Ironclad
Netflix Streaming
DVD | Blu-Ray
Written and Directed by Jonathan English
Starring James Purefoy, Brian Cox, Kate Mara, Derek Jacobi, Paul Giamatti, Charles Dance, Jason Flemyng
Warner Bros. and ARC Entertainment
Originally Released: March 04, 2011

Claiming to be the largest independent production from Wales, Ironclad is a period conflict piece depicting King John‘s wrathful march against rebels following the signing of the Magna Carta. Complete with stellar performances, impressive casting, and exceptional action choreography, the movie is most unquestionably worth your viewing time.

Ironclad essentially is a recapping of the siege of Rochester Castle in 1215. Determined to seek revenge for being forced to sign the Magna Carta, King John (Paul Giamatti) begins a cause to reclaim his royal power over England. A small rebel power led by Baron William d’Aubigny (Brian Cox) and accompanied by Crusade veteran and Templar, Thomas Marshall (James Prefoy), take claim of Rochester before the King can do so. A solid and bloody battle ensues, as the revolutionaries hope to hold the location until their expected reinforcements arrive.

The MP3 album deal of the day over at Amazon today is Bruce Springsteen‘s classic album Born To Run for only $3.99.

The album contains all 8 songs from the 1975 album, including popular tunes like “Thunder Road,” “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” and “Jungleland,” as well as the title track. The album is also available on CD for $8.14.

The FP
Written and Directed by Brandon and Jason Trost
Starring Jason Trost, Lee Valmassy, Caitlyn Folley, Art Hsu, Nick Principe, and Brandon Barrera
Drafthouse Films
Release Date: March 16, 2012 (Limited)

The Story

For years the small town of Frazier Park, a.k.a. “the FP,” has been fought over by rival gangs of street toughs who settle their differences in a most unique manner – by challenging each other to a dance-fight video game called Beat Beat Revolution. Brothers JTRO (Jason Trost) and BTRO (Brandon Barrera) are the best players in town, but one evening BTRO is defeated in battle by the maniacal L Dubba E (Lee Valmassy) and dies in his brother’s arms. JTRO turns his back on the FP and goes into hiding as a lumber worker. His friend and game M.C. KCDC (Art Hsu) tracks him and begs him to return to Frazier Park in order to take down L Dubba E, who has since taken control of the town’s liquor store and therefore has control of the town itself. JTRO is reluctant to face his demons, but ultimately relents and begins his training under the tutelage of BLT (Nick Principe). Once L Dubba E learns of JTRO’s return the two agree to meet for a game of Beat Beat Revolution that will see the loser forced to leave the FP forever. Along the way JTRO falls in love with his longtime crush Stacy (Caitlyn Folley), who is presently on the arm of his archenemy.

Two more actors have been added to the cast of Randy Miller‘s The Drummer, a biopic of the late Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson with The Dark Knight‘s Aaron Eckhart starring as the late musician.

Variety reports that Let Me In‘s Chloe Moretz, who’ll be seen next in Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows, is in talks to star as Wilson’s daughter, Jennifer. Also on board is Rupert Grint, best known for his role as Harry Potter’s red-headed best friend Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter film franchise, will take the role of William Morris, a “mail-room intern who befriended the musician in the last few years of his life.”

Comics have a deep history with the western genre. For many years weekly books were filled with hard-talking, quick-shooting cowboys and vigilantes. Needless to say, it is a form that is constantly being reinvented for new and interesting content. Nate Cosby (Jim Henson’s The Storyteller, Pigs) and Chris Eliopoulos (Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius, Misery Loves Sherman) have taken the western in an entirely new direction with their new comic Cow Boy: A Boy and His Horse.

Cow Boy: A Boy and His Horse tells the story of Boyd Linney, a 10-year-old bounty hunter who is on a hunt for his very own family. Cow Boy also features four western short stories from Roger Langridge, Colleen Coover, Brian Clevinger & Scott Wegener, and Mike Maihack.

I was fortunate enough to be able to talk with Nate and Chris about the origins of Cow Boy, as well as what it was like pitching the story of a child bounty hunter to publisher Archaia Entertainment.