BURBANK, CA, May 15, 2019 – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that The Shining, Stanley Kubrick’s terrifying 1980 horror masterpiece, will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray and Digital on October 1. The 4K remastering is of Kubrick’s original 146 minute version of the film which premiered in the United States on May 23rd, 1980.
Now widely regarded as one of the greatest horror films ever made, The Shining was directed and produced by Kubrick, who wrote the screenplay with Diane Johnson. The film was based on the novel “The Shining” by Stephen King, and stars Jack Nicholson in an iconic role as Jack Torrance, Shelley Duval as Wendy Torrance, Scatman Crothers as Dick Halloran, and Danny Lloyd as Danny Torrance.
The 4K remastering was done using a new 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick’s former personal assistant Leon Vitali worked closely with the team at Warner Bros. during the mastering process.
On May 17th, the restored 4K version of the film was screened at The Cannes Film Festival.
In 2018, The Shining was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” The film ranked 29th on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Thrills list, and Jack Torrance was named the 25th greatest villain on the AFI’s 100 Years…100 Heroes and Villains list. Additionally, the quote “Here’s Johnny” from the film was ranked 68th on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movie Quotes list.
Ultra HD* showcases 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and a wider color spectrum, offering consumers brighter, deeper, more lifelike colors for a home entertainment viewing experience like never before.
The Shining Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack features an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the feature film in 4K with HDR, a Blu-ray disc with the film in high definition and the special features in high definition, and a Digital version of the movie. Fans can also own The Shining in 4K Ultra HD via purchase from select digital retailers beginning on October 1. The Ultra HD Blu-ray of The Shining will include more than three hours of previously released special features.
SYNOPSIS
Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) becomes the winter caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in Colorado, hoping to cure his writer’s block. He settles in along with his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and his son, Danny (Danny Lloyd), who is plagued by psychic premonitions. As Jack’s writing goes nowhere and Danny’s visions become more disturbing, Jack discovers the hotel’s dark secrets and begins to unravel into a homicidal maniac hell-bent on terrorizing his family.
Ultra HD Blu-ray Elements
The Shining Ultra HD Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:
Audio commentary by Steadicam inventor Garrett Brown and Stanley Kubrick biographer John Baxter
Video from the Overlook: Crafting The Shining
Enter the terrifying world of the Overlook Hotel as only Stanley Kubrick could envision it
The Visions of Stanley Kubrick
A detailed look at one of cinema’s greatest visual storytellers and his unique ability to move audiences through the magic of unforgettable images
The Making of The Shining
This cinema verite documentary offers a rare glimpse into the directing style of Stanley Kubrick as he interacts with stars Jack Nicholson, Shelly Duvall and others
Wendy Carlos, Composer
Composer Wendy Carlos reflects on working with complex auteur Stanley Kubrick and developing music scores for The Shining and A Clockwork Orange
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS
On October 1 The Shining 4K UHD will be available to own for streaming and download to watch anywhere in high definition and standard definition on favorite devices from select digital retailers including GooglePlay, Vudu, Xbox and others, and will be made available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
BASICS
Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack $41.99*
Standard Street Date: October 1, 2019
Ultra HD Blu-ray Languages: English, Latin Spanish, Parisian French, German,
Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French, Arabic, Complex Chinese, Castilian Spanish, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German SDH, Hungarian, Italian SDH, Italian Forced, Japanese, Japanese, Forced, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Thai
Blu-ray Languages: English 5.1, Dolby Digital: English 5.1, Français 5.1, Español 5.1
Blu-ray Subtitles: English, Français, & Español
Running Time: 144 minutes
Rating: Rated R
Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French, Arabic, Complex Chinese, Castilian Spanish, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German SDH, Hungarian, Italian SDH, Italian Forced, Japanese, Japanese, Forced, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Thai
* For the complete 4K Ultra HD experience with HDR, a 4K Ultra HD TV with HDR, an Ultra HD Blu-ray player and a high-speed HDMI (category 2) cable are required.
Michael E. Uslan is, among many other things, an executive producer of the Batman films. This post is reprinted with his permission.
–ComicMix Staff
I’ve always believed that the star of a Batman movie is… Batman. For me, it is not about hiring a big box office draw like making Tom Cruise The Batman for a generation. It is all rather about making Bruce Wayne come to life. Because of that conceptually, the most important aspect of casting is not necessarily the actor, but rather the filmmaker. Does the filmmaker have a love for and understanding of the character? Does he or she have a passion for the character? Does the filmmaker have a vision for the character and do you believe he or she can execute that vision? Ultimately, more than track record, it comes down to trust.
As Drogon flies across King’s Landing, torching its buildings, caches of wildfire erupt into green flame.
Warning: There be dragons! But ye shall be burned even more by the SPOILERS that abound!
So she finally went and did it.
Daenerys Targaryen, who over the course of eight seasons, went from an apparently innocent waif, traded like a piece of chattel, to an assertive and determined navigator of the Westeros chess board who freed entire cities of slaves, acquired two armies in a quest to reclaim her family’s throne from usurpers and tyrants, has snapped, and borne out her family’s penchant for insanity. Not content at conquering King’s Landing, and defeating Cersei, she threw morality and human decency to the winds, and torched entire sections of King’s Landing, turning scores of innocent men, woman and children into French fries for no justifiable reason.
In so doing, she adds The Mad Queen to her list of titles, becoming her father’s daughter, and the true heir to King Aerys II.
And it’s not like this wasn’t pre-ordained, right? Both novelist George R.R. Martin and the producers who adapted his Song of Ice and Fire for the screen, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, made it clear early on, by establishing the Targaryen family’s propensity for insanity, and through the prophetic visions experienced by Bran and Daenerys herself, that she would eventually make it to King’s Landing, but that it would not necessarily be a happy ending, which have always been few and far between on a show that’s always been more about employing subversion to illustrate the horror of war and the dangers of absolute rule by narcissists who see themselves as the center of all things.
In this sense, setting us up to think that Varys deserved to be executed, and to feel joy at seeing the gates of King’s Landing disintegrated as Drogon flies through them on a giant torrent of flame, only to later be horrified when Dany refused to stop, and realize that Varys was “right” all along, is right in line with this modus operandi. Irrespective of her words and even her actions regarding tyrants, Dany has never indicated that hers is a war for egalitarianism or democracy, even if she freed some cities’ worth of slaves along the way. Her actions have always centered upon what she wanted for herself, and her kindness and generosity always stopped at those who came between her and her goals.
So no, her rampage at King’s Landing wasn’t without setup. That isn’t the problem.
The problem is the same one that’s pervaded the entire season.
Lousy execution.
It’s the writing, stupid!
The last five episodes, especially the last three, have been marred by major established premises that have been ignored or dropped; a conclusion to the Night King storyline that while satisfying on an action level, did not tie into the status quo of Jon or Bran, the Cersei storyline, or even affect Dany’s ability to wage war on King’s Landing; unceremonious exits of important characters like Sam, Gilly, Tormund and Ghost; and plot holes bigger than that one Viserion blew through the Wall.
In “The Long Night”, we saw the Dothraki snuffed out by the horde of the dead, with only one or two horseriders coming back from that idiotic charge-with-no-dragonglass. In the next episode, “The Last of the Starks”, Grey Worm tells Daenerys that half their forces are gone, and takes some pieces off the map. The lone unnamed Dothraki in the room does the same. Yet in this episode, a large group of Dothraki charge King’s Landing in force. In “Starks,” Dany is flying toward Dragonstone, and all of a sudden neither she, nor Drogon nor Rhaegal can see eleven ships below them, allowing Euron’s ships to land not one, not two, but three arrows at Rhaegal in rapid succession, while missing Drogon entirely. According to Benioff, this his because Dany “kind of forgot” about Euron’s fleet. I’m not making that up. Read it yourself.
But now in “The Bells,” she has regained the sense to properly take advantage of her altitude in the very way she should have, and can destroy a fleet that now numbers at least 137 ships? (Yes, I counted.)
In “The Last of the Starks”, Drogon swoops down to Euron’s fleet, which numbers eleven ships (left), but in “The Bells” (right), its numbers have swelled to well over 100.
But what’s far worse than changed or ignored premises or plot holes is how this season has handled the show’s signature quality: Characterization.
The series has always been one of the best works in modern popular fiction when it comes to depicting the motivations that drive a large cast of characters’ actions, and how those motivations interact with the plot, theme and allegory. But this season, the character work has seemed so phoned-in that AT&T should’ve gotten an onscreen story credit. (Hey, it beats a Starbucks cup.)
Take Varys’ turn as traitor. In “The Last of the Starks”, Dany says she wants to rip Cersei out of King’s Landing “root and stem,” and Tyrion reminds her that the plan is to do that without destroying the entire city. Dany gives no indication that she disagrees with this. Quite the contrary, she adds that under her rule, all of the people of Westeros would live under her rightful rule “without fear or cruelty.” But then Varys starts talking to Tyrion about finding someone else to rule Westeros. This comes about not because Dany’s reaction to Missandei’s execution, because while they sail to Dragonstone before that happens, simply because Tyrion has just informed him of Jon’s true parentage. This appears to have been done to provoke our animus toward Varys for his disloyalty, so that when Dany does go postal, Benioff and Weiss can again go, “Gotcha!” with our expectations. But Varys wasn’t right, since his disloyalty was about being picky about prospective ruler pedigrees, and because Dany ever gave any inclination toward tyranny. In this way, Varys seems to have acted they way he did because he read the script. And I’ve come to expect better from this show.
Then take the Stark women’s soapy motivations. In “Starks,” Arya and Sansa say that even though they harbor respect and gratitude for Dany helping them fight the Night King, that they’ll never trust her because “She’s not one of us.” Really? Were the Wildlings “one of us”? How about that giant, Wun-Wun, who died fighting for the Starks in the Battle of the Bastards? For that matter, Robert Baratheon himself wasn’t from the North. Did the Stark women fail to observe loyalty among their people to King Robert, despite what an incompetent, cruel boor he was? By contrast, Dany loves Jon, and lost one of her dragons just saving Jon’s life (risking her own in the process) and lost half of her soldiers and one of her dearest friends fighting for Winterfell. Just what does she have to do to earn Arya and Sansa’s loyalty? Arya certainly feels loyalty to the Hound. Should Dany kill Arya’s best friend, kidnap her and then ride with her up and down Westeros while occasionally slapping her around?
Of course, this isn’t what lit up the Web following the episode’s premiere.
Daenerys: Portrait of a Tyrant
The real dragon in the living room is Daenerys’s decision to burn large sections of King’s Landing, along with civilians running for their lives. While this may be a fulfillment of the visions that Dany and Bran experienced earlier in the series, and illustrative of how even good people in positions of power can let power go to their heads, it doesn’t ring true on a character level, since characters’ behavior has to make sense in the context of their overall arcs. It’s not enough to point out that people “snap” in real life, or that Dany’s father was nuts. Hell, even he didn’t suddenly “snap”, but was a naturally erratic man who gradually declined due to a combination of age, political tension, and jealousy of his Hand, Tywin Lannister.1 Characterization isn’t about just using real life as a precedent. It’s something that has to be constructed as part of the writers’ craft, just as any other art form, and thus having a character turn arbitrarily to simply match an established prophecy breaks our suspension of disbelief.
Was Dany’s rampage really out of anger over Rhaegal and Missandei? That look of barely restrained rage on her face after Missandei was executed was certainly one we hadn’t seen before. But if that’s the case, her anger should’ve been directed at Cersei and Euron, and Benioff confirmed that this was the case. Instead, she torches peasants who had nothing to do with it. In a behind-the-scenes featurette, episode director Miguel Sapochnik said that Dany felt “empty” when the bells went off, and producer D.B. Weiss explained that at that moment, she decided to make it “personal”. The problem with this is that killing people who probably hated Cersei as much as Dany did, isn’t personal, because it’s been made clear by now Cersei didn’t care about those people.
Benioff also pointed out that before her execution at the end of “Starks,” Missandei’s last word, “Dracarys,” which was her way of telling Dany to burn them all. So what? Dany has spent eight seasons fighting against slavery, tyranny and cruelty towards the innocent, and now she’s grown so myopic over the death of her best friend that she decides to honor a condemned woman’s dying wish to murder innocent people—even though she repated her anti-tyranny platform to Tyrion after Missandei’s death? Sorry, but this is a poor rationalization any way you look it.
Some reviewers have attempted to argue the Dany has always been a mad queen, pointing to her past brutalities to people like Xaro Xhoan Daxos, Pyat Pree, Kraznys mo Nakloz, and the Tullys, but this ignores the fact that those people had actually transgressed against her. Like it or not, “The Bells” represents the first time she has committed acts of unambiguous murder upon innocent people who had done nothing to her.
I noticed that the episode seems to try to provide other excuses for Dany, but none are particularly convincing. Consider her statement to Tyrion in Dragonstone’s throne room that she would not allow Cersei to use her mercy as a weakness. This cannot explain her killing spree, since she embarked upon it after the Lannister army surrendered. And if her actions at King’s Landing was Dany’s way of merely making a point to Cersei about Cersei attempt to use people as a defensive tactic, then this means that Dany committed mass murder out of spite.
There’s also the scene where she tries snogging with Jon in front of the fireplace, and after he fails to return her affections in earnest, she resolves, “Alright, then. Let it be fear.” Seriously? She burned countless civilians to a crisp because Jon wouldn’t give her some sugar? In HBO’s “Inside the Episode” featurette, D.B. Weiss states that this was the moment when Dany resigned herself to the belief that she would need to resort to committing an atrocity in order to “get things done,” but this ignores the fact that she had already gotten it done without it.
I want to make clear: I don’t have a problem with the idea of sympathetic characters taking tragic descents into darkness, provided that it naturally follows what’s been established up to that point. I do not, for example, have a problem with Grey Worm’s actions, since they were not inconsistent with his character. Ditto for the Dothraki and Northmen committing atrocities, since even if Dany decreed to the former that their raping and pillaging days were over (much as she had done with Yara and Theon), they may have taken her lighting up the city as a sign that it had gone out the window.
Dany burning large numbers of citizens would be more believable if it was prompted in a way that made things at least a bit more fuzzy: Imagine this: Cersei ties random citizens up against the walls of the city, and the Red Keep, using them as personal human shields. Dany then makes the decision to burn them because those innocents’ deaths are unavoidable, and then during the smoke and ash, it becomes more difficult for her to clearly see the Lannisters surrender, and to discern who is a civilian and who is a soldier, a tragic iteration of what happens in the during the “fog of war”. But this didn’t happen, as there was no “fog.”
Just ash.
There is, however, one nagging detail I noticed in the episode that gives me cause to hold off on final judgment of her turn, one that leads me to hope that what we saw in “The Bells” is not all that there was to see, and will pay off in the finale, once again prompting us to reevaluate what we previously thought was true: After that shot of Dany after the bells tolled, we never got a close-up shot of her during her destruction of the city. Why is this? Wouldn’t showing her face twisted into a grimace of pure rage during her rampage be crucial to that scene? It makes no sense not to show her face during this. I got to thinking that maybe they plan on showing us her rampage again in the finale, only from Dany’s POV, revealing something similar to what I just described. Perhaps she was trying to destroy fortifications that looked like armories or barracks or assets that Cersei could use to hide or escape, and Drogon’s limited precision with fire killed some civilians near those buildings, and when Grey Worm saw this, he misunderstood this, and took it as justification for embarking on a vendetta on those who murdered his love, and everything just snowballed from there. Perhaps when Dany then saw the fighting resume, she then took this as a sign that Lannister soldiers were ignoring the bells, and justified doing so herself, a sequence of causality that neither Jon nor any other single player would understand at the time. All of this could render her actions in a more morally ambiguous light. It would also fit squarely in the wheelhouse of both Martin and the showrunners, who have relied heavily on contrasting POVs in this way throughout the series. Is that what they’re going to do here, in order to make Dany’s actions and her reasons for them more morally ambiguous, with their seemingly threadbare explanations in the behind-the-scenes material a cover for it?
In perusing the Web, it seems that I’m not alone in noticing the lack of a close-up, with another reviewer speculating that the reason for this is that Bran had warged into Drogon to burn the city. If Dany spent the rampage trying helplessly trying to regain control over her dragon, this would explain why they couldn’t show her in close-up.
Not with a bang, but a whimper. And falling bricks.
Even if this is borne out, the rest of the major characters’ arcs fair little better, and unlike Dany, theirs are finished.
To understand what’s wrong with what happens to the characters in this episode and others, you have to look at how their stories have been developed to date, and you’ll see why they’re called arcs. For example, Tyrion sees his father writing a letter in the third season premiere, “Valar Dohaeris,” that includes the phrase “ripe for the trap.” In that season’s finale, “Mhysa,” which is the episode that takes place after the Red Wedding, Bran tells a story of the Rat Cook, who cooks his guests into the food served as a feast, an act whose heinousness stems from the Westerosian view that killing a guest under one’s own roof is an unforgivable sin. This establishes a cultural viewpoint explaining how the Red Wedding is regarded by the people of Westeros, warring families or not. So when Arya bakes Walder Frey’s sons into the pie she serves to him in the sixth season finale, and then poses as him to oversee her murder of his soldiers in the seventh season premiere, these cease to be mere events in individual episodes, but pieces of a cohesive whole. A single tapestry, in which climaxes feel more satisfying because they come as the payoff that follows a long setup. That’s what separates an abrupt shocking plot twist from a carefully crafted one.
This is what’s missing from this season, and this episode.
I just assumed, for example, that when Arya set out from Winterfell for King’s Landing to kill Cersei, that it was as much a mission handed to her by Dany as it was a personal vendetta. But nothing here indicates that Dany thought to take advantage of the skills she knew Arya had. I also assumed that this arc would tied into Cleganebowl, and with Cersei’s ultimate fate. Maybe Arya made her play for the Queen, killing a bunch of her guards in the process, and just when she was about to strike the killing blow upon Cersei, it’s blocked by the Mountain, who suddenly appears and beats Arya nearly to death. And just when he’s about to deliver a fatal blow to her per Cersei’s order, that’s blocked in turn by the Hound, who then has the fight of his life with his brother for Arya. This might’ve been an even sweeter turn of events if Arya and the Hound hadn’t been shown leaving Winterfell together. If they had the Hound leaving to go find some quiet hillside to retire, failing to convince Arya to stay at Winterfell, his sudden appearance there would be a more satisfying and poignant surprise. Maybe during this brawl, Cersei could have ended up falling from a tower into the spot where Ned Stark was executed, making her end all the more poetic. Or something like that. Anything.
Instead what we got was two tall brothers who decided it was time to fight when they could’ve done when the confronted one another in the seventh season finale, a number of gratuitously implausible stab wounds inflicted upon Jamie, and a bunch of bricks falling on Cersei. Instead of layering these denouements in a way that tied them together along with the Night King arc and the Azor Ahai prophecy, in a way that echoed with the series’ overall mythology, what we got was thematically flat. A series of endings that were journalistic rather than resonant. We got the who, what, where, when and how, but not the heart. The Night King was done away with mid-season, and Cersei is killed not in the series finale, but its penultimate installment.
Are there some good moments? Sure. That moment when Arya addresses The Hound by his given name for the first time ever was a nice touch. And the FX were excellent. That one over-the-shoulder shot of a Lannister soldier as a split suddenly appears in his torso upon the swing of a Northman’s sword was extremely impressive. But the sum of these individual moments does not add up to a story that transcends them.
Speculation for the finale
So going into the finale, what are we left with?
We saw Arya mount a white horse, much like Death, one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse described in the Book of Revelation. Where she’s galloping off to is fairly obvious, as is the conflict that will drive the violence in the finale. The only question will be whether she will kill Dany, or be foiled be Grey Worm, leading to a duel between them, which I admit, would redeem the Cleganebowl somewhat.
Perhaps as they fight, Jon finds a still-intact scorpion, perhaps half-covered in debris, that Dany and Drogon missed and then use it on the Drogon? I noticed that contrary to what Qyburn said, we didn’t see Drogon destroy all of them, and one shot of Drogon showed him passing over a number of them on his way to destroying a corner tower at the city gates. And if this leads the Unsullied to attack Jon and the Northmen, seemingly to the point of near-defeat, and they are saved by the arrival of Tormund on the Wildlings, with Ghost biting off Grey Worm’s head, it would redeem their inelegant departure in “Starks.” If only.
And then there’s that little girl, the last of Varys’ little birds, allowing one last manipulation of his to survive his death and manifest itself in the series finale.
Benioff and Weiss have not played their last hand, and I haven’t lost my last ounce of faith. The season is what it is. But the show can still go out on a high note. When Sansa told Tyrion about Jon’s secret parentage in “Starks,” one reviewer took issue with what he perceived as irresponsibility on her part, not realizing that this move was deliberately written as a “master stroke” of manipulation, as Dany herself tells Jon a few scenes into this episode, so it’s not like they’ve completely lost the ability to write good character work, and even disguise it.
In spite of everything I’ve written here, the lower quality of this season’s writing has not soured me on the sprawling epic created by my fellow native of Hudson County.
In fact, I’ve just started reading the first novel in the series. I intend to read them all, perhaps putting my run through Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series on hold in order to keep the continuity of the story fresh in my mind from novel to novel, and who knows, maybe by the time I’m done, my fellow native of Hudson County, New Jersey will have finished writing the final two novels, or at least decided upon a firm release date.
Hope springs eternal.
Footnotes
1. Martin, George R.R. (2014). The World of Ice and Fire. Bantam. pp. 113 – 129.
BURBANK, CA (May 16, 2019) – A mysterious villain puppeteering Gotham’s most dangerous forces leads the Dark Knight into uncharted waters in Batman: Hush, the next entry in the popular series of DC UniverseMovies. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC, the feature-length animated film arrives from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Digital starting July 20, 2019, and on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, , Blu-ray Combo Pack and the DC Universe streaming service on August 13, 2019.
Batman: Hush will be available on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack ($39.99 SRP) and Blu-ray Combo Pack ($24.98 SRP) as well as on Digital ($19.99 HD). The 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack features an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc in 4K with HDR and a Blu-ray disc featuring the film; the Blu-ray Combo Pack features the film in hi-definition. The 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Combo Pack include a digital version of the film.
An adaptation of the seminal DC classic tale, Batman: Hush centers on a shadowy new villain known only as Hush, who uses Gotham’s Rogues Gallery to destroy Batman’s crime-fighting career, as well as Bruce Wayne’s personal life – which has already been complicated by a relationship with Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman.
Batman: Hush boasts a stellar voice cast led by primetime television stars Jason O’Mara (The Man In The High Castle) and Jennifer Morrison (Once Upon A Time) as the voices of Batman/Bruce Wayne and Catwoman/Selina Kyle, respectively. The cast also includes Jerry O’Connell (Carter, Billions, Stand By Me) as Superman, Rebecca Romijn (The Librarians, X-Men) as Lois Lane, Rainn Wilson (The Office) as Lex Luthor, Vanessa Williams (Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty) as Amanda Waller, Jason Spisak (Young Justice) as Joker, Peyton List (Bunk’d, Jessie) as Batgirl, Peyton List (Gotham, Mad Men, The Flash) as Poison Ivy, Geoffrey Arend (Madam Secretary) as the Riddler, Sean Maher (Firefly) as Nightwing, Maury Sterling (Homeland) as Thomas Elliot, Bruce Thomas (Legally Blonde, Kyle XY) as Jim Gordon, Adam Gifford (Longmire) as Bane, Sachie Alessio (Justice League Dark) as Lady Shiva, Stuart Allan (Teen Titans: The Judas Contract) as Damian Wayne, James Garrett (Batman: Bad Blood) as Alfred, Hynden Walch (Teen Titans Go!) as Harley Quinn, Chris Cox (Family Guy) as Scarecrow, and Tara Strong (Batman: The Killing Joke, Teen Titans, Teen Titans Go!) as Reporter.
Director Justin Copeland (Reign of the Supermen) helms Batman: Hush from a script by Ernie Altbacker (Teen Titans: The Judas Contract). Jim Krieg (Batman: Gotham by Gaslight) & Alan Burnett (Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay) are co-producers. Amy McKenna (The Death of Superman) is producer. Michael Uslan is executive producer. Executive Producers are Sam Register and James Tucker (Reign of the Supermen).
“Batman: Hush has long been on the fans’ priority list of essential Batman stories, and we have worked closely with Warner Bros. Animation and DC to put together a combination of excellent filmmakers and superb actors to bring this intense, engaging tale to animated life,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing.
Batman: Hush Enhanced Content
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital
DC Showcase: Sgt. Rock (Animated Short) – From executive producer and director Bruce Timm comes the first new DC Showcase animated short since 2011’s Catwoman, bringing DC Comics’ gritty World War II hero to animated life in an all-new adventure.
Batman: Love in Time of War (Featurette)– Dangerous. Seductive. Villain. Hero. This is the story of Selina Kyle and the relationship she has forged with the world’s greatest detective.
Audio Commentary – Executive Producer James Tucker, Director Justin Copeland and screenwriter Ernie Altbacker share their thoughts and insights on Batman: Hush.
A Sneak Peek at the next DC UniverseMovie, Wonder Woman: Bloodlines – An advanced look at the next animated film in the popular DC UniverseMovies collection.
From the DC Vault –The Batman/Superman Hour: “The Underworld Underground Caper””
From the DC Vault – The Batman/Superman Hour: “Partners in Peril”
Batman: Hush will also be available on Movies Anywhere. Using the free Movies Anywhere app and website, consumers can access all their eligible movies by connecting their Movies Anywhere account with their participating digital retailer accounts.
Fans can also own Batman: Hush via purchase from digital retailers beginning July 20, 2019.
From the people who bring you every other DC Universe show on the CW, Ruby Rose stars as Kate Kane, aka Batwoman, with Dougray Scott as her father Col. Jacob Kane, Camrus Johnson as Luke Fox, and Birds of Prey alum Rachel Skarsten as Alice. Take a look!
NEW YORK CITY (May 9, 2019) — At yesterday’s espnW Summit NYC, Marvel Studios hosted a Captain Marvel panel and revealed an all-new trailer and in-home release dates for its first female-led franchise film, centered on Carol Danvers a.k.a. Captain Marvel. The spectacular, 1990s-era Super Hero adventure, which electrified and inspired audiences worldwide and surpassed $1 billion in ticket sales, is available on Digital in HD and 4K Ultra HD™ and Movies Anywhere May 28, and lands on Blu-ray™ and Blu-ray 4K Ultra HD™ June 11.
Arriving home with extensive line-up of extras detailing the development of this highly anticipated addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Captain Marvel includes Featurettes that highlight the transformative journey of Brie Larson (Captain Marvel) and her character’s impact on audiences around the globe; the influence of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) on significant events within the MCU; the perfect pairing of directors Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck; the ongoing conflict between the Skrulls and the Kree; and the raw talent behind the fetching feline named Goose. Viewers also gain access to six deleted scenes, director commentary, a gag reel loaded with funnies, flubs and Flerkens, and never-before-seen concept art and production photography.
Captain Marvel comes packaged in various formats to best fit today’s varying consumer desires. Viewers can bring home the film two weeks early on Digital 4K Ultra HD, HD and SD and gain access to two exclusive features, including a behind-the-scenes visit with the Visual Effects team that makes the filmmakers’ visions of the MCU come to life and an inside look at the epic team effort that goes into an action-packed sequence within a Marvel Studios film. A physical copy of Captain Marvel is available as either a 4K Cinematic Universe Edition (4K UHD+Blu-ray+Digital Copy) or a Multi-Screen Edition (Blu-ray+Digital Copy), granting fans the flexibility to watch on devices of their choice.
BONUS MATERIAL (may vary by retailer):
Blu-ray & Digital:
Alternate Movie Versions
Movie with Intro – An introduction by directors/screenwriters Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck.
Movie with Commentary – Commentary by directors/screenwriters Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck.
Featurettes:
Becoming a Super Hero – Follow Brie Larson’s journey as she joins the MCU, and see what it takes to be a Marvel Super Hero in every sense of the word.
Big Hero Moment – Explore how impactful Captain Marvel’s entrance into the MCU is, and how she inspires audiences around the world.
The Origin of Nick Fury – Witness some of the MCU’s most significant events through Nick Fury’s eyes, and see how his influence helped shape the MCU.
The Dream Team – Discover why Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck are the perfect pair to direct Marvel Studios’ most powerful hero.
The Skrulls and the Kree – Take a deeper look into the Skrulls and the Kree, their ongoing conflict, and the importance of shifting perspectives in the film.
Hiss-sterical Cat-titude – The cast and crew dish on working with Goose and the raw talent it takes to portray such a complex character on-screen.
Deleted Scenes
“Who Do You Admire Above All Others?” – Kree Commander Yon-Rogg must answer to the Supreme Intelligence, who questions his leadership ability.
Starforce Recruits – Yon-Rogg lectures a roomful of students on the Kree’s mission to defend all nations from the scourge of the Skrulls.
Heading to Torfa – Vers (Danvers) and her fellow Starforce members banter as they prepare for their rescue mission to Torfa.
“What, No Smile?” – In this alternate version of a scene from the movie, Vers is consulting a map when she receives a dubious offer of assistance.
Black Box – Keller attempts to track Vers and Fury after their escape in a quadjet from the Joint USAFA Facility.
Rookie Mistake – Novice S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson helps Director Keller out of an embarrassing situation.
Gag Reel – The fate of the universe hangs in the balance as the cast battles props, flubs and Flerkens in these outtakes from the set.
Digital Exclusives:
Journey into Visual Effects with Victoria Alonso – Experience how filmmakers’ visions of the MCU come to life on-screen through the skill of the Visual Effects team.
What Makes a Memory: Inside the “Mind Frack” – What does it take to craft an action-packed sequence for a Marvel Studios film? Nothing short of an epic team effort!
Concept Art – Explore artwork from “Captain Marvel” and trace the visual development of characters.
On-Set Images – Uncover a trove of behind-the-scenes and production photography.
Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that introduces the MCU’s first stand-alone, female-franchise title character—Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel. When we first meet Danvers, she already possesses her superhero powers, having left her earthly life behind and become a member of an intergalactic elite Kree military team called Starforce, led by their enigmatic commander, Yon-Rogg. But after Danvers has trained and worked with the Starforce team, and become a valued member, she finds herself back on Earth with new questions about her past. While on Earth she quickly lands on the radar of Nick Fury, and they must work together against a formidable enemy in the form of the Skrulls—the notorious Marvel bad guys made even more dangerous by their shape-shifting abilities—and their leader, Talos, who is spearheading a Skrull invasion of Earth.
Based on the beloved Marvel comic-book series, first published in 1967, Captain Marvel stars Academy Award® winner Brie Larson (Room, Kong: Skull Island) as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Samuel L. Jackson (Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Hateful Eight) as Nick Fury, Ben Mendelsohn (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Mississippi Grind) as Talos, with Annette Bening (American Beauty, 20th Century Women) as Supreme Intelligence, with Clark Gregg (Marvel’s The Avengers, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) as Agent Coulson and Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald) as Yon-Rogg.
The film also includes a talented supporting cast that features Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond, Guardians of the Galaxy) as Korath, Lee Pace (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Guardians of the Galaxy) as Ronan, Lashana Lynch (Bulletproof, Brotherhood) as Maria Rambeau, Gemma Chan (Crazy Rich Asians, Humans) as Minn-Erva, Rune Temte (Eddie the Eagle, The Last Kingdom) as Bron-Char, Algenis Perez Soto (Sugar, Isolated Victim) as Att-Lass, Mckenna Grace (Gifted, I, Tonya) as Young Carol Danvers and Akira Akbar (Grey’s Anatomy) as Monica Rambeau.
Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel is produced by Kevin Feige and directed by Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck (Half Nelson, Sugar, Mississippi Grind). Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jonathan Schwartz, Patricia Whitcher and Stan Lee are the executive producers. The story is by Nicole Perlman & Meg LeFauve and Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck & Geneva Robertson-Dworet, and the screenplay is by Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck & Geneva Robertson-Dworet.
Directors Boden and Fleck’s creative team also includes director of photography Ben Davis (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange), production designer Andy Nicholson (Gravity, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), costume designer Sanja Hays (The Fate of the Furious, Star Trek Beyond), editors Elliot Graham (Steve Jobs, Molly’s Game) and Debbie Berman (Marvel Studios’ Black Panther, Spider-Man: Homecoming), visual effects supervisor Christopher Townsend (Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Age of Ultron, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), special effects supervisor Dan Sudick (Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther) and composer Pinar Toprak (The Angel, The Challenger).
DISC SPECIFICATIONS (applies to film content only):
Product SKUs: Digital: 4K Ultra HD, HD, SD
Physical: 4K Cinematic Universe Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Copy), Multi-Screen Edition (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy), and DVD
Feature Run Time: Approximately 123 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Audio: Ultra HD Blu-ray: English Dolby Atmos; Latin Spanish, French Parisian, Japan, German & Italian 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus; French Canadian 5.1 Dolby Digital; English Descriptive Audio 2.0 Dolby Digital; Blu-ray: English 7.1 DTS-HDMA; Brazilian Portuguese, French Canadian and Latin Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital; English Descriptive Audio 2.0 Dolby Digital; DVD: English, French Canadian and Latin Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital; English Descriptive Audio 2.0 Dolby Digital; Ultra HD Digital: English Dolby Atmos (some platforms), English 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, Latin Spanish 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, English Descriptive Audio 2.0 Dolby Digital (some platforms); HD Digital: English 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, Latin Spanish 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, English Descriptive Audio 2.0 Dolby Digital (some platforms); SD Digital: English 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, Latin Spanish 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, English Descriptive Audio 2.0 Dolby Digital (some platforms)
Subtitles: Ultra HD: English SDH, French Canadian, Latin Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Swedish, Traditional Chinese, Cantonese, Korean, Thai, Norwegian, French Parisian; Blu-ray: English SDH, French Canadian, Latin Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese; DVD: English SDH, French Canadian, Latin Spanish; Digital: English SDH, French Canadian, Latin Spanish
BURBANK, CA (May 8, 2019) – Batman, Robin and Batgirl must stick together even when Gotham’s most dangerous villains attempt to pull them apart in LEGO® DC: Batman – Family Matters, the latest animated adventure in the LEGO DC series. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment and the LEGO Group, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment starting August 6, 2019 on Blu-rayTM Combo Pack ($24.98 SRP), DVD ($19.98 SRP) and Digital.
The Blu-rayTM Combo Pack and DVD releases of LEGO® DC: Batman – Family Matters feature an impressive 84-piece LEGO Mini Ultimate Batmobile premium set ($10 value), while supplies last.
In LEGO® DC: Batman – Family Matters, suspicion is on high after Batman, Batgirl, Robin and other Super Heroes receive mysterious invitations. However, family values must remain strong when Batman and his team encounter the villainous Red Hood, who is obsessed with destroying the Bat-family and all of Gotham City.
Troy Baker (Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman: Arkham Origins), Alyson Stoner (Phineas and Ferb) and Scott Menville (Teen Titans, Teen Titans Go!) lead the cast as the voices of Batman, Batgirl and Robin. Jason Spisak (Young Justice) heads the rogues’ gallery as the voice of Red Hood (and Jason Todd). Also along for the fun are actors Steve Blum (Cowboy Bebop, Star Wars Rebels) as Scarecrow, Zach Callison (Steven Universe) as Billy Batson, Cam Clarke (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) as Brother Eye & Bat Computer, Will Friedle (Boy Meets World, Kim Possible) as Nightwing, Ralph Garman (Family Guy) as Wizard, Jake Green (The Boss Baby: Back in Business) as Fred, Josh Keaton (The Spectacular Spider-Man) as Board Member, Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants) as Gordon & Penguin, Christian Lanz (Elena of Avalor) as Two-Face/Harvey Dent, Nolan North (Young Justice) as Alfred & Killer Croc, Andre Sogliuzza (American Dad!) as Riddler, Tara Strong (Batman: The Animated Series, Teen Titans, Teen Titans Go!) as Batwoman and Fred Tatasciore (DC Super Hero Girls) as Solomon Grundy.
LEGO® DC: Batman – Family Matters is produced by Rick Morales (LEGO Scooby-Doo!: Haunted Hollywood) and directed by Matt Peters (LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Aquaman – Rage of Atlantis) from a script by Jeremy Adams (LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash). Jim Krieg is co-producer. Executive producer is Michael Uslan. Sam Register and Jason Cosler & Jill Wilfert are executive producers.
“LEGO® DC: Batman – Family Matters is another shining example of the fun, action-packed, family entertainment that results when you combine DC’s extensive library of Super Heroes, Warner Bros. Animation’s creative vision and LEGO’s unique take on these characters and situations,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing.
BURBANK, CA (May 7, 2019) – Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, in partnership with DC, are currently in production on five new DC Showcase animated shorts for release in 2019-2020.
Inspired by characters and stories from DC’s robust portfolio, the all-new series of shorts will be included on upcoming DC Universe Movies releases, with exception of an innovative Batman:Death in the Family long-form animated short, which will anchor a compilation set for distribution in late 2020.
Each of the five shorts – entitled Sgt. Rock, Adam Strange, Death, The Phantom Stranger and Batman: Death in the Family – opens with a new, live-action branding sequence that features a few Easter Eggs specially added for observant fans.
Sgt. Rock is executive produced and directed by Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series) from a script by award-winning comics writers Louise Simonson & Walter Simonson and Tim Sheridan (Reign of the Supermen). The original tale finds battle-weary Sgt. Rock thinking he has seen everything that World War II can dish out. But he is in for the surprise of his life when he is assigned to lead a company consisting of legendary monsters into battle against an unstoppable platoon of Nazi zombies. Karl Urban (Star Trek & Lord of the Rings film franchises) provides the voice of Sgt. Rock. Also voicing characters in Sgt. Rock are Keith Ferguson, William Salyers and Audrey Wasilewski.
Adam Strange is produced and directed by Butch Lukic (Batman Unlimited franchise), who also conceived the original story – which is written by J.M. DeMatteis (Constantine: City of Demons). On a rugged asteroid mining colony, few of the toiling workers are aware that their town drunk was ever anything but an interplanetary derelict. But when the miners open a fissure into the home of a horde of deadly alien insects, his true identity is exposed. He is space adventurer Adam Strange, whose heroic backstory is played out in flashbacks as he struggles to save the very people who have scorned him for so long. Charlie Weber (How To Get Away with Murder) provides the voice of Adam Strange, alongside with Roger R. Cross, Kimberly Brooks, Ray Chase and Fred Tatasciore.
Inspired by Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman,” Death is produced & directed by Sam Liu (Justice League vs. The Fatal Five) and written by J.M. DeMatteis (Batman: Bad Blood). In the story, Vincent, an artist with unresolved inner demons, meets a mysterious girl who helps him come to terms with his creative legacy … and eventual death. Leonardo Nam (Westworld) provides the voice of Vincent, and Jamie Chung (The Gifted, Big Hero 6) is the voice of Death. The cast includes Darin De Paul, Keith Szarabajka and Kari Wahlgren.
The Phantom Stranger has Bruce Timm (Batman: The Killing Joke) at the helm as executive producer & director, and the short is written by Ernie Altbacker (Teen Titans: The Judas Contract). Set in the 1970s, the short follows young adult Jess as she joins her friends at a party in a dilapidated mansion hosted by the mysterious Seth. When odd things begin to happen to Jess and her friends, the Phantom Stranger intervenes to save her from a dreary fate. Peter Serafinowicz (The Tick) gives voice to The Phantom Stranger, and Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville, Impastor) provides the voice of Seth. The Phantom Stranger also features the voices of Natalie Lander, Grey Griffin and Roger Craig Smith.
More information regarding Batman: Death In The Family will be available in 2020.
All five new DC Showcase shorts credits include Jim Krieg as co-producer, Amy McKenna as producer, and Sam Register as executive producer.
Initially launched in 2010, DC Showcase was originally comprised of four animated shorts produced by Bruce Timm and directed by Joaquim Dos Santos: The Spectre (released on 2/23/2010), Jonah Hex (7/27/2010), Green Arrow (9/28/2010) and Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam (11/9/2010). An additional short, Catwoman (10/18/2011), was attached the following year to the release of Batman: Year One, and was directed by Lauren Montgomery and executive produced by Bruce Timm. Screenwriters on the initial quintet were Steve Niles (The Spectre), Joe Lansdale (Jonah Hex), Greg Weisman (Green Arrow), Michael Jelenic (Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam) and Paul Dini (Catwoman).
Actors featured on the first five shorts were Malcolm McDowell, James Garner (in his final performance), Jerry O’Connell, Linda Hamilton, Gary Cole, Alyssa Milano, Thomas Jane, Michael Rooker, Eliza Dushku, Neal McDonough, Ariel Winter, Danica McKeller, George Newbern, Michelle Trachtenberg and Arnold Vosloo, as well as Jon Polito, Rob Paulsen, Jeff Bennett, Steve Blum, Grey Delisle, John DiMaggio, Josh Keaton, Zach Callison, Jason Marsden, Liliana Mumy, Tara Strong, Cree Summer and Kevin Michael Richardson.
Last column we discussed what happens to those criminals on Adventures of Superman who shoot at Superman only to have their bullets bounce off him. Bottom line, they get charged with some crimes. But that’s just for shooting at Superman. There are still two very important questions that remain unanswered.
First, why did the invulnerable Superman, who already had bullets bounce off of him, duck when the bad guys threw their guns at him? Actually, we need to answer a question before that one – hey, if airplanes can pre-board, I can pre-first – namely did Superman actually duck a thrown gun?
From my research, inextensive though it was, I can say it definitely did happen. Once. In the first season episode “The Mind Machine.”
Theories abound, as to why Superman ducked but the one I think the best is that in parts of said scene, Superman wasn’t being played by George Reeves but by a stunt double named Dale Van Sickle. Van Sickle bore a slight resemblance to Reeves, but it wasn’t enough to survive close scrutiny. Or even the level of scrutiny you could get on those small, grainy, not-hi def, cathode-ray TVs of the 50s. If you study the scene, you’ll note that after the gunshots, Superman is standing erect and smoke obscures his face. That’s because it was the stunt double who nobody wanted you to see very well. Then, when the bad guy winds up to throw his gun at Superman, the Man of Steel avoidance ducked, again hiding his face. I think Superman ducked so that no one would notice the stunt double or that “Superman” wasn’t Superman.
The more-important question is this: if one of those bullets ricocheted off Superman and rabbitted into an innocent bystander could the criminals be brought up on charges for that injury? For once I have an easy answer for you. Yes.
With what crime could the criminals be charged? Okay, now we’re back to our usual complicated answers.
Before we can answer that question, we must answer another question or three. Such as, did the poor bystander die, or only get injured? Meaning is it homicide or assault? Then there’s, did the criminals know the bullets would bounce off of Superman? (Yes that again.) And finally, what were the criminals doing before Superman confronted them?
Let’s take the easy question first. If the bystander is only injured, then, irrespective of whether the criminals knew the bullets would bounce, the crime is going to be what the Model Penal Code calls aggravated assault.
Aggravated assault is knowingly causing bodily injury with a deadly weapon. A quick show of hands, how many of you think a gun is a deadly weapon? (Come on, it’s not a trick question, even Wayne LaPierre cops to that one.) But there’s a second prong to the definition, aggravated assault can also be recklessly causing serious bodily injury while showing indifference to others.
If the criminals knew the bullets would bounce off Superman, they knew a rebounding injury was as likely here as in a Basketball game. The law dictates that people intend the reasonably foreseeable consequence of their acts. So if the criminals knew the bullets would bounce like an inflated Bumble, they knowingly caused the reasonably foreseeable physical harm resulting from a bouncing bullet.
Even if the criminals didn’t foresee the bouncing bullets might hit another person, firing at something, or someone, that is going to make the bullets bounce when other people were around would be a reckless act showing indifference to others. Which constitutes an aggravated assault under the second definition.
If the criminals didn’t know the bullets would bounce then they thought they’d injure Superman and shooting at Superman would be aggravated assault. But, the bullets didn’t hurt Superman, they hurt a bystander. Ha! The law covers that possibility. The law may be an ass, but sometimes it’s smart enough to anticipate things.
The law anticipated this possibility with the transferred intent doctrine. If criminals intend to cause harm to person A but end up harming person B instead, the criminals’ intent to hurt A is transferred to the injury to B and the criminals are guilty of assaulting B. Because our criminals knowingly tried to injure Superman their criminal intent transfers to harming the bystander and they’re guilty of aggravated assault of the bystander.
What if the bystander dies? Obviously, we’re talking a homicide, but which homicide?
If the criminals didn’t know the bullets would bounce off Superman and thought they would kill him, then the criminals are guilty of aggravated murder or murder in the first degree; whatever that crime is called in Metropolis, other than antisocial. That’s because the criminals tried to kill Superman but ended up killing another person. Once again the transferred intend doctrine transfers the intent to kill Superman onto the unintended killing of the bystander.
If the criminals did know the bullets would bounce, then we have to know what the criminals were doing that attracted Superman’s attention. It’s not like Superman was flying around until he got bored then decided to go hassle some guys to see whether they’d shoot at him. No, true to their names, the bad guys were doing something bad and Superman was trying to stop them.
If the criminal were committing a major felony when Superman intervened, then the felony murder rule comes into play. Criminals who cause a death while committing a major felony like armed robbery or kidnapping – and most of the crimes in Adventures of Superman involved one or both of those; especially kidnapping Lois Lane (Adventures_of_Superman) or Jimmy Olsen (Adventures_of_Superman) – commit first degree murder under the felony murder rule. This is true whether the deceased is the original victim or a bystander.
If the underlying crime was a lesser crime that wouldn’t trigger the felony murder rule, we’re in the realm of manslaughter. In some states, like Ohio, causing a death while committing a felony or misdemeanor that didn’t trigger the felony murder rule is an involuntary manslaughter. So if the criminals were committing a minor crime and killed someone by shooting at Superman, the criminals would be guilty of an involuntary manslaughter.
But what about Superman? Can he be brought up on charges for allowing bullets to bounce off of him and strike a bystander? A criminal charge of negligent homicide could apply to a person who allows another person to die through negligence. Superman allowing bullets to bounce off him without checking to make sure other people weren’t around is probably negligent homicide, provided a prosecutor wanted to risk reelection by bringing Superman up on charges. Nowadays, to prevent the possibility of Superman negligently killing someone, Superman either melts the bullets with heat vision or plucks them out of the air.
But what if Superman intentionally kills someone by, say, snapping his neck in battle?Oh no! Once was enough. I’m not going there again!
Universal City, California, April 30, 2019 – Academy Award® winner Jordan Peele follows the success of his blockbuster hit, GET OUT, with the masterfully executed and viscerally terrifying US. Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 94%, the film is being hailed as “a colossal cinematic achievement” (Richard Brody, The New Yorker) and is “meant to be watched over and over” (Emily Yoshida, New York Magazine/Vulture). Fans around the world can now untether the truth with more than 50 minutes of bonus features delving deep into the mind of Jordan Peele, his filmmaking process and the symbolism behind US. The global sensation arrives on Digital on June 4, 2019, as well as on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-rayTM, DVD and On Demand on June 18, 2019.
Featuring incredible must-see performances from Academy Award® winner Lupita Nyong’o (Black Panther, 12 Years a Slave), Winston Duke (Black Panther), Emmy® winner Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Mad Men”) and Tim Heidecker (The Comedy, “Tim & Eric’s Bedtime Stories”), US is “the most out-of-the-box horror film of the past decade,” (Nathaniel Brail, Heroic Hollywood). Movie enthusiasts and horror fans alike can watch US again and again to unravel its darkest secrets. Doppelgängers. Hands Across America. The Nutcracker. Rabbits. 11:11. The key themes and imagery from US are unpacked and explained in exceptional bonus content such as The Duality of US featurette where Jordan Peele talks in-depth about many of the ideas behind the film.
Set along the North California coastline, Adelaide Wilson (Nyong’o) reluctantly returns to her beachside childhood home with her family and finds that she is haunted by unresolved trauma from her past along with a string of eerie coincidences. As darkness falls after a tense day at the beach, the Wilsons discover four figures standing in their driveway. They soon realize this is only the beginning of their troubles as they find that the four figures are terrifying and uncanny opponents: doppelgängers of themselves.
EXCLUSIVE BONUS FEATURE ON 4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAYTM & DIGITAL:
Scene Explorations – The making of three iconic scenes from the film including the Tyler house massacre, Jason’s abduction, and Adelaide’s underground flashback.
Seven Second Massacre
It’s a Trap
I Just Want My Little Girl Back
BONUS FEATURES on 4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAYTM, DVD & DIGITAL:
The Duality of US – Jordan Peele goes in-depth on some of the key themes and imagery in US – including Doppelgängers, Hands Across America, The Nutcracker dance scene, rabbits and the infamous 11:11 coincidence.
The Monsters Within US – Examine how the great cast was able to find their characters, whether they were playing one of the Wilsons or their sinister doppelgängers.
Tethered Together: Making US Twice – Making of a movie is hard. Making a movie where all the main cast play dual roles can be downright mind-bending. In this piece, filmmakers, cast, and crew discuss some of the technical challenges to making the film, as well as some of the design choices for the characters.
Redefining a Genre: Jordan Peele’s Brand of Horror – In the space of two films, Jordan Peele has set himself apart as an invaluable artistic voice. Hear cast and filmmakers highlight what makes him so unique, as well as Jordan’s own thoughts on his inspirations and the relationship between horror and comedy.
Becoming Red – Using behind-the-scenes footage from between takes, we take a closer look at Lupita Nyong’o’s intense and mesmerizing performance as “Red.”
Deleted Scenes
I Am Not Even Near You
Rabbit Season
That’s Badass
Driftwood
The P is Silent
I Wanna Go Home
We’re All Dying – Hilarious outtakes from the conversation between Winston Duke and Tim Heidecker on the beach.
As Above, So Below: Grand Pas de Deux – An extended version of the dance sequence from the film, cutting between adolescent Adelaide at her recital to Red in the Underpass.
The film will be available on 4K Ultra HD in a combo pack (4K Ultra HD+ Blu-rayTM + Digital). Bonus features on the 4K Ultra HD will all be delivered in stunning 4K resolution.
4K Ultra HD is the ultimate movie watching experience. 4K Ultra HD features the combination of 4K resolution for 4X sharper picture than HD, the color brilliance of High Dynamic Range (HDR) with immersive audio.
Blu-rayTM delivers a pristine HD picture and theater-quality surround sound.
Digital lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download.
FILMMAKERS: Cast: Lupita Nyong’O, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, and Tim Heidecker Music By: Michael Abels Costume Designer: Kym Barrett Editor: Nicholas Monsour Production Designer: Ruth De Jong Director of Photography: Michael Gioulakis Executive Producers: Daniel Lupi and Beatriz Sequeira Produced By: Sean McKittrick, p.g.a,, Jason Blum, and Ian Cooper, p.g.a. Written, Produced, and Directed By: Jordan Peele
TECHNICAL INFORMATION 4K ULTRA HD: Street Date: June 18, 2019 Selection Number: 61201558 (US) / 61201863 (CDN) Layers: BD 100 / Aspect Ratio: 16.9 2.39:1 Widescreen Rating: Rated R for violence/terror, and language Video: 2160p UHD Dolby Vision/HDR10 Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish Languages/Sound: English Dolby Atmos, English Dolby Digital 2.0, French and Spanish Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 Run Time: Sean McKittrick, p.g.a,, Jason Blum, and Ian Cooper, p.g.a.
DOLBY VISION:
US 4K Ultra HD is available in Dolby Vision™. Leveraging the HDR innovation that powers Dolby’s most advanced cinemas around the world, Dolby Vision transforms the TV experience in the home by delivering greater brightness and contrast, as well as a fuller palette of rich colors. TECHNICAL INFORMATION BLU-RAYTM: Street Date: June 18, 2019 Selection Number: 61201423 (US) / 61201427 (CDN) Layers: BD 50 / Aspect Ratio: 16:9 2.39:1 Widescreen Rating: Rated R for violence/terror, and language. Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish Languages/Sound: English Dolby Atmos, English Dolby Digital 2.0, French and Spanish Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 Run Time: 1 Hour and 56 Minutes
TECHNICAL INFORMATION DVD: Street Date: June 18, 2019 Selection Number: 61200733 (US) / 61201426 (CDN) Layers: DVD 9 / Aspect Ratio: 16:9 2.39:1 Anamorphic Widescreen Rating: Rated R for violence/terror, and language. Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish Languages/Sound: English, French, and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, English Dolby Digital 2.0 Run Time: 1 Hour and 56 Minutes
