Coming Soon Dark Shadows May 11th 2012

In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet-or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy...until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better...

The Hunger Games

Based on the best-selling young-adult novel by author Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games tells the dark tale of a 16-year-old girl named Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), who is selected to compete in a vicious televised tournament in which 24 teenagers from a post-apocalyptic society fight to the death for the entertainment of the masses. In the future, North America is no more. In its place has risen Panem, a divided nation split into 12 districts. Every year, each district selects a teen of each gender (called "Tributes") to test their worth in a competition known as the Hunger Games, which are broadcast across the nation as entertainment, and to reinforce the government's total power. When her younger sister is selected as District 12's latest "Tribute," Katniss volunteers to take her place, and trains under hard-drinking former Hunger Games champion Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) to sharpen her killer instincts. Now in order to survive the game and emerge the victor, this young combatant must put all of her skills to the ultimate test. Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

THE HUNGER GAMES

The Hunger Games takes place after the destruction of North America by some unknown apocalyptic event, in a nation known as Panem. Panem consists of a wealthy Capitol and twelve surrounding, poorer districts. District 12, where the book begins, is located in the coal-rich region that was formerly Appalachia.^[8]
As punishment for a previous rebellion against the Capitol in which a 13th district was destroyed, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by annual lottery to participate in the Hunger Games, an event in which the participants (or "tributes") must fight in an outdoor arena controlled by the Capitol, until only one remains. The story follows 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, a girl from District 12 who volunteers for the 74th annual Hunger Games in place of her younger sister, Primrose. Also selected from District 12 is Peeta Mellark, a baker's son whom Katniss knows from school, who once gave her bread when her family was starving.
Katniss and Peeta are taken to the Capitol where their drunken mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, victor of the 50th Hunger Games, instructs them to watch and learn the talents of the other tributes. They are then publicly displayed to the Capitol audience in a televised session with interviewer Caesar Flickerman. During this time, Peeta reveals on-air his long-time unrequited love for Katniss. Katniss believes this to be a ploy to gain audience support for the Games, which can be crucial for survival, as audience members are encouraged to send gifts like food, medicine, and tools to favored tributes during the Games. The Games begin with 11 of the 24 tributes dying in the first day, while Katniss relies on her well-practiced hunting and outdoor skills to survive. As the games continue, the tribute death toll increases. A few days later, Katniss develops an alliance with Rue, a 12-year-old girl from the agricultural District 11 who reminds Katniss of her sister Prim. The alliance is short-lived: Rue is killed by another tribute. At Rue's request Katniss sings to her, then spreads flowers over her body as a sign of respect--and of disgust towards the Capitol.
Supposedly due to Katniss and Peeta's beloved image in the minds of the audience as "star-crossed lovers", a rule change is announced midway through the Games, stating that two tributes from the same district can win the Hunger Games as a pair. Upon hearing this, Katniss searches for Peeta and eventually finds him wounded. As she nurses him back to health, she acts the part of a young girl falling in love to gain more favor with the audience and, consequently, gifts from her sponsors. When the couple are finally the last two tributes, the Gamemakers reverse the rule change in an attempt to force them into a dramatic finale, where one must kill the other to win. Katniss, knowing that the Gamemakers would rather have two victors than none, retrieves highly poisonous berries known as "nightlock" from her pouch and offers some to Peeta. Upon realizing that Katniss and Peeta intend to commit suicide, the Gamemakers announce that both will be the victors of the 74th Hunger Games.
Although she survives the ordeal in the arena and is treated to a hero's welcome in the Capitol, Katniss is warned by Haymitch that she has now become a political target after defying her society's authoritarian leaders so publicly. Afterwards, Peeta is heartbroken when he learns that Katniss' actions in the arena were part of a calculated ploy to earn sympathy from the audience. However, Katniss is unsure of her own feelings, and realizes that she is dreading the moment when she and Peeta will go their separate ways.

Disney Catalog Releases for 2012

This year, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment will bring over thirty catalog entries to Blu-ray. The scheduled films span across Disney's different distribution branches, and while the studio has previously hinted at certain titles - such as The Color of Money, Cocktail, Ransom, Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure, The Rescuers, and The Aristocats - today's announcement sheds light on many more future Blu-rays.by josh katz

Listed in chronological Blu-ray release order, the titles include:

• May 15th, 2012: - Father of the Bride / Father of the Bride Part II
  - Bringing Down the House
  
  
• June 5th, 2012: - The Color of Money
  - Cocktail
  - Ransom
  
  
• June 19th, 2012: - Sister Act / Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
  - Evita
  - Newsies
  
  
• July 3rd, 2012: - Home on the Range
  - The Horse Whisperer
  - Phenomenon
  - Step Up
  - Treasure Planet
  - Under the Tuscan Sun
  
  
• August 7th, 2012: - The Aristocats
  
  
• Fall 2012: - Adventures in Babysitting
  - Ed Wood
  - Ghosts of the Abyss 3D
  - Grosse Pointe Blank
  - High Fidelity
  - Judge Dredd
  - Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure
  - Pete's Dragon
  - Pocahontas / Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World two-movie package
  - The Rescuers / The Rescuers Down Under two-movie package
  - Romy and Michele's High School Reunion
  - The Tigger Movie
  
  
• Beginning in October 2012: - The Absent-Minded Professor
  - Arachnophobia
  - Atlantis: The Lost Empire
  - Babes in Toyland
  - Beaches
  - Brother Bear
  - Cold Creek Manor
  - Dick Tracy
  - Flubber
  - The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
  - Hocus Pocus
  - The Santa Clause Trilogy
  - Son of Flubber
  - Sweet Home Alabama
  - While You Were Sleeping

Blu-ray Sales, Mar. 5-11 Immortal On Top

Twentieth Century Fox's action-adventure Immortals secured the top figures on both overall package media and Blu-ray-only sales charts. Last November, the picture saw modest success - not surprising, given Immortals' R-rating - and it grossed over $83 million domestically on top of its $75 million budget. However, this weekly sales report indicated a healthy future in home theaters. The title saw 59% of its total sales derived from the HD format.

Close behind was the Blu-ray debut of Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season. Perhaps in anticipation of the program's second season, Game of Thrones sold 76% as many units (and 73% as many Blu-rays) as Immortals, demonstrating the high viewer interest in HBO's critically and commercially praised series. Of the total package media numbers, Game of Thrones moved 57% of its home video product on Blu-ray.

The 2011 remake of Footloose occupied the third slot on the overall package media and Blu-ray-only sales charts. Bolstered by Craig Brewer's direction and a surprisingly strong critical reception, Footloose made over $51 million over its $24 million budget, and while its Blu-ray debut was not as strong as either Immortals or Game of Thrones', the musical did sell 41% as many total units compared to the top spot. Viewer interest suggested slightly lower HD support in Footloose; only 29% of purchased copies came from Blu-ray figures.by josh katz

Top Ten Blu-ray Sellers for Week Ending 03/11/12:

1. Immortals
2. Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season
3. Footloose
4. Hugo
5. Jack and Jill
6. Puss in Boots
7. The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride
8. Lady and the Tramp
9. The Godfather Collection
10. The Lion King 1½

Project X Thoughts

"Project X" is the new found-footage movie that claims to show the most out-of-control party ever. Well, it seems like the party might be over based on the reviews the film has earned.

Critics have skewered "Project X," calling it immature, unfunny and even dangerous. For some, that might sound like a ringing endorsement of the party, but when it comes to throwing a movie together, "Project X" is much less successful.

Here is our roundup of "Project X" reviews.


The Story
"In suburban Pasadena, three exceedingly ordinary high school dudes stage a birthday bash for one of them, even though they're hardly the sort of guys that you'd expect to attract a hot crowd. Thomas (Thomas Mann), the one turning 17, whose parents are going away for the weekend, is the dutiful son who has promised — oh, has he promised! — not to mess up their home." — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

The Laughs
"It's billed as a comedy, but there's not a laugh to be had during the frenetic mayhem. There is also no plot beyond debauchery, nor characters beyond cardboard cutouts. Basically, it's a setting, and a familiar one: a suburban home teeming with drunken, druggie, hedonistic, irresponsible high-schoolers." — Claudia Puig, USA Today

The POV
"Aesthetically, the film sets the teeth grinding and the eyes aching. Presenting the spectacle from the p.o.v. of a home video camera documenting the event for posterity, first-time director Nima Nourizadeh and cinematographer Ken Seng swing the camera around with all the stability of a rowboat in a storm and unsurprisingly induce a strong facsimile of seasickness. The images tend to be dark and random, the music incessant." — Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter

The Parents in the Audience
"But only about an hour in, 'Project X' grows repetitive and starts running out of steam, and you begin to wonder what could possibly occur over the remaining 30 minutes or so. And not to get all mom-ish, but it does send a disturbing message to teens under the guise of 'edgy' entertainment. If you provide a setting and the means for strangers to get hammered, it will make you cool. If you are a young woman who wants approval, you must get naked and give up the goods." — Christy Lemire, The Associated Press

The Final Word
"The only people likely to buy into the oh-so-shocking exploits of the teen comedy 'Project X' are those who can't get invited to their own high school parties. Though the central blowout is as epic as advertised, so is the movie's self-congratulatory obnoxiousness." — Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

Ghost Rider 2

Nicolas Cage reprises the role of Johnny Blaze in ‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengenace’ and promises fans that the sequel will be a completely different experience than the first film.

The team behind Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance isn’t just burdened by all of the fanboy scrutiny that comes with a comic book movie adaptation, they’re also working against an intense level of skepticism thanks to the disappointing previous installment.
Despite Nicolas Cage reprising the role of Johnny Blaze, Ghost Rider 2 is a brand new ball game with new characters, a new setting, and new directors (Crank‘s Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor) calling the shots. Evidently, no one is more excited about this new approach than Cage himself.




While promoting the long-delayed Season of the Witch, Cage spoke with various media outlets and expressed his delight over how Ghost Rider 2 is coming together. Production recently began in Romania and Cage confirms to i09 that it’s a brand new experience – one that might even break continuity with the previous film:

“It is a completely different film. The first one, which I won’t denigrate — I liked the first one, but it was almost like a fairy tale. Almost like a Disney fairy tale interpretation of Faust. This one is completely re-conceived, it’s not even connected to the first one, it’s a different origin sequence. But I think it will be a brand new experience. It has more adrenaline involved in the film making process itself, and in the movie when you see it.”

Screenwriter David Goyer insisted that Ghost Rider 2 was not a reboot and did not contradict the last movie, but it really sounds like they’re hoping everyone just forgets the first Ghost Rider ever happened. If they went through the trouble of changing the origin story, though, hanging on to Cage seems like an unusual decision.
The origin isn’t the only thing that’s been altered – Cage says that his Johnny Blaze character has also undergone a pretty dramatic transformation since audiences last saw him:

“He’s become a lot more sarcastic, now that his head has been ignited. Unlike the first one where he was trying to keep it at bay. Now he’s been living with the Ghost Rider for some time, there’s a lot more irony with the character. His outlook isn’t as quite naive as it once was.”

One of the biggest factors in Ghost Rider 2‘s new tone is the directing duo of Neveldine and Taylor. Cage sings their praise to Collider and details their unconventional approach to filmmaking:

“I’m really enjoying my experience with Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. They’re not like anybody I’ve worked with before. They’re total originals. Mark Neveldine is doing things with the camera that are just brand new. He’s on rollerblades. He’s hanging off of wires at 300 feet. He’s just doing things that are combination stuntman and camera operator/director that are quite shocking and quite risky. And Brian Taylor is just a philosopher when it comes to movies. You can talk to him about Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom, and you can go into Ishiro Honda’s The War of the Gargantuas, in the same sentence. He’s definitely giving me a chance to bring a lot to the character.”

As long as it doesn’t include jelly beans and Carpenters music, I’m pretty intrigued by what the notoriously unhinged Cage might have up his sleeve. I remain somewhat pessimistic about the choice of Neveldine and Taylor (and the reduced budget for Spirit of Vengeance certainly doesn’t help ease my concerns), but Cage seems confident that Ghost Rider 2 will be a surprising and enjoyable event for fans:

“I’m very confident that something special is going to come out of this experience. You can just feel it on the set … I don’t want to give anything away, but I know that the Ghost Rider character will definitely mess with their minds.”

Take that last sentence for what you will. I’m starting to wonder if Ghost Rider 2 will wind up being as wildly divergent from the source material as the first movie – just in a different way. I’d really love to be wrong.by chris schrader