Film Buff Friday: Hellraiser

Hellraiser

There's a fine line between pleasure and pain, Pinhead!

Hellraiser [Limited Edition Steelbook] (11/14)

Stephen King was once famously quoted as saying, "I have seen the future of horror...his name is Clive Barker." That future was realized in 1987 with the release of Barker's directorial debut

Hellraiser. 

Based on his own novella The Hellbound Heart, Barker's Hellraiser sees Larry (Andrew Robinson) and his wife Julia (Clare Higgins) move into their new home, unaware that something evil lurks beneath the floorboards of the dilapidated house - something that wants human blood... 

Introducing the world to the iconic Pinhead and his sadistic band of Cenobites, Hellraiser became an instant genre classic upon release and remains one of the most frighteningly original visions in horror.

Features

- Limited Edition SteelBook featuring brand new Mondo artwork by Matt Ryan Tobin

- Brand new 2K restoration approved by director of photography Robin Vidgeon

- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation

- Uncompressed PCM Stereo 2.0 and Lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 sound

- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

- Audio commentary with writer-director Clive Barker

- Audio commentary with Barker and actress Ashley Laurence

- Leviathan: The Story of Hellraiser - brand new version of the definitive documentary on the making of Hellraiser, featuring interviews with key cast and crew members

- Being Frank: Sean Chapman on Hellraiser - actor Sean Chapman talks candidly about playing the character of Frank Cotton in Barker's original

- Soundtrack Hell: The Story of the Abandoned Coil Score - Coil member Stephen Thrower on the Hellraiser score that almost was

- Hellraiser: Resurrection - vintage featurette including interviews with Clive Barker, actors Doug Bradley and Ashley Laurence, special make-up effects artist Bob Keen and others

- Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser

- Original EPK featuring on-set interviews with cast and crew

- Draft Screenplays [BD-ROM content]

- Trailers and TV Spots

- Image Gallery

- New artwork by Mondo artist Matt Ryan Tobin

Pre-order at MVDshop.com or on Amazon  

Size Matters

Born This Way
Lady Gaga 

You know the old adage "size matters" correct? Well it does kids, especially when it comes to Lady Gaga.

Gaga recently attended a screening of the documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two at the Toronto Film Festival. What's it about you say? If you have to ask...

One of the more revealing moments, literally, in the chronicle of our Lady's life leading up to the release of her album Joanne is her going completely topless by her pool while having a discussion about her wardrobe for the upcoming Joanne tour with her team.

She was Born This Way, naturally.

Honestly I never realized Lady Gaga was so tiny, I didn't think she was tall either, more like Five Foot Six would have been my guess.

This shows us size does matter, it matters in the way you use it. Think about it, but not too much.

Gaga on "The Gram":
https://www.instagram.com/ladygaga/?hl=en 

Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story

The more you know... With exclusive voice-over contributions from David Bowie, this film is a celebration of the life and works of guitar virtuoso Mick Ronson, a rock hero virtually uncelebrated despite his direct contribution and involvement in countless compositions, lyrics and recordings that changed the face of music forever.

An Emperor Media Ltd production, documentary special Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story(101:50 minutes) is from award-winning producer/director Jon Brewer. Mick Ronson's humble beginnings in Hull, England underpinned his values and modest, unpretentious personality as he worked with the city's council whilst pursuing his craft with consummate dedication.  Soon word of his talent reached David Bowie, who grabbed at the chance to work with Ronson, in what would become a career-long association, alongside collaborations with other greats such as Bob Dylan, Ian Hunter, Lulu, Lou Reed, Morrissey and John Mellencamp. The Man Who Sold the World, Aladdin Sane, Hunky Dory, The Jean Genie - all were constructed with Ronson on guitar. Sadly in 1993, while working on a solo album, Ronson passed away before receiving the recognition he so richly deserved or before taking that final bow. Now, with unprecedented access to archival backstage footage - never before released - and iconic imagery from superstar photographer Mick Rock, this fascinating and at times controversial special reveals the ultimate authentic chronicle of the career of a cornerstone of rock. Producer and director Jon Brewer commented, "Both Mick Ronson and David Bowie together were the ultimate duo. They performed and recorded like magicians and created masterpieces that will live on forever." Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story is distributed in the US by MVD Entertainment Group via Blu-ray + DVD, transactional video on demand, and download to own rights from international distributor Content Media following the Parade Deck Films theatrical release . THEATRICAL DATES September 1st: Los Angeles, CA - Laemmle Music Hall  New York, NY - Cinepolis Buffalo, NY - The Screening Room  Kansas City, MO - Screenland Arts & Crafts Film Festival Albuquerque NM - The Guild Cinema September: Portland, OR - Clinton Street Theater September 4th and 5th: San Francisco, CA - Roxy Theater  ***Angie Bowie Q&A via Skype September 6th: Philadelphia, PA - Philamoca September 8th: Phoenix, AZ - Harkins Valley Art Theater Columbus, OH - Gateway Film Center  Wayne, PA - Reel Cinema To pre-order the Blu-ray+DVD package go HERE.

Pretend We're Dead

Remember the feminist rock group L7? They are not dead.

The L7: Pretend We're Dead documentary, produced by Blue Hats Creative will be released worldwide October 13 on VOD and Blu-ray / DVD. A multi-city theatrical screening tour of the film will kick off on September 1, with over a dozen dates and more to be announced in select markets this Fall. Excitement around L7: Pretend We're Dead has catalyzed a widely anticipated reunion which unleashed their high-octane energy and anthemic chops upon stages worldwide. The band will play a stint of West Coast dates next month with more chances to experience the electrifying onslaught coming soon.

L7: Pretend We're Dead assembles a powerful combination of never-before-seen home video footage, raucous performances,and relevant interviews. It's a real time journey witnessing the rise, fall, and ultimate redemption of the fierce feminist pioneers of American grunge punk, L7. The film offers engrossing insight into the band's 20 year plus her-story and features exclusive interviews with Exene Cervenka (X), Shirley Manson (Garbage), Joan Jett, Brody Dalle (The Distillers), Lydia Lunch, Allison Robertson (The Donnas), Louise Post (Veruca Salt), CSS and more.

"Despite the very long hiatus ... L7 still pack major muscle on stage"

- Rolling Stone

"I like their rebelliousness ...it's about being liberated and calling the shots... I definitely see a lot of us in them... and we're proud of that."
- Joey Ramone

"Songs like Wargasm, Diet Pill and Shitlist fulfill the ancient prophecy of a time when gurls would reinvent punk out of sheer delight in their own power"
- Robert Christgau

"No one rocked harder than feminist grunge punk quartet L7"

- PAPER

"L7 don't defy expectations -- they detonate them."

- Billboard

Film Screening Dates:

9/1: Portland, OR @ Hollywood Theater

9/8: Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA

9/8: Chicago, IL @ The Vic/Brew & View

9/8: Santa Ana, CA @ Frida Cinema

9/9: Santa Ana, CA @ Frida Cinema

9/10: Santa Ana, CA @ Frida Cinema

9/12: Long Beach, CA @ Art Theatre

9/14: Boston, MA @ Regent Theater

9/15: Boston, MA @ Regent Theater

9/17: Austin, TX @ Alamo Drafthouse

9/19: Washington DC @ The Black Cat

9/16: Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent

9/27: San Francisco, CA @ The Roxie

10/5: Brooklyn, NY @ Nitehawk Cinema

Live Tour Dates:

9/26: Santa Cruz, CA @ Catalyst

9/27: San Francisco, CA @ Slim's

9/30: Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Saturday Sinema: Behind THE COVE

Little fish, big fish swimming in the water...

YAGI Film Inc. announces the U.S. premiere of Behind THE COVE, a documentary film rebuttal to the Oscar-winning film The Cove with week-long screenings in New York and Los Angeles, in late November (11/25/16 – 12/1/16) and early December (12/2/16 – 12/8/16), respectively.

Behind THE COVE, the 105-minute Japanese film by first time director Keiko Yagi, includes interviews with people on both sides of the international whaling dispute, including the director and antagonist from 2009’s The Cove, the Academy Award-winning film which negatively portrays the practices of fishermen in the small, remote town of Taiji in Japan. 

This is the first film to respond to anti-whaling The Cove from the Japanese perspective. While generally highly regarded, The Cove has also been lambasted by some critics for being one-sided propaganda, Japan-bashing, for lacking a basic understanding of related cultural issues, and for using deceptive filmmaking strategies. The depiction of Japanese people in the film has also been controversial.

What started out as a personal investigation, triggered by childhood memories of whale dishes, led first-time Japanese documentary filmmaker Keiko Yagi to the town of Taiji, the center of the whaling debate and the stage of The Cove. With no budget, limited experience in filmmaking, no fluency in English, but armed with a video camera and a strong desire to find out the truth of the matter on whaling, Yagi discovered a much bigger story than she had initially imagined.

In Behind THE COVE, Yagi attempts to present a comprehensive picture of the dolphin and whale hunting issues in Japan, which includes interviews with people on both sides of the whaling dispute, its sinister political side, what The Cove did not offer, and a unique take on the topic. Throughout filming, Yagi got to know the anti-whaling activists, who set-up camp in Taiji every year during the dolphin-hunting season. In her film, Yagi also presents the ‘voices’ of the Japanese, who usually consider silence to be a virtue. To get a balanced and greater understanding of the story, she also interviewed experts in the whaling world from Japan and overseas, including representatives from the International Whaling Commission (IWC), scientists, and researchers. As Yagi delved into the topic, specific issues with The Cove became apparent.

“Before Western environmental and animal activist concerns persecuted the animal agriculture and fishing practices of the East in such a highly publicized and critical way, you’d think they’d first take a serious look at the situation at home prior to using Japan, a quiet country, as a scapegoat, ” says Yagi. “In the U.S. alone, billions and billions of land and marine animals are subjected to deplorable conditions before they are brutally killed for food each year to satisfy the heavy meat-eating habits of Americans…. the relatively small fishing village of Taiji, in rural Japan, accounts for marine animal deaths in the thousands, not billions. To demonize such a relatively small industry abroad, when compared to the magnitude of what’s happening in – and is relatively ignored in – the U.S., seems a bit misguided and, perhaps, even racist.”

Yagi is not alone in these sentiments. David Cox of The Guardian Film Blog called The Cove a “piece of evangelism,” and subsumed that from a neutral point of view “Westerners.... kill and eat cows. Easterners eat dolphins. What's the difference?” Academic Ilan Kapoor, echoing the famous phrase by Gayatri Spivak, argues that “It's a case of (mostly) 'white men saving cute dolphins from yellow men.’”

Hirotaka Akamatsu, Japanese Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, said “It is regrettable that this movie is made as a message that brutal Japanese are killing cute dolphins.” According to Michelle Orange, of Movieline, “As a piece of propaganda, The Cove is brilliant; as a story of ingenuity and triumph over what seems like senseless brutality, it is exceptionally well-told; but as a conscientious overview of a complex and deeply fraught, layered issue, it invokes the same phrase as even the most well-intentioned, impassioned activist docs: Buyer beware.”

Yagi further explains, “In Japan, some fishermen, particularly in remote rural areas, see dolphins and whales as just fish, consumed for centuries as part of local cultural traditions…. in China, dog meat from man’s best friend is acceptable to some as a food source…. in the bacon-loving U.S., highly intelligent and social pigs are widely considered suitable for cruel slaughterhouse practices and the dinner table. There are cultural differences as to which animals are deemed acceptable as food sources and which are not. One of the key questions our film poses is: Who gets to choose which animals are okay to eat?”

Yagi will be in attendance at a selection of screenings in both New York (Cinema Village) and Los Angeles (Laemmle Music Hall), during the film’s U.S. debut. For additional information, please visit http://www.behindthecove.com/index_en.html.

Behind THE COVE (2015, Documentary, Japan, 105 min.) –

New York Screenings:Friday, November 25 - Thursday, December 1, 2016

Cinema Village22 East 12th StreetNew York, NY 10003212-924-3364https://www.cinemavillage.com/Now-Playing/behind-the-cove.html

NYC Q&A Sessions with the Director (after the screening):• Fri. 11/25 at 7:10pm• Sat. 11/26 at 7:10pm• Sun. 11/27 at 5:10pm

Los Angeles Screenings:Friday, December 2 - Thursday, December 8, 2016

Laemmle Music Hall9036 Wilshire Blvd.Beverly Hills, CA 90211310-478-3836http://www.laemmle.com/films/40990 

Sunday Sinema: Sad Vacation

Bring on the farewell drugs!!!

SAD VACATION is the latest documentary film by Danny Garcia ("The Rise and Fall of The Clash"/"Looking for Johnny"), which explores Sid and Nancy's fateful trip to New York in 1978. It is a film that is dedicated to presenting the real facts; told as it happened by their friends and those who witnessed it. A film about the dynamics of Sid and Nancy's tumultuous relationship, and how it all ended in Room 100 of the Chelsea Hotel.

SAD VACATION includes interviews with Roberta Bayley, Steve "Roadent" Conolly, Donna Destri, Kenny "Stinker" Gordon, Bob Gruen, John Holmstrom, Hellin Killer, Walter Lure, Honest John Plain, Howie Pyro, Cynthia Ross, Andy Shernoff, Gaye Black, Casino Steel, Phyllis Stein, Sylvain Sylvain; in addition to the late Leee Black Childers and three key residents of the Chelsea Hotel, Victor Colicchio, "Neon" Leon Matthews, and Ned Van Zandt, who had a lot to say about the events that took place on October 12th 1978. Drawing upon their reflections and a batch of newly-released Grand Jury documents, "Sad Vacation" presents a solid timeline of events for the very first time.

Narrated by Huey Morgan (Fun Lovin' Criminals), SAD VACATION contains unseen photography of Sid and Nancy and music from The Heartbreakers, The Boys, The Members, Neon Leon, Pure Hell, Sami Yaffa, Luigi & The Wiseguys, Skafish, Corazones Muertos, The PrimaDonna Reeds, Supla, Silke Berlinn & The Addictions and Sid Vicious himself.

SCREENINGS:

11/6 - London @ Picturehouse Central
11/8 - Los Angeles @ The Regent

11/18 - Philadelphia @ PhilaMOCA
11/27 - Austin @ The North Door
11/TBA - Chicago @ Brew & View
12/8 - San Francisco @ The Roxie
12/9 thru 15 - Boston @ Regent Theatre
...more TBA

The DVD can be ordered at the MVD Shop or on Amazon 

Film Buff Friday: My Way

Grrrrrrrrrrl Power!

A collision of Anvil! The Story of Anvil meets Thelma and Louise

"Adding to the authenticity are onscreen comments by rockers 

Steven Adler (Guns N' Roses), Rikki Rockett (Poison) and Chip Z'Nuff (Enuff Z'Nuff)"

- The Hollywood Reporter

Meet Rebekah Starr, a small-town girl stuck in a mid-western corporate life. Yearning to break free, she ditches her briefcase for a Les Paul guitar and hits the highway. Destination? Los Angeles' famed rock 'n' roll Sunset Strip. 

Although Rebekah's marriage is failing, this is not some alternate fantasy life she's escaping to--it's her burning passion for music that can no longer be suppressed. On her journey, she serendipitously meets and befriends rock legends Steven Adler (Guns N' Roses) and Rikki Rockett (Poison). 

A witness to the power of passion and aspiration, My Way chronicles the hugely entertaining path one woman takes to pursue her seemingly impossible dream.

"Rebekah Starr is the perfect protagonist; she is a gutsy feminist and a talented musician. Audiences will be glad she made a bold statement by waking up one morning, and escaping her stagnant life!"
-- Independent Film Quarterly

After winning 5 top awards on the film festival circuit and receiving a theatrical release in New York City and Los Angeles, My Way now comes to DVD & VOD on 11/4.

"★★★★ A kick ass girl movie with a side of rock star!"
-- Santa Ana Movie Examiner

"A good film filled with... adventure, sex, fun and music!"
-- StageBuddy.com

The DVD can be ordered now at the  MVD Shop or on Amazon.

Website: http://www.mywaythemovie.com/ 

Memories: All Things Must Pass

My first job in Los Angeles was at the famed Tower Records on the Sunset Strip. I met so many celebrities there most notably the late great David Bowie. I also made a few friends along the way, hey Tammy Laub!

Established in 1960, Tower Records was once a retail powerhouse with 200 stores, in 30 countries, on five continents. From humble beginnings in a small-town drugstore, Tower Records eventually became the heart and soul of the music world, and a powerful force in the music industry. In 1999, Tower Records made an astounding $1 billion. In 2006, the company filed for bankruptcy. What went wrong? Everyone thinks they know what killed Tower Records: The Internet. But that's not the story.

Directed by Colin Hanks, and featuring music icons like Dave Grohl, Elton John and Bruce Springsteen, All Things Must Pass is a feature documentary film examining this iconic company's explosive trajectory, tragic demise, and legacy forged by its rebellious founder Russ Solomon. For seven years, Hanks took on the documentary that lamented and celebrated the Sacramento-based record store that grew from his hometown into an American retail powerhouse.

"I remember buying 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was the informative record for me on my musical path, which I bought at Tower Records," he said.

Variety validated the efforts of Hanks saying the film was "soundly constructed, briskly paced and, in the end, affectingly wistful." 

The DVD can be ordered now at the MVD Shop 

Shot By Shot: Raiders!

Taking fandom to the 8th dimension and several other places...Raiders!!! The true tale of three childhood friends and their ambitious quest to complete a shot-for-shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark arrives with hours of bonus content "A valentine to movies, to being a kid, and to not being told what you can and can't do." - Flavorwire "A movie for anyone who has dreamed, been knocked down, and dared to dream again." - The Playlist "Captures the lunacy and love of fandom and friendship." - The Guardian

Drafthouse Films and MVD Entertainment have announced the upcoming home video release of Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack on August 16th. After Steven Spielberg's classic Raiders of the Lost Ark was released 35 years ago, three 11-year-old boys from Mississippi set out on what would become a 7-year-long labor of love and tribute to their favorite film: a faithful, shot-for-shot adaptation of the action adventure film, which the New York Times calls "a testament to the transporting power of movie love." They finished every scene...except one; the film's explosive airplane set piece. Over two decades later, the trio reunited with the original cast members from their childhood in order to complete their masterpiece in what IGN has dubbed "the Boyhood of fan movies." Featuring interviews with John Rhys Davies, Eli Roth and more, Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made is just that: the story of this long-gestating project's culmination, chronicling the friends' dedication to their artistic vision-mixed in with some movie magic-to create a personal, epic love letter to a true modern classic, in "a triumphant, feel-good documentary of the highest caliber that dares you to dream" (Cut Print Film).                                                                 Raiders!                                                                   Trailer Tim Skousen & Jeremy Coon's critically-acclaimed documentary (Certified Fresh by Rotten Tomatoes with a 93% rating and an Audience Score of 92%) premiered at SXSW in 2015 and enjoyed a healthy festival campaign before it's debut in theaters and On Demand. At the same time, film subjects Chris Strompolos and Eric Zala embarked on the multi-city Follow Your Dreams Tour (co-sponsored by Drafthouse Films, Fatboy, Roadtrippers and Last Exit to Nowhere), presenting Skousen and Coon's film alongside their rarely-screened Adaptation, which will continue into September. Special features include more than four hours on bonus content such as dual audio commentary tracks (with Skousen & Coon as well as Strompolos & Zala), deleted scenes from the documentary, outtakes from the Adaptation, Q&A footage from the Adaptation's 2003 premiere at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, TX, a photo booklet featuring storyboard art from the Adaptation and a free HD digital copy of the film.    ### Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made Blu-ray™/DVD Genre:             Documentary Rating:            Not rated Running time:  95 mins. Languages:      English Year:               2016 SRP:               $34.95 Street date:     August, 16th 2016 Side-by-side comparison of adaptation and original Raiders trailer:  https://vimeo.com/166559907

Because Sharing Is Caring "Hired Gun"

My buddy Bam Bam Stegall who is married to one of my dear friends Karen Castricher-Stegall recently did an interview with Hired Gun Director Fran Strine. The documentary had it's premiere at SXSW.

This piece of truth is finding a common bond between regular working-class 'Joe's' and the working-class musician. It's pretty much a rock scene take on 20 Feet From Stardom starring my friend Darlene Love.

I love music and can't wait to see this Bam Bam! 

Cut to his awesome interview after the jump!

Lick it up with Bam Bam Stegall at: 

http://somekindofmedia.com/interviews/1010-interview-bam-bam-talks-to-hired-gun-film-director-fran-strine    

The Holy Grail Of Holy F#cking Sh!t! "Dangerous Men"

Cult masterpiece from outsider filmmaker John S. Rad hits home video for the first time with deluxe treatment "Wildly entertaining...a transmission from an alien world" - The AV Club  "Mind-boggling, virtuoso WTF-ery" - The Daily Beast "Oh the insanity!!!" - Entertain Me Go Cult or Go Home!

Drafthouse Films, the curatorial force behind exceptional repertory releases such as the ninja-blasting synthrock monolith Miami Connection, the psychedelic sci-fi brain-melter The Visitor, and the most dangerous movie ever made, Roar, have announced the their latest cult sensation, Dangerous Men arriving on Blu-ray/DVD for the first time ever this April 5th. The fanatical brainchild of Iranian polymath John S. Rad, Dangerous Men is a passion project that remained in obsessive production for nearly two decades before finally debuting in Californian theaters in 2005. An unflappably prodigious creative force, Rad handled much of the technical duties of the film, appearing multiple times in the film's credits as the director, writer, location scout, producer, executive producer, and more. Despite initially languishing at the box office during its limited theatrical release, and never finding a likeminded audience before Rad's untimely death in 2007, Dangerous Men developed a devoted following before vanishing as mysteriously as it appeared. Working with the late artist's family, the Drafthouse Films team worked tirelessly alongside the American Genre Film Institute to locate and restore the original film. Dangerous Men was re-released back into theaters in October 2015, garnering enthusiastically baffled acclaim from critics including Rolling Stone, who called it "incomprehensibly riveting", Cut Print Film labels as "Flabbergasting...a gonzo work of art" and The Village Voice, who found the film "astonishing...a truly outsider movie made my a lone auteur." The Blu-ray/DVD release features hours of extra content, including a feature-length commentary from authors Zack Carlson and Bryan Connelly, an original short documentary about the film's original 2005 theatrical release, a video interview with cinematographer Peter Palian, and the only appearance of John S. Rad on television as well as an unexpunged print interview! SYNOPSIS: After Mina witnesses her fiancé's brutal murder by beach thugs, she sets out on a venomous spree to eradicate all human trash from Los Angeles. Armed with a knife, a gun, and an undying rage, she murders her way through the masculine half of the city's populace. A renegade cop is hot on her heels, a trail that also leads him to the subhuman criminal overlord known as Black Pepper. It's a pulse-pounding, heart-stopping, brain-devouring onslaught of '80s thunder, '90s lightning, and pure filmmaking daredevilry from another time and/or dimension. Blades flash, blood flows, bullets fly and synthesizers blare as the morgue overflows with the corpses of Dangerous Men. Website: http://drafthousefilms.com/ Trailer: https://youtu.be/F2jAjoRGjRM  Pre-order: http://mvdshop.com/products/dangerous-men-blu-ray-dvd-blu-ray Amazon: http://amzn.com/B019D3J3XY