Blu-Ray Deal of the Week: 70% Off Best of Warner Bros. 50 Film Collection

From 1932's Grand Hotel to 2010's Inception, Warner Bros.has many of their greatest films all in one place as part of the Best of Warner Bros. 50 Film Collection Blu-Ray set, and now you can get all of these great movies for one low price. This week's deal is 70% off this incredible 52-disc set, yours for only $181.99. That's less than $4 a movie, and included in that are 16 Best Picture winners, a limited edition 27" X 40" poster, and hours of special features.

Click on the above link or go here to order yours today! We appreciate the support you continue to show our sponsors. Punch Drunk Critics earns a small fee every time one of our readers buys from any of our links.

Check out a full list of the movies included in this set below.

1. Grand Hotel* (1932)
2. Mutiny on the Bounty* (1935)
3. Wizard of Oz (1939)
4. Gone with The Wind* (1939)
5. Maltese Falcon, The (1941)
6. Mrs. Miniver* (1942)
7. Casablanca* (1942)
8. Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948)
9. Streetcar Named Desire, A (1951)
10. American in Paris, An* (1951)
11. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
12. Gigi(1958)
13. North By Northwest (1959)
14. Ben-Hur* (1959)
15. How the West Was Won (1962)
16. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
17. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
18. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
19. Bullitt (1968)
20. Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971)
21. Dirty Harry (1971)
22. Clockwork Orange, A (1972)
23. Exorcist, The (1973)
24. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest* (1975)
25. Superman, The Movie (1977)
26. Shining, The (1980)
27. Chariots of Fire* (1981)
28. Risky Business (1983)
29. Amadeus* (1984)
30. Color Purple, The (1985)
31. Lethal Weapon (1987)
32. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
33. Driving Miss Daisy* (1989)
34. Goodfellas (1990)
35. Unforgiven* (1992)
36. Bodyguard, The(1992)
37. Natural Born Killers (Director's Cut) (1994)
38. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
39. Matrix, The (1999)
40. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
41. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
42. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
43. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King* (2003)
44. Million Dollar Baby* (2005)
45. Departed, The* (2006)
46. Dark Knight, The (2008)
47. Blind Side, The (2009)
48. Hangover, The (2009)
49. Sherlock Holmes (2009)
50. Inception (2010)

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Ian McKellen to Play Sherlock Holmes in Bill Condon's 'A Slight Trick of the Mind'

As the Toronto International Film Festival kicks off today, much of the attention will be on the diverse slate of films making, in some cases, their worldwide debut. But as is always the case at these events, there are also deals being struck behind the scenes, and a new one will have Sir Ian McKellen playing a retired Sherlock Holmes in an adaptation of Mitch Cullin's A Slight Trick of the Mind.

McKellen will reteam with his Gods and Monsters director Bill Condon on the film, which features a script by The Duchess writer Jeffrey Hatcher. The story takes place in 1947 and follows an aging, mentally waning Holmes as he's haunted by an unsolved case from fifty years earlier. This will obviously be a very different Holmes than we've been seeing of late, as portrayed by Robert Downey Jr., Condon's The Fifth Estate star Benedict Cumberbatch, and Jonny Lee Miller.  There's also a role for Holmes' housekeeper and her son, who happens to be an amateur detective and will probably take on a Watson-esque role.

McKellen will be keeping busy as Gandalf in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, and as Magneto in X-men: Days of Future Past. Filming on A Slight Trick of the Mind will kick off next April.

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Drew Pearce to write Sherlock Holmes 3

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows won't hit theaters until December 16th, but Warner Brothers knows they have a hit on their hands. So why bother waiting? Get the ball rolling on that third film right now, and secure one of the fastest rising writers in the biz while they're at it.

THR reports that Drew Pearce, writer on Iron Man 3, will have a chance to work with Robert Downey Jr. again as he's been hired to write Sherlock Holmes 3. Pearce is probably best known for creating the British superhero TV series, No Heroics, but he really turned heads when Marvel dug his script for upcoming superhero flick, Runaways.

This is modus operandi for Warner Brothers, who hired the writers to 'Shadows' before the first Sherlock Holmes had opened.

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2 new photos from Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. *small spoiler*

We still know precious little about Guy Ritchie's sequel to Sherlock Holmes, recently titled A Game of Shadows. We know that Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law will be back as the most...unique version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective duo. Noomi Rapace is aboard, along with Stephen Fry as Holmes' older brother Mycroft, as well as Jared Harris as arch-nemesis Moriarty. Rachel McAdams has been confirmed for a cameo appearance as love interest Irene Adler, likely to kick Holmes to the curb. 

Warner Brothers has release a couple of new images from the sequel, one of which you can see above featuring the dynamic duo sharing a drink or two. The one below, however, some might consider a bit spoilerish, so check it out at your own risk. 

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is due for release on December 16th, 2011! Thanks to Shockya for these images!

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Sherlock Holmes sequel gets an official title

Briefly because there's no real reason to elaborate...

The sequel to 2009's Sherlock Holmes has been officially titled Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.   The film will reteam Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law with director Guy Ritchie. Noomi Rapace, Jared Harris, and Stephen Fry will be along for the ride this time, with the film scheduled to hit on December 16th 2011.

Maybe it's just me but the title makes it sound like a video game tie-in. Or a one-shot comic book.   Thanks to E! Online for the info!

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Early look at Entertainment Tonight's Sherlock Holmes 2 set visit

When Entertainment Tonight host Kevin Frazier asks Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law why they're back for a sequel to Sherlock Holmes, it should be pretty friggin' clear. There are over 520 million reasons why. But beyond the money, it's clear that the duo are having a lot of fun working together and with Guy Ritchie. And now Noomi Rapace gets to join in as well.

In the video, we see a number of special effects shots, but the  bulk of the footage is of the myriad disguises utilized by Sherlock Holmes this go'round. I didn't see anything featuring Jared Harris as Moriarty, but that could come later on when the full clip is shown on TV.  We do finally get a chance to see Rapace in action, as as a gypsy who helps the duo in their latest caper.  Check out the footage below(it'll start on it's own, so be wary), and look out for Sherlock Holmes 2 when it drops on December 16th 2011!

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1st look at Sherlock Holmes 2!

Info on Sherlock Holmes 2 has been scarce. There've been plenty of photos from the set, but I don't find those particularly informative or interesting. Besides, we already knew who was involved so watching Robert Downey and Jude Law loafing around wasn't a big deal. What I really wanted to see was Noomi Rapace, the Swedish actress who has really struck while the iron's hot after her head turning performances as Lisbeth Salander in the Millennium trilogy of flicks. I'm most interested in seeing how she acclimates herself in her first role in an American produced film.

What we knew was that she'd be playing a gypsy who becomes involved in Holmes and Moriarty's latest case. Now we've got our first actual image from the film, and it includes all three principle characters.

Pretty cool. Now can we see Jared Harris as Moriarty? Thanks.

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Jared Harris to play Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes 2

We only caught a brief glimpse of Sherlock Holmes' nemesis, Moriarty, at the very end of Guy Ritchie's film. Obviously nobody knew who would really play the criminal mastermind. At one time Brad Pitt and Daniel Day-Lewis were rumored, but that ain't gonna happen, cool as it may be.

Latino Review first reported and Deadline has now confirmed that Jared Harris(B. Monkey) has signed on to play Holmes' greatest adversary. Sherlock Holmes refers to him as the Napoleon of Crime. He first appeared in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel, The Final Problem, which features the "fatal" duel between the two rivals, falling to their deaths at Reichenbach Falls. This story also features Holmes' older brother Mycroft, whom we recently learned will be in the film portrayed by Stephen Fry.

Obviously not my choice but Harris is a very solid actor. He first came to my attention as Asia Argento's lover in 1998's B. Monkey, but he's probably best known as Lance Pryce on AMC's Mad Men.  I would've preferred an actor of the same celebrity status as Downey and Law just because of the fun factor, but Harris should fit in just fine.

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Sherlock Holmes' brother to appear in sequel; Stephen Fry to play him

Is it possible that the sequel to Sherlock Holmes might be better than the already fun original? Judging the by cast it damn well might be, as Stephen Fry confirmed in an interview with BBC that he would be playing Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's older and even more brilliant brother.

Fry: I’m playing Mycroft in the sequel to the Sherlock Holmes film Guy Ritchie directed with Robert Downey Jr., and that sort of part is fun, but just once in a while to play a genuine all round sort of lead figure with complexity and tragedy and wit and all the sort of things that Oscar [Wilde] had was a once in a lifetime thrill.

Yeah, none of those things describe Mycroft at all. In fact he was only a few of the Arthur Conan Doyle books. A quick profile of him describes him like this...

Possessing deductive powers exceeding even those of his younger brother, Mycroft is nonetheless incapable of performing detective work similar to that of Sherlock as he is unwilling to put in the physical effort necessary to bring cases to their conclusions.

While Conan Doyle's stories leave unclear what Mycroft Holmes' exact position is in the British government, Sherlock Holmes says that "Occasionally he is the British government [...] the most indispensable man in the country." He apparently serves as a sort of human computer.

Outside of his roles in Gosford Park and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland(he was the Cheshire Cat), I don't know much of his other stuff. I know him best for being one of my favorite peripheral characters on Bones, occasionally showing up as Booth's mentor/psychologist. If he brings that type of humor to Sherlock Holmes then his addition is certainly welcome.

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Superman.....Reborn??? Seven Batman Films??

I know, everytime I write anything involving the possible return of The Man of Steel to the big screen, I use that cheesy heading. I'm simply ripping off the bombastic titles of the comics I grew with.  In this case, the it could be more apt than normal.  A few months ago if you'll recall, DC Comics was reworked into DC Entertainment. Time Warner, their parent company, began a focus of fully utilizing their stable of iconic comic book characters, whether it be in movies, TV, licensing, whatever.

If what Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes recently let fly during a conference call is true, I think we're about to see a deluge of superhero films on the horizon...

"We are going to have a fairly interesting set of announcements and presentations pretty soon like in a matter of weeks, I think, about our plans for DC," Bewkes said. "And basically if you look across the title of the whole band of hits whether its Batman, The Dark Knight, Green Lantern coming up, Superman, there have been a huge number of franchised films that have been part of the Warner [tent pole] strategy that's been the reason for Warner's unparallel high and consistent earnings advantage over the other studios and DC has already been a part of that and we are now going to outline an even more expansive plan for that in the coming months."

Let's not mince words: This means Superman. Despite Batman's monster box office success, I think few would argue that Superman is the most visible and recognizable superhero in the world. Superman Returns, while financially successful, was a creative disaster that ground to a halt any plans to expand the franchise. Attempts at another film, either a reboot or an imagining, have been on the backburner ever since, although rumors have never really stopped. In fact, Bewkes makes sure to mention Supes later on in the call...

“We look at Harry Potter. It’s fantastic to have franchises that last that long. We want to do that with Batman and Superman and perhaps Sherlock Holmes. The sequels are as good, with new characters added, as were the originals. That wasn’t the case in the years ago. Warners has more tentpoles as an on-going strategy taht very much lifts its distribution and performance. We think that’s going to hold up our slate in the 2009 - 2010 period. We’ve got four more big tentpoles coming this year.”

What was that? Seven Batmans? Seven Sherlock Holmes'? Que? On it's face, this isn't really that outlandish of a statement. Every studio head wants their movies to be so successful that they can spawn endless sequels. It's just unrealistic, due to (typically) dwindling profit margins, talent departures, creative differences, contract woes, etc. I think the main thing to take from these two statements from Bewkes, is that they're going to be looking beyond Batman and Superman, and probably digging deeper into the DC catalogue. We've already seen some of this with the Lobo project, and the upcoming Jonah Hex. I expect it's going to not only continue, but get a whole lot more crowded in the superhero film genre.

Thanks to Slashfilm and Superhero Hype for their coverage of this story.

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Sherlock Holmes

Does anyone expect this movie to be less than great? The trailers alone give you enough for the price of admission, but the question remains just how good is it? Well, pretty damn good I feel confident in saying. The film starts as Holmes and Watson close their final case before Watson moves off with his fiancée. The case at hand is that of Lord Blackwood, a black magic practitioner who has killed five girls and is ready to kill a sixth when he is finally captured by Holmes and Watson and sentenced to death by Scotland Yard. Case closed…or so they think. Following the hanging of Lord Blackwood Holmes is pulled back in when Blackwood’s tomb is found demolished from the inside and when the coffin is pulled the body inside is not who it should be. The game is again afoot. The race is then on for Holmes and Watson to find Lord Blackwood and for Holmes and his intellect to figure out what he is up to and how it is being done.

Damn is it good to have Robert Downey Jr. back, as he continues to exceed himself in his ability to play even the most complex of character’s. Downey’s Holmes is just as, if not more, charismatic, memorable and endearing as Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow. The true magic, however, lies in the chemistry between Downey as Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. Watson, without this completely believable display of brotherly love the film would not work, I am happy to say that the two of them pulled it off remarkably. Add to this Guy Ritchie showing us a beautiful, albeit, dirty London and you have an amazing concoction. I found that one of the coolest things about the movie is the way in which Ritchie shows us Holmes’ mind at work. He chooses to show us in the form of forethought how Holmes sees things and deduces the correct route in which to follow, in doing this he allows us to see the blinding speed at which the gears in the super sleuth’s head turn. Though he’s a bit overshadowed by Downey’s performance, Jude Law stakes a real claim at returning to the screen a serious actor and not a tabloid headline. His Watson is the perfect balance of humor and sternness that you can tell Holmes needs to stay this side of sane. Hell, even Rachel McAdams proved to be more that just eye candy as Holmes’ female equivalent and one that got away.
The story itself is rather simple but the details are kept until just the right time to preserve an exciting reveal. This all being said, the true star is in the writing as it gives us not only the real feel of Sherlock Holmes but also the rapier wit which makes Sherlock Holmes a truly entertaining spectacle from beginning to end. Adding an exclamation to an already fine film is Hans Zimmer’s score, a kind of blue collar twang that fits the period and really serves to get you amped up for the scene it’s accompanying. I also think he hit the nail right on the head for Sherlock’s theme which embodies the same sophistication and odd quirkiness that the detective himself does. The film wasn’t without its share of problems however, it seemed to run about 30 minutes too long (what’s with this insistence that every big movie must be 2 ½ hours these days!), mostly due to some scenes and subplots that felt like they were better suited for the cutting room floor and some of the mysticism of the film felt forced but this is the sum of its issues.

It’s sufficient to say we owe Guy Ritchie and co. a great round of thanks for bringing back to us one of the greatest heroes in history. Before Batman was the worlds greatest detective there was Sherlock Holmes, Ritchie’s made us remember that. Besides, next to Holmes ole’ Bats seems like kind of a downer not to mention I think Holmes has more in his utility belt (that’s not a euphemism….he really does have a utility belt). If I were you , and you’ve already been out to see Avatar, I would definitely spend some time this holiday season with Holmes and Watson. Oh, and for you die hard Sherlock Holmes purists, not to worry Ritchie didn’t forget about you nor did he forget about a certain professor. Something tells me a Sherlock Holmes 2 may be in our future!

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WB Uncovers Sherlock Holmes sequel!

Warner Bros. never misses a beat, do they? With Sherlock Holmes' release date still three months away, WB has already started looking ahead to a sequel to the Guy Ritchie helmed mystery/actioner. Variety is reporting that the studio has already hired Kieren and Michele Mulroney to script the sequel. WB is hoping Sherlock gains enough steam to become a potential cash cow franchise, and this is a pre-emptive step in that direction, assuring that if the film is a success there won't need to be a long production time in between films. The Mulroneys are probably best known for writing the Justice League animated series which lasted for three seasons.

There are rumors floating around that Brad Pitt is in negotiations to play Holmes' nemesis, Moriarty, in the sequel. Some even go so far as to say that he's already shot some of the scenes, but this is confirmed by nobody at this stage.

This is a smart move, because I think we can all reasonably expect that Sherlock Holmes will at least be something of a hit when it finally comes out. I don't think it's going to be a runaway success, however, just based on Guy Ritchie's box office track record here in the States. Globally, however, Ritchie fares pretty well and the combination of he, Downey, and Law should mean big bucks globally and a surefire start to a successful franchise.

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New Sherlock Holmes trailer!

I'm a huge Sherlock Holmes fan. Always have been. I love a good mystery, although my taste tends to lean towards the noir genre than anything else. However I've read a couple of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyles and loved 'em! Heck, I even liked the Young Sherlock Holmes movie from the 80s! Still watch it to this day.

However this new updated Holmes has hit something of a bad chord with me. First of all, I'm not digging the selection of Jude Law as Watson. I have an idea of what Watson looks like and Law ain't it. It smells of a "name casting", nothing more. Second, Guy Ritchie as director doesn't seem like the right fit. He has one style, and that's frenetic and hap hazard. I'm not sure it's right for Sherlock Holmes. And after watching this trailer, I have to say that my initial fears appear to be justified. This looks more like a buddy comedy than a mystery. I don't know if that's something I'm interested in, to be perfectly honest. But we shall see. Check out the trailer below and let me know what you think.

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