A has-been rock manager from Van Nuys, California stumbles upon a once-in-a-lifetime voice in a remote Afghan cave in Rock the Kasbah, a dramatic comedy inspired by stranger-than-fiction, real-life events and directed by Oscar winner Barry Levinson. Richie Lanz (Bill Murray), dumped and stranded in war-torn Kabul by his last remaining client (Zooey Deschanel), discovers Salima Khan (Leem Lubany), a Pashtun teenager with a beautiful voice and the courageous dream of becoming the first woman to compete on national television in Afghanistan’s version of “American Idol.” Richie partners with a savvy hooker (Kate Hudson), a pair of hard-partying war profiteers (Danny McBride and Scott Caan) and a hair-trigger mercenary (Bruce Willis) and, braving dangerous cultural prejudices, manages his new protégée into becoming the “Afghan Star.”

In celebration of Gamera’s 50th anniversary, the marathon will feature eleven classic Gamera movies from Gamera (1965) through Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris (1999)

Following the success of Shout! Factory TV’s Kaiju Movie Marathon in July, Shout! Factory TV has once again teamed up with the monster magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland to bring you the Kaiju Movie Marathon: Gamera’s Revenge! Featuring 11 Gamera films and hosted by Kaiju expert August Ragone the monster mayhem will stream live for 16 hours on October 17 from 8am ET to midnight ET. The marathon marks the 50th anniversary of the first Gamera movie release in Japan.

The marathon will feature all 11 classic Gamera movies in chronological order from both the original Showa series (1965-1980) and the Heisei trilogy (1995-1999).

The Kaiju marathon comes complete with original introductions by renowned Kaiju authority August Ragone, commenting on the history and impact of these classic films. A two-time Rondo Award-winning author of Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters, Ragone has commented on Japanese film and popular culture on radio, television, in print, online, and at events for more than three decades.

The event will be streaming at www.shoutfactorytv.com. For mobile, tablet and connected TV devices the marathon is accessible via the Pluto TV app. The marathon is also available via Pluto TV (CH 427), in the living room (Amazon’s Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Android TV devices, Chromecast and Apple Airplay), on the go (apps for iOS, Android and Amazon) and at your fingertips on PCs, Macs or on the web.

Prepare yourselves for something monstrous (again)! Tune in for Kaiju calamity and live tweet with #Gamera. August Ragone, as well as other Kaiju super-fans, will be tweeting and sharing fascinating Kaiju knowledge. Shout! Factory will be offering various prizes to viewers through the marathon, including copies of Ragone’s book, limited-edition “I survived the Gamera marathon” blankets, Famous Monsters of Filmland monster poster, among other items.

KAIJU CONTENT STREAMING ON SHOUT! FACTORY TV LIVE:

• Gamera(1965) 

• Gamera vs. Barugon (1966) 

• Gamera vs. Gyaos(1967) 

• Gamera vs. Viras(1968) 

• Gamera vs. Guiron(1969) 

• Gamera vs. Jiger(1970) 

• Gamera vs. Zigra(1971) 

• Gamera: Super Monster(1980) 

• Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995) 

• Gamera 2: Attack of Legion(1996) 

• Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris(1999)

Schedule of Films*

8:00 a.m. – Gamera

9:30 a.m. – Gamera vs. Barugon

11:00 a.m. – Gamera vs. Viras

12:30 p.m. – Gamera vs. Guiron

2:00 p.m. – Gamera vs. Jiger

3:30 p.m. – Gamera vs. Zigra

5:00 p.m. – Gamera: Super Monster

6:30 p.m. – Gamera: Guardian of the Universe

8:00 p.m. – Gamera 2: Attack of Legion

10:00 p.m. – Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris

*Times listed are Eastern time, approximate and subject to change.



ABOUT SHOUT! FACTORY TV
SHOUT! FACTORY TV is a premiere digital entertainment streaming service that brings timeless and contemporary cult favorites to pop culture fans. With a uniquely curated entertainment library, the channel offers an unrivaled blend of cult TV shows, movies, comedy, original specials and more – presenting an exciting entertainment alternative to major streaming services. SHOUT! FACTORY TV’s programming leverages a distinctive library of pop culture-defining entertainment curated from Shout! Factory, Westchester Films, Timeless Media Group, Scream Factory, major studios, independent producers and other sources from around the world. Whether reliving childhood memories or discovering television series, movies and comedy specials for the first time, SHOUT! FACTORY TV will provide an immersive, high-quality viewing experience across a wide variety of screens and platforms, online at ShoutFactoryTV.com and on smartphone devices, tablets and connected TV, with an initial rollout on Roku.


ABOUT FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND
Pop Culture. Sci-Fi. Fantasy. Horror. Famous Monsters magazine covers it all, living up to its classic title while staying current — and ahead of the curve. The first and finest genre fanzine created by Forrest J Ackerman in 1958, the internationally distributed FM has always been influential within the entertainment community while fostering fan excitement for decades. Our Captain Company (www.captainco.com) sells all manner of monster goodies, and we've moved beyond the page via social media and famousmonsters.com. Often imitated. Never duplicated. Famous Monsters is the winner of the 2015 Rondo Award for Best Classic Magazine.

Academy Award winner Charlize Theron stars in Dark Places, which delves into the tragic life of a woman who survived the brutal killing of her family as a child and is forced to confront the events of that day to find out the truth. Having spent over two years straight on the The New York Times Best-Seller List, Gillian Flynn’s captivating tale Dark Places was written for the screen and directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner (Sarah’s Key), and released theatrically by A24.

Libby Day (Theron) was only seven years old when her mother and two sisters were murdered and her brother Ben (Tye Sheridan) was jailed for the crime. Now, twenty-five years later, Libby discovers shocking evidence that Ben may be innocent—and the real killer is still at large. Nicholas Hoult, Chloë Grace Moretz, Sterling Jerins, Corey Stoll and Christina Hendricks costar in this ingeniously plotted thriller based on the best-selling novel by Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl).

Entire Original Series Will Make its WE tv Debut on Friday, November 27; Available Next Day on VOD, Download to Own and TVE with Bonus Content on WEtv.com

Charleston, South Carolina is an elusive city with many faces and the perfect home for Maria Abascal (Mena Suvari, “Chicago Fire”), a stunning, 30-year-old demon-hunter-for-hire. Alongside her brother, David (Zachary Booth, “Keep the Lights On”), she is skilled and fearless in her pursuit of the demons that live in others. Like those that she hunts, Maria is divided within herself, struggling with her own demon, Abigail, who resides inside of her, feeding on the evil Maria exorcises from others. Maria and Abigail share a soul and a destiny, but as Maria desperately tries to overtake Abigail, she will discover how far Abigail will go to remain a part of her.

Disney / Buena Vista / Released 10/2/15

Good intentions wreak havoc when Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) unwittingly creates Ultron (James Spader), a terrifying A.I. monster who vows to achieve "world peace" via mass extinction. Now Iron Man, Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) - alongside Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) - must reassemble to defeat Ultron and save mankind...if they can! Featuring the introduction of The Vision (Paul Bettany), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor Johnson). Extras include making of, commentary, gag reel, deleted and extended scenes, and featurettes.

Last Word: What Marvel has done is created a tightly knit, beautifully designed and entertaining series of films whose characters I care about and who’s stories are engaging and emotional. Avengers: Age of Ultron is no exception.

The eagerly awaited sequel to the 2012 Marvel’s Avengers film is about as good a film as you would come to expect from The House of Ideas. Boston’s own, Kevin Feige, the mastermind behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe and co-producer on every Marvel film made since 2000 has a plan and he is sticking to it.

It is a damn good plan.The films he has had a hand in molding with an insanely talented list of creators and actors has become some of the most talked about films in both the pop-culture and non-pop-culture worlds.  For those of you playing catch up, starting with the release of 2008’s Iron Man through 2019’s Avengers: Infinity War Parts 1 & 2 there has been and will be a continuous storyline carrying though 22 films and, as for now, 2 TV shows, (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter, respectively). Age of Ultron follows in the wake of the first film and subsequently in the wake of the events in Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

The film opens with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes still dealing with the repercussions of the collapse of S.H.I.E.L.D following the deceit of Hydra, the secret criminal organization run by the mastermind, Red Skull. This film comes out swinging and only gives you enough time to quickly breathe so you don’t pass out in your seat. Joss Whedon, writer and director of the first Avengers, returns to helm and write this film and he is on top of his game here.

Whedon, for me is very hit or miss and his work can have that initial WHAM! POW! BANG! but lack a lot of sustainability utter multiple viewings and any type of scrutiny. Here he brings his A+++ game and does what he is known to do best: Take a varied and entangled cast of characters, make them lovable, make them vulnerable and make them, what Marvel is best known for, human.

These are heroes. They are flawed and not perfect but in the end that is what makes them great. because they don’t give up. They go where even THEY fear to tread and when one falters, the others have their backs. This films greatest success is in it’s handling of the material. Where most writers and directors might get bogged down with making sure each character has their “15 minutes” of screen time, sacrificing story for face time, and with the names that they have in this film, you would think that would be the first order of business. I like to call it the “Next Generation syndrome” where it seemed like every actor on Star Trek: The Next Generation was contractually obligated to have equal amount of screen time regardless of whether the story called for it or not, in my mind, ruining an otherwise good film. Here, what is more important to Whedon and cast and crew is getting the best story told; making sure that each character is properly represented regardless of how much they are actually on the screen.

The main story follows the creation of the artificial intelligence Ultron, who’s purpose is to be the last line of defense in the protection of man, should The Avengers fail in their mission to protect the Earth. And much like the hubris that created it, Ultron falls victim to the “Pride that Blinds” and loses sight of why he was created and begins to see the creator as the very thing it needs to destroy.  Faced with the very thing they had hoped would help them, now as their enemy, it is up to the Avengers to once again unite and overcome their fears and doubts to save the world.  Old friends and allies join the battle and the film becomes one of the best nerdgasm inducing, no-holds barred films I have seen in a very long time. Fans of the Marvel universe so far will be pleased with the return of a ton of fan-favorite characters and will be overjoyed with all the “Easter Eggs” nestled throughout.

Non-comic fans, if there are still any out there, will be blown away and kept at the edge of their seat, as the old parlance goes, with the great action and spectacle. Where it falters is so minimal that it really isn’t worth mentioning and it definitely does NOT ruin or take away from the over-all enjoyment of the film as a whole.  The introduction and use of the 'Miracle' twins Wanda and Pietro aka Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, played by Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson respectively, are a going to thrill the fans. The Vison and how he comes about is great. And The Blacklist star, James Spader as Ultron, is perfectly menacing and condescending in its revile of those whom it is created to protect.

I was thoroughly entertained and would put it on par with the first Avengers in terms of story and characters and definitely much larger and exciting in terms of scope. Avengers: Age of Ultron is another great addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Make Mine Marvel! (– Benn Robbins)

Warner Bros. / Released 10/6/15

Three years after he bowed out of the stripper life at the top of his game, Mike (Channing Tatum) finds the remaining Kings of Tampa likewise ready to throw in the towel. But they want to do it their way: burning down the house in one last blowout performance in Myrtle Beach, and with Magic Mike, the legendary headliner, sharing the spotlight with them. On the road to their final show, with whistle stops in Jacksonville and Savannah to renew old acquaintances and make new friends, Mike and the guys learn some new moves and shake off the past in surprising ways. Extras include featurettes and extended dance scene.

Last Word: Matthew McConaughey's Dallas, the elder statesman of the insanity of the first Magic Mike is absent in this adventure and it quickly becomes apparent that without a leader, you just have a bunch of homoerotically charged man-children taking off their clothes and partying non-stop.  Tatum's Mike, who reached his dream as a furniture maker, for some reason feels compelled to rejoin his former brothers in glitter for a final show.  Reprising their roles are Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash, Adam Rodriguez and Gabriel Iglesias and joining the cast is a Love Boat worthy guest cast which includes Amber Heard, Donald Glover, Andie MacDowell, Elizabeth Banks, Jada Pinkett Smith and Michael Strahan.  It's not a bad film per se, but my tolerence for watching stupid people isn't what it used to be and most of the characters in Magic Mike XXL have an IQ that matches their body fat percentage.  I think it's fair to assess Magic Mike as an underrated sleeper and Magic Mike XXL as more of a guilty pleasure.  It's Showgirls with men; and let's hope it's not the second chapter of a trilogy.

20th Century Fox / 9/29/15

Deskbound CIA analyst Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) is about to become the world's newest - and unlikeliest - secret weapon. When her partner (Jude Law) falls off the grid and another top agent (Jason Statham) is compromised, Susan volunteers to go deep undercover and bring down a deadly arms dealer. Extras include deleted and alternate scenes, gag reel, outtakes, featurettes and commentary.

Last Word: Melissa McCarthy’s latest movie Spy is a treat. Director Paul Feig graduated McCarthy from supporting player in 2011’s Bridesmaids, to co-star in 2013’s The Heat and now, badass leading lady in Spy.  The comedic sendup of the classic James Bond formula goes back at least as far as the original 1967 Casino Royale and Get Smart but also was reinvented in the ‘90s by Mike Myers in Austin Powers. Gadgets, plane fights, prat falls and cat-lady sweaters are what populates Spy.

Susan Cooper (McCarthy) is a CIA Agent, working as an assistant to field agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law). She witnesses Fine’s brutal murder via a very unrealistic ‘contact lens camera’ as she’s guiding him through his final mission. When the CIA is made aware of a possible leak, the only thing left to do is send someone after his murderer Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne). Hothead agent Rick Ford played by Jason Statham is a braggart and bumbling parody of the usual roles the actor plays.  Ford goes rogue when the agency picks the unassuming analyst Susan Cooper to go out into the field to Paris to gather intel on that “Thundercunt” Rayna, her bosses and a nuclear bomb!

McCarthy’s boss Elaine Crocker (Allison Janney, uncredited) sends Agent Cooper out with a series of more hilarious than the last identities, the first being a mother of four from the Midwest with a Christmas sweater.  On the plus side, Cooper is sent to the munitions garage to see Patrick (Michael McDonald - aka a Red Shirt in every Austin Powers movie!), only to be handed some cool spy gear in rather unassuming packages. We’re not talking a spy-pen. What we are talking about is poison antidote disguised as stool softener and a toe fungus spray that’s actually mace. This is one of the funnest tropes in any spy movie, and Feig and the writers did it right. It was more about what she didn’t get what she wanted but other spies have access to that cranked up the hilarity.

When Cooper arrives in Paris at an unkempt hotel, she finds Ford there, waiting in the dark á la Nick Fury in Captain America: Winter Soldier. Ford is disobeying orders and circumventing CIA protocol as he has no faith in her carrying out the mission. Spoiler warning, the two don’t take to long to team up and save the day. Just when you think that this is a straight comedy, we’re put in the middle of a bomb threat at an outdoor concert with Ford and Cooper eliminate the threat. This sparks one of the best fight scenes in the film with Cooper and the bomber facing off at the edge of a building. Let’s just say that you have every reason to fear the awesome power of rebar.

Rome is the next destination, and Cooper tires quickly of the disguises she’s given, this time, crazy cat lady! She treats herself to a cocktail dress and heads after her next target, Sergio De Luca (Bobby Cannavale) in a casino. Ford shows up again in his Bond tux, working the same angle, though unofficially. Silicon Valley actor Zach Woods makes a cameo that ends up uniting Cooper with her original target Rayna —all while retaining her cover. Rayna and Cooper have a dinner scene that rivals the Kristen Wiig maid of honor microphone passing speech in Bridesmaids (or the Jordan Almonds showdown!). Watching Byrne’s air of superiority match McCarthy’s home-grown real-person defenses is awesome and some of the best laughs in the film.

After dinner, and Rayna gaining Cooper’s trust — they head out on Rayna’s private jet. What starts as a cocktail hour ends up with a bloody confrontation with the crew. McCarthy not only shines with hilarious dialogue, she holds her own as a fighter in this movie. They give her (or her double, I should say) many Matrix-esque kick flips and figure eights. I really liked that about the movie — and that there weren’t any cheap fat jokes.  The kitchen fight scene McCarthy gets to do rivals only Quicksilver in X-Men: Days of Future Past (you know, but this time without time slowing down). Butcher knives are flying, good old konks on on the head with skillets. What more could you want? Maybe a Three Stooges eye poke would have been going too far, and they exercised restraint in that regard.

Another fine actor we haven’t mentioned in this film is Miranda Hart, playing the desk agent and best friend to Cooper as Nancy B. Artingstall. When Nancy is brought into the field, she is definitely out of her element. Nancy is the kind of best bud sidekick you need as a tool for exposition. Nancy is the one monitoring Cooper’s (still ridiculous) contact lens cam.  In the final act of the film, there is also some helicopter action to balance out the plane fight. Helicopters always make me think of Bond films so this is thematically on point.  De Luca and Rayna are exposed while the CIA team reassembles.  Spy is a great and fun movie. Treat yourself to the credits and let your imagination go wild on possible future missions for the team, as well as a surprising post-credit scene. (– Clay N Ferno)

In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds...and remembers.

Danger has never seemed so alluring when “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” arrives onto Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD. Henry Cavill (“Man of Steel”) stars as Napoleon Solo opposite Armie Hammer (“The Social Network”) as Illya Kuryakin in director Guy Ritchie’s action adventure “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” a fresh take on the hugely popular 1960s television series. “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on November 17. The film will also be available early on Digital HD on October 27.

“The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” also stars Alicia Vikander (“Ex Machina”), Elizabeth Debicki (“The Great Gatsby”), with Jared Harris (“Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows”), and Hugh Grant as Waverly.