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OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases
The ABCs of Death
(2013) Twenty-six directors. Twenty-six ways to die. This anthology film is comprised of 26 individual "chapters" on the topic of death, each helmed by a different director assigned to a specific letter of the alphabet. Provocative, funny and shocking, this anthology is the definitive vision of modern horror diversity. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Blu-ray/DVD Combo. Extras: Behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes, deleted scenes, filmmaker commentary, AXS TV: "A Look at The ABCs of Death.". (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
The Adventures of Bailey: A Night in Cowtown
(2013) Third installment of the live-action adventures of Bailey, everyone's favorite golden retriever; here he develops a crush on a neighbor's dog and must rescue her brother from dog snatchers to win her heart. Formats: DVD, $14.98. (Entertainment One).
American Masters Mel Brooks: Make a Noise
(2012) After 60 years in show business, Mel Brooks has earned more major awards than any other living entertainer; he is one of 14 EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) winners. Yet, the comedy giant has energetically avoided a documentary profile from being made, even issuing an informal gag order on his friends -- until now. Brooks agreed to throw himself into a new documentary about his storied career, and gave American Masters exclusive interviews and complete access to his film archives. Features never-before-heard stories and new interviews with Brooks, Cloris Leachman, Carl Reiner, Matthew Broderick, Nathan lane, Joan Rivers, Tracey Ullman and others. Airs Monday, May 20, on PBS. Formats: DVD. (Shout! Factory).
Apartment 4E (aka Small of Her Back)
(2012) Nicole Beharie, Christopher Domig. A beautiful, intelligent young woman with everything to live for is trapped in a dark world of her own making: Deeply troubled, desperate and clutching a handgun, she has not left her apartment in a long time, and when there’s a knock on the door, she will face a choice that will make the difference between life and death. Formats: DVD. (One Village Entertainment/RLJ Entertainment).
The Aquabats! Super Show! Season One
(2012) Two-disc set with all 13 Season One episodes of wacky crime-fighting, music videos and outlandish villains. The blend of live-action and animation follows the amazingly wild comic antics of The Aquabats, the galaxy's first group of musical, crime-fighting superheroes -- from the co-creator of "Yo Gabba Gabba!" Formed in the 1990s, The Aquabats are based in Southern California and are on a never-ending quest to right wrongs, destroy boredom and seek justice for all. When they're not busy saving the world, they can be found on tour, traveling the highways and by-ways of the land in their trusty super-customized BattleTram. The crime-fighting, surf-rock supergroup's "The Aquabats! Super Show!" can currently be seen on The HUB TV Network with Season Two premiering soon featuring all new adventures (and all new villains). Formats: DVD. (Shout! Factory).
Barney: Dance With Barney
(2013) Everyone's favorite purple dinosaur and his dino friends share their favorite dance moves, build confidence by learning new steps and have fun dancing dino-style. Includes three episodes, $14.98. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. Extras: "The Barney Boogie" music video, "Lookie, Lookie, It's a Cookie" karaoke music video, "Happy Dancing" karaoke music video.(HIT/Lionsgate).
Beautiful Creatures
(2013) Dir: Richard LaGravenese; Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis, Emmy Rossum, Thomas Mann, Emma Thompson, Eileen Atkins. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "ICONS by Margaret Stohl" book trailer, deleted scenes. Blu-ray adds six featurettes: "Book to Screen," "The Casters," "Between Two Worlds," "Forbidden Romance," "Alternate Worlds" and "Beautiful Creatures: Designing the Costumes." (Warner).
Best of Warner Bros. Cartoon Collection -- Hanna-Barbera
(2012) 90th anniversary collection of 25 classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons. Formats: Two-disc DVD, $26.99. Extras: "Here Comes a Star" documentary. (Warner).
Blood of the Vine Seasons 1 & 2
(2011 -- France) After an internationally renowned wine expert is enlisted by the local police to help solve the case of a serial killer who combines murders with Grand Crus, he gets bitten by the investigative bug and seeks out new mysteries to solve in the heart of the Bordeaux vineyards and in the regions of Cognac and Champagne. Season One is a two-disc set with three episodes, Season Two is a two-disc set with four episodes; $39.95 each. Formats: DVD. (MHz Networks).
The Burning
(1981) Brian Matthews, Leah Ayres, Brian Backer, Larry Joshua, Shelley Bruce, Bonnie Deroski, Fisher Stevens, Jason Alexander, Holly Hunter. A group of summer camp pranksters get the scare of their lives when they target the camp's creepy caretaker ... and he takes bloody revenge. Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo. Extras: Commentary with director Tony Maylam, commentary with stars Shelley Bruce and Bonnie Deroski, "Blood n Fire Memories," "Slash & Cut" interview with editor Jack Sholder, "Cropsy Speaks" interview with actor Lou David, "Summer Camp Nightmare" interview with actress Leah Ayres, behind-the-scenes footage, theatrical trailer, make-up effects still gallery, poster and still gallery. (Shout! Factory).
Captain America: Collector's Edition BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1990) Matt Salinger, Ronny Cox, Ned Beatty, Darren McGavin, Michael Nouri, Scott Paulin.Extras: New interviews: "Looking Back at Captain America With Director Albert Pyun and Actor Matt Salinger." (Shout! Factory).
Watch the "Captain America" trailer:
Cleopatra BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1963) Dir.: Joseph L. Mankiewicz; Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison, Hume Cronyn, Cesare Danova, Martin Landau, Roddy McDowall. Two-disc 50th Anniversary edition features the 243-minute premiere version of the film -- meticulously restored -- with never-before-seen missing footage. A limited edition comes packed in a full-color book featuring rare images from the making of the film. The historical epic shot in 70mm was the highest
A Common Man
(2012) Ben Kingsley, Ben Cross. A seemingly average citizen plants five powerful bombs in different locations around a major international city and threatens to detonate them unless his sole unconditional demand is met: The simultaneous release of four of the most deadly international terrorists from government prisons. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (Anchor Bay).
Dark Circles
(2013) Pell James, Johnathon Schaech, Jennifer Foreman, Philippe Brenninkmeyer. Sleep-deprived parents begin to see strange things in their new house. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. Extras: Commentary with writer-director Paul Soter. (Lionsgate).
Detective De Luca
(2008 -- Italy) Against the backdrop of Italy's political upheaval, Fascism, and chaos during the tumultuous post-war period between 1938 and 1948, Detective De Luca does the one thing he knows how to do: be a cop. De Luca investigates and solves crimes in the war-torn city of Bologna and along the Adriatic coast with little or no regard for those in power, whoever they happen to be. His solitary and uncompromising character, his magnetic effect on women, and the fact that he's simply too skilled and too honest a policeman not to uncover the truth, all conspire to land him in trouble from time to time. Based on the best-selling crime novels by Carlo Lucarelli. Two-disc set with four episodes, $39.95. Formats: DVD. (MHz Networks).
Gaiking: The Movie Collection
(1976) Two-disc set with three feature-length movies edited from the original series, plus a brand-new English language track. An iconic classic from the golden age of Japanese animation, Gaiking the transforming super robot is back in a trio of feature-length adventures loaded with high-impact action and mind-expanding science fiction. Formats: DVD. (Shout! Factory).
Howl's Moving Castle BLU-RAY DEBUT
(2004) Dir.: Hayao Miyazaki; voices of Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner, Billy Crystal. Two-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo. (Studio).
H.P. Lovecraft's Cool Air
(2006) Morgan Weisser, Crystal Laws Green, Norbert Weisser, Lauren Sutherland. A young man rents a room in a rundown mansion somewhere in the isolated mountains above Malibu, where he's inspired to write the "great American Screenplay" but, instead, has a heart attack and comes under the care of the mansion's recluse, a strangely preserved female doctor who draws the man into a nightmarish world of insane experiments and murder. Based on an H.P. Lovecraft short story. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Lionsgate).
Jim Jefferies: Fully Functional
(2013) Politically incorrect Australian comedian Jim Jefferies puts everything out there in this raunchy EPIX comedy special and shows off his skill for skewering sacred cows and virtually everything else with brutal honesty. Formats: DVD, $14.98. VOD. (Inception Media Group).
Last Kind Words
(2012) Brad Dourif, Spencer Daniels, Alexia Fast, Marianne Hagan. A young teen who moves to a secluded rural farm learns that the surrounding woods have flesh-crawling stories to tell -- in particular those surrounding decaying bodies hanging from the trees. Formats: DVD, Digital. (Image Entertainment).
The Last Stand
(2013) Dir.: Jee-woon Kim; Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville, Rodrigo Santoro, Jaimie Alexander, Luis Guzman, Eduardo Noriega, Peter Stormare, Zach Gilford, Genesis Rodriguez. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Not in My Town: Making The Last Stand" featurette, "Cornfield Chaos" featurette, "The Dinkum Firearm and Historic Weaponry Museum" featurette, "Actor-Cam Anarchy: With Johnny Knoxville and Jaimie Alexander" featurette, deleted/extended and alternate scenes. (Lionsgate).
LEGO Batman: The Movie -- DC Super Heroes Unite
(2013) Batman enlists the aid of Superman to help end Lex Luthor's latest crime spree.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Building Batman" featurette, "LEGO/DC Universe Super Heroes Video Contest Winners" short, two bonus episodes from "Batman: The Brave and the Bold ('Triumvirate of Terror' and 'Scorn of the Star Sapphire') and one episode from "Teen Titans" ('Overdrive'). Also includes an exclusive Lego Clark Kent/Superman figurine on pack while supplies last. (Warner).
Little Caesar BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1931) Dir.: Mervyn LeRoy; Edward G. Robinson, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Glenda Farrell, Sidney Blackmer. (Warner).
Love Sick Love
(2013) Matthew Settle, Katia Winter, Charlotte Rae, M. Emmet Walsh, Jim Gaffigan. A New York businessman's one-night stand turns deadly when he is teamed with a psychotic serial romantic in this boy meets girl thriller that propels the term "love hurts" to a whole new level. Formats: DVD. (Monarch Home Entertainment).
Marsh Mud Madness
(2013) One of the nation's top touring family artists, Roger Day has a knack for creating songs that make complex ideas simple and fun. In this full-length DVD -- filmed live at the Savannah Music Festival and on location at the University of Georgia Marine Institute on Sapelo Island -- Roger introduces children to the plants and animals that live in and around the salt water marshes and beaches of barrier islands and how each one has an important role to play in a healthy coastal ecosystem. Even sneaky ghost crabs and regurgitating vultures! Formats: DVD, $15.00 via Bigkids.com, CDBaby.com and Rogerday.com. (RogerDay).
Medium Cool
(1969) It's 1968, and the whole world is watching. With the U.S. in social upheaval, famed cinematographer Haskell Wexler decided to make a film about what the hell was going on. His debut feature, "Medium Cool," plunges us into that moment. With its mix of scripted fiction and seat-of-the-pants documentary technique, this story of the working world and romantic life of a television cameraman (Robert Forster) is a visceral, lasting cinematic snapshot of the era, climaxing with an extended sequence shot right in the middle of the riots surrounding the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. An inventive commentary on the pleasures and dangers of wielding a camera, "Medium Cool" is as prescient a political film as Hollywood has ever produced. New 4K digital restoration, approved by Wexler, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Two audio commentaries, one featuring Wexler, actor Marianna Hill, and editor Paul Golding, the other featuring historian Paul Cronin; new interview with Wexler; "Look Out Haskell, It's Real!" a 55-minute documentary about the making of "Medium Cool," produced by Cronin and featuring interviews with Wexler, Golding, actors Verna Bloom, Peter Bonerz and Robert Forster, Chicago historian Studs Terkel, and others; excerpts from "Sooner or Later," a documentary by Cronin about Harold Blankenship, who plays the adolescent Harold in the film; original theatrical trailer; booklet featuring an essay by film critic and programmer Thomas Beard. (The Criterion Collection).
Mold
(2012) Edward X. Young, Ardis Campbell, Robert Fattorini, Chris Gentile, Lawrence George, Rick Haymes. A classified government project to create a new weapon to combat the drug cartels -- a fast-growing, genetically engineered strain of mold designed to wipe out coca fields that turns out to prefer feeding on human flesh -- is released in a secret lab, where a group of unsuspecting scientists and military officials are forced to fight their way to safety while trying to contain it before it's unleashed on the world. Formats: DVD. Extras: Director's commentary, behind-the-scenes featurette, trailers. (MVD Entertainment).
My Neighbor Totoro BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1988) Dir.: Hayao Miyazaki; voices of Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, Tim Daly, Pat Carroll, Lea Salonga. Two-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo. (Studio).
N.A.S.A. The Spirit of Apollo
(2013) Documentary chronicles hip-hop duo N.A.S.A.'s (Sam Spiegel and DJ Zegonduo) worldwide travels and collaborations that led to 2009's ground-breaking LP of the same name. "N.A.S.A. The Spirit of Apollo" was shot between 2004-2011 in locations spanning the globe (Brazil, Jamaica, Sweden, the U.S. and more) and features music and appearances by David Byrne, Kanye West, Karen O, Tom Waits, Method Man, M.I.A., Ol' Dirty Bastard, John Frusciante, Santigold, RZA, George Clinton, Nick Zinner, Ghostface Killah, Lykke Li, Gift of Gab, Kool Keith, Chuck D, DJ AM, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Spank Rock, The Cool Kids, Amanda Blank, and many more. The film also features myriad accompanying visual images by various high profile visual artists who lent their work to the project, including: Shepard Fairey, Marcel Dzama, Sage Vaughn, The Date Farmers and Logan, Barry McGee, Jimena Odea, Splunny, Didiu Rio Branco, Flourescent Hill, Three Legged Legs, Aaron Acord, and more. Formats: DVD. (Microcinema).
National Lampoon's Vacation BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1983) Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, Anthony Michael Hall, Dana Barron, Eddie Bracken, Brian Doyle-Murray, James Keach, Eugene Levy, John Candy, Christie Brinkley, Jane Krakowski. 30th anniversary edition.Extras: New A&E Special: "Inside Story: National Lampoon's Vacation"; introduction by Chevy Chase, Randy Quaid and Matty Simmons; commentary by Harold Ramis, Chevy Chase, Randy Quaid, Anthony Michael Hall, Dana Barron and Matty Simmons. (Warner).
Nightfall
(2012 -- Hong Kong) Simon Yam, Nick Cheung. Grisly thriller pits a bitter, aging detective against a recently released murderer in the mystery surrounding the killing of a popular opera singer ... but a clear-cut case of revenge gets murkier, with the facts -- and the truth -- becoming harder to uncover. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. Extras: (Well Go USA).
Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn
(2013) William DeMeo, Ice-T, Wass Stevens, Ja Rule, Armand Assante, Cathy Moriarty. After serving several prison sentences, Bobby Baldano returns to the streets, craving a life of inescapable crime, but desperate to honor his family; he must decide whether to make his family proud or destroy what generations of Baldanos have built before him. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. Extras: Commentary with director Paul Borghese, interviews. (Lionsgate).
Open Road
(2013) Camilla Belle, Juliette Lewis, Andy Garcia, Colin Egglesfield, John Savage. Angie (Belle), a young Brazilian artist, abandons her old life and embarks on a journey around the country, living on her own terms and occasionally waitressing to make money. But when she makes connections with a drifter (Garcia), a handsome cop (Egglesfield), and his sister (Lewis), she finds herself torn between her life of absolute freedom and being tied to people who care about her. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Makfing of Open Road." (Universal).
Perception: The Complete First Season
(2012) Two-disc set with 10 episodes, $29.99. Formats: DVD. (Disney).
The Petrified Forest BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1936) Dir.: Archie Mayo; Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, Dick Foran, Humphrey Bogart. (Warner).
Picture Day
(2012) Tatiana Maslany, Spencer Van Wyck, Steven McCarthy, Mark DeBonis, Susan Coyne. A rebellious teenager forced to repeat her last year of high school is caught between adolescence and adulthood -- and between two very different male admirers. Formats: DVD. (Ketchup Entertainment).
The Public Enemy BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1931) Dir.: William Wellman; James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Edward Woods, Joan Blondell. (Warner)
The Royal Collection
(2013) Four-disc set featuring four royal titles, each presenting perspectives on the British Monarchy: "The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II," a behind-the-scenes look at the Queen's 1953 Coronation; "King George and Queen Mary: The Royals Who Rescued the Monarchy," a two-part portrait of Elizabeth II's grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary, which examines the lasting legacy of the couple who rescued the monarchy from potential disaster; "Queen Victoria's Children," a three-part series exploring the reign of Victoria through her personal relationships with her husband and her nine children; and "How to Be a Prince," a program centered on Prince William from 2003. Also includes a replica of a booklet for Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation, featuring original photography from the ceremony. Formats: DVD, $24.99. "The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II" and "Queen Victoria's Children" are available separately for $19.98 each. (BBC Home Entertainment ).
Side Effects
(2013) Dir.: Steven Soderbergh; Channing Tatum, Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Aliza Website Experience," "Behind-the-Scenes of Side Effects," Ablixa commercial for the fictional drug portrayed in the film, Intenin commercial. (Universal).
Soldiers of Paint
(2012) Follows a dramatic battle involving 5,000 people who restage D-Day, the 6th of June 1944 invasion of Normandy. Instead of bullets, it's paintball; instead of the French coast, it's Oklahoma. And, every year, it's any man's game, which means the Germans could win. Staged on a 700-acre battlefield owned by the grand-son of a veteran of Omaha Beach, this yearly battle of paint is fought as a tribute to all veterans. These paintball soldiers take "gung ho" to an all-time high, utilizing real tanks and airplanes for this epic fight. Formats: DVD, $24.95. Extras: Deleted scenes, D-Day parade, officers party, extra battle footage. (First Run Features).
Sommersby BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1993) Richard Gere, Jody Foster, Bill Pullman, James Earl Jones. (Warner).
Stand Up Guys
(2013) Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin, Katheryn Winnick, Julianna Margulies. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "American Muscle: The Stand Up Stunt Driving Scenes" featurette, "The Lowdown On Making Stand Up Guys" featurette, "The Stand Up Songs Of Jon Bon Jovi" featurette, deleted scenes, audio commentary with director Fisher Stevens. (Lionsgate).
Teen Wolf Season 2
(2011) Three-disc set with 12 episodes, $39.98. Formats: DVD. Extras: Alternate, deleted and extended scenes; "Teen Wolf" CGI reel; fight choreography; "Shirtless Montage 2.0"; gag reel; commentary. (Fox).
This Girl Is Badass
(2011 -- Thailand) Kick-ass Jeeja Yanin (of "Chocolate" fame) takes her skills to the next level as a bike messenger who is hired by competing mob bosses to smuggle goods. Caught in the middle and given an ultimatum, the only way out is a confrontation erupting into a battle of bullets, face kicks and blows. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: "The Making of This Girl Is Bad Ass" behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes, international trailer. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
The Town That Dreaded Sundown
(1977) Ben Johnson, Andrew Prine, Dawn Wells. Cult-director Charles B. Pierce's thriller about a "Phantom Killer" terrorizing young lovers in Texarkana. Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo. Extras: Commentary with Justin Beahm and historian Jim Presley, "Small Town Lawman" interview with actor Andrew Prine, "Survivor Stories" interview with actress Dawn Wells, "Eye of the Beholder" interview with director of photography James Roberson, theatrical trailer, essay by writer brian albright, poster and still gallery. Bonus feature: Charles B. Pierce's "The Evictors" (1979), about a young couple tormented by the previous owners of an eerie house located in a small Louisiana town; stars Vic Morrow, Michael Parks and Jessica Harper. (Shout! Factory).
True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season
Ultimate Gangster Collection Contemporary
Five-disc set with five crime films that include Martin Scorsese's "GoodFellas," "The Departed" and "Mean Streets"; "Heat," starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer; and Paramount's "The Untouchables" with Kevin Costner, De Niro and Sean Connery. Includes a 32-page booklet with images and additional information about each film. $49.99. (Warner).
Vegas Vacation BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1997) Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Marisol Nichols, Ethan Embry, Randy Quaid. (Warner).
White Heat BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1949) Dir.: Raoul Walsh; James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien, Margaret Wycherly, Steve Cochran. (Warner).
Wine, Women & Friends
(2012) While many people have the fantasy of moving to a lovely village in the South of France, maybe to find a vineyard, to create wonderful wines, to sell it and share it with friends, lesbian couple Carole LeBlanc and Jo Befort did just that. They started their wine adventure six years ago in Collias, France, with no experience, just their passion -- and friends. Winemaking is a complex and labor intensive process, and still a very macho affair in France, but as this film reveals, it's possible for two women who are willing to work hard to achieve their dream and live the life they choose -- as well as bring an entire village and community into their world. Formats: DVD, $19.95. (First Run Features).
Yossi
(2012 -- Israel) Ohad Knoller, Oz Zehavi, Lior Ashkenazi. The sequel to "Yossi & Jagger" -- the tragic love story of two men serving in the Israeli Defense Forces -- finds still-closeted Dr. Yossi Hoffman reminiscing about his love 10 years after the latter's death. Things change when he follows a mysterious woman to the southern city of Eilat, where he meets a group of young Israeli officers, among them Tom, a handsome and self-confident openly gay man, who represents a new world, different from the one that shaped Yossi. Formats: DVD. (Strand Releasing).
Side Effects
The film starts out as a prosaic psychological thriller about a young woman, Emily (Rooney Mara), who begins suffering from terrifying anxiety attacks and bouts of sleepwalking after her husband (Channing Tatum) is released from prison. She turns to psychiatrist Dr. Banks (Jude Law) for help, but when Banks prescribes an experimental drug, the side effects have chilling and deadly consequences, putting the doctor on the hot seat. From this point on, the film becomes a deluxe mystery-thriller as Banks becomes a detective to uncover the motives behind a conspiracy to discredit his name. There's plenty of unexpected twists and turns as the film winds down towards its unexpected ending.
Vitals: Director: Steven Soderbergh. Stars: Channing Tatum, Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones.
2013, CC, MPAA rating: R, 106 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $30.482 million, Universal.
The Last Stand
This action-thriller is notable for the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger to the big screen in a starring role, and as the first English-language film by South Korean director Jee-woon Kim, who gave us the nasty but fantastic gore-mystery-thrillers "A Tale of Two Sisters" and "I Saw the Devil" and the unreleased gangster drama "A Bittersweet Life." Many U.S. debuts for foreign directors aren't auspicious, and this one falls into that category. It revolves around the escape of a vicious drug kingpin from an FBI prisoner convoy in Las Vegas who -- with an army of henchmen packing as much firepower as a small country -- heads south to the U.S.-Mexico border. No one can stop him -- except for the obstinate Sheriff of the only town that stands between the kingpin and freedom: Ray Owens (Arnold Schwarzenegger), who gathers his small ragtag police force to stop the bad guys, setting the stage for a classic showdown. It's predictable and fun, but certainly not as stylish as the director's previous outings.
Vitals: Director: Jee-woon Kim. Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville, Rodrigo Santoro, Jaimie Alexander, Luis Guzman, Eduardo Noriega, Peter Stormare, Zach Gilford, Genesis Rodriguez.
2013, CC, MPAA rating: R, 107 min., Action, Box office gross: $11.964 million, Lionsgate.
Beautiful Creatures
A supernatural love story set in the South, about two star-crossed lovers: Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich), a young man longing to escape his small town, and Lena (Alice Englert), a mysterious new girl who, it turns out, is a "caster" who, on her 16th birthday, either goes over to the good or bad side of witchcraft. Together they uncover the dark secrets of their respective families, their history and their town. It's gothic-teen-romance along the lines of "The Twilight Saga" but brought to a higher level by a pair of British stalwarts -- Jeremy Irons and Emma Thompson -- who thoroughly enjoy their turns before the camera. Based on the best-selling book (and book series) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.
Vitals: Director: Richard LaGravenese. Stars: Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis, Emmy Rossum, Thomas Mann, Emma Thompson, Eileen Atkins.
2013, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 124 min., Fantasy Drama, Box office gross: $19.018 million, Warner.
Parker
A by-the-book action-thriller starring Jason Statham as Parker, a professional thief who lives by a personal code of ethics: Don't steal from people who can't afford it and don't hurt people who don't deserve it. When his crew double crosses him after their latest heist, steals his stash, and leaves him for dead, Parker tracks them to Palm Beach, playground of the rich and famous, where he evens the score. Along the way he takes on an unlikely partner, Leslie (Jennifer Lopez), a savvy insider who's short on cash, but big on looks, smarts and ambition. It's pretty predictable but it's always fun to watch Statham smash heads and Lopez strut her stuff. Based on the novel "Flashfire," one of the series of bestselling novels by Donald E. Westlake (under the pen name of Richard Stark).
Vitals: Director: Taylor Hackford. Stars: Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez, Nick Nolte, Michael Chiklis, Clifton Collins Jr., Wendell Pierce, Micah Hauptman, Patti LuPone, Emma Booth, Bobby Cannavale.
2013, CC, MPAA rating: R, 118 min., Action Thriller, Box office gross: $17.536 million, Sony.
Stand Up Guys
Tough but touching action comedy about retired gangsters who reunite for one epic last night. Val (Al Pacino) has been released from prison after serving 28 years for refusing to give up one of his close criminal associates. His best friend Doc (Christopher Walken) is there to pick him up, and the two soon re-team with another old pal, Hirsch (Alan Arkin). Their bond is as strong as ever, and the three reflect on freedom lost and gained, loyalties ebbed and flowed, and days of glory gone by. And despite their age, their capacity for mayhem is still very much alive and well -- bullets fly as they make a hilariously valiant effort to compensate for the decades of crime, drugs and sex they've missed. But one of the friends is keeping a dangerous secret -- he's been put in an impossible quandary by a former mob boss, and his time to find an acceptable alternative is running out. As the sun rises on the guys' legendary reunion, their position becomes more and more desperate and they finally confront their past once and for all.
Vitals: Director: Fisher Stevens. Stars: Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin, Katheryn Winnick, Julianna Margulies.
2013, CC, MPAA rating: R, 95 min., Crime Comedy, Box office gross: $3.264 million, Lionsgate.
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grossing film of 1963, bringing in more than $24 million in its initial release ... but the film cost an unprecedented $42 million to make (equivalent to over $300 million today) and nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox. In addition to elaborate sets and costumes, production delays and the relocation of principal filming from London to Rome added to the skyrocketing budget. A very public love affair between Taylor and Burton that blossomed during the three-year production meant that there was as much romance and intrigue off-screen as on-screen. The film later won four Academy Awards, and was nominated for five more, including Best Picture. Extras: "Cleopatra Through The Ages: A Cultural History"; "Cleopatra's" missing footage; "Fox Movie Channel presents Fox Legacy With Tom Rothman"; commentary with Chris Mankiewicz, Tom Mankiewicz, Martin Landau and Jack Brodsky (author of a book "The Cleopatra Papers"); "The Cleopatra Papers: A Private Correspondence"; "Cleopatra: The Film That Changed Hollywood"; "The Fourth Star of Cleopatra"; Fox Movietone News: archival footage of the New York premiere, archival footage of the Hollywood premiere; trailers. (Fox).
Laverne and Shirley: The Sixth Season
(1980-81) Three-disc set with 22 episodes of the 1950s-set comedy revolving around the friendship between bright-eyed, naive and demure Shirley Feeney and brassy, tough-talking, street smart Laverne De Fazio; this season the duo -- with friends and family -- move to Burbank. Formats: DVD, $39.98. Extras: Episodic promos, gag reel. (CBS/Paramount).
Saving Hope
(2012) Four-disc set with 13 episodes of the supernatural medical drama in which the chief of surgery at Toronto's Hope Zion Hospital ends up in a coma and explores the hospital halls in "spirit" form, not sure if he's a ghost or a figment of his own imagination. $39.98. Formats: DVD. (Entertainment One).
(2012) Full 12-episode season of the immensely popular series finds a vampire war brewing and an old vampire foe returning to wreak havoc on the human race. Formats: Five-disc DVD, $59.99; Blu-ray set with five BD discs, 2 DVD discs, $79.98; Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Inside the Episodes" back stories on each episode; commentaries with cast and crew including creator-executive producer Alan Ball, Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Denis O'Hare and Carrie Preston; previews; recaps. Blu-ray set adds "True Blood Episode Six: Autopsy," in which the cast and crew dissect the major events of the episode; "Authority Confessionals," which offers information about the mysterious institution; Enhanced Viewing "Re-Vamped" Guide and Archive with character bios, vampire histories and hints/FYIs that offers even more background on the characters; Enhanced Viewing: Flashback/Flash Forwards function to relive pivotal moments of go forward to reveal the significance of a certain scene; "True Blood Lines" interactive program to uncover secrets from relationships past and present. (HBO).
Ultimate Gangster Collection Classic BLU-RAY DEBUT
The four films in the Classic Collection have been remastered for their Blu-ray debuts. They include "The Public Enemy" and "White Heat" with the legendary performances of James Cagney; "Little Caesar" with Edward G. Robinson as hoodlum Rico Bandello; and "The Petrified Forest" starring Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis and Leslie Howard. The collection includes a feature-length documentary "Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Drama" which explores the development of the crime genre and the rise of Warner stars like Cagney, Bogart and Robinson. Also discussed are directors such as Walsh, Wellman and Curtiz; the films themselves; their influence on filmmakers worldwide; and Warner’s impact in establishing the genre. Includes a 32-page booklet with images and additional information about each film. $49.99. The titles in the Classic Collection will be available individually as well for $19.98. (Warner).
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May 18, 2013
(ISSN 1094-3676).
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