On The Beam: The DVD Marquee Podcast Companion Blog

More Blu Ray, Scotty!Tons of Star Trek On The Way!5-12-09

2009-04-21T12:28:00.019-05:00

Start saving fast, Trekkers.

On Tuesday, May 12th, Paramount/CBS
brings out a quartet of box sets saluting
ST: The Original Series, ST: The Next Generation
as well as Blu Ray/DVD releases of the first six films in the Star Trek franchise.

-Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection (Blu-Ray):

First six films in the series with tons of new stuff
and pretty much all the material from past DVD releases..

-Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy
(Blu-Ray and DVD Editions):

Perfect alternative to those who can't afford the OMPC above.

Features Wrath of Khan, Search For Spock
and The Voyage Home. Limited bonuses on this set,
but hey, it's blu-ray...available on standard DVD, too.

-The Best Of Star Trek: The Original Series (Standard DVD Only)

BTW, this set includes the spiffed up/George Lucas-esque versions of the episodes
City On The Edge Of Forever, Trouble W/Tribbles,
Amok Time and Balance of Terror

-The Best Of Star Trek: The Next Generation
(Standard DVD Only)

Includes Best Of Both Worlds (w/digitally inserted
special guest *Miley Cyrus),Yesterday's Enterprise,
and Measures Of A Man..

Artwork coming soon, but live long, prosper, and start skipping lunch.

*: Advance April Fools 2010 joke....

Transformers (1984)-Complete 1st Season25th Anniversary Edition: 6-16-09

2009-04-20T17:56:00.002-05:00

Think this might make a nice tie-in with the Transformers 2 movie coming, campers?

(Visualize Hawkeye Pierce s*** eating grin here)

Even though I didn't care for it, I know there are thousands upon thousands, and "billions and billions" of you
in the universe who did...and still do.

So Shout (!) Factory the news, folks...as the coolest indie DVD studio in the world brings you:

The Transformers-The Complete First Season-25th Anniversary Edition on 6-16-09

Extras are scant, but all of the episodes will now sport all new stereo soundtracks along
with a rare PSA spot, a printable script and Origins of Transformers featurette...

Also, for the real die hard fans of the show: A massive 16 (!) disc collector's edition package featuring everything but your very own Transformer Chia Pet (scary thought) is being readied for July.

Details on the above the minute I get it...

-Jeffrey

MTV's "The State: Complete Series" 7-14-09

2009-04-20T17:28:00.002-05:00

If you were a huge fan of this short lived but buzz worthy MTV favorite, you're gonna want to call in sick the week of July 14th, folks...

Paramount Home Video/MTV releases "The State: The Complete Series" 7-14-09 in a 5 disc set. Commentaries on every episode, outtakes, nearly two hours of un-aired sketches, interviews, cast appearance on Jon Stewart's MTV series, the infamous "Shut Up and Laugh, Panama City" MTV special from 1996...and more..

To refresh you noggins, some of the careers launched by this groundbreaking show:

Michael Ian Black (“Ed,” “STELLA,” “Viva Variety,” Run, Fat Boy, Run), Michael Showalter, David Wain , Kerri Kenney-Silver (“RENO 911!”, “Viva Variety”) and Thomas Lennon (“RENO 911!”, I Love You Man, The Unusuals).

Working on getting at least one of the cast members for a July appearance on the show...stay tuned..

For now, get updates on one of the biggest TV/DVD box sets of '09 @: TheState.mtv.com

Now if we could just get Michael Ian Black's genius on the long overdue "Ed" out on disc, my summer vacation plans will be complete..

-Jeffrey

Final Season Of October Road: 5-5-09

2009-04-10T11:06:00.008-05:00

All 13 Episodes of the Final Season
Plus an Exclusive to DVD
Series Wrap-Up With Answers
to Fans’ Most Burning Questions

OCTOBER ROAD:
THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON

Three-Disc Set Coming

5-5-09

The residents of a small town come to terms with
lost love, regret and redemption in October Road
The Complete Second Season coming to DVD
on May 5, 2009 from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

Fans of this heart-warming hour-long drama can
own a special three-disc set, complete with all
13 second season episodes, plus a never-seen series
wrap-up created exclusivelyfor DVD, that addresses
the show’s unresolved storylines, such as the fate
of Nick and Hannah’s unrequited relationship,
the identity of Sam’s father, and what the future
holds for the citizens of Knight’s Ridge.

October Road Season 2 stars Bryan Greenberg
(Bride Wars, “One Tree Hill”),
Odette Yustman (The Unborn, Cloverfield),
Laura Prepon (“That’s 70’s Show”)
and Geoff Stults (The Break-Up, Wedding Crashers)
in a captivating and touching look at the challenges of going home again.

The series is executive produced by Josh Appelbaum,
Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg, who also serve as
executive producers of the ABC hit series, “Life on Mars.”

Bonus Features:

• Road’s End: The Final Chapter –
An exclusive series epilogue,
produced specifically for the
Season 2 DVD, wraps up the series
and finally reveals the identity
of Sam’s father and the fate of
Nick and Hannah’s unrequited relationship.

• Bumps In The Road – October Road Season 2 bloopers

• The Scenic Route: A Behind-the-Scenes Tour –
The cast of October Road shows viewers
around the newly transplanted Atlanta set,
now nestled in the heart of Hollywood.

The last time writer Nick Garrett (Bryan Greenberg)
left his hometown of Knight’s Ridge, he promised his
high school girlfriend, Hannah Daniels (Laura Prepon),
he would be back in six weeks. Ten years later,
he finally returns to and discovers life in the Ridge
has moved on without him. Hannah is a single mom,
raising a bright and articulate nine-year-old son, Sam,
and dating Nick’s high school nemesis, and the
men Nick once thought of as his closest friends
have grown older, and even grown up.

In the complete second season of this acclaimed
ABC television series, Nick stays on in Knight’s Ridge to repair his
relationships with family and friends, explore his budding romance
with Aubrey (Odette Yustman), and satisfy his suspicion
that Hannah’s son Sam may be his son.

2009-04-08T16:51:00.012-05:00

The Island’s Secrets Are Revealed as
Television’s Ultimate Mystery Unfolds

LOST:

THE COMPLETE
FIFTH SEASON

Coming to Blu-ray™
Hi-Def with
Exclusive Content

Also on DVD

December 8, 2009

“LOST is one of TV’s best series”
- USA Today

Burbank, California, April 6, 2009 – Viewers can bring home the most sensational season to date of TV’s most intriguing series when LOST: The Complete Fifth Season comes to Blu-ray Hi-def and DVD on December 8, 2009 from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. All 17 episodes of the season fans and critics alike are calling the best ever are available to watch again and again in a five-disc set packed with never-before-seen bonus material, including revealing cast interviews and behind-the-scenes features, including exclusive content only available on the Blu-ray. The mystery, action and intrigue that have made LOST one of the most influential shows of the decade gather speed as the show nears its highly anticipated final season. The ultimate addition to every TV lover’s collection, LOST: The Complete Fifth Season is perfectly timed for holiday gift giving.

The show that revolutionized primetime proves once again why it is television’s most addictive and creative series, as the epic story of LOST twists, turns and spirals through time in its brilliant fifth season. Destiny sends the Oceanic 6 back to the Island and into the heart of the enigmatic Dharma Initiative. The reason they had to return and the fate of all those who were left behind is revealed as the momentum builds toward the much anticipated series finale in 2010. Some of LOST’s most pressing questions are finally answered in a spectacular 5-disc collection, packed with deleted scenes, exclusive interviews, as well as Blu-ray exclusive content.

LOST stars Naveen Andrews as Sayid, Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond, Jeremy Davies as Daniel Faraday, Michael Emerson as Ben, Matthew Fox as Jack, Jorge Garcia as Hurley, Josh Holloway as Sawyer, Daniel Dae Kim as Jin, Yunjin Kim as Sun, Ken Leung as Miles, Evangeline Lilly as Kate, Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet and Terry O’Quinn as Locke.

LOST was created by Jeffrey Lieber and J.J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof. Abrams, Lindelof, Bryan Burk, Jack Bender, Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz and Carlton Cuse serve as executive producers. LOST, which is filmed entirely on location in Hawaii and premiered on September 22, 2004, is from ABC Studios.

A fan favorite and critical darling since its 2004 premiere, LOST is “an epic big-screen adventure done for the small screen,” according to USA Today. “You will want to be there,” proclaims the Kansas City Star. TV Guide says, “You’d be crazy not to watch.” The San Francisco Chronicle raves that the show is “massively creative and
always entertaining.”

Final Season Of The Shield: 6-9-09

2009-04-06T16:56:00.002-05:00

“One of television’s finest achievements and a game-changer in the cop genre.”

-- San Francisco Chronicle, Tim Goodman

Starring Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award Winner

Michael Chiklis

THE SHIELD: SEASON SEVEN

THE FINAL SEASON

Debuts on DVD on June 9

Packed with All-New Bonus Content

Including Featurettes on Final Season and Last Episode

Plus 51 Deleted Scenes with Commentary by Creator Shawn Ryan

CULVER CITY, CALIF. (March 30, 2009) – Los Angeles’ most controversial and corrupt cops are back one last time on June 9 when Sony Pictures Home Entertainment debuts The Shield: Season Seven on DVD. The final season of this gritty, hard-hitting police drama is loaded with exclusive bonus features, including commentary on every episode, plus 51 deleted scenes with optional commentary by creator Shawn Ryan and two all-new featurettes: one, a look at shooting the final season; the other, at being on set for the last episode. The Shield: Season Seven will be released as a four-disc collection containing all 13 episodes for $59.95 SRP.

The Shield -- a basic cable trailblazer and an all-time classic cop drama -- is centered around a tough crime-infested L.A. police precinct and its elite team of cops who are undeniably effective when it comes to cracking tough cases yet undeniably ‘dirty’ too. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Tim Goodman notes, “With its fearless writing and the ferocious intensity of Chiklis leading the way, ‘The Shield’ reinvented the cop genre. What remains compelling about ‘The Shield’ as it heads into its last hurrah are the gray areas and ethical gradations of the characters that have defined it. Creator Shawn Ryan found in the Vic Mackey character a likable monster. Much in the way that Tony Soprano’s actions conflicted viewers, Mackey’s poisonous mix of God-complex-meets-sanctimonious-criminality is hard to turn away from.”

Created and by Shawn Ryan (TV’s “The Unit”) and executive produced by Ryan, Kurt Sutter, Charles Eglee, Adam Fierro and Kevin Cremin, the show stars Emmy^® and Golden Globe^® winner Michael Chiklis (Fantastic Four) as rogue cop Detective Vic Mackey who administers his own brand of justice as he tries to keep balance in the criminal ecosystem of L.A.’s seedy Farmington Division. Mackey and his team -- which includes Emmy^® nominee CCH Pounder (TV’s “ER”), David Marciano (Lethal Weapon 2), Benito Martinez (Million Dollar Baby); Walton Goggins (The Bourne Identity), Jay Karnes (The Next Best Thing), Catherine Dent (Someone Like You) and Michael Jace (Forrest Gump) -- write the rules as they go along.

The Shield: Season Seven episodes:

Coefficient of Drag

Snitch

Money Shot

Genocide

Game Face

Animal Control

Bitches Brew

Parricide

Party Line

Petty Cash

Possible Kill Screen

Family Meeting

Major plot lines for The Shield: Season Seven

Shane (Goggins) resorts to kidnapping in his dangerous dance with the Armenian mob. Dutch (Karnes) risks everything by becoming personally involved in a homicide investigation. Pressured to take down Pezuela (F.J. Rio), Vic negotiates an immunity deal with ICE to vanquish Beltran (Francesco Quinn) at last, and the skeletons come tumbling out of the closet.

DVD Special Features:

· Widescreen Presentation

· Audio English 5.1 (Dolby Digital)

· Cast and Crew Commentary on Each Episode

· 51 Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by creator Shawn Ryan

· Featurette: Nobody Expects to Lose, Nobody Expects to Die: The Shield’s Final Season

· Featurette: Last Call: The Final Episode

· Closed Captioned

Six Disc Jack Lemon Set: 6/9/09

2009-04-06T11:54:00.006-05:00

The Jack Lemmon Film Collection

Five Films on DVD for the First Time

Starring the Legendary Two-Time Academy Award® Winner

Phffft!- Operation Mad Ball

The Notorious Landlady

Under the Yum Yum Tree

Good Neighbor Sam

Bonus Materials Include a Two-Part Documentary

Hosted by Chris Lemmon and Featuring New Interviews

with Kevin Spacey, Andy Garcia and Shirley MacLaine

Six-Disc DVD Collection Debuts June 9

CULVER CITY, CALIF. (April 6, 2009) – In a career that spanned half a century, Jack Lemmon was truly America’s Everyman. Although he worked in every genre from musical to western, he truly excelled at comedy, turning in a series of nuanced performances that garnered worldwide acclaim. On June 9, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) honors one of the most versatile and accomplished actors in Hollywood history with The Jack Lemmon Film Collection, in partnership with Chris Lemmon, Jack’s son and biographer. This must-have six-disc boxed set features five classic performances from the gifted two-time Academy Award® winner for Save the Tiger (1973) and Mister Roberts (1955). The set includes Phffft! featuring Kim Novak, Operation Mad Ball, featuring the film debut of Ernie Kovacs, The Notorious Landlady featuring Fred Astaire, Under the Yum Yum Tree, and Good Neighbor Sam. In addition, the bonus materials include a two-part documentary hosted by Chris Lemmon featuring intimate interviews with friends, fans, and colleagues, including Kevin Spacey, Andy Garcia and Shirley MacLaine; and photographs from the life and work of Jack Lemmon. The collection also includes the Ford Television Theatre’s “Marriageable Male” episode starring Jack Lemmon. The Jack Lemmon Film Collection will be available for $59.95 SRP.

About Jack Lemmon (February 8th, 1925 - June 27, 2001)

One of the most versatile actors in the history of Hollywood was born in an elevator in the Boston suburb of Newton and attended Harvard University (Class of ‘47), where he became president of the Hasty Pudding Club. After a stint in the Navy, Lemmon became a professional actor, working on radio, television and Broadway.

Although he made his film debut playing a bit part in the 1949 film The Lady Takes a Sailor, his official debut as a cinematic leading man was opposite Judy Holliday in the 1954 comedy, It Should Happen to You. Lemmon worked with many legendary leading ladies over the course of his five-decade-long career, including Rita Hayworth (Fire Down Below), Marilyn Monroe (Some Like It Hot), Julie Andrews (That’s Life!), Shirley MacLaine (The Apartment), Natalie Wood (The Great Race), Betty Grable (Three for the Show), Janet Leigh (My Sister Eileen), Doris Day (It Happened to Jane), June Allyson (You Can’t Run Away From It), Ann Margret (Grumpy Old Men), Sophia Loren (Grumpier Old Men) and many more.

In addition, he teamed with Walter Matthau in 11 films (including The Odd Couple, The Front Page and Grumpy Old Men), forming one of the most-beloved duos in film history. Lemmon was also a favorite actor of legendary director Billy Wilder, who cast Lemmon in many of his classic films, including Some Like It Hot (named by the American Film Institute as the funniest film of all time), The Apartment, Irma La Douce, The Fortune Cookie, Avanti!, The Front Page and Buddy Buddy.

In 1956, Lemmon was awarded his first Academy Award® as Best Supporting Actor for Mister Roberts and in 1974 was named Best Actor for Save the Tiger, becoming the first actor to achieve this honor in two categories. His other Best Actor nominations include Some Like it Hot (1960), The Apartment (1961), Days of Wine and Roses (1963), The China Syndrome (1980), Tribute (1981), and Missing (1983). In 1988, the American Film Institute honored him with its Lifetime Achievement Award. He also holds the record for the most Golden Globe® nominations for acting (22, including both actors and actresses) of which he won six, plus the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1991. At the 1998 Golden Globe Awards, he was nominated for “Best Actor in a Made for TV Movie” for his role in “Twelve Angry Men” losing to Ving Rhames. After accepting the award, Rhames asked Lemmon to come onstage, and in a move that stunned the audience, gave his award to him.

Lemmon was one of the best-liked actors in Hollywood. He is remembered as a genuine mentor as the actor Kevin Spacey recalled in a tribute. Already regarded as a legend, he met the teenage Spacey backstage after a theater performance and spoke to him about pursuing an acting career. Spacey would later work with Lemmon in Dad (1989), Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) and on stage in a revival of “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.” In 2000, Spacey dedicated his Oscar® for American Beauty to Lemmon.

Jack Lemmon’s place in film history is firmly established and his work will live on for generations, as evidenced by his being voted the 33rd Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly and the 45th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere Magazine.

PHFFFT! (1954):

After their successful pairing in It Should Happen to You (1954), Oscar® winner Judy Holliday (Best Actress, Born Yesterday, 1951) and Lemmon were reteamed in this romantic comedy by George Axelrod (The Seven Year Itch, Breakfast at Tiffany’s). Phffft! follows a married couple who divorce only to find out that their divorce is even less successful than their marriage. Columbia’s rising love goddess Kim Novak and Jack Carson provide support as the romantic interests Lemmon and Holliday take up with in an effort to make each other jealous.

OPERATION MAD BALL (1957):

Lemmon teamed up with director Richard Quine for the second of six films, (including My Sister Eileen; Bell, Book and Candle; It Happened to Jane; and How to Murder Your Wife) for this hilarious comedy about a party being planned by a group of enlisted men and their efforts to keep the fact a secret from an obnoxious, busy body officer. Lemmon headlined a cast of comedy legends including Ernie Kovacs (Our Man in Havana) and Mickey Rooney (Babes in Arms).

THE NOTORIUS LANDLADY (1962):

Richard Quine teamed two of his most frequent collaborators, Lemmon (in the fifth of their six films together) and Kim Novak (who made four films with the director) in a comedy/drama written by Blake Edwards (The Pink Panther, Victor/Victoria) and co-starring Fred Astaire (Top Hat, The Band Wagon). An American diplomat (Lemmon), stationed in London, rents a room from a landlady (Novak) only to discover she’s being watched by Scotland Yard and may have killed her missing husband.

UNDER THE YUM YUM TREE (1963):

Nominated for Best Motion Picture Musical/Comedy and Best Actor (Lemmon) Golden Globes, Under the Yum Yum Tree is a comedy about a young couple in love (Carol Lynley and Dean Jones) who agree to determine their “character compatibility” by living together platonically. Virtue eventually triumphs after a series of humorous incidents during which the couple’s lecherous landlord (Lemmon) hopes to seduce his new female tenant. Based on the risqué Broadway play by Lawrence Roman and co-starring Edie Adams (The Apartment, Lover Come Back), Imogene Coca (TV’s “Your Show of Shows”), and Paul Lynde (TV’s “Bewitched”); Under the Yum Yum Tree was a top-grosser at the box office.

GOOD NEIGHBOR SAM (1964):

This wacky comedy about a happily married advertising agent (Lemmon) trapped into posing as his sexy neighbor’s husband so she can inherit $15 million, co-stars Romy Schneider (The Victors), Dorothy Provine (The Great Race), and Edward G. Robinson (Little Caesar). The story soon spirals out of control when her greedy in-laws hit the scene.

DVD Special Features Include:

· Two-part Documentary

· The Ford Television Theatre’s “Marriageable Male” episode

Snow White Coming to Blu-Ray: 10-6-09

2009-04-03T13:14:00.005-05:00

The First...and "Fairest One Of All" Comes To Life As Never Before!!

Walt Disney Studios
Home Entertainment
Proudly Announces
the Highly Anticipated
Hi-Def Debut

of Walt Disney's
Animated Classic:

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

An Exciting Industry First:
Blu-ray™+ DVD Combo Pack

*October 6, 2009

*(7 Weeks Before Standard Definition DVD Release)

Burbank, Calif., April 3, 2009 – Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) proudly announces the highly-anticipated, October 6 high definition debut of the most-acclaimed animated movie ever made, Walt Disney’s original classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Making history again with its exciting debut, the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ Blu-ray bow marks the first time Disney Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack (2 Blu-ray discs + DVD) has ever been released, followed seven weeks later with the release of a Deluxe 2-Disc Classic standard definition DVD on November 24. The Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ Blu-ray edition will undoubtedly represent the quintessential way to experience this landmark film.

“We are thrilled that the consumer has clearly recognized the value in our Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack releases and will have another opportunity to maximize their viewing options in October with Snow White,” Bob Chapek, President of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, said. “With today’s technological breakthroughs found in Blu-ray, we are confident that this version of Snow White will easily become the reference point for high definition home entertainment libraries and family collections all over the world.”

Perfectly timed for holiday gift-giving and available for a limited time only, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ historic high definition release will include a spectacular assortment of all new bonus features. A magical tale filled with laughter and excitement, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the jewel in Disney’s cinematic crown.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has been unavailable in any form, since 2001. The film earned a 1939 honorary Academy Award® for “significant screen innovation which has charmed millions, and pioneered a great new entertainment field." And now, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Blu-ray becomes the ultimate home entertainment experience with state-of-the-art picture restoration and a pristine 7.1 Digital Theater System Hi-Def Surround Sound.

About Platinum Combo Packs (Blu-ray + DVD in a single package):

To provide consumers with unprecedented quality, value and portability of their favorite Disney classics, in 2008 WDSHE pioneered the Combo Pack – Blu-ray Disc(s) plus a DVD in a single package. Current Disney Platinum Edition titles available as Combo Packs include Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio.

About Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs:
Celebrated as an entertainment landmark for over 70 years, the first full-length animated film ever made, and still the ‘fairest of them all,” Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ world premiere represented a major milestone for the world of animation, a giant leap forward for The Walt Disney Company. It is one of the most beloved and most watched films in history. As one of the first films ever to be designated for preservation by the Library of Congress, it has been entertaining movie-goers and critics alike for decades. It is also the first film ever to have a motion picture soundtrack, as well as the first film that uses music to advance the story. To date, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has been released theatrically a total of nine times.

Synopsis:

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the time-honored story of a beautiful princess whose blossoming beauty disturbs her stepmother the Queen. Each day the Queen asks a mysterious magic mirror the quintessential question: "mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all." As long as the mirror answers the Queen's name, all is well. However, when one day the mirror replies with Snow White’s name, the evil Queen begins her quest to kill the young girl, so she may once again be "the fairest of them all."

Snow White’s escape from the evil Queen's plan leads her deep into the forest and to a small cottage where she meets, in one of the most famous scenes in motion picture history, the Seven Dwarfs. Once "off to work" they go, the wicked Queen persuades Snow White to take a bite of a poisonous apple that places a powerful sleeping curse on the young beauty. Heartbroken, the dwarfs make a glass coffin for their friend, because she is too beautiful to bury. Only when a handsome Prince -- who had previously fallen in love with Snow White -- finds her and kisses her, does she awaken, "to live happily ever after."

The Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack is priced at $39.99 SRP and the 2-Disc DVD set is priced at $29.99 SRP.

Benjamin Button Re-Born On Home Video 5-5-09

2009-04-03T12:45:00.008-05:00

Groundbreaking Winner of Three Academy Awards®

Makes Home Entertainment Debut

BRAD PITT STARS IN
DIRECTOR DAVID FINCHER’S SWEEPING EPIC...

NAMED BY OVER 150 CRITICS AS ONE
OF THE BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR...

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

One of the Year’s Most Critically-Acclaimed Films Arrives May 5, 2009 On Two-Disc Special Edition DVD and Two-Disc Blu-ray Brimming with Over Three Hours of Fascinating Special Features

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – A thrilling adventure and captivating story of one man’s unusual and enchanted life, director David Fincher’s Academy Award®-winning film...

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON also stars Academy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson (Hustle & Flow), Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton) and Julia Ormond (Legends of the Fall)) in a grand tale of a not-so-ordinary man and the people and places he discovers along the way, the loves he finds, the joys and romance of life and what lasts beyond time.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON two-disc DVD and two-disc Blu-ray boast over three hours of enthralling special features including interviews with stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett with behind-the-scenes footage of their astonishing on-screen transformations, an in-depth documentary revealing the unusual journey of the film itself including the secrets of its award-winning visual effects and an exploration of the groundbreaking computer wizardry that brought the magical world of Benjamin Button to life.

Special Features Include:

The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button:
Four Part Documentary:

-Academy Award-nominated director David Fincher introduces the surprising beginnings of what would become an epic masterpiece including the casting of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, the decision to change the location of the story to New Orleans and more.

-Follow the production from day one including the challenges of aging Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, designing over five thousand costumes and creating the animatronic baby.

-Explore the incredible visual effects techniques created specifically for the film that allowed Brad Pitt to play the title character at virtually every age. Also includes a visit to the scoring stage with composer Alexandre Desplat.

-Walk the red carpet at the film’s premiere in New Orleans, with final thoughts from cast and crew.

ALSO:
-Audio Commentary by director David Fincher

"Sin City" Goes Blu (Ray):4-21-09

2009-03-31T10:48:00.003-05:00

For the First Time on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def
Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez’s
Visually Stunning Crime Thriller

SIN CITY

Available April 21, 2009, on 2-Disc Blu-ray
Featuring Two Versions of The Film Plus
All New Exclusive Bonus Features!

If ever a movie was meant to be experienced in high definition, Sin City is guilty on all counts! Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez’s visually stunning crime thriller debuts on Blu-ray this April 21, 2009, from Miramax Films. Featuring the ultimate in high definition picture and sound, this 2-Disc set comes fully loaded with two cuts of the film plus eight hours of bonus material, including innovative special features created exclusively for the Blu-ray High Definition release. The interactive game “Kill ‘em Good,” lets viewers play Marv, the outcast misanthrope on a mission to avenge the death of his true love, Goldie. The “Cine-Explore” feature, a breakthrough interactive visual commentary lets viewers watch picture-in-picture footage of the film in its early green-screen stages original artwork synced with filmmaker commentary. Additional special features include Commentary with Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, interviews with Robert Rodriguez and “guest director” Quentin Tarantino, Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes showcasing the cars, props, costumes and make-up of Sin City, and much more! One of the most eagerly awaited films to debut in the format, Sin City arrives on Blu-ray with both barrels blazing!

Sin City is based on Frank Miller’s popular series of graphic novels and features an all-star crew both behind and in front of the camera. Acclaimed director Robert Rodriguez (Grindhouse, Spy Kids) teamed with Mr. Miller to co-direct an all-star cast that includes Bruce Willis, Oscar-nominee Mickey Rourke (Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for: The Wrestler, 2008), Clive Owen, Jessica Alba and
Rosario Dawson, in this riveting tale of killers, cops, hookers and hit men, all inhabiting one very dangerous, very sexy city. Sin City debuted in theatres in 2005 to critical acclaim and box office success and, like Mr. Miller’s graphic novels, continues to grow in its fan base. Now these fans, and anyone who loves explosive, groundbreaking filmmaking, can see and hear the movie like never before with the ultimate in high definition picture and sound. Available at an SRP of $35.99, crime never looked or sounded so good…

Disc One (Theatrical Cut) Features:
• All new Cine-Explore – Innovative Blu-ray technology allows viewers to experience a
uniquely interactive visual commentary that pushes the envelope. When selected, see
picture-in-picture green screen footage and original art synced with the filmmakers’
commentary.
• 2.0 Commentary with Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller
• 2.0 Commentary with Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino
• 5.1 Audio Track Featuring a Recording of the Austin Audience Reaction

Disc Two (Unrated, Recut Extended Version) Features:
• All new “Kill ‘em Good” Interactive Comic Book - Dive into a visually stunning interactive
game that puts you in the driver’s seat. Exploiting the Blu-ray format in ways never before
seen, you finish the story – with guns blazing!

• Four Chapters:
o Chapter One- That Yellow Bastard
o Chapter Two- The Customer Is Always Right
o Chapter Three- The Hard Goodbye
o Chapter Four- The Big Fat Kill
• Rodriguez Special Features:
o 15-Minute Film School
o All Green Screen Version
o The Long Take
o Sin City: Live in Concert
o 10-Minute Cooking School
• How It Went Down: Convincing Frank Miller To Make The Film

• Special Guest Director: Quentin Tarantino
• A Hard Top With A Decent Engine: The Cars of Sin City
• Booze, Broads, and Guns: The Props of Sin City
• Making the Monsters: Special Effects Make-up
• Trench Coats & Fishnets: The Costumes of Sin City
• Teaser & Theatrical Trailer

Halt! Paul Blart: Mall Cop Arrives 5-19-09...

2009-03-23T14:01:00.000-05:00

Don’t Mess With His Mall!

The Biggest Comedy of The Year

Starring Emmy® Nominee Kevin James Arrives on
Blu-ray™ High Def, DVD and UMD on May 19

PAUL BLART: MALL COP

DVD RELEASE INTRODUCES NEW ECO-FRIENDLY
ULTRALIGHT DVD CASE

Special Features Include Deleted Scenes, Featurettes With Outtakes,
an Exclusive-to-Blu-ray™ cinechat Feature and Digital Copy

Culver City, Calif (March 23, 2009) - Prepare for side-splitting laughter and heart-pumping action when Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) releases Paul Blart: Mall Cop on high definition Blu-ray Disc™, single-disc DVD, and UMD on May 19, 2009. The $137 million box office hit from Happy Madison Productions is packed with deleted scenes, hilarious outtakes, featurettes on the making of the movie and a commentary.

The release also marks SPHE’s introduction of an eco-friendly ultralight DVD case on single-disc DVDs. The new packaging is designed to use approximately 20 percent less plastic than a standard-weight DVD case and reduce the DVD case carbon footprint by 20 percent. SPHE is launching the new packaging domestically with the release of Paul Blart: Mall Cop, and will continue to roll out the eco-friendly initiatives on a global level,

“SPHE is committed to reducing our carbon footprint and is making great progress in reducing the environmental impact of packaged media,” said Lexine Wong, Senior Executive Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, SPHE. “By utilizing a more eco-friendly packaging, launching with Paul Blart: Mall Cop, we hope to eliminate an estimated two million pounds of annual carbon emissions in North American alone by the end of the year.”

“The intelligence and energy that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has brought to this ecologically valuable initiative is inspiring and sets an example for all manufacturers of DVD packaging,” said Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “This is a valuable step in the right direction and should encourage all DVD manufacturers to take action against global warming, to protect intact forests, and conserve resources. NRDC supports SPHE’s initiative to promote positive changes in the way businesses and individuals think about our Earth, and, especially, how we act.”

In addition to being eco-friendly, the Paul Blart: Mall Cop Blu-ray and DVD offer fans several bonus features on Kevin James’ career and his thoughts on being a mall cop, the film’s extreme sports actors and stunts, and behind-the-scenes featurettes on the making of the film! BD-Live users will also be able to participate in a peer-to-peer chat function called cinechat, which is exclusive to the Blu-ray disc. The Blu-ray disc will also include a Digital Copy of the film.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop Synopsis

With a heart that won’t quit, a stomach that won’t stop gurgling and a self-sworn oath to protect his turf, he’s Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Mild-mannered Paul Blart (Kevin James, “The King of Queens”) has always had huge dreams of becoming a State Trooper. Until then, he patrols the local mall as a security guard. With his closely cropped moustache, personal transporter and gung-ho attitude, only Blart seems to take his job seriously. All of that changes when a team of thugs raid the mall and take hostages. Untrained, unarmed and a super-size target—Blart decides now’s the time for the big guy to show everyone he’s the biggest cop of the mall as he tries to save the day.

DVD & BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:

o Deleted Scenes

o “Fun on Set” – Fun, wacky moments on-set including hilarious outtakes

o Commentary with Kevin James and Producer Todd Garner

o “Kevin James: Not Your Average Mall Cop” – A look at Kevin James and his many roles as actor, producer and co-writer

o “Stunts” – Stunts in the film

o “The Mall” – Experience of shooting in a shopping mall

DVD & BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES (cont’d):

o “On Set with Mike ‘Rooftop’ Escamilla” – Behind-the-scenes footage from a pro BMX biker

o “Action Sports Junkies” – A look at the film’s extreme sports actors

o “Mall Cop Response” – A mall security guard takes on a pro skater

o “Mike V. vs. Mall Cop” – A pro skater takes on mall security while spray painting the mall

o “Free Running vs. Parkour” – A look at the extreme sports of parkour and free running

o “Thoughts with Kevin James” – Kevin James gives his random thoughts on malls, moustaches and how to become a mall cop

o “Sugar” – Follow a free runner through the mall as he races to get Kevin James sugar for his coffee

BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVE FEATURES

o Digital Copy of the film for the PC, PSP™, Mac or iPod

o cinechat – Send onscreen messages to friends around the world while watching the movie together

Paul Blart: Mall Cop was directed by Steve Carr (Are we Done Yet?, Daddy Day Care), co-written by Nick Bakay (TV’s “Til Death” and “King f Queens”) and Kevin James (TV’s “King of Queens,” I Now Pronounce you Chuck & Larry ) who also stars. This film also features Keir O’Donnell (Wedding Crashers), Jayma Mays (TV’s “Ugly Betty”) and Bobby Cannavale (TV’s “Will & Grace”); and was produced by Happy Madison Productions.

Neil Young's Archives, Volume 1 FINALLY(!) Arrives 6-2-09!

2009-03-22T13:11:00.000-05:00

Note: Although this blog has previously been reserved for DVD releases, Neil Young has long been a musical favorite of mine and a trailblazer..and via the forthcoming release of this long-in-the-works musical anthology, it is my belief that he is going to revolutionize (and possibly save) the music industry by bringing rock and roll and blu-ray technology together.

Here's the full track listing for one of the greatest (if not the best) box sets of all time...and it's just the first of several volumes due in coming years....

TRACK LIST:

Disc 00 EARLY YEARS (1963–1965)

1. Aurora The Squires – from the 45 RPM single (mono)
2. The Sultan The Squires – from the 45 RPM single (mono)
3. I Wonder The Squires – previously unreleased song (mono)
4. Mustang The Squires – previously unreleased instrumental (mono)
5. I’ll Love You Forever The Squires – previously unreleased song (mono)
6. (I’m A Man And) I Can’t Cry The Squires – previously unreleased song (mono)
7. Hello Lonely Woman Neil Young & Comrie Smith** – previously unreleased version
8. Casting Me Away From You Neil Young & Comrie Smith – previously unreleased song
9. There Goes My Babe Neil Young & Comrie Smith – previously unreleased song
10. Sugar Mountain Neil Young – previously unreleased demo version (mono)
11. Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing Neil Young – previously unreleased demo version (mono)
12. Runaround Babe Neil Young – previously unreleased song (mono)
13. The Ballad Of Peggy Grover Neil Young – previously unreleased song (mono)
14. The Rent Is Always Due Neil Young – previously unreleased song (mono)
15. Extra, Extra Neil Young – previously unreleased song (mono)

**(And for those of you who are wondering who Comrie Smith is, see Uncut mag. Thanks Roel!)

Disc 01 EARLY YEARS (1966–1968)

1. Flying On The Ground Is Wrong Neil Young – from the Buffalo Springfield Box Set (mono)
2. Burned Buffalo Springfield – from the album Buffalo Springfield (mono)
3. Out Of My Mind Buffalo Springfield – from the album Buffalo Springfield (mono)
4. Down, Down, Down Neil Young – previously unreleased version (mono)
5. Kahuna Sunset Buffalo Springfield – from the Buffalo Springfield Box Set (mono)
6. Mr. Soul Buffalo Springfield – from the Buffalo Springfield Box Set (mono)
7. Sell Out Buffalo Springfield – previously unreleased song (mono)
8. Down To The Wire Neil Young – from the album Decade (mono)
9. Expecting To Fly Buffalo Springfield – from the album Buffalo Springfield
10. Slowly Burning Neil Young – previously unreleased instrumental
11. One More Sign Neil Young – from the Buffalo Springfield Box Set
12. Broken Arrow Buffalo Springfield – from the album Buffalo Springfield Again
13. I Am A Child Buffalo Springfield – from the album Last Time Around

Disc 02 TOPANGA 1 (1968–1969)

1. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere Neil Young – from the stereo promotional 45 RPM single-second pressing
2. The Loner Neil Young – from the album Neil Young
3. Birds Neil Young – previously unreleased version
4. What Did You Do To My Life? Neil Young – previously unreleased mix
5. The Last Trip To Tulsa Neil Young – from the album Neil Young
6. Here We Are In The Years Neil Young – from the album Neil Young–second version
7. I’ve Been Waiting For You Neil Young – previously unreleased mix
8. The Old Laughing Lady Neil Young – from the album Neil Young
9. I’ve Loved Her So Long Neil Young – from the album Neil Young
10. Sugar Mountain Neil Young – previously unreleased stereo master
11. Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
12. Down By The River Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
13. Cowgirl In The Sand Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
14. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Disc 03 LIVE AT THE RIVERBOAT (TORONTO 1969)

1. Sugar Mountain Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
2. The Old Laughing Lady Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
3. Flying On The Ground Is Wrong Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
4. On The Way Home Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
5. I’ve Loved Her So Long Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
6. I Am A Child Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
7. 1956 Bubblegum Disaster Neil Young – previously unreleased song
8. The Last Trip To Tulsa Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
9. Broken Arrow Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
10. Whiskey Boot Hill Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
11. Expecting To Fly Neil Young – previously unreleased live version

Disc 04 TOPANGA 2 (1969–1970)

1. Cinnamon Girl Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
2. Running Dry (Requiem For The Rockets) Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
3. Round And Round (It Won’t Be Long) Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
4. Oh Lonesome Me Neil Young with Crazy Horse – previously unreleased stereo mix
5. Birds Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the 45 RPM single (mono)
6. Everybody’s Alone Neil Young with Crazy Horse – Previously unreleased song
7. I Believe In You Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album After The Gold Rush
8. Sea Of Madness Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – from the original soundtrack album Woodstock
9. Dance Dance Dance Neil Young with Crazy Horse – previously unreleased version
10. Country Girl Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – from the album Déjà Vu
11. Helpless Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – previously unreleased mix
12. It Might Have Been Neil Young with Crazy Horse – previously unreleased live version

Disc 05 NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE–LIVE AT THE FILLMORE EAST (NEW YORK 1970)

1. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
2. Winterlong
3. Down By The River
4. Wonderin’
5. Come On Baby, Let’s Go Downtown
6. Cowgirl In The Sand

all previously released live versions
Disc 06 TOPANGA 3 (1970)

1. Tell Me Why Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush
2. After The Gold Rush Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush
3. Only Love Can Break Your Heart Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush
4. Wonderin’ Neil Young – previously unreleased version
5. Don’t Let It Bring You Down Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush-first pressing
6. Cripple Creek Ferry Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush
7. Southern Man Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush
8. Till The Morning Comes Neil Young – from the album After The Gold Rush
9. When You Dance, I Can Really Love Neil Young with Crazy Horse – from the album After The Gold Rush-first pressing
10. Ohio Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – from the stereo 45 RPM single
11. Only Love Can Break Your Heart Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – previously unreleased live version
12. Tell Me Why Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – previously unreleased live version
13. Music Is Love David Crosby, Graham Nash & Neil Young – from the album If I Could Only Remember My Name
14. See The Sky About To Rain Neil Young – previously unreleased live version

Disc 07 LIVE AT MASSEY HALL (TORONTO 1971)

1. On The Way Home
2. Tell Me Why
3. Old Man
4. Journey Through The Past
5. Helpless
6. Love In Mind
7. A Man Needs A Maid/Heart Of Gold (Suite)
8. Cowgirl In The Sand
9. Don’t Let It Bring You Down
10. There’s A World
11. Bad Fog Of Loneliness
12. The Needle And The Damage Done
13. Ohio
14. See The Sky About To Rain
15. Down By The River
16. Dance Dance Dance
17. I Am A Child

all previously released live versions
Disc 08 NORTH COUNTRY (1971–1972)

1. Heart Of Gold Neil Young – previously unreleased live version
2. The Needle And The Damage Done Neil Young – from the album Harvest
3. Bad Fog Of Loneliness Neil Young with The Stray Gators – previously unreleased version
4. Old Man Neil Young with The Stray Gators – from the album Harvest
5. Heart Of Gold Neil Young with The Stray Gators – from the album Harvest
6. Dance Dance Dance Neil Young – previously unreleased version
7. A Man Needs A Maid Neil Young with the London Symphony Orchestra – previously unreleased mix
8. Harvest Neil Young with The Stray Gators – from the album Harvest
9. Journey Through The Past Neil Young with The Stray Gators – previously unreleased version
10. Are You Ready For The Country? Neil Young with The Stray Gators – from the album Harvest
11. Alabama Neil Young with The Stray Gators – from the album Harvest
12. Words (Between The Lines Of Age) Neil Young with The Stray Gators – from the original soundtrack album Journey Through The Past
13. Soldier Neil Young – previously unreleased mix
14. War Song Neil Young & Graham Nash with The Stray Gators – from the 45 RPM single (mono)

Disc 09 JOURNEY THROUGH THE PAST – A FILM BY NEIL YOUNG

* Available for the first time since its original theatrical release in 1973
* In 5.1 DTS© surround sound and stereo
* Includes rare performance and documentary footage of Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and scenes from the recording of the Harvest album featuring Neil Young with The Stray Gators

Special features include:

* Theatrical trailer
* Radio spots
* Archival galleries

Neil Young’s Archives:

This is the first volume of the Neil Young Archives series of box sets, produced by Neil Young himself. Volume I covers the period from his earliest recordings with The Squires in Winnipeg, 1963, through to his classic 1972 album Harvest and beyond, including studio and live tracks with the legendary Buffalo Springfield; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; and Neil Young with Crazy Horse.

Audio in the Blu-ray edition is presented in ultra-high resolution 24-bit / 192 kHz stereo PCM state-of-the-art master quality sound, while audio in the DVD edition is presented in high resolution 24-bit / 96 kHz stereo PCM audiophile quality sound. The CD edition is presented in standard resolution 16-bit / 44 kHz stereo PCM CD quality sound.

Each of the 10 Blu-ray discs feature 1920×1080 high definition picture quality while the 10 DVD discs have 720×480 standard definition picture quality.

An interactive timeline feature, which presents an in-depth overview of Young’s life and career, is in both the Blu-ray and DVD editions, The Timeline on the Blu-ray edition is enhanced with BD Live™ capability, which enables users to download additional content to their players or to external drives.

Completing Volume 1 in the Blu-ray and DVD editions is Young’s acclaimed first film, Journey Through The Past, which is now available for the first time since its original theatrical release in 1973. This disc features pristine picture transfer, audio presented in both DTS-HD 5.1 surround and stereo 24-bit / 96 kHz PCM, plus archival materials.

The Blu-ray and DVD editions are sold in a durable custom display box that houses a lavish 236-page full-color hardbound book that features additional archival materials, tapes database, and detailed descriptions of the music and artwork; a foldout Archives poster, a custom keeper for the 10 sleeved discs, and more. The CD edition is sold in a custom disc keeper for the 8 sleeved discs and descriptive booklet.

19 Disc (!) Norman Lear Box Set Due June 9th!

2009-03-22T12:04:00.000-05:00

Timeless Anthology from “…the Most Influential Television Producer of all Time”

– Associated Press, Christopher Graff

Packed With Six Hours of All-New Bonus Content

Including 11 Featurettes and Two Never-Before-Released Pilot Episodes for “All in the Family”

Includes the Complete First Seasons of …

“All in the Family,” “Sanford and Son,” “Maude,”

“The Jeffersons,” “Good Times,” “One Day at a Time”

and “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman”

THE NORMAN LEAR COLLECTION

All-New Interviews with Lear and a Legion of Stars Including Bea Arthur, Jimmie Walker, Adrienne Barbeau, Rue McClanahan, Rob Reiner, Bonnie Franklin, Mackenzie Phillips, Louise Lasser and Mary Kay Place

19-DISC DVD COLLECTION DEBUTS JUNE 9

Culver City, Calif. (March 20, 2009) – From legendary producer Norman Lear, known for creating some of the most acclaimed and top-rated television series of all time, comes an all-new Collector’s Set arriving on DVD June 9 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The Norman Lear Collection boasts six hours of newly-produced featurettes and interviews, in addition to the first seasons of seven ground-breaking Emmy® Award-winning shows: “All in the Family,” “Sanford and Son,” “Maude,” “The Jeffersons,” “Good Times,” “One Day at a Time,” and “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” all housed in collectible packaging. This comprehensive set is a bonanza for television fans and will be available for $159.95 SLP.

The collection includes two discs of all-new bonus features including new interviews with Lear, Rob Reiner, Bea Arthur, Adrienne Barbeau, Rue McClanahan, Jimmie Walker, Bonnie Franklin, Mackenzie Phillips, Mary Kay Place and Louise Lasser. The set also includes both never-before-released pilot episodes from “All in the Family” entitled “Those Were The Days,” and the 1971 “lost” pilot, “And Justice For All,” which was originally turned down by ABC, only to be later picked up by CBS.

Fans of classic television will marvel over hours of show-specific featurettes, such as “And Then There’s “Maude”: Television’s First Feminist” featuring intimate interviews with Bea Arthur, Adrienne Barbeau and Rue McClanahan as they reminisce about working together on the series and discuss the significance behind a show that was truly ahead of its time. Also included is The Legacy of a Television Revolutionary, with some of the featured actors talking about how Lear has impacted their lives.

Norman Lear is one of the most well respected, prolific and successful men in the entertainment industry. He has garnered four Emmy Awards® and been inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. He not only has impacted our society through his work in television, but also his philanthropic efforts. As founder of the People for the American Way and the Norman Lear Center at USC’s Annenberg School of Communication, he continues to be a strong voice for First Amendment rights.

All in the Family: The Complete First Season

The Bunkers were one of the most beloved families in television history. Starring Carroll O’Connor as Archie, Jean Stapleton as Edith, Rob Reiner as “Meathead,” and Sally Struthers as Gloria, “All in the Family” changed the face of television forever with its January 12, 1971 premiere. The show broke new ground for addressing controversial subjects in realistic ways and for creating unforgettable characters that soon became a part of pop culture. During its eight-year run, the show received an amazing 48 Emmy Award® nominations and took home 20 trophies with multiple wins for all the lead characters, and three wins for Outstanding Comedy Series.

DVD Special Features Include:

· All-New Featurette: Those Were The Days – The Birth of “All in The Family”

From creation, through the first two pilots, to making it onto the CBS schedule as a mid-season replacement. Lots of stories about casting, character development, network reaction to the pilots and how it was finally rejected by ABC only to be picked up by CBS.

· All-New Featurette: The TV Revolution Begins – “All in the Family” is On the Air

From premiere night on CBS through the airing of 13 episodes, ending with a last-minute pick-up for a second season. Lots of stories and talk about essence of the characters, what the actors brought to their roles and the wonderful chemistry between all 4 members of the cast.

· Never-Before-Released Pilot: “Those Were the Days”

· Never-Before-Released “Lost” 1971 Pilot: “And Justice For All”

Sanford & Son: The First Season

An immediate audience and critic favorite when it debuted in 1972, “Sanford and Son” marked an early milestone in urban TV comedy. As the first sitcom featuring an all African-American cast, “Sanford and Son” ushered that perspective into American homes, defying long established barriers and stereotypes. Starring one-of-a kind comedian Redd Foxx as Fred Sanford, a grumpy old junk dealer living with his long-suffering son Lamont (Demond Wilson) in Los Angeles’ Watts, the show earned seven Emmy Award® nominations between 1972 and 1976 and five Golden Globe® nominations including Best TV Show.

DVD Special Features Include:

· All-New Featurette: Everyone Loves a Clown

Norman Lear talks about the creation of the show, the casting of Redd Foxx, selling the show to NBC deep inside CBS, what Redd brought to the role and the casting of Demond Wilson. Norman is the only "voice" in this piece.

Maude: Season 1

Maude, played masterfully by Beatrice Arthur who won the Emmy Award® for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, was first introduced as Edith Bunker’s outspoken, liberal cousin on “All in the Family.” Her spin-off show, “Maude,” set in Tuckahoe, New York, focuses on the character’s daily adventures at home with fourth husband Walter (Bill Macy), divorced daughter Carol (Adrienne Barbeau), and Carol’s son Phillip. Joining in on the fun is housekeeper Florida (Esther Rolle, TV’s “Good Times”), and conservative next-door neighbor Arthur (Conrad Bain, TV’s “Diff’rent Strokes”). Guest stars include Rue McClanahan (TV’s “The Golden Girls”), John Amos (TV’s “Good Times”), and Tom Bosley (TV’s “Happy Days”).

DVD Special Features Include:

· All-New Featurette: And Then There’s “Maude”: Television’s First Feminist

Interviews with Bea Arthur, Adrienne Barbeau and Rue McClanahan reflecting on the series

· All-New Featurette: Everything But Hemorrhoids: “Maude” Speaks to America

Bea Arthur and Norman Lear reminisce about working together

Good Times: Season One

Starring Emmy Award®-winning actress Esther Rolle (TV’s “Summer of my German Soldier”) and Emmy^®nominated actor John Amos (TV’s “Roots”), “Good Times” was that rare hit show which struck a chord with audiences of all colors. A spin-off of “Maude,” “Good Times” altered America’s cultural landscape by tackling topical, often controversial issues from a uniquely African American perspective, while still managing to deliver heart-warming laughs. The trailblazing show highlighting the struggles and laughs of a family on the south side of Chicago also made a star of jive-talkin’ comedian Jimmie Walker whose catch phrase “DY-NO-MITE!” became part of ‘70s pop culture.

DVD Special Features Include:

· All-New Featurette: Ain’t We Lucky We Got ‘Em: “Good Times”

Norman Lear and Jimmie Walker talk about the show and its impact on black audiences

The Jeffersons: Season One

The most successful spin-off series to “All in the Family,” “The Jeffersons,” Starred Emmy Award® nominee Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford, who took home the Emmy Award® in 1981 for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. The series chronicles the rise of fast-talking dry cleaner king George Jefferson and his no-nonsense wife Louise. With his business booming, scrappy George Jefferson decides it’s time to “move on up” to a deluxe hi-rise apartment on Manhattan’s posh Upper East Side. The talented cast of supporting characters includes the Jeffersons’ sassy maid Florence (Marla Gibbs), acid-tongued matriarch Mother Jefferson (Zara Culley), crazy next-door neighbors, interracial couple Helen and Tom Willis (Roxie Roker and Franklin Cover) and Englishman Harry Bentley (Paul Benedict).

DVD Special Features Include:

· All-New Featurette: Movin’ On Up: “The Jeffersons”

Norman Lear reflects back on The Jeffersons

One Day at a Time: The Complete First Season

“One Day at a Time,” Lear’s popular series about a divorced mother raising two headstrong teenage daughters while trying to maintain a career, debuted mid-season in 1975, and remained a top 20 show in the Nielsen ratings for CBS during most of its run. The series stars Emmy Award®-nominee Bonnie Franklin, two-time Golden Globe® winner Valerie Bertinelli, Mackenzie Phillips, Emmy Award® and Golden Globe® winner Pat Harrington, Jr., and Richard Masur.

DVD Special Features Include:

· All-New Featurette: This is It – The Story of “One Day at A Time”

Interviews with Bonnie Franklin, Mackenzie Phillips and Norman Lear

Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman: Volume 1

The broadly-exaggerated spoof of soap opera calamity stars Emmy®-nominee Louise Lasser (Take the Money and Run, Bananas) as the pigtailed, gingham-frocked American housewife from the fictional small town of Fernwood Ohio, along with a talented ensemble featuring Emmy®-winner Mary Kay Place (The Big Chill, TV’s “Big Love”), Dabney Coleman (Nine to Five) and Martin Mull (TV’s “Roseanne”). Ranked by Entertainment Weekly as one of the “100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time” and listed among TV Guide’s “Top 50 Cult Shows in Television History,” “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” is the soap opera to satirize all soap operas, dealing with such hot topics as mass murder, exhibitionism, masturbation, impotence and waxy yellow buildup on linoleum floors.

DVD Special Features Include:

· All-New Featurette: “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman”: Inside the Funhouse Mirror Interviews with Norman Lear, Louise Lasser and Mary Kay Place

· All-New Featurette: The Breakdown

Norman Lear speaks about “the best single performance by an individual in the history of television in my mind is Mary Hartman,” (Referring to Louise Lasser as Mary Hartman having a nervous breakdown in The Breakdown)

· “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” – Episode 129

· “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” – Episode 130

Other DVD Special Features Include:

· Introduction by Norman Lear

Norman Says “Don’t Miss This!”

· Featurette: The Legacy of a Television Revolutionary

A collection of sound bites from interviewees about how Norman Lear has impacted their lives

Who's Minding The Jerry Lewis Store?

2009-03-02T04:59:00.000-06:00

Hey guys,

Here are the Amazon links to all the Jerry Lewis related product I plugged on Episode #70...

Remember, if you buy products directly from this page, you're not only gonna wind up with some classic comedy and excellent reading on your shelf, you'll also help support the Marquee..

The Jerry Lewis Films: An Analytical Filmography Of The Legendary Comic

This is my guest James Neibaur's terrific book
he co-authored with Ted Okuda...

The Legendary Jerry Collection

10 fabulous films in one amazing set.

Includes The Nutty Professor, The Bellboy,
The Disorderly Orderly and The Ladies Man...

Even more amazing? The price...

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis Collection, Volume 1

The early films of the legendary comedy duo...

Includes the classics Scared Stiff, Jumping Jacks
and The Stooge...

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis Collection, Volume 2

Dean and Jerry at the peak of their career...

Features Livin' It Up, You're Never Too Young and Hollywood or Bust

The Nutty Professor (2008)

An animated follow-up to Jerry's 1963 classic...

Dean and Me: A Love Story

Jerry's touching, funny and heartfelt memoir devoted
to his friendship with the equally legendary Dean Martin.

A must for fans of both performers...

First Video (!) Marquee (and other time wasting stuff...)

2009-02-23T13:11:00.000-06:00

Happy Post-Oscars Monday, folks....

It was a whirlwind of a weekend as I taped my very first video edition of the show, the behind-the-scenes shenanigans of which could probably comprise a film of it's own...but more on that hilarity another time.

Following a late Saturday night 1:30 wrap, I grabbed some Taco Bell grub and proceeded to sleep around 4 hours before an early Sunday morning editing session at my friend Jason's house (amazing editing console, btw) so we could upload our visual debut around 2 pm or so.

Wishful thinking goes pfft!

Wound up finishing a final cut around 4:30 after which I rushed home in order to set the DVR for the "really big shoooo" at the Kodak as well as recording part of TV Guide Channel's pre-show ("Watercooler's" John Fuglesang and Teresa Strasser are two of my media faves) to look at later. Good move in setting the DVR because I came this close to oversleeping and had to pretty much forgo watching ABC's pre-show while I made last minute predictions in lesser hailed categories on our other podcast blog (http://ondabeam.blogspot.com/). While hurrying to finish my prognostications, Jason calls to inform me that after three attempts,
uploading of our video episode has failed yet again...An hour into the Oscars, he rings me up with better news; the 4th attempt via his cell phone server was successful... Geez, I think The Beatles had it easier in A Hard Day's Night.

Anyway, we're in the home stretch of our Oscar '09 coverage; if you haven't done so yet, you can check out all the pre-show stuff in episodes 67 and 68. Following tomorrow morn (Tuesday) will be our post-show wrap and a grand finale saluting honorary Oscar recipient Jerry Lewis.

Since our My Space hangout is still wary of supposedly evil URL's (insert twirling silent movie era mustache here), I'm gonna have to ask the potential newbies reading to cut/paste in your browser: www.thedvdmarquee.com

As Jim Phelps as my witness (the good Jim Phelps in the TV series, not the backstabber in the movie version), I promise your computer won't self destruct in 5 seconds.

Back in a few,

Jeffrey
(aka the "Marquee" Man)

Oscar '09 Picks, Part II

2009-02-22T17:11:00.000-06:00

As of this blog post, a very special episode of the Marquee is being uploaded...and our very first video edition at that in which I give my 2009 Oscar picks in the major categories.

Here are my picks/thoughts in the remaining categories:

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: WALL-E-No pressure for the other nominees from cheap tuxedo rentals to not having to worry about having a speech in their pocket.

ART DESIGN: The Duchess-Easily the art-iest of all the nominees.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Slumdog Millionaire-Amazing work by Anthony Dod Mantle.

COSTUME DESIGN: The Duchess-Chalk up another trophy for the most unlikely multi-winner of the evening.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Man On Wire-Most talked about documentary in the last couple of years.

DOCUMENTARY SHORT: The Conscience of NHEM EN-One of 'dem crap shoot Oscar Pool categories; this film sounded the most interesting to me...

FILM EDITING: Slumdog Millionaire-Had me at helloheylet'sgetonwithitdropthepedalandgo!

FOREIGN FILM: Waltz With Bashir-Unless The Class sneaks up from behind, this is a pretty safe bet.

FILM SCORE: Milk-Composer Danny Elfman is a longtime favorite and this is one of his best scores.

SONG: Since the Academy was stupid enough to leave out Bruce Springsteen's amazing title tune for The Wrestler, the next best choice is the riveting Jai Ho from the close of Slumdog Millionaire; impossible to shake from your head as you left the theater.

ANIMATED SHORT: Presto-What I'll be shouting if this ditty helps me triumph Oscar pool wise.

LIVE SHORT: Auf Der Strecke (On The Line): With the help of a dialogue coach, what I'll be shouting (part deux) if this ditty helps me triumph Oscar pool wise.

SOUND MIXING: WALL-E-A tour de force in this category.

SOUND EDITING: The Dark Knight-Along with the Ledger victory, a win could help Dark Knight be a multi-trophy winner...

VISUAL EFFECTS: Benjamin Button-One of the few categories this overrated film deserves to be in; good job.

MAKE UP-Benjamin Button-To quote Patrick Swayze in Ghost, ditto.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY-The Reader: Going out on a limb here against the heavily favored Slumdog.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY- Milk: Dustin Lance Black could become the second straight first time scripter to emerge victorious in this category, although it would not surprise me if Martin McDonagh's much admired In Bruge comes out grabbing this honor...

YEE-HAAA! "Dr. Strangelove" Hits Blu-Ray In June!

2009-02-18T09:26:00.000-06:00

Culver City, CA (February 18, 2009) – Sony Pictures Home Entertainment invites you to re-live Stanley Kubrick’s satirical comedy Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb when it explodes on Blu-ray High-Def June 16, 2009 for the SRP $38.96. The 45^th Anniversary release will feature a 32-page booklet included in a deluxe Blu-ray book package. This celebrated film features a cadre of premier talent whose performances are taken to new heights in high definition. Peter Sellers (The Pink Panther, Lolita) stars in this uniquely dark comedy and displays his talent and versatility as he portrays the roles of British Exchange Officer, Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, President Merkin Muffley, and Dr. Strangelove, the wheelchair-bound ex-Nazi nuclear war expert. The story follows paranoid and utterly mad U.S. Air Force General Jack Ripper (Sterling Hayden) who sends bombers to destroy the U.S.S.R. which will unleash a cataclysmic series of events ultimately leading to total nuclear Armageddon.

Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is an inimitable film that demonstrates political satire at its finest. Nominated for four Oscars® including Best Picture [1], Best Director [2], Best Actor in a Leading Role [3] and Best Screenplay [4], this cult classic was made to be seen in high definition. Exclusive to the 45^th Anniversary Special Edition Blu-ray is a “The Cold War: Picture-in-Picture (PiP) and Graphic-in-Picture (GiP) Pop-Up Trivia Track” – while the movie is playing, optional pop up graphics (GiP) provide background information on the film, and occasionally video (PiP) pops up with cast and crew commentary. Other special features include an inside look into Dr. Strangelove, an interview with former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, and a remembrance of Peter Sellers.

Synopsis

Stanley Kubrick’s black comedy classic about an “accidental” nuclear attack received four Oscar® nominations (including Best Picture, 1964). Convinced the Commies want to pollute America’s “precious bodily fluids,” a crazed general (Sterling Hayden) orders a nuclear air strike on the U.S.S.R. As his aide, Captain Mandrake (Peter Sellers) scrambles to unlock a recall code to prevent the bombing, the U.S. President (Sellers again) calls a drunken Soviet Premier on the hotline claiming the proposed attack is a silly mistake, while the President’s advisor (an ex-Nazi scientist Dr. Strangelove (Sellers once again) verifies the existence of a dreaded Doomsday machine – a retaliatory device designed by the Soviets to end the human race once and for all!

BLU-RAY DISC SPECIAL FEATURES:

· The Cold War: Picture-in-Picture and Pop-Up Trivia Track - Embark on a journey into the very heart of the Cold War exploring, in fascinating detail, the military and political world in which Dr. Strangelove takes place. What did the film get right and where did it take liberties with established military procedures? And just how close were we in the early 1960s to a real atomic exchange? This multimedia experience includes Graphic-in-Picture pop-up trivia and Picture-in-Picture commentary that help shed some light on an era of secrets and heightened paranoia, all of which helped inspire this classic film. Picture-in-Picture interviews include:

o Thomas Schelling (RAND* Corp. employee during late 1950s and early 1960s – wrote article on novel “Red Alert” that prompted Kubrick’s interest in adapting the book to a film)

o Richard A. Clarke (Author of “Against All Enemies,” counter-terrorism and command and control systems expert)

o Daniel Ellsberg (RAND Corp. employee during late 1950s and early 1960s; consultant to JFK admin., Dept. of Defense)

o George Quester (Professor of Government and Politics, University of Maryland; expert on nuclear proliferation, deterrence, and nuclear diplomacy)

o David Alan Rosenberg (Temple University professor; Historian of Nuclear Strategy; ex-military)

· Four Documentaries

o No Fighting in the War Room or: Dr. Strangelove and the Nuclear Threat

o Inside: Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

o The Art of Stanley Kubrick: From Short Films to Strangelove

· Best Sellers Or: Peter Sellers and Dr. Strangelove Remembered

· An Interview with Former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara

· Interviews with Peter Sellers and George C. Scott

*The RAND Corporation (Research And Development) is a non-profit global policy think tank first formed to offer research and analysis to the United States armed forces.

New Marquee (Episode 67) Arriving Shortly...

2009-02-18T09:24:00.000-06:00

...and it's our annual pre-Oscar special, guys...Stay tuned...

Jeffrey

"Electric" Tommy Lee Jones Thriller Due March 3rd...

2009-02-12T11:40:00.000-06:00

Image Entertainment presents In The Electric Mist available on DVD and Blu-Ray March 3, 2009. Based on the bestselling novel by James Lee Burke and one of Image’s biggest releases this year, In the Electric Mist features Tommy Lee Jones leading an all-star cast with music by Buddy Guy. Veteran Detective Dave Robicheaux (Jones) makes his way through the Louisiana bayou and the New Orleans criminal underground investigating a series of grisly murders and in the process uncovers layers of corruption and long forgotten secrets.

Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones leads an all-star cast in this psychological thriller based on the bestselling novel by James Lee Burke. While on an investigation into a series of grisly murders, veteran detective Dave Robicheaux (Jones) navigates his way through the Louisiana bayou and the dark, sultry world of New Orleans mobster "Baby Feet" Balboni (John Goodman). Layers of corruption and long-dead secrets reawaken grudges and a lethal alliance A tangled web of killings, past and present, converges in a shocking showdown with stakes that become deeply personal to Robicheaux and his family. Featuring music from five-time GRAMMY Award-winner Buddy Guy, this film takes you deep into Cajun country's hidden worlds.

Will Smith's "Seven Pounds" Arrives March 31st...

2009-02-09T12:52:00.000-06:00

Culver City, CA (2/6/09) – Will Smith re-teams with the makers of The Pursuit of Happyness for the powerful and provocative new drama SEVEN POUNDS, available on Blu-ray High-Def, DVD and PSP this March 31, 2009, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. This inspiring tale about one man’s quest to better the lives of seven strangers features a top notch supporting cast, including Rosario Dawson (Eagle Eye, Sin City) and Woody Harrelson (No Country For Old Men, The People vs. Larry Flynt), and heartfelt direction by Gabriele Muccino, who previously helmed Will Smith’s The Pursuit of Happyness. Smith gives another riveting performance here that’s destined to entertain, move and perhaps change the lives of viewers everywhere when it arrives on Blu-ray, DVD and PSP.

Discover the secrets of SEVEN POUNDS with such revealing bonus features as a Director’s Commentary, four behind-the-scenes featurettes, including “Seven Views on Seven Pounds” and “Creating the Perfect Ensemble,” and deleted scenes. Exclusive to the Blu-ray edition is a Digital Copy of the film for playback on PC, PSP®, Mac or iPod®. Fans of such classic dramas as Crash and The Shawshank Redemption won’t want to miss SEVEN POUNDS, available at an SRP of $39.95 (Blu-ray), $28.96 (DVD) and $24.94 (PSP).

SEVEN POUNDS also stars Michael Ealy (TV’s “Sleeper Cell,” Barbershop 2) and Barry Pepper (The Green Mile, Saving Private Ryan). It was written by Grant Nieporte, whose work on the film received a 2008 Golden Satellite nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

Synopsis

Will Smith reunites with the director and producers of The Pursuit of Happyness for the emotional drama SEVEN POUNDS. In the film, Smith plays Ben Thomas, an IRS agent with a fateful secret who embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.

SEVEN POUNDS was produced by Todd Black (The Great Debaters, The Pursuit of Happyness), Jason Blumenthal (The Pursuit of Happyness, The Weather Man), James Lassiter (Hancock, I Am Legend), Steve Tisch (The Pursuit of Happyness, The Weather Man) and Will Smith (Lakeview Terrace, Hancock). It was released by Columbia Pictures and has a run time of approximately 118 minutes. It has been rated PG-13 for thematic material, some disturbing content and a scene of sensuality.

DVD and Blu-ray High-DefBonus Material

Deleted Scenes
4 Featurettes:

Seven Views on Seven Pounds
Creating the Perfect Ensemble
The Box Jellyfish: World’s Deadliest Co-Star
Emily’s Passion: The Art of the Printing Press

Commentary with Director Gabriele Muccino

Exclusive to the Blu-ray High-Def:

A Digital Copy of the film for PC, PSP®, Mac or iPod®
BD-Live: Access Exclusive content and downloads!

Bogdanovich Double Bill Coming In April...

2009-02-09T08:39:00.000-06:00

Culver City, CA (February 9, 2009) – Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is honored to present two classic films from Academy Award® nominee Peter Bogdanovich (1972, Best Director; Best Adapted Screenplay The Last Picture Show) on a brand-new two disc DVD set. The Last Picture Show features the director’s cut of this landmark film, while Nickelodeon is presented in the original color version and, for the first time ever, the black and white Director’s Cut. The Nickelodeon/The Last Picture Show Double Feature will be available on April 21, 2009 for an SLP of $24.96. New special features on the DVD set will include commentary tracks by Bogdanovich on both films and a new interview with the director about The Last Picture Show.

Nickelodeon is Peter Bogdanovich’s tribute to the “wildcat” pioneers of the silent film industry who had inspired him in his own career. The film stars Academy Award® winner Tatum O’Neal (1974 Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Paper Moon, TV’s “Rescue Me”), Academy Award® nominees Ryan O’Neal (1971 Best Actor in a Leading Role, Love Story) and Burt Reynolds (1998 Best Actor in a Supporting Role Boogie Nights) and Emmy® winner John Ritter (1984 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, “Three’s Company”).

Based on Larry McMurty’s evocative novel, The Last Picture Show is a surprisingly frank and bittersweet drama of social and sexual mores in small-town Texas. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards® and Cloris Leachman and Ben Johnson won the Best Supporting Actor/Actress categories. The Last Picture Show also stars Cybill Shepherd (TV’s “Cybill”), Academy Award® nominees Jeff Bridges (1972 Best Actor in a Supporting Role, The Last Picture Show), Randy Quaid (1974 Best Actor in a Supporting Role, The Last Detail) and Eileen Brennan (1982, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Private Benjamin) and Academy Award® winner Ellen Burstyn (1975, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore). Burstyn was also nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her part in The Last Picture Show.

Synopses

Nickelodeon

Burt Reynolds and Ryan O’Neal star in this heartfelt valentine to the early days of moviemaking. O’Neal is the film director who literally stumbles into his job, and Reynolds is an overnight screen hero. Based on actual reminiscences of such veteran directors as Raoul Walsh and Allan Dwan.

The Last Picture Show

Brilliant study of life in a small Texas town during the 1950’s, and how characters’ lives intertwine. The story, based on Larry McMurty’s novel, follows the exploits of two high school football stars. Oscars® went to Ben Johnson and Cloris Leachman for their sensitive performances.

DVD BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE:

Both the Color and the Black and White Director’s Cut of Nickelodeon
Director’s Cut of The Last Picture Show
New Audio Commentary with Peter Bogdanovich on both films
New interview with Bogdanovich for The Last Picture Show
The Last Picture Show Theatrical Re-release Featurette
“The Last Picture Show: A Look Back” Documentary

The Last Picture Show was directed by Peter Bogdanovich, from a screenplay by Bogdanovich and Larry McMurty, adapted from McMurty’s novel of the same name. The film stars Jeff Bridges, Timothy Bottoms, Randy Quaid, Cloris Leachman, Ellen Burstyn, Cybill Shepherd and Ben Johnson. Produced by Stephen J. Friedman.

Nickelodeon was directed by Peter Bogdanovich, from a screenplay by Bogdanovich and W. D. Richter. The film stars Ryan O’Neal, Burt Reynolds, Tatum O’Neal, John Ritter, Brian Keith, Stella Stevens and Harry Carey.

"Academy Award^®" and "Oscar^®" are the registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Episode 65 Up/Post Show Thoughts...

2009-02-05T20:58:00.000-06:00

Hey all; hope you enjoyed/or are about to enjoy Episode 65 of the program...Apologies for not getting it up sooner, but I've been under the weather with a temperature that skyrocketed to 103 a few hours ago. But thankfully, that was it's peak; I can't recall when I've been this sick due to a cold in ages, but I hear there's a virus going 'round (but hopefully I won't wind up like Bobbie Gentry's Papa and die in the spring a'la Ode To Billie Joe, you know?)

But I'm a lot better now, thankfully....and thanks in advance for your well wishes.

For those of you that have visited our companion blog as of late, you can tell I've increased the number of postings with new release information and such...and that's going to be a habit; the second I get something new from my press pals, it's going up.

In the hours since I completed post production, I was disappointed to hear that Kyle XY (whose second season was amongst the discs that we featured on this episode) was being cancelled by ABC Family. According to various reports, it's ratings had taken a hit going from 2 million to 1 1/2 million while other shows such as Secret Life/American Teenager and Greek had either held steady or increased their original numbers. Too bad for Matt Dallas and company; I liked the combo of sci-fi and teenage drama it had to offer.

Hope you classic rock/Who fans got a kick out of my thoughts on their Live At Kilburn disc; it really is a wonderfully entertaining pair of concerts...but not without a haunting moment within. About three songs into the set before sneaking off to the back for a breather during the percussion-less first half of Behind Blue Eyes, drummer Keith Moon kids to the audience that he's gotta "go O.D.". Sadly about a year later, he would...but not in the way you might think...his death was reportedly caused by an overdose of anti-alcohol pills to thwart off cravings. On a lighter note, another Moon moment is sure to bring a smile to all Who fans via a rough but charming off-the-cuff rendition of Tommy's Holiday Camp.

Finally, anxious to hear your thoughts about our new Basement Bin Pick Of The Week segment, or for that matter any other part of the show....You can reach me as always @: thedvdmarquee@gmail.com

RSS or bookmark our blog for the latest new release updates, notes on past/present/future shows and whatever else I can drum up that may pique your interests....and don't forget to subscribe to the podcast so you'll be the first to hear our numerous Oscar themed shows and our LOST special which at present, is scheduled to be our next broadcast popping up over the weekend.

Best always,

Jeffrey

--Jeffrey Rosado is a free lance writer, pop culture historian
and host/writer/creator of The DVD Marquee podcast.

Critically Acclaimed "Make 'Em Laugh" Documentary Available From Rhino

2009-02-05T20:52:00.000-06:00

Hosted by Billy Crystal and narrated by Amy Sedaris, Make ’Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America is a documentary series chronicling more than a century of the funniest moments in American entertainment. On January 13, Rhino Entertainment (www.rhinorecords.com) will release the six-hour series as a three-DVD collection available for a suggested list price of $34.95. Recorded in high definition, the set also includes exclusive bonus footage. The following day, January 14, and for the following two Wednesdays, the series will premiere on PBS; check local listings for exact broadcast times.

Produced by Thirteen/WNET and Ghost Light Films, in association with Rhino Entertainment and BBC, MAKE ’EM LAUGH is produced and directed by Michael Kantor and cowritten by Kantor and Laurence Maslon. It melds performances, biographical portraits, and American history to illustrate how comedy has mirrored the political and social changes in American society. Each hour-long episode focuses on a different genre of comedy, from slapstick and satire to stand-up and sitcoms.

MAKE ’EM LAUGH compiles the most popular routines, the most ingenious physical shtick, the snappiest wisecracks, and the most incisive, biting satirical jokes to have come out of American culture. The list of influential comedic talent featured and/or interviewed for the series includes: Charlie Chaplin, Jack Benny, Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Sid Caesar, Judd Apatow, Woody Allen, Larry Wilmore, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Richard Lewis, Jon Stewart, and many others.

Episode titles include: “Would Ya Hit A Guy With Glasses?: Nerds, Jerks & Oddballs”; “Slip On A Banana Peel: The Knockabouts”; “Sock it to Me?: Satire and Parody”; “When I’m Bad, I’m Better: The Groundbreakers”; “Never Give A Sucker An Even Break: The Wiseguys” and “Honey, I’m Home!: Breadwinners and Homemakers.” The DVD extras feature interviews with comedians discussing comedy, including Roseanne Barr on sitcoms versus stand-up; James L. Brooks on “The Simpsons”; Carol Burnett on Lucille Ball; Joan Rivers on Bill Cosby; Cheech Marin on Lenny Bruce; as well as appearances by George Carlin, Richard Lewis, and more.

Run For "The Hills"-Season 4 Lands March 3rd

2009-02-05T20:48:00.000-06:00

Head for the hills as MTV’s hit franchise returns to DVD March 3rd with The Hills: The Complete Fourth Season. Life and love in Los Angeles is put to the ultimate test for Lauren and the girls in this 3-disc DVD set. Featuring every drama-filled episode of the heavily talked-about 4th season, this will satisfy every Hills fan. Special features include deleted scenes, interviews, video commentary, and much more!

The girls are beginning to make big decisions that will set the course for the rest of their lives. Lauren is struggling to balance the tension between her roommates Audrina and Lo and has started dating Doug, an old flame from Laguna Beach. Just as Audrina considers letting her boyfriend Justin go and begins to date Colin, Justin turns up the heat in their relationship leaving her torn. Whitney rises up the ranks at People’s Revolution much faster than she expected and meets a model in New York who could possibly sweep her off her feet. And as Heidi is dealing with the consequences of putting her job at risk to move in with Spencer again, she invites her sister from Colorado to come in for an indefinite visit, putting even more pressure on their renewed relationship. Life in Los Angeles only gets more complicated as friendships, relationships and loyalties are tested like never before.

Thirteenth Floor, Universal Soldier Headed To Blu-Ray

2009-02-04T13:20:00.000-06:00

Culver City, Calif. (February 2, 2009) – Sony Pictures Home Entertainment explores the danger of traversing time and space when it releases cyber-thrillers The Thirteenth Floor and Universal Soldier: The Return on high-definition Blu-ray Disc April 14, 2009 for the SLP of $28.95.

The Thirteenth Floor:
The barriers that separate fantasy from reality are shattered in this stylish, mind-jarring thriller where two parallel worlds collide in a paroxysm of deception, madness and murder. On the thirteenth floor of a corporate tower, high-tech visionary Douglas Hall (Craig Bierko - The Long Kiss Goodnight) and his high-strung colleague, Whitney (Vincent D'Onofrio - Men In Black), have opened the door to an amazing virtual world - circa 1937 Los Angeles. But when the powerful leader of their secret project (Armin Mueller-Stahl, Shine, “The X-Files”) is discovered slashed to death, Hall becomes the prime suspect. With word of the murder spreading, the beautiful and mysterious Jane Fuller (Gretchen Mol, Rounders) arrives from Paris, claiming to be the murder victim's daughter. Her instant, magnetic attraction to Hall only further blurs the lines of what is real. Is he the killer? Is the inscrutable Jane somehow connected? To find the answers, Hall must cross the boundaries into the simulated reality he has helped create and confront the astonishing truth about his own existence.

The Thirteenth Floor Blu-ray Disc Special Features:

Director Commentary
Production Designer Audio Commentary
Bonus Trailers
Music video by the Cardigans
Talent Files

Universal Soldier: The Return

Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme), the heroic former Universal Soldier, is about to be thrown into action once again. With the Cold War over and defense budgets slashed, the entire Universal Soldier team is facing elimination, including SETH, the super-computer that controls the ultra-warriors. Knowing that his days are numbered, SETH decides to seek revenge by destroying his creators and implementing a reign of terror on the outside world. Morphing into human form as the quintessential Universal Soldier (Michael Jai White), SETH begins to unleash his wicked plan with the aid of his top soldier (Bill Goldberg). When conventional military strength fails to thwart his efforts, Luc must take charge. As Luc faces SETH and his team of unstoppable soldiers, a battle pitting man against machine and good against evil ensues, offering the kind of high-intensity sci-fi action you've come to expect from Van Damme in a story you won't soon forget.

Universal Soldier: The Return Blu-ray Disc Special Features:

o Michael Jai White: “A Universal Soldier’s Workout” Featurette

o Jean-Claude Van Damme: Looking Back, Moving Forward

o Making of Featurette

Jessica Simpson Joins Military, World Panics

2009-01-29T05:12:00.000-06:00

Culver City, Calif. (November 24, 2008): Sony Pictures Home Entertainment salutes America's Sweetheart with the debut of Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous on DVD, February 3, 2009 for the SRP of $24.96. Sexy Simpson (Blonde Ambition, Dukes of Hazzard) with the girl-next-door smile, stars as Megan Valentine, a spoiled Hollywood actress who suddenly finds herself broke and humiliated in the public eye after one disastrous night out. With no money, no job and no boyfriend, she ends up at an Army recruiting office and decides to trade in her high heels for combat boots in an impulsive effort to turn her life around. Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous is supported by a talented cast that includes: Vivica A. Fox (Ella Enchanted, Kill Bill: Vol 1), Steve Guttenberg (Three Men and a Little Lady), Cheri Oteri (TV’s "Saturday Night Live"), Olesya Rulin (High School Musical 3: Senior Year) and Jill Marie Jones (TV's "Girlfriends"). Bonus features on Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous include a “Making-of” Featurette and deleted scenes.

Synopsis

Jessica Simpson is Megan Valentine, a pampered Hollywood starlet whom no one takes seriously. But when she loses her money, her boyfriend, and her home, all in one disastrous night; she ends up making the snap decision to join the Army. The transition from designer duds to camouflage fatigues isn’t easy, but she’s determined to be all that she can be. With a little help from her fellow recruits, they’ll show each other that they have what it takes to face anything and still be fabulous.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:

Deleted Scenes

o “The Making of Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous” Featurette

More Spectacular Spider-Man Volumes On The Way

2009-01-29T05:09:00.000-06:00

CULVER CITY, CALIF. (January 12, 2009) – Everyone’s favorite web slinging super hero returns to home screens in two new-to-DVD animated collections: The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 2 and The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 3 arriving March 17 from Sony Pictures Television. Executive produced by Stan Lee, Craig Kyle, Eric S. Rollman, and produced by Greg Weisman, Victor Cook and Diane A. Crea, these latest volumes were created from episodes of the hit kids’ television show on the CW. The network series drew more than 1.8 million viewers weekly and will re-launch in 2009 on Disney’s XD network. The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 2 and The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 3 are the next chapters in the series of releases. Both volumes feature a “Play All Episodes” function for seamless viewing with credits, and each will be available for $19.94 SRP.

Lending their voices to help make these hip and exciting adventures come to life are Josh Keaton (TV’s “Ben 10”); Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls); Josh LeBar (TV’s “Entourage”); Vanessa Marshall (TV’s “Underfist: Halloween Bash”); Deborah Strang (Eagle Eye); Alanna Ubach (Still Waiting); James Arnold Taylor (TV’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars); Daran Norris (Bolt); and Grey Delisle (TV’s “The Replacements”).

The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 2

In the action-packed The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 2, Peter Parker’s ability to tackle an onslaught of menacing super-villains is put to the ultimate test. He must take on the evil likes of some of his most daunting rivals ever -- the Shocker, Sandman and Rhino, all while finding time for his Chemistry lessons.

The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 3

In The Spectacular Spider-Man: Volume 3, Peter finds himself amidst more dangerous arch enemies -- the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus and Tombstone.

"The Grudge" Turns Blu (Ray) In March...

2009-01-27T17:59:00.000-06:00

CULVER CITY, CALIF. (January 26, 2009) – From filmmaker Sam Raimi (Spider-Man®, Army of Darkness) and acclaimed Japanese director Takashi Shimizu, comes the Blu-ray debut of The Grudge on March 24 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, coinciding with the DVD release of The Grudge 3. A terrifying tale of horror in the tradition of The Ring and 28 Days Later, the film stars Sarah Michelle Gellar (TV’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” Scream 2), Bill Pullman (Scary Movie 4, You Kill Me), Jason Behr (Skinwalkers), and Clea Duvall (Zodiac, 21 Grams) in the box office smash that grossed more than $110 million. The Grudge will be available on Blu-ray for $28.95 SRP, including both rated and unrated versions of the film, as well as a five part making-of featurette, a featurette on the fear response shown in the film, and commentary by Sam Raimi, Ted Raimi and Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as an American nurse who has come to work in Tokyo. Following a series of horrifying and mysterious deaths, she encounters the vengeful supernatural spirit that possesses its victims, claims their souls, then passes its curse to another person in a spreading chain of horror. Now, she must find a way to break this supernatural spell or become the next victim of an ancient evil that never dies, but forever lives to kill.

The Grudge was directed by Takashi Shimizu from a screenplay by Takashi Shimizu and Stephen Susco. Sam Raimi, Taka Ichise, and Robert G. Tapert serve as producers. The film was co-produced by Michael Kirk, Aubrey Henderson, and Shintaro Shimosawa; and executive produced by Doug Davison, Joseph Drake, Nathan Kahane, and Roy Lee.

Special Features include:

§ Featurette: A Powerful Rage: Behind the Grudge - a five part making-of documentary

§ Featurette: Under the Skin Featurette - explores the medical explanation of the fear response in film

§ Featurette: Under the Skin

§ Featurette: The “Grudge” House: An Insider’s Tour

§ Featurette: Sights and Sounds: The Storyboard Art of Takashi Shimizu

§ Featurette: Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Video Diary

§ Featurette: KaDee Strickland’s Video Diary

§ JU-ON Short Film: 4444444444

§ JU-ON Short Film: In a Corner

§ Photo Montage: Production Designer’s Notebook: The Sketches of Iwao Saito

§ Deleted Scenes

§ Commentary with Writer Stephen Susco, Producers Sam Raimi and Rob Talbert, and Actors Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Behr, Clea Duvall, KaDee Strickland and Ted Raimi

§ Commentary with Director Takashi Shimizu, Producer Taka Ichise and Actress Takako Fuji

The Blu-ray Disc version of The Grudge is BD-Live™ enabled, allowing users to get connected and go beyond the disc via an Internet-connected Blu-ray player. Download exclusive content, register for rewards, give feedback through our survey and more!

Episode 65: Sneak Peek

2009-01-27T17:51:00.000-06:00

Hi folks,

Working on Episode 65 which will feature two re-mastered Audrey Hepburn classics from Paramount (Funny Face and Breakfast At Tiffany's)...and we'll also play catch up with a couple of comedies from Camp Apatow (Step Brothers, Pineapple Express; both from Sony).

As those of you that have caught Episode 64 know, we were to have had a LOST special debut this week. But owing to production problems, that has been delayed. We hope to bring that to you the first week of February.

Best,

Jeffrey

The Lodger, Spectacular! Coming From Sony

2009-01-27T17:27:00.000-06:00

CULVER CITY, CALIF. (January 26, 2009) – Get ready to rock the house when Nickelodeon’s highly anticipated original TV movie, Spectacular!, comes to DVD March 31 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Rising star Nolan Gerard Funk (TV’s “Aliens in America”, X-Men 2) is charismatic Nikko, an all-around bad boy and wannabe rock star who, after being dumped by his band, is recruited by Spectacular, a high school show choir headed to the national championships to compete for top prize. All bets are off as the two musical worlds collide and Spectacular invents a whole new style that may spell disaster for their arch rivals.

Director Robert Iscove (She's All That) combines lively choreography with electrifying tunes in this rock-and-roll adventure featuring Victoria Justice (TV’s “Zoey 101”), Tammin Sursok (The Young and the Restless, Aquamarine) and Greg Germann (Talladega Nights, TV’s “Ally McBeal”) with 10 original songs co-written by hitmakers Robbie Nevil and Matthew Gerrard (High School Musical). Packed with dynamic new music and the hottest new dance moves, Spectacular! has everything kids have come to expect from Nickelodeon, including behind-the-scenes features, music videos with sing-a-long karaoke options, instructional dance videos, a free ringtone and more.

Fans can even become of the action and rock out to their favorite songs just like the stars in the movie! Teaming up with the hot-selling music video game Rock Band®, the Spectacular! DVD will contain an exclusive code to redeem two original songs from the movie by Nikko – “Break My Heart” and “Don’t Tell Me” – for download through the Rock Band® Music Store. The tracks also will be available for purchase starting February 3, 2009, for the Xbox_360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and February 5, 2009 for PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. Each individual track will be available for $0.99 (80 Microsoft Points). The DVD will be available for $24.94 SRP.

SYNOPSIS:

Nikko (Funk) is the next rock superstar and he plans to conquer the world with his band, Alloy. Courtney’s (Sursok) world revolves around her sequin-filled show choir, Spectacular. But when Alloy kicks Nikko out of the band and Spectacular loses their best male singer to a rival choir, Courtney convinces Nikko to join Spectacular. Will Nikko be the force that Spectacular needs to finally beat their rival choir, Ta-Da? Or will Nikko’s rock edge be too much for the glittery world of the show choirs?

DVD Special Features include:

· Four Bonus Featurettes:

o On-Set Video Diary

o Instructional dance video

o Hilarious tips on being in a show choir

o Behind the scenes look at the making of Spectacular!

· Two Music Videos with a karaoke sing-a-long feature

· Exclusive downloadable ringtone featuring a Spectacular! original song

· Exclusive download code for two free Spectacular! songs on Rock Band

CULVER CITY, CALIF. (January 26, 2009) – Alfred Molina (Spider Man 2), Hope Davis (About Schmidt), Shane West (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), Rachel Leigh Cook (Nancy Drew), and Simon Baker (TV’s “The Mentalist”) star in director David Ondaatje’s The Lodger, debuting on DVD February 10 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Everyone is suspect in this psychological thriller about a Los Angeles detective who hunts down a violent serial killer in this modern day Jack the Ripper tale. Bonus materials include a behind the scenes featurette as well as deleted and alternate scenes. The DVD will be available for $24.96 SRP.

SYNOPSIS:

The Lodger follows a seasoned detective on the trail of a ruthless killer intent on slaughtering prostitutes along West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip. It appears that the murderer’s grisly methods are identical to that of London’s infamous 19th century psychopath Jack the Ripper – a relentless serial killer who was never caught by police. To make matters worse, the detective soon notices the parallels between the crimes committed by the West Hollywood stalker and those of a serial murderer incarcerated years ago. Could the wrong man be behind bars?

Special Features Include:

· Deleted and Alternate Scenes

· Featurette: Beyond the Shadows: Behind the Scenes of The Lodger

The Lodger was directed by David Ondaatje (Waiting for Dr. MacGuffin) from the screenplay by David Ondaatje and based on the book by Marie Belloc Lowndes. The producers are Michael Mailer, David Ondaatje, and Scott Putman.

Streep-Nicholson's "Ironweed" Debuting On DVD

2009-01-27T17:04:00.000-06:00

Academy Award nominee Meryl Streep's Ironweed is among the February offerings from our friends at Lionsgate...

Ironweed
Starring three-time Academy Award® winner and nine-time nominee Jack Nicholson (Best Actor, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, 1975; Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Terms of Endearment, 1983; Best Actor, As Good As It Gets, 1997), two-time Academy Award® winner and twelve-time nominee Meryl Streep (Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Kramer vs. Kramer, 1979; Best Actress, Sophie's Choice, 1982) and directed by Academy Award® nominee Hector Babenco (Kiss of the Spider Woman, 1975), the classic drama Ironweed makes its long awaited DVD debut this February. Nominated for two Academy Awards®, Best Actor (Nicholson) and Best Actress (Streep), the film is based on William Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name.

Francis Phelan (Nicholson), a drunken former baseball player is running away from life and the painful, guilty memories that haunt him. Helen Archer (Streep), is Francis's longtime girlfriend and partner in drink. Together they lament the misery of life and ponder their tragic pasts, hoping to find a way to free themselves from their troubled lives. Told in a series of drunken flashbacks, Ironweed is a dark portrait of depression-era hopelessness and a searing character-driven drama.

My Wife and Kids: Season One
The first season of the hit family comedy series "My Wife and Kids" is now available for the first time on DVD this February from Lionsgate. Starring four-time Emmy® nominee Damon Wayans (TV's "In Living Color") and Tisha Campbell-Martin (TV's "Rita Rocks") as a loving couple with a crazy family, the widely popular series won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Television New Comedy Series in 2002. The show had a successful four season run after its March 28, 2001 debut on ABC, and it is currently airing in syndication on ABC Family. My Wife and Kids: Season One is a 2-disc DVD set that contains all 12 episodes from the first season.

In this upbeat family comedy, Michael Kyle (Wayans) is a self-made entrepreneur who dreams of a simple, traditional life in Connecticut. However, that dream is pushed further and further from reach by his wife Janet (Campbell-Martin) and their three kids - Michael aka "Junior" (George O. Gore, II, TV's "New York Undercover"), Claire (Jennifer Freeman, Mercy Street) and Kady (Parker McKenna Posey, Alice Upside Down). Michael and Janet do their best to keep their sanity through one family crisis after another. However, through all the problems and distractions, the Kyle's manage to put family first and teach their kids meaningful life lessons.

Scourge
Coming to DVD this February is Scourge, the latest and most terrifying creature to leave its trail of terror across the silver screen. The film won the Leo Award for Best Visual Effects in a Feature Length Drama and was nominated for Best Score and Best Direction. An ancient evil has re-awakened in Harborford, Washington and is rapidly infecting the unassuming town. Every six hours it feeds on a new victim before it has to find a new host. Everyone can see what it does, but no one knows what it is. To stop it, they'll have to find it, but with nowhere left to run and no place left to hide, the destruction of the Scourge is in the hands of the notorious town bad-boy.

Ghostbusters Coming To Blu-Ray!

2009-01-26T18:35:00.000-06:00

News out of Culver City, CA from our friends at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment:

America’s favorite paranormal psychologists are back to save the world, this time with unsurpassed picture and audio quality and advanced new bonus features in the Ghostbusters Blu-ray Disc, releasing worldwide the week of June 16, 2009. The simultaneous launch of Ghostbusters: The Video Game, the highly anticipated videogame from Atari, celebrates the film’s 25th anniversary, with an all-new adventure from by the film’s original writers. Ivan Reitman’s sci-fi blockbuster comedy stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Annie Potts, and Rick Moranis. The high-def set oozes with special features and interactivity including Slimer Mode, a picture-in-picture graphical viewing experience, a featurette on the refurbishing of Ecto-1, and more.

“This great franchise is one of the crown jewels in the studio’s library,” said Lexine Wong, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s Senior Executive Vice President, Worldwide Marketing. “With Ghostbusters 25th anniversary upon us and the forthcoming release of an eagerly anticipated new video game, this is the perfect opportunity to release this exciting new edition on Blu-ray Disc.”

Directed and produced by Ivan Reitman (Meatballs, Stripes), with the screenplay written by Dan Aykroyd (My Girl, The Great Outdoors) and Harold Ramis (Knocked Up), Ghostbusters stars Bill Murray (Meatballs, Stripes), Dan Aykroyd (My Girl, The Great Outdoors), Sigourney Weaver (Aliens, Copycat), Harold Ramis (Knocked Up), Annie Potts (TV’s “Designing Women”), and Rick Moranis (Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Spaceballs).

Synopsis:

University parapsychologists Dr. Peter Venkman (Murray), Dr. Raymond Stanz (Aykroyd) and Dr. Egon Spengler (Ramis) lose a research grant when their experiment methodology is proven to be bogus. The team decides to go into business for themselves and open ‘Ghostbusters,’ a ghost removal service. After struggling to get on their feet, they are summoned to investigate the strange happenings in Dana Barrett’s (Weaver) Central Park West apartment. What they discover is that all Manhattan is being besieged by ghosts and other worldly demons through a portal in her building.

Ghostbusters Blu-ray Disc Special Features:

All-New Exclusive Special Features

Digitally Mastered Audio and Video
Slimer Mode: Picture-in-Picture Graphical Viewing Experience with an examination of the spook-hunters’ firehouse headquarters, an in-depth exploration of the creatures in the Ghostbusters mythology, behind-the-scenes discussions of making the movie, new cast, crew and special effects artists interviews and much more!
Featurette: Ecto-1: Resurrecting the Classic Car
Ghostbusters Garage: Ecto-1 Gallery

Additional Special Features

Filmmakers’ Commentary with Ivan Reitman, Harold Ramis and Joe Medjuck
Featurette: 1984 – The Making of Ghostbusters – Interviews with the cast and crew
Featurette: Interviews with Cast and Crew
Featurette: SFX Team - Includes Before and After Multi-Angle Explorations
Scene Cemetery – 10 Deleted Scenes
Audio: English, Spanish (Castilian), French (Parisian), Portuguese (Brazil)
Subtitles: English, Spanish (Latin Am), French (Parisian), Portuguese (Brazil), Dutch, Arabic
Storyboard Comparisons
Closed Captioned

(Almost) 24 Hours Of Oscar: The Marquee's Oscar Run '09 Begins, Part 1

2009-01-26T08:30:00.000-06:00

For the last several years, my fave magazine Entertaiment Weekly has published a list in their first Oscar season oriented issue called the Top 25 Films You Must See before the cinematic love fest at the Kodak Theater commences. Most Mr. And Mrs. John Q. Public's might be lucky enough to see maybe two or three...and those almost often wind up being the safe bets appealing to mass audiences. You know, films people are talking about during work breaks which in turn, forces the uninitiated to pluck down some greenbacks at the ticket window the following weekend in order to not feel left out of potential bonding with the cool kids.

You thought this type of peer pressure ended during the days of acne and high school, didn't you?

But for people like me who worship at the altar of the little gold man with the pointy sword, it's the multiplex equivalent of a call to arms....like a horse getting psyched up entering the take-off gates of a race track...a food judge ready to devour baked goodies at the county fair..or a Christmas morning that extends over the course of three weeks.

Just like the latter comparison scenario, some cinematic gifts will conjure up wide eyed accompaniment of a verbal wow (!), some will force one to go into damage control mode (“Uh, thanks Uncle Ralph...I really needed a matching set of magic ink erasers for school”). But moments echoing the former where the wonderment of a Forrest Gump or Pulp Fiction or a Juno stay with you long after the house lights come back up and the commute back home, those embody the meaning of “gifts that keep on giving” to me....and for those of you who visit the humble abode can tell via my DVD collection (but be careful and not get your fingerprints on my Criterion Edition of Monterey Pop, okay?).

Last year to commemorate my on-line radio show's second anniversary, I decided after years of envying working film critics who sometimes gorge on triple scoops of reel delights on certain days, to take EW's ambitious homework assignment to heart. Little did I know what I was getting myself into. With a 2^nd shift real job obligation, the task of catching nominated films on free nights and weekends was at times daunting as the maze round on American Gladiators (Lace was my favorite back in the show's original heyday, by the way).

With the exception of a few films (owing to factors including one showing a day which didn't fit into my schedule, unavailability on DVD or unobtainable from media sources), I somehow made it through...and managed to record a virtual Oscar round table discussion to boot with L.A. Based film critics Wade Major and Mark Keizer, and noted blog author Scott Feinberg (And The Winner Is) in mid-February. As icing on the cake, USA Today's Whitney Matheson picked me to be one of five readers of her entertaingly addictive online Pop Candy column to contribute live Oscar night commentary from the comfort of my own couch.

Take that, seat fillers!

Flash forward nearly a year later on a chilly January weekend, braving traffic on wet roads and a wind accompanied long walk from my spot in the local Bijou parking lot (which apparently was in the next county) to it's thankfully warm lobby, moments away from starting what I'm christening Oscar Run '09 ….and talk about a jam packed, potentially revelatory first day: A do-it-yourself triple feature consisting of Slumdog Millionaire, Frost/Nixon, and The Wrestler.

If my calculations are correct Mr. Ebert, that's about a third of the contents of many a critics 2008 top ten list, right?

Will these nominee kissed films and others to follow live up to the campaign hype in my eyes? Follow me via my blog updates in the weeks ahead along with special Oscar editions of The DVD Marquee as the Super Bowl of movies approaches and find out.

-Jeffrey Rosado is a writer, performer, pop culture historian and on-line broadcaster.

www.thedvdmarquee.com

Back So Soon? Episode 53 Show Notes...

2008-03-10T02:55:00.000-05:00

Howdy at-home movie lovers....

Ah, the advantages of having material in the can....Marquee Show 53 is now live and worldwide with numero 54 following closely behind (but not tailgating).

Compared to the magnum opuses of the last two Oscar-fueled production monsters, putting together this 'un was smooth....and although it's a shorty, some good stuff to recommend, especially Kurt Cobain: About A Son, The Jane Austen Book Club and Barry Manilow: Songs From The 70's...hey, no snickering....even Dylan and the once and forever Chairman Of The Board (aka Francis Albert Sinatra) proclaimed themselves fans...but more on that in a second.

I'll never forget hearing the band Nirvana for the first time...and it was in a most unusual setting. As I said in a previous dispatch, I was part of an SNL-ish program in my neck of the woods in the early 1990's...and during one sketch that defies description, we segued from Smells Like Teen Spirit to Give A Little Whistle from Pinocchio (I kid you not) and back again....and it was during the shooting of this bit that I heard that groundbreaking grunge staple...and it was the most vital piece of rock and roll I'd heard in ages. Wasn't long before I became the proud owner of a copy of Nevermind like millions of others sonically baptized into the fold...but just as quickly as the flashpoint ignited, Cobain was gone.

Without giving too much away, let me just say that About A Son is not only the most unusual musical documentary I've seen in a long time, it's endlessly revelatory and invaluable in the way it peels away the TMZ-ish crap that's formed the public image of Cobain's image since his passing...and makes you feel like you're getting to know him for the first time...and all without the use of one single solitary song from his back catalog.

Note I said, unusual. Check it out...you won't be sorry. A must for rock scholars, Cobain-philes and anyone that appreciates filmmakers tearing up the atypical rock documentary playbook to bits....something I know Kurt was surely approve.

I was also wonderfully surprised by The Jane Austen Book Club...Despite still being a virgin as far as her writings, I'm a major romantic, so I had no trouble immersing myself in this so-called chick flick that I don't think many a female will have to twist their boyfriend's/hubby's arms into settling in on the couch for it....and fellas, even if it doesn't strike the same chord in you? Maria Bello, Maggie Grace (attention LOST geeks!), Kathy Baker (adorable actress from Edward Scissorhands and Picket Fences), Amy Brennerman and Emily Blunt....but please, don't slobber too much in the midst of eye-candy overload...that might affect post end credits mood making.

Finally, Mr. "I Write The Songs" salutation, here. I get so tired of people painting Barry Manilow fans in a corner...You've either got to be a middle-aged housewife reliving a bedroom wall teenage crush or a guy with the enthusiasm of Ross The (Tonight Show) Intern in heat. I fit into neither of those categories (save for when my lovable three year old great nephew accidentally points a toy in the wrong direction toward my nether regions....only then might I go Ross-y and achieve Frankie Valli high notes of vintage Four Seasons proportions in the process). In other words, you won't see me hurriedly hiding my copy of Barry Manilow: Songs From The 70's when company comes over. From bringing back out those infamous commercial jingles (yay!) from his pre-Mandy days that helped ward off the landlord to a stirring cover of He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother (nice tip of the hat to fellow Brooklyn boy Neil Diamond) and a baker's dozen of AM transistor classics that still sound great in the I-Pod age, it's just as fun as his recent Emmy winning Music and Passion in half the time.

You know the drill: www.thedvdmarquee.com

Looks like tomatoes, er, we made it,

Jeffrey
(Lord of the Marquee)

Quick Update

2008-02-07T13:59:00.000-06:00

Apologies for the delay in getting Episode 50 up, folks....But to make it up to ya, I'm taping two shows back to back with the possibility of a third as well. Lots of new stuff to talk about including what I feel will be the year's first big DVD seller in Beowulf....

--Jeffrey

Future Reviews On The Show, Etc.

2008-01-31T03:57:00.001-06:00

Hi folks....

Looks like there's light at the end of the tunnel as far as the post-holiday blah's as far as exciting DVD releases to talk about on our show and our blogs. Actually, this month hasn't been that bad with quality offerings ranging from Danny Boyle's Sunshine to King Of California, with the latter featuring Michael Douglas' best performance in ages...so much so that it's going to be amongst the three main DVD's featured on our forthcoming 50th episode which will be up by this weekend.

In addition to a dozen or so recent releases in our Quick Takes segments, I'll also be talking up SONY's new upgrade of Bill Murray's classic comedy Groundhog Day (say it hasn't been 15 years!) and an outstanding PBS Home Video release compiling the most recent episodes of Pioneers Of Television.

More to come,

Jeffrey

--Jeffrey Rosado is a free lance writer, pop culture historian
and host/writer/creator of The DVD Marquee podcast.

"Planet Terror "Arrives 10/16

2007-09-20T17:16:00.001-05:00

Just in time for Halloween partying, our good friends at Genius Entertainment bring news of the highly anticipated Robert Rodriguez half of Grindhouse known as Planet Terror: Unrated and Extended.

This two disc set will be crammed with extras including

Feature Length Audio Commentary By Writer/Director Robert Rodriguez
Audience Screening Track
10 Minute Film School
Sickos, Bullets And Explosions: The Stunts Of Planet Terror
The Badass Babes Of Planet Terror
Casting Robert Rodriguez’s Son Rebel
The Guys Of Planet Terror
The Friend, The Doctor And The Real Estate Agent
International Poster Gallery and International Trailer

Hopefully, both Death Proof and Terror will resurface in their original Grindhouse combination down the road (miss those pre-feature and intermission trailers), but for now, who can argue with extended editions, missing reels and all.

Show #40 Coming.....

2007-09-20T17:12:00.000-05:00

Hey guys...

Quick time out from promotional blurbing to let you know that our 40th show is on the way...It'll be a post-Emmy disco ball free spectacular saluting many of this year's winners...stay tuned....

Get "Knocked Up" In Vegas!

2007-09-20T17:02:00.000-05:00

Promotionally speaking, that is.....

LAS VEGAS – September 12, 2007 – In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, Hooters Casino Hotel and Universal Studios Home Entertainment are inviting comedy fans to celebrate “National Knocked Up Night” on September 25th, the official DVD release date of the hilarious comedy hit Knocked Up and the unofficial excuse to celebrate in ways left strictly to the imagination.

On September 25th, in a salute to the year’s most anticipated comedy DVD release, Hooters Casino Hotel will offer an array of specially created Knocked Up merchandise and promotional prizes to guests. The first 100 hand-paid jackpot winners will win a FREE Knocked Up 2-Disc Collector’s Edition DVD featuring hilarious deleted scenes, outtakes, gag reels, video diaries from director Judd Apatow, “screen tests” of actors who were fired before Seth Rogen was hired, and much, much more.
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Additional offerings for guests will include uproarious Knocked Up-branded merchandise including limited-edition dartboard games, over-the-top party favors and more. Hooters guests will also enjoy a special signature cocktail called “The Knocked Up Martini,” that will be served at Pete & Shorty’s, Hooters Restaurant and the Lobby Bar for only $6.95.

The first 100 people that sign up for an Owl Rewards Club card also will receive a FREE Knocked Up T-shirt. Owl Rewards Club is free and easy to join, members must be 21 years of age or older. For more information on Owl Rewards Club, call 800-235-5987, visit www.hooterscasinohotel.com or just stop by Owl Rewards Club Concierge Services on property.

In addition, starting September 17th, visitors to www.knockedupmovie.com/sweeps can enter the “Have a ‘Knocked Up’ Getaway” sweepstakes for one lucky winner and a guest to win a grand prize, three-day, two-night stay at the Hooters Casino Hotel including airfare for two, dinner at Dan Marino’s Fine Food & Spirits, tickets to see comedian Bobby Slayton, $200 spending money and an array of additional Knocked Up merchandise. The deadline to enter is October 1, 2007. Additional prizing will include products provided by Kaboom Energy Juices and Rudeman Hair.

Sweepstakes are sponsored and executed by Universal Studios Home Entertainment. All entries and inquiries must go through www.knockedupmovie.com/sweeps.

Knocked Up- The Summer’s Biggest Comedy Hit is Even Funnier on DVD

From Judd Apatow, the writer and director of “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” comes the hilarious and unforgettable must-see comedy hit. Ben and Alison's story was supposed to be over after one night but unexpected consequences bring them together in a wildly funny series of events Rolling Stone calls, “hilarious in ways you have to see to believe.” Starring Katherine Heigl, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann and Jonah Hill, Knocked Up arrives on DVD in Unrated and Rated versions as well as in an Unrated 2-Disc Collector’s Edition on September 25, 2007.

Ramones-"It's Alive" Due October 2nd

2007-09-18T14:58:00.000-05:00

From Rhino:

Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee, Tommy, Marky, Richie, and C-Jay -- The Ramones will always be the first "family" of punk. Together more than 20 years, the Ramones inspired legions of followers as they refined their signature garage-flavored, ear-shattering, pop-skewed sound with a string of now-classic, loud-and-fast punk rock records and 2,263 concerts. Rhino sends you back to rock rock, rock 'n' roll high school with a double-DVD that captures the essence of the Ramones' legendary racket with more than four hours of rare and unreleased performances.

IT'S ALIVE 1974-1996 will be available October 2 at regular retailers and online at www.rhino.com for a suggested list price of $19.99.

More than four years in the making, Tommy Ramone served as music supervisor for this collection. Arranged chronologically over two DVDs, IT'S ALIVE 1974-1996 relives some of the band's best performances with live footage of more than 100 songs, including "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker," "Blitzkrieg Bop," "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue," "Beat On The Brat" and "I Wanna Be Sedated."

With more than four hours of impossible-to-find and unreleased live footage, this collection will make you feel like you're standing in stale beer at CBGB's shouting along with Dee Dee as he counts off, "One, two, three, four!"

The DVD also includes previously unreleased footage filmed on New Year's Eve in 1977 during the band's incendiary performance at The Rainbow Theatre in London. The entire concert was released in 1979 as the It's Alive album, considered one of the best live records ever. The DVD features 14 songs in

5.1 Surround Sound taken from the show including "Pinhead," "We're A Happy Family," and "Havana Affair."

Nine performances recorded in 1982 at the US Festival in San Bernardino, CA are also featured here in 5.1 Surround Sound. The band fires off hit after hit, blazing through "The KKK Took My Baby Away," "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment," and "Rock 'n' Roll High School." During the show, the band also covers "Chinese Rocks," a song Dee Dee wrote, which was recorded by Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers.

Spanning the Ramones' entire career, the DVD follows the band from its earliest performances at CBGB's, to their last international performance in Argentina. It's Alive 1974-1996 travels around the world with the Ramones, capturing priceless performances in the UK, Germany, Sweden Spain, Argentina, Finland, Italy and the US. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, the band may be gone, but their sound and influence are indestructible.

Ed. Note: Listen for an early review of this phenomenal package on The DVD Marquee podcast in late September...

Pre-Order Link: Ramones: It's Alive - 1974-1996

Viva King Elvis!

2007-09-18T07:56:00.000-05:00

Although it's a little late to take advantage of the 30th anniversary of his passing, ABC is devoting two hours of prime time tonight to rock and roll's eternal king, Elvis Presley.

Elvis: Viva Las Vegas is a follow-up of sorts to an NBC special of a few years back that awkwardly tried to chronicle the performer's influence on pop music's newest stars in the early part of the decade with less than stellar results (Britney Spears, anyone?). But Viva seems more promising with less celebrity gushing and more evidence on why Presley was one of the top draws in Sin City with a show that rivaled some of the biggest concert acts of the late 1960's-early 1970's including The Who and Led Zeppelin (the latter of whom had a memorable encounter with the King when they paid their respects during one of their US tours).

And, if the special wets your appetite for more, you can't do much better than RCA/Sony's single disc sampler of the same name. Collecting 16 performances from his dynamic early years as one of the International Hotel's big draws (before too much pharmaceuticals, impromptu karate exhibitions and sheer boredom settled in), virtually all of the war horses are included: His soulful take on The Righteous Brothers You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' that comes dangerously close to eclipsing the original; The Wonder Of You, a remake of Ray Peterson's early 1960's hit that cracked the top ten in 1970, an early pre-Aloha From Hawaii version of See See Rider with a more soulful sound than the more up tempo arrangement that became Presley's traditional concert opener from late 1972 onward; dazzling covers of Polk Salad Annie and Never Been To Spain; and a gospel-flavored take of Bridge Over Troubled Water which remains one of Presley's finest vocal performances in or out of the studio.

For those moved to the point where they want to go further into this period of Elvisdom, Warner Home Video's recent 2 disc reissue of Elvis: That's The Way It Is offers two versions of Presley's 1970 concert film: The original although musically noteworthy spends too much time with goofy fans, hotel workers and the like in the early going, but a stellar 2nd hour almost completely devoted to the early August engagement salvages things. But the 2001 special edition rectifies everything that didn't work in the original cut...and then some...From the alternately loose and vibrant rehearsals to the end results remixed in spectacular 5.1 sound and amazing editing, it's not just Presley's best concert film, it's one of the great rock concert films, period. RCA's companion 30th anniversary 3 disc special edition of the soundtrack is also a must containing a ton of rehearsals, never before heard rarities (a rough, but heartfelt Oh! Happy Day being one of the high points) and an entire concert performance comprise one of RCA's most well-conceived archival releases in the Presley canon.

Back With A Beatle(y) Bang!

2007-09-06T20:48:00.001-05:00

Yes, I have returned, people...and I haven't been MIA by choice. Just changed jobs and have been putting in long ass days learning the ropes...but our podcast is about to get revved up again with our interview with Warner Home Video catalog guru/genius/trendsetter and classic film fan himself, George Feltenstein....I had planned on having our chat posted last weekend, but frankly, I needed a break...but in addition to this special edition, mid-week will bring yet another theme show spotlighting some of the biggest TV box sets of '07 coming hot on the heels of fall premiere weeks...But more on that in an upcoming post...but now (drum roll, Ringo!)......

The world's greatest band who continues to win over generation after generation of new fans in addition to the die hards that brought them fame in 1962 are making news that will make devotees young and old "twist and shout"....

On October 30th, EMI and Apple join forces to present HELP!, The Beatles classic 1965 cinematic follow-up to their legendary debut A Hard Day's Night....

Directed by Richard Lester, who also directed Night, ‘Help!’ follows The Beatles as they become passive recipients of an outside plot that revolves around Ringo's possession of a sacrificial ring, which he cannot remove from his finger. As a result, he and his bandmates John, Paul and George are chased from London to the Austrian Alps and the Bahamas by religious cult members, a mad scientist and the London police.

In addition to starring the Beatles, ‘Help!’ has a witty script, a great cast of British character actors and features 7 classic Beatles tracks, including classics like Ticket To Ride and the title song

The DVD will be a 2-disc set. Disc 1 will feature the original film digitally restored with a newly created 5.1 soundtrack, while Disc 2 contains an hour of extra features, including:

•The Beatles in Help! – 30 minute documentary about the making of the film with Richard Lester, the cast and crew. Includes exclusive behind the scenes footage of The Beatles on set.

•A Missing Scene – Featuring Wendy Richard

•The Restoration of Help! – An in depth look at the restoration process.

•Memories of Help! – The cast and crew reminisce

•Theatrical Trailers – 2 US trailers and 1 Spanish trailer.

•1965 US Radio Spots - Hidden in disc menus.

There will be 2 editions of the DVD - a standard digipack and a deluxe boxed set that will contain a reproduction of Richard Lester’s original annotated script, 8 lobby cards and a poster, plus a 60-page book with rarely seen photographs and production notes from the movie. Both the deluxe book and the standard booklet feature an introduction by Richard Lester and an appreciation by Martin Scorsese.

Although October 30th seems "so far away", enjoy a trailer for this highly anticipated package at the link below:

http://emicat.edgeboss.net/wmedia/emicat/beatles/help_trailer_us.wvx

Until next time,

Jeffrey

"Film Crew" Returns!

2007-08-23T13:03:00.000-05:00

Just in from our friends at Shout! Factory (trailer links included):

Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett—three of the brilliantly insane minds behind Mystery Science Theater 3000—finally reunite to unleash their warped sense of humor on the cinema of yesteryear as The Film Crew.

Charged with the task of giving all movies their own commentary, the Film Crew valiantly steps forward to tackle the best of the worst, continuing with Killers From Space and Wild Women Of Wongo.

Killers from Space stars Peter Graves (Airplane, Mission Impossible) as a nuclear scientist abducted by aliens to facilitate their invasion of earth. This cult classic features such ’50s-era sci-fi favorites as A-bombs, genetically mutated super-sized creepers, and aliens with bugged-out eyes (suspiciously resembling halved ping pong balls). Includes “Did You Know…?” featurette and outtakes.

Wild Women of Wongo tells the story of a cruel experiment by Mother Nature and Father Time. The beautiful women of the lush, tropical island of Wongo are led to believe the only men who exist are the horribly ugly, ape-like creatures that live on the other side of the island. That is, until they set eyes on the handsome prince from a neighboring island, where all of the men are equally gorgeous! Meanwhile, the beastly men of Wongo, on their way to select their mates, are unhappy about the island’s recent arrival. Includes limited edition bumper sticker and two extras, “Make the Film Crew Dance!” and “The Film Crew says ‘Goodbye’ Wongo-Style.”

Killers is in stores now; Wongo boogies into stores September 11th...

Superbad: A Funky Good Time

2007-08-23T12:02:00.001-05:00

Good Thursday, everybody...

So, I promised you my mini-take on Superbad...and for starters, can you say "word of mouth"? Granted, this movie had great marketing and the Judd Apatow seal of approval on it, but you can buy all the press in the world on any cinematic entity and if it winds up stinking like yesterday's garbage sitting in the heat, no big surprise.

Still, I was more excited about this film than all the big summer blockbusters combined based on the people involved and that killer redband tratiler (which if you go back and look at it again, is NOWHERE as raunchy compared to other "ooooooh" teasers of its kind).

Aside from some pacing problems and taking a wee bit too long to make it to the climatic party scene, Superbad is the year's funniest comedy with no exceptions. In addition to a knowing, witty script by Seth Rogen (so good in Knocked Up, another Apatow gem from earlier this summer) and Evan Goldberg with smooth direction from Greg Mottola (TV's The Comeback, Undeclared and Arrested Development), it contains star making turns from Jonah Hill (brilliant in last fall's underrated Accepted), Arrested alumnus Michael Cera and dare I say it, an Oscar-worthy Christopher Mintz-Plasse who's simply unforgettable as a nerd to end all nerds named Fogell, who somehow reinvents himself in one night with nothing other than a badly constructed fake I.D. as (trumpets blare): Mclovin (spelling correct).

Now, even though a huge slice of the film's praisers had a problem with the shy-of Keystone Kops by way of not-so-Dirty Harry antics of Bill Hadler and co-writer Rogen (cool walrus-esque 'stache, Seth), I thought they were incredulously hilarious and served as a good counterpoint to the sexual desperation of the main storyline involving Hill/Goldberg....and I don't think enough praise has been given to female leads Martha MacIssac and Emma Stone who acquit themselves very nicely, holding their own and getting a chance to really shine in two of the movie's best scenes.

With Hollywood being pretty much out of front-line multiplex ammo this weekend, it would not surprise me at all if Superbad's box office take actually increases this weekend via above average buzz on the streets, or at the least, holds steady from last weekend's 30 million-plus debut...and deservedly so.

As for the wunderkind that is Judd Apatow? We'll see if his "everything he touches turns to gold" magic continues over the holiday season with the rock-biopic parody Walk Hard, whose trailer precedes Superbad...and although the premise sounds promising, the teaser is somewhat spotty.

We'll see.......

Back next time with an update on Episode #38.....

Grand Opening Post....

2007-08-20T06:12:00.000-05:00

Hello loyal Marquee listeners...It's been a long time coming, but here I be with another avenue to talk up the best and most anticipated DVD releases.

However, this companion blog is going to serve mainly as a location for quick takes on discs that we can't feature on our podcast due to time limitations and a locale to provide links to lots of fun stuff including promotional videos, trailers, photos and whatever else I can drum up....I'll also feature web connections and personal commentary to forthcoming big screen films I'm excited about as well (see, I'm not a complete stay at home anti-social home video snob...but one inappropriate cell phone etiquette flub by a fellow theater goer? To quote Incredible Hulk alter ego David Banner, "you won't like me when I'm angry....").

Speaking of current, stop by later for my thoughts on Superbad which I managed to catch over the weekend...Funniest movie I've seen in 2007 thus far and another winner for Apatow Productions. Next up for the genius known as Judd: Walk Hard, whose trailer precedes Superbad and features John C. Reilly in what could be another prime comedy role in a parody of musical biopics featuring cameos from the likes of Jack Black and Jack White...look for it around Christmas.

Meanwhile back to finishing up The Lookout.....