Blog From The Bench

"We got a live one!" The Ghostbusters make their Blur-ray debut June 16, as Sony unveils a 25th anniversary edition with three BD exclusive features, as well as a porting over of the bonus materials from their 2005 gift set release.

All-New Exclusive Special Features include...

* Slimer Mode: Picture-in-Picture Graphical Viewing Experience with an examination of the spook-hunters’ firehouse headquarters, an in-depth exploration of the creatures in the Ghostbusters mythology, behind-the-scenes discussions of making the movie, new interviews with cast, crew, and special effects artists interviews, and "much more." Note: That last tag means they're still working on adding stuff to the mix, or whatever else they plan to include isn't worth much at all.
* Featurette: Ecto-1: Resurrecting the Classic Car
* Ghostbusters Garage: Ecto-1 Gallery

Additional Previous Released Special Features include...
* Commentary with Ivan Reitman, Harold Ramis, and Joe Medjuck
* The Making of Ghostbusters (1984)
* Interviews with Cast and Crew
* SFX Team - Includes Before and After Multi-Angle Explorations
* 10 Deleted Scenes
* Storyboard Comparisons

This release is timed to coincide with the premier of Atari's GHOSTBUSTERS video game, which was demo'd at the 2008 Comic Con. Honestly, it looked impressive, with a story by Ramis, Landis, and Aykroyd. Now, if they can actually get GHOSTBUSTERS 3 into production, that would be something worth shouting about.

Warner Home Video has just announced the release of several high profile DVD and BD releases for 2009.

Mar 10
The Batman Anthology (Blu-ray) ($129.95)
The first four films -- Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman and Robin -- available for the first time on Blu-ray. Includes 18 hrs of bonus material and a digital copy of Batman.

Apr 14
Skins: Volume 2 ($39.98)
On the heels of the Jan 13 release of Series 1 (aka "Volume 1"), BBC Video follows up quickly with Series 2 (or "Volume 2"). This is truly one of the most compelling series to grace television and not to be missed. It's a show about teens written by twenty-somethings, not forty year olds trying to recall what life was like for them as kids. Special features include bonus footage, behind the scenes, and more. BTW, Series 3 moves forward without the original cast, save for Tony's sister Effy and her new friend Pandora.

Apr 21
Squidbillies: Volume 2 ($29.98)
The Adult Swim takeover continues with the second release in the series.

May 5
Doctor Who: The E-Space Trilogy ($49.98)
Another great Tom Baker arc is remastered for DVD. Adric arrives, Romana and K-9 depart, and the Doctor battles vampires in this three disc collection which includes Full Circle, State of Decay, and Warriors Gate.

Disney has just announced their Blu-ray lineup for 2009. This is only a partial list with "more to follow," but it shows they're making a concerted effort to release titles across all their many properties. The other important aspect is that many of these releases will also contain a digital copy and/or standard DVD copy, to "future proof" consumer collections. Interesting. We'll see how long this lasts.

NORTH AMERICA
Space Buddies (Feb 03)
Miracle at St. Anna (Feb 10)
Pretty Woman (Feb 10)
High School Musical (Feb 17)
High School Musical 3 (Feb 17)
Beverly Hills Chihuahua (Mar 03)
Pinocchio: Platinum Edition (Mar 10)
Snow White: Platinum Edition (Oct)
Monsters Inc. (TBD)
A Bugs Life (TBD)
Rounders: 10th Anniversary (TBD)
Lost: Seasons One and Two (TBD)
Sin City (TBD)
Microcosmos (TBD)
Greatest Game Ever Played (TBD)
Miracle (TBD)
Sling Blade (TBD)
Pulp Fiction (TBD)
Good Will Hunting (TBD)

EUROPE
Space Buddies (Feb)
High School Musical 3 (Feb)
Pinocchio (Mar)
Beverly Hills Chihuahua (Apr)
Monsters Inc. (TBD)

JAPAN
Pinocchio (Mar)
Tinker Bell (Apr)
WALL-E (Apr)
High School Musical 3 (TBD)
Beverly Hills Chihuahua (TBD)
Monsters Inc. (TBD)

Another survey suggestion was for Verdict to provide more up-to-date DVD news, as it becomes available. You can always find television and movie news at TV Verdict and Cinema Verdict respectively, but we haven't been doing DVD news in quite a while. So, we're going to play with this for a while and see if people find it valuable.

Editor's Note: This misplaced theatrical pre-release review of the feature film EXILED was writtern by Judge Adam Arseneau back on July 1, 2007

The Charge
Brotherhood, honor, loyalty, assassination--which one is the strongest?

Opening Statement
As directors go, Johnnie To is hot these days. His work has been gaining more and more mainstream attention in North America, his films are in heavy rotation in festivals, and more and more critics are raving about his work. But lately, the man's been hitting home run after home run. His Triad crime films Election and Election 2 have been garnering rave reviews, recognized as some of his strongest work in years.

Now, Exiled, To's newest film completes the hat-trick as a sharp and stylish crime film, one that stays true to its Hong Kong action roots while bending genres like a contortionist.

Facts of the Case
The year is 1998. Like Hong Kong, the Chinese region of Macau is set to be transferred to the People's Republic of China in a few short months, and every person in Macau is desperately trying to make as much money as possible before the regime change.

In the midst of the chaos, Wo (Nick Cheung, Breaking News), a renegade Triad member tries to make a clean start with his wife and newborn baby in Macau, despite having been exiled from the region by his organization. This peace is shattered the moment that Fat (Lam Suet, Kung Fu Hustle) and Blaze (Anthony Wong, Infernal Affairs), two hitmen show up at the front door looking to take Wo out of the picture as punishment for abandoning his boss and then returning. Things complicate further when two additional hitmen, Cat (Roy Cheung, Infernal Affairs II) and Tai (Francis Ng, Infernal Affairs II) show up, coming to the rescue of Wo!

One thing their boss didn't take into consideration, however, is how all five men are good childhood friends. Business has suddenly become at odds with personal lives, and when the dust settles, the friends suddenly realize they need to answer some hard questions as to their own lives and futures in the Triad. Jaded and disillusioned, they find strength in numbers and prepare to set off on a reckless journey of wild abandon--a path running completely at odds with their old Triad boss!

The Evidence
Fans of Johnnie To's The Mission will no doubt see Exiled as a spiritual sequel of sorts; the film revisits many of the same themes of Triad brotherhood and loyalty as well as reuniting Hong Kong actors Anthony Wong, Francis Ng, and Simon Yam. They aren't really sequels, mind you; the characters they portray are not the same. Instead, Exiled feels like a jazz riff, a remix of similar devices and materials put forth fresh and linked thematically, rather than by plot. Director To enjoys making the rough-and-tumble high-octane Triad action films that put Hong Kong cinema on the map, adding dashes of comedy, adventure, romance, and slapstick to his work. He reaches across genres, tossing pinches into his cinematic cauldron like a mad scientist.

The steamy exotic locale of Macau is as unique, cosmopolitan, and multi-influenced as Exiled itself. For those not down with their geography, Macau is one of two special administrative regions of China, the other being Hong Kong. Settled by the Portuguese in the 16th century, it was the oldest European colony in China until 1999, when like its British brother, control of the tiny region was transferred to the People's Republic of China. Macau culture and heritage is a unique blend of Portuguese and Chinese traditions, foods, religions, architecture, and music--in short, the perfect place to set a Johnnie To film. After all, To is a filmmaker who blends numerous styles into his Hong Kong-style crime films, borrowing elements of comedy, romance, slapstick, satire, and social criticism into his work. What better place to set Exiled than in a country itself such a unique blend of various flavors and styles, cultures and influences?

Like a love letter to the genre itself, Exiled is a film enamored with the romanticism of the Hong Kong action film, of notions of brotherhood and allegiances, of honor amongst thieves even at the expense of one's life. The machismo, the brotherly love, the loyalty aspects are all ramped up to 11 in Exiled, almost to the point of self-parody, putting into play a fantastic scenario of loyalties and double-crossings that would put a Shakespearian tragedy to shame. Ironically, Exiled's best moments come in deflating the very expectations the film fetishizes. Where genre tradition insists a gunfight break out, the protagonists sit down and have a friendly meal together. Then at a totally unexpected moment, the bullets fly like lead raindrops. Where one expects tension and high drama, the film takes an almost exorbitant amount of time relaxing and stretching its legs, wandering through good-natured aimless banter and casual moments between characters. Then, suddenly, a whole bunch of people end up dead. Exiled loves having fun with its audience, so much so that all you can do is grin foolishly, hang on, and enjoy the ride. If such a thing even existed, Exiled could very well a shining example of postmodern Hong Kong action cinema.

The extremely recognizable cast of action staples hammers their roles home with precision, having polished and perfected the art in dozens of earlier films.

The cinematography is stylish, exerting both restraint and excess throughout the film as needed. The color scheme, a muted shade of reds and browns highlights the exotic locale, with gunfights often taking place in heavy shadow and grainy bullet time. Hong Kong cinema can be hit-or-miss in the audio/video presentation, but Exiled looks smart on the big screen, with well-translated subtitles.

The Rebuttal Witnesses
With so much style and homage and eroticizing of Hong Kong clichés, common sense gets left behind before the credits even start. Exiled doesn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense from a traditional narrative standpoint--a reoccurring theme in To's work--and might drive more literal minds to frustration. This is a film where you check your coat and common sense at the door. Don't worry; they'll be waiting for you when the credits roll.

Closing Statement
When I attended the Toronto Film Festival screening of Exiled last year, To got a standing ovation from the audience, and with good reason. Sharp and polished, Exiled is a joyous ride from start to finish, blending comedy, drama, and action cliches together with deft precision and effortless exuberance.

Exiled opens in New York in August. Keep an eye out for it in your theaters.

The Verdict
This is Johnnie To's best work in years. Not guilty.

EDITOR: jstewart
TITLE: Exiled
JUDGE: aarseneau
OPENING DATE: 2007-08-24
STUDIO: Magnolia Pictures

SCALES OF JUSTICE
VIDEO: 87
AUDIO: 85
ACTING: 89
STORY: 85
JUDGMENT: 89

RUN TIME: 110 min
RELEASE YEAR: 2006
MPAA RATING: R

ACCOMPLICES:
IMDB

The Sci-Fi Channel original series GHOST HUNTERS returns with all new episodes starting September 26 and every Wednesday this Fall at 9 Eastern /8 Central. And to spice up the action, be sure to tune in for their LIVE Halloween episode from Waverly Hills Sanatorium on October 31. It's sure to make your blood run cold.

Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson: plumbers by day, Ghost Hunters by night. This one-hour weekly docu-soap from the creator/executive producer of American Chopper follows a group of real-life paranormal researchers as they investigate haunted houses throughout the country, encountering every type of imaginable haunting.

Check out this exclusive clip in which Jason and Grant head down into the steam tunnels to investigate reports of unusual noises.

Do you sense a paranormal presence in your own home? Life after death has been a central belief among billions of people for millennia — and contact between this existence and the next is no more far-fetched than sending sound and pictures through the air must have seemed to the ancients. You can report evidence or request an investigation directly at the TAPS site. Sure, those spooky sounds may just be air-vent echoes or water backflow in your pipes -- if so, TAPS is qualified to tell you that, too!

On Friday, July 27, at the height of Comic-Con hysteria, Warner Home Video commandeered PetCo Park, the beautiful home of the San Diego Padres, to host their release party for Zack Snyder and Frank Miller's 300 on DVD. While I try to avoid the red carpet at all costs (if you've ever worked it, you'll know why), I was somehow shanghaied into working the press line alongside some of LA's finest photographers (see legit papparazzi). It was certainly an education and I was grateful for having been welcomed into their unique little enclave. I also snagged a few nice photos in the process.

We original thought there was only one of these models cum Spartans, but it turns out that the entrance to the party, taking place on the club level concourse of the park, was crawling with them. If the males of our rather out-of-shape pack weren't feeling intimidated enough by Mr. Pectoral Leather Thong, to be surrounded by an entire army made one feel testoterone-challenged... at the very least. Thankfully, the celebrity guests started arriving quickly, so we didn't have time to dwell on our shortcomings.

First up were director Zack Snyder and his wife Deborah, followed closely by Frank Miller.

Next to arrive were Astinos the headless (Tom Wisdom; the dude is 33 and looks like he's 17), followed by Hal Sparks and his girlfriend?! We still don't know why he was there, but everyone was asking ridiculous I Love The '80s questions and he was giving it back as good as he got it.

And then came the parade of cast and crew from recent DVD release... Babylon 5: The Lost Tales stars Bruce Boxlightner, Tracy Scoggins; and Believers director Daniel Myrick...

...The girls from Joel Silver's Return to the House on Haunted Hill...

...and Bladerunner's Joanna Cassidy and Sean Young, with veteran character actor Joel Turkel in the background.

We waited around for almost half an hour being told that David Arquette (Tripper) was on his way, but eventually gave up and went into the party. Many of you have been to major league ballparks and know exactly what to expect. Imagine walking into this park and finding a Spartan den of debauchery and inequity, complete with costumes from the film, harums, and dancing slave girls.

Oh yeah, and then these guys showed up. You may recognize the face of one, but the guy in the skeleton suit is the one who kept us waiting earlier in the evening...

All in all, it was a fascinating evening, if only to experience what life is like as a freelance photographer (those guys hustle their butts off), and partake of the 300 experience in such a unique location.

During the last week of June, we were invited up to Vancouver, British Columbia by SciFi Channel to tour the set of their new series, Flash Gordon and meet with the cast.

Located about 45 min outside the city, the studio is actually an old farm which they've converted over to a production facility. The barn houses all the main sets. The horse stables double for hair and makeup. The acres serves as versatile exteriors. Operating on a shoestring budget, the production team has been forced to get creative, and the results are remarkable. Looking at what the costume designers have come up with is just one example.

The set designers faced similar challenges and created swing pieces that could be used for multiple interior locations, depending on what the script called for.

But, as with most shows, it's the writing and what the cast is able to do with it that will detemine its ultimate success. We had an opportunity to talk with four of the series regulars -- Eric Johnson (Flash), Gina Holden (Dale), Karen Cliche (Baylin), and Jody Racicot (Zarkov) -- about their involvement and experience working on the show. When we arrived, they were in the midst of shooting episodes 6 and 7 of their 24 episode season.

Listen to the Q&A session (57:16)

For those who didn't make it down to Comic-Con this year, we also have access to the cast and crew's panel which took place on Sunday, August 26.

Watch their panel appearance (48:02)

For a sneak peek at the series, SciFi has provided us with a behind the scenes promo, as well as several clips from the pilot episode, which premieres August 10 at 9:00p ET /8:00p CT.

Reunion of Flash and Dale -- Flash's ex, Dale Arden, returns to town as a television reporter, rekindling their friendship. Only problem is, Dale has moved on with her life, her career, and her relationships, while Flash is living at home, working as a grease monkey, and running marathons in his free time.

Flash questions his mom about Dad's work -- The premise of the series is that Flash's father, a physics professor, died in fire 13 years before. But what they come to learn is that he was doing work off the books investigating a rift in the space-time continuum, one which opens directly onto the planet Mongo.

Flash and Dale meet Ming -- Here's the potential deal breaker for me. With legendary actors like and Max Von Sydow breathing life into Alex Raymond's Ming the Merciless, seeing John Ralston in the role is a major disappointment. Granted, this is all based on my own personal expectations for the character, but first impressions are important and he just doesn't seem to cut it.

"Return of a Hero" -- A behind the scenes look into the updated legend of FLASH GORDON: the cast, the characters, the stories, and even the return of the theme song by Queen.

For as much as I love the rich tapestry of the FLASH GORDON universe that has been woven over the years, I'm approaching this series with trepidation. I do give showrunner Peter Hume and his team the benefit of the doubt and hope that they can pull this off, adding yet another campy, costumed jewel into the crown of this scifi fantasy legend.

It's been a crazy couple days here in San Diego, with very little time between sessions to blog. However, here's what is coming your way throughout the week...

* Transcribed interviews with the BLADERUNNER design team
* Audio interview with Ridley Scott
* Audio interview with writer/director Bruce Timm (Superman: Doomsday)
* Recap of "40 Years of Star Trek" panel
* Recap of 300 DVD release party at PetCo Park (home of the San Diego Padres)
* Impressions of NBC's new series The Bionic Woman
* Audio interview with sci-fi/fantasy legends Ray Harryhausen and Ray Bradbury
* Recap of BALLS OF FURY panel
* Recap of Rogue Pictures preview including THE STRANGERS and DOOMSDAY
* Impressions of upcoming Disney film PRINCE CASPIAN
* Audio press conference with the women of Battlestar Galactica -- Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackoff, Tricia Helfer, Lucy Lawless
* Transcribed interview with the original voice of Speed Racer, Peter Fernandez
* Impressions of the new Fox series The Sarah Connor Chronicles
* and a recap of the Smallville: Season Seven preview

Exhaustively yours,
Michael Stailey

In what was probably the most attended presentation of the day (and I got there an hour early), showrunners Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof overcame microphone problems to tease, tantilize, and taunt the assembled masses as what we can expect to see in Season Four, which doesn't premiere until February 2008. Employing what they referred to as "failsafe bells," each of them had the opportunity to ring the other out, if they begin to give away too much information. Of course, it quickly became a running gag throughout the hour.

The hour kicked off with a video preview of Lost: The Videogame from Canadian-based Ubisoft. The tagline is "Survive the island and find your way home." While still in rough form, it will give players the same type of show experience, complete with mystery, intrigue, flashbacks, and more. The animation is reminiscent of Grand Theft Auto and the character designs are very faithful to the cast. Funny thing is, they had yet to record the actor's voices, so every one of the overdubs had French Canadian accents. The game will hit store shelves in Februrary, just in time for the new season.

With that out of the way, the boys dove right into audience Q&A, prefacing the session with Damon saying that "fan brutality" has helped significantly shape the direction of the show. Carlton added that if some fan comment doesn't wake Damon in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, he's not happy.

Topics that came up in discussion...

How has the end date changed the show?

Damon: It's "incredibly liberating" giving them an opportunity to put into place all the key plot points that have long been mapped out, but put on hold while they tap danced around other issues. Both added that the new 16 episode season format gives them much needed time to do their best work. We really owe you guys thanks for this gift, because we can now start to put things in motion that will reward fans for coming along for the ride. And just so you know, the Kate/Jack flash-forward is not the end of the story.

What was the thought behind the increased violence in Season 3?

Carlton: It was a final summation of the storyline between the Losties and The Others.
Damon: If you go back and look, the Losties perpetrated more violence against each other in Season 1 than anyone did to them in Season 3.

How much control do the various writing teams have in shaping the overall story?

Carlton: It's really a collaborative writing process. The storylines are broken down into beats, but the 8 member writing team has the opportunity to fill in some of the details.
Damon: Each writer has their own favorite characters, and their respective histories spring forth from those major plot points.

Where's Michael?

Surprise guest Harold Perrineau arrives on stage to thunderous applause. While his return to series regular status for Season Four was spoiled on Wednesday at the Television Critics Association presentation in Los Angeles, Damon and Carlton wanted to make it known that Michael's story is a signification piece of the puzzle in the series overall story. His is the most compelling of all the redemption stories, They wouldn't give any details as to how, when, or why Michael will be returning, but did promise it would happen sometime in the early part of the season... and be quite shocking.

Will we see more flash-forwards?

Carlton: Yes.
Damon: But how forward, and about whom is anyone's guess

Will Jack and Claire learn they are brother and sister?

Damon and Carlton: No comment

Will we learn more about the Dharma Initiative?

Carlton: Yes, and sooner than you may think... like within the hour. (Hmm...)

Will ABC re-run Season 3 in anticipation of Season 4?

No, but Season 3 will be arrive on DVD, December 11.

In Season 2, was Ben caught in Russo's trap by accident or by design?

Carlton: By accident, but there's more to that story which will be revealed in Season 4

Will we be treated to another "Lost Experience"?

Not during this hiatus. Mobisodes are in development, but they just didn't have time to create worthwhile content between Seasons 3 and 4. This stuff needs to be in canon, and not throwaway, which require a great deal of thought and effort. The new schedule allows them time to create new off-network content, which we'll see after Season 4.

Will Richard's story be told this season?

Carlton: Nestor has a new series on CBS with Jimmy Smits, which might limit their ability to use him this season. Time will tell.

What questions aren't we asking you that we should be?

Carlton: Who's in the coffin? Who else besides Jack and Kate got off the island?
Damon: Who's on the freighter? Who are the skeletons they found in Season One?

Will Libby's story ever be told?

Carlton: We intend to finish her story this season, and her ties to Dharma might surprise you.

Will we ever get a Russo flashback?

Damon: Her story will be told, but it may be spread out between this season and next. Other elements need to fall into place first.

Will the shooting schedule remain the same and the network just hold back episodes?

Carlton: No. We are only shooting 16 episodes a season. The added time will be used to create stories.
Damon: Shooting begins in late August, at which point 14 of the 16 scripts will have already been written. So if something goes south, were kinda flying without a net. The problem this year is going to be spoilers. Our job is to keep the secrets safe for those who want to enjoy the ride.
Carlton: You guys have done an amazing job of self-policing and keeping spoilers away from people who don't want to know them. We hope that continues this season. It's much more fun if you take things as they come.

What is the monster really? We know it's name is Cerebus.

Carlton: Cerebus is one of its names.
Damon: The maps do show C.V.s or Cerebus Vents
Carlton: Some things on the island will forever remain a mystery. That's just life. No everything has an explanation. But we do want to definitively explain the monster before the series concludes.

Special Clip:

Just before arriving in San Diego, Damon and Carlton received a package from Norway. Apparently this 8mm film was discovered in an abandoned building scheduled for demolition and the people who found it knew it had to get into the hands of the LOST producers. The film itself was horribly damaged. They restored as much as they could, but still don't know what it means.

Much like the other Dharma films found on the island, this raw footage features the mystery Asian-American man, here referred to as Dr. Edgar Hallowax. Much of it is raw behind-the-scenes footage for the creation of a training film for Station 6: The Orchid. This is not a bio-station, but something else entirely. In his arms is a large lop-eared rabbit with the number 15 painted on the side. However, during the first take, a duplicate of this rabbit appears out of thin air on a shelving unit behind him, knocking things to the floor. Everyone in the room panics as alarm bells sound and the camera is shut off. When they return, everything is reset and the training film begins once again, this time Hallowax is apologizing to the station employees for having to deceive their families, making reference to the "Cashmere Effect," at which point the film deteriorates and ends.

Speculation amongst those sitting around me centered on rips in the space-time continuum, where the same person/animal could exists in the same place at the same time, traveling from one time stream to the next. Could this explain John's statement in the Season 3 finale, "It's not supposed to happen like this." Could he have died at the hands of Ben and the John we saw return been from another time? How does this relate to Desmonds time altering abilities? Check out the various LOST fan sites for more speculation between now and February.