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Insights from home entertainment industry experts. Home Media blogs give you the inside scoop on entertainment news, DVD and Blu-ray Disc releases, and the happenings at key studios and entertainment retailers. TK's Take analyzes and comments on home entertainment industry news and trends, Agent DVD Insider talks comic adaptations, and IndieFile delivers independent film news.

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November 09, 2009
Take a Trip to ‘Planet Hulk’

Planet Hulk

The folks at Lionsgate are pretty excited over their latest direct-to-video animated movie based on Marvel Comics superhero characters. Planet Hulk hits shelves Feb. 2 (prebook Jan. 6) and comes in single-DVD ($19.98), two-DVD special edition ($24.98) and Blu-ray Disc ($29.98) configurations.

Based on a Marvel storyline from a few years ago, the plot involves the forces of Earth declaring the Incredible Hulk too dangerous and exiling the big green guy into space. He eventually crashes on the distant planet Sakaar, ruled by the tyrannical Red King. Lots of fighting ensues.

I’m more of a DC guy myself, but this looks like a pretty exciting title for comic-book fans to check out.

Extras include a digital copy, a featurette, a “Wolverine and the X-Men” episode, “Spider-Woman” and “X-Men” music videos, and “Spider-Woman” and “X-Men” motion comics.
 

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October 30, 2009
Warner Discounts DC Comics Merchandise

The Warner Bros. online store, WBShop.com, is offering up to 40% savings off select branded DC Comics merchandise, including DVDs and Blu-ray Discs featuring such superheroes as Batman and Superman.

Featured items include the Watchmen DVD for $11.36 (40% off) or the Blu-ray for $18.96 (37% off), Superman/Batman: Public Enemies — Special Edition DVD for $16.30 (26% off) or Blu-ray for $19.13 (20% off), The Adventures of Aquaman animated series for $17.66 (23% off), Smallville: Season 8 for $36.27 (24% off), a "Batman" four-film set for $11.36 (40% off) and much more.

The offer expires Nov. 12 and excludes digital downloads.

Other merchandise includes costumes, watches, shirts, sweatshirts and collectibles.
 

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September 01, 2009
When Marvel Meets the Mouse

So, what can we expect from Disney’s buyout of Marvel Entertainment? Probably nothing too earth-shattering. The deal should help Disney target the young male demographic, but Marvel’s prior agreements with other studios aren’t going to net Disney many film rights to the characters for a few years.

Still, the merger is fertile soil for imaginative ideas:

• Pixar presents The Incredibles vs. The Fantastic Four — After all, The Incredibles are basically a thinly veiled copy of Marvel’s super foursome.

• Darkwing Duck joins the Avengers

• Scrooge McDuck attempts a hostile takeover of Stark Industries, gives the Iron Man suit to Launchpad McQuack. Hilarity ensues.

• Galactus devours It's a Small World — hundreds of randy teens take their make-out sessions to Pirates of the Caribbean instead.

• Doctor Doom takes over Sleeping Beauty’s castle, adds missiles.

• Namor the Sub-Mariner proposes marriage to The Little Mermaid, learns she has a thing for Aquaman.

• Captain America hosts a new DVD of Disney's World War II propaganda films — just because it’s the patriotic duty of all steroid-enabled American superheroes (I’m sorry. Cap isn’t on steroids. It’s “super soldier serum.” My bad.).

• Remy LeBeau (Gambit from the X-Men) opens a Poker House in New Orleans Square

• Spider-Man starts dancing down Main Street during the parade

• ESPN Friday Night Boxing: Donald Duck vs. Howard the Duck — Why not aim high?

 

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July 21, 2009
Cool 'Watchmen' Deals at Retail

Those looking to pick up a copy of the just-released Watchmen on DVD or Blu-ray can head over to Best Buy for exclusive packaging. Best Buy has the Blu-ray Disc version for $24.99, the two-DVD director’s cut for $22.99 and the single-DVD theatrical version for $14.99. An exclusive Blu-ray with Dr. Manhattan box art can be had for $34.99, and a two-DVD set with special Rorschach art is $29.99. Best Buy also has Watchmen action figures for $12.99 each.

Target has the discs at $15.99 for the theatrical version, $22.99 for the director’s cut DVD, and $25.99 for the Blu-ray.

Amazon.com has a Blu-ray version in an exclusive Nite Owl ship replica at $89.99 (list price $119.99).

Gamers can get a copy of the Blu-ray as part of Watchmen: The End Is Nigh — The Complete Experience, which includes the movie on Blu-ray Disc and both parts of the Watchmen: The End Is Nigh video game for Xbox 360, all for $49.99.

Watchmen: The End is Nigh parts one and two are available as a standalone Xbox 360 video game for $29.99. Or, part two is available on its own for download on PC on July 29 and PlayStation®Network on July 30 for a retail price of $14.99, and on Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360 on Aug. 26 for 1200 Microsoft Points.
 

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January 22, 2009
Academy Cementing Its Irrelevance

The debate is spreading across the Internet. How could The Reader steal a best picture nomination from The Dark Knight?

As the Oscar telecast ratings continue to slide, the Academy seems more insistent in making their awards a contest among films many mainstream audiences have no interest in. If ever they needed an excuse to dismiss their reputation for snobbery, The Dark Knight provided a perfect one.

Breaking down critical response to the best picture nominees via RottenTomatoes.com “Tomatometer,” an aggregator of positive reviews, shows The Dark Knight, at 94%, outpacing all but one (Slumdog Millionaire at 95%).

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, over which Hollywood is fawning, received just a 72% Tomatometer score. And The Reader clocked in at a mere 60%, which is considered the threshold for being a “fresh” (good) film.

But The Reader was produced by The Weinstein Co., whose founders, Bob and Harvey Weinstein, have been known to schmooze Academy voters in the past to get favorable results for their films … Shakespeare in Love as best picture, anyone?

Another popular film, Wall-E, at 96%, was rated more highly than all of the best picture nominees. But Wall-E was practically guaranteed of not receiving a best picture nomination due to the best animated feature category, which it will assuredly win.

Yet in the end, Academy members just couldn’t bring themselves to nominate a “comic-book movie” for best picture, even though the film far exceeds parameters of the genre. (Just as last year they couldn’t bring themselves to attach the label “Academy Award Winner” to Transformers, even in a field such as visual effects, which it deserved.)

If I had to guess, I’d pin the snub on the actors’ branch that comprises more than 21% of the Academy’s 5,800 members. The Dark Knight scored well in nominations from the guilds representing directors, writers and producers (21% of Academy membership combined), but was pretty much shut out of the SAG awards. Perhaps the actors found the prospect of honoring the Batman film a bit too politically incorrect?

Among the major categories, the Academy did continue the trend of honoring Heath Ledger, who is easily the frontrunner in the supporting actor category.

But by not recognizing The Dark Knight for best picture, the group has chosen, for the most part, to ignore a film whose tremendous box office and home video numbers have, by most accounts, helped keep the industry afloat during very tough times. The end result is, in essence, Hollywood through its most visible representative turning up its nose at the very people upon which it relies to stay in business: consumers.

The Oscar is an invaluable marketing tool for a film. But if the gap between film fan and filmmaker continues to grow, it is a symbol that will quickly lose its meaning.
 

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