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2/13/07 V11.7
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ONVIDEO'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO HOME VIDEO RELEASES
FOR Tuesday, February 13 -- MONDAY, February 19
DEPARTED, THE
Based on the 2002 Chinese-language Hong Kong gangster film
"Infernal Affairs" ("Wu jian dao"), "The Departed" is set in
South Boston where the Massachusetts State Police Department is
waging an all-out war to take down the city's top organized crime
ring. The key is to end the reign of powerful mob boss Frank
Costello (Jack Nicholson) from the inside. A young rookie, Billy
Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), who grew up in South Boston, is
assigned to infiltrate the mob run by Costello. While Billy is
working to gain Costello's trust, another young cop who came up
from the streets of "Southie," Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), is
quickly rising through the ranks of the state police. Earning a
spot in the Special Investigations Unit, Colin is among a handful
of elite officers whose mission is to bring Costello down. But
what his superiors don't know is that Colin is working for
Costello, keeping the crime boss one step ahead of the police.
Each man becomes deeply consumed by his double life, gathering
information about the plans and counter-plans of the operation he
has penetrated. But when it becomes clear to both the gangsters
and the police that they have a mole in their midst, Billy and
Colin find themselves in constant danger of being caught and
exposed to the enemy -- and each must race to uncover the
identity of the other man in time to save himself. Vitals:
Director: Martin Scorsese. Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon,
Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera
Farmiga, Anthony Anderson, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Corrigan. 2006,
CC, MPAA rating: R, 151 min., Crime Thriller, Box office gross:
$121.732 million, Warner.
HALF NELSON
Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) struggles every day to reach the middle-
school students he teaches in a rough section of Brooklyn. His
unconventional methods seem to work, but they also draw the ire
of his principal. Outside the classroom, Dunne's alcoholism and
drug use continue to escalate, and the walls between his two
lives crumble when one of his students, Drey (Shareeka Epps),
discovers his secret. As the two develop an unlikely friendship,
Dan warily dates a fellow teacher and Drey navigates life with a
deadbeat father, a jailed brother, and Frank (Anthony Mackie), a
drug dealer with a troubling connection to her family. Vitals:
Director: Ryan Fleck. Stars: Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps, Anthony
Mackie, Monique Curnen. 2006, CC, MPAA rating: R, 106 min.,
Drama, Box office gross: $2.687 million, Sony.
QUIET, THE
Erotic and suspenseful tale of sex, lies and betrayal stars
Elisha Cuthbert as Nina Deer, a pretty cheerleader whose quiet
Connecticut town life is turned upside-down by the arrival of her
parents' godchild Dot (Camilla Belle), a deaf and mute girl
recently orphaned by her father's death. Although Nina looks upon
Dot's deafness with disdain, her family and friends develop a
strange attraction to her, and Dot soon becomes a sounding board
for everyone's heaviest burdens. But when Nina becomes convinced
that Dot is hiding a few secrets of her own, she decides to
confess a family secret so disturbing it can't be ignored.
Vitals: Director: Jamie Babbit. Stars: Elisha Cuthbert, Camilla
Belle, Martin Donovan, Edie Falco. 2006, CC, MPAA rating: R, 96
min., Drama, Box office gross: $.381 million, Sony.
MARIE ANTOINETTE
Often maligned, passionately debated and ultimately a
misunderstood young woman, Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst),
through director Sofia Coppola's vision, emerges neither as staid
historical villain nor divine idol -- but as a confused and
lonely teenage outsider thrust against her will into a decadent
and scandal-plagued world on the eve of disaster. Coppola brings
to the screen a fresh interpretation of the life of France's
legendary teenage queen. Betrothed to King Louis XVI (Jason
Schwartzman), the naive Marie Antoinette, at the age of 14, is
thrown into an opulent French court steeped in conspiracy and
scandal. Alone, without guidance, and adrift in a dangerous
world, the young Marie Antoinette rebels against the isolated
atmosphere at Versailles and, in the process, becomes France's
most misunderstood monarch. She's merely a pawn in an arranged
marriage meant to solidify the harmony between two nations. Her
teenage husband, the Dauphin Louis, is heir to the French throne.
But Marie Antoinette is ill prepared to be the kind of ruler for
whom the French populace yearns. Beneath her finery, she's a
sheltered, frightened and confused young woman, surrounded by
vicious detractors, insincere flatterers, puppet masters and
gossips. Trapped by the conventions of her station in life, Marie
Antoinette must find a way to fit into the complex and
treacherous world of Versailles. Adding to her woes is the
indifference of Louis. Their marriage goes unconsummated for an
astonishing seven years. The awkward future king proves to be a
disaster as a lover, sparking grave concerns (and relentless
gossip) that Marie Antoinette will never produce an heir.
Overwhelmed and distraught, Marie Antoinette seeks refuge in the
decadence of the French aristocracy and in a secret love affair
with the alluring Swedish Count Fersen (Jamie Dornan). Her
indiscretions are soon the talk of France. Whether she is being
idealized for her impeccable style or vilified for being
unforgivably out of touch with her subjects, reaction to Marie
Antoinette is always extreme. Yet, slowly, as she matures, she
begins to find her way as a wife, mother and Queen -- only to be
tragically swept up in a bloody revolution that alters France
forever. A dreamy, modernist take, backed with a pop music
soundtrack. Vitals: Director: Sofia Coppola. Stars: Kirsten
Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, Rip Torn, Molly Shannon, Judy Davis,
Steve Coogan, Asia Argento, Marianne Faithful, Aurore Clement,
Shirley Henderson. 2006, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 123 min., Drama,
Box office gross: $15.962 million, Sony.
SCHOOL FOR SCOUNDRELS
In this film loosely based on the 1960 British comedy, a shy
young meter reader (Jon Heder) enrolls in a class to help build
his confidence so he can win over his dream girl (Jacinda
Barrett), only to find out that the teacher of the class (Billy
Bob Thornton) also has his eyes on her. Jon Heder plays Roger, a
beleaguered New York City meter person who is plagued by anxiety
and low self-esteem. In order to overcome his feelings of
inadequacy, Roger enrolls in a top-secret confidence-building
class taught by the suavely underhanded Dr. P (Billy Bob
Thornton). Aided by his assistant, Lesher (Michael Clarke
Duncan), Dr. P uses unorthodox, often dangerous methods, but he
guarantees results: Employ his techniques and you will unleash
your inner lion. Surrounded by a band of misfit classmates --
Walsh (Matt Walsh), who's dying to move out of mother's basement;
Diego (Horatio Sanz), a punching bag for his hen-pecker of a
wife; and Eli (Todd Louiso), a shy guy just looking for female
companionship -- Roger's confidence grows and he makes his way to
the head of the class, even finding the courage to ask out his
longtime crush, Amanda (Jacinda Barrett). But Roger quickly
discovers that star students have a way of catapulting Dr. P's
competitive side into high gear. Soon enough, the teacher sets
out to infiltrate and destroy Roger's personal and professional
life. Nothing is off limits for Dr. P, not even the object of
Roger's affection. In order to show Amanda Dr. P's true colors,
Roger must rally his new friends and find a way to beat the
master at his own game. Vitals: Director: Todd Phillips. Stars:
Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Heder, Jacinda Barrett, Michael Clarke
Duncan, Sarah Silverman, David Cross, Horatio Sanz, Matt Walsh.
2006, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 101 min., Comedy, Box office gross:
$17.803 million, Dimension/Genius Products.
ZOOM: ACADEMY FOR SUPERHEROES
Jack Shepard a.k.a. "Captain Zoom" (Tim Allen) is an out-of-shape
auto shop owner, far removed from the man who once protected the
world's freedom. Reluctantly called back into action by the
government, Jack is charged with turning a rag-tag group of kids
with special powers into superheroes to save the world from
certain destruction. Tucker (Spencer Breslin), Cindy (Ryan
Newman), Summer (Kate Mara) and Dylan (Michael Cassidy) each
possess a unique and special power that sets them apart from
everybody else their age. They also share something else -- a
yearning to be normal. Will they learn to control and harness
their powers in time to save the world ... and be home for
dinner? Based on Jason Lethcoe's popular graphic novel "Amazing
Adventures From Zoom's Academy." Vitals: Director: Peter Hewitt.
Stars: Tim Allen, Courteney Cox, Chevy Chase, Spencer Breslin,
Kevin Zegers, Kate Mara, Michael Cassidy, Ryan Newman, Rip Torn.
2006, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 83 min., Family, Box office gross:
$11.631 million, Sony.
For more release info, check out our calendar pages at
<http://www.onvideo.org/calendar.htm>
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NEWS
DVD COLLECTIBLES:
There's a profundity of great films coming to DVD this week. From
The Criterion Collection comes Vittorio De Sica's neorealist
"Bicycle Thieves" (1948 -- Italy), starring Lamberto Maggiorani,
Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell, Gino Saltamerenda, Vittorio
Antonucci and Giulio Chiari, in a new, restored high-definition
digital transfer with a new and improved English subtitle
translation. Hailed around the world as one of the greatest
movies ever made, De Sica's Academy Award-winning film defined an
era in cinema. In postwar, poverty-stricken Rome, a man, hoping
to support his desperate family with a new job, loses his bicycle
and main means of transportation for work. With his wide-eyed
young son in tow, he sets off to track down the thief. Simple in
construction and dazzlingly rich in human insight, Bicycle
Thieves embodied all the greatest strengths of the neorealist
film movement in Italy: emotional clarity, social righteousness,
and brutal honesty. "Green for Danger" (1946 -- U.K.), directed
by Sidney Gilliat and starring Trevor Howard, Sally Gray and
Alastair Sim, is a delightful and wholly unexpected murder
mystery. In the midst of the Nazi blitz, a postman dies on the
operating table at a rural English hospital. But was the death
accidental? British writer-director Sidney Gilliat's film
features Howard and Gray as suspected doctors and Sim in a
marvelous turn as Scotland Yard's insouciant Inspector Cockrill.
A screenwriter who had worked with Hitchcock on such classics as
"The Lady Vanishes" and "Jamaica Inn," Gilliat slyly upends
whodunit conventions with wit and style. Rounding out the
Criterion releases is "Paul Robeson: Portraits of an Artist," a
landmark four-disc box set that features eight films of the all-
American athlete, scholar, renowned baritone, stage actor, and
social activist. Robeson (1898-1976) was a towering figure and a
trailblazer many times over. He made perhaps his biggest impact,
however, in the medium of film. The son of an escaped slave,
Robeson managed to become a top-billed movie star around the
world during the time of Jim Crow America, always striving to use
film to educate viewers about equality, democracy, and the rights
of workers. Though he eventually left movies behind, using his
international celebrity to speak on behalf of those denied their
civil liberties and ultimately becoming a victim of ideological
persecution himself, Robeson left a film legacy that continues to
speak eloquently of the long and difficult journey of a
courageous and outspoken African American. As always, all these
Criterion releases are packed with informative extras.
Leading off the releases this month for the Warner Directors'
Showcase line is the fantastic mind- and gender-bending ultimate
1970s film "Performance" (1970), directed by Nicolas Roeg and
Donald Cammell and starring James Fox, Mick Jagge and Anita
Pallenberg. The DVD of the original uncut version also includes a
new featurette "Influence and Controversy" and a vintage
featurette "Memo Song From Turner." Also on the Warner label this
week is Neil Jordan's "The Butcher Boy" (1998) starring Eamonn
Owens, Stephen Rea, Fiona Shaw and Sinead O'Connor; Federico
Fellini's "Ginger and Fred" (1985), starring Giulietta Masina and
Marcello Mastroianni; and "The Loneliness of the Long Distance
Runner" (1962), directed by Tony Richardson and starring Tom
Courtenay, Michael Redgrave and Avis Bunnage ... Timed to
coincide with the release this week of Martin Scorsese's "The
Departed" is Dragon Dynasty/The Weinstein Co./Genius Products'
"Infernal Affairs Special Collector's Edition Boxed Set" with all
three films from the "Infernal Affairs Trilogy" ("Departed" is
based on "Infernal Affairs," which was released to DVD in 2004);
$39.99. The company is also releasing "Infernal Affairs 2" and
"Infernal Affairs 3" separately at $19.95 each. And rounding out
the company's Hong Kong actioners is "Police Story 2 Special
Collector's Edition" (1988), directed by Jackie Chan and starring
Chan, Maggie Cheung, Kwok-Hung Lam and Bill Tung.
From the past comes "Mr. Moto Collection Volume 2," a four-disc
set with four Mr. Moto films starring Peter Lorre: "Mr. Moto in
Danger Island" (1939), "Mr. Moto's Gamble" (1938), "Mr. Moto's
Last Warning" (1939) and "Think Fast, Mr. Moto" (1937); $59.98
from Fox ... and "It's a Small World of Fun: Volume 3," and "It's
a Small World of Fun: Volume 4," each with six classic cartoon
shorts with an international flavor, $14.99 from Disney.
FROM TV TO VIDEO:
Due this week: "All in the Family: The Complete Sixth Season"
(1975-76), a three-disc set with 24 episodes, $29.95 from Sony
... "Beauty and the Beast: The First Season," a six-disc set with
22 episodes, $49.99 from Paramount ... "Gentlemen's Relish"
(2001), starring Billy Connolly, Sarah Lancashire, Douglas
Henshall in a British telefilm about a rejected artist who
receives a camera as a gift and forges a new career in
photography, becoming notorious for his lavish portraits of
nudes, from BFS Entertainment & Multimedia Ltd. ... "The Golden
Girls: The Complete Seventh Season" is a three-disc set with 26
episodes, $39.99 from Buena Vista ... "Grosse Pointe: The
Complete Series " is a two-disc set with all 17 episodes, $29.95
from Sony ... "The Hills: The Complete First Season" is a three-
disc set with 10 episodes of the MTV series, $39.99 from
Paramount ... "I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Third Season"
(1967-68), a four-disc set with 24 episodes, $39.95 from Sony ...
"The Last of the Mohicans" (1971), an eight-part Masterpiece
Theatre miniseries adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper's timeless
literary epic, in a two-disc set, $29.98 from Koch Vision ...
"Pelts" (2006) is the first release from the second season of the
acclaimed Showtime Masters of Horror anthology; directed by Dario
Argento and staring Meat Loaf and Melissa Gonzalez, the horror-
thriller centers on a struggling fur trader who creates a
luxurious fur coat from a family of raccoons, a coat that
possesses animal desires and the power to exact revenge, $14.98
from Anchor Bay ... "World War II: When Lions Roared" (1994) is a
telefilm about the 1943 Tehran Conference between FDR, Winston
Churchill, and Joseph Stalin, starring Michael Caine, Bob
Hoskins, John Lithgow and Ed Begley Jr., in a two-disc set,
$29.98 from (Koch Vision ... "Zoey 101: Season One" is a two-disc
set with 13 episodes, $26.99 from Nickelodeon Home
Entertainment/Paramount.
BUZZIN' THE 'B's:
In "The Devil's Den" (2006), two friends on their way back from
Mexico stumble upon lap dance heaven -- an out-of-the-way
gentlemen's club with no cover charge and plenty of sexy,
friendly ladies -- that's actually a recruiting station for an
army of the flesh eating undead, starring Steven Schub, Ken
Foree, Devon Sawa, Kelly Hu and Karen Maxwell, from Starz Home
Entertainment ... In "17000 Block" (2005), directed by Curtis
Franklin and starring Al Nuke, Theo Williamson and Johnny
Livernois, a young man gets caught up in a violent street family
rivalry, from First Look Home Entertainment ... "Man About Town"
(2006) is a comedy about a top Hollywood talent agent who finds
his cushy existence threatened when he discovers that his wife is
cheating on him and his journal has been stolen by a reporter out
to bring him down, starring Ben Affleck, Rebecca Romijn, John
Cleese, Erica Cerra, Gina Gershon, Howard Hesseman, Ling Bai,
Jerry O'Connell, Kal Penn, Amber Valletta and Damien Wayans, from
Lionsgate ... "Android Apocalypse" is a 2006 Sci Fi thriller
about a soft-spoken android soldier who, against his creator's
plans, develops feelings for humans, from Magnolia Home
Entertainment ... "Samoan Wedding" (2006) is a comedy about a
group of 30-something men, first generation Polynesian New
Zealanders who haven't yet outgrown the irresponsible behavior of
their wild teenage years, starring Oscar Kightley and Shimpal
Lelisi, from Magnolia Home Entertainment ... Casper Van Dien
stars in "Meltdown: Days of Destruction," a sci fi actioner about
an LAPD cop who tries to help scientists save the Earth from
solar destruction after a comet grazes the edge of the
atmosphere, sending the planet out of orbit, from MTI Home Video.
ON THE INDIE FRONT:
"Mutual Appreciation" (2005) is an indie snapshot of post-college
angst as a young musician's quest for success in music and love
is hampered only by himself, starring Justin Rice, Rachel Clift,
Andrew Bujalski and Seung-Min Lee, from Image Entetainment.
FOR THE KIDS:
Due this week is "My Bedbugs Volume 1" (2007), featuring three
episodes culled from the multi-award-winning "My Bedbugs" TV
show, which is broadcast on PBS stations in more than 50 cities
throughout the U.S., featuring a family of loveable characters --
siblings Woozy, Toofy and Gooby -- who sing, dance, laugh, play
and lead viewers on magical adventures, all without ever leaving
their bedroom. Each episode of the live-action show uses music
and stories to teach positive behaviors, good habits and everyday
life lessons; as a bonus, the stories are geared to help send
restless kids off to dreamland; $12.99 from Koch Entertainment.
SPECIAL INTEREST:
"F**K" (2005), a documentary on the origin of the four letter
expletive, explores how this one syllable word has completely
permeated the English language, yet is still widely held to be
obscene. Uses film and television clips, original animation, and
the insight of scholars, linguists, comedians, actors, and
writers; from ThinkFilm ... The 2004 presidential election
between George W. Bush and John Kerry provides the stage for "So
Goes the Nation" (2006), a documentary that shows how the voting
public was manipulated by both parties' leaders and their
political marketing machines. Features Hollywood stars Matt
Dillon, Steve Buscemi, Hilary Swank, Chad Lowe, Brendan Fraser,
Joe Pantoliano and Fisher Stevens in grass roots campaign
efforts. The film also includes exclusive interviews with both
Republican and Democratic counterparts; $24.95 from Genius
Products ... "The U.S. vs. John Lennon" (2006) is a documentary
on Lennon that focuses on his antiwar activities, from Lionsgate
... "Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bobo Volume 1: Bo-Nafide Protector" (2005)
features four episodes, as well as the original Japanese
soundtrack, from the anime series that aired on Cartoon Network's
Toonami Block; $19.98 from Illumitoon Entertainment/Westlake
Entertainment.
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THIS WEEK'S DVD RELEASES:
Weekly listings of DVD releases can now be viewed on mobile
devices at www.tagtag.com/onvideo
** All in the Family: The Complete Sixth Season (1975-76) Three-
disc set with 24 episodes, $29.95. (Sony).
** Android Apocalypse (2006) Sci Fi thriller about a soft-spoken
android soldier who, against his creator's plans, develops
feelings for humans. (Magnolia Home Entertainment)
** Beauty and the Beast: The First Season. Six-disc set with 22
episodes, $49.99. (Paramount).
** Bicycle Thieves(1948 -- Italy) Dir.: Vittorio De Sica;
Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell, Gino
Saltamerenda, Vittorio Antonucci, Giulio Chiari. New, restored
high-definition digital transfer. New and improved English
subtitle translation. Extras: New interviews with screenwriter
Suso Cecchi D'Amico, actor Enzo Staiola, and film scholar
Callisto Cosulich; new program on the history of Italian
neorealism in cinema, with writer Mark Shiel; documentary on
screenwriter and longtime Vittorio De Sica collaborator Cesare
Zavattini; plus a booklet featuring new essays by critic Godfrey
Cheshire and filmmaker Charles Burnett,remembrances by De Sica
ands his family and collaborators and classic writings on
"Bicycle Thieve"s by Andre Bazin and Zavattini. (The Criterion
Collection).
** Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bobo Volume 1: Bo-Nafide Protector (2005) Four
episodes, as well as the original Japanese soundtrack, from the
anime series that aired on Cartoon Network's Toonami Block;
$19.98. (Illumitoon Entertainment/Westlake Entertainment)
** The Butcher Boy (1998) Dir.: Neil Jordan; Eamonn Owens,
Stephen Rea, Fiona Shaw, Sinead O'Connor. Extras: Commentary by
director/co-screenwriter Jordan, additional scenes. (Warner
Directors' Showcase).
** The Departed (2005) Dir.: Martin Scorsese; Leonardo DiCaprio,
Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray
Winstone, Vera Farmiga, Anthony Anderson, Alec Baldwin, Kevin
Corrigan. Two-disc set. Extras: Additional scenes with
introductions by Martin Scorsese, feature-length TCM profile
"Scorsese on Scorsese," "The Story of the Boston Mob": the real-
life gangster behind Jack Nicholson's character, "Crossing
Criminal Cultures": how Little Italy's crime and violence
influence Scorsese's work. (Warner).
** The Devil's Den (2006) Steven Schub, Ken Foree, Devon Sawa,
Kelly Hu, Karen Maxwell. On their way back from Mexico, two
friends stumble upon lap dance heaven -- an out-of-the-way
gentlemen's club with no cover charge and plenty of sexy,
friendly ladies -- that's actually a recruiting station for an
army of the flesh eating undead. Extras: Commentary, "Belly of
the Beast: The Making of Devil's Den," blooper reel, photo
gallery, DVD-ROM screenplay. (Starz Home Entertainment).
** Fat Friends Season One. Two-disc set of the British TV drama.
(First Look Home Entertainment).
** Fratricide (2005 -- Turkish/Kurdish/German) Xevat Gectan,
Erdal Celik, Nurretin Celik, Bulent Buyukasik. Four young exiles
-- two Kurds and two Turks -- meet in Germany and unleash a
nightmarish cycle of violence. (Koch Lorber).
** F**K (2005) Documentary on the origin of the four letter
expletive, explores how this one syllable word has completely
permeated the English language, yet is still widely held to be
obscene. Uses film and television clips, original animation, and
the insight of scholars, linguists, comedians, actors, and
writers. Extras: Commentary by director Steve Anderson, extended
interviews. (ThinkFilm).
** Gentlemen's Relish (2001-- TV) Billy Connolly, Sarah
Lancashire, Douglas Henshall. British telefilm about a rejected
artist who receives a camera as a gift and forges a new career in
photography, becoming notorious for his lavish portraits of
nudes. Extras: Cast profiles. (BFS Entertainment & Multimedia
Ltd.).
** Ginger and Fred (1985) Dir.: Federico Fellini; Giulietta
Masina, Marcello Mastroianni. (Warner Directors' Showcase).
** The Golden Girls: The Complete Seventh Season. Three-disc set
with 26 episodes, $39.99. Extras: Retrospective interviews.
(Buena Vista).
** Green for Danger (1946 -- U.K.) Dir.: Sidney Gilliat; Trevor
Howard, Sally Gray, Alastair Sim. New, restored high-definition
digital transfer. Extras: Commentary by film scholar Bruce Eder,
new interview with British film historian Geoff Brown, plus a new
essay by writer Geoffrey O'Brien and a director's statement. (The
Criterion Collection).
** Grosse Pointe: The Complete Series. Two-disc set with all 17
episodes, $29.95. Extras: Commentaries on select episodes with
Darren Star and writer Robin Schiff, "Point of View" with Darren
Star. (Sony).
** Half Nelson (2006) Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps, Anthony
Mackie, Monique Curnen. Extras: Commentary, outtakes, deleted
scenes. (Sony).
** The Hills: The Complete First Season. Three-disc set with 10
episodes of the MTV series, $39.99. Extras: Deleted scenes, cast
interviews, "The Hills" premiere party featurette, MTV Movie
Award featurette, "The Best of The Hills: Aftershow."
(Paramount).
** Hostage (2005 -- Greek) Stathis Papadopoulos, Theodora Tzimou,
Yannis Stankoglou, Minas Hatzisavvas. Thriller that explores the
heated issues of Greek-Albanian relations and immigration,
inspired by a 1999 real-life bus hijacking. (Koch Lorber).
** I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Third Season (1967-68) Four-
disc set with 24 episodes, $39.95. (Sony).
** Infernal Affairs Special Collector's Edition Boxed Set. All
three films from the "Infernal Affairs Trilogy," $39.99. (Dragon
Dynasty/The Weinstein Co./Genius Products).
** Infernal Affairs 2 (2003 -- Hong Kong) Tony Leung, Andy Lau,
Edison Chen. Extras: Deleted scenes, commentary by the
filmmakers, "Making of Internal Affairs 2," "Confidential File."
(Dragon Dynasty/The Weinstein Co./Genius Products).
** Infernal Affairs 3 (2003 -- Hong Kong) Tony Leung, Andy Lau,
Edison Chen. Extras: "Making of Internal Affairs 3." (Dragon
Dynasty/The Weinstein Co./Genius Products).
** It's a Small World of Fun: Volume . 3Six classic cartoon
shorts with an international flavor, including "Johnny
Appleseed," "Alpine Climbers" and "Tiger Trouble." (Disney).
** It's a Small World of Fun: Volume 4. Six classic cartoon
shorts with an international flavor, including ""The Reluctant
Dragon" and "The Goddess of Spring" (Disney).
** The Last of the Mohicans (1971 -- TV) Kenneth Ives, John
Abineri. Masterpiece Theatre eight-part mineseries adaptation of
James Fenimore Cooper's timeless literary epic, two-disc set,
$29.98. (Koch Vision).
** The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) Dir.: Tony
Richardson; Tom Courtenay, Michael Redgrave, Avis Bunnage.
(Warner Directors' Showcase).
** Man About Town (2006) Ben Affleck, Rebecca Romijn, John
Cleese, Erica Cerra, Gina Gershon, Howard Hesseman, Ling Bai,
Jerry O'Connell, Kal Penn, Amber Valletta, Damien Wayans. A top
Hollywood talent agent finds his cushy existence threatened when
he discovers that his wife is cheating on him and his journal has
been stolen by a reporter out to bring him down. Extras: "Visual
Journaling" making-of featurette, "Talk to My Agent" Imaginative
Artists Agency exposed, deleted scenes, bloopers. (Lionsgate).
** Marie Antoinette (2006) Director: Sofia Coppola; Kirsten
Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, Rip Torn, Molly Shannon, Judy Davis,
Steve Coogan, Asia Argento, Marianne Faithful, Aurore Clement,
Shirley Henderson. Extras: "The Making of Marie Antoinette,"
deleted scenes, "Cribs With Louis XVI." (Sony).
** Meltdown: Days of Destruction (2006) Casper Van Dien, Vincent
Gale. Sci fi actioner about the Earth heading for the sun after
being knocked out of orbit by a comet. (MTI Home Video).
** Mr. Moto Collection Volume 2. Four-disc set with four Mr. Moto
films starring Peter Lorre: "Mr. Moto in Danger Island" (1939),
"Mr. Moto's Gamble" (1938), "Mr. Moto's Last Warning" (1939) and
"Think Fast, Mr. Moto" (1937); $59.98. Extras: Film restoration
comparisons, "Mr. Moto Meets Mr. Chan: The Making of Mr. Moto's
Gamble," "Mr. Moto's Creator: The Late John P. Marquand." (Fox).
** Mutual Appreciation (2005) Justin Rice, Rachel Clift, Andrew
Bujalski, Seung-Min Lee. Indie snapshot of post-college angst as
a young musician's quest for success in music and love is
hampered only by himself. Extras: "Interjections and Observations
From Parents of a Cast and Crew": the first DVD commentary ever
to be recorded entirely by the parents of a film's cast and crew;
"People's House," a short film written and directed by "Mutual
Appreciation" director Andrew Bujalski specifically for this DVD
release; "Film Festival Dispatch in the Form of a Children's
Book", a story about Bujalski's preoccupation with Dutch dessert
cookies written and illustrated by his friends; poster art.
(Image Entetainment).
** My Bedbugs Volume 1 (2007) Three episodes culled from the
multi-award-winning "My Bedbugs" TV show, which is broadcast on
PBS stations in more than 50 cities throughout the U.S.,
featuring a family of loveable characters -- siblings Woozy,
Toofy and Gooby -- who sing, dance, laugh, play and lead viewers
on magical adventures, all without ever leaving their bedroom.
Live-action. $12.99. (Koch Entertainment).
** My Mother's Courage (1995 -- Germany) George Tabori, Pauline
Collins, Natalie Morse. Based on Tabori's novel about how his
mother's simple act of quiet defiance helped her evade
deportation to Auschwitz during WWII. Extras: Cast profiles. (BFS
Entertainment & Multimedia Ltd.).
** Paul Robeson: Portraits of an Artist. Landmark four-disc box
set features eight films of the all-American athlete, scholar,
renowned baritone, stage actor, and social activist: "The Emperor
Jones" (Dudley Murphy, 1933). "Paul Robeson: Tribute to an
Artist" (Saul J. Turell, 1979), "Body and Soul" (Oscar Micheaux,
1925), "Borderline" (Kenneth Macpherson, 1930), "Sanders of the
River" (Zoltan Korda, 1935), "Jericho" (Thornton Freeland, 1938),
"The Proud Valley" (Pen Tennyson, 1940), "Native Land" (Leo
Hurwitz and Paul Strand, 1942); new, restored digital transfers;
$99.95. Extras: Commentaries on "Body and Soul" and "The Emperor
Jones"; musical scores by Wycliffe Gordon ("Body and Soul") and
Courtney Pine ("Borderline"); 1958 Pacifica Radio interview with
Paul Robeson; new interviews with Ruby Dee, James Earl Jones,
William Greaves, Paul Robeson Jr., and others; plus a book
including new essays by Clement Price, Hilton Als, Charles
Burnett, and Ian Christie, a tribute from Pete Seeger, an excerpt
from Paul Robeson's autobiography "Here I Stand," and more. (The
Criterion Collection).
** Pelts (2006 -- TV) Dir.: Dario Argento; Meat Loaf, Melissa
Gonzalez. A struggling fur trader creates a luxurious fur coat
from a family of raccoons, a coat that possesses animal desires
and the power to exact revenge. First release from the second
season of the acclaimed Showtime Masters of Horror anthology.
$14.98. Extras: Commentary by writer Matt Venne, "All Sewn Up:
Mastering the Effects Sequence" featurette, "Fleshing It Out: The
Making of Pelts" featurette, storyboard gallery, director bio,
DVD-ROM screenplay. (Anchor Bay).
** Performance (1970) Dir.: Nicolas Roeg, Donald Cammell; James
Fox, Mick Jagger, Anita Pallenberg. Original uncut version.
Extras: New featurette "Influence and Controversy," vintage
featurette "Memo Song From Turner." (Warner Directors' Showcase).
** Police Story 2 Special Collector's Edition (1988 -- Hong Kong)
Dir.: Jackie Chan; Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung, Kwok-Hung Lam,
Bill Tung. Extras: Commentary by "Rush Hour" director Brett
Ratner and Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan, "Police Story 2
Location Guide," "Stunt Unlimited: The Legendary Police 2 Stunt
Team," "Celebrating the Sequel" featurette, outtakes, Hong Kong
trailer. (Dragon Dynasty/The Weinstein Co./Genius Products).
** The Quiet (2006) Elisha Cuthbert, Camilla Belle, Martin
Donovan, Edie Falco. Extras: "Fetal Pig, Fetal Pig, Let Me In"
featurette: An inside look at the dissection scene, "On Location:
Shooting in Austin," "Sans Celluloid: The Quiet and the Digital
Camera," script development featurette, "Picking the Cast for The
Quiet" featurette. (Sony).
** Samoan Wedding (2006) Oscar Kightley, Shimpal Lelisi. Comedy
about group of 30-something men, first generation Polynesian New
Zealanders who haven't yet outgrown the irresponsible behavior of
their wild teenage years. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
** School for Scoundrels (2006) Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Heder,
Jacinda Barrett, Michael Clarke Duncan, Sarah Silverman, David
Cross, Horatio Sanz, Matt Walsh. In rated and unrated editions.
Extras: Commentary by director Todd Phillips and writer Scott
Armstrong, gag reel, alternate ending, more. (Dimension/Genius
Products).
** 17000 Block (2005) Dir.: Curtis Franklin; Al Nuke, Theo
Williamson, Johnny Livernois. A young man gets caught up in a
street family rivalry. Extras: Director, cast interviews; deleted
scenes; music video. (First Look Home Entertainment).
** So Goes the Nation (2006) The 2004 presidential election
between George W. Bush and John Kerry provides the stage for this
documentary, showing how the voting public is manipulated by both
parties' leaders and their political marketing machines. Features
Hollywood A-List stars Matt Dillon, Steve Buscemi, Hilary Swank,
Chad Lowe, Brendan Fraser, Joe Pantoliano, and Fisher Stevens in
grass roots campaign efforts. The film also includes exclusive
interviews with both Republican and Democratic counterparts;
$24.95. (Genius Products).
** 13 Tzameti (2005 -- French) George Babluani, Pascal Bongard,
Aurelien Recoing, Fred Ulysse. Thriller in which a naive young
man is transformed into Player 13 in a depraved game of chance
set up by a disreputable ring of clandestine gamblers where the
spoils are unimaginable millions, and the losses are counted in
lives. Extras: Interview with director Gela Babluani and actor
Georges Babluani, Q&A with Gela Babluani at New Directors/New
Films, interview with Aurelien Recoing. (Palm Pictures).
** The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006) Documentary on John Lennon
focuses on his antiwar activities. (Lionsgate),
** Wild Camp (2005) Denis Lavant, Isild Le Besco. A
fortysomething sailing instructor is seduced by a sexually-
charged 17-year-old in this erotic French film set in a rural
French campsite. (LifeSize Entertainment).
** World War II: When Lions Roared (1994 -- TV) Michael Caine,
Bob Hoskins, John Lithgow, Ed Begley Jr. Telefilm about the 1943
Tehran Conference between FDR, Winston Churchill, and Joseph
Stalin. Two-disc set, $29.98. (Koch Vision).
** Zoey 101: Season One. Two-disc set with 13 episodes, $26.99.
Extras: "Before They Were Cast Mates" featurette, Season One
bloopers, "Quarantine" unaired episode. (Nickelodeon Home
Entertainment/Paramount).
** Zoom: Academy for Superheroes (2006) Tim Allen, Courteney Cox,
Chevy Chase, Spencer Breslin, Kevin Zegers, Kate Mara, Michael
Cassidy, Ryan Newman, Rip Torn. Extras: "Bringing Special Effects
to Life: Behind the Scenes of Zoom: Academy for Superheroes,"
"Academy for Superheroes Guide for Kids: Tips on How to be a
Superhero." (Sony).
For more DVD info, check out our DVD calendar pages at
<http://www.onvideo.org/calendar/cal_dvd.htm>
------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2007 CyberPod. All rights reserved.
ISSN 1094-3676
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