20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Brings the Best for Christmas!

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has a stellar collection of Bluray’s that belong in everyone’s home library. This is just a drooling sampling of what they have to offer making your wish list an even cooler one.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: Freak Show – Nominated for 20 Emmy Awards how can you resist? This season had terrifyingly twisted and shocking twists. Jessica Lange is back and beautiful along with Kathy Bates, Angela Basset, Sarah Paulson and Michael Chiklis. The Bluray includes special features:
AMERICAN HORROR STORY: Freak Show Extra-Orindary Artists
Two Heads are Better than One
The Camp
Freaklore: The Spectre of Edward Mordrake

VIKINGS: Season Three is back on Bluray to rage war once again! Ragnar, Rollo, Lagertha and Bjorn are making their way to Paris and finding trouble along the way with alliances shattering. It isn’t easy being King! To go deeper inside VIKINGS the special features include:
The Guide to the Gods
Bluray Exclusive – Extended Versions of All Episodes
Athelstan’s Journal (Parts 1 and 2)
Heavy is the Head: The Politics of King Ragnar’s Rule
A City Under Siege: Creating and Attacking Paris
Audio Commentary on “Born Again” and “Breaking Point”
Deleted Scenes

VIKINGS Has an Axe to Grind in Season Three Bluray!

Jeri Jacquin

Television shows have been working hard for viewers these past few years. One of the shows that has fans on the edge of their seats is from MGM and Fox Home Entertainment with the saga on Bluray of season three of VIKINGS.

The story follows the very serious Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) who begins as a farmer but before long takes to claiming he is family to the Viking god Odin. It isn’t long before Ragnar has claimed the throne of Denmark along with his wife Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick).

Brother Rollo (Clive Standen) has a love-hate relationship with brother Ragnar, but when it comes to fighting he is the first to swing a weapon. Wanting to make Ragnar even greater is Floki (Gustaf Skarsgard) whose shipbuilding skills help Ragnar’s plans. During a raid, Ragnar takes the monk Athelstan (George Blagden) into his family.

Now Ragnar, Lagertha with son Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig) and Rollo are in the middle of learning who is loyal and if blood truly is thicker than water. Ragnar has so many plans and only he knows them all moving from Essex to take on the city of Paris. But there are old scores than need settling.

Queen Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland), Ragnar’s new wife is keeping the home fires burning in Kattegat. But there is something else burning as the stranger Harbard (Kevin Durand) charms his way into the family.

There are alliances to be made and broken, battles to be fought and won, and the city of Paris that gleams in the eyes of Ragnar Lothbrok!

Fimmel as Ragnar hits the screen from moment one with a blast that has fans crazy. If you have never been to San Diego Comic Con International let me tell you that the cheering for this cast was deafening! It must also be said that the women had no problem expressing to me their adoration for Fimmel and his, and I quote, “piercing eyes”. Actually, that is a good thing to say because when Fimmel is all dirtied up after a good battle, it’s those piercing eyes that let the audience know what Ragnar is feeling. This character is as bad as he wants to be, especially when he’s thinking! Fimmel just gives so much in his actions (or inaction) and I can not imagine anyone else playing this role.

Fimmel has appeared in other shows including Tarzan, Rocky Point, The Big Valley and films such as PURE CUROUNT 2: The Gift, NEEDLE, and THE EXPERIMENT. His next project is the live action video game film WARCRAFT.

Winnick as Lagertha is the strongest female character in the VIKING series. A shield maiden of course but so much more than that. This character has no problem, I mean ZERO picking up a weapon and taking on anyone that stands in her way. She is also intelligent and realizes the games that leaders play. They don’t believe she has it in her to lead and Lagertha probes them wrong. It is a joy to watch Winnick perform every episode as her character is constantly full of surprises. When looking for a strong female character in a series, Winnick pulls out all the stops and gives an outstanding performance!

Standen as Rollo is clearly what we call a big strapping guy! Hot headed and quick to respond, he is a little to quick and hot headed. Wanting what his brother has, Rollo takes a season or two to screw his head on straight and stand with his brother, even if he doesn’t always agree with him. There are bits of rogue still left in Rollo so I’m interested in seeing where he takes the character, especially in Paris!

Ludwig as Bjorn has such a large role in the third season. Following his parents in what ever direction they take, he is joined by the love of his life. Believing that she can handle the fight, it takes a saddening turn. Ludwig truly does jump in to this character and as a fan of this young actor it’s great to see Bjorn get stronger.

Skarsgard as Floki is a character you love to hate. He has such brilliant ideas but at the same time his ideas turn with the tide but with a madness. Blagden as Athelstan is such a lovely character filled with forgiveness but at the same time a self loathing that pushes him to decide who he truly is. Blagden is lovely, I don’t care how that sounds but he is and playing Athelstan is a joy to watch.

Sutherland as Queen Aslaug is another strong female character in the VIKING series. Taking care of the village and her family is a strong weight which she takes on well. That is until a stranger appears! Durand as Harbard is the mystery guest in the village. There are some who don’t trust him and others who trust him completely. It is a arc that gives audiences more questions than answers.

MGM has one of the world’s deepest libraries of film and television content. To view that library please visit www.mgm.com.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment also has an amazing selection of entertainment content with theater releases, DVD, Bluray, Digital HD and VOD. To find more of what they have to offer fans for their media library please visit www.fox.com.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give VIKINGS: The Complete Third Season five tubs of popcorn out of five. What can I say, I absolutely love this series. Michael Hirst is the creator and writer of the hit HISTORY channel series and he has given fans exactly what they’ve asked for. The story lines are complex and character driven in such a way that he sets us up for shocks and jaw drops.

The Bluray includes the special features: The Guide to the Gods – an interactive exploration of the various Gods in Nordic Mythology lore, which include: Odin, Thor, Loki, Frigg, Baldr, Hel, Freyja, Freyr and Njordr, Extended Versions of All Episodes, Althelstan’s Journal (Part 1 and 2) – Provides insight into the character of “Athelstan” as he seeks answers about his direction in life and seeking the honorable path, Heavy is the Head: The Politics of King Ragnar’s Rule, A City Under Siege: Creating and Attacking Paris, Audio Commentary on “Born Again” and “Breaking Point” featuring Michael Hirst and Linus Roache along with Deleted Scenes.

This Bluray for VIKINGS has so much that I suggest taking a weekend to go through everything. Every special feature has so much that adds to the excitement of watching VIKINGS and a little more knowledge for what’s coming in Season Four, which I personally am jazzed about.

In the end – they are on a journey to take the world!





SPY is locked and loaded on Bluray as director Paul Feig sets Melissa McCarthy loose to go undercover in one of the funniest films of the year! The Bluray comes with an Unrated Cut, the Theatrical Cut and more than two hours of outrageous bonus features that include:
Unrated Cut
3 Redacted Scenes
15 Classified Alternate Scenes
Top Secret Gag Reel
Extra Top Secret Behind-the-Scenes Gag Reel
Director of Intelligence Feig Makes the Cast Do His Bidding
Susan and Her Men
Super Villain Rayna Can’t Keep it Together
How Spy was Made – 8 Behind the Scenes Featurettes
… and so much more it would take a book to list!

SPY is Locked and Loaded on Bluray!

Jeri Jacquin

This week on Bluray and Digital HD from writer/director Paul Feig and 20th Century Fox is the comedy I’ve been waiting for with SPY.

This film tells the story of Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy), working with the CIA as an analyst and the voice in the ear of Agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law). Looking for bad girl Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne), Cooper knows all has gone horribly wrong when Agent Fine is taken out.

Cooper’s boss Agent Crocker (Allison Janney) now must deal with a very angry Agent Rick Ford (Jason Statham) whose swears vengeance on those who killed Fine. Pointing the finger at Boyanov and her accomplices Solsa Dudaev (Richard Brake) and Sergio De Luca (Bobby Cannavale) they need a plan as all agents covers are blown.

Cooper decides to volunteer with the thinking that no one would suspect her. Against Crocker’s judgment and the irritation of Agent Ford, the plan is a go! They must find Boyanov before she sells a nuclear weapon to the highest bidder.

Hooking up with the new voice in the ear is Nancy B. Artingstall (Miranda Hart) who is giddy that Cooper is becoming a field agent. Arriving in Europe Cooper is surprised by Agent Ford presence and he makes plan hating the idea of her even having any part of the operation.

A last minute decision by Cooper places her directly, literally, in the line of fire with Boyanov and she must use her training and wits to stop the sale and prove she is one hell of an agent.

Of course not everything is as it seems in the spy world!

McCarthy as Cooper begins as a shy voice in the ear of a super Agent but that doesn’t stay so for long. Once out in the field Cooper comes into her own and McCarthy is responsible for every frakken minute of the change. Delivering line after line with razor sharpness and action scene after action scene in heels I am beyond impressed. She has the mouth of a drunken sailor and the smarts needed to pull it all together and seriously I can’t imagine anyone else but McCarthy pulling this off.

Byrne as Boyanov is the straight on bad girl of the film with a little bit of a Natasha feel as well. With hair the 50’s would be proud of and legs for days, she gets to wield a weapon and attempt to match wits with Cooper. As a matter of fact I don’t think I saw her crack a smile one time. It’s hard to be happy I suppose when you are selling out the world.

Law as Agent Fine gives the cool and suave appearance of a 00-something or other. His role is short and sweet. Cannavale as De Luca gets to be suave in his tuxedo and plays both sides of the bad guy field. Cannavale can play both dramatic and comedic roles, I just prefer comedic.

Hart as Nancy is just so endearing. Tired of being in the basement along with Cooper, she seizes the opportunity to get in the game as it were. Her meeting with 50 cent will have me laughing for a good while.

Statham as Ford absolutely nailed this role. Seriously, normally we see him as the straight forward handsome no-nonsense action hero and this, folks, is not that role. He is hilarious, overbearing, full of himself, and can tell a whale of a tale – continually. I couldn’t get enough of his stories or the characters antics. Stay for the very end of the film if you didn’t laugh hard enough during the film.

Janney as Agent Crocker has a small role here but completely and insanely funny. Trust me when I say the scene in the conference room is one for the books. I don’t think I will ever look at pink eye the same way again. This is an awesome role for her.

Also a shout out to Peter Serafinowicz as Aldo, not only for taking on this hilarious character but for giving a shout out to Downtown Abbey! He pulled it off beautifully and I never saw that coming.

Other cast include: Michael McDonald as Patrick, Julian Miller as Nicola, Nargis Fakhri as Lia, Morena Baccarin as Karen Walker, Will Yun Lee as Timothy Cress, Katie Dippold as Katherine, Jessica Chaffin as Sharon and Peter Serafinowicz as Aldo with a cameo by 50 Cent.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is responsible for creating the expansion of so many home libraries. From theaters to DVD, Bluray, VOD and Digital HD, they give fans of films what they want to see and own. To discover more of what they have to offer please visit http://www.foxmovies.com.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give SPY four and a half tubs of popcorn out of five. I can’t remember when the last time it was that I laughed till I almost fell out of my chair and pretty sure my jaw dropped a few times as well, oh yes I can, when I saw SPY in the theater. Now on crispy and stunning Bluray I get to laugh out of my comfy recliner all over again and happy to do so.

From the beginning to the very end this film is hilarious! There are going to be some seriously repeated lines from the film and I can’t wait to use them myself. Between McCarthy and Janney there are enough lines to go around.

From action to fight scenes, Feig has taken comedy to another level. It is fantastic to have it as part of my home library so I can laugh as hard as I want and rewind if I must and not worry about missing anything.

The Bluray comes with the Unrated Edition with over two hours of locked & loaded laughs. There are 3 Redacted Scenes, 15 Classified Alternate Scenes, 2 Top Secret Gag Reels, Cutting Room Floor Outtakes Including Susan and Her Men, The Great Rick Ford, For Your Eyes Only: Jokes-A-Plenty, How SPY Was Made: 8 Behind the Scenes Featurettes, a Commentary and so much more!

Listen to me when I say that all of these extras are going to leave your sides hurting as they are equally as hilarious as the Bluray. I am tickled, literally, that all of the above is included making movie night even more hilarious.

In the end – the world has never met a spy quite like this one!


LOST IN SPACE: The Complete Series – Oh yea! Not only is this a great introduction to a series for the kids, it’s a great space journey down memory lane for those who remember DANGER WILL ROBINSON! Featuring over seven hours of bonus materials and All-New Featurettes, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings it all home in this 50th Anniversary set. The special features include:
New On-Camera Original Cast Interviews with Bill Mumy, Mark Goddard, Angela Cartwright, Marta Kristen, Guy Williams, Jr., and Tony Williams.
Original Cast Audio Commentary
“Lost in Space: The Epilogue” – Special Cast Reunion.
Archive Materials with the original Un-Aired Pilot
Screen Tests
Bob May’s Home Movies
Interviews
Never-Before-Released 20th Anniversary Interview with Irwin Allen
…and more, more, more!

THE LAST MAN ON EARTH: The Complete First Season – Nominated for four Primetime Emmy’s including Outstanding Lead Actor for Will Forte. It is 2020 and after a deadly virus has swept the planet there is only one man left on earth. In his RV he searches the country for other survivors – preferably a woman. This is a series that you will get addicted to along with Special Features:
Deleted Scenes
Commentary on “The Elephant in the Room”
“The Last Man on Earth” Q&A Panel
Survival of the Funniest: Creating THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
Commentary on “Screw the Moon”
Gag Reel

EMPIRE: Season One – Set within a world of music, glamour, danger and power, EMPIRE in a collectible package with uncut music performances but oh so much more! A few of the Special Features are:
Pilot Episode – Director’s Cut
Exclusive Soundtrack including never-before-released songs
Collectible packaging for the Ultimate EMPIRE Fan
Featurette: EMPIRE: It’s in the Music
Featurette: The EMPIRE of Style
Special Commentary for the Pilot

So make your own list and check it twice! See what the kids might be wanting and while you are at it, throw in a few for yourself - I mean it’s a season of giving so give to yourself. It’s beginning to look a lot like a 20th Century Fox Bluray Christmas! Visit them at www.foxconnect.com