DVDs, Movies

Is it an “American Dream” or a nightmare? The answer arrives January 15

Is it an American Dream or a nightmare?
Michiel Huisman, Luke Bracey and Nick Stahl star in the flick, arriving on DVD, Digital and On Demand January 12 from Lionsgate. Steven Spielberg’s longtime cinematographer, Academy Award-winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, directs the intense crime-thriller about the brutal struggle for success.

Desperate for cash, entrepreneurs Scott (Bracey) and Nicky (Huisman) turn to Russian mobster Yuri (Stahl). After they refuse the funding he offers, Yuri gets revenge by trying to take over their construction project. The partners are terrified, until Nicky’s tough Russian girlfriend, Ana, decides to take action herself.
No, we’re not dreaming.
DVDs, Gift Guide 2020, Movies

Is there anything scarier than Trumpty Dumpty? No, but “Hosts” comes pretty close.

Is there anything scarier than Heir Adolf Frump, aka The Worm, aka Trumpty Dumpty?

No.

But the Dark Sky Films DVD  Hosts comes pretty close.

On Christmas Eve, an innocent couple become hosts to a malicious entity. Throughout the night they proceed to terrorize a family of five in unimaginably violent and disturbing ways. But these demonic possessions won’t end with this unfortunate family; they mark just the beginning of a horrific worldwide epidemic.

Beneath its nerve-jangling suspense, the film offers a dark and bloody insight into how lying to your loved ones can not only alienate them, it can completely destroy your bonds with them forever.

The film, written by Adam Leader and directed by Adam Leader and Richard Oakes, follows in the footsteps of classic successes such as The Exorcist, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Inglorious Basterds. Hosts was written to keep viewers on the edge of their seats and leave a lasting impression.
  
We’ve warned you.
DVDs, Gift Guide 2020, Movies, Theater

Relive the Magic and Movements of Rudolf Nureyev with the intimate documentary “I Am a Dancer”

If you’ve ever had to privilege to see Rudolf Nureyev perform, the memories of his movements and motions will stay with you until your last breath.
Relive the magic again with I am a Dancer, the intimate 1972 documentary portrait, which offers an unprecedented look at the training and dedication behind his electrifying art.

Providing a unique glimpse into Nureyev’s personality, preparation and technique, the documentary includes excerpts from his performances in the classical ballets La Sylphide with Carla Fracci, and The Sleeping Beauty with Lynn Seymour; in addition to sequences from the modern ballet Field Figures with Deanne Bergsma, and Frederick Ashton’s Marguerite and Armand with his long-time partner Margot Fonteyn.

Film Movement has taken a most welcome leap by releasing this Golden Globe Nominee for Best Documentary Film Features  on Blu-ray for the first time in North America.

 
BONUS FEATURES
  • Terese Capucilli on Nureyev and Fonteyn
  • Skylar Brandt on I Am a Dancer
  • 16-page booklet with new essay by arts critic Kenji Fujishima 
DVDs, Gift Guide 2020, Movies

“Smiley Face Killer” will scare the shit out of you!

Remember Bret Easton Ellis’s scary novel American Psycho?

Get ready for more thrills and chills.

From director Tim Hunter comes the terrifying thriller Smiley Face Killers, slashing its way onto Digital and On Demand, and Blu-ray and DVD December 8 from Lionsgate. Inspired by true events and the twisted “smiley face killers” conspiracy theory that has gripped the American imagination for decades, this pulse-pounding serial killer tale reunites Hunter with his River’s Edge star Crispin Glover, and also stars Ronen Rubinstein and Mia Serafino.

We refuse to give away any more details. Why ruin the shocking surprises?
DVDs, Gift Guide 2020, Movies

Doggone it! “Charlie’s Christmas Wish” is a delightful heartwarming family film

It’s never too early to start making that list you always put off until it’s (almost) too late.

Just in time for the holidays comes a feel-good family film starring a loveable dog: Charlie’s Christmas Wish. Awarded the Dove Seal of Approval for All Ages, the flick unwraps on DVD, Digital and On Demand November 10 from Lionsgate. Aiden Turner, Lindsey McKeon, Jay M. Brooks and Diane Ladd star in this heartwarming tale.

A troubled war vet’s family finds new hope from a scrappy little rescue dog. Discharged and sent home for the holidays, John (portrayed by Turner) tries hard to adapt to civilian life—and to son Jimmy’s new pet, a feisty terrier named Charlie. As the family meets other struggling local veterans, they know it’ll take a miracle to bring peace to them and to John. Good thing Charlie has a direct line to the Man Upstairs . . .

 

DVDs, Movies

Jorge Cramez ‘s “Amor Amor” proves that love is a many-sided thing

We always focus on love. It makes the world go around, It brings peace and joy and happiness.

So now we focus on Jorge Cramez’s Amor Amor (IndiePix), starring Jorge Freitas as Jorge, a manipulative and self-centered photographer who feels stuck in his long relationship with Marta (Ana Moreira). Head over heels in love with him, Marta is also the new object of desire of Jorge’s friend, Carlos (Nuno Casanovas), who also happens to be in a relationship with Ana’s best friend, the cynical Lígia (Margarida Vila-Nova). Lígia’s romantic younger brother Bruno (Guilherme Moura) is also infatuated with Marta.

Complicated? Perhaps, but why have a conventional love triangle when you can have a pentagon of feelings and manipulation?

A loose adaptation of Pierre Corneille’s 17th-century play La Place Royale, Amor Amor tells the story of a group of friends spending New Year’s Eve in Lisbon, living love’s zigzags. There are those who come to discover themselves. Those who come to discover love. And those who come to discover the limits of their own freedom. At this New Year’s Eve, everything can change, but not exactly as one expects.
Easy to love this film, nominated for the Grand Jury Award at IndieLisboa. It’s so good that, Ana Moreira was also nominated for “Best Actress” at the 2019 Portuguese Autores Awards. As our dear friends at IndiePix say, “love is a many-sided thing”!
DVDs, Movies, Music

“White Riot” chronicles Rock Against Racism’s fight to end racism. Music to our ears!

We’ll do anything to end racism.  Perhaps we should take a lesson from Rock Against Racism (RAR).

Flashback: Britain, late-’70s. The country is deeply divided over immigration. The National Front, a far-right and fascist political party, is gaining strength. And countering this was Rock Against Racism, a movement that swept across the U.K. and Europe and culminated in a 100,000+ person march and a legendary concert event, think Woodstock meets the March on Washington, punk-style.

Capturing this incredible moment in time when music changed the world is director Rubika Shah’s award-winning documentary,  White Riot.

Expanding on her documentary short White Riot: London, Shah’s energizing film charts the rise of Rock Against Racism (RAR), formed in 1976, prompted by “music’s biggest colonialist” Eric Clapton and his support of racist MP Enoch Powell. The brisk, informative White Riot  blends fresh, engaging interviews with RAR staff and musicians with archival footage to recreate a hostile environment of anti-immigrant hysteria and National Front marches.

As neo-Nazis recruited the nation’s youth, RAR’s multicultural punk and reggae gigs provided rallying points for resistance. The campaign grew from “Temporary Hoarding,” the movement’s fanzine to 1978’s huge antifascist concert in Victoria Park, featuring X-Ray Spex, Tom Robinson, Steel Pulse and, of course, The Clash, whose rock star charisma and gale-force conviction took RAR’s message to the masses. White Riot chronicles this “extraordinary fusion of culture and politics that changed society for the better.” (Jackson Caines, Glass Magazine).

Books, CDs, Celebrity Chatter, DVDs, Movies, Music

I tell Dolly we are “bosom buddies”. She coos, “and my breast friend”. Dolly’s life busts out on 19 DVDs!!

My next book is entitled Dolly Parton’s Boob in My Hands . . . and Other True, Titillating Stories From My 35 years of Hollywood Hobknobbing.

Let me explain.

I knew Dolly Rebecca Parton and I would become fast friends when she let me hold her left breast. Before you start calling the tabloids or TMZ, let me explain. It was 1987, and we were in a photographer’s studio on the Upper East Side where Dolly was being photographed for the cover of Redbook.

She was dressed in a handmade denim blouse (size 0), the wig was perfectly placed, the makeup flawless. She eyed the catered buffet and picked up a piece of chicken with her two fire-engine red (fake) fingernails, brought it to her mouth and, plop!, the sliver landed on her blouse, smack-dab on her left . . . well, you get the picture.

The adrenaline kicked in. “Quick, Dolly!” I said. “You hold and I’ll wipe.” I poured water on a paper towel and begin to very gently dab the spot. Dolly grabbed a portable hair-dryer and with that infectious giggle cooed, “Now quick! You hold and I’ll dry.”

With those seven simple words, my entry into the dizzy, delightful world of Dolly Parton—40DD-17-36—had begun. “One day,” I thought to myself, “I will live to write about this.”

The shoot was a success, and as Dolly climbed into her limo, I whispered, “I feel like your bosom buddy.” Without missing a beat, she said, “And my breast friend.”

Oh! The stories I can tell.

It’s the sassy and self-effacing side of Dolly that has always made her look better than a body has a right to. “I’m not a natural beauty, so when I started out, I needed to be as flamboyant and outrageous as possible,” she recalls. “My trashy look started from a sincere place — a country girl’s idea of glamour. I always wanted to be sexy even before I knew what the word meant. I thought that town tramps were beautiful. They had more hair, more color, more of everything. And they had men always hanging ’round them. So I copied those girls. And I owe them a lot.”

She giggles. “When I realized my trashy look was working, I kept it. It’s cost me a lot to look so cheap,” she adds. “I wear the fake hair because it’s so tacky. I wear high heels because I have short legs. And I wear fake fingernails because I have short, fat arms. I have no taste and no style and I love it! When I am 90, I’m going to look like Mae West. I may be in a wheelchair, but I’ll still have the big hair, big boobs and big fingernails. I’ll probably end up this way in my coffin. But I won’t be a fat hog!”

You can call her the Queen of Country, an award-winning songwriter, actress, TV star, philanthropist, business mogul, gay icon and American treasure, but to her millions of fans, she’s known simply as Dolly. From her start out of Nashville in the ’60s to her Hollywood debut and beyond Dolly has done it all . . . and in 6 inch heels!

Now, for the first time ever, the incredible highlights of Dolly’s remarkable career are together in a one-of-a-kind 19-DVD set – DOLLY: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION. From her early appearances in the ’60s through her own star-studded variety shows in the ’70s and ’80s, to concerts, interviews, TV appearances and blockbuster collaborations with her closest friends, she’s still going strong and lookin’ spectacular!
“It’s been an amazing journey and you’ll find some of my most precious highlights included here in this collection,” says Dolly. “Thank you to the wonderful folks at Time Life for putting this together. What a delightful trip down memory lane….just the hair styles and outfits alone are worth a look and I’m surprised there are still any rhinestones left in this world! I hope you enjoy these moments as much as I did.”
Time Life cordially invites Dolly Parton fans everywhere to come along on the journey of a lifetime. Available now exclusively at TimeLife.com/DollyParton, this dazzling, carefully curated 19-DVD deluxe collection includes:
  • 22 star-studded episodes of Dolly’s variety shows from the ’70s & ’80s with guest appearances by Oprah Winfrey, Kenny Rogers, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Willie Nelson, Freddy Fender, Burt Reynolds, Miss Piggy, Merle Haggard, Smokey Robinson & The Temptations, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn and more!
  • 7 episodes of The Porter Wagoner Show, from 1967 – 1974 featuring historic Dolly Parton performances including Jolene, I Will Always Love You, Coat of Many Colors, Mule Skinner Blues, and her very first appearance where she sang Dumb Blonde.
  • A special Christmas disc featuring A Down Home Country Christmas with Mac Davis and Burl Ives, and Bob Hope’s Jolly Christmas Show
  • Dolly’s spectacular Live and Well concert from 2002
  • Dolly’s unforgettable Live from London concert from 2009 plus bonus features
  • Rare TV appearances of Dolly throughout her career from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Crook & Chase
  • The entire Song by Song: Dolly Parton series, highlighting Dolly’s most iconic songs and how they came to be
  • Bonus features include Dolly’s University of Tennessee Commencement Address and Imagination Library Dedication Ceremony at The Library of Congress
  • Classic duets with Dolly & Porter Wagoner taped live at the Grand Ole Opry
  • Unforgettable Dolly Parton performances from the CMA Awards in the ’70s
  • New bonus features created just for this collection featuring Dolly Parton reminiscing about memorable moments from throughout her career
  • Exclusive, complete, and never before seen interviews with Brandi Carlile, Miley Cyrus, Vince Gill, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Kellie Pickler, Kenny Rogers, Marty Stuart, Lily Tomlin, and Carrie Underwood!
  • Plus your FREE Bonus DVD with the complete authorized BBC documentary Dolly Parton: Here I Am
  • An Exclusive Collector’s Book filled with photos, Dolly in her own words, and loving tributes from her famous friends.
  • And it all comes in a beautiful Collector’s Box!
Dolly Parton remains as vibrant and relevant as ever. Her songs have captured the hearts of generations. Her electric smile has brightened the lives of millions. And her trademark style is recognized across the globe. Join Time Life for a celebration of her iconic, unforgettable career with DOLLY: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION, only available via direct response or online at TimeLife.com/DollyParton.
 
CDs, DVDs, Movies, Music

Time Life chers the life and legacy with the super special 9-DVD set, “The Best of Cher”

Two days before my birthday, the pros at Time Life issues a most welcome  birthday present. I promised to cher the news.

For the first time ever, all the spectacular highlights of Cher’s remarkable career are together in one electrifying collection: The Best of Cher.

 Cher initially rose to stardom as part of a singing act with then husband Sonny Bono in the ’60s, hitting No. 1 with the single “I Got You Babe” before they starred together on The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. Following a parting of ways, the incredibly talented artist spread her wings, established a chart-topping solo career of her own, starred in her own variety show, and sold out music venues across the globe. The inimitable multi-hyphenate continues to shine brightly and  this collection brings together the stunning scope of her sensational life in the spotlight like never before across two loaded volumes and 9 DVDs, as well as a collectible look book featuring Bob Mackie’s original wardrobe sketches.                    
In a new interview included in the set, Cher said, “I love looking back at these shows. They’re so much fun to watch and they were so much fun to make. While I’m not done yet, it’s great that Time Life has put this set together.”
THE BEST OF CHER VOLUME 1: 5 DVDS
When America’s favorite musical couple parted ways in 1974, effectively ending The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, CBS quickly decided to give Cher her own variety show. Simply titled Cher, the new series starring the soon-to-be superstar aired its first episode in February 1975. In the opening, Cher told the audience: “My future is in your hands. I am really happy to be back. No, I am thrilled to be back.” Now 10 episodes of Cher’s very own show are available for the first time in over 40 years! Home audiences will thrill to have front row seats to see Cher flying solo with a nonstop cavalcade of the hottest stars including Charo, Ray Charles, Elton John, The Muppets, Linda Ronstadt, Raquel Welch and more! Also included:
  • Exclusive new interviews with Cher, Designer Bob Mackie, comedy icon Lily Tomlin and Cher executive producer George Schlatter
  • TV appearances on The Dick Cavett Show and Dinah (1975)
  • Cher CBS Promo
  • Newly produced featurette, Cher: Then & Now
THE BEST OF CHER VOLUME 2: 4 DVDS
Cher is one of a kind and her legendary TV specials hit our screens as family-friendly, psychedelic, counterculture kaleidoscopes. Whether playing all the parts in West Side Story, a roller-skating goddess, the snake in the Garden of Eden, a synchronized secretary, or simply Laverne—no one puts on a show like Cher. Her Vegas shows (and outfits!) were even more spectacular, and they’re all on incredible display in VOLUME 2, which features:
  • Both of Cher’s legendary TV Specials from the ’70s: Cher…Special (1978), Cher…and Other Fantasies (1979)
  • Two unforgettable concerts in Vegas, live from the Mirage (1991) and MGM Grand (1999), as well as exclusive extras including backstage home movies, rehearsal songs and more
  • The full-length documentary Dear Mom, Love Cher offering a rare peek into Cher’s fascinating family history
  • Plus bonus features including a 2018 appearance on The Late, Late Show with James Corden
As a young girl, Cher’s mom promised her that she was special and that one day she would believe it. Audiences around the world have been believing since she burst onto the scene in the ’60s, and we haven’t stopped—The Best of Cher captures Cher’s incredible, undeniable talents to enjoy again and again.
DVDs, Movies, Music

One special ticket or ride: the must-have 5-DVD collection, “The Soul of the Midnight Special”

We offer you one special ticket to ride: The Soul of the Midnight Special. This must-have 5-DVD (Time Life) brings home audiences and music lovers everywhere an unforgettable collection of legendary soul artists performing their hits in the prime of their careers—uncut performances, just straight-from-the-heart soul singing with live musicians in front of a live audience.
In the period between American Bandstand and MTV, there were sev­eral shows that tried to bring new music to television, but it wasn’t until The Midnight Special, premiered on August 19, 1972, that live music found a home on the air. Burt Sugarman, producer of Grammy Awards telecasts, was frustrated by television’s lack of programming after The Tonight Show ended; the screen reverting to test patterns at 1:00 a.m. Recognizing this valuable airtime could cater to a brand-new audience that craved its latest musical heroes, he created The Midnight Special, which ran every Friday night on NBC from 1972 to 1981.

https://youtu.be/T1ui5x-9zd8

The’70s was a special time for soul music and The Midnight Special truly had an affinity for the genre. Week after week, home audiences would have virtual front row seats for performances by the greatest soul performers of the time including Al Green, Earth Wind & Fire, Patti LaBelle, Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Spinners, The O’Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, The Stylistics, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight and the Pips and so many more. The Midnight Special was the only show where you could see real live performances week after week.

Now, the first time ever,  The Soul of the Midnight Special brings together the greatest soul performances handpicked from thousands in one very special collection. Included is an incredible collection of true soul classics, many of which haven’t been seen since their original broadcast: from Let’s Stay Together to Midnight Train to Georgia to love songs like the Stylistics’ Betcha by Golly, Wow to dance grooves like Sly & the Family Stone’s Dance to the Music and Ohio Players’ Fire. All-time classic performances include Back Stabbers by the O’Jays, Tired of Being Alone by Al Green, Could It Be I’m Falling in Love by Spinners, Lean on Me by Bill Withers, The Love I Lost by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, and I Want to Take You Higher by Sly & the Family Stone. Also included are exclusive interviews with James Brown, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire The O’Jays, Russell Thompkins Jr. of The Stylistics, Bobby Womack, Ted Mills of Blue Magic, Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff, Gerald Alston, The Manhattans and George Benson.
The Soul of the Midnight Special includes (in alphabetical order):
  • Al Green — Tired of Being Alone (8/3/73), How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (8/3/73), I’m Still in Love with You (11/29/74), Let’s Stay Together (11/29/74)
  • Al Wilson — Show and Tell (3/1/74)
  • Barry White — You’re the First, the Last, My Everything (11/15/74), Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe (12/13/74), Never, Never Gonna Give You Up (12/13/74)
  • Bill Withers — Ain’t No Sunshine (3/22/74), Lean on Me (3/22/74)
  • Billy Preston — Will It Go Round in Circles (1/4/74)
  • Blue Magic — Sideshow (12/13/74)
  • Bobby Womack — Lookin’ for a Love (12/13/74)
  • Chuck Berry — Johnny B. Goode (11/2/73)
  • Curtis Mayfield — Back to the World (6/8/73), Freddie’s Dead (Theme from Superfly) (9/21/73), Superfly (1/4/74)
  • Earth, Wind & Fire — Devotion (4/18/75)
  • George Benson — This Masquerade (7/30/76)
  • Gladys Knight & the Pips — Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye) (4/6/73), I Heard It through the Grapevine (4/6/73), Midnight Train to Georgia (10/5/73), Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me (12/20/74)
  • Gladys Knight/B. B. King —The Thrill Is Gone (10/5/73)
  • Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes — Bad Luck (5/23/75), The Love I Lost (5/23/75), Let’s Get Together Soon (Hope That We Can Be Together Soon) (5/23/75)
  • James Brown — Sex Machine (8/6/76), Get Up Offa That Thing (8/6/76), Cold Sweat/Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag (10/8/76),
  • Johnnie Taylor — Who’s Making Love (11/2/73)
  • Kool & the Gang — Hollywood Swinging (12/20/74), Jungle Boogie (12/20/74)
  • LaBelle — Lady Marmalade (4/18/75)
  • Love Unlimited Orchestra — Love’s Theme (11/15/74)
  • Minne Riperton — Lovin’ You (7/18/75), Inside My Love (7/18/75)
  • Ohio Players — Fire (4/4/75), Skin Tight (4/4/75)
  • Ohio Players — Love Rollercoaster (12/19/75), Honey (12/19/75)
  • Ray Charles — Georgia on My Mind (3/30/73), What’d I Say (3/30/73)
  • Ray Charles/Aretha Franklin — Takes Two to Tango (3/30/73)
  • Rufus featuring Chaka Khan — Sweet Thing (12/12/75), Once You Get Started (12/12/75)
  • Sly & the Family Stone — Stand! (10/26/73), I Want to Take You Higher (10/26/73), Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), (10/26/73), Dance to the Music (10/26/73)
  • Spinners — Could It Be I’m Falling in Love (2/9/73), I’ll Be Around (2/9/73), One of a Kind (Love Affair) (6/8/73), Sadie (2/14/75), Then Came You (2/14/75)
  • The Brothers Johnson– I’ll Be Good to You (10/8/76)
  • The Chi-Lites — Oh Girl (9/21/73)
  • The Main Ingredient — Just Don’t Want to Be Lonely (10/11/74), Everybody Plays The Fool (10/11/74)
  • The Manhattans — Kiss and Say Goodbye (12/3/76)
  • The Miracles — Love Machine (12/3/76)
  • The O’Jays — Back Stabbers (3/23/73), Love Train (3/23/73), Put Your Hands Together (913/74), Sunshine (9/13/74)
  • The Staple Singers — Let’s Do It Again (1/16/76), Respect Yourself (1/16/76)
  • The Stylistics — Betcha by Golly, Wow (6/1/73), Break Up to Make Up (6/1/73), I’m Stone in Love with You (6/1/73), You Make Me Feel Brand New (3/1/74)
  • The Sylvers — Boogie Fever (7/30/76)
  • Wilson Pickett — In the Midnight Hour (9/21/73)