As spring approaches we’re looking at a lot more movies and major titles coming our way. We have even more title releases this week, special features, and great at-home releases to look forward to. Be sure to stay up to date with the latest series and movie releases!
Metro Detroit Local Events
- Beetlejuice – (January 31 – February 12, 2023)
- Jagged Little Pill (February 14 – 26, 2023)
- Jesus Christ Superstar – (February 28 – March 5th, 2023)
- Book of Mormon (March 14-19, 2023)
- Chicago – (March 28 – April 2, 2023)
- Annie – (April 25-30)
- Kansas – 50th Anniversary Tour – June 17th
- Funny Girl (September 2023)
Movie and Series Reviews
Movie and Entertainment Updates:
TAKE ME TO THE RIVER NEW ORLEANS – AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR STREAMING PLATFORMS NOW
TAKE ME TO THE RIVER NEW ORLEANS, which celebrates the rich musical history, the heritage, legacy, and influence of New Orleans and Louisiana music through live sessions with local artists, will be released digitally on iTunes, GooglePlay, Amazon and more beginning on February 3rd, just ahead of the 65th GRAMMY(R) Awards. The film and soundtrack feature the GRAMMY nominated song “Stompin’ Ground,” a collaboration between Aaron Neville and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and produced by Martin Shore and Eric Krasno. The song is nominated under the Best American Roots Performance.
TAKE ME TO THE RIVER NEW ORLEANS is the second in the franchise of the award-winning TAKE ME TO THE RIVER films. The new movie celebrates the rich musical history, the heritage, legacy, and influence of New Orleans and Louisiana. A true collaboration and melting pot of influences from around the world, that came together and formed one of the world’s most unique cultural jewels. Our adventure shows the resiliency of surviving disaster to a formidable rebirth while pairing legacy musicians with stars of today, and how this unique cultural jewel came to exist. Featuring New Orleans artists such The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Irma Thomas, Ledisi, G-Eazy, Snoop Dogg, William Bell, Galactic, Mannie Fresh, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, George Porter Jr., Christian Scott, Donald Harrison, Big Freedia, Ani DiFranco, PJ Morton of Maroon 5, Rebirth Brass Band, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Soul Rebels, Voice of the Wetlands, The Givers, Dumpstaphunk, Cheeky Blakk, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Big Sam, Terence Higgins, Walter Wolfman Washington, Dee-1, Davell Crawford and many others, and is narrated by New Orleans local and actor, John Goodman. The film was directed by Martin Shore, produced by Martin Shore, Cody Dickinson, Dan Sameha, Eric Heigle, Eric Krasno, Ian Neville, and Ted Chung and co-produced by John Goodman and Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell. John Beug, Zach Fawcett, and Snoop Dogg were executive producers on the project.
TAKE ME TO THE RIVER LIVE featuring Dumpstaphunk, George Porter Jr., and Jon Cleary will continue to hit the road starting February 24th in Portland, and continuing on to other locations. For more information on dates and locations, check out www.takemetotheriver.org/tour.
For more information on the film, please visit: http://www.takemetotheriver.org/
“AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER” IS NOW THE 4TH HIGHEST-GROSSING FILM OF ALL-TIME WORLDWIDE
Nominated for four Academy Awards® including Best Picture, “Avatar: The Way of Water” has become the fourth highest-grossing film worldwide at the global box office, having just surpassed “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” The film remains #1 at the domestic box office after seven weekends in release, a feat that has not been achieved since the original “Avatar” in 2009. Additionally, “Avatar: The Way of Water” is the second fastest film in history to reach $2 billion (after “Avengers: Endgame”), and it is now the 11th highest-grossing release of all-time domestically.
“Avatar: The Way of Water” is also the highest-grossing film of all-time in France, Austria, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Lebanon, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Cambodia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Colombia and Puerto Rico. James Cameron has directed three of the top four releases of all-time: “Avatar” (#1), “Titanic” (#3) and “Avatar: The Way of Water” (#4).
The Walt Disney Studios has released 3 of the top 5 global releases of all-time – “Avengers: Endgame” (#2), “Avatar: The Way of Water” (#4), and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (#5). It is also now home to “Avatar” (#1), and holds the international distribution rights to “Titanic” (#3), which round out the top 5. Looking at the top 10 global releases of all time, Disney makes up more than half the list with “Avengers: Endgame” (#2), “Avatar: The Way of Water” (#4), “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (#5), “Avengers: Infinity War” (#6), “The Lion King” (Live-Action #9), and “The Avengers” (#10).
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, “Avatar: The Way of Water” begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
Directed by James Cameron and produced by Cameron and Jon Landau, the Lightstorm Entertainment Production stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and Kate Winslet. Screenplay by James Cameron & Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver. Story by James Cameron & Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver & Josh Friedman & Shane Salerno. David Valdes and Richard Baneham serve as the film’s executive producers.
80 FOR BRADY | New “80 For Brady Bunch” Featurette Available Now – In Theaters February 3rd
80 FOR BRADY is inspired by the true story of four best friends living life to the fullest when they take a wild trip to the 2017 Super Bowl LI to see their hero Tom Brady play. Starring Academy Award® nominee Lily Tomlin, Academy Award® winner Jane Fonda, Academy Award® winner Rita Moreno and Academy Award® winner Sally Field, with 7-time Super Bowl Champion and producer Tom Brady, 80 FOR BRADY is in-theatres February 3, 2023.
Mickey & Minnie 10 Classic Shorts – Volume 1 – Arrives on Blu-ray™ and DVD February 7
Walt Disney Animation Studios today announced that Mickey & Minnie 10 Classic Shorts – Volume 1 will soon be available to audiences to enjoy at home. This new collection gathers together ten classic animated shorts for the first time, including the iconic “Steamboat Willie,” and features all-new introductions from Mickey and Minnie for each short.
This release is part of the planned releases coming in 2023 to celebrate Disney’s 100th anniversary.
It will be available to purchase on Blu-ray and DVD from February 7.
Celebrate 100 magical years of Disney with this collectible compilation of animated shorts! Mickey and Minnie share their memories in new introductions to these 10 wonderful stories, which have entertained generations of children and adults alike. Included is the iconic “Steamboat Willie,” the first cartoon with synchronized sound, in which the character of Mickey Mouse was first introduced as a deckhand on a riverboat commanded by the tyrannical Captain Pete. Also included are “Brave Little Tailor,” featuring Mickey as a medieval tailor given a daunting task. In “Mickey’s Delayed Date,” the tardy mouse relies on his faithful pup Pluto to get him to a dance with Minnie. “Hawaiian Holiday” finds Mickey and his pals vacationing on a beautiful island. Then along with friends, Mickey and Minnie glide through a romantic date on a frozen river in “On Ice.” And catch five more delightful stories in this legacy collection.
THE WEAPON in Select Theaters, Digital, and On Demand February 17
Oscar® winner Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire), Sean Patrick Flanery (The Boondock Saints), and Jack Kesy (“Claws”) highlight this bone-crunching action-thriller. Tony Schiena is Dallas, a one-man killing machine on a mysterious rampage. His attacks on biker gangs and meth labs anger the Vegas mob boss who’s holding Dallas’s girlfriend hostage. But who is Dallas working for? Even torture won’t make him talk…and he won’t stop until justice is served. Also stars Academy Award® nominee Bruce Dern and AnnaLynne McCord.
I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY – Arrives on Digital February 7th, Blu-ray & DVD February 28th
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody is a powerful and triumphant celebration of the incomparable Whitney Houston. Directed by Kasi Lemmons, written by Academy Award® nominee Anthony McCarten (Best Adapted Screenplay, The Two Popes, 2019), produced by legendary music executive Clive Davis and starring BAFTA Award® winner Naomi Ackie, the film is a no-holds-barred portrait of the complex and multifaceted woman behind The Voice. From New Jersey choir girl to one of the best-selling and most awarded recording artists of all time, audiences are taken on an inspirational, poignant—and so emotional—journey through Houston’s trailblazing life and career, with show-stopping performances and a soundtrack of the icon’s most beloved hits as you’ve never heard them before. Don’t you wanna dance?
BONUS MATERIALS
BLU-RAY and DIGITAL
- Whitney’s Jukebox
- Deleted Scenes
- Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes:
- Moments of an Icon
- Becoming Whitney
- The Personal Touch
DVD
- Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes:
- Moments of an Icon
- Becoming Whitney
- The Personal Touch
DISNEY+ SHARES NEW KEY ART AND FEATURETTE FOR SEASON 3 OF “STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN” – Streaming March 1st
Disney+ shared brand-new key art and an exciting featurette for the third season of “The Mandalorian,” the critically acclaimed, original, live-action series from Lucasfilm, streaming exclusively on Disney+ starting March 1. Watch the new featurette and join Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Rick Famuyiwa and others as they explore how “The Mandalorian” and its fan-favorite character Grogu rose to engage the world and win the hearts of viewers across the globe.
The journeys of the Mandalorian through the Star Wars galaxy continue. Once a lone bounty hunter, Din Djarin has reunited with Grogu. Meanwhile, the New Republic struggles to lead the galaxy away from its dark history. The Mandalorian will cross paths with old allies and make new enemies as he and Grogu continue their journey together.
The series stars Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers, Amy Sedaris, Emily Swallow and Giancarlo Esposito. The directors of the eight-episode Season 3 include Rick Famuyiwa, Rachel Morrison, Lee Isaac Chung, Carl Weathers, Peter Ramsey and Bryce Dallas Howard.
Jon Favreau is the showrunner/head writer and serves as an executive producer along with Dave Filoni, Rick Famuyiwa, Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson. Karen Gilchrist and Carrie Beck are co-executive producers.
CREED III – New Poster – In theaters March 3rd
After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian – a fighter who has nothing to lose.
Creed III is the third installment in the successful franchise and is Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut.
Rugrats: Season 1, Volume 2 is coming to DVD on March 3rd
Join the beloved babies and their creative imaginations on the Rugrats: Season 1, Volume 2 DVD! Join Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, Susie, Phil, and Lil, and all of their friends as they learn about holiday traditions, use their detective skills to solve mysteries in a way only a baby could, and more!
Rugrats: Season 1, Volume 2 will be available on DVD from Paramount Home Entertainment and Nickelodeon Home Entertainment on March 7, 2023, for the suggested retail price of $10.99.
Rugrats: Season 1, Volume 2 episodes:
- The Werewoof Hunter
- Traditions
- Chuckie vs. the Vacuum / Gone Teddy Gone
- I, Baby / Fan-gelica
- Captain Susie / Bringing Up Daisy
- Wedding Smashers / House Broken
- Lucky Smudge / Our Friend Twinkle
- Rescuing Cynthia
- Queen Bee / Phone Alone
- Night Crawler / Goblets & Goblins
- House of Cardboard / Fluffy Moves In
- Susie the Artist / A Horse is a Horse
Rugrats: Season 1, Volume 2 synopsis:
In Rugrats: Season 1, Volume 2, the babies continue to find themselves in a variety of situations by using their wild imaginations, including a daring outer space mission, an epic treasure hunt, a spooky Halloween party, and so much more! The DVD also include two half-hour holiday-themed specials. This volume contains episodes 14-25 of Season One in a 2-disc set!
Rugrats stars EG Daily (Tommy Pickles), Nancy Cartwright (Chuckie Finster), Cheryl Chase (Angelica Pickles), Cree Summer (Susie Carmichael), and Kath Soucie (Phil and Lil DeVille), all of whom are reprising their iconic roles in this new series.
“The Magic Flute” Opens Only in Theaters Nationwide March 10th
From Executive Producer Roland Emmerich (Moonfall) comes a captivating film that follows a teen on two journeys: one into a prestigious boarding school to fulfill his aspirations as a singer, and another into a parallel world filled with fantasy and adventure. Tim (Jack Wolfe, Shadow And Bone) has been dreaming his whole life about attending Mozart All Boys Music School, but already his first days there confront him with a hostile headmaster (F. Murray Abraham, The White Lotus), the stresses of a first love, and serious doubts about the authenticity of his singing voice. When he discovers a mystical gateway in the school’s library, he is pulled into the fantastic cosmos of Mozart’s opera, The Magic Flute, where imagination has no limits and the Queen of the Night (Sabine Devieilhe) reigns.
CHAMPIONS | Official Poster – In Theaters March 10th
Woody Harrelson stars in the hilarious and heartwarming story of a former minor-league basketball coach who, after a series of missteps, is ordered by the court to manage a team of players with intellectual disabilities. He soon realizes that despite his doubts, together, this team can go further than they ever imagined.
A SNOWY DAY IN OAKLAND – In Theaters March 17th
Snowy Day in Oakland is a film directed by Kim Bass and is centered around Latrice Monroe, a therapist (Nicole Ari Parker) who decides to end a stalled romance with her longtime, high-profile, psychiatrist, boyfriend/business partner. She moves into a predominately African-American and psychologically ignored neighborhood and navigates her practice, her relationships and her sanity with the town’s biggest personalities Davis (Deon Cole) Jeanette (Loretta Devine), and Theona (Kimberly Elise). Her private practice is located in a vacant, street-front office space in the middle of a small, commercial block located across the bay in Oakland. A Snowy Day in Oakland explores meaningful themes including navigating relationships and family, Entrepreneurship, as well as the importance of exploring mental health issues within the black community.
MOVING ON in theaters March 17, 2023
Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin star as estranged friends who reunite to seek revenge on the petulant widower (Malcom McDowell) of their recently deceased best friend. Along the way, Fonda’s character reunites with her great love (Richard Roundtree) as each woman learns to make peace with the past and each other.
Rick & Morty: Season 6 – Coming To Steelbook Blu-ray, Blu-ray, & DVD on March 28th
Go on an intergalactic adventure across the multi-verse with the critically acclaimed animated hit comedy series from Adult Swim when Rick and Morty: Season 6 will be available to own Steelbook Blu-ray Disc, Blu-ray Disc and DVD beginning March 28, 2023 (April 4, 2023 in Canada). Get ready to binge on one of cables #1 watched comedies – and follow the misadventures of America’s favorite crazy scientist and his grandchildren with this outrageous set which includes all 10 episodes from Season 6, along with copious special features curated for the fans, including an all-new featurette Rick and Morty: Inside Season 6.
It’s season six and Rick and Morty are back! Pick up where we left them, worse for wear and down on their luck. Will they manage to bounce back for more adventures? Or will they get swept up in an ocean of piss! Who knows?! Piss! Family! Intrigue! A bunch of dinosaurs! More piss! Another can’t miss season of your favorite show.
With Blu-ray’s unsurpassed picture and sound, Rick and Morty: Season 6 Blu-ray release will include 1080p Full HD Video with DTS-HD Master Audio for English 5.1.
Debuting in 112 countries in 38 languages, Rick and Morty: Season 6 captured substantial international viewership. The series has ranked as one of the top series for HBO Max, both domestically and globally. Lifetime to date, Rick and Morty has been viewed over 10 billion times globally, across linear, digital, and streaming.
Rick and Morty: Season 6 will be available on March 28, 2023 in the US and April 4, 2023 in Canada to purchase on Steelbook Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD both online and in-store at major retailers. The series is also now available to purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu and more.
SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:
Rick and Morty: Inside Season 6 (New Featurette Exclusive to Blu-ray and DVD) – Take a trip through the show’s portal-less sixth season with co-creator Dan Harmon, co-executive producer Steve Levy, showrunner Scott Marder, and writers Heather Anne Campbell, Albro Lundy, Rob Schrab and James Siciliano
Anatomy of a Scene: “Bethic Twinstinct” (Featurette) – Co-creator Dan Harmon, showrunner Scott Marder, director Douglas Einar Olsen and writer Anne Lane dig into the carcasses of two scenes while you stare at them in a numb trance.
Anatomy of a Scene: “Night Family” (Featurette) – Clock the most extensive car chase in the series’ history with co-executive producer Albro Lundy, showrunner Scott Marder, writer Rob Schrab and director Jacob Hair.
Anatomy of a Scene: “Analyze Piss” (Featurette) – Co-creator Dan Harmon, showrunner Scott Marder, director Fill Marc Sagadraca and writer James Siciliano go blow-for-blow on Jerry’s fight with Pissmaster.
10 Inside the Episodes (Featurettes) – Take a deeper look into each of the ten episodes from the season.
Pricing and series information:
Includes all 10 episodes from the sixth season:
- Solaricks
- Rick: A Mort Well Lived
- Bethic Twinstinct
- Night Family
- Final DeSmithation
- JuRicksic Mort
- Full Meta Jackrick
- Analyze Piss
- A Rick in King Mortur’s Mort
- Ricktional Mortpoon’s Rickmas Mortcation
THE COVENANT starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim – In Theaters April 21st
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant follows US Army Sergeant John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Afghan interpreter Ahmed (Dar Salim). After an ambush, Ahmed goes to Herculean lengths to save Kinley’s life. When Kinley learns that Ahmed and his family were not given safe passage to America as promised, he must repay his debt by returning to the war zone to retrieve them before the Taliban hunts them down first.
THE BOOGEYMAN – New Trailer and Poster – In theaters June 2nd
The trailer and poster for 20th Century Studios’ and 21 Laps’ horror-thriller The Boogeyman,” are here. A portion of the trailer just debuted on FOX’s live broadcast of the NFC championship game but is available now in its entirety. “The Boogeyman” opens June 2, 2023, exclusively in theaters nationwide.
“The Boogeyman,” a horror-thriller from the mind of best-selling author Stephen King, opens June 2, 2023, in theaters nationwide. High school student Sadie Harper and her younger sister Sawyer are reeling from the recent death of their mother and aren’t getting much support from their father, Will, a therapist who is dealing with his own pain. When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims. “The Boogeyman,” directed by Rob Savage (“Host”) with a screenplay by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods (“A Quiet Place”) and Mark Heyman (“Black Swan”) and a screen story by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods based upon the short story by Stephen King, stars Sophie Thatcher (“Yellowjackets”), Chris Messina (“Birds of Prey”), Vivien Lyra Blair (“Obi-Wan Kenobi”), Marin Ireland (“The Umbrella Academy”), Madison Hu (“Bizaardvark”), LisaGay Hamilton (“Vice”), and David Dastmalchian (“Dune”). The producers are Shawn Levy (“Stranger Things”), Dan Levine (“Arrival”), and Dan Cohen (“The Adam Project”), with John H. Starke (“Sicario”), Emily Morris (“Rosaline”), Scott Beck, Bryan Woods, Ryan Cunningham, Adam Kolbrenner (“The Tomorrow War”), and Robin Meisinger serving as executive producers.
Activities
Painted Rock Craft inspired by the Smurfs: Season 1, Volume 3!
Check out this fun Smurf-terpiece for a Painted Rock Craft inspired by The Smurfs: Season 1, Volume 3, available now on DVD! Click the link to join the fun: https://bit.ly/SmurfPaintedRocks
