It is the Return of the 1986 Film STAND BY ME

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming on 4K Ultra HD in a Special Edition Steelbook from director Rob Reiner and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the return of an iconic film with the story of STAND BY ME.

It is the summer of 1959 in the town of Castle Rock and Gordie (Wil Wheaton), Teddy (Corey Feldman), Chris (River Phoenix), and Vern (Jerry O’Connell) are teenage boys spending Labor Day weekend doing boy stuff. Vern tells his friends that brother Billy has discovered a body in the woods but can’t say anything because they would get in trouble.

The boy decide that they will go look for the body and become town heroes and pack up for the long walk. Chris goes as far as to take his father’s gun for protection. Much to their dismay, they run into the town bad boys led by Ace (Kiefer Sutherland), and Eyeball (Bradley Gregg) who threaten them and steal something precious to Gordie.

On the trip, the boys have a chance to bond even more. Around the campfire, Gordie tells stories of characters he has created. Chris encourages Gordie to continue becoming a writer and not let his homelife interfere with his goal. He also tells the story of what caused his reputation and the boys are shocked by what he tells them.

The next day they find what they are looking for and aren’t sure how to feel about it all. Right behind them is Ace and his gang who make demands and threaten the boys even more. By now these four young men have discovered that they are each very strong and Ace, even with his gang with Billy (Casey Siemaszko), Denny (John Cusack) and Charlie (Gary Riley), cannot change that.

When you are twelve, friendships are the memories you keep forever!

Wheaton as Gordie is such a gentle young man who was dealing with a very traumatic situation at home. The trip is something he wants to do and knows that along with his best friend, he is going to be okay. Wheaton fit the bill perfectly as Gordie. Phoenix as best friend Chris has a tough exterior but emotionally supports his friend Gordie. He also has a story that needs telling and when he does it shocks his friends to see such emotion. Phoenix was also a perfect fit to play Chris.

Feldman as Teddy is memorable, but then again anytime Feldman was on the screen in the 80’s he was memorable. He brought this character the relief it needed at times because the film without it would be so intense. O’Connell as Vern is the one person who held back and seemed the most fearful but that didn’t stop him from following his friends!

Sutherland as Ace is a ruthless teen who finds joy in being the bully to the boys. He is going to make his own mark and it will be at the expense of someone else’s’ death. Sutherland is also an 80’s star that left his mark on that era. Cusack flexes as brother Denny and knows what is happening isn’t right. Riley, Siemaszko and Gregg are definitely followers to Ace’s leadership.

Other cast include Scott Beach as Mayor Grundy, Marshall Bell as Mr. Lachance, Frances McCain as Mrs. Lachance, Jason Lipsett as Vince, Bruce Kirby as Mr. Quidacioluo, William Bronder as Milo, and Richard Dreyfuss as the writer Gordon.

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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Bonus materials include 4K Ultra HD Disc, Feature Presented in 4K Resolution with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos +DTS-HD MA 5.1 and Mono Audio Options, along with Deleted and Alternate Scenes.

Bluray Disc Feature presented in High Definition 5.1 Audio BLU-RAY DISC Feature presented in High Definition, Special Features: Picture-in-Picture Commentary with Director Rob Reiner and Actors Wil Wheaton & Corey Feldman, “Walking the Tracks: The Summer of Stand By Me”, Audio Commentary with Director Rob Reiner and Music Video.

STAND BY ME is based off the Stephen King novella The Body with the written script by Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon.

This film is iconic in so many ways, as a coming-of-age story but also because it was, at the time, relatable to so many people. Most of us who are now in our sixties remember the days when we could take off from sun up until sun down doing goodness knows what without a parent in sight. Most of us did not have to be home until the sun was almost down.

Bike riding and exploring where everything at that age. My brother and I would go toward the hills separating us from Mexico and climb to see how far we could get before someone would yell at us. If it wasn’t the hills, then it was the winding back road to the beach, the estuary – any place where no one else wasn’t.

That’s what the film STAND BY ME came to mean for so many. It is a story of friendship, difficult times, emotions that you cannot share with anyone but your best friends, and memories we did not realize would have to last us a lifetime. We would be almost the last generation able to have such freedoms.

Now with the release of STAND BY ME, we can share in their journey once again.

In the end – it is the last summer to remember!

LBJ Reveals an Inside Look at a Man Who Became President

Jeri Jacquin

This week in theatres from director Rob Reiner and Electric Entertainment is a story about a man few knew and this is a moment in history with LBJ.

Lyndon B. Johnson (Woody Harrelson) is a Texan who is sought out by John F. Kennedy (Jeffrey Donovan) to be his Vice President. After the election and the business of the country begins as LBJ tries to find his place in the administration. It is clear that LBJ struggles with the issues of his party and the President’s brother Robert F. Kennedy (Michael Stahl-David).

The President tries to give his Vice-President things to do but Johnson pushes to help the president with his civil rights agenda. Much of what he says falls on deaf ears making the situation even more uncomfortable. That would all change in Dallas on November 22, 1963. On the plane returning to Washington, LBJ with his wife Lady Bird (Jennifer Jason Leigh) by his side, he is sworn in as the next President of the United States.

Immediately LBJ sees the struggle of being compared to the Kennedy’s knowing that a country is grieving. Privately he is a man coming to terms with who he is as well as what he can do to bring a broken country together.

Going to those in the administration who don’t want to serve him or can’t see this new president carrying the torch of a dream, LBJ speaks to the country with a heartfelt message. In that is the start of his own presidency but helping to finish the presidency of another.

He wanted the healing to begin.

Harrelson is astounding as LBJ with his one liners, his staunch belief in what he has to offer and the man with human flaws. I am in awe of Harrelson’s performance and after seeing this film there could be no other actor to have done this.

Leigh as Lady Bird is stunning in her prosthetics because I didn’t realize who she was at first. This is a role, Lady Bird comes from a time where the world was changing and she knows her husband must come to grips with his own changes. Donovan as Kennedy, although a smaller role, explains the pensive relationship between Kennedy and LBJ.

Stahl-David as Robert Kennedy makes it clear he isn’t going to make things easy for LBJ. Even when LBJ becomes President he reaches out to Bobby but it’s hard to get help from someone who is grieving a lost dream.

Other cast include: Bill Pullman as Ralph Yarborough, C. Thomas Howell as Walter Jenkins, Michael Mosley as Kenny O’Donnell, Richard Jenkins as Senator Russell, Rich Sommer as Pierre Salinger, Wallace Langham as Arthur Schlesinger, Judd Lormand as Robert McNamara and Brian Stepanek as Rufus Youngblood.

LBJ is a startling look at a man who is in a position to either stay stuck in a time of fear or be a part of a vision to make the world a better place. What makes this film so amazing to watch is that Harrelson gets lost in the makeup and LBJ comes to life.

Historically there hasn’t been a film that tells the story of how LBJ became Kennedy’s choice for Vice President and what purpose did it serve to do so. Watching Harrelson take this character from candidate to President is riveting in the frustration LBJ felt in wanting to make a difference, appeasing those who wanted the status quo and being compared to a fallen president.

Making a name for himself, the story of LBJ’s own journey of breaking with tradition, breaking with history and even breaking with friendships to promote what the country needed makes this film relevant.

LBJ didn’t have a problem being blustery and saying exactly what he meant – even if it was followed by twisted Texas saying which had me cracking up. I wouldn’t be surprised if Harrelson caught himself chuckling more than a time or two. Reiner captured the moments where letting the lines of LBJ stun the audience that equals the same stun when LBJ shows emotion.

I actually think that LBJ would have been a stellar mini-series because there is so much more to tell about this man and his presidency. I would have definitely signed up for that series! The cinematography is beautifully done and the costuming is impeccable. The set designs bring the White House of the 60’s to us.

In the end – he is about to change more than himself!