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OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases
The Act of Killing
(2013) When the Indonesian government was overthrown in 1965, small-time gangster Anwar Congo and his friends went from selling movie tickets on the black market to leading anti-communist death squads in the mass murder of over a million people in one of the most overlooked genocides in recent history. The film ventures deep into the minds of the now-elderly killers and how they face the deadly acts they've done in a society that doesn't ask them to. In this inventive and critically-acclaimed documentary by Joshua Oppenheimer and executive produced by documentary titans, Werner Herzog and Errol Morris, the filmmakers examine a country where Indonesian death squad leaders are celebrated as heroes, challenging them to reenact their real-life mass-killings via musical numbers, action and comedy sequences and other genres of the American movies they love. The hallucinatory result of Oppenheimer's daring idea is a cinematic fever dream, an unsettling journey deep into the imaginations of mass murderers and the shockingly banal regime of corruption and impunity they inhabit. Two versions of the film: 122-minute theatrical cut and 166-minute director's cut. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: 45-minute interview with director Joshua Oppenheimer on Democracy Now!, "VICE Presents": executive producers Werner Herzog and Errol Morris on "The Act of Killing," deleted scenes, trailers, 40-page booklet featuring an essay by Morris, commentary with Oppenheimer and Herzog. (Drafthouse Films/Cinedigm).
Archer: The Complete Season Four
(2013) Two-disc set with 13 episodes. Formats: DVD, $29.98; Blu-ray Disc, $39.99. Extras: "Fisherman's Daughter," "Archer Live!" (Fox).
Badges of Fury
(2013 -- China) Jet Li, Zhang Wen, Shishi Liu, Michelle Chen. Li teams up for a third time with Wen as bickering cops out to catch a prolific serial killer in this action-comedy. When a series of eerie murders erupt across Hong Kong, two troublemaking cops are assigned to the case. Young maverick Wang (Wen) is a reckless risk-taker, and grizzled vet Huang (Li) is fed up with cleaning up his rookie's messes. After discovering all the victims were former boyfriends of aspiring starlet Liu, the detectives (one now posing as her lover) are caught in a deadly game to lure out the killer. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital. Extras: Four-part "making-of" documentary ("The Guys," "The Girls," "Wen Zhang Action Scene," "Funny Stuff"), "behind-the-scenes" featurette, trailer. (Well Go USA).
Being Human: The Complete Third Season
(2013) Four-disc set with 13 episodes of Syfy's re-imagining of the acclaimed BBC original series that here follows four paranormal twentysomething roommates living in a Boston brownstone -- vampire Aidan, ghost Sally and werewolves Josh and Nora. Together, they struggle to keep their dark secrets hidden from the world, while helping each other navigate the complexities of their double lives. Formats: DVD, $39.98; Blu-ray Disc, $49.98. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurette, "Being Human" panel from San Diego Comic Con 2013, "The Cast on Cliffhangers," bloopers. (Entertainment One).
Big Ass Spider!
(2013) Greg Grunberg, Lombardo Boyar, Ray Wise. An exterminator and his Hispanic friend are caught in an epic battle when a military assault fails to contain a giant alien spider rampaging through the city of Los Angeles. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc,Digital. (Epic Pictures).
Birth of the Living Dead
(2013) In 1968 a young college drop-out named George A. Romero directed "Night of the Living Dead," a low budget horror film that shocked the world, became an icon of the counterculture, and spawned a zombie industry worth billions of dollars that continues to this day. This documentary shows how Romero gathered an unlikely team of Pittsburghers -- policemen, iron workers, teachers, ad-men, housewives and a roller-rink owner -- to shoot a revolutionary guerrilla style film that went on to become a cinematic landmark, offering a profound insight into how our society worked in a singular time in American history. Features Romero, producer Gale Anne Hurd, Larry Fessenden, film historian Mark Harris, film critic Elvis Mitchell, filmmaker Sam Pollard film critic Jason Zinoman and Bill Hinzman. Formats: DVD. Extras: Extended interview with Romero, interview with Romero at MoMA, June 16, 1970, "Bill Hinzman and the World-Record-Breaking Monroeville Zombie Walk." (First Run Features).
China Beach: The Complete Season Two
(1988-89) Five-disc set with 17 episodes, $29.95. Inspired by the real-life experiences of women and men who served at China Beach -- part EVAC Hospital, part USO entertainment center during the Vietnam War, with a backdrop of the iconic music of the era -- Dionne Warwick, The Righteous Brothers, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Chuck Berry, The Mamas & the Papas, Paul Anka, Jefferson Airplane and many more -- "China Beach" transports viewers to a very distinct time and place, where unforgettable, compelling and poignant stories unfolded. Along with the lauded ensemble cast, which featured Army nurse Colleen McMurphy (Dana Delany), Red Cross worker Cherry White (Nan Woods), singer Laurette Barber (Chloe Webb) and civilian worker K.C. Koloski (Marg Helgenberger), guest stars this season included Kathy Bates, Kevin McCarthy and Dennis Farina. The season deals with race riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the Tet Offensive, POWs, desertion, and the heart-shattering loss of one of their own, cut down by the straight, clean shot of a lone sniper. The season highlights include "Vets", a groundbreaking episode that made television history and became a centerpiece of the series, offering moving interviews of real-life veterans intercut with scenes from the show, as well as "Tet '68" (which TV Guide hailed as #87 on its "100 Greatest TV Episodes of All Time" list), in which Dr. Richard (Robert Picardo) and Dodger (Jeff Kober) defend the hospital during the Tet Offensive. Formats: DVD. Extras: "Voices of War: The Real China Beach" featurette; interviews with Michael Boatman, Marge Helgenberger and Robert Picardo; episode commentary. (StarVista/Time Life).
Closed Circuit
(2013) Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, Ciaran Hinds, Julia Stiles, Jim Broadbent. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Secrets Behind the Camera: Closed Circuit" featurette. (Universal).
Copper Season Two
(2013) Three-disc set with the final 13 episodes. Formats: DVD, $49.98; Blu-ray Disc, $59.98. Extras: Three set tours, three"Insider" featurettes, two Character video profiles. (BBC Home Entertainment).
Dreamworld
(2012) Whit Hertford, Mary Kate Wiles, Nora Kirkpatrick, Matt Jones, Johnny Pemberton, Matt Bush, Nick Thune. Faced with a stalled career and devastating family news, Oliver, an aspiring animator, impulsively abandons his job and leaves town with Lily, a beautiful free spirited woman. In a passionate haze, the couple begins to fall in love, but as the trip continues, Oliver discovers troubling things about her. As her behavior grows more erratic, and his comforting romantic fantasy begins to fall apart, Oliver must decide if he wants to face reality or stay in the dreamworld that he's fled to. Formats: Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Filmmaker commentary, artwork, press and photos, short films, blog entries. (Sneak Attack Films/CAV Distributing).
Eclipse Series 40: Late Ray
The films directed by the great Satyajit Ray in the last 10 years of his life have a unique dignity and drama. Three of them are collected here: the fervent Rabindranath Tagore adaptation "The Home and the World" (1984); the vital Henrik Ibsen–inspired "An Enemy of the People" (1989); and the filmmaker's final film, the poignant and philosophical family story "The Stranger" (1991). Each is a complex, political, and humane portrait of a world both corrupt and indescribably beautiful, constructed with Ray's characteristic elegance and imbued with autumnal profundity. These late-career features are the meditative works of a master.
Formats: Three-disc DVD set. (The Criterion Collection).
The Following: The Complete First Season
(2013) Fifteen episodes of the TV series about an escaped serial killer (James Purefoy) and the psychologically scarred ex-FBI agent (Kevin Bacon), who returns to stop him. Formats: Four-disc DVD set, $39.98; three-disc Blu-ray/four-disc DVD Combo, $49.99. Extras: "From a Dark Place": Maximum episode mode of extended pilot, "The Thrill of Horror: The Creator Behind The Following" featurette, "The Followers' Den" featurette, "The Cult of Joe Carroll: Inside the Followers" featurette, "The Following Production Chronicles" featurette, two additional mini featurettes, final episode commentary, deleted scenes. (Warner).
For Ever Mozart BLU-RAY DEBUT and DVD
(1996) Dir.: Jean-Luc Godard; Madeleine Assas, Berangere Allaux, Ghalya Lacroix, Vicky Messica, Frederic Pierrot. From the director's 1980s-1990s period, which was marked by a return to (somewhat) more traditional modes of storytelling, but still the work of a cinematic adventurer still exploring new territory. Godard shifted to a narrative grounded in a distressing reality of the day: the Bosnian War. This densely packed rumination on the need to create order and beauty in a world ruled by chaos is divided into several distinct but related stories, chiefly the attempts by an idealistic French acting troupe to stage a play in war-torn Sarajevo. Along their journey, they are captured and held in a POW camp. Amid the gunfire of war, an elderly director struggles to complete his film. Extras: Commentary, a booklet, making-of featurette, trailer. (Cohen Film Collection).
Hail Mary BLU-RAY DEBUT and DVD
(1985) Dir.: Jean-Luc Godard; Myriem Roussel, Thierry Rode, Philippe Lacoste. From the director's 1980s-1990s period, which was marked by a return to (somewhat) more traditional modes of storytelling, but still the work of a cinematic adventurer still exploring new territory. Winner of a top prize at the Berlin Film Festival and one of the highest-profile films of Godard's career, "Hail Mary" drew criticism from no less than the Pope. In this modern retelling of the Virgin Birth, Mary (Myriem Roussel) is a student who plays basketball and works at her father's gas station; her boyfriend Joseph (Thierry Rode) is an earnest dropout who drives a cab. The angel Gabriel (Philippe Lacoste) must school Joseph to accept Mary's pregnancy, while Mary comes to terms with God's plan. Juliette Binoche co-stars. Extras: Commentary, a booklet, making-of featurette, trailer, Anne-Marie Mieville's short film "The Book of Mary," which was originally released as a companion piece to Godard's movie. (Cohen Film Collection).
The Happy House
(2013) Aya Cash, Khan Baykal, Marceline Hugot. Delightfully funny and offbeat horror thriller that leans a little too much to the amatuerish side with slow takes and a reliance on talk over action. With their relationship on the rocks, a young Brooklyn couple heads to a remote bed & breakfast to work things out. But from the moment they arrive at The Happy House, it's one disaster after another, and they soon begin to suspect they've wandered into a real life horror movie. Events escalate from weird to terrifying as they contend with the house's batty owner, her imposing son, a moody Swedish lepidopterist, a pedantic English professor, an extraordinarily rare butterfly, the world's best blueberry muffins, a .44 Magnum, a demented serial killer, and one very strict rule book. Formats: DVD. (First Run Features).
House of Lies Season Two
(2013) Two-disc set with 12 episodes, $46.99. Don Cheadle stars as a self-loathing management consultant -- who is never above using any means (or anyone) necessary to get his way with and for his clients -- in the Corporate America-skewering comedy series that takes viewers inside the cutthroat world of a top-tier management consulting firm. Formats: DVD. (Showtime/Paramount).
I'm So Excited!
(2013 -- Spain) Dir.: Pedro Almodovar; Antonio De La Torre, Hugo Silva, Miguel Angel Silvestr, Laya Marti, Javier Camara, Carlos Areces, Raul Arevalo, Jose Maria Yazpik, Guillermo Toledo, Jose Luis Torrijo, Lola Duenas, Cecilia Roth, Blanca Suarez. Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Presenting I'm So Excited!" follows Almodovar and cast members through a day of press, Q&As and finally the New York City film premiere; "Making I'm So Excited!"
(Sony).
Inequality for All
(2013) Documentary on the widening income gap between the rich and the middle class and its devastating impact on the American economy. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD. Extras: Deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes interviews with the filmmakers. (RADiUS-TWC/Anchor Bay).
In Sickness and in Health/To Love and to Cherish
(2013) Double-bill directed by Roger Melvin with Chico Benymon, Denise Boutte, Golden Brooks, Jennifer Freeman, Mel Jackson, Tommy Ford. "In Sickness and in Health" is about a woman who has it all but holds back a secret about her health from her husband to be, jeopardizing her marriage; "To Love and to Cherish" is about a modern woman who struggles to keep her marriage alive amid the chaos of the modern world. Formats: DVD. (One Village Entertainment).
The Killing Fields BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1984) Dir.: Roland Joffe; Sam Waterston, Haing S. Ngor, John Malkovich, Julian Sands, Craig T. Nelson, Spalding Gray. This emotional and brutally honest true story follows Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg (Waterston), who remains in Cambodia in 1975 after the government falls. He convinces his friend and translator Dith Pran (Ngor) to stay with him to report on the bloodbath perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge (which killed nearly 3 million Cambodians), one of the most brutal regimes of the 20th century, and on the United States' role in precipitating the horror. The two continue to work until the Khmer Rouge arrests them. Schanberg is eventually released and returns to New York. Pran is sent for execution but barely manages a daring escape from the killing fields and from Cambodia. With the help of Schanberg, Pran emigrates to the U.S. and becomes a staff photographer for the New York Times. Extras: 36-page Blu-ray book with rare photos, production notes and other material; commentary by Joffe; theatrical trailer. (Warner).
Living By the Gun
(2011) Pat McIntire, Judy Rhodes, Jeffrey Babineau. To survive her quest for vengeance, a young girl becomes a ruthless killer as she hunts down the man responsible for destroying her family. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Making of Living By the Gun" featurette. (Lionsgate).
Murph: The Protector,
(2013) Documentary based on the exemplary life of Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael Murphy, whose extraordinary courage in battle resulted in the Congressional Medal of Honor, awarded posthumously in 2007. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. (Anchor Bay).
Runner Runner
(2013) Justin Timberlake, Ben Affleck, Gemma Arterton, Anthony Mackie. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Blu-ray extras: "House of Cards: The Inside Story of Online Poker," deleted scenes. (Fox).
Scooby-Doo! 13 Spooky Tales: For the Love of Snack!
(2013) Features 13 action-packed escapades and mysteries centering on Scooby-Doo's favorite pastime, food. Formats: DVD, $19.98. (Warner).
Star Trek Enterprise: Season Three BLU-RAY DEBUT
(2003-04) Six-disc set with 24 episodes. Starring Scott Bakula, Jolene Blalock, Connor Trinneer, Dominic Keating, Linda Park, Anthony Montgomery and John Billingsley, "Star Trek: Enterprise" follows the adventures of the Enterprise NX-01, the first Earth-built vessel capable of breaking the Warp 5 barrier, and her intrepid crew of brave explorers. Extras: In addition to bonus material previously released on DVD, the set includes commentary on select episodes; the newly produced "In a Time of War," a retrospective, multi-part documentary that offers fans an inside look at the making of the series' groundbreaking third season, which was the first in the franchise to feature a year-long story arc; and the featurette "Temporal Cold War: Declassified," a never-before-seen piece in which the show's creators, cast and production team reveal details about the original story arc that was never fully explored, and how the temporal cold war would have ended if the series had continued. $130.00. (CBS/Paramount).
Thanks for Sharing
(2013) Mark Ruffalo, Tim Robbins, Gwyneth Paltrow, Josh Gad, Joely Richardson, Patrick Fugit, Alecia Moore. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "One Step at a Time: The Making of Thanks for Sharing" featurette, commentary with co-writer/director Stuart Blumberg and co-writer Matt Winston, gag reel, deleted scenes. (Lionsgate).
Throne of Blood
(1957) A vivid, visceral Macbeth adaptation, "Throne of Blood," directed by Akira Kurosawa, sets Shakespeare's definitive tale of ambition and duplicity in a ghostly, fog-enshrouded landscape in feudal Japan. As a tough warrior who rises savagely to power, Toshiro Mifune gives a remarkable, animalistic performance, as does Isuzu Yamada as his ruthless wife. "Throne of Blood" fuses classical Western tragedy with formal elements taken from Noh theater to create an unforgettable cinematic experience. New, restored 2K digital film transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray. Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Dual Format Edition. Extras: Audio commentary featuring Japanese-film expert Michael Jeck; documentary on the making of "Throne of Blood," created as part of the Toho Masterworks series "Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create"; two alternate subtitle translations, by Japanese-film translator Linda Hoaglund and Kurosawa expert Donald Richie; trailer; a booklet featuring an essay by film historian Stephen Prince and notes on the subtitling by Hoaglund and Richie. (The Criterion Collection).
Top of the Lake
(2013) Elizabeth Moss and Holly Hunter star in this critically acclaimed, Emmy-winning mini-series written and directed by Academy Award-winner Jane Campion. Set against the stunning, untouched backdrop of New Zealand, Moss plays Robin Griffin, a gutsy but inexperienced detective called in to investigate the disappearance of a pregnant 12-year-old girl named Tui. As she becomes more and more obsessed with the search for Tui, she finds herself knee-deep in small-town secrets. Formats: Two-disc DVD, $34.98. (BBC Home Entertainment).
12 Disasters
(2012) Ed Quinn, Magda Apanowicz, Holly Elissa, Roark Critchlow, Ryan Grantham. As Christmas approaches, a local shop owner and his family struggle to survive as their idyllic small town is torn apart by a series of disasters, which reveal an incredible link between the Mayan 2012 prophecy and the familiar carol, "The 12 Days of Christmas." He soon learns that his own daughter is the key to everything, and must protect her from both the disasters and the panicked townspeople, who blame her for the destruction, all the while racing to find five ancient golden rings needed to avert the end of the world. Formats: DVD. (Anchor Bay).
The Virginian
(2014) Trace Adkins, Ron Perlman. Remake of the classic TV series, about a handsome and enigmatic enforcer (Adkins) for a cattle baron (Ron Perlman) in Wyoming in the Old West, played out against a backdrop of wealth, corruption, deception and gunplay. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. (Nasser Entertainment/Cinedigm).
The Unstoppable, Unpoppable Bubble
(2014) Six episodes of the hit Nick Jr. Tickety Toc series that follows the everyday adventures of twins Tommy and Tallulah who travel through the special Tickety Toc clock to enter a fantastical CGI world of eclectic characters and exciting escapades. $14.98. Formats: DVD. Extras: 12-page Tickety Toc paint booklet. (Anchor Bay).
We Are What We Are
(2013) Bill Sage, Ambyr Childers, Julia Garner. The Parkers, a reclusive family who follow ancient customs, find their secret existence threatened as a torrential downpour moves into their area, forcing daughters Iris and Rose to assume responsibilities beyond those of a typical family and threatening to expose their macabre customs. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. Extras: "An Acquired Taste: The Making of We Are What We Are"; interviews with director Jim Mickle, cast members Bill Sage and Julia Garner; commentary with cast and crew. (Entertainment One).
The Wicker Man BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1973) Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, Christopher Lee . All-new, restored edition of director Robin Hardy's final cut. When a young girl mysteriously vanishes, Police Sergeant Howie (Woodward) travels to a remote Scottish island to investigate. But the seemingly quiet community is not as it appears, as the detective uncovers a secretive pagan society led by the strange Lord Summerisle (Lee). While the townsfolk tempt and threaten him with bizarre rituals and wanton lust, Howie must race to discover the truth behind the girl's disappearance before his clash with Lord Summerisle builds to a terrifying conclusion -- one that has cemented this cult shocker as a modern horror masterpiece. Extras: Interview with director Hardy, "Restoration Comparison" featurette, "Worshipping The Wicker Man" featurette, "The Music of The Wicker Man" featurette. (Lionsgate).
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