Warner Brothers Home Entertainment is bringing one of 2023’s biggest surprises to 4K Ultra HD. The delightful musical fantasy feature “Wonka” from director Paul King tells the origin story of author Roald Dahl’s famed inventor, magician, and chocolatier, Willy Wonka. Timothée Chalamet gives his most endearing performance to date as the dream-driven young Wonka who arrives in Europe to establish his chocolate shop at the renowned Galéries Gourmet. It features a terrific ensemble and rousing musical numbers on top of fabulous costume and production design.

This 4K Ultra HD and Digital Copy edition of “Wonka” will be available to own on February 27th. See below for a full synopsis and release information.

About the Film

Year: 2023

Runtime: 116 Minutes

Director: Paul King

Screenwriter: Simon Farnaby and Paul King

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Paterson Joseph, Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter

Rating: PG for Some Violence, Mild Language and Thematic Elements

From Paul King, writer/director of the “Paddington” films, David Heyman, producer of “Harry Potter,” “Gravity,” “Barbie” and “Paddington,” and producers Alexandra Derbyshire (the “Paddington” films, “Jurassic World: Dominion”) and Luke Kelly (“Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical”), comes an intoxicating mix of magic and music, mayhem and emotion, all told with fabulous heart and humor. 

Synopsis

Based on the extraordinary, iconic character at the center of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, one of the best-selling children’s books of all time, “Wonka” tells the wondrous story of how a young chocolate-maker, armed with nothing but a hatful of dreams, manages to change the world, one delectable bite at a time.

Starring Timothée Chalamet in the title role, this irresistibly vivid and inventive big screen spectacle will introduce audiences to a young Willy Wonka, as he becomes the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker.

Special Features

“Wonka” 4K UHD and Digital Copy contain the following special features:  

Unwrapping Wonka: Paul King’s Vision

• Revered director Paul King takes you on a deep dive into his experience adapting the beloved story of Wonka.

The Whimsical Music of Wonka​

• Composer Joby Talbot and songwriter Neil Hannon take you into the studio to illuminate the craft behind the wondrous songs of the film.

Welcome to Wonka Land ​

• Production designer Nathan Crowley and the rest of the “Wonka” crew discuss creating the magical sets that transport audiences to the worlds of the film.

Hats Off to Wonka

• Costume designer Lindy Hemming breaks down the inspiration and intention behind each of the character’s wonderful costumes.

Wonka’s Chocolatier ​

• Chocolatier Gabriella Cugno provides an in-depth look at the creatin of the beautiful chocolates seen in “Wonka.”

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment has announced the release of Steven Soderbergh’s acclaimed 2011 medical disaster thriller “Contagion” on 4K Ultra HD for the very first time. This smart and tightly-plotted nail-biter follows the outbreak of a highly contagious and deadly virus, the growing death toll, and the courageous efforts of those desperately working to identify and contain it. It features a star-studded ensemble that includes Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bryan Cranston, Jennifer Ehle, Elliott Gould, and John Hawkes.

This 4K Ultra HD and Digital Copy edition of “Contagion” will be available to own on February 27th. See below for a full synopsis and release information.

About the Film

Year: 2011

Runtime: 106 Minutes

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Screenwriter: Scott Z. Burns

Cast: Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bryan Cranston, Jennifer Ehle, Elliott Gould, Sanaa Lathan, John Hawkes, Chin Han

Rating: PG-13 for Disturbing Content and Some Language

Directed by Academy Award winner Steven Soderbergh (“Traffic”), “Contagion” features an all-star ensemble cast including Academy Award winner Marion Cottilard (“La Vie en Rose”), Academy Award winner Matt Damon (“Good Will Hunting”), Academy Award nominee Laurence Fishburne (“What’s Love Got to Do with it”), Academy Award nominee Jude Law (“The Talented Mr. Ripley”, “Cold Mountain”), Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow (“Shakespeare in Love”), Academy Award winner Kate Winslet (“The Reader”), Academy Award nominee and Emmy winner Bryan Cranston (“Trumbo”, TV’s “Breaking Bad”), Tony Award winner Jennifer Ehle (Broadway’s “The Real Thing,” “The Coast of Utopia”), and Tony Award nominee Sanaa Lathan (“A Raisin in the Sun”).

Synopsis

An international traveler reaches into the snack bowl at an airport bar before passing her credit card to a waiter. A business meeting begins with a round of handshakes. A man coughs on a crowded bus… One contact. One instant. And a lethal virus is transmitted.

When Beth Emhoff (Paltrow) returns to Minneapolis from business in Hong Kong, what she thought was jet lag takes a virulent turn. Two days later, she’s dead in the ER and the doctors tell her shocked and grieving husband (Damon) they have no idea why. Soon, others exhibit the same mysterious symptoms: hacking coughs and fever, followed by seizure, brain hemorrhage… and ultimately, death. The numbers quickly multiply as the contagion sweeps across all borders, fueled by the countless human interactions that make up the course of an average day. A global pandemic explodes.

As the death toll escalates and people struggle to protect themselves and their loved ones in a society breaking down, one activist blogger (Law) claims the public isn’t getting the truth about what’s really going on and sets off an epidemic of paranoia and fear as infectious as the virus itself.

Special Features

“Contagion” Ultra HD Blu-ray disc and Digital contains the following previously released special features:

• The Reality of Contagion – Featurette
• The Contagion Detectives – Featurette
• Contagion – How a Virus Changes the World –Featurette

Yesterday Lionsgate released the first trailer for their upcoming sci-fi action comedy “Borderlands”. Based on the popular video game series from Gearbox Software, “Borderlands” follows a ragtag group of misfits as they take on the countless dangers of planet Pandora in an effort to save the daughter of a powerful crime lord. Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Edgar Ramirez, Ariana Greenblatt, Florian Munteanu, and others make up its wacky ensemble.

To help get us ready for the film’s near future release, Lionsgate has also released a series of killer character posters for “Borderlands”. Take a look….

Video games have a history of not translating well to the big screen. But that hasn’t stopped gaming studios from taking their cinematic swings. The latest to try is the popular action looter-shooter “Borderlands” from Gearbox Software. This wacky looking adaptation is directed and co-written by Eli Roth and features a truly bonkers ensemble. There’s certainly lots of potential. But much like the video game series, there’s also a lot of question marks.

Set within a space-Western sci-fi fantasy world, “Borderlands” follows a ragtag team of misfits that includes Cate Blanchett as a bounty hunter named Lilith, Kevin Hart as a mercenary named Roland, Jack Black as wisecracking robot named Claptrap, Jamie Lee Curtis as a mad scientist named Tannis, Ariana Greenblatt as an explosives guru named Tiny Tina, and Florian Munteanu as Tina’s musclebound protector Krieg. They set out to rescue the daughter of a gangster (Edgar Ramirez) on the most dangerous planet in the galaxy. Again, lots of potential, but just as many ways for it to go off the rails.

“Borderlands” is coming soon to theaters. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

What can I say, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the MonsterVerse movies. Part of it is the kid in me who is still naturally drawn to these spectacles. And I can’t shake how much fun I have watching them with my family. “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” is the fifth film in the MonsterVerse and a sequel to 2021’s “Godzilla vs Kong”. Alex Wingard returns to direct while Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry are back, reprising their roles from the previous film.

This latest entry sees Godzilla and Kong forced together in order to fight a terrifying new threat from within our world. In addition to the wild epic-scaled monster action, it looks like we will be learning more about the histories and origins of the Titans. The trailer gives us a nice sample size of both. I’m not sure “The New Empire” will do much to win over those uninterested in the MonsterVerse. But for fans like me, this looks like a mega-ton of fun.

“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” smashes into theaters on March 29th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

The El Dorado Film Festival treated cinema lovers to an awesome variety of short films from all around the globe. But it also took time to showcase an exciting range of filmmakers with Arkansas connections. The Short Films with Arkansas Ties block featured a diverse group of films which offer just a sample of the immense talent coming out of the Natural State. Here is a rundown with some impressions of the seven films included.

“Pretty Canoe”

Deep in a lush forest, two escaped prison inmates, Terrance (Dustin Prince) and Travis (Trace Collie), are on the run. With the sheriff and his deputies on their heels, the convicts seek shelter in a remote cabin owned by Terrence’s cousin Jo (Janet Travis). Terrance has their escape plan all figured out, but as Jo is quick to inform him, “Lots has changed since you’ve been gone.” The early Coen brothers influences are all over this entertaining and tension-driven southern crime thriller from director Nicholas Holland and writer Justin Collie. (4 STARS)

“Arkansas Maternal Health Community Hackathon”

The lone documentary in the block takes on the critical issue of maternal health in the state of Arkansas. Directed with urgency by Ringo Jones, the short film does a good job clearly defining the problem but is a little murkier when describing the hackathon and the efforts being taken towards prevention. The statistics Jones offers are staggering including Arkansas having the highest maternal mortality rate in the country. And it’s sobering to learn that 91% of case are preventable especially in rural counties. The call to awareness alone makes this a worthwhile watch. (3 STARS)

“Banana Triangle Six”

Based on a Louis Bayard short story, “Banana Triangle Six” is a tender, heart-wrenching, and challenging film that poses some weighty questions while offering no easy answers. Directed with sincerity and empathy by Marc Crandall, the film follows the crusty Hank Crute (Bill Rogers), a resident of the Spring Valley retirement home. There’s a playfulness to the early scenes but things take a more serious and eye-opening turn with the appearance of Dr. Landis (Cassie Self), a cognitive function tester. From there Crandall’s thoughtful direction guides us through some difficult and thought-provoking material, prompting us to wrestle with considerations I never saw coming. (4 STARS)

“Criterion”

Oh those critics. They can be an insufferable sort. Such is the case in “Criterion”, Jeremy Enis’ brutal analysis of the world of art competition and criticism. Enis directs, writes, produces, shoots, and edits this unsettling thriller that follows a timid young artist who enters her work into an intense competition that’s being judged by a revered yet vilely pretentious art critic. The terrified entrants hinge on the critic’s every haughty word and crumble under his pitiless critiques all the way to the twisted finale which almost feels yanked out of an early David Fincher movie. It’s shaky in spots but “Criterion” really leaves an impression. (3.5 STARS)

“Mama Love”

Elegantly shot and emotionally layered, “Mama Love” takes a touching look at mortality, mother-daughter relationships, and the realization that there are things about our loved ones that we’ll never know. Writer-director Mary McDade Casteel guides us through the memories of family matriarch Mama Love (played by Gail Cronauer) as she lies on her death bed. Past moments with her daughter Sybil (Laura Cayouette) reveal a complicated relationship that I wish had been given more time. Instead it’s Mama Love’s friendship with a woman named Nora (a superb Rhonda Johnson Dents) that takes center stage. Evocative visuals and fabulous performances drive the heartbreaking drama. (3.5 STARS)

“The Book Club”

Let me start by saying this is no ordinary book club. Six local women gather together each month to enjoy fellowship, refreshments, and conversations about their latest books of choice. A soft-spoken young housewife named Lucy (Victoria Fox) is attending for the first time and she thoroughly enjoys herself. But when her angry husband shows up unannounced to take her home, the other women sense that something is wrong. I won’t dare spoil where director Johnnie Brannon takes his story, but it’s devilishly unexpected, lightly sinister, and utterly satisfying. (4 STARS)

“How Do I Tell You This”

Ted (Jeff Pearson) is a seemingly content local artist who has never left his hometown. Elizabeth (Misha Molani) is an outgoing philanthropist who travels the world. Ted is surprised when Liz comes to town, leading the longtime long-distance friends to spend an afternoon together. But as they walk and talk in person for the first time, hidden feelings surface and heartfelt questions about their relationship arise. From its opening frame to its final cut, there is a palpable sense of longing that runs throughout the film. It’s conveyed through the two terrific performances and from director Lara Hill whose deep affection for these characters is seen in every smart and savvy choice that’s made. (4 STARS)