OnVideo.org - Home Video Releases - DVDs, Blu-ray - December


OnVideo Logo blu-ray
Blu-ray Releases
home page
calendar
reviews
features
video resources
video sales
links
information


Join the
Sixties generation

Amazon Video
ales




dujour
iway 500
winner


Good & Associates logo

Masthead created by Good & Associates

OnVideo's Guide to DVDs

DVD Resources
Links to DVD news, information and sales sites.

Catalogs of DVDs released 1999 -- 2006

DVD Releases
December 2011
December 2
December 6
December 13
December 20
December 27
August 2011
September 2011
October 2011
November 2011
January 2012
February 2012
March 2012
December 2

Friends With Benefits (2011) Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Patricia Clarkson, Jenna Elfman, Bryan Greenberg, Richard Jenkins, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Andy Samberg, Shaun White. Read more about "Friends With Benefits" in the December Calendar. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack. Extras: Commentary by director Will Gluck, Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis; blooper reel, deleted scenes. Blu-ray adds "Bonus Benefits: A Pop-Up Trivia Track" and two featurettes. (Sony).
The Smurfs (2011) Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Hank Azaria, Sofia Vergara; voices of Jonathan Winters, George Lopez, Alan Cumming, Paul Reubens, Katy Perry, Kenan Thompson, Anton Yelchin and Fred Armisen. Read more about "The Smurfs" in the December Calendar. Available as a three-disc Holiday Gift Set (Blu-ray + DVD + "The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol" DVD (a new mini-movie starring the Smurfs), a 3D/2D Blu-ray/DVD combo and DVD. DVD extras: "Find The Smurfs" game, Blue-pers, "Happy Music" montage, commentaries, two featurettes: "The Smurfs: Comic Book to the Big Screen" and "Going Gargamel." The 3D/2D Blu-ray/DVD combo adds The Smurfs Fantastic Adventure Game," deleted and extended scenes, "Smurf Speak: Meet the Cast" featurette and progression reels. The Holiday Gift Set adds "Smurf-O-Vision: Second Screen Experience." (Sony).

Advertisement


December 6

Ben 10: Ultimate Alien Volume 4: The Wild Truth (2010) Single disc, $19.97. (Warner).
Big Love: The Complete Collection (2011) Nineteen-disc set with all 53 episodes from the five seasons, $199.95. Extras: All the extra features from the individual releases, including "Inside the Episodes," "Their Stories So Far," "Big Love: A Balancing Act on Ice," "Big Love: End of Days," three prequels, three mini-episodes and commentaries. (HBO).
Big Love: The Complete Fifth Season (2011) Four-disc set with 10 episodes, $59.99. Extras: "Inside the Episodes" perspectives from the show creators; "Big Love: End of Days," a look back on the series from the cast and crew. (HBO).
Bobby Fischer Against the World (2011) A searing portrait of a brilliant, yet troubled man -- chess prodigy Bobby Fischer -- using news clips and archival footage, as well as rare interviews with Fischer himself. (Docurama).
Cowboys & Aliens (2011) Dir.,: Jon Favreau; Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Ana de la Reguera, Adam Beach, Paul Dano, Clancy Brown , Keith Carradine, Noah Ringer. Read more about "Cowboys & Aliens" in the December Calendar. Extras: "Igniting The Sky: The Making of Cowboys & Aliens" documentary, which includes the segments "Finding the Story" on bringing the graphic novel to the big screen, "The Scope of The Spectacle" production featurette, "Outer-Space Icon" alien design featurette; "Conversations With Jon Favreau" and cast members featurette; commentary by Favreau. ­Also available on Blu-ray Disc, which adds "A Call to Action" Jon Favreau featurette and "Absolution" featurette on the creation of the Western town. (Universal).
Curious George: Gets a New Toy (2011) Eight episodes, $16.98. (Universal).
The Debt (2011) Dir.: John Madden; Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Wilkinson, Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, Jesper Christensen, Romi Aboulafia. Read more about "The Debt" in the December Calendar. Extras: Commentary by director John Madden and producer Kris Thykier, "A Look Inside The Debt," "Every Secret Has a Price: Helen Mirren in The Debt," "The Berlin Affair: The Triangle at the Center of The Debt." Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Universal)
Design for Living (1933) Gary Cooper, Fredric March and Miriam Hopkins play a trio of Americans in Paris who enter into a very adult "gentleman's" agreement in this continental pre-Code comedy freely adapted by Ben Hecht from a play by Noel Coward and directed by Ernst Lubitsch. A risque relationship comedy and a witty take on creative pursuits, it concerns a commercial artist (Hopkins) unable -- or unwilling -- to choose between the equally dashing painter (Cooper) and playwright (March) she meets on a train en route to the City of Light. "Design for Living" is Lubitsch at his most adroit, an entertainment at once debonair and racy, featuring three stars at the height of their allure. New high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition. Extras: "The Clerk," starring Charles Laughton -- Ernst Lubitsch's segment of the 1932 film "If I Had a Million," which he made just before "Design for Living"; selected-scene commentary by film professor William Paul; "Play of the Week: A Choice of Coward," a 1964 British television production of the play "Design for Living," introduced on camera by playwright Coward; new interview with film scholar and screenwriter Joseph McBride on Lubitsch and Ben Hecht's screen adaptation of the Coward play; booklet featuring an essay by film critic Kim Morgan. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (The Criterion Collection).
Designing Women: The Complete Fifth Season (1990-91) Four-disc set with 24 episodes, $44.95.(Shout! Factory).
Dragon Tattoo Trilogy: Extended Edition (2009) Four-disc set with all three "Dragon Tattoo" films, encompassing nine hours with characters and plot developments only seen in European versions. Extras: "Millennium: The Story," a 53 minute documentary detailing the phenomenon of the "Millennium" trilogy and the personal history of author Stieg Larsson up until his tragic death before "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" was published. $59.98. Also available on Blu-ray Disc, $79.95. (Music Box Films).
Elvira's Movie Macabre Double bill with" Santa Claus Conquers the Martians," a 1964 B-move starring Pia Zadora, and "Beast From Haunted Cave," Roger Corman's 1959 B-horror movie about a "snow beast" in the hills of South Dakota. $14.98. (Entertainment One).
The Game -- The Fourth Season (2011) Two-disc set with 13 episodes, $39.99. (CBS Home Entertainment/Paramount Home Entertainment).
The Hangover Part II (2011) Dir.: Todd Phillips; Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Jeffrey Tambor, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Jamie Chung, Sasha Barrese, Gillian Vigman, Paul Giamatti. Read more about "The Hangover Part II" in the December Calendar. Extras: "Comedy Rhythm of Todd Phillips," "Not Your Everyday Monkey," "Bangkok Tour With Mr. Chow," "Action Mash-Up," laugh track, gag reel. Available as a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack. (Warner).
The Help (2011) Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain, Ahna O'Reilly, Allison Janney, Anna Camp, Cicely Tyson, Sissy Spacek, Brian Kerwin, Mike Vogel. Read more about "The Help" in the December Calendar. Available as a three-disc Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo Pack, a two-disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and single DVD. Extras: Deleted scenes, "The Living Proof" music video by Mary J. Blige. Blu-ray adds "The Making of “The Help: From Friendship to Film" featurette, "In Their Own Words: A Tribute to the Maids of Mississippi" featurette, three more deleted scenes. (DreamWorks).
He's Mine, Not Yours (2011) Clifton Powell, Darius McCrary, Gabrielle Dennis, Jason Weaver. Romantic comedy about a young man -- ready to put his bachelor lifestyle behind him to marry the girl he loves -- who is tested by his fiancee, who hires a temptress to confirm her suspicion that he is unable to resist a forbidden fruit ... but the seductress falls for him, complicating things. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurette, photo gallery, outtakes. (Image Entertainment).
The Lady Vanishes BLU-RAY DEBUT (1938) In Alfred Hitchcock's most quick-witted and devilish comic thriller, the beautiful Margaret Lockwood, traveling across Europe by train, meets a charming spinster (May Whitty), who then seems to disappear into thin air. The younger woman turns investigator and finds herself drawn into a complex web of mystery and high adventure. Also starring Michael Redgrave, "The Lady Vanishes" remains one of the great filmmaker's purest delights. High-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Extras: Commentary by film historian Bruce Eder; "Crook's Tour," a 1941 feature-length adventure film starring Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne as Charters and Caldicott, their characters from "The Lady Vanishes"; excerpts from Francois Truffaut's legendary 1962 audio interview with Hitchcock; "Mystery Train," a video essay about Hitchcock and "The Lady Vanishes" by Hitchcock scholar Leonard Leff; stills gallery of behind-the-scenes photos and promotional art; booklet featuring essays by critic Geoffrey O'Brien and Hitchcock scholar Charles Barr. (The Criterion Collection).
Law & Order: The Ninth Year (1998-99) Five-disc set with 24 episodes, $49.98. (Universal).
Life, Above All (2010 -- South Africa) Khomotso Manyaka, Keaobaka Makanyane, Lerato Mvelase. Just after the death of her newly-born sister, 12-year-old Chanda hears a rumor that spreads like wildfire through her small, dust-ridden village near Johannesburg that destroys her family and forces her mother to flee. Sensing that the gossip stems from prejudice and superstition, Chanda leaves home and school in search of her mother and the truth. Extras: Making-of featurette. (Sony).
The Looney Tunes Show Season 1 Volume 2 (2010-11) Single disc with 10 episodes, $14.97. (Warner).
The Lucy Show: The Official Fifth Season (1966-67) Four-disc set with 22 episodes, $42.99. Extras: The full-length special "Lucy In London," an exclusive retrospective look at the special, featurettes, outtakes, production notes, bloopers, more. (CBS Home Entertainment/Paramount Home Entertainment).
Mangus! (2011) Ryan Boggus, Jennifer Coolidge, Heather Matarazzo, John Waters, Leslie Jordan. Trailer trash comedy revolves around a high school senior who will do anything to fulfill his family's tradition of playing Jesus in the local annual production of "Jesus Christ Spectacular." Extras: Making-of featurette, director's commentary. (Wolfe Video).
Medea (1969) Pier Paolo Pasolini's acclaimed production of the Greek tragedy, starring Maria Callas, one of the best-selling classical singers of all time, as the title character in the only dramatic film role of her life. Fully restored and re-mastered from a new 35mm film-to-tape transfer. Extras: Documentary on Callas. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Entertainment One).
Michael Feinstein: The Sinatra Legacy (2011) A non-stop hit parade of songs made famous by Frank Sinatra and others in a live concert recorded in May at the Palladium in Carmel, Indiana; $19.98. Also available on Blu-ray Disc, $24.98. (Image Entertainment).
Mission: Impossible -- Extreme Trilogy Collection Timed for the Dec. 21 release of Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol." "Mission: Impossible" extras: "Mission: Remarkable -- 40 Years of Creating the Impossible," "Mission: Explosive Exploits," "Mission: Spies Among Us," "Mission: Catching the Train." "Mission: Impossible 2" extras: Commentary by director John Woo, " Behind the Mission," "Mission Incredible," "Impossible Shots." "Mission: Impossible 3"extras: Commentary by Tom Cruise and director J.J. Abrams. $19.99. Also available on Blu-ray Disc, $29.99. (Paramount).
Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011) Jim Carrey, Carla Gugino, Angela Lansbury, Ophelia Lovibond, Madeline Carroll, Clark Gregg, Jeffrey Tambor, David Krumholtz, Philip Baker Hall. Read more about "Mr. Popper's Penguins" in the December Calendar. Available as a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack and DVD. Extras: Commentary; animated short: "Nimrod and Stinky's Antartic Adventure," "Ladies and Gentoomen" featurette; "Ready for Their Closeup" featurette; original story sampler; deleted scenes; gag reel. Blu-ray adds "The Legacy of Mr. Popper's Penguins," "Stuffy Penguin Theater," "Penguin Pandemonium," digital copy. (Fox).
Mystery Science Theater 3000: XXII Four-disc set with "Time of the Apes," "Mighty Jack," "The Violent Years" and "The Brute Man." Extras: New introduction by Mary Jo Pehl, "Origin of the Creeper: Birth of a B-Movie Icon," introductions by August Ragone, author of "Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters," "The Making of MST3K" (1997), "Mystery Science Theater" hour wraps, "Ed-ucation": Archival interviews with Delores Fuller and Kathy Wood; four exclusive mini-posters by artist Steve Vance. (Shout! Factory).
Point Blank (2011 -- France) Gilles Lellouche, Roschdy Zem, Gerard Lanvin, Elena Anaya, Mireille Perrier, Claire Perot, Moussa Maaskri, Pierre Benoist, Valerie Dashwood, Virgile Bramly, Nicky Naude, Adel Bencherif. Read more about "Point Blank" in the December Calendar. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurette. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Magnolia).
The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Complete Fourth Season (2011) Two-disc set of the "Doctor Who" spin-off children's series that follows the exploits of school friends Luke, Clyde and Rani, who team up with alien investigator Sarah Jane Smith and her trusty super-computer Mr. Smith to examine strange and mysterious events. $29.98. (BBC Home Entertainment).
The Simpsons Season 14 (2002-03) Four-disc set with 22 episodes, including the incredible 300th episode starring Tony Hawk and Blink-182, $49.98. Extras: Deleted scenes, featurettes, never-before-seen footage, audio commentaries, sketch galleries, original animated menus, a special language feature, more. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Fox).
Thomas & Friends: Adventure on the Tracks Six-disc set with 36 Thomas episodes; the discs are "Percy's Ghostly Trick," "Thomas and the Jet Engine," "Rusty to the Rescue," "Percy Saves the Day," "Thomas Comes to Breakfast" and "Steamies vs Diesels." $29.98. Extras: Sing-alongs, games, read-alongs, more. (HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate).
Thomas & Friends: Rescue on the Rails Four episodes in which Thomas and friends race to rescue friends (Bertie's stuck on Shake Shake Bridge, Gordon's derailed) on the isle of Sodor. Extras: "Who's Pulling Into the Station?" game, karaoke music video. $14.98. (HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate).
Tora! Tora! Tora! BLU-RAY DEBUT (1970) Dir.: Richard Fleischer, Kinji Fukasaku and Toshio Masuda (Japanese sequences); Martin Balsam, So Yamamura, Joseph Cotten, Tatsuya Mihashi, E.G. Marshall, James Whitmore, Takahiro Tamura, Eijiro Tono, Jason Robards. Extras: Blu-ray book includes the extended "Japanese Cut" containing 10 minutes of previously unreleased footage and rare photos from the Fox Archives. (Fox).
Transformers Prime: Darkness Rising (2011) New five-part miniseries. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Arcee, AUTOBOT Ratchet, Bulkhead, and many others are back to "roll out" against Megatron's latest attempt to conquer Earth after he acquires a rare element that allows him mastery over life itself. $14.97. (Shout! Factory).
Triple Tap (2010 -- Hong Kong) Louis Koo, Daniel Wu, Li Bingbing. A cop makes it his mission to bring down a media hero who single-handedly stopped an armored van robbery when it becomes apparent he was actually the mastermind behind the crime. Extras: Director and cast interviews, behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes, photo gallery. (Well Go USA).Also available on Blu-ray Disc.
Underbelly: The Trilogy (2008) Twelve-disc set of the Australian miniseries (broadcast on DirecTV) that portrayed the violent, drug-fueled crime wave that rocked that country from the 1970s through the early 2000s, $99.98. Extras: Two featurettes. (Entertainment One).

Back to top


December 13

A Beautiful Life (2011 -- China) Qi Shu, Ye Liu. A beautiful real-estate agent accidentally bumps into a straight-laced, lonely cop and a friendship is born -- despite the fact that she's having a tortuous affair with a married man. As the woman gradually abandons her materialistic values and falls in love with the good-hearted cop, it becomes apparent that he is suffering from a disease that is robbing him of his mental faculties. (China Lion/NewVideo).
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011) A treasure trove of 16mm material shot by Swedish journalists who came to the U.S. drawn by stories of urban unrest and revolution in the 1960s. Gaining access to many of the leaders of the Black Power Movement -- Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, Angela Davis and Eldridge Cleaver among them -- the filmmakers captured them in intimate moments and remarkably unguarded interviews. Thirty years later, this lush collection was found languishing in the basement of Swedish Television. Director Goran Olsson and co-producer Danny Glover bring this footage to light in a mosaic of images, music and narration chronicling the evolution one of our nation's most indelible turning points, the Black Power Movement. $24.98. (IFC Films).
Branded to Kill (1967) When Japanese New Wave bad boy Seijun Suzuki delivered this brutal, hilarious, and visually inspired masterpiece to the executives at his studio, he was promptly fired. "Branded to Kill" tells the ecstatically bent story of a yakuza assassin (Joe Shishido, the chipmunk-cheeked superstar from "Gate of Flesh") with a fetish for sniffing boiled rice who botches a job and ends up a target himself. This is Suzuki at his most extreme­the flabbergasting pinnacle of his sixties pop-art aesthetic. New high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition. Extras: Video piece featuring new interviews with Suzuki and assistant director Masami Kuzuu; interview with Suzuki from 1997; new interview with actor Joe Shishido; original theatrical trailer; booklet featuring an essay by critic and historian Tony Rayns, author of "Branded to Thrill: The Delirious Cinema of Suzuki Seijun," and a statement by the film's art director, Sukezo Kawahara. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (The Criterion Collection).
Champions (2011 -- China) Dicky Cheung, Miu Tse. Inspired by true events, the film tells the story of China's search for the martial artist to bring their national sport of Wushu to the world during the Olympics hosted in Beijing. Competing for the honor of demonstrating the sport of Wushu on behalf of China, millions of martial artists come together to show off their strength and skills. With a chance to represent their country's national sport at the Olympics, honor is on the line for two men ... and the road to the Games is paved with hardship and heartbreak, and their journey will test their strength, skill and spirit to its limits. Extras: Making-of featurette. (Lionsgate).
Circumstance (2011 -- Iran) Nikohl Boosheri, Sarah Kazemy. A provocative coming of age story that cracks open the hidden world of Iranian youth. As culture wars and politics define the country, a wealthy Iranian family struggles to contain their personal lives as their children lead a group of friends in Tehran to rebel against the constant oppression. Atafeh and Shireen's lifelong friendship has turned sexual, and they dream of escaping to Dubai, while Atafeh's brother harbors a dangerous obsession. Extras: Commentary by cast and crew, behind-the scenes-featurette. (Lionsgate).
City of God BLU-RAY DEBUT (2002 -- Brazil) Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Phellipe Haagensen. (Lionsgate).
Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2011) Andy Lau, Bingbing Li, Carina Lau, Tony Leung Ka-fai. Read more about "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame" in the December Calendar. Extras: "The Making of Detective Dee," "Creating the Characters," "Weapons, Stunts and Action," "The World of Dee," production stills gallery, behind-the-scenes stills gallery, poster gallery. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Indomina Releasing/Vivendi Entertainment).
Eames: The Architect and the Painter (2011) Design history was born in a cavernous warehouse on a gritty street in Venice Beach, California, where Charles and Ray Eames set up their Renaissance-style studio in the optimistic flush of American victory during World War II. Jason Cohn and Bill Jersey's definitive cinematic foray into the world of the Eames is the first film to be made about Charles and Ray since their deaths -- and the only one that peers deeply inside the link between their artistic collaboration and sometimes tortured love for one another. Narrated by James Franco, the film brings to light a virgin cache of archival material, visually stunning films, love letters, photographs and artifacts produced in mind-boggling volume by Charles and Ray with their talented staff during the hypercreative 40-year epoch of the Eames Office. The work of Charles and Ray Eames remains an ideal of design at its most virtuous - an alchemical combination of beauty and purpose. Their light and whimsical designs became emblematic of a new West Coast lifestyle whose influence reached Europe, Asia, and beyond. Though the Eameses are best known for their ubiquitous furniture and the signature innovation of the classic Eames chair, this essential documentary shows Charles and Ray applying the same process of inquiry to architecture, exhibitions and their quirky, beautiful films. $29.95. Extras: Bonus scenes. (First Run Features).
Elusive Justice: The Search for Nazi War Criminals (2011) Candice Bergen narrates this new documentary providing a definitive account of efforts -- official and unofficial -- to locate, prosecute and punish fugitive Nazis around the world. In the aftermath of the World War II, the Allies declared the Nazi party a criminal organization and pledged to prosecute and punish all those who took part in genocide and crimes against humanity. During the Nuremberg Trials, approximately 1,000 Nazi officials were convicted of crimes against humanity; but hundreds of thousands of suspected war criminals evaded prosecution -- by returning to the societies they’d helped destroy; by concealing their war records, by assuming false identities; by fleeing Europe; or by serving the Allies as spies and scientists. Thousands of Nazi criminals are presumed to be alive. Filmed in eight countries over the course of three years, "Elusive Justice" profiles the men and women who took matters into their own hands and succeeded in tracking down Nazi fugitives when official institutions failed. $24.99. (PBS Distribution).
Family Guy Volume 9 (200-07) Three-disc set with 14 episodes. Extras: Uncensored footage, deleted scenes, side-by-side animatics, three featurettes, commentaries. (Fox).
Fright Night (2011) Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Toni Collette, David Tennant, Imogen Poots, Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Read more about "Fright Night" in the December Calendar. Available as a three-Disc Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack (1 Blu-ray 3D + 1 Blu-ray + 1 DVD with Digital Copy), a two-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (1 Blu-ray + 1 DVD) and on DVD. Extras: Gag reel, Kid Cudi music video: "No One Believes Me," "Squid Man" -- extended & uncut. The Blu-ray adds "Peter Vincent: Swim Inside My Mind," "The Official 'How to Make a Funny Vampire Movie' Guide," "Frightful Facts & Terrifying Trivia," deleted scenes.(DreamWorks).
Gunsmoke: Season Five, Volume Two (1959-60) Three-disc set with 20 episodes, $42.99. (CBS Home Entertainment/Paramount).
Heavenly Creatures: The Uncut Version BLU-RAY DEBUT (1994) Kate Winslet, Melanie Lynskey. (Lionsgate).
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) Voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Michelle Yeoh, Danny McBride, Jean-Claude Van Damme, James Hong, Seth Rogen. Available as an Awesome Double DVD pack and an Awesome Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy pack.Read more about "Kung Fu Panda 2" in the December Calendar. Extras: "Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness" debut episode of Nickelodeon's new television series; "Kickin' It with the Cast" with the new faces who have joined Po's journey including Gary Oldman, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Victor Garber and Michelle Yeoh and catch up with the returning cast; deleted scenes; commentary; "World of DreamWorks Animation" promos and more; sneak peek at DreamWorks Animation's How to Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular; "Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters" all-new Po adventure; "Panda Stories"; "Kung Fu Shuffle" in which Master Shifu teaches the best way to find a hidden radish in an update of the classic shell game; "Ni Hao—Learn Chinese!": Choose from more than 50 Kung Fu Panda-inspired words and learn how to say and draw the symbol in Chinese; DVD-ROM: "Legend of the Wu Sisters Game" and printables coloring pages, connect the dots, 3D fortune tellers, stand-up 3D characters, pencil toppers and mazes; two free memberships -- each good for game play through April 2012 and valued at $5.95 each per month to the online virtual" Kung Fu Panda World." Blu-ray adds "Animation Inspiration" that follows Po and the Furious Five on their journey throughout China, with footage of real locations that served as inspiration for the film; "The Animators' Corner," which features interviews with creators, animators, cast and crew, along with storyboards, music and commentary; trivia track with pop up trivia, Po style. (DreamWorks).
The Life & Times of Tim: The Complete Second Season (2010) Two-disc set with 10 episodes, $29.98. (HBO).
Meet Me in St. Louis BLU-RAY DEBUT (1944) Dir.: Vincente Minnelli; Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor, Lucille Bremer, Leon Ames, Tom Drake, Marjorie Main, June Lockhart, Hugh Marlowe, Chill Wills. Premium Blu-ray book packaging ($35.99) including more than 40 pages of photos, trivia and more. Extras: Introduction by Liza Minnelli; commentary by Garland biographer John Fricke with Margaret O'Brien, screenwriter Irving Brecher, songwriter Hugh Martin and daughter of producer Arthur Freed, Barbara Freed-Saltzman; "Meet Me in St. Louis: The Making of an American Classic" (Narrated by Roddy McDowall); "Hollywood: The Dream Factory" (Emmy-Award winning 1972 MGM-TV special, narrated by Dick Cavett); "Becoming Attractions: Judy Garland" (1996 TCM special); "Meet Me in St. Louis" (1966 TV pilot with Shelley Fabares and Celeste Holm); "Bubbles" (1930 Warner Bros. short featuring Judy Garland at age 7); "Skip to My Lou" (Rare 1941 musical short with "Meet Me in St. Louis" composers Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane); audio vault: "Boys and Girls Like You and Me" outtake (reconstruction using still photographs) and Lux Radio Theater Broadcast from December 2, 1946. (Warner).
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton. Read more about "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" in the December Calendar. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. Blu-ray Extras: Deleted scenes, "Pre-vis for the Future," "Capturing Caesar -- Script to Screen," "Studying the Genius of Andy Serkis," "Multi-Angle: Rocket Cookie Scene," "A New Generation of Apes," "Breaking Motion Capture Boundaries," "Breaking New Sound Barriers: The Music and Sound Design of Rise of the Planet of the Apes," "Ape Facts" (Chimpanzee, Gorilla, Orangutan), commentary by director Rupert Wyatt, commentary by writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, character Concept Art Gallery. (Fox).
The Rocketeer BLU-RAY DEBUT (1991) Dir.: Joe Johnston; Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton. (Disney).
Sledge Hammer! The Complete Series (1986) Five-disc set with all 41 episodes of the funny cult comedy about a clueless cop who always gets results. $34.98. (Image Entertainment).
Spin City: The Complete Sixth Season (2001-02) Four-disc set with all 22 episodes from the show's last season, $29.98. (Shout! Factory).
Steve Jobs: One Last Thing (2011) An unflinching look at Steve Jobs' difficult, controlling disposition, offering unique insights into what made him tick. While there has been near-universal agreement that Jobs was a great innovator in business and technology, this docu -- featuring interviews with colleagues and others who knew him -- looks into why he was so great. What were the influences that shaped his character? What drove him from such humble beginnings to the heights of success? $24.99. (PBS Distribution).
Swamp People: Season Two (2011) Four-disc set with 16 episodes, $24.95. Extras: Additional footage. (A&E).
Switched at Birth: Volume 1 (2011) Two-disc set with 10 episodes, $29.99. (Disney).
Tanner Hall (2011) Rooney Mara, Georgia King, Amy Ferguson, Brie Larsen, Amy Sedaris, Chris Kattan, Tom Everett Scott. A provocative peek into the private, sometimes reckless, and always scandalous world of a privileged all-girls boarding school. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Anchor Bay).
Tokyo Drifter (1966) In this jazzy gangster film, reformed killer Phoenix Tetsu's attempt to go straight is squashed when his former cohorts call him back to Tokyo to help battle a rival gang. This onslaught of stylized violence and trippy colors got director Seijun Suzuki in trouble with Nikkatsu studio heads, who were put off by his anything-goes, in-your-face aesthetic, equal parts Russ Meyer, Samuel Fuller and Nagisa Oshima. "Tokyo Drifter" is a delirious highlight of the brilliantly excessive Japanese cinema of the sixties. New high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition. Extras: Video piece featuring new interviews with Suzuki and assistant director Masami Kuzuu; interview with Suzuki from 1997; original theatrical trailer; booklet featuring an essay by film critic Howard Hampton. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (The Criterion Collection).
The Undying (2009) Robin Weigert, Anthony Carrigan, Jay O. Sanders, Sybil Temtchine, Wes Studi. Seduced by the ghost of a Civil War soldier, whose spirit dwells in her new home, Dr. Barbara Haughton contrives to have him live again in the body of a man who died in her hospital, giving the doctor more than she bargained for. Extras: Commentary, photo gallery. (MTI Home Video).
Velvet Goldmine BLU-RAY DEBUT (1998) Dir.: Todd Haynes; Ewan McGregor, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Toni Collette, Eddie Izzar, Christian Bale. (Lionsgate).
Vietnam in HD (2011) Through a collection of color Vietnam footage never seen by the public from private collections, museums, the U.S. government, veterans and news organizations as well as sources from Vietnam, Vietnam veterans tell their stories and relive their struggles, courage and fears. This six-hour miniseries spans the massive initial troop build-up in 1965 to the fall of Saigon a decade later. $24.95. Also available on Blu-ray Disc, $34.95. (A&E).
If You Are the One: Love and Marriage (2010 - China) Honglei Sun, Yicong Wu. Picks up where director Feng Xiaogang's popular first romantic comedy ends: Wealthy middle-aged retiree Qin Fen and serious-minded young airline attendant Xiaoxiao enter into a trial marriage by living together full-time in a tropical villa, where they learn more about each other and what it takes to make romance blossom. (China Lion/NewVideo).

Back to top


December 20

Blackthorn (2011) Sam Shepard, Eduardo Noriega, Stephen Rea, Nicolaj Coster-Waldau. It's been said (but unsubstantiated) that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were killed in a standoff with the Bolivian military in 1908. In this sequel of sorts, Cassidy (Shepard) survived, and is quietly living out his years under the name James Blackthorn in a secluded Bolivian village. Tired of his long exile from the U.S. and hoping to see his family again before he dies, Cassidy sets out on the long journey home. However, when an unexpected encounter with an ambitious young criminal derails his plans, he is thrust into one last adventure, the likes of which he hasn't experienced since his glory days with the Sundance Kid. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
Burke & Hare (2010) Dir.: John Landis; Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis, Tom Wilkinson, Tim Curry, Isla Fisher. A black comedy about two 19th century grave robbers who find a lucrative business providing cadavers for an Edinburgh medical school. (IFC Films).
Catch .44 (2011) Forest Whitaker, Bruce Willis, Malin Akerman, Nikki Reed, Deborah Ann Woll, Brad Dourif. Large guns get pointed at everyone when three female hoods fail to intercept a double-cross drug shipment for their crime boss. Extras: Commentary. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Anchor Bay Entertainment).
Colombiana (2011) Zoe Saldana, Jordi Molla, Lennie James, Michael Vartan, Cliff Curtis. Read more about "Colombiana" in the December Calendar. Extras: "Colombiana: The Making of" featurette, "Cateleya's Journey" featurette. Also available on Blu-ray Disc, which adds "Assassins," "Training a Killer" and "Take the Ride" featurette. Also includes an UltraViolet copy that allows streaming anywhere from a difital cloud. Both formats include an unrated version of the film. (Sony).
Dolphin Tale (2011) Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Kris Kristofferson, Morgan Freeman. Read more about "Dolphin Tale" in the December Calendar. Extras: "The Hutash Rainbow Bridge" animated short about the legend of Rainbow Bridge, "At Home With Winter" featurette, "Winter's Inspiration" featurette, "Dolphin Tale: Spotlight on a Scene," additional scene, gag reel. Available on Blu-ray Disc, DVD, Blu-ray/DVD combo pack and 3D Blue-Ray/Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. (Warner).
Futurama Volume 6 (2010) Two-disc set with 13 episodes. Extras: Deleted scenes, commentary, "Professor Farnsworth's Science of a Scene," "Reincarnation Explained! With Director Peter Avanzino," Futurama F.A.Q. Frequently Axed Questions), "Christopher's Big Score: The Music of Futurama," "Futurama Fans: 101 Questions" Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Fox).
Glee: The Concert Movie (2011) Cory Monteith, Dianna Agron, Lea Michele, Darren Criss, Chord Overstreet, Chris Colfer, Heather Morris, Kevin McHale, Naya Rivera, Harry Shum Jr., Amber Riley, Ashley Fink. Read more about "Glee: The Concert Movie" in the December Calendar. Extras: Available as a 3D Blue-Ray/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Combo, Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Combo and DVD. (Fox).
Julia's Eyes (2010 -- Spain) Belen Rueda, Lluis Homar. A woman who is slowly losing her sight investigates the mysterious death of her twin sister, uncovering a mysterious world overshadowed by a malignant presence -- and the disappearance of people close to her. (IFC Films).
Margin Call (2011) Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Stanley Tucci, Demi Moore, Mary McDonnell, Paul Bettany, Simon Baker, Zachary Quinto. Read more about "Margin Call" in the December Calendar. Extras: Commentary by writer-director JC Chandor and producer Neal Dodson, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes featurettes. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Lionsgate).
Midnight in Paris (2011) Dir.: Woody Allen; Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kurt Fuller, Mimi Kennedy, Michael Sheen, Nina Arianda, Carla Bruni, Marion Cotillard, Adrien Brody, Kathy Bates, Yves Heck, Alison Pill, Corey Stoll. Read more about "Midnight in Paris" in the December Calendar. Extras: "Midnight in Cannes" featurette. Also available on Blu-ray Disc, which adds Cast and crew photo galleries. (Sony).
One Tree Hill: The Complete Eighth Season (2010-11) Five-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.98. Extras: Three featurettes, two commentaries, unaired scenes, gag reel. (Warner).
Saint Nick (2010 -- Netherlands) Huub Stapel, Caro Lenssen, Egbert Jan Weeber. A horror film that depicts the jolly old saint as a murderous bishop who kidnaped and murdered children every 32 years during a full moon on December 5. Slain by the villagers he tormented, he swears vengeance on their descendants and, centuries later, returns (with his minions) to terrorize Amsterdam. (IFC Films).
Straw Dogs (2011) James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgard, Dominic Purcell, Willa Holland,James Woods. Read more about "Straw Dogs" in the December Calendar. Extras: commentary with writer-director Rod Lurie and the featurettes "Courting Controversy: Remaking a Classic," "The Dynamics of Power: The Ensemble," "Inside the Siege: The Ultimate Showdown" and "Creating the Sumner House: The Production Design." Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Sony).
The Tempest (2010) Helen Mirren, Russell Brand, Alfred Molina. Directed by Julie Taymor. Modern retelling of William Shakespeare's final masterpiece. Exiled to a magical island, the sorceress Prospera (Mirren) conjures up a storm that shipwrecks her enemies, and then unleashes her powers for revenge. Extras: "The Tempest Documentary," commentary by director Julie Taymor, Russell Brand's rehearsal riff, "O Mistress Mine" Reeve Carney music video. (Disney).
Warrior (2011) Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Morrison. Read more about "Warrior" in the December Calendar. Available in a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack (with Digital Copy) and DVD. Extras: Commentary, a "making of" documentary, mixed martial arts strategy, gag reel, deleted scene, more. (Lionsgate).

Back to top



December 27

Apollo 18 (2011) Warren Christie, Ryan Robbins, Ali Liebert, Andrew Airlie, Lloyd Owen, Michael Kopsa, Kurt Max Runte. Read more about "Apollo 18" in the December Calendar. Extras: Commentary by director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego and editor Patrick Lussuer, deleted and alternate scenes, alternate endings. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Anchor Bay).
Archer: The Complete Second Season (2011) Two-disc set with 13 episodes, $29.98. Extras: "Ask Archer," "Archersaurus -- Self Extinction", "Semper Fi", "L'espoin Mal Fait," "Isis Invades Comic-con." Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Fox).
The Borgias: The First Season (2011) Three-disc set with all nine episodes, $49.99. Also available on Blu-ray Disc, $67.99. (Showtime Networks/CBS Home Entertainment/Paramount Home Entertainment).
Brighton Rock (2010) Sam Riley, Andrea Riseborough, Helen Mirren, John Hurt. Based on Graham Greene's chilling 1938 novel. The young antihero Pinkie is a cunning charmer trying to make his mark on the vicious gangland of Brighton but when a young waitress stumbles on evidence that links him and his gang to a revenge killing, he draws her into a conned romance to keep the loose end tied up. When Rose's world-weary boss becomes suspicious of the enigmatic young man hanging around her charge, the tangled web becomes a deadly game of psychological cat-and-mouse. (IFC Films).
Dispatch (2011) Michael Bershad, Bruce Bohne. One turbulent night in the life of a successful screenwriter-turned-overnight Hollywood limousine night dispatcher. (Monarch Home Entertainment).
Final Destination 5 (2011) Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell, Miles Fisher, Ellen Wroe, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, P.J. Byrne, Arlen Escarpeta, David Koechner, Courtney B. Vance. Read more about "Final Destination 5" in the December Calendar. Extras: Alternate death scenes, "Final Destination 5: Circle of Death, Your Final Destination" featurette, visual effects featurette. Available as a Blu-ray/DVD/Ultraviolet Copy Combo Pack and DVD/Ultraviolet Digital Combo. (Warner).
Frontline: Lost in Detention: The Hidden World of Immigration Enforcement (2011) Last year, the Obama administration set new records for detaining and deporting immigrants who were inside the country illegally. The government plans to best those numbers in 2011, removing more than 400,000 people. This is a penetrating look at Obama's vastly expanded immigration net, exploring the controversial Secure Communities enforcement program and going inside the hidden world of immigration detention. $24.99. (PBS Distribution).
Game Time (2011) Phil Haus, Jason Hurt, María DiDomenico. Two friends find themselves as the top contenders in a basketball championship in New York City. (Lionsgate).
A Good Old Fashioned Orgy (2011) Jason Sudeikis, Leslie Bibb, Lake Bell, Michelle Bort, Nick Kroll, Tyler Labine, Angela Sarafyan, Lindsay Sloane, Martin Starr, Lucy Punch, Will Forte. A thirtysomething party animal famous among his close circle of friends for his lavish summer theme parties at his father's swanky Hamptons pad organizes one last blow-out before his circle of friends disbands and his father sells the estate. Extras: Deleted scenes, gag reel, "How To Film An Orgy," commentary by co-writers/directors Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck and Jason Sudeikis. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Sony).
Happiness Is ... Peanuts: Friends Forever Includes the TV special "You're in Love, Charlie Brown" plus an episode from "The Charlie Brown & Snoopy Show," $14.97. (Warner).
Hostel: Part III (2011) Brian Hallisay, Kip Pardue, John Hensley, Chris Coy, Skyler Stone, Sarah Habel. Unrated version. Read more about "Hostel: Part III" in the December Calendar. Extras: Commentary by director Scott Spiegel and Kip Pardue. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Sony).
The Hunters (2011) Steven Waddington, Tony Becker, Dianna Agron, Terence Knox. After graduating high school, a group of friends decide to spend time in the one place that was forbidden as kids -- the woods, where they come upon what they believe is an abandoned fort, until they find the walls dripping with blood and decomposing bodies lining the floor. (Lionsgate).
In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds (2011) Dolph Lundgren, Natassia Malthe, Lochlyn Munro, Aleks Paunovic. A lethal, ex-Special Forces soldier (Lundgren) finds himself transported back to a mystical age of sorcery, dragons and savage hand-to-hand combat to defeat the forces of darkness and fulfill an ancient prophecy. Extras: Commentaries, "Behind the Scenes of In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds," From Page to Screen: Writing In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Fox).
The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, Series 1 (2010) Single disc with six episodes featuring the misadventures of an American office temp and convenient liar (David Cross) who bluffs his way into a senior sales job heading up the London office of the new energy drink Thunder Muscle. $24.98. (MPI Home Video).
Jane's Journey (2011) Featuring Jane Goodall, Pierce Brosnan, Kofi Annan, Angelina Jolie and more. It would be hard to name anyone who has had more of an impact in the realm of animal research and wildlife conservation than Jane Goodall, whose 45 year study of wild chimpanzees in Africa is legendary. In this documentary, we travel with her across several continents, from her childhood home in England, to the Gombe National Park in Tanzania where she began her groundbreaking research and where she still returns every year to enjoy the company of the chimpanzees that made her famous. Extras: Exclusive interview with Angelina Jolie, "More About Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots." $27.95. (First Run Features).
Jersey Shore Uncensored: Season Four (2011) Four-disc with all 12 uncensored episodes, $26.99. Extras: "Reunion Special," after hours specials, "Jersey Shore: From the First Fist Pump," deleted scenes, confessionals, Louie & Joey. (MTV/Paramount).
Looney Tunes Super Stars: Pepe Le Pew Collection A new compilation featuring 17 iconic shorts of the loveable French Skunk, Pepe Le Pew. Pepe is always strolling around Paris in the springtime, where everyone's thoughts are of "love." While he is constantly seeking "l'amour" of his own, his huge turnoff to any prospective mate is his malodorous scent. Together for the first time are some of Pepe's most beloved and comical shorts, $19.97. (Warner).
Love Crime (2010 -- France) Ludivine Sagnier, Kristin Scott Thomas. The final film from director Alain Corneau pits the fiery talents of Sagnier and Scott Thomas against each other in a deliciously twisted tale of office politics that turn, literally, cut-throat. When Christine, a powerful executive (Scott Thomas), brings on a naive young ingenue, Isabelle (Sagnier), as her assistant, she delights in toying with her naivete and teaching her hard lessons in a ruthless professional philosophy. But when the protege's ideas become tempting enough for Christine to pass one as her own, she underestimates Isabelle's ambition and cunning-- and the ground is set for all out war. (IFC Films).
The Pool Boys (2011) Matthew Lillard, Rachelle Lefevre, Efren Ramirez, Brett Davern, Tom Arnold. Comedy follows a pool boy and his friends who, tired of working dead end jobs, scheme to get rich quick by turning an empty mansion into a home for the hottest escorts in Beverly Hills. Extras: Virtual lapdance, cast and crew interviews. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Entertainment One).
Shameless: The Complete First Season (2011) Three-disc set with 12 episodes, $39.98. Extras: Commentary, deleted scenes, featurettes. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Warner).
Sid & Nancy: 25th Anniversary Edition BLU-RAY DEBUT (1986) Dir.: Alex Cox; Gary Oldman, Chloe Webb. Extras: "For the Love of Punk" featurette, "Junk Love" featurette. (Fox).
Zombie Apocalypse (2011 -- TV) Ving Rhames, Taryn Manning, Leslie-Ann Brandt. Months after a zombie plague has wiped out 90 percent of the American population, a small group of survivors fight their way cross-country to a rumored refuge on the island of Catalina. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (The Asylum).

Back to top

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 Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player w/SACD & DVD-Audio, a Rotel RSX-972 Surround Sound Receiver, and Phase Technology 1.1 (front), 33.1 (center), and 50 (rear) speakers and Power 10 subwoofer.


E-mail OnVideo


| Home | Resources | DVD Releases | Calendar |
| Reviews | Links |


E-mail: mail@onvideo.org
© 1996 -- 2011 OnVideo. All rights reserved
December 1, 2011
(ISSN 1094-3676).