CliqueClack

New to home video: The Great Gatsby, Pain & Gain, and more

If you’re looking for some new and interesting movies to bring home this week, we have you covered. The August 27 release features Baz Luhrmann’s take on the American classic The Great Gatsby. The film did surprisingly well at the box office, although critical reaction was mixed even here at CliqueClack. I felt the film — especially in 3D — was a work of art, but our own Jeremy Fogelman and Dan Meier had some different feelings. Also out this week is Pain & Gain starring Dwayne Johnson, Mark Wahlberg and Anthony Mackie, which was reviewed here by Cisco Davis, Jr. In addition to these two releases, the heist thriller Now You See Me is available as a Digital Download prior to its DVD and Blu-ray release.

Classic horror movie fans will get a kick out of Scream Factory’s new retro releases, Dark Angel (I Come in Peace), and Q: The Winged Serpent, while classic movie buffs will enjoy the Criterion Collection’s release of the comedy To Be or Not To Be, starring Jack Benny. And if you want to get a jump on your video orders, we have information about the upcoming Man of Steel, After Earth, Shrek the Musical and JFK video releases. To see all of this week’s home video releases, have a look at our handy shopper’s guide and click on a link to make a purchase or to get more information. Every purchase you make through a link helps support our efforts here at CliqueClack, and we thank you for your continued support.

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2013 TV fall premiere and return schedule and calendar

To subscribe to the below schedule in iCal, copy this link and paste into the “Subscribe…” menu item in iCal. You can also just click it to open iCal or even click to add to your iPhone calendar. The same link will work in a Google Calendar as well! Or see the calendar as a web page (also embedded at the bottom of this post). The calendar will update as new shows are added/changed.

* All times are in EDT PM, unless otherwise mentioned.
* New series premieres are in Bold Italics

SERIES PREMIERES/RETURNS

SEPTEMBER

Tuesday, September 3

10:00 Cold Justice (TNT)

10:00 Luther (BBCA)

10:00 Tosh.0 (Comedy)

10:00 We’re The Fugawis (History)

10:30 Brickleberry (Comedy)

Wednesday, September 4

9:00 Inside the NFL (Showtime)

10:00 Ghost Mine (Syfy)

10:00 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FXX)

10:30 The League (FXX)

11:00 Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell (FXX)

Thursday, September 5

8:30 Sunday Night Football (NBC)

Friday, September 6

10:00 20/20 (ABC)

Saturday, September 7

8:00 Cupcake Wars (Food)

Sunday, September 8

9:00 Boardwalk Empire (HBO)

Monday, September 9

8:00 The Million Second Quiz (NBC)

Tuesday, September 10

10:00 Sons of Anarchy (FX)

12:00AM The Heart, She Holler (Adult Swim)

Wednesday, September 11

8:00 The X Factor (FOX)

9:00 Restaurant Stakeout (Food)

10:30 Thieves, Inc. (Food)

12:00AM Derek (Netflix)

Friday, September 13

10:00 Haven (Syfy)

10:00 Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

Sunday, September 15

10:00 The Great Santini Brothers (History)

Monday, September 16

8:00 Bones (FOX)

8:00 Dancing with the Stars (ABC)

9:00 Sleepy Hollow (FOX)

Tuesday, September 17

8:00 Dads (FOX)

8:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)

9:00 New Girl (FOX)

9:30 The Mindy Project (FOX)

10:00 The New Atlanta (Bravo)

Wednesday, September 18

8:00 Survivor (CBS)

10:30 Key & Peele (Comedy)

Friday, September 20

8:00 Last Man Standing (ABC)

8:30 The Neighbors (ABC)

9:00 Shark Tank (ABC)

Sunday, September 22

11:30 China, IL (Adult Swim)

Monday, September 23

8:00 How I Met Your Mother (CBS)

8:00 The Voice (NBC)

9:00 2 Broke Girls (CBS)

9:30 Mom (CBS)

10:00 The Blacklist (NBC)

10:00 Hostages (CBS)

10:00 Castle (ABC)

Tuesday, September 24

8:00 Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC)

8:00 NCIS (CBS)

9:00 The Goldbergs (ABC)

9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)

9:30 Trophy Wife (ABC)

10:00 Chicago Fire (NBC)

10:00 Fangasm (Syfy)

10:00 Lucky 7 (ABC)

10:00 Person of Interest (CBS)

Wednesday, September 25

8:00 The Middle (ABC)

8:00 Revolution (NBC)

8:30 Back in the Game (ABC)

9:00 Criminal Minds (CBS)

9:00 Law & Order: SVU (NBC)

9:00 Modern Family (ABC)

10:00 CSI (CBS)

10:00 Nashville (ABC)

10:00 South Park (Comedy)

Thursday, September 26

8:00 The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

8:00 Parks & Recreation (NBC)

9:00 The Crazy Ones (CBS)

9:00 Glee (FOX)

9:00 Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)

9:00 The Michael J. Fox Show (NBC)

9:30 Two and a Half Men (CBS)

10:00 Elementary (CBS)

10:00 Parenthood (NBC)

Friday, September 27

8:00 Masterchef Junior (FOX)

8:00 Undercover Boss (CBS)

9:00 Dateline (NBC)

9:00 Hawaii Five-0 (CBS)

10:00 Blue Bloods (CBS)

Saturday, September 28

10:00 48 Hours (CBS)

Sunday, September 29

8:00 The Amazing Race (CBS)

8:00 Once Upon a Time (ABC)

8:00 The Simpsons (FOX)

8:30 Bob’s Burgers (FOX)

9:00 Family Guy (FOX)

9:00 The Good Wife (CBS)

9:00 Homeland (Showtime)

9:00 Revenge (ABC)

9:30 American Dad (FOX)

10:00 Betrayal (ABC)

10:00 Eastbound & Down (HBO)

10:00 Masters of Sex (Showtime)

10:00 The Mentalist (CBS)

10:30 Hello Ladies (HBO)

Monday, September 30

8:30 We Are Men (CBS)

OCTOBER

Wednesday, October 2

9:30 Super Fun Night (ABC)

10:00 Ironside (NBC)

10:00 Top Chef (Bravo)

Thursday, October 3

8:00 The Vampire Diaries (CW)

8:30 The Millers (CBS)

8:30 Welcome to the Family (NBC)

9:00 The Originals (CW)

9:00 Sean Saves the World  (NBC)

10:00 Scandal (ABC)

Sunday, October 6

9:00 Drop Dead Diva (Lifetime)

9:00 The Paradise (PBS)

Monday, October 7

8:00 Hart of Dixie (CW)

9:00 Beauty and the Beast (CW)

Tuesday, October 8

8:00 The Biggest Loser (NBC)

9:00 Supernatural (CW)

Wednesday, October 9

8:00 Arrow (CW)

9:00 The Tomorrow People (CW)

Thursday, October 10

8:00 Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (ABC)

Sunday, October 13

9:00 The Walking Dead (AMC)

10:00 Talking Dead (AMC)

12:00AM Comic Book Men (AMC)

Tuesday, October 15

10:00 Real Husbands of Hollywood (BET)

Thursday, October 17

9:00 Reign (CW)

9:00 White Collar (USA)

10:00 Covert Affairs (USA)

Saturday, October 19

10:00 Dancing on the Edge (Starz)

Tuesday, October 22

9:00 Ravenswood (ABC Family)

10:00 Awkward (MTV)

Friday, October 25

8:00 The Carrie Diaries (CW)

9:00 Grimm (NBC)

10:00 Dracula (NBC)

NOVEMBER

Sunday, November 3

8:00 It Takes a Choir (USA)

Monday, November 4

8:00 Almost Human (FOX)

Friday, November 8

9:00 Raising Hope (FOX)

9:30 Enlisted (FOX)

Saturday, November 23

10:00 Atlantis (BBCA)

Monday, November 25

9:00 Major Crimes (TNT)

Tuesday, November 26

9:00 Boston’s Finest (TNT)

Win an In a World… poster autographed by Lake Bell

This contest is now closed. Please follow @CliqueClack on Twitter for updates on contests, news and reviews!

We’re all familiar with the famous movie trailer narration that begins, “In a world.” Voice-over actor Don LaFontaine made the phrase famous and infamous during his career, but with his passing, there hasn’t been another voice like his to deliver those three words. The new film In a World… takes viewers into the world of voice-over artists competing to fill that void left by LaFontaine’s passing. The film stars Lake Bell, Rob Corddry, Eva Longoria, Ken Marino, Demitri Martin, Nick Offerman, Michaela Watkins and Geena Davis, and was written and directed by Lake Bell.

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Win passes to see Riddick first in Chicago or Indianapolis

The commenting period for this contest has ended. Follow us @CliqueClack on Twitter for updates on contests, news and reviews.

CliqueClack has partnered with Universal Pictures to offer readers in Chicago and Indianapolis a chance to be among the first to see the new sci-fi action movie Riddick, starring Vin Diesel, Katee Sackhoff, Dave Bautista and Karl Urban. The plot focuses on the anti-hero Riddick; he has been left for dead on a desert planet where he finds himself fighting for his life against alien predators far more viscious than any human he has ever faced. Riddick is forced to use a beacon to alert the very bounty hunters he has been evading to come and collect him as this is the only way he can possibly escape.

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Win passes to see Eric Bana in Closed Circuit in DC

CliqueClack has partnered with Focus Features and Allied Integrated Marketing to give readers in the DC area an opportunity to see the new thriller Closed Circuit, starring Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, Ciårán Hinds, Julia Stiles and Jim Broadbent, before anyone else! The screening will take place Tuesday, August 27, 7:00 PM at AMC Mazza Gallerie. To win, simply leave a comment on this post. The first 30 comments will receive one Admit Two pass by email. To enter, you must fill in the form with your full name and correct email address so that we can verify your entry and send you the pass. As passes are limited, we ask for only ONE comment per person, per email address. All duplicate comments will be discarded. Note that passes do not guarantee you a seat at the theater. Seating is first-come, first-served and all decisions are the responsibility of the studio representative. CliqueClack has no control over the number of passes distributed or seating at the theater. Please plan to arrive early.

Have a look at the film’s trailer, and let us know if you want to see the film. Closed Circuit opens in theaters on August 28th.

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Samsung 840 EVO: Sexism and racism evolved

I’d say my reaction to the embedded Samsung 840 EVO video — if it hasn’t been taken down by now — is more of disbelief than anything else. I don’t really get “offended” by something like a video, commercial, TV show, or other medium. I guess for ME to be offended, I’d have to take something pretty damned personally. So a video of someone stating the top ten reasons CliqueClack and Keith McDuffee suck … that I might label offensive.

I was shown the commercial through Carla on Twitter, where some were saying it felt more like a Funny or Die sketch than an authentic commercial. The video should Die, because it’s not Funny. It’s cringe-tastic, that’s for sure. Everything from the awful stereotypes, the 1950s-like techno-wow dialogue, and the acting is … just wow.

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Austenland seems a funny sort of romance but is secretly highly troubling

It’s easy to get lost in fiction and fictional worlds. Sometimes the beloved characters on the page and screen seem so familiar, so comfortable, they seem like real friends. And why not? Fiction can provide relaxation, comfort, and happiness to people with difficulties in life. But there is a line that can be crossed; there are those that end up valuing the fictional more than the actual, the characters more than their friends or family. And of course, people can take the wrong lessons from the fiction they read and cause … problems in their lives. For example, the books of Jane Austen, specifically Pride and Prejudice, which has seen movie adaptations, book parodies, and even a breakfast cereal (not really). There is a strong romantic element of the story, but it is a sneaky one; class and money are presented as important themes, and there is an underlying idea of these women not being “complete” without a husband, which was certainly the feeling at the time. Some things haven’t changed much.

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You’re Next cleverly puts the screws to the home invasion horror genre

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: a group of people travels to an isolated location for a restful weekend away from civilization only to find themselves randomly targeted by a group of homicidal lunatics. This genre, which I like to call “Home Invasion Horror,” really became popular after the inexplicably successful The Strangers, which made absolutely zero sense. Based on a true story, the actual event took place in a populated neighborhood, not the middle of nowhere, so the idea of some crazed killers knocking on a door to see if someone is home makes more sense than the idea of a group of people hiding out in the woods with the hope that someone, some day would spend a night in that house. It was a stupid movie, and I hated it.

Which made me a little apprehensive to spend any time in a theater watching the newest “Home Invasion” horror film You’re Next. The story sticks to the classic home invasion tropes: a group of people (this time a family and assorted significant others) travel to an isolated mansion in the middle of nowhere (although there is a house not far away) to celebrate the anniversary of the parents. Once everyone arrives and dinner is served, the mayhem begins as each guest is picked off, one-by-one, by a group of masked killers. But then something funny happens …

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Fringe’s companion novels lack the series’ charm

TV and film companion novels have always been a mixed bag. Some are great additions to the mythos of a world, adding nuance and back story for fans hungry for “more.” Most, sadly, are none of those things. Writing a good book is a difficult enough task in and of itself; trying to fit a story into an existing world and include the proper amount of fan service makes it damn near impossible.

Dexter’s eighth season should end with a cliché

Let’s face it: Dexter hasn’t been at its best for several seasons now. As each new season would come along, I’d hope the writers would pull off something unthought of, risky or completely out of left field. There were times in the past they pulled that off. This season, in particular, has proven to me that the writers have simply gotten tired. Remember all of the funny quips Dexter would have in his inner monologues? Nary a one this season. How about being on the edge of your seat as Dexter was SO close to getting caught, and you felt really odd about caring for a serial killer? Do you feel that way this season even a little bit? Likely not.

I’ve seen several people comment that the series could have ended pretty well last season, if Deb had shot Dexter instead of LaGuerta. I’m almost on board with that, especially after seeing how this season’s been shaping up so far. And if the massive leaked spoilers are any indication, it’s not getting any better.

So, the cliché I mentioned. Just end the series off with a “this season was all a dream” and bring us back to that night in the storage container. Deb did shoot Dexter, and everything from then on has been what could have been … but Dexter is dead/dying.

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