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OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases
In his new avatar form, Jake can once again walk. His mission is to interact with and infiltrate the Na'vi with the hope of enlisting their help -- or at least their acquiescence --in mining the ore. A beautiful Na'vi female, Neytiri, saves Jake's life, albeit reluctantly, because even in his avatar body, Jake represents to her the human encroachment on the Na'vi's unspoiled world. As Jake's relationship with Neytiri deepens, along with his respect for the Na'vi, he faces the ultimate test when the greed of the corporate interests -- coupled with the firepower of it's U.S-led soldiers -- threatens to destroy the Na'vi homeland -- and anyone who stands in their way. Jake's dilemma: Does he support the troops and destroy the Na'vi or does he turn traitor and go with his heart?
This is mythmaking (or myth-copying) at its best. And need we say that "Avatar" is the highest grossing film of all time?
Vitals: Director: James Cameron. Stars: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel Moore, CCH Pounder, Peter Mensah, Laz Alonso, Wes Studi, Stephen Lang, Matt Gerald.
2009, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 162 min., Science Fiction, Box office gross: $740.000 million, Fox. Due April 22: Earth Day
The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela
(2008 -- Iceland) Raquela Rios, Stefan C. Schaefer, Olivia Galudo, Brax Villa. Raquela is a transsexual (or "ladyboy") from the Philippines who dreams of escaping the ghetto streets of Cebu City for a fairy tale life in Paris. In order to make her dreams come true, she turns from prostitution toward the more lucrative business of Internet porn, where her success as a porn star brings new friends, travels to Iceland and gets ready for a possible rendezvous in Paris. Extras: Commentary, deleted scenes, making-of featurette, Queen Raquela music video. (E1 Entertainment).
Avatar
(2009) Director: James Cameron. Stars: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel Moore, CCH Pounder, Peter Mensah, Laz Alonso, Wes Studi, Stephen Lang, Matt Gerald.
Extras: None. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. Both DVD and Blu-ray versions will not include any bonus features, previews or trailers so as to use every bit of disc space for optimum picture and audio quality. An "ultimate' edition -- perhaps with additional footage -- will be released in November. But, for the present, there will be no 3D versions on DVD. (Fox). Due Thursday, April 22: Earth Day.
Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures
(2010) Eleven clay animated adventures from Sesame Street's new TV series, $12.99. (Warner).
Big Heart City
(2008) Shawn Andrews, Desi Lydic, Jake Alston, Seymour Cassel. Frank Polowski returns from jail to the cracked concrete fringes of industrial Los Angeles to pick up the pieces of his interrupted life, conning his way into a warehouse job. But the girl he expected to be waiting for him is long gone and he sets out on a journey to find her, a journey of lost souls searching for their place in a hardscrabble world. (Vanguard Cinema).
The Bill Cosby Show: Season Two
(1970-71) Four-disc set with 26 episodes, available only at
Bump In the Night: The Complete Series
(1994-1995) Four-disc set with 26 episodes from the classic Saturday morning cartoon series, available only at
The Blue Tooth Virgin
(2009) Austin Peck, Bryce Johnson, Amber Benson. Karen Black. An aspiring screenwriter and a successful magazine editor have been friends for years, but when one gives the other's latest screenplay negative feedback, a fissure is opened in their friendship that spreads through the rest of their lives. The truth hurts in this comedy of manners. Extras: Cast and crew commentary, interviews. (E1 Entertainment).
Cheech & Chong's Hey Watch This
(2010) Documentary follows the comedy duo as they reunite for the "Cheech and Chong Light Up America and Canada Tour." Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Vivendi Entertainment/The Weinstein Company).
Citizen Duane
(2006) Vivica A. Fox, Devon Dostick, Donal Logue, Douglas Smith. Comedy about a teenaged Don Quixote born into a family of spectacular failures who runs for mayor of his tiny home town. (MTI Home Video).
Cloud 9
(2009 -- Germany) Ursula Werner, Horst Rehberg, Horst Westphal. The provocative story of a seductive love affair at a golden age. Set in East Berlin, this is the groundbreaking, lyrical and moving story of Inge (Ursula Werner), a 67-year old married woman who rediscovers passion and her sexuality when she unexpectedly falls in love with 76 year-old Karl (Horst Westphal). Winner of a host of international awards. (Music Box Films).
Crazy Heart
(2009) Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall, Sarah Jane Morris. Extras: Deleted scenes. Also available on Blu-ray Disc, which includes deleted scenes, alternate music cuts, commentary by Bridges, Gyllenhaal and Duvall, digital copy. (Fox)
Crimes of Fashion
(2004 -- TV) Kaley Cuoco, Megan Fox. A young woman at a fashion school inherits the family business from a grandfather she never knew, skyrocketing from nobody to a mob boss. An ABC Family original movie. (Image Entertainment).
Deadly Impact (aka To Live and Die)
(2010) Sean Patrick Flanery, Joe Pantoliano, Amanda Wyss. A police officer with a painful past returns home to help the FBI track down the mastermind assassin who shattered his life; this time the murderer is out to terrorize the entire city. Unrated. (MGM).
Falcon Crest: The Complete First Season
(1981-82) Four-disc set with 18 episodes, $39.98. (Warner).
44 Inch Chest
(2009) Ray Winstone, Joanne Whalley, Melvil Poupaudm John Hurt, Ian McShane, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Dillane. Colin Diamond has just learned of his wife's infidelity and with the help of his friends -- a motley crew of ex-thugs and thug hopefuls -- he kidnaps his wife's lover and submits him to a kangaroo court form of justice. Extras: Commentary by director Malcolm Venville, interview with Venville, making-of featurette, epilogues. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Image Entertainment).
Frank Zappa: The Freak Out List
(2010) Frank Zappa published a record of his most important influences on the inside cover of his debut album and it became a road map to the music he was to make over the following 40 years. Even in the early 1990s, when asked about his most-loved composers, musicians and artists, he would repeat names from this, by then legendary, index. This film explores the musical roots of Frank Zappa by putting "The Freak Out List" under the microscope and tracing the lineage from the most pivotal names on the list to the recordings and performances of the man himself. Features rare footage of Zappa and the Mothers plus archive film of "Freak Out List" artists, exclusive interviews with The Mothers Of Invention's Ian Underwood, Don Preston and George Duke, 1950s Doo Wop legends The Cadillacs, contributions from Zappa biographers Ben Watson and Greg Russo, Edgar Varese biographer Alan Clayson, experimental modern music historian professor David Nicholls, soul and R'n'B expert Robert Pruter and many others. $19.95. (Sexy Intellectual/MVD Visual).
Handy Manny: Big Race
(2010) New animated feature. Start your engines and get ready for Manny (Wilmer Valderrama) and Elliot (Lance Bass), who team up to build a fabulous race car to enter into the Wood Valley 500 race. However, with the pressure of the race approaching, Elliot decides he's not quite ready to take the wheel and bows out. It's up to Manny to put his driving skills to the test in an attempt to reach the checkered flag and win the race for the team. features the voice of NASCAR champ Dale Earnhardt Jr. For preschoolers age 2-5. $19.99. (Disney).
Heartland: The Complete First Season
(2007-08) Four-disc set with 13 episodes, $39.98. (E1 Entertainment).
Heartland: The Complete Second Season
(2008-09) Five-disc set with 18 episodes, $39.98. (E1 Entertainment).
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys -- Season 1
(1995) Three-disc set with 13 episodes, $26.98. (Universal).
He's Got The Whole World in His Hands ... and More Stories to Celebrate the Environment
(2010) Featuring a guide for parents and kids with tips on how to be green, the DVD includes a wonderful adaptation of the beloved folk song, illustrated by Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Kadir Nelson and sung by Crystal Taliefero. Additional stories in this celebration of all things green include Jane Yolen's "Owl Moon", "Come On, Rain!" "Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message," "The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks," "Patrick" and "A Boy, A Dog and a Frog." $14.95. (Scholastic Storybook Treasures).
Homecoming
(2009) Jessica Stroup, Matt Long, Mischa Barton. Hell hath no fury like an unstable ex-girlfriend. A young woman gets much more than she bargained for when she visits her boyfriend for the weekend; she must contend with his obsessive ex-girlfriend who will stop at nothing to keep her away from her man.(Paramount).
I Can Tell the World
(2009) Documentary follows members of an interracial, multigenerational choir committed to the preservation and performance of African American spirituals. (Vanguard Cinema).
Jordon Saffron: Taste This!
(2009) Sergio Myers. Mockumentary about Jordon Saffron (Sergio Myers), a big-time Hollywood chef with an ego to match who uses his "secret ingredient" to fill women with ecstasy over his food. (Synergetic Distribution).
Knife Edge
(2008) Natalie Press, Joan Plowright, Hugh Bonneville, Tamsin Egerton. Blissfully happy in her new marriage, a young woman gives up her successful Wall Street career and moves with her family to a secluded country estate. But her dream of a perfect life quickly turns into a nightmare when she begins seeing strange and terrifying visions of horrific events from the mansion's past. Are these visions meant to drive her insane or are they a warning of things to come? (E1 Entertainment).
Mammoth
(2009 -- Sweden) Gael Garcia Bernal, Michelle Williams. While on a trip to Thailand, a successful American businessman tries to radically change his life; back in New York, his wife and daughter find their relationship with their live-in Filipino maid changing around them. (IFC Films).
Merlin: The Complete First Season
(2008) Five-disc set with 13 episodes, $49.98. (BBC/Warner).
My True Self
(2008) Jerod Edington, Rohit Nahata, Silas Gaither, Spencer Hill, Erin Gray. A young man attempts to accomplish something meaningful before his life is taken by cancer, determined to show his three best friends -- who are on the money-making fast track -- that there is more to live than just career success. (Vanguard Cinema).
Perry Mason: Season Five, Volume One
(1961-62) Four-disc set, $54.99. (Paramount)
Prom Wars
(2008) Ricky Ullman, Rachelle Lefevre, Alia Shawkat, Kevin Coughlin, Nicolas Wright, Chad Connell. The graduating class of Miss Aversham and Miss Cronstall's School for Girls seek payback for years of frustration at the hands of the immature boys of rival schools Selby House and Lancaster College: The winners in a series of athletic and academic competitions will be awarded exclusive prom date rights to the stunning Aversham/Cronstall senior class -- the hottest, most brilliant and sought-after high school girls in the country. Good luck, guys. (E1 Entertainment).
Secret Shorts
(2006-09) An anthology of eight short films from independent filmmakers in the U.S., U.K. and Australia. Includes:
Summer Hours
(2008) Dir.: Olivier Assayas; Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling. Widely hailed by critics as 2009's best film, "Summer Hours" is the great contemporary French filmmaker Olivier Assayas's most personal film to date. Three siblings, played by Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling, and Jeremie Renier, must decide what to do with the country estate and objects they've inherited from their mother. From this simple story, Assayas creates a nuanced, exquisitely made drama about the material of globalized modern living. Naturalistic and unsentimental yet suffused with genuine warmth, this is that rare film that pays respect to family by treating it with honesty. Director approved special edition. Extras: New video interview with Assayas; short documentary featuring interviews with Assayas and actors Charles Berling and Juliette Binoche; "Inventory," an hour-long documentary by Olivier Gonard, shot partly in Paris's Musee d'Orsay, that examines the film's approach to art; booklet featuring an essay by critic Kent Jones. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (The Criterion Collection).
Surviving Crooked Lake
(2008) Alysha Aubin, Candice Mausner, Morgan McCunn, Stephannie Richardson. A summertime canoe trip turns into a nightmare for four 14-year-old girls who end up losing more than their innocence. (Neoclassics Films).
Tales From the Script
(2009) Comprehensive documentary about screenwriting: Author-filmmakers Peter Hanson and Paul Robert Herman present a in-depth look at the eternal quandary of the Hollywood screenwriter. By showcasing the first-person experiences of dozens of writers, from A-listers to newcomers, the dual project provides a mix of you-are-there gossip and practical advice. The film features interviews with a who's who of Hollywood storytellers, from newcomers to veterans. Among the 46 screenwriters featured in the movie are Allison Anders ("Gas Food Lodging"), John August ("Go"), Shane Black ("Lethal Weapon"), John Carpenter ("Halloween"), Frank Darabont ("The Shawshank Redemption"), Antwone Fisher ("Antwone Fisher"), two-time Oscar winner William Goldman ("The Princess Bride"), David Hayter ("Watchmen"), Oscar-winner Bruce Joel Rubin ("Ghost"), Paul Schrader ("Taxi Driver"), Guinevere Turner ("American Psycho"), and Oscar-winner David S. Ward ("The Sting"). Extras: Bonus film "More Tales from the Script" (47 min.) with fascinating unheard stories from top screenwriters; bonus film: "The Gospel According to Bill" (12 min.), featuring the wit and wisdom of author-screenwriter William Goldman; bonus film: "Advice for New Screenwriters" (9 min.). (First Run Features).
The Transformers: Seasons Three and Four
The Final 33 episodes featuring the rarely seen three-episode fourth season. Extras: "The Autobots, The Decepticons & The Fans" featurette looks at the loyal fans of "The Transformers"; "From the Files of Teletraan," two rare PSAs; archival Hasbro Toy commercials; art gallery. $29.93. (Shout! Factory).
Uncertainty
(2009) Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lynn Collins. A young couple, in love and facing a life-changing decision, find one seemingly ordinary July 4 cleaved in two by the flip of a coin on the Brooklyn Bridge. (IFC Films).
Vivre sa vie
(1962) Dir.: Jean-Luc Godard; Anna Karina. "Vivre sa vie" was a turning point for Jean-Luc Godard and remains one of his most dynamic films, combining brilliant visual design with a tragic character study. The lovely Anna Karina, Godard's greatest muse, plays Nana, a young Parisian who aspires to be an actress but instead ends up a prostitute; her downward spiral is depicted in a series of discrete tableaux of daydreams and dances. Featuring some of Karina and Godard's most iconic moments -- from her movie theater vigil with "The Passion of Joan of Arc" to her seductive pool-hall strut -- "Vivre sa vie" is a landmark of the French New Wave that still surprises at every turn. New, restored high-definition digital transfer. Extras: Commentary featuring film scholar Adrian Martin; video interview with film scholar Jean Narboni, conducted by historian Noel Simsolo; television interview from 1962 with actress Anna Karina; excerpts from a 1961 French television expose on prostitution; illustrated essay on "La prostitution," the book that served as inspiration for the film; stills gallery; Godard's original theatrical trailer; booklet featuring an essay by critic Michael Atkinson, interviews with Godard, a reprint by critic Jean Collet on the film's soundtrack, and Godard's original scenario. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (The Criterion Collection).
Wake
(2009) Bijou Phillips, Ian Somerhalder, Jane Seymour, Danny Masterson. When things get tough for Carys Reitman (Bijou Phillips), she does what any emotionally isolated girl would do -- she goes to strangers' funerals. But after an unexpected series of mix-ups and white lies, Carys finds herself in possession of a dead woman's engagement ring and finds herself in love with the grieving fiance. Extras: Commentary, behind-the-scenes featurette. (E1 Entertainment).
Where's Spot? And Other Stories
(2009) Based on the best-selling books by Eric Hill. $9.97. Extras: Three bonus episodes, Spot's colors and shapes game, Hill reads "Where's Spot." (Warner).
Xena: Warrior Princess -- Season 1
(1995-96) Five-disc set with 24 episodes, $26.98. (Universal).
The Young Victoria
(2009) Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, Thomas Kretschmann, Mark Strong. Extras: Deleted and extended scenes, four featurettes: "Making of The Young Victoria," "The Real Queen Victoria," "The Coronation," "The Wedding"; "Lavish History: A look at the Costumes and Locations." Also available on Blu-ray Disc which adds movieIQ+sync and BD-Live. (Sony)
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The story's hero is Jake Sully, a former Marine confined to a wheelchair. Bitter and disillusioned, he's still a warrior at heart. All Jake ever wanted was something worth fighting for, and he finds it in the place he least expected: on a distant world. Jake has been recruited to join an expedition to the moon Pandora, which corporate interests are strip-mining for a mineral worth $20 billion per kilogram on Earth. To facilitate their work, the humans use a link system that projects a person's consciousness into a hybrid of humans and Pandora's indigenous humanoids, the Na'vi. This human-Na'vi hybrid -- a fully living, breathing body that resembles the Na'vi but possesses the individual human's thoughts, feelings and personality -- is known as an "avatar."
