This Week on DVD: October 2, 2007
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, MGM, Sony, Weinstein Company, Action, Adaptation, Drama, Horror, Period, Science Fiction, Sequels, Thrillers, Home Entertainment, Lists, New Releases,
Here are a few of the titles you can find on the rental shelves this Tuesday:
- 1408: starring John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson
- Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Collector’s Edition): starring Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder
- Caligula (Three-Disc Imperial Edition): starring Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren
- Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer: starring Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis
- The Jungle Book (Platinum Edition): starring Phil Harris, Sebastian Cabot
- Misery (Special Edition): starring Kathy Bates, James Caan
- Species (Collector’s Edition): starring Natasha Henstridge, Michael Madsen
Click here to see the TV-On-DVD options for this week.
Click here to see the new titles released on HD DVD and Blu-Ray.
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In Theaters This Weekend (9/28)
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: FOCUS, Disney, Fox Searchlight, MGM, Lionsgate, Universal, Drama, Family, Independent, Romance, Comedy, Thrillers, Lists, Upcoming Releases,
Here are some possible suggestions for your upcoming weekend:
- The Game Plan (PG): starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Madison Pettis (directed by Andy Fickman)
- The Kingdom (R): starring Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner (directed by Peter Berg)
- The Darjeeling Limited* (R): starring Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson (directed by Wes Anderson)
- Feast of Love* (R): starring Morgan Freeman, Greg Kinnear (directed by Robert Benton)
- Lust, Caution* (NC-17): starring Tony Leung, Tang Wei (directed by Ang Lee)
- Outsourced* (PG-13): starring Larry Pine, Asif Basra (directed by John Jeffcoat)
- Trade* (R): starring Kevin Kline, Cesar Ramos (directed by Marco Kreuzpaintner)
*limited or gradual release
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Narnia Film Delayed
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Disney, Adaptation, Adventure, Family, Sequels, Upcoming Releases,
Production has been delayed on the third Narnia movie installment The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Originally scheduled to hit theatres May 1, 2009, the movie now won’t be released until May 7, 2010. Production was supposed to begin this January, but has now been pushed to next summer. The delay has been attributed to the young stars of the film, as execs are saying it’s very challenging to work out scheduling difficulties. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, the second flick in the franchise, was supposed to be released this December. It won’t be out until May.
Read More 
| Yahoo! News
Anne Hathaway Becomes Jane…and a Major Hollywood Player
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Miramax, Drama, Period, Romance, Casting, New Releases,
Anne Hathaway, 24-year-old actress, has come a long way since she gained notice in Disney’s two Princess Diaries flicks. Since then, Hathaway appeared in the critically-acclaimed Brokeback Mountain, and acted opposite Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada. Now, Hathaway is starring in Becoming Jane, the semi-fictional Jane Austen flick scheduled for release today…but is Anne Hathaway ready to become an A-list star?
There was a point during production when Hathaway seriously considered walking away from Becoming Jane, which is loosely based on the life of novelist Jane Austen. To the delight of moviegoers, Hathaway stuck with the project, though she did have to do a lot of research for the part. The actress had to learn to speak in an English accent and study the customs of the late 18th century just to play the role. Though Becoming Jane is certainly about a real person living in a real time, the movie itself is not based on actual events.
Click to continue reading Anne Hathaway Becomes Jane…and a Major Hollywood Player
Read More | CNN, Entertainment Weekly
Disney to Ban Smoking in All Future Releases
Posted by Johnny Mercedes Categories: Disney, Miramax, Touchstone, Family, Distribution, Filmmaking,
Two months ago, the MPAA announced that any films submitted for rating would now be scrutinized for instances of cigarette smoking, particularly when it is glamorized. This new regulation was aimed at keeping these images away from the eyes of young, malleable children, and could affect said film’s rating, though the deciding criteria remains unknown. Now family-friendly juggernaut Disney has become the first major Hollywood studio to back the MPAA’s anti-smoking decision to help keep cigarettes away from the youth of America.
The decision was made as a result of recent studies exploring the affect current films have on children given the ubiquitous nature of these images — the results don’t look good. It seems that 90 percent of all films depict smoking, and that children with the highest exposure to these films are three times more likely to try smoking.
In addition to banning smoking in all upcoming releases, Disney has said it will place anti-smoking public service announcements on any future DVDs that feature smoking, and they are encouraging theater owners to do the same on the big screen. The company’s two other labels, Touchstone and Miramax, will also be strongly discouraged from producing or distributing movies with images of smoking, though how strong the discouragement remains unclear.
Disney may be taking an important step in the fight against this national health crisis, but film is only a small piece of the pie. It is up to our government to implement proper anti-smoking education for children — a quick PSA before a movie will do nothing. And it helps to remember that smoking, unlike violence or sexual imagery, is around children all the time, wherever they go. The only way to make real change is with parents who feel a need to protect their children. Light a fire under them, and the problem will smoke itself.
Read More | Reuters
Box Office Breakdown: Almighty Only Does Alrighty
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Disney, MGM, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Political, Religious, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
Question: When is being the #1 movie just not enough? (Hint: You have three chances to answer this question correctly).
Answer(s):
- When the critics don’t really have anything good to say about you
- When you made less than 1/2 of what your predecessor did on opening weekend
- When it cost over $175 million just to create you
Apparently having God on your side doesn’t guarantee you heavenly box office numbers. Evan Almighty, the follow-up to 2003’s Bruce Almighty, failed to bring in a large congregation this past weekend. Although it did better than the rest of the flock, it’s $32 million take paled in comparison to Bruce’s $68 million opening. And then there’s that glaring $175 million bill…
Of course, we shouldn’t feel so badly about Steve Carell’s career. I have a feeling that God is providing for him in other ways.
Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Almighty Only Does Alrighty
Is Pirates Worth the Hype?
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Disney, Action, Adventure, Sequels, Box Office, New Releases, Theatrical Reviews,
Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean was a surprise success – able to delight both children and adults, the flick pulled in big star power and even bigger box office numbers. That’s quite an achievement for a movie that was, essentially, based upon a theme park ride. The slick production, clever acting, high-priced sets, and interesting costumes all make the third installment to this multi-million-dollar franchise look wonderful. But…is it actually worth the time and money that moviegoers will have to invest?
At nearly three hours long, At World’s End feels less like the Pirates attraction and more like the never-ending It’s a Small World tunnel. Children will love the silly gags, amazing effects, high-action drama, and the sword fighting. But, it holds almost none of the appeal of the first film and does little to fix the damage wrought by the second (Dead Man’s Chest, which was one action sequence after another, coupled with a quickly-confusing script and a few plot twists that made audiences scratch their heads and go “am I in the right theater?”).
Click to continue reading Is Pirates Worth the Hype?
Read More | TV Guide
Shia LaBeouf No Mickey Mouse Actor
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: DreamWorks, Horror, Box Office, Casting, Celeb News, New Releases, Upcoming Releases,
The Disney channel child star Shia LaBeouf is hotter than ever, and he’s proved it with his big box office hit, Disturbia. The Rear Window-esque movie was number one at the box office with $23 million this weekend, finally unseating Will Ferrell’s Blades of Glory (which, at number 2, got $14 million). LaBeouf had little time for celebrating the news, as he was busy this weekend serving as host on SNL. During the monologue, Shia made his official announcement that yes, he will be starring in the new Indiana Jones movie, despite past claims that he had not been asked or approached to be in the film. There is no word yet on which character LaBeouf will bring to the big screen, but filming for the flick begins in June. This leaves little time for Shia to celebrate another of his successes, his starring role in the live-action Transformers movie, which will be released to theatres this summer.
Read More | E! Online
Disney to Feature First Black Heroine
Posted by Johnny Mercedes Categories: Disney, Animation, Family, Upcoming Releases,
The Walt Disney Company will return to the classic, hand-drawn animated feature in 2009 with The Frog Princess, the whimsical tale of a girl named Maddy living in New Orleans. Not only does the film mark a return to traditional animation, but it also introduces the first black heroine ever to star in an animated Disney film. The company plans to add Maddy to its successful Princess division, an extremely lucrative product line featuring eight princesses from past Disney films and targeting young girls ages 3 to 8. The film will also pay tribute to the recently hapless town of New Orleans, showcasing its contributions to American culture through Randy Newman-tinged jazz music.
The aptly timed tribute to New Orleans notwithstanding, the introduction of a black heroine seems a bit late. At over eighty years old, the Walt Disney Company should have taken this step years ago, not only when realizing their Princess profits were perhaps lacking some African American dollars. However belated, the film parallels a unique time in US history – the strong possibility of either a black or female president in 2008. Whether or not this was Disney’s intention, a return to hand-drawn animation, with some diversity thrown in, can only be a good thing. Keep checking FilmCrunch for all updates on The Frog Princess.
Read More | Reuters
FilmCrunch 024: The Little Mermaid Platinum Edition DVD Review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Disney, Adventure, Animation, Classics, Family, DVD Reviews, Short FilmCrunch, Videocasts,
Neil Estep and Veronica Santiago review the Limited Edition Platinum DVD release of The Little Mermaid in this episode of FilmCrunch, the animated screen version of Hans Christian Andersen’s story of a mermaid named Ariel, who falls in love with an earthly prince. We were glad to see this one come out of the infamous Disney vault, as it’s a classic. And hey - it even comes with an uber chic bracelet! Can’t go wrong with this one, folks.
Now we want to hear from you - hit the forums and let us know what you think, what you want us to watch next, and any other recommendations you have for the show.
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