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John Ostrander: Writing Rules

ostrander-close-wasteland-3-d

Recently on Facebook, a father asked me what advice I could give his 13-year old daughter who wanted to be a writer. I had to be succinct but I think my reply was moderately useful and I thought I’d repeat it here.

As I’ve done columns about writing before, some of this may be familiar but this time it will be the short form.

  1. Read. If you want to be a writer, you need to be a reader. Fiction, non-fiction, newspaper (or online news feeds). Read outside your narrow interests. You draw from yourself so you need to feed yourself. My late wife Kim Yale called it “re-stocking the pond.”
  2. Write. Seems obvious but it’s not. Write every day even if it’s only for five minutes. Get into the habit of writing. We all have a certain amount of crap we need to write out of our systems before we can do real work. A writer writes. Get to it.
  3. Live. Again, seems obvious but in writing we draw upon our own experiences. Live life. Learn from those experiences. It’s all grist for your writing mill, the good and the bad. If you don’t know anything about life, how will you get life into your work? If you don’t have any real life in your work, how will the reader connect with it and you?
  4. Write what you know. This combines 2 and 3 above. Write what you know from your own experience to be true. Not what somebody else told you was true. What you know.
  5. You have a right to make mistakes. Best advice from a teacher I ever got (Harold Lang at Loyola University Theater, Chicago). You have the right to try something and have it not work so long as the attempt was honest and that you learn from it.
  6. Make big mistakes. Again, courtesy of Harold Lang. Big mistakes are easier to see and correct. You learn as much – maybe more – from your mistakes as from your successes. A big mistake means you took a big risk. There is no success without a big risk. Try, fail, and learn.
  7. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It won’t be on the first draft, anyway. It never is. Write first, correct/improve/spellchek later. You need to put the story into words so you have something concrete from which to work. The first draft is not intended to be the final draft. Don’t get hung up on it.
  8. Don’t tell anyone your ideas before you write them down. You do that and you’ll release all the energy in the story. It wants to be told; you want to tell it. Speaking it lets the steam out of the engine. Let the steam out and the engine doesn’t run. If you speak your idea you won’t write it. Write it first. You don’t know what you have until you’ve done that; you just think you know. Do the work and then share.
  9. You are your characters. There has to be something of you in every character you write. That includes the bad guys, the villains, the psychotics. If you write a bigot, you have to find out where the bigot is within you. That’s not easy and it’s not comfortable. It still has to be done in order to write the character honestly.
  10. You are not your characters. You also have to separate yourself from your characters. They are not your alter-egos. You have to give them their own lives and then let them live their own lives.
  11. Don’t look down. You’re a tightrope walker with no net. You have to focus on getting to the other side; if you look down, you’ll fall. Translated from metaphor – don’t ask if you can write. Assume you can. If you have to ask, the answer is “no”. Don’t put the weight of your existence on your writing; that’s too heavy an existential load. Don’t pretend that asking these questions will make you more honest and thus a better person and thus a better writer. They won’t. They’ll just feed your neuroses and keep you from writing. Do the work.
  12. You have to know the rules in order to know which ones to break. A freeform jazz musician may appear to play whatever the hell they want but they know music, they know their instrument, they know what has been done before and they interpret it their own way. Learn the rules.
  13. Write questions, not answers. If you want to preach, get a pulpit. As my fellow ComicMixian, Denny O’Neal, once told me, “You can say anything to a reader but first you must tell them a story.” Pose the question, explore it, and – if you feel like it – give AN answer but don’t assume that it is THE answer. Some readers have come up to me and told me what they got out of a given story and character; if I’m smart, I listen and learn. They may have a better answer than mine. Assume your readers are at least as smart as you.
  14. There is only one way to write and that’s whatever way works for you. Anyone tells you differently is trying to sell you something. That includes me and this column. Listen to everyone and take the bits that makes sense to you. That way you come up with your own style, your own approach.

Now… go write something!

Marc Alan Fishman: The Science of Selling

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If there’s one thing Unshaven Comics has been celebrated for by our peers, our fans, and our nemeses alike, it’s our ABC mentality. “Always. Be. Closing.” Alec Baldwin barked at us through gritted teeth. And boy howdy did that lesson stick. Since our second-ever convention appearance, my cohorts and I have adopted the mentality that while we love what we do, that we can’t do it unless our convention appearances end lucratively. Hence, we operate adhering to the science of the sale.

In less poetic terms, that means that every possible decision / choice we’ve made — from the products offered, to the pitch, the bundles we offer, straight through to the question we ask to close business — has been scrutinized to the Nth degree. It’s been a while since I’ve unpacked these bags for you, my adoring fans, so let’s dump all the dirty laundry on the floor, shall we?

When it comes to our products, the answer became notoriously simple given trial and error. Our first book was an educational graphic novel. Suffice to say we got mild interest, and a lot of back-patting from teachers and rare fans who really like the idea of seeing how far a comic could travel away from tights and fights.

Our next book was R-Rated horror. Then R-Rated superheroes. Both of those books were better sellers for us. But… then… book 4 was The Samurnauts, a title built with sell-ability in mind. Tongue-in-cheek pastiche to the tropes we loved growing up, nestled in a warm chocolatey shell of all-age fun. And the sales and response we saw to that? Well, the rest (they say) is history. Put plainly: for Unshaven Comics, our path to maximum return drives straight down the line towards the largest audience possible.

I’ve droned on and on about our pitch in the past. Feel free to read up on it here. The short and dirty version for those with less time: we keep it simple, stupid. In less than 22 seconds (with an additional eight seconds added afterwards for jazz hands/spirit fingers) we’re able to distill the essence of our comic book series to any passerby. We talk about the big picture feelings the book evokes, we share the artwork and hooks of the story, as well as detail the specific nature of our deal. You get 36 pages of story for just five bucks. And if you get it here at the show today, all three creators will happily sign your copy. And with that – jazz hands. Make no bones about it. We’ve crafted literally every word of that pitch a thousand times over. And we’ve likely answered every possible retort to it dozens (if not hundreds) of times.

I’ve also perhaps droned a bit before about our magical closing question. Those last few words uttered that have turned more faces of unsure-ness into alleviated buyers. We used to ask “So, what do you think?” More often than not, it would end with the potential buyer now bending our ears off on their 30 second critique of literally any number of sundry points they needed to make about our book. And while it did close sales for us, it wasn’t until it hit me to ask Kyle to be a bit more direct. “So, would you like to give it a try?” Boom. Sales. That simple shift in our line of questioning helps address the elephant in the artist alley. At the end of the day, yes, we all love comics and pop culture. But we are the business and you are the customer. If we’ve earned your business by presenting you with a product you find to be priced appropriately and contains written and visual content you find pleasing, then let’s do business. Otherwise? We happy accept “No thanks!” as your answer, and allow you to continue on your merry way. It’s not rude. It’s how we keep the lights on in the studio.

So let’s say now you dig that pitch, and find our price point to be fair. Well, let’s gladly upsell you! Unshaven Comics has cultivated a masters degree in the bundle sale. How? Easy! By tossing as many extra freebies onto a deal to make our customer happy. We always travel with collectible stickers, and poster prints (occasionally adding in some buttons as well). We’ve no qualms about losing a bit of profit off our bottom line if it turns a single book purchase into four. Soon to be five. And for those fans who are so sold on the books without the extra bric-a-brak? Well, we go ahead and still shower them in swag because it’s good karma. When new customers see the passion we have for our series, giving them that little extra thank you in the form of stickers and a poster is just a way we pay it forward.

And with that, you have the science to the sale. Our products attract a large swatch of convention goers. Our artwork and storylines are aesthetically pleasing. Our pitch is tight, and to the point. Our price is fair. Our upsell is ludicrously so. Each convention day sees us pitch to hundreds of potential fans. And typically we’ll see hundreds of books be moved. It’s through the hard work, hypothesis, analysis, and Immortal Kung Fu Monkeys do we see the success. And we’ll see you on the convention floor soon!

So, I have to ask…

Can I tell you about my comic book?

REVIEW: Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants

bumm061646There is no creative reason Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants exists. It is merely a vehicle to promote toys for the younger segment of fan. Essentially, if you have enjoyed any of the previous Batman Unlimited offerings – Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts and Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem — this will be equally entertaining.

In this relatively thin screenplay from Kevin Burke & Chris “Doc” Wyatt, to Batman (Roger Craig Smith) and Green Arrow (Chris Diamantopolous), resort to wearing mech suits to sop the latest wave of terror in Gotham City courtesy of Mister Freeze (Oded Fehr) and Penguin (Dana Snyder). This time they have turned Bane (Carlos Alazraqui) and Killer Croc (John DiMaggio) into oversized monsters, necessitating the heroes suit up. And to help even the odds, they recruit Robin (Lucien Dodge), Nightwing (Will Friedle), and The Flash (Charles Schlatter).

bumm064001The mayhem moves at a reasonable pace thanks to the steady direction of Curt Geda but there’s little in the way of character or consequence to the total event. It looks fine on this original made-for-video offering.

The sole bonus feature is the far superior “Night of the Batmen” episode from the missed Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Unlike the previous two, this comes as a straight single-disc DVD with no bonus toy.

Bob Ingersoll: Daredevil, Punisher and Where To Get A Fair Trial

 

The Law Is A Ass #395

daredevil_punisher_seventh_circle_infinite_comic_vol_1_1-5077879There’s an old joke I’m not going to repeat. It’s long; not very good; and, worst of all for a joke, not particularly funny. I bring it up because it’s punchline, “<a href=”

You can’t get there from here,” has a great bearing on the comic we’ll be discussing today.

What comic? My pun-ishing headline indicates, it’s a comic featuring Daredevil, Matt Murdock, and a change of venue in a trial. And that means it’s Daredevil/Punisher: Seventh Circle.

We learned in the first issue of this mini-series that there’s this gangster named Sergey Antonov, see, and he’s a bad man, see. How bad? Well, he didn’t shoot a man in Reno just to watch him die, but he poisoned a rival gang’s boss’s Christmas turkey just to get him out of the way. Unfortunately, the rival boss’s whole family was eating that turkey. Four generations – most of them innocents – died because of Antonov’s actions. That’s how bad.

Well, Antonov has been captured and is going to stand trial for his crimes. However, because “too many people hate [him]” in New York City, the District Attorney’s office feared it couldn’t get an impartial jury in New York City. So Assistant District Attorney Matt Murdock, moved for a change of venue. To Texas.

Which leads us to several points of discussion. First: what’s venue? To answer that I have to take us back to the time when we weren’t the United States but thirteen colonies under the British Empire. (Okay, I don’t have to, but I’m going to. How else can I show off all this historical knowledge I picked up in law school?) Back then, King George III had people who committed crimes in the colonies transported back to England for trial. The colonies didn’t like this. They even included it as one of their grievances with the Crown in the Declaration of Independence.

In order to prevent that from happening in the United States of America, the Founding Fathers put a clause in Article III of the United States Constitution requiring all criminal trials must be held within the state in which the crime was committed. But the Founding Fathers didn’t stop there. They also included a Vicinage Clause in the Sixth Amendment’s trial by jury provision dictating that the jury be composed of people who live within the state and district where the crime occurred. That district where the trial can be held, that’s the venue.

Killing four generations of one family with a Swift Botulismball Turkey would be a felony. Actually, it would be a lot of felonies; four generations worth of felonies. Felonies are tried in county courts in most states – Louisiana and Alaska have parishes and boroughs instead of counties – so for a felony trial in New York, the proper venue would be the county where the crime occurred. As Matt Murdock, who works for the District Attorney in Manhattan, is prosecuting the case, we’ll assume Antonov’s crimes occurred in the county that contains Manhattan; New York County.

Matt successfully moved to change the venue of Antonov’s upcoming trial, bringing up our second point of discussion: what’s a change of venue? Pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Sometimes a case is so highly publicized that it’s difficult to find people who haven’t heard about the case or formed an opinion about it before the trial started and the proper venue can’t assemble an unbiased jury. When that happens, the defense may seek a change of venue, so that the case can be tried in a different venue; one where the jury hasn’t heard about the case and isn’t biased.

In most states only the defendant can move for a change of venue. It is, after all, the defendant’s constitutional right to have the case tried in the venue where the crime occurred. And usually only the defendant may waive that right and seek to have the trial in a different venue. But NY Criminal Procedure Law § 231.20 specifically says that either the defendant or “the people,” i.e. the DA’s office, may move for a change of venue. So, having Matt Murdock ask for the change of venue wasn’t incorrect.

Having Matt Murdock request a change of venue to Texas, on the other hand…

And, yes, that is our third point of discussion.

Remember what I said earlier about Article III, dictating that a trial must be held within the state wherein the crime occurred. That means the only state that has jurisdiction to try a criminal case is the state where the crime occurred. Texas would have no subject matter jurisdiction over a crime committed in New York and a DA’s office could not ask that a New York criminal trial be transferred to Texas. The Constitution would permit changing the venue to some other county in New York. It would not permit changing the venue to some other state, like Texas.

There’s also no reason to move the trial to Texas. I’m a reasonably educated and well-read person but I’m up in Cleveland and I really couldn’t tell you much about the criminal goings on down in Cincinnati; except for this one<a href=”

noted case of vandalism involving a radio station and Thanksgiving turkeys. I don’t care how infamous Antonov’s crimes were in Manhattan, I can’t believe knowledge of his crimes was so wide-spread or pervasive that you couldn’t find twelve jurors in, say, Chautauqua County New York who hadn’t heard about or formed an opinion about the case.

For the record, I choose Chautauqua County because – check a map  – it’s about as far away from Manhattan geographically as you can get and still be in New York state, not because I think it’s provincial. I doubt they’re all that familiar with Manhattan’s crimes in, say, Jamestown or Celoron. Besides they’ve been a little preoccupied there with that “Scary Lucy” statue.

So why did the judge grant Matt’s unconstitutional request to move Antonov’s trail to Texas? I have no idea. We didn’t see the change of venue hearing or meet the judge, so I have no way of knowing why the judge did what the judge did. There could be a few reasons. Hell, considering Matt’s history of unethical behavior, we can’t even eliminate bribery.

Why did Matt Murdock choose the unconstitutional venue of Texas instead of the constitutional venue of Chautauqua County? That’s another story.

Literally. We found out why Matt chose Texas in Daredevil/Punisher: Seventh Circle # 4. And that’s another story. (Okay, it’s a later chapter in the same story but for the purposes of the joke that’s as good as another story.) And because it’s another story, it will also be another column.

Or, in the immortal tradition of comic books everywhere, to be law-tinued.

REVIEW: Aliens: 30th Anniversary Edition

aliens-30th-anniversary-blu-ray-dvd-aliens_glamourskew_g1_rgb-1-e1472136615984-5229770The 1980s was perhaps the first decade where sequels were crowding the theater screens and most were justifiably vilified by critics and fans alike for being little more than a retread of the original. That changed when director James Cameron, fresh off a little indie production The Terminator, was tasked with a sequel to 1979’s surprise hit, Alien.

The Hollywood executive merry-go-round delayed the sequel by several years, although that allowed Cameron to hone his ideas with producer/wife Gale Anne Hurd. He envisioned a story where the humans were akin to the Americans during Viet Nam, strangers seriously outnumbered in a strange land. After insisting the film star Sigourney Weaver, who was in a contract dispute with 20th Century-Fox, all the pieces came together.

When the movie opened in 1986, it set a new higher standard for what a sequel should be, which was expanding upon the characters and universe seen in the first film. At the same time, it also was one of the first films of the modern era to hang so much of the film on a female protagonist. As a result, it was the right film at the right time, in the hands of a rising director who it box office gold.

20th Century Home Entertainment is celebrating this achievement with a handsome Aliens: 30th Anniversary Edition. The box set comes with a digital HD code and a booklet featuring art culled from Dark Hose Comics’ assortment of Aliens-related comic covers plus a handful of art cards.

Weaver’s Ripley, sole survivor of the Nostromo, awakens 57 years later and winds up leading an expedition back to LV-426 and the malevolent lifeform awaiting them. The film continues to be a thrilling adventure thanks to Weaver, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser, Lance Henriksen, and Bill Paxton. Not only is it an action-adventure thriller, but it deepens Ripley by her protecting Newt (Carrie Henn), the young survivor of the human colony. All of which results in the now-famous but then-explosive climax as Ripley, in armor, confronts the Alien Queen.

The Blu-ray transfer is excellent (same one from the Aliens Anthology) and the sound superb, making for a good home viewing experience. You can choose the theatrical or 17-minute longer extended edition, which is nice to have. All the old special features are reprised here along with. The Inspiration and Design of Aliens featurette. However, you can only access the new feature through HD streaming and only 10 times between now until 2019 when it presumably vanishes.

Despite that flaw, this is one of the strongest anniversary editions of a film to come out in a long time and is recommended.

Molly Jackson: Passion and Geek Activism

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We geeks are a passionate group. Not just for the stories we love, but in most aspects of our entire existence. We look for ways to share our passion, like joining fan groups. And very often, we use our passion for causes that need our help. Everyday geeks champion causes around the world, whether it’s a fundraising event or just raising awareness for a comic creator in need.

Honestly, when I think about geek causes, I immediately think Captain Planet. Yes, I know that doesn’t make the most sense, but it is the truth. As a kid, I loved watching Captain Planet help out a group of diverse teenagers protect Mother Earth. And travel the globe without parental supervision. As a kid, I loved the idea of no parental supervision. Each episode gave a call to action based on that lesson of the week. Don’t litter, teach your parents to recycle, plant a tree. Simple but effective as a kid. But with those weekly lessons of helping others, along with my wonderful Girl Scouts experience, I learned a lot about giving back.

As an adult I quickly embraced the need for these events, throughout all the parts of my life. The best ones are always the geeky events, where my love for a TV show, comics, or any franchise can be shared while helping others. Nowadays we see geeky causes popping up frequently. Blood drives at SDCC, celebrities auctioning off set visits and trips to premieres, Browncoats Global Can’t Stop The Serenity fundraisers, 501st Legion raising for a variety of causes; these are just a few examples but there are so many more of varying size. Every group can find a charity group to support, a member to help. Or you can turn to the thoroughly geeky (but official) groups like Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and the Hero Initiative.

A lot of my pieces include a call to action within them. Frankly, you would be hard pressed to find a week where a ComicMix columnist doesn’t have a call to action. Even yesterday, columnist Joe Corallo shared a call to action about supporting comics writer Rachel Pollack. But you don’t need to wait for a call to action to make a difference.

Since you are reading this, you are obviously a passionate geek. (Or a family member of mine.) And while I said you don’t need a call to action, I’m going to give you one anyway to get you started. So your call to action is to go out and find your cause. If you don’t like those that I mentioned above, ask your friends, your local comic shop, the Internet. Check with your favorite fan pages. Don’t just look for opportunities to give money, look for chances to make a difference. Use all that bubbling passion for geekdom towards something more.

 (The ComicMix staff would like to congratulate Molly on her awesome conquest of the EtherTrolls!)

 

Martha Thomases: Call Any Vegetable

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capt-carrot-1337236It is harvest time. The Green Market is a riot of colors, and I can’t seem to eat fast enough to take advantage of the riches of the season. I spend far too much time worrying about what to cook so that I don’t have to throw away any of my beautiful produce.

This might seem like a stupid thing to obsess about — why don’t I just buy less? — but it’s far better than my other current obsession, which is to wonder if I should have kissed that guy I like, and, if so, would there have been tongues, and had I brushed my teeth recently enough for that to happen. Often, it’s no fun inside my head.

No matter. Too much good food is not a bad problem to have. It’s certainly better than the obsession with death that seems to be once again encroaching on American superhero comics, a genre I like because it’s often full of hopeful fantasy. Here and here and here, just to take three examples from various rumor mills around the ‘Net. (Beware! Those links contain spoilers.)

I know that heroism involves risks, and that death is a part of life. I’m just bored with killing off characters as a stunt to get attention. It makes story- and character-driven deaths less meaningful.

So let’s talk about vegetables. Superhero vegetables.

Surprisingly (to me, at least), there are very few. One is a Green Lantern, and one is a Guardian of the Galaxy, who is also currently a movie star.

cuddling-carrots-2395993Alas, Captain Carrot is not, in fact, a vegetable. And Swamp Thing can be food, but he can also be poison, since he can be any plant he chooses to be.

With the growing concern about children’s health, it’s not a surprise that parents want to find ways to get their kids to make healthier food choices. And it’s not a surprise that these parents, thinking that superheroes are kid stuff, would try to co-opt the vocabulary and imagery of comics to tempt their children.

Some have even found a way to make a business out of it. A successful business that seems to be accomplishing its goals, at least so far. And they have Aasif Mandvi among their celebrity spokes-plants!

I don’t know what you might like to eat, or what variety of nutrients makes you feel your best. Because we are human and capable of infinite variety, you probably have a different list than I do. I find that whatever I want to eat, I want to add more vegetables to it (except for, maybe, ice cream). In the process, I suppose I am causing the death of these vegetables, or at least creating the demand that is the incentive for farmers to kill them.

It’s possible vegetables have feelings. Whether that is true or not, they have more life than a fictional character.

Even one with super-powers.

Mad Max High Octane Collection Should be on Your Christmas List

high-octane-bd-3dBurbank, CA, September 14, 2016 –Mad Max fans will have something to put atop their holiday gift lists with the Mad Max High Octane Collection, debuting December 6 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE). All four films from visionary director George Miller’s blockbuster sci-fi franchise — Mad Max (1979); Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981); Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985); and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), now with Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky — are together in one collection.

The Mad Max High Octane Collection is available to own in both Blu-ray ($79.99 SRP) and DVD ($54.97 SRP) versions. Both collections include the four films and five hours of bonus content, including the visually stunning Mad Max: Fury Road “Black & Chrome” Edition. The Blu-ray collection will also include a 4K-Ultra HD version and a UV Digital Copy of Mad Max: Fury Road.

The Mad Max: Fury Road “Black & Chrome Edition” will also be available on Blu-ray ($29.98 SRP) in a two film collection including the theatrical version of the film and a special introduction by George Miller describing his vision.

High Octane Collection Special Features and Additions:

  • NEW! *Fury Road “Black & Chrome” Edition – Witness the surreal black and white version of mastermind George Miller’s Fury Road.
  • NEW! *George Miller Introduction to the Mad Max Fury Road: Black and Chrome Edition – Special introductory piece by George Miller describing his vision.
  • NEW! Road War – In 1982, the world was blindsided by George Miller’s masterpiece of apocalyptic destruction: The Road Warrior.  For the first time ever George Miller, Terry Hayes and star Mel Gibson tell the story of the car-crushing production that redefined action cinema forever.
  • Madness of Max – The previously released Mad Max (1979) documentary is a feature-length documentary on the making of arguably the most influential movie of the past thirty years. With over forty cast-and-crew interviews, hundreds of behind-the-scenes photographs and never-before-seen film footage of the shoot, this is, without a doubt, the last word on Mad Max (1979). Interviews include: George Miller, Byron Kennedy, Mel Gibson, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Steve Bisley, Roger Ward, Joanne Samuel, David Eggby, Jon Dowding and many more. From the Producers to the Bike Designers to the Traffic Stoppers, this is the story of how Mad Max was made.

Mad Max: Fury Road Two Film Collection

black-and-chrome-3dSpecial Features and Additions:

  • NEW! *George Miller Introduction to the Mad Max Fury Road: Black and Chrome Edition – Special introductory piece by George Miller describing his vision.

About The Films

Mad Max (1979)

George Miller’s first entry in the trilogy, Mad Max packs brutal action and insane stunts as it follows the inevitable downfall of relentless cop Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) in a world gone mad. Living on the edge of an apocalypse, Max is ready to run far away from it all with his family. But when he experiences an unfortunate encounter with a motorcycle gang and its menacing leader, the Toecutter, his retreat from the madness of the world is now a race to save his family’s life.

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1982)

The sequel to Mad Max, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior provides action-packed “automotive” entertainment, telling the story of a selfish-turned-selfless hero and his efforts to protect a small camp of desert survivors and defend an oil refinery under siege from a ferocious marauding horde that plunders the land for gasoline.

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

Mel Gibson returns for his third go-round as the title hero who takes on the barbarians of the post-nuclear future – and this time becomes the savior of a tribe of lost children. Music superstar Tina Turner co-stars as Aunty Entity, a power-mad dominatrix determined to use Max to tighten her stranglehold on Bartertown, where fresh water, clean food and gasoline are worth more than gold.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Haunted by his turbulent past, Mad Max (Tom Hardy) believes the best way to survive is to wander alone. Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by an elite Imperator, Furiosa (Charlize Theron). They are escaping a Citadel tyrannized by the Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), from whom something irreplaceable has been taken. Enraged, the Warlord marshals all his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly in the high-octane Road War that follows.

MAD MAX HIGH OCTANE COLLECTION ON BLU-RAY AND DVD
Street Date: December 6, 2016
Order Due Date: November l, 2016
Blu-ray Pricing: $79.99 SRP
DVD Pricing: $54.97 SRP
Mad Max Run Time: 94 minutes; Rated R
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior Run Time: 91 minutes; Rated R
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome Run Time: 107 minutes; Rated PG-13
Mad Max: Fury RoadRun Time: 120 minutes; Rated R

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD TWO FILM COLLECTION ON BLU-RAY
Street Date: December 6, 2016
Order Due Date: November l, 2016
BD Catalog/UPC #: 1000633493 / 883929568277
Blu-ray Pricing: $29.98 SRP
Mad Max: Fury Road Run Time: 120 minutes; Rated R
Note: All enhanced content listed above is subject to change.

Blu-ray Disc™ and Blu-ray™ and the logos are the trademarks of Blu-ray Disc Association.

*Fury Road “Black & Chrome” Edition may be sold as a standalone feature film by select digital retailers. Additionally, some digital retailers will be updating past HD and SD purchases with additional content.

Tweeks: Supergirl Cast Interviews at SDCC Part 2!

In Part 2 of our Supergirl San Diego Comic Con Roundtable interview, we chat with Supergirl herself (Melissa Benoit), Chryler Leigh (Alex Danvers) & Superman (Tyler Hoechlin).

If you haven’t watched Part One yet — now’s an excellent time to watch it.

Finally, Constantine: The Complete Series Arrives Oct. 4

constantine-e1473945656230-8799261Darkness is rising, demons are everywhere … and one man stands between humanity and its worst nightmares: John Constantine. Warner Archive Collection (WAC) and DC Entertainment bring the live-action television series, Constantine: The Complete Series, to Blu-ray™ and DVD on October 4, 2016 via WBshop.com, Amazon and popular online retailers.

Based on the wildly popular DC character, seasoned demon hunter and master of the occult John Constantine (Matt Ryan) is armed with a ferocious knowledge of the dark arts and a wickedly naughty wit. He fights the good fight – or at least he did. With his soul already damned to Hell, he’s decided to abandon his campaign against evil … until a series of events thrusts him back into the fray, and he’ll do whatever it takes to protect the innocent. With the balance of good and evil on the line, Constantine will use his skills to travel the country, find the supernatural terrors that threaten our world and send them back to where they belong. After that, who knows … maybe there’s hope for him and his soul after all.

Matt Ryan (The Halcyon, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior) stars as Constantine, a role he has since reprised for Arrow and as the voice of the animated character in the upcoming Justice League Dark.

“Actors don’t generally like to revisit their own filmed performances, but I really enjoyed watching the episodes myself because Constantine is such a bold, outright character – both to play and to watch,” says Ryan. “He’s this brilliant ball of wise-cracking, chain-smoking street magic – and it’s so much fun exploring his fascinating, dark world of torment and mystery. I’m happy the fans will now have the opportunity to experience the series on Blu-ray, plus all the bonus features.”

The cast features Angélica Celaya (Dallas) as Zed, Charles Halford (True Detective, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) as Chas and Harold Perrineau (Lost, Blade: The Series) as Manny.  Guest appearances include Jeremy Davies (Justified), Lucy Griffiths (True Blood, Preacher), David A. Gregory (One Life To Live), Michael James Shaw (Roots, Limitless), Claire van der Boom (Game of Silence, Hawaii Five-0), Skyler Day (Parenthood), Mark Margolis (Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, Oz), Charles Parnell (The Last Ship), Michael McGrady (Ray Donovan, Southland), Joelle Carter (Justified) and Max Charles (The Strain, The Neighbors).

Writer Daniel Cerone (“The Mentalist,” “Dexter”) serves as executive producer with David S. Goyer (“Man of Steel,” “The Dark Knight Rises”). “Constantine” is produced from Bonanza Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. The show is based on the wildly popular comic book character from DC.

Configurations

Audio: English DTS MA 5.1 for BD, 5.1 Dolby Digital for DVD
Subtitle: English

Content

Disc 1

  1. Non Est Asylum
  2. The Darkness Beneath
  3. The Devil’s Vinyl
  1. Feast of Friends

Disc 2

  1. Danse Vaudou
  2. The Rage of Caliban
  3. Blessed Are the Damned
  4. The Saint of Last Resorts: Part One
  5. The Saint of Last Resorts: Part Two

Disc 3

  1. Quid Pro Quo
  2. A Whole World Out There
  3. Angels and Ministers of Grace
  4. Waiting for the Man

EXTRAS 

  • Constantine: Trailer
  • Constantine: On the Set
  • 2014 Comic-Con Panel Q & A with Cast and Creators
  • DC Comics Night at Comic-Con 2014 Presenting Gotham, The Flash, Constantine, and Arrow

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