International Women’s Day: "WE THE SHE CONCERT" for MARCH 8TH, 2021

“We The She,” a night of empowerment from selected female artists, will celebrate International Women’s Day, 2021 on March 8, with live music and conversation, online.

“We The She” takes place on International Women’s Day, March 8 between 6 and 9 PM ET / 3-6 PM PT at https://fb.me/e/cOW9ET4Xa.

Admission is $10.00. Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/we-the-she-livestream-concert-tickets-142561277619.

Organized by Musician / Community and Social Media Activist Val Kinzler, “We The She” is co-sponsored by NYC Women Who Rock, TuneHatch, OffStage Tunes, Hot Indie Media, 6/8 Music NYC, Women Of Culture, Indie Woman Podcast, WilsonInk.com, INeedMore.com, RecordingArtistsDevelopment.org, and Warrior Women In Business.    

Meet our artists! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4bnhSVu7bY

Check out our merch: https://teespring.com/stores/nyc-we-the-she-event-merch

The Facebook event page is http://www.facebook.com/vkblive

First organized in the year 1909, International Women’s Day focuses on achievements by women and how far they have come in the fight for their rights within the political, cultural, and social spheres. International Women’s Day was originally proclaimed by Susan B. Anthony, a political activist and advocate of women’s rights.

Below are links of the Featured Performers:

Val Kinzler
http://www.valkinzler.com

Violizzy
http://www.bluestone739.com/

Jules Quinn
https://bit.ly/3knxabN

Rew Starr
https://artistecard.com/ReWSTaRR

Carol Lester
http://carollester.com

Rigel Mary Sarjoo
www.instagram.com/rigelmarysarjoo/

Jen Dog Lone Wolf
http://www.facebook.com/jendoglonewolf

Gia Jordan - The Violence
Instagram.com/theviolence1

Sonya Heller
http://www.sonyaheller.com

Jasmine Sandler aka Jazz (Silent Fury Band)
http://www.silentfuryband.com

Anne Leighton
soundcloud.com/leightonmedia/sets/the-leighton-explosion

Bel Holiday
http://www.soundsofbelholiday.com

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Square Enix Music and Sony Masterworks: "FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE" (150 TRACKS / 8 HOURS OF MUSIC)

Available today on all music streaming services is the long-awaited full soundtrack album to FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE from Square Enix Music and Sony Masterworks. The soundtrack features over 150 tracks and more than 8 hours of original music from composers Nobuo Uematsu, Masashi Hamauzu, Mitsuto Suzuki and others. It also features the game’s end credits theme song “Hollow” by Yosh. Final Fantasy VII REMAKE was released for the PS4 on April 10, 2020 and has since received positive reviews, and awards including The Game Award for Best Score and Music and Best Role Playing Game.

Sony Music Masterworks comprises Masterworks, Sony Classical, Milan Records, OKeh, Portrait and Masterworks Broadway imprints. For email updates and information please visit https://lnk.to/sonysoundtracks.
 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Lakeshore Records: "CHERRY" music by Henry Jackman

Lakeshore Records digitally releases Cherry Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Henry Jackman (Captain America: Civil War, Big Hero 6) from the highly-anticipated Apple Original film directed by the Russo Brothers – now playing in select theaters and premiering globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, March 12, 2021. The soundtrack will be available exclusively on Apple Music for 60 days before becoming available to all other DSPs on Tuesday, March 30, 2021.
 
“The Comedown” lead single was previously released earlier this year and is available exclusively on Apple Music until March 19, 2021 when it becomes available to all other DPSs.
 
Speaking about his score, Henry Jackman stated, “Cherry’s soundscape never deviates from the core idea of emulating the internal. It’s music that ebbs and flows depending on the emotions and mental state of the main character grounding the film in Cherry’s subjective experience.”
 
Directors Joe and Anthony Russo said of Jackman and his score, "This is Henry's most sublime work. Beautiful, poignant, riotous, devious. Breathtaking in its ability to manifest such complex tones, while unifying them at the same time. He's truly a master of the craft."

Cherry follows the wild journey of a disenfranchised young man from Ohio who meets the love of his life, only to risk losing her through a series of bad decisions and challenging life circumstances. Inspired by the best-selling novel of the same name, “Cherry” features Tom Holland in the title role as an unhinged character who drifts from dropping out of college to serving in Iraq as an Army medic and is only anchored by his one true love, Emily (Ciara Bravo). When Cherry returns home a war hero, he battles the demons of undiagnosed PTSD and spirals into drug addiction, surrounding himself with a menagerie of depraved misfits. Draining his finances, Cherry turns to bank robbing to fund his addiction, shattering his relationship with Emily along the way. Brought to the screen in bold, gritty fashion by visionary directors Anthony and Joe Russo, Cherry is a darkly humorous, unflinching coming-of-age story of a man on a universal quest for purpose and human connection.
 
Henry Jackman has established himself as one of today’s top composers by fusing his classical training with his experience as a successful record producer and creator of electronic music.
 
“I’ve spent a lot of time working in the record industry,” says Jackman, “and for my money being a film composer is way more fun. You can be working on X-Men, and then a movie set in 17th-century Italy. It’s not about showing off what you think is cool or what you want to hear, but ‘what is this movie about, and what would best serve it?’ That process just leads to strange and remarkable places.”
 
Jackman’s upcoming feature is the anticipated drama from The Russo Brothers, Cherry. He recently completed Jumanji 2, a continuation of the magical board game adventure story, and Detective Pikachu, following the story of the beloved Pikachu Pokémon character starring Ryan Reynolds. His other recent work includes Ralph Breaks the Internet, which was nominated for Best Animated Feature. His other diverse credits include Captain America: Civil War, Kong: Skull Island, Captain Phillips, Big Hero 6, and Kingsman: The Golden Circle.  

Lakeshore Records is a four-time Grammy Nominated record label, and the soundtrack arm of the Cutting Edge Group.  Lakeshore Records is the global independent leader in top line soundtrack album releases, including such popular, critically acclaimed and classic soundtracks as Bridgerton, Drive, Stranger Things, The Old Guard, Cyberpunk 2077, When They See Us, The Handmaid's Tale, Black Mirror, Star Trek: Picard, Bojack Horseman, Les Miserables, Mandy, Narcos, Logan, The Walking Dead, Napoleon Dynamite, Bill and Ted Face the Music, Red Dead Redemption 2, Legion, the Academy Award nominated Lady Bird and Academy Award winners Moonlight, Little Miss Sunshine, American Factory, If Beale Street Could Talk and The Hurt Locker and many, many more.
 
For more information visit: www.lakeshorerecords.com 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Lakeshore Records: "THE VIGIL" Music by Michael Yezerski

Lakeshore Records digitally releases The Vigil Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Music by Michael Yezerski (The Tax Collector, Blindspotting). The soundtrack releases alongside the U.S. theatrical debut of the horror film, now in theaters and on demand from IFC Midnight.
 
Speaking about the philosophy behind the score, Yezerski said, "As [director] Keith Thomas and I discussed, music is memory. We associate music with the best and the worst times in our lives. For The Vigil we needed to create a score that explored the malevolence of memory (both personal and cultural).” Yezerski went on further to note, “We needed massive textures that could read as both beautiful and brutal. The music attacks but also meditates on long and difficult lives. After all, what is the greater horror at play here - the supernatural or our lived reality?"

Steeped in ancient Jewish lore and demonology, The Vigil is a supernatural horror film set over the course of a single evening in Brooklyn’s Hasidic Borough Park neighborhood. Low on funds and having recently left his insular religious community, Yakov reluctantly accepts an offer from his former rabbi and confidante to take on the responsibility of an overnight “shomer,” fulfilling the Jewish practice of watching over the body of a deceased community member. Shortly after arriving at the recently departed’s dilapidated house to sit the vigil, Yakov begins to realize that something is very, very wrong.

Michael Yezerski’s musical works are highly evocative, original and diverse.  From the symphonic grittiness of David Ayer’s THE TAX COLLECTOR to the quiet drama of BLINDSPOTTING; from the avant-garde horror drones of THE DEVIL’S CANDY to the heartfelt FEEL THE BEAT and THE BLACK BALLOON; Michael brings a signature musical intensity to every project he takes on.  Recent projects include the hit international series MR INBETWEEN, Keith Thomas’ wondrously terrifying THE VIGIL and the Stephen Dorff starrer DEPUTY for FOX / Cedar Park.
 
Earlier career highlights include HBO’s ONLY THE DEAD SEE THE END OF WAR, his first feature film THE BLACK BALLOON (winner of 8 AFI/AACTA Awards including Best Picture), PJ Hogan’s MENTAL, WOLF CREEK SERIES 2, CATCHING MILAT, PETER ALLEN, the Academy Award winning animated short, THE LOST THING and his collaboration with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, THE RED TREE.  Michael works from Los Angeles and Sydney.
 
Lakeshore Records is a four-time Grammy Nominated record label, and the soundtrack arm of the Cutting Edge Group.  Lakeshore Records is the global independent leader in top line soundtrack album releases, including such popular, critically acclaimed and classic soundtracks as Bridgerton, Drive, Stranger Things, The Old Guard, Cyberpunk 2077, When They See Us, The Handmaid's Tale, Black Mirror, Star Trek: Picard, Bojack Horseman, Les Miserables, Mandy, Narcos, Logan, The Walking Dead, Napoleon Dynamite, Bill and Ted Face the Music, Red Dead Redemption 2, Legion, the Academy Award nominated Lady Bird and Academy Award winners Moonlight, Little Miss Sunshine, American Factory, If Beale Street Could Talk and The Hurt Locker and many, many more.
 
Lakeshore Records works with the most respected, award-winning artists and composers such as Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Mary J. Blige, Hans Zimmer, Grimes, Common, Jonny Greenwood, Mica Levi, Willie Nelson, Alexandre Desplat, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, Run the Jewels, PJ Harvey, Philip Glass, Aloe Blacc, Rhiannon Ghiddens, Daniel Lanois, Nicholas Britell, Ziggy Marley, Danny Elfman, Giorgio Moroder, Aska Matsumiya, Clint Mansell, Bootsy Collins, Thomas Newman, Kris Bowers, Cliff Martinez, Randy Newman, James Horner, Gunship, Mark Isham, Kathryn Bostic, Carter Burwell, Rolfe Kent, Josh Homme, Gustavo Santaolalla, Nina Kraviz, Dario Marianelli, Mark Mothersbaugh, The JBs, Gazelle Twin, Christophe Beck, Rachel Portman, Amanda Jones and many many more.
 
For more information, visit: www.lakeshorerecords.com
 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Maisie Music Publishing: "Kid Cosmic and the Sonic Courage" music by Andy Bean

Netflix releases Kid Cosmic and the Sonic Courage - Music by Andy Bean from the Netflix Original Series! – now available to purchase and stream. The soundtrack album includes 20 songs by fictional bands conceptualized by show creator Craig McCracken (The Powerpuff Girls, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends) and Andy Bean (Muppet Babies, Wander Over Yonder), playing with the idea that the show was scored as if they pulled existing music from the Kid Cosmic world.
 
Speaking about how the series' unconventional score was dreamed up, Bean said, "Craig [McCracken] described his vision for Dr. Fang and The Gang (the fictional band that provides much of the score) to me more than five years ago, and I started writing songs in character as the group immediately - even before I knew any other details about the show. We wanted the music in Kid Cosmic to sound like it was being pulled from an old record in The Kid’s collection. This is that record!”

Kid Cosmic follows the adventures of an imaginative and enthusiastic boy who lives with his free-spirited Grandpa in a sparsely populated desert town. The Kid’s dreams of being a hero seem to come true when he discovers 5 Cosmic Stones of Power in a wrecked spaceship. He forms a team of local heroes to stop an onslaught of alien attacks to steal back the stones. Though the Kid and his team are the good guys, they’re really bad at it,and the Kid learns that his fantasy of being a hero is very different from the reality of what it actually means to become one.

Andy Bean is an Emmy-nominated songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist specializing in music for animation.  
 
He began his career as one half of the retro duo, The Two Man Gentlemen Band, first performing in New York city’s parks and subways before taking the act on the road for the better part of a decade. The duo’s irreverent songwriting and high-energy live performances won them a fiercely devoted (if modestly sized) following across the United States and Europe.
 
Through his work with the band, Andy landed his first composing gig scoring Disney’s Emmy-nominated animated series, Wander Over Yonder. His frantic banjo-driven sci-fi scores and heartfelt songwriting for the show earned him two Annie award nominations.
 
He is currently the composer and songwriter for Disney’s international hit pre-school series, Puppy Dog Pals, and songwriter for Disney Jr’s Muppet Babies re-boot (for which he received his first Emmy nomination). Between the two, he’s written over three-hundred songs across dozens of genres and scored over one-hundred episodes.
 
For his latest project, Netflix’s Kid Cosmic, Andy created much of the soundtrack under the guise of a fictional 70s psychedelic garage punk band, Dr. Fang & The Gang. The propulsive rock and roll score combines with the show’s distinctive art style to create exhilarating musical-action sequences unique in children’s television.
 
Andy lives in Los Angeles, CA with his wife and three daughters. When not holed up in his garage-studio writing music, he can frequently be found plunking the banjo, lap steel, or mandolin with various traditional jazz and country bands around Los Angeles.
 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Varèse Sarabande: "CRISIS" music by Raphaël Reed

Varèse Sarabande Records is thrilled to announce the upcoming Original Motion Picture Soundtrack release for the dramatic thriller Crisis, written and directed by Nicholas Jarecki (Arbitrage). The album is comprised of a pulsing electronic score from up-and-coming French Canadian composer Raphaël Reed. The soundtrack will be officially released by Varèse Sarabande on February 26, the day of the film’s theatrical release. Quiver Distribution will release Crisis on digital and demand on March 5.
 
Raphaël landed the project when director Nicholas Jarecki asked him to submit some gritty electronic music that would suit the film’s narrative. Upon reading the script, the composer created an experimental and heartfelt piece of music that spoke to Nicholas so much that it ended up becoming the main theme of Crisis (Track #28 - “I’m A Federal Agent”). Aesthetic Magazine exclusively premiered the Crisis main theme today—check it out here.
 
“Composing the music for Crisis was an incredible experience and a beautiful challenge. Cliff Martinez (music advisor) and I had weekly discussions with Nicholas Jarecki (director) about his vision for the film to have its own unique musical identity embodying the themes of struggle and hope in the face of great adversity—fitting ideas for the opioid emergency. We wanted the music to draw attention to the complexity of the characters’ emotions and to underline the darkness of the opioid epidemic while still instilling some positive possibilities. With that in mind, I experimented with different instruments, playing them in unusual ways, creating striking textures and strong thematic elements. I feel the result is a truly unique score that reflects the gritty, real, and beautiful world that is Crisis,” says Raphaël Reed.
 
Raphaël Reed is a Canadian composer and sound artist based in Montreal. A graduate from the University of Montreal in Music Research and Contemporary Creation, his style is an innovative hybrid integrating analog synth, electro-acoustic gestures, and classical instruments. In film and television, his compositions include the soundtrack of Crisis (2021) from Director Nicholas Jarecki. His other music scores include, amongst others, The Walrus and the WhistleBlower (2020), Louise Lecavalier: In Motion (2018), Révolution (2018), 1:54 (2016), and A Little Bit Of Zombie (2012). In largescale live events, he co-composed the opening soundtrack for the 2014 UEFA Champions League final held in Portugal and directed and composed the Chimelong International Circus in China (2017). He has also composed music for hundreds of advertisements.
 
Founded in 1978, Varèse Sarabande is the most prolific producer of film music in the world, releasing the highest quality soundtracks from the world’s greatest composers. From current box office hits and top television series to the classics of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Varèse Sarabande’s catalog includes albums from practically every composer in every era, covering all of film history; from Bernard Herrmann, Alex North and Jerry Goldsmith to Alexandre Desplat, Michael Giacchino and Brian Tyler. Varèse Sarabande Records, LLC, is a Concord company.
 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Walt Disney Records: "WANDAVISION" EPISODE 7 FEATURE SCORE BY COMPOSER CHRISTOPHE BECK

Walt Disney Records releases today WandaVision: Episode 7 Original Soundtrack.   Debuting Jan. 15 exclusively on Disney+, Marvel Studios' "WandaVision" continues to win high praise from both critics and fans.

The digital soundtracks feature score by composer Christophe Beck ("Frozen 2," "Ant-Man and the Wasp") and the original theme songs are by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez ("Frozen"). The Oscar®-winning songwriters penned unique songs for several episodes in the series, spanning from the 1950s to the early 2000s.

Beck composed and produced all score tracks on each WandaVision album.  In addition to writing the theme and songs, Anderson-Lopez and Lopez also produced each song.

The WandaVision Original Soundtrack album producers are Kevin Feige, Matt Shakman and Dave Jordan. The album for Episode 7 will be followed by WandaVision: Episode 8 Original Soundtrack available on Mar. 5, with subsequent albums to follow one week after each episode of the series airs.

WandaVision Original Soundtrack release dates follow:

Episode 8 soundtrack release date: 3/5
Episode 9 soundtrack release date: 3/12 

Marvel Studios' "WandaVision" is a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision-two super-powered beings living idealized suburban lives-begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems. "WandaVision," the first Marvel Studios series created exclusively for Disney+, stars Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff, Paul Bettany as Vision, Kathryn Hahn as Agnes, and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, who was introduced to audiences in "Captain Marvel." Kat Dennings will reprise her role as Darcy from "Thor" and "Thor: The Dark World," and Randall Park will reprise his role as Jimmy Woo from "Ant-Man and The Wasp." The series is directed by Matt Shakman with Jac Schaeffer as head writer. Featuring nine episodes, "WandaVision" is now streaming on Disney+.
 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Walt Disney Records: "Raya and the Last Dragon" music by James Newton Howard

Walt Disney Records, the Raya and the Last Dragon Original Motion Picture Soundtrack features score by Oscar®-nominated, Emmy® and Grammy®-winning composer James Newton Howard ("News of the World," "A Hidden Life").  The digital soundtrack also includes the new original song, "Lead the Way," written and performed by Grammy®-nominated artist and songwriter, Jhené Aiko.    Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Raya and the Last Dragon'' will be available on Disney+ with Premier Access in most Disney+ markets, at the same time as it is released in theaters on March 5, 2021. 

Commenting on his score, Newton Howard said, "Writing on 'Raya and the Last Dragon' was nothing but a joyful and creatively inspiring musical experience.  Working in animation is a truly collaborative process, and the directors, cast, and animators brought the characters to life in such a thrilling and dimensional way. I worked with them to create a musical world that was as vast and varied as the fictional world of Kumandra where our story is set. The directors' vision for the world was largely inspired by Southeast Asia and particularly Indonesian culture, so I wanted to look there first for inspiration and sounds to incorporate into my hybrid orchestral/synth palette. The issues of division and healing a fractured society that the film tackles are very meaningful today, and the deep core of the film allows for the music to have an equally strong emotional impact. I am excited for all to listen!"

"Lead the Way" is featured in the end credits and the track was produced by Julian-Quán Việt Lê (Lejkeys).  The music video for the track featuring Aiko is directed by one of  "Raya and the Last Dragon" directors, Carlos López Estrada, and will be released next month.

Aiko drew inspiration for the song from the theme of trust in the film, and says, "What I love about the song is that it's upbeat, it's fun, but it also has a message for the world, for everyone. A message that is very timely right now. The main themes are trust and taking the first step in trusting others and how we can get so much more accomplished when we really come together. It was an easy song to write because these are things that I truly believe in."

About... James Newton Howard is one of the film industry's most versatile and honored composers, with a career spanning over 30 years and encompassing more than 140 film and television projects. He is an eight-time Oscar® nominee, and Emmy® and GRAMMY® winner. Howard has also been honored with ASCAP's prestigious Henry Mancini Award for Lifetime Achievement and the BMI ICON Award.

As a record producer, arranger and songwriter, he has collaborated with some of pop's biggest names, including Elton John; Crosby, Stills & Nash; Barbra Streisand; Earth, Wind and Fire; Bob Seger; Rod Stewart; Toto; Glenn Frey; Diana Ross; Carly Simon; Olivia Newton-John; Randy Newman; Rickie Lee Jones; and Chaka Khan.

He has created the scores for a broad range of films, recently including "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald," "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms," "Red Sparrow," "Roman J. Israel, Esq.," "Detroit," "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," "Concussion," "Nightcrawler" and "Maleficent."  He has collaborated extensively with directors M. Night Shyamalan and Francis Lawrence, having scored nine of Shyamalan's films since "The Sixth Sense" and all of Lawrence's films since "I Am Legend," including all four installments of "The Hunger Games" franchise.

Most recently, Howard scored the Paul Greengrass film, "News of the World" and upcoming film projects include Disney's "Jungle Cruise" and the third installment of the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise.

About Jhené Aiko... Six-time Grammy nominee Jhené Aiko has crowned a breakthrough year with three new Grammy nominations for her R&B masterpiece, Chilombo, including the prestigious 'Album Of The Year.' Chilombo was also nominated for an American Music Award for Best Soul/R&B female, two Soul Train Awards, and three NAACP Awards. Jhené's 2020 album Chilombo - now certified Platinum with seven gold and platinum singles - topped the Billboard R&B Chart at #1 not once but twice this year, and has garnered over 2 Billion streams worldwide. Chilombo made chart history as the biggest Billboard R&B debut from a female artist since Beyonce's Lemonade. Jhené is currently dominating urban and rhythm radio with her hit single "B.S." featuring H.E.R. and guest appearances on new singles from Big Sean, Ty Dolla $ign, and Saweetie.
 

"Raya and the Last Dragon" takes us on an exciting, epic journey to the fantasy world of Kumandra, where humans and dragons lived together long ago in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it's up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people. However, along her journey, she'll learn that it'll take more than a dragon to save the world-it's going to take trust and teamwork as well.  

"Raya and the Last Dragon" features an outstanding voice cast, including Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Sandra Oh, Benedict Wong, Izaac Wang, Thalia Tran, Alan Tudyk, Lucille Soong, Patti Harrison and Ross Butler. Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada are directing, with Paul Briggs and John Ripa co-directing. Osnat Shurer and Peter Del Vecho are the producers, and Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim wrote the screenplay.

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Walt Disney Records: "Flora & Ulysses" music by Jake Monaco

Flora & Ulysses Original Soundtrack is out now and available for download.  Score composed by Jake Monaco (Pixar's "Forky Asks a Question," Pixar's Sparkshort "OUT" and "Think Like A Dog."

"Flora & Ulysses" is a delightful comedy-adventure based on the Newbery Award-winning book about 10-year-old Flora, an avid comic book fan and a self-avowed cynic, whose parents have recently separated. After rescuing a squirrel she names Ulysses, Flora is amazed to discover he possesses unique superhero powers which take them on an adventure of humorous complications that ultimately change Flora's life--and her outlook--forever.  Now streaming exclusively on Disney+.
 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Tor Books: "A Desolation Called Peace: Teixcalaan (Volume 2)" written by Arkady Martine

A Desolation Called Peace is the spectacular space opera sequel to Arkady Martine's genre-reinventing, Hugo Award-winning debut, A Memory Called Empire.

An alien armada lurks on the edges of Teixcalaanli space. No one can communicate with it, no one can destroy it, and Fleet Captain Nine Hibiscus is running out of options.

In a desperate attempt at diplomacy with the mysterious invaders, the fleet captain has sent for a diplomatic envoy. Now Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass—still reeling from the recent upheaval in the Empire—face the impossible task of trying to communicate with a hostile entity.

Their failure will guarantee millions of deaths in an endless war. Their success might prevent Teixcalaan’s destruction—and allow the empire to continue its rapacious expansion.

Or it might create something far stranger . . .

Arkady Martine is the Hugo Award-winning author of A Memory Called Empire. She is a speculative fiction writer and, as Dr. AnnaLinden Weller, a historian of the Byzantine Empire and a city planner. She is currently a policy advisor for the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department, where she works on climate change mitigation, energy grid modernization, adn resiliency planning. Under both names, she writes about border politics, rhetoric, propaganda, and the edges of the world. Arkady grew up in New York City and, after some time in Turkey, Canada, and Sweden, and Baltimore, lives in Santa Fe with her wife, the author Vivian Shaw.
 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

MovieScore Media: "WHAT LIES BELOW" music by Gavin Keese

Up and coming composer Gavin Keese has written a genre-bending score for What Lies Below, a domestic drama infused with the music of an alien invasion film. Written and directed by Braden R. Duemmler, the film tells the story of 16 year-old  Liberty Wells (Ema Horvath) who returns home from camp just to learn that her mother Michelle (Mena Suvari) has a new boyfriend, one she intendeds to marry. Despite him and Liberty forming a strange bond, the charm, the intelligence the beauty and even the generic name of John Smith (Trey Tucker) all point to the direction that he may have an other-wordly secret to hide.

Gavin Keese explains: “The first direction Braden gave me for his film What Lies Below was, ‘How would you like to compose some music that sounds like it’s from an alien planet?’ This became the seed for one of the most unusual scores I’ve written. The fim’s antagonist has a special connection to water, so a large part of the score was created by submerging instruments in water and creating unique sounds from those recordings. We developed this into a brooding and unsettling soundscape, often heavily processed to disguise the origin of the original instruments. I wanted the audience to never be sure whether they were hearing something organic or synthetic, to mirror how the antagonist is not what he seems.”

More Information: https://moviescoremedia.com/newsite
 

Great to hear a new of composer and then really enjoying this score, worthy release from Gavin Reese and a trusted label MovieScore Media to bring us another grand score.

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Intrada: "THE FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX" 2CD Music Composed and Conducted by FRANK DeVOL

For its latest release, Intrada features a completely restored 2-CD set of Frank DeVol's The Flight of the Phoenix. Hailing from 1965, this 20th Century Studios release was in the midst of a stunning period for film music with both old guard (Rózsa, Tiomkin, Steiner to name a few) and new talent (Barry, Goldsmith, Jarre, to also just name a few) on the scene, resulting in a wealth of powerful scores featuring both classic and modern sensibilities. Composer Frank DeVol was part of this crew, providing remarkable work, and yet somehow without many album releases, missed much notice. The Flight of the Phoenix is a showcase for DeVol's power as a composer, featuring a sweeping, Middle-Eastern flavored theme for the exotic, yet remote, setting. Although largely taking place in a single location, DeVol musically captures the location, the inner and outer drama of the characters, and seeming hopelessness of their situation. The result is an exciting, dramatic, heartbreaking and ultimately heroic score from someone who remains an underrated composer.

Restoration specialist Chris Malone mastered this expanded edition from 35mm magnetic tapes provided by 20th Century Studios. The score proper has been restored in vibrant stereo. The bonus section also features a few alternates, including a longer Connie Francis vocal of “Senza Fine,” accompanied by only piano, guitar and bass, and two versions of the concluding cue, “Ole Swimmin’ Hole.”

The film stars James Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch, Hardy Kruger, and Ernest Borgnine, making up most of a crew who take off from a Jebel Sarra Arabco oilfield in a Skytruck, a utilitarian transport plane, headed to Benghazi. Because of an inaccurate weather report and a miscalculation by the pilot, the plane is overcome by a sandstorm and crashes in the central Libyan desert, instantly killing two of the passengers and leaving one grievously wounded. The film becomes a tale of relationships under dire circumstances, survival, and ultimately a creative escape—all based on a true story.

For track listing and sound samples, please visit the The Flight of the Phoenix soundtrack page [CLICK HERE].
 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Walt Disney Records: "WANDAVISION" EPISODE 6 FEATURE SCORE BY COMPOSER CHRISTOPHE BECK

Walt Disney Records releases today WandaVision: Episode 5 Original Soundtrack.   Debuting Jan. 15 exclusively on Disney+, Marvel Studios' "WandaVision" continues to win high praise from both critics and fans. The sixth episode debuts today.

The digital soundtracks feature score by composer Christophe Beck ("Frozen 2," "Ant-Man and the Wasp") and the original theme songs are by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez ("Frozen"). The Oscar®-winning songwriters penned unique songs for several episodes in the series, spanning from the 1950s to the early 2000s.

Beck composed and produced all score tracks on each WandaVision album.  In addition to writing the theme and songs, Anderson-Lopez and Lopez also produced each song.

WandaVision Original Soundtrack release dates follow:

Episode 7 soundtrack release date: 2/26
Episode 8 soundtrack release date: 3/5
Episode 9 soundtrack release date: 3/12

Marvel Studios' "WandaVision" is a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision-two super-powered beings living idealized suburban lives-begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems. "WandaVision," the first Marvel Studios series created exclusively for Disney+, stars Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff, Paul Bettany as Vision, Kathryn Hahn as Agnes, and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, who was introduced to audiences in "Captain Marvel." Kat Dennings will reprise her role as Darcy from "Thor" and "Thor: The Dark World," and Randall Park will reprise his role as Jimmy Woo from "Ant-Man and The Wasp." The series is directed by Matt Shakman with Jac Schaeffer as head writer. Featuring nine episodes, "WandaVision" is now streaming on Disney+.

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Tor Books: "Silence of the Soleri: The Amber Throne #2" by Michael Johnston

Solus celebrates the Opening of the Mundus, a two-day holiday for the dead, but the city of the Soleri is hardly in need of diversion. A legion of traitors, led by a former captain of the Soleri military, rallies at the capital’s ancient walls. And inside those fortifications, trapped by circumstance, a second army fights for its very existence.

In a world inspired by ancient Egyptian history and King Lear, this follow-up to Michael Johnston's Soleri, finds Solus besieged from within as well as without and the Hark-Wadi family is stuck at the heart of the conflict.

MICHAEL JOHNSTON has always been an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy. He studied architecture and ancient history at Lehigh University and earned a master’s degree in architecture from Columbia University. Michael worked as an architect in New York City before switching to writing full time. He is the co-author of the YA Heart of Dread trilogy (Frozen, Stolen, and Golden) with his wife, Melissa de la Cruz, and Soleri, the first book in the Amber Throne series. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter.

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Mill Creek Entertainment: "LAST CALL" [DVD-BLU-RAY]

Mill Creek Entertainment is thrilled to announce the release of director Gavin Michael Booth’s visionary drama feature LAST CALL, making its home entertainment debut with a DVD, Blu-ray, Digital and VOD release on February 23, 2021.

The critically acclaimed film tells the story of two strangers destined to intervene in each other's lives after a mis-dial fates them together forever. Beth is a late-night janitor who accidentally answers a call from Scott who believes he has dialed a suicide prevention hotline. LAST CALL presents both ends of a harrowing phone call that has Beth navigating a life-changing conversation as she attempts to aide Scott within her limited means.

LAST CALL is a split screen real-time feature film. The entire movie is comprised of two single-take shots, merged together and without cuts as the film plays out with two camera crews in different parts of a city as we follow each character through their happenstance encounter. The score for the film was also composed and recorded in real-time by Adrian Ellis to add to the ephemeral aesthetic of this groundbreaking film. This innovative, gripping cinematic feat is anchored by two incredible performances by Sarah Booth and Daved Wilkins. 

This spellbinding drama comes from the prolific filmmaker Gavin Michael Booth and the team at Mutiny Pictures. LAST CALL has won several awards in a variety of film festivals including Best Actress for Sarah Booth in the CKF International Film Festival as well as the Hamilton Film Festival. Gavin Michael Booth won best director in the Satisfied Eye International Film Festival.

The critically acclaimed film tells the story of two strangers destined to intervene in each other's lives after a misdial fates them together forever. Beth is a late-night janitor who accidentally answers a call from Scott who believes he has dialed a suicide prevention hotline. LAST CALL presents both ends of a harrowing phone call that has Beth navigating a life-changing conversation as she attempts to aide Scott within her limited means.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/T4oul2zLNdU

 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Breaking Glass Pictures is proud to announce the DVD release of BUTCHERS. A group of stranded friends must fight to survive the attacks of brutal brothers in deep America.​​​​​​​ It's nail-biting horror and gore at its best! The old school GRINDHOUSE SLASHER Cult Film BUTCHERS will appeal to Horror Fans of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and WRONG TURN!

A family of sadistic butchers has dug into the back-country and, from the deep freeze of winter to the dog days of summer, anyone who crosses their path is dead meat. 

 

 

Directed By ADRIAN LANGLEY (Netflix Original Series Northern Rescue, THE NIGHTS BEFORE CHRISTMAS). Written By ADRIAN LANGLEY, DANIEL WEISSENBERGER (Lifetime Movie The Sweetheart).  Produced By ADRIAN LANGLEY, DOUG PHILLIPS (Amazon Prime Series Age of the Living Dead, STEALING CHAPLIN), KEVIN PREECE (HORROR FAN, CLOWN).  Starring: SIMON PHILLIPS, MICHAEL SWATTON, JULIE MAINVILLE, ANNE-CAROLYNE BINETTE, JAMES HICKS, FREDERIK STORM, NICK ALLAN, SAMANTHA De BENEDET, BLAKE CANNING

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/475678804

 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

MILAN RECORDS ANNOUNCES FIRST-EVER DIGITAL RELEASE OF MUSIC FROM ANIPLEX ANIME TITLES BY ACCLAIMED JAPANESE COMPOSER HIROYUKI SAWANO CATALOGUE INCLUDES MUSIC FROM Promare, Blue Exorcist, Kill la Kill, The Seven Deadly Sins & MORE

Milan Records today announces the first-ever digital release of acclaimed Japanese composer HIROYUKI SAWANO’s catalogue of music from classic anime film and television titles.  Available digitally on February 12, the release includes music written by Hiroyuki Sawano for Aniplex titles including Promare, Blue Exorcist, Kill la Kill, The Seven Deadly Sins, Guilty Crown, Re:CREATORS, Aldnoah.Zero, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress and Thunderbolt Fantasy – a full list of titles to be released is below.  In addition to the first-ever digital release of these titles, the Original Soundtrack to Promare will also be released in vinyl format, arriving as a double LP gatefold set on April 16.  

Of the upcoming catalogue releases, composer HIROYUKI SAWANO says, “I’m really happy that the soundtracks for these Aniplex titles, which I have composed, will be released digitally overseas.  From Blue Exorcist in 2011 to Promare in 2019, each of these soundtracks have had a great influence on my career and current musical activities.  I hope you enjoy the music and it adds to the world of each anime title.”  

Aniplex is a diversified global entertainment company with focus on the planning and production of anime video and music content, distribution of its physical and digital products, development of related game apps and merchandise, and stage production of musicals and live events.  Aniplex is a subsidiary company of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.

 

ABOUT HIROYUKI SAWANO... Born in Tokyo in 1980, Hiroyuki Sawano has a scope of activities centered on the “musical accompaniment” of visual works such as drama, anime, and movie.  He is most well-known as the composer for global anime sensation Attack on Titan as well as franchise like Promare, Blue Exorcist, Kill la Kill, The Seven Deadly Sins and more. He is also actively engaged in creating and arranging music for other artists.  Sawano launched a vocal-driven project under the name “SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]” in the spring of 2014. [https://milanrecords.com/releases/]
 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Universal Studios Home Entertainment: "HORIZON LINE" [BLU-RAY/DVD]

Former couple Sara (Allison Williams; Get Out, “A Series of Unfortunate Events”) and Jackson (Alexander Dreymon; “The Last Kingdom,” “American Horror Story”) board a single-engine plane for a routine and casual flight to their friend's tropical island wedding. However, within minutes of takeoff, their pilot suffers a fatal heart attack, leaving them with no idea where they are, and no clue how to land the plane. With nothing but miles of ocean and sky in every direction, and a terrifying storm that's about to envelop them, Sara and Jackson have only one shot -- and there's no going back.

HORIZON LINE will be available on Blu-rayTM, DVD and Digital.

-Blu-rayTM unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6X the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.

-Digital lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download.

Trailer: https://www.horizonlinemovie.com/videos/

 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Silva Screen Records: "Meerkat: A Dynasties Special" music by Benji Merrison and Will Slater

Meerkat: A Dynasties Special was presented as the introductory film of the forthcoming sequel to the 2018 Dynasties series - Dynasties II. Filmed in the Kalahari Desert in Botswana and narrated by Sir David Attenborough, the Christmas special was made by BBC Studios Natural History Unit, co-produced by BBC America and Bilibili. Featuring Benji Merrison’s and Will Slater’s score, the 60-minute programme was aired on 28th December 2020.

The Special follows the young meerkat queen Maghogho and her family battling to survive in hostile environment, during a drought. Joyous and heart-breaking, the programme was filmed in the searing heat of Makgadikgadi, a 6,000-squaremile wedge of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana in southern Africa.

Says Sir David Attenborough “When you see the trials and tribulations - and successes, of course - of Maghogho and her family as they struggle to survive in such conditions, you can’t help but be caught up in their lives and feel a real connection with them. ‘I’m proud to have been involved in the making of this documentary. As ever, the intensity and insight that the Dynasties team bring to their filmmaking make this an extraordinary watch - gripping, and thought-provoking.”

The soundtrack was written by award winning composers Benji Merrison and Will Slater. Benji Merrison’s distinctive musical voice is in high demand and he has scored music for hundreds of projects across film, television, installations and events. He is known for SAS: Red Notice, Forces of Nature with Brian Cox, Dynasties, General Magic. Will Slater has been composing for television for close to 20 years and his extensive CV includes Planet Earth Live, Africa, Shark and One Strange Rock.

Benji and Will comment on their composing experience “Meerkat: A Dynasties Special was a pleasure to score… We worked very closely with the producer Emma Napper to develop a strong thematic language which is used to underpin the narrative development of the film. We were also very keen that the instrumentation and 'sound-world' of the score reflected the physical textures of the landscape in which the Meerkats live. In a subliminal way, the effect is to draw the viewer down to ground level, to be emotionally aligned with the Meerkats as the real-life storyline unfolds.”

Throughout 2021, the remaining Dynasties II episodes will unfold, and, from the same Sir David Attenborough-narrated stable, Green Planet is due to air early in 2022; all featuring soundtracks by Benji and Will. Benji and Will’s score for Dynasties I was warmly received, with The Review Geek labelling it as “outstanding" and "a fantastic musical journey” whilst Review Graveyard describes it as “beautifully rich and varied” that “equally works just as wonderfully as a standalone album of incredible themes”.

Meerkat: A Dynasties Special soundtrack will be digitally available February 26, 2021 on Spotify, Amazon, Apple, Deezer and Tidal. Visit http://www.silvascreenusa.com 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Silva Screen Records: "PRIMATES" music by Adam Lukas and Denise Santos

Primates premiered on BBC 1 on 25th May 2020. Filmed over two years in locations around the world, from the snowy Atlas Mountains to the flooded jungles of Sumatra and Brazil, Primates is a 3-episode documentary series created by the BBC Studios Natural History and narrated by Chris Packham. The episodes, “Secrets of Survival”, “Family Matters” and “Protecting Primates”, follow our closest animal relatives and reveal how much we have in common with them.

“There is a monkey in the BBC’s new nature epic that bears a startling resemblance to Donald Trump. The uakari has a disgruntled, crimson face and bleach blond hair - though its coat is far thicker than the wispy comb-over still desperately clinging to the president's scalp. It’s one of the many creatures we meet in Primates (BBC1), which serves as a reminder of just how similar humans are to our closest furry relatives.” - Independent

The spirited Primates soundtrack will be digitally released on 5th March 2021. The score was written by composers Adam Lukas (National Geographics Being The Queen, Netflix' Roman Empire II) and Denise Santos (National Geographic’s Gathering Storm, Savage Kingdom, Discovery’s Apollo: The Forgotten Films) who work as a part of the musically diverse composer’s collective Bleeding Fingers. Founded by Hans Zimmer, Steve Kofsky and Russell Emanuel, Emmy and Bafta nominated Bleeding Fingers Music is a home to exceptional and sonically diverse composers. The collective's work includes soundtracks for Planet Earth II, Seven Worlds, One Planet and Blue Planet II, all previously released on Silva Screen Records.

“Mischievous music patters over scenes of bush babies getting up to no good, instructing us how to feel. "At last, jack pot!" cries Packham, when the pint-sized creatures find their dinner.” - Independent

Release date: March 5, 2021
Digital album: SILED1632

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Visit http://www.silvascreenusa.com

 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Silva Screen Records: "THE PLANETS" music by Anže Rozman, Andrew James Christie and Jacob Shea

The Planets premiered on BBC 2 on May 28, 2019. Narrated by Professor Brian Cox, the series follows the dramatic lives of the eight majestic planets that make up our solar system through five episodes -"A Moment in the Sun - The Terrestrial Planets" (Inner Worlds), "The Two Sisters - Earth & Mars", "The Godfather - Jupiter”, "Life Beyond the Sun - Saturn", "Into the Darkness - Ice Worlds".

The Planets majestic soundtrack will be digitally released on March 5, 2021. The score was written by composers James Christie, Anže Rozman, Jacob Shea and David Fleming, who work as a part of the musically diverse composer’s collective Bleeding Fingers. Founded by Hans Zimmer, Steve Kofsky and Russell Emanuel, Emmy and Bafta nominated Bleeding Fingers Music is a home to exceptional and sonically diverse composers. The collective's work includes soundtracks for Planet Earth II, Seven Worlds, One Planet and Blue Planet II, all previously released on Silva Screen Records.

“He (Prof Brian Cox) will tell (he promised, standing on a rocky precipice as a low sun flared behind him) ‘stories of worlds born and worlds lost… their destinies more entwined than we ever imagined.’ The effect is vastly heightened by the symphonic soundtrack from composer Andrew Christie, a protege of Hollywood music giant Hans Zimmer and who sounds as if he’d be right at home in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.” - The Arts Desk

“Armed with an intense musical score, very reminiscent of the video game series Mass Effect, The Planets does a good job keeping things feeling suitably epic and intense throughout the episode.” - The Review Geek

“In Brian Cox’s new series high drama, a cinematic soundtrack and CGI combine to make life on earth appear truly miraculous” - iNews

Release date: March 5, 2021
Digital album: SILED1626

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Visit http://www.silvascreenusa.com

 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Tor Books: "Fairhaven Rising: Saga of Recluce (Volume 22) " - L. E. Modesitt Jr.

Modesitt continues his bestselling Saga of Recluce with his twenty-second book in the long-running series. Fairhaven Rising follows The Mage-Fire War. Sixteen years have passed since the mage Beltur helped to found the town of Fairhaven, and Taelya, Beltur's adopted niece, is now a white mage undercaptain in the Road Guards of Fairhaven. Fairhaven's success under the Council has become an impediment to the ambition of several rulers, and the mages protecting the town are seen as a threat. Taelya, a young and untried mage, will find herself at the heart of a conspiracy to destroy her home and the people she loves, and she may not be powerful enough to stop it in time.

Saga of Recluce:  #1 The Magic of Recluce / #2 The Towers of the Sunset / #3 The Order War / #4 The Magic Engineer / #5 The Death of Chaos / #6 Fall of Angels / #7 The Chaos Balance / #8 The White Order / #9 Colors of Chaos / #10 Magi’i of Cyador / #11 Scion of Cyador / #12 Wellspring of Chaos / #13 Ordermaster / #14 Natural Order Mage / #15 Mage-Guard of Hamor / #16 Arms-Commander / #17 Cyador’s Heirs / #18 Heritage of Cyador / #19 The Mongrel Mage / #20 Outcasts of Order / #21 The Mage-Fire War / #22 Fairhaven Rising

L. E. MODESITT, JR. is the author of more than seventy books—primarily science fiction and fantasy, including the long-running, bestselling Saga of Recluce and Imager Portfolio, as well as a number of short stories.
 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

RLJE Films: "RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE" on VOD, Digital HD, DVD and Blu-ray

RLJE Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, has picked up select rights to RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE from Shudder, AMC Networks’ streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural. RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE will be released on VOD, Digital HD, DVD and Blu-ray on February 16, 2021.

RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE, based on the comic of the same name by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, stars Jesse Williams (“Grey’s Anatomy”), Jordana Brewster (Fast & Furious franchise), Niamh Wilson (Saw franchise) and Jay Baruchel (How to Train Your Dragon 1 & 2). Baruchel also directed and co-wrote the film with Jesse Chabot (Goon: Last of the Enforcers). RLJE Films will release RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE on DVD and Blu-ray.

In RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE, comic book creator Todd Walkley, his wife, assistant and best friend, are heading to NYC Comic Con when bad things start to happen—people start getting killed. It soon becomes clear that a crazed fan is using his “SLASHERMAN” comic as inspiration for the killings. And as the bodies pile up, and Todd’s friends become victims themselves, he is forced to face the killer and put an end to his notorious comic once and for all.

ABOUT RLJE FILMS
RLJE Films’ recent features include Color Out of Space, based on the classic H.P. Lovecraft story, starring Nicolas Cage and Joely Richardson and written and directed by Richard Stanley; David Ayer’s The Tax Collector starring Bobby Soto and Shia LaBeouf; and The Owners from director Julian Berg and starring Maisie Williams from “Game of Thrones”. Upcoming releases include the critically acclaimed horror film The Dark And The Wicked from Director Bryan Bertino; and Adam Egypt Mortimer’s Archenemy starring Joe Manganiello. us.rljentertainment.com.

ABOUT SHUDDER
AMC Networks’ Shudder is a premium streaming video service, super-serving members with the best selection in genre entertainment, covering horror, thrillers and the supernatural. Shudder’s expanding library of film, TV series, and originals is available on most streaming devices in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Australia and New Zealand. To experience Shudder commitment-free for 7 days, visit www.shudder.com.

ABOUT AMC NETWORKS
Known for its groundbreaking and celebrated original content, AMC Networks (NASDAQ:AMCX) is the company behind the award-winning brands AMC, BBC AMERICA, IFC, SundanceTV, WE tv, and IFC Films. Its diverse line-up of popular and critically-acclaimed series and independent films include Killing Eve, Better Call Saul and The Walking Dead, which has been the #1 show on basic cable television for ten consecutive years, as well as Documentary Now!, Brockmire, Love After Lockup, and the films Boyhood, Death of Stalin, and many more. Its original series Mad Men and Breaking Bad are widely recognized as being among the most influential and acclaimed shows in the history of TV. The Company also operates AMC Studios, its production business; AMC Networks International, its international programming business; the subscription streaming services Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now; and UMC (Urban Movie Channel); RLJE Films; and Levity Entertainment Group, the Company’s production services and comedy venues business. For more information, visit http://www.amcnetworks.com

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment: "AMMONITE" [BLU-RAY/DVD]

A passionate and all-consuming love affair changes the lives of two 19th century women in AMMONITE, written and directed by Francis Lee (God’s Own Country), the extraordinary film arrives on Digital, Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand January 12, 2021 from NEON and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Proclaimed as “captivating” (Clayton Davis, Variety), AMMONITE brings Academy Award® winner Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road, Titanic) and Academy Award® nominee Saoirse Ronan (Little Women, Ladybird) together in an “undeniable and electric” (David Canfield, Entertainment Weekly) love affair between two women from utterly different worlds where "Winslet and Ronan are beautifully matched" (Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times). Hailed by critics as “one of the best performances of Kate Winslet’s career” (Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com), AMMONITE’s release on Digital, Blu-ray™ and DVD comes with an exclusive behind-the-scenes featurette with the cast and crew taking audiences on a beautiful behind-the-scenes journey into the making of this remarkable film.
 
In 1800s England, acclaimed but unrecognized fossil hunter Mary Anning (Winslet) works alone on the rugged Southern coastline. With the days of her famed discoveries behind her, she now searches for common fossils to sell to tourists to support herself and her ailing mother. When a wealthy visitor entrusts Mary with the care of his wife Charlotte Murchison (Ronan), she cannot afford to turn his offer down. Proud and relentlessly passionate about her work, Mary initially clashes with her unwelcome guest, but despite the distance between their social class and personalities, an intense bond begins to develop, compelling the two women to determine the true nature of their relationship.

 

Alongside Winslet and Ronan, AMMONITE features incredible must-see performances from the entire cast including Gemma Jones (Bridget Jones’ Diary franchise, Sense & Sensibility), James McArdle (, Mary Queen of Scots), Alec Secareanu (God’s Own Country, “Strike Back”) and Fiona Shaw (“Killing Eve,” Colette). The “exquisite” (BBC) film comes from Academy Award®-winning producers Iain Canning and Emile Sherman, the filmmakers behind The King’s Speech, Lion and Widows, and producer Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly (Lady Macbeth).
 
With the purchase of AMMONITE on disc or digital, fans are eligible to earn points towards special rewards via the Universal All-Access Rewards program. Members can redeem their points for digital movies, signed collectables, box sets, win exclusive prizes and more! For FREE registration and details please visit www.MyUniversalRewards.com.  
 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Cinedigm: "X"

Cinedigm is proud to announce the North American release of X from filmmaker Scott J. Ramsey, arriving on Digital & DVD today. X is a Hitchcockian mix of melodrama, thriller and camp where the head of a mysterious foundation finds out that some secrets never stay buried.  X will be available to buy or rent on all major digital platforms including iTunes/Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play and VUDU.

After its World Premiere at the Starburst International Film Festival in Manchester, UK, the sexy thriller was screened at over a dozen festivals around the world. During its extensive film festival run, X took home Best Overall Film at the 2019 Indie Gathering in Cleveland, Ohio.

Armed only with masquerade masks and invitations, guests arrive at a seaside estate for a charity ball hosted by a mysterious foundation. With identities hidden from their fellow party goers, they partake in the sinfully seductive surroundings with their charming host Christian (Hope Raymond), known as X. The monthly masked debauchery is all fun and games until the arrival of an unexpected guest from Christian’s past, who threatens to bring to light her darkest secret.  And when a voyeuristic video reveals a violent crime, Christian must decide if the truth is worth exposing the world she has created.

“We want to invite you to put on your best mask, and enter into our lush, dark world,” said Ramsey. “At the intersection of erotic thriller and queer camp, this is a story about the destructive power of shame. Our goal is to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”  

Shot entirely on location in Northern California, the film was produced by The Foundation, an independent production company founded by Ramsey, producer Hannah Katherine Jost and producer Kevin De Nicolo. The film is Ramsey’s directorial debut, co-written by Ramsey and Jost. 

Not satisfied with simply making their feature film directorial debut, the team at The Foundation pushed the bounds of storytelling even further to expand their premiere project.  “Our goal became to create an immersive experience through multi-media storytelling in three different mediums: the film, the album, and the music videos”, shares Ramsey. 

The film will be released alongside At the Devil’s Ball, an 11 track “electro-cabaret” album featuring music from the movie by goth pop duo The Major Arcana, available to stream and download on music platforms everywhere on February 16. 

The letter ‘X’ immediately evokes the forbidden or the taboo. It’s the missing value of an equation. It’s a Christogram - a shortening of Christ. It’s a symbol of anonymity. In our film, it’s all of these things - but most of all, it’s our main character Christian’s blood red kiss, with which she seals the invitations to her debaucherous monthly masked balls.

At a masquerade, when you wear a mask, your anonymity means you are free from assumptions and judgement - you get to choose how you’re seen. In our film X, we want to invite the audience to put on their best mask and enter into our secret world –to make them question their views on sex and gender. We want you to see the humanity of a character who sees herself as a monster.

Initially, when I brought the story idea to my writing partner, Hannah, she had the idea that we could tell this story as a Shakespearean tragedy. We loved the idea of telling a Hitchcockian story about a voyeur, but subverting it to a queer woman's gaze instead of a straight male gaze. We wrote our film to be an intersection of erotic thriller and queer camp, with characters who themselves are really just kids creating a golden Gatsby façade that we soon realize is a house of cards. In designing the film’s look, we meticulously created every detail of this world ourselves - it’s lush and rich, but with a raw, DIY quality.

The great irony of our story is that the main character, Christian, has created this world for her guests where no fantasy is too obscene, while secretly her sexual shame causes her desires to manifest themselves in predatory fashion. X is less about what’s going on at these parties and more about what’s going on in ringleader Christian’s mind. Her struggle with intimacy has made her lonely. This was the genesis of the story for me. Making this project allowed me to realize what I hungered for: a community. I’ve always been an outcast, so I’ve felt a need to carve out a community for myself where I can live my art - very much like Christian.

This movie and this album took five years of blood, sweat, and rose petals. We encountered countless challenges along the way, including three years of post-production during which we had to re-record almost all of the dialogue due to the constant roar of the waves crashing on the Big Sur coast and the muffling effects of masks, and built the film's soundscape from scratch.  

But I love the flaws of the movie as much as I love the rest. I see so much of myself and each member of our team in every frame of the film. One of the themes of our story is the idea that our flaws do not kill us, for they are beautifully human, and they allow us to grow and change. Rather it is the shame about our flaws and the resulting deceit that will ultimately destroy us and that which matters most: our relationships with the people willing to look past our flaws and love us anyway.  

X is just the beginning of a trajectory in which I hope to create films and music in the spirit of creating story-worlds that are limitless across media.  

 
I’ve written and sang songs since I was a kid. When we started working on the music for this project, I pitched to my producing and creative partner, Kevin De Nicolo, this idea that X could be a transmedia story, with the music existing on its own - not just in service of the film. Kevin has a wealth of musical knowledge and when we started working with Lien Do on the music for this project, the musical floodgates opened for me, and helped clarify my prime creative objective to build story-worlds that span across media, informing each other and working alongside each other. I don’t see myself as just a filmmaker or just a musician, but as a vessel for stories that can take infinite shape.  Our goal became to create an immersive experience through multi-media storytelling in three different mediums: the film, the album, and the music videos.   X became a transmedia story that birthed not only the film but our music act, The Major Arcana. We've created an entire album of music for the film, along with standalone music videos - short films in their own right, surreal fever dreams that remix themes and symbols from the film.

The Foundation is an independent multimedia production company founded in 2016 in Northern California during production of the indie feature film “X” by filmmakers Scott J. Ramsey, Hannah Katherine Jost, and Kevin De Nicolo, with the intention of creating subversive storytelling experiences across multiple media, including films, music, and music videos.

For more than twenty years, Cinedigm (NASDAQ: CIDM) has led the digital transformation of the entertainment industry. Today, Cinedigm entertains hundreds of millions of consumers around the globe by providing premium content, streaming channels and technology services to the world’s largest media, technology and retail companies. For more information, visit http://www.cinedigm.com/.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/OkSd69ADt6E

Jeremy [Six Strings]

RLJE Films: "ARCHENEMY" [BLU-RAY/DVD]

RLJE Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, will release ARCHENEMY on February 16, 2021 on DVD and Blu-ray.

Written and directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer (Daniel Isn’t Real, Some Kind of Hate), ARCHEMENY stars Joe Manganiello (“True Blood”), Skylan Brooks (“Empire”), Zolee Griggs (“Wu-Tang: An American Saga”), Paul Scheer (“Black Monday”), Amy Seimetz (Pet Semetary) and Glenn Howerton (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”). RLJE Films will release ARCHENEMY on DVD  and on Blu-ray.

In ARCHENEMY, Max Fist (Joe Manganiello) is a local drunk who claims to be a superhero from the planet Chromium. He tells anyone who will listen that he was pulled into a wormhole, falling through time and space, and dropped to earth without any of his powers. No one pays any attention to Max except a teenager named Hamster (Skylan Brooks) who can’t get enough of Max’s stories. When Hamster and his sister (Zolee Griggs) get in trouble with a vicious drug syndicate led by The Manager (Glenn Howerton), Max takes to the streets as a brutal vigilante hellbent on proving himself as the hero no one believes him to be.

Check out the trailer: https://youtu.be/H1Cf8bk6Zhs

RLJE Films’ recent features include Color Out of Space, based on the classic H.P. Lovecraft story, starring Nicolas Cage and Joely Richardson and written and directed by Richard Stanley; David Ayer’s The Tax Collector starring Bobby Soto and Shia LaBeouf; and The Owners from director Julian Berg and starring Maisie Williams from “Game of Thrones”. Upcoming releases include the critically acclaimed horror film The Dark And The Wicked from Director Bryan Bertino; and Adam Egypt Mortimer’s Archenemy starring Joe Manganiello. us.rljentertainment.com <http://us.rljentertainment.com/>.

Known for its groundbreaking and celebrated original content, AMC Networks (NASDAQ:AMCX) is the company behind the award-winning brands AMC, BBC AMERICA, IFC, SundanceTV, WE tv, and IFC Films. Its diverse line-up of popular and critically-acclaimed series and independent films include Killing Eve, Better Call Saul and The Walking Dead, which has been the #1 show on basic cable television for ten consecutive years, as well as Documentary Now!, Brockmire, Love After Lockup, and the films Boyhood, Death of Stalin, and many more. Its original series Mad Men and Breaking Bad are widely recognized as being among the most influential and acclaimed shows in the history of TV. The Company also operates AMC Studios, its production business; AMC Networks International, its international programming business; the subscription streaming services Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now; and UMC (Urban Movie Channel); RLJE Films; and Levity Entertainment Group, the Company’s production services and comedy venues business. For more information, visit http://www.amcnetworks.com
 

Jeremy [Six Strings]

Wellgo USA Entertainment: "THE SWORDSMAN" [BLU-RAY/DVD] and the GIVEAWAY

There’s “never a dull moment” (The Movie Beat) in a “fun hybrid of mainstream historical drama and traditional martial arts action” (The Movie Hole) when the action-packed epic THE SWORDSMAN debuts on Digital, Blu-ray™ and DVD February 16 from Well Go USA Entertainment.  After failing to protect and prevent the downfall of the King, the best swordsman in Joseon leaves and lives in seclusion with his daughter in the mountains. As his eyesight begins to fail due to an old injury, his daughter seeks to find a treatment for him. When she is captured and taken away by a slave trader, THE SWORDSMAN is forced to raise his sword again in order to save her. “Jang Hyuk (Empire of Lust) swirls about as an unstoppable force of nature” (HanCnema) for first time writer/director Choi Jae-hoon, and the film also stars Kim Hyeon-soo (Be With You), Joe Taslim (The Raid: Redemption, Fast & Furious 6), Jeong Man-sik (Beasts Clawing at Straws), Lee Na-kyung (Battle for Incheon: Operation Chromite) and Lee Min-hyuk (A Love to Kill).

After being blinded in a coup against the king, Joseon’s greatest swordsman (Jang Hyuk) goes into hiding, far removed from his city’s anguish. But when traffickers kidnap his daughter, he has no choice but to unsheathe his sword once more.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/zLSXfcs3nFQ

Answer the question "WHAT OR WHO IS THE NATION" after watching the trailer? Email your response, you could be a winner of the BLU-RAY of this film "THE SWORDSMAN"
 

Jeremy [Six Strings]