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FOXCATCHER Debuting on Digital HD Feb. 20 & on Blu-ray™ & DVD March 3

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

“A mesmerizing masterwork. One of the year’s very best films. ~ Peter Travers, Rolling Stone 

 

 “A gripping story of seduction, rejection, betrayal & murder.” ~ Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

 

Nominated for Five Academy Awards^®,

Including Best Director (Bennett Miller), Best Actor (Steve Carell) & 

Best Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo)

 

Golden Globe^® Nominated for Best Motion Picture Drama, Best Actor & Best Supporting Actor 

 

Winner of 2014’s Cannes Film Festival for Best Director &

Special Distinction Award at 2015’s Film Independent Spirit Awards

 

FOXCATCHER

 

Debuting on Digital HD Feb. 20 & on Blu-ray™ & DVD March 3

 

Bonus Features Include All-New Making-Of Featurette “The Story of Foxcatcher,” with Director Bennett Miller, Steve Carell & Channing Tatum, Plus Deleted Scenes

 

 

CULVER CITY, Calif. (Jan. 26, 2015) –Steve Carell (Crazy, Stupid, Love.), Channing Tatum (22 Jump Street) and Academy Award^® nominated Mark Ruffalo (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, The Kids Are All Right, 2010) star in the multiple Golden Globe and Academy Award-nominated psychological thriller FOXCATCHER, available on Digital HD Feb. 20 and on Blu-ray™ & DVD on March 3 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 

 

Based on actual events, this critically acclaimed film from Academy Award^®nominated Director Bennett Miller (Best Director, Capote, 2005) tells the story of Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler Mark Shultz (Tatum), who is invited by eccentric multi-millionaire John du Pont (Carell) to his state-of-the-art training facility in preparation for the 1988 Seoul Olympics.  Hoping it will catapult him out of his brother’s shadow, Mark jumps at the opportunity. But du Pont soon becomes unsatisfied with Mark’s performance, driven by hidden needs, and seeks backing from Mark’s revered and charismatic brother, Dave (Ruffalo). Misguided loyalty, jealousy and ultimately betrayal lead to an unexpected and tragic end. 

 

Bonus features for FOXCATCHER include deleted scenes, as well as the never-before-seen featurette, “The Story of Foxcatcher,” a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film with Director Bennett Miller, Steve Carell and Channing Tatum.

 

The film also stars Sienna Miller (Two Jacks), Anthony Michael Hall (The Dark Knight), and Academy Award^® winner Vanessa Redgrave (Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Julia, 1978).

 

Synopsis:

Olympic Gold Medal-winning wrestler Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) is struggling in obscurity and poverty in Wisconsin when he is invited by wealthy heir John du Pont (Steve Carell) to move on to his lavish estate to form a team and to train for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Schultz seizes the opportunity, eager to step out of the shadow of his revered older brother Dave (Mark Ruffalo), a prominent wrestling coach and Gold Medal winner himself.

 

With his vast financial resources and state-of-the-art training facility at Foxcatcher Farm, du Pont appoints himself head coach of the team, eager to win the respect of his peers and the approval of his condemning mother (Vanessa Redgrave).

 

The dynamic between Schultz and du Pont deepens as Mark embraces his benefactor as a father figure. But du Pont's mercurial personality and psychological gameplay begins to weigh heavily on Mark's shaky self-esteem, undermining his abilities on the mat. When du Pont's favoritism shifts to brother Dave — who possesses the authority and confidence both he and Mark lack — the trio is propelled towards a tragedy no one could have foreseen.

 

FOXCATCHER is a searing true-life account of three men grappling for their versions of the American Dream.

 

The film is directed by Bennett Miller from a screenplay written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman. FOXCATCHER was executive produced by Chelsea Barnard, Ron Schmidt, Mark Bakshi, Michael Coleman, and Tom Heller, with Megan Ellison, Bennett Miller, John Kilik and Anthony Bregman as producers. 

 

Blu-ray & DVD Bonus Features Include:

o   Deleted Scenes

o   All-New Featurette: “The Story of Foxcatcher”

 

Three Exciting Home Entertainment Releases Arriving This March From Lionsgate

Witness an epic jailbreak in the gritty, action packed heist film Son of a Gun, arriving on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD) and DVD (plus Digital) March 17 from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. Starring Ewan McGregor (Star Wars franchise) and rising star Brenton Thwaites (Maleficent), Son of a Gun is the rough and tumble story of an unruly band of master thieves who launch a gold heist that goes terribly wrong. Released theatrically by A24, the Son of a Gun Blu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $24.99 and $19.98, respectively.   After breaking out of prison, Brendan Lynch (McGregor), Australia's most notorious criminal, enlists 19-year-old JR (Thwaites) to accompany him and his crew on a gold heist that promises to deliver millions. However, as things start to go wrong, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues.   BLU-RAY/ DVD SPECIAL FEATURES* "Partners in Crime: The Making of Son of a Gun" featurette Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Julius Avery *Subject to Change   CAST Ewan McGregor - Mortdecai, Star Wars franchise, The Impossible, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen Brenton Thwaites - Maleficent, The Giver, Oculus Alicia Vikander - upcoming Ex Machina, A Royal Affair, Anna Karenina  Jacek Koman - Children of Men, Australia, Moulin Rouge! Matt Nable - Riddick, The Killer Elite, TV's "Arrow" Tom Budge - TV's "The Pacific," Candy, The Proposition Nash Edgerton - The Matrix franchise, The Great Gatsby  PROGRAM INFORMATION Year of Production: 2014 Title Copyright: Son of a Gun © 2013 SOAG Holdings Pty Ltd, Screen Australia, ScreenWest Inc. and Screen NSW. All Rights Reserved. Artwork & Supplementary Materials © 2015 Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. Type: Theatrical Release Rating: R for Violence, Language Throughout, Some Sexuality, Nudity and Drug Use. Genre: Action; Crime Closed Captioned: English SDH Subtitles: English and Spanish Feature Run Time: 109 minutes Blu-ray Format:1080P High Definition 16x9 Widescreen (2.40:1) DVD Format:16x9 Widescreen (2.40:1) Blu-ray Audio Status: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio DVD Audio Status: 5.1 Dolby Digital Follow the events of a modern day apocalypse when Revelation: The End of Days arrives on DVD March 17 from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.  The brand-new four-hour miniseries from HISTORY®, Revelation: The End of Days, brings viewers an imagining of the end of the world and life as predicted in the Bible. Told through the perspective of several different people, the series follows first-hand accounts from found footage, cell phones and cameras to illustrate the world's final days. The Revelation: The End of Days 2-disc collection will be available on DVD for the suggested retail price of $14.98.   The threat of wars and disasters naturally leads one to thoughts of our impending demise. Mixing raw film techniques and footage with first-hand character accounts, HISTORY® goes to the extreme depths of our universe to offer a vision of what-ifs. Part Biblical parable/part present-day survival story, Revelations: The End of Days opens our eyes to the possibility of the end. Taking into account government shutdowns and the collapse of civilization, this gripping drama transports you on a journey of faith through life, scriptural prophecies and our final days of the world as we know it.    PROGRAM INFORMATION Year of Production: 2014 Title Copyright: Revelation: The End of Days © 2014, Cover Art and Design © 2015 A&E Television Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved. HISTORY, the "H" logo, the "H2" logo and A+E Networks are trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. Distributed by LIONSGATE® under license from A+E Networks Consumer Products™. Type: TV on DVD Rating: TV-PG Genre: Religious; History Closed Captioned: NA Subtitles: English SDH Feature Run Time: 180 minutes Format: 16x9 Widescreen (1.78:1) DVD Audio Status: 2.0 Dolby Digital   A seemingly simple housekeeping job turns out to be bloody difficult in this creepy psychological thriller from After Dark Films. Housekeeping arrives on DVD (plus Digital), Digital HD and On Demand March 31st from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. A student in need of money gets more than she bargained for when she takes a housekeeping job that turns deadly. The Housekeeping DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $19.Housekeeping follows Lucy (Adriana Solis), a medical student who takes a housekeeping job in order to make some quick cash. The almost-too-convenient new job soon takes a turn for the worse as Lucy's haunting past emerges and she begins to lose her grip on reality. Cast: Adriana Solis - TV's Penthouse,TV's Azucar Morena Blair Wojcik - Blood Ties, Talent Monica Percich - Blood Ties, Mr. Sophistication, Runaways & BunkBeds Carlos Foglia - The Jazz Funeral Peter Schlechter - Feature film debut and Indra Wicke - Feature film debut   PROGRAM INFORMATION Year of Production: 2013 Title Copyright: Housekeeping © 2013 Housekeeping Films. All Rights Reserved. Artwork & Supplementary Materials © 2015 Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. Type: Home Entertainment Premiere Rating: PG-13 for bloody images and brief strong language Genre: Thriller/Suspense  Closed Captioned: English Subtitles: English and Spanish Feature Run Time: 88 minutes  Format: 16x9 Widescreen (1.78:1)  Audio Status: English 5.1 Dolby Digital

WHIPLASH arrives on Blu-ray™, DVD & Digital HD Feb. 24

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

“êêêê”

 -- USA Today, New York Post, Chicago Tribune, Houston Chronicle, Boston Globe, RogerEbert.com

 

“THRILLING.” 

-- A.O. Scott, The New York Times

 

2014 Sundance Film Festival Audience & Grand Jury Prize Winner

 

WHIPLASH

 

Starring Miles Teller, & Golden Globe^® Winner & Oscar^®Nominee J.K. Simmons

 

Available on Blu-ray^™, DVD & Digital HD Feb. 24

 

CULVER CITY, Calif. (Jan. 26, 2014) – The compelling and critically acclaimed drama WHIPLASH arrives on Blu-ray^™, DVD and Digital HD Feb. 24 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.  Inspired by writer/director Damien Chazelle, this Sony Pictures Classics film follows the journey of a young jazz musician with a passion for drumming and dreams of greatness. Andrew Neiman, played by rising star Miles Teller (That Awkward Moment), is a determined 19-year-old student.  His rigid music teacher, Terence Fletcher, played by J.K. Simmons (Golden Globe^® winner and Oscar^® nominee for his role), sees Andrew’s raw talent, but will accept nothing less than perfection. Nominated for five Academy Awards^® (Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Sound Mixing), WHIPLASH also stars Paul Reiser (Life After Beth) as Andrew’s father and Melissa Benoist (“Glee”) as Andrew’s love interest, Nicole.

 

Winner of both the Audience and Grand Jury Prizes at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, WHIPLASH was first screened at the festival as a short film a year earlier to excellent reaction.  Chazelle returned a year later with a full-length version, which captured the top prizes in Park City and continued on as a festival favorite throughout the year. Film critics took to the film immediately, as evidenced by a 95 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety’s Peter Debruge wrote that “[WHIPLASH] demolishes the clichés of the musical-prodigy genre, investing the traditionally polite stages and rehearsal studios of a topnotch conservatory with all the psychological intensity of a battlefield or sports arena.” In addition, Rolling Stone called the film “electrifying,” and Peter Traversproclaimed that WHIPLASH is “A spellbinder. Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons will blow you away.”

 

WHIPLASH bonus features include commentary with J.K. Simmons and Damien Chazelle and a Toronto International Film Festival Q&A with Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons and Damien Chazelle. Exclusive to the Blu-ray is the original short film the movie was based on and a deleted scene, both of which include optional commentary and a 42-minute documentary featuring famous drummers who share stories and discuss their passion for the craft including Chad Smith, Peter Erskine, Gina Schock, Doane Perry and many more.

 

SYNOPSIS
Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) is an ambitious young jazz drummer, single-minded in his pursuit to rise to the top of his elite east coast music conservatory. Plagued by the failed writing career of his father, Andrew hungers day and night to become one of the greats. Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), an instructor equally known for his teaching talents as for his terrifying methods, leads the top jazz ensemble in the school. Fletcher discovers Andrew and transfers the aspiring drummer into his band, forever changing the young man’s life. Andrew’s passion to achieve perfection quickly spirals into obsession, as his ruthless teacher continues to push him to the brink of both his ability—and his sanity.

 

Bonus Features: 

·         Commentary with Writer/Director Damien Chazelle and J.K. Simmons

·         An Evening at the Toronto International Film Festival with Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons and Damien Chazelle                      

Blu-ray Exclusives:

·         Timekeepers – Famous drummers discuss their craft and passion for drumming

·         Whiplash Original Short Film with Optional Commentary

·         Deleted Scene with Optional Commentary

Wyrmwood: Road Of The Dead Theatrical Review

Following an unprecedented meteor shower, Barry (Jay Gallagher), an average auto mechanic that spends his days working and his nights and evenings with his wife Annie (Catherine Terracini) and their daughter Meganne (Meganne West), receives a frantic phone call from his sister Brooke (Bianca Bradey), informing him that zombies have begun to attack and he and his family have better come rescue her and flee for a safe place. 

They barely make it to their car as the living dead attack anyone within their line of sight. Despite escaping he soon discovers to his horror that the plague that has struck seemingly out of nowhere is airborne and anyone without a natural immunity will sooner or later turn.

Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead is the directorial debut of Australian filmmaker Kiah Roache-Turner, who co-wrote the film's screenplay with his brother Tristan Roache-Turner. The film is a wild mix of Mad Max inspired action, Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn gore and humor, and even introduces some original takes on the zombie genre with interesting ideas, some laugh out loud moments, and wacky characters.

If the film has one weakness I would say that it never really pays off the viewer any satisfactory resolution and leaves a few too many questions unanswered, which dampen an otherwise wild and relentless ride. 

Props to actor Leon Burchill, who serves as comedy relief, yet provides what is arguably the most normal and relatable character in the film precisely because of his flaws in a movie where the only thing more dangerous than zombies are the whacked out human survivors. The zombie makeup effects are not bad either considering this is a low budget Australian independent feature. 

Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead is a lot of fun and will make it's North American theatrical debut at select cinemas on Friday, February 13, 2015 courtesy of IFC Midnight.

(C) Copyright 2015 By Mark A. Rivera

All Rights Reserved.