Jun
19

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Venus in Fur whips it good

Venus In Fur GSP 118

The Philadelphia Theatre Company knocks David Ives’ ‘Venus in Fur’ out of the ballpark. Do you like sex? Kink? Kinky boots? Psychoanalytic Theory? Then, go see Philadelphia Theatre Company’s ‘Venus in Fur.’

 

I studied Venus in Furs back in graduate school and spent hours listening to brilliant psychoanalytic professors breakdown Deleuzian theory for me. Venus is one of those high concept texts, like Beloved, that’s practically unadaptable. So, when David Ives’ contemporary revision hit Off-Broadway in 2010, I greatly considered attending … but didn’t. This is the thing. I lived breathed, read and re-read that novel, Sade, Jelinek, Rochester, and anything even vaguely related to sexual kink. Could a contemporary adaptation even come vaguely close? The original 1870 text penned by Sacher-Masoch surrounds wide-eyed innocent Severin, who begs his idealized lover, Wanda, to either marry or dominate him. Unsurprisingly, she chooses the latter. The novel traverses their increasingly sadomasochistic relationship while it grows amazingly fantasist. Severin dreams of a female polar bear clawing his body. His lover’s Black female servants tie him to a plow and whip him. In the end, Wanda’s lover, The Greek, whips the shit out of him while she watches. Seriously. HOW do you put that on without OFFENDING EVERYBODY? How do you put that on while maintaining the utter AWESOMENESS of the original source material? Luckily, playwright David Ives and The Philadelphia Theatre Company have the answer.

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Photo Credit: Philadelphia Theatre Company
Jun
18

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Jack the Giant Slayer is better than expected

JACK THE GIANT SLAYER

‘Jack the Giant Slayer’ did not fare well with critics or movie-goers, but the new video version shows that the film isn’t all that bad.

 

I didn’t get a chance to see Jack the Giant Slayer when it was out in theaters, and after reading a few of the tepid reviews (including our own Jeremy Fogelman‘s) I was glad I didn’t drive the 45-minutes it would have taken me to attend the press screening. But now the film is available on several video formats from Warner Home Video – DVD, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and Digital Download – so I decided to give the film a spin on Blu-ray.

If you know the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, then you already have a very, very basic idea of what the film will be about … but there are major changes to the plot. I remember the original Jack to basically be a thief as he stole a harp and a golden egg laying goose from the giant who lived in the clouds. Then he kills the giant as he climbs down the beanstalk to reclaim his treasure … and they live happily ever after, apparently guilt free.

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Photo Credit: Warner Brothers/New Line
Jun
18

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Win passes and be the first to see The Heat in Baltimore, DC or Norfolk

The-Heat

Are you a fan of Sandra Bullock or Melissa McCarthy? Find out how to be the first to see their new movie ‘The Heat’ in Baltimore, DC or Norfolk.

 

CliqueClack has partnered with 20th Century Fox and Allied Integrated Marketing to give our readers in Baltimore, DC and Norfolk a chance to see Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy in The Heat before anyone else! The screenings will take place as follows:

  • Tuesday, June 25, 7:30 PM, Regal Gallery Place, Washington, DC
  • Tuesday, June 25, 7:00 PM, Cinemark Egyptian, Hanover, MD
  • Tuesday, June 25, 7:00 PM, AMC Hampton Towne Center, Norfolk, VA

Please read and follow the rules very carefully before entering this contest.

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Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox
Jun
17

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Win passes to see White House Down in DC, Baltimore and Norfolk

Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum in "White House Down"

Want to see Channing Tatum save President Jamie Foxx before anyone else? Find out how to win a free pair of passes to ‘White House Down’ in DC, Baltimore or Norfolk.

 

CliqueClack has partnered with Sony Pictures and Allied Integrated Marketing to give our readers in DC, Baltimore and Norfolk a chance to see Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx in White House Down before anyone else! The screenings will take place as follows

  • Tuesday, June 25, 7:00 PM, AMC Mazza Gallerie, Washington, DC
  • Tuesday, June 25, 7:00 PM, AMC Loews White Marsh, Baltimore, MD
  • Tuesday, June 25, 7:00 PM, AMC Lynnhaven, Norfolk, VA

Please read and follow the rules very carefully before entering this contest.

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Photo Credit: Sony Pictures
Jun
16

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Body of Proof ends its run on DVD while When Things Were Rotten gets a new life

BodyOfProof_Promos_Season3_0007

TV on DVD and Blu-ray June 18 includes ‘Body of Proof,’ ‘Call the Midwife,’ ‘Workaholics,’ ‘Drop Dead Diva,’ ‘Wilfred,’ ‘Web Therapy,’ ‘Moonshiners,’ ‘When Things Were Rotten,’ ‘Ultraman,’ and much more!

 

Dana Delany’s most recent foray into television, Body of Proof, ended its run on the network this spring, and now the final season is available on DVD. Continuing series with new seasons right around the corner include Drop Dead Diva, Workaholics, and Wilfred. As Stephen King’s new series, Under the Dome, is about to premiere, catch up on past King TV classic on DVD: The Stand, The Langoliers and Golden Years. The long awaited Mel Brook’s comedy that’s become a cult classic, When Things Were Rotten, finally comes to DVD this week as well. To see all of the June 18 releases, have a look at our shopper’s guide and click on a link to make a purchase or to get more information.

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Photo Credit: ABC
Jun
16

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Jack the Giant Slayer tops this week’s video releases

JACK THE GIANT SLAYER

Movies on DVD and Blu-ray June 18th include “Jack the Giant Slayer,’ ‘Quartet,’ ‘Stoker,’ ‘Movie 43,’ ’21 & Over,’ ‘The Last Exorcism Part II,’ “The Howling,’ ‘Lifeforce,’ ‘Of Human Bondage,’ ‘Safety Last,’ ‘Things to Come,’ and much more!

 

It’s a BIG week for movies on DVD and Blu-ray — pun intended — as Bryan Singer’s Jack the Giant Slayer comes to home video in several formats. The thriller Stoker got mixed reviews upon its release, with some critics saying you’re better off seeing the film it freely borrows from: Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt. The infamous “What kind of dirt did they have on Adrian Brody” comedy Movie 43 is also available for your viewing pleasure … because no one saw it in the movies. There are more interesting titles that played in relatively few theaters out this week — The Brass Teapot, The Ghastly Love of Johnny X — but films of the past really get their due with new Blu-ray releases of The Howling, Lifeforce, Of Human Bondage, Things to Come and Safety Last among them. To see all of the June 18th releases, have a look at our shopper’s guide and click on a link to make a purchase or to get more information on a title.

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Photo Credit: Warner Brothers
Jun
14

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The Venture brothers are growing up … kind of

Hank and Dean Venture - The Venture Bros.

With three episodes under our belt already, season five of The Venture Bros. is already showing the continuing evolution of the title siblings. How are they changing compared to earlier seasons … and will the changes stick?

 

Man, did I miss this show. Besides the Halloween special last year, it’s been two and a half years since we’ve had a Venture Bros. episode. The third episode of season five premiered on Sunday (with a small but cheeky performance from Gillian Jacobs) and between that and the hour-long premiere the other weekend, this show continues to surprise me with big changes for the Venture clan.

Show creators Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick have never been shy about making story choices that greatly change the characters. I mean, in the last moments of the season three finale they killed off 24 right after Brock quit — two fan-favorites gone from the series, at least as regulars. But that fearlessness and willing to shake things up is how the show went from a straight-forward Johnny Quest satire to the eclectic, often bizarre and even touching show that it is today. The one aspect of the show that has ultimately changed the least is the boys. Continue reading 'The Venture brothers are growing up … kind of' »

Photo Credit: Cartoon Network
Jun
14

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Man of Steel is the Superman movie we deserve … but I’m not sure we should love it

Man of Steel Henry Cavill

‘Man of Steel’ is easily one of the best screen version of Superman I’ve ever seen. Despite that quality, I’m not sure I liked it as much as everyone else will.

 

Hollywood has been trying to properly portray Superman on-screen since the early 1950s. From The Adventures of Superman to Richard Donner’s big-screen version to The Adventures of Lois and Clark, each attempt has had varying degrees of success. The latest effort, Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, is easily the best of the bunch, but falls short of being the near-perfect film every one else is telling you it is.

Man of Steel, is easily the best in the Superman pantheon
of flicks.

While my list of problems with the flick is substantial, I don’t want to start with the impression that this isn’t a great flick. Henry Cavill is great in the duel roles of Clark Kent and Superman. Some actors have really hit all of the notes of one side of the last son of Krypton, but Cavill does a great job differentiating one from the other without sacrificing either. Before walking into the theatre, I never quite got the casting of Amy Adams as Lois Lane, but she made me a believer (naturally). I’m not sure why I had any doubts, as the actress has proven time and time again she’s got the chops to pull off just about anything. Even Michael Shannon excels as General Zod.

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Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Jun
12

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Win free passes to The Heat in Indianapolis

CliqueClack and GoFoBo.com want to give readers in Indianapolis a chance to see ‘The Heat’ before it opens to the public. Find out how to enter the contest!

 

CliqueClack has partnered with 20th Century Fox, GoFoBo.com and Allied Integrated Marketing to offer our readers in the Indianapolis area a chance to win free advance screening passes to the new comedy The Heat starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. The screening will take place on Tuesday, June 25, 7:00 PM at AMC Castleton Square. All you have to do is click on the image below, register your email with GoFoBo.com and enter this special code:

CLIQQSPV

The Heat Win free passes to The Heat in Indianapolis
25 winners will be selected at random by GoFoBo.com to receive a unique code with which they can download up to two Admit One passes. Drawing will be held on June 20 and winners will be notified by GoFoBo.com. Register now for your chance to win. Good luck!

Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox
Jun
12

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This Is The End is ballsy, profane, violent, and hilarious

this-is-the-end

‘This Is The End’ shows that the end of the world may be terrible, but that doesn’t mean we can’t laugh uproariously at it.

 

It’s no surprise humanity is obsessed with the end of the world. After all, one thing we all have in common is that we don’t know the future except that eventually all things end. Religions have come up with Armageddons and Apocalypses since stories were told, about the world in ice or fire or water, about doom or about triumph. Hope is easier to swallow by most, but sometimes life was harsh and people were cynical. Science has thoughts about the end of time, but other than the sun eventually expanding and destroying the Earth and the eventual heat death of the universe, there are no real assurances there either. And if we gotta go, what’s the harm in enjoying ourselves a bit before then?

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Photo Credit: Sony Pictures