“Sophia Grace and Rosie’s Royal Adventure” Is Now Available On DVD and Blu-ray
Just who are these two British child actors/singers/dancers/entertainers? After a quick read through of the back of the DVD box and some YouTube video views, I discovered that Sophia and her cousin Rosie are famous for viral videos and appearances on “The Ellen Show.” This, in turn, led to the two getting their own direct to DVD feature film titled “Sophia Grace and Rosie’s Royal Adventure” which sees the duo acting as Ellen show correspondents for a Queen’s coronation.
‘Royal Adventure’ is clearly trying to emulate the enormously successful made for video Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen movies of the 90’s, but the major difference between the two duos is that Sophia Grace and Rosie never had acting experience on a hit show prior to this movie. As a result, this cutesy LOUD film is extremely uneven and more than a little bit exploitive to say the least. With all of that said, Sophia and Rosie seem to have a loyal fanbase who will undoubtedly want to check this film out. I’m sure children (especially young girls) will get a kick out of this as well. As for everyone else, you would do well to avoid it all costs.
Note: The film is presented in widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track.
Extras include an activity booklet, a Color Me Mine coupon, Warner Brothers trailers, a sing-along to 5 songs, a montage of appearances on Ellen’s show, 4 minutes of bloopers, and a featurette in which Sophia and Rosie talk about their love of pink.
Doctor Who Returns To The Big Screen!
After an enormously successful “Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor” theatrical event in November, 2013, Fathom Events and BBC Worldwide are prepping to screen more “Doctor Who” episodes in theaters across the United States. This time around the event is centered around fan favorite David Tennant (the 10th Doctor).
On June 16th, the Cybermen 2 parter “Rise of the Cybermen” and “The Age of Steel” will hit the screens at 7:30 p.m. As an added bonus, fans who purchase tickets to the DW event will also have the opportunity to see the David Tennant narrated bird documentary “Wings 3D” on the following night (June 17th) at 7:30 p.m. for no additional cost. You simply use the same ticket to see BOTH events. Visit http://www.fathomevents.com/event/doctor-who-and-wings/more-info/details for further details and theater listings.
China Beach Season 3 DVD Set Now Available!
In the third season of the Vietnam War set drama “China Beach,” viewers get further acquainted with the show’s core characters of nurse Colleen McMurphy, K.C. (the prostitute business woman), Red Cross volunteer Holly, Dodger the Marine, Dr. Richard, Major Lila, Boonie the Lifeguard, medic Jeff Hyers, and Samuel Beckett (a member of the Graves Registration Unit) in the China Beach evacuation hospital outpost. Throughout the season’s 22 episodes, there are storylines about: injured patients, a beauty pageant, a dead Colonel, relationship issues, a major character death, a new Major in the charge of China Beach, Dodger’s child, an abortion, flashbacks, criminal investigations, Viet Cong encounters, and more.
While comparisons to “M*A*S*H” are inevitable, this is a far more dramatic wartime series that really explores all manners of themes, ideas, emotions, controversies, and issues of the Vietnam War. The show is incredibly ahead of its time due to its very un-network television like adult content and complex characters. Even more surprising is the fact that the series never holds back in its storytelling and or portrayals of the horrors of war.
“China Beach” also boasts an impressive cast that contains many Dana Delany, Michael Boatman and Robert Picardo among others. Keep an eye out for tons of guest stars as well such as Clancy Brown and R. Lee Ermey.
Presentation: Fullscreen (not restored).
Audio Track: Unspecified.
Extras include a deleted scene for “Souvenirs,” a commentary on “Souvenirs” by John Sacret Young, Carol Flint, Lydia Woodward and Dana Delany, a commentary on “F.N.G.” by John Sacret Young and Robert Picardo, a silly season 3 gag reel, and individual interviews with Dana Delany, Nancy Giles and John Wells.
Note: Seasons 1 and 2 are available to buy now. Season 4 is set to be released in the near future.
Dallas Seasons 1 and 2 Are Now Available On DVD
I’m not sure who was clamoring for a reboot of a primetime soap opera that was clearly a product of its time, but fans of the popular 70’s series may be happy to return to Southfork Ranch once again. Continue reading
Happy TableTop Day 2014!
In honor of the second annual TableTop Day, I thought I’d help readers and gamers out by suggesting a few board/card games to play at your friendly local game store or at home with your family/friends.
In no particular order:
1. Smash Up- A highly addicting mash-up fighting game that continues to grow with new expansion sets.
2. Summoner Wars- A strategic and rewarding 2 player game.
3. Any Fluxx Game- The ultimate party game. I suggest picking up Pirate Fluxx or Monty Python Fluxx for starters.
4. Magic: The Gathering- An easy to learn 2 player collectible card game with an endless amount of replay value.
5. Discworld: Ankh-Morpork- A must play board game for fans of Terry Pratchett’s “Discworld” series.
6. Dominion- THE best deck building game.
Now, go out and play some games and support your local game stores, folks!
Cocaine Cowboys: Reloaded Will Be Availble On Blu-ray and DVD April 8th
Remember the shocking, revealing, and disturbing 2006 documentary “Cocaine Cowboys” that detailed Miami’s illegal cocaine business boom and the grizzly gang warfare in the 1980’s? If the answer is yes, you might be interested to learn that a new version of the film is set for release this upcoming Tuesday April 8th, 2014 courtesy of Magnet/Magnolia. In this new edition dubbed “Cocaine Cowboys: Reloaded,” the film is actually 36 minutes longer than the original release. On top of that, there are nearly 14 minutes of deleted scenes in the bonus features section. In short, there is plenty of new material here for viewers to absorb.
If you have yet to see “Cocaine Cowboys” at all, now is the time to to give this documentary a watch. It’s an engrossing and informative film that offers up a wide array of interviews from law enforcement officials and criminals from that time period.
Life of a King Is Now Available On Blu-ray and DVD
“Life of a King,” which is based on a true story, is an inspirational new drama about redemption, life, education, hope, kindness, and chess. The story revolves around an ex-con named Eugene Brown who decides to turn his life around after serving 18 years in jail. His new mission? To better himself and those around him by opening up a chess club for inner-city youth in Washington D.C. The film stars Cuba Gooding, Jr. (“Jerry Maguire”) and Dennis Haysbert (“24”) and is now available on Blu-ray and DVD from Millennium Entertainment.
“The Homesman” Re-Release Is Now Available!
From late author Glendon Swarthout (best known for “The Shootist”), “The Homesman” is a novel set in the American West in the mid 1800’s. The emotional period piece story about harsh frontier life story concerns a woman (Mary Bee Cudy) and a claim jumper (George Briggs) embarking on a danger filled cross-state trip to transport four mentally troubled women back to their families.
First released back in 1988, “The Homesman” has been re-released in honor of the upcoming film adaptation scheduled for release sometime this year. The potential Award contender is directed, produced, and co-adapted by Tommy Lee Jones (who also stars in it the film as well). Rounding out the all-star cast are Hilary Swank, Miranda Otto, Meryl Streep, William Fichtner, Hailee Steinfeld, James Spader, Tim Blake Nelson and John Lithgow.
The new edition of Simon and Schuster’s “The Homesman” is now available to purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or wherever books are sold.
Wizard World Portland Comic Con 2014 Review
Cosplay of the Clockwork Droids from “Doctor Who” and The Dude, Donnie, and Walter from “The Big Lebowski.”
After testing the waters in Portland for the first time with their successful 2013 event, Wizard World Portland went all out for their 2014 show. Not only were there more guests, but the convention also took up more space in the Oregon Convention Center’s Exhibit Halls and Ballrooms. Basically, everything was bigger for their second show in the Rose City. Continue reading
The Best And Worst Films And TV/Web Shows Of 2013
After an underwhelming 2012 film year, 2013 was a definite improvement. While there weren’t a ton of films I would consider great, I did see a fair number of good ones. Yes, a majority of the “mainstream” films were clunkers (as they usually are), but there were a surprising amount of indie, VOD, and documentary gems released this year.
Over on the TV and web series side, it proved to be a solid year for these mediums as well. New shows like “Bates Motel” and “Orange Is the New Black” wowed audiences, returning favorites (such as “Game of Thrones” and “Doctor Who”) continued to have viewers glued to their screens, and a few shows ended with a bang (namely “Breaking Bad” and “Tron Uprising”).
So, without further adieu, here is my annual list! Continue reading
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