CELEBRATE THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FAN-FAVORITE COMEDY WITH A LIMITED-EDITION BLU-RAY™ STEELBOOK®

Serving up loads of burgers and even more laughs, the beloved comedy classic GOOD BURGER celebrates its 25^th anniversary with a Limited-Edition Blu-ray SteelBook on July 19, 2022 from Paramount Home Entertainment. 

 

Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell reprised their roles from the wildly popular sketch on Nickelodeon’s groundbreaking “All That” for this big screen romp directed by Brian Robbins (Varsity Blues).  Capturing the high energy and hilarious antics of two teenagers trying to save the burger joint where they work, GOOD BURGERwas the first big screen adaptation based on characters from the Nickelodeon universe.  The film was originally released on July 25, 1997 and features a fantastic ensemble cast, including Abe Vigoda, Sinbad, Shar Jackson, Linda Cardellini, and George Clinton.

 

When Mondo Burger's high-tech hamburger haven opens across the street from the tiny Good Burger diner, Ed (Mitchell) and Dexter (Thompson) find themselves in an uproarious battle with big business.  

 

The GOOD BURGER Blu-ray SteelBook includes the original “Good Burger” sketch from “All That” and access to a digital copy of the film.

eXistenZ 101 Films Blu-ray Disc Review

After seeing Crimes of the Future (2022), I have gotten into a bit of a David Cronenberg kick, seeing his latest film twice, explaining it to others and even buying Howard Shore’s excellent soundtrack on iTunes. If it ever comes out on audio CD, I will buy that too because I prefer physical media. 

After going through the Cronenberg films I have, I was happy that I still owned the Alliance Atlantis Canadian Region One DVD import of eXistenZ because it has a feature length audio commentary with Writer and Director David Cronenberg, Director of Photography Peter Suschitzky and Visual Effects Supervisor Jim Isaac. The DVD also included the documentary The Invisible Art of Carol Spier, which remains as far as I know exclusive to the DVD release and the theatrical trailer in English and French, which looks like a home video advertisement than anything that would play on the big screen. The American Dimension Films release did not have any of these features nor did the rare Laserdisc release. So for the longest time I have remained grateful to have held onto this DVD because I believe it is long out of print.

In 2012, Echo Bridge released the film under license from Dimension Films. The Blu-ray featured both a DTS-HD MA Soundtrack as well as DTS Stereo. It also has interview clips with Jude Law, Willem Dafoe and Jim Isaac, but no other extra value features. Not even subtitle options. Even the DVD had English and French Language Subtitles choices to accompany the English Dolby Digital 5.1 and French Language Dolby Stereo Soundtrack. 

Then I recently discovered that across the pond, a company called 101 Films released eXistenZ on Blu-Ray Disc in 2018 and despite being marked Region B, it will playback on Region A Blu-ray Disc Players. I viewed for comparison the three different home video optical disc releases on an LG 4K Ultra HD BD player and a 65 inch Sony OLED UHDTV. I managed to get a new factory sealed copy of the 101 Films release of eXIstenZ from a vender on eBay and I have to state this is a fantastic BD release because it includes brand new interviews with Actor Christopher Eccleston, an audio commentary with Kim Newman and Ryan Lambie as well as an audio commentary with Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson. Also included is the audio commentary with David Cronenberg and legacy features that include a making of documentary, a promotional featurette, backstage interviews with Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh and David Cronenberg and a window boxed trailer. For the Cronenberg commentary alone I would recommend this, but you get two more feature length audio commentary tracks too plus all the other bonus materials I have listed above for this BD release..

English 5.1 PCM Surround Sound and Stereo Sound are presented as well and are clear and ambient. English Subtitles are also encoded onto the disc. 

Now comes the thing I wanted to explore the most, the picture quality. The 101 Films version has the most film like presentation with great detail, good color saturation and  a fine grain. The Echo Bridge copy has no grain. The picture is crystal clear, but the flesh tones are muted. The DVD looks horrible in comparison with poor resolution even when unconverted to 4K and a picture that looks too dark. Please note that screening the three releases may yield different results depending upon your method of viewing and your screen size.

The interactive menus on all three are well rendered and easy to navigate. If you already own the Alliance Atlantis Canadian import DVD and or the Echo Bridge American Blu-ray Disc release, hold on to them especially if you are a Cronenberg super fan or admirer of the film. If not, check eBay, Amazon or wherever you can find it and get the 101 films version on Blu-ray. Please note that I have read that at least one person could not playback the 101 Films Blu-ray on their PlayStation. So buyer beware and make sure wherever you buy it, you can return it for a full refund if it does not work out for you. Otherwise happy hunting for eXistenZ on Blu-ray Disc from 101 films.

(C) Copyright 2022 By Mark A. Rivera

All Rights Reserved. 

New Documentary Goes Beyond the Myths Into Eyewitness Testimony of Werewolf Sightings American Werewolves Available on Cable VOD and Digital HD From 1091 Pictures Beginning July 5

 

New Documentary Goes Beyond the Myths  Into Eyewitness Testimony of Werewolf Sightings American Werewolves Available on Cable VOD and Digital HD From 1091 Pictures Beginning July 5

Wadsworth, OH--Small Town Monsters continues asking questions with their latest documentary, American Werewolves. Seth Breedlove's newest project poses the question: do real werewolves exist? Breedlove presents a witness-focused study into the "dogman" phenomenon that pervades through American folklore. American Werewolves debuts on major streaming platforms on July 5th, from 1091 Pictures, including iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu and FandangoNOW. This horrifying new entry into the Small Town Monsters canon is directed by Seth Breedlove and produced by Heather Moser. Thousands of people go missing in the United States each year, and American Werewolves and Seth Breedlove allow witnesses and a few brave investigators to present their theory that perhaps real werewolves are behind some of these disturbing disappearances. American Werewolves aims to explore this oft-overlooked aspect of American folklore. However, where previous Small Town Monsters productions delved into similar subject matter by presenting the details of the phenomena through a panel of experts, authors, folklorists and investigators, American Werewolves leaves the storytelling to the witnesses.  Comprised of around a dozen witness accounts, the film takes on the strange topic by giving those who have experienced it the space to directly present their encounters to the audience. Encounters discussed within the film range from brief run-ins on rural country lanes to horrifying, face-to-face confrontations that are the very fuel of nightmares. One witness even claims to have discovered the grisly, shredded remains of a werewolf victim. Each year dozens of encounters with upright canids are reported in North America. These beings often behave in alarming ways with many reports of a beast that is aggressive, ghastly, and disturbing. While many theorize that the Dogman is some sort of unidentified species of animal, others believe that this creature is something else.  Of the many possible terrifying ends to these encounters, the most shocking are the ones which possibly resulted in death. A woman jogging on a country road in rural Ohio goes missing. A man hiking into the mountains of Alaska turns up mutilated beyond recognition, his face mangled by something that seems to defy the natural predatory animals of the region. Thousands of people go missing in the United States each year, and the latest film from Small Town Monsters and director Seth Breedlove allows witnesses and a few brave investigators to present their theory that perhaps a real werewolf is behind some of these disturbing disappearances.

HBO Releases New Image From Drama Series THE LAST OF US

During today’s Summer Game Fest, Neil Druckmann, Co-President of Naughty Dog and Co-Creator, Executive Producer, Writer, and Director of the HBO’s THE LAST OF US, released a new image from the forthcoming drama series featuring Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie.

Druckmann was joined onstage by Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker, who voiced Ellie and Joel in “The Last of Us” and “The Last of Us Part II” video games. Johnson and Baker announced that they will appear in HBO’s THE LAST OF US series playing characters different from those they voiced in the games.
 
Johnson and Baker join previously announced cast members Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal, Gabriel Luna, Merle Dandridge, Nico Parker, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Jeffrey Pierce, and Anna Torv. 
 
Based on the critically acclaimed video game “The Last of Us,” developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation^® platforms, the story takes place twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
 
Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin serve as Co-Creators, Executive Producers, Writers and Directors.  Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam are Executive Producers.  Kantemir Balagov, Jasmila Žbanić, Ali Abbasi, Peter Hoar, Jeremy Webb, and Liza Johnson are Directors. THE LAST OF US is a co-production With Sony Pictures Television.  PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog produce. 
 
Ashley Johnson is represented by Innovative Artists and Anonymous Content. Troy Baker is represented by DPN Talent. 

HBO Releases Key Art For Season Four Of WESTWORLD At ATX TV Festival. James Marsden Will Return For The Eight-Episode Fourth Season

• HBO released the key art for season four of WESTWORLD during its headlining ATX TV Festival Closing Night Event. The Emmy^®winning drama series returns for its eight-episode fourth season SUNDAY, JUNE 26 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
   
• Panelists included Lisa Joy (Co-Creator, Writer, Director, and Executive Producer), Alison Schapker (Writer and Executive Producer), and stars Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, Luke Hemsworth, Angela Sarafyan, and Aurora Perrineau.
   
• James Marsden appeared as a surprise panelist announcing he will return for season four.
   
• Logline: A dark odyssey about the fate of sentient life on earth.
   
• Cast: Season four stars Evan Rachel Wood, Emmy^® winner Thandiwe Newton, Ed Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Tessa Thompson, Luke Hemsworth, Aaron Paul, Angela Sarafyan, and James Marsden.  Additional cast includes Oscar winner Ariana DeBose, Aurora Perrineau, and Daniel Wu.
   
• Credits: Westworld was created for television by Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy, who are executive producers with Alison Schapker, Denise Thé, J.J. Abrams, Athena Wickham, Richard J. Lewis, and Ben Stephenson. Production companies: Kilter Films and Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television; based on the film written by Michael Crichton.

The First Wives Club Debuts On Blu-ray On June 28th

The hilarious comedy THE FIRST WIVES CLUBarrives on Blu-ray^™ for the first time ever as part of the Paramount Presents line on June 28, 2022 from Paramount Home Entertainment!

 

Starring Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton, the uproarious revenge comedy has been remastered from a 4K film transfer for this new release.  The Paramount Presents Blu-ray includes collectible packaging with a foldout image of the film’s original theatrical poster, as well as a new Filmmaker Focus with screenwriter Robert Harling.

 

Loaded with snappy one-liners, great physical gags, and a healthy dose of satire, THE FIRST WIVES CLUB tells the story of three Manhattanites with more than a longtime friendship in common—they’ve all been dumped by their husbands for newer, curvier models.  Determined to turn their pain into gain, justice isn’t about getting mad, it’s about getting everything.  

 

THE FIRST WIVES CLUB features an incredible supporting cast, including Maggie Smith, Dan Hedaya, Bronson Pinchot, Marcia Gay Harden, Sarah Jessica Parker, Rob Reiner, Stockard Channing, and Elizabeth Berkley.

CELEBRATE THE KING WITH ORIGINAL CLASSIC MOVIES STARRING THE ONE AND ONLY ELVIS PRESLEY FROM PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Get ready for Baz Luhrmann’s new feature film Elvisby revisiting some of the real Elvis’ most celebrated movies!  Already a music sensation, the rock iconhad long wanted to become a serious actor when he was given his first Hollywood screen test on the Paramount lot in 1956 for “The Rainmaker.”  Although he did not get a part in that film, the screen test was the start of a legendary movie career. 

 

Paramount has recently restored two of Elvis’ classics—BLUE HAWAII and KING CREOLE—using original negatives to provide the best image and upgraded audio to ensure every song sounds fantastic.

 

Enjoy these classics on disc and digital now:

 

BLUE HAWAII (1961)—On 4K Ultra HD Digital for the first time June 21

Newly restored in 4K Ultra HD with HDR-10 and Dolby Vision, this rollicking film celebrated the brand-new exotic state of Hawaii and looks more spectacular than ever with every colorful costume and vivid Hawaiian background brought to life.  The film will arrive on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray^™as part of the Paramount Presents collection later this year.

KING CREOLE (1958)—On 4K Ultra HD Digital and Blu-ray now

Restored from a 4K film transfer, this film earned Elvis the best reviews of his acting career and is known as his personal favorite.  Available to buy or rent on 4K Ultra HD Digital and in a Limited-Edition Paramount Presents Blu-ray with collectible packaging and a featurette with film historian Leonard Maltin discussing Elvis’ most acclaimed starring role.

ELVIS 5-MOVIE COLLECTION—On DVD now

Includes G.I. BLUES, BLUE HAWAII, GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS!, ROUSTABOUT, and FUN IN ACAPULCO featuring performances of hit songs “Wooden Heart,” “Shoppin Around,” “Trouble,” “Can't Help Falling In Love,” “Rock-A-Hula Baby,” “Bossa Nova Baby,” and “Return To Sender.”

 

In addition, the following films are currently available to buy or rent individually on Digital platforms or purchase on DVD:

• KING CREOLE
• G.I. BLUES
• BLUE HAWAII
• GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS!
• FUN IN ACAPULCO
• ROUSTABOUT
• PARADISE, HAWAIIAN STYLE
• EASY COME, EASY GO