DVD Tuesday: Battlestar Galactica, Chucky Collection, The Unit S1 & More!
- Xoanon @ 10:38 PST
10th and the Wolf James Marsden, Giovanni Ribisi, Brad Renfro, Piper Perabo, and Dennis Hopper star in the Philidelphia-set street drama about gangsters and family, co-written and directed by Bobby Moresco, co-writer of Crash. Lesley Ann Warren, Tommy Lee, Brian Dennehy, and Val Kilmer co-star. Details: Color, 107 mins, THINKFilm/Lionsgate, Widescreen anamorphic. Supplements: Filmmaker Commentary featuring Academy Award Winner Bobby Moresco and FBI Agent Joe Pistone, aka "Donnie Brasco"; Deleted Scenes; Behind the Scenes; Trailer Gallery. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) and English (Dolby Digital 5.1). Optional Spanish subtitles.
8th & Ocean - The Complete First Season The MTV reality series about 10 models at one of the top South Beach agencies, living together in two apartments, as they try to make the leap into the big time. Details: Color, 220 mins, MTV/Paramount, Academy Ratio. Supplements: 10 episodes on 3 discs from the 2005-2006 season; Talesha and Adrian's Miami Hot Spots featurette; Advice from the Experts featurette; Casting tapes; Deleted scenes; TRL Appearance; MTV Overdrive segments; Cast bios. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo). Optional subtitles.
Angry Harvest (West Germany, 1985) Agnieszka Holland's masterpiece stars Armin Mueller-Stahl as a lonely, middle-aged farmer in Poland during the early days of World War II who rescues an upper-class Jewish refugee (Elisabeth Trissenaar) and hides her in his cellar. As his loneliness leads to an oppressive reign of terror, her dependency breaks her resolve and her strength. One of the most powerful films about the Holocaust and the nature of power and tyranny, it was an Academy Award-nominee for Best Foreign Language Film in 1985. Details: Color, 106 mins, Image, Academy Ratio, 1.33:1. Audio: German (Dolby Digital 1.0). Optional English subtitles.
Backdraft (1991) Ron Howard directs this drama of New York firefighter brothers (Kurt Russell and William Baldwin) estranged due to competitive natures and expectations and brought back together by the work of a marauding arsonist. Scott Glenn is the firefighting veteran and father figure to Russell, Donald Sutherland is a Hannibal Lector-like arsonist in prison, and Robert DeNiro a methodical arson investigator who takes Baldwin under his wing. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rebecca De Mornay, Jason Gedrick, and J.T. Walsh co-star. Details: Color, 138 mins, Universal, Widescreen anamorphic, 2.35:1. Supplements: Ron Howard Introduction; Deleted Scenes; "Igniting the Story" featurette; "Bringing Together the Team" featurette; "Explosive Stunts" featurette; "Creating the Villain: The Fire" featurette; "Real-Life Firemen, Real-Life Stories" featurette. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) and Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo). Optional Spanish, French and English subtitles.
Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses Feature length made-for-video feature with Barbie dolls, brought to life through with CGI animation. Details: Color, 82 mins, Universal, Widescreen anamorphic, 1.78:1. Supplements: Dancing Fun: Shine Music Video Sing-Along; Merry Memory Ballet Game; Trailers. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 5.1) and English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo). Optional English subtitles.
Battlestar Galactica - Season 2.5 The inspired revival/creative rebirth of the clunky, kitschy 1980s sci-fi series flies strong and true through its second season, which concludes in this collection. We left off with the fleet on the verge of civil war as one-time nemeses Commander Adama (Edward James Olmos) and the civilian President (Mary McDonnell) join forces against the authoritarian fleet Admiral (Michelle Forbes) who has little use for civilians or the journey to Earth. There's plenty of myth and prophecy along with the more human challenges of the clash between civilian and military authority and the increasing complexity of the Cylon endgame (they are no monolithic villain, as conflicts within reveal) and evolution. Forget the robots and space ships and such, and get over the fact that Starbuck is a girl (Katee Sackhoff), because she's a cigar-chomping, rule-breaking girl who looks like she could kick Dirk Benedict's ass around the galaxy and back. This is a smartly written, dramatically compelling series that finds its best dramas in human conflict and metaphysical explorations, and the season ends on a cliffhanger that will have you desperate for season 3 to start. Details: Color, 521 mins, Universal, Widescreen anamorphic, 1.78:1. Supplements: 10 episodes on 3 discs; Deleted Scenes; Audio Commentary for Extended "Pegasus" Episode with Executive Producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick; Podcast Commentaries; David Eick's Videoblogs; R & D Logos. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 5.1). Optional Spanish and English subtitles.
The Big Hit (Blu-ray) Melvin Smiley, a successful young hitman, is living a normal all-day life for his jewish fiancé Pam, but kills for money in Paris' organization. In addition, he has a relationship with a beauty from the neighbourhood and gets bothered by a pimply video store guy, because he did not return "King Kong Lives" for two weeks. He and his three teammates Cisco, Crunch and Vince one day decide to kidnap the daughter of super-rich businessman Jiro Nishi - off the record. What they do not know, is that Jiro just went completely bankrupt due to a successless movie production, and, even worse, that his daughter Keiko is the god-daughter of Paris, the boss of the kidnappers. He and his men are now searching for the kidnappers in order to grind them up properly. Meanwhile, handcuffed Keiko falls in love with killer Melvin while both preparing a kosher meal in order to satisfy Pam's visiting parents, who are out of the house with Pam - with a body in the trunk.
Bob and Tom Radio: The Comedy Tour Radio host team Bob & Tom host this live stand-up comedy concert featuring Mike Armstrong, Greg Hahn, Drew Hastings, Roy Wood Jr., and Bob Zany. Details: Color, 74 mins, Image, Widescreen anamorphic, 1.78:1. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 5.1) and English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo). Optional subtitles.
Bob Newhart: Button Down Concert (1995) Bob Newhart returns to his stand-up comedy roots in this 1995 concert. Details: Color, 62 mins, 20th Century Fox, Academy Ratio, 1.33:1. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo). Optional Spanish and English subtitles.
Bob Newhart: The Complete Fourth Season (1975-1976) "Hi, Bob." Buttoned-down comedian Bob Newhart is TV's greatest therapist in the third season of the hit sitcom that once anchored the unbeatable Saturday night comedy block. Newhart is perfect casting for Chicago psychologist Bob Hartley, the ever-calm (at least on the outside) in the center of the neurotic storm swirling around him. He only seems like a rock of stability until he's next to his down-to-Earth wife, elementary school teacher Emily (Suzanne Pleshette), who has the corner on normalcy in this professional couple. Bill Daily co-stars as his insecure airline pilot neighbor Howard, Peter Bonerz his overconfident orthodontist friend Jerry, Marcia Wallace their lively receptionist Carol, and Jack Riley, Florida Friebus, and John Fiedler are among his longtime patients. Newhart's muted delivery and blank stares make him the funniest straight man on TV, a master of the deadpan gag, the slow motion stammer, and delayed reaction laughs. Details: Color, 607 mins, 20th Century Fox, Academy Ratio, 1.33:1. Supplements: 24 episodes on 4 discs; Commentary on five episodes by Bob Newhart and others; "A Second Family" featurette; Gag reel. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 1.0). Optional Spanish and English subtitles.
Boris Karloff Collection Five of the lesser-known vintage horrors and thrillers starring Boris Karloff are collected in this "Franchise Collection" box set. The best and best known of the collection is Tower of London (1939), starring Karloff as the bloodthirsty executioner to the murderous Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Basil Rathbone) in Hollywood's gothic take in Richard's bloody rise to the throne as King Richard III. Rowland V. Lee directs. In The Strange Door (1951), adapted from a Robert Louis Stevenson story, he plays servant to a mad aristocrat (Charles Laughton) who sends innocents into his booby-trapped dungeon. Also features the crime film Night Key (1937), where he plays an inventor who is cheated out of a new burglar alarm and forced by burglars to help subvert the system in their spree; The Climax (1944), with Karloff as a mad doctor driven into a murderous jealousy over an opera singer; and The Black Castle (1955), a gothic thriller starring Stephen McNally as an evil Count and Richard Greene as a nobleman looking for his missing friends, and featuring Karloff and Lon Chaney Jr. in small roles. Details: Color/Black and White, Universal, Academy Ratio, 1.33:1. Supplements: Five film on three discs. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono). Optional French and English subtitles.
Brain Damage A normal, average guy who lives in New York City becomes dependent on an evil, disembodied brain. The brain feeds the guy a narcotic substance in exchange for his unwilling assistance in obtaining the brains of innocent victims for sustenance. This turns into a tour of circa-1980s underground NYC clubs, backlots, and other seedy locations. One scene features the band Swimming Pool Cues playing the song "Corruption."
Cartoon Network Fridays, Vol. 1 No description available
Case Closed 4: Season 1 Another night looms, but Conan Edogawa isn’t afraid of the dark. He doesn’t have time to be afraid. He’s catching murderers, exposing killers and busting up kidnapping plots. Criminals beware – the night belongs to Detective Conan. Episodes: Lights, Camera… Murder Smooth Sailing Part 1 Smooth Sailing Part 2 Better Off Forgotten The Counterfeit Ransom Kidnapping Jack Attacks DVD Features: More than 150 minutes of action, mystery and intrigue! English and Japanese subtitles
The Chris Rock Show - The Complete First and Second Seasons (1997-1998) The debut seasons of the Emmy-award winning series created by and starring Chris Rock for HBO. Features stand-up monologues, sketches and commercial parodies, musical performances and interviews, with such guests as Conan O'Brien, Tracy Morgan, George Carlin, Busta Rhymes, Puff Daddy, LL Cool J, Whoopi Goldberg, Missy Elliot, Usher, Vivica A. Fox, and others. Details: Color, 510 mins, HBO, Academy Ratio. Supplements: 17 episodes on 3 discs. Optional subtitles.
Chucky: The Killer DVD Collection The "Franchise Collection" box set of the Child's Play/Chucky series is conspicuously missing the first film in the franchise, but it does feature the inspired Bride of Chucky (1998), Ronny Yu's demented and darkly comic revival of the slasher series about a toy doll brought to life by the spirit of a serial killer. In this, the fourth in the series, the sardonic, pint sized killed (voiced by Brad Dourif) is revived by his old girlfriend (Jennifer Tilly), and he returns the favor by finding a doll for her own spirit. Katherine Heigl and Nick Stabile are teenage lovers caught in the killers' plot and John Ritter and Alexis Arquette co-star. The set also features Child's Play 2 (1990), directed by John Lafia, and Child's Play 3 (1991), directed by Jack Bender, and the final film to date in the series, Seed of Chucky (2004), where the demonic spawn of Chucky and Tiffany bring the killer dolls back to life. Directed by series creator Don Mancini, it features a cameo by John Waters. Details: Color, Universal, Widescreen anamorphic, 1.85:1. Supplements: Commentary on Bride of Chucky by director Ronny Yu; Commentary on Bride of Chucky by actors Brad Dourif and Jennifer Tilly and writer Don Mancini; "Bride of Chucky Spotlight on Location" featurette; Commentary on Seed of Chucky by writer/writer Don Mancini and actress Jennifer Tilly; "Conceiving the Seed of Chucky" featurette; Jennifer Tilly on The Tonight Show. Audio: on Bride of Chucky and Seed of Chucky (Dolby Digital 5.1), on Child's Play 2 and Child's Play 3 (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) and French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo). Optional Spanish and English subtitles.
Criterion Coll: Spirit of the Beehive (Spain, 1973) Victor Erice's delicate and haunting film about childhood and wonder in a world that does not reward such trust and innocence is one of the masterpieces of Spanish cinema. Little Ana Torrent is heartbreaking as the little girl who opens her soul to the wonders of the world and loses her heart to the lost monster in the movie "Frankenstein" (dubbed in Spanish and shown in a village meeting hall), trying to take in this giant innocent hated by all. The echoes of the Spanish Civil War can be felt in the background as Ana wanders the Castilian countryside looking for the lost monster and finds a wounded soldier. Fernando Fernán Gómez plays her father, lost in his own dream world of nostalgia and regret. It's one the great films about childhood and a hypnotic classic of world cinema. Details: Color, 99 mins, Criterion, Widescreen anamorphic, 1.66:1. Supplements: All-new, restored high-definition digital transfer; "The Footsteps of a Spirit," a documentary featuring director V'ctor Erice, producer El'as Querejeta, co-screenwriter Ángel Fernández-Santos, and actor Ana Torrent; "Victor Erice in Madrid", an interview with the director by filmmaker Hideyuki Miyaoka; New interviews with actor Fernando Fernán Gómez and film scholar Linda C. Ehrlich; Booklet with a new essay by film scholar Paul Julian Smith. Audio: Spanish (Dolby Digital 1.0). Optional English subtitles.
The Devil and Daniel Johnston The story of alt-rock legend Daniel Johnston, the influential singer-songwriter and primitive artist tormented by depression and madness his entire life. Beck, Sonic Youth, and Pearl Jam have recorded his songs and Kurt Cobain (who wore a T-shirt with his artwork for weeks on end) called him "the greatest living songwriter." Jeff Feuerzeig directs the documentary. Details: Color, 110 mins, Sony Pictures, Widescreen anamorphic, 1.85:1. Supplements: Deleted Scenes ; Sundance World Premiere Featurette ; Laurie and Daniel Reunion Featurette ; Daniel's reunion with his high school sweetheart Laurie ; Legendary WFMU Broadcast Featurette ; Cinema of Daniel Johnston ; Personal Movies of Daniel Johnston ; Daniel's Audio Diaries; Personal recording of Daniel Johnston ; Commentary with Director Jeff Feuerzeig and Producer Henry S. Rosenthal . Audio: English (Dolby Digital 5.1). Optional French subtitles.
Dinosaur (Blu-ray) Long before humans appeared on the planet, dinosaurs ruled the earth. On a little off-coast island, a clan of lemurs finds a dinosaur egg, hatching. Since there are no parents, the lemurs take care of the newborn, Aladar. Years later, a medium meteor goes down close to the island and the shockwave forces its inhabitants to flee to the continent. There, Aladar and his family meet other dinosaurs for the first time as well as real dangers. The destruction caused by the meteor here has also forced a herd of different herbivores to move to a remote valley that can provide food and protection against the carnivorous predators following after. Since Aladar grew up with a different understanding of the ways of the world, his way of helping others first isn't accepted within the herd, but soon it is proven that reason may be better than panic.
Eight Below (Blu-ray) In the Antarctic, after an expedition with Dr. Davis McClaren (Bruce Greenwood), the sled dog trainer Jerry Shepherd (Paul Walker) has to leave the polar base with his colleagues due to the proximity of a heavy snow storm. He ties his dogs to be rescued after, but the mission is called-off and the dogs are left alone at their own fortune. For six months, Jerry tries to find a sponsor for a rescue mission while his dogs fight for survival.
Elvira's Movie Macabre: Frankenstein's Castle Of Freaks (Italy, 1974) Rossano Brazzi plays Count Frankenstein, who uses his experimental expertise to bring a Neanderthal (who just happened to rampage through an Eastern European village and get killed by angry villagers) back to life. Michael Dunn is his evil dwarf assistant, Gordon Mitchell is Igor, Edmund Purdom and Simonetta Vitelli co-star, and Robert Oliver directs. Includes an option to watch the film with the original "Movie Macabre" wraparounds and occasional interruption by Cassandra Peterson's eighties era TV horror host persona Elvira. Details: Color, 102 mins, Shout! Factory, Academy Ratio. Optional subtitles.
Elvira's Movie Macabre: The Werewolf Of Washington (1973) Dean Stockwell is an American reporter in Hungary bitten by a mystery beast and discovers the political animal within when he returns to Washington as a press secretary to the President. Includes an option to watch the film with the original "Movie Macabre" wraparounds and occasional interruption by Cassandra Peterson's eighties era TV horror host persona Elvira. Details: Color, 96 mins, Shout! Factory, Academy Ratio. Optional subtitles.
Everybody Loves Raymond - The Complete Seventh Season (2002-2003) "Hi, I'm Ray and I live here in Long Island with my wife, Debra." Things couldn't be better for Long Island family man and successful sportswriter Ray Barrone (Romano), a man at ease with his good life, except for one thing. His meddling parents (Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts) technically live across the street but seem to spend more time trying to run Ray and Debra's life, and his sad-sack brother (Brad Garrett) tags along. Most of the cast have won Emmy Awards for their performances over the 8 year run of the hit sitcom. Details: Color, 750 mins, HBO, Widescreen anamorphic, 1.78:1. Supplements: 25 episodes on five discs; Commentary on four episodes by series creator Phil Rosenthal, Ray Romano, Chris Elliott, Monica Horan, Anna Romano, Fred Willard, and writers Tucker Cawley and Mike Royce; Bloopers and deleted scenes. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) and French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo). Optional Spanish, French and English subtitles.
Ghost Hunters: Part 1, Season 2 This one-hour weekly docu-soap from the creator/executive producer of "American Chopper" follows a group of real-life paranormal researchers as they investigate haunted houses throughout the country, encountering every type of imaginable haunting. Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, plumbers by trade, head up TAPS -- The Atlantic Paranormal Society -- a group of ordinary, everyday people with an interest in getting to the bottom of your otherworldly disturbances.
Gilmore Girls: The Complete Sixth Season Lauren Graham is sweet, strong, somewhat kittenish single mother Lorelei and Alexis Bledel is the headstrong Rory, both her daughter and her best friend, in this bright, witty dramedy for mothers, daughters, and anyone who appreciates smarts and snap in their TV shows. This season opens with Lorelei finally taking the next step in the long-simmering game of romantic tag with Luke (Scott Patterson) getting engaged at the same time that Rory drops out of college and moves in to the poolhouse of her blue-blood grandparents (Kelly Bishop and Edward Herrmann), causing a rift between the once inseparable mother/daughter act. Keiko Agena is Rory's best friend Lane, and the eccentric population of the picaresque Stars Hollow, the small town that Lorelei and Rory call home, provides plenty of character humor and color. Details: Color, 945 mins, Warner, Academy Ratio, 1.33:1. Supplements: 22 episodes on six discs; Episode guide. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround). Optional Spanish and French subtitles.
Grease: Rockin' Rydell Edition (1978) It's the time, it's the place, it's the motion, and it's where we are living. The bouncy fifties-inflected rock musical starring John Travolta as a black leather jacket bad boy and Olivia Newton-John (making her American film debut) as the white sweater good girl who fall in love across high-school clique lines gets a new edition. Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway, and Didi Conn co-star, with "special guest appearances" by Eve Arden, Frankie Avalon, Joan Blondell, Edd Byrnes, Sid Caesar, Alice Ghostley, Dody Goodman, and Sha-Na-Na. Comes wrapped in a leather jacket sleeve. Details: Color, 110 mins, Paramount, Widescreen anamorphic. Supplements: Rydell Sing-Along: Rock along with your favorite Grease songs; 11 deleted, extended, alternate scenes with introduction by director Randal Kleiser; Grease memories from John & Olivia; DVD launch party: A collection of memorable moments from the 25th anniversary DVD launch party; The moves behind the music; Thunder roadsters. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround) and French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround). Optional English subtitles.
Go for Zucker (Germany) Subtitled "An Unorthodox Comedy," the first German-Jewish comedy to come out of Germany since World War II, an energetic farce with broadly drawn characters and big performances (especially Henry Hübchen as the charming scamp of a hustler Zucker), was also the biggest German film of the year and the winner of six Lolas (the German equivalent to the Oscar), including Best Picture, Best Actor (for Henry Hübchen), Best Direction, and Best Screenplay. Details: Color, 91 mins, First Run Features, widescreen. Supplements: Director Dani Levy on making a German-Jewish comedy; Production notes; Director biography; Photo gallery. Audio: German (Dolby Digital 2.0). Optional English subtitles.
The Great Raid (Blu-ray) Set in the Philippines in 1945, THE GREAT RAID tells the true story of the 6th Ranger Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Henry Mucci (Benjamin Bratt) who undertake a daring rescue mission against all odds. Traveling thirty miles behind enemy lines, the 6th Ranger Battalion aims to liberate over 500 American prisoners-of-war from the notorious Cabanatuan Japanese POW camp in the most audacious rescue ever.
Gunslinger Girl: Complete Box Set The Social Welfare agency, a government sponsored corporation is in the business for saving orphaned or abandoned children who are terminally ill or injured beyond the point of saving. Using cybernetic implants, the Agency uses a process called 'conditioning' to turn orphaned children into emotionless killing machines with hardly any memories, no human comfort and worst of all, no free will. The girls who make up the assassination unit within the Social Welfare agency are Henrietta, Triela, Claes, Rico and Angelica, all whom have shady backgrounds which led to their involvement with the agency. Each girl is skilled in martial arts, weapons and tactics, demolitions, foreign languages, espionage and counter-terrorism, skills that are necessary when dealing with terrorism, illegal arms deals or even crime organizations who have a serious stranglehold on the country of Europe. But while these girls are the perfect weapons against these types of everyday problems, they must constantly do their best to hold on to what little pieces of their humanity they have left, as they are being forced to commit cold-blooded murder, sometimes even killing innocent people who get in the way. Jose, Henrietta's handler doesn't like the way she and the other girls are being treated as tools for massacre and it pains him everyday to see Henrietta and her friends having to go through this type of life. But if Henrietta and the others want to live to see tomorrow, they have to play the guinea pigs and earn their keep, by getting their hands dirty for the Social Welfare agency, who is responsible for giving them their second chance at life. Because if they don't play by the agency's rules...they will die.
Hard Candy Ellen Page is teenage girl who sets up a coffee date with 30-something male photographer (Patrick Wilson) she met online and winds up getting plied with drinks and encouraged to shed her clothes for an impromptu photo shoot in his apartment… until she turns the tables. David Slade's controversial thriller, which stirs up revenge with the modern world of underage internet porn, co-stars Sandra Oh and Odessa Rae. Details: Color, 105 mins, Lionsgate, Widescreen anamorphic, 2.35:1. Supplements: Commentary by director David Slade and writer Brian Nelson; Commentary by actors Patrick Wilson and Ellen Page; Deleted and extended scenes; "Creating Hard Candy" featurette; "Controversial Confection" mini-featurette; DVD-ROM: Production notebook; Trailer. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 5.1) and English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo). Optional Spanish and English subtitles.
Hart to Hart: Complete Second Season (1980-1981) Self-made millionaire Jonathan Hart (Robert Wagner) and his beautiful wife Jennifer (Stefanie Powers), a former freelance journalist, would seem to have it made. But in this glitzy mystery series, created by Sidney Sheldon and produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg, the fabulously wealthy couple would rather be sleuthing than resting on their laurels in the lap of luxury. Lionel Stander co-stars as their loyal butler and trusty sidekick, Max. The series ran for 5 seasons and was revived for a series of TV movies in the 1990s. Details: Color, 987 mins, Sony Pictures, Academy Ratio, 1.33:1. Supplements: 20 episodes on 5 discs. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 1.0) and Portuguese (Dolby Digital 1.0). Optional Portuguese subtitles.
He-Man & The Masters of the Universe Season 2 V.2 (1983) In the land of Eternia, where magic and technology co-exist, the "cowardly" Prince Adam grasps the magical Sword of Power and transforms into He-Man, the most powerful man in the universe, to protect his people from the evil Skeletor and his crew of villains. Think of a barbarian Superman with a team of loyal heroes (among them Battle Cat and Teela). The animated adventure series was essentially a promotional tool for a line of toys and action figures, but it became an unexpected hit and found a cult following among adults as well as children. Episodes 99-130, which concludes the season and series. Details: Color, 688 mins, BCI, Academy Ratio, 1.33:1. Supplements: 32 episodes on 6 discs; 2 original documentary featurettes on the creation of the series; 2 4x6 collectable cards with art by Dan Brereton and Mike McKone; Commentary on 3 episodes by Lou and Erika Scheimer, Larry DiTillo, Tom Sito, Tom Tataranowicz, and Dave Teague; Full length animated storyboards for 2 episodes; Character profiles; Trivia; 5 DVD-ROM accessible scripts. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) and Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo). Optional subtitles.
High Tech Soul: The Creation of Techno Music Documentary on the rise of Techno music set against the cultural history of its birthplace, Detroit. Gary Bredow directs. Details: Color, 64 mins, Plexifilm, widescreen, 1.66:1. Supplements: Deleted scenes; Outtakes; Bonus interviews. Optional German and English subtitles.
Inner Sanctum Mysteries: Complete Movie Collection The entire six-film collection of the feature film series inspired by the hit radio show of mystery and the macabre, all starring Lon Chaney Jr.: Calling Dr. Death (1943) with Patricia Morison and J. Carrol Naish, Dead Man's Eyes (1944) with Jean Parker and Acquanetta, Weird Woman (1944) and The Frozen Ghost (1945) with Evelyn Ankers and Milburn Stone, Pillow of Death (1945) with Brenda Joyce and J. Edward Bromberg, and Strange Confession (1945) with Brenda Joyce, J. Carrol Naish, and Lloyd Bridges. Each of the B-movie thrillers runs barely over an hour. Details: Black and White, Universal, 1.33:1. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 1.0). Optional subtitles.
Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back (Blu-ray) Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is a tale of adventure on the open road. When Dante and Randal (of Clerks fame) get a restraining order to keep the punchy Jay and his hetero life-mate, Silent Bob, from selling drugs in front of the Quick Stop convenience store, their lives are suddenly empty. They find new purpose when their friend, Brodie, informs them a movie is being made featuring two infamous characters based on their likenesses. After visiting one of the creators of the Bluntman and Chronic, Holden McNeil, they set out to get what fat movie cash they deserve and hopefully put an end to people slandering them on the Internet. Along the way, they learn the rules of the road from a hitchhiking George Carlin, ride with a group of gorgeous jewel thieves, and incur the wrath of a hapless wildlife marshal for liberating an orangutan named Suzanne. The quest takes them from New Jersey to Hollywood where a showdown involving the police, the jewel thieves, and the Bluntman and Chronic filmmakers will decide the fate of Suzanne, Jay, Silent Bob, and their good names.
Jigoku - Criterion Collection (Japan, 1960) One of the most influential of Japanese horror films, Jigoku (which translates to "Hell") is the story of a young theology student who flees a hit-and-run accident and is plagued by his conscience and by a mysterious doppelganger, both of which send him on an escape route straight to hell. The horrific and gory imagery was a departure for the genre, more in keeping with the New Wave than traditional Japanese ghost stories, and its influence can be felt in the recent new wave of Japanese horror. From director Nobuo Nakagawa, considered the father of the Japanese horror film. Details: Color, 101 mins, Criterion, Widescreen anamorphic, 2.35:1. Supplements: New, restored high-definition digital transfer; "Building the Inferno," a new documentary on director Nobuo Nakagawa and the making of the film; Theatrical trailer; Galleries of posters from selected Nakagawa and Shintoho studio films; Booklet with a new essay by noted Asian-cinema critic Chuck Stephens. Audio: Japanese (Dolby Digital 1.0). Optional English subtitles.
King of Queens: The Complete Sixth Season (2003-2004) Kevin James and Leah Remini are back as the down-to-earth blue-collar couple trying to raise their family in relative chaos in the working-class suburb of Queens, New York. Jerry Stiller is Remini's twice-widowed and slightly eccentric father, who lives with the family and drives parcel delivery driver James crazy, and often out of the house and into the company of his drinking buddies (Patton Oswalt and Victor Williams). Guest appearances this season include Janeane Garofalo, Jon Favreau, Rachel Dratch, Judge Reinhold, Anne Meara, and Lou Ferrigno. Details: Color, 528 mins, Sony Pictures, Academy Ratio, 1.33:1. Supplements: 24 episodes on 3 discs. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo). Optional subtitles.
Kittens No description available
A Knight's Tale (Blu-ray) Inspired by "The Canterbury Tales," this is the story of William, a young squire with a gift for jousting. After his master dies suddenly, the squire hits the road with his cohorts Roland and Wat. On the journey, they stumble across an unknown writer, Chaucer. William, lacking a proper pedigree, convinces Chaucer to forge genealogy documents that will pass him off as a knight. With his newly-minted history in hand, the young man sets out to prove himself a worthy knight at the country's jousting competition, and finds romance along the way.
Loverboy A quirky film about a single mother and the suffocating, tragic love she has for her 6-year-old child, Loverboy serves as an answer to anyone who might wonder if you can love your child too much: Absolutely. Emily (Kyra Sedgwick from The Closer) is an eccentric, anti-social woman yearning for the affection her parents showered on each other, but never on her. All her hopes and dreams are thrust upon her young son Paul (Dominic Scott Kay). Not only is adorable, but he's also incredibly mature and patient. Though his mother lavishes him with attention, gourmet meals, and an almost fairytale existence, Paul wants stability and normalcy. He yearns for a father. He wants to go to school with the other kids. And though he's only 6, he's old enough to know that having a mother who refers to him as "Loverboy" is just plain wrong. Directed by Sedgwick's husband, Kevin Bacon (The Woodsman, Mystic River), the film veers unsteadily between ironic comedic moments and touching drama. Full of cameos (Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon, Oliver Platt, Marisa Tomei, and Bacon, who plays Emily's father in flashback sequences), the film does a fine job of conveying Emily's desperation to be the only person who matters to Paul. But because she's such a manipulative freak, it's difficult for the viewer to feel much empathy for her as she tries to shelter her boy from the world. "There's no falling in love like the falling in love with a child," she says early in the movie. Ultimately, that's her downfall.
Marius and Jeannette (France, 1997) Jeannette (an earthy and energetic performance by Arian Ascaride) is a motor-mouth single mom and Marius (Gerard Meylan, quietly generous and wry) is a soft-spoken immigrant who meet in a poor section of Marseilles where they live. Director Robert Guediguian has a gift for capturing character and location in this sunny, sassy story of working class stiffs and marginalized characters, and he fills the film with anecdotal detail and courtyard kibitzing among the rich set of supporting characters. Details: Color, 102 mins, New Yorker, Widescreen anamorphic. Supplements: Interview with director Robert Guediguian; Foreign theatrical trailer. Audio: French. Optional English subtitles.
Mister Roberts Mister Roberts is aboard a US cargo ship, working in the Pacific during the Second World War. He'd do anything to leave the quiet of the ship to join in the "action". Trouble is, the captain of the ship, is a bit of a tyrant, and isn't willing to sign Roberts' transfer requests. Also on board is Ensign Pulver, who avoids work as best he can, whilst living off the riches of his buying and selling. Roberts and the crew are in constant battle, even over the smallest of disagreements.
My Name Is Earl: The Complete First Season "Karma is a funny thing." There is plenty of TV based on redemption, but this may be the first sitcom literally grounded in the philosophy of karma in action. Jason Lee is Earl, a career lowlife who receives a life-changing epiphany when he's hit by a car seconds after getting a winning lottery ticket. The minute he starts to make amends for his wrongs (and it's a long list), the ticket blows back into his life and his life's journey of redemption is sealed. Lee brings a laid-back benevolence to Earl, following the windy road that karma has mapped for him with the help of his dumb as a rock and loyal as a pup brother Randy (Ethan Suplee) and their motel maid Catalina (Nadine Sanchez), who signs on as an unofficial guide to the vagaries of morality and social contracts. Former Playboy model Jaime Pressly finds the role of a lifetime as Earl's trashy ex-wife, a conniving blonde in hot pants trying to chisel money out of Earl. It's damnably funny, very clever and full of attitude, and the last episode of the season comes full circle to the stolen cash Earl used to buy the winning lottery ticket and the winding karmic path it charted. Among the supplements is the DVD exclusive mock "lost pilot" "Bad Karma," an alternate reality version of the show where Earl takes the path of vengeance with alarming results. Details: Color, 526 mins, 20th Century Fox, Widescreen anamorphic, 1.78:1. Supplements: Commentary by creator Greg Garcia, stars Jason Lee and Ethan Suplee, and others on 5 episodes; Commentary by the mothers of Greg Garcia (Natalie Garcia), Marc Buckland (Mary Buckland), Jason Lee (Carol Lee) and Ethan Suplee (Debbie Suplee) on the episode Dad's Car; Exclusive Earl Mis-Adventure "Bad Karma"; "Karma Is A Funny Thing" Blooper Reel ; "Making Things Right: Behind The Scenes Of My Name Is Earl" featurette; Deleted Scenes. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 5.1). Optional Spanish, French and English subtitles.
The Proposition The jagged Australian frontier western in the key of Peckinpah is a family drama with a psychopath at the head of the clan. Guy Pierce is an outlaw given a choice by a steely lawman (Ray Winstone): bring in his savage, psychotic older brother (a nicely underplayed Danny Huston) or his younger brother will hang. The original script by Nick Cave has rich characters and a savage social subtext under its austere plotting which director John Hillcoat allows to bubble up from the fierce conflicts between law and outlaw, justice and social expediency, and brothers whose sense of loyalty is torn by the fits of sadistic violence perpetrated by its eldest. John Hurt, David Wenham, and Emily Watson co-star. Details: Color, 104 mins, First Look, Widescreen anamorphic, 1.85:1. Supplements: Director and Writer Commentary; 5 Behind the Scenes Featurettes; Still gallery; Previews. Audio: English (DTS 5.1) and English (Dolby Digital 5.1). Optional Spanish subtitles.
Roar: Complete Series A young Irish chieftain fights against Roman encroachment.
S.W.A.T. An arrested drug kingpin is transported by a Los Angeles Police Department SWAT team led by Jackson's character out of the city and into federal custody. Plans go awry when the kingpin offers $100 million to anyone who can free him.
The Shogun Collection No description available
Spirited Killer No description available
Stay Alive - Unrated Director's Cut A group of video gamers get addicted to a new sensation that sucks them in and then kills them, thanks to the ghost in the machine: at the heart of the software is the ancient " Blood Countess" Elizabeth Bathory, whose tastes for blood in insatiable. Jon Foster, Samaire Armstrong, Frankie Muniz, Milo Ventimiglia, Sophia Bush, and Jimmi Simpson are the photogenic victims and targets of the insatiable Blood Countess and they get dispatched in various photogenic ways. Wendell Pierce and Adam Goldberg co-star and William Brent Bell writes and directs. Available in separate PG-13 and "Unrated Director's Cut" editions. The "Unrated Director's Cut" runs 15 minutes longer than the theatrical version. Details: Color, 100 mins, Hollywood Pictures Unrated, Widescreen anamorphic, 2.35:1. Supplements: Visual effects reel; Interactive bonus menus. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 5.1). Commentary by filmmaker (Dolby Digital 2.0). Optional Spanish, French and English subtitles.
Stick It The feature debut of Jessica Bendinger, a former music video director and screenwriter of the cute and brash Bring It On, is a sports empowerment fantasy of the best kind. Missy Peregrym is a rebellious world class gymnast (Missy Peregrym) who returns to the sport and finds a new cause: to take the sport back from the edicts of its at times arbitrary judges and redefine it as a form of self-expression and personal achievement. Bendinger breaths new life into old clichés with attitude, cheeky humor, youthful energy and fresh style. Jeff Bridges is the maverick coach of a gymnastics academy and Vanessa Lengies is bitchy rival whose competitive streak is matched only by her ignorance. Details: Color, 103 mins, Touchstone, Widescreen anamorphic, 1.85:1. Supplements: Buttaharas: Outrageous bloopers & outtakes; Skinny Fat: Hilarious deleted scenes with two optional commentaries; Missy Elliott music video: "We Run This"; Jeannie Ortega featuring Papoose Music video: "Crowded"; Hard Corps: The real gymnasts who were stunt doubles for Stick It; The Elites: Full gymnastics routines performed by some of the world's best with optional commentary; The Judges' Table: Uneven bar routines in slow motion with optional commentary; Read My Mind: Multiple feature commentaries - director and actors, director and filmmakers. Audio: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) and Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo). Optional Spanish, French and English subtitles.
Tears of the Sun (Blu-ray) Navy SEAL Lieutenant A.K. Waters and his elite squadron of tactical specialists are forced to choose between their duty and their humanity, between following orders by ignoring the conflict that surrounds them, or finding the courage to follow their conscience and protect a group of innocent refugees. When the democratic government of Nigeria collapses and the country is taken over by a ruthless military dictator, Waters, a fiercely loyal and hardened veteran is dispatched on a routine mission to retrieve a Doctors Without Borders physician, Dr. Lena Kendricks. Dr. Kendricks, an American citizen by marriage, is tending to the victims of the ongoing civil war at a Catholic mission in a remote village. When Waters arrives, however, Dr. Kendricks refuses to leave unless he promises to help deliver the villagers to political asylum at the nearby border. If they are left behind, they will be at the mercy of the enormous rebel army. Waters is under strict orders from his commanding officer Captain Bill Rhodes to remain disengaged from the conflict. But as he and his men witness the brutality of the rebels first-hand, they are won over to Dr. Kendricks' cause and place their lives at risk by agreeing to escort the villagers on a perilous trek through the dense jungle. As they move through the countryside on foot, Waters' team, experts at evasion and concealment, are inexplicably and ferociously pursued by an army of rebels. They are confounded until they discover that, among the refugees, is the sole survivor of the country's previous ruling family, whom the rebels have been ordered to eliminate at all costs. Waters and his small band of soldiers must weigh the life of one man against their own and the refugees they feel obliged to protect.
The Tomie Collection No description available
The Unit - The Complete First Season They are The Unit, a covert Special Forces team operating outside the usual military chain of command. Whether stateside or aboard, these heroes are on the frontlines protecting U.S. citizens and foreigners alike, slipping in under the radar and risking their lives to save the day then leaving just as quietly without any well-deserved credit or thanks. Starring Dennis Haysbert and Scott Foley, this riveting, action-packed drama is as realistic and pulse-pounding as it gets.
Zoo TV-Live from Sydney This is U2 at their creative highpoint. Zoo TV was far ahead of it's time, and is captured very well on this release. Disc 1 is the same as the 1994 VHS release. The video has been cleaned up to todays DVD standards, and is worth getting for that alone. However, the sound has been upgraded as well, and will not disappoint.