O Hai Batffleck!

Zack Snyder has given us our first (albeit dark) look at Ben Affleck donning the very Dark Knight Returns-ish Cape and Cowl and standing next to a very sleek new Batmobile.

This should serve to quell some doubts in the fans, including me, about the fate of this movie. I will say I've been very skeptical about this project and whether or not it will be any good. I am liking this little tease though. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and see what else Snyder and Co. have to show off in the coming weeks/months.

What do you think?

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WB Considers Numerous TERRIBLE Subtitles for Man of Steel 2

Warner Bros. registered numerous domain names that might be hinting at a potential subtitle for the upcoming Man of Steel sequel.

The problem is that they are all terrible.  See for yourself.

"Man of Steel: Battle the Knight"
"Man of Steel: Beyond Darkness"
"Man of Steel: Black of Knight"
"Man of Steel: Darkness Falls"
"Man of Steel: Knight Falls"
"Man of Steel: Shadow the Night"
"Man of Steel: The Blackest Hour"
"Man of Steel: The Darkness Within"

These are all cringeworthy. Shadow the Night? What does that even mean? This project is looking more and more like it will be a complete disaster and might possibly ruin the chances of a strong DC Universe on the big screen.  As it is it's getting further and further away from being a Superman movie.

Of course, if anyone out there wants to anonymously slip me the script for this to prove me wrong, you can do so at garon@popculturebeast.com.

Luckily, we have Arrow to keep our hopes alive.

SOURCE

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Blu-ray Review - The Conjuring

Just because our 31 Days of Scream'O'Ween feature is ending today doesn't mean the horror has to stop.  In fact, there is a great little horror movie that came out just this year that you can enjoy.

The Conjuring took the world by storm and exploded into theaters bringing in a huge amount of money and unless I am mistaken, out performing any expectations.

Click the RAWR and see just how it even exceeded mine!

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CONTEST: Check Out Five Things About The Conjuring and WIN A Blu-ray Copy of the Film!

Based on a true story, The Conjuring tells the horrifying account of how famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were summoned to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse which they recently bought. In fighting this powerful demonic being, the Warrens find themselves in the middle of the most terrifying case of their lives!

We'll have a review of the film coming up soon but until then click the RAWR to check out five facts and GIFs related to the film!  Oh yeah, you'll see how to enter the contest also.

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News: JK Rowling and WB Teaming For More Harry Potter! Sort of.

J.K. Rowling is headed back to the world of Harry Potter.  This time as the screenwriter for a film not featuring Harry but Newt Scamander, the author of Hogwarts textbook"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."

She says:  “It all started when Warner Bros. came to me with the suggestion of turning 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' into a film. I thought it was a fun idea, but the idea of seeing Newt Scamander, the supposed author of 'Fantastic Beasts', realized by another writer was difficult. Having lived for so long in my fictional universe, I feel very protective of it and I already knew a lot about Newt. As hard-core Harry Potter fans will know, I liked him so much that I even married his grandson, Rolf, to one of my favourite characters from the Harry Potter series, Luna Lovegood.

As I considered Warners’ proposal, an idea took shape that I couldn’t dislodge. That is how I ended up pitching my own idea for a film to Warner Bros.

Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for seventeen years, 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the Harry Potter series, but an extension of the wizarding world. The laws and customs of the hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films, but Newt’s story will start in New York, seventy years before Harry’s gets underway.

I particularly want to thank Kevin Tsujihara of Warner Bros. for his support in this project, which would not have happened without him. I always said that I would only revisit the wizarding world if I had an idea that I was really excited about and this is it.”

What do you think?  Do you want more of the magical Harry Potter universe even if those beloved characters aren't a part of it?

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Gangster Squad Blasts Onto Blu-Ray April 23!

Gangster Squad arrives on blu-ray next month from WB.  Check out the full press release below!

“Exhilarating and entertaining.”

- Rex Reed, The New York Observer

TO SAVE THE LAW THEY MUST BREAK IT

GANGSTER SQUAD

ARRIVES ONTO BLU-RAYÔ COMBO PACK, DVD and DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

ON APRIL 23 FROM WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Blu-ray Combo Pack includes almost two hours of never before seen bonus features

All disc versions feature UltraVioletÔ

Burbank, CA, March 6, 2013 – It’s a war for Los Angeles in “Gangster Squad,” arriving onto Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital Download on April 23 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group.  A stylish retelling of true events, “Gangster Squad” follows a team of cops as they band together to bring down a ruthless mob boss— by any means necessary.

A Village Roadshow Pictures Production, “Gangster Squad” stars Oscar® nominees Josh Brolin (“Milk,” “True Grit”) and Ryan Gosling (“Half Nelson,” “Drive”), and Academy Award® winner Sean Penn (“Milk,” “Mystic River”) as Mickey Cohen. The film also stars Oscar® nominee Nick Nolte (“Warrior,” “Affliction”), Emma Stone, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Peña, Robert Patrick and Mireille Enos. The screenplay was written by Will Beall and is based on the book Gangster Squad by Paul Lieberman. The film is produced by Dan Lin, Kevin McCormick and Michael Tadross. The executive producers are Ruben Fleischer, Paul Lieberman and Bruce Berman.

“Gangster Squad” will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack for $35.99 and on single disc DVD for $28.98.  The Blu-ray Combo Pack features the theatrical version of the film in hi-definition on Blu-ray, and the theatrical version in standard definition on DVD.  Both the Blu-ray Combo Pack and the single disc DVD include UltraViolet, which allows consumers to download and instantly stream the standard definition theatrical version of the film to a wide range of devices including computers and compatible tablets, smartphones, game consoles, Internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players.* 

SYNOPSIS

Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and—if he has his way—every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians he has under his thumb. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop...except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) and Sgt. Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen's world apart.

BLU-RAY AND DVD ELEMENTS

“Gangster Squad” Blu-ray Combo Pack contains the following special features:

·        Commentary with Director Ruben Fleischer

·        The Gangland Files

·        Rogues Gallery: Mickey Cohen

·        Tough Guys with Style

·        Deleted Scenes

“Gangster Squad” Standard Definition DVD contains the following special features:

·        Tough Guys with Style

DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS

On April 23, “Gangster Squad” will be available for download from online retailers including iTunes, Xbox, PlayStation, Amazon, Vudu and CinemaNow.

The film will also available digitally in High Definition (HD) VOD and Standard Definition (SD) VOD from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.

ULTRAVIOLET

*UltraViolet allows you to collect watch and share movies and TV shows in a whole new way.  Available with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs, DVDs and Digital Downloads, UltraViolet lets you create a digital collection of movies and TV shows.  Services such as Flixster and VUDU allow you to instantly stream and download UltraViolet content across a wide range of devices including computers and compatible tablets, smartphones, game consoles, Internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players.  Restrictions and limitations apply.  Go to ultraviolet.flixster.com/info for details.  Learn about VUDU compatible devices at vudu.com.

BASICS

PRODUCT                                                                             SRP

Blu-ray Combo Pack                                                                $35.99

Single disc Amaray (WS)                                                          $28.98

Standard Street Date: April 23, 2013

DVD Languages: English, Latin Spanish, Canadian French

BD Languages: English, Latin Spanish, Canadian French

DVD Subtitles: English SDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French

BD Subtitles: English SDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French

Running Time: 113 minutes

Rating: R for strong violence and language

DLBY/SURR   DLBY/DGTL   [CC]

The Credits

About Warner Home Video

A division of Warner Bros. Entertainment Group with operations in 90 international territories, Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace.  Warner Home Video's film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, Village Roadshow Pictures, HBO Home Video, and New Line Home Entertainment.

About Warner Bros. Digital Distribution 

A Division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution (WBDD) oversees the electronic distribution of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group’s content through Video-On-Demand, Pay-Per-View, Electronic Sell-Through and Subscription Video-On-Demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels.   WBDD also distributes content through third party digital retailers and licensees.  A worldwide industry leader since its inception, WBDD also manages the Studio’s E-commerce sites that include WBShop.com and WarnerArchive.com.  Twitter: @WBDigitalDist

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Is Christian Bale Rising As Batman?

Latino Review is breaking, again, exclusive news that WB is so happy with the upcoming Man of Steel that they are placing the upcoming Justice League movie in the hands of Zack Snyder with Christopher Nolan producing and pretty much overseeing the entire DCU film slate.

But that isn't even the big news. The big news is that it appears that Christian Bale is donning the cowl again and joining Henry Cavill's Superman in Justice League.

What.

Check out the full story (video) here.

SOURCE

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Empire Magazine release new Man of Steel images!

Henry Cavill will grace this week's cover of Empire Magazine as Superman. The new photos feature Russell Crowe as Jor-El and Michael Shannon as General Zod. Man of Steel hits theaters in 3D, 2D and IMAX on June 14!

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WB Announces Harry Pottter Set and Fans Are Not Amused.

 It's been rumored for months and WB has finally announced the Harry Potter Wizards Collection.  The set includes all 8 films on Blu-ray/DVD/ and UltraViolet Digital Copy.

Here are the stats taken from Amazon's Product Description:

Contains 31 discs, inclusive of all content ever previously released, in addition to over 5 hours of never before seen special features, in a limited and numbered edition.

18 movie discs

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Theatrical Version and Extended Cut

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Theatrical Version and Extended Cut

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 2D and 3D Versions

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 2D and 3D Versions

13 Special feature discs

Includes multiple specially-produced, collectable memorabilia items, including concept art, a Map of Hogwarts and much more!

Check back to this product detail page for further details.

Coming in 2012.

Sounds nifty right?  Well fans are already calling foul and not just for it's astronomical $500 price tag ($349 on Amazon currently).  What this amounts to is a retread of what many Harry Potter fans already spent their money on, myself included.  The fans want something more, namely the extended editions of the films, including the Director's Cut of Order of the Phoenix.

I'm sure that this will sell like gangbusters regardless, but it still feels like a bit of a cash grab when there is barely any new content and the price is so extreme.  People can get the movies for less than $80 bucks by now.  That fancy box isn't work another $300.

Warners is going to need to do some serious damage control or really start boosting up the contents of this set or I fear they're going to be doing some serious damage to the Harry Potter brand.

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DVD Round-up: 3 BBC Titles

Three great and award nominated titles are now available on DVD and are definitely worth your change.

The first is the Idris Alba starrer Luther 2, a gritty psychological crime drama.  Packed with great story moody atmosphere and a star making performance from Alba, Luther 2 is can't miss television.  It's really a rather dark show with some heavy subject matter and a wonderfully flawed character.

I really can't understand why Idris Alba wasn't cast as Alex Cross in the new films.  He's really a brilliant actor just waiting to inherit Denzel Washington's throne.  The guy is the whole package.

Luther also boasts some great writing.  I really love the stories and the world they've created, especially Luther himself.  I really can't wait for Luther 3.

Next up is the great series The Hour which focuses on a news show launching in 1956.  Before you start thinking Mad Men, don't.  The Hour is more tense and less brooding than Mad Men.  Don't let the subject matter fool you.  There is a lot to be had here than just a show about a news room.  There are some pretty excellent twists and turns here.

Richly plotted and tense, The Hour makes for a wonderful time.    The writing is rich with plot and smart dialogue and gives plenty for its marvelous cast to work with.  It's just another example of brilliant storytelling coming from the UK.

Lastly, The Rise and Fall of Margaret Thatcher.

I never knew she was this fascinating and this show makes me want to see The Iron Lady even more.  Featuring three riveting performances from Andrea Riseborough, Patricia Hodge and Lindsay Duncan, Rise and Fall is a fascinating look into the life of an amazing woman.  It delves deep into the workings of British government and gives us a wonderful look at a whole different world of politics.

I really found myself riveted from beginning to end and driven to learn more about this woman.   I can't say how historically accurate the information here is but it was presented in a way that kept me interested.  To be honest, I kinda dreaded having to watch this.  I really didn't have any interest for some reason.  I am pleased to say by the end I was extremely glad I had watched.

I'm looking forward to comparing the three women from this production to Meryl Streep's performance in The Iron Lady when it opens!

BBC continues to put out simply brilliant television and these three titles are prime examples of that.

Luther 2, The Hour and The Rise and Fall of Margaret Thatcher are all available now on DVD.

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Movie Poster - The Dark Knight Rises

Excuse me while I grab my jaw from the floor.

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Oh Hai Superman!

Click the Rawr to see some great shots of Henry Cavill in costume from the set of Superman: Man of Steel.

No spoilers here!

Source
Source

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