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4/22/08 V12.17
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ONVIDEO'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO HOME VIDEO RELEASES
For Tuesday, April 22 -- Monday, April 29
Charlie Wilson's War
"Charlie Wilson's War" is the true story of how a playboy congressman, a renegade CIA agent and a beautiful Houston socialite joined forces to lead the largest and most successful covert operation in history. Their efforts contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, with consequences that reverberate throughout the world today. Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) was a bachelor congressman from Texas who had a habit of showing up in hot tubs with strippers and cocaine. His "Good Time Charlie" exterior, however, masked an extraordinary mind, a deep sense of patriotism and a passion for the underdog, and in the early 1980s the underdog was Afghanistan -- which had just been brutally invaded by the Soviet Union. Charlie's longtime friend and patron and sometime lover was Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts), one of the wealthiest women in Texas and a virulent anti-communist. Believing the American response to the Russian invasion was anemic at best, she prods Charlie into doing more for the Mujahideen (Afghan freedom fighters). Charlie's partner in this uphill endeavor is CIA Agent Gust Avrakotos (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), a blue-collar operative in a company of Ivy League blue bloods. Together, the three of them travel the world to form unlikely alliances among the Pakistanis, Israelis, Egyptians, arms dealers, lawmakers and a belly dancer. Their success was remarkable. Funding for covert operations against the Soviets went from $5 million to $1 billion annually. The Red Army retreated out of Afghanistan. When asked how a group of peasants was able to deliver such a decisive blow to the army of a superpower, Pakistani President Mohammad Zia ul-Haq responded simply, "Charlie did it." Vitals: Director: Mike Nichols. Stars: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Om Puri, Jud Tylor, Nazanin Boniadi. 2008, CC, MPAA rating: R, 97 min., Drama, Box office gross: $66.636 million, Universal.
Cloverfield
Five young New Yorkers throw their friend a going-away party the night that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Told from the point of view of their video camera, the film is a document of their attempt to survive the most surreal, horrifying event of their lives. Vitals: Director: Matt Reeves. Stars: Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman, Lizzy Caplan, JessicaLucas, T. J. Miller. 2007, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 84 min., Science Fiction, Box office gross: $79.589 million, Paramount.
One Missed Call
It happens to one. Then another. And another. College students discover eerie voicemail messages on their cell phones. Each call comes from the near future. Each call has the chilling voice of the student during his or her last moments alive. And each call comes true. Does the viral spree of calls have a single source? Is there something that links the victims? Psych student Beth Raymond (Shannyn Sossamon) and detective Jack Andrews (Ed Burns) scramble for answers. And they're working fast. Because Beth just discovered an ominous message. Based on the hit Japanese thriller "Chakushin ari." Vitals: Director: Eric Valette. Stars: Ed Burns, Shannyn Sossamon, Ana Claudia Talancon, Ray Wise, Azura Skye, Johnny Lewis, Jason Beghe, Margaret Cho. 2008, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 87 min., Horror Thriller, Box office gross: $26.713 million, Warner.
Orphanage, The
"The Orphanage" centers on a young woman, Laura (Belen Rueda), who purchases her beloved childhood orphanage with dreams of restoring and reopening the long abandoned facility as a place for disabled children. Once there, Laura discovers that the new environment awakens her son's imagination, but the ongoing fantasy games he plays with an invisible friend quickly turn into something more disturbing. Upon seeing her family increasingly threatened by the strange occurrences in the house, Laura looks to a group of parapsychologists for help in unraveling the mystery that has taken over the place. In Spanish with English subtitles. Vitals: Director: Juan Antonio Bayona. Stars: Belen Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Geraldine Chaplin, Montserrat Carulla, Mabel Rivera, Andres Gertrudix, Roger Princep. 2007, CC, MPAA rating: R, 100 min., Horror Thriller, Box office gross: $6.981 million, New Line.
Savages, The
Nominated for two Academy Awards including best actress for Laura Linney and best original screenplay for writer-director Tamara Jenkins, "The Savages" centers on two siblings who are reluctantly forced to look back at their difficult family history. Having wriggled their way beneath their father's domineering thumb, they are firmly cocooned in their own complicated lives -- Wendy (Linney) a struggling playwright; Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman) a neurotic college professor. When their father (Philip Bosco) begins to be consumed by dementia, they are forced to live together under one roof for the first time since childhood. Faced with complete upheaval and battling over how to handle their father's final days, they are confronted with what adulthood, family and most surprisingly, each other are really about. Vitals: Director: Tamara Jenkins. Stars: Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco, Peter Friedman, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Cara Seymour. 2007, CC, MPAA rating: R, 113 min., Comedy Drama, Box office gross: $5.272 million, Fox.
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NEWS
"Death of a Cyclist" (1955 -- Spain) is a tale of guilt, infidelity, and blackmail revolving around a wealthy married couple who hit a cyclist and run. The film was notorious for revealing the wide gap between the rich and the poor in Spain and for surveying the corrupt ethics of a society seduced by decadence. In a new, restored high-definition digital transfer from The Criterion Collection ... Also from Criterion comes "Silent Ozu: Three Family Comedies (Eclipse Series #10)," a no-frills box set of three comedies by the great director Yasujiro Ozu: "Tokyo Chorus" (1931), "I Was Born But . . ." (1932) and "Passing Fancy" (1933); $44.95 ... and for Shirley Temple fans there's "The Shirley Temple Collection Volume 6," a three-disc set with "Young People" (1940), "Stowaway" (1936) and the John Ford classic "Wee Willie Winkie" (1937), co-starring Victor McLaglen (in black-and-white and colorized versions); $29.98 the set or $14.98 each, from Fox.
From TV to Video:
Due this week: "The Best of Backyard Habitat, Volume 1," a collection of 12 episodes of the do-it-yourself backyard makeover series, $14.95 from Genius Products ... "Casanova's Love Letters" (2005) stars Patrick Bergin, Tom Frederic, David Acton and Sophie Lovell Anderson in the docudrama miniseries that follows the exploits of the "World's Greatest Lover," in a three-disc set from BFS Entertainment ... "Friday Night Lights: The Second Season" (2007-08) is a four-disc set with 15 episodes, $29.98 from Universal ... "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Season 1" features 10 episodes of the Adult Swim series, from Warner.
Buzzin' the 'B's:
"Last Request" (2006) is a comedy
about a dying man's last request is for his sons to continue the family
name. When his brother dies trying, Jeff leaves the seminary and
encounters crazy women and oddball characters in an effort to honor his
dad's request; stars T.R. Knight, Danny Aiello, Mario Cantone, Frank
Vincent, Sabrina Lloyd, Joe Piscopo, Vincent Pastore, Tony Lo Bianco,
Barbara Feldon, Mary Birdsong, Gilbert Gottfried; from MTI Home Video
... "Black House" (2007 -- South Korea) is a gory
horror thriller about an insurance claims agent who faces off with a
client whom he suspects of committing murders with the intention of
collecting insurance premiums ... but he digs a bit too deep for his
own good, from Genius Products .. In "Flashpoint"
(2007 -- Hong Kong) , a police detective (Donnie Yen ) battles three
brothers of a powerful Vietnamese gang; a two-disc ultimate edition
from Dragon Dynasty/Weinstein Co./Genius Products ... In "Sick Nurses"
(2007 -- Thailand) a group of sexy nurses who harvest organs are
haunted by the vengeful spirit of one of their dead patients; from
Magnolia Home Entertainment.
For the Family:
"Call of the Wild" (2000) is an Animal Planet live-action adventure based on Jack London's novel, $14.98 from Allumination FilmWorks ... In the feature "Gumby the Movie"
(1995), based on the 1950s "claymation" cartoon series, the crazy
Blockheads threaten to ruin Gumby's benefit concert for farmers by
replacing the band with clones; from Classic Media ... In "Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy"
(2006), a sheepdog pup tries to impress her boss with her skills while
coping with gruff and grumpy rams; $14.98 from Allumination FilmWorks
... "Oban Star-Racers Volume One: The Alwas Cycle"
(2006) is a two-disc set with all 13 Uncut Episodes of the 2-D and 3-D
animated futuristic sci fi series, $19.99 from Shout! Factory.
Special Interest:
"We Are the Music!"
(1964 -- Cuba) is a documentary on the genesis of the music from the
Buena Vista Social Club, $29.95 from First Run Features ... "Wetlands Preserved: The Story of an Activist Rock Club"
(2008) is a documentary that tracks the history of the first-ever
activist nightclub, set up in the 1990s in an ex-Chinese restaurant in
New York City. Features interviews and concert footage with Dave
Matthews, Warren Haynes (of the Allman Brothers Band), Bob Weir, Phish,
Blues Traveler, more. $24.95 from First Run Features.
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THIS WEEK'S DVD RELEASES:
Black House (2007 - South Korea) Gory horror thriller about an insurance claims agent who faces off with a client whom he suspects of committing murders with the intention of collecting insurance premiums ... but he digs a bit too deep for his own good. Extras: Deleted scenes, "The Truth About Psychopaths" making-of featurette, "The Secrets of the Black House" production design featurette. (Genius Products).
Call of the Wild (2000) Animal Planet live-action adventure based on Jack London's novel, $14.98. (Allumination FilmWorks).
Casanova's Love Letters (2005 -- TV) Patrick Bergin, Tom Frederic, David Acton, Sophie Lovell Anderson. Docudrama miniseries follows the exploits of the "World's Greatest Lover." Three-disc set. Extras: "Casanova's Last Stand" drama with Armand Assante. (BFS Entertainment).
Charlie Wilson's War (2008) Dir.: Mike Nichols; Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Om Puri, Jud Tylor, Nazanin Boniadi. Extras: "The Making of Charlie Wilson's War," "Who Is Charlie Wilson?" (Universal).
Cloverfield (2008) Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman, Lizzy Caplan, JessicaLucas, T. J. Miller. Extras: Commentary by director Matt Reeves, "The Making of Cloverfield," "I Saw It! It's Alive, It's Huge" featurette, visual effects featurettes, "Clover Fun," deleted scenes, two alternate endings. (Paramount).
Dam Street (2005 -- China) Xingrao Huang. A 16-year-old girl is ostracized from her small community when she becomes pregnant out of wedlock and is forced to work as a singer in a song and dance troupe. (First Run Features).
A Date With Judy (1948) Wallace Beery, Jane Powell, Elizabeth Taylor, Carmen Miranda, Robert Stack. (Warner).
Death of a Cyclist (1955 -- Spain) Lucia Bose, Alberto Closas, Otello Toso, Carlos Casaravilla, Bruna Corra. Tale of guilt, infidelity, and blackmail after a wealthy married couple hit a cyclist and run; reveals the wide gap between the rich and the poor in Spain, and surveys the corrupt ethics of a society seduced by decadence. New, restored high-definition digital transfer. Extras: "Calle Bardem" (2005), a documentary on the revolutionary life and career of director Juan Antonio Bardem, plus a booklet featuring an essay by scholar Marsha Kinder and a 1955 essay by Bardem on Spanish cinema. (The Criterion Collection).
Flashpoint (2007 - Hong Kong) A police detective (Donnie Yen ) battles three brothers of a powerful Vietnamese gang. Two-disc ultimate edition. Extras: Deleted scenes, commentary, behind-the-scenes gallery, interview with Donnie Yen, more. (Dragon Dynasty/Weinstein Co./Genius Products).
Friday Night Lights: The Second Season (2007-08) Four-disc set with 15 episodes, $29.98. Extras: Deleted scenes, commentaries, cast and crew interview. (Universal).
Gumby the Movie (1995) In this feature effort based on the 1950s "claymation" cartoon series, the crazy Blockheads threaten to ruin Gumby's benefit concert for farmers by replacing the band with clones. Extras: Deleted scenes. (Classic Media).
Hannah Takes the Stairs (2007) Greta Gerwig, Mark Duplass, Kent Osborne, Andrew Bujalski. Hannah is a recent college graduate interning at a Chicago production company where she is crushing on two writers at work, Matt and Paul, who share an office and keep her entertained. Will a relationship with one of them disrupt the delicate balance of their friendship? Part of the "MumbleCore" film movement characterized by ultra-low budget production (often employing digital video cameras), focus on personal relationships between twentysomethings, improvised scripts, and non-professional actors. Extras: Deleted scenes, "Behind the Scenes of Hannah Takes the Stairs," the short film "Thanks for the Add! A Short Film by John Swanberg" with Greta Gerwig and Kent Osborne, commentary by writer-director Joe Swanberg and lead actors/co-writers Greta Gerwig and Kent Osbornem, five SXSW Film Festival video production diary spots. (Genius Products).
Last Request (2006) T.R. Knight, Danny Aiello, Mario Cantone, Frank Vincent, Sabrina Lloyd, Joe Piscopo, Vincent Pastore, Tony Lo Bianco, Barbara Feldon, Mary Birdsong, Gilbert Gottfried. Pop's last request is for his sons to continue the family name. When his brother dies trying, Jeff leaves the seminary and encounters crazy women and oddball characters in an effort to honor his dad's request. (MTI Home Video).
Merrill's Marauders (1962) Dir.: Samuel Fuller; Jeff Chandler, Ty Hardin, Peter Brown, Andrew Duggan, Will Hutchins, Claude Akins. (Warner).
Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy (2006 -- TV) A sheepdog pup tries to impress her boss with her skills while coping with gruff and grumpy rams; $14.98. Extras: Deleted scenes. (Allumination FilmWorks).
Oban Star-Racers Volume One: The Alwas Cycle (2006) Two-disc set with all 13 Uncut Episodes of the 2-D and 3-D animated futuristic sci fi series, $19.99. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurette, interview with creator Savin Yeatman-Eiffel, star-racer profiles, rare, original concept art. (Shout! Factory).
One Missed Call (2008) Ed Burns, Shannyn Sossamon, Ana Claudia Talancon, Ray Wise, Azura Skye, Johnny Lewis, Jason Beghe, Margaret Cho. Also available on HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc. (Warner).
The Orphanage (2007 -- Spain) Belen Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Geraldine Chaplin, Montserrat Carulla, Mabel Rivera, Andres Gertrudix, Roger Princep. Extras: "When Laura Grew Up: Constructing The Orphanage" featurette, "Horror in the Unknown: Make-Up" featurette, "Rehearsal Studio" with director and cast, still gallery. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (New Line).
Romulus, My Father (2007) Eric Bana, Franka Potente, Kodi Smit-McPhee. Story of Romulus, a young Slavian immigrant, his beautiful wife Christina, and their struggle in the face of great adversity to bring up their son, Raimond, in the Australian outback ... a story of impossible love that ultimately celebrates the unbreakable bond between father and son. Based on the acclaimed memoir by Australian philosopher Raimond Gaita. Extras: Making-of featurette, deleted scenes, storyboards. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
The Savages (2007) Dir.: Tamara Jenkins; Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco, Peter Friedman, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Cara Seymour. Extras: "About the Savage" featurette, director's snapshots, "The Sun City West Rhythm Tappers" extended scene, "Two of a Kind " extended scene. (Fox).
Sick Nurses (2007 -- Thailand) A group of sexy nurses who harvest organs are haunted by the vengeful spirit of one of their dead patients. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
The Shirley Temple Collection Volume 6. Three-disc set with "Young People" (1940), "Stowaway" (1936) and the John Ford classic "Wee Willie Winkie" (1937), co-starring Victor McLaglen (in black-and-white and colorized versions); $29.98 the set or $14.98 each. (Fox).
Silent Ozu: Three Family Comedies (Eclipse Series #10). No-frills box set of three comedies by the great director Yasujiro Ozu: "Tokyo Chorus" (1931), "I Was Born But . . ." (1932) and "Passing Fancy" (1933); $44.95. (The Criterion Collection).
Thieves and Liars (2006 -- Spanish) Steven Bauer, Isidro Bobadilla, Elpidia Carrillo. Three different families are affected by the giant underground illegal economy that emerged and continues to grow since Puerto Rico became the main port of entry for cocaine into the U. S. East Coast. (Warner).
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Season 1. Ten episodes of the Adult Swim series. Extras: "How'd Dey Do Dat??" "Lost Gems and Deleted Scenes," "AwesomCon," "Oops and Ding Dongs," "Promos," "GREAT! (But Not Great Enough): Extended Scenes and Missing Moments." (Warner).
We Are the Music! (1964 -- Cuba) A documentary on the genesis of the music from the Buena Vista Social Club, $29.95. (First Run Features).
Wetlands Preserved: The Story of an Activist Rock Club (2008) Documentary tracks the history of the first-ever activist nightclub, set up in the 1990s in an ex-Chinese restaurant in New York City. Features interviews and concert footage with Dave Matthews, Warren Haynes (of the Allman Brothers Band), Bob Weir, Phish, Blues Traveler, more. $24.95. Extras: Outtakes, concert footage, photo gallery, more. (First Run Features).
For more
DVD info, check out our DVD calendar pages at
<http://www.onvideo.org/calendar/cal_dvd.htm>
Copyright 2008 CyberPod. All rights reserved.
ISSN 1094-3676
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