Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Blu-ray and DVD release details

Looks like there's going to be some monkey business this Christmas, as Rise of the Planet of the Apes hits Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download. They street on December 13th and personally I will be interested to see how the reboot of this franchise turned out as the original series was a favorite of mine as a youngster.

Below is a list of all the Blu-ray features planned for the release

BRING CAESAR HOME ON BLU-RAY

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Evolution Becomes Revolution In The Critically-Acclaimed 
Over $432 Million Worldwide Box Office Smash Arriving Globally 
on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download in December 

Summary: A single act of both compassion and arrogance leads to a battle unlike any other when RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APESmakes its worldwide debut on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download on December 13th in North America and starting December 7th Internationally.  From the Oscar-winning® visual effects team that brought to life the worlds of Avatar and Lord of the Rings comes revolutionary new ground - a CGI ape that delivers a dramatic performance of unprecedented emotion and intelligence, and epic battles on which rest the upended destinies of man and primate.

James Franco (127 Hours) stars as Will Rodman, a neuroscientist living in San Francisco trying to develop a cure for Alzheimer’s disease by testing on chimpanzees, giving them a human level of intelligence.  After a test subject’s baby, Caesar, is orphaned, Will decides to raise him at home on his own with his Alzheimer-stricken father (John Lithgow; “Dexter”).  What begins simply as a continuation of his experiment quickly turns into a problem for Will, as Caesar is taken away from him and forced to live in a primate facility.  As Caesar’s intelligence continues to grow, he begins to stake his claim as the leader of his new primate counterparts, which will ultimately lead to the RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES.

Directed by Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist), this special effects blockbuster features fantastic supporting performances from Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire), Brian Cox (Red), Tom Felton (Harry Potterfilms) and Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) in a ground-breaking performance.  The RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Blu-ray is loaded with bonus material including deleted scenes, making-of featurettes commentaries and more.

**Exact product configurations will vary by individual territories**

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Blu-ray
+ Digital Copy (North America)

• Feature Film
• Deleted Scenes
• Alpha Gets Shot
• Will’s Meeting with Lab Assistants
• Will Discovers Caesar Has Solved Puzzles
• Caesar Plays with Bicycle
• Caesar Questions His Identity
• Caesar Bites Off Neighbors Finger
• Will Ignores the Risks of an Airborne Mutated Virus
• Rodney Gives Caesar a Cookie
• Rocket Gets Hosed by Dodge
• Caesar Destroys the Lab and Koba’s Attempted Revenge on Jacobs
• Caesar Pushes Helicopter
• Koba with Shotgun
• Pre-vis for The Future
• Capturing Caesar – Script to Screen
• Studying the Genius of Andy Serkis
• Multi-Angle: Rocket Cookie Scene
• A New Generation of Apes
• Breaking Motion Capture Boundaries
• Breaking New Sound Barriers: The Music and Sound Design ofRise of the Planet of the Apes
• Ape Facts
• Chimpanzee
• Gorilla
• Orangutan
• Audio Commentary by Director Rupert Wyatt
• Audio Commentary by Writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver
• Character Concept Art Gallery
• Three Theatrical Trailers

Green picks up Gotham nomination

The independent coming-of-age flick Green, from director Sophia Takal, has been nominated for a Gotham award for "Best Film Not Playing In A Theater Near You". The awards are intended to bring greater recognition to smaller films in the hope that they get picked up for wider distribution. Green has played several festivals recently including SXSW and below you can check out the trailer for it. The awards will be announced at a ceremony on November 28th.

This debut feature from actor-director Takal stars the terrific Kate Lyn Sheil and Lawrence Michael Levine in a psychological-cum-sexual relationship drama about an intellectual, "green," city-dwelling couple confronted with their own fears and desires when they visit the countryside and form a tumultuous friendship with a down-to-earth yokel, played by the filmmaker herself. The tranquility and placid appeal that the Proust-quoting, Green market-shopping Brooklynite pair find in their summer sublet is counterbalanced by Ernesto Carcamo's eerily haunting score. Fellow BAMcinemaFest director Alex Ross Perry makes a cameo appearance.

November 2, 2011 (New York, NY) Sophia Takal's critically acclaimed GREEN has received a Gotham Award Nomination for "Best Film Not Playing At A Theater Near You," an award designed to bring greater industry recognition to a title that has yet to receive theatrical distribution.  

  

GREEN, a haunting examination of the female psyche marking Takal's first feature as a writer/director, premiered at SXSW and went on to play the BAMCinemaFest, where audiences and critics were seduced by the film's visual assurance, discomforting sound design and strong performances.   GREEN is having its Los Angeles premiere next week at AFI, and Takal was also recently named to Filmmaker Magazine's 2011 "25 New Faces of Independent Film" list.

In addition to her work behind the camera, Takal also stars in GREEN alongside Lawrence Michael Levine (who also produced the film).   Co-starring is Kate Lyn Sheil, who has appeared in five notable 2011 independent films, among them Joe Swanberg's AUTOEROTIC and Adam Wingard's YOU'RE NEXT. 

Takal said, "It's a tremendous honor to be recognized by both the wonderful Filmmaker Magazine and the prestigious IFP organization.   It's been an incredible journey for GREEN thus far and it is our hope that this nomination will help us in our goal to secure a theatrical distribution partner."

In a recent profile of Takal, Filmmaker Magazine editor-in-chief Scott Macaulay called GREEN "a sharply observed, incisively directed and sexually provocative drama about competition and female identity."

Sophia Takal's acting credits include Lawrence Michael Levine's GABI ON THE ROOF IN JULY, Joe Swanberg's THE ZONE and 24 EXPOSURES, Zach Weintraub's THE INTERNATIONAL SIGN FOR CHOKING, Nandan Rao's THE MEN OF DODGE CITY, Dan Schechter's THIS IS MY GIRLFRIEND, Keir Politz & Damon Mallucci's DETONATOR and Jeff Lipsky's MOLLY'S THEORY OF RELATIVITY. Most recently Sophia produced, edited and starred in GABI ON THE ROOF IN JULY for which she won the Best Actress award at the Brooklyn Film Festival. GABI played a variety of festivals, won numerous awards and was released theatrically in New York City in January 2011. 

Previous recipients of the "Best Film Not Playing At A Theater Near You Award" include Ronald Bronstein's FROWNLAND and Ry Russo-Young's YOU WONT MISS ME.

Coming Soon - 247⁰F

I'm not really sure how you can sustain a film for 90 or so minutes around the premise of four kids trapped in a sauna, but that's just what the makers of 247⁰F have done. The movie stars Halloween alumni Scout Taylor Compton and Tyler Mane,and I have to say that the preview has me wanting to see more. If Frozen managed to work on a ski lift and Buried in a coffin, then I guess there is no reason why this cannot work. Check out the trailer below and make your own mind up.

Four friends travel to a lakeside cabin for a carefree weekend, the fun turns into a nightmare when 3 of them end up locked in a hot sauna. Every minute counts and every degree matters as they fight for their lives in the heat up to 247°F.

The Girls Next Door set to invade your home!

When it comes to reality TV I can take it or leave it. If you want to get my attention though you could do worse than to set one in the Playboy Mansion with Hugh Heffner and his bevvy of beautiful babes. 

The Girls Next Door which screened on E! is now set for a DVD release from MPI and features all 6 seasons on 17 (yes 17!) discs, which gives you around 35 hours of viewing pleasure. Good lord! Scroll down to check out a few stills from the show.

If Hugh Heffner was English he would have been Knighted by now for services to mankind.

The 17-disc set contains all six seasons of the hit E! reality show, centering on Hugh Hefner along with original girls Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt, and Kendra Wilkinson, plus featuring newcomers Kristina and Karissa Shannon and Crystal Harris! 

Extra features include commentaries with the girls on every episode, outrageous deleted and extended scenes, and the pilot for spinoff series The Bunny House.

Upcoming movie Act of Valor teams up with Battlefield 3

The upcoming movie Act of Valor, which hits theaters February 17th from Relativity Media, has teamed up with the videogame Battlefield 3 so that gamers can unlock 5 exclusive in-game Dog Tags. All you have to do is watch the new extended trailer and follow the onscreen instructions. The movie itself features real life Navy SEALS and looks to be an action-packed affair.

An unprecedented blend of real-life heroism and original filmmaking, "Act of Valor" stars a group of active-duty Navy SEALs in a powerful story of contemporary global anti-terrorism. Inspired by true events, the film combines stunning combat sequences, up-to-the minute battlefield technology and heart-pumping emotion for the ultimate action adventure.

"Act of Valor" takes audiences deep into the secretive world of the most elite, highly trained group of warriors in the modern world. When the rescue of a kidnapped CIA operative leads to the discovery of a deadly terrorist plot against the U.S., a team of SEALs is dispatched on a worldwide manhunt. As the valiant men of Bandito Platoon race to stop a coordinated attack that could kill and wound thousands of American civilians, they must balance their commitment to country, team and their families back home.

Each time they accomplish their mission, a new piece of intelligence reveals another shocking twist to the deadly terror plot, which stretches from Chechnya to the Philippines and from Ukraine to Somalia. The widening operation sends the SEALs across the globe as they track the terrorist ring to the U.S.-Mexico border, where they engage in an epic firefight with an outcome that has potentially unimaginable consequences for the future of America.

In The Name Of The King 2: Two Worlds - Blu-ray and DVD Details

Ivan Drago himself, Dolph Lundgren, stars in the action flick In The Name Of The King 2: Two Worlds. Directed by everyone's favorite fighting German, Uwe Boll, it is a sequel to his 2007 movie which starred Jason Statham. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will be releasing it on Blu-ray and DVD on December 20th.

Dolph Lundgren Stars in the Action-Packed Sequel

Arriving on Blu-ray and DVD December 27

From horror-mastermind Uwe Boll (House of the Dead, Bloodrayne) comes the adrenaline-fueled next chapter in the epic action/adventure franchise as IN THE NAME OF THE KING 2: TWO WORLDS battles on to Blu-ray and DVD December 27 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. 

Dolph Lundgren (The Expendables, Masters of the Universe) stars as Granger, a lethal, 
ex-Special Forces soldier who finds himself transported back to a mystical age of sorcery, dragons and savage hand-to-hand combat.  This modern-day warrior has been summoned to defeat the forces of darkness and fulfill an ancient prophecy. But as he fights his way to the truth, Granger learns no one can be trusted -- and one wrong move could cost him not only his life, but the future of his world.

With supporting performances from Natassia Malthe (Bloodrayne, Lake Placid), Lochlyn Munro (The Benchwarmers, White Chicks) and Aleks Paunovic (This Means War, I Spy), the 
IN THE NAME OF THE KING 2: TWO WORLDS  Blu-ray and DVD are loaded with bonus material including Behind the Scenes, Commentaries from the Director and Writer plus more. 

IN THE NAME OF THE KING 2  Special Features

Behind the Scenes of In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds
From Page to Screen: Writing In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds
Director's Commentary
Writer's Commentary

Filthy Review - YellowBrickRoad

YellowBrickRoad (2010)

Review by Jude Felton

Sticking a group of people, they don’t have to consist solely of dumb kids, in the middle of nowhere is never a good idea, and very rarely does it turn out well for them. It’s been a staple of horror films for years, but don’t switch of just yet, because once in a while some crazy fool comes up with a new idea that makes it seem fresh again. Such is the case with YellowBrickRoad. In fact the writing/directing team of Andy Mitton and Jess Holland have crafted a movie that has me still thinking about it over a day after watching it.

Of course, many films will have you thinking about them and reflecting on what you have seen for some time after the credits roll. It is far more rare though to have one that really makes you think about what you see, and indeed question what you see.

Way back in 1940 the entire population of Friar, New Hampshire all decided to head off up a trail into the woods and beyond (the population was only 257 or so) never to be seen alive again. There was just the one survivor, but he didn’t make much sense when questioned about what had happened.

Fast forward 70 years and Teddy Barnes and his team decide to head on out to Friar and follow, follow, follow, follow the trail and see if they can’t find out what happened. To say any more would be unfair to those who have yet to see this hallucinatory and disorientating horror film.

YellowBrickRoad is one of those strange gems that has elements of other films in it, yet remains very distinctly its own movie. If I were to describe it I might say to imagine a hybrid of The Blair Witch Project, Silent Hill and something like Shrooms, but even then it probably wouldn’t do it justice.

The movie certainly isn’t an action-packed affair, instead it is happy to meander in and around the vast wilderness the team explore, and slowly finds itself getting under your skin. Unexpected and startling scenes of violence punctuate the movie,and whilst they are at times fairly gory they never seem out of place and only serve to heighten the movie’s surreal atmosphere.

The cast are all pretty much spot on in their roles and seem to fully embrace what the directors wanted of them. Each character reacts in their own way to the journey they take and nothing that happens could ever be seen as predictable. For that we have to thank the aforementioned Mitton and Holland , who for first time directors have really nailed a quality horror yarn. The visuals and audio marry together to create a wonderful atmosphere that is in turn creepy and exhilarating.

To say that I enjoyed YellowBrickRoad would be understating it mildly. It is the sort of movie that is best watched with little to no knowledge of it, aside from the basic outline, and then just let it wash over you. I guarantee you will be mulling it over for days after watching it. There might not be any wicked witches down this yellow brick road but it will still put you under its spell.

YellowBrickRoad is available now on DVD as part of the Bloody Disgusting Selects collection released by Vivendi Entertainment.

Hellfire Pictures prepare to get Sick

Just got word through Associate Producer Zach (Worm, Familiar) Green of the new movie he is attached to. That movie is Sick, in title but I am not sure about the content yet, and it is coming from Hellfire Pictures. It goes into production this later this week, November 3rd, and I have attached the full press release which has more information, as well as links to the movie's Website, Blog and Facebook page. From the looks of things though it has some great looking talent attached to it. I will be sure to keep you all posted on any and all developments.

TORONTO, Canada (31 October, 2011) - The feature film Sick, directed by Ryan

M. Andrews (BLACK EVE) and produced by Bruno Marino (ANYTHING GOES)

goes to camera in the greater Toronto area Thursday, November 3rd.

Besides the lead, newcomer Christina Aceto (LET IT OUT), the latest talent lineup

for Sick includes Richard Sutton (TENSIONS, LINGERIE), Robert Nolan (RED:

WEREWOLF HUNTER), Maxim-model Veronika London (SEARCHING FOR

ANGELS) and horror scream queen Debbie Rochon (NIGHT OF THE LIVING

DEAD - 30TH ANNIVERSARY, TROMEO & JULIET).

The post-Apocalyptic horror feature portrays the struggle of three survivors (Aceto,

Sutton, Nolan) forced to seek shelter in an empty home to avoid the Sick, but with

trust and bullets running low, they’ll be lucky if anyone makes it out alive.

Rounding out the creative team is Director of Photography Michael Jari Davidson

(NOSTRUM) who is also producing the film, visual effects supervisor Derek Grime

(FIGHT CLUB, eXistenZ), fight choreographer Tommy Chang (X-MEN, DAWN OF

THE DEAD) and Fangoria magazine editor-in-chief Chris Alexander providing the

score.

Follow Sick on the web at:

http://sicksurvivethenight.com/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/SICK-Survive-The-Night/103764249713806

Blogger Production blog http://sicksurvivethenight.blogspot.com/

Apollo 18 prepares for take-off

There's a reason we never went back to the moon, and you can find out for yourself when the found footage flick Apollo 18 hits DVD and Blu-ray on December 27th. It's being released by Anchor Bay Entertainment on Blu-ray combo pack, as well as DVD. I missed it at the theater, and I do dig the cinema verite style, so I plan on checking it out.

ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT AND DIMENSION FILMS LAUNCH APOLLO 18 ON BLU-RAY™ AND DVD

 Sci-Fi Thriller Heads To Retail On December 27^th!

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Anchor Bay Entertainment and Dimension Films announced today the Blu-ray™ and DVD release of the “terrifying” (Fred Topel, CraveOnline.com) and “chilling” (Hunter Daniels, Collider.com) sci-fi thriller, APOLLO 18.  In the same vein as such blockbusters as The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity, the film unearths alleged lost Department of Defense footage to construct a riveting story of the events that unfolded during this covert mission to the moon.  Full of tension and suspense, APOLLO 18 blasts into stores on December 27, 2011 with an SRP of $39.99 for the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and $29.98 for the DVD.

Officially, Apollo 17, launched December 7, 1972, was the last manned mission to the moon.  But two years later, in December of 1974, two American astronauts were sent on a secret mission to the moon funded by the US Department of Defense.  What you are about to see is the actual footage which the astronauts captured on that mission.  While NASA denies its authenticity, others say it’s the real reason we’ve never gone back to the moon.

The APOLLO 18 Blu-ray™ and DVD bonus features include an audio commentary with director Gonzalo López-Gallego and editor Patrick Lussier, deleted and alternate scenes, alternate endings, among other bonus features to be confirmed.  Note: Special features are subject to change.

Learn more about APOLLO 18 at: http://apollo18movie.net/

Wintery flicks to chill your bones

Ok, I know it's only Halloween but the recent snow has got me back in the mood for some winter-themed flicks. This is just a selection of personal favorites of mine, but I think all are worth checking out if you haven't done so already. Oh, and before you say anything I have not included The Thing because that goes without saying that it should be watched! Also, aside from one movie I have avoided Christmas or Santa flicks.

Frozen

My favorite Adam Green flick so far. A surprisingly effective flick that takes place almost entirely in one location. Click here for my review.

Dead Snow (Dod Sno)

Nazi's, zombies and snow. What more could you ask for? Starts off fairly predictably then goes batshit!

Transsiberian

I really enjoyed this overlooked thriller from director Brad Anderson. Good solid cast in this one.

Cold Prey (Fritt Vilt)

A good solid slasher flick from Norway. Doesn't really do anything new with the genre but it is well made and offers up some good murderous action. Click here for my review.

Cold Prey 2 (Fritt Vilt 2)

Definitely a superior sequel, in fact probably better than the original movie. At times reminiscent of Halloween 2, due in part to its locale, but a nice addition to the franchise nonetheless. There is a Fritt Vilt 3 (Cold Prey 3), although I have yet to see it.

Wind Chill

Overlooked on its release this is well worth checking out. Check out my review here.

30 Days of Night

Based on the graphic novel of the same name. This didn't blow me away when I first watched it, although it has since grown on me a lot. Good vamp action from the director of Hard Candy.. Spawned a sequel, which follows the graphic novels.

Rare Exports

I can't say enough good about this movie. It recently hit DVD and Blu-ray and really should be checked out. Link to my review is here.

Unrated Director's cut of Zavier Gen's The Divide to hit theaters!

I'm a big fan of director Xavier Gen's movies, Frontier(s) was savage and I thought Hitman was a very cool flick, so I am as happy as the proverbial pig that his latest flick The Divide is to get a theatrical release. Anchor Bay will be releasing it on January 13th and it will include previously unseen footage. Excited? Damn straight I am! Check out the full press release, and TADFF trailer, below.

ANCHOR BAY FILMS TO RELEASE
THE FULL UNRATED DIRECTOR’S CUT OF XAVIER GENS’
THE DIVIDE IN THEATRES ON JANUARY 13TH, 2012

Starring Lauren German (Hostel Part 2), Michael Biehn (The Terminator, Aliens), Milo Ventimiglia (NBC’s “Heroes”), Courtney B. Vance (Final Destination 5), Ashton Holmes (A History of Violence) and Rosanna Arquette (Pulp Fiction).


New York, NY (October 31, 2011) – Anchor Bay Films has announced today that on Friday, January 13th 2012, they will be releasing theatrically the full, unrated directors cut of Xavier Gens’ The Divide in theatres. The version will contain additional footage not seen during its previous screenings at SXSW and Fantasia 2011. Initial markets on January 13th will include New York, Los Angeles, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas and Denver with additional markets to be announced.

Says Jennifer Roberts, Anchor Bay Film’s SVP of Brand Marketing, “Fans of director Xavier Gens’ Frontier(s) will be pleased to know that once again he has pulled no punches, and has delivered a kick-ass film that will set the bar in extreme cinema.  We felt strongly that we needed to bring his full vision to the screen, and confident this is the version audiences will want to see.”

In this graphic and violent, post-apocalyptic thriller, nine strangers—all tenants of a New York high-rise apartment—escape a nuclear attack by hiding out in the building’s bunker-like basement. Trapped for days underground with no hope for rescue, and only unspeakable horrors awaiting them on the other side of the bunker door, the group begins to descend into madness, each turning on one another with physical and psycho-sexual torment. As supplies dwindle, and tensions flare, they grow increasingly unhinged by their close quarters and hopelessness. Each act against one another becomes more depraved than the next.  While everyone in the bunker allows themselves to be overcome by desperation and lose their humanity, one survivor holds onto a thin chance for escape, even with no promise of salvation on the outside.

The Divide features a large and diverse cast featuring such icons of horror and sci-fi as Lauren German (Hostel Part 2), Michael Biehn (The Terminator, Aliens) and Milo Ventimiglia (NBC’s “Heroes”) as well as Courtney B. Vance (Final Destination 5, The Hunt for Red October), Ashton Holmes (CW’s “Nikita”, A History of Violence) and Rosanna Arquette (Pulp Fiction) .

About Anchor Bay Films

Anchor Bay Films is unique in that it offers the creative community a fully integrated distribution capability on all platforms and an international solution extending beyond the U.S.  Anchor Bay Films is a division of Anchor Bay Entertainment and is on the ground providing quality distribution with operations in the U.S., United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, as well as distribution capabilities in other key territories. The company focuses on a platform release strategy for its films with an eye toward maximizing their potential across all ancillary distribution platforms. Upcoming releases include Corman’s World about Academy Award® winning filmmaker Roger Corman which premiered at Cannes 2011.  Films in its library include the critically-acclaimed comedy City Island starring Andy Garcia andSolitary Man starring Michael Douglas as well as the 2011 releases of Kill the Irishman starring Ray Stevenson, Vincent D’Onofrio, Val Kilmer and Christopher Walken and Toronto Film Festival award-winner Beautiful Boy with Maria Bello and Michael Sheen. Anchor Bay Entertainment is a subsidiary of Starz Media, LLC (www.starzmedia.com ) which is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to the Liberty Starz tracking stock group.

The Woman in Black goes Viral

There's a new viral site for the upcoming Woman in Black movie, which opens February 3rd, and it's pretty cool. Click on the link below to check it out

WhatDidTheySee.com is now live! The NEW mysterious site invites users to take a look inside Eel Marsh House and discover the answer to "What did they see?"  Visitors have only a partially obscured view, just enough to see through the doorway and into this young girl's room.  By using motion recognition with the computer's webcam, visitors to the site can shift their perspective within the room by simply moving right & left in front of their own computer to see what lurks behind the door and in the shadows.  No matter how scared you get, expect to receive your own customized photo, compliments of THE WOMAN IN BLACK!

A young lawyer (Radcliffe) travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorner woman is terrorizing the locals.

Coming Soon - Livid (Livide)

I'm sure you all remember Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury's 2007 flick Inside (A l'interieur), the movie that put a ultra bloody twist on the home invasion movie, whilst also putting the fear of God into pregnant women the world over. Well the duo are back with Livide, or Livid if you cannot muster a little French pronunciation, and things are looking creepy. Currently hitting the festival circuit I would hopefully expect a full release sometime in 2012.

It’s young Lucy’s first day as a trainee in-house caregiver. She visits Mrs Jessel, an old woman who lies in cerebral coma, by herself, in her large desolate house. Learning by accident that Mrs Jessel, a former dance teacher of repute, supposedly possesses a treasure somewhere in the house, Lucy and friends William and Ben decide to search the house in the hope of finding it. At night, they get into the house, which reveals itself to be increasingly peculiar. Their hunt for Mrs Jessel’s treasure leads them into a horrifying supernatural series of events that will change Lucy forever…