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12/11/07 V11.50

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ONVIDEO'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO HOME VIDEO RELEASES
For Tuesday, December 11 -- Monday, December 17

Bourne Ultimatum, The
The third installment of the successful spy franchise based on the Robert Ludlum novels. This time around Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is living as a man without a country or a past. Subjected to brutal training he doesn't remember by people he can't identify, Bourne was turned into a sophisticated human weapon -- the toughest target the CIA has ever tracked. Since he was discovered floating in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Italy several years ago, he has been on a desperate quest to learn who he is and discover who taught him how to kill. After his lover, Marie, died from an assassin's bullet, all Bourne wanted was revenge. Once he found it, what he craved was to forever disappear and forget the life stolen from him. But a front-page story in a London newspaper that speculates about his existence ends that hope, and he finds himself once again a target. Treadstone, the top-secret black-ops program that created this super-assassin, is now defunct. It has been re-imagined as the joint Department of Defense program Blackbriar, with a new generation of trained killers -- hidden from domestic or foreign oversight -- at the government's disposal. To them, Bourne is a $30-million malfunctioning threat who must be taken out, once and for all. To him, they are the only link to a life he has tried in vain to forget. Bourne has reached the end of the line. This time, he will not stop at his former masters' empty promises or even with the killing of those who relentlessly pursue him. With nothing left to lose, he will use each nuance of his training and every finely honed instinct they taught him to come after his creators and finish it all. His quest will take him from Moscow, Paris and Madrid to London and Tangier -- evading, outsmarting and outmaneuvering Blackbriar operatives, federal agents and local police every step of the way -- in a desperate quest to find answers to the remaining questions that haunt him. And Bourne's journey will ultimately lead him to where it all began and where it must come to an end: the streets of New York City and the black-ops' headquarters. Vitals: Director: Paul Greengrass. Stars: Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, Joan Allen, David Strathairn, Paddy Considine, Edgar Ramirez, Trevor St. John. 2007, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 116 min., Drama, Box office gross: $222.776 million, Universal.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
It has been a long, lonely summer for Harry Potter as he awaits his fifth year of study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It's bad enough that he must endure living with the odious Dursleys, but he hasn't received even a note from his classmates and closest friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. And there has not been any word from anyone in the aftermath of his confrontation with the evil Lord Voldemort. The letter that does arrive is not the kind for which he was hoping -- pronouncing that Harry is about to be expelled from Hogwarts for illegally using magic outside of school and in the presence of a Muggle, namely his obnoxious cousin, Dudley. Never mind that it was in defense against an unprovoked and inexplicable attack by two Dementors. Harry's only hope is to defend himself at what amounts to hardly more than a kangaroo court orchestrated by the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, who has his own reasons for wanting the young wizard to be gone for good. Much to Fudge's chagrin, Harry is acquitted -- thanks largely to the intervention of Hogwarts' venerable Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore -- but his return to Hogwarts is, for the first time, apprehensive and uncomfortable. Harry has learned that much of the wizarding community has been led to believe that the story of the teenager's recent encounter with Voldemort is an outright lie, putting Harry's integrity in question. Feeling ostracized and alone, Harry is beset by nightmares that seem to foretell sinister events. Worse, the one person whose counsel he needs most, Professor Dumbledore, is suddenly acting strangely distant from the confused and hurt young wizard. Meanwhile, in an effort to keep an eye on Dumbledore and keep the Hogwarts students -- especially Harry -- in line, Fudge has appointed a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, the duplicitous Professor Dolores Umbridge. But Professor Umbridge's "Ministry-approved" course of defensive magic leaves the young wizards woefully unprepared to defend themselves against the Dark Forces threatening them. So, at the prompting of Hermione and Ron, Harry is convinced to take matters into his own hands. Meeting secretly with a small group of students who name themselves "Dumbledore's Army," Harry teaches them how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts, preparing the courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle that he knows lies ahead. Vitals: Director: David Yates. Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Imelda Staunton, George Harris, Helena Bonham Carter, Natalia Tena, Kathryn Hunter, Evanna Lynch, Gary Oldman, Harry Melling, Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, Sian Thomas, Jason Boyd, Richard Macklin, Charles Hughes, Susie Shinner, Auror Dawlish, Nick Shim, Ralph Fiennes, Apple Brook, James Walters, James Utechin, Alec Hopkins, Jason Piper. 2007, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 138 min., Fantasy, Box office gross: $ 291.340 million, Warner.

High School Musical 2: Extended Edition
More of the infectious music, high energy dancing and exuberant young cast that created worldwide High School Musicalmania with the original Disney Channel feature. The gang from East High takes the stage at the local country club summer talent show and scheming drama queen Sharpay is at the center of intrigue once more, using her influence to get Troy a job at the club in order to make him her singing partner at the annual show. When Troy arranges jobs for Gabriella and the Wildcats too, Sharpay has to do some fancy maneuvering to keep the others off the stage. To get Troy to go along with her plan, she makes him an offer she thinks he can't refuse -- a chance at a college basketball scholarship -- forcing Troy to choose between his friends and his future. "High School Musical 2" premiered on Disney Channel on August 17 and with 17.2 million Viewers, making it the most-watched cable telecast of all-time. The" High School Musical 2" soundtrack rewrote chart history with its spectacular debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, a first for a television movie soundtrack. Vitals: Director: Kenny Ortega. Stars: Zac Efron, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman. 2007, Musical, Disney.

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NEWS

DVD Collectibles:
One of the more off-beat films of the 1970s, coming on the heels of "Easy Rider," was Monte Hellman's 1971 "Two-Lane Blacktop." Drag racing east from L.A. in a souped-up '55 Chevy are the wayward Driver and Mechanic (singer-songwriter James Taylor and the Beach Boys' Dennis Wilson, in their only acting roles), accompanied by a tagalong Girl (Laurie Bird). Along the way, they meet Warren Oates' Pontiac GTO-driving wanderer and challenge him to a cross-country race -- the prize: their cars' pink slips. Yet no summary can do justice to the existential punch of ÒTwo-Lane Blacktop.Ó Maverick director Monte Hellman's stripped-down narrative, gorgeous widescreen compositions, and sophisticated look at American male obsession make this one of the artistic high points of 1970s cinema. This director-approved special edition double-disc set features a new, restored high-definition digital transfer as well as a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Extras include commentaries, appreciations, a look at the restoration of a '55 Chevy from the movie, and a reprint of the 1970 Rolling Stone article "On Route 66, Filming Two-Lane Blacktop." From The Criterion Collection.

"Walt Disney Treasures Wave VII" consists of three new two-disc volumes from the Disney archives. Each volume, with material all new to DVD, is hosted by film historian Leonard Maltin; each is individually numbered, with an authenticity certificate, and each includes an exclusive lithograph, in collectible packaging. "The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit," 1926-28 shorts; "Chronological Donald, Volume 3," 31 solo shorts from 1947 through 1950; and "Disneyland: Secrets, Stories and Magic." From Disney.

From TV to Video:
Due this week: "Beverly Hills 90210: The Third Season" (1992-93), an eight-disc set with 30 episodes, $61.99 from Paramount ... "Big Love: The Complete Second Season," a four-disc set with 12 episodes, $59.99 from HBO Video ... "Dirt: The Complete First Season," a four-disc set with 13 episodes, $59.99 from Disney ... "Flight 29 Down: Volume Three," with four episodes of the TV series about a group of high school students who find themselves marooned on a deserted island; $14.98 from Genius Products/Discovery Kids ... "Frasier: The Tenth Season" (2002-03), a four-disc set with 24 episodes, $42.99 from Paramount ... "Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.: The Third Season" (1966-67), a five-disc set with 29 episodes, $42.99 from Paramount ... "Lost: The Complete Third Season: The Unexplored Experience," a seven-disc set with 23 episodes, $59.99 from Disney.

Buzzin' the 'B's:
In "A Perfect Day" (2006), starring Rob Lowe, Paget Brewster and Christopher Lloyd, a family man and suddenly-successful author encounters a mystical stranger who warns him he has only 40 more days to live; from Sony ... "Masters of Horror: The V Word" (2007) is director Ernest Dickerson's contribution to Showtime's "Master of Horror" series: Two geeky best friends, who've only experienced carnage via their video games, break into a local mortuary and unleash a ferocious ghoul (Michael Ironsides) who's hungry to share a few depraved urges of his own; from Anchor Bay ... A maniacal chef goes on a killing spree, attacking seven gorgeous bikini-clad high school girls at a slumber party in "Bikini Bloodbath" (2006), starring Debbie Rochon, Thomas Edward Seymour, Russ Russo, Leah Ford and Rob Cosgrove, from MVD Exclusive ... In "Hack!" (2005), starring Sean Kanan, Juliet Landau, Danica McKellar, William Forsythe, Kane Hodder and Burt Young, a pair of filmmakers travel to an isolated island to make a slasher film and encounter a group of college kids whose ranks mysteriously begin to thin out; from Allumination FilmWorks ... In ÓUndead or AliveÓ (2007), a satrical horror film starring Chris Kattan, James Denton and Navi Rawat, a soldier on the run from the Union Army and a cowboy with a broken heart rob the corrupt sheriff of an old West town, only to find themselves chased by the sheriff's army of zombies; only Geronimo's smart and beautiful niece Sue can save them; from Image Entertainment.

On the Indie Front:
"The Rocket" (2005) is the extraordinary story of Maurice "The Rocket" Richard, Quebec's most famous hockey player, who transfixed fans during the 1950s pre-helmet days of the game; stars Roy Dupuis; from Palm Pictures ... In "December Boys" (2007), starring Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe, four Australian orphans travel to a beach resort, where they compete for adopted parents and love; from Warner ... In "48 Angels" (2006), starring Shane Brolly, John Travers and Ciaran Flynn, a 9-year-old boy diagnosed with a serious illness goes in search of a miracle, to find God before God comes for him. Inspired by Saint Columcille, he sets out in a small boat without oars or sail, and embarks on a journey that results in the healing of hearts and minds; from MTI Home Video ... After falling out with his editor, a fading political journalist (Steve Buscemi) is forced to interview America's most popular soap actress (Sienna Miller) in Steve Buscemi's black comedy "Interview" (2005), based on a film by Theo Van Gogh; from Sony.

Special Interest:
Due this week: "Everything's Cool" (2007) is a "toxic comedy" documentary on global warming; from City Lights Entertainment ... "Dave Attell: Captain Miserable" (2007) is the comedian's one-man show taped live at the historic Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C.; from HBO Video ... "The Boston Red Sox World Series Collector's Edition" is an eight-disc set with every uncut game broadcast from the World Series and ALCS Games 5-7; $79.95 from A&E Home Video ... In 1998 Mario Rocha, a young Latino from East L.A., was convicted of murder on the basis of questionable identification and evidence. Though only 16, he was given an adult's sentence: life imprisonment. Awaiting trial, he joined the Inside Out Writing Program and today his writings are read in prisons throughout the country. "Mario's Story" (2007) is an inspiring film that documents this extraordinary young man's victory against despair, though defeated by a flawed justice system; from Westlake Entertainment ... "18 in '08" is a nonpartisan documentary film and movement targeting today's 17 to 24-year-olds, many of whom will be voting in their first presidential election in 2008. Made by 18-year-old director David D. Burstein, "18 in '08: The Film" features interviews with many of the most influential politicians of today, as well as figures from popular culture, political activists, media commentators, student leaders and young people. The documentary highlights what is at stake for youth in the 2008 election, how decisions made in Washington today will affect young people for years to come, the issues and ideas that engage their generation, what turns them off, the role of new media in engaging young voters, and candidates who have inspired youth. The 34-minute DVD sells for $15.00 and can be ordered at www.18in08.com.

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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

Beverly Hills 90210: The Third Season (1992-93) Eight-disc set with 30 episodes, $61.99. (Paramount).

Big Love: The Complete Second Season. Four-disc set with 12 episodes, $59.99. Extras: Three backstory prequels. (HBO Video).

Bikini Bloodbath (2006) Debbie Rochon, Thomas Edward Seymour, Russ Russo, Leah Ford, Rob Cosgrove. A maniacal chef goes on a killing spree, attacking seven gorgeous bikini-clad high school girls at a slumber party. (MVD Exclusive).

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, Joan Allen, David Strathairn, Paddy Considine, Edgar Ramirez, Trevor St. John. Extras: Deleted scenes, "Man on the Move" Jason Bourne" five-part making-of documentary, "New York Chase," "Planning the Punches," "Rooftop Pursuit," "Driving School," commentary by director Paul Green grass and Damon. Also available on HD DVD combo disc. (Universal).

Dave Attell: Captain Miserable (2007) Comedian's one-man show taped live at the historic Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C. Extras: Never-before-seen footage, "Dave Visits Iraq," "Dave's Booze Cruise," "Dave Pollutes a Music Festival." (HBO Video).

December Boys (2007) Daniel Radcliffe. Four Australian orphans travel to a beach resort, where they compete for adopted parents and love. Extras: Additional scenes. (Warner).

Dirt: The Complete First Season. Four-disc set with 13 episodes, $59.99. Extras: "Celebrity Couple Gets Dirty" behind-the-scenes featurette; "Through a Lens, Darkly" profile on Dirt's resident photographer/schizophrenic; "Tabloid Wars: Totally True Stories from the Celebrity Trenches" featurette; deleted scenes. (Buena Vista).

Everything's Cool (2007) "Toxic comedy" documentary on global warming. Extras: Directors' commentary, DVD-ROM Link to a "Doctored" Congressional Report, photo gallery, deleted scenes and environmental "Activist" extras. (City Lights Entertainment).

Flight 29 Down: Volume Three. Four episodes of the TV series about a group of high school students who find themselves marooned on a deserted island; $14.98. Extras: "Flight 29 Down" theme sung by the cast, home movies, "Just Like Family" featurette. (Genius Products/Discovery Kids).

48 Angels (2006) Shane Brolly, John Travers, Ciaran Flynn. A 9-year-old boy diagnosed with a serious illness goes in search of a miracle, to find God before God comes for him. Inspired by Saint Columcille, he sets out in a small boat without oars or sail, and embarks on a journey that results in the healing of hearts and minds. (MTI Home Video).

Frasier: The Tenth Season (2002-03) Four-disc set with 24 episodes, $42.99. (Paramount).

Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.: The Third Season (1966-67) Five-disc set with 29 episodes, $42,99. (Paramount).

Hack! (2005) Sean Kanan, Juliet Landau, Danica McKellar, William Forsythe, Kane Hodder, Burt Young. Extras: A pair of filmmakers travel to an isolated island to make a slasher film and encounter a group of college kids whose ranks mysteriously begin to thin out. (Allumination FilmWorks).

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Imelda Staunton, George Harris, Helena Bonham Carter, Natalia Tena, Kathryn Hunter, Evanna Lynch, Gary Oldman, Harry Melling, Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, Sian Thomas, Jason Boyd, Richard Macklin, Charles Hughes, Susie Shinner, Auror Dawlish, Nick Shim, Ralph Fiennes, Apple Brook, James Walters, James Utechin, Alec Hopkins, Jason Piper. Available as single-disc and a two-disc Special Edition, as well as on Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD. Extras: Additional scenes; A&E documentary about the Harry Potter saga; "Trailing Tonks" featurette; several "making of" featurettes; "Fun and Games" with director David Yates and editor Mark Day, who show viewers what a difference a good edit makes and allows viewers to edit a scene; much more. (Warner).

Harry Potter Limited Edition Giftset. Twelve-disc giftset with two-disc editions of all five Harry Potter films: "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." Extras: Two bonus discs: The first contains "Hogwarts Challenge," a unique interactive DVD gaming experience with 14 adventure games based on Harry Potter films 1-3, with clips from films 4-5. The second bonus disc includes more than three hours of all-new to DVD extra content from all five films. Also included with the limited edition giftset are collectible premiums created especially for this promotion -- the Harry Potter Bookmark Collection, with five unique souvenir metal bookmarks, and four different packs of Harry Potter trading cards. In HD DVD and Blu-ray giftsets for $149.99; $119.97 for the standard definition set. (Warner).

High School Musical 2: Extended Edition (2007) Special bonus musical scene seamlessly integrated into the film in which audiences can finally see the musical number Troy and Sharpay rehearse in the film but never perform. Extras: "Sing Along With High School Musical 2 " onscreen lyrics, "High School Musical Karaoke," "Rehearsal Cam" opportunity to watch the rehearsal footage in sync with the movie, bloopers, music videos. Available on Blu-ray Disc. (Disney).

Interview (2005) Dir.: Steve Buscemi; Sienna Miller, Steve Buscemi. After falling out with his editor, a fading political journalist (Buscemi) is forced to interview America's most popular soap actress (Miller). Extras: Commentary by Buscemi, making-of featurette, "Based on a Film by Theo Van Gogh" featurette. (Sony).

The Jason Bourne Collection. Four-disc set with all three Bourne films plus tons of extras, in "safe deposit box" packaging with a Jason Bourne passport; $49.98. (Universal).

Lost: The Complete Third Season: The Unexplored Experience. Seven-disc set with 23 episodes, $59.99. Extras: "The World of the Others" featurette, "Lost Flashbacks," "Lost in One Day" behind-the scene look at 24 hours in the life of the series, "Lost on Location," "The Lost Book Club" hints to the significance of the show's literary references, deleted scenes, bloopers, commentaries. (Disney).

Mario's Story (2007) In 1998 Mario Rocha, a young Latino from East L.A., was convicted of murder on the basis of questionable identification and evidence. Though only 16, he was given an adult's sentence: life imprisonment. Awaiting trial, he joined the Inside Out Writing Program and today his writings are read in prisons throughout the country. This inspiring film documents this extraordinary young man's victory against despair, though defeated by a flawed justice system. (Westlake Entertainment).

Masters of Horror: The V Word (2007) Director Ernest Dickerson's contribution to Showtime's "Master of Horror" series: Two geeky best friends Kerry (Arjay Smith) and Justin (Branden Nadon), who've only experienced carnage via their video games, break into a local mortuary and unleash a ferocious ghoul (Michael Ironsides) who's hungry to share a few depraved urges of his own. Extras: Commentary by Dickerson and writer/co-executive producer Mick Garris, "Feeding Frenzy: The Making of The V Word," "Bite Me: Tearing Up the FX Shot! " photo gallery, script (DVD-ROM). (Anchor Bay).

A Perfect Day (2006 -- TV) Rob Lowe, Paget Brewster, Christopher Lloyd. A family man and suddenly-successful author encounters a mystic stranger who warns him he has only 40 more days to live. Based on a novel by Richard Paul Evans. (Sony).

The Rocket (2005) Roy Dupuis. Extraordinary story of Maurice "The Rocket" Richard, Quebec's most famous hockey player, who transfixed fans during the 1950s pre-helmet days of the game. Extras: "A Tribute to Maurice Richard, The Rocket," deleted scenes. In French with English subtitles and dub track. (Palm Pictures).

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) Gilmer McCormick, Toni Nero, Robert Brian Wilson. Extras: Interview with Director Charles E. Sellier Jr. (Anchor Bay).

Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) Dir.: Monte Hellman; James Taylor, Warren Oates, Laurie Bird, Dennis Wilson. Director-approved special edition double-disc set features new, restored high-definition digital transfer supervised and approved by Hellman; Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Extras: Two audio commentaries; one by Hellman and filmmaker Allison Anders, and one by screenwriter Rudy Wurlitzer and author David Meyer; interviews with Hellman, musician Kris Kristofferson, producer Michael Laughlin, and production manager Walter Coblenz; rare, never-before-seen screen-test outtakes; "Performance and Image": a look at the restoration of a '55 Chevy from the movie; "Color Me Gone" photos and publicity; plus Rudy Wurlitzer's screenplay, reprinted specially for this release; new essays by Kent Jones, appreciations by Richard Linklater and Tom Waits; and a reprint of the 1970 Rolling Stone article "On Route 66, Filming Two-Lane Blacktop." (The Criterion Collection).

Undead or Alive (2007) Chris Kattan, James Denton, Navi Rawat. A soldier on the run from the Union Army and a cowboy with a broken heart rob the corrupt sheriff of an old West town, only to find themselves chased by the sheriff's army of zombies; only Geronimo's smart and beautiful niece Sue can save them. Extras: Commentary by Kattan, Denton, Rawat and director Glasgow Phillips; two "making-of" featurettes: "From South Park to the Wild, Wild West," "Geronimonsters! The Zombies That Walked the West." (Image Entertainment).

Walt Disney Treasures Wave VII. Three new two-disc volumes from the Disney archives. Each volume, with material all new to DVD, is hosted by film historian Leonard Maltin; each is individually numbered, with an authenticity certificate, and each includes an exclusive lithograph, in collectible packaging. "The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit," 1926-28 shorts; "Chronological Donald, Volume 3," 31 solo shorts from 1947 through 1950; and "Disneyland: Secrets, Stories and Magic." (Disney).

For more DVD info, check out our DVD calendar pages at
<http://www.onvideo.org/calendar/cal_dvd.htm>

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