Cowgirls ‘N Angels 2: Dakota's Summer Blu-ray Review

**SYNOPSIS**


Oscar Winner Keith Carradine (Cowboys & Aliens) stars alongside a young, popular cast that includes Haley Ramm (X-Men: The Last Stand), Jade Pettyjohn (American Girl: McKenna Shoots for the Stars), and Emily Bett Rickards (Arrow) in this inspiring second chapter of the beloved Cowgirls ’N Angels story! After she receives unexpected news about herself, a 17-year-old girl (Ramm) experiences an exciting, yet challenging life in and out of the rodeo circuit in this wonderful coming- of-age story. Filled with heart, horses and high-reaching adventure, Cowgirls ’N Angels 2: Dakota’s Summer is an uplifting reminder that with courage, friendship and passion, anything is possible.





**MOVIE REVIEW**


An enjoyable if a bit cliched film that is cute as a button. Young ladies will be enchanted by the beautiful horses and the solid performance by Haley Ramm who plays Dakota Rose. Keith Carradine and Anne Lockhart fit well into the role as Dakota's grandparents. Sweet as sugar and running a well paced 91 minutes this is worth a look for a lazy Sunday afternoon family film. 7/10


**VIDEO QUALITY**


Cowgirls 'N Angels 2 arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1 - Colors were natural with some nice saturation and the different shades of the horses mane look good. Black levels were solid but there was a noticeable washed out look in some daylight scenes due to a bit overdone contrast. Image clarity was superb with easily visible detail in clothing, the gorgeous horses and close ups. No signs of edge enhancement. 8/10


**AUDIO QUALITY**


Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. - A decidedly front heavy presentation that opens a bit for the score by Todd Haberman and a selection of songs which have excellent clarity but not much in the way of dynamic range. Dialogue is prioritized in the center and was crisp and clear throughout. Bass was limited. No anomalies were heard. 8/10


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* Behind The Scenes of Dakota’s Summer (HD, 12min43sec) - Cast and crew give insight into the fun on set, the equestrian work and the film in general.

Winter's Tale on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD on June 24th

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has officially announced they will release Winter's Tale to Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD on June 24, 2014. The film stars Colin Farrell, Russell Crowe, Jessica Brown Findlay and Jennifer Connelly. The Blu-ray specs are 1080p video in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track for audio. Below are the official details:





Burbank, CA, April 23, 2014 – Between love, destiny and darkness comes “Winter’s Tale,” arriving onto Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD on June 24 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and Village Roadshow Pictures. Marking the directorial debut of Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (“A Beautiful Mind”), “Winter’s Tale” is the perfect love story.

Based on the acclaimed novel by Mark Helprin, “Winter’s Tale” stars Colin Farrell (“Saving Mr. Banks”), Jessica Brown Findlay (TV’s “Downton Abbey”) and Academy Award® winner Russell Crowe (“Gladiator”), alongside Jennifer Connelly (“Stuck in Love”), William Hurt (“Bonnie and Clyde”), Eva Marie Saint (“The Legend of Korra”), Mckayla Twiggs (“Orange is the New Black”) and Ripley Sobo (“Team Umizoomi”).

“Winter’s Tale” is produced by Akiva Goldsman, who also wrote the screenplay, Marc Platt (“Drive”), Michael Tadross (“Sherlock Holmes”) and Tony Allard (Showtime’s “The Baby Dance”), with executive producers Kerry Foster and Bruce Berman.


**SYNOPSIS**


Set in a mythic New York City and spanning more than a century, “Winter’s Tale” is a story of miracles, crossed destinies and the age-old battle between good and evil.

Peter Lake (Farrell) is a master thief who never expected to have his own heart stolen by the beautiful Beverly Penn (Brown Findlay). But their love is star-crossed: she burns with a deadly form of consumption, and Peter has been marked for a much more violent death by his one-time mentor, the demonic Pearly Soames (Crowe). Peter desperately tries to save his one true love, across time, against the forces of darkness, even as Pearly does everything in his power to take him down – winner take all and loser be damned. What Peter needs is a miracle, but only time will tell if he can find one.


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* Winter’s Tale: A Timeless Love
* Characters of Good & Evil
* Additional Scenes

Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Revisited on Blu-ray July 29th

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has officially announced they will re-issuing the great Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music to Blu-ray on May 6, 2014 in a Revisited Edition with new bonus footage and collectible reproductions. The Blu-ray specs are 1080p video in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio and a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track for audio. Below are the official details:





Burbank, Calif. April 22, 2014 – Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music – the four-hour Director’s Cut of the 1970 Oscar®-winning documentary about the landmark music event that featured some of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll performers in history -- will be released July 29 in a new Blu-ray 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Revisited.

This latest release will contain the complete 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition (UCE) plus brand new concert footage from Jefferson Airplane, Joan Baez, Santana, The Who and more. There are new premiums – a reproduction of Woodstock Festival tickets and articles from Life Magazine and The New York Times– in addition to a re-issue of the Woodstock logo iron-on patch.


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


New Never-Seen Concert Footage:

* Book of Love
* Come Back Baby
* Everything’s Gonna Be Alright
* Helplessly Hoping and Marrakesh Express
* Mr. Tambourine Man and Tuning My Guitar
* Oh Happy Day and I Shall Be Released
* Persuasion
* Pinball Wizard

New Concert Footage - Previous Limited Availability:

* Mama Tried
* Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine
* Spanish Castle Magic
* Sparks
* Volunteers
* Woodstock Boogie

The bonus material from the original UCE contained two hours of performance footage from many of the above groups as well as a featurette gallery showcasing interviews with Martin Scorsese, Michael Lang, director Michael Wadleigh, Hugh Hefner, Eddie Kramer (the concert’s original chief on-site engineer and producer-engineer for Jimi Hendrix) and others who chronicle the making of the festival and the film. Included are such segments as 3 Days in a Truck, No Rain! No Rain! and Living Up To Idealism.

Previously Released Content

* Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music Director’s Cut
* Woodstock: Untold Stories 18 performances
* Woodstock: From Festival to Feature Interviews of the sights and sounds of the 3 day event, from concert goers, promoters, crew and musicians

COSMOS: A Spacetime Odyssey on Blu-ray and DVD June 10th

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has officially announced they will be bringing the spellbinding series COSMOS: A Spacetime Odyssey to Blu-ray and DVD on June 10, 2014. The episodes are hosted by the magnetic Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Audio will be provided by a DTS-HD Master 5.1 track. Below are the official details:





***SYNOPSIS***


LOS ANGELES, CA (April 22, 2014) – Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment presents a fantastic journey through the universe as Carl Sagan’s visionary series continues with COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY, arriving on Blu-ray and DVD June 10. Debuting two days after the epic conclusion, fans can re-watch this legendary story 13.8 billion years in the making just in time for Father’s Day in spectacular high-definition.

Hosted by renowned astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson and executive produced by Ann Druyan, Seth MacFarlane, Mitchell Cannold and Brannon Braga, COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY features incredible bonus materials including a stunning five-part documentary on the making of this critically-acclaimed ground-breaking event. Fans can also discover what connects us all and see the past, present and future of our galaxy with the interactive “Cosmic Calendar,” exclusive to the Blu-ray release.

COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY is the spectacular follow-up to Carl Sagan’s award-winning series that explored the remarkable mysteries of the cosmos and our place within it. This thrilling, 13-part adventure transports viewers across the universe of space and time, bringing to life never-before-told stories of the heroic quest for knowledge and a deeper understanding of nature. With an updated Cosmic Calendar, dazzling visual effects, and the wondrous Ship of the Imagination, fans will experience an unforgettable journey to new worlds and across the universe for a vision of the cosmos on the grandest and smallest scale.


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* The Cosmic Calendar: An Interactive Look at the History of the Universe (Blu-ray Exclusive)
* COSMOS: A Spacetime Odyssey - The Voyage Continues
* Celebrating Carl Sagan: A Selection From The Library of Congress Dedication
* COSMOS at Comic-Con 2013
* Audio Commentary on Episode One: “Standing Up in the Milky Way”

Son of God on Blu-ray and DVD June 3rd and Digital HD May 6th

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has officially announced they will be releasing Son of God to Blu-ray and DVD on June 3, 2014 and will be available on Digital HD May 6, 2014. The film stars Diogo Morgado and Roma Downey. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Audio will be provided by a DTS-HD Master 5.1 track. Below are the official details:





***SYNOPSIS***


LOS ANGELES, April 22, 2014 – Become a part of the phenomenon that captivated the nation! Off the heels of the three-time Emmy®-nominated* History Channel miniseries “The Bible,” visionary Executive Producers Roma Downey (Touched by an Angel) and Mark Burnett (The Voice, Shark Tank) are back to tell the most important chapter of the greatest story ever told - SON OF GOD - on Blu-ray™ and DVD June 3 and Digital HD™ May 6 from LightWorkers Media and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. After grossing more than $60 million in box office sales and earning a coveted “A” Cinemascore opening weekend, SON OF GOD comes home to entertain and inspire millions of families and communities across the globe.

"What an honor it has been to bring the story of the life of Jesus Christ to so many people," said executive producer Roma Downey and Mark Burnett. "Now families can bring the story into their homes and enjoy together."

SON OF GOD brings the story of Jesus' life to audiences through compelling cinematic story-telling that is both powerful and inspirational. Told with the scope and scale of an action epic, this film features powerful performances, exotic locales, dazzling visual effects and a rich orchestral score. SON OF GOD shows the life of Jesus from his humble birth through his teaching, crucifixion and ultimate resurrection.

Led by an all-star international cast, SON OF GOD boasts phenomenal performances from Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado as Jesus Christ, Roma Downey as Mother Mary, Darwin Shaw (Casino Royale) as Peter, Sabastian Knapp as John (28 Days Later) and Amber Rose Revah as Mary Magdalene (From Paris With Love). Oscar® and Grammy® winning composer Hans Zimmer unites with acclaimed vocalist Lisa Gerrard – along with Lorne Balfe – to create the majestic musical backdrop for this epic production.

The Blu-ray and DVD release will feature an unprecedented Spanish-language version of SON OF GOD that will feature the voices of popular Latino actors Eduardo Verastegui (“Bella,” “The Butterfly Circus”) as Jesus, Blanca Soto (“Porque El Amor Manda,” “Eva Luna”) as Mary Magdalene, Jacqueline Bracamontes (host of “La Voz Mexico” “Sortilegio”) as Martha, Karyme Lozano (“For Greater Glory,” “Quiero Amarte”) as Claudia, Giovanna Acha (“Beverly Hills Chihuahua”) as Young Mary, Latin Grammy Award winner Alexander Acha as Joseph, Adal Ramones (“Saving Private Perez,” “Bailando por un Sueño”) as Simon, Carlos Ponce (“Rio,” “Couples Retreat”) as Thomas and Academy Award®-nominated Adriana Barraza (“Babel”) as Mother Mary. Verastegui also serves as executive producer of the Spanish language version of the film.

Perfect for Father’s Day gift giving, SON OF GOD will be available with a one-of-a-kind 24-page photo book and more than one hour of captivating bonus content, including a behind-the-scenes sneak peek at life on set, as well as cast, producer and director interviews. Additionally the release will feature Son of God: Reborn, which includes a docu-story in English and Spanish titled “Christians Today” that delves into the legacy of Christianity and the role of Jesus in the new generation.


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* Son of God: Reborn
- 30 Minute Docu-Story Christians Today
- Jesus for New Generation
* Making of Video (includes Spanish version)
* Son of God Set
* Compassion Video