Venganza Media Gazette

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Don’t Pick Up the Phone — Stephen King’s CELL coming to video Sep 27

Stephen King had never tackled zombie tales before Cell, his 2006 novel.  Now that story comes to the screen — and to your home on DVD and Blu-ray.

Cell stars John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson. These two starred together in 2007’s King film 1408. Now they pursue another King tale of suspense and terror as two man racing against the clock to stop a horde of rabid killers as their city descends into apocalyptic madness.

Cell will be on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD on Sep 27.  The disc will have a feature commentary and making-of featurette. The DVD will be $19.99, the Blu-ray $24.99.

is currently available on Video on Demand.

The full release is below

 

DESCRIPTION

Experience action-packed terror as two men race against the clock to stop a horde of rabid killers as their city descends into apocalyptic madness in the pulse-pounding thriller, Cell, arriving on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD), DVD (plus Digital), and Digital HD on September 27from Lionsgate. The film is currently available On Demand. Based on Stephen King’s chilling book, the film stars John Cusack (Love & Mercy) alongside Oscar® nominee Samuel L. Jackson (Best Supporting Actor, Pulp Fiction, 1994) and Stacy Keach (The Bourne Legacy). Cell was directed by Tod Williams from a screenplay by Stephen King and Adam Alleca. The home entertainment release ofCell contains audio commentary with the director and a look behind the scenes of the film in the “To Cell and Back” featurette. The CellBlu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $24.99 and $19.98, respectively.

 

Stephen King’s best-selling novel is brought to terrifying life in this mind-blowing thriller starring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson. At the Boston airport, Clay (Cusack) witnesses a scene of chaotic mayhem when an electronic signal turns hundreds of cell phone users into rabid killers. Desperate to find his estranged wife and son, Clay teams with a train driver (Jackson) to battle the horde of murderous “phoners” as the city descends into apocalyptic madness.

 

CAST:

John Cusack               Love & Mercy, Being John Malkovich, Chi-Raq

Samuel L. Jackson      Pulp Fiction, The Hateful Eight, The Avengers

Isabelle Fuhrman         The Hunger Games, Orphan

Owen Teague             Wild in Blue, Echoes of War, TV’s “Bloodline”

Clark Sarullo                Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Anthony Reynolds      The Hunger Games, Iron Man 3

Erin Elizabeth Burns    TV’s “Stan Against Evil”

and Stacy Keach        TV’s “Prison Break,” The Bourne Legacy

 

BLU-RAY/DVD/DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES*

  • Audio Commentary with Director Tod Williams
  • “To Cell and Back” Featurette

*Subject to Change

 

Year of Production: 2016

Title Copyright: Cell © 2014 CELL Film Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Artwork & Supplementary Materials © 2016 Saban Films LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Type: Theatrical Release

Rating: R for Disturbing Violent Content, Terror, Brief Sexuality and Language

Genre: Thriller, Action

Closed-Captioned: None

Subtitles: English and Spanish; English SDH

Run Time: 98 Minutes

Blu-ray Format: 1080P High Definition, 16×9 Widescreen (2.40:1) Presentation

DVD Format: 16×9 Widescreen (2.40:1) Presentation

Blu-ray Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio™

DVD Audio Status: English 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio

July 14, 2016 Posted by | Books, Movies, News | , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Don’t Pick Up the Phone — Stephen King’s CELL coming to video Sep 27

Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Digital HD April 1, Blu-Ray April 5. Exclusive editions Announced!

 star-wars-episode-8-127089

Arriving early on Digital HD April 1, 2016

Bring it home on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD on April 5, 2016

 

Including new in-depth bonus offering fans the chance to experience more

 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is coming to Video On Demand on April 1, 2016 and Blu-Ray and DVD on April 5, 2016.  It is also coming to Disney Movies Anywhere, which allows you to redeem a code and access the digital movie on iTunes, Vudu, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft Web Services.

 

More, there will be several retailer exclusives for The Force Awakens.  Pre-orders are up now — click the store name to go to the pre-order page.

  • TARGET – The Target Star Wars: The Force Awakens Blu-ray Combo Pack comes with exclusive packaging and an added 20 minutes of bonus content, including never-before-seen interviews with Daisy Ridley and John Boyega and a deeper look at the movie’s costumes and weaponry
  • WALMART – The Walmart Star Wars: The Force Awakens Blu-ray Combo Pack comes with exclusive BB-8 packaging and an exclusive Star Wars Galactic Connexions trading disc
  • BEST BUY – The Best Buy Star Wars: The Force Awakens Blu-ray Combo Pack features exclusive SteelBook Packaging

forceawakens-bluray-combo-bestbuy-1024x427

The full press release is below:

 

 

 

BURBANK, Calif. (March 3, 2016)Star Wars: The Force Awakens shattered box office records upon its debut to become the cinematic event of a generation with over $926 million domestic and $2.05 billion worldwide. As announced this morning by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert A. Iger at The Walt Disney Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders, the epic movie will be available to own early on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on April 1, and coming home on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on April 5.

 

Discover the complete story behind the making of Star Wars: The Force Awakens with in-depth documentary and bonus material that will take fans on an exciting journey behind the scenes. Secrets will be revealed through extensive footage, never-before-seen deleted scenes, and exclusive interviews with the actors and filmmakers. Bonus features include*:

 

  • Secrets of The Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey – For the first time, discover the complete story behind the making of The Force Awakens, revealed through in-depth footage and exclusive interviews with the actors and filmmakers in this feature documentary.
  • The Story Awakens: The Table Read – Cast members familiar and new reflect on the memorable day they all first came together to read the movie’s script.
  • Building BB-8 – See how the filmmakers brought the newest droid to the screen, creating an instant fan favorite in the Star Wars
  • Crafting Creatures – Watch movie magic as the filmmakers bring a cast of new creatures to life.
  • Blueprint of a Battle: The Snow Fight – Go deeper into the epic, climactic lightsaber battle between Rey and Kylo Ren.
  • John Williams: The Seventh Symphony – The legendary composer shares personal insights of his work on Star Wars and The Force Awakens.
  • ILM: The Visual Magic of The Force – An insider’s look into the remarkable digital artistry of the movie’s visual effects.
  • Force For Change – Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. See how the Star Wars: Force for Change initiative has united Star Wars fans all over the globe to help others.
  • Plus Deleted Scenes

* Digital bonus offerings may vary by retailer

 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens saw the eagerly anticipated reteaming of original Star Wars stars Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill, along with Anthony Daniels, the only actor to have been in all seven Star Wars films, and Peter Mayhew. The returning cast was joined by newcomer Daisy Ridley, who beat out fierce competition to take the principal role of Rey; BAFTA Rising Star Award winner John Boyega (Attack the Block, Imperial Dreams) as reluctant stormtrooper Finn; Emmy® nominee Adam Driver (Lincoln, Girls) as the villainous Kylo Ren, and Golden Globe® winner Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis, The Bourne Legacy) as Resistance pilot Poe Dameron.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens was directed by J.J. Abrams and written by Lawrence Kasdan & J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt. Lucasfilm president and eight-time Academy Award® nominee Kathleen Kennedy and J.J. Abrams, along with his longtime producing partner Bryan Burk, are the film’s producers.

 

Having established a musical legacy with his iconic scores for the previous six films in the Star Wars Saga, acclaimed composer John Williams returned to score Star Wars: The Force Awakens, ultimately garnering his 50th Oscar® nomination for it.

 

DISC SPECIFICATIONS:

FEATURE RUN TIME:                           Approximately 136 min.

RATING:                                                                 PG-13 in U.S.; PG in CE; G in CF

ASPECT RATIO:                                     Blu-ray Feature Film =         2.40:1

DVD Feature Film = 2.40:1                                                                

AUDIO:                                 Blu-ray = English 7.1 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Descriptive Audio, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks

DVD = English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Descriptive Audio Language Tracks

LANGUAGES:                                        English, French & Spanish

SUBTITLES:                            English SDH, French & Spanish
SOCIAL MEDIA:                   

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StarWarsMovies

Twitter: https://twitter.com/StarWars

Website: http://www.starwars.com/the-force-awakens/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/StarWarsMovies

 

ABOUT STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS:

Lucasfilm and visionary director J.J. Abrams join forces to take you back again to a galaxy far, far away as Star Wars returns to the big screen with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The film stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Max Von Sydow. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk are producing with Tommy Harper and Jason McGatlin serving as executive producers. The screenplay is written by Lawrence Kasdan & J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt.

 

ABOUT LUCASFILM LTD.

Lucasfilm Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is a global leader in film, television and digital entertainment production. In addition to its motion-picture and television production, the company’s activities include visual effects and audio post-production, cutting-edge digital animation, interactive entertainment software, and the management of the global merchandising activities for its entertainment properties including the legendary STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES franchises. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in northern California.

Lucasfilm, the Lucasfilm logo, STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © & TM 2015 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.

…/3

 

ABOUT DISNEY MOVIES ANYWHERE (DMA):

Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA) is an engaging and family-friendly cloud-based digital movie service that makes it simple to buy your favorite Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars movies once and watch them anywhere. With DMA you can explore Disney’s library of over 450 eligible digital movies, discover hours of new and exclusive short-form content, and watch your digital movies from the comfort of the living room or across multiple mobile devices. Using the free DMA apps and website, you can connect your DMA account with participating providers including iTunes, Amazon Video, VUDU, Microsoft Movies and TV and Google Play and unlock access to your eligible movie collections across platforms and devices – iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple TV/Airplay, Amazon’s Fire tablets, Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Microsoft Movies and TV service on Windows and Microsoft Xbox devices, Android mobile and tablet devices and Android TV, Chromecast and the Roku® platform. In addition, you can redeem Digital Copy codes found in Disney, Pixar and Marvel Blu-rays and DVDs, as well as earn Disney Movie Rewards points with every digital purchase.

 

ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS:

For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures, the banner under which live-action films from DreamWorks Studios are distributed. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.

 

 

 

# # #

 

STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates.© & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.

 

IN-HOME MEDIA CONTACTS:

NATIONAL:           Maria Barraza                                                                       REGIONAL:            Gabrielle Bilicki

Maria.Barraza@Disney.com                                                                               Gabrielle.Bilicki@Disney.com

                                                818-560-4068                                                                                                      818-560-4069

March 3, 2016 Posted by | Movies, News, Star Wars | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Digital HD April 1, Blu-Ray April 5. Exclusive editions Announced!

THE HATEFUL EIGHT Arriving on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and On Demand March 29, 2016

Quentin Tarantino’s Academy Award Nominated THE HATEFUL EIGHT is now up for pre-order!  Get details about this release below:

BEVERLY HILLS, CA (February 17, 2016) – Anchor Bay Entertainment and The Weinstein Company are proud to present the home entertainment release of the eighth film by two-time Academy Award® winner Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained, Pulp Fiction). Shot entirely on 70mm and featuring a Golden Globe® and BAFTA® award-winning score by Oscar® winner Ennio Morricone (Bugsy, The Mission) THE HATEFUL EIGHT “absolutely delivers on the sheer moment-to-moment pleasures fans have come to expect — from dynamite dialogue to powder-keg confrontations,” Peter Debruge, Variety.An explosive frontier mystery about eight strangers with one deadly connection, THE HATEFUL EIGHT will be available for digital download on March15, 2016 from Starz Digital before heading to  retail on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack ($39.99 SRP) and DVD ($29.98 SRP) from Anchor Bay Entertainment and On Demand March 29, 2016. Special features for THE HATEFUL EIGHT include two featurettes – “Beyond the Eight: A Behind-the-Scenes Look” and “Sam Jackson’s Guide to Glorious 70mm.”

“If you’re going to shoot your movie and release it in 70mm,

it’s really the way to go: twenty-four frames a second flickering through a projector,

creating the illusion of movement.” – Quentin Tarantino

 

Ultra Panavision 70 is the very rare and exceptional format that Quentin Tarantino and his team used to shoot THE HATEFUL EIGHT, the widest 70mm theatrical release in twenty years. Panavision’s unique anamorphic camera lenses capture images on film in an incredible aspect ratio of 2.76:1. Almost all films seen today are shot in ratios of either 1.85:1 or 2.39:1. Simply put, Ultra Panavision 70 provides an amazingly wide and more detailed image.

THE HATEFUL EIGHT marks the triumphant return to the genre for legendary composer Morricone (The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, A Fistful of Dollars). Nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Original Score, Morricone is back in the saddle after nearly four decades since last scoring a full-length Western. Additional Academy Award® nominations include 3-time Oscar® winner Robert Richardson for Best Cinematography and Jennifer Jason Leigh for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. THE HATEFUL EIGHT’s notorious all-star cast also boasts Oscar® nominees Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction), Kurt Russell (Silkwood), Emmy® nominee Walton Goggins (TV’s Justified), Demian Bichir (A Better Life) and Tim Roth (Rob Roy).

In THE HATEFUL EIGHT, set six or eight or twelve years after the Civil War, a stagecoach hurtles through the wintry Wyoming landscape. The passengers, bounty hunter John Ruth (Kurt Russell) and his fugitive Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh), race towards the town of Red Rock where Ruth, known in those parts as “The Hangman,” will bring Domergue to justice. Along the road, they encounter two strangers: Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson), a black former union soldier turned infamous bounty hunter, and Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), a southern renegade who claims to be the town’s new Sheriff. Losing their lead on the blizzard, Ruth, Domergue, Warren and Mannix seek refuge at Minnie’s Haberdashery, a stagecoach stopover on a mountain pass. When they arrive at Minnie’s, they are greeted not by the proprietor but by four unfamiliar faces. Bob (Demian Bichir), who’s taking care of Minnie’s while she’s visiting her mother, is holed up with Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth), the hangman of Red Rock, cow-puncher Joe Gage (Michael Madsen), and Confederate General Sanford Smithers (Bruce Dern). As the storm overtakes the mountainside stopover, our eight travelers come to learn they may not make it to Red Rock after all…

Order this film now at Amazon.com

 

February 18, 2016 Posted by | Movies, News | , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on THE HATEFUL EIGHT Arriving on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and On Demand March 29, 2016

VIDEO GAMES: THE MOVIE from Anchor Bay Entertainment and Amplify — Get your game on February 3rd on DVD!


ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT AND AMPLIFY PRESENT

 VIDEO GAMES: THE MOVIE

AVAILABLE ON DVD ON FEBRUARY 3rd

 

Executive Produced By Zach Braff, Video Games: The Movie Features Gamer And Geek Icons Chris Hardwick, Donald Faison, Wil Wheaton, And More!

 

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Anchor Bay Entertainment and Amplify present Jeremy Snead’s VIDEO GAMES: THE MOVIE, the fascinating chronicle of the meteoric rise of video games from nerd niche to multi-billion dollar industry.  Executive produced by Zach Braff (Garden State, “Scrubs”) and narrated by Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy), the documentary features in-depth interviews with some of the industry’s biggest gamer and geek icons.  A celebration of gaming from Atari to Xbox, as well as an eye-opening look at what lies ahead, VIDEO GAMES: THE MOVIE will be available on DVD on February 3, 2015 for an SRP of $22.98.  

 

VIDEO GAMES: THE MOVIE features interviews with the godfathers who started it all, the icons of game design, and the geek gurus who are leading us into the future, including Nolan Bushnell (Atari, Inc.), Chris Hardwick (The Nerdist Podcast), Donald Faison (Kick-Ass 2, “Scrubs”), Cliff Bleszinski (“Gears of War,” “Unreal”), Warren Spector (“Deus Ex,” “System Shock”), Hiroyuki Kobayashi (“Resident Evil”), Clare Grant (Danger Maiden Productions, Team Unicorn), Doug Tennapel (“Earthworm Jim”), Palmer Luckey (Oculus Rift), Wil Wheaton (Stand By Me, “Star Trek: The Next Generation”), and Alison Haislip (“Attack of the Show”).  The documentary made its way to the big screen via a successfully-funded Kickstarter campaign, which raised more than $100,000 in just 35 days.

 

VIDEO GAMES: THE MOVIE DVD special features include a Sean Astin mashup and Why We Love Games featurette.

 

 

VIDEO GAMES: THE MOVIE DVD

Street February 3, 2015

Pre-book:                     December 31, 2014

Catalog #:                    DV62685

UPC:                            01313262685780

Run time:                      101 minutes

Rating:                         Not Rated

Subtitles:                      English SDH, Spanish

SRP:                             $22.98

Format:                        Anamorphic Widescreen

Aspect Ratio:               1.78:1

Audio:                         Dolby Digital 5.1

 

January 13, 2015 Posted by | Movies, Video Games | , , , , | Comments Off on VIDEO GAMES: THE MOVIE from Anchor Bay Entertainment and Amplify — Get your game on February 3rd on DVD!

Captain America – The Winter Soldier on DVD and Blu-Ray 9/9

CaptainAmericaWinterSoldier3DCombo CaptainAmericaWinterSoldierBluray

MARVEL’S FIRST AVENGER RETURNS IN THE YEAR’S

BIGGEST BLOCKBUSTER ACTION ADVENTURE!

 

MARVEL’S CAPTAIN AMERICA:

THE WINTER SOLDIER

 

Own The Movie That Changed Everything, along with Exclusive Bonus Features!

Get it First on Digital 3D and Digital HD, plus Disney Movies Anywhere August 19th, and on 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand September 9th

 

BURBANK, Calif. May 30, 2014— From the studio that brought you the biggest Super Hero movie of all time, Marvel’s The Avengers, comes this year’s #1 live-action adventure, Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, available early on Digital 3D and HD August 19th, 2014, and on 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand September 9th, 2014, from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. Saluted by critics as “action-packed” (NY Daily News), “thrilling” (Cinema Blend) and “better than The Avengers” (Access Hollywood), this blockbuster second chapter in the Captain America series teams Marvel’s First Avenger, Captain America, with Black Widow and new ally The Falcon as they battle their most mysterious and powerful enemy yet, the Winter Soldier.

 

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely and starring Chris Evans as Captain America, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Sebastian Stan as The Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie as The Falcon, with Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury,Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier arrives on 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital HD armed with explosively entertaining bonus features, including Making-of Featurettes, Audio Commentary, Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes, Bloopers and More…

 

Bring home the movie that changed everything and expand your Marvel collection in the following formats with bonus features as listed:

 

Bonus Materials Overview for These Products:

Digital 3D, HD, & SD*

3D Blu-ray Combo Pack (3D BD + Single Disc BD + Digital Copy)

Blu-ray

 

Includes:

  • Making-of Featurettes
  • Audio Commentary
  • Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes
  • Bloopers
  • And More…

 

*Digital bonus offerings will vary per retailer

 

1-Disc DVD

Includes:

  • Making-of Featurette
  • Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scene

 

Feature Run Time:                                Approximately 136 minutes

 

Rating:                                                         Feature Film: “PG-13” in U.S., G in Canada (CE and CF)

Additional Bonus Features Not Rated

 

Aspect Ratio:                                             3-D Blu-ray Feature Film = 2.40:1

Blu-ray Feature Film = 2.40:1

DVD Feature Film = 2.40:1

 

 

Hear our review of this film now at Now Playing Podcast!

 

May 30, 2014 Posted by | Comic Books, Marvelicious Toys, Movies, News, Now Playing Podcast, Podcasts | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Captain America – The Winter Soldier on DVD and Blu-Ray 9/9

Review: The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury

At the end of Pitch Black only three passengers of the spaceship Hunter-Gratzner were still alive.  These three, Riddick, Jack, and Imam, took to space, destination unknown.  Possibly New Mecca, if their little shuttle could make the trip.  At the beginning of Pitch Black’s follow-up film, The Cronicles of Riddick, Riddick is a shaggy haired, scruffy bearded refugee on U.V. 6 chased by a bounty hunter named Tooms, Imam is on a planet called Hellion Prime, and Jack is a captive on the prison world of Crematoria.

Did you wonder how these three survivors split up?  Why they were not all living happily together on New Mecca?  Nope, those questions never crossed my mind either, but continuing to answer questions fans never asked come DVD bonus features and animated interquel films, such as The Chronicles of Riddick:  Dark Fury.

This direct-to-video animated short picks up immediately where Pitch Black left off.  We see Riddick’s shuttle had barely left the planet when a mercenary ship arrived and captured the three survivors of the Hunter-Gratzner.  But this is no ordinary merc troupe—this cadre is led by Antonia Chillingsworth, a psychopath who equates murder with art.   She has traveled the galaxy collecting the most notorious killers and turning them into frozen, living statues in her gallery, cherishing the artistry of homicide.

What are the odds of such a collector randomly stumbling across Riddick, one of the galaxies most infamous killers?  Slim.  But logic goes out the window early in this action-fest who’s real purpose is not to tell a story but to entice Pitch Black fans with more of Vin Diesel’s monotone lines, and more of Riddick’s talent for killing.

The short was directed by Peter Chung, and without knowing his name I knew his work—the animation style, violence, and sensibility of Dark Fury closely mirrors that of Chung’s best-known creation Aeon Flux.  Despite being based on a story by Riddick’s creator David Twohy, the film has Chung’s fingerprint on every frame.  As such, your opinion of Chung’s old Liquid Television action heroine will likely influence your viewing experience of this Riddick animated movie.

With Chung’s style-over-substance approach Dark Fury’s 35 minute running time drags despite being almost nonstop action from start to finish.  The fights are inventively staged; Riddick’s final showdown with Junner, Chillingsworth’s lover and chief lieutenant, is a highlight.  But for me the animated violence fails to adrenalize.   Like the merc leader I appreciate Chung’s artistry but feel no passion for it myself.

And if the action doesn’t work there is little else in the movie.  The character moments entirely reprise those from Pitch Black—Jack idolizes Riddick; Riddick will risk his life to save Jack and Imam despite seeming to care for nobody but himself.  We’ve seen it all before, done better.  The film also introduces a new nemesis for Riddick:  Tooms.  This establishes Tooms as a soldier for Chillingsworth before we see him as a merc in The Chronicles of Riddick film, creating an unnecessary bridge between the two films.

But despite being unnecessary, I enjoyed this short far more than the film that succeeded it.  It is stylized and violent with a good hint of dark humor as well.  I have long been a fan of Aeon Flux and appreciate Chung’s return to form.  It’s something only a fan of Chung or Riddick can appreciate, but as a fan of both I give it a recommend.

September 6, 2013 Posted by | Movies, Now Playing Podcast, Podcasts, Reviews | , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury