CAMERON DIAZ TO PRESENT AT 84TH ACADEMY AWARDS® ON OSCAR® SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26

Beverly Hills, CA – Cameron Diaz will present at the 84th Academy Awards ceremony, telecast producers Brian Grazer and Don Mischer announced today.

Diaz will be seen next in “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” and “Gambit.” Her film credits include “Bad Teacher,” “The Green Hornet,” “Knight and Day,” “My Sister’s Keeper,” “What Happens in Vegas,” “The Holiday,” “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,” “Gangs of New York,” “Any Given Sunday” and the four animated “Shrek” films.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

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ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world’s preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards – in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners – the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.

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Bad Teacher: Unrated Edition (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

Actress Cameron Diaz plays the role of the foul-mouthed, pot smoking, inappropriate high school teacher who will do whatever it takes to raise money for her breast enlargement.  The film has its share of hilarious and outrageous moments but don’t come into this film with any high expectations.  It’s a popcorn blue comedy for those wanting something different from the norm.

Images courtesy of © 2011 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Bad Teacher: Unrated Edition

FILM RELEASE: 2011

DURATION: 92 Minutes (Original Theatrical Version) | 97 Minutes (Unrated Version)

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:85:1), English, French 5.1 DTS-HD HR, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English -Audio Descriptive Track, Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish

COMPANY: Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RATED: R (For Sexual Content, Naughty Language and Some Drug Use)

Release Date: October 18, 2011

Directed by James Kasdan

Written by Gene Stupnitsky, Lee Eisenberg

Produced by Jimmy Miller

Executive Produced by Georgia Kacandes

Associate Producer: Carey Dietrich, Melvin Mar

Music by Michael Andrews

Cinematography by Alar Kivilo

Edited by Tara Timpone

Casting by Anya Colloff, Amy McIntyre Britt

Production Design by Jefferson Sage

Art Direction by Andrew Max Cahn

Set Decoration by Ronald R. Reiss

Costume Design by Debra McGuire

Starring:

Cameron Diaz as Elizabeth Halsey

Lucy Punch as Amy Squirrel

Jason Segel as Russell Gettis

Justin Timberlake as Scott Delacorte

Phyllis Smith as Lynn Davies

John Michael Higgins as Principal Wally Snur

Dave Allen as Sandy Pinkus

Jillian Armenante as Ms. Pavicic

Matthew J. Evans as Garrett Tiara

Kaitlyn Dever as Sasha Abernathy

Kathryn Newton as Chase Rubin-Rossi

Igal Ben YAir as Arkady

Aja Bair as Devon

Andra Nechita as Gaby

Noah Munck as Tristan

Finneas OConnell as Spencer

Daniel Castro as Rodrigo

Adrian Kali Turner as Shawn

Eric Stonestreet as Kirk

Thomas Lennon as Carl Halabi

Elizabeth Halsey (Cameron Diaz) is a foulmouthed, ruthless, and inappropriate teacher. She drinks, gets high, and can’t wait to marry a meal ticket to get out of her bogus day job. When she’s dumped by her fiancé, she sets her sights on a rich, handsome substitute (Justin Timberlake) while shrugging off the advances of the school gym teacher (Jason Segel). The consequences of her wild and outrageous schemes give her students, coworkers, and even herself an education like no other.

Actress Cameron Diaz stars in the blue comedy “Bad Teacher” directed by Jules Kasdan (“Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”, “Orange County” and written by comedy writing team Gene Stupnitsky  and Lee Eisenberg (“The Office”, “Year One”).

Despite its mixed critical reviews, the film was a worldwide success in the box office as the $20 million film would go on to gross over $213 million.  Despite the film being rated R, the film would also win three 2011 Teen Choice Awards for best “Choice Comedy”, “Choice Movie Actor” for Justin Timberlake and “Choice Movie Actress” for Cameron Diaz.

And now “Bad Teacher” will be released on Blu-ray with the original theatrical and unrated version included (and another bonus pack release which includes the DVD version of the film).

“Bad Teacher” revolves around Elizabeth Halsey (played by Cameron Diaz, “Charlie’s Angels”, “There’s Something About Mary”, “Being John Malkovich”, “Shrek” films), a teacher who could are less about teaching, a gold digger and a woman who cares more about raising money to fund her breast implants.

After completing a year at the John Adams Middle School and leaving the school to focus on her engagement and marriage, when her fiance’s mother-in-law finds out that she has spent $16,000 of the money in one month, her fiance realizes that perhaps he is being used for the family’s money and she is dumped.

Having no home and no job, she resorts to going back to John Adams Middle School but fellow teacher Amy Squirrel (played by Lucy Punch, “Hot Fuzz”, “Take Me Home Tonight”, “Dinner for Schmucks”) tells her that she would like to see Elizabeth more active.  Last year, they understood that she was busy with her preparing for her own wedding but now that she is no longer engaged, she should now contribute more.

But going back to teaching is the last thing Elizabeth wants to do and during the first week of school, she plays movies for the kids, curses at the kids, known to smoke weed and could care less about being a teacher and stressing more about raising $9,600 for a boob job.

Elizabeth tries to find a wealthy man with a great job to no avail.  But when substitute teacher Scott Delacorte (played by Justin Timberlake, “Friends with Benefits”, “In Time”, “The Social Network”), a grandson of a luxury watchmaker begins teaching at John Adams, Elizabeth does all she can to woo him.  But also trying to woo him is teacher/rival Amy Squirrell.

Meanwhile, the gym coach, Russell Gettis (played by Jason Segel, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”, “How I Met Your Mother”, “Knocked Up”) tries to ask Elizabeth out on dates but because his financial status is low, she continually turns him down because of it.

Meanwhile, as Elizabeth is so desperate in trying to make the money needed for her breast job, she is determined.  May it be embezzling money from the school or any way this bad teacher can.

VIDEO:

“Bad Teacher” is presented in High Definition (1:85:1).  The detail of the film is quite high as you can see see the detail of the faces of the characters quite well, especially Cameron Diaz.  With that being said, because there is a good balance between outdoor and indoor scenes, the outdoor scenes are quite vibrant.  Black levels are nice and deep and I didn’t notice any artifacts, banding or edge enhancement.

I’m confident to say that Sony Pictures Home Entertaiment’s streak of bringing out films on Blu-ray with excellent PQ, still continues with the release of “Bad Teacher” on Blu-ray!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Bad Teacher” is presented in English and French 5.1 DTS-HD MA.  For a film like this, you do expect it to be more center and front-channel driven.  Which it is.  But there is some surround sound usage, for example, when a police car accidentally hits another car during the car wash scene, but for the most part, you hear the surrounds more for the musical soundtrack, may it be the ’80s rock songs playing during some parts during the film.  But for a comedy, dialogue is crystal clear and understandable.

Subtitles are presented in English, English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES

“Bad Teacher” comes with the following special features:

When I was in high school, there were a lot of ’80s films that showcased hot teachers.  In fact, music videos such as Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher” is a prime example of the “hot teacher”.

But of course, came the ’90s and the 2000′s and unfortunately, a lot of news of inappropriate teacher and student relationships, declining education, children’s education far behind compared to other districts in terms of education  and also bad teachers who were giving their school district a bad name and of course, now there is just more bad news with the economy and teachers trying to keep their classes afloat with lack of supplies and layoffs.

So, needless to say, I was surprised to see a film like “Bad Teacher” come out during this time but if anything, this is a blue comedy, a film that is meant to be profane and so wrong.  And if anything, a film for audiences to laugh and also a film to showcase that actress Cameron Diaz still has it takes to be sexy and fun.

Granted, while the film critics had mixed feelings about the film, there was no doubt that the audiences made a statement by its huge box office earnings that people, during this time of a bad economy worldwide, everyone wants a film to get away from reality and laugh.

And what best than to have a protagonist who is foul-mouthed and definitely inappropriate.

While there is no doubt that having Cameron Diaz, especially trailers showcasing her sexy car washing scene, having comedic stars such as “How I Met Your Mother” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” star Jason Segel, “Hot Fuzz” star Lucy Punch, “The Office” Phyllis Smith, improv comedian John Michael Higgins and huge pop star Justin Timberlake, you literally have a recipe of a film that will no doubt be a bit raunchy, politically incorrect but will definitely make one laugh and for the most part is fun!

I have to say that I was quite surprised about “Bad Teacher” as the character of Elizabeth Halsey is a foul-mouthed, vain and ruthless character, it was a character that you just don’t see Cameron Diaz playing.  But she did a fantastic job playing the role and her supporting cast definitely did their job in making “Bad Teacher” an interesting film.

Is it a great film?  Definitely not but this is one of those films where you wonder how far the director can go with it and you just sit back, grab your popcorn and enjoy.

Cameron Diaz still looks fantastic in her 40′s as she did in her 20′s when she starred on “It’s Something About Mary”, while the latter will be remembered for its hilarious scenes and surprising moments, “Bad Teacher” is a film that is more of a vehicle showcasing a sexy Cameron Diaz playing a naughty woman.  And there is no doubt that there is a demographic who will love this film just for that!

The theatrical and unrated version is included on this Blu-ray release and definitely showcased a few raunchy scenes, no nudity but definitely has its share of adult humor.  And with that being said, despite the film winning three “Teen Choice Awards”, parents… this is not a film for your young children or younger teens.

As for the Blu-ray release, the details and vibrant colors of the film definitely highlights the picture quality of the film, lossless audio is appropriate but is used more for ambiance or the ’80s rock music that plays from time-to-time.  And there are a good amount of special features included.

Overall, “Bad Teacher” has its share of outrageous moments and it does feature a pretty cool supporting cast, but in the end, it’s a popcorn blue comedy that has its share of shock value for its humor and profaneness rather than showcasing nudity or anything similar to those teacher/student films of the late ’70s and ’80s.  But compared to the films I grew up with in the ’80s, “Bad Teacher” is quite tame.

And in terms of sexual chemistry and character development, you can throw that out of the door.  If anything, this is a film that relies a lot on Cameron Diaz showing off her sexy body and saying and doing naughty things.  And in some ways, the film has more in common with a film like “Bad Santa” by showcasing inappropriate moments.  If that works for you, then this blue comedy is definitely for you.  Otherwise, if you are looking for a well-written screenplay or anything too deep, then you may want to pass on this film.

The Green Hornet Get Justice May 3, 2011, on 3-Disc Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray & DVD

Culver City, CA (3/7/11) – Justice has a new name, a kick-ass sidekick and no tights in the exciting new action comedy THE GREEN HORNET, available on 3-disc Blu-ray 3D™ Combo Pack, Blu-ray and DVD May 3, 2011, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Seth Rogen (Pineapple Express) stars as a self-made superhero in this high-octane buddy action/adventure co-starring Asian pop superstar Jay Chou (Curse of the Golden Flower), Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton), Oscar® Winner Christoph Waltz (Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Inglourious Basterds, 2009) and Cameron Diaz (upcoming Bad Teacher). Oscar® winning director Michel Gondry (Best Writing, Original Screenplay for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 2004 – shared with Charlie Kaufman and Pierre Bismuth) brings his unique, cutting-edge visual style to this slick updating of the classic adventures of the masked vigilante “The Green Hornet” and his industrious sidekick “Kato.” Packed with irreverent humor and “explosive action” (Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News), THE GREEN HORNET is the superhero hit moviegoers have been buzzing about all winter. Now, action fans can catch the excitement on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD, featuring eye-popping picture and sound, plus the latest in high-tech bonus features!

THE GREEN HORNET will be available in a 3-disc Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack which will include the Blu-ray 3D, a 2D Blu-ray and a DVD of the film.  Exclusively available on THE GREEN HORNET 3D Blu-ray is the unique 3D Animated Storyboard Comparisons.  The storyboard is a crucial stage in planning the shots of an intricate action scene.  This feature presents the original storyboards for a scene in direct comparison (and contrast) to the final film.  The storyboards have been brought to life with animated movement and rendered in 3D to take advantage of today’s state-of-the-art home viewing systems.

Blu-ray bonus features include The Green Hornet Cutting Room Floor game, which allows viewers to edit their very own car chase scene, Filmmakers’ Commentary, Deleted Scenes, “Awesoom” -Gag Reel and the making-of featurettes “Trust Me”-Director Michel Gondry, Writing The Green Hornet and The Black Beauty: Rebirth of Cool, The Stunt Family Armstrong, Finding Kato and The Art of Destruction, Easter Eggs “Jay Chou Audition” and “Double Barrel,” movieIQ.

THE GREEN HORNET will be priced to own at $49.95 SRP (Blu-ray 3D), $34.95 SRP (BD) and $28.95 SRP (DVD).

Synopsis
Britt Reid (Rogen) is the son of LA’s most prominent and respected media magnate and perfectly happy to maintain a directionless existence on the party scene – until his father (Wilkinson) mysteriously dies, leaving Britt his vast media empire. Striking an unlikely friendship with one of his father’s more industrious and inventive employees, Kato (Chou), they see their chance to do something meaningful for the first time in their lives: fight crime. But in order to do this, they decide to become criminals themselves – protecting the law by breaking it, Britt becomes the vigilante The Green Hornet as he and Kato hit the streets.

Using all his ingenuity and skill, Kato builds the ultimate in advanced retro weaponry, The Black Beauty, an indestructible car equal parts firepower and horsepower. Rolling in a mobile fortress on wheels and striking the bad guys with Kato’s clever gadgets, The Green Hornet and Kato quickly start making a name for themselves, and with the help of Britt’s new secretary, Lenore Case (Diaz), they begin hunting down the man who controls LA’s gritty underworld: Benjamin Chudnofsky (Waltz). But Chudnofsky has plans of his own: to swat down The Green Hornet once and for all.

THE GREEN HORNET was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Pineapple Express, Superbad) and produced by Neal H. Moritz (S.W.A.T., xXx). Executive producers are Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Michael Grillo (The Uninvited, The Peacemaker), Ori Marmur (Battle: Los Angeles, The Bounty Hunter) and George W. Trendle, Jr. (TV’s “The Green Hornet,” “The Lone Ranger”). The cast also includes David Harbour (Quantum of Solace, Revolutionary Road) and Edward James Olmos (TV’s “Battlestar Galactica,” Stand and Deliver). It was distributed by Columbia Pictures and has a run time of approximately 119 minutes. It has been rated PG-13 for sequences of violent action, language, sensuality and drug content.

3-Disc Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack Bonus Material
Disc 1 (Blu-ray):
·         Feature Film in 3D
·         3D Animated Storyboard Comparisons (exclusive to the 3D Blu-ray)
·         Filmmakers’ Commentary

Disc 2 (Blu-ray):
·         Feature Film in 2D
·         The Green Hornet Cutting Room (exclusive to the Blu-ray)
·         Deleted Scenes
·         “Awesoom” -Gag Reel

Culver City, CA (3/7/11) – Justice has a new name, a kick-ass sidekick and no tights in the exciting new action comedy THE GREEN HORNET, available on 3-disc Blu-ray 3D™ Combo Pack, Blu-ray and DVD May 3, 2011, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Seth Rogen (Pineapple Express) stars as a self-made superhero in this high-octane buddy action/adventure co-starring Asian pop superstar Jay Chou (Curse of the Golden Flower), Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton), Oscar® Winner Christoph Waltz (Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Inglourious Basterds, 2009) and Cameron Diaz (upcoming Bad Teacher). Oscar® winning director Michel Gondry (Best Writing, Original Screenplay for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 2004 – shared with Charlie Kaufman and Pierre Bismuth) brings his unique, cutting-edge visual style to this slick updating of the classic adventures of the masked vigilante “The Green Hornet” and his industrious sidekick “Kato.” Packed with irreverent humor and “explosive action” (Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News), THE GREEN HORNET is the superhero hit moviegoers have been buzzing about all winter. Now, action fans can catch the excitement on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD, featuring eye-popping picture and sound, plus the latest in high-tech bonus features!

THE GREEN HORNET will be available in a 3-disc Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack which will include the Blu-ray 3D, a 2D Blu-ray and a DVD of the film.  Exclusively available on THE GREEN HORNET 3D Blu-ray is the unique 3D Animated Storyboard Comparisons.  The storyboard is a crucial stage in planning the shots of an intricate action scene.  This feature presents the original storyboards for a scene in direct comparison (and contrast) to the final film.  The storyboards have been brought to life with animated movement and rendered in 3D to take advantage of today’s state-of-the-art home viewing systems.

Blu-ray bonus features include The Green Hornet Cutting Room Floor game, which allows viewers to edit their very own car chase scene, Filmmakers’ Commentary, Deleted Scenes, “Awesoom” -Gag Reel and the making-of featurettes “Trust Me”-Director Michel Gondry, Writing The Green Hornet and The Black Beauty: Rebirth of Cool, The Stunt Family Armstrong, Finding Kato and The Art of Destruction, Easter Eggs “Jay Chou Audition” and “Double Barrel,” movieIQ.

THE GREEN HORNET will be priced to own at $49.95 SRP (Blu-ray 3D), $34.95 SRP (BD) and $28.95 SRP (DVD).

Synopsis
Britt Reid (Rogen) is the son of LA’s most prominent and respected media magnate and perfectly happy to maintain a directionless existence on the party scene – until his father (Wilkinson) mysteriously dies, leaving Britt his vast media empire. Striking an unlikely friendship with one of his father’s more industrious and inventive employees, Kato (Chou), they see their chance to do something meaningful for the first time in their lives: fight crime. But in order to do this, they decide to become criminals themselves – protecting the law by breaking it, Britt becomes the vigilante The Green Hornet as he and Kato hit the streets.

Using all his ingenuity and skill, Kato builds the ultimate in advanced retro weaponry, The Black Beauty, an indestructible car equal parts firepower and horsepower. Rolling in a mobile fortress on wheels and striking the bad guys with Kato’s clever gadgets, The Green Hornet and Kato quickly start making a name for themselves, and with the help of Britt’s new secretary, Lenore Case (Diaz), they begin hunting down the man who controls LA’s gritty underworld: Benjamin Chudnofsky (Waltz). But Chudnofsky has plans of his own: to swat down The Green Hornet once and for all.

THE GREEN HORNET was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Pineapple Express, Superbad) and produced by Neal H. Moritz (S.W.A.T., xXx). Executive producers are Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Michael Grillo (The Uninvited, The Peacemaker), Ori Marmur (Battle: Los Angeles, The Bounty Hunter) and George W. Trendle, Jr. (TV’s “The Green Hornet,” “The Lone Ranger”). The cast also includes David Harbour (Quantum of Solace, Revolutionary Road) and Edward James Olmos (TV’s “Battlestar Galactica,” Stand and Deliver). It was distributed by Columbia Pictures and has a run time of approximately 119 minutes. It has been rated PG-13 for sequences of violent action, language, sensuality and drug content.

3-Disc Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack Bonus Material
Disc 1 (Blu-ray):
·         Feature Film in 3D
·         3D Animated Storyboard Comparisons (exclusive to the 3D Blu-ray)
·         Filmmakers’ Commentary

Disc 2 (Blu-ray):
·         Feature Film in 2D
·         The Green Hornet Cutting Room (exclusive to the Blu-ray)
·         Deleted Scenes
·         “Awesoom” -Gag Reel

Seth Rogen, Cameron Diaz and Jay Chou promote “The Green Hornet” in Madrid

Actor Seth Rogen, actress Cameron Diaz and actor Jay Chou attend The Green Hornet photocall at Villamagna Hotel on December 2, 2010 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)
Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved.

Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise take part in “Top Gear”

Both Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise are in London to promote their film “Knight and Day” but the two also got to be part of BBC’s “Top Gear” program in which both individually got to ride a Kia on the race track. Who had the best time? Diaz said in an interview with the BBC, “We did timed laps. It’s very exciting – we know the score and we want to tell everybody, but we can’t because we want them to watch the show.”

The Top Gear episode will be seen on BBC Two this Sunday (July 25th) at 8pm.

Charlie’s Angels (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

The 2000 film “Charlie’s Angels” was a box office success and also brought the fun, sexy and kitschy elements of the TV series to the big screen.  If you were a big fan of the film, then you will probably enjoy the vibrant colors displayed on HD and also how much better the film sounds via lossless.

Images courtesy of © 2000 Global Entertainment Productions GmbH & Co. Movie KG. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Charlie’s Angels

DURATION: 98 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (2:35:1), English, French and Portuguese 5.1 DTS-HD MA, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital,  Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish

COMPANY: Columbia Pictures

RATED: PG-13 (For Action, Violence, Innuendo and Some Sensual/Nudity)

RELEASE DATE: August 3, 2010

Based on the TV series by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts

Directed by McG

Written by Ryan Rowe, Ed Solomon, John August

Executive Producer: Joseph M. Caracciolo, Aaron Spelling, Betty Thomas, Jenno Topping

Producer: Drew Barrymore, Leonard Goldberg, Nancy Juvoven

Music by Ed Shearmur

Cinematography by Russell Carpenter

Edited by Peter Teschner, Wayne Wahrman

Casting by Justine Baddeley, Kim Davis

Production Design by J. Michael Riva

Art Direction by David F. Klassen, Richard F. Mays

Set Decoration by Lauri Gaffin

Costume Design by Joseph G. Aulisi

Starring:

Cameron Diaz as Natalie Cook

Drew Barrymore as Dylan Sanders

Lucy Liu as Alex Munday

Bill Murray as John Bosley

Sam Rockwell as Eric Knox

Kelly Lynch as Vivian Wood

Tim Curry as Roger Corwin

Crispin Glover as Thin Man

Matt LeBlanc as Jason Gibbons

LL Cool J as Mr. Jones

Tom Green as Chad

Luke Wilson as Pete Komisky

Sean Whalen as Pasqual

Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu star as the captivating crime-fighting trio who are masters of disguise, espionage and martial arts. When a devious mastermind embroils them in a plot to destroy individual privacy, the Angels, aided by their loyal sidekick Bosley (Bill Murray), set out to bring down the bad guys. But when a terrible secret is revealed, it makes the Angels targets for assassination.

Trailer

Long before director McG directed films such as “Terminator Salvation” and “We are Marshall” and before he would be executive producer for TV Shows such as “The O.C.”, “The Mountain” and “Fastlane”, McG was known for directing music videos for bands like Sublime and Korn.

But every director has their first start and for McG, his first theatrical debut was the 2000 film “Charlie’s Angels” based on the Aaron Spelling produced  ’70′s television show showcasing sexy women taking on various disguises in order to defeat crime while following their mystery boss Charlie.  Known for boosting the careers of Jaclyn Smith, Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, Cheryl Ladd and many more women who took part in the show from 1976-1981.

Featuring actresses Cameron Diaz as Natalie Cook, Drew Barrymore as Dylan Sanders and Lucy Liu as Alex Munday, the three take on crime alongside Charlie’s assistant Bosley (played by Bill Murray), the three take on their latest mission to find the software genius Eric Knox (played by Sam Rockwell) who may have been kidnapped by Redstar owner Roger Corwin (played by Tim Curry).

While Bosley tries to get information from Corwin in regards to the whereabouts of Knox, the women follow the lead of going after a man who was was seen on surveillance videos ford kidnapping Knox, a man known as Thin Man (played by Crispin Glover).

Featuring action, sexiness, a variety of disguises and hair tossing, “Charlie’s Angels”, the film version continues the tradition of the popular TV shown for modern viewers and was a box office success earning over $264 million worldwide.

VIDEO:

“Charlie’s Angels” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:40:1).  For anyone who remembers this film, because there were so many mini-segments, there were many times the film would emphasize reds, blues, blacks and for the most part, the HD presentation shows off the vibrant colors on Blu-ray.  Contrast levels are well-done, colors really pop, blacks are nice and deep and there is a good amount of grain.

The film definitely delivered when it came to set design, costume design and it helps that McG worked with a talented cinematographer, Russell Carpenter, who worked on films such as “Titanic” and “The Negotiator”.  This is a film that required various styles of footage and it helps to have an experienced cinematographer behind the camera.

If anything, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has proven to us within these past two years that they can take these past films and really make them shine on Blu-ray visually (and also via lossless audio).  Definitely a major improvement compared to its original DVD counterpart.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Charlie’s Angels” is presented in English, French and Portuguese 5.1 DTS-HD MA and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital.   The film definitely shines via lossless from the opening scene with the jet flying and the engines coming from the surround channels and also hearing it via LFE to the battle with Thin Man and hearing the fight sequences, steel against steel, windows crashing and hearing them quite nicely through the surround channels.  Dialogue is clear through the center channel and the film does sport a lot of contemporary music and may it be from Destiny’s Child to Blink-182, good amount of music as well.

Subtitles are presented in English, English SDH, French, Portuguese and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Charlie’s Angels” comes with the following special features (in standard definition, English Stereo and subtitles in Spanish and Portuguese):

• Blu-ray exclusive movieIQ®+sync
• Commentary with Director McG and Cinematographer Russell Carpenter – An interesting commentary to listen to McG about his first major film and how it helped to work with an experienced cinematographer.
• Deleted Scenes – (4:42) Featuring three deleted scenes: Marco Polo!, The Men’s Room Extended, Extra Shake & Bake
• Outtakes & Bloopers – (2:39) Outtakes from “Charlie’s Angels” that were seen at the ending credits.
• Getting G’d Up – (6:32) An in-depth profile of Director McG and McG behind-the-scenes.  Film staff and talent talk about how they love working with McG and how energetic he is.
• The Master and the Angels – (7:25) A look behind the martial arts and stunts in the movie and working with world renown Cheung-yan Yuen and how much training the main talents had to go through to prepare for the film.
• Welcome to Angel World – (4:48) A behind-the-scenes look at the film’s set design with production designer J. Michael Riva.
• Angelic Attire: Dressing Cameron, Drew and Lucy – (3:25) Costume Designer Joseph G. Aulisi discusses the costumes for the film and how he styled each angel.
• Angelic Effects – (6:45) A discussion of the exciting special effects used throughout the film’s production.
• Wired Angels – (2:35) A scene deconstruction of the Chinese Alley scene and the wiring work used during filming
• Music Videos - Featuring  “Independent Women Part 1” by Destiny’s Child and  “Charlie’s Angels 2000” by Apollo Four Forty.

“Charlie’s Angels” is one of those films that you don’t take seriously and like the television series, you know it’s going to be a bit kitschy but with three sexy women kicking ass, you just sit back and enjoy no matter how crazy the film may get and hopefully, you find something fun or entertaining about it.

If anything, “Charlie’s Angels” is one of those films which is a straight-up action popcorn flick.   A film that you just don’t come in and watch it with any high expectations and if there were any expectations, probably from those who watched the original TV series and wonder how the Angels and their sexiness would be displayed on the big screen.

Yes, you’re going to see Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu in tight outfits, outfits that showcase cleavage and quite a bit of hair tossing but of course, you’re going to get a lot of action and in this case, with the film utilizing world renown Cheung-yan Yuen (who was involved in major martial arts films with Jackie Chan and also the “Matrix” films) for the fighting sequences and putting these women through difficult training prior to the making of the film, the fight sequences were done very well.

Also, you can’t help but be amazed by costume and set design for the film.  With every individual sequence created for each of the women, various costumes and disguises they had to wear, director McG and staff really went all out in making “Charlie’s Angels” a fun, visual film.

With that being said, if one owns the DVD, is “Charlie’s Angels” on Blu-ray worth it?  If you enjoyed the film, then the improved visuals and the lossless audio would make things worth it.  The special features are the same standard definition features that were included on the original DVD and although I have read that there were two Easter Eggs (which were part of the original DVD) included, I’ve tried many ways to figure where it would be in the Blu-ray version to no avail.

But what it comes down to is one’s enjoyment of “Charlie’s Angels”.  Watching it again, I have to admit that I wasn’t really getting into this time around and the watching it again, I admit I was even questioning myself of why I even enjoyed this film back then.  Yes, the plot was ludicrous and the dialogue and storyline was kitschy.  Even the talent in the film also found the dialogue kitschy, Bill Murray even found himself at odds with Lucy Liu verbally because he found the script to be ludicrous.  Even comedian Tom Green who has a short stint in the film thought the script was terrible but only participated because of his ex-wife (Drew Barrymore) asked him to.

But I’m not going to be invidious towards this film.  Because the TV show was also cheesy to begin with and having grew up around watching the TV series as a kid, I was not expecting anything deep from the film but I did expect the film to deliver in special effects and also with Cheung-yan Yuen’s involvement, I was expecting to see a good amount of wirework and awesome fight choreography and the film did deliver in that respect.

There has been a lot of talk about a third film and I’m sure McG’s style of filmmaking has gotten much better since the making of this film and hopefully with what he accomplished with “Terminator Salvation”, if he was involved with the third film, maybe a series that could still incorporate the fun elements of the film but possibly less cheesiness.  Who knows?  I guess we’ll find out if the third film does receive the green light.

Overall, “Charlie’s Angels” on Blu-ray definitely looks much better and sounds much better than its previous DVD counterpart and if you were a big fan of the film or any of the talent, then this Blu-ray is definitely for you!

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz promoting their film “Knight and Day” in Austria

Actors Tom Cruise (R) and Cameron Diaz chat together on top of the roof of Hotel Stein promoting their new movie film ‘Knight And Day’ on June 15, 2010 in Salzburg, Austria. (Photo by Johannes Simon/Getty Images)
Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved.

Cameron Diaz honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Actress Cameron Diaz attends the ceremony honoring her with a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame on June 22, 2009 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kristian Dowling/Getty Images). Content © 2009 Getty Images . All rights reserved.

Actress Cameron Diaz arrives at the 24th Annual Film Independent’s Spirit Awards

Actress Cameron Diaz arrives at the 24th Annual Film Independent’s Spirit Awards held at Santa Monica Beach on February 21, 2009 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images). Content © 2009 Getty Images . All rights reserved.

Charlie’s Angels (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

BUY THIS DVD

MOVIE COMPANY: Columbia Tristar
CAST: Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu, Bill Murray, Sam Rockwell, Crispin Glover, Tim Curry and more.
DIRECTED BY: Joseph McGinty Nichol
WRITTEN BY: Ivan Goff, Ben Roberts III
RATING: PG-13
INTERNET MOVIE DATABASE URL: http://us.imdb.com/Title?0160127
TYPE OF MOVIE: Action, comedy
DURATION: 98 minutes

King and Jack are experts in finding lovers of first love for their clients. One day, a young guy, a man of concealed identity, and Taiwan’s richest business tycoon ask King and Jack to look for their first lovers. To King and Jack’s astonishment, the women all look like the same ……

DVD EXTRAS:

• Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
PLEASE NOTE: Warner and Columbia have recently added a Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE) to Region 1 titles like the The Patriot and The Perfect Storm. Some, but not all, of our international customers have had problems playing these enhanced discs on what are called “region-free” DVD players. For more information on RCE, click here.
• Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby
• Theatrical trailer(s)
• Director and Cinematographer Commentary
• Featurettes:
• Fashion Featurette
• Set Design Featurette
• Martial Arts and Stunts Featurette
• Special Effects Featurette
• Director McG Featurette
• Wired Angels – Special Effects Deconstruction
• Deleted and Extended Scenes
• Outtakes and Bloopers
• Music Videos by Destiny’s Child and Apollo Four Forty
• Widescreen anamorphic format

KNOWN DVD SECRET(S): Three Easter Eggs

Hidden scenes:
Select the “Special Features” option at the main menu. Highlight the “Getting G’d Up” option and press Right. A box will appear on Cameron Diaz’s waist. Press Enter to view the scene.

Select the “Special Features” option at the main menu. Highlight the “Wired Angels” option and press Left. A box will appear on Bill Murray’s jacket. Press Enter to view the scene

Select the “Special Features” option at the main menu. Advance to the last screen in the special features section. Highlight the back arrow and press Right. A square will appear over Sam Rockwell’s eyes. Press Enter to view the scene.

DVD REVIEW:

A fun movie to watch and a fun movie to watch if you grew up in the 70′s during the Charlie’s Angel phenomenon.

One of the problems with this movie when it debuted was that some people loved it and some people hated it.  Those who hated it, didn’t like the MTV look of the film and how the film wasn’t serious.  Some may say it’s more eye candy for the male fans.

Perhaps.  But you maybe asking why buy this DVD?  Well, it’s kind of hard to convince you if you hate this movie but if you enjoyed it, then the reasons why to buy this DVD is because it’s jam packed.  Note: If you have a multi-region player, this DVD may not play.

The video quality is very cool.  Since they experimented with different ways to film the movie, colors are brilliant but at times I felt that the colors were over saturated (note: Beach scene, look at the reds).  The audio was nice but for some reason I felt that I got more from my digital 5.1 from the trailers. (Yes, the trailers are in 5.1 except Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon).

As for DVD special features, a small featurette for the director, the action-stunt coordinator, fashion/clothing, for the movie, extended scenes, deleted scenes, outtakes (the ending of the film without the credits), director’s commentary, two music videos and trailers that are in digital 5.1 (including a sneak peak of the highly anticipated CGI film, “Final Fantasy”).

So, if you enjoyed the movie, you will be in for a treat with the special edition DVD.

THE MOVIE: B-
THE DVD EXTRAS: A-
THE DVD OVERALL: B+

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