MVD Entertainment Group Announces Marquee Collection Blu-ray Status For Director John Woo's Windtalkers On Oct. 9

MVD Entertainment Group has done it again!   It is becoming a habit … a habit worth noting. 

Word arrived this week that the next addition to the company’s popular “Marquee Collection” line of Blu-ray products will be none other than director John Woo’s 2002 World War II drama, Windtalkers, which will be available on Oct. 9.  

In recent weeks MVD has sets plans for “Marquee Collection” releases of director Eric Karson’s Angel Town (Sept. 25), Barbershop, Barbershop 2: Back in Business and Beauty Shop (all on Sept. 11), Autumn in New York, Blast! and Crazy Six (all three on Aug. 28) and Walking Tall (Aug. 14), starring Dwayne Johnson. 

Windtalkers, a story about Navajo “code talkers” at the battle of Saipan, starring Nicholas Cage, Christian Slater and Ben Yahzee, will be available on Blu-ray as a double-disc collection featuring both the original theatrical cut (clocking in at 134 minutes) and the Director’s Cut (featuring 19 minutes worth of additional footage).

Bonus features  for the “Marquee Collection” Blu-ray release of Windtalkers include not one, but three commentary options — one featuring director John Woo and producer Terence Chang; the second with actors Christian Slater and Nicolas Cage and the third with real-life Navajo code talker Albert Smith, who is joined by actor Roger Willie, who plays code talker Charlie Whitehorse in the film.

There are also deleted scenes and five production featurettes — “The Code Talkers: A Secret Code of Honor,” “American Heroes: A Tribute to Navajo Code Talkers,” “The Music of Windtalkers,” “Four Fly-on-the-Set Scene Diaries” and “Actors Boot Camp.” 

Icarus Films Selects Oct. 2 For The Release Of DVD And Blu-ray Editions Of Director Bruno Dumont’s Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc

Icarus Films will be teaming up with The Kimstim Collection on Oct. 2 for the domestic DVD and Blu-ray launch of French filmmaker Bruno Dumont’s visually expressive adaptation of Charles Péguy’s early 20^th Century stage presentations, Jeannette, The Childhood of Joan of Arc.

History records that during the Hundred Years’ War a young girl by the name of Joan of Arc reported spiritual visions that France would be freed from English rule and a new king would rise to accomplish exactly that.   Her visions brought her to the court of the future king (Charles VII), she lifted the siege of Orléans, turned the tide of the war, was captured, tried and burnt at the stake at just 19 years of age.  

A symbol of France and the subject of many films, including the 1928 silent masterpiece from director Carl Theodor Dreyer, The Passion of Joan of Arc and Victor Fleming’s 1948 film release of Joan of Arc starring Ingrid Bergman (nominated for Best Actress), Dumont, however, takes the story in a somewhat different direction.   

Instead of the vision of a horse-mounted young woman in armor leading the French to victories — the symbolic “Joan of Arc” — Dumont instead focuses on the childhood of the future saint and uses two different actresses to portray her visions — Lise Leplat Prudhomme (at age eight) and Jeanne Voisin (as a teenager).   Of note, both are excellent … and both are new to film.  

If Péguy, who died while fighting for France in World War I while at height of his creative period, could seamlessly combine religion and politics in his plays, poetry and essays, Dumont — with his film presentation here — has taken it to the next level with the introduction of music and dance.

Not just any music, but guitar riffs and interludes that are of this time, not the 15^th Century — some might call it heavy metal — and the dance sequences often border on the surreal.   Dancing and singing nuns (all choreographed by none other than Philippe Découflé) as part of Jeannette’s religious awakening take filmmaker Bruno Dumont’s on-screen vision to unexpected places.

Jeannette, the Childhood of Joan of Arc is presented in French with English subtitles.

Indican Pictures Selects Sept. 18 For The DVD Debut Of Director Tyler Farr's Hilarious Winning Formula

Aussie chicks on the run, underground Las Vegas turtle racing and the mob all add up to one hilarious film from director Tyler Farr.   It is titled Winning Formula and it will be available on DVD Sept. 18 courtesy of Indican Pictures.

On a whim, footloose and fancy free Tilda (Claudia Pickering, who also co-wrote and produced … plus such films as Frisky, Australian Enemy) and her friend, Liz (Prudence Vindin), decide to pay a visit to Las Vegas.   

The idea is to have fun, party and enjoy the moment.  Which they do, but in enjoying the lights and party atmosphere of Las Vegas they get sidetracked by the charming Jose (Charles Britton), who double-times them with his buddy Benito (William Guirola), and before you know it they are caught up in a high-stakes bet on turtle racing!!!

Turtle racing!!!  Is that even a sport?   In any case it quickly goes south and they suddenly find that they owe the mob ten grand, they are dead broke and naked at the side of the road … and have three weeks to pay off their debt.

Naked Aussie girls in the desert and dead broke.   It is at this very moment, when all seems lost — and the next car coming by could lead to some real nasty business — that their luck changes and the driver who comes to their rescue is Maci (Angela Gulner — Molly Takes a Trip, The Labyrinth, 'Til Death Do Us Part, etc.), who is just as goofy as Tilda and Liz.

Once in Los Angeles, they meet Nigel (Peter J. Walters)— who is ultra strange —and the rest of Maci’s friends.   Three weeks, clock ticking and they need to come up with a plan — the “winning formula” — or the next time they are naked in the desert it could be at the bottom of a six-foot hole.   

The problem is — and this is the hilarity to be found in Farr’s Winning Formula — that every plan that Tilda and Liz come up with is as goofy as they are.   So what is an Aussie girl, no, make that two Aussie girls, to do in La La Land to get out of this very big problem?   Be creative in a “Down Under” way of course!!!

Arrow Video To Release Director John Landis' Schlock On Blu-ray On Oct. 16

Before An American Werewolf in London; before The Blues Brothers; yes, even before Animal House there was a little film from director John Landis that demonstrated his command of the screen.   

I speak from first hand experience on this one.   The year was 1973 and I was the head of operations for a mid-size Southern California theatre chain.   A one-inch slug (small ad) caught my eye in the Los Angeles Times’ movie section one morning, “Schlock” screening at the Wiltern Theatre tonight.   I went and loved it.

It was basically a screening for cast and crew members, but damned if it wasn’t one funny movie.  Yes, micro budget and an unknown cast, but I talked our buyer into giving Jack Harris a call and booking the film everywhere we had screens (The Crest in El Centro was one of the venues, complete with Schlock monster).   It wasn’t a disaster, paying customers came, we had fun and it was gone.

Word arrived this week from Arrow Video, with domestic sales and distribution expertise provided by MVD Entertainment Group, that a new Blu-ray upgrade of Schlock will be available for fans to enjoy on Oct. 16.   If you have a John Landis collection — who doesn’t have at least Blues Brothers and Animal House in any respectable library — then Schlock will be a must!!!

So what is “Schlock?”   Why, it is the banana monster and he is on a rampage.   That is until he spots “Blind Mindy” (played by none other than Eliza Garrett in her film debut … she would later marry Eric Roberts and appear in many of his films) in the backyard of her Chatsworth home one day and falls in love (think: Beauty and the Beast).   

John Landis and Eliza (Garrett) Roberts launched their film careers with this gem … as did eight-time Oscar-winner Rick Baker, who created the Schlocktropus.   So even if you’ve never heard of Schlock, just with that trio alone, it is certainly worth a look.   You will not be disappointed!

Bonus features include a vintage commentary with writer/director John Landis and makeup artist Rick Baker, a vintage video session with cinematographer Bob Collins and two newly-prepared video sessions, one with author and film critic Kim Newman and the other with John Landis titled “Birth of a Schlock.”

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Tabs Sept. 11 For Ocean's 8

At first glance the idea of an all-female “Ocean’s” caper sound pretty much like a female Ghostbusters.   Why?   But on a closer look the name Sandra Bullock jumped out … if she is attached to it, well, bring it on.   She’s whip-smart when it comes to managing her career!

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced this past week that a three-SKU helping of director Gary Ross’ Ocean's 8 will surface on Sept. 11.   

The ARR comes in at 95 days and box office receipts were an impressive $137.3 million … another installment in the series is certainly possible.

Planned for delivery to the home entertainment marketplace on that date are a stand-alone DVD edition, a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack presentation.

Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), the younger sister of the now-deceased Danny Ocean — not to be confused with Danny’s ex-wife, Tess (Julia Roberts) — is fresh out of prison and assembles an all female crew to exact revenge on a shady creep named Becker (Richard Armitage), who framed her, which led to a five-year prison jolt.

New Ocean; new crew … and another fantastic caper.  The idea is to steal the Toussaint, a diamond necklace worth something like $150 million dollars, break it up and plant some of the diamonds from the piece on Becker … easy!

Bonus gems include deleted scenes and a trio of featurettes — “A Heist in Heels,” “Ocean’s Team 3.0” and “Reimagining the Met Gala.”

Vinegar Syndrome Readies August 28 Release Calendar • Dear Dead Delilah Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Leads Restoration Parade

Vinegar Syndrome has tabbed Aug. 28 as the street date for writer/director John Farris’ 1972 gothic chiller, Dear Dead Delilah, starring screen icon Agnes Moorehead as the matriarch of a very dysfunctional Nashville, Tennessee family.

This new 2K restoration, from 35mm vault elements, will be available as a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack.

Make no mistake, Luddy (played by Patricia Carmichael) hacked her mother to death (a graphic prologue … a teaser of things to come) and has spent the last 25-years in a nut house.   Call it unfortunate, or happenstance, or just wrong place/wrong time, but she ends up in a minor accident and comes under the care of Richard (Robert Gentry) and his wife Ellen (Elizabeth Eis), who insist on taking here to their estate, South Hall.

OK, the transition is a little clumsy, but once Luddy settles in at South Hall, things kick in.   We meet Delilah (Moorehead), who enjoys tormenting her family with a stack of hundred dollar bills — their dead father’s “horse” money.  If they can find it on the sprawling estate, the money is theirs.   

Meanwhile, Richard (Delilah is his aunt) and Ellen learns of Luddy’s backstory and the kindly Ellen assures her that what is past is past.   Luddy conveniently becomes the housekeeper and all is right with the world … oh for about five minutes.

The heirs to the “horse” money (something like $600,000) start meeting grisly deaths, which all point, of course, to the unhinged Luddy.   Or maybe it’s Alonzo (Dennis Patrick), one of Delilah’s brothers, who fantasizes that Luddy might be his long lost daughter … he’s a secret drug addict, so sure, it’s plausible that he’s the killer.

You’ll have to wait until Aug. 28 to find out whom the deranged killer is … with this family, it could be just about anyone of them!!!

Bonus goodies include the featurette titled, “Family Secrets: The Making of Dear Dead Delilah,” which is a video session with filmmaker John Farris (his only film, author of such books as “Harrison High,” “When Michael Calls” and “The Fury,” which he adapted for screen with Brian De Palma directing in 1978).

Also on the Aug. 28 release calendar from Vinegar Syndrome are Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack editions of director Robert Vincent O’Neill 1973 indie exploitation film, Wonder Women and filmmaker Mitch Brown’s 1973 unreleased indie effort titled Shot (aka: Death Shot).

Universal Pictures Home Entertainments Look To Sept. 18 For The Home Entertainment Launch Of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment will be deliver a four SKU helping of dinosaur thrills on Sept. 18 with the home entertainment launch of director J.A. Bayona’s summer blockbuster, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

The ARR is a quick-to-market 88 days and domestic ticket sales currently stand at $397.5 million.   With over $1.2 billion worldwide, the next installment is already on track for a June of 2011 theatrical release with both Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard already onboard.

As to SKU configuration, there will be a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack, a stand-alone DVD edition and two Blu-ray SKUs — one a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and the other featuring a double-disc presentation featuring 3D and 2D viewing options.

As to bonus features, there is a multi-part presentation titled “Fallen Kingdom: The Conversation,” which features video sessions with 14 members of the cast and crew, including actors Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard and director J.A. Bayona (The Orphanage, The Impossible).  

There are also a dozen production featurettes —“The Kingdom Evolves,” “Return to Hawaii,” “Island Action,” “Aboard the Arcadia,” “Start the Bidding!,” “On Set with Chris & Bryce,” “Birth of the Indoraptor,” “Death by Dino,” “Monster in a Mansion,” “Rooftop Showdown,” “Malcolm's Return” and “VFX Evolved.”