Sep 25, 2006

DVD giveaway - British Gangsters

We have copies of each of these to give away.
To enter the drawing email
contest@crimespreemag.com.


ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMS INC. BRINGS THREE DOCUMENTARIES TO DVD THAT GET INSIDE THE MINDS OF GREAT BRITIAN’S MOST NOTORIOUS CRIMINALS

THE KRAY BROTHERS: THE GEORDIE CONNECTION,
ROY SHAW: BRUTE FORCE AND MAD FRANK!

-- Real-Life Mobsters Inspired Blockbuster Films Such As The Krays, Snatch
And Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels --

-- Airing on The History Channel Scheduled This Summer --

Woodland Hills, California July 11 – This October, EPI brings three DVDs
to home viewing audiences that uncover the mysteries behind Great Britain’s most notorious gangsters – The Kray Brothers: The Geordie Connection, Roy Shaw: Brute Force and Mad Frank! Inspiring hundreds of books and blockbuster films starring Brad Pitt (Snatch) and directed by Guy Ritchie (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), these criminals where known for unrelentless torture tactics and gangland killings which make the American mob look tame. Long after their jail terms and (for a few of them) their deaths, these mobsters have generated a cult-following in the US and Canada. The three programs, filled with bonus extra features and rare interviews, will be available beginning October 3, 2006 for a suggested retail price of $14.98 each. The DVDs are distributed by Koch Entertainment.

THE KRAY BROTHERS: THE GEORDIE CONNECTION
Throughout the 1960s the Kray Brothers ran their viscous empire in London’s East End. The evil twins, Ron and Reg, became legendary figures as they mixed with political and showbiz figures, while making it a habit to murder their opponents. To the man on the street they were heroes – to their enemies they were thugs – brutal without remorse, and in their own minds invincible.

The Kray Brothers: The Geordie Connection documents one man’s relationship with Britian’s most notorious criminals. Through private letters, exclusive footage from gangster get-togethers and parties, and taped phone conversations, the inside story of the Kray Empire behind bars is revealed.

Steve Wraith was a young man who became obsessed with the Krays, so much so he became their pen pal while they were in jail. The Krays eventually began relying on him as their outside source – even asking him to kill Ronnie Kray’s wife! Featuring footage right into the grave of the Twins, The Kray Brothers: The Geordie Connection is a personal and frightening look at Ron and Reg, featuring a host of UK crime figures.

Bonus features include: Boxing Bust-Up; The Angel of the Underworld; Steve is Geordie Connections; Blind Beggar Launch; Scene Selections; and Trailer.


ROY SHAW: BRUTE FORCE
Roy "Pretty Boy" Shaw is considered one of Britain’s most dangerous criminals. In 1963 he was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in an armed robbery and was taken to Maidson prison where he literally smashed his wayout of his cell. Considered too violent for prison, he was then sent to Broadmoor where he was subjected to experimental brain surgery and mind altering drugs. After a visit from boxing great Joe Louis and a roof top prison protest, he was finally released from Broadmoor’s dungeons.

Brute Force tells Roy’s story from the tragic death of his father in a motorbike accident to the bullying he endured throughout his childhood, up to his days of fighting back with his fists. In Roy’s own words Brute Force reveals the crimes, the stabbings, the Prison Years, the riots , his daily fights and the stories behind the unlicensed boxing years up to present day. In his own words "For me violence is simply an accepted part of my profession– if you’re unlucky enough to have me come after you…beware..cos hell’s coming with me!"

Bonus features on the DVD include: Earnie Shavers-Bad Boy Bash, Until Death do Us Part, Trailers and Scene Selections

MAD FRANK!
‘Mad’ Frank Frasier is one of Britian’s most legendary villains who for
50 years was a key figure in London’s Underworld. A peer of the Kray Brothers, he was arguably as influential and certainly as dangerous. Certified insane three times, Frank served 40 years in prisons and mental institutions.

Born in South London in 1923 he began a life of crime after a car ran over
his head when he was five. By 12 years old he was a full time criminal,
breaking and entering, until he was caught and sent to reform school. On
release he continued his life of crime until he was jailed and sent to Wandsworth Prison. He assaulted Prison Officers and Governors until he was certified insane and sent to the mental hospital. There he received electric shock treatment before returning to prison where he pounded flintstone all day.


In Mad Frank!, Frank himself tells horrific stories of killing, revenge and
a rigid determination to beat the system. He is a link to every villain
from The Krays to the Great Train Robbers. Chilling and stomach churning Frasier makes even the infamous independent contractor for the mob, The Ice Man, look tame. Viewers of the DVD will find him as interesting to listen to, as he is frightening to be with. Bonus features include:

Special Features Include: Earnie Shavers-Bad Boy Bash Until Death do us Part; Scene Chapter Index; and Trailers


About EPI
EPI was Incorporated in 1982 by Joe Pershes the sole shareholder. Pershes was one of the earliest pioneers in the industry, placing Allied Artists Video in the business and as VP Home Video for Twentieth Century Fox. EPI formed the label Master Arts Video in early 1982 seeking niche markets in home video, as the first distributor of Martial Arts Videos available on VHS. Throughout the 80s and 90s, EPI has championed other niche markets such as its successful "Sirens of the Silver Screen" videos and placing Gay titles into the chain audio/video markets. EPI also brought "Family Value Films" to the market in 2003 with family classics such as Wind Dancer and Walking Thunder.


The Kray Brothers: The Geordie Connection
Street Date: October 3, 2006
Order Date: September 5, 2006
SRP: $14.98
Running Time: 147 Minutes

Roy Shaw: Brute Force
Street Date: October 3, 2006
Order Date: September 5, 2006
SRP: $14.98
Running Time: 119 Minutes

Mad Frank!
Street Date: October 3, 2006
Order Date: September 5, 2006
SRP: $14.98
Running Time: 74 minutes

Sep 24, 2006

Die Hard IV set to start filming.

There will indeed be a fourth installment in the Bruce Willis franchise Die Hard. The fourth, called Live Free or Die Hard, will start shooting in October.

Bruce will be reprising his role as John McClane, and will be joined by Justin Long who will McClane's sidekick. Long had previously had roles in Dodgeball, as well as playing second fiddle to Britney Spears(Crossroads) and Lindsay Lohane (Herbie Fully Loaded). He can also been seen in Apple's new Mac commercials. Maggie Q(Mission Impossible III, Rush Hour 2) is also starring.



Len Wiseman will direct. Wiseman is best known for writing and directing the Underworld films, as well as for being married to Kate Beckinsale.

This time around cop John McClane must save the day after an attack on the U.S.' computer infrastructure begins to shut the country down. No word as to when we should expect it to hit theatres.

Jeremy Lynch

DVD releases for Sept 19th and 26th.

Sept 19th
Backdraft: 2 disc Anniversary edition Extras: Introduction by Ron Howard, Deleted Scenes, "Igniting the Story" Featurette, "Bringing Together the Team" Featurette, "The Explosive Stunts" Featurette, "Creating the Villain: The Fire" Featurette, "Real Life Firemen, Real Life Stories" Featurette (Universal)
Ron Howard's thriller involving firemen is an entertaining film with a very strong cast.
It is the cast that brings this film past mediocrity.Donald Sutherland and Robert De Niro are outstanding in their supporting roles, while William Baldwin and Kurt Russell hold the fort as two brothers constantly at odds as they each attempt to fullfil their legacy.
While Backdraft would not be at the top of my list for films to get a special edition,it is entertaining and the bonus features are interesting, particularly those that focus on fire and those who fight it.

Hard Candy (2006) Dir.: David Slade; Patrick Wilson, Ellen Page, Sanda Oh. Thriller about a teenage girl who meets a photographer via the Internet. Extras: Commentary by director David Slade and writer Brian Nelson, deleted and extended scenes, making-of documentary. (Lionsgate).
Review for this mind-breaking thriller to come as soon as I recover from seeing it. It may take some time and therapy. Very good film, but disturbing.
Hart to Hart: The Complete Second Season (1980-81) Five-disc set with 20 episodes, $49.95. (Sony)
Stephanie Powers and Robert Wagner are a rich couple that solve crimes while being stylish. I really can’t think of a whole lot more to say about it. Fun at times, but there is very little substance.
The Unit Season One Four-disc set with 13 episodes, $49.98. Extras: Commentary on select episodes, "Inside the Unit" featurette. (Fox).
From David Mamet and the creator of Shield comes this entertaining series of espionage.

Sept 26th
The Adventures of Dick Tracy: The Complete Animated Series (1961-64) Four-disc set, $39.98. Extras: Limited edition Dick Tracy comic book. (Classic Media).

Let us go back to a time where cartoons looked…not so impressive. Personally, I never really got Dick Tracy, but this should be a fun trip down memory lane for some.

Brotherhood: The Complete First Season Three-disc set with 11 episodes, $56.99 Extras: Commentary by creator/executive producer/writer Blake Masters and executive producer/writer Henry Bromell; "Power Map" interactive graphical guide to the characters' relationships and power struggles. (Showtime).

Down in the Valley (2006) Edward Norton, Evan Rachel Wood, David Morse, Bruce Dern, Rory Culkin. Psychological thriller about a young, charismatic cowboy stuck in suburban San Fernando Valley, who by a twist of fate rides into the life of a rebellious young girl. Extras: Q & A with Edward Norton and writer-director David Jacobson, deleted scenes. (ThinkFilm).

Eleventh Hour (2006 -- TV) Two-disc set with four episodes of the investigative sci-fi mystery series starring Patrick Stewart as a government detective who solves mysteries in the ever-evolving world of contemporary science (rogue cloners, resurgent viruses, ruthless polluters, etc.); $29.99. (Acorn Media).

Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, The (2006) Lucas Black, Bow Wow, Nathalie Kelley, JJ Sonny Chiba, Sung Kang. Latest edition in the street-racing franchise. Extras: "Underground Drifting" featurette with real-life drifters, "Drifting School" behind-the-scenes with the stars as they learn to drift, "Cast Cam" behind-the-scenes videos, "The Big Breakdown: Han's Last Ride" featurette on the film's most explosive chase, "Tricked Out to Drift" featurette on the 230 cars used for stunts and crashes, "Welcome to Drifting" featurette, "The Real Drift King" featurette on the legend who put drifting on the map, "The Japanese Way" on-location featurette. (Universal).

This time the gang(which is pretty much all new folk) is running wild in the land of the rising sun. . The first was made by Vin Diesel’s charismatic performance, the second was made by…..well nothing. I am honestly not sure if anyone saw this film in the theatres. If a film is played and nobody shows up, does it really count? But, if fast cars, tough guys and scantily clad women are all you need in a movie, here it is.

Riptide: The Complete First Season Three-disc set with 13 episodes, $39.95. (Sony).
First there was Magnum P.I., which was very good. Then there was Simon and Simon, which was, at times, ok. Riptide is a step below that. Bikinied babes and not much else. There have been rumors of script writers, but that has yet to be proven. Still a fun if you are in the right frame of mind.

A Slight Case of Murder (1999 -- TV) William H. Macy, Adam Arkin, Felicity Huffman, James Cromwell, Julia Campbell, Paul Mazursky, Vincent Pastore. TNT Original Movie.
Based on a Donald Westlake novel, This TNT original movie tells a story of murder, blackmail and betrayal. A full review will be coming soon.

Thriller: The Complete Season One Four-disc set of the British anthology series from the 1970s; created by famed "Avengers" auteur Brian Clemens; $79.95. Extras: "Creating Thriller With Brian Clemens," "Directing Thriller with Shaun O' Riordan," "Filming Thriller with John Cooper," episode introductions with Brian Clemens, archival photo gallery. (A&E Home Video).

All comment in white are mine and mine alone. I don't rule out the possibility that somebody might disagree with me.
Jeremy Lynch

Sep 17, 2006

DVD - Lords Of The Mafia

Koch Vision has released a 7 disc set featuring documneteries on the history of organixed crime. From Russia to Jamaica , New York to Viet Nam, Host Robert Stack nbarrates while they show actual photos and news footage, and reanactments of actual events.

13 hours worth of information presented in a very watchable format, this is a very entertaining and infomative set of discs. I really liked the New Orleans feature.

Bubba from Gone, Baby Gone.


When it was announced that Ben Affleck would be writing and directing the big screen version of Dennis Lehane's Gone, Baby Gone. There was a lot of speculation as to who would play Bubba.

It it now known that Boston rapper Slaine will be playing the psychotic arms dealer.

Gone, Baby Gone centers on a missing child. Amy Ryan( Of The Wire)is playing the child's mother.