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2/20/07 V11.8
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ONVIDEO'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO HOME VIDEO RELEASES
FOR Tuesday, February 20 -- MONDAY, February 26
BABEL
Shot on three continents and in four languages, "Babel" is a
suspense-filled drama that explores with shattering realism the
nature of the barriers that seem to separate humankind. The film
evokes the ancient concept of Babel and questions its modern day
implications: the mistaken identities, misunderstandings and
missed chances for communication that, though often unseen, drive
our contemporary lives. A tragic incident involving an American
couple in Morocco sparks a chain of events for four families in
different countries throughout the world. Tied by circumstance
but separated by continent, culture and language, each character
discovers that it is family that ultimately provides solace. In
the remote sands of the Moroccan desert, Armed with a Winchester
rifle, two boys set out to look after their family's herd of
goats. In the silent echoes of the desert, they decide to test
the rifle ... but the bullet goes farther than they thought it
would, detonating a chain of events that will link them, an
American tourist couple's frantic struggle to survive, a nanny
illegally crossing into Mexico with two American children and a
deaf Japanese teen rebel whose father is sought by the police in
Tokyo. Separated by clashing cultures and sprawling distances,
each of these four disparate groups of people are nevertheless
hurtling towards a shared destiny of isolation and grief. In the
course of just a few days, they will each face the dizzying
sensation of becoming profoundly lost -- lost in the desert, lost
to the world, lost to themselves -- as they are pushed to the
farthest edges of confusion and fear as well as to the very
depths of connection and love. Vitals: Director: Alejandro
Gonzalez Inarritu. Stars: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia
Bernal, Koji Yakusho, Elle Fanning. 2006, CC, MPAA rating: R, 142
min., Drama, Box office gross: $20.004 million, Paramount.
CROSSOVER
Story of two young basketball hopefuls, Tech (Anthony Mackie) --
who wants to get his GED -- and Cruise (Wesley Jonathan) --
determined to become a doctor using his basketball scholarship to
UCLA pre-med -- who must bring every move they have to the floor
to unseat the reigning underground streetball champions headed by
Jewelz. They don't play for a school and they don't cheer for a
pro team. They play for the street and for themselves. Their
lives change drastically when they both fall in love with two
local girls, Vanessa Lilly and Eboni Jackson. Vitals: Director:
Preston A. Whitmore II. Stars: Anthony Mackie, Wesley Jonathon,
Wayne Brady, Eva Pigford, Lil' JJ, Phillip "Hot Sauce" Champion.
2006, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 98 min., Action, Box office gross:
$7.009 million, Sony.
FLUSHED AWAY
Set on and beneath the streets of London, "Flushed Away" is the
story of Roddy, an upper-crust mouse who is rather rudely evicted
from his Kensington flat when he is flushed down into the
bustling world found under London's streets. There he meets Rita,
an enterprising scavenger who works the sewers in her faithful
boat, the Jammy Dodger. Together they must navigate their way
through a busy city filled with dangers for any mouse including
terrifying rapids, treacherous whirlpools and, most of all, the
villainous Toad and his hench-rats Spike and Whitey. Though
completely out of his element at first, the privileged Roddy
finds himself an unlikely hero when he learns that this
underground metropolis is in danger from the world above. Vitals:
Director: David Bowers and Sam Fell. Stars: Voices of Hugh
Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen, Jean Reno, Bill Nighy, Andy
Serkis, Shane Richie, Kathy Burke, David Suchet. 2006, CC, MPAA
rating: PG, 90 min., Animated, Box office gross: $61.607 million,
DreamWorks.
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
Christopher Guest's latest satire -- with his by-now-famous
ensemble cast -- revolves around three actors shooting a small
independent film whose lives are turned upside down when buzz
starts that their performances are awards-worthy. Debut feature
director Jay Berman (Guest), steers cast and crew through a
typically tumultuous independent film "Home for Purim," an
intimate period drama about a Jewish family's turbulent reunion
on the occasion of the dying matriarch's favorite holiday. When
Internet-generated rumors begin circulating that three of Purim's
stars -- faded luminary Marilyn Hack (Catherine O'Hara),
journeyman actor and former hot dog pitchman Victor Allan Miller
(Harry Shearer), and ingenue Callie Webb (Parker Posey) -- may be
perpetrating Award-worthy performances, a rumble of excitement
rattles the cast. Once "Hollywood Now" anchors Chuck Porter (Fred
Willard) and Cindy Martin (Jane Lynch) pick up the buzz, Award
fever infects the entire production. Unit publicist Corey Taft
(John Michael Higgins), talent agent Morley Orfkin (Eugene Levy),
and producer Whitney Taylor Brown (Jennifer Coolidge) all smell
the sudden potential for a sleeper hit. As does Sunfish Classics
president Martin Gibb (Ricky Gervais), who suggests some
last-minute changes to the film that he feels will broaden its
appeal. Meanwhile, "Purim's" screenwriters, Lane Iverson (Michael
McKean) and Philip Koontz (Bob Balaban) grow steadily more
horrified as they watch the first film adaptation of their work
diverge from their original story. As the hopeful "Purim" team
careens toward the end of production and the upcoming Award
season, tenuous relationships and brittle dreams play out in
unexpected ways. Vitals: Director: Christopher Guest. Stars:
Carrie Aizley, Bob Balaban, Ed Begley, Jr., Jennifer Coolidge,
Paul Dooley, Ricky Gervais, Christopher Guest, Rachael Harris,
John Michael Higgins, Michael Hitchcock, Don Lake, Eugene Levy,
Jane Lynch, Michael McKean, Larry Miller, Christopher Moynihan,
Catherine O'Hara, Jim Piddock, Parker Posey, Harry Shearer,
Deborah Theaker, Fred Willard, Scott Williamson. 2006, CC, MPAA
rating: PG-13, 86 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $5.490million,
Warner.
GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS, A
Coming-of-age drama about a boy growing up in Astoria, N.Y.,
during the 1980s. As his friends end up dead, on drugs or in
prison, he comes to believe he has been saved from their fate by
various so-called saints. Writer Dito Montiel's memoir of his
childhood in Queens, New York, makes the leap to the big screen,
with the author directing. The film moves back and forth between
the adult Montiel's (Robert Downey Jr.) emotional return to the
neighborhood after a 15-year gap, and the childhood antics that
led to his younger self (Shia LeBouf) fleeing to Los Angeles in
1986. Vitals: Director: Dito Montiel. Stars: Robert Downey Jr.,
Rosario Dawson, Shia LaBeouf, Chazz Palminteri, Dianne Wiest,
Channing Tatum, Eric Roberts. 2006, CC, MPAA rating: R, 98 min.,
Drama, Box office gross: $.506 million, First Look Pictures.
KEEPING MUM
The sleepy English hamlet of Little Wallop is about to receive a
rude awakening, as the absent-minded Reverend Walter Goodman
(Rowan Atkinson), his dissatisfied wife Gloria (Kristin Scott
Thomas), and their two children, Holly and Petey, await the
arrival of their new housekeeper, Grace Hawkins (Maggie Smith).
Gloria is a woman struggling to cope. Her teenage daughter's a
nymphomaniac, her young son's the perennial target for the local
bullies, and her marriage to Walter has long-since dwindled into
monotony. It's no wonder she's failing to resist the advances of
her handsome, American, lothario of a golf pro, Lance (Patrick
Swayze). Enter the charming new housekeeper, the answer to the
family's prayers: a sweet, grey-haired old lady with her own
distinctive definition of cleaning house. One by one, the family
members find that Grace is able to solve their problems, but they
don't realize that her means are leading to a lot of ends and the
population of their sleepy hamlet is rapidly diminishing. Vitals:
Director: Niall Johnson. Stars: Rowan Atkinson, Kristin Scott
Thomas, Maggie Smith, Patrick Swayze, Tamsin Egerton, Toby
Parkes. 2006, CC, MPAA rating: R, 104 min., Comedy, Box office
gross: $1.615 million, ThinkFilm.
MAN OF THE YEAR
What would happen if a popular late-night talk-show host ran for
President of the United States -- and won? Acerbic performer Tom
Dobbs (Robin Williams) has made his career out of skewering
politicians and speaking the mind of an exasperated nation on his
talk show. He cracked scathing jokes at a fractured system night
after night ... until he came up with a really funny idea: why
not run for president? After a flip comment, Dobbs ignites a
grassroots movement that puts him on the ballot. Hot on the
campaign trail, he debates elected drones and says exactly what
frustrated voters have often thought. Nov. 2nd later, the
muckraker wins -- only to learn that a computer voting error gave
him the victory. With time ticking on the inaugural clock, Dobbs
has a big decision to make: Should he go back behind the mike or
stay in the Oval Office? Vitals: Director: Barry Levinson. Stars:
Robin Williams, Christopher Walken, Laura Linney, Jeff Goldblum,
Lewis Black. 2006, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 115 min., Comedy, Box
office gross: $37.442 million, Universal.
PRESTIGE, THE
From acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan ("Memento," "Batman
Begins") comes an innovative thriller woven out of the stuff of
illusions. In this twisting, turning tale of mystery, two
Victorian-era magicians spark a powerful rivalry that builds into
an escalating battle of tricks and an unquenchable thirst to
uncover the other's trade secrets. At a time when magicians are
idols and celebrities of the highest order, two young magicians
set out to carve their own paths to fame. The flashy,
sophisticated Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) is a consummate
entertainer, while the rough-edged purist Alfred Borden
(Christian Bale) is a creative genius who lacks the panache to
showcase his magical ideas. They start out as admiring friends
and partners. But when their biggest trick goes terribly awry,
they become enemies for life -- each intent on outdoing and
upending the other. Trick by trick, show by show, their ferocious
competition builds until it knows no bounds, even using the
fantastical new powers of electricity and the scientific
brilliance of Nikola Tesla -- while the lives of everyone around
them hang in the balance. Rife with sleight-of-hand shocks and
revelations, the film delves into a riveting world where the
farthest, darkest edges of faith, trust and the possible are
probed. Vitals: Director: Christopher Nolan. Stars: Hugh Jackman,
Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, Rebecca Hall,
Scarlett Johansson, David Bowie, Andy Serkis. 2006, CC, MPAA
rating: PG-13, 128 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $53.002
million, Buena Vista.
SHUT UP & SING
Chronicles the personal and professional lives of the Dixie
Chicks, the best-selling female group in history, from
all-American girls and darlings of country music fans to
unintentional rebels, vilified for daring to speak out against a
president at the summit of his popularity and on the eve of a
much-hyped -- and in retrospect, hyped-up -- war against Iraq.
Beginning in early 2003 when the band was singing the national
anthem at Super Bowl XXXVII and preparing to launch their
aptly-named "Top of the World" tour, to lead-singer Natalie
Maines' infamous comment, and on through to their defiant
comeback album, "Taking the Long Way" and the supporting
"Accidents and Accusations" tour, the film offers a nakedly
honest and emotionally sincere look at Maines, Martie Maguire and
Emily Robison, whose passion for their families, their fans,
their beliefs and one another never wavers; in spite of death
threats, protests, insults, and a chillingly-orchestrated attack
on their livelihood. At a time when the United States is fighting
for democracy and freedom in another country, it raises questions
about our own right to freedom of speech and the negative
consequences it sometimes has. Vitals: Director: Barbara Kopple,
Cecilia Peck. 2006, CC, MPAA rating: R, 93 min., Documentary, Box
office gross: $1.207 million, Weinstein Co./Genius Products.
For more release info, check out our calendar pages at
<http://www.onvideo.org/calendar.htm>
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NEWS
COMING SOON:
"Night at the Museum," the top-grossing holiday release and Ben
Stiller's second most successful movie ever, will be released on
DVD April 24 in two editions, a single disc with commentaries by
director Shawn Levy and writers Robert Ben Garant and Thomas
Lennon; and a two-disc special edition with the commentaries as
well as an alternate opening, deleted and extended scenes, a
blooper reel, a DVD-ROM trivia game and featurettes on the making
of the film, from Fox.
DVD COLLECTIBLES:
On the Old Hollywood front: Fox will release this week "The Alice
Faye Collection," a four-disc set with "The Gangs All Here,"
"Lillian Russell," "On the Avenue" and "That Night in Rio";
$49.98 or $19.98 each ... "The Three Stooges: Hapless Half-Wits"
features four short subjects from the wacky trio: "Beer Barrel
Polecats" (1945) and "I'll Never Heil Again" (1940) featuring
Larry, Moe & Curly; and "Brideless Grooms" (1947) and "Dopey
Dicks" (1949) featuring Larry, Moe & Shemp; $24.95. from Sony ...
On the Great Man front there's "A Man for All Seasons" (1966),
directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Paul Scofield, Wendy
Hiller, Leo McKern, Robert Shaw, Orson Welles, Susannah York,
Nigel Davenport, John Hurt and Corin Redgrave, from Sony; and
"Gandhi: 25th Anniversary Collector's Edition" (1982), directed
by Richard Attenborough and starring Ben Kingsley, Candice
Bergen, Edward Fox, John Gielgud, Trevor Howard, John Mills,
Martin Sheen, Ian Charleson and Athol Fugard, also from Sony.
From The Criterion Collection comes "49th Parallel" (1941 --
U.K.). At once a compelling piece of anti-isolationist propaganda
and a quick-witted wartime thriller, "49th Parallel" is a classic
early work from the inimitable British filmmaking team of Michael
Powell and Emeric Pressburger. When a Nazi U-boat crew, headed by
the ruthless Eric Portman, is stranded in Canada during the thick
of World War II, the men evade capture by hiding out in a series
of rural communities, before trying to cross the border into the
United States. Both soul-stirring and delightfully entertaining,
the film features a colorful cavalcade of characters played by
larger-than-life actors Laurence Olivier, Raymond Massey, Anton
Walbrook and Leslie Howard. The two-disc edition features a new,
restored high-definition digital transfer and plenty of extras
... "When a Woman Ascends the Stairs" (1960 -- Japan) might be
Japanese filmmaker Mikio Naruse's finest hour -- a delicate,
devastating study of Keiko (the heartbreaking Takamine Hideko), a
bar hostess in Tokyo's very modern postwar Ginza district, who
entertains businessmen after work. Sly, resourceful, but trapped,
Keiko comes to embody the conflicts and struggles of a woman
trying to establish her independence in a male-dominated society.
"When a Woman Ascends the Stairs" shows the largely unsung yet
widely beloved master Naruse at his most socially exacting and
profoundly emotional. The new, high-definition digital transfer
with a new and improved subtitle translation includes a host of
extras.
"Johnny Carson: The Johnny Carson Show" is a two-disc set of the
heretofore unreleased 1955-56 CBS primetime sketch program, "The
Johnny Carson Show," a short-lived potpourri of comedy, music,
dance, skits and monologues. While working as a staff writer on
"The Red Skelton Show," Carson filled in as host when Skelton was
injured during a show rehearsal. As a result of that performance,
CBS created the primetime sketch program to spotlight the young
comedian. The series served as a precursor of what would come
later for Carson, planting the seeds for sketches he would
perfect on "The Tonight Show" with his Mighty Carson Art Players.
Ten digitally restored episodes, culled from the original
kinescopes by Carson's second wife, Joanne; $24.98 from Shout!
Factory.
FROM TV TO VIDEO:
Due this week: "Family Ties: The First Season," a four-disc set
with 22 episodes, $42.99 from Paramount ... "Penn and Teller:
Bullshit! The Complete Fourth Season" is a three-disc set with 10
episodes, $29.99 from Paramount ... "The Ruth Rendell Mysteries,
Series 1" is a three-disc set of the popular British TV mystery
series, $49.99 from Acorn Media ... "Voyage to the Bottom of the
Sea: Season Two, Volume Two" is a three-disc set with 13
episodes, $29.98 from Fox ... "What's New Scooby-Doo? The
Complete First Season" is a two-disc set with 13 episodes, $19.98
from Warner.
BUZZIN' THE 'B's:
"Flight of Fury" (2007) is the latest direct-to-video outing for
Steven Seagal, with the action hero starring as a special agent
working for an underground division of the U.S. Air Force who
must bring back a stolen top-secret Stealth Bomber, from Sony ...
"Walking Tall: The Payback" (2007) stars Kevin Sorbo and Yvette
Nipar in a direct-to-video sequel, from Sony ... In "Wilderness"
(2006), someone or something is savagely murdering the inmates of
a wilderness camp in Scotland; stars Sam Pertwee, Alex Reid, Toby
Kebbell and Stephen Wight, from First Look Home Entertainment ...
"Night of the Living Dorks (Die Nacht der Lebenden Loser)" (2004)
is a German spoof of wacky U.S. teenage angst/toilet trash and
zombie movies: Philip and his best friends Konrad and "Weener"
are the three biggest losers at Frederich Nietzsche High School.
During a drive, their bong malfunctions, spewing smoke into their
Scooby van and causing them to crash. After inhaling some ashes
bought on eBay that supposedly can raise the dead, the three
friends become indestructible zombies with an insatiable appetite
for human flesh, wild parties and gym class revenge; from Anchor
Bay ... In "White Air" (2007), a once-promising extreme
snowboarder loses his edge and must decide whether to give the
sport one more shot or get a steady job and aim for financial
stability; stars Riley Smith, Dominique Swain, Paul Logan, Brent
Le Macks, Tom Sizemore and Elizabeth Daily; from Monarch Home
Video ... In "Dead Mary" (2007), a weekend getaway turns deadly
when a group of girls decide to play the ghoulish game "Dead
Mary," unleashing a vengeful spirit that possesses them one by
one; stars Dominique Swain, Maree-Josee Colburn, Maggie Castle
and Reagan Pasternak.
ON THE INDIE FRONT:
"Apartment Zero" (1988) is a twisted tale of deceit, perversion
and murder set in Buenos Aires. Adrian LeDuc (Colin Firth) is a
lonely sociopath with a fixation on old movies and movie stars
who is forced to rent his insane mother's room due to poor ticket
sales at his revival movie theater. Jack Carney (Hart Bochner),
the new roommate, appears normal enough at first but it soon
becomes apparent that he is hiding something. As their friendship
develops, Adrian suppresses his suspicions that Jack may be the
government mercenary turned serial killer who has been
terrorizing the city. The two develop a kind of doppelganger
relationship but when his mother dies, Adrian is pushed to the
breaking point; likewise, Jack's escape from Buenos Aires is
thwarted and he, too, is pushed to extremes. The film builds
slowly and purposely to a shocking climax, making it a kind of
"The Tenant" meets "Psycho" via "Repulsion." The remastered and
uncut film, directed by Martin Donovan, is considered an
important entry in the world of independent filmmaking; from
Union Station Media ... "Fifty Pills" (2006) stars Lou Taylor
Pucci, Kristen Bell, John Hensley and Nora Zehetner in a comedy
about the trials and tribulations of a small-town boy trying to
make it in New York City; from Echo Bridge Home Entertainment ...
"Going Shopping" (2006) is a Henry Jaglom comedy about a clothing
designer with her own boutique confronted with deceit, elation,
desperation, kleptomania, rebellion, addiction and passion during
the course of a tumultuous Mother's Day weekend; stars Victoria
Foyt, Lee Grant, Bruce Davison, Mae Whitman, Jennifer Grant,
Juliet Landau and Cynthia Sikes; from MTI Home Video ... In
"Persons Unknown" (1996), a security expert is seduced by a pair
of sisters to get the code to the office of a client; directed by
George Hickenlooper and starring Joe Mantegna, Kelly Lynch, Naomi
Watts, J.T. Walsh, Xander Berkeley and Jon Favreau; from Vanguard
Cinema ... "River's End" (2004) is the story of a rebellious
youth put back on the right path by a wise elder and a wilderness
quest; directed by William Katt and starring Sam Huntington,
Charles Robinson, Barry Corbin, Charles Durning, Caroline
Goodall, Clint Howard and William Katt; from Pumpjack
Entertainment.
SPECIAL INTEREST:
"American Hardcore" (2006) is an intense, aggressive documentary
of the rise and fall of the 1980s punk-rock scene; told by the
pioneers themselves, including members of Circle Jerks, Misfits,
Bad Religion, Black Flag, Bad Brains, Red Hot Chili Peppers,
Adolescents, Guns N' Roses, Descendents, Corrosion of Conformity,
Dead Kennedys, Suicidal Tendencies, Youth Brigade and many more,
from Sony ... " His Life and Times/5 Avenue Marceau 75116 Paris"
(2002) comprises two documentaries on Yves Saint Laurent, from
Empire Pictures/First Run Features ... "The Second City: First
Family of Comedy" is a retrospective documentary on the legendary
comedy troupe that incubated such stars as John Belushi, John
Candy, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Martin Short, Dave
Thomas and Tina Fey; $24.99 from First Look Home Entertainment
... "UFC Bitter Rivals" is an Ultimate Fighting Championship
release featuring two 2006 bouts: Ortiz vs. Shamrock and Sylvia
vs. Arolvski; $19.98 from First Look Home Entertainment ... "The
Journalist and the Jihadi: The Murder of Daniel Pearl" is a 2006
TV documentary narrated by journalist Christiane Amanpour, from
HBO Video ... "La Sierra" (2005) is an award-winning Human Rights
Watch documentary on three young people who live in Medellin,
Colombia, an area ruled by a gang with ties to the nation's
paramilitary armies; $29.95 from First Run Features.
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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
** The Alice Faye Collection. Four-disc set with "The Gangs All
Here," "Lillian Russell," "On the Avenue" and "That Night in
Rio"; $49.98 or $19.98 each. (Fox).
-- The Gang's All Here (1943) Dir.: Busby Berkeley; Alice Faye,
Carmen Miranda, Phil Baker, Benny Goodman. Extras: Commentary by
film historian Darwin Porter, Carmen Miranda appearance on "The
Ed Sullivan Show," Johnny Carson's "Bananas" musical number, five
Chiquita Banana commercials, more.
-- Lillian Russell (1940) Alice Faye, Don Ameche, Henry Fonda,
Edward Arnold. Extras: Lillian Russell bio, restoration
comparison.
-- On the Avenue (1937) Dick Powell, Madeleine Carroll, Alice
Faye. Extras: Commentary by Institute of the American Musical
president Miles Krueger, "Alice Faye: A Life on Screen," deleted
scene of the plumbers (starring the Ritz Brothers), restoration
comparison.
-- That Night in Rio (1941) Alice Faye, Don Ameche, Carmen
Miranda. Extras: "Alice Faye: A Life Off Screen," restoration
comparison.
** American Hardcore (2006) Intense, aggressive documentary of
the rise and fall of the 1980s punk-rock scene; told by the
pioneers themselves, including members of Circle Jerks, Misfits,
Bad Religion, Black Flag, Bad Brains, Red Hot Chili Peppers,
Adolescents, Guns N' Roses, Descendents, Corrosion of Conformity,
Dead Kennedys, Suicidal Tendencies, Youth Brigade and many more.
Extras: Deleted scenes, musical performances, photo montage.
(Sony).
** Apartment Zero (1988) Hart Bochner, Colin Firth. Twisted tale
of deceit, perversion and murder set in Buenos Aires and
involving the repressed owner of a failing revival theater, his
insane mother, and a boarder who may or may not be a serial
killer. Remastered and uncut. Extras: Commentary by director
Martin Donovan; commentary by writer-producer David Koepp and
director Steven Soderbergh on filmmaking in the 1980s and today
and on the film, considered an important entry in the world of
independent filmmaking. (Union Station Media).
** Babel (2006) Dir.: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu; Brad Pitt,
Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal, Koji Yakusho, Elle Fanning.
(Paramount).
** C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005 -- French) Michel Cote, Marc-Andre Grondin,
Danielle Proulx. Chronicles the first 20 years of the contentious
relationship a young man has with his conservative father: The
pain they endure and, ultimately, the love they exude for one
another. (Genius Products).
** Crossover (2006) Anthony Mackie, Wesley Jonathon, Wayne Brady,
Eva Pigford, Lil' JJ, Phillip "Hot Sauce" Champion.Extras:
Commentary by Wesley Jonathan and director Preston A. Whitmore
II. (Sony).
** Curious George: Zoo Night and Other Animal Stories. Eight
episodes from the PBS Kids' series first season, $16.98. Extras:
"Magic Numbers" and "Daily Donuts" games. (Universal).
** Dead Mary (2007) Dominique Swain, Maree-Josee Colburn, Maggie
Castle, Reagan Pasternak. A weekend getaway turns deadly when a
group of girls decide to play the ghoulish game "Dead Mary,"
unleashing a vengeful spirit that possesses them one by one.
Extras: Music video, making-of featurette. (Genius Products).
** Family Ties: The First Season. Four-disc set with 22 episodes,
$42.99. (Paramount).
** Fifty Pills (2006) Lou Taylor Pucci, Kristen Bell, John
Hensley, Nora Zehetner. Comedy about trials and tribulations of a
small-town boy trying to make it in New York City. (Echo Bridge
Home Entertainment).
** Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Limited Edition (2005)
Animated sequel; two-disc set with 10 collectible postcards, an
English movie script and a biographical character booklet;
$49.95. Extras: "Reminiscence of Final Fantasy VII" story digest,
Venice Film Festival footage, deleted scenes, sneak peek of
upcoming Final Fantasy VII games, "The Distance" making-of
featurette with all new english voice cast interviews, anime
feature: "Last Order Final Fantasy VII. (Sony).
** Flight of Fury (2007) Steven Seagal, Alki David, Ciera Payton.
Direct-to-video. A special agent working for an underground
division of the U.S. Air Force must bring back a stolen
top-secret Stealth Bomber. (Sony).
** Flushed Away (2006) Voices of Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian
McKellen, Jean Reno, Bill Nighy, Andy Serkis, Shane Richie, Kathy
Burke, David Suchet.Extras: "Slug Songs" animated music videos,
"The Music of Flushed Away" featurette, filmmaker commentary,
"Meet the Cast" featurette, "DreamWorks Kids: This Way to Play"
interactive games and creative activities: Build-A-Slug, Learn to
Draw Roddy, Flushed Away Tunes, A Maze of Pipes, The Flushed Away
Underground Adventure, more. (DreamWorks).
** For Your Consideration (2006) Dir.: Christopher Guest; Carrie
Aizley, Bob Balaban, Ed Begley, Jr., Jennifer Coolidge, Paul
Dooley, Ricky Gervais, Christopher Guest, Rachael Harris, John
Michael Higgins, Michael Hitchcock, Don Lake, Eugene Levy, Jane
Lynch, Michael McKean, Larry Miller, Christopher Moynihan,
Catherine O'Hara, Jim Piddock, Parker Posey, Harry Shearer,
Deborah Theaker, Fred Willard, Scott Williamson. Extras:
Commentary, extra footage, poster gallery. (Warner).
** 49th Parallel (1941 -- U.K.) Dir.: Michael Powell & Emeric
Pressburger; Laurence Olivier, Leslie Howard, Raymond Massey,
Anton Walbrook. Two-disc edition with new, restored
high-definition digital transfer. Extras: Commentary by film and
music historian Bruce Eder; "The Volunteer," a 1943 Powell and
Pressburger short starring Ralph Richardson; "A Pretty British
Affair," a BBC documentary on the careers of Powell and
Pressburger; excerpts from Powell's audio dictations for his
autobiography; plus a new essay by film scholar Charles Barr.
(The Criterion Collection).
** Gandhi: 25th Anniversary Collector's Edition (1982) Dir.:
Richard Attenborough; Ben Kingsley, Candice Bergen, Edward Fox,
John Gielgud, Trevor Howard, John Mills, Martin Sheen, Ian
Charleson, Athol Fugard. Extras: Featurettes: "In Search of
Gandhi," "Reflections on Ben Kingsley," "Madeleine Slade: An
Englishwoman Abroad," "The Funeral," "Shooting an Epic in India,"
"Looking Back," "Designing Gandhi": three set and design
mini-featurettes ("Building the Ashram," "The Tent" and "Finding
Trains"), "From the Director's Chair": two mini-featurettes ("On
Casting" and "On Music"). (Sony).
** Going Shopping (2006) Victoria Foyt, Lee Grant, Bruce Davison,
Mae Whitman, Jennifer Grant, Juliet Landau, Cynthia Sikes. Comedy
about a clothing designer with her own boutique confronted with
deceit, elation, desperation, kleptomania, rebellion, addiction
and passion during the course of a tumultuous Mother's Day
weekend. Extras: Commentary by director Henry Jaglom and Victoria
Foyt, "Behind the Scenes: Making of Going Shopping." (MTI Home
Video).
** A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006) Robert Downey Jr.,
Rosario Dawson, Shia LaBeouf, Chazz Palminteri, Dianne Wiest,
Channing Tatum, Eric Roberts. (First Look Pictures).
** His Life and Times/5 Avenue Marceau 75116 Paris (2002) Two
documentaries on Yves Saint Laurent. (Empire Pictures/First Run
Features).
** The Impossible Elephant (2001) Mark Rendall, Mia Sara,
Nicholas Lea. Family film about a boy who finds a rare elephant
in his backyard. (Echo Bridge Home Entertainment).
** The Journalist and the Jihadi: The Murder of Daniel Pearl
(2006-- TV) Documentary narrated by journalist Christiane
Amanpour. (HBO Video).
** Keeping Mum (2006) Rowan Atkinson, Kristin Scott Thomas,
Maggie Smith, Patrick Swayze, Tamsin Egerton, Toby Parkes. An
absent-minded vicar of a rural parish is so distracted by the
pressures of his job that he fails to notice his wife's dalliance
with her brash golf instructor, his daughter's parade of new
boyfriends, and his young son's regular trouncing by the school's
bullies. Extras: Outtakes, bloopers, extended scene, alternate
opening, filmmaker commentary. (ThinkFilm).
** La Sierra (2005) Award-winning Human Rights Watch documentary
on three young people who live in Medellin, Colombia, an area
ruled by a gang with ties to the nation's paramilitary armies;
$29.95. (First Run Features).
** La Vie Promise (2002 -- French) Isabelle Huppert, Pascal
Greggory, Maud Forget. A prostitute and her teenage daughter run
away after a murder. (Empire Pictures/First Run Features).
** A Man for All Seasons (1966) Dir.: Fred Zinnemann; Paul
Scofield, Wendy Hiller, Leo McKern, Robert Shaw, Orson Welles,
Susannah York, Nigel Davenport, John Hurt, Corin Redgrave.
Extras: "The Life of Sir Thomas More" short featurette. (Sony).
** Man of the Year (2006) Robin Williams, Christopher Walken,
Laura Linney, Jeff Goldblum, Lewis Black. Extras: "Robin Williams
-- A 'Stand Up' Guy" featurette, "Commander and Chief" Barry
Levinson video diary. (Universal).
** Night of the Living Dorks (Die Nacht der Lebenden Loser) (2004
-- German) Tino Mewes, Thomas Schmeider, Manuel Cortez. Philip
and his best friends Konrad and "Weener" are the three biggest
losers at Frederich Nietzsche High School. During a drive, their
bong malfunctions, spewing smoke into their Scooby van and
causing them to crash. After inhaling some ashes bought on eBay
that supposedly can raise the dead, the three friends become
indestructible zombies with an insatiable appetite for human
flesh, wild parties and gym class revenge. Extras: Interviews
with cast and crew, behind the scenes footage, deleted and
extended scenes, alternate ending, "fun" scenes. (Anchor Bay).
** Penn and Teller: Bullshit! The Complete Fourth Season.
Three-disc set with 10 episodes, $29.99. (Paramount).
** Persons Unknown (1996) Dir.: George Hickenlooper; Joe
Mantegna, Kelly Lynch, Naomi Watts, J.T. Walsh, Xander Berkeley,
Jon Favreau. A security expert is seduced by a pair of sisters to
get the code to the office of a client. (Vanguard Cinema).
** The Prestige (2006) Dir.: Christopher Nolan; Hugh Jackman,
Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, Rebecca Hall,
Scarlett Johansson, David Bowie, Andy Serkis. Extras: "The
Director's Notebook: The Cinematic Sleight of Hand of Christopher
Nolan," "The Art of the Prestige Gallery." (Buena Vista).
** River's End (2004) Dir.: William Katt; Sam Huntington, Charles
Robinson, Barry Corbin, Charles Durning, Caroline Goodall, Clint
Howard, William Katt. Story of a rebellious youth put back on the
right path by a wise elder and a wilderness quest. Info:
www.riversendmovie.com. (Pumpjack Entertainment).
** The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, Series 1. Three-disc set of the
popular British TV mystery series, $49.99. (Acorn Media).
** The Second City: First Family of Comedy. Retrospective
documentary on the legendary comedy troupe that incubated such
stars as John Belushi, John Candy, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Dan
Aykroyd, Martin Short, Dave Thomas and Tina Fey; $24.99. Extras:
Bonus footage. (First Look Home Entertainment).
** Shut Up & Sing (2006) Dir.: Barbara Kopple, Cecilia Peck.
Critically acclaimed documentary follows the aftermath of the
Dixie Chicks' controversial anti-Bush statements. Extras:
Commentary by Kopple, Peck and the Dixie Chicks; Q&A with the
filmmakers. (Weinstein Co./Genius Products).
** The Three Stooges: Hapless Half-Wits. Four short subjects:
"Beer Barrel Polecats" (1945) and "I'll Never Heil Again" (1940)
featuring Larry, Moe & Curly; and "Brideless Grooms" (1947) and
"Dopey Dicks" (1949) featuring Larry, Moe & Shemp; $24.95.
(Sony).
** Twilight Samurai (2002 -- Japanese) Hiroyuki Sanada, Rie
Miyazawa, Nenji Kobayashi. A 19th-century samurai tries to
protect a battered wife (Empire Pictures/First Run Features).
** UFC Bitter Rivals. Ultimate Fighting Championship featuring
two 2006 bouts: Ortiz vs. Shamrock and Sylvia vs. Arolvski;
$19.98. (First Look Home Entertainment).
** Walking Tall: The Payback (2007) Kevin Sorbo, Yvette Nipar,
A.J. Buckley. Direct-to-video sequel. (Sony).
** What's New Scooby-Doo? The Complete First Season. Two-disc set
with 13 episodes, $19.98. Extras: Bonus episode: "A Scooby-Doo
Valentine." (Warner).
** When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960 -- Japan) Dir.: Mikio
Naruse; Hideo Takamine, Tatsuya Nakadai, Masayuki Mori, Reiko
Dan. New, high-definition digital transfer; new and improved
subtitle translation. Extras: Commentary by Japanese film scholar
Donald Richie, new video interview with Tatsuya Nakadai, plus a
booklet featuring essays by Audie Bock, Catherine Russell, and
Phillip Lopate. (The Criterion Collection).
** White Air (2007) Riley Smith, Dominique Swain, Paul Logan,
Brent Le Macks, Tom Sizemore, Elizabeth Daily. A once-promising
extreme snowboarder loses his edge and must decide whether to
give the sport one more shot or get a steady job and aim for
financial stability. Extras: Super Pike action sequences,
extended Big Country footage, Super Pipe special test sequence.
(Monarch Home Video).
** Wilderness (2006) Sam Pertwee, Alex Reid, Toby Kebbell,
Stephen Wight. Someone is savagely murdering the inmates of a
wilderness camp in Scotland. Extras: Cast interviews. (First Look
Home Entertainment).
** Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: Season Two, Volume Two.
Three-disc set with 13 episodes, $29.98. Extras: David Hedison
interview, still gallery. (Fox).
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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