Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers -- The Collection: Volume 2
Four-disc set with the final 33 episodes, $39.98. Extras: On-camera interviews with series creator Robert Mandell and writers Dan Fiorella and John Rawlins; select commentary; original music backing tracks; memories of Jerry Orbach and "show and tell" segments; slideshow of Galaxy Rangers character art by Justin Norman; 28-page collectible booklet with original illustrations. (Koch Vision).
Advertisement
BEN 10 Season Four
Two-disc set with 12 episodes, $19.98.Extras: Deleted scenes. (Warner).
Biography: Barack Obama
(2008) $12.95. (A&E Home Video).
Biography: John McCain
(2008) $12.95. (A&E Home Video).
Citizen Jimmy
(2008) One-hour comedy special by stand-up Jimmy Dore, featuring his topical takes on all the ills of the country, from George W. Bush's well-hidden genius, to health care, gas prices, Dick Cheney, and Christian Preachers who rail against gay marriage before getting caught in an Airport restroom. (Image).
Clash of the Cavemen
History Channel documentary that reconstructs prehistoric life circa 25,000 B.C.; $24.95. (A&E Home Video).
The Counterfeiters
(2008 -- German) Karl Markovics, August Diehl, Devid Striesow, Martin Brambach, August Zirner. On DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Commentary with director Stefan Ruzowitzky, "Making of The Counterfeiters" featurette, Adolf Burger's Artifacts" featurette, Q & A with Ruzowitzky, interviews with Ruzowitzky, interview with real-life counterfeiter and Holocaust survivor Adolf Burger, interview with actor Karl Markovics, deleted scenes, rehearsal footage. (Sony).
Dana Carvey:
Squatting Monkeys Tell No Lies
Sixty-minute HBO stand-up special, $19.97. (HBO Video).
The Executioner's Song: Director's Cut
(1982 -- TV) Tommy Lee Jones, Christine Lahti, Rosanna Arquette, Eli Wallach. (Paramount).
Family Ties: The Fourth Season
(1985-86) Four-disc set with 24 episodes, $42.99. (Paramount).
The Five Doctors: 25th Anniversary Edition
Two-disc set of Dr. Who classics. includes both the 1983 and 1995 versions of "The Five Doctors" as well as "The Black Orchid" and "The Time Meddler." $34.98. (Warner).
Foyle's War, Set 6
Three new feature-length episodes of the British series that combines mystery and real history, set during World War II; aired on "PBS Mystery!"; $49.99 (Complete U.K. broadcast edition). Extras: Making-of documentary, cast member reflections, filmographies, more. (Acorn Media).
Garfield's Fun Fest
(2008) New Garfield feature-length movie; $19.98. Extras: Exclusive comic booklet by Garfield creator Jim Davis. (Fox).
Get Smart: Season 1
Four-disc set with 30 episodes, $24.98. (HBO Home Video).
Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers Special 20th Anniversary Edition)
(1988) Gunnar Hansen, Linnea Quigley, Jay Richardson, Dawn Wildsmith. Cult classic about a private detective tracking down a runaway Samantha who crosses paths with a sect of Egyptian chainsaw-worshipping prostitutes. (Infinity Entertainment).
Hotel Babylon: Season 2
Three-disc set with $39.98. (Warner).
Joy House
(1964 -- French) Dir.: Rene Clement; Jane Fonda, Alain Delon, Lola Albright. Digitally remastered. A notorious playboy and con man (Delon) has an affair with the wife of a mobster and quickly finds himself a marked man. While on the lam, he meets a beautiful American widower and philanthropist who hires him as a live-in chauffeur. With this new job, he figures he's found the perfect refuge, but, unfortunately, there's much more to the posh villa than he initially suspects. While his new employer makes blatant advances, and her curvaceous niece (Fonda) also attempts to seduce him, the small-time criminal discovers he's traded one deadly mistake for another. (Koch Lorber Films).
The Killing of John Lennon
(2008) Jonas Ball. Mark David Chapman, a 25 year old security guard in Hawaii, bought a plane ticket to New York with the intention of killing The Beatles' John Lennon. Camping outside Lennon's apartment in New York waiting for an autograph, Chapman's childlike obsession descends into madness and murder. Writer-director Andrew Piddington explores Chapman's obsession with Lennon, basing his script on Chapman's own words from interviews and court transcripts. Retracing the events leading up to the shooting in December 1980, the film was shot in a quasi-documentary style at the actual locations where the events took place, including the sidewalk
outside the Dakota. (Genius Products).
Lonesome Dove Collector's Edition
(1989) Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Angelica Huston, Diane Lane, Chris Cooper, Danny Glover, Frederic Forrest, D.B. Sweeney, Rick Schroder, Steve Buscemi, Robert Urich. Two-disc set, $19.95. Remastered. Extras: "The Making of an Epic" documentary; "Lonesome Dove" montage; new interview with Emmy Award-winning Director Simon Wincer; original interviews from the set with stars Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, and author Larry McMurtry; original call sheets, casting notes, and concept drawings; a postcard of the original TV poster; hand-written letter by Wincer. The "Lonesome Dove Limited Edition Gift Set' includes the Collector's Edition's two discs in a collectible wooden box along with a branded flask, deck of playing cards, more; $39.99. Available on Blu-ray Disc. (Genius Products).
Marco Ferreri Collection
For 40 years, Italian filmmaker Marco Ferreri has stunned and shocked filmgoers with his confrontational and daring works. Politics, impossible relationships, alienation, madness and sexual frankness mark the eight films in this boxed set: "El Cochecito" (The Wheelchair) (1960) in which a man wants a motorized wheelchair so he can join in the races for the handicapped; "The Seed of Man (1969) in which a global plague wipes out most of Earth's population and a young couple argue about having a child; "La Grande Bouffe" (The Big Feast) (1973), Ferreri's greatest international success about four friends who hire prostitutes and hole up in a Parisian villa for group sex and to eat themselves to death, starring screen giants Marcello Mastroianni, Philippe Noiret, Michel Piccoli and Ugo Tognazzi; "Don't Touch the White Woman (1974) stars Catherine Deneuve and Marcello Mastroianni in this re-creation of General Custer's last stand, filmed in the midst of modern Paris; "Bye Bye Monkey" (1978) , in which Gerard Depardieu and Marcello Mastroianni star as two foreign eccentrics decaying in a rat-infested NYC apartment; "Seeking Asylum" (1979) , a rare "family film" focusing on unorthodox schoolteacher Roberto Benigni as he takes over a fortress-like pre-school; "Tales of Ordinary Madness" (1981), in which Ben Gazzara plays a drunken poet dealing with the elusive possibility of love, based on the writings of Charles Bukowski; "The House of Smiles" (1988), in which Ingrid Thulin stars as an elderly woman struggling to survive inside an asylum. $39.98. (Koch Lorber Films).
Morella's Blood Vision
The Ghost Hostess with the Mostess Morella unravels three horror tales: "Zombies," "The Blood Seekers" and "Blood Stalkers." (Infinity Entertainment).
My Brother Is an Only Child
(2008 -- Italy) Elio Germano, Riccardo Scamarcio, Angela Finocchiaro, Luca Zingaretti, Diane Fleri, Anna Bonaiuto, Massimo Popolizio. Set in a small Italian town in the 60's and 70's, the film tells the story of two brothers who want to change the world -- but in completely different ways. The elder, Manrico (Riccardo Scarmaccio,) is a handsome, charismatic firebrand who becomes the prime mover in the local Communist party. Accio (Elio Germano,) the younger, more rebellious brother, finds his own contrarian voice by joining the reactionary Fascists. What starts as a typical tale of sibling rivalry becomes the story of the polarizing and paralyzing politics of those turbulent times, and the rift between the brothers is further intensified when Accio realizes that he loves his brother's girlfriend, Francesca who, like everyone else, is blind to Manrico's increasingly dangerous ideas. (ThinkFilm/Image Entertainment).
Nim's Island
(2008) Abigail Breslin, Jodie Foster, Gerard Butler. Extras: Nim's Friends" featurette, "Abigail's Journey" featurette, "Working on Water" featurette, deleted scenes, commentary by Foster and Breslin, commentary by directors Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Fox).
Pete Seeger: The Power of Song
(2007) Documentary chronicles folk singer Pete Seeger's impact on music and social activism that is still being felt today. Includes interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Peter, Paul & Mary and the inconvenient artist himself, Seeger, along with never-before-seen archival footage and Seeger's personal home movies. A patriot, gentleman and an American original, Seeger was the architect of the folk revival, writing some of its best known songs including "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," "Turn, Turn, Turn" and "If I Had a Hammer." Largely misunderstood by his critics, including the U.S. government, Seeger was picketed, protested, blacklisted and banned in spite of his enormous popularity; $24.95.Extras: Extended interviews, Seeger family films. (The Weinstein Co./Genius Products/Miriam Collection).
Route 66: Complete First Season Television Series
Eight-disc set with 30 episodes, $49.98. Extras: Original TV commercials, filmographies of the stars and special guests, classic Corvette photo gallery and specs. (Infinity Entertainment).
Salvador Dali -- The Dali Dimension: Decoding the Mind of a Genius
Award-winning film delves into the psyche of the most important Surrealist artist who ever lived, Salvador Dali. Through a series of rare film clips and interviews with the artist, "Dali Dimension" explores the many inspirations that resulted in Dali's unforgettable masterpieces. $24.95. (MVD Visual).
Sensitive Skin: Complete First and Second Seasons
Two-disc set with 12 episodes of the British dark comedy series about aging and marriage, starring Joanna Lumley, Denis Lawson, Anthony Stewart Head; $29.98. (Warner).
Star Trek:
The Original Series: Season Two
Eight-disc set with 26 episodes, $99.99. Remastered from the original camera negative, presented in pristine condition with new state-of-the-art digital visual effects and a new 5.1 soundtrack. Extras: Preview trailers for each episode; "Billy Blackburn's Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories"; featurettes: ""To Boldly Go Season Two," "Designing the Final Frontier," "Writer's Notebook: D.C. Fontana," "Star Trek's Favorite Moments," "The Trouble With Tribbles preview trailer," "More Tribbles, More Troubles," "Trials and Tribble-ations," "Trials and Tribble-ations: Uniting Two Legends," "Trials and Tribble-ations: An Historic Endeavor," "Life Beyond Trek: Leonard Nimoy," "Kirk, Spock & Bones: Star Trek's Great Trio," "Star Trek's Divine Diva: Nichelle Nichols." (Paramount).
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder
(2008) Casper Van Dien, Jolene Blalock. Direct-to-video sequel reprises humanity's fight against the bugs. Available on Blu-ray Disc and in a DVD and Blu-ray Disc set of all three films. Extras: "Evolution: The Bugs of Starship Troopers 3: Marauder" featurette; "Enlist: Marauder's Mobile Infantry" featurette; commentary by writer-director Ed Neumeier, producer David Lancaster, and visual effects supervisor Robert Skotak; commentary by writer-director Ed Neumeier and actors Casper Van Dien and Jolene Blalock; extended version of the music video "It's a Good Day to Die"; digital copy of the film. (Sony).
Terminal City
Three-disc set with all 10 episodes of the Sundance Channel series about a 43-year-old mother of three who's diagnosed with breast cancer and recruited to host a reality hospital show; the groundbreaking drama looks at the modern family through twin lenses of cancer and reality television; $36.08. (Koch Vision).
Back to top
August 12
Adventures From the Book of Virtues
Three DVDs of animated stories from the PBS kids animated series based on William J. Bennett's "The Book of Virtues": "Adventures in Faith," "Adventures in Honesty" and "Adventures in Courage"; $12.98 each or available in a box set for $29.98. (PorchLight Home Entertainment).
Aftermath: Population Zero
(2008) National Geographic look at what Earth would be like if humans vanished from existence, $19.98. (Warner).
The Art of War II: Betrayal
(2008) Wesley Snipes. Agent Neil Shaw (Snipes) is called out of retirement and finds himself in the midst of a plot to assassinate several leading Senators -- especially when he discovers that he's been set up as bait. Extras: Alternate fight scenes, digital copy. (Sony).
The Berenstain Bears: Family and Friendship
(2008) Sharing, caring and growing up lessons with the animated bears based on the best-selling children's book series; six episodes, $12.99. (Sony).
Blue Murder, Set 3
Two-disc set with three BBC gritty police procedurals featuring single-mom Detective Chief Inspector Janine Lewis, $39.99. (Acorn Media).
Brand Upon the Brain!
(2006) Gretchen Krich, Sullivan Brown, Maya Lawson, Katherine E. Scharhon, Todd Moore. In the weird and wonderful super-cinematic world of Canadian cult filmmaker Guy Maddin, personal memory collides with movie lore for a radical sensory overload. This eerie excursion into the gothic recesses of Maddin's mad, imaginary childhood is a silent, black-and-white comic science-fiction nightmare set in a lighthouse on grim Notch Island, where fictional protagonist Guy Maddin was raised by an ironfisted, puritanical mother. Originally mounted as a theatrical event (accompanied by live orchestra, foley artists, and assorted narrators), the film is an irreverent, delirious trip into the mind of one of current cinema's true eccentrics. Extras: Optional narration tracks by Isabella Rossellini, Laurie Anderson, John Ashbery, Crispin Glover, Guy Maddin, Louis Negrin, and Eli Wallach; "The Making of Brand upon the Brain!; two new short films directed by Maddin: "It's My Mother's Birthday Today" and "Footsteps"; deleted scene, new essay by film critic Dennis Lim. (The Criterion Collection).
Caroline in the City: The First Season
(1995-96) Three-disc set with 24 episodes, $42.99. (Paramount).
CJ7
(2008) Directed by and starring Stephen Chow. Family comedy about a poor Chinese laborer who learns important lessons after his son gets a strange new toy from the junkyard: a mysterious orb that is really a bizarre "pet" with extraordinary powers. Extras: "The Story of CJ7, " "Anatomy of a Scene," "How to Bully a Bully," "Make Your Own Giant Lollipop" how-to on making your very own lollipop prop, "The Making of CJ7" international television special, CJ7 Mission Control Game, CJ7 character profiles, cast and crew commentary. Available on Blu-ray Disc. (Sony).
Dave's World: The First Season
(1993-94) Three-disc set with 23 episodes, $42,99. (Paramount).
The Dick Francis Thriller: The Racing Game
Two-disc set with all six episodes from the inaugural season of the PBS Mystery! series about a steeplechase rider who suffers a career-ending injury and returns to the track as a private investigator; based on the fiction of champion-jockey-turned writer Dick Francis; $39.99. (Acorn Media).
Eclipse Series 11: Larisa Shepitko
The career of Larisa Shepitko, an icon of sixties and seventies Soviet cinema, was tragically cut short when she was killed in a car crash at age 39, just as she was emerging on the international scene. This two-disc set includes: "Wings" (1966), her first feature after graduating from the State Institute for Cinematography, about a once heroic female Russian bomber pilot now living in quiet, disappointingly ordinary life as a school principal; and "The Ascent," (1977)
her emotionally overwhelming final film that won the Golden Bear at the 1977 Berlin Film Festival. Set during the darkest days of World War II, the film follows the path of two peasant soldiers, cut off from their troop, who trudge through the snowy backwoods of Belarus evading the Nazis and seeking refuge from villagers. (The Criterion Collection).
Eon Kid: Season One, Volume One
(2005) Five episodes of the Kids WB! series, $16.98. Extras: Photo gallery, extended trailer, downloadable mini poster. (Anchor Bay).
Felon
(2008) Val Kilmer, Stephen Dorff, Harold Perrineau, Sam Shepard, Anne Archer. A family man convicted of killing a burglar must cope with life afterward in the violent penal system. Extras: "The Shark Tank: An Inside Look at Felon" featurette. (Sony).
The Game: Life After the Math
(2008) Documentary of the West Coast rap artist. (Warner).
Legacy
(2008) Haylie Duff, Madeline Zima, Brett Claywell, Margo Harshman, Jane Sibbett, Kate Albrecht,Tom Green. When a geeky, overweight rushee is found dead in the hottest sorority house on campus, three popular sorority sisters become suspects. When their sexy antics fail to impress the police, the girls must pull out every trick in the book to protect their sisterhood. (The Weinstein Co./Genius Products).
The Legend of the Shadowless Sword
(2005 -- South Korean) Seo-jin Lee, So-yi Yoon. Beautiful and deadly warrior sets out to find an exiled prince to restore him to his throne. (New Line).
The Love Boat: Season One, Volume Two
(1978) Four-disc set, $39.99. (Paramount).
The Orange Thief
(2007) Andrea Calabrese, Salvo Dazzo. Living on the outer boundaries of society, an eponymous orange thief and some other country-wise ruffians steal fruit for sustenance, sale, and the sheer excitement of courting danger. After the thief ends up in a Sicilian jail, his life takes an unexpected turn when his bunkmate promises him a deal. (Warner).
P.D. James: The Essential Collection
Fifteen-disc set featuring all nine PBS Mystery productions featuring James' indefatigable Scotland Yard Commander Adam Dalgliesh; $149.98. (Koch Vision). Extras:
P.D. James: Devices and Desires
Latest PBS Mystery adventure has Scotland Yard Commander Adam Dalgliesh tracking down a serial killer; $29.98. (Koch Vision).
Play With Me Sesame: Furry, Fun and Healthy Too
Grover, Frazzle Monster and Bert engage in interactive fun while teaching healthy habits such as exercise, good oral hygiene, healthy eating and getting plenty of rest; $14.93.
Prison Break: Season Three
Four-disc set with 13 episodes, $49.98. Available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Extras: "Orientation" and "Breakout Episode" featurettes, directors' takes, behind-the-scenes with the cast. (Fox).
Raw Spice: The Unofficial Story of the Making of the Spice Girls
(2005) Documentary charting the formation of the Spice Girls in 1994, highlighted with never-before-seen footage of the girls candidly discussing their ambitions and fears, as well as their trademark outrageous behavior and some titanic blowouts; $19.98. (Shout! Factory).
The Secret
(2007) David Duchovny, Lili Taylor, Olivia Thirlby. The love of a happily married couple is tested in an unimaginable way when the wife dies and returns to haunt the body of their daughter. (Image Entertainment).
Smart People
(2008) Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, Ellen Page, Ashton Holmes, Christine Lahti.
Extras: Interviews, outtakes, deleted scenes. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Miramax).
Soundstage: Heart -- Live
PBS Soundstage concert recorded in 2005, in high-def video and 5.1 Surround sound; $19.98. Extras: Interviews. (Koch Vision).
Soundstage: Reo Speedwagon -- Live:
Up Close and Musical
Sixteen-song set from upcoming July 3 PBS Soundstage concert, recorded in high-def video and 5.1 Surround sound; $19.98. Extras: Interviews. (Koch Vision).
Strawberry Shortcake: Rockaberry Roll
New Strawberry Shortcake animated adventure has Strawberry and her pals forming their own band, Strawberry Jam, and entering the Strawberryland Talent Show; $14.98. (Fox).
Superheroes: The Filmation Adventures
Two-disc set with 18 classic cartoon shorts, $24.98. (Warner).
Tom and Jerry Tales Volume 5
Twelve cartoons from the Kids' WB series, $14.97. Extras:
Wall Street Warriors: Season 2
Two-disc set with 10 episodes of MOJO HD's reality series about Wall Street, $24.98. (Infinity Entertainment).
The Wire: The Complete Fifth Season
Four-disc set with all 10 episodes from the final season, $59.99. Extras: "The Wire: The Last Word" featurette, "The Wire Odyssey" retrospective, commentaries. (HBO Video).
Wire in the Blood: Prayer of he Bone
Sixth season premiere of the critically acclaimed British crime series, $19.98. (Koch Vision).
Back to top
August 19
Deal
(2008) Burt Reynolds, Bret Harrison, Shannon Elizabeth. A retired gambler (Reynolds) itching to get back in the game teams up with a hotshot college senior (Harrison) to take the poker world by storm. But a beautiful Vegas call girl (Elizabeth) complicates the plan, and soon the teacher and student find themselves in a heads-up battle for the championship. Features an all-star lineup of Texas hold-em players. Extras: "Pokerstars Presents: Winning Big at Texas Hold-Em With Isabelle Mercier and Greg Raymer." (MGM).
Dexter: The Complete Second Season
(2007) Four-disc set with 12 episodes, $42.99. (Paramount).
Gossip Girl: The Complete First Season
Five-disc set with 18 episodes, $59.98. Extras: Unaired scenes, three featurettes, music videos, gag reel, free download of the original best-selling book read by Christina Ricci.(Warner).
Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds 3-D Concert
(2008) Sold-out concert event captured live and in 3-D. (Disney)
Her Best Move
(2007) Leah Pipes, Scott Patterson, Lisa Darr, Drew Tyler Bell. Soccer prodigy Sara Davis is on her way to becoming the youngest player ever selected to join the U.S. National Team, but her biggest challenge is balancing the demands of high school, a new boyfriend, a part-time job and her overbearing, sports obsessed father. (MGM).
Jane and the Dragon: A Dragon's Tale
First five episodes from the animated series adapted from Martin Baynton's popular children's books, as seen on NBC, ION, Telemundo and qubo. Translates the wonderful stories and whimsical illustrations of Baynton's books into an astonishing world of 3-D computer-generated animation, using the latest in motion-capture technology, follows the adventures of Jane and Dragon as they search the world for other elusive dragons, play bandyball and rock, parchment and sword, and get into trouble throughout the kingdom. $14.99. (Shout! Factory).
Keepin' the Faith: Lookin' for Mr. Right
(2008) Angell Conwell, Marcello Thedford. A young woman patiently waiting for the Lord to send he the right man struggles with her friends, who want to hook her up with the main of their dreams. First in a new series of urban faith-based romantic comedies. (Warner).
Married ... With Children: The Complete Ninth Season
Three-disc set with 28 episodes, $39.95. (Sony).
Perry Mason: Season Three, Volume One
(1959-60) Three-disc set, $54.99. (Paramount).
Primo Levi's Journey
(2007 -- Italy) In the winter of 1945, Primo Levi, one of the century's great writers, was liberated from the Auschwitz concentration camp. With the war still underway, he embarked on a thousand-mile journey to his home in Turin, Italy -- a strange, beguiling odyssey memorialized in his book, "The Reawakening." Sixty years later, director Davide Ferrario set out to follow in Levi's footsteps. Retracing his historic trip, the film weaves a path through a modern Europe that has both changed and remained eerily the same -- from democratic rallies in the East to neo-Nazi demonstrations in the West. Narrated by Academy Award- winning actor Chris Cooper. Extras: "Making of Primo Levi's Journey." (New Yorker Video).
Prom Night
(2008) Brittany Snow, Dana Davis, Jessica Troup, Scott Porter, Collins Pennie, Kelly Blatz, Idris Elba, Jonathan Schaech, Jessalyn Gilsig, Kellan Lutz, Craig Susser. Available in rated and unrated DVD versions and unrated Blu-ray Disc. Extras:Deleted scenes, alternate ending, gag reel, "A Night to Remember: The Making of Prom Night" featurette, "Profile of a Killer" featurette, "Gothic Spaces: Creating the Pacific Grand Hotel" featurette, "Prom Night Photo Album: Real Prom Stories From the Cast," commentary. (Sony).
Recount
(2008) Kevin Spacey, Bob Balaban, Ed Begley Jr., Laura Dern, John Hurt, Denis Leary, Tom Wilkinson. Recent HBO telefilm that chronicles the turbulent weeks in Florida after the 2000 presidential election. Extras: Commentary by director Jay Roach and writer Danny Strong, "The True Inside Story of the 2000 Presidential Election," conversation between Kevin Spacey and Ron Klain, conversation between Bob Balaban and Ben Ginsberg. (HBO).
The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior
(2008) Randy Couture. Direct-to-DVD sequel. Available on Blu-ray Disc. (Universal).
The Small Back Room
(1949) Dir.: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger; Cyril Cusack, Jack Hawkins, Michael Gough. Post-World War II gem about a troubled, alcoholic research scientist and military bomb-disposal expert who, while struggling with a complex relationship with his secretary-girlfriend Susan, is hired by the government to advise on a dangerous new German weapon. New, restored high-definition digital transfer. Extras: Commentary featuring film scholar Charles Barr, new video interview with cinematographer Chris Challis, excerpts from Michael Powell's audio dictations for his autobiography, new essay by film scholar Nick James. (The Criterion Collection).
Street Kings
(2008) Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Jay Mohr, John Corbett, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans, Cedric the Entertainer, Naomi Harris, Amaury Nolasco, Common and The Game. Available in single and two-disc DVD versions and on Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Commentary by director David Ayer, deleted scenes, alternate scenes, 10 vignettes, "Street Rules: Rolling With David Ayer and Jaime FitzSimons" featurette, "HBO First Look -- City of Fallen Angels: Making Street Kings." (Fox).
Terminator -- The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season
Three-disc set with nine episodes, $29.98. Extras: "Creating the Chronicles" featurette; commentaries by executive producers Josh Freidman and John Wirth, cast members Summer Glau and Thomas Dekker, and more; "Terminated Scenes" (i.e. deleted scenes); gag reel; cast audition tapes; storyboard animatic; Summer Glau dance rehearsal; extended director's cut of "The Demon Hand" episode. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Warner).
Twenty-Four Eyes
(1954 -- Japan) Dir.: Keisuke Kinoshita; Hideko Takamine, Chishu Ryu. Elegant, emotional chronicle of a teacher's unwavering commitment to her students, her profession, and her sense of morality, set in a remote, rural island community and spanning decades of Japanese history, from 1928 through World War II and beyond. New, restored high-definition digital transfer. Extras: Television interview with director Keisuke Kinoshita, new video interview with Japanese cinema historian and critic Tadao Sato about the film and its director, booklet featuring a new essay be renowned film scholar Audie Bock and excerpts from an interview with Kinoshita. (The Criterion Collection).
The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd
(1976) Zoe Wanamaker, Colin Firth. BBC adaptation of D.H. Lawrence story about Lizzie Holroyd and her boorish husband Charles who scream their lives away until Lizzie falls in love with another man and wishes her husband dead -- a wish that comes horribly true. Extras: Includes bonus program "The Rainbow," also by D.H. Lawrence, starring Imogene Stubbs. (BBC Video/Warner).
Back to top
August 26
Bakugan Chapter 1: Battle Brawlers
Five episodes of the international anime success now airing on the Cartoon Network. Young warriors battle evil to save a parallel universe, $14.98. (Warner).
Entourage: The Complete Fourth Season
Three-disc set with 12 episodes, $39.98. Extras: Commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurette. (HBO Video).
Errol Flynn Westerns Collection
Four-disc set with "Montana," "Rocky Mountain," "San Antonio," "Virginia City," $49.92. (Warner).
Everybody Hates Chris: The Third Season
(2007-08) Four-disc set with 22 episodes, $39.99. (Paramount).
How the West Was Won
(1962) John Ford (segment "The Civil War"), Henry Hathaway (segments "The Rivers," "The Plains" and "The Outlaws"), George Marshall (segment "The Railroad")
Richard Thorpe (uncredited: transitional historical sequences); Carroll Baker, Lee J. Cobb, Henry Fonda, Carolyn Jones, Karl Malden, Gregory Peck, George Peppard, Robert Preston, Debbie Reynolds, James Stewart, Eli Wallach, John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Walter Brennan, Andy Devine, Raymond Massey, Agnes Moorehead, Harry Morgan, Thelma Ritter, Mickey Shaughnessy, Russ Tamblyn, Spencer Tracy. Restored and remastered from original three-panel Cinerama release. Two-disc special edition, Ultimate Collector's Edition, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: "Cinerama Adventure" documentary, making-of featurette, film historian commentary. Collector's edition includes a 36-page souvenir book reproduction, 10 behind-the-scenes photos and 10 postcards, original theatrical release pressbook reproduction. Also available as a two-disc Blu-ray edition. (Warner).
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning
(2008) Direct-to-video animated prequel.Extras:
My Sassy Girl
(2008) Jesse Bradford, Elisha Cuthbert. Based on the graphic novel series, turned best-selling novel by Kim Ho-sik. A naive, buttoned-up Midwestern everyman meets a carefree, untamed girl after he rescues her from a near-drunken accident, and the two embark on a romantic roller coaster ride full of concussions, career sabotage, a few slaps in the face and, ultimately, love. (Fox).
NCIS: The Fifth Season
(2007-08) Five-disc set with 18 episodes, $64.99. Extras: Featurettes: "NCIS on Location," "From Pauley to Abby: Hairspray, Lipstick and Tattoos," "The Dressing Room: The Costumes and Wardrobe of NCIS," "NCIS Season 5: Stem to Stern and Requiem Revisited," commentaries. (Paramount).
The Nightmare Before Christmas Collector's Edition
(1993) Dir.: Henry Selick; voices of Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Paul Reubens. Digitally restored. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Disney)
One Tree Hill: The Complete Fifth Season
Five-disc set with 18 episodes, $59.98. Extras: Unaired scenes, behind-the-scenes featurettes, commentaries, gag reel (Warner).
Pale Rider
(1985) Dir,: Clint Eastwood; Clint Eastwood, Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress, Chris Penn, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Douglas Mc Grath, Marvin J. Mc Intyre, Sydney Penny, Billy Drago. (Warner).
Pope Dreams
(2007) Phillip Vaden, Stephen Tobolowsky, Julie Hagerty, Marnette Patterson. Coming-of-age story about a directionless 19-year-old who works for his dad during the day and plays in a heavy metal band at night; his only clear goal is to get his ailing mother to meet the pope before she dies. Along the way he falls in love and gets discovered by two Broadway producers. (PorchLight Home Entertainment).
Postal
(2008) Zack Ward, Dave Foley, Larry Thomas, Verne Troyer. Uwe Boll's controversial comedy about a cult leader, his nephew and a gang of sexy commandos who face off against the Taliban in Middle America. Unrated. Extras: "Raging Boll": the director boxes his critics; deleted scenes; commentary by Boll; Verne Troyer as Indiana Jones; more. Available in rated, unrated and Blu-ray Disc editions. (Vivendi Entertainment).
Purple Violets
(2007) Dir.: Edward Burns; Selma Blair, Patrick Wilson, Edward Burns, Debra Messing, Dennis Farina. Infidelity, first loves and second chances are complexly intertwined in this comedy set in The Big Apple. A one-time promising writer saddled with a cheating husband, a successful crime novelist who lacks significant literary distinction, a tough-talking schoolteacher still smarting from a decade-old break-up and a smooth-talking lawyer determined to win back the one that got away, all seek to regain control of their lives. (The Weinstein Co./Genius Products).
The Real McCain
(2008) Maverick or flip-flopper? Robert Greenwald 's new documentary sheds light on John McCain's "straight talk," politics and policies. $9.95. (The Disinformation Company).
Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom
(1975 -- Italy) Pier Paolo Pasolini's notorious final film transposes the Marquis de Sade's 18th-century opus of torture and degradation to 1944 Fascist Italy. New, restored high-definition digital transfer. Extras: "The End of Salo," a 40-minute documentary about the film's final scene; "Salo: Yesterday and Today," a 35-minute documentary featuring interviews with Pier Paolo Pasolini, actor-filmmaker Jean-Claude Biette, and Pasolini's friend Nineto Davoli; new interviews with set designer Dante Ferretti and filmmaker/film scholar Jean-Pierre Gorin; booklet featuring new essays by Neil Bartlett, Roberto Chiesi, Naomi Greene, Gary Indiana, and Sam Rohdie, and excerpts from Gideon Bachman's on-set diary. (The Criterion Collection).
The Shield: The Complete Sixth Season
Four-disc set with 10 episodes, $59.95. Extras: Three featurettes: "Saturn's Sons," "Two Directors" and "Full Circle: Franka Potente," commentary on select episodes, deleted scenes. (Sony).
The Three Stooges Collection: 1940-1942, Volume Three
Two-disc set with 23 digitally-restored shorts, arranged chronologically, $24.96. (Sony).
Uncounted
(2008) The 2004 Presidential election gave America its first comprehensive look at electronic voting machines. Unfortunately, it seems that a paper ballot wasn't the only thing missing. Like many Americans, Emmy Award-winning director David Earnhardt was perplexed on election night '04 as the outcome clearly didn't match up with exit polls. This prompted the Nashville-based filmmaker to embark on a three-year journey to answer one fundamental question: was our most recent presidential election stolen and, if so, how? $19.95. (The Disinformation Company).
The Untouchables: Season Two, Volume Two
(1961) Four-disc set, $42.99. (Paramount).
Warner Home Video Western Classics Collection
Six-disc set with "Escape From Fort Bravo," "Many Rivers to Cross," "Cimarron" "The Law and Jake Wade," "Saddle the Wind," "The Stalking Moon," $59.92. (Warner).
All listings are based on information from
the home video studios. Some release dates may change and titles may come out
after a specified date (with no announcement from the studio). Additionally,
some titles may be released with little or no advance announcement. And since
all DVDs are priced at sell-through and are available for substantial discounts
at both online and brick-and-mortar stores, we only list suggested retail prices
for some special editions, box sets and collections.
All DVDs are screened on a reference system consisting of a
Rotel RDV-1060 DVD Audio/Video Player, a
Rotel RSX-972 Surround Sound Receiver, and Phase Technology 1.1 (front), 33.1 (center),
and 50 (rear) speakers and Power 10 subwoofer.
E-mail OnVideo