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Only one American hero has earned the rank of Green Beret, Navy Seal and
Army Ranger. Just one operative has been
awarded 16 purple hearts, three Congressional medals of honor and seven presidential medals of bravery. And only one guy is man enough to still sport a mullet ... MacGruber. Will Forte brings "Saturday Night Live's" clueless soldier of fortune to the big screen. In the 10 years since his
fiancee was killed, special op MacGruber has sworn off a life of fighting crime with his bare hands. But when he learns that his country needs him to find a nuclear warhead that's been stolen by his sworn enemy, Dieter Von Cunth, MacGruber figures he's the only one tough enough for the job. Assembling an elite team of experts, MacGruber will navigate an army of assassins to hunt down Cunth and bring him to justice. Vitals: Director: Jorma Taccone. Stars: Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Val Kilmer, Ryan Phillippe, Maya Rudolph, Powers Boothe. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 88 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $8.361 million, Universal.
All come to Blu-ray for the first time except "A Scanner Darkly" and "The Matrix Reloaded," which was previously issued in high-def as part of "The Ultimate Matrix Collection" Blu-ray set. The emphasis here is on
the films: The special features on all six releases duplicate the extras on the standard DVD issues. With the exception of "Lost in Space," these films need to be in any film fan or sci-fi geek's library.
In particular, "Forbidden Planet," the ultimate thinking-person's sci-fi epic, is a must. It's special effects, ground-breaking all-electronic music score, and superb acting by Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis and Leslie Nielsen puts it in the ranks of all-time great classics -- and it's well-served by its high-def incarnation. Likewise the other films in this sci-fi "wave" of releases: the picture and sound
are top notch. If you don't already own these, get them now; if you own
them, upgrade, beginning with "Forbidden Planet."
"Caravaggio"
(2007) is a portrait of the tumultuous and adventurous life of controversial 17th century Italian master painter Michelangelo Merisi di
Caravaggio; from E1 Entertainment ... When high school valedictorian Chris Johnson's plans for an Ivy League future are suddenly derailed by an unfortunate chem lab explosion, to make amends he must attend -- and survive -- Saturday detention under the watchful eye of the woodshop teacher, an ex-Army Ranger who's more than a little rough around the edges in the comedy "Woodshop" (2010), starring Jesse Ventura, Mitch Pileggi and Scott Cooper Ryan; from 42 Productions ... "John Rabe"
(2009), starring Ulrich Tuku, Daniel Bruhl and Steve Buscemi, is a true-story account of a German businessman who saved more than 200,000 Chinese during the Nanjing massacre in 1937-38; from Strand Releasing ... "The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond" (2008) is based on
Tennessee Williams play. Set in the Roaring Twenties in a town in Memphis, a young rebellious heiress, Fisher Willow (Bryce Dallas Howard), defies the strict protocol of Southern society when she hires the caretaker's son, Jimmy Dobyne (Chris Evans), to escort her to the major event of the season. When she falls for him, their budding relationship is threatened when a priceless diamond goes missing. Stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Evans, Will Patton, Ann-Margret and Ellen Burstyn; from Screen Media.
Fox has added two more DVDs to its wonderful collection of kid-friendly horror tales based on author R.L. Stine's best-selling Goosebumps books series: "Goosebumps: The Blob That Ate Everyone" (2010) and "Goosebumps: Go Eat Worms!"
(2010), each containing three tales and selling for $14.98 ... "Bugs Bunny's Howl-Oween Special" (1978) is a feature-length TV special, first time on DVD, $14.97 from Warner ... "Thomas & Friends: Misty Island Rescue -- The Movie"
(2010)is a feature-length movie with the pre-school favorites of Sodor. After building a new Search and Rescue Center, Thomas is rewarded with a
trip to the mainland but gets lost at sea and finds himself on the mysterious Misty Island; on DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack from Lionsgate.
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"
(1975) Director: Milos Forman. Stars Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Christopher Lloyd, Vincent Schiavelli, Danny DeVito, Brad Dourif, Scatman Crothers. 35th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition. Warner Home Video decided to celebrate the 35th anniversary of "Cuckoo's Nest" with a gorgeous Blu-ray rendering of the film, packed in an elaborate box with all kinds of goodies: A 52-page commemorative hard-bound book; reproductions of the original press book; 52 character-inspired playing cards; four mini-reproductions of theatrical posters; a "patient file" of cast/character photo cards. Though Warner just released "Cuckoo" two years ago in a Blu-ray book package, the market for high-def films then was a lot smaller; this version also ups the extras ante. Milos Forman's
film, of course, is a masterpiece, a visualization of Ken Kesey's 1962 novel that takes place in a mental institution that serves as a metaphor
for the raging culture wars of the 1970s. Other special features in this must-own set: "Completely Cuckoo," a feature-length documentary about the making of the film, in which producer Michael Douglas, Milos Forman and Ken Kesey describe how the movie was made with actors and patients on location in a working mental hospital; commentary by Forman and producers Douglas and Saul Zaentz; new interview with producer Michael Douglas; deleted scenes; original trailer; more.
"The Twilight Zone: Season 1"
(1959-60) is a five-disc set with all 36 episodes, in all new 1080p high-definition transfers created from the original camera negatives,with uncompressed PCM audio,
remastered from the original magnetic soundtracks. Bonus features include the extremely rare, never-before-released unofficial "The Twilight Zone" pilot, "The Time Element," written by Rod Serling and hosted by Desi Arnaz; 19 new audio commentaries; 18 radio dramas; 34 isolated music scores featuring the legendary Bernard Herrmann, Jerry Goldsmith and others; commentaries by actors Earl Holliman, Martin Landau, Rod Taylor, Martin Milner, Kevin McCarthy, and CBS executive William Self; vintage audio recollections with actors Burgess Meredith and Anne Francis, directors Douglas Heyes and Richard L. Bare, producer Buck Houghton and writer Richard Matheson; Rod Serling audio lectures from Sherwood Oaks College; Rod Serling promos for "Next Week's" show; and much, much more; $99.98 from Image Entertainment.
episodes, $44.98 from Warner ... "Bored to Death: The Complete First Season" (2009) is a two-disc set with eight episodes, $39.98 HBO Home Video .. "The Commish -- Season Two" (1992-93) is a four-disc set with 22 episodes, $14.98 from Mill Creek Entertainment ... "Fringe: The Complete Second Season" (2009-10) is a six-disc set with 23 episodes, $59.98 from Warner ... "Glee: The Complete First Season" (2009-10) is a seven-disc set with 22 episodes, $69.99 from Fox ... "The Good Wife: Season One" (2009-10) is a six-disc set with 23 episodes, $64.99 from CBS/Paramount ... "Grey's Anatomy: Complete Sixth Season" (2009-10) is a six-disc set with 24 episodes, $59.99. from Disney ... "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season Five" (2009) is a three-disc set with 12 episodes, $39.98 from Fox ... "The League Complete First Season" (2009) is a two-disc set with six episodes, $29.98 from Fox ... "Lonesome Dove Collection"
is an eight-disc set with remastered and restored "Lonesome Dove" miniseries, "Return to Lonesome Dove," "Larry McMurtry's Dead Man's Walk," "Larry McMurtry's Streets Of Laredo," from Vivendi Entertainment and RHI Entertainment ... "Private Practice: The Complete Third Season" (2009-10) is a five-disc set with 23 episodes, $45.99 from Disney ... "Rules of Engagement: The Complete Third Season" (2009-10) is a two-disc set with 13 episodes, $29.95 from Sony.
"My Son, My Son What Have Ye Done"
(2009), the first collaboration between legendary filmmakers David Lynch (producer)and Werner Herzog (director), is a psychological thriller loosely based on the mysterious true crime story of a young stage actor who, obsessed with a Greek tragedy he's rehearsing, slays his own mother with a sword. Stars Michael Shannon, Chloe Sevigny, Willem Dafoe, Grace Zabriskie, Udo Kier and Brad Dourif; from First Look Studios ... Three guys on the verge of forty head out on a spontaneous road trip adventure when they realize all the best things in
their lives happened before they were 20 ... and they need to balance the ledger in "Two Tickets to Paradise" (2006), starring John C. Mcginley, D.B. Sweeney, Moira Kelly and Ed Harris; from Paramount ... In "Raging Phoenix"
(2009 -- Thailand), a group of friends band together to break a violent
Thai gang that has been abducting and killing women; from Magnolia Home
Entertainment ... "The Return of the 5 Deadly Venoms (aka Crippled Avengers)"
(1978 -- Hong Kong) is a Shaw Brothers' kung fu cult classic. An evil warlord and his son cripple anyone who crosses their path. Four men who fell victim to their violence -- a blind man, a deaf-mute, a man with no
legs and a young man who has lost his sanity -- visit a kung fu master who teaches them deadly fighting skills and ways to overcome their disabilities, and they band together to reclaim their village from the warlord's reign of terror; from Vivendi Entertainment/The Weinstein Company ... "Princess Kaiulani" (2009)is the true story
of a Hawaiian princess' attempts to maintain the independence of the island against the threat of American colonization. Stars Q'orianka Kilcher, Barry Pepper, Will Patton and Shaun Evans; from Lionsgate.
as well as a very special introduction from President Barack Obama. From the revolutionary war that birthed the nation to the civil war that
divided it, and to the making of the modern world, the series -- watched by more than 6 million viewers -- tells the extraordinary story of how America was invented, looking at the moments where Americans harnessed technology to advance human progress -- from the rigors of linking the continent by transcontinental railroad, the internet of its day, to triumphing over vertical space through construction of steel structured buildings to putting a man on the moon. Historical events covered include: the arrival of the first English settlers, the Revolutionary War, Native American wars, slavery, westward expansion, economic growth of the North and South, the Civil War, the settling of the Great Plains, the development of modern, industrialized cities, the California Gold Rush and the Western frontier, the Great Depression and the World Wars right up to present day. $39.95 DVD, $49.95 Blu-ray Disc;
from A&E Home Entertainment ... "Casino Jack and the United States of Money"
(2010) is a documentary portrait of Washington super lobbyist Jack Abramoff, from his early years as a gung-ho member of the GOP political machine to his final reckoning as a disgraced, imprisoned pariah. A tale
of international intrigue with Indian casinos, Russian spies, Chinese sweatshops, and a mob-style killing in Miami, this is the story of the way money corrupts our political process; $26.98 from Magnolia Home Entertainment ... "Weapons of War: Volume 1" (2010) is a
three-disc set that examines the history of warfare and how technology has changed the ways battles are fought: "Ground War" explores the key technological advances that have defined ground warfare through the ages, "Warplane" investigates the 100 years since the Wright brothers first took to the air," "Warship" tells the story of the evolution of the warships, right up to the U.S.' current cutting-edge navy battle groups. $49.99 from PBS Distribution ... "Out of Europe"
(2010) is a documentary about a family of Belgium diamond merchants and
activists who fled the Holocaust in 1940; from SISU Home Entertainment.
Through the words of Jimi's family and a collection of contemporaries and admirers, including Dave Mason (Traffic), Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker (Cream), Eric Burdon (The Animals), Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones), Paul Rodgers (Bad Company) and Bev Bevan (ELO) -- the myth falls away and Jimi Hendrix is brought to life once more. Less a biography than the
first film to focus on the music itself and the impetus of the master who created it. From Image Entertainment ... "Rock Prophecies"
(2010) is a documentary on photog Robert Knight's 40-year career photographing some of the rock world's biggest legends in their most intimate moments. The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, B.B. King, Eric Clapton and Aerosmith have all been captured through his lens. However, Knight is more than just a famous rock photographer -- he's someone with a genuine passion for music and musicians. Features interviews with and performances by Jeff Beck, ZZ Top, Carlos Santana, Slash, Panic at the Disco, Sick Puppies, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, and Steve Vai, among others. $24.99 from PBS ... "Bill Maher: But I'm Not Wrong" (2010) is a no-holds-barred performance before a packed house in Raleigh, North Carolina; $19.97 from HBO Video ... "Mad Ron's Prevues From Hell"
(1987) is a blood-and-guts compilation featuring coming attractions from some 47 classic grindhouse horror flicks. Made in 1987 at the height of the VHS boom, when anyone and everyone was popping anything and everything into their VCRs in search of ever-more twisted thrills and chills, "Mad Ron's Prevues From Hell" was an ambitiously researched and compiled anthology of trailers hyping cult grindhouse and drive-in theater favorites where the blood, guts and gore take center stage.From Virgil Films & Entertainment.
unity: The Complete First Season" (2009-10) is a four-disc set with 25 episodes, $39.95 from Sony ... "Designing Women: The Complete Fourth Season" (1989-90) is a four-disc set with 27 episodes, $44.99 from Shout! Factory ... "Desperate Housewives: The Complete Sixth Season" (2009-10) is a five-disc set with 23 episodes, $45.99 from Disney ... "How I Met Your Mother Season Five" (2009-10) is a three-disc set with 24 episodes, $39.98 from Fox ... "Human Target: The Complete First Season" (2010) is a three-disc set with 12 episodes, $39.98 from Warner ... "The Hunger: The Taste of Terror" is a two-disc set with six episodes from the erotically charged horror series, $14.98 from E1 Entertainment ... "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit -- The Eleventh Year" (2009-10) is a five-disc set with 24 episodes, $59.98 from Universal ... "The Mentalist: The Complete Second Season" (2009-10) is a five-disc set with 23 episodes, $59.98 from Warner ... "Modern Family: The Complete First Season" (2009-10) is a four-disc set with 24 episodes, $49.98 from Fox ... "Saturday Night Live: Best of '09/'10" (2010) is a single-disc from Universal ... "Spartacus: Blood and Sand -- The Complete First Season" (2010) is a four-disc set with 13 episodes, $59.97 from Anchor Bay ... "30 Rock: Season 4" (2009-10) is a three-disc set with 22 episodes, $49.98 from Universal ... "Two and a Half Men: The Complete Seventh Season" (2009-10) is a three-disc set with 22 episodes, $44.98 from Warner.
Director Neil Jordan's "Ondine"
(2009) stars Colin Farrell, Alicja Bachleda, Dervla Kirwan and Alison
Barry in the story of an Irish fisherman, Syracuse, who catches a
beautiful and mysterious woman in his trawler nets. At first she seems
to be dead, but then comes alive before his eyes and he comes to
believe that the woman (Ondine) in fact be a mermaid; soon Ondine and
Syracuse fall passionately in love; from Magnolia Home Entertainment
... In "Triple Dog" (2009), starring Brittany
Robertson, Alexia Fast, Scout Taylor Compton and Janel Parrish, a group
of teenage girls at a sweet 16 s
leepover party participate in an
escalating game of truth or dare that unravels the truth behind a
former student's rumored suicide; from Well Go USA ... Based on a true
story, the quirky "Alien Autopsy" (2006) centers
around two guys who believe they have film evidence about an alien
cover-up and government conspiracy regarding the famed Roswell incident
in 1947. What ensues is nothing short of a rollercoaster ride for the
two unlikely lads from London. Stars Anthony McPartlin, Declan
Donnelly, Bill Pullma and Harry Dean Stanton. From Warner ... In "(Untitled)"
(2009), a comic satire of modern art starring Adam Goldberg, Marley
Shelton, Vinnie Jones and Lucy Punch, contemporary art gallerist
Madeleine falls for Adrian, a brooding new music composer. The two
struggle to find their own artistic success as the streets of Manhattan
bombard them with artists, from Adrian's commercial brother to those
who use taxidermy and household objects. From Screen Media ... The
sequel "Stomp the Yard: Homecoming" (2010) follows
Chance Harris (Collins Pennie) as he tries to find a balance between
his school, work, relationships and the opportunity to perform at the
nationally televised step competition during homecoming weekend; also
stars Keith David, Edward Bryan, Pooch Hall and Kiely Williams. From
Sony ... "Gamera vs. Gyaos/Gamera vs. Viras Double Features Collector's Edition" and "Gamera vs. Guiron/Gamera vs. Jiger Double Features Collector's Edition"
feature all-new anamorphic widescreen transfers with both the original
Japanese and infamous English dubbed versions of each film along with
publicity galleries; $19.93 each from Shout! Factory.
The Secret of Moonacre"
(2008) stars Dakota Blue Richards, Juliet Stevenson, Ioan Gruffudd and
Tim Curry in director Gabor Csupo ("Bridge to Terabithia," "The
Rugrats")
adaptation of Elizabeth Goudge's Carnegie Medal-winning
fantasy-adventure novel 'The Little White Horse." After 13-year-old
Maria Merryweather's father dies, she is left orphaned and homeless and
is forced to leave her luxurious London life to go and live at the
mysterious Moonacre Manor with her eccentric uncle Sir Benjamin. Soon
Maria finds herself in a crumbling moonlit world and discovers that she
is the last Moon Princess and she must unearth the secrets of her past
before the 5000th moon rises and Moonacre disappears forever; from
Entertainment One ... "He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown"
(1968) includes the title feature as well as the "Life Is a Circus,
Charlie Brown" TV special and a bonus feature, "Snoopy's Ice Home: The
Story of the Redwood Empire Ice Arena," $19.9 from Warner ... "Tom and Jerry's Greatest Chases Volume 5" is a single-disc with 14 animated adventures, 14.97 from Warner ... "Max & Ruby: Everybunny Loves Winter!"
(2010) features four new winter-themed episodes, $16.99 from Nick/Paramount.
Robert Altman, Nora Ephron, Penny Marshall, Robert Benton, William
Friedkin, Sydney Pollack, Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, Rob Reiner, James
Cameron, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, Chris Columbus, Lawrence Kasdan,
Ridley Scott, Wes Craven, Spike Lee, Tony Scott, Cameron Crowe, Barry
Levinson, Bryan Singer, Frank Darabont, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg,
Jonathan Demme, David Lynch, Oliver Stone, Richard Donner, Adrian Lyne,
Robert Zemeckis, Clint Eastwood, Garry Marshall, David Zucker. $29.95
from First Run Features ... When celebrated scholar Joseph Campbell sat
down with veteran journalist Bill Moyers for a discussion about his
life's work, the series brought Campbell's theories into popular
culture and led to a bestselling companion book. The stimulating
conversations between inspirational scholar Joseph Campbell and veteran
journalist Bill Moyers created a national sensation when they first
aired on PBS in 1988. In lively, expansive dialogues, the two men
discussed how myths hold the key to understanding human experience. "Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth With Bill Moyers"
is a two-volume DVD boxed set that includes several bonus features with
selections from Moyers' interview with George Lucas, who credits
Campbell with helping to inspire his creation of "Star Wars"; a 12-page
viewers guide; and a never-before-released conversation with Campbell
from "Bill Moyer's Journal." $49.99 frtom Acorn Media/Athena.
"Middletown"
(1982) is a six-part film series that documents middle-class life,
American values and customs in "Middletown" -- a.k.a. Muncie, Indiana.
Inspired by immensely influential Depression-era sociological studies
by Robert and Helen Lynd -- "Middletown: A Study in Modern American
Culture" (1929) and "Middletown in Transition: A Study in Cultural
Conflicts" (1937) -- this series of films made for PBS in 1982
transform the Middletown studies into an unprecedented overview of
American life seen through the prisms of local politics, high school
sports, a family business, religion, marriage and divorce, and (at the
time still explosively) interracial dating. Four-disc set with a
booklet, $44.98 from Icarus Films ... In "Make Me Young: Youth Knows No Pain"
(2009), which originally aired on HBO, an age-obsessed daughter of a
plastic surgeon takes a journey through America's $60 Billion a year
anti-aging world. In this Alice in Wonderland documentary, the
filmmaker spends two years traveling across America visiting doctors,
experts and the lives of a cross-section of characters from Minnesota
to Texas who've gone to varying lengths to "beat the clock," to paint a
funny but troubling portrait of a country that desperately needs to
stay young. From Cinema Libre Studio ... "Petty Blue"
(2010) is a documentary about the life and times of NASCAR Hall of Fame
Richard Petty and his extraordinary family; $19.99 from Paramount.
Documentary look at one year in the life of four babies from around the
world -- from birth to first steps. The children are, respectively, in order of on-screen introduction: Ponijao, who lives with her family near
Opuwo, Namibia; Bayarjargal, who resides with his family in Mongolia, near Bayanchandmani; Mari, who lives with her family in Tokyo, Japan; and Hattie, who resides with her family in the United States, in San Francisco. Captures the earliest stages of the journey of humanity that are at once unique and universal to us all. Vitals: Director: Thomas Balmes.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 79 min., Documentary, Box office gross: $7.291 million, Universal.
Music star Ryuichi Sakamoto (who also composed the film's hypnotic score) plays the camp commander, who becomes obsessed with the mysterious blond major, while Tom Conti is British lieutenant colonel Mr. Lawrence, who tries to bridge the emotional and language divides between his captors and fellow prisoners. "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence"
is a multilayered, brutal, at times erotic tale of culture clash that was one of Oshima's greatest successes. In a new, restored high-definition master ... After directing two of the most extraordinary
movies of the 1970s, "Badlands" and "Days of Heaven," American artist Terrence Malick disappeared from the film world for 20 years, only to resurface in 1998 with "The Thin Red Line," a visionary
adaptation of James Jones's 1962 novel about the World War II battle for Guadalcanal. A big-budget, spectacularly mounted epic, "The Thin Red
Line" is a deeply philosophical film, a thought-provoking meditation on
man, nature, and violence. In a new, restored high-definition digital transfer, approved by director Terrence Malick and cinematographer John Toll. Both releases are also available on Blu-ray.
The mysteries ranked with "Upstairs, Downstairs" as the most successful
series on Masterpiece Theatre in the 1970s, and the mysteries were so popular they inspired PBS's spin-off series Mystery!. Set 2 includes the
final three feature-length mysteries: "Murder Must Advertise," "Five Red Herrings" and "The Nine Tailors" in a three-disc set for $49.99. "Midsomer Murders, Set 16"
(2009) Four contemporary, stand-alone mysteries from the top-selling British mystery franchise. Inspired by the novels of Caroline Graham, modern master of the English village mystery, "Midsomer Murders" combines quirky characters and surprising mysteries with postcard-perfect English village settings and the ever-charming John Nettles as the unflappable Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby. Four-disc set with "Midsomer Life," "The Magician's Nephew," "Days of Misrule" and "Talking to the Dead"; $49.99.
"Ellery Queen Mysteries: The Complete Series" (1975-76) is a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.98 from E1 Entertainment ... "Family Guy: Partial Terms of Endearment" (2010) is the most infamous "Family Guy" episode, here uncensored, from Fox ... "Harriet The Spy: Blog Wars" (2010) is a Disney Channel Original movie from 9 Story Entertainment/Vivendi Entertainment ... "Legend of the Seeker: The Complete Second and Final Season " (2009) is a five-disc set with 22 episodes, $45.99 from Disney ... "Paranormal State: The Complete Season Four"
(2010) is a two-disc set with 12 episodes, $24.95 from A&E Home Entertainment ... "Party Down: Season Two" (2010) is a two-disc set with 10 episodes, $29.97 from Anchor Bay ... "Rich Man, Poor Man: The Complete Collection" (1976) is a nine-disc set with all 34 episodes, $79.95 from A&E Home Entertainment ... "Scrubs: The Complete Ninth Season" (2009-10) is a two-disc set with 13 episodes, $29.99 from Disney ... "Secret Agent Aka Danger Man The Complete Collection" (1964-67) is an 18-disc set with all 86 episodes, $99.95 from A&E Home Entertainment ... "Top Gear Season 13" (1985) is a four-disc set with 18 episodes, $39.98 from BBC/Warner.
"The Killer Inside Me"
(2010) is a modern-day film noir about a small-town sheriff up to his neck in murders: his own. When Casey Affleck's sheriff is asked to railroad a talkative prostitute out of town before she makes trouble, he
realizes it's easier to just get rid of her for good. Unfortunately, covering up that murder means eliminating more and more people as his problems and complications spiral out of control. Even worse, he's starting to enjoy committing the crimes a lot more than he ever enjoyed dishing out the punishment. Based on the pulp fiction classic by Jim Thompson. Directed by Michael Winterbottem and starring Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Casey Affleck, Simon Baker and Bill Pullman. From IFC/MPI.
society that rights the wrongs of high school by pulling sophisticated pranks on deserving oppressors; from Strand Releasing ... Three skiers are stranded on a chair lift and forced to make life-or-death choices that prove more perilous than staying put and freezing to death in "Frozen" (2010), starring Kevin Zegers, Shawn Ashmore and Emma Bell; from Anchor Bay ... "Suck"
(2009), starring Malcolm McDowell, Jessica Pare, Dave Foley, Nicole de Boer, Henry Rollins, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, Moby and Rob Stefaniuk, is a
rock-'n'-roll vampire spoof about a bottom-shelf bar band that'll do anything for a record deal-- including joining the undead; from Entertainment One ... "Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinksy"
(2009) is the true story of the forbidden romance between two of the twentieth century's most fascinating creative geniuses, French fashion designer Coco Chanel and Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. Stars Mads Mikkelsen, Anna Mouglalis; from Sony.
"Perrier's Bounty"
(2009), starring Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson and Jim Broadbent, is a
comedy about a lazy would-be thief who owes local gangster Perrier more
money than he can pay and goes on the run when his suicidal neighbor kills one of the goons who comes to collect ... In "7 Days"
(2010), a doctor kidnaps, ties up and then methodically extracts every drop of justice from the vile criminal he is convinced raped and killed his little girl ... "Mercy" (2009), starring Scott Caan, Dylan McDermott, Erika Christensen and James Caan, a best-selling novelist (Scott Caan) one-night stands his way through L.A. until he finally meets his match with Mercy, a book critic who calls his romantic
bluff.
For older kids there's "Superman/Batman: Apocalypse"
(2010) is the ninth entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe
animated original PG-13 Movies. The Man of Steel and the Dark Knight unite once again, this time to battle the powerful forces of Darkseid. Two-disc set from Warner; and "Astonishing X-Men -- Gifted"
(2010), the first arc in the three-part "Astonishing X-Men" home entertainment series of Marvel Motion Comics by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday, configured as a deluxe DVD with a graphic rich cover and a unique replica of comic book-style plastic sleeve packaging that bridges
the comic book to DVD concept; $14.97 from Shout! Factory ... For the little ones there's "Don't Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus! ... and More Stories By Mo Willems"
(2010), which includes the title story from the acclaimed picture book author as well as "Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale" and "Leonardo, the Terrible Monster," $14.95 from Scholastic Storybook Treasures; and "The Ralph Mouse Collection"
(2010), which features the award-winning literary adaptations of "The Mouse and the Motorcycle," "Ralph S. Mouse" and "Runanway Ralph" in a three-disc set, $24.95 from Scholastic Storybook Treasures.
through its powerful music-- the freedom songs protesters sang on picket lines, in mass meetings, in paddy wagons, and in jail cells as they fought for justice and equality. The film features new performances
of the freedom songs by top artists, including John Legend, Joss Stone,
Wyclef Jean, and The Roots; riveting archival footage; and interviews with civil rights foot soldiers and leaders, including Congressman John Lewis, Harry Belafonte, Julian Bond and Ambassador Andrew Young. From New Video ... "Super Size Me: Special Edition" (2004)is
the six-and-one-half anniversary edition of the documentary following Morgan Spurlock's quest to expose the obesity problem facing America and
to show how fast food restaurants -- the McDonald's chain, in particular -- have played their part in this epidemic. From Virgil Films & Entertainment.
Warner Home Video has a massive Bogart collection out this week: "Humphrey Bogart: The Essential Collection"
contains 24 Bogart films on 12 discs, with a 13th disc featuring "The Brothers Warner" documentary: "The Petrified Forest" (1936), "Black Legion" (1937), "Kid Galahad" (1937), "Marked Woman" (1937), "San Quentin" (1937), "The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse" (1938), "Dark Victory" (1939), "The Roaring Twenties" (1939), "Invisible Stripes" (1939), "Brother Orchid" (1940), "They Drive by Night" (1940), "Virginia City" (1940), "All Through the Night" (1941), "High Sierra" (1941), "The Maltese Falcon" (1941), "Casablanca" (1942), "Across the Pacific" (1942), "Action in the North Atlantic" (1943), "Passage to Marseille" (1944)," To Have and Have Not" (1944), "The Big Sleep" (1946), "Dark Passage" (1947), "Key Largo "(1948), "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948). $99.98. (Warner). 
"All In The Family: Season Seven" (1976-77) is a three-disc set with 25 episodes, $29.93 from Shout! Factory ... "Ally McBeal: Seasons 3, 4 and 5"
$39.98 each six-disc set, from Fox ... "Blue Mountain State: Season One"
(2010), with 13 episodes of the first season of Spike's football-themed comedy, $29.98 from Lionsgate ... "Bones Season 5" (2009-10)is a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.98 from Fox ... "Caprica: Season 1.0" (2009) is a four-disc set with 17 episodes, $49.98 from Universal ... "Lock 'n Load: The First Season"
(2009) includes six half-hour episodes, $19.99 from CBS/Paramount ... "The Mary Tyler Moore Show: The Complete Seventh Season" (1976-77) is a three-disc set with 24 episodes, $29.98 from Fox ... "Medium Season 6" (2009-10) is a five-disc set with 22 episodes, $57.99 from CBS/Paramount ... "Monk: The Complete Series Limited Edition Box Set" (2002-09) is a 32-two disc set with every episode from all eight seasons, $249.98 from Universal ... "SGU Season One" (2009-10) is a five-disc set with 20 episodes, $49.98 from MGM.
(2009) is an animated film with the voices of Brendan Gleeson, Evan McGuire and Christen Mooney. Set in medieval Ireland, a perilous time when Viking raiders threatened to destroy Irish civilization, this traditionally drawn animated feature merges magic, fantasy, and Celtic mythology in a sweeping story about the power of imagination and faith to carry humanity through dark times -- inspired by the eighth-century manuscript the "Book of Kells," which has been preserved in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. From New Video/Flatiron Film Co. ... "Elvis & Anabelle"
(2007), starring Max Minghella, Blake Lively, Joe Mantegna, Mary Steenburgen and Keith Carradine, centers on perfect beauty pageant candidate Anabelle (Lively), who's on the verge of winning it all when she tragically dies onstage. Her body is delivered to the funeral home of Elvis's family, but just as she is ready to be embalmed, her spirit returns. Trying to make sense of it all, she turns to Elvis (Minghella) for comfort and finds a new chance at love. From Vivendi Entertainment/The Weinstein Company ... In an attempt to recover from his marriage to Rita Hayworth and restart his career, Orson Welles travels to Italy ... only to be drawn into a dangerous web of intrigue, murder and politics when an actor is murdered on his set in "Fade to Black" (2006), starring Danny Huston, Diego Luna, Paz Vega and Christopher Walken, from Image Entertainment ... in "The Oxford Murders"
(2008), starring Elijah Wood, John Hurt, Leonor Watling and Julie Cox, a
professor and a grad student work together to try and stop a series of murders at Oxford University, seemingly linked by mathematical symbols; from Magnolia Home Entertainment.
In "Shalom Sesame: Welcome to Israel" (2010), East meets West as Sesame Street's Muppets travel with American and Israeli friends (Debra Messing, Achinoam Nini, Mira Awad, Jake Glyllenhaal, Christina Applegate, Greg Kinnear, Debi Mazar and others) to explore Israel and Jewish culture. In this first volume of a 12-part series, Grover goes to Israel with new pal (and host) Anneliese van der Pol and they begin to explore the land. In the second volume, "Shalom Sesame: Welcome to Israel"
(2010), Grover brings the latkes and all is well until host Anneliese van der Pol gets caught in a game of tag with a chicken and loses her special menorah. Can her Muppet friends find the missing menorah in time
to celebrate Chanukah? $14.98 each from SISU Home Entertainment.
Available to U.S. audiences for the first time, "The Queen"
(2010), a ground-breaking and provocative new, five-part miniseries, features dramatizations mixed with documentary footage and interviews to
reveal Queen Elizabeth II as never seen before. At pivotal moments in her reign from 1955 to 2005, the queen is portrayed by: Emilia Fox, Samantha Bond, Susan Jameson), Barbara Flynn and Diana Quick. The Queen aired on the U.K.'s Channel 4 in 2009 and has yet to air in the U.S. Two-disc set, $39.99 from Acorn Media ... "Bill Burr: Let It Go"
(2010) does his bits in this Comedy Central stand-up at the Fillmore auditorium in San Francisco, $14.98 from Image Entertainment ... "Great Expectations: A Journey through the History of Visionary Architecture"
is an astonishing journey through innovative, futuristic, utopian and sometimes bizarre architectural projects -- including concrete illusions
of grandeur and Lego-like modular apartments to an Instant City Airship
and round, grass-covered subterranean dwellings, from the beginning of the 20th century to today. Featuring Le Corbusier's functionalist cities, Buckminster Fuller's lightweight geodesic domes, Moshe Safdie's Habitat '67 prefab apartments, Oscar Niemeyer's sleek urban designs for Brasilia, Antti Lovag's curved surfaces of Palais Bulles in France, and other extraordinary works by visionary architects. $24.98 from Icarus Films.
Set in the mythical world of burly Vikings and wild dragons, and based on the book by Cressida Cowell, the animated action-comedy tells the story of Hiccup, a Viking teenager who doesn't exactly fit in with his tribe's longstanding tradition of heroic dragon slayers. Hiccup's world is turned upside down when he has to pass his Viking initiation by hunting down the fiercest dragon
and bringing it into submission. Instead, he ends up with the smallest,
most ornery dragon -- it's even toothless -- who challenges the Vikings
to see the world from an entirely different point of view.
Vitals: Director: Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders. Stars: Voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kristen Wiig.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 98 min., Animated, Box office gross: $217.387 million, DreamWorks.
The story of the wealthy Recchi family of Milan, whose lives are rapidly
changing at the turn of the millennium. The family patriarch has surprised the family by willing shared ownership of his massive industrial company to both his son Tancredi (Pippo Delbono) and his grandson Edoardo Jr. (Flavio Parenti). Meanwhile, Edoardo Jr. has other plans, dreaming of opening a restaurant with a talented chef friend, Antonio (Edoardo Gabbriellini). At the heart of the family is Tancredi's
wife and Edoardo Jr.'s mother, Emma (Tilda Swinton), a Russian immigrant who has adopted the culture of Milan, and whose existence is shaken when she enters a passionate love affair with Antonio. Vitals: Director: Luca Guadagnino. Stars: Tilda Swinton, Flavio Parenti, Edoardo Gabbriellini, Alba Rohrwacher, Pippo Delbono.
2009, CC, MPAA rating: R, 120 min., Drama, Box office gross: $4.696 million, Magnolia Home Entertainment.
Three estranged American brothers reunite for a meticulously planned, soul-searching train voyage across India, one year after the death of their father. For reasons involving over-the-counter painkillers, Indian
cough syrup, and pepper spray, the brothers eventually find themselves stranded alone in the middle of the desert -- where a new, unplanned chapter of their journey begins. In a new high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Wes Anderson ... "The Magician"
(1958), starring Max von Sydow and Gunnar Bjornstrand, is director Ingmar Bergman's engaging, brilliantly conceived tale of deceit. Von Sydow stars as Dr. Vogler, a mid-19th-century traveling mesmerist and peddler of potions whose magic is put to the test by a small town's cruel, eminently rational minister of health, Dr. Vergerus. The result is a diabolically clever battle of wits that's both frightening and funny, shot in rich, gorgeously gothic black and white. In a new, restored high-definition digital transfer.
For lovers of classic all-singing, all-dancing spectacles Warner Home Video has two nifty collections this week: "Astaire & Rogers Ultimate Collector's Edition,"
an 11-disc set with all 10 Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers movies restored and remastered: "Flying Down to Rio," "The Gay Divorcee," "Roberta," "Top Hat," "Follow the Fleet," "Swing Time," "Shall We Dance," "Carefree," "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" and "The Barkleys of Broadway"; plus a bonus disc documentary profile: "Astaire and Rogers Partners in Rhythm." $69.92 ... "The Busby Berkeley Collection"
is a 10-disc set with nine magical musicals showcasing the Berkeley touch: "42nd Street," "Gold Diggers of 1933," "Footlight Parade," "Dames," "Gold Diggers of 1935," "Gold Diggers of 1937," "Varsity Show,"
"Hollywood Hotel," "Gold Diggers in Paris," plus a bonus Busby Berkeley
compilation disc with 21 astonishing musical sequences. $69.92.
The set includes both the unrated and theatrical versions of the film; an exclusive never before seen 28-page wedding album featuring missing photos from the ill-fated Vegas wedding and more incriminating photos from the lost camera that you couldn't see in theaters; commentary by Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms and Todd Phillips; "The Madness of Ken Jeong" non-stop improv; "The Dan Band!" performs "Fame"; a
gag reel; "Three Best Friends Song"; Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis "freestyle" their own song; "Map of Destruction" interactive guide to the trip; "Action Mash-Up" compilation of all the physical comedy from the film; picture-in-picture commentary and BD-LIVE
content: "Iron Mike Online Teaser" and "Cursing Mash-Up." And a sampler
disc from the film's soundtrack. Whew! From Warner ... Also out this week: "Sex and Lucia" (2001), the lauded erotic film starring Paz
Vega, Tristan Ulloa, Najwa Nimri and Daniel Freire, with "Behind the Scenes of Sex and Lucia," cast interviews, a photo gallery, soundtrack excerpt and cast biographies, from Palm Pictures ... and "Three Kings"
(1999), starring George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Spike Jonze, Cliff Curtis, Nora Dunn and Jamie Kennedy, featuring an impressive Blu-ray image and sound remastering as well as an "Under the Bunker" documentary, a tour of the Iraqi village, commentaries, additional scenes, more; from Warner.
"Empires" is a 14-disc set with episodes from the highly praised History series "Rome: Rise and Fall of an Empire," "Engineering an Empire," "Ancients Behaving Badly" and "Barbarians," $99.95 from A&E Home Entertainment ... "Ghost Whisperer Season 5" (2009-10) is a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $62.99 from CBS/Paramount ... "Inspector Lewis, Series 3"
(2006) is a three-disc set with five full-length mysteries, $39.99 from PBS ... "In Treatment: The Complete Second Season" (2009) is a seven-disc set with 35 episodes, $59.99 from HBO ... "Marcus Welby, MD: Season Two" (1970-71) is a six-disc set with 24 episodes, $49.97 Shout! Factory ... "Seven Deadly Sins"
(2010) is the short-lived TV series based on Robin Wasserman's seven novels that follow a group of teens living in the town of Grace, California, from Vivendi Entertainment/RHI Entertainment ... "The Tudors: The Final Season"
(2010) is a three-disc set with 10 episodes, $46.99 from Showtime/Paramount.
In "Arn: The Knight Templar"
(2007), starring Stellan Skarsgard, Simon Callow, Vincent Perez and Michael Nyqvist, Swedish crusader Arn Magnusson embarks on his 12th century crusade as a Knight Templar from Sweden to the Holy Land, and away from his life's love, in pursuit of his mission to unite Sweden into one kingdom; from Entertainment One ... In "Four Boxes"
(2009), starring Justin Kirk, Terryn Westbrook and Sam Rosen, nothing is what it seems when three friends stumble upon the bizarre surveillance-cam website fourboxes.tv, where a man named Havoc (who sleeps in a cage and builds bombs in the basement of a dead man's destroyed suburban house) is seemingly hatching a plot to wipe out America; from Entertainment One ... On the advice of his childhood hero,
Robert R. Mutt embarks on a madcap adventure to attain the three keys to being a "somebody" -- a girl, some money and a championship ring, in "You Might as Well Live"
(2009), starring Josh Peace, Michael Madsen, Stephen McHattie and Kristen Hager, from Entertainment One ... In Bangkok for a good time, five friends end up kidnapping the daughter of a crime boss to pay off a
debt to another crime boss in the kung-fu thriller "Bangkok Adrenaline" (2009 -- Thailand), from Image Entertainment ... In "Language of the Enemy (aka A House Divided"
(2008), starring Eion Bailey, F. Murray Abraham, Linda Hardy and Tovah Feldshuh, a Jewish American businessman attending his father's funeral in Israeil and a Palestinian woman find themselves trapped together behind enemy lines when he is persuaded to do a brief reconnaissance for
the Israeli Secret Service inside the city of Ramallah; from MTI Home Video ... Seeking revenge for the murder of their religious leader, fundamental loyalists kidnap and torture the man they believe responsible in "As Good As Dead" (2010), starring Cary Elwes, Andie MacDowell, Brian Cox, Frank Whaley, Matt Dallas, Jess Wexler and Laura Harring.; from First Look Studios ... An Ivy League professor is lured back to his Oklahoma hometown, where his twin brother, a small-time pot grower, has concocted a scheme to take down a local drug lord in "Leaves of Grass" (2009), starring Edward Norton, Tim Blake Nelson, Melanie Lynskey, Susan Sarandon, Richard Dreyfuss, Keri Russell and Ty Burrell; from First Look Studios.
Here's an early Muppet Christmas present: "It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie" (2002). Tis the night before Christmas and the Muppet Theater is in danger of being torn down.
When bad goes to worse, Kermit begins to believe that the world would be a better place if he had never been born. With heavenly help and hilarious send-ups of just about every holiday movie ever made, Kermit and the Muppets discover what matters most is their love for each other.
Features guest appearances by David Arquette, Joan Cusack and Whoopi Goldberg. From Universal ... Thomas and his friends celebrate the holidays with four tales: "Thomas' Merry Winter Wish," "Thomas and the Snowman Party," "Merry Misty Island" and "Henry's Magic Box" in "Thomas & Friends: Merry Winter Wish" (2010), $14.98 from HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate ... "HIT Favorites: Jolly Holiday"
(2010) is an anthology of five holiday themed episodes from Thomas & Friends, Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam, Barney and Angelina Ballerina, $14.98 from HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate.
"Great Detectives Anthology."
Peter Cushing's Sherlock Holmes exercises his legendary deductive skills in five classic BBC productions, including "The Hound of the Baskervilles," "A Study in Scarlet" and" The Sign of Four." Dame Agatha's diminutive detective, Hercule Poirot, portrayed by the inimitable David Suchet, applies his "little grey cells" to ferret out the cause of a "Death on the Nile" and solve the "Mystery of the Blue Train," among other Christie classics. Rounding out the trio, Joan Hickson plays spinster Miss Jane Marple, who untangles the riddles of the "Murder at the Vicarage," "The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side" and
many more. In a 12-disc set, $149.99, from A&E Home Entertainment ... "Dynasty Collector's Edition" (2009) is a skiing and snowboarding documentary featuring narration by Olympic Gold Medalist Jonny Moseley, mind-blowing cinematography and an explosive soundtrack with True HD Audio on Blu-ray and 5.1 Surround Sound on DVD, from Shout! Factory ... "S&Man (Sandman)" (2006) is
a documentary that takes a look at the classic comparison between filmmaking and voyeurism, particularly within the horror genre, from Magnolia Home Entertainment) ... "Strikeforce MMA" (2009) is a two-disc set of mixed martial arts fights from Showtime, from CBS/Paramount.
Kate (Catherine Keener) and Alex (Oliver Platt) are a couple living in New York City who specialize in vintage furniture -- which they buy on the cheap at estate sales and mark up at their trendy Manhattan store. Kate and Alex have a teenage daughter, Abby (Sarah Steele) -- who has image problems -- and their apartment is starting to feel a bit small for the three of them; Kate and Alex own the unit next door to them, and
once the flat becomes vacant, they plan to knock out a wall and take over the space. However, Andra (Ann Morgan Guilbert), their tenant, is an elderly woman with a poor disposition who doesn't seem eager to go anywhere soon, and it's occurred to Kate and Alex that they're probably going to have wait for her to die, since evicting her would be very awkward. Hoping to make the best of the situation, Kate tries to strike up a friendship with Andra and her fiercely protective granddaughter Rebecca (Rebecca Hall), but Andra isn't especially interested in making new friends, and Rebecca's sister, Mary (Amanda Peet), isn't much easier
to deal with. Add in Kate's marriage problem of sharing a partnership in parenting, business and life with Alex but sensing doubt nibbling at the foundations. Add in her guilt over the business -- exploiting grief-ridden relatives to buy furniture at low prices -- and her free-floating 21st century malaise -- the problem of how to live well and be a good person when poverty, homelessness, and sadness are always right outside the door, and this quirky comedic tale of human foibles soon takes an unpredictable turn. Vitals: Director: Nicole Holofcener. Stars: Catherine Keener, Oliver Platt, Sarah Steele, Ann Morgan Guilbert, Rebecca Hall, Amanda Peet.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 90 min., Comedy Drama, Box office gross: $4.010 million, Sony.
(1960) Director: Alfred Hitchcock. Stars Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam. Remastered with 5.1 Surround Sound. "Psycho Sound" looks at the re-mastering process required to create the 5.1 Surround mix from the original mono elements using Audionamix technology; "The Making of Psycho"; "In the Master's Shadow";
"Hitchcock's Legacy" with some of Hollywood's top filmmakers discussing
Hitchcock's influence and why his movies continue to thrill audiences; "Hitchcock/Truffaut Interviews": Excerpts from a 1962 audio interview with Alfred Hitchcock; commentary by Stephen Rebello, author of "Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho"; newsreel footage on the release of "Psycho," showcasing the unique policy Hitchcock insisted upon for the release of the film; "The Shower Scene," a look at the impact of music on the infamous shower scene; shower scene storyboards by Saul Bass; production notes; "The Psycho Archives" gallery of on-set photo stills from the film's production; posters and ads gallery; lobby cards gallery; behind-the-scenes photographs; original promotional trailer; re-release trailers. From Universal.
(1996) Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, John Leguizamo, Harold Perrineau, Pete Postlethwaite, Paul Sorvino, Brian Dennehy, Paul Rudd, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Miriam Margolyes, Jesse Bradford, M. Emmet Walsh. New high definition transfer supervised by director Baz Luhrmann. Bonus features: "Shaking Up Shakespeare" picture-in-picture mode with audio commentary by Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Donald M. McAlpine and Craig Pearce and featuring behind-the-scenes footage and stills; uncut footage from the Bazmark Vault; "Romeo + Juliet: The Music Documentary";
filmmaker and interview galleries. From Fox.
offering an original, unique perspective -- a story told through the zombie's eyes. Made for just $75, mostly spent on tea and cookies for his "zombies," Price relied on friends and Facebook to cast his legion of undead extras. Life bites (literally!) for Colin (Alastair Kirton) when, after becoming a zombie snack, he dies and returns as one of the undead. Wandering aimlessly through the streets of London, during the throes of a cadaverous apocalypse, we learn about Colin (from his perspective) ... who he was and, more pertinently, what he has become, through his encounters with objects, places and people. From Walking Shadows ... "Night of the Demons" (2009), starring Shannon Elizabeth, Edward Furlong and Monica Keena, is a remake of the 1988 classic about a group of friends partying on Halloween night at New
Orleans' notorious Broussard Mansion who discover a horrifying secret in the basement and unleash the wrath of blood-thirsty demons; from Entertainment One ... "Monster A-Go Go: Special Collector's Edition"
(1965), starring June Travis, Peter Thompson and Phil Morton and directed by Bill Rebane and Herschell Gordon Lewis. Billed as "The picture that could set our space program back at least 50 years" and voted "The Worst Movie Ever" by Mystery Science Theater 3000. An astronaut about to be launched into space is being prepped for his galactic voyage with doses of "radiation repellent," but the doctor really gives him doses previously tested only on animals. As the mission
ends and the space capsule parachutes back to 
earth, it crash-lands in a
field and the astronaut disappears, replaced by a monster who begins wreaking havoc in the area. From Synergy Entertainment ... In "Shoot the Hero!"
(2010), starring Jason Mewes, Samantha Lockwood, Danny Trejo, Nic Nac, Nicholas Turturro, Paul Sloan and Fred Williamson, a thirtysomething couple unintentionally become involved in a botched jewel heist while shopping for wedding rings; from Virgil Films & Entertainment ... In the sequel "Mirrors 2"
(2010), starring Nick Stahl, William Katt, Emmanuelle Vaugier and Christy Carlson Romano, Max, a recovering addict, takes a job as a nighttime security guard and begins to see visions of a young mysterious
woman in the store's mirror: It turns out the woman was brutally murdered in front of the mirror -- a portal to the world of the undead -- and she has embarked on a murderous rampage to get the men and women responsible for her horrific death; from Fox ... In "Holy Rollers"
(2010), starring Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Bartha, a Rabbinical student gets involved in the gritty drug smuggling scene in Manhattan and Amsterdam. Based on a true story of how nearly one million ecstasy pills were imported into the country in the 1990s using orthodox Hasidic
Jews as carriers, their strict religious dress making them less likely to have their bags searched in customs. From First Independent Pictures/Vivendi Entertainment.
Mick Garris, Richard Franklin, as well as other writers and directors in the horror genre, including Stuart Gordon ("Re-Animator"), Adam Green
("Frozen"), Joe Lynch ("Wrong Turn 2"), Michael Gingold and Tony Timpone from Fangoria, and many more. $19.93 from Shout! Factory ... "Smash His Camera"
(2010) is a documentary about infamous New York City paparazzo Ron Galella, legendary for his restraining order from Jackie O and losing five teeth at the hands of Marlon Brando, all in the service of generating some of the most iconic and memorable celebrity photographs of the 1970s. Features archival footage of Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Grace
Kelly, Jacqueline Kennedy, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and more. From Magnolia Home Entertainment ... "Oceans" (2009), directed by Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud (both of "Winged Migration"), venture in, on and around our seas to discover photogenic oddities and endangered wonders, diving deep into the very waters that sustain all of mankind -- exploring the playful splendor and the harsh reality of the weird and wonderful creatures that live there. A breathtaking and unprecedented high-definition journey to discover nature's mysteries, showcasing creatures captured on film for the first time and highlighting the colorful symphony of animals that live under the sea. Narrated by Pierce Brosnan. From DisneyNature ... "Shooting Stars"
(2009) is a documentary that follows Johnny Nunez, who was abandoned as
a baby and later adopted by a Puerto Rican family, as he overcomes the obstacles imposed by his humble upbringings in Brooklyn to become today's most prominent Hip Hop celebrity photographer. From IndiePix ... In "Homeless for the Holidays"
(2009), Jack Baker is a self-made executive who enjoys a happy, upper-middle-class life -- until he loses his job, and finds himself working at a burger joint in order to make ends meet. To make things worse, ends are not being met, and, if something doesn't change soon, the Bakers could lose everything by Christmas. Created by TV filmmaker George A. Johnson, who lost his job in 2008 and put this film together with the help of some 500 volunteers. Info: 
Noomi Rapace reprises her role as Lisbeth Salander, the troubled, wise-beyond-her-years genius hacker, along with Michael Nyqvist, who again portrays Mikael Blomkvist, the crusading journalist and publisher of the magazine Millennium. In this fast-paced, edgy thriller, two journalists on the verge of exposing their story in Millennium about an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden are brutally murdered. Lisbeth Salander's prints are on the weapon. Blomkvist, alone in his belief in Salander's innocence, plunges into an investigation of the slayings that will implicate highly placed members of Swedish society, business and government. Knowing Salander to be fierce when fearful, he is desperate to get to her before she is cornered and alone but she is nowhere to be found. Digging deeper, Blomkvist also unearths some heart-wrenching facts about Salander's past
life. Committed to psychiatric care at aged 12, declared legally incompetent at 18, she is the product of an unjust and corrupt system. Meanwhile, the elusive Salander herself is drawn into a murderous hunt in which she is the prey, and which compels her to revisit her dark past.
An unflinching Ozark Mountain girl hacks through dangerous social terrain as she hunts down her drug-dealing father while trying to keep her family intact. Seventeen-year-old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) sets
out to track down her father, who put their house up for his bail bond and then disappeared. If she fails, Ree and her family will be turned out into the Ozark woods. Challenging her outlaw kin's code of silence and risking her life, Ree hacks through the lies, evasions and threats offered up by her relatives and begins to piece together the truth.
Vitals: Director: Debra Granik. Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Kevin Breznahan, Dale Dickey, Garret Dillahunt, Sheryl Lee, Tate Taylor.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 100 min., Drama, Box office gross: $4.017 million, Lionsgate.
A
pivotal work by Stanley Kubrick, "Paths of Glory" is among the most powerful antiwar films ever made. A fiery Kirk Douglas stars as a French
colonel serving in World War I who goes head-to-head with the army's ruthless top brass when his men are accused of cowardice after being unable to carry out an impossible mission. This haunting, exquisitely photographed dissection of the military machine in all its absurdity and
capacity for dehumanization (a theme Kubrick would continue to explore throughout his career) is assembled with its legendary director's customary precision, from its tense trench warfare sequences to its gripping courtroom climax to its ravaging final scene. New, restored high-definition digital transfer with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Bonus features include a new commentary by critic Gary Giddins; a television interview from 1979 with Douglas; new video interviews with Kubrick's longtime executive producer Jan Harlan, "Paths
of Glory" producer James B. Harris, and actress Christiane Kubrick; excerpt from a French television program about real-life World War I executions similar to the events dramatized in "Paths of Glory"; theatrical trailer; and an essay by Kubrick scholar James Naremore.
When he flies to New York to meet her dad, he hooks up with his Uncle Terry, a fun-loving, horndog bartender who wants to stop Johnny from marrying too young. On a ride to the Hamptons, they visit the uncle's married girlfriend who, it turns out, has a beautiful young tennis instructor, Brooke, who takes a liking to Johnny and represents a free and easy alternative to his hard-edged, demanding fiancee. Stars Matt Bush, Anna Wood, Edward Burns and Kerry Bishe. From MPI Home Video ... Tilda Swinton, Karen Black, Thomas Jay Ryan, Jeremy Davies. Tilda Swinton plays four roles in Strong>"Teknolust" (2002), a science fiction adventure about Rosetta Stone and her three Self-Replicating Automatons, which she cloned from her own DNA. Though they look human, the S.R.A. cyborgs were bred as intelligent machines and are immortal, but in order to survive, they need sustenance of male Y chromosome, found only in sperm. Their task is to harvest sperm in the old fashioned
way, which leads to a quest for love. From Microcinema International ... From Alex Cox, the director of "Repo Man" and "Sid & Nancy," comes "Searchers 2.0" (2007), never-before-released on DVD in North America. As child actors, Mel and Fred were beaten and whipped by an imperious screenwriter, Fritz Frobisher. Now the elderly Fritz is to appear at a T-shirt signing ceremony in Monument Valley, Arizona, where his great films were made, and Mel and Fred decide to go there to get even. But all is not as it seems when the two men -- driven
there by Mel's estranged daughter, Delilah -- arrive. From Microcinema International.
"The Chaser"
(2008 -- South Korea)is a griity crime drama about a disgraced police detective-turned pimp who gets an unexpected shot at redemption when he goes after a serial killer kidnapping his call girls. From IFC/MPI media
Group ... In "Hush" (2009 -- U.K.), starring William Ash and Christine Bottomley, a young couple on a motorway journey are drawn into a game of cat and mouse with a truck driver after a near accident, when, for a fleeting moment, the roll door on the back of the truck opens and the couple glimpse what looks like a half-dressed woman shackled and caged within. From IFC/MPI Media Group ... In "The Last Day of Summer"
(2009), starring DJ Qualls, Nikki Reed and William Sadler, an agitated employee of Jum's Burger Haven, who has reached his breaking point after
being mercilessly tormented by his boss, finally snaps and decides to take his revenge. From Entertainment One.
Stars Colin Ferguson, Yancy Butler, Kacey Barnfield and Michael Ironside. Includes unrated, unreleased scenes suitable only for adult audiences. From Sony ... In a world devastated by a pandemic virus that turns human beings into primitive and bloodthirsty creatures, Marco and Sonia set off to find a secret base to escape from the "Mutants"
(2009 -- France). But Marco gets infected and, little by little, he undergoes the same changes. Sonia, who is expecting a baby, is then forced to fight her worst enemy: the man she loves. From IFC/MPI Media Group ... "Within" (2009) stars Mia Ford, Lori Heuring,
Sammi Hanratty, Sam Jaeger, Brent Sexton and Elaine Hendrix in a paranormal thriller with no chainsaws, no severed heads, horny teenagers, drugs or alcohol, or bad language. Rachel is a sweet girl with a troubled soul, caused by a unique gift -- she can see evil spirits within others. After witnessing the killing of her mother, Rachel and her father look for a fresh start by moving to a new town. After befriending classmate Michelle Lowe, Rachel soon realizes that her
new 'best friend' may not be the girl she first appeared to be. Rachel's visions could be the key to stopping a series of violent attacks against the town's children and unlocking the puzzle behind a grim murder. From Bigfoot Entertainment ... After a mysterious malfunction sends their small plane climbing out of control, a rookie pilot and her four teenage friends find themselves trapped in a deadly showdown with a supernatural force in "Altitude" (2010), starring Jessica Lowndes, Julianna Guill, Ryan Donowho, Landon Liboiron and Jake Weary. From Anchor Bay Entertainment.
"Skeletons"
(2010 - U.K.) Follows Davis and Bennett (the British comedy duo Andrew Buckley and Ed Gaughan), a pair of mismatched traveling salesmen in the business of literally cleaning out skeletons from closets. Together, they wander in and out of strangers' lives, performing "The Procedure," successfully exposing people's innermost secrets behind their door of lies ... until they arrive at a remote home and face a challenge unlike anything they've seen before. Can they finish the job or will they remain trapped in the closet, perpetually haunted by their own skeletons? From IndiPix ... "The Infidel" (2010 -- U.K.), starring Archie Panjabi, Matt Lucas, Richard Schiff and Omid Djalili, is an identity crisis comedy centered on Mahmud Nasir, a successful business owner and salt-of-the-earth East End Muslim who discovers that he's adopted -- and Jewish. From New Video/Tribeca Film ... "Mentor" (2007), starring Rutger Hauer, Matthew Davis and Dagmara Dominczyk, is a drama about the power that a famous university professor holds over his students and assistants. From Vanguard Cinema ... "Subprime" (2010), starring Aaron Miller, Quinn Kieffer-Wright, Kristina Plisko and William Gilmore, is a comedy about a young college student who is forced to move home after he
loses his student loan, only to discover that his family and neighbors are all having their homes foreclosed. From Vanguard Cinema ... "Harrison Montgomery"
(2008), starring Octavio Gomez Berrios, Martin Landau, Melora Walters and Krista Ott, is a drama about a petty drug dealer and a reclusive seer with a game show fetish and a secret that just may save his down-and-out neighbors. From IndiePix.
"Miss Nelson Has a Field Day," "The Night Before Christmas," "So You Want to Be President," The Teacher From the Black Lagoon," "Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin" and many, many more on the following DVDs: "Goodnight Moon," "Corduroy," "The Wheels on the Bus," "Good Night, Gorilla," "The Night Before Christmas," "Is Your Mama a Llama?," "Giggle Giggle Quack,"
"There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly," "The Hans Christian Andersen Collection," "The James Marshall Fairytale Collection," "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," "The Teacher From the Black Lagoon," "Miss Nelson Has a Field Day," "Antarctic Antics," "Crazy Hair Day," "So
You Want to Be President?," "A Very Brave Witch." $99.95. Next up is "The Halloween Stories Collection,"
a three-disc set with 18 slightly scary stories, including "Where the Wild Things Are," "A Very Brave Witch," "The Teacher From the Black Lagoon," "By the Light of the Halloween Moon", "A Dark, Dark, Tale", "Georgie", "The Witch in the Cherry Tree", "The Three-Legged Cat" and more. $24.95. And, finally, the "Scholastic Sign Language Gift Set":
Building upon the popular trend of babies learning to communicate by sign language, Scholastic has launched a new ASL series, extending sign language learning for children ages 2 to 9. The three-disc set includes nine stories with sign language: "Goodnight Moon ... and More Great Bedtime Stories," "A Pocket for Corduroy," "Five Little Monkeys," "A Creature Was Stirring," "Blue Burt and Wiggles," "Little Quack," "There's Something in My Attic," more. $24.95.
"Evening Primose"
(1966) is Steven Sondheim's "lost" TV musical, originally broadcast on "ABC Stage 67." Based on John Collier's acclaimed short story, this black-and-white classic stars the very young and talented Anthony Perkins, Dorothy Stickney, Larry Gates and Charmian Carr in the story of
a poet, who, unable to cope with the pressures from the outside world, hides inside a locked department store. As night falls, he discovers a group of hermits who have lived there for years. Presented by The Archive of American Television Presents, a partnership between Entertainment One and the Archive of American Television, a program of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. From Entertainment One ... "On the Road With Charles Kuralt, Set 3"
is a three-disc set with 14 episodes -- with a total of 57 classic "On the Road" pieces, and an exclusive 55 min. interview with longtime Kuralt and "On the Road" cameraman Isadore Bleckman. $39.99 from Acorn Media ... "Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him)?"
(2010) profiles the extraordinary life and career of the enigmatic Harry Nilsson, considered by many music critics and peers to be one of the best singer-songwriters of his time. Nilsson was also famous for being The Beatles' favorite "group." Combines interviews with Harry's friends and colleagues, rare and never-before-seen archival footage, home movies and excerpts from Nilsson's recently discovered oral autobiography. The documentary features interviews with Micky Dolenz, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Al Kooper, Randy Newman, Yoko Ono, Van Dyke Parks, The Smothers Brothers, Jimmy Webb, Paul Williams, Robin Williams,
Brian Wilson and many more as well as members of the Nilsson family. From Lorber Films.
There are already 14,000 officially registered lobbyists working on behalf of special interest -- which averages to 26 lobbyists to every member of Congress -- and over $6.7 billion spent in the last two years to influence them. Veteran documentary filmmaker Francis Megahy takes a non-partisan stance in a comprehensive examination of the influence of K
Street on our elected official. $19.95 from Cinema Libre Studio ... "South of the Border"
(2010) is director Oliver Stone's road trip across five countries to explore the social and political movements as well as the mainstream media's misperception of South America while interviewing seven of its elected presidents. The film features intimate conversations with Hugo Chavez (Venezuela), Evo Morales (Bolivia), Lula da Silva (Brazil), Cristina Kirchner (Argentina), as well as her husband and ex-President Nestor Kirchner, Fernando Lugo (Paraguay), Rafael Correa (Ecuador) and Raul Castro (Cuba). $24.95 from Cinema Libre Studio.
"Down Under the Sea"
is a two-disc set with two Smithsonian Networks features: "The Big Blue," a documentary on the Big Blue whale, and "Secrets of the Great Barrier Reef"; $19.98 from Infinity Entertainment Group ... "Surviving the Holidays With Lewis Black"
(2010) is a comedic look at how to survive the "month-long festival of consumption" without losing your mind. $19.95 from A&E Home Entertainment ... "Score" (1974) is Radley Metzger's celebrated and ground-breaking soft-core erotic film about a liberated '70s couple that seduces another couple into experimentation with bisexuality and group-sex. Based on a 1971 hit Off-Broadway play that starred 25-year-old Sylvester Stallone in the role of Mike, a horny telephone repairman, played in the film by Carl Parker. The film follows
the erotic exploits of a happily married swinging couple (Claire Wilbur
and Gerald Grant) who make a bet that they can seduce a couple of naive
young newlyweds during a weekend get-together at their luxury Riviera Villa. The young couple is played by Lynn Lowry, who starred in the horror classics "The Crazies" and "I Drink Your Blood," and Cal Culver, who became an early gay icon thanks to his standout performance in 1971's "Boys in the Sand." Uncut and uncensored, from Cult Epics/CAV Distributing.
• Breaking the Code: Behind the Walls of Chris Jericho, the definitive Chris Jericho collection with a revealing biography and 19 of his greatest matches, in a three-disc set, $34.95.
The Columbia Pictures classic, directed by David Lean and starring William Holden, Alec Guinness, Sessue Hayakawa and Jack Hawkins, has received an extensive 4K restoration from the original negative, with newly remastered 5.1 audio. The film is available in a Blu-ray/DVD combo
pack, has a long list of bonus features, includes replicas of the original theatrical lobby cards and a 32-page book of on-set and behind the scenes photography ... Next up is "The Sound of Music 45th Anniversary Edition" (1965), directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film, restored and remastered in 1080p Hi-Def with 7.1 DTS-HD Sound, is available as a three-disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack ($34.99) and a Limited Edition Collector's Set ($89.99). Extras include "Your Favorite Things," an interactive celebration immersive viewing experience with behind-the-scenes images, on-screen lyrics, trivia track
and location quiz; a "Music Machine Sing-Along"; 
commentaries by Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer and director Robert Wise; "A City of Song" virtual map of filming locations in Salzburg, Austria; vintage Rodgers & Hammerstein and "The Sound of Music Programs"; screen tests, rare treasures, interviews, photo galleries, more. The Limited Edition Collector's Set includes a 45th anniversary soundtrack, a 100-page "My Favorite Things" scrapbook, snapshots from Salzburg, reproduction of the original 1965 souvenir program, and an exclusive "My Favorite Things" music box with a letter of authenticity. From Fox.
The on-disc bonus features repeat those from earlier DVD editions: commentary, "The Making of The Goonies" documentary, Cyndi Lauper music video "The Goonies 'R Good Enough," deleted scenes. But it's the packaging that counts here: a gorgeous slip box with a board game, collectible storyboard prints, a 1985 souvenir magazine with behind-the-scenes stories about the filming in Astoria, Oregon (including the production design that transformed Astoria into the "Goon
Docks"), and a reprint of a 2009 Empire Magazine article with updates on the cast and crew. Available as a standard DVD set or Blu-ray. From Warner ... Sony and The Film Foundation present five of Rita Hayworth's finest films -- three of them for the first time -- fully restored and remastered in "The Films of Rita Hayworth": "Cover Girl" (1944), "Tonight and Every Night" (1945) (DVD debut), "Gilda" (1946), "Salome" (1953) (DVD debut) and "Miss Sadie Thompson" (1953) (DVD debut); $59.95 ... Bing Crosby was one of the most popular entertainers of all-time, a superstar of movies, music, radio and television during a spectacular career that lasted over 50 years. He remains beloved around the world for his easygoing charm, mesmerizing voice and on-screen charisma. "The Bing Crosby Collection (Universal Backlot Series)" showcases six rare films including "College Humor" (1933). "We're Not Dressing" (1934), "Here is My Heart" (1934), "Mississippi" (1935), "Sing You Sinners" (1938) and "Welcome Stranger" (1947). $49.98 from Universal.
"Primetime" (Disc 5) includes "Francis Albert Sinatra Does His Thing" (1968), "Sinatra" (1969) and "Sinatra and Friends" (1977); "Concert for the Americas" (1982) (Disc 6); Bonus Disc (Disc 7) includes "Happy Holidays With Bing and Frank" (1957), "Vintage Sinatra," a 2003 PBS special that features classic performances from his 1957–58 ABC television series, and 10 previously unreleased television performances.
$79.98 from Shout! Factory ... Also from the Shout! Factory comes "The Larry Sanders Show: The Complete Series"
(1992-98), a 17-disc box set featuring all 89 original episodes of the hit series, available for the first time, with extensive bonus features and a special commemorative 60-page color book ("The Larry Sanders Show:
The Complete Guide"), $149.98. Extras include a video introduction by Shandling; deleted scenes; outtakes; Shandling lectures at USC; commentaries by Shandling, Todd Holland, Judd Apatow and Peter Tolan; "The Making of The Larry Sanders Show" feature-length documentary; interviews with cast and crew; and much, much more.
"The Facts of Life: The Complete Fifth Season" (1983-84) is a four-disc set with 24 episodes, $39.97 from Shout! Factory ... "The Fugitive: The Fourth and Final Season: Volume 1" (1966-67) is a four-disc set, $42.99 from Paramount ... "The Larry Sanders Show: Season Two" (1993) is a three-disc set with 18 episodes, $34.93 from Shout! Factory ... "Mad About You: Season Five" (1996-97) is a four-disc set with 24 episodes, $29.93 from Shout! Factory ... "Men of a Certain Age: The Complete First Season" (2009-10) is a two-disc set with 10 episodes, $39.98 from Warner ... "Nip/Tuck: The Complete Series Gift Set" is a 35-disc set with all 100 episodes plus 11 featurettes, $198.70 from Warner ... "The Pacific"
(2010) is the complete 10-part miniseries, $79.99 from HBO Video) ... "TV Sets: Christmas Treats"
features holiday-themed episodes from eight TV comedies, including "Cheers," "Happy Days," "The Lucy Show" and "The Beverly Hillbillies," $14.99 from Paramount ... "V: The Complete First Season" (2009-10) is a three-disc set with 12 episodes, $39.98 from Warner.
stories of five struggling New Yorkers overpowered by their
thirst for mental, physical or spiritual fulfillment; from Virgil Films
& Entertainment ... "Centurion"
(2010), starring Michael Fassbender and Dominic West, is a sword and sandal actioner about a splinter group of Roman soldiers who fight for their lives behind enemy lines after their legion is decimated in a devastating guerrilla attack, from Magnolia Home Entertainment ... "Detroit Metal City"
(2008) was a live-action Japanese box office success centering on a shy
young man who dreams of becoming a trendy singer songwriter but, for some reason, is forced into joining the devil worshipping death metal band "Detroit Metal City," who go on to become superstars, from Warner ... In "ExTerminators" (2009), starring Heather Graham,
Jennifer Coolidge, Amber Heard and Joey Lauren Adams, three women who meet in an anger-management class decide to form an extermination business to wreak havoc on the men of Texas. from Image Entertainment.
er known by her stage name, Lady Gaga, from her early years as an aspiring pianist and songwriter, to her time as a Catholic-school outcast, to her first record deal, to the growth of her career following the release of two major albums and critically acclaimed tours; $6.99 from Echo Bridge Home
Entertainment ... There's four documentaries due from PBS: "Building the Great Cathedrals" (2010), a NOVA look at Gothic cathedrals, $24.99; "Crash of Flight 447"
(2010), a NOVA documentary on the ill-fated June 1, 2009 Flight AF447, an Air France Airbus A330 flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris that disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean with the loss of all 228 lives, $24.99; seven episodes of "Ocean Adventures With Jean Michel Cousteau," $49.98; and "Ocean Odyssey,"
which takes viewers on an undersea journey to remote and magical places
to explore the marine ecosystems of the Galapagos Islands, Raja Ampat in Indonesia, the Maldives, the Azores, Hawaii, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, the Channel Islands, British Columbia, the Gulf of Mexico, French Polynesia and Belize, $24.99.
Seven-disc box set that contains over 14 hours of television and concert
performances from the '50s through the '80s, including four previously unreleased specials, a box-set exclusive compilation of vintage performances, and a 44-page book featuring rare photographs and notes by
Sinatra scholar Bill Zehme. "A Man and His Music: The Collection" (Discs 1 and 2) includes "A Man and His Music" (1965), "A Man and His Music Part II" (1966), "A Man and His Music + Ella + Jobim"(1967) and "Sinatra: The Man and His Music" (1981); "Around the World" (Discs 3 and 4) includes "Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back" (1973), "Sinatra: The Main Event" (1974)," Sinatra in Concert at Royal Festival Hall" (1970) and the very rare "Sinatra in Japan: Live at the Budokhan Hall," Tokyo (1985); "Primetime" (Disc 5) includes "Francis Albert Sinatra Does His Thing" (1968), "Sinatra" (1969) and "Sinatra and Friends" (1977); "Concert for the Americas" (1982) (Disc 6); Bonus Disc (Disc 7) includes "Happy Holidays With Bing and Frank" (1957), "Vintage Sinatra," a 2003 PBS special that features classic performances from his 1957-58 ABC television series, and 10 previously unreleased television performances. $79.98. (Shout! Factory). 
Meet charming and jobless Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera). A bass guitarist
for garage band Sex Bob-omb, the 22-year-old has never had a problem getting a girlfriend. It's getting rid of them that proves difficult. From the girl who kicked his heart's ass -- and now is back in town -- to the teenage distraction he's trying to shake when he finally meets the woman of his dreams, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), love hasn't been easy. He soon discovers, however, his new crush has the most
unusual baggage of all: a nefarious league of exes controls her love life and will do whatever it takes to eliminate him as a suitor. As Scott gets closer to Ramona, he must face an increasingly vicious rogues
gallery from her past -- from infamous skateboarders to vegan rock stars and fearsomely identical twins -- all told, seven evil exes who are coming to kill him. And if he hopes to win his true love, he must vanquish them all before it really is game over. Vitals: Director: Edgar Wright. Stars: Michael Cera, Alison Pill, Mark Webber, Johnny Simmons, Ellen Wong, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick, Jason Schwartzman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Brandon Routh. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 112 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $30.438 million, Universal.
Grown Ups
is an 18-disc DVD gift set of Elia Kazan films that also includes "A Letter to Elia," Martin Scorsese's new documentary exploring the life and talent of the director, which aired on PBS' "American Masters" On October 4. The full collection, in addition to the documentary, includes: " A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" (1945), "Boomerang!" (1947)," Gentleman's Agreement" (1947), "Pinky" (1949), "Panic in the Streets" (1950), "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951), "Viva Zapata!" (1952), "Man on a Tightrope" (1953), On the Waterfront (1954), East of Eden (1955), "Baby Doll" (1956), "A Face in the Crowd"(1957), "Wild River" (1960), "Splendor in the Grass" (1961), and "America, America" (1963). Of the collection, 5 films have never before been released on DVD: "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," "Viva Zapata!", "Man on a Tightrope," "Wild River" and "America, America." $199.98. Includes a commemorative book. From Fox. 
"The Boondocks: The Complete Third Season" (2010) is a three-disc set with 15 uncensored episodes of the Adult Swim series, $49.95 from Sony ... "Californication: The Third Season" (2009) is a two-disc set with 12 episodes, $42.99 from Showtime/CBS/Paramount ... "Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series"
(2010) is a six-disc set with 13 episodes, $79.98. Matt Smith and Karen
Gillan star as the new Doctor (the 11th) and his companion Amy Pond. From BBC/Warner ... "The Golden Girls: 25th Anniversary Complete Collection" (1985-92) is a 21-disc set with 180 episodes, $149.99 from Disney ... "Lie to Me: Season Two" (2009-10) is a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.99 from Fox ... "Sherlock" (2010) stars Benedict Cumberbatchand Martin Freeman in this BBC modern-day update of the famous sleuth; from BBC/Warner ... "thirtysomething: The Complete Final Season" (1990-91) is a six-disc set with 23 episodes, $59.97 from Shout! Factory ... "You Lucky Dog"
(2010) stars Natasha Henstridge and Harry Hamlin in a Hallmark Channel original movie that follows a working woman as she returns to her hometown of White Tail Creek to pay respect to her late mother, where she sticks around to help the struggling community; from Vivendi Entertainment.
"Three and Out (aka A Deal Is a Deal)"
(2008), starring Mackenzie Crook, Colm Meaney, Imelda Staunton and Gemma Arterton, is an offbeat British comedy. Following two accidental deaths under the wheels of his train, a London subway driver discovers a
loophole: a third accidental death will result in his early retirement with gigantic benefits. To make it happen, he finds a young man with a death wish and persuades him to jump under his train -- after a weekend to remember. From Entertainment One ... In "Robin-B-Hood"
(2006 -- Hong Kong), Jackie Chan plays a gambler who turns to burglary to pay his debts. But when his buddies try to score a big payout by kidnapping a baby, he finds himself in an entirely new mess; from Vivendi Entertainment ... "Stuck!" (2009), starring Starina Johnson, Karen Black, Jane Wiedlin, Susan Traylor, Mink Stole and Stacy Cunningham, is an homage to film noir women-in-prison films, faithfully re-producing the genre with a modern, tongue-in-cheek twist, with all the hallmarks of a classic prison movie complete with a wrongly
accused heroine, hard boiled dames, diabolical alliances, forbidden love, cat-fighting cuties, a sadistic warden, and corrupt prison guards.
The film centers on Daisy, an innocent young woman framed for killing her mother, who's sent to death row. From MTI Home Video ... 
Trapped in an abandoned warehouse, a woman and her real-estate investing fiance inadvertently fall prey to a terrorizing killer on the loose in "The Brazen Bull" (2010), starring Michael Madsen, Jennifer Tisdale, Rachel Hunter and David Frank Fletcher Jr.; from Virgil Films & Entertainment ... In "Hunt to Kill"
(2010), Steve Austin stars as U.S. Border Patrol agent Jim Rhodes, a tough divorcee mourning the loss of his murdered partner while struggling to raise his rebellious daughter in the mountains of Montana.
When a crew of trigger-happy fugitives takes Rhodes' daughter hostage and leave him for dead, all hell breaks loose. From Anchor Bay Entertainment ... "Ice Blues: A Donald Strachey Mystery"
(2008) is the fourth installment in the critically-acclaimed series featuring America's best-known gay private investigator, based on the best-selling novels by Richard Stevenson; from Entertainment One ... A small-town attorney who is left devastated and purposeless by the horrific death of his wife and two sons in a tragic accident agrees to take on one final case before committing suicide in "The Trial"
(2010), starring Matthew Modine, Randy Wayn, Rance Howard, Robert Forster and Bob Gunton; from Fox.
Boy Blue," "Three Little Kittens," "Tortoise and the Hare" and "Girl Who Cried Wolf." $14.98 from HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate ... "DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection"
includes four animated shorts featuring characters from the celebrated DC Comics vault: "Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam," "The Spectre," "Jonah Hex" and "Green Arrow." From Warner ... "Scooby-Doo! Mystery Machine Limited Edition Collection"
is a 17-disc set with 41 episodes, plus an eighth disc of bonus features, housed in a molded-plastic Mystery Machine case, $79.95 from Warner ... "Elmo and Friends: The Letter Quest" (2010) features three magical adventures, $12.96 from Warner ... "Ramona and Beezus"
(2010), starring Selena Gomez, Joey King, John Corbett, Bridget Moynahan, Ginnifer Goodwin, Josh Duhamel, Jason Spevack and Sandra Oh, is a coming-of-age comedy -- based on the best-selling books by Beverly Cleary -- that follows the misadventures of grade-schooler Ramona and her older sister Beezus. From Fox ... "The Super Hero Squad Show: Quest for the Infinity Sword! Volume 2"
(2009-10) has six episodes in which Iron Man, Wolverine, Hulk, Silver Surfer, Thor, Falcon and their friends protect Super Hero City from the wild, weird and even wacky villainy of VillainVille's most infamous baddies, led by the sinister Dr. Doom. $14.93 from Shout! Factory.
, creating thousands of paintings, dating Madonna, befriending and collaborating with Andy Warhol, walking on the runway for Comme des Garcons, and appearing in a Debbie Harry video. Directed by Basquiat's friend, filmmaker Tamra Davis ("Billy Madison"), "Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child"
(2010) is the definitive documentary on one of the most captivating figures of the contemporary art world. From Arthouse Films/New Video ...
"Car Bomb" (2008) is a documentary on the decisive weapon of the 21st century: the car bomb. With just a trunk load of home-made explosives and a battered old car, terrorists can intimidate a
government and a population. Featuring footage of car bomb attacks and interviews with car bombers. From The Disinformation Co. ... "Secret Origins: The Story of DC Comics"
(2010) is a look at the history of the comic book publication that launched such legendary characters as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman;
$24.98 from Warner ... "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XIX"
(2010) is a four-disc set featuring never-before-released MST3K Episodes "Robot Monster," "Bride of the Monster," "Devil Doll" and "Devil Fish," $69.97 from Shout! Factory.
Annette Bening and Julianne Moore star in this portrait of a modern American family. Nic (Bening) and Jules (Moore) are your average suburban couple raising their two teens, Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser
(Josh Hutcherson), in Southern California. But when the kids secretly track down their "donor dad," Paul (Mark Ruffalo), an unexpected new chapter begins for everyone as family ties are defined, re-defined and then re-re-defined. Vitals: Director: Lisa Cholodenko. Stars: Julianne Moore, Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 104 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $20.512 million, Universal.
Disney's 3-D animated retelling of the Christmas classic. Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly
contempt, barking at his faithful clerk (Gary Oldman) and his cheery nephew (Colin Firth). But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and
Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it's too late.
Vitals: Director: Robert Zemeckis. Stars: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Bob Hoskins, Sammi Hanratty.
2009, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 98 min., Family, Box office gross: $137.850 million, Disney. 
With its barrage of unforgettable gags and sly commentary on class struggle during the Great Depression, "Modern Times" -- though made almost a decade into the talkie era and containing moments of sound (even song!) -- is a timeless showcase of Chaplin's untouchable genius as a director of silent comedy. In a new, restored high-definition digital transfer. Also available on Blu-ray Disc ... "The Night of the Hunter"
(1955) -- incredibly, the only film the great actor Charles Laughton ever directed -- is truly a standalone masterwork. A horror movie with qualities of a Grimm fairy tale, it stars a sublimely sinister Robert Mitchum as a traveling preacher named Harry Powell (he of the tattooed knuckles), whose nefarious motives for marrying a fragile widow, played by Shelley Winters are uncovered by her terrified young children. Graced
by images of eerie beauty and a sneaky sense of humor, this ethereal, expressionistic American classic -- also featuring the contributions of actress Lillian Gish and writer James Agee -- is one of cinema's quirkiest rendering of the battle between good and evil. In a new, restored high-definition digital transfer. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. Both films get the superb Criterion touch with impressive bonus features and intelligently written booklets.
is a gorgeous 15-disc boxed set from Carson Entertainment Group and Respond2 Entertainment. This deluxe collection features more than 30 hours of entertainment from four decades of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" that has never before been released to DVD. Featuring 56 shows spanning the '60s, 70s, '80s and '90s, selected as the best episodes from the most popular late night show in history. DVD bonus features include more than an hour of rescued footage from shows originally airing in the 1960s plus all-new interviews with some of the most celebrated and regular guest stars that appeared on the show. $199.99. 
From The Weinstein Co./Vivendi Entertainment ... "Metropia"
(2009), with the voices of Vincent Gallo, Juliette Lewis, Udo Kier, Stellan Skarsgard and Alexander Skarsgard, is an animated feature set in
2024, when oil reserves are nearly depleted and Europe is connected by series of underground tunnels. One man begins to hear a voice inside his
head near the tunnels; seeking a way to rid himself of the voice only leads Roger deep into a bizarre conspiracy of mind and body control. From Tribeca Film/New Video ... In "Exam" (2009 -- U.K.), starring Adar Beck, Gemma Chan, Nathalie Cox and John Lloyd Fillingham, eight talented candidates have reached the final stage of selection to join the ranks of a mysterious and powerful corporation -- but the windowless room they enter contains tests of blank sheets of papers. From IFC/MPI Media Group ... "Mrs. Miracle" (2009) stars James Van Der Beek, Doris Roberts, Erin Karpluk and Chelah Horsdal in a Hallmark Channel feature about an overwhelmed widower whose
search for a housekeeper to help him with his rambunctious 6-year-old twin sons ends when Mrs. Merkle -- whom the boys call "Mrs. Miracle" -- mysteriously appears and quickly becomes an irreplaceable nanny, chef, friend… and matchmaker. From Sony ... "The Possession of David O'Reilly"
(2010 -- U.K.), starring Giles Alderson, Francesca Fowler, Zoe Richards
and Nicholas Sh
aw, is a supernatural shockumentary about a demonic presence in a young couple's home in London. From IFC/MPI Media Group ... In "Vengeance"
(2009 -- Hong Kong), starring Johnny Hallyday, Sylvie Testud, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang and Ka Tung Lam, a French chef swears revenge after a violent attack on his daughter's family in Hong Kong kills her husband and her two children. To help him find the killers, he hires three local
hit-men working for the mafia. From IFC/MPI Media Group ... In "Coopers' Christmas (aka Coopers' Camera)"
(2008), starring Jason Jones, Samantha Bee, Mike Beaver, Dave Foley, Peter Keleghan, Dylan Everett and Nick McKinlay, a dysfunctional family records their Christmas Day in 1985, which descends into total chaos. From Anchor Bay Entertainment ... In "The Lightkeepers"
(2009), starring Richard Dreyfuss, Bruce Dern, Blythe Danner, Mamie Gummer, Tom Wisdom and Julie Harris, set in 1912 on Cape Cod, a lighthouse keeper and his friend -- who have disavowed any association with females -- must deal with the appearance of two attractive women who move into a nearby cottage for the summer. From Image Entertainment.
"Don't Look Back" (2009 -- France), starring Sophie Marceau, Monica Bellucci and Andrea Di Stefano, is a psychological thrilling about shifting identities. Jeanne (Sophie Marceau) is a successful biographer, who, against the advice of her publisher, decides
to write a novel based on her own life experiences. As she becomes consumed by her work, she starts to uncover a series of disturbing changes happening to her life. The world around her -- her home, her family, her life -- are beginning to transform into something beyond her
recognition. Then she realizes that she too is changing ... her body is
beginning to change, and her physical features are slowly morphing into
that of another woman (Monica Bellucci). From IFC/MPI Media Group ... In "Fear Me Not" (2008 -- Denmark), starring Ulrich Thomsen and Paprika Steen, a man signs up for a test trial of a new anti-depressant as a way to change his life. When the trial is called off, he continues taking the medication with violent results. From IFC/MPI Media Group.
other animated stories: "The Pig's Wedding," "Wallace's List" and "Henry Builds a Cabin" (narrated by Mandy Patinkin); $14.95. Next up is "The Boy Who Cried Wolf ... And More Children's Fables,"
which includes the title story plus "Charlie Needs a Cloak," "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," "Seven Blind Mice," narrated by B.D. Wong, and "Stone Soup"; $14.95. lastly there's "Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type .... and More Fun on the Farm,"
a three-disc set with 17 stories, $24.95 ... When a child's wish collides with a strange science experiment, adults and kids unwittingly swap places, resulting in a chaotic and comical world with no bedtimes, bullies or rules in "Opposite Day" (2009), starring Billy Unger, Ariel Winter, Pauly Shore, Colleen Crabtree, Dylan Cash, Dick Van Patten, Renee Taylor and French Stewart; from Anchor Bay Entertainment ... In "16 Wishes" (2010), starring Debby
Ryan and Jean-Luc Bilodeau, a girl gets 16 wishes on the day of her 16th birthday -- and they all start to come true. But wish No. 9 goes wrong and the girl must spend her last wishes rectifying things. From Image Entertainment ... "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Fly Us to the Moon"
features five episodes for the pre-schoolers as Wubbzy, Widget, Walden and Daizy skyrocket into outer space to help wake The Man in the Moon, prepare for a special encounter with "alien" visitors and embark on kooky space-age adventures; $16.98 from Anchor Bay Entertainment.
ers around the world on the arduous journeys that millions of animals undertake to ensure the survival of their species.
The four-part series includes "Great Migrations: Born to Move," "Great Migrations: Need to Breed," "Great Migrations: Feast or Famine," "Great Migrations: Race to Survive." $44.99 from National Geographic ... David
Hyde Pierce hosted
"Sondheim! The Birthday Concert" (2010), in which musical theater's brightest stars gathered to perform more than two dozen sensational numbers from master composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim's unsurpassed canon in honor of his 80th birthday; from Image Entertainment ... "Elsewhere" (2001 -- Austria) is a documentary journey to 12 remote and rarely glimpsed locales and communities around the world. The filmmakers travel expansive vistas of desert, snow, jungle, ice, and rain forest, visiting a scooter-riding Finnish reindeer herdsman, the home of a Namibian couple with relational
problems, a Sardinian fisherman and more. $34.98 from Icarus Films ...
"The John Cena Experience" (2010) is a three-disc set with a revealing documentary on Cena's life and music and movie careers;
$34.95 from World Wrestling Entertainment.
(2009) Three-disc set with three versions of the film, including the original theatrical release, a special edition re-release, and new collector's extended cut with sixteen more minutes including an exclusive alternate opening Earth scene. Also includes eight hours of never-before seen material with over 45 minutes of deleted scenes. Extras:
Family audio track with all objectionable language removed, "Capturing Avatar" in-depth feature-length documentary with James Cameron, Jon Landau and cast and crew; deleted scenes. Blu-ray Disc adds:
Production materials; "Pandora's Box," which allows viewers to delve deeper into the filmmaking process; "Interactive Scene Deconstruction" that explores the various stages of production through three different viewing modes; "Production Shorts": 17 featurettes covering performance capture, scoring the film, 3-D fusion camera, stunts and more; "Avatar Archives" including original script treatment, 300-page screenplay and the extensive Pandorapedia; BD-live Portal with additional bonus materials. (Fox). 
A hard-hitting action/thriller about a group of mercenaries hired to infiltrate a South American country and overthrow its ruthless dictator.
Once the mission begins, the men realize things arent quite as they appear, and they find themselves caught in a dangerous web of deceit and
betrayal. With their mission thwarted and an innocent life in danger, the men struggle with an even tougher challenge one that threatens to destroy this band of brothers.
Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) is a modern woman on a quest to marvel at and travel the world while rediscovering and reconnecting with her true inner self. At a crossroads after a divorce, Gilbert takes a year-long sabbatical from her job and steps uncharacteristically out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life. In her wondrous and
exotic travels, she experiences the simple pleasure of nourishment by eating in Italy; the power of prayer in India, and, finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of love in Bali. Based on Elizabeth Gilbert's bestseller. Vitals: Director: Ryan Murphy. Stars: Julia Roberts, James Franco, Richard Jenkins, Viola Davis, Billy Crudup, Javier Bardem.
2009, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 140 min., Romance, Box office gross: $79.710 million, Sony.
The set also contains more than 17 hours of all-new bonus material, highlighted by new, in-depth interviews with Lee Majors (Col. Steve Austin) and Richard Anderson (Oscar Goldman) among others. Also included
are the three pilot TV movies ("The Six Million Dollar Man," "Wine, Women and War" and "Solid Gold Kidnapping"), the three reunion TV movies
("The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman," "Bionic Showdown" [featuring Sandra Bullock] and "Bionic Ever After?"), the never-before-released cross-over episodes of "The Bionic Woman," 17 original featurettes, audio commentaries and more. $239.95 from Time-Life. Orders: 
"Love Shack"
(2010), starring Mark Feuerstein, Michael B. Silver, Pete Gardner, Molly Hagan and Diora Baird, is a porn industry spoof that centers on a dysfunctional "family" of adult film stars who gather for a memorial porn shoot following the death of a legendary producer; from Strand Releasing ... In "Journal of a Contract Killer" (2008),
starring Justine Powell, Jake Canuso, Marco Gambino and Adam Leese, a high-class hooker and assassin for the Italian Mob, now a single mother working in London as a waitress, is forced by the mob to do one last job; from Vanguard Cinema ... In "Fire & Ice: The Dragon Chronicles"
(2008), starring Amy Acker, Tom Wisdom, John Rhys-Davies and Arnold Vosloo, a peaceful kingdom is invaded by a fire dragon; from Entertainment One ... "Not Since You" (2009), starring Desmond Harrington, Kathleen Robertson, Christian Kane, Jon Abrahams and
Sunny Mabrey, is a romantic drama about a tight-knit group of college friends who graduated from NYU the year of 9/11 and reunite years later for a weekend wedding in Georgia, where unresolved conflicts and love affairs come to the fore, from Monarch Home Video ... "A Nanny for Christmas"
(2010), starring Emmanuelle Vaugier, Dean Cain, Cynthia Gibb and Richard Ruccolo, is a romantic comedy about a smart and sassy business woman searching for a new job who gets a gig as a nanny at Christmas time, and receives a gift she never expected; from Anchor Bay Entertainment ... When a die-hard New Yorker and publicist loses both her high-powered Manhattan job and her lawyer-fiance, she winds up taking a job in Montana, where she creates a calendar of naked male rescue workers to help the local search-and-rescue station raise desperately needed funds in "12 Men of Christmas" (2009), starring Kristin Chenoweth, Anna Chlumsky and Josh Hopkins; from Fox.
ned highly active
in the anti-war movement as well as numerous other progressive political causes. With unprecedented and exclusive cooperation from Yoko
Ono, access to never-before seen material from the Lennon archives, conversations with his closest confidants -- Ono, Elton John, David Geffen, the photographer Bob Gruen -- and rare recordings of Lennon's greatest solo hits. $24.95 from A&E Home Entertainment ... "Countdown to Zero"
(2010) traces the history of the atomic bomb from its origins to the present state of global affairs: Nine nations possessing nuclear weapons
capabilities with others racing to join them, with the world held in a delicate balance that could be shattered by an act of terrorism, failed diplomacy, or a simple accident. From Magnolia Home Entertainment ... "David Bowie: Rare and Unseen"
(2009) is a look at the British actor, musician and producer who has lead the pop music scene for five decades. Most famous for his alter-ego, the ostentatious, androgynous "Ziggy Stardust" during the glam-rock era of the early 1970s, Bowie has continually reinvented his music and image and is regarded as an influential innovator. Uses missing-believed-wiped archive interviews and rare and unseen footage. $14.95 from MVD Entertainment
In the third chapter in the Twilight franchise, Bella once again finds
herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of
mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for
revenge. In the midst of it all, Bella is forced to choose between her
love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob -- knowing that her
decision has the potential to re-ignite the ageless battle between
vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella is
confronted with the most important decision of her life. Vitals: Director: David
Slade. Stars: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Ashley
Greene, Nikki Reed, Jackson Rathbone, Kellan Lutz, Billy Burke,
Elizabeth Reaser, Peter Facinelli, Gil Birgmingham, Christian Serratos.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 124 min., Fantasy-Drama, Box office gross: $295.9 million, Summit Entertainment. Due December 4
Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage) is a master sorcerer in modern-day
Manhattan trying to defend the city from his arch-nemesis, Maxim
Horvath (Alfred Molina). Balthazar can't do it alone, so he recruits
Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel), a seemingly average guy who demonstrates
hidden potential, as his reluctant protege. The sorcerer gives his
unwilling accomplice a crash course in the art and science of magic,
and together, these unlikely partners work to stop the forces of
darkness. It'll take all the courage Dave can muster to survive his
training, save the city and get the girl as he becomes
Vitals: Director: Jon
Turteltaub. Stars: Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Teresa
Palmer, Toby Kebbell, Omar Benson Miller, Monica Bellucci, Alice Krige.
2009, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 111 min., Fantasy Thriller, Box office gross: $63.017 million, Disney.
Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz star in an this action comedy in which a
chance encounter thrusts a woman and a charming but lethal operative
into a series of adventures across the globe. As if dodging assassins
and uncovering world-changing secrets weren't enough, she must now
figure out if he is a good guy, a traitor -- or just plain crazy. It's
breezy and lightweight but who cares -- the leads are so nice to watch.
Vitals: Director: James Mangold. Stars: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, Viola Davis, Paul Dano, Marc Blucas, Maggie Grace.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 110 min., Action Comedy, Box office gross: $76.307 million, Fox.
Erin and Garrett are good together -- even when they're apart. When
aspiring journalist Erin (Drew Barrymore) moves to San Francisco to
finish her last year of school, boyfriend Garrett (Justin Long), an
assistant music scout, stays in Manhattan to pursue his ambitions and
wait on that promotion he's been promised. With a webcam connection and
frequent flier miles, the two gamely navigate the pitfalls and
miscommunications of their bi-coastal romance, dodging bad advice from
friends and some predatory singles who won't take "taken" for an
answer. But when it seems their wait is almost over, Erin scores her
dream job in California just as Garrett's career heats up in New York.
The big breaks they've been hoping for could break them up for good ...
unless their love can truly go the distance.
Vitals: Director:
Nanette Burstein. Stars: Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Charlie Day,
Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate, Ron Livingston..
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 102 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $17.797 million, New Line.
(1940, 1999), a four-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (with both films, in DVD
and Blu-ray versions) and a two-disc DVD with both films. Though both
films have been released on DVD before, they're coming to Blu-ray for
the first time -- and loaded with extras. Here's a partial list:
"Musicana," Walt Disney's late 1970's project intended as a "Fantasia"
sequel with a focus on exploring other cultures via their greatest
musical compositions; "The Schultheis Notebook: A Disney Treasure," an
in-depth look at the recently discovered Schultheis Notebook, a
detailed log created by Herman Schultheis, an effects man on
"Fantasia," that intricately breaks down the film from a technical view
(many of the special effects used in Fantasia were a mystery to modern
day animators until this notebook was recovered); an interactive art
gallery and screensavers; "Dali & Disney: A Date With Destino"
documentary that explores the collaborative relationship between Walt
Disney and Salvador Dali, revealing how and why the "Destino" short
came to fruition under the lead of Roy E. Disney in 2003 so many years
after its inception in 1946. Four-disc Blu-ray Combo Pack: $45.99;
two-disc DVD: $39.99.
"Have Gun -- Will Travel: Season Five, Volume One"
(1961-62) is a three-disc set, $42.99 from Paramount ... "The Lucy Show: The Third Season"
(1964-65) is a four-disc set with 26 episodes, loaded with such extras
as CBS Opening Materials (Whip 'n' Chill, LUX Liquid, Lux Beauty Soap,
Dream Whip, Wisk, Log Cabin Syrup), "Lucy at the World's Fair," "Lucy
and Jack Benny" (Intro), "The Danny Kaye Show," cast bios, production
notes and a photo gallery; $42.99 from Paramount ... "Parks and Recreation: Season Two"
(2009), a four-disc set with 24 episodes, $39.98 from Universal ... "The Special Relationship" (2010), starring Michael
Sheen, Dennis Quaid, Hope Davis and Helen McCrory in a dramatization of
the political relationship between Great Britain's Tony Blair and
President Bill Clinton that endured through triumph, conflict and
personal scandal; from HBO.
In "Alarm"
(2008), starring Emmet Bergin and Ruth Bradley, a grieving woman, fed
up with crime, leaves Dublin for the Irish countryside for a fresh
start, but her new life is disturbed by a vendetta and her own
suspicion towards her new neighbors and her old friends; from IFC Films
... "Valhalla Rising" (2009 -- U.K.), starring Mads
Mikkelsen, Jamie Sives, Gary Lewis and Ewan Stewart, is a brutal Viking
film that centers on One Eye, a chained prisoner forced to fight to the
death for the entertainment of his captors, who then escapes first to
fight in the Crusades, then travels to the New World where he fends off
savage natives; also from IFC Films.
"Samantha: An American Girl Holiday Deluxe Edition"
(2004) stars AnnaSophia Robb, Mia Farrow and Jordan Bridges in a
live-action film based on the popular line of American Girl books and
18-inch dolls that depict important times in America's past. This one
is based on the books about Samantha Parkington, a 9-year-old orphan
being raised by her wealthy and proper grandmother in 1904 New York.
From Warner ... "Iron Man -- Extremis" (2010)
features six episodes from the multi-part series, housed in a unique
replica of comic book-style packaging that bridges the comic book to
DVD concept; $14.97 from Shout! Factory ... "Monkey Monkey Music: The Videos With Meredith Levande"
(2010) is a collection of 15 delightfully bright-eyed videos based on
songs from award-winning children's musician Meredith Levande's first
album, "Monkey Monkey Music With Meredith LeVande." The DVD inspires
kids to "get up off the sofa," dance and sing along to an array of fun,
rockin', energizing tunes that encourage movement and imagination.
$19.99, available online at amazon.com, cdbaby.com, filmbaby.com, and
monkeymonkeymusic.com. Due December 1.
Director Christopher Nolan ("The Dark Knight") took a common sci-fi story premise -- people invading the dreams of others -- and wove it into a fantastic, mesmerizing sci-fi mystery thriller that takes viewers
through layers and layers of real, surreal, and unreal worlds. Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of Extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved.
Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back -- but only if he can accomplish the impossible: Inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: Their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming. Vitals: Director: Christopher Nolan. Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen
Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Marion Cotillard, Pete Postlethwaite, Michael Caine, Lukas Haas.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 148 min., Science Fiction Thriller, Box office gross: $288.405 million, Warner.
After challenging an evil dragon, rescuing a beautiful princess and saving your in-laws' kingdom, what's an ogre to do? Well, if you're Shrek, you suddenly wind up a domesticated family man. Instead of scaring villagers away like he used to, a reluctant Shrek now agrees to autograph pitch forks. What's happened to this ogre's roar? Longing for the days when he felt like a "real ogre," Shrek is duped into signing a pact with the smooth-talking dealmaker, Rumpelstiltskin. Shrek suddenly finds himself in a twisted, alternate version of Far Far Away, where ogres are hunted, Rumpelstiltskin is king and Shrek and Fiona have never
met. Now, it's up to Shrek to undo all he's done in the hopes of saving
his friends, restoring his world and reclaiming his one True Love. Vitals: Director: Mike Mitchell. Stars: Voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, Jon Hamm, John Cleese, Craig Robinson, Walt Dohrn, Jane Lynch, Lake Bell, Kathy Griffin, Mary Kay Place, Kristen Schaal, Meredith Vieira.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 93 min., Animated, Box office gross: $238.371 million, DreamWorks.
There's two very unusual films due this week from The Criterion Collection, both immaculately rendered and loaded with superb extras. Guillermo del Toro made an auspicious, audacious feature debut with "Cronos" (1993),
a highly unorthodox tale about the seductiveness of the idea of immortality. Kindly antiques dealer Jesus Gris (Federico Luppi) happens upon an ancient golden device in the shape of a scarab, and soon finds himself possessor and victim of its sinister, addictive powers, as well as the target of a mysterious, crude American named 
Angel (a delightfully deranged Ron Perlman). Featuring marvelous special makeup effects and the unforgettably haunting imagery for which del Toro has become world-renowned, "Cronos" is a visually rich and emotionally captivating dark fantasy. In a new, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by del Toro and cinematographer Guillermo Navarro, including optional audio with the film's original Spanish-language voice-over introduction as well as DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray version ... Starring James Woods and Deborah Harry in an early film role, "Videodrome"
(1983) is one of the most original and provocative works from writer-director David Cronenberg, and features ground-breaking special makeup effects by Academy Award winner Rick Baker. When Max Renn (Woods)
goes looking for edgy new shows for his sleazy cable-TV station, he stumbles across the pirate broadcast of a hyperviolent torture show called Videodrome. His attempts to unearth the program's origins send him on a hallucinatory journey into a shadow world of right-wing conspiracies, sadomasochistic sex games and body modification. This Blu-ray edition features a restored high-definition digital transfer of the unrated version, with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack, approved by Cronenberg.
unday"
(2010), starring Patrick Wilson and Judy Greer, follows a suburban wanna-be ladies man named Barry Munday, who wakes up in the hospital after being attacked in a movie theater only to realize that he is missing one of his most prized possessions ... his "family jewels." From Magnolia Home Entertainment ... "Disciples of the 36th Chamber"
(1985), starring Gordon Liu and Hsiao Ho, is a classic Shaw Brothers martial arts film. Fong Sai Yuk, an incorrigible teenager whose troublesome antics constantly anger the Manchu officials, is sent by his
mother to join the master of the Shaolin Temple, monk San Te, to learn the ways of the Shaolin. Yet Yuk's rebellious behavior soon leads the temple into a villainous trap and its up to monk San Te to save his temple and protect his troublesome new apprentice. From Vivendi Entertainment/The Weinstein Company/Dragon Dynasty Collection ... In "Hunter Prey"
(2010), starring Isaac C. Singleton Jr., Clark Bartram, Damion Poitier and Simon Potter, a group of elite intergalactic commandos must capture their escaped alien prisoner after their spaceship crash-lands on an unknown planet. From Maya Entertainment ... In "Harpoon: Whale Watching Massacre"
(2009 -- Iceland), a boatload of whale-watching tourists gets hijacked by a family of deranged killers. Available in rated and unrated versions
from Image Entertainment.
prospects, no hope -- where he is thrown together with four strangers, each struggling to survive as they scratch and scheme to dig their way out of poverty. But on Sunday nights, in a dingy hall in a forlorn neighborhood, the men of the ghetto piece together the finest attire their meager lives can beg, borrow or steal to compete in an underground contest like no other ... "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead"
(2009), starring Jake Hoffman, Devon Aoki, John Ventimiglia, Ralph Macchio, Kris Lemche, Jeremy Sisto and Joey Kern, is a quirky twist on the Tom Stoppard classic. Living in the back room of his father's doctors office, broke and frustrated ladies man Julian scores his big break when he lands the job directing an off-Broadway version of "Hamlet." Except it's a bizarre adaptation written by a pale Romanian impresario named Theo who is actually a master vampire. Theo hopes to lure the real Hamlet out of hiding so the two can end a centuries long feud over Shakespeare's "Ophelia." Meanwhile, Julian pines for his ex-girlfriend, Anna, who is dating a mobster intent on creating the next
great invention -- "Whack a Germ." Added into the mix is a dimwitted detective, the Holy Grail, the Rosicrucian Society, a bunch of sexy vamps, God, and a score by Sean Lennon ... "The Year of Getting to Know Us"
(2007) stars Jimmy Fallon as a New York-based writer devoted to his work but unable to commit to his beautiful, intelligent girlfriend (Lucy
Liu) -- or anything else in his personal life. After his estranged, golf-obsessed father Tom (Tom Arnold) suffers a debilitating stroke, he heads to his childhood home in Florida where, laying in wait, is his eccentric mother (Sharon Stone) and a litany of childhood issues that must be reconciled before he's able to move on with his life. From Entertainment One.
an Dien, Dean Cain and the voices
of Mario Lopez and Paris Hilton in an ABC Family original live-action/animated movie sequel to last year's "The Dog Who Saved Christmas." The Bannister family and Zeus (voiced by Mario Lopez) travel
to a beautiful Rocky Mountain ski lodge for their long-awaited holiday vacation but get bothered by obnoxious relatives and their prissy poodle
Bella (voiced by Paris Hilton), who are also staying at the house. From Anchor Bay Entertainment ... "SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 6, Volume 2"
(2008-09) is a two-disc set with 23 episodes, including the double-episode "SpongeBob and the Clash of Triton" that guest stars Victoria Beckham and Sebastian Bach. $26.99 from Nick/Paramount ... In "Thomas & Friends: The Lion of Sodor"
(2010), Thomas the Tank Engine roars down the tracks with his most special delivery yet: The Lion of Sodor statue ... but Thomas thinks it's a real lion. Includes three other episodes: "Thomas and the Pigs," "Time for a Story" and "Hiro Helps Out." $14.98 from HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate ... In "Yogi Bear's All-Star Comedy Christmas Caper"
(1982), Yogi poses as a department store Santa and helps a little girl restore her faith in Christmas. New, re-mastered version available for the first time on DVD -- just in time for the theatrical debut of "Yogi Bear," the new live-action/computer animated big screen adventure in 3-D. $14.97 from Warner.
In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden deep beneath this home, is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by an army of tireless, little yellow Minions, we discover Gru (Steve Carell), planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon. Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad. One of the world's greatest super-villains has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes. Vitals: Director: Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin. Stars: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Miranda Cosgrove, Julie Andrews, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, Danny
McBride, Jack McBrayer, Jemaine Clement.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 95 min., Animated, Box office gross: $244.701 million, Universal.
NYPD Detectives Christopher Danson (Dwayne Johnson) and P.K. (Samuel L. Jackson) are the baddest and most beloved cops in New York City. They don't get tattoos -- other men get tattoos of them. Two desks over and one back, sit Detectives Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg). You've seen them in the background of photos of Danson and Highsmith, out of focus and eyes closed. They're not heroes --they're "the Other Guys." But every cop has his or her day and soon Gamble and Hoitz stumble into a seemingly innocuous case, one no other detective wants to touch but one that could turn into New York City's biggest crime. It's the opportunity of their lives, but do these guys have the right stuff?
Vitals: Director: Adam McKay. Stars: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Daman Wayans Jr., Rob Riggle, Bobby
Cannavale, Steve Coogan, Anne Heche, Lindsay Sloane.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 107 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $117.697 million, Sony.
There are over 300 bank robberies in Boston every year. And most of the professionals live in a one-square-mile neighborhood called Charlestown.
One of them is Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck), but he is not cut from the same cloth as his fellow thieves. Unlike them, Doug had a chance at success, a chance to escape following in his father's criminal footsteps. Instead, he became the leader of a crew of ruthless bank robbers who pride themselves on taking what they want and getting out clean. The only family Doug has are his partners in crime, especially Jem, who, despite his dangerous, hair-trigger temper, is the closest thing Doug ever had to a brother. However, everything changed on the gang's last job when Jem briefly took a hostage: bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall). When they discover Claire lives in Charlestown, Jem gets nervous and wants to check out what she might have seen. Knowing what Jem is capable of, Doug takes charge. He seeks out Claire, who has no idea that their encounter is not by chance or that this charming stranger is one of the men who terrorized her only days before.
As his relationship with Claire deepens into a passionate romance, Doug
wants out of this life and the town. But with the Feds closing in and Jem questioning his loyalty, Doug realizes that getting out will not be easy and, worse, may put Claire in the line of fire. Any choices he once
had have boiled down to one: betray his friends or lose the woman he loves. "The Town" is a dramatic thriller about robbers and cops, friendship and betrayal, love and hope, and escaping a past that has no future. Vitals: Director: Ben Affleck. Stars: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renne, Blake
Lively, Pete Postlethwaite, Chris Cooper.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 125 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $87.843 million, Warner. Due Friday, December 17
Director Zack Snyder makes his animation debut with the fantasy family adventure based on the beloved books by Kathryn Lasky. The film follows Soren, a young owl enthralled by his father's epic stories of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who had fought a
great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones. While Soren dreams of someday joining his heroes, his older brother, Kludd, scoffs at the notion, and yearns to hunt, fly and steal his father's favor from his younger sibling. But Kludd's jealousy has terrible consequences -- causing both owlets to fall from their treetop home and right into the talons of the Pure Ones. Now it is up to Soren to make a daring escape with the help of other brave young owls. Together they soar across the sea and through the mist to find the Great Tree, home of
the legendary Guardians of Ga'Hoole -- Soren's only hope of defeating the Pure Ones and saving the owl kingdoms. Vitals: Director: Zack Snyder. Stars:.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 97 min., Family, Box office gross: $52.896 million, Warner. Due Friday, December 17
Remake -- or rather redo -- of TV's "The A-Team," about an unofficial team of Vietnam vets who stopped at nothing to get the bad guys. Sent to
prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit, the four commandos escaped from a maximum-security stockade and survived in the Los Angeles underground as soldiers of fortune. The original series, which ran from 1983-87, starred George Peppard, Mr. T, Dirk Benedict and
Dwight Schultz. In this version, the four are Iraq War veterans.
Vitals: Director: Joe Carnahan. Stars: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Sharlto Copley, Jessica Biel. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 117 min., Action, Box office gross: $77.213 million, Fox.
Using the innovative improvisational techniques that have earned them critical accolades and a devoted following, Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass
enter the mainstream with a touching, original story that blends humor and heartbreak, much like life itself. Still single seven years after the breakup of his marriage, John (John C. Reilly) has all but given up on romance. But at the urging of his ex-wife and best friend Jamie (Catherine Keener), John grudgingly agrees to join her and her fiance Tim (Matt Walsh) at a party. To his and everyone else's surprise, he actually manages to meet someone: the gorgeous and spirited Molly (Marisa Tomei). Their chemistry is immediate. The relationship takes off
quickly but Molly is oddly reluctant to take the relationship beyond John's house. Perplexed, he follows her home and discovers the other man
in Molly's life: her son, Cyrus (Jonah Hill). A 21-year-old new age musician, Cyrus is his mom's best friend and shares an unconventional relationship with her. Cyrus will go to any lengths to protect Molly and
is definitely not ready to share her with anyone, especially John. Before long, the two are locked in a battle of wits for the woman they both love -- and it appears only one man can be left standing when it's over.
Vitals: Director: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass. Stars: John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei, Catherine Keener, Matt Walsh.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 91 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $7.445 million, Fox.
A story of street art and what happens when an eccentric shopkeeper-turned-amateur-filmmaker named Thierry Guetta sets out to produce the ultimate documentary on the art form. After spending five years recording many of the world's most infamous vandals at work, he met Banksy, a camera shy British stencil artist who felt Guetta himself would make a more fitting subject for a documentary. Turning the camera back on its owner with wildly unexpected results, the film is a brutal and revealing account of what happens when fame, money and vandalism collide. Banksy tells the incredible true-life story of what happened when Guetta transformed himself into street-art sensation Mr. Brainwash.
By turns shocking, hilarious and absurd, this is an enthralling modern-day fairy tale ... with bolt cutters. (Banksy is a graffitti artist with a global reputation whose work can be seen on walls from post-hurricane New Orleans to the Palestinian segregation wall in the West Bank. Most recently he made headlines with his controversial "Couch
Gag" that he storyboarded and directed for "The Simpsons." Vitals: Director: Banksy. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 87 min., Documentary, Box office gross: $3.290 million, Oscilloscope Laboratories.
Chronicles the compelling stories of three women -- a 50 year-old woman (Annette Bening), haunted by the thoughts of the daughter she gave up for adoption 35 years earlier. Elizabeth (Naomi Watts), who grew up as an adopted child; she's a bright and ambitious lawyer, but a flinty loner in her personal life. And Lucy, an African American (Kerry Washington), just embarking with her husband on the adoption odyssey, hoping for the opportunity to become parents. Their lives become fatefully intertwined by the unbreakable bond between mother and child. Vitals: Director: Rodrigo Garcia. Stars: Annette Bening, Naomi Watts, Kerry Washington, Jimmy Smits, Samuel L. Jackson, David Morse, Elpidia Carrillo.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R 127 min., Drama, Box office gross: $1.108 million, Sony.
From the director of "The City of Lost Children," "Delicatessen," "Alien: Resurrection," "Amelie" and "A Very Long Engagement" comes this delightful comedy with vengeance. First it was a mine that exploded in the middle of the Moroccan desert. Years later, it was a stray bullet from a drive-by shooting that lodged in his brain ... Bazil doesn't have
much luck with weapons. The first made him an orphan, the second holds him on the brink of sudden, instant death. Released from the hospital after his accident, Bazil is homeless. Luckily, the inspired and gentle-natured dreamer is quickly taken in by a motley crew of junkyard dealers living in a veritable Ali Baba's cave of society's materialistic
rejects and cast-offs. The group's talents and inspirations are as surprising as they are diverse: Remington, Calculator, Buster, Slammer, Elastic Girl, Tiny Pete and Mama Chow. Then, one day, walking by two huge buildings, Bazil recognizes the logos of the weapons manufacturers that caused all of his misfortune. He sets out to take revenge, with the
help of his faithful gang of wacky friends. Underdogs battling heartless industrial giants, the gang relives the battle of David and Goliath, with all the imagination and fantasy of Buster Keaton. Director
Jean-Pierre Jeunet says "'Micmacs' is a little like 'Delicatessen' meets 'Amelie'..." In French with English subtitles. Vitals: Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Stars: Dany Boon, Andre Dussollier, Omar Sy, Dominique Pinon, Julie Ferrier, Nicolas Marie, Marie-Julie Baup.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 104 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $1.248 million, Sony.
"Dear Mr. Gacy" (2009), starring William Forsythe, Jesse Moss and Emma Lahana, is a chronicle of the interaction between college student Jason Moss and the object of his obsession, serial killer John Wayne Gacy; from Anchor Bay ... In "Frenemy (aka Little Fish, Strange Pond)"
(2010), starring Matthew Modine, Callum Blue, Paul Adelstein, Adam Baldwin, Lisa Brenner and Zach Galifianakis, Mr. Jack and Sweet Stephen cruise aimlessly through the streets of L.A. speculating about life, death, divine will and the force of power that predetermines their existence; from Lionsgate ... "Prayers for Bobby" (2009), starring Sigourney Weaver and Ryan Kelley, is a captivating and emotional true story about a deeply religious suburban housewife and mother who struggles to accept her son's homosexuality; from A&E Home Entertainment ... A New York City playboy's life is rocked when he
learns that his childhood love is engaged, and he plunges into whiskey and self-destruction in "The Last International Playboy"
(2009), starring Jason Behr, Krysten Ritter, Lucy Gordon, Monet Mazur, India Ennenga, Lydia Hearst and Mike Landry; from MTI Home Video.
When filmmaker Josh Fox was asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarked on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. A nearby Pennsylvania town that had recently been drilled reported that its residents were able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of a new country called Gasland. Part verite travelogue, part expose, part mystery, part bluegrass banjo meltdown, and part showdown, the film premiered on HBO in June 2010; from New Video ... Short-listed as one of the 15 best documentaries of the year, "Mugabe and the White African"
(2009) is the story of one family's astonishing bravery as they fight to protect their property, their livelihood and their country. Mike Campbell is one of the few white farmers left in Zimbabwe since its leader, Robert Mugabe, enacted his disastrous land redistribution program. Once the breadbasket of Africa, Zimbabwe has since spiraled into chaos, the economy decimated as farms given to Mugabe cronies are run into ruin. After enduring years of intimidation and threats, Campbell decides to take action. Unable to call upon help from his country's authorities, he challenges Mugabe before an international court. From First Run Features.
"World Wrestling Entertainment DVD Roundup"
"WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time" It's a timeless debate for sports entertainment fans everywhere. Who is the greatest of all time? Better yet, what superstars make up your top 10. The debates and cross-generational comparisons can go on forever, as fans compare Stone Cold to the Hulkster, Ric Flair to Shawn Michaels, this generation's giant (Big Show) to the all-time Giant (Andre), or ask whether John Cena
and Randy Orton have already done enough to cement a permanent legacy in this industry. Now, with the "50 Greatest Superstars in WWE History" three-disc giftset, fans can enjoy the first-ever countdown of the biggest superstars in history, complete with highlights of the top 50, commentary from today's WWE Superstars explaining their choices, and more. $34.95.
Angelina Jolie is terrific as CIA officer Evelyn Salt, who swore an oath
to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty is tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy, and she goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture. Salt's efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues, with twists, turns, betrayals and plenty of stunts, chases and action sequences. There's nary a dull moment here as director Phillip Noyce keeps the action -- and camera -- moving straight ahead to
the spectacular ending.
Vitals: Director: Phillip Noyce. Stars: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Zoe Lister Jones, Yara Shahidi, Cassidy Hinkle, Gaius Charles, Corey Stoll, Kevin O'Donnell, Hunt Block, James Cronin, Gary Wilmes.
2009, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 100 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $117.562 million, Sony.
In this sequel to 1987's "Wall Street," ruthless financial wizard Gordon
Gekko (Michael Douglas) returns from a lengthy prison stint and finds himself on the outside of a world he once dominated. Looking to repair his damaged relationship with his daughter (Carey Mulligan), Gekko forms
an alliance with her fiance Jacob (Shia LaBeouf), and Jacob begins to see him as a father figure. But Jacob learns the hard way that Gekko -- still a master manipulator and player -- is after something very different from redemption.
Vitals: Director: Oliver Stone. Stars: Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin, Carey Mulligan, Eli Wallach, Susan Sarandon, Frank Langella.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 136 min., Drama, Box office gross: $52.147 million, Fox.
After a little white lie about losing her virginity gets out, a clean cut high school girl (Emma Stone) sees her life paralleling Hester Prynne's in "The Scarlet Letter," which she is currently studying in school -- until she decides to use the rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing. This comedy of teen morals is smart, sassy and inventive, and showcases a bright new comedy star in the person of Emma Stone. Stone is cute as a button and is imminently watchable; she pretty
much holds the film together with her wit and acting chops. She's in good company, too, with fine but all-too-brief supporting roles by Stanley Tucci, Lisa Kudrow, Thomas Haden Church, Patricia Clarkson and Malcolm McDowell. That said, though, one really has to suspend disbelief
to put up with the conceit at the core of the story line -- that a high
school girl would continue to dig herself deeper into a hole despite the fact that she knows better. But somehow, director Will Gluck manages
to pull it off. Vitals: Director: Will Gluck. Stars: Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Lisa Kudrow, Alyson Machalka, Thomas Haden Church, Stanley Tucci, Cam Gigandet, Penn Badgley, Patricia
Clarkson, Malcolm McDowell, Dan Byrd, Chyna.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 92 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $42.176 million, Sony.
Sony and The Film Foundation have teamed for "The Films of Rita Hayworth,"
a nifty box set with five of the actress's finest films -- three of them for the first time -- fully restored and remastered. "Cover Girl" (1944), "Tonight and Every Night" (1945) (DVD debut), "Gilda" (1946), "Salome" (1953) (DVD debut) and "Miss Sadie Thompson" (1953) (DVD debut). $59.95. Extras include special introductory featurettes: Baz Luhrman on "Cover Girl," Patricia Clarkson on "Tonight and Every Night,"
Martin Scorsese and Baz Luhrman on "Gilda," "Introducing Miss Sadie Thompson With Patricia Clarkson," commentary by Richard Schickel on "Gilda." 
"The Andy Griffith Show 50th Anniversary: Best of Mayberry"
is a three-disc set with 17 "best-of" episodes, including the Danny Thomas Show episode that introduced Sheriff Andy Taylor, the television reunion movie "Return to Mayberry," more. $24.99 from . Paramount ... "Billy The Exterminator: The Complete Seasons One and Two" $24.95 each from A&E Home Entertainment ... "Caprica: Season 1.5" (2010) is a three-disc set that includes the series' final five episodes, yet-to-be aired in the U.S., from Universal ... "Futurama Volume 5" is a two-disc set with 13 episodes, $39.98 from Fox ... "Family Guy: It's A Trap!"
(2010) is the third installment of the Star Wars satire -- following 2005's "Family Guy: Blue Harvest" and last year's "Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Dark Side" -- the Griffins reprise their
intergalactic roles in an outrageous retelling of "Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi." From Fox ... "Gene Simmons: Family Jewels: The Complete Seasons 4 and 5" (2008-09) are three-disc sets, each $19.99 from A&E Home Entertainment ... "The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Volume Five" (2010) is a three-disc set with the first 14 installments of the third season, $39.99 from Disney.from Fox.
In a world ravaged by the T-virus infection, Alice (Milla Jovovich)
continues on her lonely and dangerous hunt for survivors in a decimated
world crawling with the Undead -- while continuing her deadly battle
with the Umbrella Corporation. Searching for the alleged safe-haven
"Arcadia," she finds survivors Claire (Ali Larter) and Chris Redfield
(Wentworth Miller). A new lead that promises a safe haven from the
Undead takes them to Los Angeles, but when they arrive the city is
overrun by thousands of the Undead -- and Alice and her comrades are
about to step into a deadly trap. The third sequel in the series ups
the ante with hotter special effects and zombie-killing action -- this
time in 3-D.
Vitals: Director: Paul
W.S. Anderson. Stars: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Wentworth Miller,
Shawn Roberts, Kim Coates, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Spencer Locke, Boris
Kodjoe, Sienna Guillory. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 90 min., Science Fiction-Action-Horror, Box office gross: $56.615 million, Sony.
George Clooney stars as Jack, an assassin who is constantly on the move
and always alone. After a job in Sweden ends more harshly than
expected, Jack retreats to the Italian countryside. He relishes being
away from death for a while as he holes up in a small medieval town.
While there, Jack takes an assignment to construct a weapon for a
mysterious contact, Mathilde (Thekla Reuten). Savoring the peaceful
quiet he finds in the mountains of Abruzzo, Jack accepts the friendship
of local priest Father Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli) and pursues a torrid
liaison with a beautiful woman, Clara (Violante Placido). Jack and
Clara's time together evolves into a romance, one seemingly free of
danger. But by stepping out of the shadows, Jack may be tempting fate.
Vitals: Director: Anton Corbijn. Stars: George Clooney, Irina Bjorklund, Thekla Reuten, Violante Placido, Paolo Bonacelli.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 105 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $35,562, million, Universal.
Ellen Barkin and Esti Ginzburg, a
young Upper East Side Manhattan drug dealer -- who peddles an exotic
new designer drug known as "Twelve" -- watches as his high-rolling life
is dismantled in the wake of his cousin's murder, which sees his best
friend arrested for the crime; from Fox ...
When two American girls on a bike trip in a remote part of Argentina
split up and one of them goes missing, the other must find her before
her worst fears are realized, in "And Soon the Darkness"
(2009), starring Amber Heard, Odette Yustman, Karl Urban, Gia Mantegna,
Adriana Barraza and Cesar Vianco; from Anchor Bay ... A decorated
anti-terrorist black-ops soldier who is captured and tortured when a
military effort to bring down an international arms dealer goes
horribly awry, returns to his Brooklyn apartment struggling to overcome
the effects of severe paranoia and anxiety in "Legacy"
(2009), starring Idris Elba; from Codeblack Entertainment ... Ten years
after a tragic train accident killed his girlfriend, a young man finds
himself haunted by disturbing visions from somewhere between the world
of the living and the dead -- haunting memories that keep him from
moving on in "The Haunting of Amelia (aka The Other Side of the Tracks)"
(2008), starring Brendan Fehr, Tania Raymonde, Sam Robards, Stephnie
Weir, Chad Lindberg and Shirley Knight; from MTI Home Video ... The
search for a brutal serial killer becomes other-worldly: When a series
of bizarre and violent killings haunt a dark and decadent city, a
corrupt cop must face his own demons to put an end to the brutal string
of rape-murders in "Dying God"
(2008 -- Argentina), starring James Horan and Lance Henrickson; from Green Apple Entertainment.
Set up, double-crossed and left for dead, Machete (Danny Trejo) is an ass-kicking ex-Federale who lays waste to anything that gets in his path. As he takes on hit men, vigilantes and a ruthless drug cartel, bullets fly, blades clash and the body count rises. Based on the fake trailer in Robert Rodriguez's 2007 "Grindhouse," featuring Danny Trejo and Jeff Fahey reprising their original roles. Machete is a renegade former Mexican Federale, roaming the streets of Texas after a shakedown from drug lord Torrez (Steven Seagal). Reluctantly, Machete takes an offer from spin doctor Benz (Fahey) to assassinate McLaughlin (Robert De
Niro), a corrupt Senator. Double crossed and on the run, Machete braves
the odds with the help of Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), a saucy taco slinger, Padre (Cheech Marin), his holy brother, and April (Lindsay Lohan), a socialite with a penchant for guns. All while being tracked by
Sartana (Jessica Alba), a sexy ICE agent with a special interest in the
blade slinger.
Vitals: Director: Robert Rodriguez. Stars: Danny Trejo, Jeff Fahey, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba,
Lindsay Lohan, Steven Seagal, Cheech Marin, Michelle Rodriguez.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 105 min., Action, Box office gross: $25.090 million, Fox.
When he arrives on the rural Louisiana farm of Louis Sweetzer, the Reverend Cotton Marcus expects to perform just another routine "exorcism" on a disturbed religious fanatic. An earnest fundamentalist, Sweetzer has contacted the charismatic preacher as a last resort, certain his teenage daughter Nell is possessed by a demon who must be exorcised before their terrifying ordeal ends in unimaginable tragedy. Buckling under the weight of his conscience after years of parting desperate believers with their money, Cotton and his crew plan to film a
confessionary documentary of this, his last exorcism. But upon arriving
at the already blood drenched family farm, it is soon clear that nothing could have prepared him for the true evil he encounters there. Now, too late to turn back, Reverend Marcus' own beliefs are shaken to the core when he and his crew must find a way to save Nell -- and themselves -- before it is too late.
Vitals: Director: Daniel Stamm. Stars: Patrick Fabian, Iris Bahr, Ashley Bell, Louis Herthum, Jamie Alyson Caudle, Shanna Forrestall, Allen Bourdreaux, Tony Bentley, Caleb Landry Jones.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 87 min., Horror, Box office gross: $40.1 million, Lionsgate.
Devoted family services specialist Emily Jenkins (Renee Zellweger)has seen it all -- lies, neglect, abuse -- domestic horrors of every type. That is, until she takes on Case 39: the case of 10-year-old Lillith Sullivan, whose eerie, secretive family leaves Emily shaken and disturbed. When Lillith's parents attempt to harm their only child in a late-night ritual, Emily intervenes. Heartbroken by Lillith's loneliness
and innocence, Emily decides to do something she has never allowed herself to do in the past: get personally involved. Hoping to do the right thing for the withdrawn girl, Emily offers Lillith a caring, happy
home until she can find an adoptive family. That's when the real terror
begins. Shot in 2006, this dud sat on the shelf for more than three years before Paramount released it this fall.
Vitals: Director: Christian Alvart. Stars: Renee Zellweger, Jodelle Ferland, Ian McShane, Bradley Cooper, Callum Keith Rennie, Adrian Lester, Kerry O'Malley.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 109 min., Horror, Box office gross: $13.248 million, Paramount.
Is-it-or-is-it-not-documentary about the world of online social relationship. Nev, a 24-year-old New York-based photographer, has no idea what he's in for when Abby, an 8-year-old girl from rural Michigan,
contacts him on MySpace in 2007, seeking permission to paint one of his
photographs. When he receives her remarkable painting, Nev begins a friendship and correspondence with Abby's family. But things really get interesting when he develops a cyber-romance with Abby's attractive older sister, Megan, a musician and model. Prompted by some startling revelations about Megan, Nev and filmmakers Ariel Schulman (Nev's brother) and Henry Joost embark on a road trip in search of the truth.
Vitals: Director: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman. Stars: Megan Faccio, Melody C. Roscher, Ariel Schulman, Yaniv Schulman.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 94 min., Documentary, Box office gross: $3.151 million, Universal.
James Franco stars as Allen Ginsberg in the story of how the young poet's seminal work broke down societal barriers in the face of an infamous public obscenity trial. In his famously confessional style, Ginsberg -- poet, counter-culture icon, and chronicler of the Beat Generation -- recounts the road trips, love affairs and search for personal liberation that led to "Howl," the most timeless work of his career. The film interweaves three stories: the unfolding of the landmark 1957 obscenity trial; an imaginative animated ride through the prophetic masterpiece; and a unique portrait of a man who found new ways
to express himself and, in doing so, changed his own life and galvanized a generation.
Vitals: Director: Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. Stars: James Franco, Jon Hamm, Mary-Louise
Parker, Jeff Daniels, David Strathairn, Alessandro Nivola, Treat Williams, Bob Balaban.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 84 min., BioDrama, Box office gross: $.540 million, Oscilloscope Laboratories.
992) and his followup, "Desperado" (1995) starring Antonio Banderas, Joaquim De Almeida, Salma Hayek, Cheech Marin, Steve Buscemi and Quentin Tarantino.
Each Blu-ray includes the new special feature "The Cutting Room," which
puts fans in the director's chair and allows them to cut together a video using clips and music from the movies, which they can then post to
BD-Live for others to view and rate. Other bonus features include commentary with Rodriguez on both films, MovieIQ, "10 Minute Film School," Rodriguez's student film: "Bed Head," "10 More Minutes: Anatomy
of a Shootout," Los Lobos with Antonio Banderas: "Morena De Mi Corazon", Tito & Tarantula: "Back to the House That Love Built." Next up is "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" (2003), Rodriguez's sequel to "Desperado," starring Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, Eva Mendes, Enrique Iglesias and Willem Dafoe. Also
includes "The Cutting Room" feature, commentary by Rodriguez, deleted scenes, "Film Is Dead: An Evening With Robert Rodriguez," "The Good, the Bad and the Bloody: Inside KNB FX," "10-Minute Flick School," "Inside Troublemaker Studios," "The Anti-Hero's Journey." Both films sell for $19.99; from Sony.
g James LeGros, Joshua Leonard, Mario Batali and Owen Campbell; from Dark Sky Films/MPI Media ... Detroit cops mount a full-scale war against gun runners in "Gun"
(2010), starring Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Val Kilmer, Anna Lynne McCord, James Remar and John Larroquette; from Image Entertainment ... "The Lena Baker Story" (2008), starring Tichina Arnold, Beverly Todd, Peter Coyote and Michael Rooker, is the story of an impoverished and uneducated black woman in rural 1940s Georgia who was the only woman to be sentenced to death by electric chair in the state; from Barnholtz Entertainment/Lionsgate Entertainment ... In "Ticking Clock"
(2010), starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Neal McDonough, Austin Abrams and Yancey Arias, an investigative crime reporter stumbles upon the journal of a murderer replete with plans to butcher specific people, and investigates on his own, finding that every trail leads to a 9-year-old orphan living in a group home; from Sony ... "Mama Flora's Family"
(1998) stars Cicely Tyson, Erika Alexander, Blair Underwood, Queen Latifah, Mario Van Peebles, Hill Harper, Shemar Moore and Della Reese in
a TV melodrama that follows a southern black woman in her 70s looking back on a life filled with joy and heartbreak after being called to help
her troubled granddaughter; from Vivendi Entertainment
On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history ... but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications. David Fincher's loose interpretation of this story explores the moment at which Facebook, the most revolutionary social phenomena of the new century, was invented -- through the warring perspectives of the super-smart young men who each claimed to be there at its inception. The result is a drama rife with both creation and destruction; one that audaciously avoids a singular POV, but instead, by
tracking dueling narratives, mirrors the clashing truths and constantly
morphing social relationships that define our time. Drawn from multiple
sources, the film captures the visceral thrill of the heady early days of a culture-changing phenomenon in the making -- and the way it both pulled a group of young revolutionaries together and then split them apart. Vitals: Director: David Fincher. Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Joseph Mazzello, Rooney Mara, Liam Ferguson, Brenda Song, Rashida Jones,
Max Minghella, Armie Hammer, Douglas Urbanski.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 120 min., Drama, Box office gross: $91.0 million, Sony.
Every year the population of sleepy Lake Victoria explodes from 5,000 to
50,000 for Spring Break; a riot of sun and drunken fun. But this year, there's something more to worry about than hangovers and complaints from
local old timers; A new type of terror is about to be cut loose on Lake
Victoria. After a sudden underwater tremor sets free scores of the prehistoric man-eating fish, an unlikely group of strangers must band together to stop themselves from becoming fish food for the area's new razor-toothed residents. Vitals: Director: Alexandre Aja. Stars: Elisabeth Shue, Adam Scott, Jerry O'Connell, Ving Rhames, Steven R. McQueen, Jessica Szohr, Kelly Brock with cameos by Eli
Roth, Richard Dreyfuss and Christopher Lloyd. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 89 min., Horror, Box office gross: $24.736 million, Sony.
What makes for the ultimate road trip? Hitchhiking, truck stops, angry bears, prickly porcupines and a golfing goose with a duck caddy. Just ask Kate and Humphrey, two wolves who are trying to get home after being
taken by park rangers and shipped halfway across the country. Humphrey is an Omega wolf, whose days are about quick wit, snappy one-liners and hanging with his motley crew of fun-loving wolves and video-gaming squirrels. Kate is an Alpha: duty, discipline and sleek Lara Croft eye-popping moves fuel her fire. Humphrey's motto -- make 'em laugh. Kate's motto -- I'm the boss. And they have a thousand miles to go. Back
home rival wolf packs are on the march and conflict is brewing. Only Kate and Humphrey can restore the peace. But first, they have to survive
each other.
Vitals: Director: Anthony Bell and Ben Gluck. Stars: Voices of Justin Long, Hayden Panettiere, Christina Ricci, Danny Glover, Dennis Hopper, Larry Miller, Vicki Lewis,
Kevin Sussman, Eric Price, Chris Carmack, Brian Donovan.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 78 min., Animated Fanily Adventure, Box office gross: $23.5 million, Lionsgate.
(1964).
Jean-Pierre Melville's "Army of Shadows" -- about the French Resistance
-- went unreleased in the United States for 37 years, until its triumphant theatrical debut in 2006. Atmospheric and gripping, "Army of Shadows" is Melville's most personal film, featuring Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel, and the incomparable Simone Signoret as intrepid underground fighters who must grapple with their conception of honor in their battle against Hitler's regime ... Special effects wunderkind and genre master Byron Haskin won a place in the hearts of fantasy film lovers everywhere with "Robinson Crusoe on Mars," a gorgeously designed journey into the unknown. The film tells the story of U.S. astronaut Commander "Kit" Draper (Paul Mantee), who must fight for survival when his spaceship crash lands on the barren waste of Mars,
a pet monkey his only companion. But is he actually alone? Shot in vast
Techniscope and blazing color, this is an imaginative and beloved marvel of classic science fiction. Both films come loaded with Criterion's always superb extras.
"The Hessen Conspiracy (aka The Hessen Affair)"
(2009) is loosely based on a true story: In 1945 a group of American officers discover a stash of German jewels -- the Prussian Crown Jewels -- hidden in a castle outside Frankfurt, and try to fence them when they
return to the States. Stars Billy Zane and Lyne Renee; from Anchor Bay Entertainment ... "There's Nothing Out There!" (1990) is the film that inspired "Scream!" Three hot-to-trot couples and one goofy loner travel to an isolated country house for a weekend of debauchery but soon realize that they are not alone in the woods; $14.95
from Troma/CAV Distributing ... In "Legion: The Final Exorcism"
(2006), starring David Heavener, Roddy Piper and Ariel Teal Toombs, an ex-priest documenting true events of demonic possession comes to the rescue of the newly possessed daughter of a Baptist minister and he discovers that he has encountered this demon before ... a demon he vowed
to track down and send back to hell; from MTI Home Video ... 
"Soul Kittens Cabaret"
(2011), starring Faith Evans, Fantasia Barrino, Chrystale Wilson, Terrell Carter and Nicci Gilbert; follows seven women on their journey to self-discovery as they struggle with temptation, personal demons and false promises while trying to revive Detroit's hottest club in town with sultry sex appeal and silky vocals; from Image Entertainment ... In
"Love Hurts" (2009), starring Richard E. Grant, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jenna Elfman, Janeane Garofalo and Camryn Mannheim, a newly separated father has to learn how to date again with help from his
teenage son, who himself dreams of conquering one girl's heart; from Entertainment One ... "Shake Hands With the Devil" (2007), directed by Roger Spottiswoode and starring Roy Dupuis and Deborah Kara Unger, is the true story of U.N. peacekeeping force General
Romeo Dallaire's frustrated efforts to stop the madness of the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, despite the complete indifference of his superiors; from Entertainment One ... After suffering a mental breakdown, a successful horror novelist retreats to a picturesque and secluded countryside manor to recover, but things take a terrifying turn when she
begins having horrifying visions of a deranged psychopath and a massacre that happened 15 years ago in "Psychosis" (2010), starring Charisma Carpenter, Paul Sculfor, Ricci Harnett, Justin Hawkins and Ty Glaser; from Entertainment One.
"Framed" (2010) is a Masterpiece Contemporary film adapted by Frank Cottrell Boyce from his best selling children's novel about a young Welsh boy residing in the small fictional town of Manod
who befriends the curator of the National Gallery in London and gets into all sorts of art world adventures; $24.99 from PBS ... SISU Home Entertainment has added three new titles to its line of Shalom Sesame children's DVDs in which East meets West as Sesame Street's Muppets travel with American and Israeli friends -- and host Anneliese van der Pol -- to explore Israel and Jewish culture. The titles: "Shabbat Shalom, Grover!" (in which Grover learns all about Shabbat and the day of rest), "Grover Plants a Tree" (in which Grover, Brosh and Avigail get back to nature as they learn how to plant trees and make the world a better place) and "Mitzvah on the Street" (in which a storm makes a mess of the neighborhood and everyone lends a helping hand); $14.98 each ... "Max & Ruby: BunnyTales!" (2011), features 12 new tales, $16.99 from Nickelodeon/Paramount.
"Top Secret Rosies: The Female Computers of WWII"
(2009) takes a look at the "Rosies" -- American women who worked in factories during WWII, many of whom labored in manufacturing plants producing munitions and war supplies. But unlike the efforts to recruit "Rosie" to the factory, some secret military projects targeted female mathematicians to become human computers for the U.S. war effort. This documentary tells their story. $24.99 from PBS ... "Picture Me: A Model's Diary"
(2009) is a raw and personal video diary that charts model Sara Ziff's rise from fresh face to one that adorns billboards and magazines around the world. Ziff and filmmaker Ole Schell co-direct the documentary, which lifts the veil on the glamorous world of high fashion modeling from photo shoots with celebrated photographers to runway shows in New York, Milan, and Paris. $24.99 from Strand Releasing ... "The Spill"
(2010) is a Frontline documentary look at BP and the trail that led to the Deepwater Horizon explosion and the disaster in the Gulf; $24.99 from PBS ... "The Narnia Code" (2009) is a documentary that takes a look at the C.S. Lewis novels and the hidden meanings behind the texts; $24.98 from Entertainment One ... 
"The Temptations"
(1998) stars Charles Malik Whitfield, D.B. Woodside, Terron Brooks and Christian Payton in the true story of the 1960s soul vocal group, The Temptations, as seen from the viewpoint of Otis Williams, the last surviving member. Release timed for the group's golden anniversary; from
RHI Entertainment/Vivendi Entertainment ... "Kathleen Madigan: Gone Madigan" (2010) is Madigan's latest stand-up comedy special highlighting her sarcasm and silliness; $14.98 from Image Entertainment ... "The Chainsaw Sally Show Season One"
(2010) is a three-disc set with 11 episodes (plus the special episode, "It's Groundhog Day Chainsaw Sally") from Hershall Gordan Lewis, the godfather of gore: Watch as buxom, bloody, and busty Sally (April Monique Burril) act as judge, jury and executioner on the scum infecting
her small town; $14.95 from Troma/CAV Distributing.
Paul Conroy is not ready to die. But when he wakes up 6 feet underground
with no idea of who put him there or why, life for the truck driver and
family man instantly becomes a hellish struggle for survival. Buried with only a cell phone and a lighter, his contact with the outside world
and ability to piece together clues that could help him discover his location are maddeningly limited. Poor reception, a rapidly draining battery, and a dwindling oxygen supply become his worst enemies in a tightly confined race against time -- fighting panic, despair and delirium, Paul has only 90 minutes to be rescued before his worst nightmare comes true.
Vitals: Director: Rodrigo Cortes. Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Samantha Mathis, Robert Paterson, Stephen Tobolowsky, Jose Luis Garcia Perez, Erik Palladino, Ivana Mino.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 95 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $1.028 million, Lionsgate. 
Jack Mabry (Robert De Niro), a parole officer days away from retirement,
is asked to review the case of Gerald "Stone" Creeson (Edward Norton), who's in prison for arson. Now eligible for early release, Stone needs to convince Jack he has reformed, but his attempts to use his wife Lucetta (Milla Jovovich) to influence the older man's decision have profound and unexpected effects on them both. This tale of passion, betrayal and corruption skillfully weaves together the parallel journeys
of two men grappling with dark impulses, as the line between lawman and
lawbreaker becomes precariously thin.
Vitals: Director: John Curran. Stars: Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Milla Jovovich.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 105 min., Drama, Box office gross: $1.7 million, Anchor Bay Entertainment.
A notorious group of criminals (Elba, Walker, Harris, Brown, Christensen
and Ealy) continue to baffle police by pulling off perfectly executed bank robberies. They are in and out like clockwork, leaving no evidence behind and laying low in between heists. But when they attempt to pull off one last job with more money at stake than ever before, the crew finds their plans interrupted by a hardened detective (Dillon) who is hell-bent on solving the case. Vitals: Director: John Luessenhop. Stars: Matt Dillon, Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Chris Brown, Michael Ealy, Tip "T.I." Harris, Hayden Christensen, Jay Hernandez.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 107 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $57.744 million, Sony.
Featuring radical visual touches, full-throttle performances, brilliant
cinematography by Stanley Cortez ("The Night of the Hunter"), and one bizarrely beautiful musical number, "The Naked Kiss" is among Fuller's greatest, boldest entertainments. In a new, restored high-definition digital transfer. Bonus features include a new video interview with star
Constance Towers by film historian and filmmaker Charles Dennis; excerpts from a 1983 episode of the BBC's "The South Bank Show" dedicated to director Samuel Fuller; interview with Fuller from a 1967 episode of the French television series "Cineastes de notre temps"; interview with Fuller from a 1987 episode of the French television series "Cinema cinemas; more. Next in line is Fuller's equally pulpy "Shock Corridor"
(1963), in which he masterfully charts the uneasy terrain between sanity and dementia. Seeking a Pulitzer Prize, reporter Johnny Barrett (Peter Breck) has himself committed to a mental hospital to investigate a
murder. As he closes in on the killer, madness closes in on him. Constance Towers co-stars as Johnny's cool-headed stripper girlfriend. With its startling commentary on race in '60s America and daring photography by Stanley Cortez, "Shock Corridor" is now recognized for its far-reaching influence. In an new, restored high-definition digital transfer. Both Fuller films will also be available on Blu-ray Disc.
produced and directed and by Roger Corman, featuring all new film transfers from the negatives of "Attack of the Crab Monsters" (1957), "Not of This Earth" (1957) and "War of the Satellites" (1958). onus features include "A Salute to Roger Corman" featuring new interviews with Roger Corman, Peter Fonda, Peter Bogdanovich, Joe Dante and many more; commentaries on "Attack of the Crab Monsters" and "Not of This Earth" by Tom Weaver, John Brunas and Mike Brunas, authors of "Universal
Horrors"; "The Roger Corman Trailer Collection" with over 25 trailers produced and directed by Roger Corman; new interview with Roger Corman looking back at all three films. From Shout! Factory.
Extras include the international pilot, cast and creator commentaries, "Signal to Noise: Uncovering Dark Skies," network promos, "The Dark Skies Glossary," original sales presentation, EPK, never-before-seen Season Two proposal, special commemorative booklet, more; from Shout! Factory ... "Dallas: The Complete Fourteenth Season" (1990-91) is a five-disc set with 22 episodes, $39.98 from Warner ... "Justified: The Complete First Season"
(2010) is a three-disc set with 13 episodes of the series based on the short story "Fire in the Hole" by crime novelist Elmore Leonard, $49.95 from Sony ... "Merlin: The Complete Second Season" (2009) is a five-disc set with 13 episodes, $49.98 from BBC/Warner ... "Nite Tales: The Series"
(2009) features five unrated tales of horror from the anthology series that puts an urban spin on terror, hosted by Flavor Flav, aka the "Time Keeper," from Entertainment One ... "Top Shot: The Complete Season One" (2009) is a four-disc set with 10 episodes, $34.95 from A&E.
(2010) is a direct-to-DVD prequel to Paul W.S. Anderson's 2008 "Death Race," starring Luke Goss, Fred Koehler, Tanit Phoenix, Robin Shou, Lauren Cohan, Patrick Lyster, Deobia Oparei, Hennie Bosman, Joe Vaz, Danny Keogh, Sean Higgs, Warrick Grier, Danny Trejo, Ving Rhames and Sean Bean; from Universal ... "Eichmann" (2010) is the unflinching true story of one of the world's most dangerous men, Adolph Eichmann, who designed the Nazi plan for the extermination of Jews, gays, gypsies and other "undesirables" during the rule of the Third Reich, starring Thomas Kretschmann, Troy Garity, Franka Potente and Stephen Fry; from Entertainment One ... "The Virginity Hit" (2010), starring Matt Bennett, Zack Pearlman, Jacob Davich, Justin Kline, Krysta Rodriguez and Nicole Weaver, is a mockumentary about trying to lose your virginity while the whole world watches online; from
Sony ... "King of Paper Chasin'" (2010) is an urban drama that tells the true story of the rise to power of Carter Blanche (recording artist DL) -- a ruthless, inner city drug dealer -- and his efforts to give it all up and go legit; stars DL, Dennis L.A. White, Al
Thompson, Sean Simms; from Entertainment One.
all under the disapproving eye of his long-suffering wife and his imaginary Superhero friend; from MPI Video ... "El Superstar: The Unlikely Rise of Juan Frances"
(2010), starring (2008) Zibby Allen, Nick Rey Angelus, Elisa Bocanegra and Kerry Carney, is a musical improv by writer-director-actor Amy French, tells the story of Juan Frances who, Scottish by decent, is raised to be a God-fearing, music loving Mexican and, thanks to the Virgin Guadalupe, becomes a star; from Cinema Libre Studio ... In "Jack Goes Boating"
(2010), starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Ortiz, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Amy Ryan, a limo driver's blind date sparks a tale of love, betrayal, friendship, and grace centered around two working-class New York City couples; from Anchor Bay Entertainment.
Sebastian tells of his extraordinary childhood, growing up with a father he loved but whom he knew to be Colombia's No. 1 enemy. But this is also the story of two of Escobar's most prominent victims, who were among hundreds that Escobar had killed in the 1980s. The film follows Sebastian as he tries to break the cycle of revenge and assassination by
seeking reconciliation with the sons of his father's victims. From Maya
Entertainment ... In "Lebanon" (2009 -- Israel), starring Yoav Donat, Itay Tiran, Oshri Cohen and Michael Moshonov, we see the 1982 Lebanon War through the eyes of an Israeli tank crew -- the
film's action is kept entirely to the tank's interior and shows us the outside world only as the four young soldiers themselves see it: through
the lens of a periscopic gun sight; from Sony.
"Marvel Knights Animation: Black Panther" (2009) is the
highly anticipated domestic premiere of Reginald Hudlin and John Romita
Jr's groundbreaking take on the first black super hero. -- introduced in 1966. Voices of Djimon Hounsou, Jill Scott, Kerry Washington, Alfre Woodard, Carl Lumbly, Stan Lee. Includes a graphic rich cover, plus a unique replica of comic book-style plastic sleeve packaging that bridges
the comic book to DVD concept. From Shout! Factory ... In "The Dogfather"
(2010), starring Chris Parnell, William Cuddy, Brandi Ward and Gerry Mendicino, Sonny, a mobster's bulldog, swallows his master's precious ring and runs away. Finding a new home in the suburbs, Sonny is taken in
by the Franks family but is soon dognapped by the bad guys, leading the
family on an adventure to get their new pet back; from Image Entertainment.
The third film to be adapted from Stieg Larsson's acclaimed series of crime novels (which has sold over 11 million books in the U.S., 45 millions books worldwide), "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" is the final chapter in the story of Larsson's fiery heroine Lisbeth Salander, a pierced and punked-out, computer-hacking beauty. Swedish author Larsson's "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," "The Girl Who Played
With Fire" and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest" -- his Millennium Trilogy -- were all published after his death in 2004. Their popularity has since made him the world's second best-selling author of 2008 and 2009. In this last installment, Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace)
lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She's fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she'll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her
friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge -- against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life. In Swedish with English subtitles.
Vitals: Director: Daniel Alfredson. Stars: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Lena Endre, Annika Hallin, Jacob Ericksson, Sofia Ledarp, Anders Ahlbom. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 148 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $1.0 million, Music Box Films.
In 1955, future international rock sensation John Lennon was a mischievous teenage boy living with his Aunt Mimi in Liverpool, England and trying to reconnect with his free-spirited mother Julia. The tensions of his early life would drive young John to escape from the world around him through music, and catapult him to join Paul McCartney in the formation of one of the most influential rock 'n' roll bands of all time. Lennon is an ordinary 15-year-old boy on the streets of Liverpool. Funny, smart, naughty, a real edge to him. But life is not simple for John -- he grew up in a family of secrets and was raised by his Aunt Mimi from the age of five. When he is suddenly reacquainted with his mother, Julia, they form an unbreakable bond. A bitter war rages between the two sisters for John's love. Faced with bringing it to
an end, he learns the secret heartbreak of his past. But his mother gives him one great gift -- music. A wayward boy finds his voice, and walks into The Beatles. Vitals: Director: Sam Taylor Wood. Stars: Aaron Johnson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne Marie Duff, Thomas Brodie Sangster.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 98 min., Biodrama, Box office gross: $1.394 million, The Weinstein Co.
Based on the story of Secretariat, the 1973 Triple Crown-winning racehorse and its owner, Penny Chenery (Diane Lane). Chenery was a mother and housewife who knew little about horses when she was pressed to take over her ailing father's horse farm in Virginia. Though Secretariat came along and began to take shape as a potential champion, Chenery was pressured to sell the farm after her father died and she was
hit with a multimillion-dollar inheritance tax. She saved both the farm
and the horse, and watched as Secretariat became the first thoroughbred
to win the Triple Crown in 25 years, taking the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes in dominating fashion. Chenery became known
as the "first lady of racing." Vitals: Director: Randall Wallace. Stars: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Dylan Walsh, James Cromwell,
Kevin Connolly, Nelsan Ellis, Margo Martindale, Fred Thompson, AJ Michalka.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 116 min., Family biodrama, Box office gross: $57.946 million, Disney.
Frank (Bruce Willis), Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich) and Victoria (Helen Mirren) used to be the CIA's top agents -- but the secrets they know just made them the Agency's top targets. Framed and targeted for assassination, they must use all of their collective cunning, experience and teamwork to stay one step ahead of their deadly pursuers and stay alive. To stop the operation, the team embarks on an impossible, cross-country mission to break into the top-secret CIA headquarters, where they will uncover one of the biggest conspiracies and cover-ups in government history. Based on the DC Comics graphic novel.
Vitals: Director: Robert Schwentke. Stars: Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban, Morgan Freeman, Rebecca Pidgeon.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 111 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $88.430 million, Summit Entertainment.
films that redefined movies as both art and entertainment while single-handedly creating the midnight movie genre. Now Jodorowsky's long-unseen "Santa Sangre" (1989) will make its eagerly
anticipated American Blu-ray and DVD debut. Legal frustrations with the
films' owner (and Beatles manager) Allen Klein, as well as a failed attempt to direct a 14-hour movie adaptation of "Dune" starring Orson Welles and Salvador Dali, kept Jodorowsky from making movies for 16 years until his triumphant return with "Santa Sangre." Blanca Guerra, Guy Stockwell and the filmmaker's sons Axel and Adan Jodorowsky star in this surreal epic about a young circus performer, the crime of passion that shatters his soul and the macabre journey back to the world of his armless mother and deaf-mute lover. The internationally acclaimed tale of madness, passion and redemption will be fully restored and accompanied by a wealth of extras; $29.98 on DVD and $34.98 on Blu-Ray. Extras:
Commentary by Jodorowsky and journalist Alan Jones; deleted scenes; theatrical trailer; Japanese trailer; "Forget Everything You Have Ever Seen: The World of Santa Sangre" feature length making-of documentary featuring all-new interviews with cast and crew; "For One Night Only: Alejandro Jodorowsky" Channel X U.K. 1990 documentary featuring interviews with Jodorowsky, Dennis Hopper, Marcel Marceau, Omar Sharif and others; "Goyo Cardenas Spree Killer": Documentary on the real life inspiration for "Santa Sangre"; on stage Q&A with Jodorowsky; Jodorowsky 2003 interview; composer Simon Boswell interviews Jodorowsky;
"Blink Jodorowsky" short by Simon Boswell; "Close Your Eyes" music video by Simon Boswell; Adan Jodorowsky short film "Echeck." From Severin Films/MPI Media Group.
With his transition to film in the 1980s, he became a master Hollywood storyteller, and none of his films was more quintessentially Brooks than
"Broadcast News" (1987). This caustic inside look at the Washington news media stars Holly Hunter, in her breakout role, as a
feisty television producer torn between an ambitious yet dim anchorman (William Hurt) and her closest confidant, a cynical veteran reporter (Albert Brooks). Brooks's witty, gently prophetic entertainment is a captivating transmission from an era in which ideas on love and media were rapidly changing. In a two-disc special edition with a new, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised by director James L. Brooks and editor Richard Marks, from The Criterion Collection ... The "Ronald Reagan Centennial Collection" is an eight-film set with: "Dark Victory," starring Bette Davis; "Knute Rockne
All-American," the actor's best remembered role ("win one for the Gipper!"); "Kings Row," an Academy Award nominee for Best Picture and arguably one of Reagan's best performances; "Desperate Journey" starring
Errol Flynn; the Technicolor musical spectacular "Irving Berlin's This is the Army"; the wartime drama "The Hasty Heart;" the topical "Storm Warning" and "The Winning Team," with Reagan playing Hall-of-Fame baseball pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander. $59.92 from Warner.
"Magnolia Blossom": An unhappy wife tries to escape her marriage; "The Mystery of the Blue Jar": A young man consults an expert on the paranormal; "The Red Signal":
A seance foretells of sudden death and danger; "Jane in Search of a Job": An Englishwoman takes on a dangerous assignment; "The Manhood of Edward Robinson": A henpecked fiance sets off on the drive of his life. The two-disc set sells for $39.99 from Acorn Media ... "Glee Season 2: Volume 1" (2010) is a three-disc set with 10 episodes, $39.98 from Fox ... "Webster: The Complete First Season" (1983-84) is a three-disc set with 22 episodes, $29.93 from Shout! Factory ... "Zorro: The Complete Series"
(1990-93) is a 15-disc set with all 88 episodes (remastered) of the series not seen since its Family Channel airings in 1990-93. Filmed entirely in Madrid. Extras include "The Mark of Zorro" (1920) starring Douglas Fairbanks: The original, full-length silent film that defined the "swashbuckler" genre; Chapter 1 of the 1939 theatrical serial, "Zorro's Fighting Legion"; trailers for the serials "Zorro's Fighting Legion," "Zorro's Black Whip" and "Zorro Rides Again"; the original, never-before-released pilot for the "New World Zorro"; photo gallery; from A&E.
... In "Of Boys and Men"
(2008), starring Robert Townsend, Angela Bassett and Victoria Rowell, a
family is devastated when the wife and mother is killed in a senseless auto accident. Reeling with grief, each family member must find courage and vision to carry on, ultimately eager to do the mother proud. From Warner ... "Bread Crumbs" (2009), starring Amy Crowdis,
Marianne Hagan, Dan Shaked and Steve Carey, is a bizarre take on "Hansel & Gretel": A group of porn filmmakers are systematically attacked by two children on the set of a remote shoot. From Green Apple Entertainment ... In "Red Hill" (2010 -- Australia), starring Ryan Kwanten, Steve Bisley, Tom E. Lewis and Claire van der Boom, a constable who arrives in a small town looking for the quiet life
ends up facing a
n escaped murderer on a killing spree. From Sony ... "Like Dandelion Dust"
(2009), starring Mira Sorvino, Barry Pepper, Cole Hauser, Kate Levering
and Maxwell Perry Cotton, deals with the intertwined lives of two families and the struggles of parenthood when one family receives a startling phone call telling them that their adopted son's birth parents
want him back. From Fox ... "Dead Space: Aftermath" (2011) is an animated feature based on the video game about missing space ships and alien infestations on a distant planet; from Anchor Bay ... In the Ozploitation film "Primal" (2009 -- Australia), starring Krew Boylan, Lindsay Farris, Rebekah Foord, Damien Freeleagus, six friends go camping in the beautiful but forbidding Outback of Australia, where it turns into a hunting trip -- and they're the prey. From IFC Films ... A mysterious stranger shows up at a police station and confesses to six murders, and one-by-one six detectives die,
in "The Traveler" (2010), starring Val Kilmer, Dylan Neal, Paul McGillion and Camille Sullivan. From Paramount.
In "The Bird Can't Fly"
(2007 -- South Africa, U.K.), starring Barbara Hershey, Yusuf Davids, Tony Kgoroge and John Kani, deep, dark secrets are revealed when a woman
(Hershey) returns home to Fairlands for the funeral of her estranged daughter, meeting for the first time her 10 year-old grandson, whose existence she knew nothing about; from Vanguard Cinema ... In "Feed the Fish"
(2009), starring Tony Shalhoub, Ross Partridge and Katie Aselton, a burned-out children's book writer who's on the brink of a mid-life crisis leaves town with his best friend to do the Polar Bear Plunge in the dead of winter in Northern Wisconsin, where he encounters three generations of a dysfunctional family that includes an obsessed law enforcement professional, a wise old fisherman and a muse with a pair of
hockey skates. From Strand Releasing ... "Road Reps" (2009) is a romantic comedy about a pharmaceutical sales rep who has to travel to Northern California to win over a reluctant client, only to find out that his competition is his estranged wife; from Vanguard Cinema ... In order to understand why his romantic relationships have failed, a thirtysomething man takes a fantasy amusement park ride through life with his last five girlfriends in "My Last Five Girlfriends" (2009), starring Brendan Patricks, Naomie Harris, Kelly Adams, Jane March, Cecile Cassel and Edith Bukovics; from New Video/Tribeca Film ... Andy Serkis stars in "sex&drugs&rock&roll"
(2009), a ripsnorting and unapologetic portrait of mercurial British punk rock pioneer Ian Dury (Ian Dury and The Blockheads), from New Video/Tribeca Films.
"Inspector Bellamy" (2010 -- France) is director Claude
Chabrol's last film, a leisurely mystery about a legendary police inspector (Gerard Depardieu) whose vacation is upset by a local murder. Co-stars the lovely Marie Bunel and Jacques Gamblin. From IFC Films ... "White Wedding"
(2010 -- South Africa)is a critically-acclaimed exuberant road comedy about love and loyalty, commitment and companionship set against South Africa's breathtaking landscapes: Only days away from his "white wedding," Elvis the groom sets out to pick up his childhood friend and best man and gets derailed more than once on a comic, misguided journey.
From Image Entertainment.
In "Open Season 3" (2010), featuring the voices of Steve Schirrip, Crispin Glover, Ciara Bravo, Dana Snyder and Karley Scott Collins, Boog, Elliot and all their forest friends return with an all-new direct-to-video sequel that takes them to the circus; from Sony ... "Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated Season One Volume 1" (2010) is the latest animated incarnation of Scooby-Doo, $14.97 from Warner ... "Shaun the Sheep: Spring Shenanigans"
(2010) features seven new episodes: "Sporing Lamb," "Supersize Timmy," "Bagpipe Buddy," "Cheetah Cheater," "Lock Out," "Draw the Line" and "Ewe've Been Framed," $14.98 from HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate.
Twelve-year old Owen is viciously bullied by his classmates and neglected by his divorcing parents. Achingly lonely, Owen spends his days plotting revenge on his middle school tormentors and his evenings spying on the other inhabitants of his apartment complex. His only friend is his new neighbor Abby, an eerily self-possessed young girl who
lives next door with her silent father. A frail, troubled child about Owens's age, Abby emerges from her heavily curtained apartment only at night and always barefoot, seemingly immune to the bitter winter elements. Recognizing a fellow outcast, Owen opens up to her and before long, the two have formed a unique bond. When a string of grisly murders
puts the town on high alert, Abby's father disappears, and the terrified girl is left to fend for herself. Still, she repeatedly rebuffs Owen's efforts to help her and her increasingly bizarre behavior
leads the imaginative Owen to suspect she's hiding an unthinkable secret. American remake of the Swedish cult hit "Let the Right One In" (2008).
Vitals: Director: Matt Reeves. Stars: Chloe Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Sasha Barrese, Elias Koteas, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Cara Buono, Dylan Kenin, Chris Browning, Ritchie Coster, Dylan Minnette.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 116 min., Horror, Box office gross: $12.067 million, Overture Films.
A powerful story revolving around Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Ruth (Keira Knightley) and Tommy (Andrew Garfield), three best friends who grow up together at a seemingly idyllic English boarding school with a chilling
secret. As they grow into young adults, they find that they have to come to terms with the strength of the love they feel for each other, while preparing themselves for the haunting reality that awaits them. When they learn the shocking truth -- that they are genetically engineered clones destined to be organ donors -- they embrace their fleeting chance to live and love. Adapted from highly acclaimed novel by
Kazuo Ishiguro, in which he posed the fundamental question: "What makes
us human"?
Vitals: Director: Mark Romanek. Stars: Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, Andrew Garfield, Sally Hawkins, Charlotte Rampling.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 103 min., Romantic Drama, Box office gross: $2.284 million, Fox.
The inspirational true story of a sister's unwavering devotion to her brother. When Betty Anne Waters' (Hillary Swank) older brother Kenny (Sam Rockwell) is arrested for murder and sentenced to life in 1983, Betty Anne, a Massachusetts wife and mother of two, dedicates her life to overturning the murder conviction. Convinced that her brother is innocent, Betty Anne puts herself through high school, college and, finally, law school in an 18-year quest to free Kenny. With the help of best friend Abra Rice (Minnie Driver), Betty Anne pores through suspicious evidence mounted by small town cop Nancy Taylor (Melissa Leo), meticulously retracing the steps that led to Kenny's arrest. Belief in her brother -- and her quest for the truth -- pushes Betty Anne and her team to uncover the facts and utilize DNA evidence with the
hope of exonerating Kenny. Vitals: Director: Tony Goldwyn. Stars: Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Minnie Driver, Juliette Lewis, Peter Gallagher, Melissa Leo.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 107 min., Drama, Box office gross: $6.022 million, Fox.
James Gandolfini is Doug Riley, a man at a crossroads. Ever since the tragic death of his teenage daughter, he's led a life of quiet desperation ... and now, something has to give. On a business trip to New Orleans, he encounters Mallory (Kristen Stewart) -- a raw, angry runaway living a dangerous life as a stripper. Moved by emotions he barely understands, Doug abandons his old life to save hers. The tenuous
balance is threatened when his wife Lois (Melissa Leo) shakes off the fears that have kept her homebound for years. Now three lost souls seek hope and forgiveness in each other ... and together, they discover a rare gift of connection that feels like family. Vitals: Director: Jake Scott. Stars: James Gandolfini, Kristen Stewart, Melissa Leo.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 111 min., Drama, Box office gross: $.116 million, Sony.
Disney is celebrating the 60th anniversary of "Alice in Wonderland"
(1951) with a two-disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo that includes a jabberwocky of
extras: "Reflections on Alice" and "Operation Wonderland" featurettes,
"I'm Odd" newly discovered Cheshire Cat song and intro, "Thru the Mirror" Mickey Mouse animated short, "One-hour in Wonderland," "An Alice
Comedy: Alice's Wonderland," original theatrical trailers (1951 & 1974), deleted scenes and storyboard concepts; exclusive to the BD version are "Through the Keyhole: A Companion's Guide to Wonderland" (special mode links to references), "Disney View" allows you to watch the movie in expanded viewing experience with new Disney art in the wings of the screen, "Painting the Roses Red" game, Walt Disney color TV
introduction (1959), "Reference Footage: Alice and the Doorknob" (in which the voice of Alice, Kathryn Beaumont, provides an introduction to this newly discovered reference footage of Alice talking to the doorknob), "Pencil Test: Alice Shrinks" (in which Kathryn Beaumont introduces a newly discovered pencil test of Alice shrinking).
"The Abbott and Costello Show: Who's On First?" features six of Abbott and Costello's most beloved episodes from their 1952-53 TV show, $9.98 from Entertainment One) ... Four TCM Classic packages -- four-title sets spotlighting Hollywood's most legendary actors, actresses and films -- are available this week: "TCM Greatest Classic Legends: John Ford Westerns" with "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (1949), "Three Godfathers" (1948), "Cheyenne Autumn" (1964), "Wagon Master" (1950); "TCM Greatest Classic Legends: Jean Harlow" with "Dinner at Eight" (1933), "Libeled Lady" (1936), "China Seas" (1935), "Wife vs. Secretary" (1936); "TCM Greatest Classic Legends: Errol Flynn"
with "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (1949), "Three Godfathers" (1948), "Cheyenne Autumn" (1964), "Wagon Master" (1950); TCM Greatest Classic Films: Lassie" with "Lassie Come Home" (1943), "Son of Lassie" (1945), "Courage of Lassie" (1946), "Hills of Home" (1948); $27.92 from Warner.
Set amid the wreckage of Hurricane Katrina, "Hurricane Season"
(2009), starring Forest Whitaker, Bow Wow and Isaiah Washington, follows a Louisiana high school basketball coach who turns tragedy into triumph, pulling together a team of kids from previously rival high schools and leading them on an inspirational path to the state championship. From Vivendi Entertainment/The Weinstein Company ..."Mean Girls 2"
(2010), directed by Melanie Mayron and starring Meaghan Martin, Jennifer Stone and Maiara Walsh, is a sequel to the 2004 hit: A new girl
in high school befriends an unpopular student and the pair take on the Plastics. From Paramount ... "Monsters" (2010) revolves
around a failed outer space experiment in which a probe to collect samples of alien life crashes in Mexico, causing new life forms to spring up and forcing half that country to be quarantined. A U.S. journalist agrees to escort a shaken American tourist through the infected zone to the safety of the U.S. border. From Magnolia Home Entertainment ... In 1976, a young man returns to the Philadelphia neighborhood where he came of age in the midst of the Black Power movement, setting into motion complex political and emotional forces in "Night Catches Us"
(2010), starring Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington and Wendell Pierce. From Magnolia Home Entertainment.
"Action Pack 4 DVD Set" includes four DVDs from preschool pals Thomas & friends, Bob the Builder and Fireman Sam: ""Thomas & Friends: Steamies vs. Diesels," "Thomas & Friends: Track Stars." "Bob the Builder: heavy Duty Diggers," "Fireman Sam: Help Is Here; $19.98 from HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate ... "Duke Ellington ... and More Stories to Celebrate Great Figures In African American History"
(2010) includes "Duke Ellington," "Ellington Was Not a Street," "Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of Vocal Virtuosa," "John Henry." Narrated by Forest Whitaker, Phylicia Rashad, Samuel L. Jackson and Billy Dee Williams. From Scholastic Storybook Treasures ... Also from Scholastic this week is "Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship ... and More Stories to Celebrate U.S. History"
(2010), with four animated stories narrated by James Earl Jones, Jeff Brooks, and Danny Glover. Includes "The Pilgrims Of Plimoth," "John, Paul, George, & Ben," "The Journey of The One & Only Declaration
of Independence," "Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship" ... With the "Friend Pack 4 DVD Set," preschoolers can celebrate the joys of friendship with these four DVDs: "Angelina Ballerina: Love to Dance," "Barney: Let's Play School," "Barney: Everyone Is Special," "Fifi and the Flowertots: Fifi's Talent Show"; $19.98 from HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate.
into a
mental health clinic. But the youth ward is temporarily closed, so he finds himself stuck in the adult ward. One of the patients, Bobby (Zach Galifianakis), soon becomes both Craig's mentor and protege. Craig is also quickly drawn to another 16-year-old displaced to the adult ward, the sensitive Noelle (Emma Roberts), who just might make him forget his longtime unrequited crush Nia (Zoe Kravitz). With a minimum five days' stay imposed on him by the adult ward's staff psychiatrist, Craig is sustained by friendships on both the inside and the outside as he learns
more about life, love, and the pressures of growing up. Vitals: Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck. Stars: Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Roberts, Zoe Kravitz, Viola Davis, Lauren Graham, Jim Gaffigan, Dana DeVestern.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 102 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $6.350 million, Universal.
Wes Craven is back at again and he wants to scare the heck out of you --
as always. In the sleepy town of Riverton, legend tells of a serial killer who swore he would return to murder the seven children born the night he died. Now, 16 years later, people are disappearing again. Has the psychopath been reincarnated as one of the seven teens, or did he survive the night he was left for dead? Only one of the kids knows the answer. Adam "Bug" Heller (Max Thieriot) was supposed to die on the bloody night his father went insane. Unaware of his dad's terrifying crimes, he has been plagued by nightmares since he was a baby. But if Bug hopes to save his friends from the monster that's returned, he must face an evil that won't rest ... until it finishes the job it began the day he was born. The legendary Craven ("A Nightmare on Elm Street," "Scream") keeps your heart racing with a suspense-thriller filled with twists, turns and a dark secret that will send your soul searching for cover. Vitals: Director: Wes Craven. Stars: Max Thieriot, John Magaro, Denzel Whitaker, Zena Grey, Nick Lashaway, Paulina Olszynski.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 107 min., Horror, Box office gross: $14.637 million, (Universal).
No matter how old you are, you never get over high school. Successful PR
pro Marni (Kristin Bell) heads home for her older brother's (Jimmy Wolk) wedding and discovers that he's marrying her high school arch nemesis (Odette Yustman), who has conveniently forgotten all the rotten things she did so many years ago. Then the bride's jet-setting aunt (Sigourney Weaver) bursts in and Marni's not-so jet-setting mom (Jamie Lee Curtis) comes face to face with her own high school rival. The claws
come out and old wounds are opened in this comedy about what happens when you're reunited with the one person you'd like to forget.
Vitals: Director: Andy Fickman. Stars: Kristen Bell, Sigourney Weaver, Jamie Lee Curtis, Odette
Yustman, Kristin Chenoweth, Victor Garber, Betty White, Patrick Duffy, Christine Lakin, Jenna Leigh Green, Kyle Bornheimer.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 105 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $25.258 million, Disney.
leads fending off one bad guy after another on a journey that didn't have a happy ending. Ridley Scott deftly directed Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis as the two women who want to take a break from the pain of their unfulfilled lives and unhappy relationships, and take off on a weekend road trip by themselves. Their first night out, however, Sarandon kills a drunken cowboy who attempts to rape Davis at a roadhouse, and the women have to go on the run from the police. The film
introduced Brad Pitt and Michael Madsen to mainstream audiences. Cinemaphiles will note the striking similarity between "Thelma & Louise" and Alain Tanner's 1979 "Messidor." This 20th anniversary edition on Blu-ray includes commentary by Scott; commentary by Sarandon,
Davis and writer Callie Khouri; deleted and extended scenes; an extended ending (with commentary by Scott); documentaries and featurettes, including "Thelma and Louise: The Last Journey"; an original theatrical featurette (with and without promotional narration);
multi-angle storyboards: The final chase; "Part of You, Part of Me" music video by Glenn Frey; trailer and TV Spots. From MGM.
Teenage hooligans called it "shopping." And audiences and critics worldwide called it one of the most shocking debuts of the decade. In a bleak near-future, charming ex-con Billy (Jude Law) and sexy girlfriend Jo (Sadie Frost) live for stealing fast cars, leading cops on high-speed
chases, and crashing through posh store windows to steal everything they can grab. But the law and a rival gang ow to end their spree, so Billy and Jo try to pull off one final raid. The film has been censored for 15 years by British authorities. From Severin Films ... In "Wild Target"
(2010 -- U.K.), directed by Jonathan Lynn and starring Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt, Rupert Grint and Rupert Everett, a middle-aged, solitary hit man has his professional routine interrupted when he falls for his intended hit. When he spares her life, he must thwart the murderous intentions of his unhappy client, resulting in comedic mayhem. From Fox ... In "Ong Bak 3" (2010 -- Thailand), Tony Jaa must face his ultimate enemy, a fierce supernatural warrior named Demon Crow;
from Magnolia Home Entertainment ... An ordinary businessman gets involved with gangsters and adult entertainment at the dawn of the age of the Internet and finds himself caught between a 23-year-old porn star
and the FBI, all the while becoming one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs
of his time in "Middle Men" (2010), starring Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi, Gabriel Macht, James Caan and Jacinda Barrett; from Paramount ... In "The Romantics"
(2010), starring Katie Holmes, Anna Paquin, Josh Duhamel, Malin Akerman, Jeremy Strong, Candice Bergen, Adam Brody and Elijah Wood, seven close friends reunite for the wedding of two of their friends, but
problems arise when feelings are rekindled between the groom and the maid of honor, from Paramount ... "Tamara Drewe" (2010)
is a modern take on Thomas Hardy's romance novel "Far From the Madding Crowd," here about a young woman -- once an ugly duckling, now a ravishing beauty thanks to plastic surgery -- who returns to her childhood village to wreak havoc on every male in town. Directed by Stephen Frears and starring Gemma Arterton, Roger Allam, Bill Camp and Dominic Cooper. From Sony.
and her overall lack of some semblance
of a responsible life.
When her car gets repossessed, Pixxi ends up getting hired by repo men Arizona Gray and Aquas, and she soon becomes the best repo chick around.
While on the hunt for some antique railroad cars, clueless Pixxi ends up on a wacky train ride that is actually a plot by a terrorist organization to blow up Los Angeles. The film was shot entirely in front
of green screens with no location shooting; models stand in for exterior buildings. Stars Jaclyn Jonet, Miguel Sandoval, Del Zamora, Alex Feldman, Chloe Webb, Xander Berkeley, Rosanna Arquette, Robert Beltran and Karen Black; from Industrial Entertainment ... "See You In September"
(2008) stars Estella Warren, Justin Kirk, Michael Rispoli, David Eigenberg, Sandra Bernhard and Whoopi Goldberg in a comedy about a young
commitment-adverse woman whose therapist is away on vacation for the month of August and who forms a support group for people who feel abandoned by their shrinks, who also have taken off the month of August;
from Maya Entertainment.
In "The Girl" (2009 -- Sweden), a 9-year old girl is left behind in her aunt's care while the rest of her family goes to Africa as aid workers in the summer of 198. But the aunt goes away with a
man, leaving the girl alone to discover the world around her as the summer passes by. From Olive Films ... In "Hideaway (Le Refuge)"
(2010 -- France), directed by Francois Ozon and starring Melvil Poupaud, Isabelle Carre and Louis-Ronan Choisy, Mousse and Louis are young, beautiful, rich and in love, but drugs have invaded their lives. After Louis' fatal overdose, Mousse soon learns she is pregnant. Feeling
lost, she escapes to a beautiful beach house far from Paris and is soon
joined in her refuge by Louis' gay brother, Paul. The two strangers gradually develop an unusual and deeply moving relationship as director Ozon ("Swimming Pool") continues his unique exploration of the nature of
family and blood ties. From Strand Releasing ... "The Real Cannibal Holocaust"
(1976 -- Italy): In 1975, Papua New Guinea obtained its long desired independence from the British Empire. A movie crew traveled to the island in order to shoot a film that would allow the Queen to better understand the laws and traditions of the natives. Looking for reality and truth, the cinematographers eventually got a lot more than they had bargained for: extreme violence and depravity. From One 7 Movies.
A runaway train, transporting deadly toxic chemicals, is barreling down on Scranton, Pennsylvania, and only two men can stop it: a veteran engineer (Denzel Washington) and a young conductor (Chris Pine). Thousands of lives hang in the balance as these ordinary heroes attempt to chase down one million tons of hurtling steel and prevent an epic disaster.
Vitals: Director: Tony Scott. Stars: Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson, Jessy Schram, Jeff Wincott, Kevin Dunn, Kevin Chapman, Ethan Suplee, T.J. Miller.
2010, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 98 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $80.020 million, Fox.