He Comes Home to ROLLING THUNDER

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD and Bluray from director John Flynn and Shout! Studios is the story of a man returning from war and discovering ROLLING THUNDER.

It is 1973 and after being held for seven years in a Hanoi prison, POW Major Charles Rane (William Devane) is returning home along with Master Sgt. Johnny Vohden (Tommy Lee Jones). Being welcomed back to San Antonio, Texas, Rane realizes that his son Mark (Jordan Gerler) does not remember him. Wife Janet (Lisa Richards) tries to make him feel at home but is nervous and a bit uncomfortable.

Once they have a chance to be alone, Janet confesses what her life has been like for the seven years Rane was gone and it is clear he cannot have his old life back. The town holds a ceremony to welcome home Rane and give him a new Cadillac and a chest of silver dollars, one for every day he was in captivity. An extra one is added by Linda (Linda Haynes) who wore Rane’s POW bracelet the entire time he was gone.

Going to the baseball field to watch son Mark play, Rane does not feel welcome so he heads home. Once there, he is jumped in his own living room by men who want the silver dollars he was given. The Texan (James Best), Automatic Slim (Luke Askew), T-Bird (Charles Escamilla) and Melio (Peter Ortega) don’t understand that Rane was tortured in Hanoi so anything these men do to him can’t possibly compare. When Janet and Mark return home, they are held until the men get what they want and chaos breaks out.

Recovering at the hospital, Linda and Vohden come for visits. Vohden tells Rane that he has signed up again for the military. Linda learns that Rane wants to go to Mexico and Linda decides to come along but doesn’t know what he is really going to be doing. When his plan begins to falter, Rane calls Vohden to follow the men to Juarez, Mexico where the two decide its time to settle up and they know how to do it.

Devane as Rane is a young actor here who gives the character of a stoic solder returning from a seven-year nightmare. Not reacting as others perhaps would wish, he goes along to get along. Knowing returning soldiers, he truly does grasp the assignment, even in 1977 when that phrase wasn’t even thought of.

Jones as Vohden is also trying to acclimate to being back in the United States. Feeling he can’t do that, rejoining the military seemed like the only answers. When his friend Rane reaches out, he knows exactly what has to happen to make it right in Rane’s world. Jones is also a very young actor in this film but that doesn’t mean his character isn’t all about business.

Haynes as Linda is a woman who made it clear from their first meeting that she is interested in Rane. She jumps at the chance to go with him to Mexico and once she realizes the purpose, the realization that what she wants from him isn’t going to happen.

Best, Askew, Escamilla and Ortega are the gang of men who have no qualms about hurting a hero or his family. They want what they want and will do anything to get it. From the moment they are on screen till the end, these actors give unscrupulous a scruffy, terrifying look that works for the film.

Other cast include Lawrason Driscoll as Deputy Cliff Nichols, Jacque Burandt as Bebe, Paul A. Partain as Ethan, James N. Harrell as Grandpa and Cassie Yates as Candy.

SHOUT! Studios has grown into a tremendous multi-platform media company. Releasing new animated features such as the exquisite Long Way North, and the epic fantasy Beauty and The Beast. Also, their own original horror film, Fender Bender gives fans a good scare. For more of what SHOUT has to offer please visit www.shoutfactory.com.

Disc One includes the 4K Ultra HD Disc in 2160p Ultra High-Definition HDR Widescreen and Master Audio. Disc Two includes the Bluray and New 4K Transfer from the 35mm Original Camera Negative, New Audio Commentary with Screenwriter/Novelist Heywood Gould and Author/Film Historian C. Courtney Joyner, New Audio Commentary with Filmmakers Jackson Stewart and Francis Galluppi, New “Lean and Mean: The Early Films of John Flynn” – An Interview with Author/Film Historian C. Courtney Joyner, and New “Coming Home to War: Scoring ROLLING THUNDER” – An Interview with Composer Barry De Vorzon.

Also, “The Making of ROLLING THUNDER” – Featuring Interviews with Actors William Devane, Tommy Lee Jones and Writers Paul Schrader and Heywood Gould, Trailers from Hell – Filmmakers Eli Roth on ROLLING THUNDER, Theatrical Trailer, TV Spot, Radio Spots, Still Gallery, 2160p Ultra High-Definition Widescreen and English DTS-HD Master Audio.

ROLLING THUNDER is a film about the return of seven years of captivity and torture to a place where is seems just as brutal. Devane gives the performance of a man who has had his life jumbled to the point of knowing that something has to give – and he’ll gladly give it. That is part and parcel of films around this time as well and it is done well.

It doesn’t give any moments of peace, just like the characters of Rane and Vohden, and continually assaults the senses. These two characters are well aware of pain, suffering and what it takes to survive. Once their fearless switch is hit, there is nothing or no one that will stand in their way of accomplishing their own personal mission.

In the end – they have no idea what they’ve done!

MEN IN BLACK Celebrates its 25th Anniversary

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from director Barry Sonnenfeld and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the awesome Steelbook 25^th Anniversary of MEN IN BLACK.

James Edwards (Will Smith) is a NYPD officer who loves going after the bad guys and this time it’s a freaky chase all the way to the Guggenheim. Trying to explain what happened to the perp, his questioning is interrupted by a man named K (Tommy Lee Jones) and the next thing James knows, he’s eating pie.

Giving him a card, he instructs him to show up at MIB headquarters the next morning to see what its all about. Explaining they are a secret agency that polices aliens using all sorts of extraterrestrial technology, James is all in. What that means is James is going to become Agent J and will be erased from all records.

Of course, across town, so to speak, is farmer Edgar (Vincent D’Onofrio) who has just had something bizarre land in his yard. Checking it out, he becomes an ‘Edgar suit’ for an alien who has an odd need for sugar. It also goes on a spree taking out two aliens disguised as humans and they are taken to the morgue. There Agents K and J meet the coroner Laurel (Linda Fiorentino) and they discover a little dude inside the big dudes head!

Now they know that the bug-Edgar is looking for the galaxy on Orion’s Belt, the race of Arquillians have placed a warship near earth giving them an ultimatum. That puts Agents K and J square in the middle of the potential for a galactic war. But then again, that’s what bug-Edgar wants!

Finding an escape in the 1964 New York World’s Fair Pavilion, the big guns are going to be needed. In the trunk of Agent K’s ultimate in sleek cars, Agent J finds something to suit their purposes because – they are the Men in Black!

Jones as Agent K is a straight faced and extremely serious employee who does not have time to joke around. He gets his alien (even if one time he might have had a slip) every time and takes the purpose of the MIB very, very seriously. That all being said, he does crack me up a little and is completely charming in a twisted sort of way.

Smith as Agent J is the wise-cracking one of the duo and he keeps K on his toes. Wanting to learn everything quickly, he does make a few mistakes and discovers that perhaps this was not his first go around on things. The ‘memory flashy thingie’ becomes something he is eager to use without realizing it has been used on him – a lot.

D’Onofrio as the Edgar-bug is hilarious from beginning to end. He has his own one-liners and zinger defenses that are pretty darn cool. His driving skills are a bit off and he needs to lay off the sugar but all in all a memorable character.

Fiorentino as Laurel is the coroner that gets herself in a little deeper than Agents K and J would have liked. Her role would become stronger and stronger as the story goes along as she finds herself dealing with the Men in Black.

Shout out to Rip Torn as Chief Zed because I absolutely loved him in this role because he makes the same faces I did when my kids were teens driving me nuts while I tried to keep it together.

Other casts include Becky Ann Baker as Mrs. Redgick, Carel Struycken as Arquillian, Richard Hamilton as Agent D, Jon Gries as Nick, Mike Nussbaum as Gentle Rosenberg, John Alexander as Mikey, Patrick Breen as Mr. Redgick, Siobhan Fallon Hogan as Beatrice and Tony Shalhoub as Jack Jeebs.

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.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

Special Features include on 4K Ultra HD Notes from the Director’s Chair Featurette and Designing MEN IN BLACK Featurette. Blu-ray Disc include Telestrator Commentary with Director Barry Sonnenfeld and Tommy Lee Jones, Technical Commentary with Barry Sonnenfeld, Rick Baker and Industrial Lights and Magic Team, Extended & Alternate Scenes, Metamorphosis of MEN IN BLACK Documentary, Original Featurette, Scene Editing Workshop, Storyboard Comparisons, Galleries, Music Video and Original Theatrical and Trailer Releases.

MEN IN BLACK hit theatres in 1997 and took off for the stratosphere! It is not only a fun film but it is funny, well hilarious actually, and just a good time watching the big screen. I remember taking my kids (now grown) to see it for the first time and we saw it several times after that.

When it came out on VHS – google it kiddies – the kid had to have it in their collection. Wearing that poor tape out does not even cover it. But, every time we watched, it was together as a family and we always laughed like crazy.

Now, it is time for the grandchildren to have as much fun and still watch it as a family. Get that popcorn popped, get the couch all comfy, turn down the lights and even turn on the sound bar and prepare for one of the most iconic films ever. Memorable characters, a fantastic cast and lines that are recognizable and repeatable even today. Happy Anniversary MIB!

In the end – it is all in an Earth day at work!

AD ASTRA Takes Us To The Stars

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres this Friday from directors James Gray, Dan Bradley and 20th Century Fox comes a story of a man who needs to save the planet with AD ASTRA.

Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) is an astronaut who has the uncanny knack for keeping his emotions under control. Constantly being monitored for flight readiness, it has come at the expense of his relationship with Eve (Liv Tyler). During an accident at work, his superiors notice that he kept a level head. What Roy learns is that the accident is caused by the Lima Project that was run by his father Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones).

The senior McBride left years earlier in search of other life in the universe. Hailed as a hero for his work in space, that is what Roy remembers or more so what he has been told.

He is given the mission to go to Mars and send a transmission to his father. Mars is the only planet that hasn't been affected by the violent pulses sent through the galaxy. Going along with McBride is Col. Pruitt (Donald Sutherland), a one-time friend to Clifford and someone to keep an eye on Roy. Stopping on the moon, Roy learns more about what is expected of him once he reaches Mars.

Once landed, Roy is met by Helen Lantos (Ruth Negga) who seems mysterious but actually has information that he has never been privy to. Reaching out to his father through transmissions, all of a sudden things change and those in charge want him back on earth. He is not about to turn back now and with the help of Helen he once again gets aboard a ship that will take him on the most solitary and long voyage he could have imagined.

He has time to make the decision about how to stop the effects of the Lima Project and come face to face with a father he thought he knew.

Pitt as Roy is a man who tries to keep focus on his emotions by keeping himself apart from everyone else. Believing that his father was dead, he is still calm when told it is a possibility that the elder McBride might still be alive. Every step he takes is calculated and once realizing his purpose is served isn't about to stop until he has all the answers. There is something so very cool when Pitt takes a role that isn't full of talk but instead straight forward action. Although there is a full cast here, it is Pitt's character that commands the film.

Sutherland as Col. Pruitt is sent by the higher ups to keep an eye on Roy but there is also a history. Pruitt knew the elder McBride and seems to be hoping to see him once again but his reasons are a bit different that Roy's. I have always enjoyed Sutherland on any screen because he is an actor that may be large in stature but never pulls on the screen. Even when he yells it's brief, important and then back to center with such roles in M*A*S*H, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, ORDINARY PEOPLE and even his role in THE HUNGER GAMES, I am always all in to watch him.

Tyler as Eve has a smaller role but one that is important in understanding the repercussions of Roy's inability to let loose once in a while. She wanted more and he couldn't provide it. Negga as Helen has her own story to tell and she is absolutely ready to tell Roy, whether he is ready to hear it or not.

Jones as Clifford McBride is a hero to everyone who knows about the Lima Project. Roy has lived in the shadow of Clifford even though he didn't truly understand why he chose space over his family. When Jones is on screen there is a sincere insanity that exists in that he believes in what he says to the point of not being able to tell right from wrong.

On an interesting side note - Sutherland and Jones appeared in another movie together in 2000 called SPACE COWBOYS so it seems fitting they would come full circle in suits once again. In that film they were both space geniuses as well so kudos for bringing it back 19 years later!

Other cast include Anne McDaniels as Shunga Hologram, John Ortiz as General Rivas, Kimberly Elise as Lorraine Deavers, Greg Bryk as Chip Garnes, Loren Dean as Donald Stanford, John Finn as Stroud, Kimmy Shields as Sgt. Romano, and LisaGay Hamilton as Adjutent General Amelia Vogel. 

AD ASTRA is a film about many different things - from a man who is about to discover that his emotional world is larger than the universe he is about to fly into, to learning that history doesn't always paint a real picture. Clearly the visual are stunning but then again most space films are. In recent years there have been several and since I am a fan of space films, AD ASTRA works.

That being said I also want to say that it seems that this is a man-version of GRAVITY. Don't get me wrong, that isn't a bad thing, it's just how I see it. Throw in 2014's INTERSTELLAR and Matthew McConaughey's character Cooper along with Sandra Bullock's character Ryan Stone from GRAVITY and Roy McBride of AD ASTRA - all have emotional issues that they hide with their space work. When life and death kick in they all trust in what they know intellectually but also experience a sense of acceptance and letting go.

Now that I have that out of my system I truly did enjoy Pitt's performance because of in depth. A role doesn't have to have tons of talking in order for me to totally understand the plight of a character. Pitt seems to be the calm in the middle of a galactic storm as others swirl around the outer vortex of this character.

There is absolutely no doubt that the cinematography is also a character in the film. From the stunning landing on the moon to shooting off to Mars and then Jupiter and beyond, the colors are stunning, the space is cold yet inviting and it is eye candy for anyone who just adores the idea of space and space travel.

In the end - the answers we seek are just outside our reach!