Get the latest information about Movies On Demand from On Demand Weekly. Every week we provide the Week’s Top 10 Movies On Demand (MOD).

1. JACK REACHER - NEW
2. SAFE HAVEN - NEW
3. SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK - NEW
4. MAMA
5. BROKEN CITY
6. THE GUILT TRIP
7. DJANGO UNCHAINED
8. GANGSTER SQUAD
9. A HAUNTED HOUSE
10. STAND UP GUYS

Source: Rentrak Corporation - OnDemand Essentials (Week Ending May 12, 2013)

See Jaymee Sire's (E is for Eat) SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN recipe. Enjoy!

Click Here To Find The Below Movies On Demand Via ODW's Watch It Channel...

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NORMAN tells the story of Norman Long (Dan Byrd), a self-aware and darkly funny teen who is trying to handle his daily high school existence. An unexpected set of life-changing circumstances turns his world upside down and then ultimately right side up as he meets the magnetic Emily (Emily VanCamp). With love, humility and a heavy dose of truth, he emerges to face challenges not meant for a boy his age. NORMAN is now on demand.

TOP 5 REASONS TO WATCH NORMAN

1. Richard Jenkins

2. Andrew Bird does original score

3. I shave my head in a scene..lil improv no biggie..

4. Emily VanCamp is forced to kiss me on screen and pretend she likes it

5. C'mon what are you gonna watch, Hemlock Grove??

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“You’ve only got four minutes to save the world.” - Justin Timberlake on Madonna’s “4 Minutes”

Who knew that the above quote was actually going to be applicable to a program that aimed to do just that? GE’s Focus Forward Films are a collection of films by select filmmakers (most of them award winning) on people or things that are making an impact on human development and it’s affect on the next generation. In four minutes. 

See the latest Independent Movie On Demand (IMOD) Trailers here...

This is, though, an excellent way to get familiar with doc filmmakers who don’t always get the press that a Ken Burns would. Save for Morgan Spurlock (“Supersize Me” fame amongst other films) and Nelson George, the others are prominent in their fields for now and will hopefully be known to mainstream audiences like Burns, Spurlock and George.

Out of the 30 entries, five winners were chosen at this past Sundance Film Festival with the grand prize winner getting $100k. See if you can guess who won the grand prize without cheating! (I tried and guessed wrong.) 

- T. Tara Turk


T. Tara Turk is a novelist/playwright/screenwriter, living in LA with her boyfriend and dog - all three successful TV addicts. You can find her at www.ttaraturk.com or follow her on Twitter @ttaraturk.

Get up close and personal with 16 of the most successful women in the adult film industry as they shed their clothes for an intimate photo shoot with director Deborah Anderson. As questions are asked, personal stories about their lives are revealed, from why they chose the business of sex to how they got into it in the first place. These porn stars have always been discreet about their private lives in the past, yet Anderson has a way of opening up a dialog allowing them to share more than just their naked skin on screen. Their true inner vulnerability is touching, yet the characters they have created are confident and intoxicating. Once you hear their stories, you'll never look at them in the same way again.

The film is directed by director Deborah Anderson and stars Belladonna, Kayden Kross, Lisa Ann, Katsumi, Teagan, Ash Hollywood, Misty Stone, Tanya Tate, Asphyxia, Jesse Jane, Francesca Le, Lexi Belle, April O'Neil, Brooklyn Lee, Allie Haze, Alexis Texas and Fran Amidor. AROUSED is on demand today.

Top 5 Things You Need To Know About AROUSED by Deborah Anderson

Deborah Anderson, AROUSED (Ketchup Entertainment)

1. AROUSED documents the making of my 3rd Fine Art book where I ask 16 porn stars to bare more than just their naked skin which brings a whole new meaning to the word 'sexuality' and a look at the loss of our own 'sensuality'.


2. This is not a story about 'Porn" but an insight into the lives of Women who chose the sex industry as their line of work seen for the first time without makeup and their onscreen persona, intimate life changing stories are revealed, yet you will be surprised at how they don't much differ from your own.


3. You will learn that these girls are not addicted to drugs, nor are they abused as one might think, they made a choice - a choice that would change their lives forever and they have no regrets.


4. AROUSED was filmed during 8 days, with 3 hours per girl on set in which we had to find out who they were, do hair and makeup and then a full on photo shoot for the Fine Art book.

Kayden Kross, AROUSED (Ketchup Entertainment)

5. The questions proposed to the girls for AROUSED were gathered from the many questions thrown at the Director by friends, family and strangers alike when being explained the nature of the project before filming commenced. Everything you ever needed to know was asked and most importantly answered by all 16 girls. 

See the AROUSED trailer here.

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Get the latest information about Movies On Demand from On Demand Weekly. Every week we provide the Week’s Top 10 Movies On Demand (MOD).

1. DJANGO UNCHAINED - NEW
2. THIS IS 40
3. LINCOLN
4. PARENTAL GUIDANCE
5. ZERO DARK THIRTY
6. LIFE OF PI
7. HYDE PARK ON HUDSON
8. THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
9. WRECK-IT RALPH
10. PITCH PERFECT

Source: Rentrak Corporation - OnDemand Essentials (Week Ending April 21, 2013)

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Get the latest information about Movies On Demand from On Demand Weekly. Every week we provide the Week’s Top 10 Movies On Demand (MOD).

1. PARENTAL GUIDANCE
2. LINCOLN
3. THIS IS 40
4. ZERO DARK THIRTY
5. THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED
JOURNEY
6. LIFE OF PI
7. HYDE PARK ON HUDSON - NEW
8. KILLING THEM SOFTLY
9. WRECK-IT RALPH
10. LES MISERABLES

Source: Rentrak Corporation - OnDemand Essentials (Week Ending April 14, 2013)

See Jaymee Sire's (E is for Eat) SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN recipe. Enjoy!

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Is BANSHEE Worth Bringing On?

Tribeca Film's WHAT RICHARD DID

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Get the latest information about Movies On Demand from On Demand Weekly. Every week we provide the Week’s Top 10 Movies On Demand (MOD).

1. THIS IS 40 - NEW
2. LINCOLN
3. PARENTAL GUIDANCE
4. ZERO DARK THIRTY
5. THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
6. LIFE OF PI
7. KILLING THEM SOFTLY - NEW
8. WRECK-IT RALPH
9. LES MISERABLES
10. ARGO

Source: Rentrak Corporation - OnDemand Essentials (Week Ending April 7, 2013)

See Jaymee Sire's (E is for Eat) SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN recipe. Enjoy!

Click Here To Find The Below Movies On Demand Via ODW's Watch It Channel...

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New Movies On Demand Preview:  April 2013

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VOD Spotlight: Steve Mazan (DYING TO DO LETTERMAN)

Jeremy Piven's Top 5 Reasons To Watch FULLY LOADED

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On Demand Weekly provides new movie reviews of hot movies on demand from the POV of watching from the comfort of your home. Today’s review: SIMON KILLER (IFC Films).

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SIMON KILLER
A contemporary cautionary tale in the City of Lights….
By Cynthia Kane

Ranging from Spectral Display to LCD Soundsystem, it’s a fantastic, hard and energetic blend. The music is loud and bombastic, half the time we hear sounds as filtered through Simon’s iPod.

SIMON KILLER might not provide enough answers for a typical US audience. But it’s so worth giving it a chance. It harkens back to a kind of the cinema of the Nouvelle Vague or some of the great American films of the 70s. It’s fascinating visually and stylistically; it gives us performances so subtle and natural, that in re-watching, I can only write stunning. It builds tremendous tension without being obvious and over the top. It gives us the un-clichéd Paris, the dark and ugly side we know exists in all cities.

And so interesting to note that the only trustworthy and really likeable characters are women.

Simon Killer is not the film I thought it would be. It’s not overtly violent film but violence is palpable throughout nonetheless. Once that violence erupts, it’s brutal but does not sensationalize. In short, this is not always an easy film to watch. It is, however, beautifully constructed and shot. There’s a richness to the style and excels in telling a simple and uncompromising story in a way that engages while keeping you disturbed, unnerved and questioning. Without a doubt Antonio Campos (AFTERSCHOOL) is a young, talented filmmaker, someone to watch.

That said, one must note that the great strength of SIMON KILLER is the collaborative process by which it was made. Campos and Corbet met at Sundance in 2009; they began working on story and script. Later Mati Diop was suggested to them as a potential female lead. All having backgrounds as filmmakers created an immediate bond. While the story was clear, many of the scenes were fleshed out through improvisation before fully scripting and shooting.

SIMON KILLER premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival followed by the 56th BFI London Film Festival and many others.

- Cynthia Kane


Cynthia Kane reviews documentaries for On Demand Weekly. She is a writer and Sr Programming Manager for [ ITVS], overseeing the International Initiative for funding in their SF office. Prior she’s had many incarnations from actor to writer to producer. She co-created DOCday on Sundance Channel.

Read Other Reviews By Cynthia Kane:

HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE -  DEMAND IT

THE ISLAND PRESIDENT -  DEMAND IT

SLEEPWALK WITH ME  -  DEMAND IT

TRISHNA  -  DEMAND IT

The Video Glutton - On Demand Weekly's Guide To Binge TV Viewing. Jean Tait will analyze whether a TV series is Binge TV Viewing worthy.

The Video Glutton: ODW's Guide To Binge TV Viewing - BANSHEE, Season 1

By Jean Tait

After the success of Starz’ SPARTACUS, I imagine some suits over at Cinemax said, let’s do a show like that! All we need are some good looking actors and lots of blood, gore, and sex, and we’ll have a hit! So they hired a Liam McIntyre type, made sure he (and most of the rest of the cast) had excellent fighting skills, looked good naked, plunked them down into a contemporary small town full of bad guys, and voila!

There must have been some TWIN PEAKS influences as well, although it is clear they were afraid to go too quirky. There is one sidekick in a bow tie who tends to just stare. Yeah, ok, creepy, but not odd enough to make him irresistible. The obvious bad guy turns out to be a shunned Amishman who still looks out for his family.

BANSHEE (Cinemax)

The most mustache-twirling of the villains, is a bleached blond Ben Cross (“Chariots of Fire”). The most evilest of evil villains can never be US born. An Eastern European accent equals Big Bad Guy with minions who also have the same accent, so of course, Mr. Rabbit (yes, that is his name) is Ukranian.

Ben Cross / BANSHEE (Cinemax)

The kindly African American ex-boxer bar owner who takes our hero under his wing also happens to be an ex-con (the nicely underplaying Frankie Faison), as is the Asian transvestite hairdresser who is also a crackerjack hacker (the severely bitchy Hoon Lee). Can you get a liquor license if you are an ex-con? I guess you can in Banshee, PA.

Banshee is a small town with more than its share of bad guys. Minor robberies turn into hostage taking and motorcycle gangs are not only petty criminals, but also rapists and murderers. It’s a very western set-up. Lawmen don’t last very long ‘round these parts and only the loner, just-released felon has the moral center to take on the rampant crime in the town.

I assumed from the title that there would be some supernatural influences (as with Executive Producer Alan Ball’s TRUE BLOOD), but the only thing supernatural in Banshee is the characters’ ability to take a beating and heal quickly. And take a beating they do. There is not a single episode that is missing a major smackdown. Kudos to the fight choreographer and stunt-men and –women.

Think this show was designed with fanboys in mind? 

There is also not a single episode without a major sex scene. Apparently, none of the women in Banshee, PA, wear bras. They just whip off their dresses are ready to go, nips ahoy. Major issues are all solved with violence. By the way, I would seriously like to know if there has ever, in real life, been a big fight after which the two guys fighting just share a drink and grudging respect. Does that really happen???? I’m sure Hemmingway thought it did.

Ben Cross / BANSHEE (Cinemax)

The heavily macho tone also shows the Tarantino influence. Would that it were written by Quentin. These writers are going to have to come up with much more clever dialogue to get there. The plot twists need to be more clever as well. I’m not a big mystery-watcher, and I could see just about all of them coming a mile away. The show could also use more humor. There is only so much dark one can take.

The first episode throws the set up quickly and furiously. It’s a fairly convoluted setup, but it rolls out effortlessly, and with little dialogue. Remember this is a world of strong and silent stereotypes. Even the bitchy drag queen is tight-lipped.

Episode 2 introduces us to the secondary characters, and we discover that the sweet-looking young women in this town are not so sweet and certainly not innocent, and SPOILER ALERT—our heroine is Rabbit’s daughter!

The following episodes kind of run together with each one including a surprise (that is not very surprising), and the plot doesn’t advance much until the 8th or 9th. (I may have to add a rule to the 10 Rules of Binge Watching---get a seatbelt for your couch! When you get to Episode 8, the major fight lasts about half the episode, and you will get whiplash just from watching it!) By the 10th episode, loose ends seem to tie up except for the missing corpse of Rabbit, the discovery of the corpse of the real new sheriff, and the appearance of a boy from the real Lucas Hood’s past.

Dun Dun Duuuuuuuun. 

- Jean Tait

Jean Tait is a contributing writer to On Demand Weekly. Currently the Director of Programming for the Connecticut Film Festival, Jean has programmed for the Jacksonville Film Festival and Sundance Channel.
 

PS Season 1, episodes 1-13, of “House Of Cards” are available on Netflix

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The Video Glutton: ODW's Guide To Binge TV Viewing - GAME OF THRONES, Seasons 1 & 2 - BINGE IT

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On Demand Weekly provides new movie reviews of hot movies on demand and from the POV of watching from the comfort of your home. Today’s review: A PLACE AT THE TABLE (Magnolia Pictures).

A PLACE AT THE TABLE

By Kim Gabelmann

Viewers learn about the term “food deserts,” which are not just rural areas but 70% are actually urban. These areas may have several grocery store options, but very few if any have fresh produce. The available vegetables are canned and there might be an occasional banana. Other than that, their choices are processed foods that are lacking nutrients yet have high levels of “empty calories,” feeding the obesity epidemic vicious cycle.

Activist Marion Nestle makes the point that since 1980, when the obesity issue first began, the price of fruit and vegetables has gone up 40% and the price of processed food has gone down by 40%. So if you have limited funds, then you’re going to go out and buy the most calories for the least amount of money. She goes on to talk about how this is due to the farm subsidies, and 84% of the funds going to agri-businesses, producing corn, soy, rice, cotton and wheat. Which means the government is subsidizing the basic ingredients in the processed foods that are wreaking havoc on our health. Less than 1% of subsidies go toward fruits, vegetables and whole grains because they tend to be smaller producers without the “clout” needed to be “heard” in Washington. The USDA is a massive organization in charge of too many areas, such as forestry, animal & welfare, food safety, conservation, and food and nutrition.

Oscar® winner, Jeff Bridges an advocate for hunger issues throughout his career explains, “It’s a problem that people are ashamed of acknowledging and we are in denial about it.” With Barbie, a single mother from Philadelphia echoing that hunger can be “going on right next door and you would never know because people are too afraid to about it.”

The film integrates other high profile faces, such as Silverbush’s husband, Tom Colicchio, host of “Top Chef.” We see Colicchio sit in front of Congress debating the childhood nutrition spending that goes toward school lunches. Early childhood deprivation, can reap lifelong consequences and issues, such as, cognitive, behavioral, and disease.

The film also features a great soundtrack, produced by Grammy® winner, T. Bone Burnett and collaborating two original songs by popular band, “The Civil Wars”.

A PLACE AT THE TABLE premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and has been making its rounds on the festival circuit. Now available to On Demand viewers at home, where they can get acquainted with this “under the radar” subject matter set to beautiful cinematography and wonderful soundtrack. The more films such as PLACE AT THE TABLE are made and shown, the more chance that we will become aware of the many solvable issues we have in this country if only more were aware of how truly broken a food system we have in this country.

- Kim Gabelmann

Kim Gabelmann is a special correspondent to On Demand Weekly and the founder of consciousfork, a farm to table juice and lifestyle cafe in Warwick, NY. She is a marketing and business development consultant and a certified health counselor. She is the former Senior Vice President of Branded Entertainment and Partnerships for Sundance Channel and Independent Film Channel (IFC).

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