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Cinema Epoch Acquires New Titles for DVD
By
Jonathan Stryker (Facebook); Jonathan
Stryker (Twitter)

Douglas Dunning, actor, producer,
film authority, and the Producer and Director of Acquisitions at Cinema Epoch,
has acquired the rights to the following titles for future release on DVD:
THE WITCH WHO CAME FROM THE SEA (1976) with Millie Perkins and directed by Matt
Cimber
BUTTERFLY (1982) with Pia Zadora,
Stacy Keach and Orson Wells and directed by Matt Cimber
THE RETURN OF CAPTAIN INVINCIBLE
(1983) with Alan Arkin and Christopher Lee, directed by Philippe Mora
HUNDRA, (1984) with Laurene Landon and
directed by Matt Cimber
Mr. Dunning is also the host of Prodigy
Media Network's "How Do You View", the new Internet radio show produced
by Cinema Epoch president
Gregory Hatanaka. The show can be heard daily at 1:00
am, 5:30 am, 11:00 am & 5:00 pm Pacific Standard Time (that's 4:00 am, 8:30
am, 2:00 pm, and 8:00 pm on the East Coast).
During the month of June, Mr. Dunning interviews Richard Rush, the director
of THE STUNT MAN (1980). Click here to listen to "How Do You View" at the respective
times.
Mr.
Dunning is also currently co-starring in the film BARRY PRICE, which is loosely
based upon John Cassavetes' THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE (1977). The
film is being directed by Chris Boggs and it stars film legend John Wayne's
grandson, Brandon Wayne, in his first starring role. Mr. Dunning is also appearing in MASTER OF
THE GRIND, which is being directed by Jason Rutherford.
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Douglas Dunning
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DEMONS and DEMONS 2 Special Editions Now on Pre-Order from Synapse Films
By
Jonathan Stryker (Facebook); Jonathan
Stryker (Twitter)
Synapse
Films has announced that they are taking pre-orders for Lamberto Bava's DEMONS (1985) and DEMONS 2: THE NIGHTMARE
CONTINUES (1986). They will be available
by the end of the year in steelbook combo special editions that will feature
each respective film on Blu-ray and DVD.
Here are the details:
DEMONS
- Limited Edition Steelbook
-
Limited Edition Steelbook Featuring All-New Artwork from Wes Benscoter
-
Each Steelbook is Blu-ray packaging sized, and will be a "Combo Pack"
containing both a Blu-ray (BD-50) and a DVD (DVD-9) of the feature and extras.
-
Unlike previous releases, we have the original Italian Language Stereo mix, the
"International" stereo alternate dub mix and the original U.S. mono
soundtrack!
-
Audio Commentary Track with Cast & Crew Featuring Recollections from
Director Lamberto Bava, Make-up Effects Artist Sergio Stivaletti, Musician
Claudio Simonetti and actress Geretta Geretta (Rosemary).
-
Removable English Subtitles for both the U.S. Language Dub Version, as well as
the Original Italian Version.
-
Collectible Reproduction of the Original Metropol Theatre Ticket seen in the
Film.
-
The transfer is from a new HD scan of the original 35mm negative, in
1080p/23.98fps 1.66:1 aspect ratio [not the same muted colors and weak black
levels as previous released versions].
-
All audio tracks will be encoded in DTS-HD MA.
-Featurettes
(from Calum Waddell's HIGH RISING PRODUCTIONS Company) include:
PROFONDO
JONES - THE CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE - Interview with Alan Jones
CARNAGE
AT THE CINEMA - LAMBERTO BAVA AND HIS SPLATTER MASTERPIECE - 30 Minute Interview
with Director Lamberto Bava
MONSTROUS
MEMORIES WITH LUIGI COZZI - 30 Minute Interview
SPLATTER
STUNT ROCK - Interview with Stunt Man Ottaviano Dell'Acqua
DARIO
AND HIS DEMONS - PRODUCING MONSTER MAYHEM - All-New Exclusive Interview with
Producer Dario Argento.
DEMONS
2 - Limited Edition Steelbook
[Note:
Extras/Transfer are still in the early stages of completion. What is listed
below is what Synapse we currently has. Other extras may still be added
later.]
-
Limited Edition Steelbook Featuring All-New Artwork from Wes Benscoter
-
Each Steelbook is Blu-ray packaging sized, and will be a "Combo Pack"
containing both a Blu-ray (BD-50) and a DVD (DVD-9) of the feature and extras.
-
Contains the Original Italian Language Mix and the Original English Soundtrack.
-
Removable English Subtitles for both the English and Italian Versions.
-
The transfer is from a new HD scan of the original 35mm negative, in
1080p/23.98fps 1.66:1 aspect ratio [not the same muted colors and weak black
levels as previous released versions].
-
All audio tracks will be encoded in DTS-HD MA.
-Featurettes
(from Calum Waddell's HIGH RISING PRODUCTIONS Company) include:
SCREAMING FOR A SEQUEL - THE DELIRIOUS LEGACY OF DEMONS 2 - Interview with
Lamberto Bava
THE
DEMONS GENERATION - ROY BAVA DISCUSSES A LEGACY IN LACERATIONS - Assistant
Director Roy Bava Speaks About His Experiences on DEMONS and DEMONS 2
A
SOUNDTRACK FOR SPLATTER - Composer Simon Boswell Discusses His Genre Music
Making Career.
DEMONIC
INFLUENCES - FEDERICO ZAMPAGLIONE SPEAKS - Interview Segment
It
is fitting that the pre-order is being made available today as DEMONS was
released to U.S. movie theaters on Friday, May 30, 1986, 27 years ago today:
Click
here to pre-order from Synapse
Films.
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DEMONS 2: THE NIGHTMARE RETURNS
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Happy Birthday, STAR WARS
By
Jonathan
Stryker (Facebook); Jonathan Stryker
(Twitter)

It is hard for most of
us to believe but STAR WARS, George Lucas's seminal space opera fantasy, open
36 years ago today on Wednesday, May 25, 1977. It was the day before George
Willig, a toymaker in New York, ascended the twin towers in lower New York City
like Spiderman. I often think of the movies I have seen in terms of Before STAR
WARS (BSW) and After STAR WARS (ASW), simply because there are few films that
made such a tremendous impact on me as this singular motion picture did. My childish pursuits BSW included the Harlem
Globetrotters, "Casper the Friendly Ghost," Dr. Seuss, Saturday
morning cartoons, "Davey and Goliath," "The Patchwork
Family," "Gus was a Friendly Ghost," "The Ghost of Windy
Hill," WINTER OF THE WITCH, Matchbox racing cars, "Happy Days,"
etc. All that changed in the summer of 1977 when my father gave me the
novelization by George Lucas (ghost written by Alan Dean Foster) of STAR
WARS. John Berkey's stunning cover art
was the first visual I saw of the film and it left me wondering what it was all
about.
There were a whole
slew of color photographs inside the book and I remember taking it to
Show-and-Tell in our sweltering classroom.
Our church carnival took place that summer, and one of the operators of
a ride saw my STAR WARS T-shirt and told me that he wanted to buy the
novelization, but lamented that the $1.95 cover price was too much.
The thing that most
people remember about the opening weekend of STAR WARS were the enormous lines
of moviegoers waiting to get into the theaters. Unbelievably, the film only opened
on 32 motion picture screens on that fateful Wednesday. When movies open on the
order of 2000 or 3000 screens today, this miniscule number is almost impossible
to comprehend. However, STAR WARS had
mostly unknown actors in it and science fiction was considered to be box office
poison.
One of those 32 movie
theaters was the Menlo Park Twin Cinema on Parsonage Road in Edison, New
Jersey. Demolished in January 1992 to make way for Romano's Macaroni Grill
which still stands today, it was the place for Central New Jerseyans to see the
science-fiction epic. The film also played in a handful of movie theaters in
New York City. By the time my family got around to seeing the film in either
June or July, it was slowly starting to make its way across the country in
larger engagements. I remember standing in front of the theater waiting to get
inside. It was the first time that I'd
waited for a long period of time with a large group of people. The
college-themed comedy FRATERNITY ROW was playing next door. The matinee cost
$1.50 per person.
We sat down in our
seats, and they showed trailers for Irwin Allen's ROLLERCOASTER and Peter
Benchley's THE DEEP. These were movies that were due out soon or or were
playing at other General Cinemas at the time. I remember being freaked out by
the trailer to THE DEEP. It seemed very
intense.
We sat in the balcony,
I can still see myself sitting there. When I walked out of the theater, I felt
like I had experienced an out-of-body experience, much the same way that Roger
Ebert described in his review of the film. I think if there is any one singular
ingredient in the movie that is truly responsible for the film's success, it is
indubitably John Williams triumphant and exciting film score. Without that
music, I honestly don't know that STAR WARS would have become phenomenon that
it is today.
The film is referenced
in countless films, most notably in the BAD NEWS BEARS rip-off HERE COME THE
TIGERS from 1978 when the team sees the film at a local theater, and in 1978's
LASERBLAST where a sign for the movie is destroyed.
Thirty six years went
by light speed!
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Short Film JACK ATTACK Premieres May 20th
By
Jonathan Stryker (Facebook); Jonathan
Stryker (Twitter)
|
Source:
Facebook |
May 18, 2013, 7:0
AM
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Bryan
Norton, the director of the short film TOMORROW'S BACON and
the award-winning PENNY
DREADFUL, will be premiering the new Halloween holiday-themed
short film JACK ATTACK on Monday, May 20th, which he co-wrote and co-directed
with Antonio Padovan. The film will be
screened at 5:00 p.m. at Manhattan's Clearview Chelsea Cinemas (260 West 23rd
Street, just off 8th Avenue). Audience
members are instructed to go to the theater, where they will then be directed
to the show where the cast and crew will be in attendance. There will also be a Halloween-themed
reception taking place following the movie.
JACK
ATTACK was produced by Joe Zaso (best known for Timo Rose's BARRICADE) and Lucia Bellini and
stars Helen Rogers (V/H/S) as a young woman who gets far more than she
bargained for when she babysits a boy named Jack (Tyler Rossell) and his little
dog on Halloween night.
JACK
ATTACK is the ultimate trick disguised as a treat. A gut-wrenching spin on
Halloween and baby-sitting - you'll
never look at pumpkin seeds the same way again…
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StudioCanal Launches Worldwide Search for Missing Footage from THE WICKER MAN
By
Jonathan Stryker (Facebook); Jonathan
Stryker (Twitter)
STUDIOCANAL LAUNCHES WORLDWIDE APPEAL TO RETRIEVE
ORIGINAL MISSING FILM MATERIALS FOR HORROR CLASSIC THE WICKER MAN:
40th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION TO RESURRECT AND
RESTORE FOR UK CINEMA AUDIENCES
LONDON, UK, 30th April 2013 - STUDIOCANAL, with the
endorsement of director Robin Hardy, today launched a world-wide public appeal
to locate original film materials relating to legendary horror classic THE
WICKER MAN, originally released in 1973, in celebration of the cult film's 40th
anniversary.
2013
marks the 40th anniversary of the THE
WICKER MAN'S original release. In celebration of this and continuing its
project to conserve, restore and release for future generations the best of
Classic British cinema, STUDIOCANAL today announces its intention to release
the most complete version of the film possible. The now widely lauded film was
released with minimal promotion in 1973 as second feature of a double bill with
DON'T LOOK NOW. The version
exhibited to audiences was significantly shorter than director Robin Hardy's
original vision. In what has now become an apocryphal episode in British film
history, the negatives disappeared from storage at Shepperton Studios, were
then allegedly used as landfill in the construction of the nearby M4 motorway,
and are considered lost forever.
STUDIOCANAL
are now appealing worldwide to film collectors, historians, programmers and
all-round fans to support the campaign and come forward with any information
relating to the potential whereabouts of original materials.
Director
Robin Hardy comments: "I never
thought that, after forty years, they would still be finding lost fragments of
my film! We thought all of THE WICKER MAN had gone up in flames, but
fragments keep turning up and the hunt goes on!"
STUDIOCANAL
General Manager UK Home Entertainment John Rodden adds: "The Wicker Man is
not only a great horror film, it is a true classic that grows in stature as the
years pass. We're now appealing
to the public to help us create the most definitive version possible. ''
A
special facebook page has been created to serve as a forum for the search to
continue. For further updates and to join the conversation with any news please
visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Wicker-Man/
THE WICKER MAN: A SHORT
HISTORY
In 1973, Robin Hardy's debut film THE
WICKER MAN fell victim to a boardroom takeover at distribution company
British Lion, and had its release temporarily shelved. A finished version of
the film that director Hardy was happy with had been delivered with a running
time of 102 minutes.
When it did finally reach UK cinemas that year, with
little fanfare or promotion, and as part of a Double Bill with DON'T LOOK NOW, 15 minutes had been cut,
leaving the film's running time a trim 88 minutes.
Director Robin Hardy and the other filmmakers had not been involved and did not
approve of this new version.
A
few years later when Hardy tried to track down his original version, he was
told that all the negative trims from it that had been stored at Shepperton
Studios had been thrown away, and the only ''original negative''
was now the 88-minute version. He finally managed to ascertain that Cult US
Director Roger Corman still had a print of the full-length version, and this
was used for the US theatrical release. Corman's print has been missing since the 1980's and only poor quality 1''
video material is known to exist of this version.
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