Disney Delivers Wows with ‘Tron: Uprising’
May 14th, 2012 by Gregg Senko
Though there are only 2 films to its credit, the successful Tron franchise is frequently mentioned when it comes to landmark special effects. The original film from 1982 set a visual standard back then and that high quality was maintined when Tron: Legacy entered the digital fray in 2010. The series now continues with that same backbone of wowing imagery in the form of the new Disney cartoon series Tron: Uprising.
Continue reading ‘Disney Delivers Wows with ‘Tron: Uprising’’
Through portraits of its most influential Pharaohs, Planet Egypt investigates Egypt’s incredible legacy: King Narmer, who united more than 40 regional tribes into the first Egyptian civilization; Thutmose III, who expanded and secured Egypt’s borders; Amnenhotep III and his revolutionary son Akhenaten, who attempted to break the power of the priests and reorganize the traditional role of religion; and Ramsses II, the great builder of temples and tombs who devoted his life to the cult of death. Threaded throughout are intimate details of typical Egyptian daily life. From feats of engineering and the most ambitious construction projects in history, to its obsession with life, death and immortality, the amazing story of ancient Egypt still astounds us today. 
As seen on PBS’s Masterpiece Mystery!, the impeccable Hercule Poirot is back on the case in these eleven mysteries from the hit series. David Suchet returns to reprise his role as the definitive Poirot, portraying Agatha Christie’s beloved Belgian with intelligence and bone-dry wit. Brimming with beguiling 1930s period details, these lavish adaptations look better than ever in this remastered edition. Also starring Hugh Fraser (Sharpe) as the affable Captain Hastings, Philip Jackson (Little Voice) as Chief Inspector Japp, and Pauline Moran as Miss Lemon.
Game of Thrones is the blockbuster new series from HBO that won two 2011 Emmy awards including Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Peter Dinklage). The drama follows kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars and noblemen as they vie for power in a land where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime. Two powerful families are engaged in a deadly cat-and-mouse game for control of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. As betrayal, lust, intrigue and supernatural forces shake the four corners of the Kingdoms, their bloody struggle for the Iron Throne will have unforeseen and far-reaching consequences. 
The Transformers saga starts a new chapter as old foes return, legendary heroes rise, and new ones are found in unlikely places. This visually stunning five-part miniseries started out on The HUB and led to an Emmy winning show. Fan favorites Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Arcee, Ratchet, Bulkhead, and many others are back to “roll out” against Megatron’s latest attempt to conquer Earth. And Megatron proves to be more powerful than ever, having acquired a rare element that allows him mastery over life itself. Optimus Prime and the Autbots may be few against the Decepticon hordes, but they find increased strength through bonds forged with three human teenagers. Season One of Transformers Prime boasts an all-star voice cast, including Peter Cullen, Frank Welker, Steve Blum, Jeffrey Combs, Adam Baldwin, Markie Post, Ernie Hudson, among other notables. Transformers Prime is produced by Hasbro Studios, with Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jeff Kline serving as executive producers. Kurtzman and Orci served as writers for the feature films Transformers and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
The conclusion to the mystical retelling of the Robin Hood legend with breakthrough roles for Jason Connery and Ray Winstone (Indiana Jones 4, The Departed, Sexy Beast), Robin Of Sherwood Set 2, is now available on Blu-ray. Presented in stunning high-definition, the Blu-ray 3-disc/DVD bonus disc set includes 13 episodes and more than nine hours of special features, including nine episode commentaries, a 76 minute making of documentary, outtakes, and much more. Robin of Sherwood also launched the TV writing career of Anthony Horowitz (Foyle’s War, Midsomer Murders, Poirot, and the newest Sherlock Holmes novel), who wrote five of the episodes and participates in one of the commentaries. 
Offering the secret history of nine historic battles, Battlefield Detectives has made its debut on DVD thanks to Athena. Investigators re-create the conditions of history’s major battles using 3-D computer models, maps, artifacts, original footage, and dramatic reenactments. From the muddy fields at Hastings to the sweltering jungles of Vietnam, a variety of experts offer compelling new evidence on the wars that shaped the modern world. Produced in 2003, Battlefield Detectives aired on the History Channel. The 3-volume boxed set includes a 16-page viewer’s guide and biographies of major military leaders, among other bonus features. 
From Terence Winter, Emmy Award-winning writer of The Sopranos, and executive producer Martin Scorsese, comes the lavish and addictive HBO drama Boardwalk Empire that re-creates the glitter and decadence of 1920′s Atlantic City at a time when Prohibition proved to be a major catalyst in the rise of organized crime in America. Full of corruption, backroom politics, vicious power struggles and a fierce hunger for wealth, the critically-acclaimed series personifies one of the most colorful and violent time periods in American history. The Great War was over, Wall Street was about to boom, women got the vote and everything was for sale, even the World Series. The undisputed ruler of Atlantic City was the town’s treasurer, Enoch “Nucky” Thompson (Buscemi), a political fixer and backroom dealer who was equal parts politician and criminal and equally comfortable in either role. Because of its strategic location on the seaboard, minutes from Philadelphia, hours from New York City and less than a day’s drive from Chicago, the town was a hub of activity for rum runners. And Nucky Thompson took full advantage. 
Two years after the release of its landmark Emmy-winning series WWII in HD, The History Channel shifts its focus to a new generation and one of the most controversial chapters in American history, the Vietnam War. Vietnam in HD will immerse viewers in the sights, the sounds and the stories of the Vietnam War as it has never before been seen. Thousands of hours of uncensored footage – much of it shot by soldiers in action – will detail every critical chapter of the conflict. The war will unfold onscreen through the gripping firsthand accounts of thirteen brave men and women who were forever changed by their experience in Vietnam. 
The Simpsons Season 14 
Big Love: The Complete Collection brings together the series’ uniquely crafted story arc about modern day polygamists Bill Henrickson, his three wives (Barb, Nicki and Margene), and nine children as they struggle to overcome the myriad of challenges brought about by their beliefs, lifestyle and Bill’s entrepreneurial and political ambitions. The complete collection includes all 53 episodes from all five seasons, plus all of the extra features from the individual releases that offer additional insight into the Henrickson family dynamics. Big Love features an all-star ensemble cast which is lead by Bill Paxton, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloë Sevigny (Golden Globe winner for Best Supporting Actress for the series) and Ginnifer Goodwin. Other cast members include Amanda Seyfried, Robert Patrick, Harry Dean Stanton, Bruce Dern, Anne Dudek, and Ellen Burstyn. Features include “Inside the Episodes,” “Their Stories So Far,” “Big Love: A Balancing Act on Ice,” “Big Love: End of Days,” three pre-quels, three mini-episodes and audio commentaries. 
An imaginative fusion of live action, state-of-the-art puppetry, prosthetics and CGI, Farscape, produced by The Jim Henson Company in association with RHI Entertainment, featured mind-boggling alien life forms, dazzling special effects, edge-of-your-seat thrills, irreverent humor and unforgettable characters — all brought to rich life by the creative minds at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Strap in and hold on tight for the extraordinary adventures of astronaut John Crichton, (Ben Browder) who, after a freak accident, finds himself surrounded by hostile aliens and soaring through the cosmos aboard Moya, a glorious living space ship. Hunted by the relentless Peacekeepers, he allies himself with Moya’s crew — Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black), Luxan warrior Ka D’Argo (Anthony Simcoe), azure priestess Zhaan (Virginia Hey), spritely Nebari thief Chiana (Gigi Edgley), Dominar Rygel, the deposed royal ruler of the Hynerian Empire and Pilot – to search for a way out of this inconceivably alien world and return home. 
For six eye-opening seasons, The Girls Next Door dropped the towel to reveal all the goings-on at the Playboy Mansion and beyond, from exotic European escapades to sexy and scary camp-outs in the “wilds” of the Mansion’s backyard, from tender moments among friends and lovers to the occasional friendly rivalry among the Playmates. The Girls Next Door: The Complete Series captures it all in 35 glorious hours, centering around the three original girls – Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson – as well as newcomers Crystal Harris (who came this close to becoming the next Mrs. Hef) and the centerfold twins Kristina and Karissa Shannon. 
