Somehow in the giant post that was supposed to contain the details of the upcoming releases of 3 Blu-Ray sets, Rocky got knocked out.  So in order to fix that I've given the Champ his very own post.  So below you can see the details of the new Rocky Collection.  Recently I watched the newest movie, Rocky Balboa, and I have to say it is GREAT!  I haven't watched a Rocky movie in years, but the new film really made me want to go back and rewatch them all, yes even the 5th one, which I've never made it all the way through.  And now I just might get my chance with all 6 movies being released on Blu-Ray.  I'm truly pumped about this one.

ROCKY: THE UNDISPUTED COLLECTION

 

This holiday season, a “nobody” becomes a “somebody” when Rocky: The Undisputed Collection unveils all six powerhouse films together on stunning Blu-ray Disc (BD) November 3 from MGM Home Entertainment. This definitive collection enshrines the rags to riches tale of Philadelphia club fighter Rocky Balboa and his unwavering tenacity to go the distance. Memorialized with pristine picture and captivating audio, witness the epic span of Rocky’s fighting career, including memorable matchups with Mr. T, Hulk Hogan, Dolph Lundgren and Tommy Morrison. This celebrated saga of the battle for glory and self-respect boasts crowd-pleasing performances by Sylvester Stallone (Rambo) Talia Shire (The Godfather), Burt Young (“The Sopranos”), Carl Weathers (Predator) and Burgess Meredith (Grumpy Old Men). A triumph outside the ring, the monumental Academy Award^©* winning Rocky franchise has won over audiences as well as critics and, over 30 years after the original film, Rocky continues to be recognized as a film icon, sports legend and American hero.

Relive every unforgettable round in high definition with the BD premieres of Rocky II-V along with an exclusive bonus disc featuring over two hours of documentaries, interviews, behind-the scenes footage and an all-new “Feeling Strong Now” trivia game. The Rocky: The Undisputed Collection packs a punch as a seven BD set for the suggested retail price of $99.99 U.S./$139.99 Canada. Prebook is October 7.

 

SYNOPSES

 

Rocky
Rocky (Stallone) is a Philadelphia club fighter who seems to be going nowhere. But when a stroke of fate puts him in a ring with the world heavyweight champion, Rocky knows that it’s his one shot at the big time -- a once in a lifetime opportunity to “go the distance” and come out a winner!

 

Rocky II
After club fighter Rocky Balboa (Stallone) goes the distance with the world heavyweight champion, boxing fans clamor for a rematch. But Rocky, having sustained massive injuries in the bout, announces his retirement. Though he tries to make a new life for himself, Rocky realizes that he can’t escape his true calling. The ring beckons once more, and the “Italian Stallion” must prepare for the fight of his life.

 

Rocky III
As Rocky Balboa (Stallone) fights his way into the hearts of millions, life couldn’t be better. He scores ten consecutive wins, lands lucrative endorsement contracts and becomes famous throughout the world. But when Clubber Lang (Mr. T) K.O.s Rocky in a humiliating defeat, it becomes apparent that the “Italian Stallion” has lost his edge. Considering hanging up his gloves, Rocky receives encouragement from an unlikely ally: his old nemesis, Apollo Creed (Weathers). With Creed’s help, Rocky strives to regain the “eye of the tiger” before confronting Lang in a grueling rematch for the world heavyweight championship.

 

Rocky IV
Rocky (Stallone) proudly holds the world heavyweight boxing championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago (Dolph Lundgren), a six-foot, six-inch, 240-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union. This time, Rocky’s training regimen takes him to icy Siberia, where he prepares for a globally-televised match in the heart of Moscow. But nothing can truly prepare him for what he’s about to face -- a powerfully charged fight to the finish in which he must defend not only himself, but also the honor of his country!

 

Rocky V
Upon returning home from his latest triumph, Rocky (Stallone) learns that all of his money has been lost by an unscrupulous financial advisor. To make matters worse, his fight-related injuries force his retirement from the ring. So Rocky, his wife Adrian (Shire) and his son Rocky Jr. (Sage Stallone) move to their old low-rent neighborhood in South Philadelphia. There, the fighter must resolve the deep-rooted resentment held by his son, a bitterness that grows when Rocky trains Tommy Gunn (Tommy Morrison), a young boxer who soon rises to national prominence. When Tommy turns against his mentor and publicly taunts him, Rocky knows he must fight once more.

 

Rocky Balboa
30 years after the clang of the first bell, Rocky Balboa dons his gloves for the last time…and delivers “a knockout” (US Weekly)! Armed with a highly credible, heart-wrenching story, Sylvester Stallone leaps “back in the ring with a champ” (Rolling Stone): this “triumphant final chapter for one of the most iconic characters in the history of motion pictures” (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times)! Since retiring, Rocky Balboa reminisces about his glory days for the locals at his Philly diner, Adrian’s. But his quiet world is suddenly rocked when the current reigning champ (Antonio Tarver) – after losing to a virtual, in-his-prime Rocky in a computer-simulated match -- challenges the “out-to-pasture” stallion to the real thing! Not one to back down, Rocky commits to the unthinkable: He agrees to the fight of his life…and pushes himself to the breaking point to go the distance one last time.

 

DVD Specs:
●		Disc One: Rocky
●		Disc Two: Rocky II
●		Disc Three: Rocky III
●		Disc Four: Rocky IV
●		Disc Five: Rocky V
●		Disc Six: Rocky Balboa
●		Disc Seven: Rocky Anthology Bonus Disc
	○	“Feeling Strong Now!” Trivia Game
	○	Three Rounds with Legendary Trainer Lou Duva featurette
	○	Interview with a Legend – Bret Sugar (Author/Commentator and Historian)
	○	“The Opponents”
	○	In The Ring: Three-Part Making-Of Documentary
	○	Steadicam: Then and Now with Garrett Brown

 

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I LOVE YOU, BETH COOPER

A quiet, reserved teen experiences a wild night to remember in I Love You, Beth Cooper, arriving on Blu-ray Disc (BD) and DVD November 3 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Chris Columbus (Home Alone films) and starring hot Hollywood sensation Hayden Panettiere (“Heroes”) in the title role, the film is based on a novel written by Emmy Award^®-winner^* Larry Doyle (“The Simpsons”). When Denis Cooverman (Paul Rust; Semi-Pro), the geekiest guy in high school, proclaims his love for super-popular Beth Cooper during his valedictorian speech, everyone is... well... speechless! But the real shock comes that night when Beth shows up at Denis’ house with her two best friends to show him how the cool kids party. You’ll LOL as Denis tries to keep up with Beth — and stay away from her maniacal ex-boyfriend Kevin and his ticked-off pals. Plus, watch Denis and Beth take their hilarious relationship to a whole new level with the outrageous alternate ending you didn’t see in theaters!

High-energy and heartwarming, I Love You, Beth Cooper stars a collection of fresh-faced newcomers including Lauren London (This Christmas), Jack Carpenter (Sydney White) and Lauren Storm (The Game Plan). The BD and DVD will include side-splitting bonus features including an alternate ending, deleted scenes, Fox Movie Channel Presents In Character with Hayden Panettiere and Paul Rust, and features including “I Love You, Larry Doyle,” “We Are All Different, But That’s A Good Thing,” and the improvised song by Paul Rust “Peanut Butter Toast.” The BD will be available for the suggested retail price of $39.99 U.S. / $49.99 Canada. The DVD will be available for $27.98 U.S. / $43.48 Canada. Prebook is October 7.

Blu-ray Disc and DVD Special Features:

○  Alternate Ending

○  Deleted Scenes

        ■  The Graduate

        ■  College Worthy Handyman

        ■  Beth Digs for Buried Treasure

        ■  Remembers a Cooverman Moment

○  “I Love You, Larry Doyle”

○  “We Are All Different But That’s A Good Thing” – behind the scenes with the cast

○  “Peanut Butter Toast” – improvised song by Paul Rust

○  FOX Movie Channel Presents in Character with Hayden Panettiere

○  FOX Movie Channel Presents in Character with Paul Rust

This is one of the most overlooked movies of this past year.  While it’s no where near as good as the fantastic book, it is still a fun high school comedy that works really well on all levels.  You should put it down on your list to rent or buy.

THE MEL BROOKS COLLECTION

BLU-RAY DISC

Best known as a creator of broad film farces and uproarious parodies, jack-of-all-trades Mel Brooks has been entertaining audiences for years with his wacky and absurdist humor. Now just in time for the holidays, the king of comedy’s brilliant work is available for the first time in high definition in The Mel Brooks Collection on Blu-ray Disc, debuting December 15 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Embark on a hilarious adventure over and over again as the ultimate gift set debuts with some of Brooks’ best films including Blazing Saddles, High Anxiety, History Of The World Part I, Robin Hood: Men In Tights, Silent Movie, Spaceballs, To Be Or Not To Be, The Twelve Chairs and Young Frankenstein.

The collection also features an exclusive book created in conjunction with Mel Brooks highlighting his remarkable life and unforgettable films. In addition to having three of his films ranked in the Top 20 on the American Film Institute's list of the Top 100 comedy films of all-time, Brooks is also a member of a short list of creative artists with the distinction of earning multiple award categories, including an Emmy^®, Oscar^®, Grammy^® and Tony^®*. Adding to that list, it was recently announced that Brooks will be receive a Kennedy Center Honor 2009 at the 32nd annual national celebration of the arts on Dec. 29.

A perfect gift for the holidays, The Mel Brooks Collection on Blu-ray Disc featuring nine hilarious and classic films will be available for the suggested retail price of $139.99 U.S. / $179.99 Canada. Prebook is November 18.

The Mel Brooks Collection on Blu-ray Disc Title Synopses:

Blazing Saddles:
Filmmaker, star and paddleball wiz Mel Brooks goes way out west and way out of his mind with a hilarious spoof set in an 1874 Old West where 1974 Hollywood is one soundstage away – and where good-old fun blast prejudices to the high comedy heavens. Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens, Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn and more join for horseplay and horselaughs, making Blazing Saddles the #6 choice on the American Film Institute’s Top-100 Comedies.

High Anxiety:
In this outrageous homage to the Hitchcock thriller, Mel Brooks plays renowned Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Richard Thorndyke, a nut-job with a paralyzing fear of heights, who’s just become head of the Psycho-Neurotic Institute for the Very Very Nervous. After the jittery doc learns that his predecessor died under suspicious circumstances, he looks for help from his resentful associate (Harvey Korman) and his evil head nurse (Cloris Leachman) – who, not surprisingly, offer no help. To make matters worse, events take a murderous turn, and Thorndyke is accused of the crime. Co-starring Madeline Kahn, High Anxiety is considered one of Brooks’ best.

History Of The World Part I:
Mel Brooks gives new meaning to the term “revisionist history” with this laugh-filled version of the story of mankind. This far-from-accurate romp teaches the “real” truth behind the Roman Empire (in which Brooks plays a stand-up philosopher at Caesar’s Palace), the French Revolution (where he pops up as King Louis XVI), and the Spanish Inquisition (in which monks and nuns participate in a splashy song-and-dance number). Featuring an all-star cast including Brooks, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, Gregory Hines and Sid Caesar, History of the World: Part I proves that nothing, including history, is sacred.

Robin Hood: Men In Tights:
The master of comedy, Mel Brooks, pulls off another serious spoof on a classic with Robin Hood: Men in Tights. The all-star cast includes: Cary Elwes as the head of the merry men, Roger Rees as the evil dyslexic Sheriff of “Rottingham,” Richard Lewis as the seriously neurotic Prince John, Amy Yasbeck as the put-upon Maid Marian, Patrick Stewart as ultrrrra-Scottish King Richard, Tracey Ullman as a much-sought-after soothsayer named Latrine and Dave Chappelle and Isaac Hayes as hilarious characters named Achchoo and Asneeze.

Silent Movie:
Only Mel Brooks would tell his laugh-packed tale about a silent movie—as a silent movie—with one word of dialogue. Joining him in his outrageous, nonstop parade of sight gags are Marty Feldman, Dom Deluise, Sid Caesar, Harold Gould, Bernadette Peters and Ron Carey. As the ruthless conglomerate Engulf and Devour targets a floundering movie studio, has-been director Mel Funn (Brooks) convinces the paranoid studio chief (Caesar) to make a star-studded silent picture. Aided by his sidekicks (DeLuise and Feldman), the devious Funn actually manages to sign some of the biggest names in Hollywood: Paul Newman, Liza Minelli, Burt Reynolds, Anne Bancroft and James Caan. Filled with hilarious spoofs of just about everything that happens in tinseltown, Silent Movie is one of Brooks’ funniest, most original films.

Spaceballs:
The farce is with you in this “uproarious salute to science fiction” (The Hollywood Reporter) that teams comedy legend Mel Brooks with an all-star cast of cutups including John Candy, Rick Moranis and Bill Pullman. When the evil Dark Helmet (Moranis) attempts to steal all the air from planet Druidia, a determined Druish Princess (Daphne Zuniga), a clueless rogue (Pullman) and a half-man/half-dog creature who’s his own best friend (Candy) set out to stop him! But with the forces of darkness closing in on them at ludicrous speed, they’ll need the help of a wise imp named Yogurt (Brooks) and the mystical power of “The Schwatrz” to bring peace – and merchandising rights – to the entire galaxy!

To Be Or Not To Be:
Mel Brooks lets the Nazis have it with both barrels in this hilarious remake of Ernst Lubitsch’s classic comedy. Brooks stars as Frederick Bronski, the great Polish actor an amazing amount of people have never heard of. Anne Bancroft co-stars as his actress wife, with whom he fights an eternal tug-of-war for center stage. He should only know about her backstage meetings with a handsome fighter pilot...But all that is put aside when the Nazis invade Poland and the entire troupe gets involved in a frenzy of murder, mistaken identities and maniacal improvising to thwart the Gestapo and save the Polish underground. Co-starring Charles Durning as the SS colonel who stands in their way, To Be Or Not To Be will have you on your feet, yelling encore!

The Twelve Chairs:
Set in Russia in 1927, this much-loved, hilarious Mel Brooks comedy classic is the tale of a former aristocrat (Ron Moody) who is now a Russian clerk under the new Soviet regime. When he learns that his dying mother-in-law sewed a fortune of family jewels into one of the twelve dining room chairs, he sets off across Russia to find it—with an opportunist (Frank Langella), a priest (Dom DeLuise) and his former servant (Mel Brooks) all in equal pursuit.

Young Frankenstein:
Mel Brooks’ hilarious tribute to Mary Shelley’s classic makes fun of not just the legend, but also every other Frankenstein movie! Summoned by his late grandfather’s will to a castle in Transylvania, young Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) discovers a step-by-step manual on how to bring a corpse to life. With help from Igor (Marty Feldman), the hunchback who gets upset when people mispronounce his name, and sweet, curvaceous Inga (Teri Garr), Frankenstein makes a creature (Peter Boyle) with a monstrous lust for life – and love! Cloris Leachman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars and Gene Hackman co-star in this inspired vision of lunacy.

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Burton (Heroes' David Anders) and Vicki (Battlestar Galactica's Kandyse McClure) are a bickering couple who do a fantastic job of getting on each other's nerves (and yours) by picking at old wounds and mocking each other endlessly, and not in a loving way.  On a road trip to California, as the couple continue their endless fighting, they hit a young boy who's in the road in the middle of nowhere.  Thanks to Burton's military training, he was in Vietnam, he quickly realizes that the boy's throat was cut and he was dying before their car ever hit him.  Knowing that the boy couldn't have been attacked far from the road Burton goes into the surrounding corn fields to look for clues.  After not finding anything Burton and Vicki wrap the boy up in a blanket and take him into the nearest town to tell the local authorities what has happened.  But when they reach the town it appears to be deserted.

This portion of the movie works really well, director, Donald Borchers, does a great job of amping up the suspense.  As Burton searches in the corn we catches glimpses of a creepy teenage boy, covered in blood, moving around him, and a couple of times with-in arms reach of him.  The same boy also appears behind Vicki as she sits in the car waiting for her husband.  And, as the couple investigates the town we see several more creepy kids moving around in the shadows, or just out of the couples eye shot.  It all works really well, until the kids are revealed to our couple. 

At that point the movie goes downhill fast.  The first sign of weakness, and absurdity, is when the children surround Burton.  He is standing in an alleyway blocked in one direction by 30 armed children and the other way by two armed teens.  As he proceeds to kill the two blocking his exit, the other children, standing inches from him, just stand there and stare.  After that the movie devolves into a 30 minute chase scene, most of which takes places in a corn field, which means you really can't tell what's going on most of the time.  While in the corn Burton has some flashbacks to Vietnam, which honestly, don't work real effectively.  And when he kills a couple of the kids, thinking he's back in the jungle, the scenes don't have the emotional resonance the director was clearly going for, because the kids were trying to kill him first.  And the last 10 minutes of the film make hardly any sense, throwing a heretofore unused, supernatural presence into the mix.

I will admit the titular children are quite creepy, and the fact that they are using their religion to slaughter the innocent does have a very strong message, but at the same time I felt like I could have used less of their back story, and rituals, and more of the suspense that so effectively filled the first half of the movie.

Overall I felt like I had wasted my time.  I probably would have turned it off had the first half not been so effective, but by the time the movie took a turn for the horrible, I was already sucked in.  I've never seen the original film (or any of it's 39 thousand sequels) but I'd say if you have to spend this evening with Children of the Corn, you're probably better off renting the original or better yet, just reading the book.

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Bomer's Caffrey is a master thief, a con artist, and one hell of a charmer, who breaks out of prison with just weeks left on his sentence, to find his lost love.  He's quickly recaptured by Agent Stokes, who's working on another case that he can't crack, and it quickly becomes apparent that Caffrey's talents could be used to help solve crimes, rather than commit them.  It's a simple concept that works well because of the characters. 

Caffrey's not just a criminal, but a man who loves the finer things in life, suits, penthouse's with a view of the city, and of course women.  But Caffrey's real love is the girl who broke his heart, and that leads to one of the bigger mysteries of the show.  Why would she wait for him for over 2 years visiting every week, only to leave him when he only has a few weeks left on his sentence?  And who is the mysterious man that she left with?  I don't know the answers, but it's one of the many reasons I will be returning to this series week after week.

And DeKay's Stokes is a work-aholic, who also dearly loves his wife (Tiffani Thiessen), and regrets that he continually lets her down, when work comes first.  But, luckily he's got Caffrey to assist him, not only in catching the bad guys, but also in his love life.  In the first episode we get to see exactly how far he'll go to make things us to her, and just how much Caffrey plays a role in that.

But at it's heart it's a show about catching crooks, and it handles that just as brilliantly as it handles the characters.  The pilot centers on an art counterfeiter who's smuggling in hundreds of copies of kids book from another country.  And just what does a counterfeiter do with hundreds of children's books?  Well that's the big question in the episode and one you'll have to wait until Friday October 23rd to find out.

I think it's clear that I'm a fan of USA's shows, specifically Psych, Monk, and Burn Notice and if the pilot is any indication I think it's safe to say they've added another great show to their repertoire.  And with Monk ending after the current season, I think this would be a great partner for Psych.  White Collar is the perfect blend of drama and intrigue with a dash of humor mixed in.  So if you're looking for a fun, mystery-comedy to kick off your weekend this is the perfect fit.   And keep coming back here for more coverage of this great show.

I should mention, for all you fans of the short-lived ABC Family series The Middle Man, Wendy Watson herself, Natalie Morales joins the cast a few episodes in! 

For more info on the show you can check out the links below:

- White Collar Twitter feed
- White Collar Facebook Fan Page
- Entertainment Weekly PopWatch says “White Collar” is their favorite new cast
- The Wrap lists “White Collar” as one of the Fall shows “everyone will be talking about”
- Televisionary says “White Collar” elevates run of the mill crime drama to new levels with charisma and chemistry

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Hey gang, we had a tremendous response to the Monk & Psych Giveaway.  Thanks to all who entered and I hope you'll keep coming back to the site.

Monk
The Monk contest asked you to name you're favorite guest star.  While the winner was chosen at random I found the responses very interesting.  John Turturro as Ambrose Monk was a clear first place, with Sarah Silverman as Marci Maven and Jeffrey Donovan as Steve Wagner tying for second.

The winner of the 1st Prize of a Monk Hat & T-shirt is Tamara Murphy.

The winner of the Grand Prize of Monk Seasons 6 & 7 on DVD, a Monk Novel, T-Shirt, and Hat is Rachel Lee!

Psych
The Psych contest asked what you'd do with Psychic powers of your own.  I got several entries saying they'd use the powers for parenting, several superheroes with clever names, and the omnipresent answer that the entrant would use their powers to know what to write to win the contest.  But in the end there were two that stood out to me.

The winner of the 1st Prize of a Psych Novel is Corey Anglemyer who said he'd use his Psychic Powers to "drive really slow and read the thoughts of people behind me.  That's always fun."

And the Grand Prize winner of Psych Season 3 on DVD, a Psych T-shirt, Pineapple Stress Toy, and Psych Novel is Raina Christman who would use her powers to "beat the Kobayashi Maru."

Congrats to all the winners!  Keep coming back to look for more contests.

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Just a reminder with new seasons of both Monk & Psych currently airing, I've partnered with the USA Network for a couple of great contests. I'm giving away 2 Monk prize packs and 2 Psych prize packs. You can get all the details for the Monk contest here and the Psych contest here. Since both were off the air last weekend I've decided to extend the Contest through this Friday the 11th at Midnight. Good Luck!

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Now on to how you can win the first season on DVD. Simply Re-Tweet the following (remember to include the "RT@Tidmore" or I won't see it) RT@Tidmore I Need Some Leverage! Give me Season 1 on DVD: http://tinyurl.com/klr2je

Winner will be chosen at Random. You may enter once today and once tomorrow. Contest ends at Midnight on Wed the 9th.

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