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DVD Collectibles: (8/28)
Two very popular franchises get the Blu-ray treatment this week: Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "The Terminator." For the Middle Earth epic, Warner Home Video has put together five-disc sets of the extended editions of each film, with two discs devoted to the feature and three filled with bonus material. Suggested retail price is $34.99 for each set. Meanwhile, the machines rule in Warner's "The Terminator Anthology Blu-ray" set, which is a five-disc set with all four "Terminator" films, including three different versions of "T2" and more than eight hours of interactive special features. The set is available right now only at Best Buy for $49.99.
The folks at The Criterion Collection are rocking out with the rock 'n' roll saga "Quadrophenia" (1979). The Who's classic rock opera "Quadrophenia" was the basis for this invigorating coming-of-age movie and depiction of the defiant, drug-fueled London of the
Also worth noting: "Monsieur Lazhar" (2011), a critically acclaimed French Canadian drama starring Mohamed Fellag, Sophie Nelisse, Emilien Neron, Marie-Eve Beauregard and Vincent Millard. At a Montreal public grade school, an Algerian immigrant is hired to replace a popular teacher who committed suicide in her classroom. While helping his students deal with their grief, his own recent loss is revealed, and he brings humanity, transcendence and grace New to Blu-ray this week: "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948), starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Glenn Strange and Lenore Aubert ... "Airport" (1970), starring Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Jean Seberg, Jacqueline Bisset, George Kennedy, Helen Hayes, Van Heflin, Maureen Stapleton, Barry Nelson, Dana Wynter, Lloyd Nolan, Barbara Hale and Gary Collins ... "Harvey" (1950), starring James Stewart, Josephine Hull, Peggy Dow, Charles Drake, Cecil Kellaway, Victoria Horne and Jesse White. All three are from Universal. From TV to Video: (8/28)"Agatha Christie's Poirot, Series 6" (1995) is a four-disc set with four PBS Masterpiece Mystery features: "Hercule Poirot's Christmas," "Hickory Dickory Dock," "Murder on the Links" and "Dumb Witness." Remastered and presented in the original U.K. broadcast order. $39.99 from Acorn Media ... "The Amazing World of Gumball The DVD" (2012) is a single disc with 12 episodes from the first season of the Cartoon Network's animated series about a blue cat with a giant head (Gumball) who's chased around school by a T-Rex, befriends a piece of toast, and has a crush on a peanut with antlers. $14.97 from Cartoon Network/Warner ... "Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Second Season" (2011) is a five-disc DVD set and seven-disc Blu-ray set (five Blu-rays and two DVDs of extras) with 12 episodes, $59.99 and $79.98 respectively from HBO ... "Homeland: The Complete First Season" (2011) is a four-disc set with 12 episodes, $59.98 from Showtime/Paramount ... "Injustice" (2012) stars James Purefoy, Dervla Kirwan, Charlie Creed-Miles and Nathaniel Parker in a five-part thriller of murder, conspiracy, secrets, and guilt. Purefoy plays defense barrister William Travers, who has fled from London murder trials to the peace of the Suffolk countryside with his family. He is called upon to defend an old friend in a homicide that may be much more than it seems, even as death strikes close to home and he becomes a target of investigation himself. $39.99 from Acorn Media ... "Jersey Shore: Season 5 (uncensored)" (2012) is a three-disc set with 11 episodes, $26.99 MTV/Paramount ... "The Streets of San Francisco Season Four"
(1975-76) Volume 1 and Volume 2, $42.99 each from CBS/Paramount ... "Two and A Half Men: The Complete Ninth Season" (2011-12) is a three-disc set with 24 episodes, $44.98 from Warner ... "The Walking Dead: The Complete Second Season" (2011) is a four-disc set with 13 episodes, DVD $59.98; Blu-ray Disc, $69.99. From Anchor Bay ... "You've Got a Friend"
(2007) is a DOVE Foundation approved film starring John Schneider, Dylan McLaughlin, Chase Ellison and Bitty Schram; the melodrama, set in 1976, follows a young boy who loses his parents in a car accident and is sent to live with his aunt and uncle where he's determined to follow in his late father's footsteps and win the American Soapbox Derby ... with the help of an unlikely friend, a local war veteran and town recluse. From Gaiam Vivendi Entertainment/Sonar Entertainment.Buzzin' the 'B's: (8/28)In "Apartment 143" (2011 -- Spain) a team of parapsychologists try to figure out a strange phenomenon occurring in an apartment building; on DVD and Blu-ray from Magnolia Home Entertainment ... "Area 407" (2012), starring Abigail Schrader, Samantha Lester, James Lyons and Melanie Lyons, is yet another found footage horror film about the survivors of an airplane crash who find themselves within the borders of a government testing area ... pursued by predators that are part of a top-secret government experiment. From IFC Films ... When a bank heist goes wrong in "Battleground (aka Skeleton Lake)" (2012), starring Bryan Larkin, Hugh Lambe, Bob Cymbalski and Robert Nolan, six ruthless bank robbers become stranded in an off-the-grid forest. With more than $3 million dollars and a flight out of the country at stake, the men attempt to navigate out of the woods, only to encounter a highly-skilled Vietnam War veteran who uses his military training and tactics to track and kill all who enter the forest. On DVD and Blu-ray from Well Go USA ... In "A Beginner's Guide to Endings" (2010), starring Scott Caan, Paulo Costanzo, Jason Jones, Tricia Helfer, Harvey Keitel and J.K. Simmons, three brothers -- who underwent unsafe drug tests when young -- discover that they have only a short time to live and decide to chase after their dreams. One decides to hook up with the girl who got away, the second decides to take every risk in life he didn't take earlier, and the eldest, a boxer turned promoter, goes for the long shot. From Entertainment One ...In "Blood Money" (2012), starring Zheng Liu, Pitbull and Gordon Liu, a Colombian drug cartel joins forces with a group of Hong Kong Triads and the hottest hit man on the planet to ship two tons of cocaine into Australia and China. From XLrator Media.
In "Changing the Game" (2011), starring Tony Todd, Irma P. Hall, Sticky Fingaz, Suzzanne Douglas, Charli Baltimore and Dennis L.A. White, a supremely intelligent young African-American male rises from the ferocious and oppressive streets of North Philadelphia to become a shining star in the lucrative world of high finance at Wall Street's most prestigious firm to soon discover that the white-collar world is filled with crime and death just like the drug-filled hood he left behind. From Lionsgate ... "Citizen Gangster" (2011), starring Scott Speedman, Kelly Reilly, Brian Cox, Kevin Durand and Joseph Cross, is based on the true story of Edwin Boyd, postwar Toronto's most famous criminal. Returning from World War II with few prospects and unable to provide for his wife and children, Eddie Boyd becomes desperate and starts to rob banks ... his robberies evolve into a folk hero career in which crime and
In "The Newest Pledge" (2012), starring Rob Steinhauser, Joseph Booton, Jason Mewes and Mindy Sterling, a hard partying fraternity decides to pledge a baby that they find on their doorstep the morning after their most decadent party of the semester. From Lionsgate ... In "Penumbra" (2011 -- Argentina), an arrogant businesswoman from Spain travels to Buenos Aires to find a renter for her family's apartment, only to meet an eerie man who she soon realizes has a part in a rare solar eclipse taking place over South America. From IFC Midnight/MPI Media Group ... "Searching for Sonny" (2011), starring Jason Dohring, Minka Kelly, Michael Hogan and Masi Oka, is a comedy about a 10-year-high school reunion in which three friends find themselves the chief suspects in a murder that seems eerily similar to a play they performed in high school. On DVD and Blu-ray from Red Productions ... In "Shark Week" (2012), starring Josh Allen, Bart Baggett, Patrick Bergin, Paul Borst and For the Family: (8/28)"SpongeBob SquarePants: Ghoul Fools" (2011) features seven ghoulishy fun episodes of everyone's favorite deep-sea denizens: "Ghoul Fools," "The Curse of Bikini Bottom," "Ghost Host," "Born Again Krabs," "Arrgh!," "Your Shoe's Untied," "Money Talks." $15.99 from Nick/Paramount ... "Green Lantern The Animated Series: Rise of the Red Lanterns" (2012) is a two-disc set with 13 episodes and a digital comic book, $19.97 from Warner ... "The Jungle Bunch: The Movie" (2012) is the tale of Maurice, a penguin who was raised in the jungle and who thinks he's a tiger -- and who assembles a misfit team of jungle friends to return to the Antarctic to defend his colony from an invading herd of walruses. On DVD from Universal.
"Bernie," "The Separation," "Chimpanzee" and "The Dictator." For more releases this week, see the "Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases."
DVD Collectibles: (8/21)There's two Roger Corman classics arriving this week from Shout! Factory: "Sweet Kill" (1973), in which Tab Hunter gives a chilling performance as Eddie Collins, a lonely and frustrated high school gym teacher who finds that he is unable to perform sexually with women because of repressed memories of his mother ... until he finds that he's able to get aroused by dead women. Written and directed by Curtis Hanson.; and "Naked Angels"
(1969), an inside look at the bizarre lifestyles of outlaw bikers pitting the Hells Angels against the Las Vegas Hotdoggers.Debuting on Blu-ray this week: "Halloween 4," "Halloween 5," "The AristoCats," "The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under."
From TV to Video: (8/21)"The Adventures of Tintin Season Three" (1993) is a two-disc set with 13 episodes, $19.93 from Shout! Factory ... "The Closer: The Complete Seventh and Final Season" (2011-12) is a five-disc set with 21 episodes, from Warner ... "House: Season Eight: The Final Season" (2011-12) is a five-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.98 from Universal ... "Mike & Molly: The Complete Second Season" (2011-12) is a three-disc set with 23 episodes, $44.98 from Warner.Buzzin' the 'B's: (8/21)The son of a slain NYPD officer joins the force only to discover the villainous story behind his father's death in "Freelancers" (2012), starring Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Robert De Niro, Forest Whitaker, Dana Delaney, Beau Garrett, Malcolm Goodwin, Ryan O'Nan and Anabelle Acosta. From Lionsgate ... In Prague, two skilled assassins make themselves available for hire to the Mafia: One assassin (Cuba Gooding Jr.) takes a job with a gang he was once hired to eliminate, launching an all-out mob war; another assassin (Dolph Lundgren) is hired to take out the first one in "One in the Chamber" (2011), from Anchor Bay ... In "Elevator" (2011), starring John Getz, Joey Slotnick, Anita Briem and Shirley Knight, racism collides with corporate greed when nine strangers are trapped in a Wall Street elevator, and one of them has a bomb. From Inception Media Group ... In "Home Run Showdown" (2011), starring Kyle Kirk, Matthew Lillard, Dean Cain, Annabeth Gish and Barry Bostwick, two little league teams take on their coaches' sibling rivalry: When the new kid in town starts his own team to challenge the resident team, he persuades a washed-up minor leaguer to be coach and go head to head with his arrogant ex-major league brother. From Image Entertainment ... In a bleak future in "Hell" (2011 -- Germany), starring Hannah Herzsprung, Lars Eidinger, Stipe Erceg, Lisa Vicari and Angela Winkler, the sun has turned the entire world into baked and barren wasteland; forests are scorched, animal carcasses line the roads. Even the nights are dazzling bright. A small band of survivors head for the mountains against all odds in an effort to find water -- and safety. From ARC Entertainment ... "Zombie A-Hole" (2012), starring Brandon Salkil, Jessica Daniels and Josh Eal, is an action packed zombie slasher flick with grindhouse attitude filled with blood, boobs, special FX, and southern rock: The story of a religious cowboy, a lost soul, and a beautiful one-eyed grease monkey fixing to exact bloody vengeance on the same undead S.O.B. From . (MVD Entertainment Group.On the Indie Front: (8/21)"Weekend" (2011) is the sensual, remarkably observed, beautifully acted breakout feature from British writer-director-editor Andrew Haigh about a one-night-stand that develops into a weekend-long idyll for two very different young men (Tom Cullen and Chris New) in Midlands England. It's an emotionally naked film that's both an invaluable snapshot of the complexities of contemporary gay living and a universally identifiable portrait of a love affair. From The Criterion Collection ... In "Virginia" (2010), starring Emma Roberts, Jennifer Connelly, Toby Jones, Ed Harris, Harrison Gilbertson, Carrie Preston, Yeardley Smith and Amy Madigan. a sheriff sees his state senate bid slide out onto the ice when his daughter begins to date the son of a charming but psychologically disturbed woman with whom the sheriff has engaged in a two-decade-long affair. From Entertainment One ... "Let Go" (2011), starring Kevin Hart, Gillian Jacobs, Ed Asner and David Denman, is an ensemble comedy that follows the intertwining stories of a melancholy parole officer struggling with the doldrums of married life, and three eccentric ex-convicts that were recently placed under his supervision. From Entertainment One ... In "Hide Away" (2011), starring Josh Lucas, Ayelet Zurer, James Cromwell and Jon Tenney, a successful businessman attempting to resurrect his life buys a dilapidated sailboat and sets out to restore it; thrown into the mix are three mysterious residents of the harbor town: a waitress, always one puff away from her last cigarette; the veteran mariner, a salty, soulful man unable to reconcile his own past and traverses; and a newly single father relishing his freedom. From Flatiron Film Co./New Video.Foreign: (8/21)Seven long-lost childhood girlfriends from the 1980s come together once again in middle age, discovering that just maybe you can come home again in the critically acclaimed heartwarming "Sunny" (2011 -- South Korea), starring Ho-jeong Yu, Eun-kyeong Sim and Hee-kyung Jin. From CJ Entertainment America ... And from indie powerhouse Strand Releasing comes "Bonsai" (2011 -- Chile), starring Diego Noguera, Natalia Galgani, Gabriela Arancibia, Trinidad Gonzalez and Hugo Medina. Julio is a struggling young writer who has hit a wall. Unemployed and involved in a half-hearted relationship with his neighbor, things are finally starting to look up when he gets an interview with a renowned author to transcribe his latest work. Things don't go as planned, however, and Julio doesn't get the job. Instead of admitting the truth to his girlfriend, he pretends to be transcribing the novel while actually writing his own story. Searching for inspiration and a plot, Julio revisits a romance he had eight years ago when studying literature in Valdivia. As Julio's novel progresses, so does his fondness for the past and of the love he let slip away.
"The Hunger Games" and "The Raid: Redemption." For more releases this week, see the "Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases."
DVD Collectibles: (8/14)Heading up the excitement this week is the Blu-ray debut of "Jaws," Steven Spielberg's iconic 1975 thriller about a great white shark that threatens a summer resort and the men who hunt it down. This is the film that set the scene for all summer "blockbusters" to come -- and changed the way summer films -- and all films - were marketed. Starred Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary and Murray Hamilton. The film is digitally remastered and fully restored with a 7.1 surround sound mix and includes a new feature-length documentary "The Shark Is Still Working: The Impact & Legacy of Jaws," "Jaws: The Restoration," "The Making of Jaws," "From the Set," deleted scenes and outtakes, "Jaws" archives and more.Three films from The Criterion Collection hit the shelves this week: two from Belgian filmmaker brothers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, "La promesse" (1996), an absorbing drama about a teenager who gradually comes to understand the implications of his father's making a living off of illegal alien workers, and "Rosetta" (1999), an intense verite drama that closely follows a poor young woman struggling to hold on to a job to support herself and her alcoholic mother. It's a swift and simple tale made revelatory by the raw, empathetic way in which the directors render Rosetta's desperation, keeping the camera nearly perched on her shoulder throughout. The third release is the Blu-ray debut of "The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), an hilarious, touching, and brilliantly stylized study of melancholy and redemption -- from director Wes Anderson -- about family patriarch Royal Tenenbaum( Gene Hackman), estranged from his wife (Anjelica Huston) and three brilliant children, Chas (Ben Stiller), a real-estate genius, Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow), a literary prodigy, and Richie (Luke Wilson), a junior champion tennis player, who tries to reconnect with his past. From TV to Video: (8/14)"Community: The Complete Third Season" (2011-12) is a three-disc set with 22 episodes, from Sony ... "Dalziel & Pascoe: Season 6" (2001) is a two-disc set of four mysteries featuring the mismatched pair of detectives -- grumpy old-school copper Andy Dalziel and his well-mannered university-educated partner Peter Pascoe -- as they face more perplexing cases, $29.98 from BBC Home Entertainment ... "Dance Moms: Season One" (2011) is a four-disc set with 13 episodes, $29.95 from A&E ... "Doctor Who: Spearhead From Space Special Edition" and "Doctor Who: The Greatest Show In The Galaxy" are the latest releases from the time and space traveler's series, from BBC Home Entertainment ... "The Forsyte Saga Collection" is the complete unedited U.K. broadcast edition, including the two complete miniseries that tell the story of a family bitterly divided by ambition, adultery, and revenge. Based on John Galsworthy's epic Forsyte novels. $59.99 from Acorn Media ... "Glee: The Complete Third Season" (2011-12) is a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.98 from Fox ... "Judge John Deed: Season Six" (2007) is a two-disc set with four episodes (two mysteries) featuring Martin Shaw as unrelenting idealistic and rebellious Judge John Deed, $29.98 from BBC Home Entertainment ... "Lake Effects" (2012) is an extended version of the Hallmark Movie Channel Original in which a Los Angeles attorney returns to her small lakeside town to reunite with her completely different art teacher sister and their mother to settle their deceased father/husband's estate -- with the aid of his wily spirit. From Anchor Bay ... "The Lieutenant" (1963-64) is the long-awaited classic TV series from Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, making its DVD debut exclusively on WarnerArchive.com. This was Roddenberry's first TV series (as both creator and producer). What has become a huge fan base clamoring to get the 29 episodes will now get its wish. The new DVD has been restored and includes an unseen theatrical iteration. Gary Lockwood stars as an easy-going Marine Corps lieutenant who commands a colorful crew of raw recruits ... "Pawn Stars: Volume 5" (2011-12) is a two-disc set with 16 episodes, $19.95 from A&E.
Buzzin' the 'B's: (8/14)In "Kill List" (2011), starring Neil Maskell, Michael Smiley and MyAnna Buring, a hitman takes a new assignment with the promise of a big payoff for three killings: kill a priest, then a dealer in torture porn, and finally a member of Parliament. The task soon unravels, sending the killer into the heart of darkness. From IFC Entertainment ... "The Snowtown Murders" (2011), starring Louise Harris, Daniel Henshall and Lucas Pittaway, is based on true events in Snowtown, Australis, in 1999. Sixteen-year-old Jamie falls in with his mother's new boyfriend and his crowd of self-appointed neighborhood watchmen, a relationship that leads to a spree of torture and murder. From IFC Films/MPI Media Group ... When Havana begins to fill up with zombies, two friends hatch a plan to launch a zombie extermination service in the satire "Juan of the Dead" (2011), starring Alexis Dias de Villegas and Jorge Molina. From Entertainment One ... When a masked stranger reveals to a man that his estranged wife and her lover are buried underground in a wooden box and their oxygen will run out in 75 minutes, he must engage in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse in order to save his wife ... and himself in "Coffin" (2011), starring Kevin Sorbo, Bruce Davison, Johnny Alonso, Sunny Doench and Patrick Barnitt. From MTI Home Video ... "A Girl Walks Into a Bar" (2011) is an ensemble drama that weaves together a group of strangers through interlocking stories that unfold across 10 different bars in L.A., starring Alexis Bledel, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Rosario Dawson, Danny DeVito, Robert Forster, Carla Gugino, Josh Hartnett and Zachary Quinto. From Entertainment One ... When an unknown vigilante begins killing high-priority terrorists from America's Most Wanted list in Europe, a former FBI field agent is brought in by the U.S. Ambassador to discover the identity of the assassin in "Assassin's Bullet" (2012), starring Christian Slater, Donald Sutherland, Elika Portnoy and Timothy Spall. From Arc Entertainment ... "Tonight You're Mine" (2012)is an indie-rock, romantic comedy that follows two feuding rock stars who end up handcuffed together for 24 hours at a music festival. Stars Luke Treadaway, Natalia Tena, Mathew Baynton and Alastair Mackenzie. From Sony ... In "Breathless" (2012), starring Val Kilmer, Ray Liotta, Gina Gershon, Kelli Giddish and Wayne Duvall, a strong-willed Texas woman who's had enough of her untrustworthy husband's criminal acts and lack of husbandry enlists the help of her old friend to help her figure out what to do; the situation quickly escalates into a tale of revenge and survival that resolves in true Texas fashion: bold and ruthless. From Anchor Bay.
On the Indie Front: (8/14)Set in the ballroom world originally memorialized by the documentary "Paris Is Burning," "Leave It on the Floor" (2012) is an original musical that takes place in Los Angeles 2011: Thrown out of his home by his dysfunctional mother, Brad (Ephraim Sykes) steals her car and travels into L.A. where, through a chance encounter, he stumbles into a noisy raucous, chaotic event and meets and joins up with the ragtag members of the struggling and offbeat House of Eminence. From Wolfe Video.
For the Family: (8/14)"Chuggington: Traintastic Adventures" (2012) includes six episodes of the CGI-animated TV series that features the humorous adventures of Koko, Wilson and Brewster, three trainee engines each with their own unique personality. The series offer adventures and life lessons for preschoolers. $14.98 from Anchor Bay ... "Astonishing X-Men: Torn" (2012) is the third installment in the Marvel Knights animation series with panel-by-panel graphics, written by Joss Whedon with art by John Cassaday. $14.97 from Shout! Factory ... "The Smurfs and the Magic Flute" (1983)is the U.S. DVD debut of the animated feature in which the Smurfs must recover a stolen magical flute to save the kingdom. From Fabulous Films/The Shout! Factory.
Special Interest: (8/14)"Barack Obama: From His Childhood to the Presidency" (2012) chronicles Obama's early years in Honolulu to his history-making presidential win. Features insightful interviews with friends and family members, as well as previously unreleased footage of Obama's campaign and victory. $19.95 from A&E ... "Fidel" (1971) is Saul Landau's landmark documentary -- preserved by the National Film Preservation Foundation -- provides a unique view of Cuba's controversial and most polarizing leader. In 1968, Castro took filmmaker and activist Saul Landau on a week-long jeep ride through the eastern mountains. There, he plays baseball with a group of peasants, visits his pre-school and trades jokes with a 98-year old man. Fidel also listens to the people's concerns about food distribution, bad roads and transportation. The film contains rare and fascinating archive footage of the Bay of Pigs invasion and scenes of Che Guevara alongside interviews with political prisoners. In Spanish with English subtitles. $19.95 from Cinema Libre Studio ... "Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory" (2011) is the new installment of Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky's HBO documentary film series about the notorious 1993 "West Memphis Three" child murders, chronicles the 18-year fight to prove the innocence of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, incarcerated for an alleged Satanic ritual killing the convicted men -- and their supporters worldwide -- maintain they did not commit. With Echols on death row and Baldwin and Misskelley serving life sentences, "Paradise Lost 3" examines a horrifying crime with fresh insights that only the passage of time can provide. Facts are reexamined, new evidence is revealed, and new suspects this documentary is a provocative examination of American justice and a celebration of the power of cinema to effect social change: All three were released from prison in August 2011. From New Video ... "Titanic: 100 Years in 3D" (2012): In 2010, an unprecedented expedition by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and RMS Titanic, Inc. went on location to document the entire wreck site of Titanic, using high-resolution optical video, sonar, acoustic imaging, and 3D HD video and acoustic modeling. These incredible visuals are accompanied by the untold stories of people who were on the ship, narrated in voice-over. $29.95 from A&E.
First Run features has four fascinating films available this week: "Art Is ... The Permanent Revolution" (2012): The anger and outrage captured by graphic artists and printmakers have defined revolutions through the centuries, depicting the human condition in all its glories and struggles so powerfully that perceptions, attitudes and politics have been dramatically influenced. In this documentary, three contemporary artists and a master printer explore how social reality and protest are conveyed in art. While the stirring works of the masters sweep by -- among them graphics by Rembrandt, Goya, Daumier, Kollwitz, Dix, Grosz and Picasso -- the making of an etching, a woodcut and a lithograph unfolds before our eyes as the contemporary artists join their illustrious predecessors in creating art of social engagement ... "The Callers" (2011) is a documentary that explores the world of auctions with a group of Pennsylvania auctioneers who move mounds of merchandise to eager buyers, year-round ... "Inventing Our Life: The Kibbutz Experiment" (2011): Set against the backdrop of
"Dr. Seuss' The Lorax." For more releases this week, see the "Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases." This Week's Highlight: (8/7)Warner Home Video has done it again: They've taken great care in repacking Stanley Kubrick's harrowing Vietnam War drama "Full Metal Jacket" (starring Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Dorian Harewood, Kevyn Major Howard, Arliss Howard) as a two-disc Blu-ray set with a 40-page book that includes plenty of behind-the scenes photos, press materials, historical data, cast remembrances and more. The film extras include commentary by Adam Baldwin, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey and critic/screenwriter Jay Cocks; a featurette, "Full Metal Jacket: Between Good and Evil"; and the original theatrical trailer. The second disc is devoted to a new 60-minute documentary, "Stanley Kubrick's Boxes." This is the same transfer used in the 2007 Blu-ray edition, which was a much-needed improvement on previous versions. "Full Metal Jacket 25th Anniversary Blu-ray Book" is priced at $34.99.
Other Blu-ray releases to add to your collection: "Spaceballs: 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray" (1987), Mel Brooks' slapstick take on "Star Wars" and its progeny, starring Brooks, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga and Dick Van Patten. Bonus features include the new "Farce Yourself! Spaceballs and the Skroobing of Sci-Fi" featurette; commentary by Brooks; additional commentary tracks: Mawgese, Dinkese; "Spaceballs: The Documentary" featurette; "In Conversation: Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan" featurette; "John
"Marley" (2012) is the definitive life story of the musician, revolutionary, legend, From TV to Video: (8/7)"Dexter The Complete Sixth Season" (2011) is a four-disc set with 12 episodes, from Showtime/CBS/Paramount ... "Ghost Hunters: Season 7: Part 1" (2011) includes 12 investigations, $24.98 from Image Entertainment ... "Grimm Season One" (2011-12) is a five-disc set with 22 episodes, from Universal ... "Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt" (2012) is the latest chapter of the popular TV franchise, starring Tom Selleck, Kathy Baker, Kohl Sudduth, Gloria Reuben, Stephen McHattie, Robert Carradine, Saul Rubinek and William Devane, from Sony ... "Strike Back: Cinemax Season 1" (2011) is a four-disc set with 10 episodes of the globe-spanning thriller that focuses on two members of a top-secret intelligence agency known as Section 20 that's hot on the trail of a deadly international terrorist; it's Cinemax's first scripted prime-time original drama series; $49.98 from HBO ... "William & Catherine: A Royal Romance" (2011) stars Dan Amboyer, Alice St. Clair, Jane Alexander, Victor Garber and Jean Smart in a Hallmark Channel Original Movie that chronicles the story of the young love shared between Prince William and Kate Middleton, from Lionsgate.Buzzin' the 'B's: (8/7)"Bel Ami" (2012) stars Robert Pattinson, Uma Thurman, Kristin Scott Thomas and Christina Ricci in a melodramatic chronicle of a young man's rise to power in Paris via his manipulation of the city's most influential and wealthy women. From Sony ... In "Blue Like Jazz" (2012), a pious 19-year-old uproots himself from his Southern Baptist upbringing and ventures to Portland, where he enrolls in progressive Reed College to test his faith, and where one new experience after another teaches him the true meaning of life; stars Claire Holt, Jason Marsden, Tania Raymonde and Marshall Allman. From Lionsgate ... "Killing Bono" (2011), starring Ben Barnes, Robert Sheehan, Krysten Ritter, Peter Serafinowicz, Stanley Townsend, Martin McCann and Pete Postlethwaite, is a rock 'n' roll comedy about two Irish brothers struggling to forge their path through the 1980s music scene ... while the meteoric rise to fame of their old school pals U2 only serves to cast them deeper into the shadows. From Arc Entertainment ... A highly skilled bodyguard avenging his brother's untimely death uncovers a ring of corruption extending to the highest levels of society and government in "The Liquidator" (2011 -- Russia), starring Vinnie Jones, Berik Aitzhanov and Aziz Beishenaliyev. From Millennium Entertainment/Action Slate Releasing ... In "Born 2 Race" (2012), starring Joseph Cross, John Pyper-Ferguson, Brando Eaton, Nicole Badaan and Sherry Stringfield, a rebellious young street racer on a collision course with trouble is sent to a small town to live with his estranged father, a washed up NASCAR racer, and enters the NHRA High School Drags, where he decides to take down the local hot shot. From Arc Entertainment ... "Laddaland" (2011) was Thailand's highest grossing domestic film of 2011; it garnered Best Picture, Best Actress, Supporting Actress, Screenplay, Editing and Make-up nods at the 21st Annual Thailand National Film Awards, Thailand's version of the Academy Awards. Based on the true story of a gated community that was shuttered after a series of mysterious deaths and paranormal occurrences. When a family moves to Laddaland, an upscale housing development with lavish homes, they discover life in their neighborhood isn't so perfect. A series of terrifying, paranormal events drives the family to the brink of insanity. From Millennium Entertainment/Action Slate Releasing ... "Knock Knock 2" (2011) is a found-footage film about four friends who decide to go on a self-made tour of haunted Hollywood houses and famous celebrity murders, hoping to capture these famous ghosts on camera, only to disappear forever; stars Aiden Cardei, Jordan Elizabeth and Beckett West. From Lionsgate ... "Devil Seed" (2012), starring Michelle Argyris, Shantelle Canzanese and Vanessa Broze, is a supernatural thriller in which a college co-ed's body is invaded by the devil. From Entertainment One.On the Indie Front: (8/7)"Girlfriend" (2010), starring Shannon Woodward, Jackson Rathbone, Amanda Plummer and Evan Sneider, is a moving, coming-of-age drama that explores the nature of love and human compassion. Evan, a young adult with Down Syndrome, lives with his mother in a poor, working-class town. When he unexpectedly inherits a large sum of money, he decides to use it to help out his friend and high school crush, Candy, a single mother deeply in-debt and facing eviction. The two form an unlikely relationship, and everything seems to be falling into place, until Candy's volatile ex-boyfriend, Russ, interferes, resulting in an eruption of secrets and emotions. From Strand Releasing ... After the death of their mother, two sisters are forced to question and redefine their love for each other in "Mary Marie"
(2010), starring Alana Kearns-Green and Alexandra Roxo. From TLA Releasing.Foreign: (8/7)In "Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale" (2011 -- Taiwan), an indigenous clan-based people living in harmony with nature find their way of life threatened when violent interlopers from another culture arrive, intent on seizing their natural resources and enslaving them. This was the most expensive Taiwanese production to date, available here in both the 140-minute U.S. theatrical version and the 270-minute international release. Available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Extras include behind-the-scene featurettes, interviews with director Wei Te-Sheng and producer John Woo. From Well Go USA.For the Family: (8/7)"Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" (2012) is the big-screen adaptation of the classic Dr. Seuss tale about a forest creature who shares the enduring power of hope. The animated adventure follows the journey of a 12-year-old as he searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world from the greedy men who want to exploit the environment. With the voice talent of Danny DeVito, Ed Helms, Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Rob Riggle, Jenny Slate and Betty White. From Universal ... "My Little Pony -- Friendship Is Magic: Royal Pony Wedding" (2011) is a two-part special from the popular kids TV series. When it's announced that Twilight Sparkle's older brother, Shining Armor, is set to marry Princess Celestia's niece, Cadance, all the ponies in Equestria should be celebrating. But there's one pony in Ponyville who's not so thrilled with the news: Twilight Sparkle! Why is the young unicorn so concerned? And will the royal wedding go off without a hitch? $14.97 from Shout! Factory ... "The Cat in the Hat" is a deluxe edition of the Dr. Seuss classic, remastered, with "Cat in the Hat Sing-Along" and two other Seuss tales: "Daisy-Head Mayzie" and "The Hoober-Bloob Highway." On DVD and Blu-ray Disc. From Warner ... "Let It Shine"" (2012) is a Disney Channel Original Movie set in the world of hip-hop, rap and gospel music. This modern-day story -- inspired by Cyrano de Bergerac -- has a young songwriter's tune expropriated by another to woo the girl the songwriter secretly loves. Stars Tyler James Williams, Coco Jones, Trevor Jackson, Brandon Mychal Smith, Nicole Sullivan, Dawnn Lewis, Alex Desert and Courtney B. Vance. From Disney.
| Reviews | Links | Privacy Statement | © 1996 -- 2012 OnVideo. All rights reserved August 1, 2012 OnVideo News (ISSN 1094-3676). |
early 1960s. Antihero Jimmy (Phil Daniels) is a teenager dissatisfied with family, work, and love, and he identifies with the fashionable, pill-popping, scooter-driving mods, a group whose opposition to the motorcycle-riding rockers leads to a climactic riot in Brighton. Director Franc Roddam's rough-edged film is a quintessential chronicle of youthful rebellion and turmoil, with Pete Townshend's brilliant songs (including "I've Had Enough," "5:15" and "Love, Reign O'er Me") providing emotional support, and featuring Sting and Ray Winstone in early roles. This director-approved special edition features a new high-definition digital restoration of the uncut version, with the original 2.0 stereo soundtrack as well as an all-new 5.1 surround mix, supervised by the Who and presented in DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition.
to the students. From Music Box Films ... "'50s TV Classics" is a three-disc set with eight hours of TV comedy from Bob Hope, Ed Sullivan, Milton Berle, Red Skelton, Dinah Shore, Lawrence Welk, Art Carney, Paul Winchell, Jerry Mahoney, Ed Wynn and more. $24.98 from Film Crest ... "Looney Tunes The Chuck Jones Collection Mouse Chronicles" is a two-disc set featuring 19 remastered, theatrical shorts that showcase some of animation's most delightfully mischievous mice and their daring adventures, featuring the remarkable work of animation legend Chuck Jones. Included here: "Naughty but Mice," "Little Brother Rat," "Sniffles and the Bookworm," "Sniffles Takes a Trip," "The Egg Collector," "Bedtime for Sniffles," "Sniffles Bells the Cat," "Toy Trouble," "The Brave Little Bat," "The Unbearable Bear," "Lost and Foundling," "Hush my Mouse," "The Aristo Cat," "Trap Happy Porky," "Roughly Squeaking," "House Hunting Mice," "Mouse Wreckers," "The Hypo-chondri-cat," "Cheese Chasers." On DVD and Blu-ray from Warner.
love mix with explosive results. From IFC Films ... "The Heineken Kidnapping" (2011 -- Netherlands), starring Rutger Hauer, Reinout Scholten van Aschat, Gijs Naber, Teun Kuilboer and Korneel Evers, is a fact-based thriller about the 1983 kidnapping of Alfred Heineken, the man behind the Dutch brewing giant. From MPI Home Video ... In "Jersey Shore Shark Attack" (2012), starring Jeremy Luke, Melissa Molinaro, Paul Sorvino, Jack Scalia, Joey Fatone, Vinny Guadagnino, William Atherton and Tony Sirico, a crew of Jerseyites band together against killer sharks that threaten to spoil their summer fun by eating them alive. A Syfy Saturday Original Movie on DVD and Blu-ray from Anchor Bay ... "Life Happens" (2011), starring Krysten Ritter, Kate Bosworth and Rachel Bilson, is a comedy centered on three best friends who live under the same roof in Los Angeles and the complications that arise when one of them gets pregnant and has a baby. On DVD and Blu-ray from Universal ... "The Moth Diaries"
(2011), starring Sarah Bolger, Sarah Gadon and Lily Cole, is a chilling story of a 16-year-old girl, haunted by her poet father's recent suicide, who becomes suspicious of a mysterious, ethereal and captivating new girl who arrives at her private school, turning everyone's world upside down. On DVD and Blu-ray from IFC Films.
Yancy Butler, a group of complete strangers find themselves isolated by a wealthy madman on his island compound, where they're forced into a horrifying gauntlet where they must survive a barrage of ever deadlier species of shark. On DVD and Blu-ray from The Asylum ... "Starship Troopers: Invasion" (2012) is a new CGI-animated adventure that has the Troopers on a perilous mission to rescue survivors of a Federation outpost under attack by the bugs. On DVD and Blu-ray from Sony ... "The Viral Factor" (2012) is the latest from Hong Kong action director Dante Lam, starring Jay Chou, Lin Peng, Nicholas Tse, Andy On and Bing Bai. While on a dangerous mission to escort a criminal scientist to another country, IDC Agent Jon (Chou) is shot in the head by a traitor and awakens to learn that within weeks, the bullet in his brain will cause complete paralysis. He travels to Beijing to see his mother, where he discovers he has a brother in Malaysia. When he flies to meet his long lost sibling, he forms a bond with Dr. Kan, who promises to look into possible treatments for his condition. When they arrive, they're kidnapped and Jon soon realizes the kidnapper is his brother (Nicholas Tse), and they decide to work together in order to keep an international consortium of criminals from re-infecting the world with a disease long thought cured. From Well Go USA.
the kibbutz movement's 100-year history, this documentary reveals the heartbreak and hope of Israel's communal living experiment as a new generation of women and men confront an essential question: can a radically socialist institution survive a new capitalist reality? ... "Master Qi and the Monkey King" (2012): This beautifully realized documentary chronicles the life and work of Qi Shu Fang, one of the preeminent masters of Chinese Opera living in the United States. It is a story of ambition, love, the creative impulse and the struggle to survive against all odds. The film highlights the intricacies of Peking Opera, an art form that is hardly known in the West and is declining in popularity in China ... And, lastly, True Mind has two interesting offerings this week: "Qi Gong -- Discover the Ancient Art" (2012): Internationally renowned Tai Chi Master Jian Liu Jun shares his deep understanding of the principles of Qi Gong ("energy work") with North American audiences in this two-DVD set that's a comprehensive guide to understanding and learning the 4,000-year-old techniques of Qi Gong, the Chinese practice of aligning breath, movement and awareness for exercise, healing and meditation ... "Tai Chi -- Discover the Ancient Art" (2012): Tai Chi Master Jian Liu Jun shares his deep understanding of the principles of Tai Chi Chuan (literally "supreme ultimate fist") in this DVD in which he teaches the Yi Ying, Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, the Eight Trigrams, Spiral Movements and the Figure 8. The Figure 8 is a short form, which is ideal for learning the essential Tai Chi techniques. $14.98 each.
Candy: Comic Spirit" featurette; "Watch the Movie in Ludicrous Speed" featurette; still galleries; trailers; exhibitor trailer with Mel Brooks introduction; theatrical trailer; film flubs and a storyboard-to-film comparison; from MGM/Fox ... "Adventures In Babysitting 25th Anniversary Edition" (1987), directed by Chris Columbus and starring Elisabeth Shue, Penelope Ann Miller and Vincent D'Onofrio, from Disney ... "Grosse Pointe Blank 15th Anniversary Edition" (1997), starring John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Alan Arkin, Dan Aykroyd, Joan Cusack and Hank Azaria, from Disney ... "High Fidelity" (2000), directed by Stephen Frears and starring John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Todd Louiso, Jack Black, Lisa Bonet, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Joan Cusack, Tim Robbins, Chris Rehmann, Ben Carr, Lili Taylor, Joelle Carter, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Sara Gilbert and Bruce Springsteen, from Disney ... "The Preacher's Wife" (1996), directed by Penny Marshall and starring Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, Courtney B. Vance, Gregory Hines, Jenifer Lewis and Loretta Devine, from Disney .... and "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion 15th Anniversary Edition" (1997), starring Mira Sorvino, Lisa Kudrow, Janeane Garofalo and Alan Cumming, from Disney.
and the man, from his early days to his rise to international superstardom. Made with the support of the Marley family, the film features rare footage, incredible performances, never before seen performances and music, and revelatory interviews with the people that knew him best. Available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Extras include extended interviews, commentary by director Kevin Macdonald and David "Ziggy" Marley, a photo gallery, more. From Magnolia Home Entertainment ... And, last but not least, Warner Archive is releasing "Lisztomania(1975) Ken Russell's quirky bio-drama of the composer, staring Roger Daltrey, Sara Kestelman, Paul Nicholas, Ringo Starr and Rick Wakeman.