Monday, May 19, 2014

Animated "Batman: Assault on Arkham" Due August 14, 2014

Warner Bros. Brings "Batman: Assault on Arkham" to DVD/Blu-ray August 14.

Batman, one of the world’s most valiant super heroes, faces a villainous squad of criminals in an epic battle of good vs. evil in the DC Universe Original Movie, Batman: Assault on Arkham. Set in the world of the best-selling Batman: Arkham video game series, this action-packed film takes place between the Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Asylum video games. Available on August 12, 2014 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, on Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD, this hit is one DC Comics fans won’t want to miss.

Gotham is in great danger when the government assembles a group of villains — code named the Suicide Squad — and forces them to break into Arkham Asylum to retrieve top secret information stolen by the Riddler. Things take a turn for the worse when one of the Squad members (Harley Quinn) frees the Joker, who is intent on blowing up Arkham Asylum and Gotham City. Batman must use his super hero wits and strength to thwart the wicked plans of the Joker and the Suicide Squad.

"Batman: Assault on Arkham is a thrill-ride with everything a fan would want — a courageous super hero, depraved villains, and suspenseful plot twists," said Mary Ellen Thomas, WBHE Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing. "Featuring voice talent from some of today’s hottest television actors, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is proud to release this as the next DC Universe Original Movie."

"Working on a new Batman story is always exciting," said Sam Register, President, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Digital Series. "As a fan of the Arkham video games, I know this movie is going to entertain all Batman groups, from comic book and super hero fans to the most dedicated gamer."

Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) voices Batman, and joins forces with several Hollywood greats to bring the legendary characters to life. Adding to the celebrity-laden cast is Neal McDonough (Justified, Desperate Housewives) as Deadshot, Troy Baker (The Last of Us) as Joker, Matthew Gray Gubler (Criminal Minds) as Riddler, CCH Pounder (The Shield, Warehouse 13) as Amanda Waller, Greg Ellis (24) as Captain Boomerang, and Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, Revolution) as Black Spider.

Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment, Batman: Assault on Arkham is directed by Jay Oliva (Man of Steel, Justice League: War) and Ethan Spaulding (Son of Batman) from a script written by Heath Corson (Justice League: War). Sam Register (Beware the Batman, Teen Titans Go!), Benjamin Melniker (The Dark Knight Rises) and Michael Uslan (The Dark Knight Rises) serve as executive producers. James Tucker (Son of Batman) is Supervising Producer.

Batman: Assault on Arkham has tons of exciting enhanced content. The Blu-ray Combo Pack will include:

    Arkham Analyzed: The Secrets Behind the Asylum – This is the documentary that traces the strange, demonic history of the location where horror is mixed with the extremities of the criminally insane. A place where Batman must keep his watchful gaze, to insure that what goes in does not come out .... ever.
    The Joker's Queen: Harley Quinn - If The Joker were to have a girlfriend, what would she be like? This featurette covers the story of the deviancy and often provocative side to The Joker’s greatest ally, Harley Quinn.
    An advance look into the next DC animated feature film with the creators and cast.
    Four episodes from the DC Comics Vault.

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's home video, digital distribution, interactive entertainment, technical operations and anti-piracy businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees, as well as directly to consumers through WBShop.com.

About DC Entertainment:
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash, etc.), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables, etc.) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating across Warner Bros. and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world.


About Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) is one of the leading producers of animation in the entertainment industry, producing and developing both CG and traditionally animated projects for multiple platforms, both domestically and internationally. For TV, WBA produces series such as Beware the Batman, Teen Titans Go!, The Tom and Jerry Show and the upcoming Be Cool Scooby-Doo! and Wabbit – A Looney Tunes Production for Cartoon Network; original animated DC Nation shorts for Cartoon Network; and the forthcoming Mike Tyson Mysteries series for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. As the home of the iconic animated characters from the DC Comics, Hanna-Barbera, MGM and Looney Tunes libraries, WBA also produces highly successful animated films — including the DC Universe Animated Original Movies — for DVD. One of the most-honored animation studios in history, WBA has won six Academy Awards®, 35 Emmy® Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, an Environmental Media Award, a Parents’ Choice Award, the HUMANITAS Prize, two Prism Awards and 20 Annie Awards (honoring excellence in animation).

 Batman and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and ©DCComics

-----------------------------------------



"Twin Peaks - The Entire Mystery" Arrives on Blu-ray July 29, 2014

David Lynch and Mark Frost’s Groundbreaking Cult Phenomenon Arrives on Blu-ray™ in TWIN PEAKS – THE ENTIRE MYSTERY with the Long-Awaited Debut of Nearly 90 Minutes of Deleted/Alternate Scenes from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

For The First Time Ever, Acclaimed Television Series And Feature Film Arrive In One Complete Box Set With Upgraded Picture, Newly Produced And Archival Special Features … All Under the Personal Supervision of David Lynch on July 29, 2014

HOLLYWOOD--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Twenty-five years after the shocking murder of Laura Palmer in the acclaimed series from legendary filmmaker David Lynch and writer/producer Mark Frost, CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Media Distribution will release TWIN PEAKS – THE ENTIRE MYSTERY.

    “Secrets From Another Place: Creating Twin Peaks”

Arriving for the first time on stunning High Definition Blu-ray with English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio on July 29th, this comprehensive collection contains every episode from the complete television series; both the U.S. and international versions of the series’ Pilot; the North American Blu-ray debut of Lynch’s follow-up feature Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me; and nearly 90 minutes of deleted and alternate scenes from the film. The set also features newly transferred Log Lady introductions for each episode; picture upgrades to many shots in the TV series; a new featurette with Lynch and the actors who portrayed the Palmer family which includes a mesmerizing return to the lives of their characters today; and hours of never-before-released material that dives into the fascinating story behind the celebrated pop culture classic.

Along with a newly transferred version of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, created from a 4K scan of the original negative, TWIN PEAKS – THE ENTIRE MYSTERY Blu-ray box set boasts the long-awaited missing pieces from the original version of the film – nearly an hour-and-a-half of deleted/alternate scenes from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me – often referred to as the “holy grail” of Twin Peaks fandom. This feature-length experience has been directed and edited by Lynch exclusively for this release. Capping off more than 30 deleted/alternate scenes is an epilogue providing a fascinating glimpse beyond the cliffhanger finale of the TV series.

“During the last days in the life of Laura Palmer many things happened, which have never been seen before,” said David Lynch. “They're here now alongside the new transfer of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me and Twin Peaks, the television series.”

“We set the bar very high with our prior complete series TWIN PEAKS DVD Gold Box,” said Ken Ross, Executive Vice President and General Manager, CBS Home Entertainment. “THE ENTIRE MYSTERY Blu-ray had to be spectacular in terms of both content and presentation. We are confident that we hit the mark and are bringing the fans something very special. None of this could have been possible without the day-to-day involvement of David Lynch.”

TWIN PEAKS – THE ENTIRE MYSTERY is loaded with special features. In the two-part feature “Between Two Worlds,” Lynch himself interviews the Palmer family (Leland, Sarah and daughter Laura) about their current existence in this life and the next, and follows up with a discussion with the actors who portray them. TWIN PEAKS – THE ENTIRE MYSTERY also features “Moving Through Time: Fire Walk With Me Memories,” an exclusive retrospective documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew who recount the making of the Twin Peaks movie and working with David Lynch. The collection also features high-definition versions of the Log Lady episode introductions, transferred from recently unearthed 16mm film negative, a selection of newly discovered deleted scenes and outtakes from the television series, and three Twin Peaks photo galleries with over 130 behind-the-scenes images from David Lynch’s personal never-before-released collection. Also new to this release are 10 vignettes of iconic Twin Peaks themes called “Atmospherics.” Each features a unique montage of music, dialogue and video (including some rare outtakes) that appear as both menu backgrounds and as their own textless experience to further immerse fans in the mysterious world of Twin Peaks.

Additionally, the set features a massive collection of pre-existing special features, some of which have been re-mastered in high definition exclusively for this release, including the award-winning four-part documentary “Secrets From Another Place: Creating Twin Peaks,” and a newly extended version of the Gold Box featurette “A Slice of Lynch,” featuring the complete and uncut conversation between David Lynch and actors Kyle MacLachlan and Mädchen Amick. Additionally, this 10-disc set houses an extraordinary archive of special features culled from the entire history of Twin Peaks on home video, including featurettes, cast and crew interviews, promotional reels, archival deleted scenes...and much, much more.

Winning a Golden Globe® for Best Television Series - Drama in 1991, and a fixture in all-time top TV series lists from TIME, Entertainment Weekly and TV Guide, Twin Peaks follows the inhabitants of a quaint northwestern town who are stunned after the homecoming queen Laura Palmer is suddenly found murdered. The investigation that follows engenders an eerie chain of events with cataclysmic results felt across the entire town. The series features an ensemble cast including Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Sheryl Lee, Sherilyn Fenn, Lara Flynn Boyle, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook, Richard Beymer, Ray Wise, Peggy Lipton and Warren Frost. Although shot after the series ended, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me is the prequel to the television series and focuses on the seven days leading up to Laura Palmer’s death. Many of the TV series cast members reprise their roles in the film and are joined by others including Kiefer Sutherland, David Bowie, Chris Isaak and Harry Dean Stanton.

TWIN PEAKS – THE ENTIRE MYSTERY will be available in 1080p with English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (Series and Feature), original English Stereo 2.0 (Series and Feature), Latin American Spanish Mono (Series), Latin American Spanish Stereo (Feature), Brazilian Portuguese Mono (Series), French Mono (Series), French 5.1 (Feature), Italian Mono (Series), Italian Stereo (Feature), German Mono (Series), German 5.1 (Feature), Castilian Mono (Series), Castilian Stereo (Feature), Japanese Mono (Series), and Japanese Stereo (Feature). The 10-disc collection also includes English SDH, Latin American Spanish, French, Italian, German, Castilian, Japanese, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, and Finnish subtitles (Series and Feature).

It will be available for the suggested retail price of $109.99 U.S. and $129.99 Canada. The disc breakdown is as follows:

Disc One:
    Pilot
        Original Version
        Alternate International Version
    Episode 1
    Episode 2
    Special Features
        Log Lady Intros (HD)
        Preview and recaps on select episodes (HD)

Disc Two:
    Episode 3
    Episode 4
    Episode 5
    Episode 6
    Episode 7

    Special Features
        Season 1 Image Gallery
        Twin Peaks Sneak Peeks (HD)
        Log Lady Intros (HD)
        Previews and recaps on select episodes (HD)

Disc Three:
    Episode 8
    Episode 9
    Episode 10
    Special Features
        A Slice of Lynch: Uncut (HD) – NEW!
        Season 2 Image Gallery
        Promos (HD/SD)
        Log Lady Intros (HD)
        Preview and recaps on select episodes (HD)

Disc Four:
    Episode 11
    Episode 12
    Episode 13
    Episode 14
    Special Features
        Series Deleted Scenes
        Series Deleted Scenes (HD) – NEW!
        Outtakes (HD) – NEW!
        Log Lady Intros (HD)
        Preview and recaps on select episodes (HD)

Disc Five:
    Episode 15
    Episode 16
    Episode 17
    Episode 18
    Special Features
        Return To Twin Peaks
        Location Guide
        The Glastonbury Archives
            17 Pieces of Pie: Shooting at the Mar T (AKA RR) Diner
            Mark Frost Interview with Wrapped in Plastic
            Learning to Speak in the Red Room
            An Introduction to David Lynch
            Lucy Bumpers
            1-900 Hotline
            Production Documents
            Image Galleries
        Log Lady Intros (HD)
        Preview and recaps on select episodes (HD)

Disc Six:
    Episode 19
    Episode 20
    Episode 21
    Episode 22
    Special Features
        Postcards From The Cast
        Twin Peaks Sneak Peaks (HD)
        Log Lady Intros (HD)
        Preview and recaps on select episodes (HD)

Disc Seven:
    Episode 23
    Episode 24
    Episode 25
    Episode 26
    Special Features
        Cast And Crew Interviews
        Log Lady Intros (HD)
        Preview and recaps on select episodes (HD)

Disc Eight:
    Episode 27
    Episode 28
    Episode 29
    Special Features
        Secrets From Another Place: Creating Twin Peaks (HD)
            Northwest Passage: Creating the Pilot
            Freshly Squeezed: Creating Season One
            Where We’re From: Creating the Music
            Into the Night: Creating Season Two
        Log Lady Intros (HD)
        Preview and recaps on select episodes (HD)

Disc Nine:
    Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
    The Missing Pieces: Deleted/Alternate Scenes (HD) – NEW!
    Special Feature
        Archival Interviews

Disc Ten:
    Special Features
        Between Two Worlds (HD) – NEW!
            Palmer Family Interview
            Actors Discussion
        Moving Through Time: Fire Walk With Me Memories (HD) – NEW!
        Reflections On The Phenomenon Of Twin Peaks
        US Trailer
        International Trailer
        Fire Walk With Me Photo Gallery – NEW!
        Atmospherics (HD) – NEW!
            Trees/Woods
            Pie
            Signs/Places
            Coffee
            Notes
            Water
            Donuts
            Owls
            The Ring
            The Red Room

Please visit andthemissingpieces.tumblr.com for the latest details on TWIN PEAKS – THE ENTIRE MYSTERY. Use #theentiremystery to join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

High Definition special features are denoted (HD). Configuration and names of special features are subject to change.

CBS Home Entertainment manages the worldwide DVD and Blu-ray businesses for the CBS Corporation across all lines of content including current hits and classic series from the vast CBS library, as well as new releases from Showtime Video. CBS Home Entertainment products are released on the CBS DVD and CBS Blu-ray labels.

Paramount Home Media Distribution (PHMD) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The PHMD division oversees PPC’s home entertainment, digital and television distribution activities worldwide. The division is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment content on behalf of Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and CBS and for providing home entertainment fulfillment services for certain DreamWorks Animation Home Entertainment titles. PHMD additionally manages global licensing of studio content and distribution across worldwide digital and television distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices and emerging technologies.


TWIN PEAKS — THE ENTIRE MYSTERY BLU-RAY
Street Date: July 29, 2014
Suggest retail price:  $109.99 US / $129.99 CAN
Catalog #: 144394
Series Run Time: Approx. 25 hours, 3 minutes
Film Run Time: Approx. 2 hours, 14 minutes
Series U.S. Rating: NR
Film U.S. Rating: R - Strong Violence, Sex and Drug Content, Language
Series CAN Rating:14A – Mature Theme
Film CAN Rating: 18A – Sexual Violence, Sexual Content, Disturbing Content

-----------------------------------


Twice the Chocolate at Indiegogo

Try conventional chocolate:







The East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention on Indiegogo

I have never been to this convention, but I plan to go.  I think what they do is important for the art form in America:


Bradley Cooper and Todd Phillips Form Production Company

Warner Bros. Pictures Announces First-Look Producing Deal with Todd Phillips and Bradley Cooper’s New Production Company

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Longtime friends and collaborators Todd Phillips and Bradley Cooper have formed a production company as producing partners and signed a three-year, first-look production agreement with Warner Bros. Pictures, it was announced today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, Warner Bros. Pictures.

    “Bradley is a tremendous talent and one of my closest friends”

“Todd and Bradley have deep personal ties throughout the Studio and we couldn’t be more pleased that they are combining their immense talents into what promises to be one formidable production company,” said Silverman. “The entire Warner Bros. family is excited about the great movies we know will come from this collaboration of two highly successful and original filmmakers.”

“Todd is one of the smartest, coolest guys I know,” said Cooper. “He also happens to be one of the best filmmakers in the business, and I am honored and excited to be his partner.”

“Bradley is a tremendous talent and one of my closest friends,” said Phillips. “He is the hardest working guy I know and truly loves all aspects of filmmaking. The pairing of his intense focus and my good looks should make for some fun, and hopefully compelling, projects. I look forward to causing some trouble with him.”

The first collaboration under the new banner will be “Arms & the Dudes,” which is Phillips’ next project to direct. The film is based on a Rolling Stone article written by Guy Lawson that chronicles the true story of two stoner kids from Miami Beach who wound up becoming big-time arms dealers for the U.S. government, eventually landing a $300 million contract that got them in way over their heads.

Cooper, who became well known from “The Hangover” franchise, has since been nominated for Academy Awards® for his work in “Silver Linings Playbook” and “American Hustle.” He formed 22nd & Indiana Pictures and partnered with Warner Bros. in a two-year development deal in 2012. One of the first projects Cooper acquired under the 22nd & Indiana banner was “American Sniper,” an adaptation of the autobiography of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. Cooper is producing and starring in the film, which is currently shooting in Morocco and Los Angeles, under the direction of Clint Eastwood.

Phillips’ Green Hat Films has been based at Warner Bros. since 2005. The first film under the Green Hat banner was “The Hangover,” which grossed $469.2 million worldwide, and still ranks, domestically, as the highest grossing R-rated comedy ever. The sequel, “The Hangover Part II,” surpassed its predecessor, grossing $587.2 million worldwide. Collectively, “The Hangover” trilogy has grossed over $1.4 billion globally. Phillips also produced and directed “Due Date” for the studio in 2010 and produced “Project X” in 2012.


Sunday, May 18, 2014

Review: Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 24 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery (2014) – Video
Running time:  84 minutes (1 hour, 24 minutes)
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR:   Brandon Vietti
WRITER:  Michael Ryan
EDITOR:  Kyle Stafford
COMPOSER:  Ryan Shore
ANIMATION STUDIO:  Digital eMation, Inc.

ANIMATION/FANTASY/FAMILY and ACTION/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring:  (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey DeLisle, Mindy Cohn, Charles S. Dutton, Bumper Robinson, Mary McCormack, Corey Burton, and Fred Tatasciore; from WWE: John Cena, Kane, Brodus Clay, AJ Lee, The Miz, Triple H, Michael Cole, Santino Marella, and Vince McMahon

Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery is the 21st animated movie in the Scooby-Doo straight-to-video series from Warner Bros. Animation.  This series began in 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.  In WrestleMania Mystery, Mystery Inc. joins WWE wrestling superstars to solve the mystery of a marauding ghost bear.  This film is also a co-production between WWE Studios and Warner Bros. Animation.

Early in Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery, Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard) and Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker) win tickets to WrestleMania.  The two then cajole the rest of the Mystery Inc. gang:  Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey DeLisle), and Velma Dinkley (Mindy Cohn), into taking them to the event.  The entire gang boards the Mystery Machine and heads to WWE City, the site of WrestleMania.

An accident on the way gives the friends the chance to meet WWE (Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment) superstar, John Cena (John Cena).  They even meet WWE boss, Mr. McMahon (Vince McMahon), and the gang gets an invite to visit the WWE training camp.  The good times are interrupted, however, by Vicious, a ghost bear whose attacks threaten to ruin WrestleMania.  WWE stars join Mystery, Inc. to solve the case and to also protect the health and freedom of Shaggy and Scooby.

I actually did not expect much from Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery, because I am not a fan of professional wrestling.  I was when I was a child (and I was huge fan of it, then).  However, I liked this movie … a lot.  In fact, I found myself wishing for a sequel as soon as I finished watching WrestleMania Mystery.

There are a few reasons.  First, WrestleMania Mystery is one of the better recent Scooby-Doo direct-to-DVD movies, with the animation, production values, and voice acting being mostly good.  John Cena, or at least the cartoon version of him, comes across as a nice guy, the kind of fella who would make a good mystery-solving pal.  The Miz (regular name: Mike Mizanin) is funny in a small role, and I think that he’d also make a good sleuthing buddy.  WWE star, Sin Cara, is fantastic in a non-speaking role.

At 84 minutes in length, WrestleMania Mystery is more like a full-length movie than most of the Scooby-Doo movies of the last several years.  For the most part, the story does not seem padded.  Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery works.  It is genuinely good and funny, and it has a nice, action-filled last act.  I like it enough that it almost makes me want to watch some real-life WWE action … almost.

7 of 10
A-

Saturday, May 17, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.


Saturday, May 17, 2014

Happy Birthday, Albert Avilla

Happy Birthday to my longtime friend and comics collaborator, Albert Avilla.  Al is also a contributor at Negromancer's sister blog, I Reads You.  Have a Happy Birthday and many, many, many more ... pal o' mine!

by Leroy