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May 1
About a Boy
(2002) Hugh Grant, Rachel Weisz, Toni Collette. (Universal).
Casablanca: 70th Anniversary
(1942) Dir.: Michael Curtiz; Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, S.Z. Sakall, Madeleine Lebeau, Dooley Wilson, Joy Page. Single-disc version of the film, pulled from the "Casablanca 70th Anniversary Limited Collector's Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo," with more than five hours of bonus content including over 45 minutes of two new documentaries. (Warner).
Clueless
(1995) Dir.: Amy Heckerling; Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Brittany Murphy, Stacey Dash, Donald Faison, Jeremy Sisto, Breckin Meyer. Bonus features: New "Clue or False Trivia Game," featurettes: "The Class of '95," "Creative Writing," "Fashion 101," "Language Arts," "Suck 'N Blow -- A Tutorial," "Driver's Ed," "We're History." (Paramount).
Definitely, Maybe
(2008) Ryan Reynolds, Abigail Breslin, Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Weisz, Isla Fischer. (Universal).
Jeremiah Johnson
(1972) Dir.: Sydney Pollack; Robert Redford, Will Geer, Allyn Ann Mclerie. (Warner).
Meet Joe Black
(1998) Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Claire Forlani. (Universal).
Men in Black
(1997) Dir.: Barry Sonnenfeld; Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rip Torn, Tony Shalhoub. Includes UltraViolet version. (Sony).
Men in Black II
(2002) Dir.: Barry Sonnenfeld; Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Rip Torn, Lara Flynn Boyle, Johnny Knoxville, Rosario Dawson, Tony Shalhoub, Patrick Warburton. Includes UltraViolet version. (Sony).
Mimic: 3-Film Set
"Mimic: The Director's Cut," "Mimic 2" and "Mimic 3: Sentinel." $29.99. (Lionsgate).
Pillow Talk: Universal 100th Anniversary Collector's Series
(1959) Doris Day, Rock Hudson, Thelma Ritter, Tony Randall. Bonus features: "Back in Bed With Pillow Talk," "Chemistry 101: The Film Duo of Doris Day and Rock Hudson," commentary with film historians Jeff Bond, Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman. (Universal).
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May 8
Dirty Dancing Collection 2-Film Blu-ray Disc Set
Two-disc set includes "Dirty Dancing" along with the Blu-ray Disc debut of "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. (Lionsgate)."
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
(1990) Dir.: Joe Dante; Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, John Glover, Robert Prosky. (Warner).
La haine
(1995) Mathieu Kassovitz ("The Crimson Rivers") took the film world by storm with "La haine (Hate)", a gritty, unsettling, and visually explosive look at racial and cultural volatility in modern-day France, specifically the low-income banlieues on Paris's outskirts. Aimlessly passing their days in the concrete environs of their dead-end suburbia, Vinz (Vincent Cassel), Hubert (Hubert Kounde), and Said (Said Taghmaoui) white, black, and Arabgive human faces to France's immigrant and otherwise marginalized populations, their resentment at their situation simmering until it reaches a boiling point. A work of tough beauty, "La haine" is a landmark of contemporary French cinema and a gripping reflection of its country's ongoing identity crisis. Restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised by director Mathieu Kassovitz, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. Bonus features: Introduction by actor Jodie Foster; "Ten Years of La haine," an 80-minute documentary that brings together cast and crew a decade after the film's landmark release; featurette on the film's banlieue setting, including interviews with sociologists Sophie Body-Gendrot, Jeffrey Fagan, and William Kornblum; production footage; deleted and extended scenes, each featuring an afterword by Kassovit; gallery of behind-the-scenes photos; trailers; booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Ginette Vincendeau and a 2006 appreciation by Costa-Gavras. (The Criterion Collection).
Walking Tall Trilogy Collectors Edition
Three-disc set with all three "Walking Tall" films, remastered and with new bonus features, including "Walking Tall: The Buford Pusser Story" documentary with new interviews, $24.97 DVD and $39.97 Blu-ray. "Walking Tall" (1973) starring Joe Don Baker, Noah Berry Jr., Elizabeth Hartman and Felton Perry; "Walking Tall Part 2" (1975), starring Bo Svenson, Richard Jaeckel, Noah Berry Jr.; "Final Chapter: Walking Tall" (1977), starring Bo Svenson,Margaret Blye, Forrest Tucker, Morgan Woodward. (Shout! Factory).
May 15
Being John Malkovich
(1999) Have you ever wanted to be someone else? Or, more specifically, have you ever wanted to crawl through a portal hidden in an anonymous office building and thereby enter the cerebral cortex of John Malkovich for 15 minutes before being spat out on the side of the New Jersey Turnpike? Then director Spike Jonze and writer Charlie Kaufman have the movie for you. Melancholy marionettes, office drudgery, a frizzy-haired Cameron Diaz, but that’s not all! Surrealism, possession, John Cusack, a domesticated primate, Freud, Catherine Keener, non sequiturs, and absolutely no romance! But wait: get your Being John Malkovich now and we'll throw in emasculation, slapstick, Abelard and Heloise, and extra Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich. New high-definition digital restoration, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. Bonus features: New selected-scene audio commentary featuring filmmaker Michel Gondry; new behind-the-scenes documentary by filmmaker Lance Bangs; conversation between John Malkovich and humorist John Hodgman; director Spike Jonze discusses "Being John Malkovich" via photos from its production; two films within the film: "7½ Floor Orientation" and "“American Arts & Culture Presents John Horatio Malkovich, Dance of Despair and Disillusionment"; "An Intimate Portrait of the Art of Puppeteering," a documentary by Bangs; trailer and TV spots; booklet featuring a conversation between Jonze and pop-culture critic Perkus Tooth. (The Criterion Collection).
Bringing Down the House
(2003) Steve Martin, Queen Latifah, Betty White, Eugene Levy, Joan Plowright. (Disney).
Father of the Bride/Father of the Bride II
(1991/1995) Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, George Newbern, Martin Short, Kieran Culkin. Three-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo. (Disney).
History of the World in Two Hours 3D
(2011) Single disc, $29.95. (A&E)
Road Trip
(2009) Breckin Meyer, Seann William Scott, Amy Smart. Available at Best Buy. Bonus features: Rated/Unrated versions of the feature, "Ever Been on a Road Trip? featurette, deleted scenes, Eels music video: "Mr. E's Beautiful Blues." (Paramount).
The War
(2007) Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's powerful and acclaimed documentary arrives on Blu-ray. Six years in the making, the epic, seven-part film explores the history and horror of the Second World War from an American perspective through the personal accounts of men and women from four quintessentially American towns. Narrated by Keith David with voiceovers from Tom Hanks, Samuel L. Jackson, Josh Lucas, Adam Arkin and Eli Wallach, and featuring recordings by Norah Jones and Wynton Marsalis, as well as war-era favorites from Benny Goodman, Nat "King" Cole and more. Six-disc set, $129.99. Bonus Features: "Making The War Featurette," commentary by Burns and Novick, deleted scenes, additional interviews. (PBS Distribution/Paramount Home Media ).
May 22
Castle in the Sky
(1986 -- Japan) Dir.: Hayao Miyazaki; voices of Anna Paquin, James Van Der Beek, Cloris Leachman, Mark Hamill. Pazu, an engineer's apprentice, finds a young girl, Sheeta, floating down from the sky, and discovers they are both searching for a legendary floating castle, Laputa. Together, they embark on a daring quest and encounter greedy pirates, secret agents and astounding obstacles that keep them from the truth -- and from each other.
Bonus features: Disc introduction by John Lasseter, original Japanese storyboards, seven-part "Behind the Studio" featurette. (Studio Ghibli/Disney).
Certified Copy
(2010 -- France) The great Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami travels to Tuscany for a luminous and provocative romance in which nothing is as it appears. What seems at first to be a straightforward tale of two people -- played by Oscar-winning actress Juliette Binoche and opera singer William Shimell -- getting to know each other over the course of an afternoon gradually reveals itself as something richer, stranger, and trickier: a mind-bending reflection on authenticity, in art as well as in relationships. Both cerebrally and emotionally engaging, "Certified Copy (Copie conforme)" reminds us that love itself is an enigma. New high-definition digital restoration, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. Bonus features: New interview with director Abbas Kiarostami; "Let's See Copia conforme," an Italian documentary on the making of "Certified Copy," featuring interviews with Kiarostami and actors Juliette Binoche and William Shimell; trailer; booklet featuring an essay by film critic Godfrey Cheshire. (The Criterion Collection).
The Secret World of Arrietty
(2010 -- Japan) Based on the acclaimed children's book series "The Borrowers," by Mary Norton. This Studio Ghibli film is an imaginative tale of "little people" living furtively among us, and the unlikely friendship that forms when their hidden world is discovered. Voices of Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, Bridgit Mendler, Moises Arias, David Henrie, Carol Burnett. Bonus features: "Summertime" music video, "The Making of "Summertime," storyboard presentation of the film, original Japanese trailers and television commercials, "Arrietty's Song" music video. (Studio Ghibli/Disney).
Whisper of the Heart
(1995 -- Japan) Voices of Brittany Snow, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Cary Elwes, David Gallagher. A chance encounter with a mysterious cat sends Shizuku, a quiet schoolgirl, on a quest for her true talent. Challenged by Seiji, a boy determined to follow his dreams, and enchanted by The Baron, a magical cat figurine who helps her listen to the whispers of her heart, Shizuku embarks on curious adventures beyond the boundaries of her imagination.
Bonus features: "4 Masterpieces of Naohisa Inoue" featurette, original Japanese storyboards, behind the microphone, original Japanese trailers and TV commercials. (Studio Ghibli/Disney).
May 29
The Outlaw Josey Wales
(1976) Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke. (Warner).
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
(1946) Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, Lizabeth Scott, Kirk Douglas. With the cooperation of the U.S. Library of Congress, the film noir classic was transferred by Film Chest from the original, damaged 35mm elements with their new division, Process Blue, which uses the Golden Eye III, a state-of-the-art film scanner, and digitally restored it in high definition. Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo. Bonus features: Commentary by author William Hare ("Early Film Noir: Greed, Lust and Murder Hollywood Style," "L.A. Noir: Nine Dark Visions of the City of Angels," "Hitchcock and the Methods of Suspense"); a before-and-after restoration demo; an original movie art postcard. (Film Chest/HD Cinema Classics Label).
Summer Interlude
(1951) Touching on many of the themes that would define the rest of his legendary career -- isolation, performance, the inescapability of the past -- the 10th film by Ingmar Bergman was a gentle sway toward true mastery. In one of the director's great early female roles, Maj-Britt Nilsson beguiles as Marie, an accomplished ballet dancer haunted by her tragic youthful affair with a shy, handsome student (Birger Malmsten). Her memories of the rocky shores of Stockholm's outer archipelago mingle with scenes from her gloomy present, most of them set in the dark backstage environs of the theater where she works. A film that the director considered a creative turning point, "Summer Interlude" is a reverie on life and death that bridges the gap between Bergman's past and future, theater and cinema. New high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Bonus features: A booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Peter Cowie. (The Criterion Collection).
Summer With Monika
(1953) Inspired by the earthy eroticism of his muse Harriet Andersson, in the first of her many roles for him, Ingmar Bergman had a major international breakthrough with this ravaging, sensual tale of young love. In Stockholm, a girl (Andersson) and boy (Lars Ekborg) from working-class families run away from home to spend a secluded, romantic summer at the beach, far from parents and responsibilities. Inevitably, it is not long before the pair is forced to return to reality. The version originally released in the U.S. was reedited by its distributor into something more salacious, but the original "Summer With Monika," as presented here, is a work of stunning maturity and one of Bergman's most important films. New high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Bonus features: Introduction by director Ingmar Bergman; new interview with actress Harriet Andersson, conducted by film critic Peter Cowie; new interview with film scholar Eric Schaefer about Kroger Babb and Babb's distribution of "Monika: Story of a Bad Girl" as an exploitation film; "Images from the Playground," a half-hour documentary by Stig Bjorkman with behind-the-scenes footage shot by Bergman, archival audio interviews with Bergman, and new interviews with actresses Bibi Andersson and Harriet Andersson; trailer; booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Laura Hubner, a 1958 review by filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard, and a publicity piece from 1953 in which Bergman interviews himself. (The Criterion Collection).
Traveller/Telling Lies in America Blu-Ray Double Feature
"Traveller" (1997): Bill Paxton, Mark Wahlberg, Julianna Margulies, James Gammon, Luke Askew; "Telling Lies in America" (1997): Kevin Bacon, Brad Renfro, Maximilian Schell, Calista Flockhart, Paul Dooley, Luke Wilsontext here. (Shout! Factory).
June 5
Cocktail
(1988) Tom Cruise, Bryan Brown. (Disney).
The Color of Money
(1986) Dir.: Martin Scorsese; Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. (Disney).
The Grapes of Wrath
(1940) Dir.: John Ford; Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, Charley Grapewin, Russell Simpson. (Fox).
Hoosiers
(1986) Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey, Dennis Hopper. 25th anniversary edition. Bonus features: "Hoosier History: The Truth Behind the Legend," deleted scenes, oiginal 1954 Indiana High School championship game, commentary by director David Anspaugh (MGM).
Hondo
(1953) John Wayne, Geraldine Page . Bonus features: Introduction by Leonard Maltin; commentary by Leonard Maltin, Western historian Frank Thompson and actor Lee Aaker; "The Making of Hondo"; "From the Batjac Vaults"; "The Apache"; photo gallery; theatrical trailer. (Paramount).
Ransom
Ransom BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1996) Dir: Ron Howard; Mel Gibson, Rene Russo, Gary Sinise. (Disney).
Sea of Love
(1989) Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin, John Goodman. Bonus features: "The Creation of Sea of Love," deleted scenes, commentary by director Harold Becker. (Universal).
Scent of a Woman
(1992) Al Pacino, Chris O'Donnell. (Universal).
The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series
Features all 156 episodes of Rod Serling's groundbreaking series re-mastered and enhanced in high definition, all in one box set. More than 75 hours of the iconic episodes featuring some of Hollywood's biggest names including William Shatner, Robert Redford, Mickey Rooney, Burt Reynolds, Art Carney, Burgess Meredith, Cliff Robertson, Dennis Weaver, Don Rickles, Jack Klugman, Jay Overholts, Lee Marvin, Martin Landau, Robert McCord and many more. Loaded with bonus features found in the Seasons 1-5 releases; $399.98. (Image Entertainment).
The Twilight Zone: Fan Favorites
High-definition collection of 19 classic episodes, $34.98: "Night of the Meek," "Steel," "A Passage for Trumpet," "The Invaders," "A Game of Pool," "The Four of Us are Dying," "Nothing in the Dark," "Walking Distance," "Long Distance Call," "Time Enough at Last," "Kick the Can," "I Sing the Body Electric," "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," "Mr. Dingle the Strong," "The Lonely," "The Odyssey of Flight 33," "Two," "Probe 7 -- Over and Out," "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street." (Imahe Entertainment).
Zorba the Greek
(1964) Anthony Quinn, Alan Bates, Irene Papas, Lila Kedrova. (Fox).
June 12
The Gold Rush
(1925, 1942) The first feature-length comedy by Charlie Chaplin -- which charts a hapless prospector's search for fortune in the Klondike and his discovery of romance (with the beautiful Georgia Hale) -- forever cemented the iconic status of Chaplin and his Little Tramp character. Shot partly on location in the Sierra Nevadas and featuring such timeless gags as Chaplin's dance of the dinner rolls and meal of boiled shoe leather, "The Gold Rush" is an indelible work of nonstop hilarity. This special edition features both Chaplin's definitive 1942 version, for which the director added new music and narration, and a new restoration of the original silent 1925 film. New high-definition digital restoration of the 1942 sound version, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack. New 2K digital transfer of the reconstructed original 1925 silent film, restored in collaboration with the Cineteca di Bologna, with a newly recorded version of director Charlie Chaplin's score, presented in 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio. Bonus features: New audio commentary for the 1925 version by Chaplin biographer and archivist Jeffrey Vance; three new programs: "Presenting The Gold Rush," which traces the film's history from original release to re-release to 2003 reconstruction and features film historian Kevin Brownlow and Vancece, "Music by Charles Chaplin," featuring conductor and composer Timothy Brock, and "Visual Effects in The Gold Rush," featuring effects specialist Craig Barron and Chaplin cinematographer Roland Totheroh; "Chaplin Today: The Gold Rush" (2002), a short documentary featuring filmmaker Idrissa Ouedraogo; four theatrical trailers; booklet featuring an essay by film critic Luc Sante and James Agee's review of the 1942 version. (The Criterion Collection).
Harold and Maude
(1971) With the idiosyncratic American fable "Harold and Maude," countercultural director Hal Ashby fashioned what would become the cult classic of its era. Working from a script by Colin Higgins ("9 to 5"), Ashby tells the story of the emotional and romantic bond between a death-obsessed young man (Bud Cort) from a wealthy family and a devil-may-care, bohemian octogenarian (Ruth Gordon). Equal parts gallows humor and romantic innocence, "Harold and Maude" dissolves the line between darkness and light along with the ones that separate people by class, gender, and age, and it features indelible performances and a remarkable soundtrack by Cat Stevens. New high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Bonus features: Optional remastered stereo soundtrack; audio commentary by Hal Ashby biographer Nick Dawson and producer Charles B. Mulvehill; illustrated audio excerpts of seminars by Ashby and writer-producer Colin Higgins; new interview with songwriter Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens); booklet featuring an essay by critic Michael Wood; a 1971 New York Times profile of star Ruth Gordon; and excerpted transcripts of two interviews, one from 1997 with star Bud Cort and director of photography John Alonzo and one from 2001 with executive producer Mildred Lewis. (The Criterion Collection).
Lethal Weapon Collection
All four films in a five-disc set with two hours of extras -- including four documentaries on the fifth disc -- $79.98. (Warner).
Meatballs
(1979) Bill Murray, Harvey Atkin. Bonus features: New commentary by director Ivan Reitman. (Lionsgate Studio).
Shallow Grave
(1994) This diabolical thriller was the first film from director Danny Boyle, producer Andrew MacDonald, and screenwriter John Hodge (the smashing team behind "Trainspotting"). In "Shallow Grave," three self-involved Edinburgh roommates -- played by Kerry Fox, Christopher Eccleston and Ewan McGregor, in his first starring role -- take in a brooding boarder. When he dies of an overdose, leaving a suitcase full of money, the trio embark on a series of very bad decisions, with extraordinarily grim consequences for all. Macabre but with a streak of offbeat humor, this stylistically influential tale of guilt and derangement is a full-throttle bit of Hitchcockian nastiness. New, restored digital transfer, supervised by director of photography Brian Tufano, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. Bonus features: Two audio commentaries: one by director Danny Boyle and the other by screenwriter John Hodge and producer Andrew Macdonald; new interviews with stars Christopher Eccleston, Kerry Fox, and Ewan McGregor; "Digging Your Own Grave," a 1993 documentary by Kevin Macdonald on the making of the film; Andrew Macdonald and Kevin Macdonald's video diary from the 1992 Edinburgh Film Festival, where they shopped around the script for "Shallow Grave"; "Shallow Grave" trailer and "Trainspotting" teaser trailer; booklet featuring an essay by critic Philip Kemp. (The Criterion Collection).
Spiderman, Spiderman 2 and Spiderman 3
New "O-ring" packagine. New bonus features on "Spiderman": "Spider Sense Trivia Challenge," "The Spider-man Cutting Room" in which users can create and share their own video using clips and music from the movie. Additional Format: UltraViolet. (Sony).
June 19
And Everything Is Going Fine
(2010) After the death in 2004 of American theater actor and monologist Spalding Gray, director Steven Soderbergh pieced together a narrative of Gray's life to create the documentary "And Everything Is Going Fine." Brilliantly and sensitively assembled entirely from footage of Gray, taken from interviews and one-man shows from throughout his career, it is a rich, full portrait -- an autobiography of sorts -- of a figure who was never less than candid but retained an air of mystery. In essence, this hilarious, moving, and revealing film has become Gray's final monologue. New high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Bonus features: "Making of And Everything Is Going Fine," featuring director Steven Soderbergh, producer Kathie Russo, and editor Susan Littenberg; "Sex and Death to the Age 14," Spalding Gray's first monologue, created in 1979 and filmed in 1982; trailer; booklet featuring an essay by writer Nell Casey, editor of "The Journals of Spalding Gray." (The Criterion Collection).
Empire of the Sun
(1987) Dir.: Steven Spielberg; Christian Bal, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers, Joe Pantoliano, Ben Stiller, In a premium Blu-ray book featuring a collectible 36-page book with rare images, cast bios, facts about the film, essays and more. Bonus features: "The China Odyssey: Empire of the Sun: Behind the scenes" documentary; "Warner at War." (Warner).
Evita
(1996) Dir.: Alan Parker; Madonna, Antonio Banderas, Jonathan Pryce. (Disney).
Gray's Anatomy
(1997) One of the great raconteurs of stage and screen, Spalding Gray, came together with one of cinema's boldest image-makers, Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh, for "Gray's Anatomy," a spellbinding adaptation of Gray's 1993 monologue of the same name (co-written with Renee Shafransky). In it, Gray, with typical sardonic relish, chronicles his arduous journey through the diagnosis and treatment of a rare and alarming ocular condition. For the monologist, this experience occasioned a meditation on illness and mortality, medicine and metaphysics; for the filmmaker, it was a chance to experiment with ways of bringing his subject's words to brilliant, eye-opening life. New high definition digital transfer, supervised by director Steven Soderbergh, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. Bonus features: New interviews with Soderbergh and co-writer Renee Shafransky; "A Personal History of the American Theater," a monologue by Spalding Gray, filmed in 1982; theatrical trailer; booklet featuring an essay by film critic Amy Taubin. (The Criterion Collection).
(1972) Dir.: John Boorman; Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox. In premium Blu-ray book packaging, including a new featurette and a 42-page commemorative book with behind-the-scenes photos and rare insights. Bonus features: New: "Deliverance: The Cast Remembers," commentary by John Boorman, "Deliverance: Betraying the River," "Deliverance: The Journey," "Deliverance: The Beginning," "Deliverance: Delivered," T"he Dangerous World of Deliverance." (Warner).
The Samurai Trilogy
(1954-56) "The Samurai Trilogy," directed by Hiroshi Inagaki and starring the inimitable Toshiro Mifune, was one of Japan's most successful exports of the 1950s, a rousing, emotionally gripping tale of combat and self-discovery. Based on a novel that's often called Japan's "Gone with the Wind," this sweeping saga fictionalizes the life of the legendary 17th-century swordsman (and writer and artist) Musashi Miyamoto, following him on his path from unruly youth to enlightened warrior. With these three films -- 1954's Oscar-winning "Musashi Miyamoto," 1955's "Duel at Ichijoji Temple," and 1956's "Duel at Ganryu Island" -- Inagaki created a passionate epic that’s equal parts tender love story and bloody action. New high-definition digital restorations of all three films, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks. Bonus features: New interviews with translator and historian William Scott Wilson about the real-life Musashi Miyamoto, the inspiration for the hero of the films; trailers; booklet featuring essays by film historian Stephen Prince and Wilson. (The Criterion Collection).
The 39 Steps
(1935) "The 39 Steps" is a heart-racing spy story by Alfred Hitchcock, following Richard Hannay (Robert Donat), who stumbles into a conspiracy that thrusts him into a hectic chase across the Scottish moors -- a chase in which he is both the pursuer and the pursued -- as well as into an expected romance with the cool Pamela (Madeline Carroll). Adapted from a novel by John Buchan, this classic wrong-man thriller from the Master of Suspense anticipates the director's most famous works (especially "North by Northwest"), and remains one of his cleverest and most entertaining films. New high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Bonus features: Audio commentary by Alfred Hitchcock scholar Marian Keane; "Hitchcock: The Early Years" (2000), a British documentary covering Hitchcock’s prewar career; original footage from British broadcaster Mike Scott's 1966 television interview with Hitchcock; complete broadcast of the 1937 Lux Radio Theatre adaptation, performed by Ida Lupino and Robert Montgomery; visual essay by Hitchcock scholar Leonard Leff; excerpts from Francois Truffaut's 1962 audio interview with Hitchcock; original production design drawings; booklet featuring an essay by film critic David Cairns. (The Criterion Collection).
July 3
Barbarella
(1968) Jane Fonda, John Phillip Law, Anita Pallenberg, Milo O'Shea, Marcel Marceau. Who can perform a zero-gravity striptease, seduce an angel and still have time to save the universe? Sexy, sultry, space adventurer Barbarella, that's who! Jane Fonda stars as the titular heroine who lands on the planet Lythion in the year 40,000. Faced with robots, monsters and evil of varying stripes, she must vanquish her enemies, all while attempting -- and failing -- to keep her skin-tight spacesuit on. Along the way she receives assistance from a variety of handsome men, each of whom receives her uninhibited appreciation. Directed by Roger Vadim (Fonda's ex-husband), "Barbarella"is a kind of sexual Alice in Wonderland of the future, replete with psychedelic set designs, far-out characters and an outrageously entertaining story set amongst the stars. (Paramount).
Chesty Morgan's Bosom Buddies
Three busty James Bond spoofs by exploitation director Doris Wishman: "Deadly Weapons" (1974), "Double Agent 73" (1974) and "The Immoral Three" (1975), Extras: (Image Entertainment/Something Weird Video).
Home on the Range
(2004) Voices of Judi Dench, Cuba Gooding Jr. (Disney).
The Horse Whisperer
(1998) Robert Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas. (Disney).
Phenomenon
(1996) John Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick. (Disney).
Step Up
(2006) Channing Tatum. (Disney).
Treasure Planet
(2002) Voices of Joseph-Gordon-Levitt, Emma Thompson. (Disney).
(1980) Dir.: Ken Russell; William Hurt, Blair Brown. (Warner).
The Astronaut's Wife
(1999) Johnny Depp, Charlize Theron. (Warner).
Blade II
(2002) Dir.: Guillermo del Toro; Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Ron Perlman, Thomas Kretschmann. Bonus features: New extras: "Blade II: Blood Brothers" featurtte, commentary by Guillermo del Toro, director's notebook. (Warner).
Brainstorm
(2002) Christopher Plummer, Natalie Wood, Louise Fletcher. (Warner).
Chariots of Fire
(1981) Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Ian Holm, John Gielgud, Lindsay Anderson. In a Blu-ray book with rare insights into the film's production and cast, including trivia and in-depth photos. In addition, there is a CD sampler featuring some of the songs from the film. Bonus features: New featurettes: "Paris, 1924 -- Birth of the Modern Olympics", "David Puttnam, A Cinematic Champion" and "Hugh Hudson -- Journey to the Gold"; "Wings on their Heels: The Making of Chariots of Fire"; "Chariots of Fire: A Reunion"; "Sprint Around the Quad"; "Famous Opening Shot"; commentary by Director Hugh Hudson; deleted scenes; screen tests. (Warner).
Coma
(1978) Michael Douglas, Genevieve Bujold. (Warner).
Frequency
(2000) Dennis Quaid, Jim Caviezel. (Warner).
Outland
(1981) Sean Connery, Frances Sternhagen. (Warner).
Spawn Director's Cut
(1997) John Leguizamo, Michael Jai White. (Warner).
July 17
The Butterfly Effect
(2004) Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart. (Warner).
The Butterfly Effect 2
(2006) Eric Lively, Erica Durance. (Warner).
Cellular
(2004) Kim Basinger, Chris Evans. (Warner).
Down by Law
(1986) Director Jim Jarmusch followed up his brilliant breakout "Stranger Than Paradise" with another, equally beloved portrait of loners and misfits in America. When fate lands three hapless men - an unemployed disc jockey (Tom Waits), a small-time pimp (John Lurie) and a strong-willed Italian tourist (Roberto Benigni) - in a Louisiana prison, a singular adventure begins. Described by Jarmusch as a "neo-Beat noir comedy," "Down by Law" is part nightmare and part fairy tale, featuring sterling performances and crisp black-and-white photography by esteemed cinematographer Robby Muller. High-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack, approved by the director. Bonus features: Thoughts and reflections on the making of the film from Jarmusch (2002); interview with director of photography Muller from 2002; footage from the 1986 Cannes Film Festival, including a press conference featuring Jarmusch and actors John Lurie, Roberto Benigni, and Nicoletta Braschi, and an interview with Lurie; outtakes; music video for Tom Waits's cover of Cole Porter's "It's All Right With Me," directed by Jarmusch; Q&A with Jarmusch; recordings of phone conversations between Jarmusch and Waits, Benigni, and Lurie; production Polaroids and location stills; isolated music track; an essay by critic Luc Sante. (The Criterion Collection).
Hard to Kill
(1990) Steven Seagal, Kelly LeBrock. (Warner).
Just Cause
(1995) Sean Connery, Laurence Fishburne. (Warner).
Mean Streets
(1973) Dir.: Martin Scorsese; Robert De Niro, Harbey Keitel. (Warner).
Murder in the First
(1995) Christian Slater, Kevin Bacon. (Warner).
Next of Kin
(1989) Patrick Swayze, Liam Neeson. (Warner).
The Perfect Murder
(1998) Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow. (Warner).
July 24
The Island Of Dr. Moreau: Unrated Director's Cut
(1996) Dir.: John Frankenheimer; Marlon Brando, Val Kilmer, David Thewlis, Fairuza Balk. (Warner).
The Last Days of Disco
1998) "The Last Days of Disco" is a cleverly comic return to an early 1980s Manhattan party scene from director Whit Stillman ("Metropolitan"). At the center of the film's roundelay of revelers are the icy Charlotte (Kate Beckinsale) and the demure Alice (Chloe Sevigny), by day toiling as publishing house assistants and by night looking for romance and entertainment at a Studio 54–like club. "The Last Days of Disco" is an affectionate yet unsentimental look at the end of an era, brimming with Stillman's trademark dry humor. Restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by Stillman, with 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. Bonus features: Audio commentary featuring Stillman and actors Sevigny and Chris Eigeman; four deleted scenes; audio recording of Stillman reading a chapter from his book "The Last Days of Disco, With Cocktails at Petrossian Afterwards"; behind-the-scenes featurette; stills gallery with captions by Stillman;
an essay by novelist David Schickler. (The Criterion Collection).
Life
(1999) Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Bernie Mac, Anthony Anderson, Ned Beatty. Bonus features: "Spotlight on Location: The Making of Life," director's edits, commentary by director Ted Demme. (Universal).
Metropolitan
(1990) One of the great American independent films of the 1990s, this surprise hit by writer-director Whit Stillman is a sparkling comedic chronicle of a middle-class young man's romantic misadventures in New York City's debutante society. Stillman's deft, literate dialogue and hilariously highbrow observations earned this first film an Academy Award nomination for best original screenplay. Alongside the wit and sophistication, though, lies a tender tale of adolescent anxiety. Restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised by Stillman and cinematographer John Thomas, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Bonus features: Audio commentary by Stillman, editor Christopher Tellefsen, and actors Chris Eigeman and Taylor Nichols; rare outtakes and alternate casting, with commentary by Stillman; booklet featuring an essay by critic Luc Sante. (The Criterion Collection).
Mystery Men
(1999) Ben Stiller, William H. Macy, Hank Azaria, Janeane Garofalo, Paul Reubens, Kel Mitchell, Wes Studi, Geoffrey Rush. Bonus features: "Spotlight on Location: The Making of Mystery Men," commentary by director Kinka Usher. (Universal).
July 31
Le Havre
(2011 -- French) In this warmhearted comic yarn from Aki Kaurismaki ("The Match Factory Girl"), fate throws the young African refugee Idrissa (Blondin Miguel) into the path of Marcel Marx (Andre Wilms), a kindly bohemian who shines shoes for a living, in the French harbor city Le Havre. With inborn optimism and the support of most of his tight-knit community, Marcel stands up to the officials doggedly pursuing the boy for deportation. A political fairy tale that exists somewhere between the reality of contemporary France and the classic French cinema of the past, especially the poetic realist works of Jean Duvivier and Marcel Carne, "Le Havre" is a charming, deadpan delight and one of the Finnish director's finest films. New high-definition digital transfer, approved by director Kaurismaki, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. . Bonus features: New interview with actor Wilms; Cannes Film Festival press conference from 2011, featuring cast and crew; French television interview with Kaurismäki, Wilms, and actors Jean-Pierre Darroussin and Kati Outinen; concert footage of Little Bob, the rock group featured in the film; booklet featuring an essay by film critic Michael Sicinski. (The Criteropn Collection).
August 7
Blues Brothers 2000
(1998) Dan Aykroyd, John Goodman Erykah Badu. Bonus features: "The Making of Blues Brothers 2000." (Universal).
Evan Almighty
(2007) Steve Carell, organ Freeman. Bonus features: "The Ark-itects of Noah's Ark," "Steve Carell Unscripted," "Animals on Set Two by Two," "The Almighty Green Set." (Universal).
Full Metal Jacket 25th Anniversary Blu-ray Book
(1987) Dir.: Stanley Kubrick; Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Dorian Harewood, Kevyn Major Howard, Arliss Howard. With a 44-page book that includes a personal letter and intimate reflections from star Matthew Modine, as well as behind-the-scenes photos specifically selected for this release. Bonus features: Commentary by Adam Baldwin, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey and critic/screenwriter Jay Cocks; "Full Metal Jacket: Between Good and Evil" featurette; bonus disc with the 60-minute documentary "Stanley Kubrick's Boxes." (Warner).
The Incredible Mr. Limpet
(1964) Don Knotts, Carole Cook, Jack Weston. (Warner).
August 14
Cradle 2 the Grave
(2003) Jet Li, DMX, Anthony Anderson, Kelly Hu, Tom Arnold. (Warner).
Fallen
(1998) Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Donald Sutherland, Embeth Davidtz, James Gandolfini, Elias Koteas. (Warner).
Jaws
(1975) Dir.: Steven Spielberg; Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton. New, digitally remastered and fully restored picture with 7.1 surround sound. Bonus features: New feature-length documentary "The Shark is Still Working: The Impact & Legacy of Jaws," "Jaws: The Restoration," "The Making of Jaws," "From the Set," deleted scenes and outtakes, "Jaws" Archives. (Universal).
(1946) Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, Lizabeth Scott, Kirk Douglas. With the cooperation of the U.S. Library of Congress, the film noir classic was transferred by Film Chest from the original, damaged 35mm elements with their new division, Process Blue, which uses the Golden Eye III, a state-of-the-art film scanner, and digitally restored it in high definition. Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo. Bonus features: Commentary by author William Hare ("Early Film Noir: Greed, Lust and Murder Hollywood Style," "L.A. Noir: Nine Dark Visions of the City of Angels," "Hitchcock and the Methods of Suspense"); a before-and-after restoration demo; an original movie art postcard. (Film Chest/HD Cinema Classics Label).
