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OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases
Angel: The Seventh Season
(2012) Seven-disc set with all 25 episodes of the critically acclaimed series that brought a message of hope and faith to millions of viewers with the inspirational adventures of angels Monica (Roma Downey), Tess (Della Reese) and Andrew (John Dye). Formats: DVD, $61.99. (CBS/Paramount).
Any Day Now
(2012) Alan Cumming, Garret Dillahunt, Isaac Leyva. Inspired by a remarkable true story, this passionate film chronicles a gay couple who take in a teenage boy with Down Syndrome -- abandoned by his drug-addicted mother -- only to then wage a battle against a biased legal system that wishes to end the unconventional living arrangement and tear the teenager from the only stable environment he has ever known. Inspired by a true story from the 1970s. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital Download. (Music Box Films).
Assassins Run
(2012) Christian Slater, Sofya Skya, Cole Hauser, Angus Macfadyen. A Russian ballerina who refuses to turn over her American businessman husband's financial documents after he is murdered, is framed by corrupt cops and pursued by the Russian mob. When her daughter is kidnapped, she finally turns into a killing machine. Formats: DVD. (Lionsgate).
Car's Life 3: The Royal Heist
(2013) Voices of Corinne Orr, Sean Schemmel. Sparky the high-spirited sports car gets involved in a turbocharged whodunit adventure when Queen Limousine's jewels go missing. Features lessons about teamwork, cooperation and honesty. Formats: DVD, $12.98. (Entertainment One).
The Central Park Five
(2013) This new film from award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns tells the story of the five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem who were wrongly convicted of raping a white woman in New York City's Central Park in 1989. Directed and produced by Burns, David McMahon and Sarah Burns, the film chronicles the Central Park Jogger case, for the first time from the perspective of the five teenagers whose lives were upended by this miscarriage of justice. On April 20, 1989, the body of a woman barely clinging to life was discovered in Central Park. Within days, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise confessed to her rape and beating after many hours of aggressive interrogation at the hands of seasoned homicide detectives. The police announced to a press hungry for sensational crime stories that the young men had been part of a gang of teenagers who were out "wilding," assaulting joggers and bicyclists in Central Park that evening. The ensuing media frenzy was met with a public outcry for justice. The young men were tried as adults and convicted of rape, despite inconsistent and inaccurate confessions, DNA evidence that excluded them, and no eyewitness accounts that connected any of them to the victim. The five served their complete sentences, between 6 and 13 years, before another man, serial rapist Matias Reyes, admitted to the crime, and DNA testing supported his confession. Set against the backdrop of a city beset by violence and facing deepening rifts between races and classes, the documentary intertwines the stories of these five young men, the victim, police officers and prosecutors, and Matias Reyes, unraveling the forces behind the wrongful convictions. The film illuminates how law enforcement, social institutions and media undermined the very rights of the individuals they were designed to safeguard and protect. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. (PBS Distribution).
Cheech and Chong's Animated Movie
(2012) Animated film based on Cheech and Chong's classic Grammy award winning albums. Includes the original Ode recordings of "Dave's Not Here," "Let's Make a Dope Deal" and more. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Joint commentary featuring Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong; commentary featuring producers Branden Chambers, Eric D. Chambers and Lou Adler; commentary featuring Tommy Chong and Paris Chong; Low Maintenance Listening Mode; "Medical Marijuana Blues" Blind Mellon's recording session; Cheech and Chong gallery. (Fox).
Cold Prey II
(2008 -- Norway) Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Marthe Snorresdotter Rovik, Kim Wifladt, Fridtjov Saheim, Johanna Morck, Mats Eldoen. During the winter of 2006, four young people faced a brutal death in the Norwegian mountains of Jotunheimen. Only one woman survived: Frozen and weak, Jannicke is brought to the local hospital, along with the body of the vicious mountain man whom she'd killed. But when she wakes up in the hospital, the building is dark and deserted ... and she soon realizes that her nightmare is not yet over. Formats: DVD. (Shout! Factory).
Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti: Episodes 15-16, 17-18
(2008-09 -- Germany) Murder, Venice, relationships ... it's a delicious concoction in the hands of crime novelist Donna Leon. Venice provides the backdrop for the lush film versions of the bestselling novels, about the singular Commissario Guido Brunetti, which feature canal boat rides instead of car chases, fine cuisine and crime investigations in one of Europe's most beautiful locations. Uwe Kockisch stars as Brunetti, a police inspector with a keen mind, razor-sharp wit, and a touch of melancholy who strives to bring criminals to justice. Brunetti's experience has taught him that countless things work against this goal -- human frailty, corruption, and police incompetence being chief among them. Each DVD includes two episodes: Episode 15: "Through A Glass Darkly," Episode 16: "Suffer the Little Children," $29.95; Episode 17: "Looks Are Deceiving," Episode 18: "The Girl Of His Dreams," $29.95.
Formats: DVD. (MHz Networks).
Electric Button (Moon & Cherry)
(2004 -- Japan) Tasuku Nagaoka, Akira Emoto, Yoshikazu Ebisu, Noriko Eguchi. Artsy erotic comedy/drama part of 2010's Japan Cuts section "Best of Unreleased Naughties." Mayama, the star of her erotica writing club, has a bad case of writer's block, so when Tadokoro joins the group and Mayama learns that he's a virgin, she decides that introducing him to a variety of sexual indulgences might just be the inspiration she needs. Formats: DVD. (MVD Entertainment).
Family Weekend
(2013) Kristin Chenoweth, Olesya Rulin, Matthew Modine, Joey King, Chloe Bridges.
A 16-year-old girl takes her parents hostage after they miss her big jump-roping competition. Formats: DVD. (ARC Entertainment).
God's Country
(2012) Jenn Gotzon, Daniel Hugh Kelly, Gib Gerard, Michael Toland. Beautiful and ambitious investment banker Meghan Doherty travels to the Mojave Desert to get the land rights for God's Country, an isolated Christian retreat in foreclosure, but the faithful minister who owns the property refuses to consider her offer until she agrees to spend six days learning about his ministry. Meghan trades her stilettos for hiking boots and slowly comes to realize the value of what the rural camp has to offer. Formats: DVD, Digital. (Slingshot Pictures/Image Entertainment).
Happy People: A Year in the Taiga
(2012) From renowned filmmaker Werner Herzog ("Grizzly Man," "Cave of Forgotten Dreams") and Dmitry Vasyukov comes another journey to the far ends of the world, a place where a remote culture thrives in some of the harshest conditions on Earth. Welcome to the tiny village of Bakhta in Siberia, one of the most beautiful yet severe places on the planet, where the culture of some 300 indigenous inhabitants is virtually untouched by modernity and the people live according to their own values and traditions. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. Extras: Werner Herzog introduction, "Chasing Spring In West Siberia" documentary, Siberia fact sheet. (Music Box Films).
A Haunted House
(2013) Marlon Wayans, Marlene Forte, Essence Atkins, David Koechner, Dave Sheridan, Nick Swardson.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital Download. Extras: "How to Survive a Paranormal Presence." (Universal).
The Impossible
(2012) Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast, Geraldine Chaplin, Marta Etura, Dominic Power, Bruce Blain, Sonke Mohring, Teo Quintavalle, Ploy Jindachote. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Commentary with director J.A. Bayona, writer Sergio G. Sanchez and producers Belen Atienza and Maria Belon; "Casting The Impossible" featurette; "Realizing The Impossible" featurette; deleted scenes. (Summit/Lionsgate).
Inhumans
It's in the Blood
(2012) Sean Elliot, Lance Henriksen. When a father and son become stranded in the wild, they must confront the horrors of their past to escape with their lives. But this wilderness is not what it seems and as they deteriorate, so too does reality. Horrifying creatures, ghostly apparitions -- are they all in their heads ... or could the truth be far more terrible? Formats: DVD. (Monarch Home Entertainment).
Jurassic Park 3D BLU-RAY
Last Shop Standing: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of the Independent Record Shop
(2012) Inspired by the book of the same name by Graham Jones, this documentary takes you behind the counter to discover why nearly 2000 record shops have disappeared across the U.K. The film charts the rapid rise of record shops in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, the influence of the record chart, the underhanded deals, the demise of vinyl and rise of the CD, as well as new technologies. It also offers a tantalizing look into the future: who's succeeding and what's the passion driving those individual's who intend to sell records long after the supermarkets have given up and the last chain store has closed. Formats: DVD, $19.95. (MVD Entertainment).
Last Summer Won't Happen
(1968) A critical, but sympathetic examination of the anti-war movement in New York City, shot in 1968, one year after the Summer of Love. The film traces the development of a group of activists on the Lower East Side as they grow from isolated, alienated individuals to a politically empowered community. Features Abbie Hoffman, Phil Ochs, Paul Krassner and other counterculture luminaries. Directed by Peter Gessner and Tom Hurwitz. As a bonus feature, the disc also includes "Time of the Locust," Gessner's landmark anti-Vietnam War film, culled from news footage deemed too graphic for the major networks. Formats: DVD, VOD. Extras: Behind the scenes photo gallery, biographies of the film's participants. (Icarus Films Home Video).
Maverick: The Complete Second Season
Masterpiece: Mr. Selfridge
(2013) Jeremy Piven, Zoe Tapper, Frances O'Connor, Gregory Fitoussi, Aisling Loftus. PBS/Masterpiece miniseries that centers on the real-life story of the flamboyant and visionary American founder of Selfridge's, London's department store. Fancy window displays, cosmetics counters, merchandise you can touch, and other marketing breakthroughs had to start somewhere, and they sprang from the genius of Chicago native Selfridge, who combined guile, taste, boldness, the poise of a swindler, and the seductive charm of a Casanova -- qualities that spelled success but also trouble. Formats: Three-disc DVD, $49.99; Blu-ray, $54.99. (PBS Distribution).
Pawn
(2013) Forest Whitaker, Michael Chiklis, Common, Stephen Lang, Nikki Reed, Sean Faris, Martin Csokas, Jessica Szohr, Ray Liotta. A petty robbery spirals into a tense hostage situation after three gunmen hold up a diner that's a front for the mob. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurette. (Anchor Bay).
Pierre Etaix
A French comedy master whose films went unseen for decades as a result of legal tangles, director-actor Pierre Etaix is a treasure the cinematic world has rediscovered and taken up with relish. His work can be placed in the spectrum of classic physical comedy with that of Jacques Tati and Jerry Lewis, but it also stands alone. These films, influenced by Etaix's experiences as a circus acrobat and clown and by the silent film comedies he adored, are elegantly deadpan, but as an on-screen presence, Etaix radiates warmth. This collection includes all of his films, including five features, "The Suitor" (1962), "Yoyo" (1965)," As Long as You've Got Your Health" (1966), "Le grand amour" (1969), and "Land of Milk and Honey" (1971 -- )most of them collaborations with the great screenwriter Jean-Claude Carriere -- and three shorts, "Rupture" (1961), the Oscar-winning "Happy Anniversary" (1962), and "Feeling Good" (1966). New digital restorations of all five features and three short films, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks on the Blu-ray edition. Formats: Three-disc DVD, two-disc Blu-ray. Extras: New interview with director Pierre Etaix; new video introductions by Etaix; "Pierre Etaix, un destin anime" (2010), a portrait of the life and work of the director by his wife, Odile Etaix; booklet featuring an essay by critic David Cairns. (The Criterion Collection).
Promised Land
(2012) Dir.: Gus Van Sant; Matt Damon, Frances McDormand, John Krasinski, Rosemarie DeWitt, Hal Holbrook, Lucas Black. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Extended scenes, "The Making of Promised Land." (Universal).
Richard III
(1955) With "Richard III," director, producer, and star Laurence Olivier brings Shakespeare's masterpiece of Machiavellian villainy to mesmerizing cinematic life. Olivier is diabolically captivating as Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who, through a set of murderous machinations, steals the crown from his brother Edward. The supporting cast -- including Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud and Claire Bloom -- is just as impressive. Filmed in VistaVision and Technicolor. New high-definition digital master of the Film Foundation's 2012 restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Commentary by playwright and stage director Russell Lees and John Wilders, former governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company; interview with actor Laurence Olivier from a 1966 episode of the BBC series "Great Acting," hosted by theater critic Kenneth Tynan; gallery of behind-the-scenes and production stills and posters, accompanied by excerpts from Olivier's autobiography, "On Acting"; 12-minute television trailer featuring footage of Olivier, producer Alexander Korda, and other cast and crew from the film; booklet featuring an essay by film critic Amy Taubin. (The Criterion Collection).
Thale
(2012 -- Norway) Morten Andresen, Erlend Nervold, Jon Sigve Skard, Silje Reinamo. Two crime-scene cleaners discover a mythical, tailed female creature in a concealed cellar. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (Xlrator Media).
Wasted on the Young
(2010 -- Australia) Alex Russell, Adelaide Clemens, Oliver Ackland. When a high school party goes dangerously off the rails, one teenager finds that revenge is just a computer click away. Formats: DVD. (Indomina Releasing).
Wuthering Heights
(2011 -- U.K.) Kaya Scodelario, James Howson, Solomon Glave, Shannon Beer. A fresh and distinct take on the classic novel by Emily Bronte. In this version Heathcliff is a poor boy of unknown origins, rescued from poverty and taken in by the Earnshaw family where he develops an intense relationship with his foster sister, Cathy, and the envy and mistrust of his rough-hewn stepbrother. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Video essay with film critic David Fear. (Oscilloscope Pictures).
Gangster Squad
Set in Los Angeles in 1949, this thriller loosely tells the story of an elite L.A.P.D. crime-fighting unit set up to combat the imminent takeover of L.A.'s streets by notorious mobster Mickey Cohen, who was slowly but surely becoming the kingpin of the city's dope, vice and gambling dens. He had the politicians and the police in his pockets, and it was up to police chief Bill Parker to wipe the slate clean: He empowered a small group of honest, maverick cops to form "The Gangster Squad" to fight fire with fire -- and bring down Cohen at all costs -- civil liberties be hanged. It's an exciting tale with a lot of violence -- divorced somewhat from reality -- but that's to be expected when one has to make a movie from reality. The set pieces, of course, are the violent gun battles and explosions that take down cops, crooks and innocent bystanders alike. There's some weak writing, underdeveloped characters, and a lackluster romance (between Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, both out of their league here) but, like the 'B' films of the 40s and 50s, this outing is all about atmosphere, death, tragedy and redemption. It got a bum rap from a lot of critics and performed luke-warm at the boxoffice. But don't read anything into it and just go along for the ride. A plus: lush 1940s production design and costumes, and recreations of mid-century Los Angeles. Fun extras include "The Gangland Files" (a series of behind-the-scenes featurettes on the real-life Gangster Squad, Mickey Cohen, the sets, the costumes, the characters and more); "Rogues Gallery: Mickey Cohen" (a docu TV series episode on Cohen); and a Los Angeles Then and Now featurette.Vitals: Director: Ruben Fleischer. Stars: Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling,Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Emma Stone, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Pena, Robert Patrick, Mireille Enos.
2013, CC, MPAA rating: R, 113 min., Crime Drama, Box office gross: $45.753 million, Warner
The Impossible
Maria (Naomi Watts), Henry (Ewan McGregor) and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand, looking forward to a few days in tropical paradise. But on the morning of December 26, as the family relaxes around the pool after their Christmas festivities the night before, a terrifying roar rises up from the center of the earth. As Maria freezes in fear, a huge wall of black water races across the hotel grounds toward her. Based on a true story, "The Impossible" is the unforgettable account of a family caught, with tens of thousands of strangers, in the mayhem of one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time -- the 2004 tsunami triggered by 9.1 magnitude earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. But the true-life terror is tempered by the unexpected displays of compassion, courage and simple kindness that Maria and her family encounter during the darkest hours of their lives.
Vitals: Director: Juan Antonio Bayona. Stars: Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast, Geraldine Chaplin, Marta Etura, Dominic Power, Bruce Blain, Sonke Mohring, Teo Quintavalle, Ploy Jindachote.
2012, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 114 min., Drama, Box office gross: $16.668 million, Summit/Lionsgate.
Promised Land
Matt Damon plays Steve Butler, an ace corporate salesman for a natural gas company who is sent along with his partner, Sue Thomason (Frances McDormand), to close a key rural town in his company's plans to expand their underground "fracking." With the town having been hit hard by the economic decline of recent years, the two outsiders see the local citizens as likely to accept their company's offer, for drilling rights to their properties, as much-needed relief. What seems like an easy job for the duo becomes complicated by the objection of a respected schoolteacher (Hal Holbrook) with support from a grassroots campaign led by another man (John Krasinski), as well as the interest of a local woman (Rosemarie DeWitt).
Vitals: Director: Gus Van Sant. Stars: Matt Damon, Frances McDormand, John Krasinski, Rosemarie DeWitt, Hal Holbrook, Lucas Black.
2012, CC, MPAA rating: R, 106 min., Drama, Box office gross: $6.879 million, Universal.
A Haunted House
Send up of the "Paranormal Activity" movies, "The Devil Inside" and other "found footage" movies. Young couple Malcolm (Marlon Wayans) and Kisha (Essence Atkins) have just moved in to their dream house. As they settle in, they quickly find they're not alone. But it's not the house that's haunted, it's Malcolm's girlfriend who is possessed by a demon. Malcolm hires everyone from a priest to modern day ghostbusters to rid her of this unwelcome intruder, determined not to let the evil spirit ruin his relationship ... or, more importantly, his sex life.
Vitals: Director: Michel Tiddes. Stars: Marlon Wayans, Marlene Forte, Essence Atkins, David Koechner, Dave Sheridan, Nick Swardson.
2013, CC, MPAA rating: R, 86 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $39.001 million, Universal.
(2013) Panel-by-panel graphic storytelling based on the characters created by comics legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The Inhumans have always been one of Marvel’s most enduring oddities. A race of genetic outsiders, they live secluded in their island kingdom of Attilan, preferring not to mix with the outside world. Even stranger, their genetic mutations are self-endowed; each Inhuman, as a coming-of-age ritual, endures exposure to the Terrigen Mists, a strange substance that imparts unearthly powers — some extraordinary, some monstrous. But now the kingdom of Attilan is under attack from without and within. Can the Royal Family, led by Black Bolt, repel the foreign invaders who blast at their outer defense, as well as the internal threat of Black Bolt’s insane brother, Maximus the Mad? Formats: DVD, $14.97. Extras: "A Look Back at the Inhumans" with Eisner Award-winning writer Paul Jenkins, Marvel chief creative officer Joe Quesada and supervising producer Kalia Cheng. (Shout! Factory).
(1993) Dir.: Steven Spielberg; Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Steven Spielberg's influential film (one of the first to shamelessly merge CGI with actors), the blockbuster has been remastered with advanced 3D formatting that presents the award-winning special effects in a fashion that was unimaginable when the film was first released. In a Blu-ray combo pack with 3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet, $49.98. Extras: "The World of Jurassic park 3D" exclusive featurette with Spielberg providing an in-depth look at the 3D conversion. (Universal).
(1958-59) Six-disc set with 26 episodes, $39.98. This was one of our favorite TV series from the 1950s -- mainly cause of the romance and mystique of the Wild West and the series' two charming leads, James Garner and Jack Kelly. Wisecracking ladies' man Bret Maverick (Garner) and his more serious brother Bart ( Kelly) were two handsome bachelors on the loose in the West, traveling with a sense of humor and a knack for getting into trouble -- usually over gambling and women. The two had more success at the game of poker than the game of love, yet they kept trying their luck in one frontier outpost after another. The show -- and its main characters -- offered a more comedic look at the West than any TV Western before. Formats: DVD. (Warner).
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April 22, 2013
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