This week’s edition of The Digital Wire DVD and Blu-ray Releases is making up big time for last week’s stunning lack of noteworthy home video news announcements. We’ve got some critical favorites, horror cult classics, and a precious jewel of a film made by one of our finest directors that is finally getting the release it deserves. Just don’t blame me if you end up blowing your paycheck here.
Below you’ll find info on several future home video releases complete with technical specs, release dates, and links to pre-order at Amazon, as well as a list of titles coming out this week.
I took so many photos during the Hall H panels I attended at SDCC, that I’ve been updating our panel coverage articles with galleries since Sunday afternoon. And I’ve only now just finished processing my final lot of panel photos.
Below are nearly 400 additional panel photos that were taken over the course of my four days in Hall H, including Kingsman: The Secret Service with Colin Firth; the EW Women Who Kick Ass panel; The Maze Runner, the newest film in the Hitman franchise Agent 47; Michael Mann’s Blackhat with Chris Helmsworth; Let’s Be Cops; the newest stop-motion masterpiece from Laika, The Box Trolls; Paris-sewer found-footage horror, As Above So Below; Salma Hayek’s ‘The Raid,’ Everly; and an animated film that was completely off my radar pre-SDCC, but which I am now extremely looking forward to, The Book of Life.
Joe Lynch, director of Wrong Turn 2 and the upcoming Knights of Badassdom, has made an interesting fan film based on the infamous Marvel villain, Venom, that premiered recently at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. In the short, True Blood star Ryan Kwanten plays an intrepid, ethically-challenged New York crime reporter who goes about his daily life while being trailed by a French documentary crew in Truth in Journalism.
You can watch the full 17-minute video here below. I’m going to discuss the short in spoiler-laden detail below the embed.
Exactly two years ago today we shared with you a recap of the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con panel for Knights of Badassdom, a new indie comedy starring HBO trio Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), and Steve Zahn (Treme), as well as Firefly actress Summer Glau.
The movie looked like an ultra-geeky good time (see the trailer below if you haven’t yet), promising an R-rated horror-comedy worth being excited about. Then things went to hell. Disagreements between director Joe Lynch and producers led to massive cuts and re-edits, and for a time it was unclear if we’d ever see any cut of the movie.
Now comes new hope that we will still see Knights of Badassdom after all. It’s being reported that Entertainment One has acquired the North America distribution rights.
In case you missed the recently released trailer, Knights of Badassdom looks like it might just possibly become the greatest movie ever made.
It tells the story of two heavily involved LARPing (Live Action Role Playing) enthusiasts (played by Peter Dinklage and Steve Zahn) who bring their recently single friend (Ryan Kwanten) in to experience the joys of the LARP…which he doesn’t seem to be too big on. But when Zahn’s character accidentally summons a succubus and things become ooey–gooey evil, the LARPers must join forces with others like them and use their “skills” to defeat the beast.
Keep reading for more and to see some images from the Knights of Badassdom panel.
Students of the Unusual™ comic cover used with permission of 3BoysProductions
The Mercuri Bros.™ comic cover used with permission of Prodigal Son Press