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11/4/08 V12.43
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ONVIDEO'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO HOME VIDEO RELEASES
VOTE
For Tuesday, November 4 -- Monday, November 10
Get Smart
CONTROL agent Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) is sent on his most dangerous and important mission: to thwart the latest plot for world domination by the evil crime syndicate known as KAOS. It also happens to be his very first mission. When the headquarters of secret U.S. spy agency CONTROL is attacked and the identities of its agents compromised, the Chief (Alan Arkin) has no choice but to promote his ever-eager analyst Maxwell Smart, who has always dreamt of working in the field alongside his idol, stalwart superstar Agent 23 (Dwayne Johnson). Smart is partnered instead with the only other agent whose identity has not been compromised: the lovely-but-lethal veteran Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway). As Smart and 99 get closer to unraveling KAOS' master plan -- and each other -- they discover that key KAOS operative Siegfried (Terence Stamp) and his sidekick Shtarker (Ken Davitian) are scheming to cash in with their network of terror. With no field experience and little time, Smart -- armed with nothing but a few spy-tech gadgets and his unbridled enthusiasm -- must defeat KAOS if he is to save the day. Vitals: Director: Peter Segal. Stars: Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, Terence Stamp, Terry Crews, David Koechner, James Caan, Masi Oka, Nate Torrence, Kenneth Davitian. 2008, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 110 min., Spy Comedy, Box office gross: $129.472 million, Warner.
When Did You Last See Your Father?
Unflinching exploration of a father/son relationship, as Blake Morrison deals with his father Arthur's terminal illness and imminent death. Blake's memories of everything funny, embarrassing and upsetting about his childhood and teens are interspersed with tender and heartrending scenes in the present, as he struggles to come to terms with his father and their history of conflict, and learns to accept that one's parents are not always accountable to their children.Vitals: Director: Anand Tucker. Stars: Colin Firth, Jim Broadbent, Juliet Stevenson, Gina McKee, Claire Skinner, Matthew Beard. 2008, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 92 min., Drama, Box office gross: $1.071million,Sony.
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NEWS
At the top of the release stack this week is Fox's "The Films of Budd Boetticher Box Set." Known for their sparse style, dramatic rocky locations, and recurring themes of a lone man seeking vengeance amidst a brutal landscape, Boetticher's films have, decades after their release, come to be regarded as some of the most influential westerns ever made. This set brings together five of his best films: "The Tall T" (1957), starring Randolph Scott, John Hubbard, Richard Boone and Maureen O'Sullivan; "Decision at Sundown" (1957), starring Randolph Scott and John Carroll; "Buchanan Rides Alone" (1958), starring Randolph Scott; "Ride Lonesome" (1959), starring James Best, Randolph Scott and Lee Van Cleef; "Comanche Station" (1960), starring (Randolph Scott, Nancy Gates, Claude Akins, Skip Homeier and Richard Rust. Extras include the documentary "Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That," introductions, and commentary by Clint Eastwood, Taylor Hackford, and Martin Scorsese.
A fun collectible is "A Christmas Story 25th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition" (1983), a two-disc set housed in a Cookie Tin Cannister. Extras for the beloved film, directed by Bob Clark and starring Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin and Peter Billingsley, include commentary, a making-of featurette, a "Red Ryder Rifle" featurette, a "Leg Lamp" featurette, a 50-plus page book, five cookie cutters inspired by the film, and a custom chef's apron; $39.99. Also available on Blu-ray Disc for $49.99; from Warner ... For nostalgic boomers there's "The Howdy Doody Show," a five-disc set with 40 episodes of the seminal TV series. "The Howdy Doody Show" made its debut in 1947; at the time there were only 20,000 American homes with television sets and NBC only had stations in six markets. The show was credited as a major factor in the growth of NBC. "Howdy" went on to air 2,543 episodes, before running its final episode on Dec. 30, 1960; $29.98 from Mill Creek Entertainment ... Other collectibles this week:
"Pee-wee's Big Advenutre"
(1985), directed by Tim Burton and starring Paul Reubens, Elizabeth Daily, Mark Holton and Diane Salinger, from Warner; "The Wild Wild West: The Complete Box Set" (1965-69), a 27-disc set, $144.99, from Paramount ... and "The Gregory Peck Film Collection,"
a six-disc set with "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Cape Fear," "Arabesque,"
"Mirage," "Captain Newman, M.D." and "The World in His Arms," $59.98
from Universal.From TV to Video:
"Futurama: Bender's Game" (2008) is the third installment in the series of all-new feature-length "Futurama" animated adventures. With fuel prices skyrocketing, the Planet Express crew sets off on a dangerous mission to infiltrate the world's only dark-matter mine, source of all spaceship fuel. But deep beneath the surface, they discover a far stranger place ... a medieval land of dragons and sorcery and intoxicated knights who look suspiciously like Bender; from Fox ... "JAG: The Seventh Season" (2001-02) is a five-disc set with 24 episodes, $64.99 from Paramount ... When strange anomalies in time start to appear all over England, Professor Cutter and his team have to help track down and capture all sorts of dangerous prehistoric creatures from Earth's distant past in BBC TV's "Primeval: Volume 1" (2007), $49.98 from Warner ... "Project Runway: The Complete Fourth Season" is a four-disc set with 14 episodes, $27.95 from Genius Products ... "Spin City: The Complete First Season" Is a four-disc set with 24 episodes, $39.99 from Shout! Factory.
Buzzin' the 'B's:
An ancient legend says that the fiery entrance to hell exists in an elaborate underworld that lies beneath the city of Moscow. A priest delves into this eerie underground system of catacombs and caves, supposedly inhabited by demons, in search of his friend who disappeared while researching the legend in "Moscow Zero" (2006), starring Vincent Gallo, Oksana Akinshina, Val Kilmer, Sage Stallone, Joaquim de Almeida and Rade Serbedzija; from Sony ... "Termination Point" (2007) stars Jason Priestley and Lou Diamond Phillips in a sci fi tale about a rogue time-travel scientist who must be found before repercussions from potential time shifts threaten to destroy the Earth; from Sony ... "Return to Sleepaway Camp" (2008), stars Vincent Pastore, Jonathan Tiersten, Paul DeAngelo and Isaac Hayes in the fourth sequel to the 1983 slasher film; from Magnolia Home Entertainment.
On the Indie Front:
"Dear Me, a Blogger's Tale" (2008) stars Sarah Thompson in a tale about a copywriter whose personal blog is hijacked by an evil co-worker; from Porchlight Home Entertainment ... "The Good Life" (2007), starring Mark Webber, Zooey Deschanel, Chris Klein, Bill Paxton, Drea De Matteo, Donal Logue, Patrick Fugit and Harry Dean Stanton, is a comedy/drama about a young man who is encouraged by a new friend to cope with living in the small football-obsessed town where he doesn't fit in, retreating into classic old movies ... until he meets a beautiful and mysterious young woman; from Image ... (2005), directed by Saul Rubinek and starring Wendel Meldrum, Mark Humphrey and Luke Humphrey, is the story of a suburban housewife's strange journey of soul-awakening in the traumatic years following the revelation, on videotape, of her husband's infidelity; from Sommerville House/Critical Mass/KOCH Entertainment ... In "Flashbacks of a Fool" (2008), starring Daniel Craig, Harry Eden, Eve, Helen McCrory and Olivia Williams, a fading Hollywood star looks back at the days of his youth as he returns home from his best friend's funeral; from Anchor Bay Entertainment ... "What We Do Is Secret" (2007), stars Shane West, Bijou Phillips, Rick Gonzalez, Noah Segan and Ashton Holmes in a biopic of punk legend Darby Crash and his seminal L.A. band the Germs; from Peace Arch Entertainment.
For the Family:
In "Shrek the Halls"(2008), all the "Shrek" characters return to celebrate Christmas in this 22-minute animated short; with the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas; from DreamWorks/Paramount ... Two Jim Henson features arrive this week from HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate: "The Christmas Toy" (1987), a tale about toys coming alive on Christmas Eve; $14.98; and "Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas" (1977), an HBO TV special about a poor but tight-knit family of otters struggling to make ends meet during the holidays; $14.98 ... "Batman: The Complete Animated Series" is a 17-disc set with 109 episodes, $107.92; from Warner ... "HIT Favorites: Snow Days" is a collection of six winter-themed offerings for the pre-school set from "Barney," "Thomas & Friends," "Bob the Builder," "Angelina Ballerina," "Fireman Sam" and "Pingu"; $14.98 from HIT/Lionsgate.
Special Interest:
What a difference eight years makes -- in the life of a troubled nation, a battleground state, and an American family. All three meet head-on in "Swing State" (2008), which chronicles the 2006 Ohio Governor's race, a campaign in which J. Kenneth Blackwell, responsible for "delivering" Ohio to George W. Bush in 2004, meets his match: Democratic candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor Ted Strickland and Lee Fisher. In "Swing State," the whole process is documented, with an intimate look at not only a critical fight in a key state, but also the experience of the Fisher family as they put it all on the line to avenge Lee's devastating loss for governor in 1998. $19.98 from Morningstar Entertainment ... "Creatures of the Deep" is a four-disc set with four National Geographic specials: "Dolphins: The Wild Side," "Tiger Shark: Predator Revealed," "Devils of the Deep: Jumbo Squid" and "Killer Whales: Wolves at Sea"; $39.98 from Warner ... "NFL History of the New England Patriots" is a five-disc set that covers all the great games, all the star players and all the unforgettable moments; $26.95 from Warner.
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THIS WEEK'S DVD RELEASES:
Batman: The Complete Animated Series. Seventeen-disc set with 109 episodes, $107.92. Extras: Forty-page collector's book, commentaries, featurettes. (Warner).
A Christmas Story 25th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition (1983) Dir.: Bob Clark; Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Peter Billingsley.Two-disc set housed in a Cookie Tin Cannister. Extras: Commentary, making-of featurette, "Red Ryder Rifle" featurette, "Leg Lamp" featurette, 50-plus page book, five cookie cutters inspired by the film, custom chef's apron; $39.99. Available on Blu-ray Disc, $49.99. (Warner).
The Christmas Toy (1987) Jim Henson tale about toys coming alive on Christmas Eve; $14.98. (HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate).
Creatures of the Deep. Four-disc set with four National Geographic specials: "Dolphins: The Wild Side," "Tiger Shark: Predator Revealed," "Devils of the Deep: Jumbo Squid" and "Killer Whales: Wolves at Sea"; $39.98. (Warner). Extras: Available on Blu-ray Disc.
Cruel but Necessary (2005) Dir.: Saul Rubinek; Wendel Meldrum, Mark Humphrey, Luke Humphrey. Story of a suburban housewife's strange journey of soul-awakening in the traumatic years following the revelation, on videotape, of her husband's infidelity. With her marriage over and struggling to raise her teenage son alone, Betty becomes driven to discover other secrets that may surround her. She videotapes every aspect of her life during the gradual disintegration of her comfortable upper middle-class existence. The film is seen entirely from the viewpoint of Betty's video camera resulting in a "surveillance tape" that is a black comedy journey through the heart of suburbia. Extras: Additional scenes, two commentaries, cast and crew interviews. (Sommerville House, Critical Mass, KOCH Entertainment).
Dear Me, a Blogger's Tale (2008) Sarah Thompson. A copywriter's personal blog is hijacked by an evil co-worker. (Porchlight Home Entertainment).
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1977) Jim Henson HBO TV special about a poor but tight-knit family of otters struggling to make ends meet during the holidays; $14.98. Extras: Sing-alongs, making-of featurette, bloopers, etc. (HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate).
The Films of Budd Boetticher Box Set. Known for their sparse style, dramatic rocky locations, and recurring themes of a lone man seeking vengeance amidst a brutal landscape, the films of Budd Boetticher have, decades after their release, come to be regarded as some of the most influential westerns ever made. This set brings together five of his best films: "The Tall T" (1957), starring Randolph Scott, John Hubbard, Richard Boone and Maureen O'Sullivan; "Decision at Sundown" (1957), starring Randolph Scott and John Carroll; "Buchanan Rides Alone" (1958), starring Randolph Scott; "Ride Lonesome" (1959), starring James Best, Randolph Scott and Lee Van Cleef; "Comanche Station" (1960), starring (Randolph Scott, Nancy Gates, Claude Akins, Skip Homeier and Richard Rust. Extras: "Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That" documentary, introductions and commentary by Clint Eastwood, Taylor Hackford, and Martin Scorsese. (Fox).
Flashbacks of a Fool (2008) Daniel Craig , Harry Eden, Eve, Helen McCrory, Olivia Williams. A fading Hollywood star looks back at the days of his youth as he returns home from his best friend's funeral. Extras: Behind-the-scenes interviews with cast and crew, U.K. TV spots. (Anchor Bay Entertainment).
Futurama: Bender's Game (2008) Third installment of all-new feature-length animated adventures. With fuel prices skyrocketing, the Planet Express crew sets off on a dangerous mission to infiltrate the world's only dark-matter mine, source of all spaceship fuel. But deep beneath the surface, they discover a far stranger place ... a medieval land of dragons and sorcery and intoxicated knights who look suspiciously like Bender. Extras: Outtakes, cast commentary, an anti-piracy message from Bender, an interactive Futurama Genetics Laboratory, more. Available on Blu-ray Disc. (Fox).
Get Smart (2008) Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, Terence Stamp, Terry Crews, David Koechner, James Caan, Masi Oka, Nate Torrence, Kenneth Davitian. Extras: Digital copy, Comedy Optimization Mode with alternate versions of jokes, DVD movie game, "The Right Agent for the Right Job" featurette, "Max In Moscow!" featurette, "Language Lessons" featurette, "Spy Confidential: Gag Reel" featurette, "Get SmartŐs Bruce & Lloyd Out of Control" featurette, more. Also available as a single-disc DVD, a two-disc Special Edition DVD, and a three-disc Blu-ray Disc. (Warner)
The Good Life (2007) Mark Webber, Zooey Deschanel, Chris Klein, Bill Paxton, Drea De Matteo, Donal Logue, Patrick Fugit, Harry Dean Stanton. Comedy/drama about a young man who is encouraged by a new friend to cope with living in the small town where he doesn't necessarily fit in. Jason Prayer (Mark Webber) doesn't care about football, but that's just one reason he's an outsider in the football-obsessed Nebraska city where he grew up. To escape his dead-end existence, Jason retreats into classic old movies ... until he meets the beautiful and mysterious Frances (Zooey Deschanel). (Image).
The Gregory Peck Film Collection. Six-disc set with "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Cape Fear," "Arabesque," "Mirage," "Captain Newman, M.D." and "The World in His Arms," $59.98. (Universal).
HIT Favorites: Snow Days. Collection of six winter-themed offerings for the pre-school set from "Barney," "Thomas & Friends," "Bob the Builder," "Angelina Ballerina," "Fireman Sam" and "Pingu," $14.98. (HIT/Lionsgate).
The Howdy Doody Show. Five-disc set with 40 episodes, $29.98. "The Howdy Doody Show" made its debut on television in 1947; there were only 20,000 American homes with television sets and NBC only had stations in six television markets. The show was credited as a major factor in the growth of NBC. "Howdy" went on to air 2,543 episodes, before running its final episode on Dec. 30, 1960. (Mill Creek Entertainment).
JAG: The Seventh Season
(2001-02) Five-disc set with 24 episodes, $64.99. (Paramount).
Moscow Zero (2006) Vincent Gallo, Oksana Akinshina, Val Kilmer, Sage Stallone, Joaquim de Almeida, Rade Serbedzija. An ancient legend says that the fiery entrance to hell exists in an elaborate underworld that lies beneath the city of Moscow. A priest delves into this eerie underground system of catacombs and caves, supposedly inhabited by demons, in search of his friend who disappeared while researching the legend. (Sony).
NFL History of the New England Patriots. Five-disc set, $26.95. From the nomadic days in Boston, to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, this NFL history covers all the great games, all the star players and all the unforgettable moments. (Warner).
Pee-wee's Big Advenutre (1985) Dir.: Tim Burton; Paul Reubens, Elizabeth Daily, Mark Holton, Diane Salinger. Extras: Additional scenes; production notes, sketches and storyboards; commentary by Paul Reubens and Tim Burton; music-only track with commentary by Danny Elfman. (Warner).
Primeval: Volume 1 (2007) BBC TV series. When strange anomalies in time start to appear all over England, Professor Cutter and his team have to help track down and capture all sorts of dangerous prehistoric creatures from Earth's distant past. $49.98. Extras: Commentary, "The Making of Primeval," "Through the Anomaly" behnd the scenes featurette. (Warner).
Project Runway: The Complete Fourth Season. Four-disc set with 14 episodes, $27.95. (Genius Products).
Reaper: Season One (Lionsgate).
Return to Sleepaway Camp (2008) Vincent Pastore, Jonathan Tiersten, Paul DeAngelo, Isaac Hayes. Fourth sequel to the 1983 slasher film. Extras: Interviews, behind-the-scenes featurette, photo gallery. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
Shrek the Halls (2008) All the "Shrek" characters return to celebrate Christmas in this 22-minute animated short. With the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas. Extras: "The Twelve Days of Christmas Sing Along," "Deck the Halls Sing Along," "Gingy's Dunking Game," more. (DreamWorks/Paramount).
Spin City: The Complete First Season. Four-disc set with 24 episodes, $39.99. Extras: Interviews with Michael J. Fox, the series creators and the ensemble cast; commentaries; "Highlights of The Paley Center for Media Seminar" featuring Gary David Goldberg and Michael J. Fox in 1996; video showcasing Team Fox, The Michael J. Fox Foundation's community fundraising program. (Shout! Factory).
Swing State (2008) What a difference eight years makes, in the life of a troubled nation, a battleground state, and an American family. All three meet head-on in the 2006 Ohio Governor's race, a campaign in which J. Kenneth Blackwell, responsible for "delivering" Ohio to George W. Bush in 2004, meets his match: Democratic candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor Ted Strickland and Lee Fisher. In "Swing State," the whole process is documented, with an intimate look at not only a critical fight in a key state, but also the experience of the Fisher family as they put it all on the line to avenge Lee's devastating loss for governor in 1998. $19.98. Extras: Deleted scenes. (Morningstar Entertainment).
Termination Point (2007) Jason Priestley, Lou Diamond Phillips. A rogue scientist who has disappeared with classified time-travel technology must be found before repercussions from potential time shifts threaten to destroy the Earth. (Sony).
Waterworld: Extended Edition (1995) Kevin Costner, Dennis Hopper, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Tina Majorino, Michaael Jeter, Gerard Murphy, R.D. Call. Two-disc extended edition with 40 minutes of additional footage as well as the original theatrical cut. (Universal).
What We Do Is Secret (2007) Shane West, Bijou Phillips, Rick Gonzalez, Noah Segan, Ashton Holmes. Biopic of punk legend Darby Crash and his seminal L.A. band the Germs. Extras: Cast interviews, behind-the-scenes footage. (Peace Arch Entertainment).
When Did You Last See Your Father? (2008) Colin Firth, Jim Broadbent, Juliet Stevenson, Gina McKee, Claire Skinner, Matthew Beard. Unflinching exploration of a father/son relationship, as Blake Morrison deals with his father Arthur's terminal illness and imminent death. Blake's memories of everything funny, embarrassing and upsetting about his childhood and teens are interspersed with tender and heartrending scenes in the present, as he struggles to come to terms with his father and their history of conflict, and learns to accept that one's parents are not always accountable to their children. Extras: Commentary by director Anand Tucker, deleted scenes. (Sony).
The Wild Wild West: The Complete Box Set (1965-69) Twenty-seven disc box set, $144.99. Extras: "Wild Wild West Revisited," "More Wild Wild West," more. (Paramount).
For more DVD info, check out our DVD calendar pages at
<http://www.onvideo.org/calendar/cal_dvd.htm>
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