The Little Hours is a comedic gem brimming with a who's who cast of comedic fan-favourites whose commitment to the material is crucial to the audience accepting the unusual but entirely entertaining premise. Writer and director Jeff Baena adapted the film's screenplay from The Decameron, a collection of novellas by Giovanni Boccaccio.

The film is loosely set all the way back in the 14th century, but viewers less inclined towards period pieces should still connect to the film with ease as the characters all maintain a more contemporary manner of speaking without making any blatant modern references. Much of the film is set at a covent full of nuns including those portrayed by Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie, and Kate Micucci who engage in varying debauchery at one point or another throughout the film. Enter Dave Franco as Massetto, who goes on the run and also ends up at the convent after being caught having an affair with his former master's (portrayed by Nick Offerman) wife.

Much of the film's ensemble are utilised for their signature styles of comedy, such as Aubrey Plaza and Nick Offerman's deadpan delivery, but the overall product is a refreshing film that not only provides incidents and dialogue to make viewers laugh but offers commentary on the more archaic ideals and hypocrisy of certain religious rhetoric. The Little Hours is a film that work on multiple levels, ranging from the obvious laughs for the masses and the historical and sociopolitical implications of restrictive religious tendencies for the more intellectually-oriented viewers.

If the film's R-rating wasn't enough of an indication that the film is not for children, we will cosign on that by offering disclaimer warnings that there is profane language, sexual content, nudity, but also contains other forms of controversial content not included in the MPAA rating description. As previously stated, the film is one that if interpreted on a deeper level of analysis is offering commentary on the hypocrisy of certain religious tendencies. The more extreme religiosity can lead to bigotry which in the film manifests in the form of harmful language, or in more simple terms, hate speech. Those with greater sensitivity towards this type of language may be better off skipping it, or at the very least having a warning for it in advance and to use the more intellectual interpretation of the film's content.

The Little Hours is jam-packed full of comedic powerhouses that fully throw themselves into their characters, an absolute must for the audience to believe the delightfully absurd, heightened reality in which the film is set. There's laughs to be had from start to finish, and the chemistry of the leads along with their well-roundedness as actors leaves room for a surprisingly heartfelt resolution that's unexpected but still welcome after all the flashiness of the more outrageous plot points.

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Presents

Watch the trailer:

Directed by Brett Haley (I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS)

Written by Brett Haley, Marc Basch

Starring Sam Elliott, Laura Prepon, Krysten Ritter, Nick Offerman and Katharine Ross

The Orchard will release THE HERO in NY/LA June 9 followed by a national rollout

Lee Hayden (Sam Elliott) is an aging Western icon with a golden voice, but his best performances are decades behind him. He spends his days reliving old glories and smoking too much weed with his former-co-star-turned-dealer, Jeremy (Nick Offerman), until a surprise cancer diagnosis brings his priorities into sharp focus. He soon strikes up an exciting, contentious relationship with stand-up comic Charlotte (Laura Prepon), and he attempts to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Lucy (Krysten Ritter), all while searching for one final role to cement his legacy.

93 Minutes | Not Yet Rated

 “A resonant depiction of a man fearlessly reckoning with his life, his image and, most importantly, his heart. Sam Elliott could not be more compelling.  It’s his best performance in a long time, and possibly ever.” – Katie Walsh, The Playlist

For more info:

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Download the press kit:

http://bit.ly/2mPpZL7

About The Orchard:

Official Site | Facebook | Twitter

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“22 Jump Street is damn funny…” – Peter Travers, ROLLING STONE

“Laugh out loud funny, even better than the first.” – Alex Zalben, MTV NEWS

Jonah Hill & Channing Tatum Go Undercover… Again

22 JUMP STREET

Available on Digital HD Oct. 28
Coming to Blu-ray^™ & DVD Nov. 18

Loaded with more than 100 Minutes of Extensive Bonus Content,
Including 22 Deleted & Extended Scenes, Four Alternate Line-O-Ramas,
Six Featurettes & Three Extra Videos

CULVER CITY, Calif. (Sept. 8, 2014) – Jonah Hill (Moneyball) and Channing Tatum (Foxcatcher) are back in action in Columbia Pictures’ / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ outrageously explosive 22 JUMP STREET, debuting on Digital HD on Oct. 28, and on Blu-ray^™ and DVD Nov. 18 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.  After making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum) when they go deep undercover at a local college. But when Jenko meets a kindred spirit on the football team, and Schmidt infiltrates the bohemian art major scene, they begin to question their partnership.  Now they don’t have to just crack the case – they have to figure out if they can have a mature relationship. If these two overgrown adolescents can grow from freshman to real men, college might be the best thing that ever happened to them.

The $314 million worldwide box office hit also stars Ice Cube (Ride Along), reprising his role as Captain Dickson, along with Peter Stormare (The Last Stand), Wyatt Russell (Cowboys & Aliens), Amber Stevens (“Greek”), Jillian Bell (“Workaholics”), the comedic Lucas Brothers duo, Nick Offerman (“Parks and Recreation”) and Jimmy Tatro (YouTube’s “Life According to Jimmy”).

Bonus features on both the 22 JUMP STREET Blu-ray and DVD include five deleted scenes, commentary with Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, as well as Hill and Tatum, and a “Line-O Rama” alternate scene that gives audiences a look at different takes during one of the film’s funniest scenes.  Also included on Blu-ray and DVD is “The Perfect Couple of Directors” featurette, which takes a look at the directors’ creative vision for 22 JUMP STREET and their collaboration with Tatum and Hill. Blu-ray exclusive bonus features include 17 additional deleted and extended scenes (22 in total), six all-new featurettes, four more “Line-O-Ramas,” a montage of jokes cut from the film, and two viral videos, “Zook & McQuaid’s Football Tape” and “Jenko Split”.

The film is directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. The screenplay is by Michael Bacall and Oren Uziel and Rodney Rothman, from a story by Michael Bacall & Jonah Hill, based on the television series “21 Jump Street” created by Patrick Hasburgh & Stephen J. Cannell.  Neal H. Moritz, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum served as producers. Executive producers include Stephen J. Cannell, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Tania Landau, Brian Bell, Reid Carolin and Ben Waisbren.

Blu-ray & DVD Bonus Features Include:

§  Commentary with Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum

§  Five Deleted & Extended Scenes

§  “The Perfect Couple of Directors” Featurette

§  Line-O-Rama: “Schmidt and Tattoo Art”

Blu-ray Bonus Features Include:

§  17 Additional Deleted & Extended Scenes (22 total)

§  Six Additional Featurettes:

o   “Everything is Better in College” a closer look at Jenko and Schmidt’s undercover transformation into college students

o   “Janning and Chonah” dives into the relationship of the film’s two stars

o   “New Recruits: Casting 22 Jump Street” gives a look at the new cast members in the film

o   “The Perfect Line: Ad-libbing on Set” showcases the great comic actors and their improvisation in some of the film’s most memorable scenes

o   “Don’t Cry Yet: The Mr. Walters Prison Scene” -- Unfiltered and hilarious improvisation that occurred while filming the Mr. Walters prison scene

o   “The Dramatic Interpretation of 22 Jump Street” – A dramatic version of the film (with all jokes removed)

§  “Joke-a-Palooza” -- a montage of jokes cut from the film

§  Line-O-Ramas:

o   “Jenko and the Professor”

o   “Jenko Improv Suggestions”

o   “Mercedes on Schmidt’s Age”

o   “Mercedes and The Ghost”

§  Extra Videos:

o   “Zook & McQuaid’s Football Tape”

o   “Jenko Split”

22 JUMP STREET has a run time of approximately 112 minutes and is rated R for language throughout, sexual content, drug material, brief nudity and some violence.

Visit Sony Home Entertainment on the Web at www.SonyPictures.com.

“Academy Award^®” is the registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company.  Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go tohttp://www.sonypictures.com.

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Following up the 21 Jump Street film reboot of the franchise, which was both a critical and financial success, it was no surprise that the film was followed up with a sequel with a less than surprising title: 22 Jump Street. But for those of you expecting this to be an awful copycat of the first film, you've come to the wrong place.

22 Jump Street delivers all the jokes and shenanigans viewers fell for in the first film and then some. There's an excellent balance between verbal humour and physical comedy, both of which are executed fantastically by all members of the cast and not just the two main leads. There are also cameos galore, the details of which I shall keep to myself in case you'd rather be surprised by the context upon seeing the film for yourself.

More important than the more light-hearted jokes are the ones that delve into deeper social issues. As some of you may remember, there was a hilariously tense moment between Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Capt. Dickson (Ice Cube) in which Dickson points out the racism of how news media covers tragedies. "Now as you can see, this kid is white. That means people actually give a shit," to which Schmidt replies, "Sir, I just wanna throw out to you that I would give a shit if he was black." This sort of humour is repeated in 22 Jump Street and expanded on. What makes this so brilliant is that the humour stems from a deeper understanding of the realities of racism today instead of using offensive racist stereotypes for cheap (white) laughs.

Despite the fact that this can be classified as an action film, it steers away from the lazy habit of that genre of exploiting womyn and their bodies for profit and baiting views. Admittedly, this film has very few female characters but what it does to make up for this is completely shatter the negative homophobic hyper-masculinity that runs rampant in American male gender norms.

The friendship between Schmidt and Jenko (Channing Tatum) is not short on speed bumps due to their vast differences in communication style, temperaments, interests, etc. When the character of Zook (Wyatt Russell) is introduced, Jenko hits it off with him with tremendous ease, as they have far more in common. From there, we see a very realistic portrayal of the struggles that come when one feels as if they are losing their friend to another. In learning to express their feelings while also being the "ass-kicking" cops, Hill and Tatum beautifully present a story that can hopefully teach hetero-male viewers that there is nothing wrong with having a heart-to-heart and expressing your feelings.

22 Jump Street is sure to have you laughing from start to finish, as it brilliantly satirises the abundance of sequels in Hollywood and the rightfully negative stigma attached to them. It's bigger, funnier, and has more depth than its predecessor and will leave you eager and entirely open to the idea of yet another sequel, should they decide to make one.

22 Jump Street is currently playing in theatres.

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