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BLACK PANTHER Packs New Surprises in Ta-Nehisi Coates' Series

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Y’know, sometimes real life really sucks for a geek.

Such as, when you can’t ever get to the comic book shop for new comics day.

I never can get to the shop on Wednesday before closing time. The shop closest to my house packs up at 6, and I can’t complete my 45-mile commute before 6:15 at the earliest, so no comics for me.

Which is a real bummer when it’s the Wednesday that Black Panther #1, the most anticipated comic book of the year, is coming out.

It’s kinda rare that a comic book about a black superhero is what tons of people are waiting for. But then it’s also kind rare to have Ta-Nehisi Coates -- MacArthur Grant fellow,The Atlantic writer, intelligentia mainstay and a leading thinker on race issues – write one. Look, he even titled the 12-issue story arc "A Nation Under Our Feet."

Cover to Black Panther #1 and concept art by Brian Stelfreeze

Every bit of explanation I heard from Coates, and every piece of concept art I saw from Brian Stelfreeze, made me even hungrier for this comic.

And this sucker would have to wait until Sunday to get his hands on a physical copy. Like a sucker.

Yeah, I’m not up on reading comics digitally. Mostly because: (1) I like holding the pages; (2) I just got a tablet and don’t want to carry it on the train; (3) I like paying money to my local shops.

But now I have Black Panther #1. I have read it, I have inhaled it. And, dammit, I am happy.

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ZOOLANDER NO. 2: THE MAGNUM EDITION Hits The Catwalk on Blu-ray Combo Pack May 24th, Digital HD May 3rd

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Long time no Z. Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Will Ferrell reprise their iconic roles in the “ridiculously funny” (Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly) ZOOLANDER NO. 2: THE MAGNUM EDITION, which critics are calling “every bit as good as the original classic” (Gersh Kuntzman, New York Daily News). The highly anticipated sequel hits the catwalk on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and On Demand May 24, 2016 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. The film arrives fashionably early on Digital HD May 3.

Featuring Penélope Cruz, Kristen Wiig and a host of celebrity cameos including Justin Bieber and Billy Zane, the hilarious comedy tops the original with even more wild and outrageous situations. When a mystery assassin starts killing off the world’s most beautiful people, haute-shot Interpol agent Valentina Valencia (Cruz) learns the key to this deadly plot lies with Derek (Stiller) and Hansel (Wilson). Recruited for a top secret mission, they must return to the world of high fashion, reclaim their fame, and save the day. The only things standing in their way: the criminal mastermind Mugatu (Ferrell) and his evil fashion protégé (Wiig).


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Article 8

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Hello! My name is Lenny Schwartz and I am a playwright from RI and New York.

And I'm a life long comic book fan.

I am so happy to write about comic books.

So without further adieu, here goes!


Black Panther #1
Written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Illustrated by Brian Stelfreeze
Published by Marvel Comics


The Black Panther is back in his own comic book! Since he's in the upcoming Captain America film, Marvel probably thought it would be a good idea to give him his own comic book again. And how is it? Well, it's certainly better than most of Marvel's recent output of late. But can it be a sustainable series?

Coates writes an interesting tale here. (I know he had fame elsewhere and even won a National Book Award but that didn't guarantee he could write comics)

To be honest, it's a bit wordy. A lot of "telling" going on and not enough "showing." Still, it's pretty interesting if you put the effort in. He puts ethical questions into the series. The result is that the book feels a lot different than most of the "superhero" comic books out there. And that's a good thing. There were a few clunkers with the dialogue but nothing that made me want to rip the book up.

Stelfreeze is fantastic on art. He is one of those artists who, for many years, when I was younger, I loved and wished he would do a series (he used to do a lot of covers). He's got a good handle on the character and the story itself. I'll be interested to see how the collaboration between he and Coates develops as the series progresses.

Black Panther has gotten off to a good start. It's a 12 issue series. I'll be picking it up for sure. And you should too. It's something different than what we have seen from this character before. And if this keeps up? It could be memorable. Based off this first issue it's not quite there...yet.

RATING: B


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Win HAVEN: THE FINAL SEASON on Blu-ray!

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For five eye-opening seasons, fans tuned in to the hit Syfy series "Haven", based on Stephen King's novella "The Colorado Kid". Following former FBI agent Audrey Parker (Emily Rose) and her supernatural exploits in the small town of Haven, Maine, the series was hailed as "a must see show!" by Entertainment Weekly.

HAVEN: THE FINAL SEASON presents hometown heroes Audrey, Nathan (Lucas Bryant), Duke (Eric Balfour) and Dwight (Adam Copeland), with challenges unlike any they've experienced before. Across 13 action-packed final episodes, the town of Haven has been cut off from the rest of the world by a mysterious fog bank and is on its own. Through journeys into the past, the future, and the very fabric between worlds, events in Haven hurtle towards a cataclysmic showdown. Will the heroes be able to rid Haven of "the Troubles" forever, or will the town and its inhabitants continue to suffer the curse? Watch and see as tensions rise, allegiances shift and in a harrowing closing chapter, the mystery of "Croatoan" is finally revealed.

And we're giving away 3 copies of HAVEN: THE FINAL SEASON to Forces of Geek readers!


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FOG! Chats With Filmmaker ÁLEX DE LA IGLESIA!

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Generoso Fierro speaks with director Álex de la Iglesia. Photo by Lily Fierro

Interview conducted by Generoso Fierro

Álex de la Iglesia has easily been my favorite Spanish director of the last twenty five years.

By the mid-1990s, there seemed to be a wider US distribution of Spanish films that could be mostly attributed to the box office success of Pedro Almodóvar’s work from the late 1980s and the early part of the 1990s. Finally, the films of Spanish directors such as Vicente Aranda and Bigas Luna were also getting regular showtimes at local arthouse theaters, but it was at a cultish midnight screening that I first became aware of Álex de la Iglesia’s work when my friend Matt took me to a screening of the director’s 1997 film, Perdita Durango, which my buddy Matt described as an “obscenely unhinged satanic road film.”

Though the film wasn’t well received here at the time, I myself was thrilled as I found Perdita Durango to be exactly the kind of ugly yet engrossing genre film that was so desperately needed during that mostly whimsical decade of arthouse cinema.

Since that screening, I have been a loyal fan of the director’s work due to his absurdist and often purposefully and excessively violent and sexual view of contemporary society and his and screenwriter Jorge Guerricaechevarría’s unique ability to exalt traditionally marginalized characters.

We sat down with Álex de la Iglesia before a retro screening at the Laemmle Ahrya Fine Arts Theater of his hysterical 2004 department store Dante’s Inferno, El Crimen Perfecto, (The Perfect Crime).


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THE DYNAMIC DUO Team Up With THE AVENGERS: New Digital First Series BATMAN ’66 MEETS STEED AND MRS. PEEL to Launch in June

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Holy 1960s-TV crossover! Capitalizing on the past success of the Green Hornet and The Man From U.N.C.L.E crossovers, DC Comics is partnering with BOOM! Studios to pair together two of the hippest shows from the ’60s in the new Digital First comic book miniseries BATMAN ’66 MEETS STEED AND MRS. PEEL.

Launching June 8th as a 12-chapter, bi-weekly series based on the classic 1960s Batman TV show starring Adam West and Burt Ward, the comic will feature Batman and Robin coming face-to-face for the first time with the other (and English) dynamic duo John Steed and Mrs. Peel – characters from the hit ’60s British TV series The Avengers starring Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg. 

As Bruce Wayne shows the beautiful head of a UK electronics company the sights of Gotham, they are interrupted by the felonious feline Catwoman! Unwilling to leave Miss Michaela Gough unprotected, Bruce resigns himself to the fact that Batman cannot save the day. But some new players have arrived in town – though even as the lovely, catsuit-clad Mrs. Peel and her comrade John Steed take control of the situation, nefarious plots continue apace!

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Choose Your Side! Your Look Inside CIVIL WAR II #1!

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The Battle Begins This June!

This is it! War comes to the Marvel Universe this June as the Earth-shattering comics event of 2016 comes to comic shops with a jam-packed double-size issue! Today, Marvel is pleased to present your exciting look inside CIVIL WAR II #1– from chartbusting creators Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez! The fan-fave creative team that brought you Invincible Iron Man join forces once more to bring you a tale of hero against hero – and a Marvel Universe divided in two!

Ulysses – a young Inhuman with the power to profile the future has emerged. His new abilities send shockwaves through the superhuman community. Divided amongst themselves, will they use Ulysses to prevent danger before it happens? Or should they allow the future to unfold unaltered? As his new powers send shockwaves rippling across the Marvel Universe – battle lines will be drawn. Do you stand with Iron Man? Or will you side with Captain Marvel?

Will the heroes of the Marvel Universe wield the power of “predictive justice” to change the future or battle to protect tomorrow? Battle lines will be drawn. Lives will be changed. Heroes will fall. The comic book event that will have the world talking kicks off on June 1st in the double-sized CIVIL WAR II #1!


Plus – don’t miss two opening salvos of CIVIL WAR II this May! Head to your local comic shop on Free Comic Book Day for an exciting prologue to Civil War II by Brian Michael Bendis & Jim Cheung. Then, pick up CIVIL WAR II #0 by Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel – on sale later that month!


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DECLARING CIVIL WAR: The Hype Machine Assembles!

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The promotional juggernaut that is Marvel Studios began firing on all cylinders this week as the world premiere of Captain America: Civil War emanated from Hollywood. MTV also got in on the action for the anticipated blockbuster with an exclusive clip followed by a new trailer that you can see below.


Of course, with the premiere having come and gone, reviews for the film are making their way online with most sites veering away from spoilers. Reactions to the film are overwhelmingly positive with endorsements such as “Captain America: Civil War is going well, it’s a better Avengers movie than the last Avengers movie” and “a complex mystery posing a big, fun superhero film. Lots of themes and emotions. Very unexpected & VERY good.”

While critics are not allowed to reveal specific details about the movie at this point, there is also a lot of praise going around for Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.


Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was another comic book movie that received a lot of positive acclaim after its premiere. Remember this little gem? “Also, naysayers... Zack Snyder + Chris Terrio = WIN. You want a race, well DC may have just caught up with one movie.”

Regardless of what anything thinks of the film, it’s reasonable that everyone would disagree with that endorsement.

Could fans be in for the same bait & switch, as far as reactions go, from Marvel’s newest flick? Most likely, the answer is no. The BvS premiere took place five days before it was released in theaters. Civil War’s red-carpet gala, along with the first round of press screenings this past weekend, occurred three weeks before the film is due to come to a Cineplex near you.

The difference here is that, in the case of BvS, the positive word of mouth turned to dreadful critical reviews near the end of the week. Even though the film cashed in on a $166 million dollar opening weekend, that number would have been a lot higher if critical acclaim had been positive. The Mouse must be supremely confident that Civil War delivers the goods because negative press this far out from its release would severely damage its earning potential.



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Filmation's TARZAN, LORD OF THE JUNGLE Comes To DVD!

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 Swinging onto DVD for the first time June 14, 2016

Just in time for Father's Day and the theatrical release, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will release the long awaited animated series that aired when Saturday Morning Cartoons reigned supreme. Available on DVD on June 14, 2016, Tarzan, Lord Of The Jungle: Complete Season One was created by the Filmation Studio for CBS and follows the animated adventures of Edgar Rice Burroughs' ape man from the 1970's. The two-disc collectors set includes all 16 episodes from the series’ first season, and is priced to own at $19.98 SRP.

As the opening narration explains:

"The jungle: Here I was born; and here my parents died when I was but an infant. I would have soon perished, too, had I not been found by a kindly she-ape named Kala, who adopted me as her own and taught me the ways of the wild. I learned quickly, and grew stronger each day, and now I share the friendship and trust of all jungle animals. The jungle is filled with beauty, and danger; and lost cities filled with good, and evil. This is my domain, and I protect those who come here; for I am Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle!"

Tarzan, Lord Of The Jungle was animated the old fashion way, with many hours of hand drawn stills," said Mary Ellen Thomas, Vice President Family & Animation Marketing and Partner Brands. "They don't make animation like this anymore, and we are really proud to be releasing this timeless classic just in time for the July release of Tarzan in theaters."


Includes 16 22-MINUTE EPISODES:

  1. Tarzan and the City of Gold
  2. Tarzan and the Vikings
  3. Tarzan and the Golden Lion
  4. Tarzan and the Forbidden City
  5. Tarzan and the Graveyard of the Elephants
  6. Tarzan's Return to the City of Gold
  7. Tarzan and the Strange Visitors
  8. Tarzan and the Land of the Giants
  9. Tarzan and the Knights of Nimmr
  10. Tarzan's Rival
  11. Tarzan and the City of Sorcery
  12. Tarzan at the Earth's Core
  13. Tarzan and the Ice Creature
  14. Tarzan and the Olympiads
  15. Tarzan's Trial
  16. Tarzan, the Hated



GET A JOB Arrives On Blu-Ray, DVD & Digital HD June 14th

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Miles Teller (The Divergent Series Franchise) and Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect 1 & 2) lead an all-star cast in the laugh-out-loud comedy Get a Job, available on June 14 on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD), DVD (plus Digital), and Digital HD from Lionsgate. The fresh and wickedly funny film is currently available On Demand. Following the struggles facing a group of college graduates as they navigate through a tough economy, Get a Job also stars Brandon T. Jackson (Tropic Thunder), Nicholas Braun (How to Be Single), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad), Alison Brie (TV’s “Community”), Marcia Gay Harden (TV’s “Code Black”),and Academy Award® nominee Bryan Cranston (Best Actor, Trumbo, 2015).

How far would you go to get a job? Recent college grads Will (Teller) and Jillian (Kendrick) desperately want to become a power couple — but first they have to get jobs! When work prospects threaten to strand Will and Jillian in entry-level hell, Will starts thinking out of the box — and hatches a hilarious assault on the job market.


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INFOGRAPHIC: HAIRSTYLES THAT DEFINED PRO WRESTLING

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The story of professional wrestling can be told many ways.

It can be shared through the personalities that defined it: larger-than-life figures like Hulk Hogan, Vince McMahon and John Cena. It can be told through the fights that made it great: unforgettable matches like Wrestlemania, The Royal Rumble and Hell in the Cell. Or you can tell it through the hair. From The Ultimate Warrior’s flowing mane to Daniel Bryan’s hipster beard, every iconic wrestler who has ever entered the ring has had an equally iconic hairstyle.

So let’s go on a journey through the history of wrestling and take a look at some of the hairstyles that deserve their own place in the WWE Hall of Fame.


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THE X-FILES: THE EVENT SERIES Arrives on Blu-ray & DVD June 14

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 The Complete Series Boxset Featuring Every Season on Blu-ray Also Available

Almost 14 years after the original series run, the next mind-bending chapter of “The X-Files” is a thrilling, six-episode event series from creator/executive producer Chris Carter, with stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reinhabiting their roles as iconic FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Mitch Pileggi also returns as FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner, Mulder and Scully’s boss, who walks a fine line between loyalty to these investigators and accountability to his superiors. This marks the momentous return of the Emmy- and Golden Globe Award-winning pop culture phenomenon, which remains one of the longest-running sci-fi series in network television history.

Now for the first time on Blu-ray, “The X-Files” – The Event Series and the original nine seasons of this electrifying show can be yours to own!



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ARCHIE Announces New BETTY & VERONICA, KEVIN KELLER Series

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If you follow comic book news regularly, there's little doubt that one of the most progressive publishers in the industry is Archie Comics.

For decades, Archie represented a certain style of comic books; one which was both formulaic, but to a certain extent, "safe".

Although the traditional style and characters still exist, the publisher has gone out of it's way to become more diverse, first with their horror line consisting of the zombie title, Afterlife With Archie and their witchcraft inspired, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina; then with their revamped Red Circle superheroes, now published under it's Dark Circle comic line and now with their revamped classic characters; first with Mark Waid's Archie and then with Chip Zdarsky's Jughead series.

Now, the line is expanding with two new titles, featuring three of Riverdale's most beloved characters, Betty & Veronica and a new digital first series focusing on Kevin Keller.


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GAME OF THRONES Steelbook Seasons 3 & 4 Collectors Sets Arrive On June 7 From HBO Home Entertainment

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 Features Art Inspired by Emmy Award-Winning Opening Credits & Dolby Atmos Audio
Game of Thrones, the most-watched HBO original series and best-selling TV on DVD title for the past five years, is now releasing in collectible Steelbook packaging.

Following the release of Steelbook Seasons 1 and 2 this past fall, the collection continues, with seasons 3 and 4 releasing in a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray set with the revolutionary new audio technology Dolby Atmos. Game of Thrones Steelbook Seasons 3 and 4 will be available on June 7, 2016 for the SRP of $79.98.

The Steelbook sets feature art designed by Elastic, the agency responsible for the series’ Emmy Award-winning opening credits.

Each Steelbook showcases a specific location that is significant to that season and includes usable magnets on packaging featuring Game of Thrones sigils and symbols.

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ROM Covers Month Reveal - G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #230

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This July, IDW Publishing will not only debut the new, highly anticipated ROM #1, but also will feature the beloved character on a month-long variant cover program, celebrating the return of ROM!

We're exclusively presenting the variant cover to G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #230, which kicks off a new story arc that could spell doom for G.I. JOE and COBRA!


After the jump, check out the full solicitation and the ROM variant cover!

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Win THE LADY IN THE CAR WITH GLASSES AND A GUN on DVD!

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The French psychological thriller, THE LADY IN THE CAR WITH GLASSES AND A GUN, stars Freya Mavor, Benjamin Biolay, Elio Germano and Stacy Martin, and directed by Joann Sfar, the stylish remake of the mind-bending original 1970s drama brings sex appeal, sophistication and suspense.

Based on the novel by Sébastien Japrisot (One Deadly Summer, A Very Long Engagement), the Neo-noir thriller rides along with Dany (Mavor) after she steals her boss’ blue Thunderbird in hopes of finally making her way to the sea. Dany’s fantasy joyride along the Mediterranean Coast quickly turns into a nightmare when a dead body is discovered hiding inside the trunk of her stolen car. While attempting to piece together the murder, Dany is soon battling her own psyche as she tries to understand how locals from a seaside town she’s never been to claim they have seen her before. Has she lost her mind, or is the quaint seaside town trying to pin her for a murder she didn’t commit?


And we're giving away five copies!

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Beverly Cleary Hits 100, The Return of The Alienist, Spring Clean Your Book Pile & More!

Book Excerpt: STREAMLINERS: LOCOMOTIVES AND TRAINS IN THE AGE OF SPEED AND STYLE

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See the streamlined trains of the 1930s in all of their sleek glory.

In the 1930s, streamlined styling was applied to everything from kitchen appliances to farm tractors as it captured the American imagination. Keen to regain passenger traffic lost to automobiles and expanding roadways, railroads hired industrial-design giants like Raymond Loewy, Otto Kuhler, Henry Dreyfuss, and Brooks Stevens to produce sleek, futuristic shrouds for locomotives. These streamlined locomotives and trains became the most iconic in American history. Even today, classic designs like stainless-steel Zephyrs, shrouded Hudsons, and EMD E-units remain the popular conception of what a locomotive "looks like."

Streamliners : Locomotives and Trains in the Age of Speed and Style explores the historical and scientific context for the development of streamlined locomotives and trains, the designs that became standard-bearers of North American speed and luxury, and the contemporary popularity of the streamlined look in popular culture. Illustrated with rare historical photographs in both black and white and color, as well as period advertising, route maps, and patent design drawings, Streamliners elucidates the story of this fascinating design trend by following the various technologies and styling trends and how they changed the look of American railroading. Profiles of prominent designers and preserved streamliners in use today round out and complete this picture every railfan will want.

Streamlining was the product of the last great era of American passenger trains, when elegantly styled, named trains connected cities across the continent on fast schedules. Streamliners thoroughly explores the connections between style, speed, and the rails.
 After the jump, check out some amazing images from this beautiful collection.

Norfolk & Western’s streamlined J-Class 601 stands majestically at Cincinnati Union Station in September 1952.
N&W remained loyal to steam longer than any other major railroad in the United States. While most railroads
began dieselization after World War II, N&W continued to build new steam until the early 1950s and wasn’t
completely dieselized until 1960. Among its elegant streamlined passenger trains were The Powhatan Arrow
and The Pocahontas, both connecting Norfolk, Virginia, with Cincinnati via Roanoke.
Wallace A. Abbey, courtesy of the Center for Railroad Photography & Art, www.railphoto-art.org

Check out a book excerpt below and for more details, visit www.quartoknows.com





ANGIE TRIBECA: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON Arrives on DVD May 17, 2016

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Star-Studded First Season Features Guest Appearances
from Lisa Kudrow, Bill Murray and Many More
One of cable television’s freshest and funniest new comedies Angie Tribeca, starring Rashida Jones (The Office, Parks and Recreation) is set for release on DVD for the first time from TBS, a division of Turner.

Available May 17, 2016, Angie Tribeca: The Complete First Season will feature all 10 outrageous episodes from the hit cable television series’ premiere season plus exclusive bonus material, including behind-the-scenes featurettes and exclusive shorts. Consumers can now own the entire first season of the hilarious, offbeat police procedural that follows a squad of committed LAPD detectives who comprise the RHCU (Really Heinous Crimes Unit). Together, they investigate some of LA’s most intriguing cases, which range from the murder of a ventriloquist to a rash of baker suicides. This release will be available in advance of the season two premiere of Angie Tribeca June 6 on TBS. Angie Tribeca: The Complete First Season will retail for $24.98 SRP

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That Time of The Week - DVD & Blu-ray Tax Day Edition

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And, we're back.  Somehow, it's mid-April and summer movie season has begun.

Assuming you've already sat through Batman v Superman and are anxiously awaiting Civil War, there's a few weeks free which will give you plenty of time to watch DVDs and Blu-rays at home.

Lots of interesting stuff this time out, so fire up that queue and prep that shopping cart...it's That Time of The Week....


The Hunger Games: Complete 4 Film Collection
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 

Lionsgate / Released 3/22/16

Experience the epic adventure of The Hunger Games series - from start to finish - in this action-packed collector's set! Follow Katniss Everdeen's transformation from Tribute to "The Girl on Fire" to the symbolic leader of the rebellion, The Mockingjay, in this thrilling collection that movie lovers will treasure. Featuring all four films, The Hunger Games Collection contains over fourteen hours of special features that take you behind the scenes of the movie phenomenon.

Extras:
  • Complete Collection: Two feature length documentaries, commentary, interviews, deleted scene, music video and over 30 featurettes. 
  • Mockingjay Part 2: Feature length documentary, actor interviews and featurettes.

Last Word:

The Hunger Games: In a dystopian future, the totalitarian nation of Panem is divided into 12 districts and the Capitol. Each year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal retribution for a past rebellion, the televised games are broadcast throughout Panem. The 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors while the citizens of Panem are required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss' young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives, some of whom have trained for this their whole lives. (– Suzanne Collins)

Adapted by Gary Ross, Jennifer Lawrence stars as Katniss, who not only takes her sister's place, but also juggles two romantic interests Peeta (Josh Hutchinson) and Gale (Liam Hemsworth) while establishing herself as an alpha female role model. Ross fills the film with a strong ensemble and entertaining set pieces. He also does a remarkable job allowing the film stand on it's own, with future plot threads established but not dominating the story. (– Stefan Blitz)

Catching Fire: Full disclosure: I’m a BIG fan of the Hunger Games Trilogy so my feelings in this review are biased. In short – Catching Fire is EPIC.

The last we saw, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark were headed back to District 12. There they deal with the aftermath of their actions in the arena. To be clear, threatening double suicide with poisonous berries is a VERY BIG F-YOU to the Capitol and was NOT okay (to say the least) with President Snow. As victors of the Hunger Games, they must get ready to tour the country, face their victims’ families, and deal with the repercussions of their “lover’s act” – it may or may not have sparked a rebellion. And the second film begins…

Katniss and Peeta tour the country parading their love and promoting the propaganda of the Capitol’s magnificence with the main objective of suppressing any ideas of revolting. But as the 75th Annual Hunger Games approach we are given the sick twist of the story: the Tributes will be chosen from all existing pools of Victors. That means Katniss and Peeta are returning to the arena – which is a perfect depiction of Collins’ incredible world. And the forces within are ever present and torturously deadly.

The fantastical, childish nature of the first movie isn’t present in the second. Catching Fire is mature, sad and uncomfortable. It brings to light the allegoric obsession with media and reality TV and the ever-widening class systems of our current society. What I love so much about Collins’ work is that it’s an introduction to war to teens in a non-romanticized fashion. These tributes are tortured emotionally and physically for upper-class amusement and there is rarely pause for a sweet moment. This film relishes in the agony and terror of its subjects. Achieving the tension and fast pace of the book, making the two and half hour production feel full and exciting.

Every performance in this film is fantastic. The entire cast looks comfortable and confident in their respective roles and the depth of each character is subtle and incredibly genuine to the story. Jennifer Lawrence is the queen of the film. And she takes the inner monologue of the book and beams it effortlessly through her eyes with pure fear and anxiety. Katniss suffers from severe post-traumatic-stress disorder and it’s all she can do to not be trembling at any given moment. Lawrence’s ability to maintain her strength, however, in the face of all that fear is just pure genius acting. Peeta similarly suffers from PTSD, but Josh Hutcherson has such tenderness in his delivery, that even while he might be floundering under the surface, his capacity to love outweighs his fears, making him the lovable rock of these characters. While his competition, Liam Hemsworth as Gale, is towering, gorgeous and strong, he doesn’t have that innate lovability that Peeta does. The dynamic is incredible. The rest of the supporting cast is equally wonderful: starting with the unnerving calm of Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the new Head Gamemaker, Plutarch Heavensbee. Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair is sexy and confident. I have had an odd disdain for Jena Malone for a long time, but she completely kicks ass as the hardened, deadly Johanna Mason. Of course, Stanley Tucci is brilliant, terrifying, but brilliant as a comedic Host. And President Snow’s sadistic cruelty is made more horrifying by Donald Sutherland’s gentle smile and almost seductive demeanor. Woody Harrelson is tragic and comedic as the tormented victor, Haymitch. And Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket, promotes one of the most emotional moments of the film just with her quivering chin as her world is shattered when her young victors are forced back into the arena. The actors are so immersed that they seem to have been doing this for years, they’re deep into their roles so the emotions are authentic making the horror of the arena even more palpable. I can’t praise this film enough. There is so much more to expand upon, analyze, and cherish about this successful book-to-film production. It was done so right. (– Caitlyn Thompson)

Mockingjay Part 1:As Mockingjay Part 1 begins we're back in District 13. That's right. The place we thought was decimated by the Capital is in fact, a militarized state that has been preparing for an uprising since the rebellion which resulted in the creation of the Hunger Games seventy-five years ago.

Third installments should ascend in some way, and Mockingjay Part 1 is, overall, rather stagnant. The film feels like it might reveal something exciting, something new, something, or at least you hope it might. I’m sorry to say that it doesn’t and should have been condensed into forty minutes.

Mockingjay’s action scenes are great. The rebel acts of defiance are fast-paced and assembled well, although occasionally the soundtrack and choreography (a bit too organized) of the events make them corny instead of suspenseful. Still, they’re the most satisfying portions of the film, but they’re infrequent.

The camera work and execution of the film are awesome. The landscapes and various sets (whether CGI or real) are powerful, beautiful, and terrifying. So far we’ve seen District 12 and the Capitol, but in Mockingjay Lawrence guides us through the claustrophobic subterranean environment of District 13 where everything is cement, gloomy, and grey; it’s a survival bunker and training base, nothing more.

Contrasting the close-shots of District 13, are the long shots of flying hovercrafts, which glide over other districts, showing their incredible landscapes as well as each contributive resource (which collectively feed the Capitol’s wealth). Green mountain ranges, rich forests, and a gargantuan dam – all breathtaking sites, but home to oppression. These sections of the film are powerful. It’s when people start talking that my engagement is negatively interrupted.

The dialogue is rigid and formal, numbing even the most talented actors, which are plentiful in this film. Every time someone speaks, the film becomes a cheesy montage of non-motivating monologues and they are definitely not convincing enough to inspire citizen-soldiers for battle – it feels forced and disingenuous.

After everything the characters have been through I thought they’d depict more than an ever-teary Katniss.

Jennifer Lawrence can’t do much with her talent, neither can Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Julianne Moore as President Alma Coin is far too stiff – I find her delivery was the worst of the film. Moore comes off as constrained and indifferent instead of strict and intimidating. Her color-contacted eyes also diminish any domineering qualities her character might have had.

The redeeming stars: Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks as Haymitch Abernathy and Effie Trinket. Their timing and mannerisms are always spot on and entertaining. But is this because they are the comic relief characters and it’s perhaps easier to write funny things than war speeches? Maybe so, but Harrelson and Banks are always genuine and delightful.

Other main characters such as Finnick (Sam Claflin) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) don’t have a huge presence, but they are good when onscreen. And Liam Hemsworth – still gorgeous, but still has zero impact.

The Hunger Games illustrates the intensity of war without romanticizing it – an important concept for younger folks to grasp. As seen so far in the films, people die, and they die with swift brutality – that’s the horror of the series: death is an exciting form of entertainment for the Capitol, the bloodier the better. And attacks on innocent people within the districts aren’t drawn out; nobody gets to say goodbye. Gunshots, bombs, and it’s done. Doesn’t matter that the violence feels appropriate in Mockingjay, the script cripples the authenticity of the story’s message, thus diminishing the whole point of Collins’ books. (– Caitlyn Thompson)

Mockingjay Part 2:Mockingjay Part 2 is the best of the Hunger Games series. Without question.  Now, I'm wondering if it's because there was so much more action than dialogue, that the film surpassed the others.

Looking back, Catching Fire had a similar quality. Great sets, great action, appropriate violence, and few words. Same formula in Mockingjay Part 2, but with even better sets, make-up, and cinematography, that culminated into a suspenseful journey. And even though I knew what was going to happen (having read the books), I found myself holding my breath many times. A mark of a job well-done I think.

We left off with Katniss in a neck brace, needed after Peeta nearly strangled her to death. She watches him struggle in his bed; restrained and brainwashed by the Capitol to believe she is a deceitful, dangerous horror to all. It’s agonizing for her to see this friend she loves with compassionate confusion. He has been her serenity and now he has been tortured into despising her. The dynamic between the actors throughout the film is intense with a juxtaposing combination of love and trepidation.

So, immediately the story continues, satisfyingly, on the battlefield. The contrived and dull “let’s fight together and be merry” speeches within the depths of District 13 were few, happily, and the story didn’t stall for too much exposition. 

 Admittedly, I was worried at first, thankfully only briefly, that the movie would be just as kitschy as its predecessor, but Joanna Mason, played with perfect spite, wit and a sly smile by Jena Malone, came to the rescue and called out the vomit-worthy monologues and phoniness of the "Hope for Panem" typical to the movies thus far—directly to Katniss’s face. It was as though writers Peter Craig and Danny Strong were saying (through Joanna), "it's not gonna be like last time viewers, we picked up the ball and threw it up really high and caught it and held on really tight—for YOU!” And from that abandonment of child-friendly, trite portrayal of most characters, the story came together quite organically.

Jennifer Lawrence was wonderful, and she played the role of Katniss true to the book—it was hard for me not to compare. In this final chapter the character is accurately portrayed as a sensitive, indecisive young woman who wants the war to be over. She's done leading, she never wanted the role. Katniss is horribly depressed and her disdain for the depiction of herself as a triumphant hero has simmered into a mix of anger, depression and apathy for life and death. Her survival is ridden with guilt and her suffering won’t ever end, so it’s time to fight—win or die, she is ready, albeit more so for the latter. And Francis Lawrence did the best job in this last installment because he made these elements so potent. The rest of the cast did a great job as well. Again, as the script was not overdrawn, each character was far more likable, even if they were meant to be hated. Now, of course there were awkward love moments between Gale (Liam Hemsworth) and Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), but those were expected. Hemsworth was actually the odd man out in this film. He's been the same glowering, handsome, droopy-eyed guy in the background, repeating the same line every time he gets a kiss, “I knew you’d do that.” A-boo-hoo-hoooo. Good thing the actor has a beautiful face.

The other romantic (turned psychotic) lead, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) impressed me with a consistent performance that was actually quite poignant at times. His constant tear-filled eyes and trembling chin felt genuine, and more importantly, accurate to the story.

The Hunger Games is about war. And its catalysts are suffering from PTSD, having been traumatized by relentless loss and torture. It was nice to see that those qualities weren't glossed over in Mockingjay Part 2. I’ve said before that this series is meant to be an introduction to warfare, without romanticizing the subject, for young adults. People die swiftly and brutally—there’s no time to cue the violins and weep. Enjoy that successful aspect of this production. (– Caitlyn Thompson)


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