HBO Short Film Asian Pacific Films, Forrest Gump 25, Hell Den, Ernie Kovacs & more[Home Video/Streaming News]

Streaming on HBO NOW: HBO’s Short Film Finalists from Asian Pacific American Visionaries

In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage month, short films from the top three finalists in HBO’s 2019 Asian Pacific American Visionaries (APA) Short Film Competition are now available to stream on HBO NOW.  The shorts will also be available to stream across all of HBO’s on-demand and digital platforms.  

HBO established APA Visionaries competition in 2016, as part of a mission to help provide a platform for Asian Pacific American stories and to further a dialogue surrounding representation in Hollywood and the importance of diversity in entertainment. This year’s three finalists include ‘Halwa’ directed by Nirav Bhakta,  ‘Moonwalk With Me’ directed by So Young Shelly Yo’ and ‘Zoetic’ directed by Julie Zhan. 

The HBO Short Film Award finalists’ films available now for streaming includes:

HALWA

Director: Nirav Bhakta

Co-Director: Gayatri Bajpai

Synopsis: The story of a Indian woman who rekindles her relationship with a childhood sweetheart through Facebook messages but her abusive husband takes notice.

MOONWALK WITH ME

Director: So Young Shelly Yo

Synopsis: About a Korean American girl who is haunted by her father’s disappearances and tells the story of the immigrant experience through a magical landscape.

ZOETIC

Director: Julie Zhan

Co-Director: Wesley Chan

Synopsis: A coming of age story about a single, 60-year old Chinese immigrant mother who is challenged to think of her own wants and needs. She reluctantly agrees to join an online dating app with the help of her daughter. Through the experience, they begin to break through the emotional wall between Asian parent and child.

FORREST GUMP 25th Anniversary- National Mall screening, newly remastered Blu-ray and film in select theaters

In 1994 moviegoers met a man named Forrest Gump whose story was both a deeply personal and affecting odyssey and a universal meditation on our times.  Hailed as “magical” (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times) and filled with “startling grace” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone), FORREST GUMP became not only a global blockbuster, but a true cultural touchstone.

25 years later, FORREST GUMP remains a treasured cinematic classic that is beloved and quoted the world over.  Tom Hanks gives an astonishing performance as Forrest, an everyman whose simple innocence comes to embody a generation.  Alongside his mamma (Sally Field), his best friend Bubba (Mykelti Williamson), his commanding officer Lieutenant Dan (Gary Sinise), and his favorite girl Jenny (Robin Wright), Forrest has a ringside seat for the most memorable events of the second half of the 20th century.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis and written for the screen by Eric Roth (based on the novel by Winston Groom), FORREST GUMP won six Academy Awards® including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Tom Hanks), Best Writing, Best Film Editing and Best Visual Effects.

NATIONAL MALL SCREENING

To celebrate the film’s 25^th anniversary, Paramount will host a special outdoor screening leading into Memorial Day weekend on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Friday, May 24, at 8:00 p.m.  The free screening will take place between 10^th and 12^th Streets with spots on the lawn available on a first-come, first-served basis.

NEW TWO-DISC BLU-RAY

A newly remastered version of FORREST GUMP is now available in a two-disc Blu-ray.  The set includes access to a Digital copy of the film as well as over three hours of previously released bonus content detailing the creative efforts that went into making the enduring classic:

Disc 1

• Commentary by Robert Zemeckis, Steve Starkey and Rick Carter
• Commentary by Wendy Finerman
• Musical Signposts to History
  • Introduction by Ben Fong-Torres

Disc 2

• Greenbow Diary
• The Art of the Screenplay Adaptation
• Getting Past Impossible—Forrest Gump and the Visual Effects Revolution
• Little Forrest
• An Evening with Forrest Gump
• The Magic of Makeup
• Through the Ears of Forrest Gump—Sound Design
• Building the World of Gump—Production Design
• Seeing is Believing—The Visual Effects of Forrest Gump
• Screen Tests
• Trailers

SELECT THEATRICAL SCREENINGS

In addition, on June 23^rd and 25^th, FORREST GUMP will return to the big screen in more than 600 cinemas nationwide for two screenings each day as Fathom Events and Paramount present the film.  For information and tickets, visit www.FathomEvents.com.

New animated comedy series “Hell Den” debuted Friday, May 10

Acclaimed Studio Ghibli Television Series “Ronja, The Robber’s Daughter” Makes Blu-ray Debt August 20th, 2019 from Shout! Factory

From the legendary Studio Ghibli and director Goro Miyazaki (From Up on Poppy Hill) comes Ronja, The Robber’s Daughter, an International Emmy Award^®-winning epic adventure based on the beloved novel by acclaimed author Astrid Lindgren, creator of Pippi Longstocking.

The first television series produced by the renowned Studio Ghibli, Ronja, The Robber’s Daughter will be making its North American Blu-ray debut August 20^th, 2019 from GKIDS and Shout! Factory. The first international release to include the original Japanese language version of the series in addition to the English dub, this complete series four-disc set includes all 26 episodes, as well as a making of featurette and an interview with director Goro Miyazaki as bonus features. Fans can pre-order their copies now by visiting ShoutFactory.com

One stormy night, a girl is born inside a mountain fort, surrounded by her parents and a loving band of robbers. Now ten years old, Ronja has grown into a strong and active girl, who discovers the forest as both a beautiful and frightening place inhabited by unique creatures. She befriends the son of her father’s rival, which begins the drama of her friendship and family loyalties. As she struggles to balance this friendship with her family relationship, she comes to understand that differences can be overcome with the help of love and understanding.

Ronja, The Robber’s Daughter Bonus Features

• Making Of Ronja featurette
• Interview with director Goro Miyazaki

“THE HARDER THEY COME COLLECTOR’S EDITION” RESTORED & BOWING ON BLU AUGUST 20 FROM SHOUT SELECT

Moviefone Announces the First Season of “The Ms. Moviefone Show”

Moviefone™, the iconic media, news, and entertainment information service owned by Helios and Matheson Analytics Inc. (HMNY), announced the first season of THE MS. MOVIEFONE SHOW, a 16-episode interview series executive produced and hosted by Grae Drake (AKA Ms. Moviefone).

Every week this summer, THE MS. MOVIEFONE SHOW will cover the hottest releases and the biggest stars, celebrating all things movie related in an interview show where NO ONE behaves, and EVERYONE has fun.

THE MS. MOVIEFONE SHOW isn’t just another interview show. Each episode will match the style of the film it covers, which might mean a seedy detective film noir set for one episode, and then an action-packed stunt sequence may introduce the next episode. The series will be produced both in-studio in Los Angeles and at remote locations from around the globe, as far away as Tokyo and London. And of course, the series will feature Drake’s unique and award-winning interviewing style.

THE MS. MOVIEFONE SHOW kicks off the summer movie season on May 10^th, with Ms. Moviefone’s unique take on Pokémon Detective Pikachu, featuring her interview with star Ryan Reynolds. On May 17th, Drake fearlessly takes on John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum stars Keanu Reeves and Halle Berry. Fans will be able to watch the series on Moviefone.com, as well as Moviefone’s YouTube and Facebook channels.

The introduction of THE MS. MOVIEFONE SHOW expands Moviefone’s lineup of original video series, which includes the long-running and phenomenally popular UNSCRIPTED series. The new video series will help fans form a deeper bond with Ms. Moviefone, and have a more engaging experience with the Moviefone brand.

“Without a doubt, the best way to celebrate a big summer blockbuster like Pokémon Detective Pikachu is for me to dress up like a private investigator and interview Ryan Reynolds,” said host Grae Drake, AKA Ms. Moviefone. “After that, I host an episode in space to talk to the Dark Phoenix cast, and I do my own stunts, even pretending to snap a guy’s neck while interviewing the cast of John Wick: Chapter 3.”

“The Ms. Moviefone Show is the latest example of how Moviefone is evolving to grow our brand recognition and deepen our relationship with the moviegoing audience,” said Ted Farnsworth, Chairman and CEO of Helios and Matheson Analytics. “We have big plans this year for the entire MoviePass ecosystem, which also includes MoviePass Films and MoviePass Ventures,” he continued. “The launch of this show, featuring Grae Drake’s unique talent, is just the beginning.”

Drake came to Moviefone in March of this year, and the experienced film journalist, host and interviewer wasted no time developing and launching this new series. While hosting THE MS. MOVIEFONE SHOW, Drake will continue to offer the expert analysis and insight that makes her a valued guest at a variety of outlets, including NBC’s Today Show and ABC’s 20/20 and World News Tonight. She is also the recipient of the 2017 Press Award from the International Cinematographers Guild.

‘The Ernie Kovacs Record’ gets centennial edition reissue on July 5th via Omnivore Recordings.

The centennial birthday celebration of television’s original genius, Ernie Kovacs, continues with Omnivore Recordings’ announcement that the comedian’s long-out-of-print Grammy-nominated 1977 album, The Ernie Kovacs Record, is set for reissue July 5, 2019.

The Ernie Kovacs Record Centennial Edition has been completely remastered from the original sources and will be reissued on CD and digital formats for the first time ever. The new collection has been expanded to include six bonus tracks, expanded liner notes from television critic Diane Werts, never-before-seen photos, and will feature the original album artwork.

Licensed from Ediad Productions in conjunction with the Ernie Kovacs estate, Omnivore Recordings’ The Ernie Kovacs Record Centennial Edition is the fourth audio project collaboration together. Each track on the album was taken from more than 120 hours of audio-only material recently found in the Ernie Kovacs archive and the bonus tracks have not been heard since originally broadcast on radio or television.

The Kovacs Centennial celebration continues throughout the year with upcoming live events:

• An Evening With Changemaker Ernie Kovacs at the Library of Congress in Culpeper, Va., May 10.

A Special Tribute Commemorating the Centennial of Ernie Kovacs’ Birthday at the New Jersey State Museum Auditorium in Kovacs’ hometown of Trenton,May 22.

• The Ernie Kovacs Centennial Exhibit at the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, N.Y., opening August 7 as part of the annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival.

Additional events will be announced shortly.

Kovacs was a pioneer in early television whose inventive use of the medium inspired countless performers, directors, and video artists. The creator of a distinctly modern form of comedy that playfully subverted the television medium, he was an influential figure for many late-night entertainers, from Steve Allen and Johnny Carson to David Letterman and Conan O’Brien. His work has been cited appreciatively by Martin Scorsese, Harold Prince, Matt Groening (The Simpsons), Robert Smigel (Saturday TV Funhouse, Triumph: The Insult Comic Dog), Joel Hodgson (Mystery Science Theater 3000), Paul Reubens (Pee-wee Herman), Andrea Martin (SCTV), Terry Gilliam (Monty Python), and author Jonathan Lethem, among others.

Edie Adams was Kovacs’ on-screen partner as well as his wife. After his death in 1962 Adams was instrumental in not only saving but also preserving Kovacs’ body of work. She bought all existing Kovacs materials — including the masters that the television networks were planning to destroy due to financial and storage issues.

An Ernie Kovacs coffee-table book of rarely (if ever) seen writings, drawings and photographs from his archive will be released in 2020 by Fantagraphics Books.

Track listing:

Original Album

Tom Swift

J.Walter Puppybreath

Albert Gridley

World’s Strongest Man

Droogo

“John”

Percy Dovetonsils

A.Ode To Stanley’s Pussycat

1. Ode to An Emotional Italian Knight

Mack The Knife: Percy Dovetonsils

A Happy Birthday To A Bookworm

B Cowboy

Strangely Believe Its

Pierre Ragout

Mr. Question Man

Uncle Buddy

Oddities in the News

Closing “I’ve Had It….Arrivederci”

Previously Unissued Bonus Tracks

Hot Nudniks (6/9/55 ABC Radio)

Your Own Crime Syndicate (6/13/55 ABC Radio)

Little Kapusta Cyclotron Kit (6/13/55 ABC Radio)

Choco-Spin Factory (from Kovacs Unlimited 1953)

The Inch Worm (9/10/56)

It’s Been Real

The Shining is getting a 4K Ultra HD release this Fall!

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that The Shining, Stanley Kubrick’s terrifying 1980 horror masterpiece, will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray and Digital on October 1.  The 4K remastering is of Kubrick’s original 144 minute version of the film which premiered in the United States on May 23^rd, 1980.

Now widely regarded as one of the greatest horror films ever made, The Shining was directed and produced by Kubrick, who wrote the screenplay with Diane Johnson.  The film was based on the novel “The Shining” by Stephen King, and stars Jack Nicholson in an iconic role as Jack Torrance, Shelley Duval as Wendy Torrance, Scatman Crothers as Dick Halloran, and Danny Lloyd as Danny Torrance.

The 4K remastering was done using a new 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick’s former personal assistant  Leon Vitali worked closely with the team at Warner Bros. during the mastering process.

On May 17^th, the restored 4K version of the film will be screened at The Cannes Film Festival.

In 2018, The Shining was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”  The film ranked 29^th on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Thrills list, and Jack Torrance was named the 25^th greatest villain on the AFI’s 100 Years…100 Heroes and Villains list.  Additionally, the quote “Here’s Johnny” from the film was ranked 68^th on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movie Quotes list.

Ultra HD* showcases 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and a wider color spectrum, offering consumers brighter, deeper, more lifelike colors for a home entertainment viewing experience like never before.

The Shining Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack features an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the feature film in 4K with HDR, a Blu-ray disc with the film in high definition and the special features in high definition, and a Digital version of the movie. Fans can also own The Shining in 4K Ultra HD via purchase from select digital retailers beginning on October 1.  The Ultra HD Blu-ray of The Shining will include more than three hours of previously released special features.

SYNOPSIS

Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) becomes the winter caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in Colorado, hoping to cure his writer’s block. He settles in along with his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and his son, Danny (Danny Lloyd), who is plagued by psychic premonitions. As Jack’s writing goes nowhere and Danny’s visions become more disturbing, Jack discovers the hotel’s dark secrets and begins to unravel into a homicidal maniac hell-bent on terrorizing his family.

Ultra HD Blu-ray Elements

The Shining Ultra HD Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:

• Audio commentary by Steadicam inventor Garrett Brown and Stanley Kubrick biographer John Baxter
• Video from the Overlook: Crafting The Shining
  • Enter the terrifying world of the Overlook Hotel as only Stanley Kubrick could envision it
• The Visions of Stanley Kubrick
  • A detailed look at one of cinema’s greatest visual storytellers and his unique ability to move audiences through the magic of unforgettable images
• The Making of The Shining
  • This cinema verite documentary offers a rare glimpse into the directing style of Stanley Kubrick as he interacts with stars Jack Nicholson, Shelly Duvall and others
• Wendy Carlos, Composer
  • Composer Wendy Carlos reflects on working with complex auteur Stanley Kubrick and developing music scores for The Shining and A Clockwork Orange

DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS

On October 1 The Shining 4K UHD will be available to own for streaming and download to watch anywhere in high definition and standard definition on favorite devices from select digital retailers including GooglePlay, Vudu, Xbox and others, and will be made available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.

BASICS

PRODUCT                                                                            SRP

Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack                                              $41.99*

Standard Street Date: October 1, 2019

EST Street Date: October 1, 2019

Ultra HD Blu-ray Languages: English, Latin Spanish, Parisian French, German,

Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French, Arabic, Complex Chinese, Castilian Spanish, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German SDH, Hungarian, Italian SDH, Italian Forced, Japanese, Japanese, Forced, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Thai

Blu-ray Languages: English 5.1, Dolby Digital: English 5.1, Français 5.1, Español 5.1

Blu-ray Subtitles: English, Français, & Español

Running Time: 144 minutes

Rating: Rated R