DVD new releases Feb. 1, 2011

Alice in Wonderland (Two-Disc Special Un-Anniversary Edition)

 
Let Me In


Let Me In [Blu-ray]


Monsters


Monsters Special Edition + Digital Copy [Blu-ray]


All About Eve [Blu-ray]


The Prowler


TCM Greatest Classic Film Collection: Legends - Errol Flynn (The Adventures of Robin Hood / Captain Blood / The Sea Hawk / Adventures of Don Juan)

 
TCM Greatest Classic Film Collection: Legends - John Ford (She Wore a Yellow Ribbon / Three Godfathers / Cheyenne Autumn / Wagon Master)



TCM Greatest Classic Film Collection: Legends - Jean Harlow (Dinner at Eight / Libeled Lady / China Seas / Wife vs. Secretary)



Time Bandits


TCM Greatest Classic Film Collection: Lassie (Lassie Come Home / Son of Lassie / Courage of Lassie / Hills of Home)

Beatles' Love coming to iTunes -- with bonus tracks

The Beatles' Love album, a pretty danged enjoyable collections of "mashups" created from the Cirque du Soleil show of the same name, will be available on iTunes Feb. 8. Two unreleased bonus tracks -- Love versions of "Fool on the Hill" and "Girl" -- will be available then, too.

George Martin pays tribute to John Barry

Beatles producer George Martin notes the influence of James Bond film composer John Barry, who passed away last weekend.

"You could always identify John's scores. They were very dramatic. They leant themselves to the film in a way that enhanced everything. He was an extraordinary musician - very, very clever.

"Without John Barry there would be no James Bond theme, because the whole essence of that was the excitement, the drama, the orchestration."

Martin, incidentally, produced the theme song of "Goldfinger," sung by Shirley Bassey, which was composed by Barry. Martin also wrote the score of "Live and Let Die," the theme of which was performed by Paul McCartney.

Cavern Club to celebrate 50th anniversary of Beatles' first appearance

The Beatles played their first Cavern Club gig Feb. 9, 1961 -- at lunchtime.

Cavern Club bosses are planning a day of celebrations to mark the date, and they want as many Liverpudlians, particularly original ‘Cavern dwellers’ from the early 1960s to come along and join the free festivities.

Video find: Little Richard sings Scuba Party!

Via Dangerous Minds:

A Ringo Starr videogame

Ringo Starr has filed paperwork to trademark the word "Ringo" for use in videogames, but there's no info as to what the Beatle has planned, if anything.

On January 23, 2011, Starr filed a trademark for "Ringo" under the goods and services description of "computer game software" and "downloadable computer games via the Internet and wireless devices." The mark was also filed under a description for "toys, namely toy vehicles, plush toys…etc."

That's one heckuva Superman collection

More here.

New Captain America photo on Empire mag

Chris Evans as Captain America covers the newest issue of Empire magazine. There's a tiny pic of him in costume, too.

John Barry: As pop as the Beatles

The Guardian profiles the legendary James Bond-soundtracker, John Barry, who passed away over the weekend:

And John Barry was pop, as pop as the Beatles, and as representative of mid-60s London as anyone. He shared a flat with Michael Caine, married Jane Birkin, and owned a pad in super-hip Cadogan Square.

He said he could put on a suit and walk towards the gentlemen's clubs of St James's, or a pair of blue jeans and head into Chelsea. Though he was from the old, pre-Beatles world of arrangers and producers, he rose to the challenge of the new order and got better and better.

There's an obituary here.

British actor cast as next Superman

Henry Cavill, probably best known for playing the brother-in-law to Henry VIII in "The Tudors," will play Superman in a Zach Snyder-directed film set for December 2012, Variety reports.

"In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time, and I am honored to be a part of his return to the big screen," Snyder said in a statement. "I also join Warner Bros., Legendary and the producers in saying how excited we are about the casting of Henry. He is the perfect choice to don the cape and S shield."

Beatles "time-travel comedy" in the works

The idea of Beatles and time travel appeals to me, but this premise seems a tad dense and mean-spirited:

The script, penned by Chris McCoy, centers on the discovery of a time machine by two die-hard Beatles fans, who travel back in time to prevent John Lennon from meeting Yoko Ono, who they blame for the break-up of the Fab Four.

Personally, I think it would be cool to see the Beatles doing the time traveling.

New Charlie's Angels TV show cast

Here are names and details of ABC's new Charlie's Angels:

Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights and The Roommate) as Marisa, a former U.S. Marine, a weapons expert trained in all forms of hand-to-hand combat, and a neat freak.

Rachael Taylor (Transformers) as Abby, the youngest and sassiest of the Angels. The beautiful and privileged daughter of a notorious Wall Street crook, she is an expert con artist herself, as well as a Krav Maga expert.

Annie Ilonzeh (General Hospital) as Kate, a very smart and very athletic ex-cop and a master of martial arts. She is the most serious of our 3 Angels but also knows how to let her hair down and have a great time.

New pop culture books

The Harvard Psychedelic Club: How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America


Art of Vampirella HC


The Record Players: DJ Revolutionaries


Whedonistas: A Celebration of the Worlds of Joss Whedon by the Women Who Love Them


Quest For The Spark #1 (Bone)


The Mighty Thor Omnibus, Vol. 1 


McQueen's Machines: The Cars and Bikes of a Hollywood Icon


Battlestar Galactica


The Cover Art of Blue Note Records: The Collection


The Gospel According to Bob Dylan: The Old, Old Story of Modern Times (Gospel According to...)


Bossa Nova

Owly cartoonist plans children's book

Andy Runton is publishing a more traditional children's book featuring his delightful Owly and Wormy comics characters.

“Owly and Wormy: Friends All Aflutter,” which will mark the Owly's full-color debut, finds the titular pictogram-speaking animals hoping to meet new friends but discovering something unexpected along the way. The forty-page picture book “Owly and Wormy” will be published by Simon & Schuster under license from Top Shelf Productions," and Top Shelf will release the next “Owly” graphic novel in October.

Full-length Shaun the Sheep movie on the way

My family has enjoyed the short adventures of this Wallace & Gromit-associated character.

From NME:

Aardman Animations have started work on a new feature film starring Wallace & Gromit character Shaun The Sheep. Shaun has been the star of his own BBC chidren's TV show since 2007. Writers at Aardman have now started developing a script for a full-length film, which they hope will be ready by 2013 or 2014.