We Bought A Zoo will be released on April 3rd in both a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy combo back and a standard DVD release in North America. We really think you will enjoy the extras, especially the hour plus documentary that covers the entire shoot of the film. Here’s all the details:

• We Shot A Zoo – A full length documentary on the making of the film
• Commentary with Cameron, actor JB Smoove and editor Mark Livolsi
• Deleted Scenes/Extended Scenes
• “Elevator Empathy”
• “A Gift From Ronnie”
• “Life is Elemental”
• “Thank You, Rhonda”
• “Rosie Names Her Peacocks”
• “Quick Learner”
• “Just Can’t Get a Handle On It”
• “So Much Bloodshed”
• “Buster is Loose”
• “Utterly Free / Nobody Died”
• “I Make My Own Hours”
• “The Stuff is Alive”
• “We’re Living The Story”
• “Disaffected Youth”
• “It’s Their Zoo, Too”
• “Goodnight, Big Mac”
• “Such a Cliché”
• “Sorry About the Rain”
• “Benjamin’s Big Speech”
• “Opening Day”
• Gag Reel
• The Real Mee – An interview with the real Benjamin Mee
• Their Happy Is Too Loud – Scoring the film with jónsi
• Trailer

Benjamin Mee & Matt Damon (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

As we inch closer to the UK release of We Bought A Zoo on March 16th, here’s a recent interview with the real Benjamin Mee. He discusses with the Express UK his decision to purchase the Dartmoor Zoo back in 2006, his beloved wife Katherine’s death, the book and the movie. The Dartmoor Zoo still needs your help, so you can visit the zoo if you are in the area or pledge your support in other ways by becoming a member, adopting an animal and much more. Visit the official Dartmoor Zoo website for all the details.

Many of you have asked about a possible release of The Union outside North America and an eventual DVD/Blu-ray release. We we currently have offers pending, and plans are being formulated for both international airings and a DVD/Blu-ray release. We appreciate your patience and please stay tuned and we will provide more updates as they are available. Thanks.

At the California Jam, April 6th 1974. Photograph by Robert Ellis.

Cameron’s debut piece of journalism for the L.A. Times was this interview with Deep Purple guitar god Ritchie Blackmore for the June 23, 1974 edition. Among the topics covered: his honesty with interviews, Black Sabbath and classical music. For more Blackmore/Purple magic check out the following:

• Ritchie Blackmore – Creem magazine – June, 1975
• Ritchie Blackmore – Rolling Stone – April 10, 1975
• Deep Purple – Rolling Stone – June 21, 1973

Cameron was able to snag the ever elusive Van Morrison for this 1973 interview with Creem magazine. As you can tell, Van is a deep guy and he talks extensively about the record industry, his songwriting process and the desire to “just be a musician”. Enjoy!

The wait is over in North America as HBO will debut Cameron’s documentary, The Union tonight at 9pm (EST/PST). This behind the scenes film follows the reunion and collaboration of Elton John and Leon Russell. Let us know what you think.

Click here to view the embedded video.

]]> http://www.theuncool.com/2012/02/02/the-union-hbo-debut-tonight/feed/ 33 http://www.theuncool.com/2012/01/30/cameron-on-the-union/ http://www.theuncool.com/2012/01/30/cameron-on-the-union/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:34:38 +0000 Greg http://www.theuncool.com/?p=6163

Click here to view the embedded video.

Cameron chats about The Union in this video interview. Topics include the origin of the documentary, the magic of capturing Elton John and Leon Russell in the studio and much more. The Union will debut Thursday, February 2nd at 9pm (EST/PST) exclusively on HBO.

Both with Sigur Rós, and in his solo work, Jónsi has always made music that captured the human adventure. Early on, it was obvious that this music would have a profound effect on the making of “We Bought A Zoo.” In preparation for making the movie, we gave all the actors and crew members a copy of Sigur Rós transcendent documentary, “Heima,” (Icelandic for “home”). We all watched the film and listened to the music, and it quickly seeped into our own journey in filming the real-life story of Benjamin Mee’s book. The actors listened to the music during their takes; it was immediately part of the film’s DNA. Even the signs guiding our crew members to the set revealed our inspiration “Heima.” During filming, I sent Jónsi a photo of one of the signs. He wrote back with characteristic enthusiasm. On our last day of shooting in April, I contacted Jónsi again and asked him if he was interested in scoring the film. I sent him a copy of the script, and a Quicktime of one of the scenes. The story affected him. He’d already begun composing new music for the film when he arrived from Iceland with his toy sampler keyboard and a headful of ideas.

His first theme for the movie fit perfectly. Within a week, Jónsi had composed a series of themes that would reflect everything we’d hoped for. In his music were all the highs and lows and passionate in-betweens of the film itself. Over the course of several visits to Los Angeles, Jónsi sculpted and orchestrated a soundscape with elements I’d never had in a movie before: bells, strings, cymbals, toy pianos, even melodies played through a small Dictaphone. The instinct that began the movie had come full circle. On a warm fall night in October, we finished. The e-mail he sent last night before boarding the plane back to his home in Iceland says it all: “It was such a blast.” And so it was. Here, with thanks from an inspired director, and special gratitude to Alex Somers, who helped shine it through a prism of love and wonder, is Jónsi’s first score for film. This is his music for “We Bought A Zoo.”

October 2011

L to R: Tom Friend, Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Mel Kiper, Jr.

There’s a great story about how sports writer Tom Friend landed a cameo on Jerry Maguire. I thought it was pretty funny and insightful look back by Friend. Check it out over at ESPN.com’s Front Row, I think you’ll like it too.