Cruise Mummy Into Universal Pictures’ Dark Universe Announcement
May 22nd, 2017 by Aaron Neuwirth
We are just a few weeks away from the release of The Mummy (AKA Cruise Mummy), starring Tom Cruise and serving as the introduction to the newly dubbed “Dark Universe“. Yes, this press release from Universal Studios highlights the idea of using this upcoming (potential) blockbuster as the starting point of a new cinematic universe that updates all of Universal’s classic Monsters. Complete with a logo, theme by Danny Elfman and casting/director announcements that includes Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem and Bill Condon, read on to learn more about what Universal has in store for this franchise.
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Coming to Blu-ray and DVD July 11, Charlie Hunnam (“Sons of Anarchy”), Robert Pattinson (Twilight franchise), Sienna Miller (Factory Girl), and Tom Holland (Spider-Man: Homecoming) star in Amazon Studio’s THE LOST CITY OF Z, the incredible true story of British explorer Percy Fawcett. Certified “Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes, the film centers on Fawcett (Hunnam), who disappeared in the Amazon while searching for a mysterious city. An epically scaled tale of courage and passion told in Writer/Director James Gray’s (We Own the Night) classic filmmaking style, THE LOST CITY OF Z is a stirring tribute to the exploratory spirit and a conflicted adventurer driven to the verge of obsession.
With the passing of the Powers Boothe this week a tribute to the iconic actor for any fan of great film is a movie must. But since his best work in my opinion has already been given the past picture royal treatment via former movie home (see the Forgotten Friday Flick review of John Boorman’s The Emerald Forest at Starpulse.com 
The #1 action film in the world, The Fate of the Furious, goes full-throttle on Digital HD on June 27, 2017, and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand on July 11, 2017, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The latest exhilarating installment of the nitro-fueled blockbuster action franchise features a gripping new storyline, the most outrageous collection of vehicles yet, and an all-star cast of fan favorites and series newcomers. From the shores of Cuba and the streets of New York City to the icy plains off the arctic Barents Sea, the close-knit crew criss-crosses the globe to stop an anarchist from unleashing world chaos — and to bring home the man who made them a family. With more than an hour of never-before-seen bonus features and an Extended Director’s Cut, The Fate of the Furious will be the crowning glory of every fan’s collection. 
Since last week saw such few releases, I held onto the reviews plus added some already out selections to make this weeks crop truly a hodgepodge movie assortment. Not to mention that there are a massive nine films covered – seven indie titles and two big budget studio flicks. (I see the big titles too, just don’t usually review them – but when in Rome!) Groups of people all deciding to live together and the consequences, brides ‘not-to-be’ taking drastic actions, old fairy tales with a new caustic comedic twists, issues of trust in a world gone mad, alien abductions from a famed forest, the effect of constant bad luck on one woman’s life, a doc on the hidden world of UFO’s and two studio pictures dealing with aliens and overbearing moms all make up the flicks covered in this weeks Encapsulated Movie Reviews. Check out the skinny on The Commune, The Wedding Plan, The New Adventures of Aladdin, The Survivalist, Beacon Point, A Woman’s Life, Unacknowledged, Alien: Covenant and Snatched below! 
A wild supernatural shocker that delivers a barrage of nonstop jolts and searing nightmare images, Don’t Knock Twice 
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Luc Besson’s outrageous sci-fi epic, THE FIFTH ELEMENT, with a 4K Ultra HD release on July 11. The influential classic, starring Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich and Gary Oldman, follows a cab driver who unwittingly becomes the central figure in the search for a legendary cosmic weapon. Also included, in addition to hours of archival special features, is the all-new bonus featurette, presented in 4K, “The Director’s Notes: Luc Besson Looks Back,” where the acclaimed director discusses the origins and impact of the celebrated film. 
Six years ago I fell in love with the Alien franchise when I was forced to tackle the Alien Anthology Blu-ray box set in my complete review of it all 
Paul Naschy (born Jacinto Molina Álvarez) was Spain’s answer to Lon Chaney. He has portrayed many classic monsters – the Wolfman, Frankenstein’s monster, Count Dracula, the Mummy and more. He was not only a terrific actor, but an accomplished writer, producer and director. On June 20, 2017, movie collectors and cult horror enthusiasts will relish the 5-Disc Blu-ray™ release of THE PAUL NASCHY COLLECTION from SCREAM FACTORY™. This Blu-ray box set includes five stellar films from Naschy’s long and distinguished career, including VENGEANCE OF THE ZOMBIES, HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB, BLUE EYES OF THE BROKEN DOLL, NIGHT OF THE WEREWOLF, and HUMAN BEASTS. 
Shout! Broadway rounds out its little spring run of musicals with another filmed stage performance, this time of the 1949 Tony Award winning show, Kiss Me Kate. Now, that’s not the actual 1949 production, but another 1999 one like Oklahoma. Cole Porter’s beloved classic Kiss Me, Kate receives “Another Op’nin’, Another Show” in this masterful 1999 London revival. With backstage shenanigans, gangsters trying to “Brush Up [Their] Shakespeare,” and a collection of Porter tunes that any “Tom, Dick, or Harry” will love, Kiss Me, Kate remains an all-time favorite of musical fans. You can check out its US Blu-ray debut by pre-ordering yourself a copy (Along with Oklahoma! while you’re at it) for its release day, May 30th! 
Their time is now! Just before their third season premiere on The CW, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Second Season on Blu-rayTM and DVD on August 15, 2017. Fans can zoom through 17 exhilarating episodes from the second season, plus exciting special features including the show’s 2016 Comic-Con Panel, crossover featurette, gag-reel and deleted scenes. DC’s Legends of Tomorrow is The CW’s #4 show among Total Viewers, with over 3.2 million viewers tuning in weekly.⃰ DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Second Season 
One of the most widely known musicals of all time from one of the most well known musical makers of all time, Rogers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! has been part of the cultural lexicon since it arrived in 1943. Sure, maybe you’ve never seen it done on Broadway, by a local theater troupe, a high school production or even the film adaptation, but you probably know a song or three from it as well as a name or a line or two. Its been that stapled into pop culture. I mean…who doesn’t know “Oh what a beautiful morning…” or hasn’t made a darkly humored joke using the song? Shout! Broadway is bringing a rendition of the classic musical from 1999 that stars Wolverine himself, Hugh Jackman right before that whole X-Men thing launched. You can pre-order this to see his berzerker rage held in check to have it on release day May 30th. 
I first was introduced to the legend of Don Quixote when I was in my Spanish class in either middle school or high school (Forgive me, its been a while, I can’t pinpoint that). We learned about the story and then followed it up by watching this film, Man of La Mancha starring Sophia Loren and Peter O’Toole. And, that’s the only time I’ve seen it. And forever director/Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam was trying to get some epic based on this story off the ground. That sorta topic would ALWAYS come up in his interviews. But, that’s really my only experience with it. Shout! Factory has now launched a Shout! Broadway line of films and Man of La Mancha is going to be one of its first titles. You can order down below or from their site for this US Blu-ray debut of Arthur Hiller’s film, available April 25th. 
Its hard to believe this DC Comics animated film is turning eight years old in 2017. When it was released, it was but the fourth of these edgier cartoons with PG-13 ratings featuring the DC super heroes. Now they are somewhere around thirty with more to come. These come at a pace where they can afford to hit and miss while constantly crutching on the Batman mythos with much frequency. Wonder Woman’s debut was a big standout right away, and the best reviewed of the bunch. It got the tone, story and characters perfect. While what came before was pretty solid, this one put thing on another pedestal. I haven’t seen every one of these, but Wonder Woman still is on that pedestal holding strong. It went out of print a while back, so with the new film coming out, Warner Bros is re-releasing it with a couple new featurettes. If you didn’t have it before, now’s the time to grab it when it streets on May 16th. 
It’s a headache from hell! From Frank Henenlotter, the man behind such cult horror favorites as Basket Case and Frankenhooker, comes Brain Damage – the ultimate head-trip, now finally on Blu-ray from 
