Bound by a Secret
(2009) Meredith Baxter, Lesley Ann Warren. A famous actress reveals to her best friend that she's dying, and the pair must reveal a shattering secret to the latter's grown daughter about the reality of her natural, and secret, parentage. (Vivendi Entertainment/Genius Products).
Doctor Who: Dreamland
(2010) New animated adventure voiced by David Tennant. The Doctor hooks up with two new companions -- Cassie and Jimmy -- as he's pitted against a new alien race, the monstrous Viperox, in Area 51 in 1958. Two-disc set, $24.98. Extras: "Doctor Who Greatest Moments," a three-part retrospective on the series since 2005 with hour-long pieces on The Doctor, The Companions and The Enemies. (Warner)
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Doctor Who: The Masque of Mandragora
(2009) Three digitally remastered Doctor Who classics: The Masque of Mandragora, The Curse of Peladon and The Monster of Peladon, $24.98. (Warner).
Doctor Zhivago 45th Anniversary Edition
(1965) Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin, Rod Steiger, Alec Guinness, Ralph Richardson, Tom Courtenay. Restored and remastered. Two-disc DVD plus one CD. Extras: New documentary: "Doctor Zhivago: A Celebration Part 1 & 2." Also includes bonus features from the 2001 DVD edition: Commentary by Omar Sharif, Rod Steiger and Lady Sandra Lean (wife of David Lean); an introduction by Omar Sharif; "Doctor Zhivago: The Making of a Russian Epic"; and 11 vintage featurettes: "Zhivago: Behind the Camera With David Lean," "David Lean's Film of Doctor Zhivago," "Moscow in Madrid," "Pasternak," "New York Press Interviews Omar Sharif," "New York Press Interviews Julie Christie," "Geraldine Chaplin Screen Test," "This Is Omar Sharif," "This Is Julie Christie," "This Is Geraldine Chaplin," "Chaplin in New York." CD soundtrack sampler of the Oscar-winning score. Also available in a premium Blu-ray Book. (Warner)
Freud
(1984) Two-disc set with the six-part BBC mini-series about the great psychoanalyst starring David Suchet, Michael Kitchen, Suzanne Bertish, Michael Pennington, Miriam Margolyes, Anton Lesser, David Swift. $34.98. (Warner).
Hamlet
(2010) David Tennant, Patrick Stewart, The Royal Shakespeare Company. Premieres April 28 on PBS' Great Performances. Extras:
Commentary, behind-the-scenes featurette. (BBC/Warner).
Iron Man Armored Adventures Season One
(2009) Four-disc set with 26 episodes from the Nicktoons Network animated series, $29.93. Extras: Storyboards, original sketches of characters and vehicles, more. (Marvel Animation, Method Films, Genius Products, Vivendi Entertainment).
Ladies of the House
(2008) Florence Henderson, Donna Mills, Pam Grier, Lance Henricksen, Richard Roundtree. Three women take on the daunting task of renovating a run-down house in order to raise funds for their church, and the project helps them examine challenges they are facing in their own lives. (Vivendi Entertainment/Genius Products).
The Nanny Express
(2008) Vanessa Marcil, Dean Stockwell, Stacy Keach. A young woman goes to work as a nanny for a widower whose two kids have already run off six other nannies, and she slowly wins over the entire family. (Vivendi Entertainment/Genius Products).
Nine
(2009) Dir.: Rob Marshall; Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren, Kate Hudson, Fergie.
Read more about "Nine" in the May Calendar.Extras: Commentary by director Rob Marshall and producer John DeLuca, "The Incomparable Daniel Day Lewis" featurette, "The Women of Nine" featurette, "Director Rob Marshall" featurette, "Behind the Look of Nine" featurette, "The Dancers of Nine" featurette, "The Choreography of 'Be Italian'" featurette, "Making of 'Cinema Italiano'" featurette, "The Choreography of 'Cinema Italiano'" featurette, "Cinema Italiano" music video, "Take It All" music video, "Unusual Way" music video. Also available on Blu-ray Disc, which adds "Sophia Loren Remembers Cinecitta Studios" featurette, Screen Actor's Guild Q&A Session, movieIQ?+sync featuring the "Nine" playlist. (Sony).
9 to 5 Days in Porn
(2008) Portrait of the people who work in adult entertainment, a business bigger than the music industry. Filmed over a period of more than a year, 10 different stories unfold, delivering insight into the personal lives of people in the adult movie business, their hopes and their dreams. (Strand Releasing).
No Time for Sergeants
(1958) Dir. Mervyn LeRoy; Andy Griffith, Myron McCormick, Nick Adams, Murray Hamilton, Don Knotts. First time on DVD, remastered and restored. (Warner).
Penn & Teller B.S!: The Seventh Season
(2009) Two-disc set with 10 episodes, $29.99. (Paramount).
Saturday Morning Cartoons 1980s: Volume 1
Two-disc set, $29.99. A diverse collection of 11 different shows. Disc One showcases such favorites as "Goldie Gold & Action Jack," "Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos," "The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley," "The Flintstone Kids" and "Mister T." Disc Two features such memorable shows as "The Biskitts," "Monchhichis," "Galtar and the Golden Lance," "Dragon’s Lair," "Thundarr the Barbarian" and "Kwicky Koala Show." (Warner).
TCM Greatest Classic Films
Here's another wave of two releases in the TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection, a collaboration between Turner Classic Movies and Warner Home Video to present low-priced collections of some of the greatest films of all to serve both serious film buffs and a new generation of movie lovers. Each four-disc set sells for $27.92. (Warner).
TCM Greatest Classic Films: War: "Battle of the Bulge," "The Dawn Patrol," "Gunga Din" and "Operation Pacific."
TCM Greatest Classic Films: Westerns: "Chisum," "Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid," "The Stalking Moon," "Ride The High Country."
Virtuality
(2009 -- TV) Clea DuVall, Joy Bryant, Sienna Guillory, Ritchie Coster, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Twelve extremely talented men and women have been chosen to be part of the Phaeton mission, a 10-year trek to explore a distant planetary system, but as the ship approaches a critical phase of the journey, a deadly flaw is discovered in the virtual system, forcing the crew to question if someone onboard might be a killer. (Universal).
Working Miracles
(2010) Eddie Cibrian, Patrick Duffy. After an accident, an ordinary man finds that he has the ability to heal others, but each time he does so he depletes his own life energy. (Vivendi Entertainment/Genius Products).
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Curious George: Goes to a Birthday Party!
(2010) Eight episodes of the PBS KIDS TV series featuring Curious George as he takes a crack at a pinata, plans a surprise party, bakes a birthday treat, and more. $16.98. (Universal).
Eclipse Series 21: Oshima's Outlaw Sixties
Often called the Godard of the East, Japanese director Nagisa Oshima was one of the most provocative film artists of the 20th century, and his works challenged and shocked the cinematic world for decades. Following his rise to prominence at Shochiku, Oshima struck out to form his own production company, Sozosha, in 1961. That move ushered in the prolific period of his career that gave birth to the five films collected here. Unsurprisingly, this studio renegade was fascinated by stories of outsiders -- serial killers, rabid hedonists, and stowaway misfits are just some of the social castoffs you'll meet in these audacious, cerebral entries in the New Wave surge that made Japan a hub of truly daredevil moviemaking. The five film: "Pleasures of the Flesh" (Etsuraku) (1965), "Violence at Noon" (Hakuchu no torima) 1966), "Sing a Song of Sex" (Nihon shunka-ko) (1967), "Japanese Summer: Double Suicide" (Muri shinju: Nihon no natsu) (1967) and "Three Resurrected Drunkards" (Kaette kita yopparai) (1968); $69.95. The Eclipse Series brings together the best of world cinema in bare bones editions. (The Criterion Collection).
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: The Complete Fifth Season
(1994-95) Three-disc set with 25 episodes, $29.98. (Warner).
Gamera, the Giant Monster -- Special Edition
(1965) Eiji Funakoshi, Harumi Kiritachi, Junichiro Yamashiko, Jutaro Hojo. The original Japanese version of the first Gamera movie, the unedited original version, with English subtitles, presented in anamorphic widescreen from a newly restored HD master. Extras: 12-page booklet with an essay by director Noriaki Yuasa,photo gallery, trailers, more. $19.93. (Shout! Factory).
The Girl on the Train
(2009 -- France) Dir.: Andre Techine; Catherine Deneuve, Emilie Dequenne, Michel Blanc. A drama centered on a young woman who claims she was the target of an anti-Semetic attack and the subsequent media sensation it creates. (Strand Releasing).
Law & Order: Criminal Intent -- The Fifth Year
(2005-06) Five-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.98. (Universal).
The Louis L'Amour Collection
Three American Frontier classics: The Sacketts" (starring Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott and Jeff Osterhage), "Conagher" (starring Sam Elliott and Katharine Ross) and "Catlow" (Yul Brynner, Richard Crenna and Leonard Nimoy), $19.97. (Warner).
The Messenger
(2009) Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone, Eamonn Walker. Read more about "The Messenger" in the May Calendar.Extras:Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Oscilloscope Pictures).
The Spy Next Door
(2010) Jackie Chan, Madeline Carroll, Alina Foley, George Lopez, Billy Ray Cyrus, Amber Valletta, Katherine Boecher Read more about "The Spy Next Door" in the May Calendar.Extras:Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Lionsgate).
Walkabout
(1971) Dir.: Nicolas Roeg; Stars Jenny Agutter, Luc Roeg, David Gulpilil. A young sister and brother are abandoned in the harsh Australian outback and must learn to exist in the natural world, without their usual comforts. Along the way, they meet a young aborigine on his "walkabout," a rite of passage in which adolescent boys are initiated into manhood by journeying into the wilderness alone. "Walkabout" is a thrilling adventure as well as a provocative rumination on time and civilization. New, restored high-definition digital transfer, from a newly manufactured restoration element, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition. Extras: commentary featuring director Nicolas Roeg and actress Jenny Agutter; interviews with Agutter and actor Luc Roeg; "Gulpilil: One Red Blood" (2002), an hour-long documentary on the life and career of actor David Gulpilil; booklet featuring an essay by author Paul Ryan.
Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (The Criterion Collection).
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May 25
By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volume 2
(1955-2003) Criterion's first volume of the anthology "By Brakhage" brought 26 astonishing works by the avant-garde film pioneer Stan Brakhage to home video for the first time. In this second installment, Criterion presents 30 more of Brakhage's innovative creations, from 1950s films to his final work, from 2003. Highlights of this collection include the antiwar film "23rd Psalm Branch"; hand-painted films from the Persian Series; "The Wonder Ring," made for a commission by Joseph Cornell; the autobiographical "Scenes from Under Childhood, Section One"; his only found-footage film, "Murder Psalm"; and much more. New high-definition digital transfers of all 30 films. Extras: "Brakhage on Brakhage," a collection of video encounters with the filmmaker; "For Stan," a short film by Marilyn Brakhage; excerpts from a 1990 interview with Brakhage; footage from Brakhage's salon at the University of Colorado; audio recordings of two lectures by Brakhage; booklet featuring film program notes by Marilyn Brakhage and write-ups of the films by Brakhage expert Fred Camper. Volume 2 is available in a Blu-ray Disc set with Volume 1. (The Criterion Collection).
Flashpoint: The Second Season
(2009) Two-disc set with 13 episodes, $42.99. Extras: Stunts and weapons featurettes. (Paramount).
Hard Ride to Hell
(2010) Miguel Ferrer, Laura Mennell, Katharine Isabelle. After accidently witnessing a cruel human sacrifice, a group of defenseless campers find themselves on the run from a savage gang of Demon-worshiping bikers on the hunt for their next human offering. Spike TV original movie. (Vivendi Entertainment).
In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great
(1998) Two-disc of the four-part miniseries. Combining popular history with adventure and travel, historian Michael Wood embarks on an Odyssey of discovery, following the ancient triumphal march of Alexander of Macedonia from Greece to India, to uncover the truth behind one of history's most famous and enigmatic heroes. $34.98. Extras: "Alexander's Greatest Battle," newly filmed interview with Wood. (Warner).
Leverage The Second Season
(2009-10) Four-disc set with 15 episodes, $39.99. Extras: Commentary, Q&A with the series' creators, set tour, spoof video, Season Two wrap party, gag reel, behind-the-scenes featurettes. (Paramount).
Royal Pains: Season One
(2009) Three-disc set with 12 episodes, Extras: Commentary, "Dr. Irv Danesh: The Real Doctor of Royal Pains," Paulo's video blogs. $59.98.(Universal).
Stagecoach
(1939) This is where it all started. John Ford's smash hit and enduring masterpiece revolutionized the Western, elevating it from B movie to the A-list. The quintessential tale of a group of strangers thrown together into extraordinary circumstances -- nine passengers traveling a dangerous route from Arizona to New Mexico -- "Stagecoach" features outstanding performances from Hollywood stalwarts Claire Trevor, John Carradine, Thomas Mitchell, and, of course, John Wayne, in his first starring role for Ford, as the daredevil outlaw the Ringo Kid. Superbly shot and tightly edited, Stagecoach (Ford's first trip to Monument Valley) is Hollywood storytelling at its finest. New, restored high-definition digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition. Extras: Commentary by noted western authority Jim Kitses; "Bucking Broadway" (1917), a 54-minute silent western by John Ford, with new music by Donald Sosin; extensive video interview with Ford from 1968; video interview with Dan Ford, biographer and grandson of the director, about Ford's home movies; video interview with filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich; video essay by writer Tag Gallagher; video feature about Monument Valley; video interview with stunt coordinator Vic Armstrong about "Stagecoach's" stuntman Yakima Canutt; radio dramatization of "Stagecoach" from 1949; booklet featuring an essay by David Cairns and the short story that inspired the film. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (The Criterion Collection).
True Blood: The Complete Second Season
(2009) Twelve episodes, $59.99. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (HBO Home Video).
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
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Rotel RSX-972 Surround Sound Receiver, and Phase Technology 1.1 (front), 33.1 (center),
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