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OnVideo E-Mail News, Tuesday, August 25, 2009, V13.34   Message List  
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8/25/09 V13.34

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ONVIDEO'S WEEKLY GUIDE TO HOME VIDEO RELEASES

For Tuesday,
August 25 --  Monday, August 31

Adventureland
It's the summer of 1987, and James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), an uptight college grad, can't wait to embark on his dream tour of Europe. But when his parents (Wendie Malick, Jack Gilpin) announce they can no longer subsidize his trip, James has little choice but to take a lowly job at a local amusement park. Forget about German beer, world-famous museums and cute French girls -- James' summer will now be populated by belligerent dads, stuffed pandas, and screaming kids high on cotton candy. Lucky for James, what should have been his worst summer ever turns into quite an adventure as he discovers love in the most unlikely place with his captivating co-worker Em (Kristen Stewart), and learns to loosen up. Features a vintage soundtrack with great '80s pop songs by iconic music acts of the era, including The Cure, David Bowie, Crowded House, INXS, Lou Reed and more. Vitals: Director: Greg Mottola. Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Wendie Malick, Jack Gilpin, Martin Starr, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Reynolds. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: R, 107 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $16.025 million, Miramax. 2 stars


Duplicity
Julia Roberts and Clive Owen star as spies-turned-corporate operatives who are having a clandestine love affair. When they find themselves embroiled in a high-stakes espionage game, they discover the toughest part of the job is deciding how much to trust the one you love. CIA officer Claire Stenwick (Roberts) and MI6 agent Ray Koval (Owen) have left the world of government intelligence to cash in on the highly profitable cold war raging between two rival multinational corporations. Their mission? Secure the formula for a product that will bring a fortune to the company that patents it first. For their employers -- industry Titan Howard Tully (Tom Wilkinson) and buccaneer CEO Dick Garsik (Paul Giamatti) -- nothing is out of bounds. But as the stakes rise, the mystery deepens and the tactics get dirtier, the trickiest secret for Claire and Ray is their growing attraction. And as they each try to stay one double-cross ahead, two career loners find their schemes endangered by the only thing they can't cheat their way out of: love. Ultimately uninvolving outing despite (or because of) plot twists and turns and weak acting; not nearly up to director Tony Gilroy's 2007 "Michael Clayton." Vitals: Director: Tony Gilroy. Stars: Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 125 min., Romantic Thriller, Box office gross: $40.559 million, Universal. 2 stars


Fighting
Gritty story of a small town boy who becomes a street fighting star in New York City's underground circuit. Shawn MacArthur (Channing Tatum) knows firsthand that every day in New York City is a struggle to survive. So when scam artist Harvey Boarden (Terrence Howard) gives him a chance to be something more in the brutal underground world of bare-knuckle street-fighting, Shawn decides that he has something worth fighting for and puts everything on the line to win. Every knockout brings him closer to the life he's always wanted, but also traps him in a dangerous web he can't escape. Vitals: Director: Dito Montiel. Stars: Channing Tatum, Terrance Howard, Zulay Henao, Luis Guzman. 2008, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 105 min., Action, Box office gross: $23.036 million, Universal. 2 stars


Sunshine Cleaning
A single mom and her slacker sister find an unexpected way to turn their lives around in the off-beat dramatic comedy "Sunshine Cleaning." Once the high school cheerleading captain who dated the quarterback, Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) now finds herself a thirtysomething single mother working as a maid. Her sister Norah (Emily Blunt) is still living at home with their dad Joe (Alan Arkin), a salesman with a lifelong history of ill-fated get rich quick schemes. Desperate to get her son into a better school, Rose persuades Norah to go into the crime scene clean-up business with her to make some quick cash. In no time, the girls are up to their elbows in murders, suicides and other ... specialized situations. As they climb the ranks in a very dirty job, the sisters find a true respect for one another and the closeness they have always craved finally blossoms. By building their own improbable business, Rose and Norah open the door to the joys and challenges of being there for one another -- no matter what -- while creating a brighter future for the entire Lorkowski family. Vitals: Director: Christine Jeffs. Stars: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Steve Zahn, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Clifton Collins Jr., Jason Spevack. 2009, CC, MPAA rating: R, 102 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $12.055 million, Overture Films/Anchor Bay Entertainment. x stars



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NEWS

DVD Collectibles:
photo The Criterion Collection has three powerful offerings this week, headlined by the groundbreaking Chantal Akerman masterpiece "Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles" (1975), a singular work in film history that brilliantly evokes, with meticulous detail and a sense of impending doom, the daily domestic routine of a middle-aged widow (Delphine Seyrig) -- ­whose chores include making the beds, cooking dinner for her grown son, and turning the occasional trick -- ­just as it begins to break down. In its enormous spareness, Akerman's film seems simple, but it encompasses an entire world. Whether seen as an exacting character portrait or one of cinema's most hypnotic and complete depictions of space and time, "Jeanne Dielman" is an astonishing, compelling movie experiment, one that has been analyzed and argued over for decades, and is finally making its long-awaited DVD debut. This restored digital transfer, approved by Akerman, includes "Autour de Jeanne Dielman," a 70-minute documentary shot by actor Sami Frey and edited by Agnes Ravez, made during the filming of "Jeanne Dielman"; interviews with Akerman and cinematographer Babette Mangolte; excerpt from "Chantal Akerman par Chantal Akerman," a 1997 episode of the French television program "Cinema de notre temps"; a booklet featuring essays by film scholars Ivone Margulies and Janet Bergstrom; and more.

"The Last Days of Disco" (1998), starring Chloe Sevigny, Kate Beckinsale and Chris Eigeman, is a clever, comic return to the nighttime party scene in early 1980s Manhattan from director Whit Stillman ("Metropolitan"). At the center of the film's roundelay of revelers are the icy Charlotte (Kate Beckinsale) and the demure Alice (Chloe Sevigny), by day toiling as publishing house assistants and by night looking for romance and entertainment at a premier, Studio 54–like club. "The Last Days of Disco" is an affectionate yet unsentimental look at the end of an era, brimming with Stillman's trademark dry humor. In a new, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by Stillman, featuring commentary by Stillman and actors Sevigny and Eigeman; deleted scenes; more ... "Eclipse Series 17: Nikkatsu Noir" is a no-frills set featuring five action potboilers from the heyday of the Japanese film studio: "I Am Waiting" (1957), "Rusty Knife" (1958), "Take Aim at the Police Van" (1960), "Cruel Gun Story" (1964) and "A Colt Is My Passport" (1967); $69.95.

From TV to Video:
"The Adventures of Robin Hood: The Complete Series" (1955-60), an 11-disc set, $29.98 from Mill Creek Entertainment ... "The Adventures of Robin Hood: 4th Season" (1959-60), a two-disc set with 26 episodes, $14.98 from Mill Creek Entertainment ..."Booker: Collector's Edition" (1989-90) was a "21 Jump Street" spinoff series starring Richard Grieco, from Mill Creek Entertainment ... "Californication: The Second Season" (2008) is a two-disc set with 12 episodes, $42.99 from Paramount ... "Dungeons & Dragons: The Animated Series" is a three-disc set with 27 episodes of the role-playing game that came to life as a 1980s Saturday morning cartoon adventure series; $24.98 from Mill Creek Entertainment ... "Dungeons & Dragons: The Beginnings" is a single disc with first nine episodes of the series, $14.98 from Mill Creek Entertainment.

"Gangland: The Complete Season Four" (2009) is a four-disc set with unprecedented access to the inner workings of 12 of the country's most feared gangs, $34.95 from A&E Home Entertainment ... "House: Season Five" (2008-09) is a five-disc set with 24 episodes, from Universal ... "Lie to Me Season One" (2009) is a four-disc set with 13 episodes, $49.98 from Fox ... "Life: Season Two" (2008-09) is a five-disc set with 21 episodes, $59.98 from Universal ... "Life With Derek: The Complete Second Season" (2006-07) is a two-disc set with 13 episodes, $24.98 from E1 Entertainment ... "Mistral's Daughter" (1984) is a three-disc set of the CBS 6-1/2 hour production of Judith Krantz's No. 1 New York Times best-seller, starring Stacy Keach, Stefanie Powers, Lee Remick, Robert Urich, photoTimothy Dalton and Joanna Lumley; from E1 Entertainment.

"NCIS: The Sixth Season" (2008-09) is a six-disc set with 25 episodes, $55.98 from Paramount ... "One Tree Hill: The Complete Sixth Season"  (2008-09) is a seven-disc set with 24 episodes, $59.98 from Warner ... "Samantha Who? The Complete Second Season" (2008-09) is a three-disc set with 18 episodes, $39.99 from Disney ... "Scrubs: The Complete Eighth Season" (2008) is a three-disc set with 19 episodes, $39.99 from Disney ... "Smallville: The Complete Eighth Season" (2008-09) is a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.98 from Warner ... "thirtysomething: The Complete First Season" (1987-88) is the first release of episodes from the long-awaited series, in six-disc set with 21 episodes. Extras include featurettes with "thirtysomething" creators, cast and crew; "From thirtysomething to Forever" making-of featurette; commentaries by creators, cast and crew; a special commemorative booklet with an introduction written by the show's creators; more; $59.99 from Shout! Factory.

"TV Sets: Crime and Punishment" includes first episodes of "Streets of San Francisco," "Hawaii Five-O," "CSI NY" and "Dexter," $14.98 from Paramount ... "TV Sets: Beyond the Ordinary" features first episodes of "Star Trek," "The 4400," "Joan of Arcadia" and "Medium," $14.98 from Paramount ... "The Untouchables: Season Three, Volume One" (1961) is a four-disc set, $39.98 from Paramount ... "Wiseguy: The Complete First Season" (1987-88) is a four-disc set with 22 episodes, $14.98 from Mill Creek Entertainment.

Buzzin' the 'B's:
"Monster Beach Party" (2009) is a retro action-thriller-comedy set in 1966 featuring an all-girl rock band, the legend of the Skunk Ape (the Florida Everglades version of Bigfoot) and a beach party. The action starts when The Violas' tour van breaks down in a small mysterious southern beach town, photo where they're stuck with no money until a local mechanic offers to fix their van if they'll play at his annual beach party; unknown to the girls there's a monster on the loose; from Indican Pictures ... "Ghost Image" (2007) is a thriller starring Elisabeth Rohm, Stacey Dash, Waylon Payne, Roma Maffia and Matthew Del Negro. When a young video editor loses her boyfriend in a car crash, she finds solace in watching video of him taken the night before he died. But when he starts to communicate with her through the video, she must decide if he has broken through the barrier between this world and the next or if she's slipped off into madness; from MTI Home Video ... In "The Sunchaser" (1996), directed by Michael Cimino and starring Woody Harrelson, Jon Seda and Anne Bancroft, an oncologist in the professional fast lane hits a detour when a desperately ill patient kidnaps him at gun point, forcing him on a trip to find a fabled Navajo healing place while a manhunt closes in on them; from Warner.

"American Son" (2008) is the story of a young Marine, fresh from Camp Pendleton, who is forced to confront the complexities of adulthood and a volatile home life during a four-day Thanksgiving leave, starring Nick Cannon, Melonie Diaz, Matt O'Leary, Jay Hernandez, April Grace, Chi McBride and Tom Sizemore; from Disney ... "The Informers" (2009) is a "Crash"-like melodrama with interweaving tales of 1980s Los Angeles' lost generation, drifting through a world of lust, greed and addiction, starring Amber Heard, Jon Foster, Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Winona Ryder, Mickey Rourke, Chris Isaak and Brad Renfro; from Sony ... "Boot Camp" (2007), based on true events, follows a group of troubled teens sent to a boot camp facility on the tropical island of Fiji. Trapped on an island with no rules, no walls and no way out, the teens endure unimaginable physical and emotional abuse that leaves them brainwashed, isolated and close to death. Stars Gregory Smith, Mila Kunis and Peter Stormare; unrated from MGM.

The sequel "Green Street Hooligans 2: Stand Your Ground" (2009) has the members of the Green Street Elite and their rivals, the Millwall club, sent to the same prison, where the bitter enemies must face each other in a final football match where the winners are freed and the losers face imminent death; from Vivendi Entertainment ... "Merlin and the Book of Beasts" (2009) stars James Callis and Laura Harris in a Sci Fi Channel adventure that puts a new spin on the saga of Excalibur, Mordred, and the ultimate battle between Merlin and the Book of Beasts; from Anchor Bay Entertainment ... In "Behind the Wall" (2008), starring Lindy Booth, Lawrence Dane and James Thomas, a young woman returns to her family's lighthouse home 20 years after her mother was murdered there and her father was convicted for the killing. Developers have bought the building but workers have begun to vanish, and the woman soon finds that an evil force has been lurking inside the walls; from Monarch Home Video.

On the Indie Front:
In the coming-of-age romantic comedy "Love and Debate (AKA Thanks to Gravity)" (2009), starring Gina Philips, Sean Astin, Adam Rodriguez, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Austin Nichols, Rachel Miner and Joaquim De Almeida, a teenager from Miami struggles with tragedy and love while dealing with the pressures of school and family life. With her Hispanic father and Jewish mother, the young girl feels the clash of both cultures and rarely feels comfortable anywhere but at the podium during a debate. In the end, she must choose between love or debates. From Virgil Films And Entertainment.

For the Family:
"The Berenstain Bears: Halloween Treats" features seven ghoulishly great tales filled with the Bears' trademark charm and valuable life lessons: "photoThe Great Batcave," "The Spookiest Pumpkin," "Wicked Weasel Spell," "Missing Pumpkin," "Bust a Ghost," "Spooky Old Mansion" and "The Trojan Pumpkin," $12.99 from Sony ... "The Zula Patrol: Moons Mayhem" contains six new-to-DVD lunar-based episodes from the Parents Choice Award-winning television series, "The Zula Patrol," which airs Saturday mornings on NBC as part of the qubo programming block, weekdays and weekends on public television stations, and in Spanish on Telemundo; $12.98 from Well Go USA (available at Amazon.com).

 "Sonny With a Chance: Sonny's Big Break" and "The Suite Life on Deck: Anchors Away!" each contain four episodes of the Disney Channel Original Series, $19.99 ... "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" (2008) includes four episodes from the new animated Cartoon Network TV series, $14.98 from Warner ... "Fireman Sam: Help Is Here!" is the first CGI adventure for "Fireman Sam," with five episodes based on the PBS KIDS Sprout series. Fireman Sam saves the supermarket, helps rescue dogs find missing people, shares important safety tips, more; $14.98 from HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate ... In "Bob the Builder: Call in the Crew!" Bob and his Can-Do machine team work together to get the job done in five new animated episodes: "Massive Muck," "Roley's Moleys," "Scoop Slips Up," "Scrambler's Seaweed Delivery" and "Muck's Convoy," $14.98 with a collectible toy vehicle from HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate.

Special Interest:
"Cartune Xprez 2008" (2008) is a collection of contemporary animated videos by Bruce Bickford, Shana Moulton, Blu, Hooliganship, Jim Trainor, E Rock, Josh Mannis, Lief Hall, Adrian Freeman, Ola Vasiljeva, Eric Dyer, Taras Hrabowsky, Timo Katz, Peter Burr, and Christopher Doulgeris. From around the world, this compilation showcases a generation of artists' mind-melting cartoons bound by a strong Do-It- Yourself sensibility; from Microcinema International ... "Battle BC: The Complete Season One" (2009) uses computer graphics and live-action stunts to bring to life the battle strategies, tactics, and weapons of past military leaders, from Hannibal and the Romans to Moses, the Athenians, and David, in a two-disc set with eight historic battles; $19.95 from A&E Home Entertainment ... "Smithsonian Channel's War Stories" features three revealing and moving documentaries about the life-altering effects of war: "Carrier at War: USS Enterprise," "The Men Who Brought the Dawn" (about the atomic bomb missions over Hiroshima and Nagasaki), and "Arlington: Call to Honor" about America's National Cemetery; $14.98 from Smithsonian Networks/Infinity Entertainment Group ... "How the Earth Was Made: The Complete Season One" (2007) is a four-disc set of the History series that shows how the violent forces of geology have formed our planet; $39.95 from A&E Home Entertainment.

photo Every August 500,000 bikers invade the sleepy hamlet of Sturgis, South Dakota for the craziest bikers festival in the world. Go behind the scenes with "America Wild and Wacky: Sturgis" (2007) to take a look at the outlaw culture, the police, store owners and everyday citizens getting ready for cold beer, babes, custom bikes, midget wrestling, thrill rides, tattooing and rock concerts; $9.98 from Smithsonian Networks/Infinity Entertainment Group ... "How Bruce Lee Changed the World" (2009) is an intimate, feature-length History Channel documentary portrait of the man who popularized martial arts around the world; $19.95 from A&E Home Entertainment ... In "The Da Vinci Detective" (2006), forensic scientist Dr. Maurizio Seracini uses cutting-edge medical and military technology while on the trail of fascinating unsolved mysteries involving his hero, Leonardo da Vinci: For 30 years he has searched for a lost da Vinci mural unseen since the 1540s, along the way uncovering a series of magnificent da Vinci drawings hidden for years; $9.98 from Smithsonian Networks/Infinity Entertainment Group.

Poet and hero of the American counter-culture Jonas Mekas, born in Lithuania in 1922, invented the diary form of filmmaking. "Walden -- Diaries, Notes and Sketches by Jonas Mekas" (1969), his first completed diary film, is an epic portrait of the New York avant-garde art scene of the 60s and a groundbreaking work of personal cinema, featuring P. Adams Sitney, Stan Brakhage, Carl Th. Dreyer, Timothy Leary, Baba Ram Dass, Allen Ginsberg, Andy Warhol, Barbet Schroeder, Edie Sedgwick, Nico, Velvet Underground, Shirley Clarke, Michael Snow, Richard Foreman, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and others. Includes two DVDs, a poster, and a 150-page book with unpublished texts by 60 authors including many who appeared in the film; from Microcinema International ... "Martin Lawrence Presents First Amendment Stand-Up: Season 3" features five hours of the best and brightest talents in comedy today with performances by Bruce Bruce, Rickey Smiley, Lavell Crawford, Don 'D.C' Curry, Roz G., Joey Medina and many more headliners from the top comedy clubs around the country; $19.97 from Anchor Bay Entertainment ... "Gospel Comedy All Stars 2" (2009) is a comedy concert that features four of the biggest names in gospel and black family comedy filmed in front of a sold-out audience in San Diego: hosted by Joe Clair (formerly of BET's "Rap City") and featuring Barry Brewer of "Who's Got Jokes" and father and son comedy team Gerald Kelly and Isiah Kelly; from Rising Entertainment/Vivendi Entertainment.

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THIS WEEK'S DVD RELEASES:

Adventureland (2009) Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Wendie Malick, Jack Gilpin, Martin Starr, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Reynolds. Available as a single-disc DVD, two-disc DVD set and two-disc Blu-ray set. Extras: Two-disc DVD: Deleted scenes; commentary by writer-director Mottola and Jesse Eisenberg; "Just My Life: The Making Of Adventureland"; picture music selection; Blu-ray adds "Frigo's Ball Tap"; "Lisa P's Guide to Style"; "Welcome to Adventureland" commercials, employee orientation kit and a peek at the official drug policy. (Miramax).

The Adventures of Robin Hood: The Complete Series (1955-60) Eleven-disc set, $29.98. (Mill Creek Entertainment).

The Adventures of Robin Hood: 4th Season (1959-60) Two-disc set with 26 episodes, $14.98. (Mill Creek Entertainment).

America Wild and Wacky: Sturgis (2007) Every August 500,000 bikers invade the sleepy hamlet of Sturgis, South Dakota for the craziest bikers festival in the world. Go behind the scenes with the outlaw culture, police, store owners and everyday citizens. There's cold beer, babes, custom bikes, midget wrestling, thrill rides, tattooing and rock concerts. $9.98. (Smithsonian Networks/Infinity Entertainment Group).

American Son (2008) Nick Cannon, Melonie Diaz, Matt O'Leary, Jay Hernandez, April Grace, Chi McBride, Tom Sizemore. The story of a young Marine, fresh from Camp Pendleton, who is forced to confront the complexities of adulthood and a volatile home life during a four-day Thanksgiving leave.Extras: "Leave in Bakersfield: Behind the Scenes of American Son," commentary, deleted scenes. (Disney).

Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008) Four episodes from the new animated Cartoon Network TV series, $14.98. (Warner).

Battle BC: The Complete Season One (2009) Uses computer graphics and live-action stunts to bring to life the battle strategies, tactics, and weapons of past military leaders, from Hannibal and the Romans to Moses, the Athenians, and David. Two-disc set with eight historic battles: "Moses: Death Chase," "Joshua: Epic Slaughter," "David: Giant Slayer," "Hannibal: The Annihilator," "Alexander: Lord of War," "Judgment Day at Marathon," "Ramses: Raging Chariots" and "Caesar: Super Siege." $19.95. (A&E Home Entertainment).

Behind the Wall (2008) Lindy Booth, Lawrence Dane, James Thomas. A young woman returns to her family's lighthouse home 20 years after her mother was murdered there and her father was convicted for the killing. Developers have bought the building but workers have begun to vanish, and the woman soon finds that an evil force has been lurking inside the walls. (Monarch Home Video).

The Berenstain Bears: Halloween Treats (2009) Seven ghoulishly great tales filled with the Bears' trademark charm and valuable life lessons: "The Great Batcave," "The Spookiest Pumpkin," "Wicked Weasel Spell," "Missing Pumpkin," "Bust a Ghost," "Spooky Old Mansion" and "The Trojan Pumpkin," $12.99. (Sony).

Bob the Builder: Call in the Crew! (2009) Bob and his Can-Do machine team work together to get the job done in five new animated episodes: "Massive Muck," "Roley's Moleys," "Scoop Slips Up," "Scrambler's Seaweed Delivery" and "Muck's Convoy," $14.98. Games, collectible toy vehicle. (HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate).

Booker: Collector's Edition (1989-90) Richard Grieco stars as Dennis Booker, a rebellious ex-cop who leaves the beat to work for a private investigation agency owned by a large corporate conglomerate in this "21 Jump Street" spinoff series. (Mill Creek Entertainment).

Boot Camp (2007) Gregory Smith, Mila Kunis, Peter Stormare. Unrated. Based on true events. Follows a group of troubled teens sent to a boot camp facility on the tropical island of Fiji. Trapped on an island with no rules, no walls and no way out, the teens endure unimaginable physical and emotional abuse that leaves them brainwashed, isolated and close to death. (MGM).

Californication: The Second Season (2008) Two-disc set with 12 episodes, $42.99. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Paramount).

Cartune Xprez 2008 (2008) Collection of contemporary animated videos by Bruce Bickford, Shana Moulton, Blu, Hooliganship, Jim Trainor, E Rock, Josh Mannis, Lief Hall, Adrian Freeman, Ola Vasiljeva, Eric Dyer, Taras Hrabowsky, Timo Katz, Peter Burr, and Christopher Doulgeris. From around the world, this compilation showcases a generation of artists' mind-melting cartoons bound by a strong Do-It- Yourself sensibility. (Microcinema International).

The Da Vinci Detective (2006) Forensic scientist Dr. Maurizio Seracini uses cutting-edge medical and military technology while on the trail of fascinating unsolved mysteries involving his hero, Leonardo da Vinci. For 30 years he has searched for a lost da Vinci mural unseen since the 1540s. Along the way he has uncovered a series of magnificent da Vinci drawings hidden for years. $9.98. (Smithsonian Networks/Infinity Entertainment Group).

Dungeons & Dragons: The Animated Series. Three-disc set with 27 episodes of the world's most popular role-playing game that came to life as a 1980s Saturday morning cartoon adventure series; $24.98. (Mill Creek Entertainment).

Dungeons & Dragons: The Beginnings. Single disc with first nine episodes of the series, $14.98. (Mill Creek Entertainment).

Duplicity (2009) Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti. Extras: Commentary by writer-director Tony Gilroy and editor/co-producer John Gilroy. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Universal).

Eclipse Series 17: Nikkatsu Noir. Five action potboilers from the heyday of the Japanese film studio: "I Am Waiting" (1957), "Rusty Knife" (1958), "Take Aim at the Police Van" (1960), "Cruel Gun Story" (1964) and "A Colt Is My Passport" (1967); $69.95. (The Criterion Collection).

Fighting (2008) Channing Tatum, Terrance Howard, Zulay Henao, Luis Guzman. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. Extras:Blu-ray extras: Digital copy, BD-Live, D-Box Motion Control. (Universal). Deleted scenes.

Fireman Sam: Help Is Here! (2009) First CGI adventure for "Fireman Sam," with five adventures based on the PBS KIDS Sprout series. Fireman Sam saves the supermarket, helps rescue dogs find missing people, shares important safety tips, more; $14.98. (HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate).

Gangland: The Complete Season Four (2009) Four-disc set with unprecedented access to the inner workings of 12 of the country's most feared gangs, $34.95. (A&E Home Entertainment).

Ghost Image (2007) Elisabeth Rohm, Stacey Dash, Waylon Payne, Roma Maffia, Matthew Del Negro. When a young video editor loses her boyfriend in a car crash, she finds solace in watching video of him taken the night before he died. But when he starts to communicate with her through the video, she must decide if he has broken through the barrier between this world and the next or if she's slipped off into madness. Extras: Commentary, "Ghost in the Machine: The Making of Ghost Image," "Shattered" music video, deleted scenes, outtakes. (MTI Home Video).

Gospel Comedy All Stars 2 (2009) Comedy concert features four of the biggest names in gospel and black family comedy filmed in front of a sold-out audience in San Diego. Hosted by Joe Clair (formerly of BET's "Rap City" and featuring Barry Brewer of "Who's Got Jokes," and father and son comedy team Gerald Kelly and Isiah Kelly. (Rising Entertainment/Vivendi Entertainment).

Green Street Hooligans 2: Stand Your Ground (2009) Ross McCall, Marina Sirtis, Graham McTavish, Treva Etienne, Luke Massy. Following the deadly climax of the original "Green Street Hooligans," members of the Green Street Elite and their rivals the Millwall club are sent to the same prison, where the bitter enemies must face each other in a final football match where the winners are freed and the losers face imminent death. (Vivendi Entertainment).

House: Season Five (2008-09) Five-disc set with 24 episodes, Extras: "House Meets a Milestone: The 100th Episode," commentary, "Keeping It Real: Accuracy in Writing," "Dr. Mom: Cuddy's Storyline," "Anatomy of a Teaser," "House Guests: Casting the Show." (Universal).

How Bruce Lee Changed the World (2009) Intimate, feature-length portrait of the man who popularized martial arts around the world. History Channel documentary travels from the sets of his classic Kung Fu films to the confines of his Dojo and features rare home movies and in-depth interviews with martial artists such as Chuck Norris, filmmakers such as John Woo, Ang Lee and Quentin Tarantino and co-stars, such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who faced Lee in the memorable blockbuster Enter the Dragon. $19.95. (A&E Home Entertainment).

How the Earth Was Made: The Complete Season One (2007) Four-disc set of the History series that shows how the violent forces of geology have formed our planet, $39.95. (A&E Home Entertainment).

The Informers (2009) Amber Heard, Jon Foster, Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Winona Ryder, Mickey Rourke, Chris Isaak, Brad Renfro. Interweaving tales of 1980s Los Angeles' lost generation, drifting through a world of lust, greed and addiction.Extras: Director and cast commentary, "Human Intersections: Making The Informers" featurette. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Sony).

Jeanne Dielman (1975) A singular work in film history, Chantal Akerman's "Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles" brilliantly evokes, with meticulous detail and a sense of impending doom, the daily domestic routine of a middle-aged widow -- whose chores include making the beds, cooking dinner for her grown son, and turning the occasional trick -- just as it begins to break down. In its enormous spareness, Akerman's film seems simple, but it encompasses an entire world. Whether seen as an exacting character portrait or one of cinema's most hypnotic and complete depictions of space and time, "Jeanne Dielman" is an astonishing, compelling movie experiment, one that has been analyzed and argued over for decades, and is finally making its long-awaited DVD debut. Restored digital transfer, approved by director Chantal Akerman. Extras: "Autour de Jeanne Dielman," a 70-minute documentary, shot by actor Sami Frey and edited by Agnes Ravez, made during the filming of "Jeanne Dielman"; interviews with Akerman and cinematographer Babette Mangolte; excerpt from "Chantal Akerman par Chantal Akerman," a 1997 episode of the French television program "Cinema de notre temps"; interview with Akerman's mother, Natalia; archival television interview excerpt featuring Akerman and star Delphine Seyrig; "Saute ma ville" (1968), Akerman's first film, with an introduction by the director; booklet featuring essays by film scholars Ivone Margulies and Janet Bergstrom. (The Criterion Collection).

The Last Days of Disco (1998) Chloe Sevigny, Kate Beckinsale, Chris Eigeman. Clever, comic return to the nighttime party scene in early 80s Manhattan from director Whit Stillman ("Metropolitan"). At the center of the film's roundelay of revelers are the icy Charlotte (Kate Beckinsale) and the demure Alice (Chloe Sevigny), by day toiling as publishing house assistants and by night looking for romance and entertainment at a premier, Studio 54-like club. "The Last Days of Disco" is an affectionate yet unsentimental look at the end of an era, brimming with Stillman's trademark dry humor. New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by Stillman. Extras: Commentary featuring Stillman and actors Sevigny and Eigeman; deleted scenes; stills gallery with production notes by Stillman; Stillman reading a chapter from "The Last Days of Disco, With Cocktails at Petrossian Afterwards," his novelization of the movie; behind-the-scenes featurette; essay by novelist David Schickler. (The Criterion Collection).

Lie to Me Season One (2009) Four-disc set with 13 episodes, $49.98. Extras: "The Truth About Lies" featurette, deleted scenes, "The Lightman Group Lie Detection Tutorials." Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Fox).

Life: Season Two (2008-09) Five-disc set with 21 episodes, $59.98. Extras: Deleted scenes, commentaries, gag reel. (Universal).

Life With Derek: The Complete Second Season (2006-07) Two-disc set with 13 episodes, $24.98. Extras: Interviews, behind-the-scenes b-roll footage, more. (E1 Entertainment).

Love and Debate (AKA Thanks to Gravity) (2009) Gina Philips, Sean Astin, Adam Rodriguez, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Austin Nichols, Rachel Miner, Joaquim De Almeida. In this coming-of-age romantic comedy, a teenager from Miami struggles with tragedy and love while dealing with the pressures of school and family life. With her Hispanic father and Jewish mother, the young girl feels the clash of both cultures and rarely feels comfortable anywhere but at the podium during a debate. In the end, she must choose between love or debates. Extras: Deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes featurett, alternate ending. (Virgil Films And Entertainment).

Martin Lawrence Presents First Amendment Stand-Up: Season 3. Five hours of the best and brightest talents in comedy today with performances by Bruce Bruce, Rickey Smiley, Lavell Crawford, Don 'D.C' Curry, Roz G., Joey Medina and many more headliners from the top comedy clubs around the country; $19.97. (Anchor Bay Entertainment).

Merlin and the Book of Beasts (2009) James Callis, Laura Harris. Sci Fi Channel adventure puts a new spin on the saga of Excalibur, Mordred, and the ultimate battle between Merlin and the Book of Beasts: King Arthur is gone, The Round Table is in ruins, and a rogue sorcerer has unleashed a reign of monstrous terror upon the land. Only a bitter and broken wizard Merlin can defeat the legion of nasty creatures. (Anchor Bay Entertainment).

Mistral's Daughter (1984) Three-disc set of the CBS 6-1/2 hour production of Judith Krantz's No. 1 New York Times best-seller. Stacy Keach, Stefanie Powers, Lee Remick, Robert Urich, Timothy Dalton, Joanna Lumley. From the '20s Paris of Chanel and Matisse to New York's sizzling modeling agencies of the '50s to the model wars of the '70s, this mini-series captures the scandal, passion and explosive glamor of life in the worlds of art and high fashion, revolving around Julien Mistral (Keach), the painter, the genius and the lover whose passions seared all around him. (E1 Entertainment).

Monster Beach Party (2009) Claire Bronson, Cynthia Evans, Jonathan Michael Green. Retro action set in 1966 featuring an all-girl rock band, the legend of the Skunk Ape (the Florida Everglades version of Bigfoot) and a beach party. The action starts when The Violas' tour van breaks down in a small mysterious southern beach town, where they're stuck with no money until a local mechanic offers them a deal -- play his annual beach party and he'll fix their van for free. Unknown to the girls there's a monster on the loose. (Indican Pictures).

NCIS: The Sixth Season (2008-09) Six-disc set with 25 episodes, $55.98. (Paramount).

One Tree Hill: The Complete Sixth Season (2008-09) Seven-disc set with 24 episodes, $59.98. Extras: Unaired scenes; "One Tree Hill Goes Back in Time": Recreating the 1940s in Episode 11; "Slammin' With One Tree Hill": The new sport of SlamBall, a cross between basketball, hockey and gymnastics; "One Tree Hill Celebrity Soundtrack"; "One Tree Hill -- The Director's Debut": with first-time helmers Chad Michael Murray, Bethany Joy Galeotti and James Lafferty; commentary on two episodes by series creator Mark Schwahn and key cast and crew; gag reel. (Warner).

Samantha Who? The Complete Second Season (2008-09) Three-disc set with 18 episodes, $39.99. (Disney).

Screwballs (1983) Peter Keleghan, Kent Deuters, Linda Speciale, Raven DeLaCroix. Infamous 'T&A' comedy released for the first time in America. This totally unhinged and generally unclothed "Canucksploitation" film has languished in a snowbound Alberta vault for decades. Raunchy teen comedy takes place at Taft & Adams High and features campus virgin Purity Busch, chronic masturbator Melvin Jerkovski, blonde bombshell Bootsie Goodhead and an incomparable curriculum of freshman breast exams and bikini cheerleader practice. Extras: Cast and crew commentary. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Severin Films).

Scrubs: The Complete Eighth Season (2008) Three-disc set with 19 episodes, $39.99. (Disney).

Smallville: The Complete Eighth Season (2008-09) Six-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.98. Extras: "In the Director's Chair: Behind the Lens and Calling the Shots with Allison Mack" featurette;, "Smallville's Doomsday: The Making of a Monster" featurette, cast and creator Commentaries, unaired scenes. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Warner).

Smithsonian Channel's War Stories (2009) From the battlefields of today and yesteryear come three revealing and moving documentaries about the life-altering effects of war: "Carrier at War: USS Enterprise," in which the brave men and women of a wartime aircraft carrier provide a riveting inside look at life aboard "the most dangerous place on the planet"; "The Men Who Brought the Dawn" in which the surviving crewmen of the Enola Gay and Bockscar -- the atomic bomb missions over Hiroshima and Nagasaki -- recall the dramatic end of World War II; and "Arlington: Call to Honor" about America's National Cemetery; $14.98. (Smithsonian Networks/Infinity Entertainment Group).

Sonny With a Chance: Sonny's Big Break (2009) Four episodes of the Disney Channel Original Series, $19.99. Extras: "Backstage Disney": Demi Lovato audition tape. (Disney).

Spirited Killer Trilogy. Single disc with all three of the Thai martial arts adventures, $14.98. (Mill Creek Entertainment).

The Suite Life on Deck: Anchors Away! (2009) Four episodes of the Disney Channel Original Series, $19.99. Extras: "Debby On Deck": The guys interview Debby, the newest member of the cast; "The Floating Premiere." (Disney).

The Sunchaser (1996) Dir.: Michael Cimino; Woody Harrelson, Jon Seda, Anne Bancroft. Woody Harrelson plays an oncologist in the professional fast lane who hits a detour when a desperately ill patient (Jon Seda) kidnaps him at gun point. Across highways and back roads, kidnapper and hostage seek a fabled Navajo healing place while a manhunt closes in on them. (Warner).

Sunshine Cleaning (2009) Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Steve Zahn, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Clifton Collins Jr., Jason Spevack. (Overture Films/Anchor Bay Entertainment)

thirtysomething: The Complete First Season (1987-88) Six-disc set with 21 episodes, $59.99. Extras: Featurettes with "thirtysomething" creators, cast and crew; "From thirtysomething to Forever" making-of featurette; "A Conversation Between Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick"; commentaries by creators, cast and crew; special commemorative booklet with an introduction written by the show's creators. (Shout! Factory).

TV Sets: Crime and Punishment. First episodes of "Streets of San Francisco," "Hawaii Five-O," "CSI NY" and "Dexter," $14.98. (Paramount).

TV Sets: Beyond the Ordinary. First episodes of "Star Trek," "The 4400," "Joan of Arcadia" and "Medium," $14.98. (Paramount).

The Untouchables: Season Three, Volume One (1961) Four-disc set, $39.98. (Paramount).

Walden -- Diaries, Notes and Sketches by Jonas Mekas (1969) Poet and hero of the American counter-culture, Jonas Mekas, born in Lithuania in 1922, invented the diary form of filmmaking. "Walden," his first completed diary film, an epic portrait of the New York avant-garde art scene of the 60s, is also a groundbreaking work of personal cinema. With Jonas Mekas, P. Adams Sitney, Tony Conrad, Stan Brakhage, Carl Th. Dreyer, Timothy Leary, Baba Ram Dass, Gregory Markopoulos, Allen Ginsberg, Andy Warhol, Jerome Hill, Barbet Schroeder, Jack Smith, Edie Sedgwick, Nico, Velvet Underground, Ken Jacobs, Hans Richter, Standish D. Lawder, Adolfas Mekas, Shirley Clarke, Jud Yalkut, Peter Kubelka, Michael Snow, Richard Foreman, John Lennon, Yoko Ono. Includes two DVDs, a poster, and a 150-page book with unpublished texts by 60 authors including many who appeared in the film. (Microcinema International).

Wiseguy: The Complete First Season (1987-88) Four-disc set with 22 episodes, $14.98. (Mill Creek Entertainment).

The Zula Patrol: Moons Mayhem(2009) Contains six new-to-DVD lunar-based episodes from the Parents Choice Award-winning television series, "The Zula Patrol," which airs Saturday mornings on NBC as part of the qubo programming block, weekdays and weekends on public television stations, and in Spanish on Telemundo. Extras: Sneak peek at ZulaWorld.com, including a tour of the site and a look at how to create one's own personal alien avatar. As a special added bonus, purchasers of the DVD will also receive 200 Zlinkles (value: $10.00) to spend on virtual items in ZulaWorld.com. $12.98. (Well Go USA).

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

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