BLU-RAY WORTHY: THE DARK KNIGHT (definitely)

TOP PICK:
- The Dark Knight (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ALSO THIS WEEK:
- The Dark Knight (Full Screen Edition)
- The Dark Knight (Widescreen Edition)
- Deadwood: The Complete Series
- Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who (Limited Edition Gift Set)
- Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who (Two-Disc Special Edition)
- Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who (Widescreen and Full Screen Single-Disc Edition)
- Elephant Tales
- Get Smart: The Complete Series
- Gunsmoke: The Third Season, Volume One
- Happy Days: The Fourth Season
- Happy Days: Seasons 1-4
- I Am Legend (Ultimate Collector's Edition)
- It Happened One Night
- Lost: The Complete Fourth Season - The Expanded Experience
- Man on Wire
- The Man Who Came Back
- Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
- Murnau, Borzage and Fox
- Open Window
- Rawhide: The Third Season, Volume 2
- Sex and the City: The Movie - The Wedding Collection
- The Wire: The Complete Series
- You Can't Take It With You

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VAST FOOD NATION wraps first arc

Wrapping up the first Vast Food Nation story arc, here are episodes 5 & 6. (Rated PG-13)
[EPISODE 5: FLAME-BROILED HEAT]

[EPISODE 6: THE GREAT EXPOSITION EXPOSITION]

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PUNISHER MOVIE

For a character that started out as a one-shot villain in a Spider-Man comic, The Punisher has acquired quite a following and a never-say-die attitude. Today marks the release of the third attempt to start a Punisher series. The first one in 1989 starred Dolph Lundgren, back in the Roger Corman days of making comic book films (not this one in particular, but 'Cormanesque' is a good barometer of the times). There are a lot of fans who feel that this is the most faithful adaptation to comic version. In 2004, Marvel tried again with Thomas Jane in the Frank Castle role. This one didn't have the whole 'punish the wicked' feel as much as a man who's hurting and taking revenge on the man who killed his family, but then, it is an origin story and you have to star somewhere. Of course, this Castle didn't have much time to get into his own, before the series was rebooted again this year with Punisher: War Zone. No, this is not a sequel to the 2004 film, like most people think. It is another reboot (a la The Incredible Hulk). Hardcore fans felt the 2004 version was too soft and didn't have enough 'punishing', so they upped the violence. WAY up. The new Punisher film is so violent and graphic that it has been categorized by many as a slasher flick. Most fans were hoping for the feel of the first film with the quality of the second, but once again filmmakers missed the mark. Many people have been disappointed by the new film and claim that the only people who will enjoy it are people who just watch films for explosions and gratuitous violence. The acting has no real range and the story is almost non-existent. But people will still have to go and see for themselves, and some will hate it and some will love it. That's just how it goes. The only really positive change is the addition of an actual comic book villain, Jigsaw; although to me, it just looks like SNL's Will Forte in make-up fighting a Jigsaw played by Johnny Knoxville.
[THE PUNISHER (1989)]

[THE PUNISHER (2004)]

[PUNISHER: WAR ZONE (2008)]

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More VAST FOOD NATION

In case you haven't caught them yet, here are episodes 2, 3, and 4 of Aniboom's hilarious Vast Food Nation. Just be warned in case you prefer your toons a little more wholesome -the content of Vast Food Nation is definitely PG-13.
[EPISODE 2: THE FUN IN FUNERAL]


[EPISODE 3: KIDNAPTORIOUS]


[EPISODE 4: NOW FOR A BEEF INTERMISSION]

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Batman: Dead End

With the release of The Dark Knight DVD lurking around the corner, I thought it only fitting to show people the fan film Batman: Dead End. Created by independent filmmaker Sandy Collora, the short film premiered at the 2003 San Diego Comicon and is heralded as one of the ten most pivotal moments in fan film history. Bringing an uber-realism to the Dark Knight, Sandy proved that Batman doesn't need smoke and mirrors to be intimidating. It's rumored that this was the inspiration to reboot the Batman franchise, bringing with it a more serious feel and more conceivable storylines. Oh, and for those who are surprised by the guest appearances at the end, don't be. These also happen to be characters that Batman has faced in the comic world.

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THE SPIRIT

From the mind of Will Eisner, creator of the graphic novel and inspiration to multiple generations of comic creators, comes the The Spirit. Introduced in 1940 (just two years after Superman) as a way for newspapers to compete with the rising popularity superhero comic books, Eisner's Spirit has been revered for decades in the literary community, albeit under most people's radars. The Spirit has never really left the scene and is currently going strong in his own DC Comic's title. In fact, The Spirit was actually made into a TV movie back in 1987 starring Sam J. Jones (Flash Gordan), but met with lackluster response.
Will Eisner passed away in 2005 and his good friend, visionary storyteller and comic legend in his own right, Frank Miller was approached at Eisner's funeral to create a Spirit film. Miller initially refused, but immediately changed his mind knowing that the studio would just hire someone else to reinterpret his friend's work. A lot people call foul on the similarities between The Spirit film and Miller's own Sin City, but I say you just can't get enough of a good black and white, film noir, femme fatale-filled crime drama. That style just happens to be best way to stay true to the sequential art feel of the source material. They could make a hundred films with that same pulp feel and I'd come back for every one. They just don't make them like that anymore.

[LATEST TRAILER FOR THE SPIRIT]


[THE SPIRIT (FEMME FATALE TRAILER)]


[THE SPIRIT (FEATURETTE 1)]


THE SPIRIT (FEATURETTE 2)]

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WOLVERINE trailer announced

The lack of any real footage or trailers (minus the inferior quality Comicon exclusive preview that's been floating around the web) for the upcoming Wolverine movie has had fans frothing at the mouth for any glimpse of what's in store for everyone's favorite adamantium-clawed mutant. Well, you now relax (Frankie say to!). 20th Century Fox recently announced that the long-awaited trailer to May 1st's X-Men Origins: Wolverine will debut on December 12th preceding the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still. Finally, the public has a reason to go a Keanu Reeves movie!
On a separate note, Hugh Jackman publicly stately recently that he is already looking toward a sequel set in Japan, but that if fan response is poor when the movie comes out that he will gladly walk away from the character permanently with no regrets.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

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FUTURAMA: INTO THE WILD GREEN YONDER

Here is the trailer to the fourth (and possibly the last) Futurama direct-to-DVD movie, Into the Wild Green Yonder. This installment hits stores April 2009 and depending on it's sales could make or break the fate of Futurama. So, everybody go out and buy their copies when it comes out; no bootlegging this time.

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TOY STORY 2 / DARK KNIGHT HYBRID

Someone has taken the audio from The Dark Knight trailer and re-synced it to scenes from Toy Story 2 to make a Toy Story preview like you never seen it before. Enjoy:

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A first look at Gambit

Empire magazine recently released the first photo of Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights) as Gambit in the upcoming Wolverine movie. Set years before the X-men series of films, it will tell the story of Wolverine in his early years with the Weapon X program. For those of you curious about the relationship between Wolverine and Sabretooth, wonder no more. The Weapon X program is when a young Logan is teamed up with Victor Creed (Sabretooth) for the first time. Another character that fans have been frothing at the mouth for is everyone's favorite 'Merc With a Mouth', Deadpool. This Weapon X alum makes his debut in the film courtesy of Ryan Reynolds. If all goes as planned, expect a Deadpool solo film in the works soon after. X-men Origins: Wolverine hits theaters May 1, 2009. In case you haven't seen it yet, I have included the bootleg of the Comicon exclusive preview. The quality is not the best, but this is the best version that you're going to find on the web. (Stupid Con exclusives...)

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DVD releases for Dec. 2nd

TOP PICKS:
- Saturday Night Live: The Complete Fourth Season
- Wanted (2-Disc Special Edition)
- The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (3-Disc Collector's Edition)

ALSO THIS WEEK:
- Bam Margera Presents: Where the #$&% is Santa?
- The Best of Dr. Katz
- Cannon: Season One, Volume Two
- Cannon: Season One, Volumes One & Two
- Casablanca (Ultimate Collector's Edition)
- The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
- The Day the Earth Stood Still (2-Disc Special Edition)
- The Land Before Time: Friends Forever
- Law & Order: The Sixth Year
- The Longshots
- Lower Learning
- My Mexican Shivah (Morirse está en Hebreo)
- Perry Mason: The Third Season - Volume Two
- Step Brothers (Single-Disc Rated Edition)
- Step Brothers (Single-Disc Unrated Edition)
- Step Brothers (Two-Disc Unrated Edition)
- Wanted (Full Screen)
- Wanted (Limited Edition Collector's Gift Set)
- Wanted (Widescreen)
- The X-Files: I Want to Believe (Single Disc)
- The X-Files: I Want to Believe (The Ultimate X-Phile Edition)

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WATCHMEN: THE MOVIE

"Who watches the Watchmen?"; Between 1986 and 1987 that was the most famous question in comicdom and it was usually accompanied with a iconic bloody smiley-face button. Originally based on characters from already defunct Charlton Comics (now owned by DC), Who Killed the Peacemaker was an idea conceived by masterscribe Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, From Hell) and pitched to DC Comics. The story (as it is now) begins with the death of Edward Blake. When masked vigilante (and the coolest dude in the story) Rorschach discovers that Blake is actually former teammate and government operative The Comedian, he develops a conspiracy theory that someone is targeting heroes for extinction. Rorschach begins warning the rest of his former team and as elements begin to prove Rorschach's theories may not be so far-fetched it brings others out of retirement and things get progressively worse. Editor Dick Giordano loved the concept, but eventually decided that maybe this wasn't the best use of the newly acquired characters. Giordano saw more potential for the Charlton characters and felt that placing them in this dystopian storyline would ruin any future plans for the lot, so he agreed to publish the story only on the concession that Moore create an original cast. Fearing that unfamiliar characters would cause a disconnect with the audience, he basically used the same characters and shifted them two degrees to the left. Blue Beetle, Nightshade, The Question, Captain Atom, The Peacemaker, and Thuderbolt would now be Nite Owl, Silk Spectre, Rorschach, Dr. Manhattan, The Comedian, and Ozymandias. Watchmen became a 12-issue phenomenon, selling over a million copies of the the collected graphic novel alone and is still considered by many as the greatest story in comic history (it's not bad). Since then Moore has severed his ties with DC (more than once) and signed over the movie rights for Watchmen to 20th Century Fox, stating that he wanted no involvement in the movie version of the property. Since the first failed attempt to bring this story to the big screen in 1986, over the years Watchmen has built up a reputation as the greatest comic book movie that will never be, after several misstarts had cause fans to lose all hope. Director Terry Gilliam began production on the film twice himself and finally conceded that Watchmen would be unfilmable, stating that, "Reducing [the story] to a two or two and a half hour film seemed to me to take away the essence of what Watchmen is about". Now the property of Warner Brothers, Watchmen finally makes it's way to theaters March 6, 2009 under the direction of Zack Snyder (300) and fanboys that have clamored for over two decades for the release of this of this film can begin filling the internet with criticisms and derisive statements, preaching to the world all of it's flaws. I'm afraid it's inevitable, that's just...what...they...do. So, "Who Watches the Watchmen?" I guess we'll find out this Spring. Until then, here's the latest amazing trailer for the upcoming film:

[SCREAM AWARDS EXCLUSIVE TRAILER]

[ORIGINAL WATCHMEN TRAILER]

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Terry the Bi, Bi-Polar Polar Bear

Mukpuddy has recently unveiled their latest project, Terry the Bi, Bi-Polar Polar Bear. You know, I think I might actually be related to the inspiration for this slightly unpredictable character.

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VENTURE BROTHERS on DVD

If you're a fan of The Venture Brothers on Adult Swim or have ever wanted to get into it, now is a great time to buy it on DVD, apparently. Circuit City has the first and second seasons on DVD for $12.99 each this week. The real kicker though is that on the their website you can get BOTH seasons together for the exact...same...price. That's right, both seasons for $12.99! Now, I don't know if this is some kind technical error or not, but I say strike while the iron's hot. Shipping is only $1.99, so it won't add too much to the total. Now that's a deal at twice the price.

[A VENTURE BROS. STAR WARS MONTAGE]

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SUBURBAN MYTHS

Wonky Films has recently released a series of amusing shorts on the fledgling 4MATIONS.TV entitled Suburban Myths. Are they true? Are they not? I'm going to say a definite maybe.

[EPISODE 1: GET STUFFED]


[EPISODE 2: MR. SUICIDE]


[EPISODE 3: CAR JACK]

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BLACK DYNAMITE [RED BAND TRAILER]

I love cheesy 70's films. When Grindhouse Double Feature came out I was there opening night and loving every minute of it (though I do wish that Deathproof had played before Terror Planet). I feel sorry for anyone who didn't experience Grindhouse in the theaters, because that was an amazing trip into a different time that can't be reproduced by watching it at home. I'm also a big fan of Blaxploitation films of the same era. Super Fly, Shaft, Blacula rocks, even Uptown Saturday Night (back when Bill Cosby was funny). In the same spirit of Grindhouse, comes Black Dynamite, a movie that looks like it stepped right out of 1975. I've watched the trailer a few times and I can't tell the difference except that I know the actors are not that old. The movie stars Michael Jai White (Spawn), with Arsenio Hall, Tommy Davidson, and Salli Richardson doing her best Pam Grier. I don't know how this movie has stayed under my radar, but now that I've found it I can't wait for it to come out. Unfortunately, there is currently no planned release date so I guess I'll just keep watching the trailer. I've heard that Black Dynamite is even taking it's funky self to Sundance. SOLID...

[WARNING: 'RED BAND' MEANS THAT THE TRAILER IS UNCENSORED]

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Shatner reacts to Star Trek trailer

Someone on the web came up with this brilliant clip depicting William Shatner's initial reaction to the new Star Trek movie trailer. I would wager a guess that it wasn't too far off the mark. Come on, Bill. You've had your turn.

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NEWS & HEADLINES

• Twilight Dominates with $70.5 Million
• Summit Greenlights Twilight Sequel - New Moon
• SAG and AMPTP Talks Break Down Again
• New Lost Trailer Has Hidden Message!
• Dark Knight DVD Exclusive at Wal-Mart
• Captain Marvel Moves to Warner Bros.
• UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND LUDLUM ENTERTAINMENT MAKE LONG-TERM DEAL TO CONTINUE BOURNE FRANCHISE
• Concept Art from AVATAR and DRAGONBALL
• New Trailer from ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS!
• New Images from WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
• Jar Jar Binks to the Rescue This Week in STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS
• COMICS LEGEND STAN LEE TO BE GUEST OF HONOR AT WIZARD WORLD LOS ANGELES!
• Jeff Bridges’ Iron Man Photo Diary
• Universal Secures Exclusive Rights for Jason Bourne’s Future
• For Your Consideration: Heath Ledger for Best Supporting Actor
• Tim Kring Says Heroes Is Fine, It's the Audience That's the Problem
• Batman, City Vs. Batman, Movie
• Simon Pegg Speaks
• Hugh "Sexiest Man" Jackman Talks Wolverine & Potential Sequel
• Tim "The Leader" Nelson Eager for Battle in Hulk 2 Movie
• Narnia Scripters Named for Captain America Movie
• Shazam Movie Lives at Warner Brothers
• He-Man Movie Back on Track?
• Watchmen Game Screenshots
• First Official Kick Ass Movie Photos
• ‘X-Men: First Class’ Movie Moving Forward

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Megan Fox Is(n't) Wonder Woman?

Okay, so Megan Fox is not actually announced to play Wonder Woman in the upcoming movie. As a matter of fact, producer Leonard Goldbery has already said that he would prefer an unknown in the role. Megan's name has come up multiple times as far as who should play the Amazonian princess (not from me) and apparently the folks over at WonderWho feel pretty strongly about it themselves going so far as creating this mock-poster and dedicating a website to the idea.

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DVD releases for Nov. 25th

TOP OF THE LIST:
- Hancock (2-Disc Unrated Special Edition)
- Pink Panther Ultimate Collection

MAIN RELEASES:
- 24: Redemption
- A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All
- Beverly Hills 90210: The Sixth Season
- Fred Claus
- George Carlin: It's Bad for Ya
- Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.: The Complete Series
- Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.: The Fifth Season
- Hancock (1-Disc Theatrical Edition)
- Hancock (1-Disc Unrated Edition)
- Hancock (Unrated Special Edition)
- Meet Dave
- The Mod Squad: The Second Season, Volume One
- The Ron Howard Spotlight Collection
- Slap Shot 3: The Junior League
- Space Chimps
- Superman Doomsday (2-Disc Special Edition)

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Splendid in MIRROR, MIRROR

Everyone's favorite well-intentioned squirrel from Happy Tree Friends has a brand-new adventure. This time Splendid battles his arch-nemesis Splendont (get it?) in an episode entitled Mirror, Mirror.

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Stewie Reports from a Vineyard

This video is for my buddy Mike. A sadistic guy who loves to watch videos of people getting hurt, especially the original version of this Family Guy parody.

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Stan Lee receives award

Stan Lee created an impressive stable of timeless favorites during his early years at Marvel Comics including Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, The X-men, The Incredible Hulk and countless others. He has been honored for decades for his contributions to the sequential art medium and just this Wednesday became one of nine recipients of the 2008 National Medal of the Arts, managed by the National Endowment for the Arts, at a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. It's always great to see people from the lesser respected comic world recognized by a more select community. And to meet Stan in person, he is the most modest and down to Earth person you could ever want to meet. He deserves everything that he gets. To make the reception even more poetic, Wednesday just happens to be 'comic book day', as I'm sure everyone out there knows (OK, maybe not EVERYONE).

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STAR TREK TRAILER

The all-new trailer for the upcoming Star Trek movie was recently released and I must say that the trailer actually makes me excited to see this movie. Bravo, Mr. Abrams...Bravo.

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Disney goes 3-D crazy

Disney's newest animated feature Bolt hits theaters today in 'Disney Digital 3-D'. This will be Disney's third animated film to be released in 3-D (Chicken Little and Meet the Robinson's both received the 3-D treatment as well). You're also going to have the opportunity to watch Bolt at the IMAX in 3-D and that's just crazy! Pixar guru John Lasseter even mentioned that during Bolt people can expect a 3-D trailer for Pixar's latest release, Up, which will be Pixar's first true 3-deminsional feature. Hopefully, this will just whet people's whistles for more because Disney's got 'em coming. After Up hits theaters in May, 2009, Disney has plenty more offerings to follow including: G-Force, a live action/CGI animated film (7/24/09). Everyone's favorite cowboy and spaceman get a facelift with the 3-D re-release of Pixar's original Toy Story (10/02/09). Don't worry, it's the exact same movie, just with one extra dimension. A Christmas Carol (11/06/09) is re-imagined (again) with motion capture technology. This time starring Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge and all three Christmas Ghosts and Gary Oldman portraying Bob Cratchit, Marley, and the lovable Tiny Tim. Of course, by the time the movie is released, the name probably have been changed to 'A Holiday Carol' as not to offend (stupid PC jackholes). In 2010, the Oscar-winning Beauty and the Beast returns to the screen in 3-D, followed closely by Toy Story 2 and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland starring Johnny Depp. I've been saying for a few years that this one was inevitable, but Disney finally goes back to the classic princess well with Rapunzel (finally, Disney will have something to market to little girls). Just in case you were wondering about the re-releases of Toy Story 1 and 2 being so close together, well they're just a primer for Toy Story 3 that will be following close behind also in glorious 3-D. Now, Pixar has announced that Cars 2 is in production, but no official word as to whether it will get the 3-D treatment or not, but my money would be on 'yes, it most definitely will.' A lot of people are complaining about the classic movies being retreated and re-released, but I have to say that I saw the very first showing of A Nightmare Before Christmas in 3-D back in 2006 at the El Capitan down in Hollywood and LOVED it. My only complaint would be that they didn't offer a 3-D option on the Blu-Ray disc, which was also disappointing on Meet the Robinsons. The real question now is: Is 3-D just another fad temporarily popping it's head back up for a quick visit or is this the start of an entirely new movie-going experience? Is Disney going to saturate the market to the point that it loses it's luster or is it going to have audiences clamoring for more? Tell you what, get back to me in 3 years and let me know how it went.

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RETRO CLIPS: BURGER CHEF

Remember when Burger Chef's were around and you could get really good fast food for a great price? And remember how they always had something for kids AND adults to enjoy? Yeah, I didn't figure, but Burger Chef was actually a pioneer in the fast food industry and at one time was second only to McDonald's in number of locations nationwide. Due to some financial troubles in the 80's many Burger Chef locations were sold off to Hardee's (another of my favorites that didn't make it) and in 1996 the final Burger Chef closed it's doors for good. Not only did Burger Chef have a works bar so that customers could put whatever they wanted on the burgers (you could also order it with the toppings already on if you didn't want to bother with it), but they were the first franchised restaurant to offer a salad bar. In the early 70's Burger Chef began offering children the Funburger, which eventually became the Funmeal with games and prizes for the kids to enjoy. Although most people have never even heard of it, the Funmeal debuted across the country a few years before McDonald's even thought to steal the idea and make it a Happy Meal. My stepfather used to take me to Burger Chef on Wednesdays and we'd get a sack of delicious 35 cent burgers, when they were at least 89 cents everywhere else, take them home (most of the time) and just grub. Oh, yeah -I said 'grub'. Burger Chef was definitely ahead of it's time and gone way too soon.
[ The Works Bar and Salad Bar]

[The Funburger]

[The Funmeal]

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TOTAL DRAMA ACTION

With the Canadian hit show Total Drama Island finishing up it's season in a couple of weeks (at least in the U.S., the show debuted in July, 2007 in Canada), Fresh TV is gearing up for a second round with Total Drama Action. This time around the competition will be more stunt and action based (duh), all taking place on an abandoned movie set and in the middle of nowhere -again. Torture-masters Chris and Chef have been confirmed to be returning, and at this point it has been unofficially officially announced that 15 of the original campers will be coming back for more punishment. TDA will premiere on Canada's Teletoon network in Spring of 2009. It is unsure at this time whether Cartoon Network will air it simultaneously in the U.S. or if we'll be delayed a year again like TDI was (stupid Canada!). Until then, the one-hour Total Drama Island Special will definitely be airing at the end of this month, so at least that's something. Here is the trailer for Total Drama Action, which I have yet to watch yet because I haven't finished watching TDI and I don't want to know who won yet, so SHHH!

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Simon Pegg and Nick Frost write/star in 'Paul'

If it's killing you to wait for the third installment of the "Blood and Ice Cream" trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and the upcoming The World's End) directed by Edgar Wright, fear not. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are working with Universal Pictures and Working Title to bring you 'Paul'. Paul is the story of two fanboys (Pegg & Frost) from the U.K. who come to the states for Comicon and afterwards decide to road trip it to the sci-fi Holy Grail, Area 51. On their adventure they come across Paul, an alien who needs help finding his way home. The story is written by Pegg and Frost themselves and will be directed by Superbad helmer Greg Mottola. Although Edgar Wright is not directing the duo this time around he is still attached as executive producer. Paul begins shooting in New Mexico (You know, where Roswell is) in April, 2009. As for information on The World's End, Wright has confirmed that it will be a mint chocolate chip Cornetto movie. (each movie is based on a different color wrapper for the ice cream snack) With the mcc wrapper being green and a title like The World's End, one could easily assume an alien invasion could very well be the premise.

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Christopher Reeve Statue

A couple of years back DC Direct offered a beautiful 13" statue of Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman and fans just ate it up. After the disappointment of Superman Returns fans were clamoring for the nostalgic visage of Christopher Reeve to be back in the red and blue tights, but alas, that is one dream that would never come true. In honor of the one who brought validity to the movie that claimed, 'You will believe a man can fly' DC Direct has once again brought a classic to three-dimensions with their 12.5" Christopher Reeve as Superman statue as he appeared in Superman: The Movie (duh). This long-awaited release arrives in comic stores and specialty shops May 27, 2009 and will set you back about $195.00. The Lynda Carter statue is about the same size and price, and having these two iconic likenesses together would awesome, but she would be a little harder to get your hands now. I'll tell you what, they throw in an Adam West as Batman in the line and no collector would be able to resist. Just thinking about it gives me the tingles...

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MONSTERS VS ALIENS

Here is a look at Dreamworks Animation's latest project, Monsters vs Aliens, invading theaters March 27, 2009. When aliens try to take over the Earth, our last hope is a group of B-movie misfits that have secretly been in captivity by military for years. This will be Dreamworks' first foray into 3D animation and I think a sci-fi adventure with a nostalgic feel is the perfect choice. To add to the draw of this movie, they have assembled a tremendous cast to bring these characters life including Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde), Rainn Wilson (The Office), Hugh Laurie (House), Seth Rogen (Knocked Up), Will Arnett (Arrested Development), Kiefer Sutherland (24), and the infamous Stephen Colbert (Colbert Report, duh). I think this one may be the animated movie to beat in 2009. March can't get here fast enough.

OFFICIAL TRAILER:


BEHIND THE SCREENS FEATURETTE:

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DVD releases for Nov. 18th

TOP OF THE LIST:
- Tropic Thunder (2-Disc Director's Cut)
- WALL•E (2-Disc Special Edition)
- WALL•E (3-Disc Special Edition)

MAIN RELEASES:
- 300 (Limited Collector's Edition)
- Bones: Season Three - Totally Decomposed Edition
- The Clique
- Columbia Best Pictures Collection
- Doctor Who: The Complete Fourth Series
- The Fairly Oddparents: Season 6, Volume 1
- Hawaii Five-O: The Fifth Season
- Heathers: Limited Edition Locker
- Monty Python Holy Trinity
- Night Gallery: Season Two
- The Odd Couple: The Complete Series
- The Odd Couple: The Final Season
- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (Full Screen)
- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (Widescreen)
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 5, Volume 2
- Star Trek: The Original Series - Season Three
- Tropic Thunder
- WALL•E (Single Disc)
- The Zombie Diaries

THE OTHER STUFF:
- Encounters at the End of the World
- Garden Party
- Hannah Montana: The Complete First Season
- Priceless

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SONG OF THE SOUTH

The song Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah has been synonymous with Disney for decades. But unlike songs like 'A Whole New World', 'Hakuna Matahta' and 'The Bare Necessities' which people instantly relate to their respective movies, this classic is usually thought of as the 'Disney theme'. Most people have no idea that it comes from the 1946 classic Song of the South. Heck, I would put money that most young people have never even heard of it or any of the Br'er characters that reside within (HINT: It's the entire theme of 'Splash Mountain', kids). Since it's original release in 1946, the movie has been protested by the NAACP, the National Negro Congress, the National Urban League, as well as many other special interest groups for what they consider 'racial stereotyping'. Set during the Reconstruction Period immediately following the Civil War, Song of the South is an interpretation of the 1881 work of author Joel Chandler Harris and his Uncle Remus series of books made up of stories from the African-American folklore of the deep South. Disney's version focuses specifically on Br'er Rabbit and his attempts to out-maneuver and out-think the evil Br'er Fox and dim-witted Br'er Bear as told by Uncle Remus to the local children. Though the stories are very entertaining, Harris told his stories using the dialect of African-Americans of the deep South at the time and Disney made the film to reflect the same era, but sixty years later using the original dialect was not quite as accepted (even though Hattie McDaniel had just became the first African-American to win an Oscar for a similar portrayal as 'Mammy' in the classic and still distributed, I might add, Gone With the Wind in 1939). Song of the South was re-released in 1956, "permanently retired" in 1970, released again in 1972, 1981, and 1986 (the 40th anniversary). The movie brought home two Oscars, one for 'Best Song' (Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah) and the other went to James Baskett for his portrayal of Uncle Remus, making him the first African-American male to receive an Oscar (coincidentally enough, the film co-starred Hattie McDaniel, fresh off of her own Oscar win). Baskett was also the first male Disney ever used in a live-action/animation piece. I loved this movie as a child. The Br'er characters were some of my favorite of all time and still are. I was thrilled when Disney announced that they would be releasing a 60th Anniversary Platinum Edition on DVD in 2006, but once again the company was met with protest and the release was shelved, much to my disappointment. Song of the South is actually available worldwide, just not in the U.S. and even though I've snagged a copy for myself now, maybe we can still look forward to a 75th Anniversary Edition while the other Disney classics make it through their 3rd and 4th releases on DVD/Blu-Ray. What follows are the complete animated stories from Song of the South. Enjoy.









If you'd like a copy of Song of the South for yourself, visit one of these websites:
www.songofthesouthdvdremastered.com
www.songofthesouth4me.net
Both sites use direct transfers from the U.S. Laserdisc version of the movie and include all of the bonus features.

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Pixar's new trailer for 'UP'

The befittingly named UP is set for theatrical release May 29, 2009 from Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, and those that I know who have seen the roughs for this movie say that this film will not disappoint. Not that I would expect anything less from Pixar.

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VAST FOOD NATION: GREEN DEATH

From AniBoom comes the new original series, Vast Food Nation, featuring a cast very similar to everyone's favorite food spokespeople. The first episode, Green Death, revolves around the passing of the second most popular exclaimer of the phrase, "Ho, Ho, Ho!", right behind Santa Clause and right in front of Fuzzy Johnston and his 3-for-1 Tuesday night 'Pimp Special'.

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The new Star Trek posters are here

Here is a look at the brand-spankin' new posters for 2009's Star Trek, featuring Chris Pine (Kirk) and Zachary Quinto (Spock). I'm personally not that interested in Star Trek and the posters have looked a bit cheesy, but I really hope this film does well in theaters. The movie is technically a prequel, of sorts, but could ignite a rebooted series if fan response is positive enough. I guess we'll just have to wait and see if J.J. Abrams can bring his magic touch to this franchise or not.

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CHRONOLOGICAL DONALD: VOLUME 4

Walt Disney Treasures -The Chronological Donald: Volume Four represents the final volume in the Chronological Donald collection, a series which I and many others have enjoyed immensely. This final volume wraps up with some of Donald's rarely seen adventures from 1951-1961. And, for the first time on DVD, Donald's CinemaScope cartoons are presented in their original widescreen format, which is awesome. This set includes two Academy Award nominated Best Shorts: Rugged Bear (1953) and No Hunting (1955); a retrospective of Donald's career in comic books; and a storyboard presentation for an unproduced Donald Duck cartoon pitched by famed Disney animator, Eric Goldberg. Some of these Donald cartoons have never seen a home video release, others have only been released in Japan.

Including in this set are:

1951

• DUDE DUCK (new to DVD)
• CORN CHIPS w/ Chip & Dale
• TEST PILOT DONALD w/ Chip & Dale (new to DVD)
• LUCKY NUMBER w/ Huey, Dewy & Louie
• OUT OF SCALE w/ Chip & Dale
• BEE ON GUARD (new to DVD)

1952

• DONALD APPLECORE w/ Chip & Dale
• LET'S STICK TOGETHER (new to DVD)
• UNCLE DONALD'S ANTS (new to DVD)
• TRICK OR TREAT w/ Huey, Dewy & Louie

1953

• DONALD'S FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH w/ Huey, Dewy & Louie
• NEW NEIGHBOR (new to DVD)
• RUGGED BEAR (new to DVD)
• WORKING FOR PEANUTS w/ Chip & Dale
• CANVAS BACK DUCK w/ Huey, Dewy & Louie

1954

• SPARE THE ROD w/ Huey, Dewy & Louie (new to home video)
• DONALD'S DIARY w/ Daisy
• DRAGON AROUND w/ Chip & Dale
• GRIN & BEAR IT w/ Humphrey Bear (new to DVD)
• GRAND CANYONSCOPE (in CINEMASCOPE)
• FLYING SQUIRREL (new to DVD)

1955

• NO HUNTING w/ Humphrey Bear (in CINEMASCOPE) (new to home video!)
• BEARLY ASLEEP w/ Humphrey Bear (in CINEMASCOPE) (new to DVD)
• BEEZY BEAR w/ Humphrey Bear (in CINEMASCOPE) (new to DVD)
• UP A TREE w/ Chip & Dale

1956

• CHIPS AHOY w/ Chip & Dale (in CINEMASCOPE) (new to DVD)
• HOW TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT AT HOME (new to DVD)

1959

• DONALD IN MATHMAGIC LAND (new to U.S. home video)
• HOW TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT AT WORK (new to DVD)

1961

• DONALD AND THE WHEEL (new to DVD)
• THE LITTERBUG (new to DVD)

Bonus Features:

• "Donald Goes to Press",
• "The Unseen Donald Duck: Trouble Shooters",
• Leonard Maltin and Jerry Beck audio commentaries on 2 shorts,
• 10 Mickey Mouseworks Cartoons

[DONALD APPLECORE -Easily one of my all-time favorites]


If you are a fan of Donald Duck I would recommend trying to get your hands on the four Chronological Donalds (and possibly On the Front Lines, which features quite a bit of Donald in WWII shorts and propaganda clips) while they're still semi-available. Now that the final Donald set is released many collectors will be looking to buy the preceding sets to complete their collection. A number of past Disney Treasures have become near impossible to get without paying upwards to $150.oo for one 2-disc set. If you're a fan of Chip and Dale (and who isn't?) chances are that their will never be a definitive collection featuring these two rascally chipmunks for some strange reason, but the majority of their adventures take place in Donald Duck shorts; 8 in this set alone. That alone would be reason enough for me to snag this, but the Humphrey the Bear episodes are just icing on the cake. Also included is the surreal Donald in Mathmagic Land which has never been released for purchase in the U.S. (Though Disney's video club did offer it exclusively for a limited time). Disney had previously decided to discontinue their Disney Treasures line before completing the last two volumes of the Chronological Donald series, but fan response was overwhelming and Disney got the message. Don't miss out on this timeless series. They're not going to be available forever.

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