Oculus Reviewed

The horror machine seems to be taped to the "on" setting these last few years with no signs of stopping any time soon! (and for that, we say, yay) Food of choice for spookhounds seems to be heaving helpings of ghostly creeps and a steady stream of demonic possessions, but one sub-genre has also been enjoying a steady stream of titles dedicated to its preservation while seemingly keeping under the radar...and that is the realm of the CURSED OBJECT!! Of course, all this will change when James Wan tells the tale of Annabelle, the cursed doll that will have you sleeping with the lights on for months after viewing..and every studio begins the hunt for a cursed something-or-other movie. I, personally, would love to see cursed housewares. Sure, "Maximum Overdrive" came close, but I feel they really didn't pull the trigger there. Demonic housewares is where it's at, mark my words. Now comes Oculus; a mean spirited tale of a mirror with a taste for chaos...and plants..and dogs...and Scifi starlets. Can Amy Pond and Starbuck prevail against an unseen horror that would bring their minds to the very edge of sanity? Let's discuss.

Captain Marvel Movie Coming...Soon?

The latest pitch into the pile of movies on Marvel/Disney's slate for the foreseeable future (read til the end of time) sees Disney's excellent influence inserting itself. I give partial props to Marvel for the decision to entertain the idea of a female driven Captain Marvel movie, but I'm also positive having a company like Disney backing this play (if not fully influencing it due to a history of strong female characters in wildly successful animated features even without the singing and dancing), is going a long way to POSSIBLY push this project forward, perhaps even past some other male heroes waiting in the wings. If there's one thing Marvel loves doing, maybe more than putting out excellent stories and creating killer movies, it's sticking it to DC Comics...and those bastards just refused to let Batwoman marry another woman in her comic. Worst. Idea. Ever.

Sexy Evil Genius

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and one woman will get her revenge this April when Sexy Evil Genius arrives on DVD, Digital Download and Video on Demand on April 9 from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. Starring Seth Green (Austin Powers franchise), Katee Sackhoff (TV’s “Battlestar Galactica”), William Baldwin (Backdraft), Michelle Trachtenberg (TV’s “Gossip Girl”) and Harold Perrineau (HBO’s “Oz”), the sexy crime thriller featuring an audio commentary and documentary, will be available on DVD for the suggested retail price of $26.98.

A group of people are lured to the same bar in downtown Los Angeles by Nikki, an ex-girlfriend they all have in common.  Beautiful, conniving and downright insane, Nikki has one last surprise in store for her ex-lovers….

Batman: Year One Coming this October ...or Next Week

Comics legend Frank Miller’s classic retelling of Batman’s gritty, formative days makes its full-length animated debut in Batman: Year One, the next entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies. Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, the all-new, PG-13 rated film arrives October 18, 2011 from Warner Home Video as a Blu-ray™ Combo Pack ($24.98 SRP) and DVD ($19.98 SRP), On Demand and for Download. Order due date is September 13, 2011.

Batman: Year One is based on the landmark 1987 DC Comics titles from 12-time Eisner Award winner Frank Miller and illustrator David Mazzucchelli. The film depicts young Bruce Wayne’s return to Gotham City in his first attempts to fight injustice as a costumed vigilante. The playboy billionaire chooses the guise of a giant bat to combat crime, creates an early bond with a young Lieutenant James Gordon (who is already battling corruption from inside the police department), inadvertently plays a role in the birth of Catwoman, and helps to bring down a crooked political system that infests Gotham.

Primetime television stars Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Ben McKenzie (Southland, The O.C.), Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) provide the core voices for Batman: Year One. Three-time Emmy® Award winner Cranston gives voice to young Jim Gordon, while McKenzie makes his animated voiceover debut as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Fanboy favorites Dushku and Sackhoff fill the roles of Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Detective Sarah Essen, respectively. Alex Rocco (The Godfather) is the voice of crime lord Carmine Falcone.

Animation master Bruce Timm is executive producer of Batman: Year One. Directors are Lauren Montgomery (Superman/Batman: Apocalypse) and Sam Liu (All-Star Superman) from a script penned by Academy Award® nominee Tab Murphy (Gorillas in the Mist, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse).

“Batman: Year One offers fans and newcomers alike an animated perspective on one of the true benchmark works in Batman comics history,” said Hersin Magante, Warner Home Video Marketing Manager, Family &, Animation.. “Bruce Timm and the Warner Bros. Animation team have gone to great lengths to realize Frank Miller’s ground-breaking, influential vision. Batman: Year One stands tall as the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie.”



Batman: Year One Blu-ray™ Combo Pack has almost 3 hours of exciting content, including:
• Feature film
• Sneak Peek at Justice League: Doom, the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie
• DC Showcase Animated Original Short – “Catwoman”: This all-new entry to the growing canon of DC Universe animated shorts features the first first solo tale centered around Catwoman. The felonious feline’s adventure takes her through the seedy streets of Gotham City. Catwoman is voiced by Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse, Tru Calling).

• Featurette –“Heart of Vengeance: Returning Batman to His Roots”: “The Dark Knight Returns” provided the denouement of Batman's life. Frank Miller's next seminal work would provide his near-mythic origin in “Batman: Year One.” This documentary uncovers the contemporary genius of Miller and the audience that was poised to appreciate the depths of his work.

• Featurette –“Conversations with DC Comics”: The Batman creative team at DC Entertainment discusses the personal influence of “Batman: Year One” on their careers. Batman producer Michael Uslan leads the chat amongst well-known writers, editors and artists of the Batman lore, focusing their dialogue on the darker, realistic interpretation of Batman’s origins by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli

• Audio Commentary with Alan Burnett, Sam Liu, Mike Carlin and Andrea Romano
• “Batman: Year One, Chapter 1” Digital Comic Book
• Two bonus episodes from “Batman: The Animated Series,” handpicked by Bruce Timm
• Standard and high definition versions of the feature film
• Digital copy on disc of the feature film compatible with iTunes and Windows

SDCC NOTE! - BATMAN: YEAR ONE will premiere at Comic-Con International in San Diego on Friday, July 22 at 8:00 p.m. in Ballroom 20. The premiere screening will be followed by a panel discussion amongst voice cast members Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Ben McKenzie (Southland), Eliza Dushku (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica)
as well as executive producer Bruce Timm, casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano and directors Lauren Montgomery & Sam Liu.