The Ultimate Disaster of 2012

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from writer/director Roland Emmerich and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the disaster of 2012.

Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) is a frustrated writer who has found himself now a chauffer driver of rich Russian Yuri Karpov (Zlatko Buric). Spending the weekend with kids Noah (Liam James) and Lilly (Morgan Lily), ex-wife Kate (Amanda Peet) is not surprised that he is late picking them up.

That is not the biggest worry in the world, that would come from Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who has been given bad news about the planet. Getting that bad news to Carl Anheuser (Oliver Platt) at the White House means telling the President Wilson (Danny Glover) as well.

Jackson takes the kids camping and meets Charlie (Woody Harrelson) who tries to explain that the world is about to experience its end. Believing that Charlie is a one card short of a full deck, Jackson takes it in stride. That is until a phone call from Kate after a hard earthquake brings them all home. While taking Yuri’s kids to the airport, Jackson feels the ground shake under his feet – now he is a believer.

Grabbing Kate, the kids and her husband Gordon (Tom McCarthy) – they all hit the road just as everything around them is literally coming down. The one thing Jackson knows now is that getting back to Charlie to get more information is essential. Helmsely must break the news that everything he predicted is now speeding up rapidly and their plan for survival must start now.

Meeting up with Yuri in Las Vegas, Jackson and his crew and the Russian and his family jump on the plane to find the arks Charlie spoke of. What they never expected was what they will find and how much harder their journey will be to survive the destruction of their world.

Cusak as Curtis is trying to recover from writing a book that did not do so well and a family that has moved on without him. Once the planet become erratic, the character of Curtis goes into hyper-survival mode and Cusak does what he does best – gives us a character that you can believe even with all his flaws. Peet as Kate still cares about Curtis even though he makes her nuts. Convinced that Curtis is their only hope, she stands by him and protects her children.

Ejiofor as Helmsley is a man who must bring the news to the President. Then a plan is put in place but even as that is happening, Helmsley knows that something is not quite right with how it is playing out. When it becomes clear, Helmsley fights for saving as man human beings as they can – no matter who they are. Platt as Anhauser is just how everyone sees a politician – a little crooked and a lot concerned for himself more than anyone else.

Buric as Yuri is a rich Russian who get the tickets for his family the usual way – lots of money paid. The strange thing is I find Yuri an amusing character. McCarthy as Gordon isn’t happy with having to be saved by his wife’s ex-husband but he does his part to get the family away from danger.

Harrelson as Charlie is terrific, trippy, funny, a little left of center and I absolutely loved his time on the screen.

Other cast include Thandie Newton as Laura Wilson, Beatrice Rosen as Tamara, Alexandre Haussmann as Alec, Philippe Haussmann as Oleg, and Johann Urb as Sasha.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment encompasses motion picture production for television, digital content and theater releases. The studios include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films and Sony Picture Classics. To see what is coming to theaters and to home entertainment please visit www.sonypictures.com.

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The Special Features include Discovery Channel’s 2012 Apocalypse, Theatrical Trailers, Picture-in-Picture Roland’s Vision, Commentary with Writer/director Roland Emmerich and Co-writer Harald Kloser, Alternate Ending, Interactive Mayan Calendar, Designing the End of the World, Roland Emmerich: The Master of the Modern Epic, Science Behind the Destruction, The End of the World: The Actor’s Perspective, Countdown to the Future, Deleted Scenes, “Time for Miracles” Music Video by Adam Lambert.

It is no secret to anyone who knows me or knows my film habits that I love a disaster film. I mean I LOVE watching things fall apart around the human race because it also shows the best in people. Of course, you will have a few characters that you want to throw in the nearest hole in the earth but, in general, its about survival and helping those around them to survive.

There is also this amazing creativity in that survival by the characters in these films and Roland Emmerich knows how to get that into all his films. Let’s face it, he has shown us some serious disasters with the films INDEPENDENCE DAY and DAY AFTER TOMORROW. The film 2012 takes that even further because there is not a moment to take a breath but instead feeling part of the group trying to survive.

That is what makes these films so great and 2012 is stunning in scope, special effects (that you forget are special effects) and the fight for humanity against mother nature.

In the end – the end is just the beginning!

 

RIVER RUNS RED Seeks Revenge on Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

On 4K UHD, Bluray and DVD from Cinedigm Entertainment Group and writer/director Wes Miller comes a story of justice and revenge with RIVER RUNS RED.

Charles Coleman (Taye Diggs) is a man who has worked hard for a career in law and becoming a judge. Married to medic Eve (Jennifer Tao) and raising son CJ (Joseph Belk), he is seeing all of his life dreams come true.

When Coleman and CJ have a friendly bet, it is CJ who drives away in his fathers expensive car! On his way to school, he is pulled over by Officer Rory (Gianni Capaldi) and Officer Von (Luke Hemsworth) and while reaching for his wallet the officers open fire.

Coleman and Eve are devastated and can not understand how such a thing can happen. They are angry and even more so when they are told that CJ had a gun leading to the officers shooting him. They know this isn’t true but the pain of their loss has them trying to cope the best they know how. Coleman enlists the help of Detective Horace (John Cusack) to find out more about the officers who shot his son.

Javier (George Lopez) is a mechanic who with his wife Marilyn (Briana Evigan) have spent the last two years avoiding the thoughts of their sons death. Coleman goes to see him when he realizes that there is a connection between them. Javier wants nothing to do with speaking about the death of his son; that is until Coleman shows him something that changes his mind.

Motivated by anger, rage and sadness, the two fathers make a plan to take matters into their own hands.

Diggs as Coleman is a husband and father who has worked hard to become a judge and to provide for his family. Enjoying his life it all changes in the flash of gunfire. Diggs portrays a father mired down in the hurt and rage at the unfairness by the same system that he has spent years being a part of. Turning to all those that should be helping him, he finds that they don’t seem to take the situation seriously. This is a tough role but Diggs gives it all the twists and turns up to the shocking ending.

Lopez as Javier is another father who can’t seem to get past the death of his son. Pushing down his feelings he thinks he finally has his life bearable. That is until he gets a visit from Coleman with his suspicions about the officers who killed CJ and shows father Javier a reason to join him in a plan to get justice for both of their sons. Lopez gets a chance to show serious acting chops.

Hemsworth as Von knows almost immediately that what has happened with the judges’ son isn’t something that is going to go away. Trying to move forward, he immerses into his own home life and that of his young son. Capaldi as Rory is a hot headed cop who seemed to be looking for any reason that day to shoot someone. Keeping an eye on his partner Von and believing they are in the clear is his first mistake. Both of these actors played off of each other’s character in a chilling way.

Tao as Eve lashes out at her husband when ever she thinks about the death of their son. She also wants justice and feels that Coleman isn’t doing enough to make that happen. Evigan as Marilyn watches her husband become withdrawn but when Coleman shows up she fears what he will do.

Cusack as Horace is a detective that realizes what Coleman is up against. Wanting to help his friend discover what the two officers are hiding, he begins to see a change in the judge and fears for him.

Other cast include: RJ Mitte as Officer Thomas, Steve Berrebi as Brass One, Jaqueline Fleming as Professor Lawless, Tshombi Basemore as Diego, Michael Clofine as Officer Mike, John D. Hickman as Officer Tom and Spencer Kingsley as Carter.

Cinedigm is a leading distributor of amazing content in storefronts, digital platforms, Internet and Demand platforms for cable television. With an extensive library of over 52,000 films and television shows, Docudrama films, next-gen Indies and Independent films. At its inception, Cinedigm has played a pioneering role in transitioning movie theatres from traditional film prints to digital distribution to advance worldwide cinema modernization. For more on what Cinedigm has to offer please visit http://www.cinedigm.com.

RIVER RUNS RED is a film that speaks about the times we live in and the way the justice system handles cases of officer involved shootings. Even when the young man killed has a father who is a judge, there seems to be a thin veil that no one wants to push through.

Writer/director Wes Miller jumps in without any hesitation in pointing out the inequalities both Coleman and Javier face. There isn’t any mincing of words or emotions bringing it all straight out into the open. The ending is staggering, shocking and emotional showing that everything doesn’t wrap up as neatly.

The cast led by Diggs and Lopez brings a strong intensity to the story and once the film begins, there aren’t to many moments to catch your breath.

In the end – vengeance is the only justice!