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By Christopher Stipp

The Archives, Right Here

Check out my other column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on TWITTER under the name: Stipp

TRUE LEGEND – GIVEAWAY

trueThe name Yuen Woo Ping should strike fear into the hearts of anyone looking to challenge a man more than talented than he is at creating something truly mind blowing when it comes to choreographing fight sequences that have soul, a spirit of their own. Off on his own, then, his latest feature TRUE LEGEND looks to synergize his knowledge of what makes great action, behind the scenes, and puts it all out in open as director of this bonanza of fists and kicks. A movie about two brothers locked in true mortal combat, this is a movie I saw months ago and just loved for its spirit and dedication to simply getting things right when it comes to showcasing true action.

To that end, here’s Yuen talking about how you teach actors to fight, specifically how he did it on this feature. It’s fascinating to watch but, more importantly, it’s insightful to hear him philosophize about the nature of theatrical combat.

So, if you would like to win a copy of this film just send me a line at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com and I’ll put you into the running to win a copy of your own. Good luck!

ABOUT THE FILM:

“The real true legend here is Yuen Woo Ping…a man whose action choreography defines the post-Bruce Lee era of martial-arts cinema. Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Sammo Hung, among countless others, owe him their careers.”
– David Fear (Time Out New York)

“True Legend opens with one of the best action sequences I’ve ever seen.”
– Phillip French(The Observer)

FROM THE RENOWNED MARTIAL ARTS CHOREOGRAPHER YUEN WOO PING COMES THE FIGHT EPIC

TRUE LEGEND

AVAILABLE ON DVD & BLU-RAY SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

Martial Arts Idols VINCENT ZHAO, MICHELLE YEOH and JAY CHOU Star Opposite DAVID CARRADINE in His Last Film Role

LOS ANGELES, CA (August 23, 2011) – From Indomina Releasing and Director Yuen Woo Ping (lead martial arts choreographer of The Matrix Trilogy, Kill Bill Volumes I and II andthe Academy Award®-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) comes the martial arts epic, True Legend, available on Blu-Ray/DVD on September 13, 2011. The timeless battle between good and evil is at the center of True Legend, which will be distributed by Vivendi Entertainment.

After years of blockbuster success as one of the most distinguished martial arts choreographers in the world, Yuen Woo Ping stepped back into the director’s chair, after a 15-year absence, to make True Legend. By blending his famed, time-honored wuxia style with high-intensity, computer generated sequences, he has managed to create some of the most brilliant and captivating fight scenes ever filmed for the screen.

SYNOPSIS

Su Can’s (Vincent Zhao) respectable life is obliterated when his vengeful brother, Yuan (Andy On), returns from war armed with the deadly Five Venom Fists. Weakened but not destroyed, Su Can learns a never-before-seen form of martial arts: the Drunken Fist. Armed with this new power, he returns home to honor his family through retribution by taking on his brother in a battle to become the ultimate warrior. Packed with the distinct fighting styles of director Yuen Woo Ping, the film stars martial arts legends Vincent Zhao, Michelle Yeoh, Jay Chou and David Carradine in his final screen performance.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

Five Original Featurettes
Two Storyboard to Scene Sequences
Music Video
International Trailer
Aspect ratio: 16×9 2.35 Widescreen Version
Sound: Manadarin 5.1 Dolby Digital, English Stereo
Subtitles: English, French

###

BELLFLOWER INTERVIEW – EVAN GLODELL, JESSIE WISEMAN, TYLER DAWSON

bellflower-movie-poster-02-411x600This is one of those films that will not only light up your life if you see it on the big screen but it’s a movie, I am convinced, will have a glorious life when it come out on home video.

Bellflower

CHRISTOPHER STIPP: When you wrote the story the first time I was drawn to the idea that you just left it. And said, I’ll get back to it and then you looked at it again and said this is not what I really want it to be what I want to try to grab out some of the essence of it. What was it like when you came back and what did you see you had to do?

EVAN GLODELL: I wrote the first version of the script almost intuitively, not really knowing what I was doing in kind of in kind of like an intense phase, right? And then, it mostly sat and I occasionally made notes on it and stuff over the years. And over the years, I was planning on making it – even after it was years – I was still looking for things like I’d see a car and I needed a car and I said, OK, I’ll buy that car because that’s the car that will fit in the movie. I was driving it. But when I had the script back out to do the rewrite the question was what was the biggest thing that needed work?

CS: Right.

GLODELL: It was, I don’t know what the word is for it, but the perspective maybe. In the first version I think it was like this thing where my character was totally innocent and he had this thing done to him like God had sent this woman just for him and he is like why did you do this? This is terrible. I had to get older and learn some things and I came back to the script. I know that something about the script is important to me but it reads really one-sided, almost like a joke. So that was the biggest thing I was working on all the way up until it was done. I was always trying to look at my flaws from the character side to make it more – at least the relationship between mine and her characters. Me and him I think it was always the way it was supposed to be, it wasn’t as confused but it was me and the girl. It was more of a study of how it played out but maybe not the biggest thing in the movie.

WISEMAN: I think that was you just growing up yourself, when you were able to let stuff go and take responsibility.

GLODELL: Yea, it may not be the biggest thing in the movie but it was the biggest thing I was working on.

CS: What is that process like as an independent filmmaker when you have the initial contact with the actors you want to be in your film, meeting someone for the very first time and say, “Would you like to be in my movie?”

evanglodellbellflowerportraits2011sundanceozusmsqlxvzlGLODELL: I didn’t have to have that conversation with Jessie because I met her as an actress when I first moved into LA and worked on tons of some really short films and crazy things and I think all the weird ones had ideas that went into Bellflower so it was always going to be her to play that role. But then I saw Tyler – here’s the story – Tyler knew who I was but I didn’t know who Tyler was. So I saw him in a play and said I want that guy for his part.

DAWSON: We had a mutual friend who knew Evan – he said I know this guy who has a script and is making a movie.

WISEMAN: He’s weird.

(Laughs)

DAWSON: So in my mind, being an actor in LA out of work in my mind it was a movie that was ready, had funding, was going to be shot and I was like how am I going to go out and meet this director and get this role? So that was in my mind before I met Evan and then so I was in this play which was ridiculous luckily and we sort of hit it off and then it turned out the movie was a script and there was no funding.

GLODELL: So then essentially we started working on other projects over the years and we just worked and I know in the back of our minds we knew we always wanted to make this movie. So I guess it didn’t take much convincing because we ….

DAWSON: Or the convincing was done over the course of the play.

WISEMAN: He tricked him!

(Laughs)

GLODELL: When the time finally came to do the movie I think both me and you had that conversation and I was like this is actually happening now. Are you guys still onboard?

DAWSON: I actually thought it wasn’t real. They had a hard time convincing me because I knew there was no funding and I was like how are we going to go into production on a feature film without any money? And they were like, no, no, no….I was living out of town at the time…just come to LA and we’ll shoot the movie. And I was like, “what?” I couldn’t comprehend it. And Vince, our producer who hadn’t met me at the time was pissed because he couldn’t get me to come to LA.

GLODELL: He wasn’t the only one but….

(Laughs)

TYLER DAWSON: But everyone was pissed and then they tried to re-cast me so that I almost not even in the movie because I was being stubborn. And finally I don’t know what changed, you just called me and convinced me.

GLODELL: Yes. We had that conversation it just wasn’t in the beginning.

DAWSON: It was when I was already committed but had moved to Canada.

CS: Really?

DAWSON: Yes, I’m from Vancouver so I had been living up there for a little bit. So it wasn’t like I was just in town and could go shoot. I needed to fly down and take time off work. So I guess it did take some convincing. But, I’m happy they convinced me.

CS: So, the 90-day shoot? Now it’s been 3 years ago in the can?

GLODELL: It was 3 years right now we were in the middle of that shoot, yeah.

CS: Can you talk about that? You guys knew you made the movie, you didn’t realize (maybe you did) as you were making it that this was going to be one hell of a movie but time goes on and you’re obviously doing other things and thinking, “Well, maybe it won’t be coming out after all…”

DAWSON: I know for me, we literally have been shooting pick up shots. We shot for 90 days and then we’re doing pick up shots for about 2 ½ years. So all the people who knew me all they knew was that I kept flying to LA all the time to film this movie. And then 4 years passed and people were like, you’re still making that movie?

(Laughs)

evanglodellbellflowerportraits2011sundance2znfzptzwnulDAWSON: And I was like, yes. And they said, well what’s going on with that? And I’d just say we’re still making it. I know for me there was a time I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to it and for a brief moment I was well, if nothing else we have made a time capsule of our early 20’s and I thought I’d maybe pull out this movie when I was 70 and show it to my grandkids and that would be the end of it. It would just be a keepsake for us in a way.

WISEMAN: At the very least we just wanted like a DVD of it. We’re just crazy and nobody’s going to like it.

DAWSON: And then ironically for me I finally got a copy of it and showed it to some friends in Vancouver. A lot of my friends didn’t even know I was an actor or anything. And then a week later we got into Sundance. It was just perfect timing and super exciting. It literally came out of nowhere for all of us. Really didn’t expect this to happen. Super exciting.

CS: And Oscilloscope picking it up – They’ve really got an eye for brilliant material that just doesn’t fit anywhere else.

WISEMAN: Isn’t that amazing? It’s so cool that they get it.

GLODELL: They were in the movie more than any of us so they are going for it and we’re going for it.

CS: Now that it’s done and over are you satisfied that you can compartmentalize this party life and move on.

DAWSON: It must be like that for you?

GLODELL: Yes, I’ve been working on stuff through the whole thing. As time goes on the more I was editing – like hard drives gets edited because space fills up. I was editing random files, not just random files like I put in more things – when I started out I had two drives and now it’s like 11 drives. Now I have to put them all together, link them, and switch power slides – they are supposed to work. I work on this one because it’s just a tweakie thing and then they run into multiple USB hubs and it’s a nightmare. Everywhere in my life the most important thing in my life, for years now, has been these bags and bags of hard drives.

DAWSON: You should see how it carries it around.

GLODELL: I’m super unorganized and I can’t organize them so they just get bigger and bigger and bigger. I wanted to burn that pile of hard drives after we delivered the final movie. I won’t but I’m going to store them away and forget about them.

DAWSON: I just want to throw this in there – it was awesome when we would go to mix sound and stuff here would be Evan loading 12 hard drives into just a garbage bag – like all the wires and everything. It was the most important thing in our lives. “OK, let’s go”

(Laughs)

GLODELL: I think for all of us we’re all excited to be working again because it was an amazing experience and it was exciting. We’re all anxious to work again because that’s what we love. I know we’ll all be happy – I know that Bellflower will be a huge part of our lives and obviously we’ve become like a little tight-knit family but we’ll be happy to put that away and move on to something else.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS – DVD REVIEW

x-men-fc-tee02This is the long and short of it: BUY THIS MOVIE.

I haven’t been much, as of late, down to own films as I simply don’t have the enthusiasm to pour over every last detail of a production I simply was lukewarm on or thought was OK. Especially when it comes to summer films, this has been troubling. There just hasn’t been a movie that made me sit up, pay attention, and love the fact that big blockbusters exist for a reason.

That reason is X-MEN: FIRST C.LASS.

If any of you were down on the last installment of the mighty mutants, Lord knows I was, there couldn’t be any better reason to listen to a plea begging you to give this franchise another look. Think of X3 like a mulligan, a wayward shot that didn’t quite hit the pin. What Matthew Vaughn was able to do was essentially dismiss almost everything that has come before it to create something truly unique and insightful.

Seeing Charles Xavier and Magneto when they were spry young men, idealistic, and not consumed with a battle that eventually overcame them both was not only a refreshing angle but the way in which the story was told more than enough sold me again on the idea that this is a viable property that deserves to be developed even more.

Michael Fassbender is the true standout here, gnawing on every scene he’s given, as well as James McAvoy and Kevin Bacon (who turns in quite a ripping performance) who treat their roles not as something to be done bombastically or with a sense of false bravado. There is an earnestness with which everyone knows the role they’re playing and they’re not out to be obnoxious, they’re out to be as real as possible considering the circumstances and that’s where Vaughn’s X-MEN installment really shines. Like in X2, there is something threatening out there and they all know that even though they’re possessed with these powers something could go terribly wrong.

The movie works on so many levels but, as a summer action movie, it delivers so much more than just the chance to see Magneto when he was young, this is your chance to see The X-Men as if they really existed.

More details about the film:

LOS ANGELES (July 19, 2011) – Before they were superheroes, the fate of humanity depended on an extraordinary group of youngsters who went on to become X-MEN: FIRST CLASS. Based on the international bestselling Marvel Comics franchise, this box office hit bursts onto Blu-ray and DVD Friday, September 9 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. For the first time ever, “X-Men” fans will have the power to choose a side between Professor X and Magneto with two versions of premium collectible Blu-ray packaging. Also exclusively on Blu-ray, fans receive access to over two hours of special interactive features PLUS ten Marvel “X-Men” Digital Comics including a never-before-seen “X-Men: First Class” backstory— redeemable through each Blu-ray’s unique packaging code.

Director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Kick Ass) tells the true origins of the multi-billion dollar film franchise, guiding exceptional performances by Golden Globe®-nominee James McAvoy (Atonement), Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds), and Golden Globe®-winner Kevin Bacon (“Taking Chance,” Mystic River). A “rare movie event that balances an intelligent story with solid performances, first-rate action and top-of-the-line special effects” (Ben Lyons, E!), X-MEN: FIRST CLASS has drawn an impressive $150 million at the domestic box office and nearly $350 million worldwide.

Before Charles Xavier (McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Fassbender) took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time, working together to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. The film features a star-studded supporting cast, including Academy Award®-nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone), January Jones (“Mad Men”), Rose Byrne (28 Weeks Later), Zoë Kravitz (“Californication”), Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man), Lucas Till (Walk the Line), and Emmy Award®-nominee Oliver Platt (“The West Wing”).

Special features on the X-MEN: FIRST CLASS Blu-ray include:
● 10 Marvel “X-Men” Digital Comics with exclusive “X-Men: First Class” Backstory Comic
● More than two hours of never-before-seen extras, including:
â—‹ Cerebro Mutant Tracker: The complete interactive Mutant Database with interactive videos giving fans the ability to learn about their favorite mutants in the X-Men film franchise
â—‹ Children of the Atom: An eight-part behind-the-scenes featurette, charting the film from pre-production through post-production, including visual effects techniques and cataloguing “X-Men” transformations through prosthetic make up and costume design
â—‹ “X” Marks the Spot: An interactive feature allowing viewers the opportunity to learn more about specific scenes with talent interviews and behind-the-scenes footage
â—‹ Extended and Deleted Scenes
â—‹ BD-Live Portal with additional Cerebro Mutant Tracker profiles
â—‹ Composer’s Isolated Score
â—‹ Theatrical Trailer

REBIRTH – DVD REVIEW

1306355303I know, you’re spent. You can’t handle any more coverage of September 11, 20o1.

Following the lives of five people over almost a ten year span, this movie is guaranteed to restore your faith in not only humanity but in the power of the human spirit. That is no hyperbole or grandiose marketing claims intended to be pull-quoted anywhere, this documentary is moving for the way in which we focus not on the sensationalistic news-y facts about what these people have gone through, it’s power is derived from one of the film’s participants who has a really difficult letting go of her past love. It’s heart wrenching, to be sure, but it’s completely understandable. And, over the course of these interviews, year after year, the transformation that happens in this woman’s life is nothing short of tear-inducing.

Credit should absolutely go to filmmaker Jim Whitaker who had the presence of mind to think this was a viable project because, starting with the first interview, there was no way to know which directions these people would go. No one would be able to.

It’s not a film that will necessarily be played on a monthly basis but it sure is a film that could be used whenever you think that the heartache you feel, the pain you’re dealing with, can ever go away. It doesn’t have to be September 11th and that’s the brilliance of this movie. It’s more than the sum of its parts, it elevates the questions it asks to a level that’s more spiritually based, how people can go forth after tragedy. That’s why this documentary works, that’s why it deserves a place on your shelf.

More details about the film:

REBIRTH is a riveting journey into living history – an act of personal witness to one of the most profound events in American history and the healing that has come in its wake.

The result of a decade-long process by director Jim Whitaker, the inspirational story of REBIRTH follows the nearly ten-year transformation of five people whose lives were forever altered on September 11, 2001 – and simultaneously tracks via unprecedented multi-camera time-lapse photography the minute-by-minute evolution of the space where the Twin Towers once rose. Both a singular cinematic and human experience, REBIRTH is deeply intimate and uplifting – providing a moving portrait of how trauma and grief metamorphose into hope and rebuilding as the human spirit transcends the unthinkable over time.

Disc one
Rebirth
Feature length audio commentary with director Jim Whitaker and director of photography Tom Lappin
English subtitles for the hearing impaired

Disc two
14 cameras, 24 hours – a video about the time-lapse project
Extended cut of the time-lapse footage
Project Rebirth – a video about the mission of this unique organization

With an exclusive essay by Davis Guggenheim, director of Waiting for Superman (2010) and the Academy Award-winning An Inconvenient Truth (2006)

IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT – DVD REVIEW

if_a_tree_fallsEye-opening.

There is a moment in this film where we have to come to terms whether a man at the center of this documentary, Daniel McGowan, really is a terrorist.

In part a reaction to the events of September 11th, there was a special provision that could be added to court cases if they deemed the defendant someone who meddled in whatever the prosecution deemed as terrorism and you can bet that when Daniel, years before his 2005 arrest, was accused of being a domestic terrorist for acts he was convicted of being involved with in 2001.

The documentary isn’t about the Earth Liberation Front, per se, as it is more an examination of what this case meant to a man who simply found himself wrapped up in an organization that went from socially conscious protesting to crossing the line of committing troubling acts of violence all in the name of a cause.

What’s remarkable about this documentary isn’t that director Marshall Curry has made something that is wide reaching in its ability to give both sides of a story that clearly doesn’t condone the actions that Daniel was convicted of being involved in but it’s adapt at getting to the core of what would make someone think that crossing that line would be somewhat acceptable, all things being equal. I was positively transfixed by the way the argument is made that this organization has elements in it that could be branded domestic terrorists for the acts they committed against lumber yards, car dealerships, and other targets this group deemed acceptable.

The documentary does not relent and never once lulls you into a state of boredom as the one thing that keeps this from getting wildly out of control is Curry’s constant hand in keeping this story relevant and grounded in a reality that makes everything easy to understand but difficult to separate when it comes to trying to get the facts about who’s right and who’s overreaching.

More details about the film:

On December 7th, 2005, federal agents conducted a nationwide sweep of radical environmentalists involved with the Earth Liberation Front — an organization the FBI has called America’s “number one domestic terrorism threat.”

IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT is the remarkable story of the group’s rise and fall, told through the transformation and radicalization of one of its members, Daniel McGowan. Part coming-of-age tale, part cops-and-robbers thriller, the film interweaves a chronicle of McGowan facing life in prison with a dramatic investigation of the events that led to his involvement with the ELF. Using never-before-seen archival footage and intimate interviews — with cell members and with the prosecutor and detective who were chasing them — IF A TREE FALLS asks hard questions about environmentalism, activism, and the way we define terrorism.

Feature length commentary with Director/Editor Marshall Curry, Co-director/Cinematographer Sam Cullman, & Editor Matthew Hamachek
Deleted Scenes
Extended interviews
“You cannot control what is wild” – updates from subjects in the film
Post-screening Q&A in Ashland, Oregon with Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
Original theatrical trailer

BAMBI II – DVD

bambi-ii-blu-ray-comboWant to know the key to determining whether this is a movie worth owning? Don’t review the film, let the kids watch it and let them tell you whether they like it or not.

This is a risky move, to be sure, as you could have kids who would downright hate on one movie that is picking up decades after the legendary first installment has left an indelible mark on the audience that has come before it and another movie that could leave them thinking that Disney has made one of the worst coming of age tales of all time.

However, I’m glad to say that both movies, PROM and BAMBI II, were given thumbs up reviews by both kids of mine who played the part of discerning moviegoer when watching both of these movies. While I was more partial to the surprising quality of BAMBI II (I was expecting the worst, I won’t lie) I was actually impressed by the level of animation. Usually, when you have a direct to video release you won’t ever get much in the way of anything to write home about but the story, which focuses on the relationship between Bambi and his father, turns out to be something worth slowing down and watching rather than writing it off wholesale. It is worth it and I enjoyed the time spent watching the movie.

prom-dvd-blu-rayPROM, on the other hand, is about as predictable as things come when dealing with the trials and tribulations of youths looking to make this one of a kind night special. I was hoping for a little drama, a little sass, but I was met with the vanilla coating of a story that essentially went exactly as I expected with bad being punished and good winning out. I found out, though, that this was OK. My oldest girl hasn’t yet reached that age of cynicism like her dad and this kind of story where young people are still idealistic and silly plot devices aren’t yet easily identifiable is still reason enough that when she was watching the movie yet again the next morning I knew that sometimes having predictability is better than uncertainty. If only life, and my own real life prom, were like that.

More details about the film:

Walt Disney Studios invites audiences to once again fall in love with the adorable, beloved forest friends – Bambi, Thumper, Owl, Flower andFaline – in this magnificent Bambi II Special Edition, the heartwarming story of a son’s courage and a father’s love. Available for the first time in Blu-rayâ„¢ high-definition, this touching sequel to Walt Disney’s original animated classic Bambi is finally releasing from the Disney vault on August 23, 2011 and will be available for a limited time.

Celebrate the unbreakable bonds of family and the power of friendship in this remarkable story, which reveals how Bambi was raised by his father, the Great Prince of the Forest. Perfect for the whole family to enjoy, this collectible release was packaged to include a variety of special bonus features including a new deleted song, interactive games, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and more.

Social Media:

Those who want to stayconnected with what’s happening with the upcoming release of

Bambi II are encouraged to:

“Like” the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DisneyBambi
Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DisneyAnimation
View exciting trailers, video clips and more at http://www.youtube.com/disneymovies

Bambi Voice Talent:

As with all of Disney’s animated classics, Bambi II is distinguished by an exceptional cast of voice talent including Alexander Gould (Finding Nemo, TV’s “Weeds”) as Bambi, Patrick Stewart (TV’s “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” The X-Men movies) as the Great Prince and Andrea Bowen (TV’s “Desperate Housewives”) as Faline. The charming original songs in Bambi II are brought to life by a who’s who of extraordinary vocalists including Alison Krauss and Martina McBride.

Bambi II Synopsis

Bambi, one of the silver screen’s most cherished characters, makes his triumphant return. The eagerly awaited next chapter of Bambi’s unforgettable story continues for a whole new generation in a film that’s sure to delight your entire family. Join Bambi as he reunites with his father, the Great Prince, who must now raise the young fawn and teach him the ways of the forest. But in the adventure of a lifetime, the proud parent discovers that there is much that he can learn from his spirited young son. Thumper, Flower, Owl, and your favorite characters return – and you’ll meet some wonderful new friends – as Bambi’s magnificent legacy continues. Illustrated in the breathtaking animation style of the original classic and bursting with new songs, Bambi II is truly a wonder to behold.

PROM: Follow the delightfully-fun—and often hilarious—journey of a group of young teenagers as they navigate through the most memorable and also difficult times of their lives in the original film PROM, arriving on Disney Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, Movie Download and On-Demand, August 30, 2011. This enchanting coming-of-age story is the perfect family-friendly film that captures all the anticipation, excitement, drama, and humor that accompany every young person’s journey through high school.

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Consumers will not want to miss the chance to own the ultimate 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack that is exclusively packaged with bonus features including a hilarious, laugh out loud short “Last Chance Lloyd,” deleted scenes, music videos and more.

For more information on this release, please visit www.Disney.com/Prom.

PROM stars Aimee Teegarden (“Friday Night Lights”), Thomas McDonell (“The Forbidden Kingdom”), Danielle Campbell (“Prison Break”), Yin Chang (“Gossip Girl”), Nicholas Braun (“10 Things I Hate About You”), Jared Kusnitz (“The Secret Life of the American Teenager”), Jonathan Keltz (“Entourage”), De’Vaughn Nixon (“Sonny with a Chance”), Nolan Sotillo (“Corey and Lucas for the Win”), Cameron Monaghan (“Corey and Lucas for the Win”) and Raini Rodriguez (“I’m in the Band”).

About the Movie
At “Prom”, every couple has a story and no two are exactly alike. For Nova Prescott (Aimee Teegarden), it’s a classic tale of opposites attracting when she finds herself drawn to the guy (Thomas McDonell) who gets in the way of her perfect prom. Share the laughter and the drama as secrets are brought to light, seemingly steady relationships unravel and new romance catches fire. Get ready for this hilariously heartfelt date with destiny featuring a hot ensemble cast of rising young stars and cool bonus features. There are hundreds of nights in high school, but there’s only one Prom!

COUGAR TOWN: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON – DVD

Cougar-Town-Season-2-DVDI can’t believe how much time I spent with this set.

While I’m darn near close to finishing watching the whole first season after tearing through every episode of the second season here, there is reason to believe that this is a show that deserves some kind of rotation on your TiVo this fall.

A perfect entry point for anyone not familiar with this series starring Courtney Cox as a freshly 40 something divorcee there is the undeniable finger of creator Bill Lawrence’s sense of humor throughout the series. Best known for his work on Scrubs, Lawrence looks to have created a series that focuses on the more jovial aspects of getting older the series is harmless entertainment that knows what it is an excels at getting the chuckles.

It’s funny that we extol series that manage to break through and do incredible things but it’s good enough sometimes to just be a solid series that puts up solid numbers. Cougar Town is that .300 hitter in your lineup who is just able to be the kind of utility player that will always have a place on the team. The writing is snappy, the funny outweighs the bad, and, most of all, the series has genuine heart at the core of it. Being at an age when you’re supposed to be stable with a family doesn’t seem amusing when you factor in a divorce and broken family but there is gold to be had in situational comedy when you look at it the way the series’ writers did this season as they constructed nutty situations but put real people at the core of it.

I don’t know why this is such a novel concept but this is one show that has it down and God love ’em for being consistent.

More details about the show:

Travel back to Cougar Town this fall when the second season of the series – the last one for which the title will actually be “Cougar Town” – is released on DVD on August 30th. In addition to the twenty-two episodes from season two, the set will also contain bloopers, deleted scenes, and a featurette about the discussions between the first and the second season about changing the name of the series – something which didn’t come to fruition last year, but will this year. The set comes with an MSRP of just $34.99.

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