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X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
The Ultimate Blu-ray and DVD Experience Arrives on
First Class Friday, September 9th
First Class Friday, September 9th
Before they were superheroes, the fate of humanity depended on an extraordinary group of youngsters who went on to become X-MEN: FIRST CLASS. Based on the international bestselling Marvel Comics franchise, this box office hit bursts onto Blu-ray and DVD Friday, September 9th from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Before Charles Xavier (McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Fassbender) took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time, working together to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. The film features a star-studded supporting cast, including Academy Award®-nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone), January Jones (“Mad Men”), Rose Byrne (28 Weeks Later), Zoë Kravitz (“Californication”), Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man), Lucas Till (Walk the Line), and Emmy Award®-nominee Oliver Platt (“The West Wing”). Special guest cameos by both Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Romijn can also be spotted in the film.
For the first time ever, “X-Men” fans will have the power to choose a side between Professor X and Magneto with two versions of premium collectible Blu-ray packaging. Also exclusively on Blu-ray, fans receive access to over two hours of special interactive features PLUS ten Marvel “X-Men” Digital Comics including a never-before-seen “X-Men: First Class” backstory— redeemable through each Blu-ray’s unique packaging code.
What two franchise alumni make cameos in X-Men: First Class? Email your answer to dvdlegion.com @ gmail.com
- Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Romijn
- Patrick Stewart and Anna Paquin
- Halle Berry and James Marsden
- Ian McKellen and Rebecca Romijn
Top 5 Physical Transformations in Film
Experience First Class Mutant Action When X-Men: First Class Arrives on Blu-ray & DVD September 9th
With superhero spectacle X-Men: First Class hitting shelves on September 13th, we’ve been reflecting on one of the film’s most memorable moments! Hank McCoy joins the team hoping to find a cure for his large and oddly-looking feet. To his dismay—and surprise—he completely transforms into the hairy character Beast.
Movies have shown us some pretty weird and wonderful metamorphoses over the years, so we’ve taken a look back at just a couple of the many unforgettable big screen transformations.
Beauty and the Beast
The thirtieth film from the Walt Disney Animated Classics series retold the French fairy tale La Belle et la Bête for a new generation. In the infamous tale, a handsome prince is cursed to live as a hideous Beast until his spell is broken. At the end of the film, Belle declares her love for him and he is finally able to transform back into his human form so the two can live happily ever after. Beast’s joy at his transformation after years of entrapment brings an emotional intensity to the scene that makes it one of Disney’s most memorable moments - as well as one of cinema’s best transformations.
The Incredible Hulk
Hank McCoy isn’t the only Marvel character to undergo a transformation – indeed most of them do – but one other stands out rather more prominently than the rest: The Incredible Hulk! This green giant has featured in many a movie since the comic book series came to life in 1962 but it’s during one of his more recent incarnations that he stands out most memorably. In 2008 Sony Pictures released The Incredible Hulk with Hollywood superstar Edward Norton taking on the role of the infamous monster. What stunned audiences about this version though, was the moment Bruce Banner undergoes his transformation into Hulk. Sony made the most of their budget by using some incredible special effects to wow audiences with Banner’s destructive but unforgettably impressive metamorphosis!
The Fly (1986)
In 1986 Brookfilms remade a horror classic of the 50s: The Fly! Jeff Goldblum was the man destined for alteration here as his character Seth Brundle unwittingly blends his DNA with a housefly after trying to teleport himself. Seth’s transformation takes place over stages throughout the film and features some impressive make up and special effects. Not only are the moments where Seth’s fingernails and teeth fall out made to look vividly realistic, but viewers were also treated to seeing his skin peel off and watch him vomit over his food! Definitely one of the more gruesome transformations of 80s horror cinema, The Fly highlighted just how far special effects had come since its predecessor in 1958.
An American Werewolf in London
Possibly the most famous transformation of them all however can be seen in John Landis’ classic An American Werewolf in London. This onscreen transformation takes over 2 minutes of screen time and depicts an excruciatingly slow and painful change in protagonist David Kessler. Limbs elongate, joints detach and canines emerge in an alteration that makes even the strongest stomach turn! The scene made such a strong impact on the cinematic community that the Academy Awards created a whole new award entitled ‘Outstanding Achievement in Make-up’. The man behind this revolution in horror special effects was prosthetics and make-up specialist Rick Baker who went on to work on Planet of the Apes, Hellboy, X-Men: the Last Stand and The Wolfman.
Black Swan
Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller Black Swan made quite a stir upon its release last year for a whole host of reasons, not least of which was Natalie Portman’s stunning portrayal of troubled protagonist Nina. Portman underwent her own transformation for the role, losing 20 pounds and undergoing ballet training for a year before filming began in order to play her role more convincingly. But the story itself also tells the tale of Nina’s transformation as she moves away from her naïve and sheltered existent to become a dark and dangerous force. Several scenes in the film show Nina ‘transforming’ as she pulls feathers from underneath her skin, has her legs viciously broken and eventually, with the aid of some superb CGI, evolves into a fully fledged black swan. The line between fantasy and reality is continually blurred, making her metamorphosis a psychological as well as a physical one and which culminates in one of the most unsettling transformations in recent cinema history.