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January 2015
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January 6

Archer The Complete Season Five (2014) Thirteen episodes. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: (Fox).
Black Sails: The Complete First Season (2014) Three-disc set with eight episodes of the Starz series that follows the story of Captain Flint, the most brilliant and feared pirate captain of his day (the 18th century's Golden Age of Piracy in the Caribbean), who takes on a fast-talking young addition to his crew who goes by the name John Silver. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurettes: "Black Sails: A Look Inside," "Dress to Kill," "Pirate Camp," "Folklore Is Finished: Pirate Politics," "A Place In History," "Building the Behemoth." (Anchor Bay).

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Boyhood (2014) Dir.: Richard Linklater; Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette, Lorelei Linklater, Ellar Coltrane. Filmed over 12 years with the same cast during short periods, "Boyhood" is a groundbreaking cinematic experience covering 12 years in the life of a family, as seen through the eyes of Mason, who with his sister Samantha, are taken on an emotional journey through the years, from childhood to adulthood (5 to 18). Read more about "Boyhood" in the January Calendar. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Blu-ray extras: "The 12 Year Project" featurette, Q&A with Richard Linklater and the cast. (Paramount).
Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh BLU-RAY DEBUT (1995) Dir.: Bill Condon; Tony Todd, Kelly Rowan, Timothy Carhar, Veronica Cartwright. A victim of unspeakable evil while he lived, the "Candyman" (Tony Todd) has become evil incarnate in his afterlife. In this sequel to 1992's "Candyman," he haunts the city of New Orleans, where a young schoolteacher named Annie Tarrant (Kelly Rowan) is struggling to solve the brutal murder of her father. The locals insist that he was slain by the Candyman, but Annie is not convinced ... until she unwittingly summons the monster forth, learns the secret of his power, and discovers the link that connects her to him. Extras: Commentary with director Bill Condon, "The Candyman Legacy" new interview with Tony Tood, "Down Memory Lane" new interview with Veronica Cartwright, Theatrical Trailer. (Scream Factory/Shout! Factory).
The Dark Valley (2014 -- Austria/Germany) Sam Riley. A lone rider (Riley) arrives in a small high mountain village; nobody knows where he's from and nobody wants him there ... especially after the two sons of the town's patriarch are murdered. Formats: DVD. (Film Movement).
Dinosaur 13 (2014) When renowned paleontologist Peter Larson and his team from the Black Hills Institute made the world's greatest dinosaur discovery in 1990, they knew it was the find of a lifetime: the largest, most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex ever found. But during a 10-year battle with the U.S. government, powerful museums, Native American tribes and competing paleontologists, they found themselves not only fighting to keep their dinosaur, but fighting for their freedom as well. An incredible true story 66 million years in the making. Features a new director's cut of the film. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. Extras: Deleted scenes, "The Continuing Story of SUE" featurette, "Fossil Whales of Peru" featurette, "Complete Auction of SUE" featurette, "How to Build a Dinosaur" featurette. (Lionsgate).
Finders Keepers (2014) Jaime Pressly, Patrick Muldoon, Marina Sirtis, Justina Machado, Kylie Rogers, Tobin Bell. A woman and her estranged husband try to save their daughter from an evil doll bent on taking over her soul. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Behind-the-scenes footage. (Lionsgate).
Get on Up (2014) Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Nelsan Ellis, Craig Robinson, Keith Robinson, Lennie James, Tika Sumpter, Jill Scott, Dan Aykroyd. Read more about "Get on Up" in the January Calendar. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Long Journey to the Screen" behind-the-scenes featurette, "Chadwick Boseman: Meet Mr. James Brown," "The Get On Up Family," "Tate Taylor's Master Class," commentary with director-producer Tate Taylor. Blu-ray adds "On Stage with the Hardest Working Man" comparison between the film's depiction of Brown with the real thing using archival footage, "The Founding Father of Funk" featurette, deleted/extended/alternate Scenes, full song performances, extended song performances. (Universal).
The Guest (2014) Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Brendan Meyer, Sheila Kelley, Leland Orser. Recently discharged from the military, David Collins (Dan Stevens) unexpectedly shows up at the Peterson family's doorstep, claiming to be their late son's Army buddy. Welcomed into their home, the well-mannered stranger becomes part of the family until a shocking wave of violence raises daughter Anna's (Maika Monroe) suspicions that the mysterious ex-soldier is not quite what he seems. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Deleted scenes, Q & A with Dan Stevens, commentary with director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett. (Universal).
Happy End (2014 -- Germany) Sinha Gierke, Verena Wustkamp. High-energy romantic road movie revolves around two women who embark on a wild adventure to deliver the ashes of recently deceased friend to her final resting place. Formats: DVD, Digital. (Wolfe Video).
The Houses October Built (2015) Brandy Schaefer, Zack Andrews, Bobby Roe, Mikey Roe, Jeff Larson. Beneath the fake blood and cheap masks of countless haunted house attractions across the country, there are whispers of truly terrifying alternatives. Looking to find an authentic, blood-curdling good fright for Halloween, five friends set off on a road trip in an RV to track down these underground Haunts. Just when their search seems to reach a dead end, strange and disturbing things start happening and it becomes clear that the Haunt has come to them. Formats: DVD. (Image Entertainment).
photo for Jungle Master Jungle Master (2014) Voices of Victoria Justice, David Spade, Josh Peck, Jon Lovitz, Jane Lynch. When an evil scientist threatens the planet, courage and true friendship are put to the test in order to save the rainforest in this animated adventure. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. Extras: "Giving the Characters a Voice: At The Recording Studio With Victoria Justice, David Spade, Josh Peck, Jon Lovitz and Jane Lynch" featurette; "Miniscule" bonus episodes. (Lionsgate).
Love Is Strange (2014) John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, Cheyenne Jackson, Manny Perez, Darren Burrows, Marisa Tomei, Charlie Tahan. Read more about "Love Is Strange" in the January Calendar. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Commentary with John Lithgow, Alfred Molina and director Ira Sachs; LA Film Fest Q&A with Lithgow, Molina, Cheyenne Jackson and Sachs; "What is Love: Making of Love Is Strange." (Sony).
No Good Deed (2014) Idris Elba, Taraji P. Henson, Leslie Bibb, Kate del Castillo, Henry Simmons, Mirage Moonschein. Read more about "No Good Deed" in the January Calendar. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Making a Thriller" featurette. Blu-ray adds "The Thrill of a Good Fight" and "Good Samaritan" featurettes. (Sony).
Playing Dead (2013 -- France) Jean, a 40-year-old unemployed actor, has hit rock bottom. Insufferably clueless and egotistical, his over-the-top "method" acting and high-maintenance personality have gotten him fired from countless jobs. At the unemployment office, his counselor sets him up with a rather odd job: helping the police reconstruct crime scenes by standing in for the dead victim. Jean's obsession for detail impresses the beautiful chief investigator, allowing him to take a leading role in a double-murder investigation at a ritzy ski resort. Formats: DVD. (First Run Features).
The Pleasures of Being Out of Step: Notes on the Life of Nat Hentoff (2014) Nat Hentoff is one of the enduring voices of the last 65 years, a writer who championed jazz as an art form and was present at the creation of "alternative" journalism in America. This unique documentary wraps the themes of liberty, identity and free expression around a historical narrative that stretches from the Great Depression to the Patriot Act. At the core of the film are three extraordinary, intimate conversations with Hentoff, plus additional interviews with such luminaries as Amiri Baraka, Stanley Crouch, Floyd Abrams, Aryeh Neier and Dan Morgenstern. Interwoven through it all is the sublime music of Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus and Bob Dylan, along with never-before-seen photographs and archival footage of these artists and other cultural figures at the height of their powers. Formats: DVD. (First Run Features).
Salvo (2014 -- Italy) Saleh Bakri, Sara Serraiocco. A Sicilian hitman, Salvo, is cold and ruthless. When he sneaks into a house on assignment, he discovers Rita, a young blind girl who witnesses her brother's assassination. In an intense exchange between the killer and his witness, the darkness is lifted from Rita's eyes just as Salvo decides, against his murderous instincts, to spare her life. Both haunted by their brief encounter, the two will attempt to navigate their dangerous next steps side by side. Formats: DVD. (Film Movement).
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Pilot, A Mini Movie & The Squareshorts A collection of classic SpongeBob fun -- in time for the February theatrical release of "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water" -- including the original pilot episode from 1999, the mini movie "Truth or Square" and over 40 shorts filled with everyone's favorite Bikini Bottom friends. Formats: DVD. (Nickelodeon/Paramount).
The Sword of Doom BLU-RAY DEBUT (1966) Tatsuya Nakadai and Toshiro Mifune star in the story of a wandering samurai who exists in a maelstrom of violence. A gifted swordsman plying his craft during the turbulent final days of shogunate rule in Japan, Ryunosuke (Nakadai) kills without remorse or mercy. It is a way of life that ultimately leads to madness. Kihachi Okamoto's swordplay classic is the thrilling tale of a man who chooses to devote his life to evil. New high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Extras: Audio commentary featuring film historian Stephen Prince, trailer, an essay by critic Geoffrey O'Brien. (The Criterion Collection).



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January 13

photo for Ancient Aliens Season 6 Volume 2 Ancient Aliens Season 6 Volume 2 (2013-14) Three-disc set with the final 12 episodes of Season 6, $19.99. A journey into a yet uncharted world of astonishing ancestors and phenomenal technological advances. From which supernatural beings do healers and superheroes really gather their powers? Who, or what, were the voices that drove Nikola Tesla to his compulsive need to reinvent the future? Were the winged messengers revered within age-old texts really birds, angels ... or aliens? Investigates the creatures of early religious texts including the scorpion-tailed locust in Revelations; Ezekiel's fiery, angel-driven chariots; and India's half-human half-reptile gods called Nagas. The voyage travels down the paths of extraterrestrial seduction, Nazi time travel and the mysterious megalithic stone structures which continue to baffle archaeologists. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (Lionsgate).
Bad Turn Worse (2014) Jeremy Allen White, Logan Huffman, Mackenzie Davis, William Devane, Mark Pellegrino. After a weekend of partying with stolen money, three Texas teens find themselves indebted to a sociopathic criminal named Giff. To pay their debt, Giff forces the teens to steal from his boss, a money-laundering gangster named Big Red. But things go from bad to worse when betrayal, distrust, and corruption complicate an already dangerous plan. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (Anchor Bay).
Bird People (2014 -- France) Josh Charles, Anais Demoustier, Radha Mitchell. In an airport hotel on the outskirts of Paris, a Silicon Valley engineer (Charles) abruptly quits his job, breaks up with his wife, and isolates himself in his room. But as fate draws him and a young French maid (Demoustier) together, he may just discover the unexpected shakeup his life so desperately needed. Formats: DVD. (IFC Films).
photo for The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972) In the early 1970s, Rainer Werner Fassbinder discovered the American melodramas of Douglas Sirk and was inspired by them to begin working in a new, more intensely emotional register. One of the earliest and best-loved films of this period in his career is "The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant," which balances a realistic depiction of tormented romance with staging that remains true to the director's roots in experimental theater. This unforgettable, unforgiving dissection of the imbalanced relationship between a haughty fashion designer (Margit Carstensen) and a beautiful but icy ingenue (Hanna Schygulla) -- based, in a sly gender reversal, on the writer-director's own desperate obsession with a young actor -- is a fully Fassbinder affair, featuring exquisitely claustrophobic cinematography by Michael Ballhaus and full-throttle performances by an all-female cast. New 4K digital restoration, supervised by director of photography Michael Ballhaus, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: New interviews with Ballhaus and actors Margit Carstensen, Eva Mattes, Katrin Schaake, and Hanna Schygulla; new interview with film scholar Jane Shattuc about Fassbinder and the film; "Role Play: Women on Fassbinder," a 1992 German television documentary by Thomas Honickel featuring interviews with Carstensen, Schygulla, and actors Irm Hermann and Rosel Zech; an essay by critic Peter Matthews. (The Criterion Collection).
Boardwalk Empire: Season 5 photo for Boardwalk Empire: Season 5 (2014) Concluding a powerful and groundbreaking five-season run, Season 5 of "Boardwalk Empire" begins in 1931, a full six years after the end of Season 4. In stark contrast with the Roaring 20s, the country is in the throes of the Great Depression, and with the end of Prohibition in sight, Nucky (Steve Buscemi) is looking to legitimize himself by forging alliances with liquor producers, including Bacardi in Cuba. Season 5 also includes flashback scenes of Nucky, Eli, the Commodore, Gillian and others from 1884-1900 -- childhood experiences that would shape their relationships and their futures. Formats: DVD: $59.99, Blu-ray Disc: $79.98. Extras: Four audio commentaries, eight "Scouting the Boardwalk" location pieces. (HBO).
The Bridge Season Two (2014) Four-disc set with 13 episodes, $39.98. Formats: DVD. Extras: "Building the Bridge" featurettes, "Building the Bridge: Wrap-up," "Blurring the Border Line" featurette, deleted scenes. (Fox).
Dallas: The Complete Third and Final Season (2014) Three-disc set with 14 episodes, $39.98. Formats: DVD. Extras: Deleted scenes. (Warner).
Duck Commander: Before the Dynasty (2014) Nine episodes of the "Duck Dynasty" series prequel, $14.98. Formats: DVD. (Lionsgate).
photo for Episodes: The Third Season Episodes: The Third Season (2014) Two-disc set with nine episodes, $25.49. Stars Matt LeBlanc in his Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning role as a fictionalized version of himself. Season Three picks up with Sean (Stephen Mangan) and Beverly (Tamsin Greig), the English couple whose hit U.K. sitcom is remade for U.S. audiences and corrupted beyond recognition, back together but they soon discover that it's not so easy to heal old wounds. Things get no easier for Matt this year as his career and ego continue to be pummeled. Formats: DVD. (CBS Home Entertainment/Paramount).
Fitzcarraldo BLU-RAY DEBUT (1982) Dir. Werner Herzog; Klaus Kinski, Claudia Cardinale. Extras: Commentary with Herzog, trailer. (Shout! Factory)).
Four Adventures of Reinette & Mirabelle (1987 -- France) In Eric Rohmer's "Four Adventures of Reinette & Mirabelle", two young women -- one from the city, the other from the country -- meet and bond over an exquisite atmospheric event, and then room together in Paris, where they encounter many of the inevitable characters of a modern city: the impossible waiter, the metro station hustler, and the snooty gallery owner. Formats: DVD. (Icarus Films).
Gone Girl (2014) Director: David Fincher. Stars: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens, Patrick Fugit, Neil Patrick Harris, Emily Ratajkowski, Sela Ward, Missi Pyle. Read more about "Gone Girl" in the January Calendar. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Commentary by director David Fincher, "Amazing Amy Tattle Tale" comic book. (Fox).
The Honeymoon (2014) Rose Leslie, Harry Treadaway, Ben Huber, Hanna Brown. A newlywed couple finds their lake-country honeymoon descend into chaos after the husband finds his wife wandering and disoriented in the middle of their first night. As she becomes more distant and her behavior increasingly peculiar, he begins to suspect something more sinister than sleepwalking took place in the woods. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: "Making of Honeymoon, effects featurette, AXS TV: A Look At Honeymoon, trailer. (Magnolia Home Entertainment/Magnet Label).
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House of Lies: The Third Season (2014) Two-disc set with 12 episodes, $39.98. Formats: DVD. (CBS Home Entertainment/Paramount).
The Identical (2014) Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Seth Green, Joe Pantoliano, Blake Rayne. Melodrama follows twin brothers unknowingly separated at birth during the Great Depression. One, raised by his birth parents, grows up to achieve rock-n-roll stardom 20 years later; the other, adopted by a reverend and his wife, struggles to balance his love for music and pleasing his parents who believe he has been called on by God to become a preacher. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "The Music of The Identical," trailer. Blu-ray adds "Making of" featurette, behind-the-scenes commentary with the cast, deleted scenes. (Cinedigm).
Jessabelle (2014) Sarah Snook, Mark Webber, David Andrews, Joelle Carter. Returning to her childhood home in Louisiana to recuperate from a horrific car accident, a young woman comes face to face with a long-tormented spirit that has been seeking her return and clearly has no intention of letting her photo for escape. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Commentary with director Kevin Greutert, writer Robert Ben Garant and executive producer Jerry P. Jacobs; "Jessabelle: Deep in the Bayou" featurette; deleted scenes; outtakes; extended ending. (Lionsgate).
Jimi: All Is By My Side (2013) Andre Benjamin, Hayley Atwell, Imogen Poots, Andrew Buckley, Ruth Negga. OutKast's Andre Benjamin stars as Jimi Hendrix in this biopic from Academy Award-winning writer-director John Ridley ("12 Years a Slave"). Covering a transformative year in Hendrix's life from 1966-67, in which he went from a New York City backing musician to making his mark in London's music scene up until his Monterey Pop triumph, the film presents an intimate portrait of the sensitive young musician on the verge of becoming a rock legend. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. (XLRator Media).
Men, Women & Children (2014) Dir.: Jason Reitman; Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Ansel Elgort, Kaitlyn Dever, Rosemarie DeWitt, Dean Norris, Judy Greer. A group of high school teenagers and their parents attempt to navigate the many ways the Internet has changed their relationships, their communication, their self-image, and their love lives. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Virtual Intimacy" in which the cast and director discuss the effects of technology and social media on our lives and relationships; "Seamless Interface" behind-the-scenes look at how the digital world of the film was created; deleted scenes, including a never-before-seen storyline. (Paramount).
Middle of Nowhere (2012) Emayatzy Corinealdi, Omari Hardwick, Edwina Findley Dickerson, Sharon Lawrence. When her husband is sentenced to eight years in prison, Rudy drops out of medical school in order to focus on her husband's well-being while he's incarcerated - leading her on a journey of self-discovery in the process. Formats: DVD. Extras: Commentary with director Ava DuVernay and Emayatzy Corinealdi. (Lionsgate).
My Left Foot BLU-RAY DEBUT (1989) Daniel Day-Lewis, Brenda Fricker, Ray McAnally, Fiona Shaw. Extras: "The Real Christy Brown" featurette, "An Inspirational Journey: The Making of My Left Foot" featurette. (Lionsgate).
MythBusters 10th Anniversary Collection photo for (2014) 10-disc collection that includes 50 episodes selected by the "MythBusters" cast. Adam Savage, Jamie Hyneman, Grant Imahara, Kari Byron, and Tory Belleci tackle more than 35 hours of debunking in this anniversary collection. To celebrate their 10-years, those mad scientists in the Mythbusters lab have cooked up their biggest concoction yet with the craziest, coolest, and most combustible conundrums that the scientific world has to offer ... and they risk life, limb, and eyebrows to stamp each myth with the official Mythbusters seal. $99.99. Formats: DVD. (Cinedigm ).
Once Upon a Time in Shanghai (2014 -- Hong Kong) Philip Ng, Andy On, Sammo Hung. A country bumpkin moves to 1930's Shanghai in the hope of becoming rich, but ends up honing his kung fu skills to become a lethal fighting machine. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital. Extras: (Well Go USA).
photo for Revenge of the Green Dragons (2014) Justin Chon, Kevin Wu, Harry Shum Jr., Shuya Chang, Eugenia Yuan, Geoff Pierson, Ray Liotta. Based on a New Yorker article chronicling New York's most notorious street gang, the Green Dragons. Two immigrant brothers join the Green Dragons gang and quickly rise up the ranks and become notorious in the community, drawing the attention of the NYPD's Detective Bloom. But when an ill-fated love affair pits one of the brothers against the gang's leader, he sets out for revenge on the group. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Commentary with director Andrew Lau and writer-director Andrew Loo, "The Not So American Dream: The Cast" featurette, "Stitches in Time: Costume Design" featurette, "A Claustrophobic World: Production Design" featurette. Blu-ray adds deleted scenes. (Lionsgate).
photo for The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power (2015) Victor Webster, Lou Ferrigno, Ellen Hollman, Barry Bostwick, Michael Biehn, Rutger Hauer, Roy "Big Country" Nelson, Royce Gracie, Don Wilson. Third sequel in the action-packed franchise. After the king of Norvania is assassinated, the legendary Scorpion King Mathayus is framed for the crime and must fight off an entire kingdom of soldiers. Now Mathayus (Victor Webster) and his only remaining allies, a mysterious woman and her unconventional father, are the last hope to stop the evil heir to the throne on his quest for an ancient and almighty mystical power. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Gag Reel, "A Brand New World" production featurette, "Great Chemistry" on-location featurette. Blu-ray adds deleted scenes, "Real Fighters, Fake Punches" featurette. (Universal).
Skin (1981 -- Italy/France) Marcello Mastroianni, Burt Lancaster and Claudia Cardinale. Director Liliana Cavani's ("The Night Porter") Palme d'Or nominee. Based on the short stories of Curzio Malaparte, the film is Cavani's controversial look at the aftermath of German occupation of Italy during World War II. After the Allies liberate Naples in 1943, life for the locals is not much easier, especially for women; many must sacrifice their dignity and morals in order to survive. Marcello Mastroianni plays Malaparte, a diplomatic liaison between the Allied and Italian forces, who chronicled the desperate measures taken by his Italian countrymen to endure even after the defeat of their enemy. Burt Lancaster plays liberating American Gen. Mark Clark, who struggles to fathom the devastation around him. Restored and remastered for its U.S. debut. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Four featurettes, including three with director Liliana Cavani and one with production designer Dante Ferretti ("At the Frontier of the Apocalypse," "Malaparte, Great Reporter," "The Individual and History" and "Dante Ferretti Revisits Naples"); commentary by critics Wade Major and Andy Klein; original French release trailer; 2014 re-release trailer. (Cohen Film Collection).
The Strange Little Cat (2014 -- Germany) In Ramon Zurcher's "The Strange Little Cat," a mother desperately trying not to implode and her youngest daughter who explodes constantly form poles between which sons and daughters, aunts and uncles, cats and cousins weave in and around each other in the tight domestic space of a middle-class Berlin flat. Formats: DVD. (Icarus Films).
Supernova BLU-RAY DEBUT (2000) Dir.: Walter Hill; James Spader, Angela Bassett, Lou Diamond Phillips, Robert Forster, Peter Facinelli, Robin Tunney. In the farthest reaches of deep space, the medical vessel Nightingale keeps a lonely vigil for those in trouble. When a frantic cry for help pierces the void, the crew responds with a near fatal, hyper-space dimension jump into the gravitational pull of a dying star. The disabled ship rescues a shuttlecraft containing a mysterious survivor and a strange alien artifact. Now the crew must unravel a chilling secret and escape the nearby imploding star before the rapidly forming supernova blasts them and the entire galaxy into oblivion. Extras: "The Making of Supernova" featurette with new interviews with actors Lou Diamond Phillips and Robert Forster, producer Daniel Chuba and filmmaker Jack Sholder; deleted scenes; alternate ending; theatrical trailer. (Scream Factory/Shout! Factory).
Twilight Saga Extended Editions Triple Feature (2008-10) All three films -- "Twilight," "New Moon" and "Eclipse" -- re-edited to include deleted scenes. Formats: DVD: $19.98, Blu-ray Disc: $24.99. (Lionsgate).
The Two Faces of January (2014) Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Oscar Isaac. A thriller centered on a con artist, his wife, and a stranger who flee Athens after one of them is caught up in the death of a private detective. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurette, trailer. (Magnolia Home Entertainment/Magnet Label).
Two Mothers (Zwei Mütter) (2013 -- Germany) Karina Plachetka, Sabine Wolf. A lesbian couple struggle against inconsistent laws and bigotry in an effort to have a child. Formats: DVD. (Canteen Outlaws).
Tyrant Season One (2014) 10 episodes, $49.99. Formats: DVD. Extras: "A Family of Tyranny" in-depth look at key family members and the pivotal roles they play in the drama, deleted scenes. (Fox).
Viktor (2014) Gerard Depardieu, Elizabeth Hurley, Eli Danker, Polina Kuzminskaya. After spending seven years in jail for an art heist, Frenchman Victor Lambert returns to Moscow to uncover the circumstances behind his son's brutal murder. Unconcerned for his own well-being, Viktor enters a dark and violent underworld of drugs, diamonds and smugglers, embarking on his own pitiless manhunt. Formats: DVD. (Inception Media Group).
A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014) Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, Boyd Holbrook, Sebastian Roche, Brian "Astro" Bradley, David Harbour, Adam David Thompson. Read more about "A Walk Among the Tombstones" in the January Calendar. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "A Look Behind the Tombstones" featurette. Blu-ray adds "Matt Scudder: Private Eye" page-to-screen featurette. (Universal).
Wetlands (2013 -- Germany) Carla Juri, Christoph Letkowski, Marlen Kruse, Meret Becker, Axel Milberg. An unapologetically sexy and subversive comedy based on the best-selling novel by Charlotte Roche. When a bizarre shaving accident lands rebellious teen Helen (Carla Juri) in the hospital, she develops an unlikely bond with her male nurse (Christoph Letkowski) who she seduces with stories of her sexual adventures while using her illness to try and reunite her divorced parents. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Trailers. (Strand Releasing).
photo for Who Killed Alex Spourdalakis? (2014) Ignorance, negligence and indifference at the hands of the U.S. healthcare system are but a few of the unsettling things audiences will witness in an unprecedented documentary that captures the events that precipitated the alleged murder of autistic Chicago teen, Alex Spourdalakis. The documentary from the Autism Media Channel, filmed in the months leading up to Alex's death, is a troubling and haunting film that depicts a healthcare system ill-equipped to treat a disorder that is increasingly prevalent in our country. Mute and afflicted with severe autism, Alex Spourdalakis went from being a handicapped but happy adolescent to a sleepless, violent young man out of control. Gastrointestinal pain and inflammation lay at the heart of his problem, but failing to recognize this, successive doctors put him in locked restraints for over 70 days while, despite expert advice, they numbed his brain with dangerous psychotropic drugs. Helpless and beyond exhausted, overwhelmed by Alex's suffering, his mother and Godmother plotted his death and their own, unsuccessful, suicide. Formats: DVD. Extras: Interview with the filmmakers, "A Success Story" featurette, "Tribute to Alex. (TDC Entertainment).
Twilight Saga Extended Editions Triple Feature (2008-10) All three films -- "Twilight," "New Moon" and "Eclipse" -- re-edited to include deleted scenes. Formats: DVD: $19.98, Blu-ray Disc: $24.99. (Lionsgate).
Zarra's Law (2014) Brendan Fehr, Erin Cummings, Nick Sandow, Tony Sirico, Burt Young. A retired cop Tony (Sirico) infiltrates the seamy world of organized crime and gets lost in a labyrinth of greed, dead ends, lies when he tries to avenge the death of his brother. Formats: DVD. (ARC Entertainment).
Zodiac: Signs of the Apocalypse (2014) Joel Gretsch, Aaron Douglas, Andrea Brooks, Christopher Lloyd. A 2,000-year-old ivory carved astrology board holds the secret to a series of global catastrophes unleashed when a mysterious planet crosses the sun. A rogue scientist is the key to deciphering the symbols and humanity's only chance at survival. Formats: DVD. (Anchor Bay).



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January 20

Annabelle (2014) Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, Tony Amendola, Alfre Woodard. Read more about "Annabelle" in the January Calendar. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: (Warner).
The Atticus Institute (2015) Ryan Kihlstedt, William Mapother, Harry Groener, Rob Kerkovich, John Rubinstein, and Sharon Maughan. In the fall of 1976, a small psychology lab doing experiments in ESP in Pennsylvania became the unwitting home to the only government-confirmed case of possession. The U.S. military assumed control of the lab under orders of national security and, soon after, implemented measures aimed at weaponizing the entity. The details of the inexplicable events that occurred are being made public after remaining classified for nearly 40 years. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. (Anchor Bay).
photo for A Bet's a Bet (aka The Opposite Sex) (2014) Kristin Chenoweth, Jennifer Finnigan, Mena Suvari, Geoff Stults, Josh Hopkins. Everything in life is a competition and losing is unacceptable to Vince (Stults), a successful divorce attorney who considers dating just another conquest. He meets his match in intensely competitive Jane (Suvari), and they soon partake in a series of bets where the loser's fate is at the mercy of the winner. Formats: DVD. (Cinedigm).
The Boxtrolls (2014) Voices of Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Elle Fanning, Toni Collette, Jared Harris, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, Tracy Morgan, Simon Pegg. Read more about "The Boxtrolls" in the January Calendar. Formats: DVD, 3D Blu-ray Disc/Blu-ray/DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Dare to Be Square: Behind the Scenes of The Boxtrolls" five-part documentary; five featurettes: "The Nature of Creation," "Trolls Right Off the Tongue," "Allergic to Easy," "Let's Dance" and "On the Shoulders of Giants"; commentary with directors Anthony Stacchi and Graham Annable; preliminary animatic sequences. (Universal).
photo for Coherence Coherence (2013) Emily Baldoni, Maury Sterling, Nicholas Brendon, Lorene Scafaria. Strange things begin to happen when a group of friends gather for a dinner party on an evening when a comet is passing overhead. Formats: DVD. (Oscilloscope Laboratories).
The Drop (2014) Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, James Gandolfini. Read more about "The Drop" in the January Calendar. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Featurettes: "Keeping it Real," "Making of The Drop," "Making Brooklyn Your Own," "Rocco the Dog," "Character Profile: James Gandolfini"; deleted scenes; commentary by director Michael R. Roskam and screenwriter Dennis Lehane. (Fox).
Gnome Alone (2014) Verne Troyer, Kerry Knuppe. When timid college student Zoe witnesses a hit-and-run, the dying victim gives her a strange amulet. Suddenly, all those who have offended Zoe in her life begin dying horrible deaths at the hands of a malicious gnome. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Behind-the-scenes with cast and crew interviews. (Lionsgate).
photo for Life's a Breeze (2013) Kelly Thornton, Fionnula Flanagan, Pat Shortt, Eva Birthistle. An Irish family is turned upside down when Nan's (Fionnula Flanagan) unemployed slacker son Colm (Pat Shortt) and his niece Emma (Kelly Thornton) make a well-intended attempt to clean out her house and accidentally trash the mattress where she's been stashing her life savings. Now they must overcome their many differences to lead their family in a race against time to find a lost fortune. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
A Little Game (2014) Ralph Macchio, Janeane Garofalo, F. Murray Abraham, Rachel Dratch, Olympia Dukakis. Ostracized at her posh new uptown school and shaken by the death of her beloved grandmother, a 10-year-old downtown girl finds an unlikely mentor in the form of an irascible chess-master, who uses the game to teach lessons in resilience, perseverance, and how to embrace inevitable change. Formats: DVD. (ARC Entertainment).
photo for Little House on the Prairie - Season Four Deluxe Remastered Edition (1977-78) Five-disc set with 22 newly restored and remastered uncut broadcast-length episodes. The adventure and drama continues for the beloved Ingalls family: Life on the frontier brings trials and triumphs that includes a disappointing trip to Chicago, a devastating drowning followed by Laura's kidnapping, crime and outlaws in Walnut Grove, love and marriage for Nellie, a surprise family inheritance, Caroline's pregnancy, Mary's tragic blindness and more. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Fourth installment of the all-new 40th anniversary-themed documentary, "The Little House Phenomenon Part Four: A Day in the Life of Little House." (Lionsgate).
Lost Legion (2015) Tom McKay, Michelle Lukes, Brian Caspe, Jim High. Following the fall of the Roman Empire, a Roman woman plots to make her son the new Emperor and to fulfill the former glory of the city. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). (Lionsgate).
Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon (1998) Derek Jacobi, Daniel Craig, Tilda Swinton. John Maybury's searing portrait of the English painter Francis Bacon (Derek Jacobi) at the height of his fame in the 1960s is one of the nastiest and most truthful portraits of the artist-as-monster ever filmed. It's the story of the colossally self-absorbed painter and his self-destructive younger lover, George Dyer, a former small time crook. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Commentary with director John Maybury and Derek Jacobi, original theatrical trailer. (Strand Releasing).
Lucy (2014) Dir.: Luc Besson; Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Choi Min-Sik, Amr Waked. Read more about "Lucy" in the January Calendar. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Cerebral Capacity – The True Science of Lucy" featurette. Blu-ray adds "The Evolution of Lucy" featurette. (Universal).
The Magic School Bus: Season One (1994) Two-disc set with 13 episodes, $19.97. Available for the first time on DVD as a complete season. Formats: DVD. (Scholastic/Cinedigm).
photo for May in the Summer (2013 -- Jordan) Cherien Dabis, Alexander Siddig, Hiam Abbass, Bill Pullman. A young woman who has it all - intelligence, beauty, rave reviews for her new book returns to her hometown of Amman, Jordan, for her wedding to a distinguished New York scholar. But the cracks in her seemingly perfect life begin to show: Her born-again Christian mother disapproves of her fiance's Muslim faith, her sisters revert to behaving like rebellious teens as their estranged father awkwardly attempts to make amends. Confronted with the wounds of her parents' broken relationship and the clash of old-world and modern values, she begins to question the direction of her life. Extras: Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (Cohen Media Group).
The Mule (2014) Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Jaime Browne. In 1983, a naive man with lethal narcotics hidden in his stomach is detained by Australian Federal Police. Alone and afraid, "the Mule" makes a desperate choice: to defy his bodily functions and withhold the evidence ... literally, becoming a "human time- bomb" and dragging cops, criminals, lawyers and his mother into his impossible escapade. Inspired by true events. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. (XLrator Media).
My Winnipeg (2007) The geographical dead center of North America and the beloved birthplace of Guy Maddin, Winnipeg is the frosty and mysterious star of Maddin's "docu-fantasia." A work of memory and imagination, Maddin's film burrows into what the filmmaker calls "the heart of the heart" of the continent, conjuring a city as delightful as it is fearsome, populated by sleepwalkers and hockey aficionados. Take part in Winnipeg's annual epic scavenger hunt! Pay your respects to the race horses forever frozen in the river! Help judge the yearly homoerotic Golden Boy pageant! What is real and what is fantasy is left up to the viewer to sort out in Maddin's hypnotic, expertly conceived paean to that wonderful and terrifying place known as My Hometown. New high-definition digital restoration, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Conversation between Maddin and art critic Robert Enright; "My Winnipeg Live in Toronto," a 2008 featurette; various cine-essays by Maddin on Winnipegiana; three Maddin shorts, with introductions by the director: "Spanky: To the Pier and Back" (2008), "Sinclair" (2010), and "Only Dream Things" (2012); deleted scene; trailer; an essay by critic Wayne Koestenbaum. (The Criterion Collection).
On Golden Pond Collector's Edition BLU-RAY DEBUT (1980) Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, Jane Fonda, Dabney Coleman, Doug McKeon. Nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, "On Golden Pond" earned legendary actor Henry Fonda his first Oscar after a lifetime of outstanding performances, and solidified Katharine Hepburn as one of film's greatest actresses when she received her unprecedented fourth Best Actress Oscar. Ernest Thompson won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Extras: Commentary with director Mark Rydell, "Reflections on Golden Pond" featurette, "A Woman of Substance: Katharine Hepburn Remembered" featurette, trailer. (Shout! Factory).
photo for The Palm Beach Story (1942) This wild tale of wacky wedlock from Preston Sturges takes off like a rocket and never lets up. Joel McCrea and Claudette Colbert play Tom and Gerry, a married New York couple on the skids, financially and romantically. With Tom hot on her trail, Gerry takes off for Florida on a mission to solve the pair's money troubles, which she accomplishes in a highly unorthodox manner. A mix of the witty and the utterly absurd, "The Palm Beach Story" is a high watermark of Sturges's brand of physical comedy and verbal repartee, featuring sparkling performances from its leads as well as hilarious supporting turns from Rudy Vallee and Mary Astor as a brother and a sister ensnared in Tom and Gerry's high jinks. New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: New interview with writer and film historian James Harvey about Sturges; new interview with actor and comedian Bill Hader about Sturges; "Safeguarding Military Information," a 1942 World War II propaganda short written by Sturges; Screen Guild Theater radio adaptation of the film from March 1943; an essay by critic Stephanie Zacharek. (The Criterion Collection).
photo for The Pirates (2014 -- South Korea) Kim Nam-Gil, Son Ye-Jin, Yoo Hai-Jin, Lee Kyoung-Young, Kim Tae-Woo, Park Chul-Min. On the eve of the founding of the Joseon Dynasty in 1388, an unprecedented robbery shocks the nation-in-waiting: a whale has swallowed the Emperor's Royal Seal and a bounty placed on its retrieval. Now, every infamous gang of thieves, thugs, pirates and government agents take to the seas, battling the elements, creatures of the deep, and each other to possess reward. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). (Well Go USA).
Rudderless (2014) Dir.: William H. Macy; Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin, Felicity Huffman, Jamie Chung, Selena Gomez, Laurence Fishburne. The story of Sam, a father (Crudup) whose life is torn apart by the sudden death of his son. When Sam discovers a box filled with his son's demo tapes and lyrics, his own child's musical talent is a revelation for him. Sam learns each song and eventually musters the will to perform one at a local bar. When Quentin (Yelchin), a young musician in the audience, is captivated by the song, the unlikely duo forms a rock band that becomes surprisingly popular and revitalizes both of their lives. Formats: DVD. Extras: "Hear This Song" featurette, music video for the song "Hold On" featuring Selena Gomez and Ben Kweller, deleted scenes. (Paramount).
Swamp People: Season 5 (2014) Five-disc set with 22 episodes, $24.98. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Never-before-seen-on-TV bonus footage. (Lionsgate).
Tyler Perry's Madea's Tough Love (2014) Tyler Perry's first animated film has Madea sentenced to community service after a hilarious run-in with the law. Determined to do good for the 'hood, Madea enlists Aunt Bam and Uncle Joe to try and save the Moms Mabley Youth Center from being shut down. With her irresistible sass and wisdom, Madea rallies the local kids to make a stand -- and proves that behind her tough exterior is a whole lot of love. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Madea Gets Animated" behind-the-scenes featurette, "Madea's Storyboard Comparison" featurette. (Lionsgate).
White Bird in a Blizzard (2014) Shailene Woodley, Eva Green, Christopher Meloni, Shiloh Fernandez, Gabourey Sidibe, Thomas Jane. Kat Connors' perfect homemaker mother, Eve, a beautiful, enigmatic, and haunted woman, disappears -- just as Kat is discovering and relishing her newfound sexuality. Having lived for so long in a stifled, emotionally repressed household, she barely registers her mother's absence and certainly doesn't blame her doormat of a father, Brock, for the loss. In fact, it's almost a relief. But as time passes, Kat begins to come to grips with how deeply Eve's disappearance has affected her. Returning home on a break from college, she finds herself confronted with the truth about her mother's departure, and her own denial about the events surrounding it. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Commentary with director Gregg Araki and actress Shailene Woodley; deleted and extended scenes; interview with Araki; interview with Woodley; AXS TV: A Look at White Bird In A Blizzard; theatrical trailer. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
photo for The Zero Theorem (2014) Dir.: Terry Gilliam; Christoph Waltz, Matt Damon, Tilda Swinton, David Thewlis, Melanie Thierry. Sci-fi adventure in which a computer hacker whose goal is to discover the reason for human existence continually finds his work interrupted when Management sends a teenager and lusty love interest to distract him. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: "Behind the Scenes' featurette, featurettes on "The Visual Effects," "The Costumes" and "The Sets." (Well Go USA).

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January 27

photo for Art and Craft (2014) Documentary follows Mark Landis, who has been called one of the most prolific art forgers in U.S. history. His impressive body of work spans 30 years, covering a wide range of painting styles and periods that includes 15th century icons, Picasso, and even Walt Disney. And while the copies could fetch impressive sums on the open market, Landis isn't in it for money. Posing as a philanthropic donor, a grieving executor of a family member's will, and most recently as a Jesuit priest, Landis has given away hundreds of works over the years to a staggering list of institutions across the United States. But after duping Matthew Leininger, a tenacious registrar who ultimately discovers the decades-long ruse and sets out to expose his philanthropic escapades to the art world, Landis must confront his own legacy and a chorus of museum professionals clamoring for him to stop. Formats: DVD. (Oscilloscope Laboratories).
photo for Big Driver (2014) Maria Bello, Ann Dowd, Will Harris, Joan Jett, Olympia Dukakis. A famous writer, on a long drive home following a book signing, gets stranded and is relieved when another driver stops and offers assistance ... until she discovers her savior is actually a serial killer who repeatedly assaults her. After her ordeal, she becomes determined to find her rapist and seek revenge, as payback is the only thing holding her together. Formats: DVD. (Lionsgate).
Bombshell Bloodbath (2014) Alex Elliott, Ed Ricker, Rob Springer, Jeff Briggs. Doctor Carter risks everything with each step he takes in resurrecting his recently deceased wife as he infuses his formula, Injection C-900, into the corpses stolen from the local graveyard. Every attempt only succeeds in creating hungry, flesh-eating zombies, driving the doctor closer to madness with every failure. After his daughter, Cara, tragically contracts the virus during a scientific experiment gone horribly wrong, she and her sister must take extreme measures to secure more anti-serum needed to prevent her from becoming an undead ghoul. Formats: DVD. (Monarch Home Entertainment).
photo for Born of War (2013) Sofia Black D'Elia, James Frain, Michael Maloney. A young college student's life is changed forever after her family is murdered and she becomes hell-bent on avenging them. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Behind the scenes interviews. (Lionsgate).
Days and Nights (2014) A comically tender interpretation of Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull." Movie star Elizabeth (Allison Janney) takes her paramour Peter to her lakeside estate to visit her family during Memorial Day weekend. There they meet up with Elizabeth's ailing brother (William Hurt), her artist son (Ben Whishaw), his ethereal muse (Juliet Rylance), the family doctor (Jean Reno), the estate's custodian (Russell Means), its careless caretaker (Michael Nyqvist) and his wife (Cherry Jones), their temperamental daughter (Katie Holmes), and her long suffering ornithologist husband (Mark Rylance) who's the keeper of the sacred land where a bald eagle is trying to raise its young. Formats: DVD. (IFC Films).
Downton Abbey Season 5 (2014) "Downton Abbey" -- airing Sundays on MASTERPIECE on PBS from January 4 to March 1 -- returns for an epic fifth season of intimately interlaced stories centered on an English country estate – a deliciously entertaining formula that has made it the highest-rated drama in PBS history. Viewers can expect to follow plot threads left dangling from last season, including Lady Mary's courtship contest, Lady Edith's trials as a secret single mom, Thomas' scheming against Bates, Robert's battles against modernity, Tom's quest to be true to his ideals, Violet's one-line zingers, and much, much more. One of the recurring themes is change, from the wrenching consequences of the Titanic disaster in Season 1 to a notorious automobile accident at the end of Season 3 – plus World War I, women's rights, and the new morals, inventions, and fashions of the 1920s. Which is where Season 5 kicks off. It's 1924. The United Kingdom has its first Labor Party prime minister. The radio is the latest miracle of the age. And Downton's traditional ways are besieged on all fronts. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (PBS Distribution).
Feed the Gods (2014) Shawn Roberts, Tyler Johnston, Emily Tennant, Aleks Paunovic. After the death of their foster mother, brothers Will and Kris inherit a box that offers clues about their long-lost parents. Their quest leads them to the creepy town of Tendale that is home to a mythical Bigfoot-like creature with "a taste for tourists." Formats: DVD. (XLrator Media).
Fury (2014) Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Jon Bernthal, Michael Pena, Jason Isaacs, Scott Eastwood, Brad William Henke, Jim Parrack, Xavier Samuel Read more about "Fury" in the January Calendar. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Blood Brothers" featurette. Blu-ray adds More than 50 minutes of deleted & extended scenes; photo gallery; three featurettes: "Director’s Combat Journal," "Armored Warriors: The Real Men Inside the Shermans" and "Taming the Beast: How to Drive, Fire, & Shoot Inside a 30-Ton Tank."(Sony).
The Judge (2014) Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shepard, Leighton Meester, Ken Howard, Emma Tremblay, Balthazar Getty, David Krumholtz, Sarah Lancaster, Grace Zabriskie, Denis O'Hare. Read more about "The Judge" in the January Calendar. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Getting Deep With Dax Shepard" featurette. Blu-ray adds commentary by director David Dobkin, "Inside The Judge" featurette, deleted scenes. (Warner).
photo for The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness (2013 -- Japan) A year inside the world of Studio Ghibli. Granted near-unfettered access to the notoriously insular Studio Ghibli, director Mami Sunada follows the three men who are the lifeblood of Ghibli -- the eminent director Hayao Miyazaki, the producer Toshio Suzuki, and the elusive and influential "other director" Isao Takahata -- over the course of a year as the studio rushes to complete two films, Miyazaki's "The Wind Rises" and Takahata's "The Tale of The Princess Kaguya." The result is a rare "fly on the wall" glimpse of the inner workings of one of the world's most celebrated animation studios, and an insight into the dreams, passion and singular dedication of these remarkable creators. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Cinedigm).
La cienaga (2001) The release of Lucrecia Martel's "La cienaga" heralded the arrival of an astonishingly vital and original voice in Argentine cinema. With a radical take on narrative, disturbing yet beautiful cinematography, and a highly sophisticated use of on- and offscreen sound, Martel turns her tale of a decaying bourgeois family, whiling away the hours of one sweaty, sticky summer, into a cinematic marvel. This visceral take on class, nature, sexuality, and the ways political turmoil and social stagnation can manifest in human relationships is a drama of amazing tactility and one of the great contemporary film debuts. New 4K digital film transfer, approved by director Lucrecia photo for Martel, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: New interview with filmmaker Andres di Tella about Martel and the film, trailer, an essay by critic David Oubina. (The Criterion Collection).
Mama's Family: Mama's Favorites, Season Four Single disc brings together Vicki Lawrence's six favorite Season Four episodes, hand-picked by Mama herself. Episodes include: "Educating Mama," "Zirconia's Are a Girl's Best Friend," "The Sins of the Mother," "Mama on Jeopardy!," "Mama Goes Hawaiian (Part 1)" and "Mama Goes Hawaiian (Part 2)." Formats: DVD, $12.95. (StarVista Entertainment/Time Life).
My Old Lady (2014) Maggie Smith, Kevin Kline, Kristin Scott Thomas, Dominique Pinon. A down-and-out New Yorker inherits an apartment in Paris from his estranged father and is stunned to find a refined old lady living there with her protective daughter. And, under ancient French real estate law, they're not required to leave, so he moves in with them. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). (Universal).
Open Windows (2014) Elijah Wood, Sasha Grey, Neil Maskell. Obsessive fan Nick Chambers (Wood) thinks he's in luck when he seemingly wins a date with his favorite Hollywood actress, Jill Goddard (Grey). When he's jilted by the star, Nick receives a call from a mysterious man named Chord (Neil Maskell) who offers him the opportunity to spy on her via his laptop. Nick agrees to the proposal, but soon finds himself running from a web of lies, blackmail, kidnapping, and possibly even murder. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: "The Making of Open Windows," visual effects reel. (Cinedigm).
photo for Regular Show: Mordecai Pack (2014) Sixteen Mordecai-centric episodes from the latest seasons follows Mordecai and the rest of the gang on their extreme and surreal misadventures. The Cartoon Network series follows two best friends and park groundskeepers, Mordecai the blue jay and Rigby the raccoon, whose attempts to escape their everyday boredom take them to fantastical — and sometimes unintended –- extremes. Maintenance duties for Rigby and Mordecai are just dull enough to somehow propel the pair into different wild shenanigans each episode. Their boss, the gumball machine Benton, doesn't enjoy having to manage their antics … but their insane escapades often delight Pops, a talking lollipop, who has spent his entire life in the park.Formats: DVD, $19.95. Extras: Commentaries, deleted scenes. (Cartoon Network/Warner).
The Remaining (2014) Alexa Vega, Shaun Sipos, Johnny Pacar, Italia Ricci, Bryan Dechart. A group of close friends gather for a wedding, but the celebration is shattered by a series of cataclysmic events and enemies foretold by biblical end-times prophecies. The survivors face a horrifying, uncertain future as they scramble for safety, but as their world collapses around them in chaos and terror will they choose real life through faith, or just try to survive? Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Deleted scene, "Divine Revelations: Making The Remaining" featurette. (Sony).
Why Don't You Play In Hell? (2014 -- Japan) An outrageous actioner that also pays thrilling tribute to classics of the yakuza genre. Ten years ago, the Kitagawa yakuza clan attacked the Muto yakuza clan at Muto's own home, only to have Muto's wife fight back. This unexpectedly left the Kitagawa clan in shambles, with photo for Why Don't You Play In Hell? their top hit man Ikegami wounded and Muto's wife in prison. Despite the carnage, the most unfortunate fallout from this attack is when Muto's beloved actress daughter, Mitsuko, has her adorable toothpaste commercial taken off the air. Now, Ikegami seeks revenge, while Muto only has one desire: to have his wife return from prison to see Mitsuko star in her first movie. Enter The F??? Bombers, an eager but untalented group of wannabe filmmakers whose dreams of making movies have come crashing down after 10 years of 8mm efforts. Circumstances have brought them to this fateful moment where they'll be able to film - in 35mm! - the actual climactic battle between yakuzas in an over-the-top, blood-splattering epic for the ages. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital. Extras: Press conference with director Sion Sono, 11×17-inch fold-out poster by comic artist James Callahan, 24-page booklet, theatrical trailers. (Drafthouse Films/Cinedigm).


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All listings are based on information from the home video studios. Some release dates may change and titles may come out after a specified date (with no announcement from the studio). Additionally, some titles may be released with little or no advance announcement. And since all DVDs are priced at sell-through and are available for substantial discounts at both online and brick-and-mortar stores, we only list suggested retail prices for some special editions, box sets and collections.



All DVDs are screened on a reference system consisting of a Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player w/SACD & DVD-Audio, a Rotel RSX-972 Surround Sound Receiver, and Phase Technology 1.1 (front), 33.1 (center), and 50 (rear) speakers and Power 10 subwoofer.


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January 1, 2015
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