SOURCE: The M Collective

Nashville, Tenn. (May 21, 2013) – HOME RUN has a lot to be proud of after its nationwide theatrical release last month. The Samuel Goldwyn Films release, in association with Provident Films, opened in almost 400 theaters in North America and debuted as the No. 2 new film of the week, second only to Tom Cruise’s Oblivion. The opening weekend success led to an expansion into 70 new theaters in the United States and Canada. Today, Provident Films and Millennium Entertainment announce that HOME RUN will release to DVD and Blu-ray on July 23, giving many others the chance to hear and share the film’s message that “freedom is possible.” DVD and Blu-ray copies will be available initially only at Walmart and Christian retail stores. Site licenses for screenings of HOME RUN at churches and non-profit organizations go on sale today with showings starting July 5.

“Lives have been changed due to the message of this film and its North American theatrical release,” says executive producer Carol Mathews. “Now with its availability on DVD and Blu-ray, I am encouraged and excited that even more people will have the opportunity to watch it and know that freedom is possible.”

To view a trailer of HOME RUN, click here.

HOME RUN accumulated an impressive collection of praise and reviews for the theatrical release. Here’s a snapshot of the acclaim garnered nationwide for the film:

“The movie HOME RUN is great for not only baseball fans, but anyone looking to be inspired. The story provides an important reminder that no matter how successful we are, we are all affected by the issues that come along. Only through Jesus we can find the peace and comfort to live this life.”

- 5-time World Series Champion and New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte

“HOME RUN swings for the fences, and often connects.”

- Sean O’Connell, Washington Post (Critics Pick)

“Powerful story of personal recovery after hitting bottom. Very moving.”

- Rick Warren via Twitter, @RickWarren

“HOME RUN reminds us of the power of forgiveness, the richness of redemption, and the wisdom of trusting God to revive us.”

- Max Lucado, New York Times best-selling author and pastor

“HOME RUN is a must-see story of change and redemption—a story all of us need to hear and know. Freedom is possible with God in our lives!”

- Joel Osteen, Pastor of Lakewood Church and best–selling author

“Cory’s story invites all of us to consider how our own bad habits and selfishness might be influencing those closest to us (and) to remember how fantastic and inspiring is God’s grace.”

- Focus on the Family’s Plugged-In

Special features on the HOME RUN DVD & Blu-ray include:

-       Around the Bases Featurette

-       Freedom is Possible Featurette

-       Baseball Super Stars Praise Home Run

-       National Center for Fathering Promo

-       Be a Dad Promo

HOME RUN DVD & Blu-ray Details

Street date:     July 23, 2013

Run time:             113 Minutes

Rating:                   PG-13

Format:                 Widescreen

Aspect Ratio:        16×9 1.78

 
About Provident Films: 
Provident Films, a division of Provident Music Group, develops, produces and markets faith-based films. Nashville-based Provident Music Group, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, has served for more than three decades, worldwide, as a leader in Christian entertainment.
www.providentfilms.org

About Millennium Entertainment:

Formed in 2010 and led by CEO Bill Lee, Millennium Entertainment is a leading independent supplier that acquires and distributes feature films. The company most recently released director Ariel Vromen’s The Iceman, starring Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder and Chris Evans and What Maisie Knew from directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel and starring Julianne Moore, Alexander Skarsgard, Steve Coogan and introducing Onata Aprile as Maisie. Up next for Millennium is Josh Boone’s directorial debut Stuck in Love starring Lily Collins, Jennifer Connelly, Greg Kinnear and Kristen Bell. Other releases include Academy Award-nominated director Lee Daniel’s The Paperboy starring Nicole Kidman (who garnered both a Golden Globe and Screen Actor’s Guild Award nominations for her role as a sultry, death-row groupie), Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey, John Cusack and Macy Grey and Richard Linklater’s critically acclaimed Bernie, starring Jack Black (for which he earned Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award nominations), Shirley MacLaine and Matthew McConaughey.

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Members Will Have Online Access to Vast Array of
Exclusive Disney Content

Disney to Celebrate Expansion With New Free D23 Membership Level

BURBANK, Calif. – May 16, 2013 – On June 17, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, will launch a massive reimagining of its D23.com website, opening up the wonderful worlds of Disney like never before to its members. The site will provide access to newly digitized content that delves deeply into The Walt Disney Company’s vault of material, past and present, along with exclusive glimpses of the future. The new gated content will be free to current D23 Members; plus D23 is launching a new free level of membership, which will include access to this incredible content. D23.com will continue to offer the latest Disney news free to all guests who visit the site. But D23 Members can unlock even more magic in each section by logging in and accessing content whenever a golden key is shown.

“We’re creating a unique destination that celebrates, in all respects, the essence of Disney,” says Steven Clark, head of D23. “We believe the new site will offer one of the most engaging Disney experiences yet—with even more to come in the future. We look forward to debuting the new D23.com to our current members as well as to new ones from around the world.”

The reimagined D23.com will feature exclusive celebrity interviews; vintage film clips; rarely seen artwork and photography; treasures from the Walt Disney Archives; behind-the-scenes previews of new movies and theme park attractions; and more.

Website highlights at launch will include:

• 23 Questions – We enhance our popular feature with audio interviews with Once Upon A Time star Ginnifer Goodwin who reveals her Disney favorites—and what she’s looking forward to in the next season of the hit ABC show. Plus an exclusive with Phineas and Ferb’s popular “evil mastermind” Dr. Heinz Doofenschmirtz, who talks about his truly devious plans… and Christmas.
• D’scovered – Treasures unearthed by the Walt Disney Archives. In the coming weeks the Archives will share extremely rare imagery from the proposed Mickey Mouse Park, a concept which evolved into Disneyland; spine-tingling alternative dialogue for the Haunted Mansion penned by Disney Legend X. Atencio; the illustrated story script for “The Karnival Kid,” the 1929 short in which Mickey Mouse first speaks; and a very special memento created for Walt by legendary artist Salvador Dali.
• Disney A to Z – A complete and newly-updated electronic version of the definitive Disney encyclopedia with more than 7,000 entries written by Dave Smith, founder and Chief Archivist Emeritus of the Walt Disney Archives
• D23 Presents – A deeper dive into all parts of Disney from the opening of Mystic Manor in Hong Kong Disneyland to rarely seen footage of the former Disney Studio on Hyperion Avenue.
• Disney Legends and the Walt Disney Archives – Two new microsites; Disney Legends will provide a deeper look at those who’ve made significant contributions to the Disney legacy, and the Archives site will open up the doors of this venerable institution so D23 can share more of The Walt Disney Company’s expansive collections.

In addition, new departments and sections include: Weird Disney, looking at some of the more unusual and outrageous pieces of Disney’s past; Characters, profiling the most beloved characters from television, film and comics with concept art and complete biographies; The Quotable Walt Disney, a digitized version of the out-of-print book featuring some of Walt’s most enduring words; Ask a Legend, a video feature in which Disney Legends like Marty Sklar answer fans questions; First Look, which gives members a glimpse into what’s new and what’s next including Monsters University; Attraction Rewind, celebrating the beloved attractions of Disney’s past which once delighted theme park guests; and Muppetology, which opens up the Muppet-acular universe of our fuzzy friends. D23’s popular video series Armchair Archivist and Disney Geek will also return with all-new episodes.

And that’s just the beginning—on launch day, D23.com will reveal even more surprises.

D23 Free Membership will include:

• Members-Only Website Content: Access to all exclusive content on D23.com.

• Exclusive Merchandise: D23 offers its members access to exclusive, limited-edition merchandise and collectibles.

• Subscription to Weekly D23 FanFare E-newsletter with breaking news and special offers. (You may opt out of receiving FanFare after your first e-newsletter arrives.)

• Discounted tickets to the D23 Expo 2013: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event (For more information click here.)

About D23

D23: The Official Disney Fan Club celebrates the remarkable past, present, and future of Disney, taking its name from 1923, the year Walt Disney founded his world-famous company. D23 brings its members a host of exclusive benefits, including a weekly e-mail newsletter; an array of discounts and special offers; and exclusive, member-only special events.

Disney fans can join the world’s only Official Disney Fan Club by visiting www.D23.com or www.DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow “DisneyD23” on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.

For images, logos, and press releases, please visit www.D23.com/Media.

FINDING NORMAL
AIRING ON SATURDAY, MAY 18 AND SUNDAY, MAY 19
AT 7, 9 AND 11 P.M. ET/PT

Ensemble Cast Includes Lou Beatty Jr., Andrew Bongiorno,
Mark Irvingsen and Trevor St. John

 SOURCE: Rogers & Cowan

Atlanta, GA – April 25, 2013 – On Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19, GMC TV, America’s favorite channel for uplifting entertainment, will present the funny, lighthearted and poignant  original GMC World Premiere Movie Finding Normal (#FindingNormal), a “fish-out-of-water” romantic comedy starring Candace Cameron Bure (“Full House,” The Heart of Christmas), Lou Beatty Jr. (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “NCIS,” “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers”), Andrew Bongiorno (“Satisfaction,” “Rush”), Mark Irvingsen (“True Justice”) and Trevor St. John (“One Life to Live,” “The Client List”).  Brian Herzlinger (Christmas Angel, My Date with Drew) directs from a screenplay written by Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman.  Finding Normal was filmed in Columbia, Louisiana.  The movie will premiere exclusively on GMC TV on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19 at 7:00, 9:00 and 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

In Finding Normal, Candace Cameron Bure stars as the effortlessly attractive Dr. Lisa Leland, a brilliant, big city surgeon with absolutely no bedside manner.  She leaves her UCLA practice to move to New York’s swanky Hamptons, where her concierge doctor boyfriend Dr. Steve (Andrew Bongiorno) treats the rich and famous.  Speeding cross-country to her new life, Lisa’s distracted driving sends her BMW through the welcome sign of the tiny town of Normal, North Carolina (population 321), slogan “It’s good to be Normal.”  Slightly shaken and cited for numerous infractions by local police officer Lester O’Toole (Mark Irvingsen), the town’s judge Shelby (Lou Beatty Jr.) finds Dr. Leland guilty and orders her to several days of community service – as a traveling doctor, making house-calls to all sorts of residents sorely in need of a local physician. Stuck in a town with no Wi–Fi, no lattes and no credit cards, Lisa grudgingly makes contact with Normal residents, including handy, principled Lucas Craig (Trevor St. John).  Alternately aggravated, challenged, and charmed by each person during this time, Lisa unknowingly discovers both herself and what a meaningful life is all about – all of which puts her once-sure path to New York into question.

“Finding Normal is a perfect movie for families looking for a romantic and inspirational story,” said Barbara Fisher, SVP, Original Programming, GMC TV.  “GMC continues to expand our lineup of original programming with content that features uplifting stories with popular, high-profile casts that appeal to a multi-cultural and multi-generational audience.  We are pleased to again work with the talented Candace Cameron Bure, who starred in one of our highest rated original movies, The Heart of Christmas.”

Candace Cameron Bure is known worldwide for playing the role of D.J. Tanner from the hit television series “Full House,” which runs in syndication in over 100 countries.  Her feature film credits include Punchline with Tom Hanks and Sally Field; the John Hughes film Some Kind of Wonderful; and the Cohen Brother’s movie Monster Mash.  After Candace married NHL star Valeri Bure in 1996, she put her career on hold to stay home and raise a full house of her own.  She has been happily married for 13 years and is a mother of three children.  Over the past few years, Candace has guest starred in multiple television series and movies and fulfilled duties as a guest host on “The View.”  She became a New York Times bestselling author with the release of her first book “Reshaping It All: Motivation for Physical and Spiritual Fitness.”  Her second book is forthcoming in 2013 and will be published by B&H Publishing.  She is a National Ambassador for National House of Hope.

Lou Beatty Jr. recently finished filming lead roles in films K-11 and Geezers and was also featured in the season ending episode of “Grey’s Anatomy.”  He has guest starred on “NCIS,” “Boston Legal,” “Without a Trace,” “CSI Miami,” “Bones,” “Cold Case,” “Las Vegas” and numerous other television series over the past two decades.  He currently appears as a prankster in “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers.”

Andrew Bongiorno was recognized as “Best Under Sixteen Actor” at the “Guild Awards” and by seventeen, he was named by the “Shakespearean Globe Centre” as “Young Shakespearean Artist of the Year” for the second consecutive year. As a result of his achievements in the arts, Andrew was nominated for a “Young Australian of the Year award. A year later, Andrew was accepted into the prestigious Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). Finishing this three year degree, Andrew went on to do his first film work and subsequently found success at the world’s biggest short film festival, “Tropicana” (Tropfest). By age 24, Andrew had received his first “Greenroom” award (Australia’s Tony’s) for his work on Sam Mendes’ production of “Cabaret.”  Having lived in London for two years, Andrew has worked with many respected international directors/writers, including Academy Award winner Nick Enright, “Academy Award” winner Sam Mendes and American television and Broadway theatre director BT McNichol.  Highlights from Andrew’s career include working on the internationally award winning Australian television drama “Satisfaction” for Showtime and performing the lead in the world premiere of the play “The Red and the Black,” for which he received critical acclaim.  After securing a green-card this year, Andrew moved to Los Angeles to further his international career and to refine his acting skills by coaching at Ivanna Chubbuck studio. He has appeared as a guest star in two television roles and as a lead in two feature film roles, which will film this spring.

Mark Irvingsen plays “Officer Lester O’Toole.”  He can also be seen in the upcoming Pure Flix films, Revelation Road 2 and Book of Esther.

Trevor St. John played “Todd Manning/ Victor Lord” in the daytime television drama “One Life to Live.”  His additional credits include the films The Kingdom, The Bourne Ultimatum, Crimson Tide and Payback. He was most recently seen in the critically acclaimed independent movie In the Family and the television series “The Client List.”  Trevor recently filmed a remake of Tarzan and two independent films, Dark Skies and Road Trip.

The movie’s soundtrack features music by the following artists:

• Lanae Hale – “Love Is Worth The Fight” (lanaehale.com/)
• Tift Merritt – “Tell Me Something True” (tiftmerritt.com/)
• Jake Smith – “Stay” (jakesmithmusic.com/. Throughout his career, Jake has opened for artists like John Legend, Better Than Ezra and Marc Broussard. Jake’s music has been seen in NBC’s “Parenthood” and “One Tree Hill”)
• Warren Barfield – “It’s All Good” (from his well-received latest record, “Redbird”)

For more information, please go to www.watchgmctv.com/gmc-world-premiere-movie-finding-normal.  Photos are available at www.watchgmctv.com/gmc/FindingNormalPressRoom.

Finding Normal is produced by PureFlix Entertainment and is directed by Brian Herzlinger.  Producers are David A.R. White, Elizabeth Travis, Russell Wolfe, Michael Scott and Anna Zielinski.

About Pure Flix Entertainment

Pure Flix Entertainment, LLC (PFE) is the largest inspirational film studio that produces, distributes, acquires and markets the most faith and family-friendly film properties. PFE unites some of the most respected and successful members of the Christian film community. It’s the industry leader for the production and distribution of high quality, inspiring movies and television programs, while doing so with integrity. Impacting how they think can impact how they live and the choices they make. Mission Statement: transforming the human spirit through values based entertainment.  For more information, please go to www.pureflix.com.

About GMC TV

GMC TV (www.watchGMCtv.com) is America’s favorite network for uplifting music and family entertainment.  The network presents original and acquired movies, series, stage plays and music specials along with gMovies, the first faith-friendly streaming movie service.  The GMC TV brand is reflected in “Uplift Someone,” the network’s successful pro-social initiative.  GMC TV can be seen in more than 62 million homes on various cable systems around the country, as well as DISH Network on channel 188, DIRECTV on channel 338 and Verizon FiOS on channel 224. Follow GMC TV on Facebook and Twitter at http://facebook.com/gmctv and http://twitter.com/gmctv, #UPTV.

HOME RUN Celebrates Successful Opening with Expansion Into Additional Theaters Nationwide

Nashville, Tenn. (May 7, 2013) – After a successful opening weekend, HOME RUN continues to celebrate a fantastic start for David Boyd’s (The Walking Dead, Friday Night Lights) feature film. After opening in some 400 theaters across the country and debuting at No. 2 after Tom Cruise’s Oblivion, the Samuel Goldwyn Films release, in association with Provident Films, astounded audiences and critics alike with its honest portrayal of overcoming life’s difficulties. Starting this weekend, the film will open in 70 new theaters nationwide, giving more moviegoers a chance to hear the message that with God, it’s never too late … freedom is possible. For more information on theaters showing the film, please visit www.homerunthemovie.com.

“It has been incredible to see what has unfolded over the past few weeks since HOME RUN hit the theaters,” remarked the film’s Executive Producer Carol Mathews.  ”While it’s been exciting to get good reviews in the press and now see the film expand in to more markets, the best thing has been the lives we are seeing changed by the message of this film. It is truly giving people hope that ‘freedom is possible’ in their own lives and in their own situations – and that is beyond what I could have ever hoped for.”

Home Run has a 100% user rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has reported, via Facebook posts, the common occurrence of erupting applause and standing ovations in multiple theaters after credits begin to roll.  Celebrate Recovery, the featured 12-step program portrayed in the film, has reported a substantial up-tick of newcomers in chapters across the country since the movie released on April 19.

Samuel Goldwyn Films in association with Provident Films have partnered in the marketing and distribution of HOME RUN. Past successes of the Goldwyn and Provident partnership include Fireproof, October Baby and Facing the Giants. A Hero Productions Film in association with Impact Productions, HOME RUN is directed by David Boyd, with a screenplay by Brian Brightly, Melanie Wistar, Eric Newman and Candace Lee. The film is executive produced by Carol Spann Mathews and Tom Newman. HOME RUN stars Scott Elrod, Vivica A. Fox, Dorian Brown and Charles Henry Wyson.

In addition to the theatrical release of the film, Home Run the novel released in March 2013 with David C Cook publishers. Travis Thrasher, celebrated novelist, was enlisted to adapt the screenplay into a deeply moving story for fiction readers.

About Samuel Goldwyn Films: 

Samuel Goldwyn Films is a major, independently owned and operated motion picture company that develops, produces and distributes innovative feature films and documentaries. The company is dedicated to working with both world renowned and emerging writers/filmmakers and committed to filmed entertainment that offers original voices in uniquely told stories. Currently in release is RENOIR, Gilles Bourdos’ lush biopic on the famous Impressionist painter and Craig Juntunen’s STUCK, a moving film on the international adoption crisis. Following the release of HOME RUN, upcoming releases will be Academy Award® nominee James Cromwell starrer STILL MINE, and the highly anticipated wine documentary SOMM, a never before seen look into the prestigious and exclusive Court of Master Sommeliers.

About Provident Films: 

Provident Films, a division of Provident Music Group, develops, produces and markets faith-based films. Nashville-based Provident Music Group, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, has served for more than three decades, worldwide, as a leader in Christian entertainment.

www.providentfilms.org

About David C Cook: 

David C Cook is a leading nonprofit resource provider serving the global Church with life-transforming, Christ-centered materials. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with offices in Illinois, Canada and the United Kingdom, David C Cook’s resources are published in over 150 languages and distributed in more than 160 countries. Originally founded in 1875 as a curriculum publisher, today David C Cook publishes numerous bestselling fiction and non-fiction books from a variety of award-winning authors. It is also a leading provider of worship music through its Integrity Music and Kingsway Music labels, which produce over one-third of the top 100 praise and worship songs sung around the world.

www.davidccook.com

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Jack Reacher

– for violence, language and some drug material.
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, David Oyelowo, Werner Herzog
Running Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Theatrical Release Date: December 21, 2012
Blu-Ray Release Date: May 7, 2013 (Amazon.com)

Plot Summary
When a gunman takes five lives with six shots, all evidence points to the suspect in custody. On interrogation, the suspect offers up a single note: Get Jack Reacher! So begins an extraordinary chase for the truth, pitting Jack Reacher against an unexpected enemy, with a skill for violence and a secret to keep…
(MovieWeb.com)

Film Review
Turning a book into a movie is always a tricky task–especially when it’s a popular book series and character like Jack Reacher. Lee Child’s popular novel series makes its film debut as his book One Shot has been the first of his writings to be adapted for the big screen. When acclaimed actor Tom Cruise was first approached about the project, he was immediately interested, but wanted the author’s blessing before signing on. When Lee gave the thumbs up, Jack Reacher was brought to life.

The story revolves around a former military police officer who is now essentially a drifter; he’s left his life behind him and just moves from place to place, helping people but never getting deeply or emotionally evolved. While he’s still a hero of sorts, he doesn’t see himself as one and uses his detachments from people to his advantage. Cruise is certainly an interesting casting for the part, but he’s got the acting chops for a wide variety of characters and Reacher is certainly not your usual Cruise role.

The plot for this particular Reacher tale involves Jack coming to the aid of a sniper he had met while in the service who allegedly shot and killed five civilians in cold blood. This theme is especially sensitive in our social climate these days after incidents in schools, movie theaters and the more recent Boston Marathon bombing. We’re in a time where something like the events of this film really aren’t too far from the mark and that makes a story like Jack Reacher a much scarier concept. To make it even more heartbreaking, but in an important way, Reacher forces the accused’s lawyer to visit the victim’s families and learn more about the victims, which humanizes their stories more, making them more than just names or briefly seen faces. The whole plot point of the sniper shooting civilians is a disturbing one, and when a flashback takes us from his scope sights to street level as they flee in terror, it gets even more so.

But the story does weave in some mystery elements. I was a little surprised that they played some of their cards right away, like showing you the shooter’s face in the opening scene, so you know it’s not really the guy who’s being accused, but the mystery comes in how Reacher and the lawyer, Helen Rodin (played by Rosamund Pike), figure out who the shooter is and, most curious to the audience, just why the murders took place. The villains are a bit one dimensional which is probably expected for a movie like this, but the biggest setback the film may have may be in the character of Reacher. He’s a cool guy who we want to be a hero, but, at the end of the day, while he’ll lay his life on the line to best the bad guys, he’s still looking out for number one. He’s not warm, he’s pretty rigid, and he doesn’t really have a deeply relatable past that the viewer can invest themselves emotionally into. In that sense, he’s probably more of a modern James Bond type character without the gadgets, nice suit, and world-saving heroism (and I really think Bond’s story in Casino Royale gives audiences more of a story for the character that we can empathize with).

That in itself may be the movie’s biggest drawback, and while it in no way fully ruins the film, it may hold it back from being something greater. Still, Cruise is fun to watch as always, and his fight scenes are not only believable but are masterfully executed. As pointed out in one of the Blu-ray featurettes, the action was filmed with less quick cuts and the camera was pulled back so we could see more of what was happening. It makes the action a bit more violent and believable — and you can really feel some of those hits. And while I can appreciate great storytelling and acting, some of the dialog is a little weak, if not cheesy, at times, so the movie’s most memorable moments tend to be those action scenes. A car chase later in the movie is exciting without needing to have frenetic cuts and nausea-inducing camera angles and moves, and Reacher’s fight with five young punks outside a bar is a great example of what this guy is capable of.

The content for the movie is pretty rough, as you might expect. While the shootings aren’t especially graphic, we do see some blood on the pavement under their bodies from an aerial view (and later again in a couple photographs), and we see them shown several more times in part via flashback throughout the film. Another disturbing scene involves the main villain relating a story to one of his thugs about being willing to do anything to survive. He talks about having chewed off fingers on both hands in order to survive, and we see his hand missing those digits (with the skin healed up around the stubs). He then commands the thug to do the same to his hand or he’ll be shot and the man puts his thumb between his teeth and fights with himself to go through with it. When he cannot, he is shot to death (and then it’s implied when another thug pulls out a large blade that it will be used to “dispose” of the body). Another character is shot in the head and, while we don’t see the impact or the wound, we briefly see blood splattered on the wall behind them. Finally, and also quite disturbing, is we see a young woman be punched in the face and one of the villains holds his hand over her mouth and nose until she suffocates to death (which we see). Sexual content is limited to a super brief shot of a woman facing toward a window as she’s putting on a bra, so we see her in small panties and her bare back, but nothing else (she’s in a hotel with Reacher, so it’s assumed they slept together). And a girl approaches Jack in a bar and tells him to leave with her, but he declines which leads to a brawl with male friends of hers. Language is a bit rough with Rosamund’s Helen shouting “F— you!”‘at someone and her and other characters using quite a bit of blasphemy as well as other colorful words. The language isn’t constant, but it’s frequent enough, and the blasphemy is especially unwarranted.

Perhaps repeat viewings will give Jack Reacher a more lasting impression, but after just one, I found the film to be a good action/crime drama, but it just felt like something might have been missing to make it really rise above the rest in the genre. I’d be interested to see more Reacher adventures in the future, though; I’m curious where the character and series could go.
- John DiBiase, (reviewed: 5/5/13)

Blu-Ray Special Features Review
Paramount is still one of the few studios who understand the diehard movie watchers. Included with the Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack is a downloadable iTunes digital copy for those of us who like to carry around our movies on our iPhones and iPads. Jack Reacher is also available on DVD alone and has been available to the public in downloadable form for the past two weeks. Along with the feature film on the Blu-Ray disc is a feature commentary as well as the following extras…

When The Man Comes Around (26:49) is a half hour behind-the-scenes making-of documentary. It starts out talking about the books and how the project came together, on down to casting Tom Cruise, getting author Lee Child’s blessing (and making a cameo in the movie!), and Cruise working once again with Robert Duvall. It’s really interesting and they show a good deal of on-set footage and what a few takes looks like after they yelled “cut!”

You Do Not Mess with Jack Reacher: Combat and Weapons (10:27) is dedicated to the action in the movie. They talk about how they worked a style of street fighting into the movie called Keysi Fighting Method and how Cruise trained to fight in it. They also discuss the approach to the action and how it’s more raw and not overly edited. We see some really great B Roll footage here too.

The Reacher Phenomenon (11:10) is completely about author Lee Child talking about the character of Jack Reacher: how he picked the name, the advancement and maturation of the character, and even the diehard fans that have been dubbed “Reacher Creatures.”
- John DiBiase, (reviewed: 5/5/13)

Parental Guide: Content Summary
 Sex/Nudity: As people are talking about Reacher, we see a brief shot of him watching news in a hotel room with a woman in tiny lingerie standing facing a window. Her bra is open in the back as it just hangs on her and we see her bare back (We never see her front or face); Helen shows some cleavage; In talking to Helen about Barr, Jack likens the sniper’s urge to being “horny” and not being able to fulfill the urge. Later in the conversation, he mentions that a group of men had just been on a “rape-rally” and had raped young and old women; A young girl named Sandy basically throws herself at Jack, figuratively, and he tells her that he’s not interested, referencing money. She insists she’s not a hooker and when some guys come by, she said he called her a hooker. Jack then says that they thought he meant “whore” but what he was inferring was “slut;” When they go outside, we see that Sandy is wearing a pretty small outfit; Jack later confronts Sandy at her workplace about the incident at the bar and she says she was hired to do that and that Jack was supposed to be a pervert and start groping her (obviously he didn’t).

 Vulgarity/Language: 1 “F” word (And a sort-of mouthed “Get the F– out”), 1 “g*dd*mn,” 9 “h*ll,” 3 “Chr-st,” 6 “J-sus,” 10 “S” words, 4 “d*mn,” 1 “a” word,” 1 “*ssh*le,” 1 “p*ssy” (nonsexual), 1 “pr*ck,” 1 “b*tch,” 1 “cr*p,” 2 “G-d,” 1 “S.O.B,” 2 “suck it”

 Alcohol/Drugs: We see Jack in a bar, but he just drinks coffee; Sandy mentions Jeb cooks crystal.

 Blood/Gore: A sniper shoots several innocent civilians. With the first shot we briefly see a small blood spray when a seated man is hit. Later, we see an aerial shot of the victims lying on the ground with some blood under their fallen bodies; We see some scars on Jack’s torso; We see a man’s face all beat up, swollen with dried blood on it as he lays in a hospital bed; Jack hits the head of a bald thug into the another guy’s face repeatedly and we see blood on the back of his head and the other guy’s face; We see a hint of blood on Jack’s collar; We see some blood on a man’s head after Jack hits him there with a rock; We see some blood on Jack’s face via a cut on his cheek; We briefly see blood on the wall and desk behind a man who’s been shot in the head; Gunny has some blood around his eye.

 Violence: The movie opens as a man is making his own bullets. We then see him drive to a parking garage and pull out a sniper rifle. It’s a long sequence as he looks at innocent civilians through his scope and then starts to shoot them. We see this all through his sniper scope. He ends up shooting five different people – women and men — and we see their dead bodies on the ground. We then see this scene from a different perspective on the street level a few times later on in the movie; We see a man’s face all beat up, swollen with dried blood on it as he lays in a hospital bed. We then see a flashback of prisoners hitting this man in the face repeatedly; We see a flashback of Barr shooting people (and see it again later on in the movie). We find out that his random victims happened to be men who raped innocent women; We see some photos of one of the dead victims from the scene at the beginning of the film;
Three kids fight Jack outside of the bar and he beats them up, elbowing them in the face, punching them in the gut, tossing them around, etc. Jack is then cuffed on the ground; In a story, we see flashbacks and one involves a man dying of a heart attack; We see a different perspective of the sniper shooting with the people falling over as they’re being shot and running; We see a man missing fingers and he talks about having bitten his fingers off to survive. He asks a thug to bite off his own fingers as a cost for messing up a plan. The thug then tries to, sticking his thumb between his teeth, but insists he can’t. They then shoot him. The shooter then takes out a large blade presumably to dispose of the body by hacking it up; A guy hits Jack in the back of the head with a baseball bat, knocking him into a bathroom. Two guys, one with a bat, one with a crowbar, chase him into the bathroom, wildly swinging their weapons. Jack falls into a tub there and cowers to avoid getting hurt. The two fight over who will hit him and tear apart the room with their weapons. One accidentally hits the other in the face with a bat and he falls down a flight of stairs on the other side of the hallway. The other lunges at Jack and he slams his face into the wall. Jack gouges his eye with his thumb and pushes him back. He hits the head of the other guy, who’s bald, into the other guy’s face repeatedly and we see blood on the back of his head and the other guy’s face; Another guy holds a gun on Jack, but Jack pulls the gun forward, it goes off and he twists the guy’s fingers as he interrogates him; One of the main thugs punches Sandy in the face, knocking her to the ground. He then holds his hand over her mouth and suffocates her to death. We see her eyes as they look terrified and tears roll out and then she suddenly stops moving; We briefly see Sandy lying on the ground dead; There’s a big car chase where cops chase Jack’s car and Jack pursues two thugs in their car. They smash cars repeatedly and do a high speed chase through the streets at night; We see Reacher practice shooting a sniper rifle at a firing range; A person is suddenly tasered; The finale involves a car driving through an area crawling with shooters and the vehicle is shot up. A person then runs around the shooters while a sniper takes some of them out. The shooters fire back, but some are killed; We see Jack hit a man in the back of the head really hard with a large rock; Two more guys are gunned down; Jack fights a man hand-to-hand to the death. The villain pulls out a knife but Jack knocks it out of his hands. After kicking and punching, Jack grabs his hand and twists his arm and then kicks his head (which is mostly his foot stomping at the screen); Jack quickly shoots another villain off screen in the head; Jack shoots another man in the head off screen. We then see him standing in front of the victim with his body blocking the victim. As he moves away, we briefly see the seated victim with their head all the way back and some blood on the wall.

Iron Man 3

– for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief suggestive content.
Director: Shane Black
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley, Rebecca Hall
Running Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Theatrical Release Date: May 3, 2013
Official Site

Plot Summary
Marvel Studios’ Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man? (from MovieWeb.com)

Film Review
It’s been three years since Iron Man 2 released, and with the success of last year’s mega cinematic merger The Avengers, Iron Man 3 is the first Marvel film to carry the torch since. This story takes place shortly after the events of The Avengers, with Stark being haunted by his near-death experience in New York and the revelation of aliens and “gods” (the latter being Loki and Thor) through the events in that film. But as Stark is learning, his past “demons” are catching up with him, and it would appear that there’s a new threat in the world, named The Mandarin, that’s swiftly becoming personal. When a friend is injured, Stark calls out The Mandarin and the fight is brought right to his doorstep… literally.

A movie like The Avengers is a tough act to follow; Marvel knows this and it’s pretty evident while watching Iron Man 3 that they felt the need to try to top themselves. While that’s understandable to want to attempt such a feat, it’s dangerous territory to tread because it sets things up to potentially lean toward overkill. However, three movies into the Iron Man saga (with some talk from Downey, Jr. about possibly hanging up the iron suit), Iron Man 3 has the feel of a grand finale and a starting over point. All is put on the line this time around, and the ante is upped considerably. So the things that worked best about the first Iron Man movie are tossed into a pot with elements from Iron Man 2 and The Avengers, all adding up to some pretty gigantic set pieces and a climax in the film that is as equally over-the-top as it is exhilarating. It’s one of those movies that would be all too easy to nitpick, but when you realize you left the cinema satisfied and smiling, you know it’d be counterproductive to do so.

Iron Man 3 does a lot to take the movie series in a different direction. Both Iron Man and Iron Man 2 featured villains that were grounded in reality and were particularly personal to Tony Stark. This time around, it’s a mix of personal with a broader view, and things get much more scientifically based. As one might even expect, this is much more along the lines of a comic book brought to life on the big screen. You can expect outrageous technology and more sci-fi stylized action this time around. While it is far more fantastical than the previous Iron Man installments, it’s in line with the fact that Tony’s having trouble dealing with a bigger world than he imagined, and so, with that, it follows Avengers quite fittingly.

The reactions to what unfolds in Iron Man 3 have been very strongly mixed between fans and critics. Most of that is due to the film’s treatments of the villains featured. While I can’t say I have any previous knowledge of any of these such villains–and therefore, no emotional attachments to their comic book origins–I’m fine with the way they’re handled here. However, I fully understand those who have a beef with the way things play out here. Like most comic books-to-film, Iron Man 3 does not stick too closely to its source material. As such, it makes for some interesting surprises in the movie, but is likely to upset any diehard fans expecting something more faithful to the source. Some are imagining grand possibilities presented by the villainous forces here, but the movie will terminate those expectations instead of nurture them.

Regardless, I enjoyed the story for what it is. Stark is far out of his element, which, at times is reminiscent of his origin story from the first film and serves as a bit of a rebirth of Iron Man in a similar fashion (if you’ve seen the trailer, you can get an idea of what I mean). During his journey, Stark finds himself alone, teaming with an unlikely new friend, meeting a fanboy who helps him technologically, and is sorely separated from his suit tech. Iron Man 3 does its best to steer clear of retreading itself too much, and it does so quite well. With the villains this time around, Ben Kingsley is excellent (I have to choose my adjectives ambiguously here), while an actor I’ve long enjoyed watching, Guy Pearce, is a nice addition to the cast here. You can tell Pearce had a lot of fun in the role of Aldrich Killian, and it was great to see him share the screen with Downey’s Stark. Director Shane Black (who directs only his second time here, reteaming with Robert Downey, Jr. after his directorial debut with 2005′s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) takes over the franchise from Jon Favreau, who directed the first two films and stars as Happy Hogan, and he does a great job in steering the film in a different direction. However, at the same time, it’s a bittersweet approach as Black wipes the board clean of Favreau’s foundations, leaving the future of Iron Man completely unpredictable. Iron Man 3 feels like the end of a trilogy (even if you kind of need Avengers in there for continuity’s sake), and that in and of itself can be slightly alarming for fans. Finally, the film’s finale is just a little over-the-top at times, throwing in just about everything but the kitchen sink, but it’s on par with an exciting comic book arc finale and effectively wraps up this series of films. Also, I just have to mention one completely unexpected element of the movie — Christmas! Bizarrely enough, the entire film takes place around Christmastime, and it’s frequently referenced. It’ll actually make a nice addition to the annual Christmas movie catalog even though it’s not directly a “Christmas movie.”

When it comes to content, Iron Man 3 is as rough as the previous films, if not slightly more so. The language is still mixed, with several unnecessary uses of blasphemy included, and there’s some minor sexual innuendo or implications. The violence is pretty strong with lots of destruction as well as news of a terrorist nature. A character is executed on live television, for example, and due to a biological advancement in some of the characters, they take on a fiery, molten quality and explode on occasion, even vaporizing a crowd of people at one point. Tony gets bloodied up pretty badly while other characters are shot to death suddenly. It’s definitely not one for the little kids, just like the previous films.

Overall, Iron Man 3 is an exciting comic book flick that doesn’t surpass the wonderfully crafted first entry, but it amps things up entertainment-wise. Those who were disappointed with Iron Man 2 are likely to enjoy this one a lot more. It’s fun, visually delectable, and quite funny all at the same time. We did happen to see it in 3D, and I wouldn’t say it added anything to the experience. Personally, I find the 3D effect to be somewhat distracting in a lot of scenes, making it even more difficult to tell what’s going on at times. Only a few scenes looked really cool with the 3D effect, but overall, your eyes either adjust to the look over time, making it seem not really 3D at all, or it just isn’t really all that noticeable enough for most of the movie. Iron Man 3 is the beginning of the next phase of Marvel’s series of movies (Thor: The Dark World is coming later this year!), and I’m excited to see where it all goes next… (And be sure to stay for a short little scene after the credits for a brief cameo from one of the Avengers. It’s not “important” by any means, but it’s a cool and amusing one for fans of the Marvel series).
- John DiBiase, (reviewed: 5/3/13)

Parental Guide: Content Summary
 Sex/Nudity: Tony and Maya sit on a bed and they talk about spending the night together. Happy closes the doors on them and nods knowingly to Stark. We see that Tony has left in the morning and we see her in her underwear from behind only (briefly) sitting at a desk; We see Pepper and Tony in bed together sleeping; We see girls in bikinis at the villain’s place; We briefly see a beauty pageant with quite a few women in small swimsuits; We see two women in a bed under the covers and a man return from the bathroom. He makes a comment about them not being “real” (perhaps insinuating implants?) to Stark; There’s verbal reference to the one night stand that Tony had with Maya years ago; We see many views of Pepper in just a black sports bra; We see what may be prostitutes at the villain’s headquarters. In one instance, one is drunk and lying on a sofa (clothed in a busty outfit); A comment is made about Tony not remembering anyone unless they have a “big rack”; Some flashback scenes throughout the three movies show flashes of scenes with girls in bikinis and such at a party.

 Vulgarity/Language: At least 1 “g*dd*mn,” 1 “J*sus,” 1 “p*ssy” (nonsexual), 2 “d*ck” (nonsexual), 2 “a” words, 1 “S.O.B,” 4 “d*mn,” 2 “cr*p,” 1 “sucks,” 5 “h*ll,” at least 7 derivatives of “G-d”

 Alcohol/Drugs: Rhodes and Stark have beers in a bar; Tony meets a person in a bar; Tony gets a bottle of wine out of a chilled wine rack; A woman is completely drunk at the villain’s HQ.

 Blood/Gore: We see Tony injecting something into his arm and we see some bloody dressings in his mouth (from his arm, he’s just holding them in his mouth). We then see him wipe away several bloody dots on his arm; Tony has a bloody lip; We briefly see Tony removing what looked like shrapnel from his arm, but it’s shown at an angle that’s not graphic and it’s very brief; A woman has a bloody cut on her forehead; Tony has blood on the bridge of his nose for much of the film and then lots of blood around his eye for many scenes; A man is seen lying on the ground after an explosion covered in bloody cuts and scrapes. We later see this person in a hospital bed with a bruised and battered face; We see some people who are either amputees or have lost limbs (not graphic); A person’s face lights up and turns orange before they explode. We see this again with another character later in some archival footage; Some characters who have been chemically altered have translucent orange skin and appear molten. Sometimes characters appear dead and then come alive or heal; Iron Man blows a hole through one such mutant man’s chest. It’s not focused on and we briefly see some charred, molten effects around their chest; Tony has additional bloody scrapes and such on his body throughout the climax of the film; Iron Man slices off a man’s arm and we see the fiery, molten limb on the ground and the fiery stump as it grows back; During the movie, some people are shot in various scenes and we briefly see a flash of red dots/wounds on them from where they’re hit; We hear about a piece of shrapnel being removed from a person and we see the shard in a pair of tweezers with some blood on it.

 Violence: (Some possible spoilers ahead!) Lots of intense action violence. A plant explodes, charring up a wall in a room; We hear and see reports throughout the film about a terrorist. We see images of him and others firing guns and, in one instance, setting a hanging dummy on fire; A man’s face fills with light and then his body explodes, vaporizing a room full of people and putting a survivor in a coma; Tony’s mansion is attacked with rockets and crashes down into the water below. The scene is intense with lots of destruction. Tony busts down a door to a garage; A woman tears up a bar and fights Tony, with quite a bit of destruction. She’s joined by another man who also threatens Tony and a kid who’s helping him. The scene ends where an explosion propels her into power lines (we see her laying on top of the lines). A little later, a man collapses a water tower onto Tony and then threatens the kid. He escapes and Tony shoots him with his Iron Man hand blaster; The Mandarin threatens to execute a man on live TV. He then fires a gun (we don’t see it hit the victim) and the man is presumed dead; A man’s neck is snapped; We see footage of characters injecting themselves with a serum that makes them a mutant of sorts. One example shows a woman missing an arm having it grow back; A villain infiltrates a plane and enters a conference room, shooting and killing almost everyone inside. A hole is blown in the side of the plane and thirteen people fall out, while Iron Man tries to save them as they fall mid-air; A woman is shot in the chest suddenly and dies; Tony is tied up as a hostage; Tony gets part of his tech back and starts shooting at/fighting his captors, killing some of them; A mutant’s arm is sliced off and we see the stub look fiery as it grows back and the molten dismembered limb melts through the floor; A character presumably falls to their death, but we find out later that they’re okay; The climactic battle is huge involving multiple Iron Man suits fighting the mutants. Tony and Rhodes fight and evade many of the mutants; A character explodes and is presumed dead, but then we see them in a fiery state before being hit by another character and then blown up; And other comic book action violence.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING–OPENS IN 37 NEW

MOVIE MARKETS

Film Shakes and Stirs Audiences; Many Communities Request Screens

NotTodaytheMovie.com

Source: Lovell/Fairchild Comm.

YORBA LINDA, Calif. – April 30, 2013 – Can a movie entertain audiences into activism? And will active communities put a movie in local theaters? Yes and yes, says NOT TODAY—a drama on the fight against human trafficking—now adding 37 new openings in markets across the country, beginning May 3.  Most of those new theaters represent “market pull”—communities pre-purchasing hundreds of tickets to open the film in local theaters—and the list is growing.

“People see NOT TODAY and they talk—and talk spreads,” Producer Brent Martz said. “This second wave of theatrical openings is a testament to word of mouth. We’re humbled and pleased.”

Even movie reviewers are moved by NOT TODAY, the first church-made film on an international issue. The Washington Post’s Sean O’Connell writes:  “If NOT TODAY makes even the slightest difference for a helpless child caught in this vicious cycle, then it earns the right to play on as many theater screens as possible.”

“I just watched the movie in Fort Worth, Texas, and must say, it was extremely well made and definitely got the message across,” a fan writes on NOT TODAY’s Facebook wall. “I’ve read stories and statistics on trafficking over the last year, but seeing the story lived out and the hope that something can be done puts a whole new perspective on things. I’ve signed petitions and raised awareness among friends, but I want to do so much more now. Thank you all for not being afraid to speak the truth even when people would rather turn a deaf ear and blind eye.”

Local fans bring NOT TODAY to their communities with a 400-ticket commitment. Information on how to schedule local screenings is at NotTodaytheMovie.com.

Produced by Friends Media, an arm of Friends Church of Yorba Linda, Calif., NOT TODAY features Cody Longo (Hollywood Heights, Fame, Make It or Break It), John Schneider (OCTOBER BABY, Smallville, The Dukes of Hazzard), Shari Rigby (OCTOBER BABY, The Bold and the Beautiful), Walid Amini (Veep, NCIS) and Cassie Scerbo (Make It or Break It, Hot in Cleveland).

SYNOPSIS:  In NOT TODAY, Caden Welles (Longo) lives as large as any 20-year-old could dream. Then expectations of a never-ending party in India crash hard—but not as hard as his conscience when he refuses to help a starving man and his little girl. Attempting to right his wrong, Caden’s eyes are forced open to a world few Americans know exists: the thriving human-trafficking trade. Spurred by a true purpose, an unlikely friendship and the prayers of his mother and girlfriend, Caden leads an unlikely search for the girl.

NOT TODAY is a powerful reminder that change is possible if we’re willing to open our eyes . . . today.

NOT TODAY opens in these new markets beginning May 3:

May 3
Fort Wayne, Ind.

May 4
Temple, Texas

May 10
Pismo Beach, Calif.

May 17
Columbus, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Fayetteville, Ark.
Fort Meyers, Fla.
Tuscaloosa, Ala.

May 24
Beaumont, Texas
Chattanooga, Tenn.
Durango, Colo.
Eau Claire, Wis.
Fort Collins, Colo.
Waterloo, Iowa

May 31
Boise, Idaho
Carlsbad, N.M.
Charleston, S.C.
Charlotte, N.C.
Detroit, Mich.
Doylestown, Pa.
Florence, S.C.
Harrisburg, Pa.
Holland, Mich.
Lexington, Ky.
Little Rock, Ark.
Madison, Wis.
Rapid City, S.D.
St. Charles, Mo.

June 7
Appleton, Wis.
Bloomington, Ill.
Fayetteville, N.C.
Mason City, Iowa
Panama City, Fla.
Rockford, Ill.
Sioux Falls, S.D.

June 14
Greenville, N.C.
Wilmington, N.C.

Using education to lift lives and prospects of India’s “untouchable” Dalit people, Friends Church has committed $20 million to build 200 of 1,000 proposed schools for Dalit children in the coming decade. Friends already has funded more than 40 of the current 107 schools. The church’s profits from NOT TODAY go toward building schools and freeing children.

For more information, visit: NotTodaytheMovie.com

To bring NOT TODAY to local theaters: NotTodaytheMovie.com/theaters

Oblivion

– sci-fi action violence, brief strong language, and some sensuality/nudity.
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Andrea Riseborough, Olga Kurylenko, Melissa Leo
Running Time: 2 hours, 6 minutes
Theatrical Release Date: April 19, 2013
Official Site

Plot Summary
Jack Harper (Cruise) is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack’s mission is nearly complete.

Living in and patrolling the breathtaking skies from thousands of feet above, his soaring existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.
(from MovieWeb.com)

Film Review
In 2010, Joseph Kosinski made his directorial debut with the visually stunning TRON sequel, TRON Legacy. Kosinski proved he had some serious talent for creating a believable, digital world for his characters to inhabit, and it’s no surprise that the budding filmmaker has done it again for the impressive futuristic sci-fi drama Oblivion. This story takes place in 2077 after a brutal alien war caused planet Earth to be decimated and rearranged after the humans detonated nukes to wipe out the enemy. Now, just a pair of survivors are located atop the ruins of New York City as a kind of clean-up crew, helping to fix and maintain the drones that are frequently sent out to eradicate any surviving aliens. Jack Harper, played by Tom Cruise, takes regular trips to the surface from his solitude in the sky with partner Victoria, but steers clear of designated perimeters that were set up to keep them safe from radiation zones. Harper and Victoria only have two more weeks before they join the other survivors on one of Saturn’s moons.

Kosinski creates a wonderful post-apocalyptic world that is one of the few I’ve seen that borders on beautiful. White is used heavily for all of the futuristic outfits and architecture, while the barren wastelands often look more lush and brimming with new life than dark and dirty. Meanwhile, any ruins of NYC that Harper stumbles upon are eerily realistic. From The Empire State building to an obliterated New York Public Library, the attention to detail is breathtaking. There are elements of Oblivion that make it feel like it’s a disaster movie, but more so in the wake of one than an actual disaster flick. But Oblivion tone-hops a bit, while staying wholly within the sci-fi realm. While watching it, I was frequently reminded of other movies like I Am Legend, The Island, the Total Recall remake and even Cruise’s own Minority Report a little bit. Heck, my wife even pointed out a lot of similarities to Pixar’s animated film Wall-E, and with good reason. But Oblivion stands on its own really well regardless of any familiar developments. Kosinski works hard to keep it fresh and plot-twisting without letting you get too lost before something is explained. Still, when the credits roll, you’re bound to have a few unanswered questions.

At 50 years old now, Tom Cruise is still an incredible action star. I’ve watched many of his big blockbuster movies over the years (starting with Mission:Impossible in 1996), and he’s often caught flack for being cheesy or campy. While I can definitely see that in a movie like Mission:Impossible II, the guy has shown some serious acting chops in many of these blockbusters, especially a more demanding role like the one in Minority Report. Oblivion is no exception. He shies away from hiding behind his blissful signature grin and plays Jack as a very well-rounded and developed character. Cruise is an engaging actor to watch and he makes everything his character does in Oblivion believable. Starring alongside Cruise for much of the first half of the movie (before the mysteries start unraveling), is British actress Andrea Riseborough as Victoria. Vic is more by-the-book than Harper, as Harper’s presumably erased memories begin to haunt him, and he lets his love for what he remembers about life on Earth dictate his emotions. Technically, I don’t think we’re supposed to really like Victoria, and Riseborough seems to make sure of that. When Quantum of Solace‘s Olga Kurylenko enters as Julia, we realize just why Vic isn’t supposed to be exactly likeable. Olga seems to have really grown as an actress too, and she gets the chance to show that in Oblivion (even if she’s a bit underwritten next to Jack).

It’s tough to discuss the plot without giving key moments of the plot away, but Kosinski keeps the audience on their toes as we’re introduced to the world as Harper knows it and then have that world shattered at the same time it is for him. We’re never a step ahead of Harper and that helps in bringing the audience closer to Harper’s character and what he’s going through. Between that and an engaging score from the masterful collaboration of M83, Anthony Gonzalez and Joseph Trapanese (for a TRON meets Inception vibe), Kosinski just seems to have all the right pieces in place to create an exceptional piece of sci-fi. The only thing that may mar this experience for some may be the familiarity of certain plot points or some of those points being left unexplained. Furthermore, Kosinski continues to test the limits of how far the audience can stretch their acceptance of the extraordinary plot developments. Granted, it all makes for a great science fiction experience at the movies, but you just can’t overthink things. The other thing is, if you are not open to a very science fiction-driven plot, you’re likely to come out of watching Oblivion wondering what just happened. (I’ve heard some complaints that the movie is too slow, too, but I disagree. I feel it’s paced pretty well to ease you into Jack’s world and the characters therein before revealing thre truth. To me, the worst is when a movie like this is all action with no substance. I think Kosinski found a fair balance here.)

The content for the film embraces the rating pretty firmly. While the violence never gets too graphic, Kosinski pushes the sensuality and nudity barrier a bit for the PG-13 rating. We first see a bare-back view of Victoria in the shower in a passing shot, and then later, she strips down for a nude swim on the balcony of their futuristic loft. It’s darkly lit, but we see her full bare backside for an extended shot and then a long shot of her swimming in a clear glass-encased pool. We see her bare back again as she pulls Jack in with her, and the two kiss a bit and swim to the bottom of the pool while embracing before the scene ends (we see that as a long shot too with no explicit nudity). As for violence, there is some fighting, shooting, etc, with some characters being vaporized when shot by large guns, and in one scene, a character is shot in the stomach and we see a lot of blood on their hand and shirt. Later, we see a pulled-back shot of the wound (in other words, it’s not a close-up and isn’t very gory) as another person tends to the wound. The profanity is mostly mild, but there is one use of the “F” word near the end of the film that feels sorely unnecessary and rather cheesy in the way that it’s used. (If you’ve seen the movie Red and remember Karl Urban’s usage of it in one of the final scenes, it’s just like that here.) Other language includes a handful of “S” words, “S.O.B,” and about 3 uses of “g*dd*mn.” Overall, I’ve seen worse for a PG-13 movie, but after Kosinski kept things family-friendly in TRON Legacy, I don’t see what the nudity or profanity added to Oblivion.

In the end, Oblivion is a stylish and intriguing piece of science fiction. There’s enough drama and action included to keep the audience invested, but diehard fans of the genre will probably get the most out of it. It’s thought-provoking and memorable enough to leave a lasting impression, and the film’s score is another one to check into after watching the movie. I’m excited to see what Kosinski will bring to the big screen next (which apparently will be a sequel to TRON Legacy).
- John DiBiase, (reviewed: 4/19/13)

Parental Guide: Content Summary
 Sex/Nudity: We see a passing shot of Jack and Victoria showering. It’s not sensual, but we see her bare back from just above her butt and up, and a sideview of Jack from the torso-up; Victoria strips off her uniform while standing in front of their pool. As such, we see her full bare butt and backside, and then a quick shot of her diving right into the pool. Jack walks out to the poolside and she pops up from the water (we see her bare back again). She then pulls Jack into the pool and he takes off his shirt. They kiss and we then see a distant shot of them embracing as they swim down to the bottom of the pool (it’s a clear glass pool); We see Jack and Julia in a bed together in the morning and it’s assumed they slept together.

 Vulgarity/Language: 1 “F” word, 3 “g*dd*mn,” 5 “S” words, 6 “h*ll,” 3 “S.O.B,” 1 “oh my G-d,” 1 “d*mn”

 Alcohol/Drugs: We see some glasses at a dinner table and a champagne bottle in another scene, but nothing significant; A man puffs on a cigar in another scene.

 Blood/Gore: Jack has a bloody cut on the bridge of his nose for a good portion of the film; Jack has some blood on his head after getting hit; A person sits up toward the camera and vomits a lot of liquid up; A character lifts up their hand to find blood on it and we then see their hands on their stomach with their shirt being soaked with blood there. We see this a few more times and then, later, their shirt is lifted to reveal the wound, but it isn’t focused upon; A person is shot by a drone and while we don’t see the impact, we see the ashes of their remains spread across the floor and onto another person.

 Violence: Jack is almost attacked by a drone but he tells it to stand down; Jack climbs down a hole in the ground to investigate and is pursued by dark, shadowy figures. He tries to climb out but his rope is cut and he falls to the ground. He then fires at the figures and suddenly a blast vaporizes one of them. We then see that the drone he repaired had shown up and it fires on the Scavs; A pod crashes on the surface and several human capsules are littered across the ground. A drone then shows up and destroys all but one of them; A Scav hits Jack in the face with the butt of a rifle. He wakes up chained to a chair. He’s released and shot in the chest with a blaster but ends up being okay (his suit is apparently also armored); Drones pursue a vehicle and fire on it. There’s a high speed chase that ends with drones being destroyed; A character wakes up and vomits out a lot of substance. A woman goes to inject a sedative into their arm but that person grabs her hand before she can; Two men struggle over a rifle and punch and wrestle each other over it. It ends when one of them chokes the other one until they pass out; A person is accidentally shot and we see their hand covered in blood and blood soaked on their shirt; A drone obliterates a person, turning them to ash; A drone attacks some people and vaporizes them before being blown up itself; A series of drones attack a large group of people, killing many before being stopped; A bomb detonates, destorying a ship and killing a couple people; and other sci-fi violence.

Second only to Tom Cruise’s OBLIVION, film is

weekend’s No. 2 new release

Film rolls into Week 2 with solid support

SOURCE: The M Collective

Nashville, Tenn. (April 23, 2013) – HOME RUN has a lot to celebrate following the April 19 nationwide major film debut from David Boyd (The Walking Dead, Friday Night Lights).  Opening in some 400 theaters across the country, the Samuel Goldwyn Films release, in association with Provident Films, was a hit with audiences and critics across the country, garnering last weekend’s second highest gross for new releases, following Tom Cruise’s OBLIVION.   With its honest portrayal of overcoming life’s difficulties, everyone from Major League Baseball players and key Christian leaders have rallied behind the film and its message, reminding everyone that with God, it’s never too late … freedom is possible.

As he did prior to the film’s release, Saddleback Church Pastor and award – winning author Rick Warren continued to tweet in support of the film last weekend, calling it a “Powerful story of personal recovery after hitting bottom. Very moving.”

Following endorsements from fellow MLB players including New York Yankees Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera, R.A. Dickey, the 2012 Cy Young Award winning pitcher and Toronto Blue Jay, commented,  “I love the heart and the message of the new baseball movie HOME RUN: No matter what you’ve done or what you’ve endured, with Christ … freedom and redemption is possible. I am living proof.”

Upon the film’s opening, fans lit up the HOME RUN facebook page with glowing proclamations, while critics came out in support of the film as well, including:

“Cory’s story invites all of us to consider how our own bad habits and selfishness might be influencing those closest to us (and) to remember how fantastic and inspiring is God’s grace.”

Focus on the Family’s Plugged-In

“HOME RUN is the kind of faith-based film that is not only what we want but also what we need.”

Examiner.com

“A major league effort….there are so many things to like about HOME RUN.”

Crosswalk.com 

“A powerful story of redemption….HOME RUN is a winner.”

CCM Magazine

“ ‘HOME RUN’ swings for the fences, and often connects.”

Critics Pick, Washington Post

Samuel Goldwyn Films in association with Provident Films have partnered in the marketing and distribution of HOME RUN. Past successes of the Goldwyn and Provident partnership include Fireproof, October Baby and Facing the Giants. A Hero Productions Film in association with Impact Productions, HOME RUN is directed by David Boyd, with a screenplay by Brian Brightly, Melanie Wistar, Eric Newman and Candace Lee. The film is executive produced by Carol Spann Mathews and Tom Newman. HOME RUN stars Scott Elrod, Vivica A. Fox, Dorian Brown and Charles Henry Wyson.

In addition to the theatrical release of the film, Home Run the novel released in March 2013 with David C Cook publishers. Travis Thrasher, celebrated novelist, was enlisted to adapt the screenplay into a deeply moving story for fiction readers.

About Samuel Goldwyn Films:

Samuel Goldwyn Films is a major, independently owned and operated motion picture company that develops, produces and distributes innovative feature films and documentaries. The company is dedicated to working with both world renowned and emerging writers/filmmakers and committed to filmed entertainment that offers original voices in uniquely told stories.  Currently in release is RENOIR, Gilles Bourdos’ lush biopic on the famous Impressionist painter and Craig Juntunen’s STUCK, a moving film on the international adoption crisis. Following the release of HOME RUN, upcoming releases will be Academy Award® nominee James Cromwell starrer STILL MINE, and the highly anticipated wine documentary SOMM, a never before seen look into the prestigious and exclusive Court of Master Sommeliers.

About Provident Films:

Provident Films, a division of Provident Music Group, develops, produces and

markets faith-based films. Nashville-based Provident Music Group, a division of

Sony Music Entertainment, has served for more than three decades, worldwide,

as a leader in Christian entertainment.

www.providentfilms.org

About David C Cook:

David C Cook is a leading nonprofit resource provider serving the global Church

with life-transforming, Christ-centered materials. Headquartered in Colorado

Springs, Colorado, with offices in Illinois, Canada and the United Kingdom,

David C Cook’s resources are published in over 150 languages and distributed in

more than 160 countries. Originally founded in 1875 as a curriculum publisher,

today David C Cook publishes numerous bestselling fiction and non-fiction books

from a variety of award-winning authors. It is also a leading provider of worship

music through its Integrity Music and Kingsway Music labels, which produce

over one-third of the top 100 praise and worship songs sung around the

world. www.davidccook.com

###

Starring Jim Caviezel, Laura Dern, Michael Chiklis and Alexander Ludwig

Thomas Carter Directs True Story about Sport’s Most Legendary Winning Streak

New Orleans, Louisiana (April 22, 2013) – Principal photography begins today in New Orleans on the inspirational high school football movie WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL about a visionary coach who led a struggling football team to unparalleled national record-breaking success by teaching them to stand for something greater than winning.  Produced by Mandalay for Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) and its AFFIRM Films division, WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL is slated for a fall 2014 release.

Starring Jim Caviezel, Laura Dern, Michael Chiklis and Alexander Ludwig, the Thomas Carter-helmed screen adaptation of Neil Hayes’ best-selling book of the same name, WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL, which tells the true story of legendary De La Salle High School football Coach Bob Ladouceur (Caviezel) and his assistant coach Terry Eidson (Chiklis), who took the Concord, California Spartans prep team from obscurity to a 151-game winning streak from 1992 to 2003 that shattered all records for consecutive victories in any American sport. Known as “Coach Lad,” Ladouceur had little experience coaching football when he was hired at De La Salle, but through his unyielding focus on character-building, faith, responsibility and commitment, created one of the country’s greatest football dynasties. Dern will portray Ladouceur’s strong and supportive wife, Bev, and Ludwig will play the Spartans’ standout running back, Chris Ryan, as he chases the state scoring record. 

David Zelon, whose credits include Soul Surfer, Never Back Down and Into the Blue serves as Producer for Mandalay.  DGA ® and Emmy Award®-winner Thomas Carter directs from Scott Marshall Smith’s screenplay, which is based on Hayes’ book, When the Game Stands Tall:  The Story of the De La Salle Spartans and Football’s Greatest Winning Streak. Carter, who won an Emmy® as executive producer of HBO’s boxing movie, “Don King: Only in America,” also directed and executive produced the film Coach Carter, starring Sam Jackson as another resolute prep coach determined to teach his players that loyalty, belief and conviction are any game’s greatest assets. Alan Graf, renowned for his work on Friday Night Lights, Gridiron Gang,
Any Given Sunday, The Replacements and Necessary Roughness, is the film’s second unit director, stunt coordinator and football coordinator.  Peter Nelson and Rich Peluso will oversee the film for SPWA and AFFIRM Films.

Inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame and widely considered the greatest prep football coach of all time, Ladouceur’s spectacular achievements during his 34 years with the De La Salle Spartans include a historic 12-year, 151-game run of consecutive wins, 20 undefeated seasons, seven national titles, five CIF Bowl championships, 17 state championships and 28 CIF North Coast titles.  When Ladouceur retired in January 2013, he was the all-time winningest coach in California having amassed one of the highest-winning percentage of any coach (.934%) with his 399-25-3 record.

“On the surface, it appears that these players just won a lot of football games, but what makes this story so special is that this is a coach who placed little value on winning, instead focusing his players on giving a ‘perfect effort’ in life,” said producer David Zelon. “Underneath it is a resounding testimonial about how much more kids can achieve when they are challenged with responsibility and commitment.”

Steve Bersch, President, SPWA, added:  “The story of WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL resonates far beyond football or sports in the way all great sports films do.  At its core, this is a timeless and universal story about character, hard work and love.  Coach Lad’s inspirational and unyielding focus on building integrity, discipline, faith and commitment above all else is his foundation for excelling in coaching and life, and is what gives this story its unique
power and magic.”

Director Thomas Carter added: “Bob Ladouceur and his commitment to excellence and perfect effort are the reasons why I want to make movies.  This is a story that goes way beyond a 151-game winning streak.  The De La Salle story is an almost unbelievable inspiration to anyone who really knows it.”

Known to audiences around the world for his performances in The Thin Red Line, The Count of Monte Cristo and the record-shattering film, The Passion of the Christ, Frequency and Deja Vu actor Jim Caviezel recently completed the action thriller Escape Plan, opposite Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegge, and Savannah with Chiwetel Ejiofor. He currently stars as John Reese in the CBS television series “Person of Interest”.

Three-time Golden Globe®-winner (“Enlightened,” “Recount,” “Afterburn”) Laura Dern was last seen as Amy Jellicoe in the HBO series “Enlightened” and as Helen Sullivan in Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master.  Currently, she is onscreen as Dr. Ellie Sattler in the 20^th anniversary 3-D release of Steven Spielberg’s classic, Jurassic Park.

Emmy and Golden Globe®-winner (“The Shield”) Michael Chiklis currently stars in the series “Vegas,” opposite Dennis Quaid and as Marvel Comic’s Ben Grimm in the blockbuster Fantastic Four film series.  He will be seen next in the crime thriller Pawn.

Alexander Ludwig’s portrayal of Cato in The Hunger Games rocketed the young actor to international stardom.  Also known for his work in the hit films Race to Witch Mountain and The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising, Ludwig has three films coming out soon: Final Girl, Grown Ups 2 and Lone Survivor.

“Like” WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/whenthegamestandstall

Follow WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL on Twitter: www.twitter.com/wtgst

MANDALAY

Mandalay is a development, production and financing company, which focuses on films exhibiting innovative storytelling, premier talent and global appeal.  Mandalay’s last picture with Sony was the inspirational sports story of the champion surfer, Bethany Hamilton.

SONY PICTURES WORLDWIDE ACQUISITIONS

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies.
For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com/.

ABOUT AFFIRM FILMS 

AFFIRM Films is a division of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA), a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company, dedicated to producing, acquiring and marketing films which inspire, uplift, and entertain audiences.  www.AFFIRMFilms.com.

# # #

New Film by the Creator of the GOD ADVENTURE TRILOGY Finds

Incredible Kickstarter Support for New Project

Darren Wilson’s New Film – HOLY GHOST – Raises Over $77K from 455 Backers

in Less Than 24 Hours with Campaign That Allows Fans to be

Part of the Filmmaking Process

Campaign Seeks Additional $123,000 in Funds

 To Create a Film Alongside Supporters.

SOURCE: Biscuit PR

Chicago, IL – In a time when Kickstarter Campaigns seem to be launching every moment, it takes something truly unique to rise above and gain immediate attention.  Now in their second campaign with Kickstarter, Darren Wilson and the Wanderlust Productions team appear to have filled that niche, raising nearly 40% of their $200,000 goal in less than 24 hours to fund the 2014 release, HOLY GHOST.

As Darren himself puts it, “Our films have always struck a chord with people, but what makes this one exciting (and, honestly, terrifying) is that the whole process of making the film will be played out, live, to everyone who chooses to be a part of this journey.”

Wilson’s earlier films, the GOD ADVENTURE TRILOGY consisting of FINGER OF GOD, FURIOUS LOVE and FATHER OF LIGHTS led him to the corners of the Globe, seeking how God is moving and working in the lives of the faithful.  Now, with HOLY GHOST, Wilson sets off on his most challenging adventure yet, trying to capture a balanced yet exciting picture of the Holy Spirit and how he is working in the world today.  While HOLY GHOST will by no means attempt to explain every aspect of this often misunderstood member of the Trinity, the film will be one man’s journey to gain a better understanding of both the power and mystery of this part of God.

Like his other films, HOLY GHOST seeks to engage a worldwide audience.  From the alleyways of Brazil to the gates of the Vatican, this film will scope the many religions and belief systems in our world today.

Never one to play by the typical rules of filmmaking, this Kickstarter campaign hopes to make history.  Through this campaign, Darren will be offering an unprecedented look into the making of the film, and will even encourage supporters to help determine what questions he asks, what he films and even how the film will be put together.  Campaign supporters will be allowed to experience far more than just watching a movie in 2014.

To support the HOLY GHOST Kickstarter campaign, please go to: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wpfilm/holy-ghost-experience

For more information on Darren Wilson and his GOD ADVENTURE TRILOGY, please see: http://www.wpfilm.com/

# # #

SOURCE: AG Publicity

Katy, TX (April 19, 2013) Beth Roose Films is in the pre-production planning phase on the remake of the classic family film, “Tomboy and the Champ”.

Beth Roose, a Katy, TX resident who is CEO of Beth Roose Films, the company that will film the movie on location in Katy. The film will star Ben Johnson, Candy Moore and Jesse White, the original movie was released in 1961 and was also filmed in Katy.

“I just couldn’t resist the fun of doing a remake of this classic family film,” stated Roose, who will work with veteran actor Edward Faulkner to direct the made-for-TV movie.

Faulkner may be remembered from his acting roles in various John Wayne and Elvis Presley movies. Faulkner is also taking on the role of Uncle Jim in the “Tomboy and the Champ” remake.

New young film actress Eden Wood has been chosen for the lead role of Tommie Jo in the remake, which in addition to Faulkner, also features Don Collier of “High Chapparal” fame, as a reporter, Gospel singer Ian Owens as a minister and Lee Merriweather, an actress known for her many television roles as well as portraying Catwoman in the “Batman” series, in the role of Aunt Sara.

Safe for the family as “heartwarming family entertainment,” the remake focuses on life on a small East Texas ranch and the touching story of Tommie Jo’s devotion to her pet Angus steer.

According to Roose, filming is scheduled to begin at the end of August, and plans are to use Katy residents to fill minor roles as well as serve as film extras.”We also plan to use the local FFA chapter as they did in the original film, and I look forward to re-creating many of the original scenes…. especially the parade, which included the Katy High School band, cheerleaders and football team.”

Roose said she and her crew will be working closely with the Mayor’s Office to secure permits, as well as local community participation.

Roose said she was inspired to create positive, family-friendly films to try and counter some of the negative cartoons that today’s kids are subjected.

“It is not unusual to hear and watch negative, disrespectful and rude characters and story lines,” she said. “I strongly believe that families are searching for positive story lines [in today's cartoons and films]. That’s why I branched out to do the remake of a family-friendly classic film.”

In addition to “Tomboy and the Champ,” Beth Roose Films plans to make another family movie, “Whirlwind,” based on the book by Alison Hart.

Scott Godsey and Associates are producing both the “Tomboy and the Champ” and “Whirlwind.”

In addition to the movies Roose and company are currently working on two music videos. One is titled “Christmas Needs Love to be Christmas” and features both Ian Owens and Eden Woods. The second is titled “Soul’d Out: Never Give Up.” Both are being produced by Scott Godsey and Associates.

Beth Roose Films can be contacted at http://bethroosefilms.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/ElfSparkle .

****

About Beth Roose Films
Creativity on film would pretty well describe Beth Roose Films.
Beth Roose has taken a unique approach to reaching out to kids and families today. With the help of some celebrity stars, and some Gospel singers Beth is reaching millions with a positive message by using characters like Elf Sparkle and Jimmy Paul The Pug Tooth Fairy.

About Godsey and Associates
In the last quarter of 2011, Scott Godsey started a team making music videos for Christian artists. That soon developed into not only working inside the Christian music business, but going outside of the Christian music world. Soon after, the company expanded into other genres. G&A started working with churches, authors, and organizations. The Godsey & Associate formula works with any company that wants to focus on brand building and getting in front of an audience.

AND FOUR-TIME EMMY^® AWARD NOMINEE DANNY GLOVER  JOIN DERMOT MULRONEY, JOSH LUCAS AND

THOMAS HORN IN A FILM ABOUT THE INFINITE ADVENTURE AND POSSIBILITY OF THE WORLD OUTSIDE OUR OWN,

‘SPACE WARRIORS’ ON ‘WALDEN FAMILY THEATER’

A HALLMARK CHANNEL ORIGINAL WORLD TELEVISION PREMIERE MAY 31

“Space Warriors” Is Part Of “Walmart and P&G present Walden Family Theater,” a New Series of Family Movies Created by Walmart, P&G, Walden Media and ARC Entertainment, To Air Exclusively on Hallmark Channel

SOURCE: Rogers & Cowan

(April 15, 2013) - The son of a retired NASA astronaut who lived on the International Space Station, makes his dreams of traveling to outer space come true when he competes to win a seat on the next space shuttle in this spectacular real-life look into the world of Space Camp, a Hallmark Channel Original World Television Premiere, “Space Warriors” Friday, May 31 (8p.m. ET/PT, 7C).  Academy Award^® Winner Mira Sorvino (“Mighty Aphrodite,” “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion”) and four-time Emmy^® Award Nominee Danny Glover (“Hannah’s Law,” “Touch,” “Lethal Weapon”) lead an all-star cast which includes, Dermot Mulroney (“New Girl,” “My Best Friends Wedding”), Josh Lucas (“J. Edgar,” “Sweet Home Alabama”) and Thomas Horn (“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”).

“Space Warriors” is part of Hallmark Channel’s exciting new Friday appointment viewing night franchise, “Walden Family Theater,” created in collaboration with Walmart, Procter & Gamble, award-winning family entertainment producer, Walden Media, and fast-growing independent studio, ARC Entertainment. Executive producer Spencer Proffer’s Meteor 17 music and media enterprise is also a production partner on “Space Warriors.”  “Walden Family Theater” is designed to further fill the void on TV for quality, family entertainment.

Jimmy Hawkins (Horn) has lived and breathed astrophysics his entire life and as a result, possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of the field.  So when the opportunity to compete and win a seat on the next space shuttle arises, he secretly applies despite his father’s, retired NASA astronaut Capt. Andy Hawkins (Mulroney) and mother’s (Sorvino), reservations.

When Jimmy secures the final spot to attend the special space camp at the Space & Rocket Center, which is run by former astronaut Col. Roy Manley (Lucas), he joins an elite team of teens called The Warriors who must test their skills against a strong but devious opposition, The Titans.  Just as the competition is coming to an end and The Warriors are feeling defeated, there is an urgent crisis aboard the International Space Station.  High-ranking NASA official, Commander Phillips (Glover), has run out of options and it becomes clear that it will be up to these kids to solve the problem and save the lives of the astronauts and cosmonauts some 200 miles from Earth.  Using their skills and abilities to work together as a team, The Warriors hatch a brilliant plan that just might save the day.

“Space Warriors” is a Kickstart production presented by ARC Entertainment, Walden Media, Meteor 17, Brookwell McNamara Entertainment, Walmart and Procter & Gamble. Spencer Proffer, Sean McNamara, Brad Liebow, Trevor Drinkwater, Louis J. Grieci III, Janet M. Morrison, Benjamin Simon and Aaron Tucker are the executive producers.  Jason Netter is the producer and Sean McNamara is the director.  Screenplay by Sean McNamara & Jeff Phillips and Ron Bass.  Story by Sean McNamara & Jeff Philips and Stan Chervin & Jim Strain. Proffer is also the Supervising Music Producer of the film and has brought significant music assets to the film and its marketing.

Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24-hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality entertainment programming available in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) to a national audience of 87 million subscribers. Hallmark Channel is the nation’s leading destination for quality family programming with an ambitious slate of original TV movies and specials, as well as some of television’s most beloved sitcoms and series, including The Golden Girls, Frasier, and Happy Days. The channel is also home to a range of lifestyle programming, anchored by Home & Family, a daily two-hour live show shot in a fully functional house located on the Universal Studios lot, and Marie, a one-hour talk show hosted by iconic entertainer, Marie Osmond. Hallmark Channel’s sibling network, Hallmark Movie Channel, also available in HD and SD, focuses on family-friendly movies with a mix of original films, classic theatrical releases, and presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library.

Hallmark Channel on Social Media: Facebook, Twitter (Join the conversation at #HeartofTV), Pinterest, GetGlue, YouTube

The Bible: The Epic Miniseries

Director: Crispin Reece, Tony Mitchell, Christopher Spencer
Starring: Keith David (Narrator), Diogo Morgado, Roma Downey, Darwin Shaw, William Houston, Sebastian Knapp, Greg Hicks
Running Time: 440 minutes
TV Debut Air Date: March 3, 2013
Blu-Ray Release Date: April 2, 2013 (Amazon.com)

Plot Summary
From Genesis to Revelation, The Bible: The Epic Miniseries illuminates the Bible, re-telling the stories as they unfold in the Bible, revealing new insights into these iconic characters in context of the Bible. The series will feature some of the most famous stories ever written from Noah’s Ark and the Exodus to Daniel in the Lion’s Den to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. (Think Jam)

Film Review
Any time the holiest book ever written has been translated into visual media, there’s been speculation and scrutiny over its accuracy. And while many of its stories contained within its blessed pages have been interpreted visually time and time again, something on the scale as The Bible: The Epic Miniseries, hasn’t quite been done before. I remember the TV channel TNT featuring solo Bible-story-themed films when I was a teen, and most of those were done on a grand scale, but the people behind this miniseries clearly have a different approach and goal in mind when making visual tales for a new generation of TV watchers.

The Bible: The Epic Miniseries is ten nearly hour-long episodes that take the viewer from God’s creation of the Earth on through to John’s writing of Revelation. However, to pack 66 books of the Bible into a miniseries, many liberties were taken to make this undertaking “work.” But many viewers will have their own opinions about what was included and excluded in the series. For example, the miniseries covers creation and Adam and Eve’s fall, along with Noah’s Ark, literally within the first few minutes of the first episode. The first episode, titled “The Beginning,” is really all about Abraham and God’s promises. Ultimately, it shows how Abraham was promised countless descendants which inevitably leads to Jesus’ coming, so I can understand why the beginning is breezed over for continuity, but it’s shortcuts like these that make me wonder if they couldn’t have tried stretching this out into either a full-on TV series or a longer miniseries (although I understand a full-on TV series would be extremely costly). Because of this, you can tell while watching the series that they were trying hard to make it interesting and exciting to viewers who wouldn’t normally watch something like this. As such, any chance these episodes can take to display the brutality of the times are taken. At first, it’s not only jarring due to the sometimes goriness of it, but it’s jarring because of how overly stylized and therefore campy it can appear. For example, when the angels aid in the destruction of Sodom, they’re portrayed as warriors in soldier uniforms, red-hooded cloaks and sporting battle scars. They then, in slow motion of course, whip out a pair of swords and go slashing and stabbing through a line of people. Throughout scenes like this, the sound effects of squishing flesh and blood-spilling is heard as blood is usually seen squirting up from wounds or spraying from a blow that’s been delivered. It usually pushes past what you’d typically see in a given PG-13 action movie, making some of this clearly R-rated material (but, granted, they don’t show dismemberments and such, like most restricted films would). But aside from the sheer violence, it’s the fact that the show focuses on these historical moments in nearly every episode as through the lens of what you might see in an action film that make it feel more gratuitous than anything. You can tell they tried hard to adapt The Bible for people who wouldn’t normally read it or watch a series like this. It also leaves you wondering how much shorter this series would end up being if they weren’t constantly relying on slow motion effects to manipulate the tone of a given scene.

As a whole, it probably isn’t a big surprise that the miniseries doesn’t really seem to find its legs until Jesus is introduced around episode 6. Characters are constantly being introduced and dismissed episode after episode (and many times within one episode), so it’s tough to latch on to some of the characters. But from his birth, we’re shown Jesus starting his ministry and the road that takes him to his eventual death on a cross. Diogo Morgado portrays Jesus in a very warm, soft way, which is definitely different from Jim Caviezel’s more intense portrayal in The Passion of the Christ, but still Morgado does a fairly good job interpreting Christ. His appearance may adhere to some of the more iconic or idealistic depictions of Jesus a little too much, but he still does a good job bringing Jesus to the screen. Other standout performances include Darwin Shaw as Peter, and Con O’Neill as Paul. Actually, most of the main disciples turn in memorable performances, while Amber Rose Revah’s Mary Magdelene feels over-stated in many moments (but more on her character later). We actually don’t see Paul until the series’ final episode, “Courage,” and it’s a rather abbreviated telling of the apostle’s story — from Christian-killer to follower of Christ. O’Neill plays Paul very intensely from the start (oddly enough, it’s never mentioned that his name was Saul first before conversion). Upon realizing who his character was when he’s introduced as a persecutor of Stephen, I instantly became curious as to how O’Neill would be able to portray Paul post-conversion. In the end, the series left me wanting more on Paul’s character. If anything, I felt like Paul is such an important person in the rise of the modern church that more than just a portion of one episode would have been ideal for telling his story. Most Biblical tales involving Jesus end with his resurrection, so “Courage” was a particularly engaging installment of the series.

Since it’s obvious that the series is trying to keep The Bible epic in appearance and scale and storytelling, there’s a great deal of story-hopping throughout the episodes. Just when you feel like a story might be gaining momentum, we jump 40 or 100 years ahead to another character. In “Homeland,” we get the story of Samson after the story of Jericho’s fall. Samson here is presented as a bulky African American man with dreads(?!). While we all have had our Sunday School imprintings of what we have come to believe a character to look like, it’s hard to believe that this is a realistic representation of him. To make matters worse, his scenes feel like something taken out of The Mummy Returns or The Scorpion King… not The Bible. The other odd but disputable storytelling liberty that really sticks out to me was the inclusion of Mary Magdelene in Jesus’s ministry journey. They leave out some of Mary’s pre-resurrection stories in the Bible and focus on her as having tagged along with the 12 disciples. Not only did it feel a little odd (like she was more of a groupie), but Amber Rose Revah’s performance just made it seem all the more less fitting. Most of the actors in Jesus’ main twelve are actually strong, convincing actors (Thomas was also solid, as was Judas), and Revah stood out too much. But, when it comes to what stories they chose to include in these ten episodes, it surprised me, not only that Noah was only briefly mentioned, but that the inspiring story of Joseph was ignored and that Jesus’ time on Earth after his resurrection was shortened to just a scene or two (I was really looking forward to the story of when Jesus appears to them while fishing, for one). It’s easy to point out missed opportunities or artistic liberties taken (like how it isn’t until Jesus hugs Peter after the Last Supper that he gets a vision of Peter’s denial), but the heart and essence of The Bible is captured without any watering down, which is a little surprising in today’s social climate.

The content of The Bible is in line with how rough the Holy Book’s wording actually is, but as I mentioned before, some of the violence just really feels much too gratuitous. Not only are many of the battles really bloody (especially by what one might expect from a television series…but yes, I realize times have changed dramatically), but things like slicing a lamb’s throats for sacrifices are oddly focused upon seemingly just for the sake of being able to show a flood of blood spewing from the animal’s neck (and several episodes feature this). Other times, slow motion, dramatic music, and blood squirting from a victim are utilized to make moments feel more “epic” and dramatic, when I have to wonder how just a straight-shooting take on it would have impacted audiences instead (in other words, do we need all the added dramatic visual elements? Or would good acting and character development be enough for viewers? There was a painful overdose of slow motion in these episodes). When John The Baptist is executed, we see a silhouette shot of his severed head being removed. It’ll be shocking for younger viewers (along with David’s beheading of Goliath), but they’re just a couple examples of how brutal things on the screen can get. There are also a couple scenes where infants or children are murdered, which are a bit disturbing. The worst of these is when King Zedekiah’s two little children are killed in front of him just before they gouge his eyes out. They cut away from the actual killing, but we see them lying dead on the ground and then the king getting his eyes squished in. Finally, there’s a little sexuality with Delilah seducing Samson and David watching Bathsheba bathe, but there is no nudity or sexual acts ever actually shown, as the filmmakers clearly decided to handle such subject matter far more delicately than the violence.

I was excited to hear that Hans Zimmer had scored the miniseries, but upon watching it, I didn’t find Zimmer’s work standing out as much as it normally has for films of his–like Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, Inception, or the Pirates of the Caribbean and Sherlock Holmes series. In all fairness, however, once Jesus is introduced, Zimmer seemed to be holding the more memorable music for the Savior, and even though some cues may remind a few viewers of The Dark Knight Rises or other previous works from Zimmer, his score finally seems to really add to what we’re seeing on the screen.

When all is said and done and the credits roll on the tenth chapter, I could certainly glean spiritual insights and inspiration from The Bible: The Epic Miniseries, but I couldn’t help feel like some aspects just left me wanting more, while other portions felt like complete letdowns. Personally, of the Old Testament tales, I might be inclined to revisit David’s story, but The Bible: The Epic Miniseries really felt like it took off when Jesus was introduced. And while I think it could have spent more time on his teachings (even as a young boy, which wasn’t touched on at all), and stories from the book of Acts, there’s enough shown here to educate and entertain, but most of all, inspire. And most importantly, hopefully it will inspire people to pick up the source material and read The Good Book.
- John DiBiase, (reviewed: 4/13/13)

Blu-Ray Special Features Review
You can get all 10 episodes in either a 4-disc DVD set or on a 4-disc Blu-Ray set. The picture quality on the Blu-Ray set is truly remarkable. They obviously spared no expense, and the high definition transfer is excellent. Along with the feature episodes are the following extras:

The Bible: Genesis (9:35) – This short featurette features Roma Downey and her husband Mark Burnett who executive produced the project as a labor of love to tell these stories to a new generation. Roma talks a lot about what the scope was for the project and how they picked what stories would go into the series.

Scoring The Bible (8:45) – Hans Zimmer and vocalist Lisa Gerrard teamed up for the film’s score, and it’s especially interesting to hear from Zimmer and the producers about this project, and how excited Downey was to actually get Zimmer to do it.

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The Cast Of The Bible (13:36) – Here we hear from the key cast throughout the series until we reach Jesus and Roma talks about how difficult it was to find the right actor for Jesus — until they tracked down a famous actor from Portugal, Diogo Morgado. We then hear more from Morgado about the role and what he did to prepare to play Jesus.

The Creation (42:09) is an episode-long featurette about the making of the series, separated into three parts: I: The Vision and The Look, II: Production Stories, and III: Crucified & Resurrected. It’s a thorough and fascinating making-of featurette. Everything from stories on set (like a set collapsing after people left it) to Roma talking about being chosen to play adult Mary even though she hadn’t been planning on starring in the series, is covered.

Believing in Miracles (7:59) – Maya Angelou herself opens up this featurette talking about what The Bible means to her. Roma and the crew then share about some real miracles that happened on set — including how the wind rushed during the scene where Jesus talks to Nicodemus, which wasn’t planned and was a real gust of wind that happened on cue (If you look closely at the scene, you can catch a hint of surprise on Diogo’s face). But most of this short featurette shows some on-set filming and Roma and Mark talking about the project.

The Bible: Visual Effects (3:05) is a montage of before-and-after effects shots. Some were obvious in the series, while others weren’t. It’s actually pretty impressive.

“Mary Did You Know?” Music Video (3:41) is a music video using Mark Lowry’s song “Mary Did You Know?” as it was performed in 1996 by Kenny Rogers and Wynonna, set to clips from the series from Jesus’ birth till the last episode. (It’s a little surprising that they chose a recording that’s 17 years old for this music video, though.)
- John DiBiase, (reviewed: 4/13/13)

Parental Guide: Content Summary
 Sex/Nudity:

Episode 1 (“In The Beginning”) – We briefly see Adam and Eve with Eve’s long hair covering up any nudity; Sarah tells Abraham to sleep with Hagar since she is barren. We see Hagar’s bare back while lying in Abraham’s tent; In Sodom we see a lot of people making out and partying. We also see a fat man dressed like a woman

Episode 3 (“Homeland”) – A soldier calls Rahab, a prostitute, a whore; Delilah shows cleavage; Delilah and Samson are shown lying in bed together in two different scenes. They’re not shown doing anything, but it’s obvious what their relationship is like

Episode 4 (“Kingdom”) – David watches Bathsheba bathe and we see her bare back. He then meets with her and asks her to sleep with him. She resists at first, but they do (nothing is shown).

 Vulgarity/Language: None.

 Alcohol/Drugs: There’s some drinking throughout the series, but a few stand out: Episode 4 (“Kingdom”) – Saul shouts an order to be brought wine; Uriah gets drunk.

 Blood/Gore:
Episode 1 (“In The Beginning”) – We see the act of Cain killing Abel with lots of blood on Abel’s head; Abraham’s people attack Lot’s captors. We see some blood spray as there’s lots of slashing and stabbing. Abraham has some blood from his victims on his face; We see some blood on an angel’s head; We see people’s eyes bleeding as Sodom is destroyed; We see an angel with blood on his face as he runs through the streets of Sodom, slashing and stabbing people with blood squirting out.

Episode 2 (“Exodus”) – Ramses has a pretty gory cut on his cheek; We see little kids with blood on them, infants thrown into the water to die; A slave is whipped with blood on his back; In one of the plagues, we see the water turn to blood and Ramses covered in it; We see some gory animal carcasses and sores on people’s faces; A lamb is sacrificed and its throat is cut and we see blood dripping from its throat; Lamb’s blood is smeared on doorways for passover; There’s a little blood on Ramses’ sons mouth and nose

Episode 3 (“Homeland”) – We see blood squirting and spraying as the Israelites stab and slash through the people of Jericho; We see blood squirting as Samson kills Philistines. We see blood come from a guard’s mouth; A man’s throat is slit and it’s very bloody; Samson takes a jawbone and goes on a killing spree with lots of flying blood; Samson’s eyes are gouged out off screen and we see a bloody rag around his eyes and blood running down his face

Episode 4 (“Kingdom”) – A lamb’s throat is cut for sacrifice and we see a lot of blood spill out; An enemy camp is raided and we see slashing and stabbing with some blood; There’s a little blood when Samuel stabs and kills the enemy king; Saul has some blood in his face; David slings a rock at Goliath. There’s a red mark on the giant’s forehead as he falls. We then see the silhouette of David holding up Goliath’s bloody decapitated head; We see blood squirting as a priest’s throat is cut; David brings a bag of enemy foreskins to Saul and we see a little bit of blood on the bag and hear flies buzzing around it; Saul stabs himself, blood runs out his mouth, we see the point sticking out of his back with blood on it

Episode 5 (“Survival”) – We learn of the famine and see children eating, presumably, human bones; Jerusalem is raided with more stabbing and slashing, one soldier with lots of blood after slashed; We see more blood on another victim in Jerusalem; King Zedekiah’s kids are killed in front of him (it’s a bit disturbing) and then the soldiers gouge out his eyes. His face is bloody from this; We see some burns on Nebuchadnezzar’s hand We hear that the Romans are crucifying people and we see a large group of crosses with bloody dead bodies on them

Episode 6 (“Hope”) – We see Herod with leeches all over him with bloody soars, scabs; Herod stabs man in the neck and blood bubbles out; We see a man crucified and covered in blood; We see bloody, ghostly dead crucified bodies; Jesus sees visions of his bloody crucifixion; John The Baptist is beaten with blood on his face; John is beheaded and then we see the silhouette of his gory, decapitated head

Episode 7 (“Mission”) – A leper approaches Jesus for healing and we see his deformed, bloody face; We see Pilate sparring with swords with a soldier, and he slashes a bare chested man so we see some blood across their chest; We see some dead. bloody bodies of Jews that Romans had slain

Episode 8 (“Betrayal”) – Jesus sees bloody vision of his crucifixion; Peter punches Judas and slices a soldier’s ear, which is bloody; Jesus has blood on his cheek as they hit him

Episode 9 (“Passion”) – Jesus’ face is bruised and bloody; We see the bloody back of Jesus as he’s being whipped; There is blood smeared on the wall of Jesus’ cell (from him). Blood then streams down his face from the crown of thorns as it’s pushed into his head; A sheep’s throat is sliced spilling lots of blood; Jesus’s clothes are torn off, revealing his bloody body; Jesus and the thieves hanging on the cross next to him have blood running from their hands and feet as they’ve been nailed to their crosses

Episode 10 (“Courage”) – After he’s resurrected, we see can see through the holes in Jesus’ hands; We see Stephen stoned to death. As such, he has blood on his head and running from his nose; Paul briefly sees flashes of bloody faces of victims of his persecution; Peter is beaten (possibly to death), and the camera focuses on his face with his mouth filled with blood. Blood splatters out as his head flinches backward in pain.

 Violence:

Episode 1 (“In The Beginning”) – We see the act of Cain killing Abel; We briefly see people drowning in Noah’s flood; People brawl over the land; We see Lot and other people tied up. Someone elbows Lot in the face. Abraham’s people attack, with lots of stabbing and slashing; As Sodom is destroyed, we see people’s eyes bleeding; An angel pulls out two swords and runs through the streets of Sodom, slashing and stabbing people; Fire rains down on the city of Sodom; Abraham carries Isaac up the mountain with the intent to sacrifice him and almost does; We see some Jews being whipped

Episode 2 (“Exodus”) – Ramses and Moses spar and Moses slashes Ramses on the cheek; We see little kids with blood on them, infants thrown into the water to die; A slave is whipped and Moses kills the soldier with rock who was doing the whipping; Moses is punched in the gut and dragged off; We see some gory animal carcasses and sores on people’s faces; A lamb is sacrificed and its throat is cut and we see blood dripping from its throat; The Angel of Death comes through Egypt, killing the first born. We see Ramses’ son lying dead; When the Red Sea waves come crashing down, it crushes the soldiers pursuing Moses and his people

Episode 3 (“Homeland”) – A soldier roughs up Rahab; the Israelites slash up the Jericho people when they raid the city; We see the Jericho walls crumble and then the Israelites slash the people inside; We see the Philistines beating Israelites and Samson smacking people around; The Philistines smack Samson’s wife’s father and then burn Samson’s wife in their home; Samson twists a man’s neck, killing him and then goes on a killing rampage; A man’s throat is slit; Samson takes a jawbone and goes on a killing spree; Samson’s eyes are gouged out off screen (he hear him screaming in agony) and we see a bloody rag around his eyes and blood running down his face; Samson collapses the temple, killing many people

Episode 4 (“Kingdom”) – A lamb’s throat is cut for sacrifice; The throat of an enemy is cut from behind before the people raid the camp. There’s lots of slashing and stabbing with some blood; Samuel stabs and kills the enemy king; Young David kills a wolf with a sling; David slings a rock at Goliath. We then see the silhouette of David holding up Goliath’s bloody decapitated head. We soon see David killing enemies as he ages; There’s more battling with lots of dead bodies shown. Saul stabs himself, blood runs out his mouth, we see the point sticking out of his back with blood on it; David and his men attack Jerusalem and slash and stab people; We hear of Uriah being sent to battle to die

Episode 5 (“Survival”) – We learn of the famine and see children eating, presumably, human bones. We see them dragging one off into the dark to presumably eat it; We see flaming arrows being shot into the sky and hitting people; Jerusalem is raided with more stabbing and slashing; King Zedekiah’s kids are killed in front of him (it’s a bit disturbing) and then the soldiers gouge out his eyes; Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are thrown into the furnace but do not burn. Nebuchadnezzar sticks his hand in the flames to see if it truly is hot and we see his flesh burn some; Daniel is thrown into the lions den but survives. His accuser is then thrown in there and we hear him screaming as he’s eaten (not shown); We hear that the Romans are crucifying people and we see a large group of crosses with bloody dead bodies on them

Episode 6 (“Hope”) – The Jews try to remove the Roman eagle from their temple and are attacked. Some are hit by arrows, others stabbed, a man falls to his death; We see Herod with leeches all over him with bloody soars, scabs; Herod stabs man in the neck and blood bubbles out; The Romans are shown beating up the Jews; We see the murders of infant babies (disturbing); Herod’s son is strangled to death; Many Jews are slaughtered; We see people crucified; Jesus sees visions of his bloody crucifixion; John The Baptist is beaten; John is beheaded and then we see the silhouette of his gory, decapitated head

Episode 7 (“Mission”) – We see the Romans beating up rebels; We see Pilate sparring with swords with a soldier, and he slashes a bare chested man; blood; Romans beat Jews and stab some

Episode 8 (“Betrayal”) – Jesus overturns tables in the temple; Romans fighting Jews again; Jesus sees bloody vision of his crucifixion; Peter punches Judas and slices a soldier’s ear; Jesus has blood on his cheek as they hit him

Episode 9 (“Passion”) – Jesus’ face is bruised and bloody and he is beaten by soldiers; Peter is struck and falls over; Judas hangs himself;
Jesus’s bare back is whipped repeatedly; The soldiers push a crown of thorns into the top of his head; They whip Jesus as he takes up the cross to carry it; A woman tries to help Jesus and is pushed away. A soldier then kicks Jesus; A sheep’s throat is sliced; Jesus’s clothes are torn off, revealing his bloody body; They whip Jesus as he crawls onto the cross. They then hammer nails into his hands and feet; We see two thieves hanging on crosses besides Jesus; After he dies, Jesus’ side is pierced with a spear

Episode 10 (“Courage”) – After he’s resurrected, we see can see through the holes in Jesus’ hands; Stephen is stoned to death. When he falls, we see his eyes frozen open as he lies there dead (it’s a bit haunting); Soldiers arrest and beat people; Paul falls from his horse; James is beheaded, and we see the sword come down where his neck is and the split-second of his head falling forward (it’s not gory, but is violent). The disciples look on in horror and disbelief; We see Matthew grabbed by opposers and thrown to the ground; Peter is beaten repeatedly while on the ground; Paul is smacked and taken away; John is forced to drink poison while chained up. We then see that he survives this and lives out his days in exile.

RARE FILM FAVORITES HIGHLIGHT

TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMNENT’S

MANUFACTURE-ON-DEMAND SLATE FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL

FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES

Seven Celebrated Films from the Prolific Child Actor are Available for the

First Time Ever April 12 in Honor of Her Birthday

Additional Collection of 25 Classic Films to Follow on April 16

LOS ANGELES (April 12, 2013) – In celebration of her 87th birthday, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment announced today the release of seven classic films to the manufacture-on-demand (MOD) series, Fox Cinema Archives, from the 1930s and 1940s featuring legendary child star Jane Withers. Watch the exciting adventures and mysteries unfold in these classic films from the comfort of your home available on DVD for the very first time April 12.

Born on April 12, 1926 in Atlanta Georgia, Jane Withers began acting and singing at only 3 years old. Her big break came at the age of 8 when she landed a role alongside Shirley Temple in Bright Eyes. An honoree of the Former Child Star “Lifetime Achievement” Award from the Young Artist Foundation, Jane Withers is known for being one of the most popular child film stars of the 1930s and early 1940s becoming one of the top 10 box-office stars of the time.

The seven films available include such notable classics as Little Miss Nobody, Rascals, Chicken-Wagon Family, High School, The Farmer Takes a Wife, Paddy O’Day, and Golden Hoofs.

Beginning April 16, Fox will follow with 25 classic films from the Fox Cinema Archives series featuring an impressive lineup of screen legends including Betty Grable, Debbie Reynolds, Tony Curtis, Buddy Hackett, Shirley Jones, Cesar Romero, Jack Benny, Eddie Albert, Zero Mostel, Maureen O’Hara, Ginger Rogers, Soupy Sales, Milton Berle and many many more.

Launched in 2012, Fox Cinema Archives has seen the release of more than 140 films from the Studio’s library. Movie lovers can purchase previously released and new films from the Fox Cinema Archives series at Amazon and other online retailers including www.foxconnect.com.

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JANE WITHERS FILMS (available Friday, April 12)

Little Miss Nobody (1936)

A supposedly orphaned prankster trapped in a terrible orphanage discovers she is actually the daughter of a prominent lawyer. She helps her best friend get adopted before being reunited with her father who has been searching for her.

Rascals (1938)

An amnesiac socialite works as a fortune teller to raise enough money for an operation to regain her memory. With the help of a traveling troupe, she regains her memory only to discover she is engaged to a man she doesn’t love.

Chicken-Wagon Family (1939)

Based on a novel by Barry Benefield, Addie Fippany along with her family travel the country-side in a mule-drawn wagon trading trinkets to farmers for chickens. Addie and her father love the care-free life, but Mrs. Fippany and Addie’s sister want to settle down in New York City. Once the family reaches New York, Addie ends up in a whole bunch of mischief.

High School (1940)

A rambunctious Texas ranch teenage girl is sent to a fancy school in San Antonio where she learns to behave in proper fashion and get along with others after making a series of mistakes.

The Farmer Takes a Wife (1935)

A farmer works on a canal boat in an effort to save money to buy a farm. He meets his wife on the canal who is a cook on the boat. Conflict arises when she can’t imagine leaving the carefree life on the canal for a banal life on a farm.

Paddy O’Day (1935)

Paddy, a young girl, travels to the United States from Ireland to meet her mother who is already living in the country. Shortly after arriving in New York, she learns her mother has recently died. Paddy takes refuge to avoid being deported and survives by working as an entertainer.

Golden Hoofs (1941)

A horse trainer finds romance with the millionaire man who bought her grandfather’s farm after he was forced to sell the land.

CLASSIC COMEDIES (available Tuesday, April 16)

All Hands on Deck (1961)

Zany goings-on aboard a Navy ship fly when a girl reporter stows away and an Indian crew member brings a live turkey aboard, throwing the entire Navy into confusion. This hilarious musical stars Pat Boone, Buddy Hackett and Barbara Eden.

Berlin Correspondent (1942)

Starring Virginia Gilmore, Dana Andrews, Martin Kosleck, and Erwin Kalser, Berlin Correspondent focuses on an American radio commentator in Berlin risks his life sending out coded messages to his listeners, warning of impending Nazi attacks.

Bobbikins (1959)

Shirley Jones and Max Bygraves star as the parents of the title character, an infant who talks like an adult. Bygraves is the only one who hears the infant speaking, leading others to believe he is losing his mind.

Call Me Mister (1951)

A song-and-dance man stationed in Japan in World War II goes AWOL to follow his wife, a member of an entertainment unit who has rejected him because of his many affairs. This World War II comedy features Betty Grable, Dan Dailey, Danny Thomas, and Dale Robertson.

Carnival in Costa Rica (1947)

A musical romance and intrigue in Central America occur when a boy and girl are betrothed by their families but are in love with others. The musical stars Dick Haymes, Vera Ellen, Cesar Romero, Celeste Holm, and Ernesto Lecuona.

Goodbye Charlie (1964)

Shot by a jealous husband and lost at sea, Charles finds himself returned to the world as a woman named Charlie in the zany comedy starring Tony Curtis, Debbie Reynolds, Pat Boone, Joanna Barnes, and Ellen Burstyn.

I Don’t Care Girl (1953)

The life of vaudeville performer Eva Tanguay, and the people with whom she lived and loved, is given lavish treatment. I Don’t Care Girl stars Mitzi Gaynor, David Wayne, Oscar Levant, Bob Graham, and George Jessel.

Irish Eyes are Smiling (1944)

Following the life of Ernest R. Ball, who composed many popular Irish songs. Sing along with Monty Woolley, June Haver, Dick Haymes, Anthony Quinn, Beverly Whitney, Maxie Rosenbloom, Veda Ann Borg, Clarence Kolb, Leonard Warren, and Blanche Thebom.

The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe (1942)

A glimpse into the life of writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe, his unhappy childhood, the women who loved him, and his driving ambition to write. This intense biography stars Shepperd Strudwick as the beloved author, Linda Darnell, Harry Morgan and Virginia Gilmore.

The Meanest Man in the World (1943)

After adopting a ruthless persona for himself, a kindly small town lawyer finds big city success, but loses himself and his girl in the comedy starring Jack Benny as the “meanest man” and his girl, Priscilla Lane.

Meet Me After the Show (1951)

When the marriage of a Broadway musical star and her producer husband breaks up, he feels she is only in love with money and she sets out to win back his love. This comedy stars Betty Grable, Macdonald Carey, and Rory Calhoun.

The Model and the Marriage Broker (1951)

Things just can’t go right when a model/client turns the tables on her cynical, meddling marriage broker. This classic romantic comedy features Jeanne Crain, Scott Brady Thelma Ritter and Zero Mostel.

The Moon is Down (1943)

Based on a novel by John Steinbeck, the film is the story of a small town in Norway that resists German occupation during World War II. The Moon is Down provides excellent action-packed performances by Cedric Hardwicke, Henry Travers and Lee J. Cobb.

The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker (1959)

A successful businessman, Mr. Pennypacker, has two wives and two sets of children in two different cities – what will he do when one wife finds out about the other one? This love triangle stars Clifton Webb, Dorothy McGuire, Charles Coburn, Jill St. John, and Ron Ely.

A Royal Scandal (1945)

Russia’s Catherine the Great falls in love with a handsome young army officer who is really a revolutionary plotting her downfall that stars Tallulah Bankhead as the Empress, Charles Coburn, Anne Baxter, William Eythe, and Vincent Price.

Sally, Irene and Mary (1938)

Three manicurists get their shot at fame when one inherits a ferryboat, which they turn it into a successful floating nightclub. This hysterical musical stars Alice Faye, Tony Martin, Joan Davis, and Marjorie Weaver.

Sitting Pretty (1948)

As part of his research for a book on suburban life, self-described genius Mr. Belvedere takes a job as a babysitter for three hard-to-handle children. Sitting Pretty features Robert Young in an Oscar nominated performance, Maureen O’Hara, and Clifton Webb.

Sons and Lovers (1960)

A young man’s life is adversely affected by the emotional manipulation of his domineering mother in this lush adaptation of D.H. Lawrence’s classic novel. Winner of the Oscar for Best Cinematography and nominated for six more including Best Picture, the star-studded cast includes Trevor Howard, Mary Ure, Dean Stockwell and Donald Pleasance.

Surf Party (1964)

Starring Bobby Vinton, Patricia Morrow, and Jack DeShannon, Surf Party features a young girl heads to the beach with her friends to go see her brother, and finds romance, music… and trouble.

Teenage Rebel (1956)

A woman tries to mend her relationship with her teenage daughter after the end of her marriage. This emotional Oscar nominated drama stars Ginger Rogers, Michael Rennie, and Mildred Natwick.

Thanks A Million (1935)

When a political candidate is too inebriated to give his campaign speech, the singer from his entertainment troupe gives it for him and ends up voted in as Governor. Starring Dick Powell, Ann Dvorak, and Fred Allen.

Two Little Bears (1961)

Two little children discover how to turn themselves into bears. Two Little Bears features Eddie Albert, Jane Wyatt, Butch Patrick, and Brenda Lee.

Wake Up and Live (1937)

As Walter Winchell feuds with bandleader Ben Bernie, a young singer in Ben’s band falls in love in this radio satire that stars Winchell and Bernie as themselves.

Whispering Ghosts (1942)

An actor who plays a detective on the radio tries to solve a real-life murder. This mystery-comedy stars Milton Berle, and Brenda Joyce.

The Young Swingers (1963)

A young woman is saddled with the task of evicting an entertainment company from a building her aunt owns. When she meets the rag-tag band of musicians, she decides to help them keep their lease. Starring Rod Lauren, Molly Bee, Jo Helton, and Gene McDaniels.

ABOUT TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTANMENT

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is a recognized global industry leader and a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company. Representing 75 years of innovative and award-winning filmmaking from Twentieth Century Fox, TCFHE is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming, acquisitions and original productions on DVD, Blu-ray Disc Digital Copy, Video On Demand and Digital Download. The company also releases all products globally for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce throughout the world.

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