Wonder Woman – Animated Original Movie (available on DVD March 3rd, 2009)
Wonder Woman begins on the mystical island of Themyscira, where a proud and fierce warrior race of Amazons resides. They have raised Princess Diana, a daughter of stunning beauty, extraordinary strength and incredible fighting prowess. Diana possesses a host of super human powers granted to her by the gods and goddesses of Olympus and her strength and stamina are unparalleled. When Air Force fighter pilot Steve Trevor crash lands on the island, the rebellious and headstrong Diana defies Amazonian law by accompanying Trevor back to civilization. Meanwhile, Ares (the God of War) has escaped his imprisonment at the hands of the Amazons and has decided to exact his revenge by starting a world war that will destroy them all. It is up to Princess Diana to save her people and the world by using her gifts to become the ultimate Wonder Woman.
Special Features:
The single disc DVD includes commentary by the creative team and an exclusive first look at the upcoming Green Lantern animated movie. The 2-disc Special Edition DVD and Blu-ray release include those same features on, as well as two in-depth documentaries: “Wonder Woman: A Subversive Dream,” and “Wonder Woman: Daughter of Myth” which covering historical Amazon lore and its evolution into the present-day Wonder Woman comic-book character. Bruce Timm presents four bonus cartoons on the Blu-ray (only two on the 2-disc DVD) and each comes with a bonus digital copy of the film. Not only is this release the first ever animated Wonder Woman movie, it also snagged a stunning PG-13 rating for violence and some suggestive material. Finally, a more mature story for this great character!
Check out the official site here: www.wonderwomanmovie.com
Stiletto (available on DVD March 3rd, 2009)
Raina, a seductive yet incredibly dangerous woman, was once madly in love with crime boss Virgil Vadalos (Tom Berenger, Training Day, The Big Chill), but their relationship met a violent end after she discovered that he was associated with her sister’s disappearance. Now armed with only a knife and relentless anger, she is determined to avenge her sister by murdering everyone in Virgil’s crime ring. In a desperate attempt to stop Raina’s rampage, Virgil assigns crooked cop Beck (Paul Sloan) the perilous task of capturing her. As more blood spills onto the streets of Los Angeles, Raina and Detective Beck uncover a dark conspiracy that makes them question what they have been fighting for all along.
The film is produced and directed by Nick Vallelonga and written by Paul Sloan, who also stars as Detective Beck, a two-faced cop investigating the murders of several crime insiders. STILETTO also stars Tom Sizemore (Saving Private Ryan) and William Forsythe (American Gangster).
Check out the trailer:
Cadillac Records (available
on DVD March 10th, 2009)
The film begins by showing the humble beginnings of both Chess and Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright). The former was a down-on-his-luck club owner from Chicago while the latter was a plantation worker from Mississippi. After his goal of opening his own club literally goes up in flames, Chess becomes aware of Waters’ music and essentially makes him a creative partner. They then begin visiting race music radio stations in the Deep South, Chess armed with a vinyl record and a bit of extra money to encourage the DJs. The airplay created a demand for blues music, which allowed Chess to start a new record label and open a studio in the middle of Chicago. As an extra incentive, Chess buys his musicians brand new Cadillacs; it’s a nice gesture, although there is a definite sense of desperation in what he’s doing, not helped by the fact that he often relies on royalties to make payments… Read the Theatrical Review HERE!
DVD and Blu-ray High-Def Bonus Material
• Deleted Scenes
• “The Making of Cadillac Records” Featurette
• “Once Upon a Blues: Cadillac Records by Design”
– Featurette on wardrobe and production design
• Commentary with Writer/Director Darnell Martin
Also, Only on Blu-ray High-Def
• Create an interactive song playlist to email and share with
friends!
Rachel Getting Married (available on DVD March 10th, 2009)
Kym was a teenage fashion model who grew up way faster than any little girl should. She became alcohol and drug addicted at an early age and has been trying to control it ever since. Kym was also responsible many years ago for a family tragedy that no one’s recovered from either, so needless to say, this is where the bulk of the family dysfunction comes from. When we meet Kym she is freshly released from the hospital and four steps into her 12-step program--perhaps not the best of time to attend a family wedding.
Rachel is marrying Sidney (Tunde Adebimpe), a black musician from Hawaii who is a perfect fit not only for Rachel but also for the entire family. Along with Sidney for the wedding weekend are his immediate family and friends and his best man, Kieran (Mather Zickel). Matthew also just happens to be a recovering addict and has full knowledge of the 12-steps it takes to become "normal" again. Last but not least is the sisters’ estranged mother, Abby (Debra Winger), who has remarried but remained distant from her daughters. Read the Theatrical Review HERE!
• DVD/ Blu-ray High-Def Special Features Include:
• Deleted Scenes
• A Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
• The Wedding Band Featurette
• Cast and Crew Q & A Panel
• Filmmaker and Cast Commentaries
•
• The Blu-ray Disc™ version of Rachel Getting Married is
BD-Live™ enabled, allowing users to get connected and go beyond
the disc via an Internet-connected Blu-ray player. Download content,
give feedback through an exclusive survey, and register for rewards.
Synecdoche, New York (available on DVD March 3rd, 2009)
Theater director Caden Cotard (Philip Seymour Hoffman) quickly realizes the frailty of his own mortality and his desire to create something grand before he departs this world as an ever-surmounting mass of bad luck and depression closes in upon him. As he inches closer to determining how to present his newest play, a life-size replica of New York takes shape inside his theater warehouse and the lines of reality blur with the surreal elements of his declining condition… Read the Theatrical Review HERE!
Director Charlie Kaufman received his 2004 Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and was also nominated in 2003 for his script of Adaptation. Here he leads a superb all-star cast that includes a host of Academy Award®-winners and nominees: Philip Seymour Hoffman (winner 2005, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Capote); Samantha Morton (nominee 2002, Best Actress in Leading Role, In America); Michelle Williams (nominee 2006, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Brokeback Mountain); Catherine Keener (nominee 2005, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Capote); Emily Watson (nominee 1998, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, Hilary and Jackie); Dianne Wiest (winner 1994, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Bullets Over Broadway). Also starring are Golden Globe®-nominee Jennifer Jason Leigh (Road to Perdition), Golden Globe®-nominee Hope Davis (About Schmidt) and Tom Noonan (Heat, Last Action Hero).
Blu-ray™ High-Def & DVD Special Features Include:
• Digitally Mastered Audio and Video
• Featurette: In and Around Synecdoche, NY
• Featurette: The Story of Caden Cotard
• Featurette: Infectious Diseases in Cattle: Bloggers Roundtable
• Featurette: NFTS/ Script Factory Masterclass with Charlie Kaufman
• Screen Animations
• Audio: English
• Subtitles: English
• Closed Captioned
• Bonus Previews
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (available March 10th, 2009)
Little Bruno (Asa Butterfield) and his family relocate to the countryside and out of Berlin during World War II. Bruno’s father (David Thewlis) has just received a promotion to oversee a German concentration camp, much to the disapproval of his politically forthright parents, which takes the family away from friends and comfort. Bruno is initially upset, especially with boredom due to the lack of other children around the secluded house they move to, but he secretly wanders outside to investigate his surroundings.
Not far from the lonely home is the camp and its odd “farmers” who occasionally act as servants for the family. When Bruno works up the courage to travel to the gaunt resort, he meets Shmuel (Jack Scanlon) dressed in funny pajamas and looking glum. Soon the two consider themselves friends, even though they are separated by an electrified fence and can only meet in secrecy. Bruno brings food and games to play, but envisages himself as the unlucky one; he is tutored most of the day and trapped in a solitary fortress while Shmuel gets to roam freely (within the confines of the camp). Bruno’s family life begins to falter when his mother (Vera Farmiga) discovers the true purpose of the camp and her husband’s duties, and so he plots to join Shmuel in his search for his own missing father…Read the Theatrical Review HERE!
BONUS FEATURES
• Friendship Beyond the Fence—This behind-the-scenes featurette shows how filmmakers balanced the tale of Bruno, the lonely son of a Nazi officer, and the sensitive reality of one of the darkest periods in world history to create an unforgettable motion picture.
• Deleted scenes—With commentary by director Mark Herman.
• Audio Commentary—Director Mark Herman and author John Boyne discuss the film.
Happy-Go-Lucky (available on DVD March 10th, 2009)
Happy-Go-Lucky chronicles several days in the life of Poppy (Sally
Hawkins), an intensely cheerful London primary school teacher. As she
takes driving lessons from a bitter instructor (Eddie Marsan), attends
a Flamenco class, parties with her roommate Zoe (Alexis Zegerman), tends
to a troubled student, and visits her married sister Helen (Caroline
Martin), her irrepressibly sunny disposition affords her both happiness
and a few unexpected confrontations…Read
the Theatrical Review HERE!
Happy-Go-Lucky was an Official Selection at the New York, Toronto, Berlin,
and Telluride Film Festivals. It has earned a host of honors including
a Golden Bear nomination for Leigh and a Best Actress Award for Hawkins
at the Berlin Film Festival. The actress also received the Breakthrough
Award at the Hollywood Film Festival, plus Best Actress nominations
at the British Independent Film Awards, the European Film Awards and
the Satellite Awards. The Norwegian International Film Festival presented
Leigh with its Bringer of Joy Award for most enjoyable movie.
DVD Bonus Features
• Audio Commentary by director Mike Leigh and actress Sally Hawkins
• Happy in Character – Director Mike Leigh and the cast
of Happy-Go-Lucky discuss the characters, story, process and creation
of the film.
• Behind the Wheel of Happy-Go-Lucky – A behind-the-scenes
look at the creation of the film’s “studio on wheels,”
and a conversation with cast and crew about what it was like to to shoot
so many crucial scenes behind the wheel of a car in actual traffic.
Elegy (available on DVD March 17th, 2009)
Based on the decidedly misogynist short story “The Dying Animal” by Philip Roth, Coixet’s Elegy proves a worthy adaptation that takes the appropriate liberties with the text to enrich secondary characters and heighten character interactivity. It also continues the Spaniard director’s almost fetishistic trend of exploring illness and disfiguration of the female form in relation to their sexuality and complex unsentimental needs. Elegy is an extremely well acted film by all lead thesps and has some efficacious moments of stillness that should spur emotion in even the most hardened cynic.
Professor David Kapesh (Ben Kingsley) is introduced hocking his book about hedonism in early America on “Charlie Rose”, which paints an indelible portrait of Kapesh’s own blithe disregard for puritanical ideals. This is further driven home by candid voiceover discussions of how to seduce female students without getting charged with sexual harassment and conversations surrounding successful f**k and run scenarios with his best friend and colleague George O’Hearn (Dennis Hopper)…Read the Theatrical Review HERE!
Special Features Include:
• “The Poetry of ELEGY” featurette
• Commentary with Writer Nicholas Meyer and Producer Gary Lucchesi
Don't forget to check out the Free Movie Club for great NEW prizes!
- Mike Massie
More Recent News Articles: