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ONVIDEO'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO HOME VIDEO RELEASES
For Tuesday, July 14 -- Monday, July 20
Haunting in Connecticut, The
Based on a chilling true story, "The Haunting in Connecticut" charts one family's terrifying, real-life encounter with the dark forces of the supernatural. When the Campbell family moves to upstate Connecticut, they soon learn that their charming Victorian home has a disturbing history: Not only was the house a transformed funeral parlor where inconceivable acts occurred, but the owner's clairvoyant son Jonah served as a demonic messenger, providing a gateway for spiritual entities to crossover. Now unspeakable terror awaits when Jonah, the boy who communicated with the powerful dark forces of the supernatural, returns to unleash a new kind of horror on the innocent and unsuspecting family.Vitals: Director: Peter Cornwell. Stars: Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallner, Martin Donovan, Elias Koteas, Amanda Crew. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 92 min., Horror, Box office gross: $55.030 million, Lionsgate.
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NEWS
"Grey Gardens" (2009), starring Drew Barrymore and
Jessica Lange, is the acclaimed HBO drama based on the life story of
the eccentric Beales, a mother and daughter, both named Edith Bouvier
Beale, aka "Big and Little Edie," who were aunt and first cousin of
Jackie Kennedy, respectively. The women were raised as Park Avenue
debutantes but withdrew from New York society, taking shelter at their
Grey Gardens, a crumbling mansion in East Hampton, New York. As their
wealth and contact with the outside world dwindled, so did their grasp
on reality. They were reintroduced to the world when international
tabloids learned of a health department raid on their home, and Jackie
swooped in to save her relatives; from HBO Home Entertainment. The
Maysles brothers filmed a classic documentary on the pair in 1975,
"Grey Gardens," available from The Criterion Collection."Ménage" (1986), directed by Bertrand Blier and starring Gerard Depardieu, Michel Blanc and Miou-Miou, is an extraordinarily dark, comedic thriller. When a crude, charismatic thief (Depardieu) encounters a bored and dissatisfied couple, Antoine (Blanc) and Monique (Miou-Miou), at a bar, he offers to help the young, impoverished lovers get over their recent run of bad luck by enlisting them to help him rob wealthy homes. Turned on by the illicit thrills of thievery, the couple soon abandons their world of middle-class predictability and falls under the influence of their raffish savior. But Bob also has an ulterior motive: as he works his seductive wiles on the couple, a bizarre love triangle develops between the trio; from Koch Lorber.
"The Jean-Jacques Beineix Collection: Roselyne and the Lions" (1989) Cinema in the 1980s saw a new wave of French auteurs explode onto the scene, redefining modernity in film. With "Diva" (1982) and "Betty Blu" (1986), director Jean-Jacques Beineix created two of the most provocative films of the era that were dark, memorable, filled with voluptuous imagery and generous dollops of sex and/or violence. Both films were international hits. This summer, film lovers nationwide will get the chance to view Beineix's work in theaters and on DVD, with several titles released for the first time in the U.S. The second release in the series is the drama "Roselyn and the Lions," about a young man (Gerard Sandoz) who drops out of school to apprentice as a circus lion tamer where he falls in love with Roselyne (Isabelle Pasco). Landing in Germany, they both fall under the tutelage of an aging big cat trainer. From Cinema Libre Studio. For more information: see "The Return of Jean-Jacques Beineix."
From TV to Video:"American Gladiators The Original Series: The Battle Begins" (1989) is a three-disc set with 26 episodes, $29.99 from Shout! Factory ... "Bewitched: The Complete Eighth and Final Season" (1971-72), is a four-disc set with 26 episodes, $39.95 from Sony ... "ER: The Complete Eleventh Season" (2004-5) is a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $49.98 from Warner ... "Leverage: The First Season" (2008) is a four-disc set with 13 episodes, $39.99 from Paramount ... "Mad Men: Season Two" (2008), a four-disc set with 13 episodes, $49.98 from Lionsgate ... "Peyton Place: Part Two" is a five-disc set with 31 episodes, $39.99 from Shout! Factory ... "The State: The Complete Series" is a five-disc set with all 24 episodes of the MTV cult comedy sketch show, $69.99; from Paramount.
Buzzin' the 'B's:
In "The Butcher" (2007), starring Eric Roberts, Robert Davi, Keith David and Bokeem Woodbine, Merle "The Butcher" Hench (Roberts) is a hit man with 20 years of bad luck and gambling debts he can't repay; when he's setup as a fall guy by those he trusts, he decides to start making his own luck and sets out for revenge; from Vivendi Entertainment ... "One Way" (2006), starring Til Schweiger, Lauren Lee Smith, Michael Clarke Duncan, Eric Roberts, Sebastien Roberts and Stefanie von Pfetten, is a blackmail and revenge thriller about a star advertising executive (Schweiger) who has the seemingly perfect life until he provides a false alibi for an accused rapist and winds up with more than he bargained for; from Vivendi Entertainment ... "[Rec]" (2007) is the Spanish horror-thriller that inspired 2008's "Quarantined," about a TV crew that covers an apartment fire and gets stuck in the building to fight off a lethal terror; from Sony ...
"Van Wilder: Freshman Year" (2009) is the third
installment in the series of popular and rude college humor comedies,
this one about the young Van who follows in his wealthy father's
footsteps by enrolling at prestigious Coolidge College, mounting a
personal crusade to free the school from the shackles of sexual
oppression; from Paramount ... A former college basketball star has one
last shot at greatness: the professional beach volleyball tour in "Beach Kings" (2008), starring David Charvet, Torrey DeVitto and Kristin Cavallari; from MGM ... "Break"
(2009) is a comic book-style thriller about a terminally ill crime
boss, known only as The Man, who hires a hit man named Frank to carry
out his own assassination as well as the assassination of The Woman he
loves; it goes awry when The Woman turns out to be Frank's long lost
lover and he turns against The Man; stars Frank Krueger, Sarah
Thompson, Chad Everett, Michael Madsen, Charles Durning, James Russo,
Xin Sarith Wuku and David Carradine; from Cinema Epoch.On the Indie Front:
"The Edge of Love" (2009), starring Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Cillian Murphy and Matthew Rhys, is set in the Bohemian underground of World War II London and follows the stirring love story between legendary poet Dylan Thomas (Rhys) and the two extraordinary women who inspired him; from Image Entertainment ... In "El Camino" (2008), starring Elisabeth Moss, Chris Denham and Leo Fitzpatrick, three friends travel from Virginia to Mexico to fulfill a mutual friend's last request to deposit his cremated ashes there, along the way confronting their unrealized selves and their grief with surprising results; from LifeSize Entertainment/Koch Entertainment ... "Karl Rove, I Love You" (2007) is a comedy-documentary that follows Dan Butler as he prepares for the role of a lifetime: playing Bush administration architect Karl Rove in an election-year documentary. Butler sets out to discover the "Karl Rove" inside us all, but the more Butler sees the world through Rove's eyes, the more he finds himself falling in love with him; from Ariztical Entertainment.
Foreign Films:
There's two films this week from acclaimed Italian director Marco Ferreri ("La Grande Bouffe"): "Bye Bye Monkey"
(1978 -- French) is Ferreri's first English-language film and it's a
typically off-the-wall satire on capitalism, sexual politics and modern
society. Lafayette (Gerard Depardieu), a youngish Frenchman, and
Nocello (Marcello Mastroianni), an older Italian, are a pair of misfit
friends living in a run-down section of New York City. Lafayette works
for a women's lib group, which one day decides to "rape" him to see how
the shoe fits on the other foot. Rather than being much bothered,
Lafayette starts a liaison with the woman who had sex with him. And
while walking along the beach, Nocello discovers the corpse of King
Kong -- and his alive infant son! -- and brings him to Lafayette, who
decides to raise baby Kong as his own. Also stars Geraldine Fitzgerald.
"Don't Touch the White Woman"
(1974 -- French) stars Marcello Mastroianni, Michel Piccoli and
Catherine Deneuve in a satirical comedy in which Ferreri transplants
the Battle of Little Big Horn to the site of a demolished Parisian
Mall. Mastroianni plays a preening, primping General Custer, Piccoli is
an effeminate Buffalo Bill who performs at a Parisian nightclub, and
Deneuve is the seemingly demure frontier gal who literally picks up
Custer and throws him into bed where she ravishes him before the
Indians do. Both from Koch Lorber ... "12"
(2007 -- Russian), directed by Nikita Mikhalkov (often referred to as
the "Russian Steven Spielberg"), is a modern Russian adaptation of
Sidney Lumet's "12 Angry Men," the movie classic starring Henry Fonda;
from Sony.
There's three releases from HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate for the pre-school set: "Barney: Book Fair DVD + Book Collection" (2009), in which Barney's friends hold a book drive in the park and every time they open a new book, a new tale begins. The package includes a DVD inside a custom-sized reprint of the 20-page hardcover Barney storybook "Count to 10" ... "Thomas & Friends: Percy and the Bandstand" (2009) features four Thomas & Friends episodes on the island of Sodor involving a hot-air balloon ride, a top-secret birthday party, a special surprise at the bandstand and more ... "Bob the Builder: Built for Fun" (2009) has Bob the Builder and the Can-Do crew building a radio station, designing greenhouses and more; five episodes; $14.98. Includes a collectible toy vehicle. Each release sells for $14.98 ... In "The Wiggles Go Bananas!" (2009)the musical darlings of the pre-school set offer 24 new songs and special appearances by Kylie Minogue and Wiggles fan favorite Captain Feathersword; $14.98 from Warner ... "The Transformers: 25th Anniversary 'Matrix of Leadership' Edition Collector's Set" (1983) is a sixteen-disc set with 98 restored episodes, a collectible 60-page book, Autobots and Decepticon Magnets, and more. $140.00 direct from Shout! Factory.
Special Interest:
"The Beatles Rare and Unseen: Unofficial Account of the Biggest Band in the World"
(2008) is a documentary that tells the story of The Beatles from their
humble beginnings in Liverpool to their break-up in London, using
original rare film and video of the band, including home-movies,
concert footage, newsreels and photographs from private collections;
$19.95 from MVD Entertainment Group ... "The Doors From the Outside"
(2008) is a new documentary that tells the story of The Doors, not from
the perspective of the surviving members but from the recollections,
memories, stories and anecdotes of those who knew the group; $19.99
from MVD Entertainment Group ..."Shark Week: Great Bites Collection" (2009) is a two-disc set of Discovery Channel programming about the world of Sharks, $24.98 from Image Entertainment ... "Wild Pacific" (2009) is a two-disc set of the BBC series that explores the world's mightiest ocean, $29.98 from Warner ... "The Unwinking Gaze"
(2008) is a documentary that follows Tibet's Dalai Lama as he tries to
lead his people to a peaceful resolution with China; $24.95 from
IndiePix ... "Journey to the Moon: The 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11" (2008) is a documentary on the July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing; $14.98 from Mill Creek Entertainment ... "Vegas: The City the Mob Made"
(2009) is a series that chronicles the untold history of this most
American of cities, Las Vegas; $14.98 from Mill Creek Entertainment ...
"WWE: Allied Powers -- The World's Greatest Tag Teams"
(2009) is a three-disc set chronicles the greatest tag teams in World
Wrestling Entertainment; $24.99 from World Wrestling Entertainment ... "1,001 Classic Commercial Collection" is a compilation of 1,001 commercials from the early days of television, $14.98 from Mill Creek Entertainment.
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THIS WEEK'S DVD RELEASES:
Barney: Book Fair DVD + Book Collection (2009) Barney's friends are holding a book drive in the park and every time they open a new book, a new tale begins. Package includes a DVD inside a custom-sized reprint of the 20-page hardcover Barney storybook "Count to 10." $14.98. (HIT/Lionsgate).
Beach Kings (2008) David Charvet, Torrey DeVitto, Kristin Cavallari. A former college basketball star has one last shot at greatness: the professional beach volleyball tour. (MGM).
The Beatles Rare and Unseen: Unofficial Account of the Biggest Band in the World (2008) All new documentary tells the story of The Beatles from their humble beginnings in Liverpool to their break-up in London. Told for the first time using original rare film and video of the band, including home-movies, concert footage, newsreels and photographs from private collections. There are also interviews with those who surrounded the band, and those who were there from the very start. Features earliest known footage of the Beatles on stage in Liverpool in February 1962; the only existing film on tour in Scotland, from Caird Hall, Dundee, October 1964; footage from the Bahamas, February 1965, during the filming of "Help!" September 1967 footage in Newquay while filming "Magical Mystery Tour"; home movie footage from Paris Olympia Theatre, January 1964; highlights of an interview with John Lennon recorded in New York for French TV. $19.95. (MVD Entertainment Group).
Bewitched: The Complete Eighth and Final Season (1971-72) Four-disc set with 26 episodes, $39.95. (Sony).
Bob the Builder: Built for Fun (2009) Bob the Builder and the Can-Do crew build a radio station, design greenhouses and more; five episodes; $14.98. Includes a collectible toy vehicle. (HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate).
Break (2009) Frank Krueger, Sarah Thompson, Chad Everett, Michael Madsen, Charles Durning, James Russo, Xin Sarith Wuku, David Carradine. Comic book-style thriller about a terminally ill crime boss, known only as The Man, who hires a hit man named Frank to carry out his own assassination as well as the assassination of The Woman he loves. When The Woman turns out to be Frank's long lost lover, he turns against The Man, becoming the target himself. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes, interviews, still gallery. (Cinema Epoch).
The Butcher (2007) Eric Roberts, Robert Davi, Keith David, Bokeem Woodbine. Merle "The Butcher" Hench (Roberts), a hit man with 20 years of bad luck and gambling debts he can't repay, is an ageing loser with nothing to show for himself but a lifetime of bad decisions. So when he's setup as a fall guy by those he trusts, he decides to start making his own luck: Merle will set them straight and The Butcher will have his revenge. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurette. (Vivendi Entertainment).
Bye Bye Monkey (1978 -- French) Gerard Depardieu, Marcello Mastroianni, Geraldine Fitzgerald. The first English-language film from acclaimed Italian director Marco Ferreri ("La Grande Bouffe") is a typically off-the-wall satire on capitalism, sexual politics and modern society. Lafayette (Depardieu), a young-ish Frenchman and Nocello (Mastroianni), an older Italian, are a pair of misfit friends living in a run-down section of New York City. Lafayette works for a women's lib group, which one day decides to "rape" him to see how the shoe fits on the other foot. Rather than being much bothered, Lafayette starts a liaison with the woman who had sex with him. And while walking along the beach, Nocello discovers the corpse of King Kong -- and his alive infant son! -- and brings him to Lafayette, who decides to raise baby Kong as his own. (Koch Lorber).
The Doors From the Outside (2008) New documentary tells the story of The Doors, not from the perspective of the surviving members -- as has been told so many time before -- but from the recollections, memories, stories and anecdotes of those who knew the group and its members best; $19.99. Extras: "Conversation with The Lizard Queen" featurette, in which Patricia Morrison reveals her own views about Jim Morrison as an artist, a poet and a visionary. (MVD Entertainment Group).
Don't Touch the White Woman (1974 -- French) Marcello Mastroianni, Michel Piccoli, Catherine Deneuve. Satirical comedy by acclaimed Italian director Marco Ferreri ("La Grande Bouffe") transplants the Battle of Little Big Horn to the site of a demolished Parisian Mall. Mastroianni plays a preening, primping General Custer, Piccoli is an effeminate Buffalo Bill who performs at a Parisian nightclub, and Deneuve is the seemingly demure frontier gal who literally picks up Custer and throws him into bed where she ravishes him before the Indians do. A wry look at many of the political and social issues that shaped America. (Koch Lorber).
ER: The Complete Eleventh Season (2004-5) Six-disc set with 22 episodes, $49.98. Extras: Outpatient outtakes: Unaired Scenes. (Warner).
El Camino (2008) Elisabeth Moss, Chris Denham, Leo Fitzpatrick. A film about friendship, family and identity in today's America. Three friends travel from Virginia to Mexico to fulfill their mutual friend's last request to deposit his cremated ashes there. As the young adults journey through a culture traumatized by war and economic collapse, they confront their unrealized selves and their grief with surprising results. (LifeSize Entertainment/Koch Entertainment).
The Edge of Love (2009) Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Cillian Murphy, Matthew Rhys. In the Bohemian underground of World War II London, a stirring love story ignites among legendary poet Dylan Thomas (Rhys) and the two extraordinary women who inspire him. Caitlin (Miller) is Thomas' free-spirited wife, while Vera (Knightley) is the long-lost teenage sweetheart who later reconnects with Thomas. Despite their romantic rivalry, the two women form a surprisingly close bond. The trio is unusually blissful until Vera's husband, a handsome soldier (Murphy), sends their uninhibited lives spiraling out of control. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Image Entertainment).For All Mankind (2008) In July 1969, the space race ended when Apollo 11 fulfilled President Kennedy's challenge of "landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth." No one who witnessed the lunar landing will ever forget it. Al Reinert's documentary is the story of the twenty-four men who traveled to the Moon, told in their words, in their voices, using the images of their experiences. Original Music by Brian Eno. New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by producer-director Al Reinert. Extras: Commentary by Reinert and Apollo 17 commander Eugene A. Cernan, the last man to set foot on the Moon; "An Accidental Gift: The Making of For All Mankind" documentary; "On Camera," a collection of excerpted, on-screen interviews with fifteen of the Apollo astronauts; NASA audio highlights and liftoff footage; booklet featuring essays by film critic Terrence Rafferty and Reinert. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (The Criterion Collection).
Grey Gardens (2009) Drew Barrymore, Jessica Lange. Based on the life stories of the eccentric aunt and first cousin of Jackie Kennedy, this HBO drama tells the tender, intimate story of an eccentric mother and daughter (both named Edith Bouvier Beale, aka "Big and Little Edie"). They were raised as Park Avenue debutantes but withdrew from New York society, taking shelter at their Long Island summer home. As their wealth and contact with the outside world dwindled, so did their grasp on reality. They were reintroduced to the world when international tabloids learned of a health department raid on their home, and Jackie swooped in to save her relatives. Based on the lives that inspired the Maysles Brothers' classic documentary.(HBO Home Entertainment).
The Haunting in Connecticut (2009) Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallner, Martin Donovan, Elias Koteas, Amanda Crew. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Lionsgate).
The Human Condition (1959-61) Tatsuya Nakadai. Masaki Kobayashi's mammoth humanist drama is one of the most staggering achievements of Japanese cinema. Originally filmed and released in three parts, the nine-and-a-half-hour, adapted from Junpei Gomikawa's six-volume novel, tells of the journey of the well-intentioned yet naive Kaji (Tatsuya Nakadai) from labor camp supervisor to Imperial Army soldier to Soviet POW. Constantly trying to rise above a corrupt system, Kaji time and again finds his morals an impediment rather than an advantage. Four-disc set with new, restored high-definition digital transfer. Extras: Excerpt from a rare Directors Guild of Japan video interview with director Masaki Kobayashi, conducted by filmmaker Masahiro Shinoda; new video interview with actor Tatsuya Nakadai; video appreciation of Kobayashi and "The Human Condition" featuring Shinoda; booklet featuring an essay by critic Philip Kemp. (The Criterion Collection).
The Jean-Jacques Beineix Collection: Roselyne and the Lions (1989) Cinema in the 1980s saw a new wave of French auteurs explode onto the scene, redefining modernity in film. With "Diva" (1982) and "Betty Blu" (1986), director Jean-Jacques Beineix created two of the most provocative films of the era that were dark, memorable, filled with voluptuous imagery and generous dollops of sex and/or violence. Both films were international hits. In the 90s, Beineix turned towards more socially conscious subjects, directing two documentaries as well as taking up the paintbrush. He returned to feature filmmaking in 1992 with "IP5: The Island of the Pachyderms," which was the last film for renowned actor Yves Montand. This summer, film lovers nationwide will get the chance to view Beineix's work in theaters and on DVD, with several titles released for the first time in the U.S. The second release is the drama "Roselyn and the Lions," about a young man (Gerard Sandoz) who drops out of school to apprentice as a circus lion tamer where he falls in love with Roselyne (Isabelle Pasco). Landing in Germany, they both fall under the tutelage of an aging big cat trainer. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurette "The Grand Circus." (Cinema Libre Studio). For more information see "The Return of Jean-Jacques Beineix."
Journey to the Moon: The 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11 (2008) Documentary on the July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, including reflections by Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin. Also contains six classic documentaries from the NASA archive along with two spectacular NASA photograph slideshows. $14.98. (Mill Creek Entertainment).
Karl Rove, I Love You (2007) Dan Butler, featuring Phil Leirness, Julia Miranda, John Hoffman, Kira Tirimacco, Richard Waterhouse, Alex Cruz and with special appearances by Alec Baldwin and Peter Paige. Comedy documentary follows Dan Butler as he prepares for the role of a lifetime: playing Bush administration architect Karl Rove in an election-year documentary. Butler sets out to discover the "Karl Rove" inside us all, but the more Butler sees the world through Rove's eyes, the more Butler's friends and associates find themselves worried about his well-being. And when Butler finds himself falling in love with Rove, truly scary events begin to occur. Extras: Commentary by cast and crew, deleted scenes. (Ariztical Entertainment)
Leverage: The First Season (2008) Four-disc set with 13 episodes, $39.99. Extras: Commentary, deleted scenes, featurettes: "Leverage: Behind the Scenes," "Anatomy of a Stunt Fight," "The Cameras of Leverage," "Leverage Gets Renewed" and "Beth Riesgraf's Crazy Actress Spoof." (Paramount).
Mad Men: Season Two (2008) Four-disc set with 13 episodes, $49.98. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Lionsgate).
Ménage (1986 -- French) Dir.: Bertrand Blier; Gerard Depardieu, Michel Blanc, Miou-Miou When a crude, charismatic thief (Depardieu) encounters a bored and dissatisfied couple, Antoine (Blanc) and Monique (Miou-Miou), at a bar, he offers to help the young, impoverished lovers get over their recent run of bad luck by enlisting them to help him rob wealthy homes. Turned on by the illicit thrills of thievery, the couple soon abandons their world of middle-class predictability and falls under the influence of their raffish savior. But Bob also has an ulterior motive: as he works his seductive wiles on the couple, a bizarre love triangle develops between the trio. (Koch Lorber).
1,001 Classic Commercial Collection (2009) Twelve plus hours with 1,001 commercials from the early days of television, $14.98. (Mill Creek Entertainment).
One Way (2006) Til Schweiger, Lauren Lee Smith, Michael Clarke Duncan, Eric Roberts, Sebastien Roberts, Stefanie von Pfetten. Blackmail and revenge thriller. Star advertising executive Eddie (Schweiger) has the seemingly perfect life. He just landed a huge account, he earned a promotion and he's about to marry the boss' daughter. But when he provides a false alibi for an accused rapist in order to protect his career and upcoming marriage, Eddie winds up in over his head with more than he bargained for. (Vivendi Entertainment).Peyton Place: Part Two. Five-disc set with 31 episodes, $39.99. (Shout! Factory).
[Rec] (2007 -- Spain) Manuela Velasco, Ferran Terraza, Jorge Serrano, Pablo Rosso. The Spanish horror-thriller that inspired 2008's "Quarantined," about a TV crew that covers an apartment fire and gets stuck in the building to fight off a lethal terror. (Sony).
Shark Week: Great Bites Collection (2009) Two-disc set of the Discovery Channel programming about the world of Sharks, $24.98. Extras: Featurettes: "MythBusters: Jaws," "Shark Attack Files IV," "Dirty Jobs: Jobs That Bite" and "Dirty Jobs: Jobs That Bite Harder." Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Image Entertainment).
The State: The Complete Series. Five-disc set with all 24 episodes of the MTV cult comedy sketch show, $69.99. Extras: Commentary, outtakes, interviews, show pilot, unaired sketches, more. (Paramount).
Thomas & Friends: Percy and the Bandstand (2009) Four Thomas & Friends episodes on the island of Sodor involving a hot-air balloon ride, a top-secret birthday party, a special surprise at the bandstand and more; $14.98. Extras: Songs and read-alongs. (HIT/Lionsgate).
The Transformers: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Edition Collector's Set (1983) Sixteen-disc set with 98 restored episodes, a collectible 60-page book, Autobots and Decepticon Magnets, more. Extras: Retrospective featurettes, concept art, voice cast reunion, archival Hasbro Toy commercials, printable scripts, rare PSAs, "From the Files of Teletraan-2," Fan art gallery, animated fan film. $140.00 direct from Shout! Factory.
12 (2007 -- Russian) Directed by Nikita Mikhalkov (often referred to as the Russian "Steven Spielberg"), "12" is a modern Russian adaptation of Sidney Lumet's "12 Angry Men," the movie classic starring Henry Fonda. (Sony).
The Unwinking Gaze (2008) Documentary takes viewers inside the titanic struggle of one of the great spiritual and political figures of our time -- the Dalai Lama -- as he tries to lead his people to a peaceful resolution with China. $24.95. Extras: Footage of the Dalai Lama's recent trip to Canada, extended interviews. (IndiePix).
Van Wilder: Freshman Year (2009) Jonathan Bennett, Kristin Cavallari, Steve Talley, Kurt Fuller, Linden Ashby. A young Van follows in his wealthy father's footsteps by enrolling at prestigious Coolidge College. Much to the easygoing slacker's dismay, however, Coolidge is hardly the party school he envisioned. Instead, it's a strict institution led by an uptight dean-and to make matters worse, all the girls have taken a vow of chastity! Determined to rectify this intolerable situation, the civic-minded Van launches a personal crusade to free his school from the shackles of sexual oppression and party dysfunction. Third installment in the series of popular and rude college humor comedies. In rated and unrated editions. Extras: Commentary by director Harv Glazer and cast, "Creating the Legend: The Making of Van Wilder: Freshman Year," "Going Balls Out: Colossus," "Coolidge College: Orientation Video," "Previously on Decatur," "Teacher's Pets," bloopers, more. (Paramount).
Vegas: The City the Mob Made (2009) Series chronicles the untold history of this most American of cities, Las Vegas; $14.98. (Mill Creek Entertainment).
The Wiggles Go Bananas! (2009) The musical darlings of the pre-school set offer 24 new songs and special appearances by Kylie Minogue and Wiggles fan favorite Captain Feathersword. Released just in time for their U.S. concert tour kicking off on July 15. $14.98. Extras: "Safety Around Dogs," two bonus "Wiggle and Learn" episodes, photo gallery. (Warner).
Wild Pacific (2009) Two-disc set of the BBC series that explores the world's mightiest ocean, $29.98. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurettes. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Warner).
WWE: Allied Powers -- The World's Greatest Tag Teams (2009) Fans can enjoy the greatest tag teams in WWE history in this three-disc set hosted by The Miz and John Morrison, who are the current World Tag Team champions and the longest-running WWE Tag Team Champions in recent history. Featured are New Age Outlaws vs. Rock 'N' Sock Connection, Tully Blanchard & Leg Luger vs. Nikita Koloff and Dusty Rhodes, more. $24.99. (World Wrestling Entertainment).
For more DVD info, check out our DVD calendar pages at
<http://www.onvideo.org/calendar/cal_dvd.htm>
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