With the comic book-based movie ascendant, other genres have worn out their welcome with audiences, largely given to them being played out mines of creativity. One such casualty of staleness was the romcom; I would argue we haven’t had a good one of those in at least a decade. It makes sense, therefore, that the next generation of filmmaker tries the genre. You can’t have a better pedigree for this than Writer/Director Hallie Meyers-Shyer, who with parents Nancy Meyers (The Holiday) and Charles Shyer, were the last interesting purveyors in this field.
The trailers for Universal’s Home Again certainly looked promising with a look at 40-year old single mom Alice Kinney (Reese Witherspoon) raising her two daughters Isabel (Lola Flanery) and Rose (Eden Grace Redfield) in the house her now deceased father owned. He was a legendary director who married his last major star, Lillian (Candice Bergen), who remains a cheerful nudge. Alice is separated from her husband, music producer Austen (Michael Sheen) who can’t seem to make time for his family.
While out getting hammered in celebration of turning 40, Alice and her pals encounter fledgling filmmakers Harry (Pico Alexander), Teddy (Nat Wolff), and George (Jon Rudnitsky), in town to work on turning their short film into a feature. For some reason, none of them have money, but Harry has plenty of chemist with Alice, resulting in the three crashing at her house. Lillian invites them to stay in the guest house our back and so begins the romcom.
The three keep telling us how in awe they are with how well Alice is handling the single mom thing but Meyers-Shyer keeps forgetting to show evidence of this. Instead, these three are like elves who cook, shop, and chauffeur while also working on their careers, collectively and increasingly individually.
All the elements are here for a fun exploration of romance and parenthood in the 21st century but instead, everything is under-baked. The age difference between 20-something Harry and Alice is never an issue, the men’s fraying relationship is more contrivance than character-based dilemma, and the ultimate arrival of Austen in the mix goes along predictable lines. In fact, the further into the film we go, the more predictable the plot points get, robbing the film of being truly engaging.
The film is out now on a Combo Pack from Universal Home Entertainment so you get a fine high definition transfer, a DVD, and Digital HD code. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is equally competent.
Despite middling to positive reviews, the movie underwhelmed at the box office, which may explain why the sole special feature is an audio commentary with Meyers-Shyer and mama Meyers.
Netflix and DreamWorks Animation Television are set to release six new original series in 2018 beginning with Trolls: The Beat Goes On! premiering Jan. 19, 2018, exclusively on Netflix. The new slate includes series inspired by DreamWorks’ beloved animated films as well as classic properties including an all-new She-Ra. From executive producer Noelle Stevenson, the new She-Ra series will present a modern take on the ‘80s girl power icon for a new generation of young fans.
2018 series include (unless noted, premiere dates to be announced):
DreamWorks Trolls: The Beat Goes On! – January 19, 2018
Picking up where the film left off, the Netflix original series is an all-new chapter in the the endlessly upbeat adventures of the Trolls as Poppy, Branch and all of Troll Village keep the party going in their fantastical forest home. Executive produced by Matthew Beans (Robot Chicken), the series features Skylar Astin (Pitch Perfect 1 and 2) and Amanda Leighton (This Is Us, The Fosters) as the voices of Branch and Poppy with original songs written and produced by Alana Da Fonseca (Pitch Perfect 3). The series will premiere exclusively on Netflix in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the Nordics, Benelux and France. Watch the Trolls: The Beat Goes On!trailer here and visit netflix.com/trollsthebeatgoeson for more information. The music from season 1 of Trolls: The Beat Goes On! is available for pre-order on iTunes, Amazon and Google Play.
She-Ra
From Eisner Award-winning author and executive producer Noelle Stevenson (Lumberjanes, Nimona) comes a modern take on the ‘80s girl power icon for a new generation of young fans. The trailblazing property originally debuted in 1985 to satisfy overwhelming demand for a female lead fantasy series. With Stevenson’s unique voice at the helm, fans are in store for an epic and timely tale that celebrates female friendship and empowerment, lead by a warrior princess tailor made for today. The series will be available to Netflix members worldwide in 2018.
The Boss Baby: Back in Business
Boss Baby, with the help of his big brother and partner-in-crime Tim, continues to navigate the cutthroat corporate jungle gym of Baby Corp, while angling to achieve the near-impossible: the work-life balance of a modern career baby. From Emmy-winning executive producer Brandon Sawyer (Penguins of Madagascar), the series will be available to Netflix members worldwide in 2018. Visit netflix.com//bossbabybackinbusiness for more information.
Harvey Street Kids
From its never-ending games of kickball to the infinite flavors of its ice cream truck to the greatest climbing tree in the universe, every day on Harvey Street feels like a Saturday. And that’s largely thanks to the Harvey Girls – Audrey, Lotta, and Dot – the block’s self-appointed guardians and the world’s bestest BFFs. They will do whatever it takes to keep Harvey Street the best block to never grow up on and transform every afternoon into a wild adventure. From executive producer Brendan Hay (Dawn of the Croods, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) and Emmy-nominated supervising producer Aliki Theofilopoulos (Phineas & Ferb, Descendants: Wicked World), the series will be available to Netflix members worldwide in 2018. Visit netflix.com/harveystreetkids for more information.
The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants
Based on the epic books by Dav Pilkey, DreamWorks The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants follows the adventures of George Beard and Harold Hutchins, two best friends who’ve bonded through their love of pranking, comic books and being the thorns in Principal Krupp’s side. Their fun gets them mixed up in adventures crazier than their outrageous comic books, which is when they call on their greatest creation: Captain Underpants! From Peabody Award and Emmy-winning executive producer Peter Hastings (Animaniacs, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness), the series will be available to Netflix members worldwide in 2018. Visit netflix.com/epictalesofcaptainunderpants for more information.
Trollhunters (Part 3) and 3 Below (Second installment of Tales of Arcadia Trilogy)
DreamWorks Trollhunters Part 2, from Guillermo del Toro, premieres on Netflix, on Friday, Dec. 15, with a third and final chapter of the Emmy-winning series set to debut in 2018. 3 Below, the second series in the previously announced Tales of Arcadia trilogy, will premiere in late 2018 and feature two royal teenage aliens and their bodyguard who flee a surprise takeover of their home planet by an evil dictator and crash land in Arcadia. Now on the run from intergalactic bounty hunters, they struggle to blend in and adapt to the bizarre world of high school all the while attempting to repair their ship so they can return and defend their home planet. A final chapter, Wizards, is set to debut in 2019.
Premiering in 2016 to critical acclaim, Trollhunters introduced audiences to the seemingly quiet town of Arcadia and an ordinary kid who embarks on an extraordinary adventure in a hidden world right beneath his feet featuring the voices of Anton Yelchin, Kelsey Grammer, Ron Perlman, Steven Yeun, Anjelica Huston and more. Recently nominated for six 2018 Annie Awards, the first season lead the Creative Arts Daytime Emmys with six wins, more than any other program, including writing for an animated program (Marc Guggenheim), directing (Rodrigo Blaas, Guillermo del Toro), casting (Ania O’Hare, Mary Hildalgo) and a voice acting win for Grammer.
DreamWorks Trollhunters is created and executive produced by Guillermo del Toro with Marc Guggenheim (Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow), Rodrigo Blaas (Alma) and Chad Hammes (Dragons: Race to the Edge) and Christina Steinberg (Rise of the Guardians) serving as executive producers. Dan Hageman (The Lego Movie, Ninjago) and Kevin Hageman (The Lego Movie, Ninjago) serve as co-executive producers.
BURBANK, Calif. (December 14, 2017) — Get ready for “DC in D.C.” During the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, Warner Bros. Television Group, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will team up for “DC in D.C.,” a landmark pop culture event that brings together the worlds of entertainment and public service to illuminate the story of America and current issues through the lens of comics and Super Heroes. Events will take place Friday, January 12, and Saturday, January 13, 2018, at the Newseum, and will culminate with the world premiere screening of the upcoming DC series Black Lightning — based on the first African-American DC Super Hero to have his own stand-alone comic title — in the Warner Bros. Theater at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, with a party to follow at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
“DC in D.C.” brings together stars and producers from Warner Bros. Television’s DCTV series, as well as comic book writers and artists from DC Entertainment, who will join invited guests from politics, government service, entertainment, business, academia and more. The event will explore the intersection of comic books, culture, entertainment and enlightenment through a series of panel discussions open to the public. Additionally, “DC in D.C.” will present the premiere screening of the DC Universe animated movie Batman: Gotham By Gaslight (for ages 18+) at the Newseum.
“DC IN D.C.” EVENTS SCHEDULE
PLEASE NOTE: Participants are subject to change.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 12 — NEWSEUM
BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT PREMIERE SCREENING (18+)
6:30–9:15 p.m. Batman: Gotham By Gaslight Premiere Screening (For Mature Audiences 18+ Years of Age) — Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment provide a new take on Batman as a steampunk Dark Knight hunts Jack the Ripper through the shadows of turn of the century Gotham City in this all-new animated feature available from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment January 23, 2018, on Digital and February 6, 2018, on Blu-ray and DVD. The premiere event is for mature audiences 18 years of age or older, will kick off with a cocktail reception and will be followed with a Q&A session with the film’s voice cast and producers. Newseum Theatre
Inspired by the landmark one-shot Elseworlds tale by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola, Batman: Gotham By Gaslight takes place at the turn of the century as America’s continued industrial revolution is to be showcased at a World’s Fair hosted by Gotham City. But while the world prepares to witness the glittery glory of Gotham’s technological advances, there is a killer loose in the city’s darkest shadows. Preying on the city’s women, this killer is as precise as he is cruel. As Police Commissioner James Gordon (Scott Patterson – Gilmore Girls) tries to calm the fears of Gotham’s citizens regarding the butcher called Jack the Ripper, the masked vigilante Batman (Bruce Greenwood – American Crime Story) indulges in his own detective work — with the help of confident, capable Selina Kyle (Jennifer Carpenter – Dexter) — to stop the Ripper’s murderous spree. Witness a world in flames as the notorious serial killer’s controlled savagery meets the calculated stealth of the Dark Knight. Sam Register, Bruce Timm (Batman: The Killing Joke), Benjamin Melniker and Michael Uslan are executive producers.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 13 — NEWSEUM
10:00–10:45 a.m. The Art of the Matter: From Sketch to Screen— Just how do our favorite DC Super Heroes fly from the page to the screen? This behind-the-scenes look at the creative process provides an “origin story” of how some of DC’s greatest Super Heroes on the page have evolved into some of TV’s hottest Super Heroes on screens all over the world. Join executive producers Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter (Arrow, Black Lightning, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash, Supergirl, upcoming Titans), DC Entertainment’s Geoff Johns (Arrow, The Flash, Titans) and others as they trace the explosion of DC’s heroes — from ink panels to television and film screens worldwide. Additional panelists to be announced. Newseum
11:00–11:45 a.m. The Many Shades of Heroism: DC Heroes Through the African-American Lens— 2018 will not only bring Black Lightning, a new African-American DC Super Hero to television screens (40 years after the electrifying hero was created), but also a new DC comic book from Oscar®-winning screenwriter John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) and more exciting storytelling featuring African-American characters. In this panel, Black Lightning star Cress Williams and executive producers Salim Akil & Mara Brock Akil will join the acclaimed John Ridley, author and comic book writer Alice Randall (The Wind Done Gone, Earth M), and Black Girl Nerds Editor-in-Chief Jamie Broadnax as they look beyond the super suit to the African-American men and women who are heroes to their community. Black Lightning premieres Tuesday, January 16, 2018, at 9/8c on The CW. Newseum
12:00 p.m.–12:45 p.m. Wonder Women— DC and Warner Bros. Pictures’ Wonder Woman took charge of screens in an unprecedented way last summer, toppling the cinematic patriarchy and paving the way for even more super women. DC has been flexing its power with female heroes on television screens for years, including kickass characters on Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow, Gotham and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Join DC’s Legends of Tomorrow star Caity Lotz, The Flash stars Candice Patton and Danielle Panabaker, Berlanti Productions President Sarah Schechter (Arrow, Black Lightning, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash, Supergirl, upcoming Titans) plus DC writers and artists Julie Benson (Batgirl and the Birds of Prey), Shawna Benson (Batgirl and the Birds of Prey), Shea Fontana (Wonder Woman, DC Super Heroes), Agnes Garbowska (DC Super Hero Girls) and Mariko Tamaki (Supergirl: Being Super) for this super-powered panel.Supergirland DC’s Legends of Tomorrow will rotate through The CW’s Monday 8/7c time period in 2018, offering fans 23 consecutive weeks of original episodes. Supergirl returns January 15 for four original episodes, after which DC’s Legends of Tomorrow runs from February 12–April 9. Supergirl then resumes April 16–June 18. Additional panelists to be announced. Newseum
2:00–2:45 p.m. The Pride of DC: The Art of LGBTQ Inclusion — On December 8, history was made with the debut of Freedom Fighters: The Ray, a new animated series on CW Seed, the digital channel of The CW Network, that features the first gay Super Hero to lead a show. The series is produced by Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Animation and Blue Ribbon Content, the digital studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group. Join The Ray executive producer Greg Berlanti and voice star Russell Tovey for a wide-ranging discussion with DC writers Marguerite Bennett (Batwoman), Steve Orlando (Midnighter and Apollo) and Mark Russell (Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles) about inclusion for LGBTQ characters. Watch Freedom Fighters: The Ray here: www.cwseed.com/freedom-fighters-the-ray. Additional panelists to be announced. Newseum
3:00–3:45 p.m. The Aftermath: Battle & Trauma in Comics — DC’s Batman author and former CIA counter-terrorism operations officer Tom King takes on Jack Kirby’s Mister Miracle in a new monthly comic book which focuses on a Super Hero who grapples with post-traumatic stress disorder, an issue not often seen in comics and tragically overlooked in the real world. King will be joined by Gotham recurring guest star J.W. Cortes (a 13-year Marine combat veteran and a police officer with New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority), additional comic book writer/artists and thought leaders for a candid conversation about the lasting effects of battlefield trauma. Additional panelists to be announced. Newseum
6:30–8:15 p.m. Black Lightning Sneak Peek Screening — Cress Williams (Hart of Dixie, Friday Night Lights) stars as the title character in Black Lightning, a new television series based on the first African-American DC Super Hero to have his own stand-alone comic title. The series debuts Tuesday, January 16, 2018, at 9/8c on The CW, but fans can get a sneak peek during this public screening at the Newseum, preceded by a reception. In addition to Williams, China Anne McClain (House of Payne), Nafessa Williams (Twin Peaks), Christine Adams (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Marvin “Krondon” Jones III (Harry’s Law), Damon Gupton (Bates Motel, Criminal Minds) and James Remar (Gotham, Sex and the City) star. Based on the characters from DC, Black Lightning is from Berlanti Productions and Akil Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti (Arrow, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash, Supergirl), Salim & Mara Brock Akil (Being Mary Jane, The Game, Girlfriends), and Sarah Schechter (Arrow, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash, Supergirl). The Black Lightning character was created by Tony Isabella with Trevor Von Eeden. Newseum
SATURDAY, JANUARY 13
BLACK LIGHTNING WORLD PREMIERE — BY INVITATION ONLY
SMITHSONIAN’S NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY, AND
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE
Black Lightning Red Carpet Arrivals, Cocktail Reception, World Premiere Screening and Q&A — Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History – Warner Bros. Theater
Black Lightning Premiere Party — Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture
Directly following the screening, series stars Cress Williams (Hart of Dixie, Friday Night Lights), China Anne McClain (House of Payne), Nafessa Williams (Twin Peaks), Christine Adams (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Marvin “Krondon” Jones III (Harry’s Law), Damon Gupton (Bates Motel, Criminal Minds) and James Remar (Gotham, Sex and the City) will join executive producers Salim Akil & Mara Brock Akil (Being Mary Jane, The Game, Girlfriends) for an electrifying Q&A session about the series and its upcoming first season.
Immediately following the Q&A, guests are invited to Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture for the Black Lightning premiere party.
Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) is a man wrestling with a secret. As the father of two daughters and principal of a charter high school that also serves as a safe haven for young people in a neighborhood overrun by gang violence, he is a hero to his community. Nine years ago, Pierce was a hero of a different sort. Gifted with the superhuman power to harness and control electricity, he used those powers to keep his hometown streets safe as the masked vigilante Black Lightning. However, after too many nights with his life on the line, and seeing the effects of the damage and loss that his alter ego was inflicting on his family, he left his Super Hero days behind and settled into being a principal and a dad. Choosing to help his city without using his superpowers, he watched his daughters Anissa (Nafessa Williams) and Jennifer (China Anne McClain) grow into strong young women, even though his marriage to their mother, Lynn (Christine Adams), suffered. Almost a decade later, Pierce’s crime-fighting days are long behind him…or so he thought. But with crime and corruption spreading like wildfire, and those he cares about in the crosshairs of the menacing local gang The One Hundred, Black Lightning returns — to save not only his family, but also the soul of his community.
Based on the characters from DC, Black Lightning is from Berlanti Productions and Akil Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti (Arrow, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash, Supergirl), Salim & Mara Brock Akil, and Sarah Schechter (Arrow, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash, Supergirl). The Black Lightning character was created by Tony Isabella with Trevor Von Eeden. Black Lightning premieres Tuesday, January 16, 2018, at 9/8c on The CW.
Burbank, CA, December 11, 2017– Uncover the world’s biggest conspiracy when Geostorm arrives onto Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital. Dean Devlin (writer/producer, “Independence Day”) makes his feature film directorial debut with suspense thriller Geostorm.
The film stars Gerard Butler (Olympus Has Fallen, 300), Jim Sturgess (Cloud Atlas), Abbie Cornish (Limitless), Alexandra Maria Lara (Rush), Daniel Wu (The Man with the Iron Fists, Warcraft: The Beginning), Eugenio Derbez (“How to Be a Latin Lover”), with Oscar nominees Ed Harris (The Hours, Apollo 13) and Andy Garcia (The Godfather: Part III).
Butler stars as Jake, a scientist who, along with his brother, Max, played by Sturgess, is tasked with solving the satellite program’s malfunction. Cornish stars as Secret Service agent Sarah Wilson; Lara as Ute Fassbinder, the ISS astronaut who runs the space station; Wu as Cheng, the Hong Kong-based supervisor for the Dutch Boy Program; Derbez as space station crew member Hernandez; with Garcia as U.S. President Andrew Palma; and Harris as Secretary of State Leonard Dekkom. The film also stars Zazie Beetz (upcoming Deadpool 2, Atlanta), Adepero Oduye (The Big Short, 12 Years a Slave), Amr Waked (Lucy, Syriana), Robert Sheehan (The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Season of the Witch) and Eugenio Derbez (Instructions Not Included).
The film, written by Dean Devlin & Paul Guyot, is produced by Skydance’s David Ellison, Devlin, and Skydance’s Dana Goldberg. Herbert W. Gains, Electric Entertainment’s Marc Roskin and Skydance’s Don Granger are the executive producers. Rachel Olschan of Electric Entertainment and Cliff Lanning co-produce.
Geostorm will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack for $35.99 and DVD for $28.98. The Blu-ray Combo Pack features the theatrical version of the film in hi-definition on Blu-ray and the DVD features the theatrical version in standard definition. The Blu-ray Combo Pack includes a digital version of the movie. Fans can also own Geostorm via purchase from digital retailers beginning January 16.
Additionally, all the special features, including interviews with filmmakers, featurettes and deleted scenes can be experienced in an entirely new, dynamic and immersive manner on tablets and mobile phones using the Warner Bros. Movies All Access App, available for both iOS and Android devices. When a Combo Pack is purchased and the digital movie is redeemed or the digital movie is purchased from an UltraViolet retailer, the Warner Bros. Movies All Access App allows users to watch the movie and simultaneously experience synchronized content related to any scene simply by rotating their device. Synchronized content is presented on the same screen while the movie is playing, thus enabling users to quickly learn more about any scene, such as actor biographies, scene locations, fun trivia, or image galleries. Also, users can share movie clips with friends on social media and experience other immersive content. The Movies All Access app is available for download on the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store.
The Blu-ray discs of Geostorm will 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.
Geostorm 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.
SYNOPSIS
After an unprecedented series of natural disasters threatened the planet, the world’s leaders came together to create an intricate network of satellites to control the global climate and keep everyone safe. But now, something has gone wrong—the system built to protect the Earth is attacking it, and it’s a race against the clock to uncover the real threat before a worldwide geostorm wipes out everything…and everyone along with it.
BLU-RAY AND DVD ELEMENTS
Geostorm Blu-ray Combo Pack contain the following special features:
“Wreaking Havoc: Cutting edge visual effects, research and technology create the world of Geostorm.
Search for Answers: Inspired by his daughter’s question of why can’t global warming be stopped, Director Dean Devlin retraces the creative journey that led to Geostorm.
An International Event: A global cast opens up about the secrets behind Geostorm.
Geostorm Standard Definition DVD contains the following special features:
Search for Answers: Inspired by his daughter’s question of why can’t global warming be stopped, Director Dean Devlin retraces the creative journey that led to Geostorm.
Hey friends, have you seen this?! It’s the Indiegogo for a project called Goblins Animated, and it looks completely awesome.
It first popped up in my Instagram feed as something connected to actor/voice actor Phil LaMarr, and that was enough to get me to check it out. As it turns out, Goblins Animated is to be a new animated series based on the decade-long run of the webcomic Goblins, by creator Tarol Hunt; and is the brainchild of Tarol, Phil, and Matt King. The animated show, like the comic before it, will be the story of a D & D realm told from the point of view of the little guys, the “monsters,” instead of the adventurers. It’s a heroic tale of a group normally considered evil and weak. “Think Smurfs meets Game of Thrones.” It’s planned to start with ten episodes, and will feature famed voice actors including Billy West, Maurice LaMarche, Jim Cummings, Tara Strong, Matthew Mercer, Jennifer Hale, and Steve Blum.
After checking out the Indiegogo, I hopped over to the comic to check out the source material. Even just a few strips in, I could tell that this is a very clever and fun comic – with the kind of layers of storytelling, character, humor, and social commentary that I love. Realizing that, I had to know more. So I sat down for a great chat with Phil himself, who shared a ton of details with me. The interview made me that much more sure that this project needs to be made!
Listen to the interview or read the transcript below, and you’ll see exactly what I mean!
Emily: Hi Phil! Today we are talking about Goblins Animated, which is a new Indiegogo* project that you are involved in. I saw it coming up and looked at it and I immediately wanted to talk to you. So this started as a comic, it’s been going for ten years, and now you are involved in a project to make it an animated show. How did that happen?
Phil: Well, let’s see. Tarol Hunt, the creator of the Goblins comic, lives up in Vancouver. He’s been doing the comic for a long time. He, years ago, became friends with Matt King. Matt is an actor, voice actor, director, and writer. He has a show called World of Steam that he created. And they share various geekeries, and got to know each other, and Matt and I know each other through acting circles. Matt had the idea of, “This comic is so good, it should be seen by more people, and in this way.” He mentioned it to Tarol, and Tarol was like, “Oh, I don’t know, I don’t know.” He mentioned it to me and I was like, “Yeah! That’s amazing.”
Because I’m an old D&D head, and so getting into the comic, I was like, “Oh my God, all those references, that takes me back.” And I immediately saw in the writing and all these characters, a chance to do something really cool and really different in animation. Because so much of animation is kids-oriented; which doesn’t mean that it’s bad. But a lot of it tends to be much of the same. Like anytime there’s a show that’s action-oriented with a small kid at the center, then you get five of them. Or if it’s kind of like, psychedelic, and, you know, little kids watch it and kids stoned in college watch it – four of those. And this was something that was really, really different from anything that’s on.
I mean, the characters look like cartoon characters. But the stories that Tarol’s been telling are so much deeper. But, there’s also this geek-nerd-D&D thing at the same time. So it’s funny, and heartfelt, and then sometimes, there’s just things from D&D like, “I attack with my +1 Broadsword!” In the game, you’re just talking it. But in the comic, you see it. And the idea of actually giving all of that bloody, violent, medieval action life and movement just jazzed me so much. So basically we’ve been working over the last…going on two years. And figuring out what we need to do.
The first thing we did was adapt those stories that Tarol has been telling in comics into animated scripts. Because there are certain things you can’t do, and certain things you need to change. His pacing is that he does a page a week. Every medium has its strengths and its weaknesses. You can’t just port something over. Sorry, Robert Rodriguez. Sin City…was fine. Not great. But that’s the thing. People say, “Oh my God, this comic book is so cinematic!” That doesn’t make it a movie. You have to take the essence of it, the core, the thing that makes it cool – don’t lose that – but then adapt it to the form. So we spent a lot of time doing that, working with Tarol and Matt and me, just putting together the script, figuring out how these characters work the same – what we have to hold on to – and what things we can change, to make it work, so they start moving.
E: Yeah! So you said you knew Matt and Tarol knew Matt. How did you find the comic – was it through Matt? And did he just say, “Hey, you have to read this thing?” And you just started reading it and fell in love? What happened there?
P: Yeah! Because when you go on and you see the newest page, and you’re like, “Oh my gosh!” And then you go into the archive, and…basically, I just sat down and read the whole ten years at once. Wow…I guess I was going to say I had never binged a comic before, but I guess that’s what trade paperbacks are, aren’t they?
E: Yeah, I mean that’s pretty much why I like trade paperbacks, is because you can read more story at once. I love that we are both full-on comics geeks, because I know we’ve talked about this before, and I’ve done the same thing with webcomics and trade paperbacks. You’re like, “Where’s the other ones? So actually, I saw this project because you mentioned it at some point on social media, and I thought, “That looks interesting,” and then I went back and went, “I want to support it, where’s the Indiegogo?” And now the Indiegogo has launched, which we’ll talk about. But I started reading through the first ones, in Book I.
P: You went back to the first stuff? That’s so funny.
E: Yep, all the way to the beginning, to see what it was like, and I read about a third of Book I, because unfortunately I didn’t have time to read the whole ten years before we talked, because it’s a lot! And I want to enjoy it, I don’t want to just skip through it! But then I went to Book III, and Book V, just to see how it changes. Because Tarol put up that thing in the beginning that says, “Hey, my art has changed.” And of course that happens; so I was wondering what the characters look like now, because that might be more like what we’ll see in the animation. And the comic looks so clever, even in the beginning. I could see why it appealed to you, and I could see why it would appeal to me as well, and why when I saw a little bit on social media I thought, “That sounds like something I would like to support.” So when you first started reading the comic, was there a particular aspect that drew you, or was it the whole package? Did you like the humor, or the D&D, or the characters, or what really grabbed you the most?
P: It was the fact that he was doing all of those things at once. To me, especially in animation, it’s so rare. Futurama is one of the few shows that has real humor, and real heart. And the fact that Tarol was doing jokes, really funny stuff, but even back in the beginning, he was also doing, like, “Why do these adventurers come after us?” “Because they think we’re less than them.” Like, metaphors for racial oppression. And then – silly jokes!
E: Yes! And all the weird names of the goblins, that are very clever and fun and interesting, but also kinda cute. I love that the fortune-teller (spoiler alert?) calls herself Young-and-Beautiful, and she’s old, and weird-looking, all lopsided. Because the fortune-teller names all of them, so she gets to call herself something nice!
P: Right! Exactly! And Can’t-Think-of-a-Name-Cause-He-Looks-Like-a-Regular-Guy – that’s his name.
E: Yes – and he has that look! Even in the early art, he’s got that little *ting* smile going on. I thought all that was really clever. You talked about how there are layers to it, about classism, and racism, and commentary on those things. I wondered what audience you are aiming for and how you’re going to fold in the different layers through the animation? Are you having to adapt things from the comic in that way as well to make it fly in an animated format?
P: Now that’s one of the issues. And it’s basically the biggest reason that we’re doing this as a Indiegogo. Because Tarol’s got the designs, he’s got the premise. We could have taken this and tried to sell it to studios or networks. We talked to some people – and of course one of the early notes we got was, “What if there’s one character who doesn’t ‘get’ the whole D&D thing, so we can explain it to the audience that way?” And we’re like, “Uh-uh.”
E: Oh, right. They wanted an exposition backstory guy.
P: Yeah, and the truth of the matter is, we want to tell this story this way. We don’t want to have to water it down, or take out some of the layers. It’s like, “Well, we can’t really do that social commentary stuff. Kids won’t get it.” I believe that audiences now, for animation, are much more sophisticated than most studios, producers, and major media entities give them credit for. Because more people can do more kinds of things now, you see such an amazing range. And you do see a lot more adult-oriented animation. And by that, I don’t mean, you know – topless. I mean sophisticated, and layered. Like, our last season of Samurai Jack – we couldn’t do that back in the early 2000s.
E: I’m always a proponent of not talking down to the viewer or the reader; if it’s the story you want to tell, then someone out there is going to want to hear it. So I love that you’re trying to translate this in a way that doesn’t lose that, and crowdfunding is maybe the best means for that because you don’t want the meddling.
P: We want to maintain control and be able to hold on to what makes this comic so special. Always there’s the danger, when you broaden an audience, of “Will some people get it?” But to me, that’s the wonder of having something that works on a number of levels. If somebody just wants the D&D references, they’ve got that. If somebody loves the action sequences, they’ve got that. If they never get the social commentary that’s underneath – fine.
E: Maybe they’re still enjoying it for other reasons. Or it’s not their thing – that happens too. But I always like the idea of aiming high, because then you’ll hit more layers. That sounds really exciting. So you’ve got all this source material to work with, and you’re just starting out; so is there an overarching plan? Are you taking it from the very beginning, and going from there to make it an ongoing story?
P: Well, that’s our one sop to broadening the audience. We can’t plop people down in the middle. Especially because the storytelling is layered and relatively complex. So we go to the beginning of the premise – how do these goblins become the adventuring party? That’s the first story arc. Because the thing is, all of the characters are already there fully formed. Warriors, the goblins – this whole story arc basically builds the overarching premise of – the humans are not the heroes, necessarily. The goblins are. And that’s the twist. And that’s also what I think a lot of D&D people respond to is, “Oh, yeah, that’s so funny!” Because it’s a twist on what we all grew up with, know, and play every Thursday. So that you don’t want to lose.
But it also makes it a nice entry point into the world. I think as it goes on we’ll definitely have more opportunities. Because Tarol is like, “I did that ten years ago. I wasn’t as good as I am now. Can we not do that thing I did?” And there are things where he’s like, “I shouldn’t have done that. Let’s change this.” And we’re like, “Oh, but we love that!” We sometimes go back and forth that way. But it remains to be seen how we will build the story. In terms of: will we pull some things that he got to later, earlier. The three of us will work on that. Because again, you don’t want to lose anything. But you also want to take advantage of whatever opportunities the new format offers you. Like, “Well, I did a whole section where they’re just walking through the woods for three weeks.” “Yeah, man, we’re going to skip that one.”
E: Yeah, you’ve got to condense that down somehow!
P: Yeah, not the best thing to animate.
E: Well, technically, that would be easy to animate. But not the most exciting.
P: Actually, what we’ve found is less that, than more that we’re finding ourselves digging into moments, and expanding them. Because the things that take time on a panel, you can dig into, and blow up. Like, “No no, this is a whole scene now!” You go back and forth. In this medium, we can do this with it, that you couldn’t do before – like 360 degrees!
E: So it is becoming its own entity in a different way. Now, you already have listed excellent voice talents. Some are familiar from Futurama or other animation. So far we’ve got Billy West, Maurice LaMarche, Jim Cummings, Steve Blum; and I’m not as familiar with Matt Mercer in the voice sense, but he also is one of the masterminds behind Geek & Sundry’s Critical Role, which of course has some relevance here. So – is he working in other aspects besides voice because of his unique experience there; and also, how did you get this amazing cast together?
P: Uh: we called them. Because they’re all people that we’re friends with. And as a performer, going into the writing and producing part, most of it is a headache. Because all of a sudden you have to worry about all of those other parts of the pipeline that as an actor you never have to worry about. The best thing of all is that you can hire your friends.
E: Hah! That’s why I want to do animation someday. Just so I can hire all of you guys to be the characters.
P: Hey, it could happen! But the best thing is – we know so many amazingly talented people. And it’s funny, because Matt does have huge D&D cred; and before we announced anything to do with Goblins, Matt called me up to do a Critical Role offshoot. Like, we did a streaming day of the gameplay – and it was an all-goblins adventure. And he had no idea we were working on this. So we – me, Ashly Burch, Marisha Ray, Ivan Van Norman, and Taliesin Jaffe – all played a group of goblins on a quest. It was hilarious, because it’s the same thing we get to in the comic. They all picked warrior classes, and we played it, just like they were humans. But of course, they acted like goblins. It was fuuun.
E: So bringing everyone in, did they say yes sight unseen, or what have their reactions been to seeing the project, or the comic, or whatever you gave them to look at?
P: It was interesting. We gave everyone pictures of the comics so they would know what their characters were. And it really made me feel good – a couple of people did, sight unseen, say yes. It was like, “Well, I’ll send you the email,” and they were like, “Doesn’t matter. Where do you want me to be?” It’s so great. Because these are people with such enormous talents. And for them to offer their abilities; it’s like Michael Jordan saying, “Sure! I’ll come over and shoot some baskets with you. You just say when!”
E: That’s awesome. But I’m sure they also trust you not to lead them down the path of a project that’s going to fall on its face. So when they did see some of the materials, what did they say?
P: It’s funny, because none of the guys except for Matt knew about it. They were like, “Wow. What’s this? Okay!” Because, you know, Billy and Maurice aren’t D&D players. But they love characters! And everybody was so gung-ho to dig in – “Okay! Who’s my guy? What are we doing?” And we only had a little bit, because we got everybody together to record an animatic – a proof of concept test thing with some temporary animation – just so we could see the voices come out of these characters. And we’ve got that featured on our website – GoblinsComic.org. I don’t think anyone has actually read the whole ten-episode arc that we’ve written so far. But everybody has been given full information about their individual characters, and yeah – people dig it! I mean – I’m not sure if anyone is going to jump out and join a Pathfinder game anytime soon…but everybody’s really enjoying the complexity of it. Like, “Oh! This is notClifford the Big Red Dog. Cool!”
E: So I’m familiar with the voice casting where you go in, and you’re given the character, and you do a bunch of voices, and then they decide whether you’re the person who’s going to do it. Obviously this is a different process. Did you choose characters ahead of time and give them to specific people and say, “Come up with your voices”? Or did you give them choices and they worked on it? What happened there?
P: Again – when you’re working with Billy West, Maurice LaMarche, Steve Blum, Matt Mercer, Jim Cummings – they can do anything. So “auditioning” isn’t really auditioning. And having worked with these people for decades, I know what their strengths are, I know what they like, and also what they don’t normally get a chance to do. Because you don’t always want to be doing the same thing. We’ve got Billy playing MinMax. And MinMax is this big, really dumb warrior. But you know, Billy has done Fry. So he’s not going to make him like Fry. So it was great to sit down with Billy and find a new place where this character would live for him. And that was the amazing thing. I’ve been on their side of the glass; but to be on the other side of the glass and just watch them do what they do, so effortlessly, for you, like: wow. I get why these guys work all the time, forever and ever. Because it’s a joy – you work so hard on something, you hand it to them, and they breathe life into it.
E: I love every time I get to see you all do that sort of thing. It’s one of my joys in life. Because it’s so magical to me; because I can’t do it! And you guys are so good at it! But having that different experience – and obviously, this is still somewhat nascent – but has it given you any taste for wanting to do more of this side of things, or thinking, “Oh, I really like this and I didn’t know”?
P: It’s given me an appreciation for it. I realize it’s a lot harder than I thought. The first time we recorded somebody, I was like, “Oh my God, that was perfect! You were great! See you later!” And then you’re like, “Oh wait. They usually get three takes. And then you go back over it and it’s like, “Ohh, there’s a lip smack right in the middle of the one we liked, aack! That’s why we do it over and over again.” And you realize not everybody can direct. Thankfully, as far as the writing, we’ve got Tarol’s stuff to work from, and all three of our brains working together – and we’re all relatively experienced with writing over the years. But yeah, there’s a lot of new territory, in terms of animation producing. And you look at the lists of jobs required for animation, and you’re like, “Timing spinner? What does that even mean?”
E: Like, “Who are these people?”
P: “And why do they get paid fifty-five hundred dollars? What? Huh??” But it is so intricate and so complicated and requires so many moving parts that I don’t know how a cartoon ever gets made!
E: It’s a big process! But it sounds like you’re learning a lot, and – it’s good to stretch your wings.
P: Yeah, and especially personally – I’ve been doing this for thirty-plus years, and it’s rare that you find things that are new. I rarely find myself doing things I’ve never done before these days. Although I have to say, the biggest lesson I’ve learned from this is that animation is so much more expensive than anybody would ever believe. Because you see movies like Avengers, that are $200 million dollars – and yeah, because look at that Iron Man armor. But especially nowadays, when people are shooting movies on their iPhones – the range in live action is crazy. You can make something for a thousand dollars or $300 million dollars.
Animation? It only goes so low. Because there are so many parts, pieces, and people involved. It only gets so cheap. And that’s if you’re doing stuff that looks crappy. If you want to do something that looks good? That’s another reason we’re crowdfunding. That’s one of our biggest challenges, is that it’s a big ask. It’s almost 500 thousand dollars. Because you’ve got to design all the characters, draw all the characters. And people might say, “You’ve already got all the drawings.” But comic book drawings are not the same as animation drawings. And you can’t just make the comic into a cartoon.
E: Well, and your comic book artist can not necessarily do the animation. You may need a number of animators who have experience at that. And that’s a great way to talk a little more about the crowdfunding. By this point in life, most people are familiar with crowdfunding sites. You put in your pledge for X amount of money, you get a promise of prizes back, and if the project reaches its goal, you get your prizes, and the cool project gets made. Here, you’ve mentioned what you’re asking for and what it’s going to be put towards. How did you decide on cool prizes, and what do you think people will be most interested in?
P: A lot of it was just drawn from what we’re working with. It’s goblins, and it’s D&D, and things that fans would love. Tarol’s got some great character designs, so it would be silly not to offer things with those characters on them. So we’ve got posters, t-shirts. He’s got one character, a goblin paladin, who gets a magic axe, the Axe of Prissan; which is this amazing weapon that is actually holding a demon. And one of the really up-there prize levels is an actual Axe of Prissan. Because there’s this guy, Tony Swatton, who does the most amazing armor and weaponry – he makes real swords. And he is going to, based on Tarol’s designs, make a real-world Axe of Prissan.
E: I suddenly wish I had a lot more money. That would be great to hang on your wall Although you probably couldn’t take it to a comic-con anymore…!
P: Hah! Just put one of those colored ties around it, right?
E: Right? So obviously, there are levels…
P: Yeah, and all of our prizes have been drawn from what we have to offer. So there’s the goblin character design stuff – we have some plushies based on the characters.
E: Oh good! I bet I can afford a plushie!
P: Right. And because we have such amazing people involved, the funny thing is we haven’t announced everybody yet. Because we just set out a quest – if we reach 1,000 Facebook likes on our Goblins Animated page, then we’ll announce our next cast member. But there are some people that are so good, and they’re just going to blow your mind. And we’re going to get posters and scripts signed by the cast. Those are going to be prizes. Voicemails…because, “You know, we’ve got these voices.” On one of the prize levels I’m offering voiceover workshop sessions. So many people ask about it, and here’s a chance to invest in it, if this is something you really want to do, I’m offering up my experience, and my skill as an incentive – help us do this, and I’ll help you build your career.
E: And that’s no small thing! You have a lot of experience to draw on. I was privileged to observe one of Rob Paulsen’s teaching sessions, and it was a different experience than any I’ve had with Rob before, because you see how people are actually doing their job and working. It was fascinating and amazing to me, and I could see the people taking part learning. So that is a great prize for whoever is thirsting to be in the voice acting industry.
This is a lot of really great news. You did mention that along with the announced cast there are a number of other people coming in. For starting the story, how many characters and actors have you got? Are actors doing several voices?
P: It actually depends on how much we get funded for. We have plans through at least the first story arc, and we’ve got some plans for actually beyond that. We don’t know if we’ll get there right now. But we don’t want to be caught unawares. So we’re thinking way ahead. And yeah, some people are double-cast, in bigger roles, smaller roles – because, again, they can. These actors and actresses that we’ve got are so incredibly talented.
E: Well, you’ve got Winnie-the-Pooh and Tigger too! Among many others.
P: And it’s funny, because there’s been this competing impulse. One, I want to get everybody that I know and love and have worked with for many years in to do something on this; but at the same time, any one of them could basically do all of the characters! So at one point, you’ve got Jim doing several voices, and then it’s like, “Oh wait. He doesn’t have to do all of them. Let’s get so-and-so to do that!”
E: Well the nice thing is that if it keeps going you can bring in more people over time.
P: That’s the dream is that we get the budget to be able to flesh this out as completely and fully as possible. Because in animation, you get “three voices for a dollar!” But because it’s so expensive, you have to take advantage of that. But how amazing would it be if we could get all of these characters with different people. Although the funny thing is, like with Billy, every voice is an entirely different character anyway.
E: It’s true! I’m looking forward to seeing what he and the others come up with. Every time I hear new voices from all of y’all I’m like, “Where did that come from? That’s great.” By now I can sort of recognize some people, occasionally, but to this day if I hear Zoidberg and Fry and the Professor, I’m still going, “What? This is all the same guy?” Obviously you’ve got Hermes and Green Lantern, and Baxter Stockman, and there’s some different stuff going on.
I hope you get funded. This project caught my attention not just because of you but because it just looks really cool, and I think it probably will appeal to a lot of people. Is there anything else we should know about it?
P: Well it’s basically: we’ve got the Goblins comic, that we’re making this animated version of – and it’s funny, because Tarol described it to somebody the other day as, “Smurfs meets Game of Thrones.” Which is so apropos, because it gets the funny, it gets the cute, it gets the bloody. And we’ve got incredibly amazing, talented people involved with this and supporting us.
And basically, now we’re at the challenge point. We’ve got all the pieces, and we just need to get the word out as far and as wide as possible, because this is a big mountain to climb. What we’re trying to do is a huge undertaking, and we need people’s help.
E: Well I will spread the word. I couldn’t imagine a better team for such a project, which grabbed my attention. Thank you for giving us your time to tell us more about this amazing project. I hope it gets made and reaches all of its goals!
—
The Goblins Animated Indiegogo is live now through December 21, and could definitely still use your dollars to reach its goals. It’s got really cool prizes; and the more money we contribute, the more awesome they’ll be able to make the project, as Phil explained above.
So head on over and see which nifty supporter package catches your eye; and until next time, Servo Lectio!
FN: Goblins Animated was originally set to run on Kickstarter, so the audio interview references Kickstarter. However, it then found its home on Indiegogo, so that is where you should go to support it!
With the news this week that the eighth and final season of HBO’s Game of Thrones won’t air until 2019 comes just as Games of Thrones: The Complete Seventh Season arrives on disc tomorrow. The digital editions have been out for some time and if any season bears repeat watching it is this one.
One advantage to the bloodshed and character demises over the last few seasons has meant that the survivors all get larger roles, meatier scenes, and characters we’ve longed to see together actually share the screen. The episodes are longer, but there are fewer of them to enjoy. Perhaps the biggest downside to this is that events have had to be telescoped, stretching and then breaking the show’s internal logic.
No matter how the producers spin it, there was really no way for episode six to work once the White Walkers surrounded our hardy band of warriors. Of course we knew what was coming, we knew that Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) would arrive on her dragon to rescue them in the greatest arrival of the cavalry moment in years.
The shorter season also cost some characters a chance to breathe before they shuffled off stage, notably the sand snakes (Indira Varma and her daughters). Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) and his visions also gets short-shrift but that is more than made up for by the arc involving his sisters, Sansa (Sophie Turner) and Arya (Maisie Williams), especially as they are manipulated by Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish (Aidan Gillen). Some of their exchanges caused much chuckling.
Everyone has been moved around Westeros as the true threat has finally been exposed. And yet, there remain schemes within schemes, wheels turning as we see Cersei (Lena Headey) cutting deals with the Iron Bank and overseas alliances in anticipation of life after the White Walkers’ defeat. While it makes sense to be prepared, she may also be underestimating the size of the threat coming from the North.
As secrets have been revealed to the audience, but not yet the characters themselves, we also see the inevitable consummation of lust between Danerys and Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) leading some in the audience to go, “ick”.
After the men have brooded, slashed, and hacked their way into this mess, the tide has turned and it has pretty much fallen to the women to clean up their mess. The fun of the final season should be the culmination of the moves made during this rather satisfying seventh with Cersei, Danerys, and Sansa all in positions of power with vastly different objectives and alliances. It’s a shame Lady Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg) won’t be around to see it after her incredibly dignified death in episode two.
We’re in uncharted here since the television series is far past where the events of the source material, George R.R. Martin’s stalled Song of Fire and Ice novel series, left readers. As a result, we have no way of determining how much of this is Martin’s original scheme and how much a product of the producers. They have certainly maintained the flawed characters and expansive world but as they are left to their own devices, there are far fewer surprises than earlier seasons.
The episodes come in a variety of packages with our reviewing the four-disc DVD edition. The transfer for audio and video is superb and will reward viewers.
The most welcome extra is the separate disc packaged apart from the season set (for a limited time): Conquest & Rebellion: An Animated History of the Seven Kingdoms. This is an animated history of the Seven Kingdoms with voices provided by Pilou Asbæk (Euron Greyjoy), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister),Aidan Gillen (Littlefinger), Conleth Hill (Varys), Harry Lloyd (Viserys Targaryen) and Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark). The focus is on Aegon Targaryen’s attempts to conquer the Seven Kingdoms and was written by show writer Dave Hill. Essentially, this is a 45-minute expanded version of the Histories and Lore shorts, found in the box set.
The extras contained within the box set include: From Imagination to Reality: Inside the Art Department, a two-part featurette (46:25) that concentrates its attention the new sets, including Dragonstone, Casterly Rock, Highgarden, and the Dragonpit.
Fire & Steel: Creating the Invasion of Westeros (30:02) has the cast and crew talking about creating this sequence.
There are Audio Commentaries for every episode with cast and crew including producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, Jacob Anderson, Gwendoline Christie, Liam Cunningham, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, and others.
Histories and Lore are seven animated shorts that provide the history and background for storylines including The Dragonpit, Highgarden, Prophecies of the Known World, the Rains of Castamere and more all narrated by cast members.
In-Episode Guides-In-feature resource that provides background information about on-screen characters and locations.
For those who buy the series digitally, available through iTunes and UltraViolet, there’s one more bonus: “Creating the North and Beyond” looking at Jon Snow’s trek north.
It’s been a while since there was a well-made, ell-received romcom and Home Again seemed to revive a genre thought dead. To celebrate the season and its release on home video tomorrow, Universal Home Entertainment has provided us with a Combo Pack (Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD) to give away.
All you need to do is tell us which Reese Witherspoon performance is your favorite and why. Entries should be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m., Friday, December 15. The contest is open to North American readers only and the judgment of ComicMix‘s judges will be final.
Academy Award® winner Reese Witherspoon (Big Little Lies) stars in Home Again, a modern romantic comedy about love, family, and new beginnings. Home Again arrives on Digital on November 21, 2017, and on Blu-rayTM, DVD, and On Demand on December 12, 2017, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Smart and oozing with charm, the film takes viewers on a heart-warming journey of laughter, emotion, and self-discovery as Witherspoon navigates life as a newly single mother of two. The perfect holiday gift for romantic comedy fans of all ages, Home Again on Blu-rayTM, DVD and Digital features a bonus commentary with the director and the producer of the film, taking viewers even deeper into the heartfelt story.
Produced by Nancy Meyers, who brought us beloved films including Something’s Gotta Give, The Holiday, and The Intern, Home Again is filled with a talented ensemble cast including Michael Sheen (Midnight in Paris), Lake Bell (What Happens In Vegas), Nat Wolff (The Fault in Our Stars), Pico Alexander (A Most Violent Year), Jon Rudnitsky (Saturday Night Live) and Candice Bergen (Miss Congeniality).
Alice (Witherspoon), a recently separated mother of two, finds her life upended when three young, charismatic filmmakers move into her guest house. Alice’s unlikely new family and a budding romance comes to a crashing halt when her ex-husband shows up, suitcase in hand. A story of love, friendship, and the families we create, Home Again is a modern romantic comedy with one very big life lesson: starting over is not for beginners!
BONUS FEATURE on BLU-RAY™, DVD and digital
Feature Commentary with writer/director Hallie Meyers-Shyer and producer Nancy Meyers
Home Again will be available on Blu-ray™ combo pack which includes Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital.
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.
FILMMAKERS: Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Nat Wolff, Jon Rudnitsky, Pico Alexander, Michael Sheen, Candice Bergen Casting By: Courtney Bright, Nicole Daniels Music Supervisor: Linda Cohen Music By: John Debney Editor: David Bilow Costume Designer: Kate Brien Kitz Production Designer: Ellen Brill Director of Photography: Dean Cundey, ASC Executive Producer: Jeremiah Samuels Produced By: Nancy Meyers, p.g.a., Erika Olde Directed By: Hallie Meyers-Shyer
TECHNICAL INFORMATION BLU-RAY™:
Street Date: December 12, 2017 Copyright: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Selection Number: 55192091 Layers: BD 50 Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen Rating: PG-13 for some thematic and sexual material Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, French Canadian, Latin American Spanish Sound: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Latin American Spanish DTS Digital Surround 5.1 Run Time: 1 hour, 37 minutes
TECHNICAL INFORMATION DVD: Street Date: December 12, 2017 Copyright: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Selection Number: 55192090 Layers: DVD 9 Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen Rating: PG-13 for some thematic and sexual material Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, French Canadian, Latin American Spanish Sound: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Latin American Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Run Time: 1 hour, 37 minutes
Yesterday, Judge Janis Sammartino handed down a ruling in our ongoing case, Dr. Seuss Enterprises v. ComicMix, allowing the case to proceed to discovery while narrowing the allegations in significant ways. Buried in the order is a very important point that has implications for the entire comics industry, to wit (with footnotes and citations omitted):
Plaintiff claims Defendants misappropriated “the unique illustration style [of] the characters and backgrounds found throughout Dr. Seuss books, that have come to be instantly recognized by consumers as source identifiers for Dr. Seuss.” Defendant argues trademark law does not protect an artistic style. …
Most courts have held there is no trademark protection for the “style” of an artist. Style is a matter more properly protected by copyright law. …
Plaintiff cited no authority to support its assertion that its general “style” is a protectable trademark. Plaintiff only argues that the book can be subject to both trademark and copyright protection and that distinctive characters can qualify as trademarks. Plaintiff claims the Ninth Circuit has recognized Plaintiff owns trademark rights to “the character illustration of the Cat [in the Hat’s] ‘stove-pipe hat’.” But the illustration of the Cat’s hat is different than the general “illustration style” and non-specific “characters and backgrounds found throughout” Plaintiff’s books, in which Plaintiff asserts trademark rights now. And Plaintiff does not allege trademark rights in any specific character or background image in [Oh, The Places You’ll] Go! The Court is not holding illustrations of specific characters within Go! are precluded from trademark protection, but at this stage of the proceedings and based on the information in front of the Court, the Court finds that Plaintiff’s claimed general “illustration style” is not protectable.
What does this mean for comics? It puts plainly what many artists in the comics industry already knew: you can’t be legally dinged for drawing like Jack Kirby, or Neal Adams, or John Buscema, David Finch, Jim Lee or anybody else— not directly copying art, which might lead to a copyright infringement claim, but drawing in the style of a particular artist (or if you prefer, a particular school of art, like, say, the Bolognese or Kubert school) isn’t a trademark infringement. When we speak of an artist’s “trademark style” we’re not actually speaking of a legal trademark, and as such it’s not something that can be legally claimed.
And this means that if, say, Ty Templeton draws a portrait of me looking like I was drawn by Dr. Seuss, there’s not a thing Dr. Seuss Enterprises can do about it.
Of course, this is generally a good thing. This means that no artist can be charged with stealing someone else’s “trademark style” or the way they draw (or for that matter, how they shoot a photograph or a movie). We all learn from each other, we all influence each other— particularly in comics— and we all build on other works and artistic traditions and styles to create new works of art to tell stories.
Burbank, CA, December 7, 2017 – See what critics are calling “the best movie of the year” when Blade Runner 2049 arrives onto 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD. From Oscar-nominated director Denis Villeneuve (“Arrival”) comes Alcon Entertainment’s science fiction thriller Blade Runner 2049. Sure as it is to delight ‘Blade Runner’ fans, this stunningly elegant follow-up doesn’t depend on having seen the original.
The film stars Oscar nominees Ryan Gosling (La La Land) as K, and Harrison Ford (the Star Wars films, Witness), reprising the role of Rick Deckard. The main international cast also includes Ana de Armas (War Dogs), Sylvia Hoeks (Renegades), Robin Wright (Wonder Woman), Mackenzie Davis (The Martian), Carla Juri (Brimstone), and Lennie James (The Walking Dead), with Dave Bautista (the Guardians of the Galaxy films) and Oscar winner Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club).
Blade Runner 2049 was produced by Oscar nominees Andrew A. Kosove & Broderick Johnson (The Blind Side) and three time Emmy winner Bud Yorkin & Cynthia Sikes Yorkin. Multiple Oscar nominee Ridley Scott (The Martian, Gladiator), who directed the first Blade Runner, is an executive producer. Bill Carraro served as executive producer and unit production manager.
Blade Runner 2049 will be available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack for $44.95, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack for $44.95, Blu-ray Combo Pack for $35.99 and DVD for $28.98. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack features an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the theatrical version in 4K with HDR and a Blu-ray disc also featuring the theatrical version. The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack features the theatrical version of the film in 3D hi-definition, hi-definition and standard definition; the Blu-ray Combo Pack features the theatrical version of the film in hi-definition on Blu-ray; and the DVD features the theatrical version in standard definition. The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and Blu-ray Combo Pack include a digital version of the movie in Digital HD with UltraViolet. Fans can also own Blade Runner 2049 via purchase from digital retailers beginning December 26th.
4K 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.
Additionally, all of the special features, including interviews with filmmakers, featurettes, and deleted scenes, can be experienced in an entirely new, dynamic and immersive manner on tablets and mobile phones using the Warner Bros. Movies All Access App, available for both iOS and Android devices. When a Combo Pack is purchased and the digital movie is redeemed, or the digital movie is purchased from a digital retailer, the Warner Bros. Movies All Access App allows users to watch the movie and simultaneously experience synchronized content related to any scene, simply by rotating their device. Synchronized content is presented on the same screen while the movie is playing, thus enabling users to quickly learn more about any scene, such as actor biographies, scene locations, fun trivia, or image galleries. Also, users can share movie clips with friends on social media and experience other immersive content. The Movies All Access app is available for download on the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store.
The Blu-ray discs of Blade Runner 2049 will 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; however, Dolby Atmos soundtracks are also fully backward compatible with traditional audio configurations and legacy home entertainment equipment.
Blade Runner 2049 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.
SYNOPSIS
Three decades after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.
BLU-RAY AND DVD ELEMENTS
Blade Runner 2049 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, 3D Blu-ray and Blu-ray Combo Pack contains the following special features:
Designing The World of Blade Runner 2049
To Be Human: Casting Blade Runner 2049
Prologues: 2036: Nexus Dawn
Prologues: 2048: Nowhere to Run
Prologues: 2022: Black Out
Blade Runner 101: Blade Runners
Blade Runner 101: The Replicant Evolution
Blade Runner 101: The Rise of Wallace Corp
Blade Runner 101: Welcome to 2049
Blade Runner 101: Joi
Blade Runner 101: Within the Skies
Blade Runner 2049 Standard Definition DVD contains the following special features:
Blade Runner 101: Blade Runners
Blade Runner 101: The Replicant Evolution
Blade Runner 101: The Rise of Wallace Corp
Blade Runner 101: Welcome to 2049
Blade Runner 101: Joi
Blade Runner 101: Within the Skies
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS
On Dec 26, Blade Runner 2049”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 Amazon, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. On January 16, Blade Runner 2049 will be made available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
CULVER CITY, Calif. (Dec. 5, 2017) – Luke Evans (Beauty and the Beast, Fast & Furious 6), Rebecca Hall (Christine, Vicky Christina Barcelona), and Bella Heathcote (Fifty Shades Darker, Dark Shadows) star in the biographic drama PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN, debuting on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital on January 30 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN is based on the bold and illuminating true superhero origin story depicting the creation of the beloved comic book character ‘Wonder Woman’ in 1941 by Dr. William Moulton Marston (Luke Evans), the Harvard psychologist who helped invent the modern lie detector test. Marston’s polyamorous relationship with wife Elizabeth Holloway (Rebecca Hall) and their lover, Olive Byrne (Bella Heathcote) was key to the creation of Wonder Woman as their feminist ideals were ingrained in the character from her creation. Written and Directed by Angela Robinson (“True Blood”), PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN also stars JJ Feild (Captain America: The First Avenger) with Oliver Platt (Frost/Nixon) and Connie Britton (“Nashville”).
The Blu-ray release of PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN features revealing bonus material including deleted scenes, two behind-the-scenes featurettes, and a special motion comic revealing “The Surprising Secret Identity Of Charles Moulton”, the real psychologist and inventor of the lie detector and ‘Wonder Woman.’ Learn more about writer/director, Angela Robinson’s exhaustive and passionate research into this story and its characters in “A Crucial Point of View: Directing – Professor Marston And The Wonder Women.” In “A Dynamic Trio: Birth of a Feminist Icon,” stars Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall, and Bella Heathcote reveal how the loving, yet alternative relationship between their characters informed their performances.
Synopsis:
PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN is based on the extraordinary true story of the creator of one of the most iconic super heroes ever conceived, and the seductive secret life he kept from his fans. Harvard psychologist Dr. William Moulton Marston (Luke Evans, Beauty and the Beast) was roundly criticized for the creation of his feminist superhero, but it was his personal life, with his polyamorous relationship with his wife, Elizabeth (Rebecca Hall, The Gift) and their lover, Olive (Bella Heathcote), that was more provocative than any adventure he had ever written.
From Annapurna Pictures in association with Stage 6 Films, PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN is written and directed by Angela Robinson. It was produced by Terry Leonard and Amy Redford and executive produced by Andrea Sperling and Jill Soloway.
Blu-ray & Digital Exclusive Bonus Materials Include:
The Secret Identity of Charles Moulton Motion Comic
A Dynamic Trio: Birth of a Feminist Icon
A Crucial Point of View: Directing – Professor Marston and the Wonder Women
Deleted Scenes:
Love Leaders
Who is Sappho?
Coughing Blood
DVD Materials Include
A Dynamic Trio: Birth of a Feminist Icon
A Crucial Point of View: Directing – Professor Marston and the Wonder Women
PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN has a run time of approximately 108 minutes and is rated R for strong sexual content including brief graphic images, and language.
With the comic book-based movie ascendant, other genres have worn out their welcome with audiences, largely given to them being played out mines of creativity. One such casualty of staleness was the romcom; I would argue we haven’t had a good one of those in at least a decade. It makes sense, therefore, that the next generation of filmmaker tries the genre. You can’t have a better pedigree for this than Writer/Director Hallie Meyers-Shyer, who with parents Nancy Meyers (The Holiday) and Charles Shyer, were the last interesting purveyors in this field.
