Review: "Captain America: Civil War" Could Be the Best Superhero Movie Ever

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 15 (of 2016) by Leroy Douresseaux

[A version of this review originally appeared on Patreon.]

Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Running time:  147 minutes (2 hours, 27 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for extended sequences of violence, action and mayhem
DIRECTORS:  Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
WRITERS:  Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely; (based upon the comic book written by Mark Millar and the characters created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCER:  Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Trent Opaloch (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Jeffrey Ford and Matthew Schmidt
COMPOSER:  Henry Jackman

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION/THRILLER

Starring:  Chris Evans, Robert Downey, Jr., Scartlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Emily VanCamp, Tom Holland, Daniel Bruhl, William Hurt, Martin Freeman, Marisa Tomei, John Kani, John Slatterly, Hope Davis, Alfre Wooodard, Frank Grillo, and Stan Lee

Captain America: Civil War is a 2016 superhero film from Marvel Studios and is directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo.  The film stars Marvel Comics character, Captain America.  It is a direct sequel to the 2014 film, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (which was also directed by the Russo Brothers), and is also a follow-up to 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron.  Civil War the movie finds the Avengers suddenly having to contend with political interference in the their activities, which causes a rift between teammates, Captain America and Iron Man.

Early in Captain America: Civil War, Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Sam Wilson/The Falcon (Anthony Mackie), and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) travel to Lagos, Nigeria.  There, they are on a mission to stop Hydra agent, Crossbones/Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo), from stealing a biological weapon from a lab in Lagos.  Just when the Avengers' mission seems successful, an unexpected, although not quite unavoidable, disaster occurs.

In the aftermath, U.S. Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt) informs the Avengers that the United Nations wants to oversee and control the Avengers in the wake of the events of New York City (as seen in Marvel's The Avengers), Washington D.C. (depicted in Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and in the nation of Sokovia (shown in Avengers: Age of Ultron), as well as in Lagos.  The United Nations is preparing to pass the “Sokovia Accords,” which will establish a UN panel to decide if and when the Avengers can go into action.  Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) supports the accords, but Steve Rogers does not.

That divides the team and pits Avengers who agree with Stark (“team” Iron Man) against the Avengers who support Rogers position (“team” Captain America).  Soon the Avengers are fighting one another, which draws in new costumed superheroes.  Meanwhile, a sinister, yet unseen force plots to take advantage of the Avengers' “civil war.”

I am not one of those people who believes that a movie is ruined for them if they read or hear “spoilers” about the contents of the movie.  Before I saw the original Star Wars film, I had read the official novelization of the movie countless times, and I do mean countless.  I was reading the thing about four or five times a year.  When I finally saw Star Wars (two years after first seeing The Empire Strikes Back, I felt like I had experienced the story for the first time, although I had a fairly good idea about the film's course of events.

However, I assiduously avoided finding out what happened in Captain America: Civil War.  That may be why I love the movie so much; every shocking reveal was indeed surprising to me.  A day after seeing Civil War (as I write this review), I still cannot believe that I liked it so much.  Here goes...

Captain America: Civil War is the best superhero movie that I have every seen.  It is the best film adaptation of a comic book that I have ever seen.  I am loathe to spoil it for you, dear reader, but if you have ever seen a superhero movie, you owe it to yourself to see Captain America: Civil War.   If you have seen a superhero movie from Pixar (The Incredibles), Warner Bros. Pictures (its numerous films based on DC Comics characters like Superman and Batman), Sony Pictures (its Spider-Man movies), Twentieth Century Fox (its movies based on Marvel Comics characters like the X-Men), or even one from Marvel Studios itself (the Iron Man and Avengers movies), then, you have to see Captain America: Civil War.  You have too, dammit!  It is now the gold standard for superhero movies.

I think the secret to the success of Marvel Studios' movies involves several elements.  Marvel movies have big action set pieces, and this one has enough to match the behemoth action scenes and sequences from both Avengers movies.  Each movie has great character drama that involves some kind of conflict.  It is not just man vs. man, man vs. himself, man vs. the world, or man vs. nature.  It's man vs. man, man vs. himself, man vs. the world, AND man vs. nature.

Most of all, the characters have engaging, cool, and even alluring personalities and personal stories.  Whether it is Steve Rogers' man-out-of-time tale or Tony Stark's duel between his out-sized ego and his desire to be the man who uplifts the human race, Marvel characters work on a personal level.  Steve Rogers and Tony Stark are just as amazing in or out of their costumes.

Captain America: Civil War is not only good because it has a riveting plot and narrative.  It is also good because Marvel Comics characters are simply great characters.  With each Marvel Studios movie or movie featuring Marvel characters produced by other studios, the world is discovering what comic book fans already know.  Go see Captain America: Civil War.  It will probably end up being better than 90 percent of the films that receive Oscar nominations this year.

10 of 10

Saturday, May 14, 2016


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint or syndication rights and fees.

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Frank Miller Covers Image Comics' "Moonshine #1"

MOONSHINE LOCAL COMIC SHOP DAY COVER ANNOUNCED

Image Comics is pleased to announce a special cover of Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso’s forthcoming MOONSHINE #1 in celebration of this year’s Local Comic Shop Day.

The cover will feature black and white art by Frank Miller and will be available to comic shop retailers with Diamond Code JUL168777 and on shelves on Local Comic Shop Day—Saturday, November 19th, 2016. The final order cutoff deadline for participating retailers is Monday, September 12th, 2016. 

Set during Prohibition, and deep in the backwoods of Appalachia, MOONSHINE #1 tells the story of Lou Pirlo, a city-slick “torpedo” sent from New York City to negotiate a deal with the best moonshiner in West Virginia, one Hiram Holt. What Lou doesn’t figure on is that Holt is just as cunning and ruthless as any NYC crime boss. Because not only will Holt do anything to protect his illicit booze operation, he’ll stop at nothing to protect a much darker family secret...a bloody, supernatural secret that must never see the light of day… or better still, the light of the full moon.

MOONSHINE #1 marks the first time Azzarello and Risso have worked together for Image Comics and reunites the Eisner Award winning creative team that defined modern crime comics with 100 Bullets… and now puts a horror-twist on a classic gangster tale.


About Local Comic Shop Day:
Local Comic Shop Day® will be held on November 19, 2016 this year.

For 2016, the date has been changed to the Saturday before Small Business Saturday. “We polled participating retailers if they preferred to have Local Comic Shop Day® on November 19th or November 26th,” said ComicsPRO President Peter Dolan (Main Street Comics, Middletown NY). “By a margin of 73% to 27%, our retailers wanted to change the date to the earlier Saturday so it would have a distinct identity separate from Small Business Saturday.”

Local Comic Shop Day® is the only Comic Book Industry event created and run by retailers for retailers. “Last year nearly 400 storefronts participated in Local Comic Shop Day®,” said ComicsPRO Executive Director Marco Davanzo (Alakazam Comics, Irvine CA). “Each and every one of these retailers has a voice in how we grow the day—that’s why we polled them and will continue to ask their opinions as we go forward.”

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 1st to 10th, 2016 - Update #39

Support Leroy on Patreon.

MOVIES - From Variety:  At the Toronto International Film Festival, "Birth of a Nation" debuts with a standing ovation, in spite of the ongoing controversy about its director.  Cause it's time to move on.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Natalie Portman as First Lady Jackie Kennedy is all the buzz at Toronto.

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GREED - From Money:  5300 Wells Fargo employees fired in massive fake account scam against customers.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Vin Diesel developing a "first responders" drama for NBC.

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MOVIES - From TheVillageVoice:  Charles Burnett's "To Sleep with Anger" reawakens.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Meryl Streep and J.J. Abrams come together for the TV project, "The Nix."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Universal and Focus Features wins the rights to Paul Thomas Anderson's next film, which will reunite him with Daniel Day-Lewis.

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ECO - From EcoWatch:  Leonardo DiCaprio and three stars from the "Justice League" movie, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher, join the protest against the "Dakota Access" pipeline.

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OBIT - From Variety:  The drag icon, "The Lady Chablis" has died Thursday, September 8, 2016.  She appeared in John Berendt's bestselling novel, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" and also in Clint Eastwood's 1997 film adaptation of the novel.  Her age is unknown.

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MOVIES - From HitFix:  Apparently, "The Crow" reboot is moving forward, maybe with Jason Momoa in the lead.  I think the whole thing is a bad idea.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Johnny Depp to headline a thriller about the murders of rappers Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling in talks to join "A Wrinkle in Time," to be directed by Ava DuVernay.

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TELEVISION - From RSN:  Fox News has settled with Gretchen Carlson in her sexual harassment suit against super-predator Roger Ailes.

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OBIT - From Variety:  The prolific TV director, Leslie H. Martinson, has died at the age of 101, Saturday, September 3, 2016.  He directed over 100 episodes of various TV series, but he is best known for directing the 1966 film, "Batman: The Movie."

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COMICS-FILM - From BleedingCool:  Set photos from "Spider-Man: Homecoming" may reveal the villain, "The Shocker."

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COMICS-FILM - From ETCanada:  Chadwick Boseman says "Black Panther" to be grittier than other Marvel movies.

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OBIT - From Variety:  The actor Hugh O'Brian has died at the age of 91, Monday, September 5, 2016.  He was best known for playing the lead in the popular ABC Western television series, "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1955-61).

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CULTURE - From TheDailyBeast:  Nativists/racists attack Chobani for hiring Muslim refugees.

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DA LORD - From NPR:  Mother Teresa is now a saint.

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TELEVISION - From HitFix:  A look at the Ava DuVernay-created, Oprah Winfrey produced family drama, "Queen Sugar."

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JAMES BOND - From Indiewire:  Sony reportedly throws big money at Daniel Craig to return as James Bond for two more films, while the studio and Bond bosses prepare a transition for a younger, longer term successor.

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TELEVISION -  From EW:  Get a first look at "Ghost Rider" from "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

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OBIT - From YahooMusic:  Jerry Heller once managed seminal rap group, N.W.A.  He died at the age of 75 on Friday, September 2, 2016.  Heller's attorney says the N.W.A. biopic, "Straight Outta Compton," caused Heller's death.

From Uproxx:  Jerry Heller, of Ruthless Records and N.W.A., has died.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the three-day Labor Day 2016 weekend (9/2 to 9/4/2016) is "Don't Breathe" with an estimated take of $15.7 million.  The four-day weekend result will be released tomorrow.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Clint Eastwood's biopic, "Sully," gets a standing ovation at the Telluride Film Festival.  Eastwood had a relatively tough time getting it made.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson gives first look at his "Jumanji" character, "The Smoldering Dr. Bravestone."

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MOVIES - From YahooCelebrity:  Gabby Sidibe's has lot a LOT of weight.

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MOVIES - From SlashFilm:  Why didn't the "Saints Row" film happen?

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CULTURE - From TheGuardian:  Comedian and actor Leslie Jones continues to face intense racism.

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OBIT - From TheAVClub:  The actor Jon Polito has died at the age of 65, Thursday, September 1, 2016.  He had a long and prolific career.  He played cops and was a favorite of the Coen Brothers, appearing in "Miller's Crossing" and "The Big Lebowski" to name a few.

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SPORTS - From RSN:  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on those who insult Colin Kaepernick.

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SPORTS - From YahooNews:  When college football player, Travis Rudolph, sat at a lunchroom table with a lonely autistic boy named Bo Paske, it started a sensation.

From YahooSports:  Bo said it was like sitting on rainbows.

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MOVIES - From YahooNews:  For its DVD release, Paul Feig's all-female Ghostbusters reboot gets a new title, "Ghostbusters: Answer the Call."

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MEDIA - From YahooFinance:  Disney is a diversified media empire and is more than just Mickey Mouse, of course.

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COMICS - From BleedingCool:  DC Comics is currently producing four comic books that re-imagine various characters from classic Hanna-Barbera animated television series.  "The Jetsons" will be getting the re-imagination treatment.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Fox Searchlight and Nate Parker will hold a press conference at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival for "The Birth of a Nation." Parker continues to deal with the controversy concerning a rape allegation from 17 (!) years ago.

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SPORTS - From YahooTV:  NFL executives and front office people boldly proclaim how much the hate Colin Kaepernick, quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, for not standing for the National Anthem.  But they do so by keeping their names off the record.  Both the NFL officials and the reporter and his media outlet are cowards.

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  First trailer for "Underworld: Blood Wars." 'Bout time.

From YouTube:  "Morgan" opens today.  See her go from beautiful child to killer.

From YouTube:  "Kubo and the Two Strings" offers a time-lapse clip from the making of the film.

"Beyblade Burst" Coming This Fall; Debuts in Canada September 10th

BEYBLADE Offers Fans a New Way to Battle with the Launch of BEYBLADE BURST

The Next Generation of the Legendary BEYBLADE Franchise Launches with New Integrated Physical and Digital Play Experience, Animated Series and More

PAWTUCKET, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This fall, the BEYBLADE phenomenon returns with a new way to battle with the launch of the next generation--BEYBLADE BURST. Global play company Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS) has teamed up with SUNRIGHTS INC. and d-rights Inc. to launch BEYBLADE BURST in North America beginning this fall (in Canada, September 10, 2016 on Teleton) with an innovative toy line that integrates with a new digital app and an animated series that will excite existing and new fans alike.

    @HasbroNews and #Sunrights launch @beyblade_burst with integrated play experience, animated series and more!

he BEYBLADE BURST product line from Hasbro features a dynamic “burst” feature designed to bring more excitement to the successful battling play pattern. Setting the stage for suspenseful competition, battling can trigger the spinning tops to burst into pieces. The initial line will consist of customizable BEYBLADE BURST tops with interchangeable components, plus a BEYBLADE BURST BEYSTADIUM and BEYBLADE BURST EPIC RIVALS BATTLE SET for fans to engage in head-to-head competitions where they will want to ‘battle for the burst'. The BEYBLADE BURST line will be available in Canada at Toys“R”Us in September, followed by additional retailers in Canada later in 2016. The BEYBLADE BURST line will hit shelves in the U.S. in January 2017 with Europe, Latin America and certain other markets to follow in 2017.

BEYBLADE fans can expand their play digitally with the BEYBLADE BURST app available now in the App Store and Google Play in the U.S. and Canada for supported iOS and Android devices with certain other markets to follow in 2017. Players can scan their BEYBLADE BURST tops into the app where they can interchange components with other BEYBLADE BURST tops in their virtual collection and battle digitally. The BEYBLADE BURST app also includes a local multi-player experience and a tournament mode.

“We are excited to reinvent the BEYBLADE franchise with the BEYBLADE BURST product line and app experience,” said Jerry Perez, senior vice president of marketing at Hasbro. “The breakthrough new burst component, combined with our most in-depth integrated digital experience ever, allows fans to engage in epic BEYBLADE battles and strive to become a BEYBLADE master.”

“We are thrilled to see this new generation come to life through the BEYBLADE BURST toy line and digital app,” says Daizo Suzuki, President of SUNRIGHTS INC. “The animation brings exciting new characters, stories and battles to a new generation of fans who can participate in an immersive digital world of BEYBLADE BURST.”

The new BEYBLADE BURST animated series is created by production company OLM and includes new characters, stories and dramatic battles. The series will air in Canada beginning Saturday, September 10 at 3pm on Teletoon with other broadcast deals to be announced.

The BEYBLADE franchise was inspired by traditional Japanese battling tops called "Bei-Goma” and originally created in 1999 by TOMY Company, Ltd. as a modern battling top system. The brand has been an international phenomenon in over 80 countries, with two full generations to date, including seven series, two movies, and three spin off series.

SUNRIGHTS INC., the fast growing New York based entertainment arm of Japanese production company d-rights Inc., will handle the distribution of broadcast, non-toy merchandising and promotional rights for BEYBLADE BURST outside of Asia. Learn more on SUNRIGHTS INC’s website and social channels at www.beyblade.com, Facebook.com/officialbeyblade, Twitter.com/Beyblade_burst and instagram.com/officialbeyblade/.


About Hasbro
Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global company committed to Creating the World's Best Play Experiences, by leveraging its beloved brands, including LITTLEST PET SHOP, MAGIC: THE GATHERING, MONOPOLY, MY LITTLE PONY, NERF, PLAY-DOH and TRANSFORMERS, and premier partner brands. From toys and games, television programming, motion pictures, digital gaming and consumer product licensing, Hasbro fulfills the fundamental need for play and connection with children and families around the world. The Company's Hasbro Studios and its film label, ALLSPARK PICTURES, create entertainment brand-driven storytelling across mediums, including television, film, digital and more. Through the company's commitment to corporate social responsibility, including philanthropy, Hasbro is helping to build a safe and sustainable world and to positively impact the lives of millions of children and families. Learn more at www.hasbro.com, and follow us on Twitter (@Hasbro & @HasbroNews) and Instagram (@Hasbro).

About SUNRIGHTS INC.
SUNRIGHTS INC. is an entertainment rights management company backed by one of the top advertising agencies in Japan, Asatsu DK, and the trading conglomerate Mitsubishi Corp. Located in New York City, SUNRIGHTS directly manages the development of intellectual property globally outside of Asia. Learn more about us at http://sunrights-inc.com.

About d-rights Inc.
d-rights, Inc. is a key player in international production of animated content for families and children globally. They are recognized for brands such as BEYBLADE, B-Daman, and Scan2Go. d-rights manages every aspect of content creation from production to distribution, financing, marketing and product licensing. Co-owned by Asatsu-DK Inc. (ADK) who distributes popular titles including "Yu-Gi-Oh!", "Doraemon", "Crayon Shin-chan" and "One piece”, and Mitsubishi Corporation, d-rights assumes a key role in the global business. Check out our properties at http://www.d-rights.com.

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Warner Bros. Lines Up Promotional Partners for Animated Feature, "Storks"

“Storks” Marketing Campaign Takes Flight with Flock of Promotional Partners

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The highly anticipated big-screen animated adventure “Storks,” opening nationwide on September 23, 2016, has attracted key promotional partners on a global and national scale, many of whom have supported other big, high-profile franchise and tentpole releases. These broad target and family-friendly partnerships, across a wide range of brands, will contribute to building awareness and excitement for “Storks” through a variety of consumer outreach opportunities – including attention-capturing in-store displays and product co-branding, cool digital content, and themed sweepstakes and giveaways.

    “Find the right seat for your flock”

Among the promotional partners supporting “Storks” are Movietickets.com, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, Red Robin, Land O’Frost, Cinnabon, the Ad Council, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, zulily, Jarritos, Color Me Mine and Sony Xperia. From grocery, casual dining and specialty treats to online retailers, to public service announcement tie-ins, these brands spearhead a comprehensive campaign designed to engage moviegoers directly, with an emphasis toward fun, kids and families.

Online ticket giant Movietickets.com recently launched an in-theatre “Storks” program throughout 5,500 screens and 900 theaters. Fresh off their recent promotion for “The Angry Birds Movie,” Menchie’s, North America’s largest self-serve frozen yogurt franchise, is introducing flavors tied to “Storks” characters while guests enjoy their favorite frozen yogurt flavors in the “cutest cup you’ve ever seen,” available exclusively in all U.S. Menchie’s stores now through September 30th. Red Robin, the casual dining restaurant chain welcoming guests of all ages, has selected “Storks” as its summer movie partner, offering a FREE movie ticket with the purchase of a co-branded $25 Red Robin gift card. The chain expects to garner more than 56 million impressions for the film during a six-week promotional window.

Also on board is high quality lunchmeat brand Land O’Frost, who began delivering 14 million co-branded packages of its products to thousands of retailers nationwide. But did you know that Cinnabon® has a “Bon in the Oven?” It’s true, the market leader among cinnamon roll bakeries is partnering with “Storks” to celebrate the launch of the franchise’s new product, the BonBite™, supporting the film with a co-branded promotion in 500 stores across the U.S. The Ad Council, in tandem with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is encouraging consumers to “Find the right seat for your flock,” in a national public service ad campaign featuring characters from the movie and spreading the message about child passenger safety for kids.

Additionally, the online retailer zulily has partnered with “Storks” to create an upcoming film-themed “Welcome Baby” sale for its millions of customers starting September 21st. Jarritos, the leading soft drink company for the U.S. Hispanic market, will have co-branded packaging at over 6,000 retail locations hosting a movie ticket giveaway. Preeminent paint-it-yourself franchise Color Me Mine will incorporate “Storks” into their “Kids Night Out” program by hosting film-themed events in 150 stores. And rounding out the list of partnerships, Sony will offer content from the film via its Xperia Lounge Content Hub, with a global reach of more than 10 million users across Sony smart phones, tablets and other Android devices, 24 million Facebook followers and an additional 3.5 million direct mail consumers, through interactive digital media and a themed sweepstakes.

Warner Bros. Pictures has also secured a number of internationally based promotional partnership opportunities for “Storks” in major markets, including, to date: Canada, Mexico, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Russia.

Blair Rich, President, Worldwide Marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures, stated, “We are delighted that ‘Storks’ has attracted the support of such a meaningful group of companies. Our promotional partners are a valuable component of our campaign in communicating that ‘Storks’ is a big, fun, summer event movie for the whole family.”

Storks deliver babies…or at least they used to. Now they deliver packages for global internet retail giant Cornerstore.com. Junior (Andy Samberg), the company’s top delivery stork, is about to be promoted when the Baby Factory is accidentally activated on his watch, producing an adorable – and wholly unauthorized – baby girl.

Desperate to deliver this bundle of trouble before the boss gets wise, Junior and his friend Tulip, the only human on Stork Mountain, race to make their first-ever baby drop, in a wild and revealing journey that could make more than one family whole and restore the storks’ true mission in the world.

The animated adventure “Storks” stars Andy Samberg, Katie Crown, Kelsey Grammer, Jennifer Aniston, Ty Burrell, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, and Danny Trejo.

The film was directed by Nicholas Stoller and Doug Sweetland, from a screenplay written by Stoller. “Storks” was produced by Brad Lewis and Nicholas Stoller, with Glenn Ficarra, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, John Requa and Jared Stern serving as executive producers. It was edited by John Venzon. The music was composed by Mychael Danna and Jeff Danna. “Storks” also features new songs “Kiss the Sky,” performed by Jason Derulo, and “Holdin’ Out,” from The Lumineers. Animation was by Sony Pictures Imageworks.

From Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Animation Group, “Storks” is slated for release in 2D, and in 3D in select theaters, on September 23, 2016. It will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. Storksmovie.com

This film is rated PG for mild action and some thematic elements.

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Image Comics Offers "Violent Love"

FANS WILL FALL FOR VIOLENT LOVE

These bank robbers will steal readers’ hearts

Creators Frank J. Barbiere (FIVE GHOSTS, The Revisionist) and artist Victor Santos (THE MICE TEMPLAR, Polar) team up for a fresh, pulp-infused criminal romance in VIOLENT LOVE. The new ongoing series is set to launch from Image Comics this November.

In VIOLENT LOVE, readers meet Daisy Jane and Rock Bradley—two of the most notorious bank robbers in the American Southwest. And then they fell in love.

“Violent Love is a dream project for me in a lot of ways. First and foremost, I think Victor is one of the most talented graphic storytellers around, and it’s an honor to be collaborating with him and have him as my co-creator on Violent Love,” said Barbiere. “I’m also thrilled to be back at Image where I launched my career in comics. I’m a big fan of crime in comics, and I think it’s very important to find something new and interesting to say within the genre. With Violent Love, we’re bringing a unique style, story structure, and romantic angle to crime comics—we can’t wait for you to fall in love with these characters and see where our story goes."

Santos added: "My first work in the U.S. was at Image—a graphic novel titled Zombee. This was ten years ago, Image was different but promising. Later I worked on Mice Templar for almost five years. I am proud of how Image has been linked to my career, always giving me the chance to develop personal projects. Now with Violent Love, I am a more experienced artist and can again work with a close collaborator—a talented writer and a good friend—on the kind of stories I love to do and read. This book has the big words: Romance, Crime, Violence, Betrayal, and Love. I'm sure you’ll fall in love with this couple of rebel souls."

VIOLENT LOVE begins the adventure with a double-sized issue that oozes style and will rope readers in with its fast-paced action.

VIOLENT LOVE #1 Cover A (Diamond Code SEP160635) and Cover B (Diamond Code SEP160636) will hit comic book stores on Wednesday, November 9th, 2016. The final order cutoff deadline for retailers is Monday, October 17th, 2016.


ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

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"Young Frankenstein" Returns to Theaters for One Night Only - October 5th, 2016

‘Fronkensteen’ or ‘Frankenstein’? Audiences Decide When ‘Young Frankenstein’ Jolts Back Into U.S. Cinemas for One Special Night With a Live Introduction by Legendary Mel Brooks

Presented by Fathom Events and Twentieth Century Fox, This 1974 Classic Spoof on Horror Films Hits the Big Screen October 5, 2016 Only

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--It’s alive! It’s alive! up on the big screen for one special night when 20th Century Fox and Fathom Events present the electrifying comedy classic “Young Frankenstein” in cinemas nationwide. Seeing this black-and-white masterpiece on the big screen with fellow audience members is a rarity in itself, but to make this screening a truly one-of-a-kind experience, writer and director Mel Brooks will introduce the classic live from the 20th Century Fox Lot—near the “Young Frankenstein” Mural on Stage 5, which was unveiled on the film’s 40th anniversary.

    .@FathomEvents News: It's alive! It's alive! #YoungFrankenstein is up on the big screen for one special night 10/5

Brooks will also pay tribute to his friend and the film’s star and co-writer, Gene Wilder, who passed away recently.

“Young Frankenstein” comes to movie theaters nationwide on Wednesday, October 5, 2016, at 8:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. CT / 6:00 p.m. MT / 5:00 p.m. PT. During the introduction, Brooks will give moviegoers a tour of the Fox studio lot, including Mel Brooks Blvd., the Young Frankenstein mural, and the location of the film’s original shoot.

Tickets for “Young Frankenstein” can be purchased online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in more than 400 select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

Young Frankenstein brings together Brooks’ inimitable style with a loaded cast of comedy legends, including Gene Wilder as Frederick Fronkensteen, Marty Feldman as shifty humpback Igor, Teri Garr as the hay-rolling lab assistant Inga, Madeleine Kahn as Dr. Frankenstein’s high-strung fiancée Elizabeth, Peter Boyle as the kind-hearted monster, an uncredited Gene Hackman as the blind man who befriends him, and Cloris Leachman as Frau Blücher.

Join the young neurosurgeon (Wilder), as he inherits the castle of his grandfather, the famous Dr. Victor von Frankenstein. Young Frankenstein believes that the work of his grandfather is useless, but when he discovers the book where the mad doctor described his reanimation experiment, he suddenly changes his mind.

“Mel Brooks has sold out venues nationwide, including Radio City Music Hall, when he has introduced his movie classics. It is an incredible honor to be able to bring fans all over the country a live, personal introduction by Mel to one of his most famous and unforgettable films,” Fathom Events Vice President of Studio Relations Tom Lucas said. “It will be a night to remember.”

Following the massive success of Brooks’ Blazing Saddles, Twentieth Century Fox unleashed Young Frankenstein on audiences on December 15, 1974, and it went on to play for months, grossing more than $86 million – equivalent to nearly $400 million in today’s dollars. Nominated for two Academy Awards®, including its screenplay by Wilder and Brooks, Young Frankenstein has become one of the best-known – and most quoted – comedies of all time, ranking No. 13 on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 funniest films.

Continuing the celebration of this comedy classic, Black Dog & Leventhal, an imprint of Hachette Books, will be publishing Young Frankenstein: A Mel Brooks Book: The Making of the Film, an oversized, illustrated book featuring a complete, behind-the-scenes look at the making of Young Frankenstein, with a foreword by Judd Apatow. This new hardcover will be available wherever books are sold on October 18, 2016.


About Fathom Events
Fathom Events is recognized as the leading domestic distributor of event cinema, and ranks as one of the largest overall distributors of content to movie theaters. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) (known collectively as AC JV, LLC), Fathom Events offers a variety of one-of-a-kind entertainment events that include live, high-definition performances of the Metropolitan Opera, dance and theatre productions such as the Bolshoi Ballet and National Theatre Live’s Hamlet, sporting events like FS1 Presents USA v Mexico, concerts with Roger Waters and One Direction, the TCM Presents classic film series and faith-based events such as The Drop Box and Four Blood Moons. Fathom Events takes audiences behind the scenes and offers unique extras including audience Q&As, backstage footage and interviews with cast and crew, creating the ultimate VIP experience. Fathom Events’ live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is the largest cinema broadcast network in North America, bringing live and pre-recorded events to 887 locations and 1,354 screens in 181 Designated Market Areas® (including all of the top 50). For more information, visit www.fathomevents.com.

About 20th Century Fox
One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, 20th Century Fox produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of 20th Century Fox Film: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Productions, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.

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