Caffeinated Clint
Cinema is a Flintstone, Blu-ray and VOD are Jetsons. That seems to be the way Hollywood’s thinking of late, anyway.
One filmmaker, whose movie is going to direct-to-DVD and Blu-ray this week in the states, told me yesterday that anything less than a budget of a $20 million will undoubtedly bypass cinemas now – especially in America. The studios know it’s going to cost a packet marketing the movie for a theatrical bow, sometimes costing more than the budget of the film itself, so these days they’ll just push most of the product straight to the video-rental boxes or digital download. And that’s the reason, despite many of these titles boasting name actors like Bruce Willis or Robert De Niro, that you’ll see so many titles not going theatrical now – unless they’re a sure thing, in which case the studios can warrant spending so much on the film’s theatrical campaign. And I tell ya, they definitely won’t be bothering after Bruce Willis’s latest, “The Cold Light Of Day” made less than a strip club buffet night over the weekend. Whoever thought Bruce Willis would be one of today’s main direct-to-DVD stars though!? Sad, right!?
Two big-name titles have just been announced for direct-to-DVD treatment – “Vamps”, the “Clueless” reunion of Alicia Silverstone and Amy Heckerling, and “Fire with Fire”, starring – here we go again – Bruce Willis.
Fire with Fire
Murder, love and revenge are ablaze in Fire With Fire, the new action-packed thriller arriving on Blu-ray Disc, DVD, Digital Download, On Demand and Pay-Per-View November 6, 2012 from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. From a producer of Street Kings, 16 Blocks and Righteous Kill and directed by David Barrett (TV’s “The Mentalist”), the heart-pounding film follows a fireman’s unexpected course of action when he’s threatened by a white supremacist that he’s testifying against in a murder case. Fire With Fire stars record-breaking box office superstars Josh Duhamel (Transformers), Bruce Willis (The Expendables 2), Rosario Dawson (Unstoppable) and Vincent D’Onofrio (TV’s “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”). The film also stars Julian McMahon (TV’s “Nip/Tuck”), Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (The A-Team), Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (Freelancers), Richard Schiff (TV’s “The West Wing”) and Vinnie Jones (X-Men: The Last Stand).
The Blu-ray Disc and DVD include audio commentaries with the director and cast plus behind-the-scenes and extended cast interviews. A must-have for action film fans, the Fire With Fire Blu-ray Disc and DVD will be available in limited edition collectible packaging for the suggested retail price of $24.99 and $19.98, respectively.
After witnessing the brutal murders of a convenience store owner and his son, firefighter, Jeremy Coleman (Duhamel) barely escapes with his life. As he is forced to testify against a crime lord, he is placed in the witness protection program under the watch of the U.S. Marshals Service. As his new identity becomes compromised Jeremy is forced to take an unexpected course of action in order to get is life back and save the lives of those he loves.
Vamps
Anchor Bay Films is proud to announce the release of Vamps, available on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, November 13th. Vamps’ SRP is $22.98 for the DVD and $24.99 for Blu-ray™. Pre-book is October 17th. Vamps will also have a limited theatrical release November 2nd, in select cities. Director of Clueless, Amy Heckerling, and star Alicia Silverstone reunite in Vamps, a cheeky, fresh comedy about two eternally young party girls navigating the dating world in the Big City.
Goody (Silverstone) and Stacy (Krysten Ritter) are addicted to the night life, clubbing, hooking up and alwayslooking for the next thrill, all the while keeping a big a secret-they happen to be modern-day vampires. But even with lifetimes of dating experience behind them, the duo realizes they still have a lot to learn about love when Stacyunexpectedly falls for the son of a vampire hunter, and Goody runs into the man of her dreams from decades earlier.
With their destinies at stake, thegirls are faced with a difficult choice; give up their eternal youth for a chance at love, or continue to live their uncomplicated fabulously single lives forever.
Vamps also features an all-star supporting cast, including Sigourney Weaver, Richard Lewis, Dan Stevens, Justin Kirk, Wallace Shawn, Marilu Henner, and Kristin Johnson.
In Australia, where distribs and exhibs don’t have the luxury of releasing nearly as much product theatrically as they do in the states, even more big-name titles end up going direct-to-DVD and Blu-ray. Here’s a few titles that are soon to hit your local DVD library down under, that got a theatrical outside of the country :
– “The Cold Light of Day” (Bruce Willis)
– “Hick” (Chloe Moretz, Blake Lively)
– “Big Miracle” (Drew Barrymore)
– “The Raven” (John Cusack)
– “Seeking Justice” (Nicolas Cage)
