DVD Archive

September DVD and Blu Ray Releases

By
John Fleck
Posted in: DIGITAL DOMAIN

September is coming and summer will be over…no more pool, beach or barbeques…but these new releases may ease the depression:

Steve Carell

‘The Office’ Sixth Season (DVD and Blu Ray release date: September 7th)

As Steve Carell has confirmed the seventh season will be his last, look for the Emmy winning comedy series to be in huge demand on video. The sixth season includes episodes with rumors of bankruptcy concerning Dunder Mifflin and the subsequent buyout by Sabre Corp., Pam and Jim’s marriage and parenthood, Erin and Andy’s courtship and burning printers.

The 26 episode set will be spread out on 5 discs including deleted scenes, outtakes, gag reel, cast and crew commentaries, two extended episodes, minisode “Podcast”, “Welcome to Sabre” corporate welcome video, and promos. It lists for $69.99.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy: The Fellowship of the Ring; The Return of the King; The Two Towers (Blu Ray release date: September 14th )

Warner Brothers has released this great film set on DVD about a million times in a million different formats, to the point of being accused of milking the series for every nickel they could. And it’s a valid point. The first Blu Ray set was released only last April and now the second Blu Ray release is coming out next month. Seems Warner Brothers deliberately left out extended Blu Ray releases and features so they can be repackaged and resold again and again and again.

But the films are so popular and timeless that audiences are always looking for something new in them and evidently are willing to pay for it. So you really can’t blame Warner for taking advantage of it. No pricing as of yet, but the previous release sold for $99 for a nine disc set so expect to crack the century mark on this one.

Robin Hood (2010): Director’s Cut (DVD and Blu Ray release date: September 21st)

Previously reviewed on my Digital Domain blog on 100% of Nothing; at that time there was no pricing information, but now the price is being listed at $39.98. Released by Universal Studios Home Entertainment, the DVD/Blu Ray release will be a single disk DVD, 2 disk DVD, and a Blu Ray/DVD/Digital copy combo pack. Both DVD and Blu Ray will contain an unrated version of the film, as well as the theatrical version. The Unrated version will be approximately 15 minutes longer than the theatrical version.

Preview and Trailer: Robin Hood 2010 Preview

Iron Man 2 (DVD and Blu Ray release date: September 28th)

A decent sequel to the first film, but not quite as good and definitely less action filled. Nevertheless, it grossed $621,659,433 world wide. Robert Downey Jr. is once again really good as Tony Stark, and so is Mickey Rourke, although I could do without the cameo of Christiane Amanpour; one Iron Man is enough. The excellent supporting cast of Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Sam Rockwell, and Paul Bettany help, but not enough to satisfy the hardcore Iron Man fans….perhaps they’re setting the audience up for the third part of the sequel, which may come out in 2013.

The film is scheduled to be released by Paramount Home Entertainment on Blu Ray and DVD on September 28, 2010.There will be a single disc DVD, 2 disc DVD, and Blu Ray/DVD/digital copy combo pack. It’s listing for $39.99 but discounted at Amazon for $26.99. No extended version or director’s cut, but there are deleted and extended scenes with commentary by director Jon Favreau, plus several other features with Favreau commentary.

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“Psycho” 50th Anniversary Edition on Blu-Ray

By
John Fleck
Posted in: DIGITAL DOMAIN


This black and white film originally came out in 1960, and is probably only rivaled by The Birds as Alfred Hitchcock’s most memorable film.

What a mark this movie made on society, let alone film history. How many people have thought of the shower scene over the course of fifty years whenever they stepped in? Even Janet Leigh, who portrayed the victim reportedly went to extreme measures of security when showering after viewing the scene. Hard to think of many things in film that have endured in imaginations that long and had such a “psycho”-logical effect.

The film provided several scenes that seem trite today yet were very controversial in 1960. For example, the opening scene where Janet Leigh and her lover are sharing the same bed was considered too racy for censors. Hitchcock made a deal that if they allowed the shower scene he would re-shoot the bed scene with the censors in attendance. But they failed to show up during filming so the scene remained intact. Also, censors were upset over the use of the word “transvestite” and the scene of the toilet flushing. Prior to the film, a toilet flush was never even heard let alone seen.

Alfred Hitchcock’s cameo is a signature occurrence in most of his films. In Psycho, he can be seen through a window, wearing a Stetson hat, standing outside Janet Leigh’s office (seven minutes into the film). Most of Hitchcock’s cameo came early in his films, to prevent the audience from being distracted by looking for him.

In 1992, the film was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

The 50th Anniversary Edition of the film is set to hit the street on October 19th of this year. Distributed by Universal and priced at $26.98, the Blu-Ray version features many extras including the making of the film, behind the scenes, an extensive commentary by the author of the book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho, and of course, the shower scene.

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Home Video Releases April 20

By
staff
Posted in: BLU-RAY & DVD

1. Avatar
2. Crazy Heart
3. The Young Victoria
4. The Lovely Bones
5. Summer Hours (The Criterion Collection)
6. The Horse Boy [DVD]
7. Deadly Impact [DVD]
8. 44 Inch Chest
9. Uncertainty [DVD]
10. Inside the Forbidden City- 500 Years of Marvel, History and Power

Staff Picks

Crazy Heart

Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) is an alcoholic country singer struggling to make ends meet while touring alone across the country in his beat-up truck. His luck changes when he meets young journalist, Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), during an intimate interview and eventually falls in love with her. Eventually, however, his alcoholism and stubborn nature puts his relationship and career in jeopardy.

Uncertainty

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer) and Lynn Collins (Wolverine) star in this dramatic thriller that asks, “What if?” It’s the Fourth of July and Kate (Collins) and Bobby (Gordon-Levitt) have to decide to stick with tradition and spend the holiday with Kate’s family, or steal away on an impromptu romantic getaway. Once their decision is made, an alternate storyline develops that shows what would have happened had they made a different choice. Although tradition may seem less exciting than spontaneity, they’ll find family isn’t any less dramatic.

The Horse Boy

When 2-year-old Rowan was diagnosed with Autism, his parents—Rupert and Kristin—tried many traditional therapies that had no effect on his condition. As a final attempt, they set out on horseback across Outer Mongolia in search of healing for him. Rowan’s natural affinity towards animals, especially horses, makes this journey something that will change all their lives forever.

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Mary and Max Coming to DVD and Blu-ray June 15

By
staff
Posted in: BLU-RAY & DVD

Mary and Max is due to release on DVD and Blu-ray June 15.

Academy Award winner Adam Elliot brings us this claymation film about the human condition. Mary (Toni Collette) is a lonely 8-year-old girl who has a 20-year pen pal stint with Max (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a 44-year-old obese hermit.

Bonus features include the Academy Award winning animated short, Harvie Krumpet.

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Youth in Revolt Coming to DVD and Blu-ray June 15

By
staff
Posted in: BLU-RAY & DVD

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment plans to release Youth in Revolt on DVD and Blu-ray June 15.

Starring indie favorite, Michael Cera, Youth in Revolt is about a boy so fed-up with his introverted tendencies that he creates an alter-ego to aid in winning the heart of his dream girl.

Box art and bonus features have yet to be released.

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Mystery Team Coming to DVD and Blu-ray May 25

By
staff
Posted in: BLU-RAY & DVD

Brought to you by Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Mystery Team is due to release on DVD and Blu-ray May 25.

Jason, Charlie and Duncan used to be the love of the town. Solving mysteries like “Who stuck their finger in the pie?” or “Who stole the tricycle?” they were Oakdale’s little sleuths, but now that they’re older and soon to graduate high school, the town has grown a little tired of their elementary crime-solving skills.

Bonus features have yet to be released.

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Home Video Releases April 13

By
staff
Posted in: BLU-RAY & DVD

1. Apollo 13 (15th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]
2. The Great Mouse Detective (Mystery in the Mist Edition) [DVD]
3. A Nightmare on Elm Street [Blu-ray]
4. Nightmare on Elm Street Collection
5. Pirate Radio
6. Tenderness [DVD]
7. Defendor [DVD]
8. Gone With the Wind (The Scarlett Edition) [Blu-ray]
9. Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh [DVD]
10. Oh My God [DVD]
11. Genshiken 2 Premium Collection [DVD]
12. The Beatniks [DVD]
13. Stoic [DVD]
14. Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection (2pc) [DVD]
15. The Korean [DVD]
16. The Greatest American Snuff Film (Directors Cut Special Edition) [DVD]
17. Tenure [DVD]

Staff Picks

Stoic

Directed by Uwe Boll (famous for adapting video games such as BloodRayne, House of the Dead and Far Cry into movies), Stoic is an arthouse feature based on events that took place in a German prison in 2006. According to Boll, three prisoners raped, tortured and ultimately forced their cellmate to commit suicide over a period of ten hours. And it all started with a bet to eat a tube of toothpaste.

Genshiken 2 Premium Collection

Genshiken is a Japanese animated cartoon about a group of Japanese high school students in a club of the same name, or the translation: “The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture.” As the second season of the animated series, Genshiken 2 introduces new characters and continues the previous plot line, but with a much higher production value.

The Greatest American Snuff Film

Based on the journals of serial killer William Allen Grone, The Greatest American Snuff Film is the director’s cut that provides a look into this mad man’s killer instinct. Although the film is a dramatization of actual events, it chronicles the torture and murder of two innocent young women in 1995 and includes evidence from Grones trial as well as actual footage from the trial at the end of the film.

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Home Video Releases April 6

By
staff
Posted in: BLU-RAY & DVD, TV

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Theatrical Edition) [Blu-ray]
2. Madonna’s Sticky and Sweet Tour [Blu-ray]
3. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
4. The Natural [Blu-ray]
5. The Thomas Crown Affair [Blu-ray]
6. Sharpe’s Peril
7. Sharpe’s Challenge
8. Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series [Blu-ray]
9. Dirt! The Movie
10. The Italian Straw Hat (Un chapeau de paille d’Italie)
11. Dolan’s Cadillac
12. Easier With Practice
13. The Big Gay Musical

Staff Picks

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

After being promoted to Lieutenant for heroism in the Hurrican Katrina disaster, Terrence McDonagh (Nicolas Cage), becomes addicted to prescriptions medication, which leads to an addiction to many other illicit drugs. He then abuses his power as a lieutenant and somehow gets promoted to Captain, despite his lack of qualifications.

Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series [Blu-ray]

All four seasons of the 2004 sci-fi series are released as one on Blu-ray. Battlestar Galactica is a post-apocalyptic TV series about the possible consequences of building machines so advanced they eventually destroy us. Join the remaining population of Earth in their quest to find a habitable planet before the Cylons wipe them out or they run out of resources.

Dirt! The Movie

Jamie Lee Curtis narrates an in-depth and sometimes comical look at the substance beneath our feet: dirt. What has once gone unnoticed now has an entire documentary based around its existence!

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Crazy Heart Coming to DVD and Blu-ray April 20

By
staff
Posted in: BLU-RAY & DVD

The Academy Award Winning film, Crazy Heart, is due to release on DVD and Blu-ray April 20.

Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) is an alcoholic country singer struggling to make ends meet while touring alone across the country in his beat-up truck. His luck changes when he meets young journalist, Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), during an intimate interview and eventually falls in love with her. Eventually, however, his alcoholism and stubborn nature puts his relationship and career in jeopardy.

Extra features will include Deleted Scenes and Alternative Music Cuts, and on Blu-ray only, expect even more deleted scenes and alternative music cuts as well as a featurette on what brought Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Robert Duvall to Crazy Heart.

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Home Video Releases March 30

By
staff
Posted in: BLU-RAY & DVD, TV

1. Sherlock Holmes
2. Alice in Wonderland (2-Disc Special Un-Anniversary Edition)
3. An Education
4. The Baader Meinhof Complex (Der Baader Meinhof Komplex)
5. IMAX: Under the Sea
6. The Killer
7. Ouran High School Host Club: The Complete Series
8. What Darwin Never Knew
9. Deadliest Catch: Seasons 1-5

Staff Picks

Sherlock Holmes

Robert Downey Jr. stars in the seventh film based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famed detective, Sherlock Holmes. RDJ is accompanied by Jude Law, who plays Dr. Watson, and Rachel McAdams, Holmes’ feisty, thieving, and somewhat double-crossing love interest. Holmes and Watson band together to solve a series of murders possibly linked to the occult. Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) manages to confuse Holmes until the very end, when the entire mystery unravels and reveals a not-so-Satanic secret.

An Education

Nominated for three Academy Awards, An Education is a British coming-of-age film based on an autobiographical memoir of the same title, written by journalist Lynn Barber. Jenny Mellor is a 1960s British schoolgirl on her way home from school when a charming older man offers her a ride to get her out of the rain. This unexpected encounter spirals into a secret love-affair that leads Jenny to drop out of school and give up her dreams of going to Oxford College. Will her shortcut to parties, love and fun pay off or will her decision to leave school hurt her aspirations in the end?

The Baader Meinhof Complex

This German film chronicles the early years of the West German militant group, Rote Armee Faction, a movement started in 1967 to battle what they deemed to be a “fascist state.” The film was nominated for an Academy Award in the category for Best Foreign Language Film.

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