Lionsgate, WGN Announce Release Date For Manhattan: Season 2

Courtesy: Lionsgate/WGN America

WGN’s hit period drama Manhattan just wrapped its second season last month. Now fans of the hit serial won’t have to wait very long to own Season 2 for themselves.

Lionsgate announced Monday that Manhattan: Season 2 will be released in stores and online on Tuesday, March 8^th. It will be released on DVD + Digital and Blu-ray + Digital HD. The 3-disc DVD + Digital box set will retail for MSRP of $34.97 and the Blu-ray + Digital HD box set for MSRP of $34.98. Season Two picks up right where Season One left As Season Two opens Charlie Isaacs (Ashley Zuckerman – Terra Nova, Rush, Childhood’s End) is forced into a lead role in the efforts to develop the bomb. As the project proceeds, tensions begin to rise between the military and scientists over who is actually running the project. And the chase is on to stop a Soviet spy who intends to throw a wrench into the project. Frank Winter (John Benjamin Hickey – Flags of Our Fathers, The Bone Collector, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) is on the spy’s trail. This and much more will keep audiences fully engaged over the course of Season 2’s ten total episodes.

Along with Hickey and Zuckerman Manhattan also stars Rachel Brosnahan (House of Cards, The Blacklist, Beautiful Creatures), Michael Chernus (Orange is the New Black, Captain Phillips, The Bourne Legacy), Christopher Denham (Argo, Shutter Island, The Following), Justin Kirk (Weeds, Modern Family, Angels in America), Harry Lloyd (The Theory of Everything, Game of Thrones, The Iron Lady), William Petersen (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Fear, To Live and Die in L.A.), and Olivia Williams (Dollhouse, The Sixth Sense, Rushmore).

Manhattan: Season 2 will be released in stores and online on Tuesday, March 8^th. It will be released on DVD + Digital and Blu-ray + Digital HD. The 3-disc DVD + Digital box set will retail for MSRP of $34.97 and the Blu-ray + Digital HD box set for MSRP of $34.98. More information on this and other titles from Lionsgate is available online now at:

 

Website: http://www.liosngate.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LiosngateTV

More information on Manhattan is available online now along with all of the series’ latest news at:

 

Website: http://wgnamerica.com/manhattan

 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ManhattanWGNA

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ManhattanWGNA

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Lionsgate Announces Release Date For Manhattan: Season One

Courtesy: Lionsgate/WGN America

Manhattan is coming home this spring.

Lionsgate will release the first season of its hit drama Manhattan on Blu-ray+Digital, DVD+Digital, and Digital HD on Tuesday, April 7^th. The serial, which currently airs on WGN, is a historically-based fiction that follows the events leading up to the creation of the world’s first atomic bomb. It focuses on the scientists that developed the bomb and their struggles to balance their secretive operations with their own personal lives. The series stars Rachel Brosnahan (House of Cards, The Blacklist, Beautiful Creatures) and Michael Chernus (Orange Is The New Black, The Bourne Legacy, Love & Other Drugs).

Season One’s Blu-ray+Digital release will be a three-disc set and its DVD+Digital release a four-disc set. Both sets will feature the same bonus material. That material includes a making of featurette—“Ground Zero: Bringing The Bomb To Screen”—episode specific commentaries, a featurette on J. Robert Oppenheimer, and more. The full list of the box sets’ bonus material is noted below. The Blu-ray+Digital box set will retails for $49.97 and the DVD box set $49.98.

BLU-RAY/DVD SPECIAL FEATURES*

• “Ground Zero: Bringing the Bomb to Screen” featurette
• “P.O. Box 1663: Creating a City that Didn’t Exist” featurette
• “‘Now I Am Become Death’: J. Robert Oppenheimer” featurette
• “Recreating an Era: ‘Manhattan’Costume Design” featurette
• Select episode audio commentaries with Cast and Crew

*Subject to change.

 

All the latest updates on Manhattan are available online at:

 

Website: http://wgnamerica.com/shows/manhattan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ManhattanWGNA/timeline

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ManhattanWGNA

 

All of the latest information on this and other titles from Lionsgate is available online at:

 

Website: https://www.lionsgate.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lionsgate

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LionsgateTV

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Make A Bet, Enter For A Chance To Win “A Bet’s A Bet” From Phil’s Picks

Courtesy: Cinedigm

Independent movie and television studio Cinedigm will release its new rom-com A Bet’s A Bet next Tuesday, January 20^th. And one lucky person will win a copy of the movie on DVD for free courtesy of Phil’s Picks this Friday, January 16^th. Anyone that wants to enter for a chance at a free copy of the movie just needs to go to the Phil’s Picks Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/philspicks, “Like” it, and then write on the page that they want to be entered for a chance to win the movie.   It’s that easy. A review of the movie is available online now via the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com/2014/12/23/the-opposite-sex-is-an-edgy-entertaining-rom-com/.

A Bet’s A Bet, which also goes by the title The Opposite Sex, is an independent release. But it boasts a superstar cast. Daytime Emmy© Award winner Jennifer Finnigan (The Bold and the Beautiful, Tyrant) co-directed and co-starred with Jonathan Silverman (Weekend at Bernie’s, Weekend at Bernie’s II, Close to Home). Kristin Chenoweth (Rio 2, Stranger Than Fiction, Glee) makes an appearance early on in the movie. Also on board are Josh Hopkins (G.I. Jane, Cougar Town, The Perfect Storm) opposite lead star Geoff Stults (She’s Out Of My League, Wedding Crashers, The Break-Up). Kenan Thompson (Saturday Night Live, Kenan & Kel, All That) appears in a supporting role along with Dana Ashbrook (Twin Peaks, Dawson’s Creek, Crash) and Josh Cooke (I Love You, Man, Hart of Dixie, Manhattan). Debra Jo Rupp (That 70s Show, She’s Out of My League, Big) makes an appearance as Vince’s (Geoff Stults) secretary. And Eric Roberts (The Expendables, The Dark Knight, The Cable Guy), brother of actress Julia Roberts, stars as Vince’s boss Mr. Campbell. Even former N’Sync member Joey Fatone makes a cameo as a delivery man. Actress Mena Suvari (Chicago Fire, American Beauty, Six Feet Under) rounds out the cast as Vince’s love interest. It is her relationship with Vince that serves as the basis for the movie’s script.

The script behind A Bet’s A Bet centers on high-powered divorce attorney Vince (Stults) and his budding relationship with equally strong-willed divorcee Jane (Suvari). Vince is a self-proclaimed bachelor for life who is more focused on sleeping with every woman that he can get. On the other side of things, Jane is going through a nasty divorce. When the pair is introduced through a couple of mutual friends who just happened to be married, a series of hilarious bets plays out. The end result is a budding relationship that neither expected as both Vince and Jane are such headstrong characters. Jane’s own divorce case plays a role in the pair’s growing relationship, too. It offers its own share of laughs as audiences will see in watching the movie.

A Bet’s A Bet (The Opposite Sex) will be available on DVD next Tuesday, January 20^th. It will retail for $14.93. It runs ninety-seven minutes counting end credits. To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, and giveaways from Phil’s Picks, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, and giveaways in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

From Dust To Dreams A Concert Dream Come True

Courtesy: PBS

Las Vegas is typically known by its nickname, “Sin City.”  The other “city that never sleeps” is dominated by gambling, girls, and much more.  Because of that reputation, few people would ever associate the famed city with a center for the performing arts.  But there is in fact a center for the performing and cultural arts in Las Vegas now in the Smith Center for the Performing Arts.  Thanks to PBS, audiences that weren’t able to be in attendance at the celebration of the center’s opening can now re-live the concert event any time that they want.

from Dust to Dreams: Opening Night at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts chronicles the celebration held in honor of the center’s opening.  What can be said of this performance but it was an impressive show from a who’s who of the music and entertainment community.  Performers the likes of Jennifer Hudson, Mavis Staples, John Fogerty, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and more than can be named here took part in the two-hour long celebration of the arts coming to Las Vegas at long last.  Host of the Tonys and star of CBS’ How I Met Your Mother served as emcee of this presentation.  What’s interesting to note about his presence in this performance is how much different it was in comparison to what audiences have become accustomed to from the actor.  This isn’t a bad thing, either.  If anything, it only serves to heighten the enjoyment of the overall presentation.  Add in expertly mixed audio and video, and audiences get what is in retrospect one of the best live recordings of 2012.

The very first thing that can be noted of from Dust to Dreams is that it opens and closes in fine fashion.  The opening number performed by trumpet player Arturo Sandoval.  Sandoval’s performance was an outstanding opener for the two-hour event.  His control over his instrument shows the result of his years of training.  This is especially the case when he hits the final high note of his opening number.  Far too often, some overzealous performers hit high notes in songs, thinking they sound good.  But in reality the performers in question are blasting out the notes, resulting in a very harsh sound.  That wasn’t the case with Sandoval’s performance.  His performance got the energy flowing and set the bar for what was to come through the rest of the show’s performances.

The performances that follow that of Sandoval hold the bar quite well.  Whether the medley of songs from Man of La Mancha and West Side Story, the classic country of veteran artist Willie Nelson, or even the more rocking sounds of John Fogerty, this show spans the musical spectrum and will entertain audiences of all ages and musical tastes.  Adding to the enjoyment of the concert is the presence of emcee Neil Patrick Harris.  Yes, Harris was more subdued in his hosting duties here than as host of the Tonys.  But this was an entirely different event.  Even the performers had their time on stage limited as there were so many performers.  What’s more, Harris did offer his share of pretty funny jokes when he was on stage.  Audiences need to keep this in mind in considering his performance as emcee of this event.  In doing so, those same individuals will enjoy the laughs that Harris shares when he is on stage.

The performance of host Neil Patrick Harris and that of the show’s performers make from Dust to Dreams quite the enjoyable live recording.  One would be remiss though, to ignore the importance of the show’s audio and video mix.  Going back to the show’s opening number by Arturo Sandoval straight through to the show’s closing number, the audio and video have been expertly mixed.  There are some songs that absolutely soar throughout the course of this program.  And then there are other, more subtle pieces that were captured so well.  Whether one has a home surround sound theater or not, one can still experience so much.  Those that do have home theater systems will appreciate the performances even more.  That’s because the picture will look crystal clear on an HDTV and the sound will sound just as clear.  This is especially true for those with surround sound.  It is these aspects that make the overall presentation on this DVD so enjoyable.  In retrospect, it makes this collection of performances one of the best live recordings of 2012.  From Dust to Dreams is available now.  It can be ordered online direct from the PBS online store at http://www.shoppbs.org/product/index.jsp?productId=13233132&cp=&sr=1&kw=from+dust+to+dreams&origkw=from+Dust+to+Dreams&parentPage=search&searchId=1374600.

Fans of PBS and its programming can keep up with all of the latest news, releases and more from the network online at http://ww.facebook.com/pbs and at http://www.pbs.org.

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.