Against the Sea.' Don't feel like reading? The audiobook is read by Stanley Tucci. Se7en / Copycat / Taking Lives There are two other movies in this three-pack, but 'Se7en' stands out from the pack. Despite the whole number in the name thing, it's an excellent film and the score was created by none other than the great Howard Shore. Shore's music for 'Se7en' is good, but his most celebrated work to date is for the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy. If you're a Shore fan, check out the ' Lord of the Rings Symphony.' It's not a symphony, technically, but it's still awesome. Above the Law / Under Siege / Under Siege 2 I love Steven Segal. I'm not afraid to say it - the man makes damn entertaining movies. I trend to his newer faire, which is so bad as to be hilarious, but the old flicks are worth checking out too. Point is, you can't love someone - idolize them even - without wanting to be them. I've got long hair so it's easy for me, but for those that don't, get yourself a Steven Segal ponytail. You know you want to. Friday the 13th / Nightmare on Elm Street / Freddy vs. Jason If you're picking up this three-pack then, well, you're doing something wrong. Unless you absolutely need all the movies in the series, there's no reason to buy, rent or even watch these flicks for free. Instead, pick up the original 'Nightmare on Elm Street' and the original ' Friday the 13th.' You'll be glad you did.Posted Tue Jan 31, 2012 at 11:16 AM PST by: -
'Splintered' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The award-winning teen horror film will haunt Blu-ray in March. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Well Go USA is prepping 'Splintered' for a Blu-ray release on March 20. The film stars Stephen Martin Walters (TV’s “Skins”), Holly Weston, Sacha Dhawan (TV’s “Outsourced”), Sadie Pickering, Jonathan Readwin ('Dread'), Sol Heras and Colin Tierney. The film won six awards at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival, including Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Editing, Best Score, Best Special Effects and Best Make-Up. In addition, it was nominated for Best Horror Film at the 35th Annual Saturn Awards and for Most Memorable Mutilation for the arm removal scene at Spike TV's 2009 Scream Awards. Specs have yet to be revealed, but the release will be a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack and supplements will include a behind the scenes featurette, deleted scenes, and trailers. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $26.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Splintered' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 20.Posted Tue Jan 31, 2012 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
'Murdoch Mysteries: Season 1' Blu-ray Dated[teaser]The first season of the Canadian crime drama is coming to Blu-ray in April. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Acorn Media has just revealed 'Murdoch Mysteries: Season 1' for Blu-ray on April 17. In the late 1890s, police Inspector William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) takes a new, more scientific approach to solving crimes. Assisted by coroner Dr. Julia Ogden and Constable George Crabtree, Murdoch introduces such concepts as finger marks and lie detecting machines. He has the support of his somewhat doubtful superior, Inspector Brackenreid, though at times, even he finds Murdoch's methods - and claims - somewhat astounding. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $69.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Murdoch Mysteries: Season 1' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 17.Posted Tue Jan 31, 2012 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
'Django Kill...If You Live, Shoot!' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]The controversial 1967 cult spaghetti western from director Giulio Questi will gun down Blu-ray at high noon in June. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Blue Underground is preparing 'Django Kill...If You Live, Shoot!' for Blu-ray on June 19. "SHOCKINGLY VIOLENT AND SURREAL... A MASTERPIECE OF THE GOTHIC WESTERN!" - Spaghetti Cinema "SO EXTREME IN EVERY WAY - IT IS ONE OF THE HANDFUL OF GREAT ITALIAN WESTERNS!" - Alex Cox, Director of Repo Man and Sid & Nancy Tomas Milian ('Traffic,' 'Run Man Run') stars as a half-breed bandit double-crossed and left for dead who rises from the grave to seek his revenge. But when his quest leads to a bizarre town called The Unhappy Place, he is plunged into an odyssey of gruesome torture, graphic violence and relentless sexual depravity. This is the landmark movie that fans and critics still consider to be the strangest and most controversial Spaghetti Western ever made. This is 'Django Kill!' Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, and suggested list price for the Blu-ray is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'Django Kill...If You Live, Shoot!' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under June 19.Posted Tue Jan 31, 2012 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
Aaron's Final Sundance 2012 Journal: Day 8[teaser]Today's journal is the last one of the festival. Day 8 turned out to be my last full day of movie watching. It's been a fun and exhausting ride.[/teaser] I plan on spending Saturday with my wife. We're going to take in a screening of 'Celeste and Jesse Forever.' The morning didn't start off great. Turns out I busted my camera at the hitRECord.org presentation. I don't have good luck with cameras at Sundance. The first year I went to Sundance we left our camera on the bus. At least that's what we think happened, because we never saw it again. This year I had my camera too close to my leg when I tried to turn it on and the extending lens hit my leg for a split second and now it won't open properly. Another camera taken by Sundance. Hence the reason why this post is without accompanying pictures. When I got on the bus this morning it was packed. The bus into town usually isn't as packed as it was, but I thought I was lucky enough to find a seat. Turns out it wasn't lucky finding a seat because the seat was wet. It wasn't like sitting in a puddle, no this is the worse kind of wet. The kind that slowly seeps through so you kind of feel like you're getting soaked, but you're not sure until it's too late. When I stood up I was sure the back of my pants looked like I just wasn't able to hold it in. I don't know what they looked like, I never checked it out. I simply waited for them to dry, which isn't easy when you're walking around in freezing temperatures. I only had two movies planned today. First was the expose documentary about the Dole corporation and the great lengths they went to in order to try and get a documentary about them and their nefarious employee practices hushed up. The doc tells a story of filmmaker Fredrik Gertten and the bitter legal battle he found himself in when he tried to screen his movie 'Bananas!' at the Los Angeles Film Festival a few years ago. We all know the kinds of lengths big corporations will go to in order to keep their brand unsullied, but this is truly a David versus Goliath story. While we've seen the big bad corporation stepping on the little people before, it's refreshing to see how the little people were able to change what the corporation was doing. From there I went to the Eccles Theater to take in my last new movie of the festival. I ended my festival experience with 'Smashed' starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Aaron Paul. Winstead plays Kate, a struggling alcoholic who has finally decided to sober up after far too many instances of waking up in alleys unable to remember what happened the night before. The story of the alcoholic has been done, but this movie focuses less on the actual struggle and detox and more on what getting sober really does. It doesn't automatically make everything better. Most of the time the people getting sober are finally just now facing the long term consequences for their actions. That's the position Kate finds herself in. It's a great acting performance from Winstead in a role we're not used to seeing her in. And that was it. Short and sweet. Nothing big today other than sitting on a wet seat and seeing two decent movies to finish off my Sundance 2012 experience. At final count I saw 25 films and one performance presentation in eight days. Not the 30-plus I was planning, but things rarely work according to plan anyway. I had a blast up here at my fourth annual Sundance trip and I really hope you had a fun time following along. There should be Sundance reviews popping up over the next week or so on The Bonus View so bee sure to continuously check that out as the week goes on. With that I'll say farewell to Park City and the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Hopefully, many great movies will soon be coming to theaters near you because of what was shown here.Posted Mon Jan 30, 2012 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
Analyst Attacks Paramount for High Prices for UltraViolet Movies[teaser]When the studio launched UltraViolet, there seemed to be a bit of potential in the idea. Based on pricing though, it seems like Paramount doesn’t actually want to sell anything. Frost & Sullivan analyst Dan Rayburn says that Paramount’s way of doing things is completely wrong.[/teaser] “What studio executive thinks consumers are going to pay $22.99 to stream a movie when we can buy the DVD for $7 or rent it for less than $2?” he writes. “The economics don't make sense.” A fine example is the 2010 movie ‘The Fighter,’ which sells for $22.99 for an HD version and $16.99 for standard definition. For just a dollar more than the SD UltraViolet version costs, you can order the Blu-ray and enjoy special features and a better picture. For $7.99 you can watch ‘The Fighter’ on Netflix in HD and have an entire month worth of other movies. “At some point, the studios are going to get burned just like the music industry did,” says Rayburn. “They need to wake up and realize that consumers are demanding digital content for a fair price.” Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Mon Jan 30, 2012 at 11:00 AM PST by: -
Disc Replicators Survive by Adapting to the Digital Market[teaser]Companies that once provided services for disc based media have made the transition to the digital age. [/teaser] Replicators – the folks that turn data into a fully pressed Blu-ray disc – aren’t getting the business they once used to. While some are feeling the pinch, others are finding a great deal of success by adapting to the new environment and embracing digital needs. Sony DADC was one of the early adapters. They formed a New Media Solutions group which works to create content, automate digital distribution and more. Cinram has similarly adapted and now creates bonus features and works in the gaming, mobile, digital and 3D fields. Technicolor hasn’t been left in the dust – they’ve expanded to solutions that ensure that all your devices play nice when used together. They’ve been working on applications for laptops, tablets and even a 3D certification program. Read more about the path that replicators have taken in the new landscape at ‘Home Media Magazine.Posted Mon Jan 30, 2012 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
Save $5 on 'Treasure Buddies' on Blu-ray[teaser]Save $5 on Disney's puppy-RUFFic sequel available on Blu-ray this week! [/teaser] Disney has released another coupon offer, this time to save $5 on 'Treasure Buddies' Blu-ray available on January 31. The Buddies are off on an all new adventure, and this time their journey takes them all the way to the ruins of ancient Egypt where, with the help of some new friends, including Digger the Archeologist dog, Cammy, a baby camel, and a mischievous monkey named Babi, they'll explore mysterious tombs, dodge treacherous booby traps, and race against a devious cat in search of the greatest treasure known to animalkind, the lost collar of Cleocatra.. Simply visit this page to print out your coupon from the Disney Movie Rewards website. Plus get 50 Disney Movie Rewards bonus points when you also enter the code for 'Snow Buddies' available on the same date! This coupon is valid in the United States and Canada only and the offer expires February 5.Posted Mon Jan 30, 2012 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
'Mandrill' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The action romance starring Chilean legend Marko Zaror explodes on Blu-ray in February. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Magnolia is working on 'Mandrill' for a Blu-ray release on February 28. From writer/director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza ('Mirageman,' 'Kiltro'), 'Mandrill' stars worldwide action icon Marko Zaror ('Mirageman,' 'Undisputed III: Redemption'), “one of the best martial arts actors working today” (Twitch). Hailed as “an amazingly cool film” (Film School Rejects), the thriller won top honors at its international premiere at Austin’s 2009 Fantastic Film Fest, winning Best Fantastic Feature and Zaror winning Best Fantastic Actor. Mixing breathtaking action sequences with sultry romance, 'Mandrill' centers on Antonio (Zaror), who is on a quest to avenge the murder of his parents. Working as a ruthless bounty hunter with the code name "Mandrill,” Antonio’s only weakness is women. Therefore, he enlists his uncle – an expert in the art of seduction – to give him the necessary skills to bewitch every female he meets. After Mandrill is enlisted to entrap a powerful casino owner, he discovers that this man is also the one responsible for his parents’ brutal deaths. Yet upon meeting the casino owner’s beautiful daughter Dominique, everything begins to unravel for Mandrill whose life-long search for vengeance may soon fall apart. Specs have yet to be revealed, but the Blu-ray will include a behind the scenes featurette and international trailer. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Mandrill' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under February 28.Posted Mon Jan 30, 2012 at 06:00 AM PST by:
