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REVIEW: Batman: Death in the Family

REVIEW: Batman: Death in the Family

900 numbers for polling purposes, charging users for each call placed, was a 1980s fad that seemed perfect to employ in comic books for some sort of stunt. Editor Denny O’Neil and DC’s Marketing team, led by Bruce Bristow, conceived of the stunt and Jim Starlin wrote the four-part “Death in the Family” storyline to accommodate the stunt. Jason Todd, the second Robin, never was accepted by fans, either under his father, writer Gerry Conway or the post-Crisis writers Max Allan Collins and Jim Starlin. Callers got to say he would live or die.

It went on to become a media sensation, and a closer than expected vote. It also brought down the wrath of Warner Bros who was unaware of the event and the press attention because, back then, DC was a pimple on the conglomerate’s butt and no one considered telling them.

Still, the strong storyline and fine art from Jim Aparo and Mike DeCarlo turned the story, post-event, into a seminal tale that has been collected and referenced ever since. It sadly also gave rise to the nonsensical “Under the Red Hood”, which somehow resurrected Jason Todd, turning him from a mid-to-late teen into a muscular adult. We know the Lazarus Pit can bring back the dead, but the physical changes seemed arbitrary/ Nor was his resurrection necessary. But that’s me.

The twin stories have been compacted into the newly released Batman: Death in the Family, containing a first for the DC Animated Universe: interactivity. Much like the original story, once the Joker beats Robin with a crowbar, viewers get to pick what happens next: Robin dies in a fiery explosion or Batman save Robin. Later, viewers get other branching options, so the 86 minute run time covers all the variations while each iteration runs about 20 minutes each.

Some make more sense than others, and there’s reused footage from the Under the Red Hood animated film, both of which were directed by Brandon Vietti.

As a stunt, it’s fine with fun branches and keeps you engaged. As an adaptation of the Big Event, it leaves a lot to be desired. In truncating the story, we lose Robin’s motivation, which was seeking his birth mother, leading him to accidentally encountering the Joker. Here, he’s a brat, defying Batman’s orders to not go after the Clown Prince of Crime by himself. Meanwhile, very little of the Judd Winick story about Jason’s resurrection and reinvention as the Red Hood survives in this adaptation.

It’s interesting for this to come out just after the animated universe was rebooted in the recently released Superman; Man of Steel disc, since this stands alone.

The disc is available only as Blu-ray and Digital HD code option. Please be aware that the Digital version does not offer the branching options so you get one story called Under the Red Hood: Reloaded.

The 1080p presentation is in keeping with the usual high standards from Warner Home Entertainment and retains the color palette well. The DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio keeps pace so the overall home experience is a strong one.

The adventure receives audio commentary from DC Daily’s Amy Dallen and Hector Navarro, touching on the source material and the animated adaptation.

The disc comes complete with the recent run of DC Showcase shorts, which have been scattered elsewhere overt the last few years. As with the previous releases, these tend to be more satisfying than the stories they accompany. This time around we have Sgt. Rock (14:55), first appearing on Batman: Hush; Adam Strange (16:05), which can also be found on Justice League Dark: Apokolips War; The Phantom Stranger (15:07) from Superman: Red Son; and Death (19:08), which first appeared on Wonder Woman: Bloodlines.

The shorts also receive new commentary from Dallen and Navarro, adding some additional background and detail.

 

Win a Blu-ray copy of Back to the Future: The Ultimate Trilogy

Rushing into stores at 88 mph, Universal Home Entertainment’s Back to the Future: The Ultimate Trilogy, offers a 4K Ultra HD edition for the first time. It’ll also be out in a Blu-ray boxset and our friends at Universal gave us one Blu-ray copy to giveaway to a lucky reader.

All you have to do is tell us which specific era, past or future, you would want to visit and why.

The contest is open to North American readers only and the decision of ComicMix‘s judges will be final. All entries must be posted no later than 11:59 p.m., Monday, October 19.

In case you missed the announcement this summer, here are the details.

Universal City, California, July 27, 2020–Great Scott! In 1985, Director Robert Zemeckis, Executive Producer Steven Spielberg, and Producer/Screenwriter Bob Gale embarked on a three-part journey through time that broke box-office records worldwide and catapulted BACK TO THE FUTURE into one of the most beloved trilogies in motion picture history. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment celebrates the 35thAnniversary of the groundbreaking first film with BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE ULTIMATE TRILOGY available on 4K Ultra HD for the first time ever on October 20, 2020-just in time to celebrate “Back to the Future Day” on October 21! This collection is loaded with bonus material including a bonus disc that comes with over an hour of brand-new content such as rare audition footage from Hollywood stars Ben Stiller, Kyra Sedgwick, Jon Cryer, Billy Zane, Peter DeLuise, and C. Thomas Howell, a tour of the film’s props and memorabilia hosted by co-writer/producer Bob Gale, a sneak peek at the new musical show, and a special episode of the popular YouTube Series “Could You Survive The Movies?” Join Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), and a time-traveling DeLorean for the adventure of a lifetime as they travel to the past, present, and future, setting off a time-shattering chain reaction that disrupts the space-time continuum!
BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE ULTIMATE TRILOGY will includes all three movies in collectible disc book packaging plus a bonus disc including all-new bonus content. For the first time, the past, present, and future collide in eye-popping Ultra HD resolution for a time-traveling celebration. New 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray™ deliver the highest quality picture, more colors than ever before, and immersive, multi-dimensional sound. From filmmakers, Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, and Bob Gale, this unforgettable 35th-anniversary collection features hours of bonus features and is an unrivaled trilogy that stands the test of time making this a must-own for everyone’s movie library. All three BACK TO THE FUTURE films will also be available on 4K Ultra HD digitally for the first time ever and BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE COMPLETE trilogy will also be available on DVD.

Three premium collections will be available at select retailers for a limited time only:

  • BACK TO THE FUTURE 35TH ANNIVERSARY TRILOGY LIMITED EDITION GIFT SET (4K UHD): Includes exclusive levitating Hoverboard replica (Amazon Exclusive)
  • BACK TO THE FUTURE 35TH ANNIVERSARY TRILOGY LIMITED EDITION GIFT SET (Blu-ray™): Includes exclusive levitating Hoverboard replica (Target Exclusive)
  • BACK TO THE FUTURE 35TH ANNIVERSARY LIMITED EDITION TRILOGY (4K UHD): Includes three newly designed steelbooks (Best Buy Exclusive)
  • For more information on these exclusives, please visit the individual retailer’s stores and websites.

BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE ULTIMATE TRILOGY will be available on 4K Ultra HD combo pack, which includes 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, & Digital Code and on Blu-ray™ which includes the Blu-ray™ & Digital Code.

  • 4K Ultra HD is the ultimate movie watching experience. 4K Ultra HD features the combination of 4K resolution for four times sharper picture than HD, the color brilliance of High Dynamic Range (HDR) with immersive audio delivering a multidimensional sound experience.
    • BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE ULTIMATE TRILOGY 4K Ultra HD is available with HDR10+™, providing a premium HDR picture quality. HDR10+ transforms your movie watching experience with incredible brightness and contrast for each scene, delivering brighter brights and deepest darks.
  • Blu-ray unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6X the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.
  • Digital lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download.
  • The Movies Anywhere Digital App simplifies and enhances the digital movie collection and viewing experience by allowing consumers to access their favorite digital movies in one place when purchased or redeemed through participating digital retailers. Consumers can also redeem digital copy codes found in eligible Blu-rayTM and DVD disc packages from participating studios and stream or download them through Movies Anywhere.  Movies Anywhere is available only in the United States.

BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE ULTIMATE TRILOGY bonus DISC FEATURES ON BLU-RAY™:

  • An Alternate Future: Lost Audition Tapes (NEW) – Get a glimpse of the BACK TO THE FUTURE that could have been with rare audition footage featuring now-famous celebrities.
    • Ben Stiller
    • Kyra Sedgwick
    • Jon Cryer
    • Billy Zane
    • Peter DeLuise
    • Thomas Howell
  • The Hollywood Museum Goes BACK TO THE FUTURE (NEW) – Join Co-writer/Producer Bob Gale on an intimate tour of an exhaustive exhibit of the films’ props and memorabilia.
  • BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL Behind the Scenes (NEW) – Get a sneak peek at the new musical show including a Q&A with the cast and creative team plus two new song recordings.
    • Cast and Creative Q&A
    • Original Songs
      • Gotta Start Somewhere
      • Put Your Mind To It
    • Could You Survive The Movies? BACK TO THE FUTURE (NEW) – Explore the magic and science of BACK TO THE FUTURE and find out which laws of physics were actually violated in this special episode of the popular YouTube series.
    • 2015 Message from Doc Brown
      • DOC BROWN SAVES THE WORLD!
    • OUTATIME: Restoring the DeLorean
    • Looking BACK TO THE FUTURE
      • The Script
      • Casting Marty McFly
      • Christopher Lloyd Reflects on Doc Brown
      • The DeLorean Time Machine
      • Building Hill Valley
      • Prepping for the “Johnny B. Goode” Scene
      • The Score
      • Rushing the Cut
      • The Legacy
    • BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Animated Series
      • Brothers (Season 1, Episode 1)
      • Mac the Black (Season 2, Episode 1)
    • 2015 Commercials
      • JAWS 19 Trailer
      • Hoverboard Commercial

BACK TO THE FUTURE bonus FEATURES ON 4K Ultra Hd & BLU-RAY™:

  • Deleted Scenes (Commentary by Producer Bob Gale available)
    • Peanut Brittle
    • “Pinch Me”
    • Doc’s Personal Belongings
    • “She’s Cheating”
    • Darth Vader (Extended Version)
    • “Hit Me George”
    • “You Got a Permit?”
    • The Phone Booth
  • Tales from THE FUTURE: In the Beginning…
  • Tales from THE FUTURE: Time to Go
  • Tales from THE FUTURE: Keeping Time
  • Archival Featurettes
    • The Making of BACK TO THE FUTURE
    • Making the Trilogy: Chapter One
    • BACK TO THE FUTURE Night
  • Michael J. Fox Q&A
    • How He Got the Role
    • The Character of Doc
    • Working on a Film and TV Series at the Same Time
    • Shooting BACK TO THE FUTURE II and III Together
    • DeLoreans
    • Special FX and Stunts
    • The Appeal of BACK TO THE FUTURE
    • Shooting BACK TO THE FUTURE
  • Behind the Scenes
    • Original Makeup Tests
    • Outtakes
    • Nuclear Test Site Sequence (Commentary by Producer Bob Gale available)
    • Photo Galleries*
      • Production Art
      • Storyboards
      • Behind-the-Scenes Photographs
      • Marketing Materials
      • Character Portraits
    • Huey Lewis and the News “The Power of Love” Music Video
    • Theatrical Teaser Trailer
    • Join Team Fox
    • Q&A Commentary with Director Robert Zemeckis and Producer Bob Gale
    • Feature Commentary with Producers Bob Gale and Neil Canton

*Only on the Blu-ray™ disc

BACK TO THE FUTURE II bonus FEATURES ON 4K Ultra Hd & BLU-RAY™:

  • Deleted Scenes (Commentary by Producer Bob Gale available)
    • Old Terry and Old Biff
    • “Dad’s Home” (Extended Version)
    • Pizza Scene
    • Jennifer Faints (Extended Version)
    • Old Biff Vanishes from Car
    • Burned Out High School
    • Marty Meets Dave
  • Tales from THE FUTURE: Time Flies
  • The Physics of BACK TO THE FUTURE with Dr. Michio Kaku
  • Archival Featurettes
    • The Making of BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II
    • Making the Trilogy: Chapter Two
  • Behind the Scenes
    • Outtakes
    • Production Design
    • Storyboarding
    • Designing the DeLorean
    • Designing Time Travel
    • Hoverboard Test
    • Evolution of Visual Effects Shots
    • Photo Galleries*
      • Production Art
      • Storyboards
      • Behind-the-Scenes Photographs
      • Marketing Materials
      • Character Portraits
    • Theatrical Trailer
    • Q&A Commentary with Director Robert Zemeckis and Producer Bob Gale
    • Feature Commentary with Producers Bob Gale and Neil Canton

*Only on the Blu-ray™ disc

BACK TO THE FUTURE III bonus FEATURES ON 4K Ultra Hd & BLU-RAY™:

    • Deleted Scene (Commentary by Producer Bob Gale available)
      • The Tannen Gang Kills Marshal Strickland
    • Tales from THE FUTURE: Third Time’s the Charm [FEATURED BONUS]
    • Tales from THE FUTURE: The Test of Time [FEATURED BONUS]
    • Archival Featurettes
      • The Making of BACK TO THE FUTURE Part III
      • Making the Trilogy: Chapter Three
      • The Secrets of the BACK TO THE FUTURE Trilogy
    • Behind the Scenes
      • Outtakes
      • Designing the Town of Hill Valley
      • Designing the Campaign
      • Photo Galleries*
        • Production Art
        • Storyboards
        • Behind-the-Scenes Photographs
        • Marketing Materials
        • Character Portraits
      • ZZ Top “Doubleback” Music Video
      • FAQs About the Trilogy
      • Theatrical Trailer
      • BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Ride
        • Lobby Monitor
        • The Ride
      • Q&A Commentary with Director Robert Zemeckis and Producer Bob Gale
      • Feature Commentary with Producers Bob Gale and Neil Canton

*Only on the Blu-ray™ disc

FILMMAKERS:

Back to the Future
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Producer: Bob Gale, Neil Canton
Screenplay: Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale
Music: Alan Silvestri, Chris Hayes, Johnny Colla, Huey Lewis
Executive Producer: Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy
Sound Editor: Charles L. Campbell, Robert Rutledge

Cast: Michael J. Fox (Marty McFly), Christopher Lloyd (Dr. Emmett Brown), Lea Thompson (Lorraine Baines), Thomas F. Wilson (Biff Tannen), Crispin Glover (George McFly), Claudia Wells (Jennifer Parker), Billy Zane (Match), Casey Siemaszko (3-D)

Back to the Future II
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Producer: Bob Gale, Neil Canton
Screenplay: Bob Gale
Music: Alan Silvestri
Executive Producer: Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall
Visual Effects: Ken Ralston, Michael Lantieri, John Bell, Steve Gawley

Cast: Michael J. Fox (Marty McFly / Marty McFly Junior / Marlene McFly), Christopher Lloyd (Doctor Emmett Brown), Lea Thompson (Lorraine), Thomas F. Wilson (Biff Tannen / Griff), Casey Siemaszko (3-D), Billy Zane (Match), Elisabeth Shue (Jennifer), Elijah Wood (Video Game Boy)

Back to the Future III
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Producer: Bob Gale, Neil Canton
Screenplay: Bob Gale
Music: Alan Silvestri
Executive Producer: Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall

Cast: Michael J. Fox (Marty McFly / Seamus McFly), Christopher Lloyd (Doctor Emmett Brown), Lea Thompson (Maggie McFly / Lorraine McFly), Thomas F. Wilson (Buford ‘Mad Dog’ Tannen / Biff Tannen), Mary Steenburgen (Clara Clayton), Elisabeth Shue (Jennifer), Richard Dysart (Barbwire Salesman), Harry Carey, Jr. (Saloon Old Timer),  Flea (Needles)

TECHNICAL INFORMATION 4K ULTRA HD:

Street Date: October 20, 2020

Selection Number: 61212628 (US) / 61212662 (CDN)
Layers:  BD-100
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 1.85:1 Widescreen
Rating: PG
Subtitles: English, French Canadian, Latin American Spanish
Video: 2160p UHD Dolby Vision/HDR10+/HDR 10
Sound: English Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital 2.0 ; French European DTS Digital Surround 5.1 ; Latin American Spanish DTS Digital Surround 5.1

Run Time:
Back to the Future – 01:55:57
Back to the Future II – 01:47:55
Back to the Future III – 01:58:14

 
TECHNICAL INFORMATION BLU-RAY:
Street Date: October 20, 2020
Selection Number: 61212631 (US) / 61212636 (CDN)
Layers: BD 50
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 1.85:1 Widescreen
Rating: PG
Subtitles: English, French Canadian, Latin American Spanish
Sound: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0, French European DTS Digital Surround 5.1 and Latin American Spanish DTS Digital Surround 5.1

Run Time:
Back to the Future – 01:55:57
Back to the Future II – 01:47:55
Back to the Future III – 01:58:14

TECHNICAL INFORMATION DVD:
Street Date: October 20, 2020
Selection Number: 61212627 (US) / 61212635 (CDN)
Layers: DVD 9
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: PG
Subtitles: English SDH, French Spanish
Sound: English, French, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1

Run Time:
Back to the Future – 01:55:57
Back to the Future II – 01:47:55
Back to the Future III – 01:58:14

LOTR and The Hobbit Make 4K Ultra HD in Box Sets

LOTR and The Hobbit Make 4K Ultra HD Debut in Box Sets

BURBANK, CA, October 8, 2020 – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that The Hobbit Trilogy and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, from Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson, will be available for the first time on 4K UHD on December 1.

From New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, the two epic trilogies include the theatrical and extended versions of the six films in 4K UHD with HDR.  The Hobbit Trilogy includes The Hobbit: An Unexpected JourneyThe Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five ArmiesThe Lord of the Rings Trilogy includes The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the RingThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which won Academy Awards® for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.  Both trilogies will also include Digital copies of both versions of each film.

4K Ultra HD** showcases 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and a wider color spectrum, offering consumers brighter, deeper, and more lifelike colors for a home entertainment viewing experience like never before.

The 4K remastering process was overseen by Peter Jackson.

In addition, it was also announced that a 4K UHD “Middle-earth” Ultimate Collectors’ Edition featuring the theatrical and extended versions of all six films, along with new bonus content, previously released Blu-ray discs of The Hobbit Trilogy, and remastered Blu-ray discs of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy will be released in the summer of 2021. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy featuring remastered Blu-ray discs of the theatrical and extended versions of the 3 films will also be released in the fourth quarter 2021, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs of The Hobbit Trilogy and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy will feature Dolby VisionTM HDR that dramatically expands the color palette and contrast range and uses dynamic metadata to automatically optimize the picture for every screen, frame by frame. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs of The Hobbit Trilogy and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy will also feature a Dolby Atmos® soundtrack remixed specifically for the home theater environment to place and move audio anywhere in the room, including overhead. To experience Dolby Atmos at home, a Dolby Atmos enabled AV receiver and additional speakers are required, or a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar. Dolby Atmos soundtracks are also fully backward compatible with traditional audio configurations and legacy home entertainment equipment.

The Hobbit Trilogy and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy will be available on 4K Ultra HD for $89.99 Expected Retail Price.

Fans can also own The Hobbit Trilogy and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy in 4K UHD via purchase from select digital retailers beginning on December 1st.
BASICS
PRODUCT                                                                                ERP
The Hobbit Trilogy Ultra HD Blu-ray                                  $89.99
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Ultra HD Blu-ray                 $89.99
Street Date: December 1st, 2020

Ultra HD Blu-ray Languages: English, French, Spanish (Extended Editions), English, Spanish (Theatrical versions)
Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Rating: All films rated PG-13 except for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Extended Edition, which is Rated  R for violence
DOLBY ATMOS-TrueHD   [CC]

Finally, a movie that Alan Moore (probably) won’t disavow…

…because he not only wrote it himself, he’s in it. Watch the trailer for The Show:

  • Official selection 53 Sitges Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya
  • Official selection 2020 SXSW Film Festival

From the mind of Alan Moore comes a new feature film directed by Mitch Jenkins starring Tom Burke, Siobhan Hewlett, Alan Moore, Ellie Bamber, Darrell D’Silva, Richard Dillane, Christopher Fairbank, and Sheila Atim.

A frighteningly focussed man of many talents, passports and identities arrives at England’s broken heart, a haunted midlands town that has collapsed to a black hole of dreams, only to find that this new territory is as at least as strange and dangerous as he is. Attempting to locate a certain person and a certain artefact for his insistent client, he finds himself sinking in a quicksand twilight world of dead Lotharios, comatose sleeping beauties, Voodoo gangsters, masked adventurers, unlikely 1930s private eyes and violent chiaroscuro women…and this is Northampton when it’s still awake. Once the town closes its eyes there is another world entirely going on beneath the twitching lids, a world of glittering and sinister delirium much worse than any social or economic devastation. Welcome to the British nightmare, with its gorgeous flesh, its tinsel and its luminous light-entertainment monsters; its hallucinatory austerity.

In other words, for those who thought JERUSALEM made too much sense.

REVIEW: Genesis II/Planet Earth

REVIEW: Genesis II/Planet Earth

Gene Roddenberry left Star Trek’s third season to write a Tarzan film that never got produced, setting a tone for the next decade of his career. He produced the wretched Pretty Maids all in a Row and slunk back to television, first with the animated Trek and then a deal with Warner Bros that would see him produce the underrated Questor and Spectre along with a new science fiction film, seemingly designed to distance himself from the optimistic SF albatross around his neck.

He cut a deal with CBS in 1972 to produce a 90-minute film, Genesis II designed to be a pilot for a potential series. He quickly reunited with many of the behind-the-scenes Trek team and got to work, creating a dystopia that began in 1979. We open in 2133 as Earth is recovering from nuclear war and mankind has been dramatically reduced in number. Apparently, the survivors didn’t learn any lessons as the two sides battle, with dollops of slavery, racism, and gender inequality still on display.

“My name is Dylan Hunt. My story begins the day on which I died.”  A NASA scientist, Hunt (Alex Cord) slept through the worst and is awoken to find a world out of control. Using his perspective, he finds like-minded allies forming a rebellious group determined to repair and ultimately save mankind.

As a concept, it’s not bad. The execution, from Samuel A. Peebles’ script on down, is where the pilot film gets into trouble. Peebles’ writing was stiff, and whatever rewriting Roddenberry did, didn’t help. The characters are types, never fully fleshed out, and Cord’s heroic role is blunted by his cold, aloof performance (making him better suited as Airwolf’s Archangel a few years later).

The most interesting performer here is actually Mariette Hartley, who isn’t wearing much (thank you, William Ware Theiss), allowing us to see her two navels (long story), but she has charisma and presence, unlike just about everyone else surrounding her.

Set against an America that was still arguing over Vietnam, a public just waking up to the corruption in the White House, and where a generation gap made communication nearly impossible, the themes are bluntly handled and where Trek offered people hope, this showed that nothing was going to change. Despite reasonable ratings during two airings, the network dithered over greenlighting the series. Ultimately, they gave the one SF slot on the schedule (talk about your quota systems) to a weekly version of Planet of the Apes.

ABC was waiting in the wings, wanting the show, but like Trek got a second pilot order with the new network insisting on major casting revisions. Gone was Cord, and in came journeyman action actor John Saxon, who had an appeal of his own and was a popular name thanks to Enter the Dragon. Also gone was Hartley in favor of Diana Muldaur, who was game but unconvincing in her part. The sole holdover was Ted Cassidy, but he didn’t have enough to do.

Rather than use the current events of the day as a springboard, Roddenberry stuck to themes that didn’t translate well nor were they well-handled in the rewrite, this time from Roddenberry and relatively new to TV writing Juanita Bartlett (who acquitted herself later on series like The Rockford Files and The Greatest American Hero.)

Joining the reimagined show was producer Robert Justman, fresh off the beleaguered Search, and he wrangled the production into a 90-minute production that never quite gelled. Years later, he admitted it wasn’t a very good pilot, which explains why ABC didn’t go to series.

Warner Archive remastered these two telefilms and they look pretty darn good. They are certainly a cultural curiosity, worth watching if you are a devotee of Roddenberry. They’re not very good as stories or pilots, the lofty ideas never properly translating to the screen. (It should be noted that after Roddenberry left, the studio tried one more time with Strange New World which isn’t here and that’s fine.) There are no extras but having these two on one-disc is a nice keepsake for collectors.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’s 4K debut in Limited Ed Steelbook

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’s 4K debut in Limited Ed Steelbook

The film that introduced America to Star Trek Discovery‘s Michelle Yeoh and helped make Ang Lee a popular director, is making its 4K Ultra HD debut on December 1 in a limited edition steelbook.

SYNOPSIS

Two master warriors (Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh) are faced with their greatest challenge when the treasured Green Destiny sword is stolen. A young aristocrat (Zhang Ziyi) prepares for an arranged marriage, but soon reveals her superior fighting talents and her deeply romantic past. As each warrior battles for justice, they come face to face with their worst enemy – and the inescapable, enduring power of love. Set against 19th-century China’s breathtaking landscape, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON is the action-packed box office smash from two-time Best Director Academy Award winner Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, 2005; Life of Pi, 2012) and featuring stunning martial arts choreography by Yuen Wo Ping (The Matrix).

The limited edition SteelBook includes the critically-acclaimed film on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray™.

BONUS MATERIALS

  • Six Deleted Scenes: presented in 4K Ultra HD with High Dynamic Range
  • In-Depth Retrospective Interviews: Director Ang Lee, producer James Schamus and editor Tim Squyres discuss the making of the groundbreaking film
  • Introduction to the Film and the Deleted Scenes by Director Ang Lee
  • “A Love Before Time” Music Video: in English and Mandarin
  • The Making of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
  • Commentary with Ang Lee and James Schamus
  • Commentary with Cinematographer Peter Pau
  • A Conversation with Michelle Yeoh
  • Photo Gallery
  • Theatrical Trailer

CAST AND CREW

Directed By: Ang Lee
Screenplay By: Wang Hui Ling and James Schamus and Tsai Kuo Jung
Produced By: Bill Kong, Hsu Li Kong, Ang Lee
Executive Producers: James Schamus, David Linde
Cast: Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Lang Sihung, Cheng Pei Pei

SPECS

Run Time: Approx. 120 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for Martial Arts Violence and Some Sexuality
Feature: 2160p Ultra High Definition/2.40:1
Audio: Mandarin (Taiwan) Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), English 5.1 DTS-HD MA

Berlin, Book Three: City of Light by Jason Lutes

I keep hitting reading roadblocks, no matter what I do. I used to have a life with a lot of dedicated time for reading and eyes that could stare at pages of text for hours on end, but the past decade has repeatedly broken all of my reading mechanisms, culminating in the minor apocalypse of the past two years. I went from reading 433 books in the Book-A-Day year of 2018 to, um, 43 the year afterward. And 2020 could possibly be even worse.

On top of that, I keep finding new things to stymie me. For example, who would predict that a graphic novel about Berlin sliding into fascism, intolerance, and sectarian violence in the early ’30s would be so resonant, and unpleasant, in 2020?

I’m sure Jason Lutes, planning out this giant project back in 1996, would have expected and wanted modern history to go differently, but, as it is, Berlin Book Three: City of Light  is immediately relevant to 2020 in ways that are deeply dispiriting and depressing.

Worse for me, the fact that this is the third of three books collecting a story that has been running for over twenty years — and the fact that Lutes uses a naturalistic style and doesn’t go out of his way to introduce characters that I last saw in a book I read in 2008 (see my review on ComicMix) — means that I only have a vague sense of who these people are and what they’re doing. It’s a couple of years later in their own lives as well, since Light is set in 1933 and Smoke was mostly set in 1930.

So I respected City of Light and I appreciated City of Light but I had the damndest time getting myself to read City of Light. I don’t want to see characters I like struggling as their society plunges into a totalitarian hellhole. (If I want that, I can just read Twitter.)

And let me say explicitly what I alluded to in my review of City of Smoke and what Lutes never says, but hangs ominously over the whole enterprise: every character we like in Berlin is probably doomed. They will all be killed by the Nazis, one way or another, sooner or later.

That’s what Berlin is about. How fascism smashes norms, destroys lives, agitates its followers and gets them to do the unspeakable in the name of blood and country. It’s a powerful message, especially in 2020, but I don’t want to read about it right now.

The way to read Berlin  now is to get the big single-volume edition and run right through it — that will solve my problems of character identification. The other problems, I hope, will start to be solved on November 3rd, and not by a book.

Reposted from The Antick Musings of G.B.H. Hornswoggler, Gent.

V for Vendetta hits 4K in time for Guy Fawkes Day

V for Vendetta hits 4K in time for Guy Fawkes Day

BURBANK, CA, September 10, 2020 – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that DC’s V for Vendetta, 2005’s thought-provoking action thriller from the creators of The Matrix trilogy, will be released on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital HD on November 3rd, 2020. From producer Joel Silver, V for Vendetta was written and produced by the Wachowskis (The Matrix Trilogy), and stars Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving.  The film was directed by James McTeigue (Ninja Assassin).

V for Vendetta is an electrifying story of an everyday woman in futuristic Britain who becomes the unlikely accomplice of a mysterious freedom fighter in his radical effort to rid the country of oppression.  Based on the powerful graphic novel,  V for Vendetta stars Academy-Award winner Natalie Portman (Black SwanThorStar Wars films), Hugo Weaving (Transformers film series, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Matrix trilogy), Stephen Rea (The Crying Game), Stephen Fry (WildeThe Hobbit film series), John Hurt (Nineteen Eight-Four, the Harry Potter film series), and Tim Pigott-Smith (AlexanderQuantum of Solace).

The 4K UHD release of V for Vendetta is from a new scan of the original camera negative. 4K Ultra HD** showcases 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and a wider color spectrum, offering consumers brighter, deeper, and more lifelike colors for a home entertainment viewing experience like never before.

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc of V for Vendetta features a Dolby Atmos® soundtrack remixed specifically for the home theater environment to place and move audio anywhere in the room, including overhead. To experience Dolby Atmos at home, a Dolby Atmos enabled AV receiver and additional speakers are required, or a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar. Dolby Atmos soundtracks are also fully backward compatible with traditional audio configurations and legacy home entertainment equipment.

The V for Vendetta Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack features an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the feature film in 4K with HDR and three new special features, a Blu-ray disc with the film in high definition and the previously released special features in high definition, and a Digital version of the movie. Fans can also own V for Vendetta in 4K Ultra HD via purchase from select digital retailers beginning on November 3rd.

SYNOPSIS
Set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, V for Vendetta tells the story of a mild-mannered young woman named Evey (Portman) who is rescued from a dire situation by a masked vigilante (Weaving) known only as “V.”  Incomparably charismatic and ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, V ignites a revolution when he detonates two London landmarks and takes over the government-controlled airwaves, urging his fellow citizens to rise up against tyranny and oppression.  As Evey uncovers the truth about V’s mysterious background, she also discovers the truth about herself – and emerges as his unlikely ally in the culmination of his plot to bring freedom and justice back to a society fraught with fear, cruelty and corruption.

Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Elements
The V for Vendetta Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack contains the following new and previously released special features:

New Special Features on 4K UHD Disc:

  • V for Vendetta Unmasked
  • Natalie Portman’s Audition: Explore the depth of Evey’s character with Natalie Portman’s never-before-seen audition
  • James McTeigue & Lana Wachowski in Conversation

Previously released Special Features on Blu-ray Disc:

  • Freedom! Forever!: Making V for Vendetta – The cast and crew of V for Vendetta reveal the intense filmmaking process
  • Designing the Near Future – A look at the artistic process of creating the frightening future world of V
  • Remember, Remember: Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot – The history behind the story of Guy Fawkes
  • England Prevails: V for Vendetta and the New Wave in Comics – The origins of the original V story is illuminated
  • Cat Power Montage – Cat Power song played under images of the film
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Easter Egg: Hidden Bonus: Saturday Night Live Digital Short

BASICS
V for Vendetta, Ultra HD Blu-ray, $24.99
Standard Street Date: November 3rd, 2020
Ultra HD Blu-ray Languages: English, Latin Spanish, French, Japanese
Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, Latin Spanish, French, Japanese
Running time: 132 minutes
Rating: R (for strong violence and some language)
DOLBY ATMOS   [CC]

New Clips from 4K Release of Ghost in the Shell

New Clips from 4K Release of Ghost in the Shell

Out hthis week from Lionsgate is the 4K edition of the celebrated anime classic Ghost in the Shell. Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of one of the most critically acclaimed anime films of all time when Ghost in the Shell arrives on 4K Ultra HD™ Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray™ and Digital 4K Ultra HD) and Digital 4K Ultra HD on September 8th from Lionsgate. Based on the beloved manga from Japanese writer and illustrator Shirow Masamune, the film’s voice cast includes Atsuko Tanaka (Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Ghost in the Shell 2.0), Akio Ôtsuka (Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, Paprika, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots), and Kôichi Yamadera (Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, Ninja Scroll). Remastered in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and featuring fan-favorite commemorative artwork from pop illustrator Martin Ansin – along with brand new bonus material – this will be the most definitive Ghost in the Shell package to date.

2029: A female cybernetic government agent, Major Motoko Kusanagi, and the Internal Bureau of Investigations are hot on the trail of “The Puppet Master,” a mysterious and threatening computer virus capable of infiltrating human hosts. Together with her fellow agents from Section 9, Kusanagi embarks on a high-tech race against time to capture the omnipresent entity. Director Mamoru Oshii’s award-winning cyber-tech thriller, based on the comic book by Shirow Masamune, is lauded as one of the leading Japanese animation films of all time.

The Ghost in the Shell special features include an audio commentary as well as two brand new bonus featurettes: “Accessing Section 9: 25 Years into the Future” and “Landscapes & Dreamscapes – The Art and Architecture of Ghost in the Shell.” Experience four times the resolution of full HD with the 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, which includes Dolby Vision, bringing entertainment to life through ultra-vivid picture quality. When compared to a standard picture, Dolby Vision can deliver spectacular colors never before seen on a screen, highlights that are up to 40 times brighter, and blacks that are 10 times darker. Additionally, the 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack features Dolby Atmos, which will transport viewers from an ordinary moment into an extraordinary experience with moving audio that flows all around them. Fans will feel like they’re inside the action as the sounds of people, places, things, and music come alive with breathtaking realism and move throughout the space.

The Ghost in the Shell 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack will be available for the suggested retail price of $22.99.

4K / BLU-RAY / DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES

  • Full-length audio commentary of Ghost in the Shell with Mary Claypool (Animation Writer and English Language Scriptwriter), Eric Calderon (Animation Producer and Writer), Richard Epcar  (Voice of “Batou”), and Charles Solomon (Animation Historian and Critic)
  • “Accessing Section 9: 25 Years into the Future” Featurette
  •  “Landscapes & Dreamscapes: The Art and Architecture of Ghost in the Shell” Featurette

ADDITIONAL ARCHIVAL BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES

  • Production Report & Digital Works Featuretes
  • Theatrical Trailer

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Year of Production: 1995
Title Copyright: Ghost in the Shell © 1995 Masamune Shirow / Kodansha Ltd. / Bandai Visual Co. Ltd. / Manga Entertainment Ltd. Artwork & Supplementary Materials © 2020 Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Type: Theatrical Release
Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Anime, Action, Crime, Thriller
Closed-Captioned: N/A
Subtitles: English, Spanish, English SDH
Feature Run Time: 83 Minutes
4K Ultra HD™ Format: Dolby Vision, 2160p Ultra High Definition 16×9 (1.85:1) Presentation
Blu-ray Format: 1080p High Definition 16×9 (1.85:1) Presentation
4K Audio Status: Japanese 2.0 LPCM Audio, Japanese Dolby Atmos, English Dolby Atmos, English Descriptive Audio
Blu-ray Audio Status: Japanese 2.0 PCM Audio, English 5.1 DTS-HD Master AudioTM

Total Recall gets 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack for Christmas

Total Recall gets 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack for Christmas

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Paul Verhoeven’s sci-fi classic gets the ultimate high-definition treatment when Total Recall arrives as a 3-disc 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray™ and Digital) and Digital 4K Ultra HD December 8 from Lionsgate. Restored in 4K from a scan of the original 35mm negative, the visionary film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator franchise, Predator, The 6th Day), Rachel Ticotin (Con Air, Falling Down, The Eye), Oscar® nominee Sharon Stone (1995, Best Actress, Casino), and Michael Ironside (Starship Troopers, Scanners, Top Gun).

Undertaken by STUDIOCANAL, the restoration was supervised by Paul Verhoeven himself. The restoration crew paid particularly high attention to preserving special-effects continuity, as Total Recall was one of the earliest films to use computer-generated images for special effects winning the Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects at the 1990 Academy Awards®.

Available for the very first time in this absolutely stunning format, the Total Recall 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack will include a never-before-seen exclusive documentary feature as well as two brand-new featurettes. Experience four times the resolution of full HD with the 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, which includes Dolby Vision, bringing entertainment to life through ultra-vivid picture quality. When compared to a standard picture, Dolby Vision can deliver spectacular colors never before seen on a screen, highlights that are up to 40 times brighter, and blacks that are 10 times darker. Additionally, the 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack features Dolby Atmos, which will transport viewers from an ordinary moment into an extraordinary experience with moving audio that flows all around them. Fans will feel like they’re inside the action as the sounds of people, places, things, and music come alive with breathtaking realism and move throughout the space.

The Total Recall 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack will be available for the suggested retail price of $22.99.

Inspired by the Short Story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick ● Screen Story by Ronald Shusett & Dan O’Bannon and Jon Povill ● Screenplay by Ronald Shusett & Dan O’Bannon and Gary Goldman ● Directed by Paul Verhoeven

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS
Fully reimagined in stunning 4K for its 30th anniversary — and remastered in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos — Paul Verhoeven’s out-of-this-world sci-fi thrill ride can now be experienced like never before! In this splintered-reality mind-bender, it’s the year 2084, and construction worker Quaid (Schwarzenegger) is haunted by dreams of Mars, a place he’s never been. Against his wife’s (Sharon Stone) wishes, Quaid goes to Rekall, a memory-implant company that promises a thrilling virtual trip to the red planet. But what Quaid “remembers” is that he’s a secret agent whose cover has been blown…and that he must return to Mars at any cost.

4K ULTRA HD / BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:

Disc 1 (4K Feature Film and Special Features)

  • Total Excess: How Carolco Changed Hollywood Documentary
  • “Open Your Mind: Scoring Total Recall” Featurette
  • “Dreamers Within the Dream: Developing Total Recall” Featurette
  • Audio Commentary with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Paul Verhoeven
  • Theatrical Trailer

Disc 2 (Blu-ray Feature Film and Special Features):

  • “Open Your Mind: Scoring Total Recall” Featurette
  • “Dreamers Within the Dream: Developing Total Recall” Featurette
  • Audio Commentary with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Paul Verhoeven

Disc 3 (Blu-ray – Special Features)

  • Total Excess: How Carolco Changed Hollywood Documentary
  • Total Recall: The Special Effects” Featurette
  • “The Making of Total Recall” Featurette
  • “Imagining Total Recall” Documentary
  • Theatrical Trailer

CAST
Arnold Schwarzenegger         Terminator franchise, Predator, The 6th Day
Rachel Ticotin                         Con Air, Falling Down, The Eye
Sharon Stone                          Basic Instinct, Casino, The Quick and the Dead
Michael Ironside                     Starship Troopers, Scanners, Top Gun

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Year of Production: 1990
Title Copyright: © 1990 STUDIOCANAL. All Rights Reserved.
Type: Theatrical Release
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
Closed Captioned: NA
Subtitles: French, Spanish, English SDH
Feature Running Time: 113 Minutes
4K Ultra HD™ Format: Dolby Vision, 2160p Ultra High Definition 16×9 (1.85:1) Presentation
Blu-ray Format: 1080p High Definition 16×9 (1.85:1) Presentation
4K Audio Status: English Dolby Atmos, English, and Spanish 2.0 Dolby Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Audio
Blu-ray Audio Status: English Dolby Atmos, English, and Spanish 2.0 Dolby Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Audio