Anthony Hopkins

Blu-Ray Round Up: MGM Releases Wave of Modern Horror Classics

BrianTT — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 07:16:28 -0600

CHICAGO – Start planning your Halloween marathon now. Last week, we highlighted the Universal wave of titles that included greats like “Shaun of the Dead” and “Army of Darkness” and we’re back with another wave of modern horror classics, including Oscar winners “Silence of the Lambs” and “Misery”.

The Blu-Ray Round-Up, HollywoodChicago.com’s regular column that highlights synopsis, tech details, and special features for titles that might otherwise fall through your Blu-Ray buying cracks, doesn’t usually play favorites, but every good horror fan should have “Manhunter,” “Silence,” “Child’s Play,” and “Misery” in their collection. Whether or not you need to own the “Wrong Turn” films is something only you can decide.

All five titles were released last week, September 15th, 2009. Both “Child’s Play” and “Misery” are presented in a BD/DVD combo pack with both HD and standard versions of the film.

“Child’s Play”

Photo credit: MGM/Fox

Synopsis: “The “chills come thick and fast” (Los Angeles Times) as voodoo and terror meet within an innocent-looking doll inhabited by the soul of a serial killer who isn’t ready to die. From the Director of Fright Night comes a “clever, playful” (The New York Times) and stylish thriller with “excellent special effects” (Leonard Maltin) and heart-pounding suspense guaranteed to scare! After 6-year-old Andy Barclay’s (Alex Vincent) babysitter is violently pushed out of a window to her death, nobody believes him when he says that “Chucky,” his new birthday doll, did it! Untilthings start going terribly wrong dead wrong. And when an ensuing rampage of gruesome murders lead a detective (Chris Sarandon) back to the same toy, he discovers that the real terror has just begun’the deranged doll has plans to transfer his evil spirit into a living human beingyoung Andy!”

“Child’s Play” stars Catherine Hicks and Chris Sarandon. It was written by Don Mancini and John Lafia and Tom Holland and directed by Holland. The film is presented in 1080p widescreen with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and accompanied by an English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track, Dolby Surround track, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital track, and French Surround track. The film is rated R.

Special features on “Child’s Play” include Audio cmmentary with Alex Vincent, Catherine Hicks, and Chucky designer Kevin Yagher, Audio commentary with producer David Kirshner and screenwriter Don Mancini, Scene-specific Chucky commentaries, “Evil Comes in Small Packages 3,” “Chucky: Building a Nightmare,” “A Monster Convention,” “Introducing Chucky: The Making of Child’s Play,” Original Theatrical Trailer, and Still Photo Gallery.

“The Hannibal Lecter Collection”

Photo credit: MGM/Fox

Synopsis: “Witness the birth of evil in spine tingling clarity, as the eerie and intense Hannibal Lecter Anthology captures Manhunter, The Silence Of The Lambs and Hannibal together on stunning Blu-ray Disc for the first time. Manhunter, the intense thriller from writer-director Michael Mann (Heat, Public Enemies), first introduced the world to the cunning, unforgettable serial killer, Dr. Hannibal Lecter. The psychological horror continues in The Silence Of The Lambs with Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins (The Elephant Man, Nixon) as the sophisticated murderer, alongside Oscar winner Jodie Foster (Maverick, Contact) as FBI agent Clarice Starling, who liaisons with the killer in order to solve a murder case. Lastly, Hopkins is “perverse perfection” (Rolling Stone) in his reprisal of the role of Dr. Lecter in Hannibal, as he comes out of hiding to draw FBI agent Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore; Boogie Nights) into a high-stakes battle that will test her strength, cunning and loyalty.”

“Manhunter” stars William Petersen, Joan Allen, Kim Greist, Brian Cox, Dennis Farina, Stephen Lang, and Tom Noonan. It was written and directed by Michael Mann. The film is presented in 1080p widescreen with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and accompanied by an English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital track, and French 5.1 Dolby Digital track. The film is rated R.

“The Silence of the Lambs” stars Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, and Ted Levine. It was written by Ted Tally and directed by Jonathan Demme. The film is presented in 1080p widescreen with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and accompanied by an English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital track, and French 5.1 Dolby Digital track. The film is rated R.

“Hannibal” stars Anthony Hopkins, Julianne Moore, Ray Liotta, Frankie R. Faison, Giancarlo Giannini, and Francesca Neri. It was written by David Mamet and Steven Zaillian and directed by Ridley Scott. The film is presented in 1080p widescreen with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and accompanied by an English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital track, and French 5.1 Dolby Digital track. The film is rated R.

None of the films include any special features.

“Misery”

Photo credit: MGM/Fox

Synopsis: “Novelist Paul Sheldon (Caan) doesn’t remember the blinding blizzard that sent his car spinning off the road. Nor does he remember being nursed back from unconsciousness. All he remembers iswaking up in the home of Annie Wilkes (Bates)a maniacal fan who is bent on keeping her favorite writer as her personal prisoner for the rest of his “cock-a-doodie” life!”

“Misery” stars James Caan, Kathy Bates, Frances Sternhagen, Richard Farnsworth, and Lauren Bacall. It was written by William Goldman and directed by Rob Reiner. The film is presented in 1080p widescreen with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and accompanied by an English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital track, and French 5.1 DTS track. The film is rated R.

Special features include Audio Commentary by Director Rob Reiner, Audio Commentary by Screenwriter William Goldman, “Misery Loves Company,” “Marc Shaiman’s Musical Misery Tour,” “Diagnosing Annie Wilkes,” “Advice For the Stalked,” “Profile of a Stalker, “Celebrity Stalkers,” and “Anti-Stalking Laws”.

“Wrong Turn”

Photo credit: MGM/Fox

Synopsis: “An indescribable nightmare begins when a group of young friends is stranded on an isolated road deep in the Appalachian hills of West Virginia, with no hope of rescue. Desperate and fearing for their lives, the horror surges as they find themselves relentlessly pursued by a force of evil beyond their imagination!”

“Wrong Turn” stars Desmond Harrington, Eliza Dushku, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Jeremy Sisto, and Kevin Zegers. It was written by Alan McElroy and directed by Rob Schmidt. The film is presented in 1080p widescreen with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and accompanied by an English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track, Spanish Dolby Surround track, and French 5.1 Dolby Digital track. The film is rated R.

Special features include Commentary by Director Rob Schmidt and Stars Desmond Harrington and Eliza Dushku, Deleted Scenes, “The Making of Wrong Turn,” “Eliza Dushku: Babe in the Woods,” “Stan Winston,” “Fresh Meat: The Wounds of Wrong Turn,” and Original Theatrical Trailer.

“Wrong Turn 2: Dead End”

Photo credit: MGM/Fox

Synopsis: “This chilling sequel to the surprise hit film returns to the woods of West Virginia; a backdrop for the new reality television show “The Apocalypse: Ultimate Survivalist.” As the contestants compete in various challenges to test their physical and mental prowess they soon find themselves in a fight for their lives as they are stalked and hunted by a family of mutant, inbred cannibals.”

“Wrong Turn 2: Dead End” stars Erica Leerhsen, Henry Rollins, Texas Battle, and Kimberly Caldwell. It was written by Turi Meyer & Al Septien and directed by Joe Lynch. The film is presented in 1080p widescreen with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and accompanied by an English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track, Spanish Dolby Surround track, and French 5.1 Dolby Digital track. The film is not rated.

Special features include “More Blood, More Guts: The Making of Wrong Turn 2,” “Making Gore Look Good,” “On Location With P-Nut,” and Cast & Crew Audio Commentaries.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ With Hannibal Lecter Finally Available in HD

BrianTT — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 09:54:44 -0600

Blu-Ray Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – When the HD revolution was announced, most hardcore movie fans had an instant wish list of titles that they dreamed about seeing in the next generation of video and audio. If you polled an average group of people, “Star Wars,” “Aliens,” and “The Lord of the Rings” would probably rank pretty high (and there’s no argument from me there), but one of the first movies I thought of was Jonathan Demme’s masterful “The Silence of the Lambs,” one of the best films of the last two decades and one of my first “dream titles” available on Blu-Ray.

Very few movies have been released on the home market in as many iterations as “Silence of the Lambs”. The film was released on DVD in 1997, 2001, 2004, and 2007 with a Criterion version in 1998 as well. And here’s the frustrating part - I don’t think we’ve seen the end of “Silence” on the home market. There will probably be another version with another new featurette in a few years. It’s never going to stop.

The Silence of the Lambs was released on Blu-Ray on March 3rd, 2009.
Photo credit: MGM Home Video

The biggest problem with all of the “Lambs” releases is that they often don’t share the same special features. The new Blu-Ray version of “Silence of the Lambs” transfers most of the bonuses from the excellent 2007 DVD Collector’s Edition but not all of them. The Criterion version, which is currently out-of-print, features a commentary track and documentary about serial killers, but the Blu-Ray comes with neither.

If you’re counting, that already means that you need to have three versions to have all of the special features related to Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling and HD transfer of the film itself. That’s ridiculous. Considering how much material can fit on a Blu-Ray disc, shouldn’t part of the HD revolution be giving fans every available special feature on one disc? I understand the Criterion version material being exclusive, but why is MGM picking and choosing special features from release to release. It’s annoying.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. If you haven’t seen “Silence of the Lambs” in years, just buy it. “Lambs” is one of those movies that looks nowhere near its two-decade-old age. If you look at films recent to Blu-Ray that were released in the years around it like “Ghost” or “Pretty Woman,” they look so much more dated than the tale of Buffalo Bill. “Silence of the Lambs” is one of the most timeless films of its era. It hasn’t lost a beat and it’s a film I’ve watched and loved every couple years since its release…usually because there’s a new version to review.

It’s kind of disturbing to me, but I realize that there may be young readers out there unfamiliar with “Silence of the Lambs”. The film came out long enough ago that people who were born the year it came out are already driving around their college campus. Yes, that makes me feel old too.

If you’re of the era of “Saw” and Michael Bay horror movies, please go back to “Silence”. Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins won Oscars for this dissection of the mind of evil. Hopkins plays the legendary Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a cannibal who assists the FBI in finding a serial killer and “Silence” is a master class in the technical elements of film. Tak Fujimoto’s cinematography, Howard Shore’s score, Ted Tally’s dialogue - it all works together perfectly. The film won Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Director, and Screenplay - a five-trophy feat that hasn’t been duplicated since.

“Silence of the Lambs” is presented in 1080p with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio picture and an English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track, French 5.1 Dolby Digital track, and a Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital track.

Special features include “Breaking the Silence,” “Understanding the Madness,” “Inside the Labyrinth,” “The Silence of the Lambs: From Page to Screen,” “Scoring the Silence,” “Original 1991 Making Of Featurette,” Deleted Scenes, Anthony Hopkins Phone Message, Outtakes Reel, TV Spots, Teaser Trailer, and Original Theatrical Trailer.

‘The Silence of the Lambs’ is released by MGM Home Video and stars Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, and Ted Levine. It was written by Ted Tally and directed by Jonathan Demme. It was released on March 3rd, 2009. It is rated R.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Film Festival to Unroll Red Carpet For John Cusack in ‘Grace is Gone’ on Friday

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 14:52:43 -0600

CHICAGO – If you missed Wednesday night’s red-carpet affair with Ben and Casey Affleck for “Gone Baby Gone,” you can still hit up the Music Box Theatre at 3733 N. Southport Ave. in Chicago on Friday night for John Cusack’s turn in the limelight.

John Cusack in “Grace is Gone”.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
Just like Wednesday, press will arrive at 5 p.m. on Friday and Cusack’s red carpet is scheduled for 6 p.m. That means it’ll be more like 30 to 45 minutes from then. The event is part of the Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF).

This time, Cusack’s motivated to show not just for press and fans but because he’ll be receiving a Gold Hugo award for career achievement. “Grace is Gone” will be shown after the red carpet around 7 p.m.

Joining Cusack will be young Chicago first-time actresses Shelan O’Keefe and Gracie Bednarczyk. They play his two daughters in the film about losing his wife in war and what it’s like on his family in the U.S.
If you miss the night’s festivities, I’ll again be on the carpet to bring you full coverage. Also, stay tuned for Sunday night’s appearance by Anthony Hopkins. He’s the writer, director and star in “Slipstream”.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Anthony Hopkins to Appear on Chicago Red Carpet For ‘Slipstream’ on Oct. 14

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 14:41:27 -0600

CHICAGO – Following Wednesday’s appearance of Ben and Casey Affleck and Friday’s John Cusack show, Sunday again at the Music Box Theatre will feature the legendary, 70-year-old Anthony Hopkins for “Slipstream”.

From left to right, Stella Arroyave, Anthony Hopkins,
Lisa Pepper and Camryn Manheim in “Slipstream”.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
He’s the star, writer and director of “Slipstream,” which is a classic “mess with your head” film. I’ll be on the carpet beginning at 5 p.m. on Sunday to bring you full coverage. Hopkins is scheduled to appear after 6 p.m.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com