I understand that we can’t put the genie back in the bottle on these two part movies. Harry Potter might have actually needed to make two movies for The Deathly Hallows but Twilight certainly didn’t and what Peter Jackson is doing to The Hobbit will hopefully go down as one of the greatest crimes in cinema. Now we have things like splitting an Avengers movie in to two parts, which is insane when you consider that it’s not an adapted work at all. It used to be important to tell a complete story when making a movie and now audiences don’t care and it’s certainly more profitable to do one big shoot and then get multiple admissions for it. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 does not have enough story for a two hour movie and the character arc is less about real change and more about restating what we’ve seen before. This weak skeleton holds back a movie franchise that continues on an upward trend in quality in direction, acting, casting, and pretty much every other aspect of filmmaking that isn’t shameless profit grabbing.
Walt Disney Home Entertainment has released Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy in all the usual formats and if there’s a chance you remain on the fence about wanting this, check out these four bonus clips.
There is no shortage of comic properties on network TV this year, but one that may have escaped your attention is NBC’s CONSTANTINE. Executive Producers David S. Goyer and Daniel Cerrone talk about their plans for the future, where it all fits into DC’s New 52 Continuity and how they want to continue to make it the truest comic adaptation ever to hit the small screen.
Burbank, CA (November 13, 2014) – In the follow-up to LEGO®Batman, The Movie: DC Super Heroes Unite, the Justice League is newly solidified yet faces a peculiar set of villains when Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment and The LEGO Group release LEGO® DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League on Blu-rayTM Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD on February 10, 2015. The Blu-rayTM and DVD releases will include an exclusive Batzarro LEGO Minifigure on-pack, while supplies last.
LEGO® DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League will be available on Blu-rayTM Combo Pack for $24.98 SRP and on DVD for $19.98 SRP. The Blu-rayTM Combo Pack includes a digital version of the movie on Digital HD with UltraViolet.* Fans can also own LEGO® DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League in Digital HD on February 10 via purchase from digital retailers.
Batman has joined the newly formed Justice League in order to keep tabs on Superman, a mistrust that is complicated by Superman’s clumsy – but well-meaning – clone, Bizarro. Bizarro’s creation of the Bizarro League has caused confusion amongst the world’s greatest Super Heroes, but an even greater and mysterious threat may force the Justice League and Bizarro League to band together to defeat evil.
“Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is thrilled to release LEGO® DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League on Blu-rayTM and DVD,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, WBHE Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing and Partner Brands. “Fans of the LEGO®DC Comics Super Heroes movie franchise can experience the Justice League battling all-new foes in this action-packed and hilarious film.”
LEGO® DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League Special Features include:
LEGO® DC COMICS SUPER HEROES: BATMAN: BE-LEAGUERED TV SPECIAL – Approximately 22 minutes
BIZARRO! – FEATURETTE – One part oddity, one part comedic curiosity, Bizarro is a favorite among the characters within Superman’s universe. Take a look at the Man of Steel’s potent, backwards nemesis.
BE-LEAGUERED BLOOPERS
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS
LEGO®DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League will be available for streaming and download to watch anywhere in high definition and standard definition on their favorite devices from select digital retailers including Amazon, CinemaNow, Flixster, iTunes, PlayStation, Target Ticket, Vudu, Xbox and others. Starting February 10, LEGO® DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League will also be available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
Title: Halo: The Master Chief Collection Publisher: Microsoft Studios Developer: 343 Industries Format: Blu-ray for the Xbox One video game and entertainment system; Xbox Live-enabled ESRB rating: M for Mature
Exclusive to the launch event of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Hydro74 created four different designs celebrating the launch of each of the previous Halo titles – Halo CE, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4.
About the Artist: Hydro74, is a Orlando based designer, otherwise known as Joshua M. Smith who created this poster. Joshua’s unique vector design style is highly recognizable, with a heavy dose of animals, skulls, gothic ornaments, pop culture and lettering. With his “say it how it is” attitude, Hydro74’s career is focused on pushing the boundaries of what is relevant to the market, extracting elements and trends, and offering them up in his personal and client work. His only goal is to be the best in what he does and to own it with a high sense of pride the craft.
Product overview: Halo: The Master Chief Collection offers the complete story of “Halo’s” legendary hero, the Master Chief, for the first time on one console, including an entirely re-mastered version of Halo 2 – Halo 2: Anniversary – in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the fan-favorite classic.*
Halo: The Master Chief Collection brings the ultimate Halo collection together (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary Halo 3 and Halo 4) with a unified Master Menu that features every campaign chapter unlocked, enabling fans to experience the Master Chief’s story and “Halo’s” legendary multiplayer like never before. Play “Halo” your way, with curated playlists from the campaign and more than 100 multiplayer and Spartan Ops maps from across all four “Halo” titles.
Every game in Halo: The Master Chief Collection is visually enhanced for Xbox One, with “Halo 2: Anniversary” featuring a fully re-mastered campaign. All four games will run at 60 frames per second on dedicated servers.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection also includes access to the new live-action digital series, Halo: Nightfall, and the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta, which are launching in late 2014.
Features:
The Complete Master Chief Story– Honoring the iconic hero and his epic journey, the Master Chief’s entire story is brought together in one package, on one console with Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Delivering a total of 45 campaign missions from Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3 and Halo 4, all unlocked from the very beginning, Halo: The Master Chief Collection showcases improved visual fidelity running at 60 frames per second in every game, with Halo 2: Anniversary featuring a graphically re-mastered campaign. Including new prologue and epilogue cut-scenes foreshadowing Halo 5: Guardians, this is the collection “Halo” fans have been waiting for, all on Xbox One.
“Legendary” Halo Multiplayer – Featuring more than 100 multiplayer and Spartan Ops maps from across all four Halo titles (Halo: Combat Evolved maps playable on Xbox Live for the first time) running on their original multiplayer engines, Halo: The Master Chief Collection offers unprecedented choice to enhance your Halo multiplayer experience. Using the Master Menu, select from curated playlists of your favorite Halo multiplayer maps and game types, and then go to battle with your fellow Spartans on dedicated servers.
Halo 2: Anniversary– Celebrating its 10th Anniversary, the iconic fan favorite returns, featuring a visually re-mastered campaign with “Classic Mode,” which allows you to instantly switch between the re-mastered game and the original from 2004, as well as all-new cut-scenes. Uncover new story elements in hidden terminal videos, and utilize all new skulls to experience the campaign in a whole new way. Play the game that defined online multiplayer on consoles with all 25 original Halo 2 multiplayer maps, just as fans remember them, plus 6 completely re-imagined “Halo 2” maps.
Master Menu – Seamlessly navigate the Master Chief’s story and customize your multiplayer experience across more than 100 maps using the all-new Master Menu. Play all four completely unlocked campaigns, beginning to end, or jump from mission to mission across each game in any order you choose. Enjoy cross title themed campaign playlists created by the game’s designers for new fun and challenging experiences, and easily find and play your favorite multiplayer game types from multiplayer and Spartan Ops maps. It’s everything “Halo,” on your terms, simplified.
New Halo: Nightfall Live-Action Digital Series – A strange and treacherous world exposes elite UNSC operatives to a much deeper danger in this live-action series from 343 Industries and Scott Free Productions. Executive-produced by Ridley Scott and Scott Free TV President David Zucker and directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan (Battlestar Galactica Pillars of the Earth, Heroes), Halo: Nightfall”is an exciting new story for Halo fans and new audiences alike.
Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta – Be among the first to experience a new generation of “Halo” multiplayer in the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta. Gear up for the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta by unlocking exclusive content in “Halo: The Master Chief Collection” and Halo: Nightfall. These exclusive items will carry over into Halo 5: Guardians.
With Batman: The Complete Series now out and earning superlative reviews and blockbuster sales, the Warner Home Entertainment marketing machine is keeping things revved up with an array of video clips to whet the appetites of those who have yet to succumb to temptation.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy film has earned over $645 million worldwide and recently passed the $300 million mark at both the domestic and international box offices. Guardians of the Galaxy opened domestically August 1 with $94.3 million to become the biggest August debut of all time and ultimately the biggest August release ever; it’s also the highest grossing film of the year and the first to surpass $300 million in 2014 domestically. After becoming the 10th straight Marvel Studios film to open at #1, Guardians of the Galaxy occupied the top spot domestically for four of its first six weekends in release.
Synopsis: From Marvel, the studio that launched the epic franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Marvel’s The Avengers, comes an unlikely new team—the Guardians of the Galaxy. The Marvel Cinematic Universe expands into the cosmos when brash space adventurer Peter Quill steals a coveted orb and becomes the object of a relentless bounty hunt. To evade his enemies, Quill forges an uneasy truce with Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon; Groot, a tree-like humanoid; the deadly assassin Gamora; and the revenge-driven Drax. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb, he must rally his ragtag band of misfits for a desperate battle that will decide the fate of the galaxy. Featuring amazing new characters and exclusive bonus features, this must-own blockbuster will have you hooked on a feeling… of pure adrenaline!
Cast:Chris Pratt (The Lego Movie, Parks and Recreation) as Peter Quill, Zoe Saldana (Avatar, Star Trek) as Gamora, Dave Bautista (Riddick, The Man with the Iron Fists) as Drax, Vin Diesel (Fast and the Furious series, Riddick) as Groot, Bradley Cooper (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook) as Rocket, Lee Pace (The Hobbit series, Lincoln) as Ronan, Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead) as Yondu Udonta, Karen Gillan (Oculus, Doctor Who) as Nebula, Djimon Hounsou (How to Train Your Dragon 2, Gladiator) as Korath, John C. Reilly (Wreck-It Ralph, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby) as Corpsman Dey, Glenn Close (Damages, Tarzan) as Nova Prime and Benicio Del Toro (Traffic, The Usual Suspects) as The Collector.
Director: James Gunn (Movie 43, Super)
Screenplay: James Gunn (Dawn of the Dead, Scooby Doo) and Nicole Perlman (Thor)
Producer: Kevin Feige, p.g.a. (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Thor: The Dark World)
Executive Producers: Nik Korda (Robin Hood, The Golden Compass) Stan Lee (X-Men: Days of Future Past, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) Victoria Alonso (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Thor: The Dark World) Jeremy Latcham (Marvel’s The Avengers, Iron Man 2) Alan Fine (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Thor: The Dark World) Louis D’Esposito (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Thor: The Dark World)
Release Date: 11/18 for Digital 3D and Digital HD
12/9 Digital SD, 3D Blu-ray Combo pack (3D Blu-ray + Single Disc Blu-ray + Digital Copy), Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand
Bonus Features:
(Digital HD*, Disney Movies Anywhere, 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray)
Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes
Making-of Featurettes
Exclusive Look at “Marvel’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron”
Gag Reel
Audio Commentary
(DVD)
Exclusive Look at “Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron”
Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scene
* Digital bonus offerings will vary per retailer
Ratings: PG-13; PG for CE; G for CF Feature Run Time: 121 minutes Aspect Ratio: Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray & DVD: 2:40:1 Audio: Blu-ray 3D & Blu-ray 2D = English 7.1 DTS-HDMA, French-Canadian 5.1 Dolby Digital, Latin Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital
DVD = English/Latin Spanish/French Canadian 5.1 Dolby Digital, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital Languages: English, French & Spanish Subtitles: English, French & Spanish
We all loved actor James Wolk as the slightly creepy Bob Benson in MADMEN, plus his run with Robin Williams on THE CRAZY ONES. Now he’s part of CBS’ next big summer event,ZOO,and the star of a new quirky indy film with the folks from SONS OF ANARCHY. He covers it all with us. Plus the new sitcom, THE McCARTHYS is really a family affair especially for third generation talent Tyler Ritter who explains what finally brought him into show biz.
Ed Summer, the man who opened one of America’s first comic book stores and went on to a varied and significant media career, died Thursday from cancer.
A graduate of the New York University School of the Arts (his classmates included Oliver Stone, Jonathan Kaplan and Alan Arkush), Summer opened the Supersnipe Comic Book Emporium on Manhattan’s upper east side in 1971. The store was named after the Street and Smith comic book character who owned more comic books than anybody else in the world. In the late 1970s he opened a comic art gallery, also one of the first, near his store. His friend George Lucas was an investor.
Moving on to motion pictures, Ed wrote or co-wrote Conan the Barbarian (and also was associate producer), Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck cartoons for Disney, and Shinsha (a anime take on Little Nemo). He was marketing and script consultant for Star Wars: A New Hope and advised Lucasfilm Ltd on numerous projects over the years.
Summer also wrote comics for Gold Key, DC and Marvel and he wrote numerous articles for a wide variety of magazines, including Time, Skeptical Inquirer (a science magazine) and Video Watchdog. He also edited and published Walt Disney’s Uncle $crooge McDuck: His Life and Times, one of the first detailed retrospectives on the work of master storyteller Carl Barks, and was an adjunct professor at New York’s School of Visual Arts.
And that just scratches the surface of Ed’s vast media career.
A native of Buffalo New York, In 2005 Ed started the Buffalo International Film Festival, one of his proudest achievements. He told ComicMix’s Martha Thomases he did it not only to bring some tourism to his hometown, but also because there were so many fabulous old movie palaces there. The Festival continues to this day.
Actor and radio host Sean Astin applied to become a member of The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on October 27 after speaking to a rapt audience of journalists and fans about his career and his political radio show, Vox Populi. Astin, most known to fans as Mikey in The Goonies, the title character in Rudy, and Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, started Vox Populi in 2012. Vox Populi, the “Voice of the ‘Occasionally Interested’ People,” is Astin’s vision of an arena for bi-partisan discussion about what are often hot-button issues in politics and media. As host, Astin, who has been long interested in and active in politics, moderates civilized discussions between guests with a wide variety of viewpoints, including Noam Chomsky; Representative Steve Israel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee; Ben Shapiro, author of The People vs. Barack Obama; Cullen Hoback, director of the hit information privacy and collection documentary Terms and Conditions May Apply; and many more.
In speaking about his decision to create Vox Populi, Astin cited his mother actress Patty Duke’s time as a talk show host as one source of inspiration, stating that “a good vocabulary had been implanted in me at a young age, and that, combined with my mom’s ease and comfort dealing with issues of the day and social issues and being a public figure, and then being a union leader – something in the hard-wiring happened where I felt that I had the capacity to be able to think about issues and communicate in a way that was comfortable and easy and open for people, and to facilitate learning and social discourse.”
Astin, a “C-SPAN junkie,” went on to talk about his life-long interest in politics and the interaction of his position as a public figure with his desire to be involved in political discourse. He also discussed his career in the entertainment industry, and his charity work, including running the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. on October 26. He answered several audience questions, and then closed by saying, ” I want to be a member of this Club, so…this is my field report from yesterday,” and reading a Facebook post he wrote about his experience running the Marathon. Immediately after the event, Astin enthusiastically submitted his application to join The National Press Club.
To view Sean Astin’s entire appearance at The National Press Club, click here.
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