Bayview Entertainment Picks Apr. 21 For The DVD Debut Of Writer/Director Jim Carroll's Faith-Based Thriller Assassin 33 A.D.

Bayview Entertainment has lined up Apr. 21 as the DVD debut street date for writer/director Jim Carroll provocative sci-fi/terrorist/faith-based thriller, Assassin 33 A.D.

Those are a lot of genre boxes to check.  A sci-fi film, certainly Assassin 33 A.D. lives up to that with time travel at the core of it — accidental at that, the whiz kids were looking to replicate the experiment from director Kurt Neumann’s 1958 film starring Vincent Price, The Fly.   You know, the transfer of matter from here to there … what could wrong!

Terrorist tale, you betcha … and it is a whopper.   Ahmed (Gerardo Davila — No Ordinary Love, 90 Feet From Home, etc.) is a jihadist of the first order.   Kill anyone and everyone who disagrees with his view of the world.   Keep that in mind, we will circle back to him in a moment.

Assassin 33 A.D. is also a faith-based film, which seems a little odd when you have sci-fi and terrorist elements already on the table.   But there it is … and the message is forgiveness.

The film itself began as an unproduced screenplay back in 2016 under the title “Resurrection Time Conspiracy,” and it was entered into a number of competitions and got some good buzz.   It is an interesting concept that flows along the line of the “let’s kill Hitler become he comes to power” sort of thing … only think bigger.

In any case, we are introduced to Ram Goldstein (Morgan Roberts — Alien Theory, Armed Response), a science nerd, who is working with his team on a research project to transfer matter from point A to point B (The Fly).   But to his horror, he discovers that the funding is from an Islamic terrorist group run by the aforementioned Ahmed.    He has been spreading money around to various research groups to develop a covert way to deliver weapons of mass destruction from point A to point B (saves on knuckleheads with suicide vests).

When Ram and his team succeed, not in the core assignment of matter transfer, but in creating a time travelling machine, Ahmed is beside himself with joy.   His plan (and you’ve got to give him credit, he thinks BIG) is to send assassins back in time and murder Jesus and his disciples and wipe out Christianity before it ever takes root.   Clearly, he has not thought this through … without Jesus as a prophet; a messenger, there is no Islam.

Any in case, the game is afoot, kill Jesus in the past and change the future.  The assassins are dispatched and it is up to Ram and his nerds to stop them and keep the timeline — for better or for worse — intact.  

Arrow Video Preps A 4K Restoration For Meg Foster's The Wind For Blu-ray Release On Apr. 14

Arrow Video, with domestic sales and distribution support provided by MVD Entertainment Group, has yet another Blu-ray debut lined up for genre fans to savor, enjoy and watch again and again, if not for the storyline, but for the 4K scan (from the original camera negative) of the always lovely Meg Foster.

This particular Meg Foster film is writer/director Nico Mastorakis’ 1986 film, The Wind (aka: Edge of Terror), which will be available on Apr. 14.

Since 1986 it has run the gauntlet of format releases, including VHS (at least twice) and DVD (also at least twice … although we’ve always suspected that the Simitar release on DVD in June of 1999 lacked “legitimacy,” but what do we know) and has been out of print since 2003.

Meg Foster stars as Sian Anderson, a mystery writer, who has hit something of a writer’s block and so she kisses her boyfriend, John (David McCallum, who literally “phones-in” his performance … he is used as something of a red herring) and heads off to islet of Monemvasia in Greece to write her next mystery novel.   

It is here that we meet her landlord, Elias (Robert Morley), who also has a handyman by the name of Phil (Wings Hauser).   Elias warns her to stay indoors at night as the peculiar nature of the place creates nightly winds that can be quite fierce. 

There’s your set-up, a remote place, creepy winds and Phil, who in short order murders Elias.   Sian spots our homicidal maniac burying “something” (perhaps a stray cat), which seems very suspicious … remote place, creepy winds and Phil, you get the picture.

In any case, she can’t find Elias, so she gets in contact with his wife (Dina Giannakou), a local, who Phil proceeds to butcher when she shows up to look for her husband.   Two down and now it is time to torment Sian!!  

Meanwhile, John, gets worried and contacts the local police (Mihalis Giannatos), who says he will check it out, but sends his buddy instead, Kesner, (played by none other than Steve Railsback — Helter Skelter), who doesn’t find anything out of the ordinary and thinks that Sian, as a mystery writer, might be letting her imagination run wild.

The Wind is part thriller, part slasher film and loaded with atmospherics (wind, shutters banging, dark and spooky), but most of all it has Meg Foster, and with the new 4K restoration from Arrow Video, those blue eyes will certainly be the focus of attention.

Bonus goodies feature the newly minted video session with writer/director Nico Mastorakis titled “Blowing The Wind” and “The Sound of The Wind,” an isolated soundtrack of the film, which was composed by Hans Zimmer and Stanley Myers.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Selects Apr. 14 For The DVD And Blu-ray Launch Of Writer/Director Destin Daniel Cretton's Just Mercy

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has selected Apr. 14 as the street date for both DVD and Blu-ray editions of writer/director Destin Daniel Cretton’s film adaptation of attorney Bryan Stevenson’s 2014 biographical book, “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption,” which was shortened for its theatrical release to Just Mercy.

The ARR comes in at 109 days and domestic box office receipts for this wrongful conviction death row story starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx stand at $35.4 million.

As to bonus features, common to both SKUs is the featurette titled “Making Mercy.”   Exclusive to the stand-alone Blu-ray edition are deleted scenes and two additional featurettes — “The Moment Deserves” and “The Equal Justice Initiative.”

For the period ending February 21, 2020 ... New DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD selections added to the DVD & Blu-ray Release Report's database

 

DVD New Additions

 

Acorn Media

02/18/20 — Released Good Karma Hostipal: Series 3 (2 disc set)

Adult Source Media

02/18/20 — Released Whore to the Core 2

Alpha Video (MOD)

02/11/20 — Released Adventures of Sir Lancelot, Volume 7, Clutch Cargo, Volume 11, Emperor Jones, Fortress of the Dead/Kong Island,I Led 3 Lives, Volume 4, Mr. Lobo's Cinema Insomnia: House on Haunted Hill, Mr. Lobo's Cinema Insomnia: Teenagers from Outer Space, Rarest Comedies of Edgar Kennedy, Volume 1 (4 short films: Gasaloons, Morning Judge, A Trailer Tragedy, It Happened All Night), Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, Sherlock Jr. (silent-1924), Silent Railway Classics (2 silent films: The Arizona Express (1924), Blood and Steel (1925)) and Treasure of Jamaica Reef/Piranha

Artsploitation Films

02/18/20 — Released We: Uncut Director's Cut (Dutch)

Bayview Entertainment

04/07/20 — Sets All Babes Want to Kill Me, Ambition, Apocalyptic: The Tsunami War, Arc, Art Ache, Asylum Seekers, August (Farsi), Cinema Holdup (Spanish) and Some Girls Wander

04/14/20 — Sets Best People, Bizarre: A Circus Story, Black Fly, Blood Into Wine, Bodkin Ras, Border Blues, Born to Hate (Hindi), Bullets, Blood and a Fistful of Cash, Gregorian Chant: Back to Your Actual House and Prophet

Caveman Training (MOD)

02/18/20 — Released Kettlebell Complexes Made Simple

Championship Productions

02/18/20 — Released 2019 Major League Hitting Clinic: Modern Strategies for Hitter Development (2 disc set) and Speed of the Stick: Building High Performing Relays

Film Detective

03/31/20 — Sets Fist of Fear, Touch of Death

Free Your Mind Studio (MOD)

02/18/20 — Released Bachelor, Deal and Where is the Kinobalagan Gone

Freestyle Digital (MOD)

02/18/20 — Released Blazing Cannons

Get Digital World (MOD)

02/18/20 — Released Sacred Vision

Gravitas Ventures (MOD)

02/18/20 — Released Out of the Box, Sunday Girl and Truth About Marriage

Icarus Films

04/14/20 — Sets Heimat is a Space in Time (German)

Kino Lorber

02/18/20 — Released Accident, Criminal (aka: The Concrete Jungle), Day of the Dolphin and Je t'aime Moi non Plus (French)

MVD Entertainment Group

04/24/20 — Sets Murder in the Front Row: The San Francisco Bay Area Thrash Metal Story

Meridian Releasing Group (MOD)

02/18/20 — Released Submission

Movie Detective (MOD)

02/18/20 — Released Colours of Iris (Greek), Diary of a Telephone Operator (Italian), Dias de Odio (Spanish), Le Joueur d'Echecs (French), Le Passage du Rhin (French) and Mariage (French)

Oscilloscope Laboratories

04/28/20 — Sets When Lambs Become Lions (Swahili) (ARR of 158 days; box office: $9,337)

PCN Productions (MOD)

02/18/20 — Released PA Books: The Life & Loves of Thaddeus Stevens, PCN Tours: Coolspring Power Museum and Pennsylvania Country Roads: The Dennis Farm

Paramount Home Media

04/14/20 — Sets Criminal Minds: The Final Season (3 disc set)

04/21/20 — Sets Looking for Alaska (3 disc set)

Smart Mark Video (MOD)

02/18/20 — Released C*4 Wrestling: Underground, Volume 5 - Ottawa, ON, Epic Wrestling Entertainment: Rise of the Monster - Jeffersonville, IN, H2O Wrestling: Undiscovered Underground - Williamstown, NJ and IWA Mid-South: Heartbreak and February Fury - Jeffersonville, IN

The High School Sports Network (MOD)

02/18/20 — Released 2020 AHSAA 1A Boys Basketball Northeast Regional Finals Spring Garden vs Jacksonville Christian, 2020 AHSAA 1A Boys Basketball Northwest Regional Finals Decatur Heritage vs Pickens County, 2020 AHSAA 1A Boys Basketball Southeast Regional Finals Lanett vs Cornerstone, 2020 AHSAA 1A Boys Basketball Southwest Regional Finals Autaugaville vs Francis Marion, 2020 AHSAA 1A Girls Basketball Northeast Regional Finals Spring Garden vs Talladega County Central, 2020 AHSAA 1A Girls Basketball Northwest Regional Finals Phillips vs Mars Hills Bible, 2020 AHSAA 1A Girls Basketball Southeast Regional Finals Elba vs Westminster Oak Mountain, 2020 AHSAA 1A Girls Basketball Southwest Regional Finals Linden vs St. Lukes Episcopal, 2020 AHSAA 2A Boys Basketball Northeast Regional Finals Sacred Heart Catholic vs Lafayette, 2020 AHSAA 2A Boys Basketball Northwest Regional Finals Vincent vs Red Bay, 2020 AHSAA 2A Boys Basketball Southeast Regional Finals Barbour County vs Geneva County, 2020 AHSAA 2A Girls Basketball Northeast Regional Finals Sand Rock vs Collinsville, 2020 AHSAA 2A Girls Basketball Northwest Regional Finals Cold Springs vs Hatton, 2020 AHSAA 2A Girls Basketball Southeast Regional Finals G.W. Long vs Geneva County, 2020 AHSAA 5A Girls Basketball Northeast Regional Finals Boaz vs Center Point, 2020 AHSAA 5A Girls Basketball Northwest Regional Finals West Point vs Madison Academy, 2020 AHSAA 5A Girls Basketball Southeast Regional Finals Sylacauga vs Charles Henderson, 2020 AHSAA 6A Boys Basketball Northeast Regional Finals Pinson Valley vs Huffman, 2020 AHSAA 6A Boys Basketball Northwest Regional Finals Hartselle vs Bessemer City, 2020 AHSAA 6A Boys Basketball Southeast Regional Finals Sidney Lanier vs Eufaula, 2020 AHSAA 6A Girls Basketball Northeast Regional Finals Fort Payne vs Hazel Green, 2020 AHSAA 6A Girls Basketball Northwest Regional Finals G.W. Carver vs McAdory, 2020 AHSAA 6A Girls Basketball Southeast Regional Finals Opelika vs Dothan, 2020 AHSAA 7A Boys Basketball Northeast Regional Finals Sparkman vs Oak Mountain, 2020 AHSAA 7A Boys Basketball Northwest Regional Finals Spain Park vs Mountain Brook, 2020 AHSAA 7A Boys Basketball Southeast Regional Finals R.E. Lee vs Jeff Davis, 2020 AHSAA 7A Girls Basketball Northeast Regional Finals Gadsen City vs Hoover, 2020 AHSAA 7A Girls Basketball Northwest Regional Finals Vestavia Hills vs Spain Park, 2020 AHSAA 7A Girls Basketball Southeast Regional Finals Auburn vs Central-Phenix City, 2020 AHSAA 7A Girls Basketball Southwest Regional Finals Foley vs McGill-Toolen Catholic, 2020 AIA 3A Girls Soccer Semifinals #1 ALA-Gilbert vs Gilbert Christian, 2020 AIA 3A Girls Soccer Semifinals #2 Sahuarita vs Trivium Prep, 2020 MPA Class A North Boys Basketball Qrts #1 Skowhegan vs Medomak, 2020 MPA Class A North Boys Basketball Qrts #2 Lawrence vs Cony, 2020 MPA Class A North Boys Basketball Qrts #3 Brewer vs Messalonskee, 2020 MPA Class A North Boys Basketball Qrts #4 Mt. Blue vs Hampden, 2020 MPA Class A South Boys Basketball Qrts #1 Marshwood vs Falmouth, 2020 MPA Class A South Boys Basketball Qrts #3 Greely vs Leavitt, 2020 MPA Class A South Boys Basketball Qrts #4 Biddeford vs York, 2020 MPA Class A South Girls Basketball Qrts #2 Falmouth vs Kennebunk, 2020 MPA Class A South Girls Basketball Qrts #3 Brunswick vs Gray-NG, 2020 MPA Class A South Girls Basketball Qrts #4 Mt. Ararat vs Greely, 2020 MPA Class B North Boys Basketball Qrts #3 Old Town vs Hermon, 2020 MPA Class B North Boys Basketball Qrts #4 Mount Desert vs Caribou, 2020 MPA Class B North Girls Basketball Qrts #3 Houlton vs Old Town, 2020 MPA Class B North Girls Basketball Qrts #4 John Bapst vs Hermon, 2020 MPA Class B South Girls Basketball Qrts #1 Lisbon vs Wells, 2020 MPA Class B South Girls Basketball Qrts #2 Maranacook vs Oak Hill, 2020 MPA Class B South Girls Basketball Qrts #3 Yarmouth vs Mtn. Valley, 2020 MPA Class B South Girls Basketball Qrts #4 Cape Elizabeth vs Freeport, 2020 MPA Class C North Boys Basketball Qrts #1 Fort Fairfield vs George Stevens, 2020 MPA Class C North Boys Basketball Qrts #2 Stearns vs Central Aroostook, 2020 MPA Class C North Boys Basketball Qrts #3 Mattanawcook vs Fort Kent, 2020 MPA Class C North Girls Basketball Qrts #1 Central Aroostook vs Fort Fairfield, 2020 MPA Class C North Girls Basketball Qrts #2 Narraguagus vs Dexter, 2020 MPA Class C North Girls Basketball Qrts #3 Penobscot Valley vs Calais, 2020 MPA Class C North Girls Basketball Qrts #4 Central vs Stearns, 2020 MPA Class C South Boys Basketball Qrts #1 Mt. Abram vs Boothbay, 2020 MPA Class C South Boys Basketball Qrts #2 Traip vs Waynflete, 2020 MPA Class C South Boys Basketball Qrts #3 Richmond vs North Yarmouth, 2020 MPA Class C South Boys Basketball Qrts #4 Monmouth vs Winthrop, 2020 MPA Class C South Girls Basketball Qrts #1 Traip vs North Yarmouth, 2020 MPA Class C South Girls Basketball Qrts #2 Sacopee vs Boothbay, 2020 MPA Class C South Girls Basketball Qrts #3 Old Orchard Beach vs Richmond, 2020 MPA Class C South Girls Basketball Qrts #4 Carrabec vs Winthrop, 2020 MPA Class D North Boys Basketball Qrts #1 Easton vs Van Buren, 2020 MPA Class D North Boys Basketball Qrts #2 Deer Isle-Ston vs Schenck, 2020 MPA Class D North Boys Basketball Qrts #3 South Aroostook vs Machias, 2020 MPA Class D North Boys Basketball Qrts #4 Greater Houlton Christian vs Jonesport-Beals, 2020 MPA Class D North Girls Basketball Qrts #1 Washburn vs Katahdin, 2020 MPA Class D North Girls Basketball Qrts #2 Schenck vs Deer Isle-Ston, 2020 MPA Class D North Girls Basketball Qrts #3 Wisdom vs Shead, 2020 MPA Class D North Girls Basketball Qrts #4 Ashland vs South Aroostook, 2020 MPA Class D South Boys Basketball Qrts #1 Pine Tree vs Greenville, 2020 MPA Class D South Boys Basketball Qrts #2 VInalhaven vs Rangeley, 2020 MPA Class D South Boys Basketball Qrts #3 Valley vs Temple, 2020 MPA Class D South Boys Basketball Qrts #4 Seacoast vs Forest Hills, 2020 MPA Class D South Girls Basketball Qrts #1 Forest Hills vs Valley, 2020 MPA Class D South Girls Basketball Qrts #2 Vinalhaven vs Rangeley, 2020 MPA Class D South Girls Basketball Qrts #3 Temple vs Seacoast, 2020 MPA Class D South Girls Basketball Qrts #4 North Haven vs Greenville, 2020 MPA Girls Ice Hockey Championship Cape Elizabeth/Wyneflete/Southport vs Lewiston, 2020 OSAA Cheerleading State Championships, 2020 SCHSL 2A Wrestling Duals Championship Finals North Central vs Bamberg-Ehrhardt, 2020 SCHSL 3A Wrestling Duals Championship Finals Indian Land vs Gilbert, 2020 SCHSL 4A Wrestling Duals Championship Finals Eastside vs Hartsville and 2020 SCHSL 5A Wrestling Duals Championship Finals Hillcrest vs White Knoll

Universal Pictures Home Ent.

02/18/20 — Released Disturbing the Peace

03/24/20 — Sets 1917 (ARR of 88 days; box office: $145,760,369)

04/21/20 — Sets Gentlemen (ARR of 88 days; box office: $31,702,651)

VIZ Media

02/18/20 — Released Hunter X Hunter Set 7 (4 disc set)

Vision Films (MOD)

02/18/20 — Released Banksy and the Rise of Outlaw Art

Vision Video

02/11/20 — Released Will Faith Do Us Part? An Inside Look at Interchurch Marriage

02/18/20 — Released Catholic Heroes of Faith: The Story of Saint Patrick, Divine Plan and St. Patrick: Pilgrimage to Peace

Blu-ray New Additions

 

Acorn Media

02/18/20 — Released Good Karma Hostipal: Series 3 (2 disc set)

Aniplex of America

02/18/20 — Released Kaguya-sama: Love is War (2 disc set)

Artsploitation Films

02/18/20 — Released We: Uncut Director's Cut (Dutch)

Caveman Training (MOD)

02/18/20 — Released Kettlebell Complexes Made Simple

Cri-One (MOD)

02/18/20 — Released Gummy

Dark Force Entertainment

04/28/20 — Sets Backlot Murders

Film Detective

03/31/20 — Sets Fist of Fear, Touch of Death

Freestyle Digital (MOD)

02/18/20 — Released Blazing Cannons

Funimation

02/18/20 — Released Kino's Journey: The Beautiful World (2 disc set), Radiant, Season 1, Part 2 (2 Blu-ray/2 DVD Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy), Royal Tutor (2 disc set) and Star Blazers Space Battleship Yatmato 2199: The Complete Series (4 disc set)

Gravitas Ventures (MOD)

02/18/20 — Released Out of the Box, Sunday Girl and Truth About Marriage

Kino Lorber

02/18/20 — Released Accident, Criminal (aka: The Concrete Jungle), Day of the Dolphin, Je t'aime Moi non Plus (French), Light at the Edge of the World, Man Who was Sherlock Holmes (German) and Münchhausen (German)

Meridian Releasing Group (MOD)

02/18/20 — Released Submission

Mill Creek Entertainment

05/19/20 — Sets Inner Sanctum Mysteries: The Complete Film Series (6 film set: Calling Dr. Death, Weird Woman, Dead Man's Eyes, The Frozen Ghost, Strange Confession, Pillow of Death) (2 disc set)

Oscilloscope Laboratories

04/28/20 — Sets When Lambs Become Lions (Swahili)

PCN Productions (MOD)

02/18/20 — Released PA Books: The Life & Loves of Thaddeus Stevens, PCN Tours: Coolspring Power Museum and Pennsylvania Country Roads: The Dennis Farm

SRS Cinema

02/18/20 — Released Necrologies (French)

Scorpion Releasing

02/18/20 — Released Beyond Therapy

Sentai FilmWorks

02/18/20 — Released Real Girl: Complete Collection (4 disc set) and Space Brothers #0: The Movie

Shout! Factory

02/18/20 — Released Another Day of Life (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack), Gerry, Rasputin: The Mad Monk and X: The Unknown

Smart Mark Video (MOD)

02/18/20 — Released C*4 Wrestling: Underground, Volume 5 - Ottawa, ON

Universal Pictures Home Ent.

02/18/20 — Released Disturbing the Peace

03/24/20 — Sets 1917 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy)

04/21/20 — Sets Gentlemen (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy)

VIZ Media

02/18/20 — Released Hunter X Hunter Set 7 (4 disc set)

Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.

03/31/20 — Sets Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2 disc set) (with Digital Copy)

Warner Bros. Home Ent. (MOD)

03/10/20 — Sets Beau Brummell

03/17/20 — Sets Stalking Moon and Tom & Jerry: Golden Collection, Volume 1 (2 disc set)

03/24/20 — Sets Dodsworth

Well Go U.S.A.

02/18/20 — Released Warriors of the Nation (Mandarin)

4K Ultra HD New Additions

 

Paramount Home Media

05/05/20 — Sets Braveheart: 25th Anniversary Edition (4K Ultra HD/2 Blu-ray Combo Pack) and Gladiator: 20th Anniversary Edition (4K Ultra HD/2 Blu-ray Combo Pack)

Universal Pictures Home Ent.

03/24/20 — Sets 1917 (4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy)

04/21/20 — Sets Gentlemen (4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy)

Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.

03/31/20 — Sets Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy), Star Wars: A New Hope (4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack), Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack), Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack), Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack), Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack), Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (4K Ultra HD/2 Blu-ray Combo Pack)

Paramount Home Media's Criminal Minds: The Final Season On DVD On Apr. 14 • Looking For Alaska On DVD On Apr. 21

It was a very busy announcement week for Paramount Home Media … a series goodbye, a mini-series arrival and two new 4K Ultra HD releases, and more.

After 15 seasons and 324 episodes, Criminal Minds: The Final Season will be ready on DVD (a three-disc set) on Apr. 14 … this brings this venerable FBI crime-solving series to a close.  

All ten episodes are featured here, including the double-episode conclusion featuring a showdown with serial killer Everett Lynch, aka: “The Chameleon” (Michael Mosley), who was introduced during the previous season and came close to killing Rossi (Joe Mantegna).   Will agent Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) finally find love … one that isn’t crazy?   Apr. 14 brings the answers to fans.

Also on Apr. 14, Paramount Home Media will be releasing a complete series box set collection of Criminal Minds.

The following week, Apr. 21, Paramount Home Media will be bringing to market the eight-episode mini-series adaptation of writer John Green’s Looking for Alaska.

Following the success of the film adaptations of his Paper Towns and The Fault in Our Stars novels, there was renewed interest in bringing his first novel, Looking for Alaska, to the screen as well.   It had been in “turn-around” since first published in 2005 and there were constant issues relating to turning the story of Green’s semi-biographical experiences at the Indian Springs Boarding School in Birmingham, Alabama, into a coherent two-hour screenplay.   

The solution was finally arrived by producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (they have collaborated on such series Gossip Girl, The O.C. … among others) who turned Looking for Alaska into an eight-episode mini-series.

It is 2005, and Miles Halter (Charlie Plummer — Lean on Pete, All the Money in the World) arrives at Culver Creek Academy as a fish out of water.   His roommate is “The Colonel,” Chip Martin (Denny Love — Slasher Party), and Miles quickly learns that there is a pecking order at the school, which pits The Colonel and his friends against the “Weekend Warriors.”

Also at the school is Alaska Young (Kristine Froseth — The Assistant, Prey), whom Miles will become enamored with as she becomes central to his experiences at Culver Creek.    Others at the school include Takumi (Jay Lee), another friend of The Colonel, and “The Eagle,” Mr. Starnes (Timothy Simons), the school’s headmaster.   

Bonus features included with the DVD releases of Looking for Alaska include 18 deleted scenes and a video session with novelist John Green.  

Not done yet … Paramount Home Media has two new 4K Ultra HD/2 Blu-ray Combo Pack presentations — both are Steelbooks and include Digital Copy — ready for release on May 5.

These are, Gladiator: 20th Anniversary Edition and Braveheart: 25th Anniversary Edition ... and they come packed with bonus goodies (hence the two Blu-ray companion disc).