Tuesday, February 17, 2015

The Fugitive: The Complete Series On DVD From Paramount Home Media On May 5


DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
Dr. Richard Kimble (David Janssen) started running in September of 1963 and didn’t stop until August of 1967 (with the two-part series conclusion titled “The Judgment, Part I” and The Judgment, Part II.”)   120 thrill-packed episodes of Kimble in pursuit of the mysterious one-armed man, while Police Lieutenant Philip Gerard relentlessly tried to bring Kimble to justice for the murder of his wife … The Fugitive was (and remains) a terrific bit TV that captured the Emmy Award for Best Dramatic Series in 1966.

On May 5, Paramount Home Media will deliver a 32-disc mega-set of The Fugitive: The Complete Series for fans to enjoy.

Wolfe's Award-Winning Boy Meets Girls Makes It DVD Debut On Apr. 28


DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
There is a very special film heading to the DVD market place from Wolfe on Apr. 28.   This independent gem is writer/director Eric Schaeffer’s award-winning romantic comedy, Boy Meets Girl.   Be sure to circle that late April date on your viewing calendar … this is one that should not be missed!!!

Newcomer Michelle Hendley is nothing short of sensational in her screen debut as Ricky, a transgender woman who is at the focal point of Schaeffer’s story.   Unlike Felicity Huffman as Bree in director Duncan Tucker’s 2005 film, Transamerica — a woman playing a man transitioning to a woman — Hendley is the real deal, and she’s gorgeous too boot.   She truly is a woman that was born in a man’s body.   

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph TribbeyThere are no casting gimmicks here.   And, beyond Hendley being a natural with a terrific screen presence, filmmaker Eric Schaeffer (If Lucy Fell, Mind the Gap, Wirey Spindell, After Fall, Winter, etc.) has a crafted a deceptively simple storyline that really grabs at the emotions.   Comedy — nicely timed, with terrific writing — romance and drama all in a wonderfully crafted package.   The end result is that it all seems very genuine.

The story set up introduces us to small town friends Ricky and Robby (Michael Welch — Star Trek: Insurrection, All The Boys Love Mandy Lane, The Demented, etc.), who seem natural together.   They’ve been best buddies all of their lives and it is very clear that Robby accepts his friend for exactly who she (he) is.   

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
There is real on-screen chemistry between the two in the introduction sequences that Schaeffer has fashioned (including some flashback snippets) and you suspect that Robby would like nothing more than for Ricky to be Ricky, a woman.   But he hangs back and gives her space.   

Enter Francesca (played by Alexandra Turshen), a force of nature to be sure, who is engaged-to-be-married to a deployed Marine.   So when Ricky finds herself attracted to Francesca — and vice-versa — this romantic tête–à–tête sets in motion a series of “emotional blowback” events that will have you fully invested in the proceedings.   Boy Meets Girl is going to be a winner for Wolfe … enjoy.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment's The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Streets On Mar. 31 With DVD And Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Production Selections


DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has selected Mar. 24 as the street date for a three-SKU helping of filmmaker Peter Jackson’s final stanza in The Hobbit film trilogy, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.

The ARR is a quick-to-market 95 days and domestic ticket sales stand at a robust $252.9 million.

Planned for release are a double-disc DVD edition and two Blu-ray/DVD Combo Packs — one with a 3D viewing option … and one without.

This non-stop action spectacular brings to a conclusion Jackson’s vision for this Middle Earth saga featuring Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, Ian McKellen as Gandolf and Richard Armitage as Thorin … with the legendary Christopher Lee reprising his role as Saruman and other familiar faces from the first two installments returning for all-out-war with the Orcs.

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
An extended version of the film will likely be available in time for the Christmas-selling season later this year.

Bonus goodies include “New Zealand: Home of Middle Earth, Part 3,” the Billy Boyd music video, “The Last Goodbye” and a pair of production featurettes — “Completing Middle Earth” and “Recruiting the Five Armies.”

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph TribbeyThe following week, Mar. 31, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, in conjunction with IMAX Entertainmnet, will be releasing a 2D/3D Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack of Island Of Lemurs: Madagascar.

The ARR is a leisurely 361 days and special venue IMAX ticket sales currently stand at $8.3 million.

Bonus features include the featurettes titled “The Making of The Island of Lemurs: Behind the Scenes,” “The Story of Lemurs,” “Meet Patricia Wright” and “Five Things About Indri.”

The Three Stooges Head To Blu-ray On Apr. 21 Courtesy Of Mill Creek Entertainment


DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
Three Stooges times six films in hi-def is a winning answer of 18 great reasons to check out the two Blu-ray SKUs heading to retail on Apr. 21 from Mill Creek Entertainment.

Priced at just $14.98 each are two triple-feature presentations showcasing the comedy hijinks of Larry, Moe and Curly/Curly Joe … affectionately known to their legions of fans as The Three Stooges.

The first Three Stooges Triple Feature Blu-ray release includes Time Out For Rhythm (1941, with Rudy Vallée and Ann Miller) Rockin' in the Rockies (1945, Mary Beth Hughes and Jay Kirby) and Have Rocket, Will Travel (1959, with Joe DeRita making his screen debut as Curly Joe).

The second Three Stooges Triple Feature Blu-ray edition presents The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962 with Samson Burke as Hercules), Three Stooges Go Around The World In A Daze (1963) and The Outlaws is Coming (1965, Adam West).

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph TribbeyOn the DVD release front in April, Mill Creek Entertainment has eight new priced-to-own new selections ready for retail delivery on Apr. 7.

For film fans, there are three multi-film collections that are priced at just $9.98 each, these are: Hollywood Hounds: 4 Paw-Some Movies (included here are Benji, Bingo, The Karate Dog and Look Who's Talking Now!), Star-Studded Stallions (this set also includes four films: The Princess Stallion, Sylvester, Tommy and the Cool Mule and The Adventures of Gallant Bess) and lastly, Jim Varney stars as Ernest P. Worrell in Everything Ernest: 3 Movie Collection (this fun-filled collection includes Ernest Goes to Camp, Ernest Goes to Jail and Ernest Scared Stupid).

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
For TV fans, four new $9.98 DVD releases heading are home under the company’s popular “TV Guide Spotlight” promotional banner.   These are TV Guide Spotlight: TV's Greatest Dads, TV Guide Spotlight: TV's Greatest Kid Stars, TV Guide Spotlight: TV's Greatest Moms and TV Guide Spotlight: TV's Greatest Very Special Episodes … all selections contain ten episodes.

Rounding out the Apr. 7 new-to-DVD release product offerings is a 20 episodes collection of author Richard Scarry’s classic children stories based on his characters Huckle Cat and Lowly Worm … the SKU is titled The Busy World of Richard Scarry: Huckle & Lowly's Greatest Adventures.

Shifting to Apr. 21 we find two new mega-set collections.   The first of these is the 11-disc set of Tour of Duty: The Complete Series (all 58 episodes), while the second of these collections is the 65 episode comedy set of What’s Happening!!: The Complete Series (a six-disc set).

Ariztical Entertainment Tabs Mar. 31 As The DVD Debut Date For Writer/Director Wes Hurley's Waxie Moon In Fallen Jewel


DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
Writer/director Wes Hurley knows how to go beyond the beyond (no, make that: beyond the way-beyond) and into the realm of the “what the f***?” with his latest film romp, Waxie Moon in Fallen Jewel.

Ariztical Entertainment has Hurley’s latest journey into the weird and wacky world of “boylesque” sensation Waxie Moon (aka: Marc Kenison) ready for the DVD market on Mar. 31.

Marc Kenison, Julliard School-trained and Jose Limon Company veteran dancer — a real pro to be sure — created the persona Waxie Moon in 2009, a “gender-bending” advocate for striptease, “boylesque” and “her” vision of performance art.   Oh, it is so over-the-top and fans of Waxie Moon demand nothing less than way over the top!!! 

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
After doing a documentary on Marc Kenison/Waxie Moon in 2009, with a follow-up short film the following year, The Unlikely Career of Waxie Moon, it was only natural that something so delicious as Waxie Moon would be a worthy subject for a freeform comedy, and that is exactly what Ariztical Entertainment will be serving up on Mar. 31 with the DVD debut of Waxie Moon in Fallen Jewel, which uses the motif of Sex in the City as the vehicle for her (his) fashion, sexual and “other” adventures.

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey


20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment Selects Mar. 31 As The Street Date For DVD And Blu-ray Editions Of Reese Witherspoon's Wild


DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment announced this past week that director Jean-Marc Vallée’s film adaptation of the Cheryl Strayed biographical novel, “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” — shorted for its theatrical release to simply Wild — will be available on Mar. 31 as either Blu-ray or DVD production offerings.


The ARR is 116 days and ticket sales remain a bit on the lackluster side with just $36.4 million in revenues ...  with the Oscar buzz for Reese Witherspoon (nominated for her second Best Actress Oscar … she won for 2005 performance as June Carter-Cash in Walk the Line) you would expect a little more interest.   Lauren Dern is also nominated here for her performance as Strayed’s mother, Bobbi (Best Supporting Actress … she was previously nominated in the Best Actress category in 1991 for Rambling Rose).

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
Bonus nuggets for both the DVD and Blu-ray SKUs include commentary by filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée (Dallas Buyers Club), who is joined by Aussie film producer Bruna Papandrea (Gone Girl, Warm Bodies, Milk, etc.) and co-producer David Greenbaum (The Drop), seven production featuettes and the video piece titled “Experiencing the PCT: A Special Message From Cheryl Strayed.” 

Exclusive to the Blu-ray are deleted scenes (with optional commentary from Vallée), an inter-active map of the PCT and three additional featurettes — “The Real Cheryl Strayed,” “The Real Location Is The Best Location” and “How Much Does A Monster Weigh?”