Shutter Island may see Martin Scorsese detour from the mob genre to tackle a psychological thriller – but the director’s approach to moviemaking hasn’t changed a bit, says star Leonardo DiCaprio. “Scorsese depends on actors doing their homework before they show up on set,” DiCaprio reveals. “He’s a master filmmaker who knows how to navigate the human mind and portray the human condition, but he lets the actors really dictate what he puts up on the screen.”

Mind-control and supernatural hi-jinks feature in the adap of Dennis Lehane’s psychological thriller, set in the 1950s, with DiCaprio as a US marshall trapped on the titular mental asylum investigating the disappearance of a murderer. Even off-screen, detective-work was essential.

“Marty loves to discuss everything at great length,” says DiCaprio. “We’d discuss the scenes like forensic detectives. That’s one of the most interesting, challenging, scary and fun parts of making his movies because, by the time you’re on set, you’re really committed.”

For authenticity Scorsese brought in Dr James Gilligan, who actually ran a hospital for the criminally insane, as technical advisor to capture the horror of the conditions in the asylum. And it’s a surprise there wasn’t mutiny on set, as rain, mist and high-speed gusts of wind battered the hurricane-drenched set, fraying tempers and nerves. According to DiCaprio: “If there wasn’t a crane dropping water on you then it was guys with fire-hoses or a giant fan blowing air into your face...”

Shutter Island is out on DVD and Blu-ray on 2 August.

The legendary martial artist tells DVD & Blu-ray Review that he’s comfortable fighting with pretty much anything (refrigerator, microwave, ashtray, pumpkin...) and that country superstar Billy Ray Cyrus is a talker not a fighter.

Click the Read More link below to access the full interview.

The Spy Next Door is available on Blu-ray and DVD on 2 August from Momentum Pictures

Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Species. Boogie Nights. Magnolia. Spider-Man 2. The Da Vinci Code. An Education. Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time. And now he’s butting heads with Nicolas Cage in The Sorcerer's Apprentice... we reckon if you had the chance to chat with Alfred Molina, you wouldn’t be stuck for something interesting to ask him.

And now, thanks to subscription movie service LoveFilm, you’ve got that chance. The company is hosting a live half-hour webchat with Alfred Molina at 11.45am today and you can join in by clicking this link.

Explosive new MMA film Death Warrior is released on DVD today by E1 Entertainment. With a cast stacked with some of the biggest and best fighters from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (including former UFC Light heavyweight champion Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, who also stars as BA Baracus in the new version of The A Team), we thought we’d celebrate by bringing you the top 10 sports stars who have made the break into films...

Click the Read More link to see our top 10 sporty thesps. Or click this link to enter our competition to win a copy of Death Warrior and MMA movie Unrivaled on DVD.

It’s exactly two years to the launch date tomorrow for the London 2012 Olympic Games and anyone popping down to Trafalgar Square can clap their eyes on some 3D home cinema tech.

Official Worldwide Olympic Partner Panasonic is hosting an event to mark the two-year countdown date and it is setting up a 3D Future Zone, featuring six special pods fitted with Panasonic’s Full HD 3D Plasma Home Theatre Systems.

Visitors can enter the pods to enjoy recent Olympic Games footage in “true-to-life” “high-quality 3D”. Panasonic is also setting up a 60 metres-square LED screen in Trafalgar Square to broadcast BBC News’ live feed of celebrations being hosted inside the Olympic Park, East London.

Events and attractions at the free event on 27 July start at 11am and continue until 7pm, including a chance to “Meet & Greet” the official London 2012 Olympic Games mascot, Wenlock, and a live dance performance with stars from the hit film StreetDance 3D.

Those unable to make it to Trafalgar Square to join in the festivities can watch everything live on the Panasonic website.

Tell us about your character in the movie?
I play a super villain called Poldark. He wants to own all the oil supplies in the whole world. He’s going to do something to it and his plan is stolen, unfortunately, by a nine-year-old. And, even more unfortunately, that nine-year-old is babysat by Jackie Chan. That’s a huge challenge for him.

Was it fun to play a Bond-style super villain?
He’s a great scientist, but there’s a side of him which isn’t that brilliant. He likes a fight, he likes a challenge. Nothing can stop him in taking over the whole world, in dominating the whole thing – except maybe Jackie Chan. He’s also a fashion freak. He likes to dress well and look nice. But he is surrounded by muscle heads who don’t really understand how he wants to be dressed. They bring him strange outfits all the time. So yeah, he’s ruthless.

You must have laughed when they showed you some of the outfits?
In the beginning of the movie you have great clothes – really fashionable. And Poldark really likes that. Then he’s going to try to blend in and he asks his team to get him the right outfit. And they don’t really understand what he means so they’re bringing him cowboy outfits and all kinds of strange things. Through the whole movie he’s wearing those ridiculous outfits: shorts, Hawaiian shirts and cowboy outfits. And it’s funny. It’s really, really funny.

What was it like to shoot an action movie with the legendary Jackie Chan?
This movie is so great because it’s action comedy. And if you really want to do action comedy, what better person to do it with than Jackie Chan? When they asked me to do it I said, ‘Yes, absolutely!’ And it’s also like a kids’ movie and an action movie and it’s exciting, it’s cool. There are a lot of stunts. I think it’s just about everything in one movie.

They say you should never work with children or animals. What was your experience like with the kids?
Brian Levant, the director, he’s very good at getting everything out of the kids. He pulls it out slowly. He tries to make them comfortable. Because there’s a lot of action in this. I mean, one time, Jackie Chan is lifting up a chair that they’re tied to and the kid’s on his back. And he’s turning and throughout the whole fight scene the kid’s in the back. So there’s a lot of interesting things and Brian’s really good at that.

The Spy Next Door is available on Blu-ray and DVD on 2 August from Momentum Pictures.

Eighties men-in-tights drama Robin Of Sherwood gets a Blu-ray release on 25 October. The acclaimed series, written by Richard Carpenter, combines drama, social realism, historical fact and atmospheric mysticism as Robin and his not-so-merry men go up against the brutal Sheriff of Nottingham. Michael Praed leads an impressive cast including Ray Winstone, Clive Mantle, Judi Trott and Nickolas Grace.

The first 13 episodes get a HD transfer, while special features include an exclusive Making Of documentary and a behind the scenes peek at the HD conversion. The four-disc Robin Of Sherwood: Michael Praed boxset retails at £49.99. 

Meanwhile, Space: 1999 – The Complete First Series is also heading to Blu-ray. The cult Gerry Anderson live action ’70s sci-fi show sees a nuclear waste dump on the Moon suddenly explode, blasting it out of orbit and taking the inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha on a fantastic voyage of discovery through the stars.

Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Barry Morse star in this memorable fantasy show filmed at Pinewood Studios.
For the first time anywhere in the universe this series will be available in full high-definition on 11 October 2010, retailing at £79.99. Special features for the eight-disc set have yet to be announced.

WORDS: Ricky Ward  

It’s fair to say Clash Of The Titans is one of those movies that was kicking its heels waiting for the arrival of CGI. While the 1981 classic looks a touch dated now, director Louis Leterrier is in no doubt of the benchmark set by special effects maestro Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion creatures of Greek mythology.

“The bar was really high. Ray’s movie is amazing and has lasted so many years because of the creatures,” Leterrier says. “I called him twice when prepping the movie because I wanted to kiss the ring, but I also would have loved for him to be involved.”

Click the Read More link below to access the full interview...

Death Warrior is the underground, hard-hitting, mixed martial arts thriller, where failure only leads to death.

The dramatic tale follows the story of Rainerio (Hector Echavarria), an undefeated MMA champion who is about to retire and choose a quieter life when he is forced to enter the warped world of underground fighting. Run by a vicious and unscrupulous gang, the fights are broadcast on the internet where people place bets on who will win – but in these ultra-violent battles winning means killing your opponent.

Rainerio is forced to fight against his will to save his wife, Kira, who has been injected with a slow-acting neurotoxin by the gang.

This adrenaline-fueled, MMA extravaganza features some of the biggest and best names from the Ultimate Fighting Championship – including the current UFC Welterweight title-holder George ‘Rush’ St Pierre and former UFC Light heavyweight champion, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson (who plays BA in the blockbuster film version of The A Team).

The film also stars Keith ‘The Dean of Mean’ Jardine and ‘Sugar’ Rashad Evans as they once again transfer their mixed martial arts skills from the Octagon to the big screen.

Death Warrior is released by E1 Entertainment on Monday 26 July 2010 and to celebrate the release, we’ve got five copies of the film and five copies of Unrivaled to give away.

Unrivaled also features full-contact fighting sequences and stars the current UFC Lightweight title holder BJ ‘The Prodigy’ Penn. As the tagline says: “Some win. Some lose. Some are born to fight. Every cage has its king.”

To be in with a chance of winning both films, click the button below and answer a simple question.

The BBC has a big ol’ musical back catalogue. And Auntie Beeb is now planning to throw open the archive doors and release that catalogue to the world with its BBC Vaults collection. The series will see various artists comprehensively covered with a CD/DVD double pack. First up, Ella Fitzgerald!

Ella Fitzgerald Best Of The BBC Vaults includes more than a decade of her performances, with complete sets from Show Of The Week (1965), Ella Sings (1965), a show at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club recorded in 1974, plus a concert at The Montreux Jazz Festival in 1977.

The DVD, re-mastered with the latest multiplex audio tech, clocks in at over two hours, with an accompanying CD offering the best tracks from all of the sets. Behold the joy you’ll be exposed to...

CD & DVD tracks:
The Lady Is A Tramp
Mack The Knife
Manhattan
Every Time We Say Goodbye
That Old Black Magic
Don't Rain On My Parade
Misty
Sweet Georgia Brown
Good Morning Heartache
Goody Goody
Just a Sittin' And A Rockin'
Cheek To Cheek
Here's That Rainy Day
The Girl From Ipanema
St Louis Blues
Something's Gotta Give
Too Marvellous
Angel Eyes

DVD-only tracks:
Take The A Train
Them There Eyes
Body And Soul
Keeping Out Of Mischief Now
The Man I Love
Too Close For Comfort
Ain't Got Nothing But The Blues
My Man
Day By Day
Ordinary Fool
One Note Samba
Come Rain Or Come Shine
The Very Thought Of You
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
Swingin The Blues

Ella Fitzgerald Best Of The BBC Vaults hits shelves on September 6 with a price yet to be confirmed.

Tough, stubborn evil getting you down? Take a tip from this video of the Batman: The Brave And The Bold videogame and simply wash it away.

Batman: The Brave And The Bold is released for Nintendo Wii and DS in September 2010 by Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment

M Night Shyamalamalamalan reveals that the nation that produced Truffaut, Malle, Renoir, Vigo, Godard, Cocteau, Clouzot, and Bresson would much rather spend a Saturday night in watching his fourth-best film.

(Albeit after a rather blunt where-the-hell-did-your-career-go? question from a Mexican reporter at a Last Airbender press conf...)

via Defamer.

When director Allen Coulter set out to film his own homage to New York, Remember Me, little did he know his lead actor, a certain Robert Pattinson, would suddenly go massive.

“It was just before Twilight, so it was bizarre,” says producer Nick Osborne. “He read the script before he really had any, I suppose, ‘juice’ or real name recognition within the industry.”

Set in the summer of 2001 in New York, the film stars R-Pattz as a rabblerousing student with daddy issues who falls for Lost star Emilie de Ravin.

Pattinson sudden fame meant that the film met with some unexpected difficulties when shooting in the Big Apple.

“We didn’t want to shoot at ridiculously iconic places, but at the same time we wanted to give it a real New York feel,” Osborne says.

“Naturally, there are certain obstacles you have to navigate when you’re shooting in the city but it was particularly difficult this time because of the enormous popularity and notoriety of Rob.”

Remember Me is out on DVD and Blu-ray on 26 July.

Were you a fan of the original?
I hadn’t seen the original in years when I was approached by Michael Aguilar and Dean Georgaris about making the movie, but I’d seen it as a kid, a friend brought over a Betamax tape of something. So I’d seen it but I didn’t really remember it, apart from a few key scenes. It wasn’t one of Romero’s movies I was as obsessed with.

How did leading man Timothy Olyphant get on board?
He was the first and only choice for me. We wrote the movie without cast in mind but as soon as we got to the place where we were able to think about cast he was number one on my list. [Tim’s] a real performer who’s intelligent, educated and someone who’s going to dive into the text and the subtext of the movie and really bring the character to life. He’s also a guy who has a real movie star quality. I think he’s on the precipice of blowing up in a big way.

Are DVD extras important to you?
The DVD is where most people end up seeing the movie. I think it’s really important to deliver as good a product as you can. In our case the studio really were willing to push the envelope and spend the money and take the time to do the extras. There’s obviously a lot of cost involved so I was thrilled they were supporting the movie in this way.

And what about deleted scenes and different cuts?
A big debate for me is when people show additional endings to a movie. I shot two endings: one was dark, and one was bleak! I cut the two endings, viewed it, showed it to some friends and choose the ending that made it into the theatres. Then we had this other ending that wasn’t right for the movie. We decided not to put the ending on because it kind of kicks away the choice of the director and the conviction of the movie.

Did you request anything specifically for the disc?
I made them put a couple of Easter Eggs on the DVD which they were happy to do.

Why do horror movies tend to do so well on DVD?
Horror fans are the most die-hard film fans. They’re the ones who are going to buy Blu-rays, they’re the ones who are going to listen to the commentary and they’re the ones who appreciate the filmmaking. They’re the hardest fans to win over by far, but once you do they are loyal!

The Crazies is available on DVD and Blu-ray now, and is reviewed in the latest issue of DVD & Blu-ray Review

Nokia has teamed up with mobile phone operator Orange to launch a free Orange Wednesdays app on the Nokia Ovi Store. The launch follows a free iPhone app, which has been available since November 2009.

The new Orange Wednesdays Nokia app allows users to:
* See what's playing near you
* Find cinemas and get maps and directions
* Watch trailers
* Read and add reviews
* Send a friend the details straight from the app
* Orange customers can also request, receive and redeem the Orange Wednesdays 2-for-1 voucher on their handset.

“With films like Shrek Forever After, Toy Story 3 and Eclipse hitting the big screen this month, there has never been a better time to head down to your local cinema with the kids or friends – so why not get 2 for 1 cinema tickets using Orange and your Nokia,” a Nokia spokesman said.

The app itself is a 1.49MB download, but the Nokia Smart Installer may also download Qt software libraries – which can take approximately three minutes over a 3G connection.