Doc Savage On DVD – A Warner Archive Selection

Warner Brothers has opened up their archives for you to be able to order movies from them on DVD that have not been available before now. And one of them is George Pal’s Doc Savage: The Man Of Bronze.

Ok, I’ve read about 70-80 of the Doc Savage pulps in my collection, so I have a pretty good vision of what he and his Fabulous Five are like in my head, but I do have a spot in my heart for this movie. Yes, it’s cheese beyond cheese, and the acting is questionable, but I saw it at the theater during its brief run. I was eleven years old and very impressionable. I think I will be picking this up.

Here’s the official synopsis of the movie…

Based on the first of Kenneth Robeson’s 181 adventure-packed Doc Savage books, Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze hits the screen with all its gee-whiz, gung-ho spirit intact. And its bold protagonist, who along with having a herculean body is also a surgeon, linguist and inventor, remains determined to do right to all and wrong to no one.

Ron Ely (TV’s Tarzan) plays the strapping Savage in this high-camp, big-heroics tale of his trek into the Valley of the Vanished to confront the power-hungry Captain Seas (Paul Wexler). And behind the camera are pros who know how to get the most out of this entertainment bronze mine: veteran fantasy film producer George Pal (The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine) and director Michael Anderson (Around the World in 80 Days, Logan’s Run).

Studio: Warner Bros.
Theatrical Release Date: 05/01/1975
Screen Aspect: 16 X 9 FULL FRAME
Packaging Type: Amaray Case

If you’re wondering about the quality of the video, here is what Warner has to say…

Important Note: This film has been manufactured from the best-quality video master currently available and has not been remastered or restored specifically for this DVD and On Demand release. Click here to preview this film’s video quality.

Here are a few clips for you to enjoy while you’re waiting for your copy to arrive: Read more

Warner Brothers and Fox Have Reached a Settlement over Watchmen!

Earlier today, we dared to hope that Fox and Warner Brothers might settle their beef over Watchmen this afternoon. Now, The Hollywood Reporter claims that a settlement has been reached:

Warner Bros. and Fox have resolved their dispute over Watchmen, with the studios scheduled to present the settlement to Judge Gary Feess on Friday morning and request that the case be dismissed. Terms of the agreement will not be disclosed, but it is said to involve a sizable cash payment to Fox and a percentage of the film’s box office.

Although Feess originally ruled that Fox retained the rights to at least distribute the film, it will not do so under the terms of the settlement agreement, nor will Fox retain any future rights to the Watchmen property [while Warners issued no comment about the settlement, THR says a Fox spokesman said "no final deal had been reached."]. We’ll see how things play out tomorrow morning, but if everything goes smoothly, it looks like we’ll be able to see Watchmen come March 6th, as we’d always hoped.

With Fox’s lawsuit seemingly over, a number of other questions now emerge. What will become of the relationship between Warner Brothers and producer Larry Gordon? Warners may try to extract reimbursement from Gordon for legal fees incurred during this entire mess. Additionally, with the cost of the film, legal fees, production and marketing, plus the fact that they’re already splitting the distribution of the film with Paramount (and that they co-financed the film with Legendary Pictures), the bigger question is: Will Watchmen be financially successful enough to make it all worth Warner Brothers’ time and money? What do you think?

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/film

Judge Says that Fox Owns Rights to Watchmen

United States District Court judge Gary A. Feess concluded on Wednesday that 20th Century Fox should prevail on crucial issues in their lawsuit with Warner Bros over the rights to the comic book movie adaptation Watchmen.

Feess says that “Fox owns a copyright interest consisting of, at the very least, the right to distribute the Watchmen motion picture. The parties may wish to turn their efforts from preparing for trial to negotiating a resolution of this dispute or positioning the case for review.”

What does this mean for the Watchmen film? Well, I’m no lawyer but it basically sounds like Warner Bros does not have any rights to distribute this film. There are several options available for the Warners. They could take this through the appeals courts or negotiate with Fox.

Not to long ago the LA Times ran a piece concerning the case and here was what they thought would wind up happening.
“The more likely outcome is Fox studio chief Tom Rothman or Warners’ head Alan Horn striking some sort of compromise deal in which the studios share the movie’s costs and proceeds. But because Warners already is sharing the portion of the film it didn’t sell to Paramount with financing partner Legendary Pictures, the studio doesn’t have that much to divvy up.”

I think a deal get’s done. Will Watchmen keep it’s March release date? That I am not certain of but it doesn’t look promising.

Source: ComicNews.info

Warner Brothers To Produce Live-Action Ninja Scroll

The Variety entertainment news source reports that Warner Brothers and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way production company have acquired the live-action feature adaptation rights for Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s Ninja Scroll action anime film from the Madhouse anime studio. Kawajiri wrote this tale about a wandering ninja fighting a conspiracy of demons, and he also directed the anime with ultraviolent yet fluid animation. Alex Tse (Watchmen, The Illustrated Man) is slated to write the live-action version, but DiCaprio himself is not planning on acting in the film. Appian Way’s Jennifer Davisson Killoran and Mike Ireland will produce with Madhouse itself.

Warner and Appian Way have already acquired the rights to produce two live-action films based on Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira manga. Killoran is also planning to produce the Akira project as well.

Manga Entertainment released the original 1993 Ninja Scroll anime film in North America, while Urban Vision helped produce and later released the 2003 television series adapation. The American publisher WildStorm created its comic book take on the story in 2006. Madhouse revealed at Anime Expo 2008 that it was still planning a sequel to the original anime film.

Source: Anime News Network

Warner Brothers Developing ‘I Am Legend’ Prequel

Warner Brothers is developing a prequel to the Will Smith SF movie I Am Legend, with Smith to reprise his role as scientist Robert Neville, Variety reported.

Francis Lawrence will return to direct, and Akiva Goldsman and his Weed Road banner will produce with James Lassiter, Smith’s partner in Overbrook Entertainment.

The studio has set D.B. Weiss to write a script that is based on a detailed outline that was hatched over the past few months by Smith, Goldsman, Lassiter and Lawrence. Read more

Warner Brothers Presents Motion Comics

New Batman, Watchmen webisodes coming.

July 18, 2008 – Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Warner Premiere announced today a new way for graphic novel fans to connect with their favorite characters and the stories they know and love through short-form digital content. Warner Premiere’s Motion Comics draw on a massive amount of source material to bring a visually engaging experience to life through the use of subtle movements, voice-overs, sweeping music scores and stunning comic book artwork. Read more

Kmart/Warner Bros Partner To Promote DARK KNIGHT

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Kmart® has partnered with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, on behalf of DC Comics, for a multi-channel entertainment marketing promotion supporting the July 18 release of the upcoming action-adventure, THE DARK KNIGHT. Kmart will serve as the “Official Batman Headquarters” with a product boutique at the front of the store. Promotion elements include free movie tickets to see THE DARK KNIGHT with the purchase of three bags of Reese’s Batman products and $5 off select Mattel THE DARK KNIGHT toys with the purchase of five boxes of select General Mills cereal and fruit snacks. Read more

Warner Brothers’ Army Of The Dead Gets A Director

Van Heijningen Helms Warner’s Dead

Warner Brothers has signed commercial director and visual artist Matthijs van Heijningen to make his feature-film directing debut on Army of the Dead, an action thriller that takes place in zombie-infested Las Vegas, Variety reported.

Warner will co-finance the movie with Village Roadshow Pictures. Zack Snyder and Deborah Snyder will produce under their Cruel & Unusual Films production company.

The script by Joby Harold (writer and director of Awake) focuses on a father who tries to save his daughter from certain death in a zombie-ridden Sin City.

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