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Hot Blu-ray Releases: (8/31)Fans have been clamoring for a Blu-ray release of "The Evil Dead," the influential and groundbreaking Sam Raimi-directed horror film from 1981 -- and Anchor Bay Entertainment has heeded the call. This has got to be one of the scariest films of all time -- one that holds up some 30 years after its initial release. Given the low-budget and fast shooting schedule, "The Evil Dead" puts more modern outings to shame for its sheer force of horror. The high-def format and Dolby TrueHD sound will scare your socks off. If you don't own a copy of "The Evil Dead," shame on you. If you own a previous DVD edition and have a Blu-ray player, you need to upgrade to this version. Not only has the film been remastered into an all-new 1080p anamorphic 1:85 version (supervised by Raimi), the set includes a remastered director-composed 1:33 aspect ratio version of the original, which should warm the cockles of purists' hearts seeking the holy quail of authenticity. And there's a second disc loaded with featurettes and interviews.
Fans of Will Ferrell and his anchorman alter ego Ron Burgundy will jump for joy for "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy -- The 'Rich Mahogany' Edition," a two-disc Blu-ray set that brings together everything-Ron Burgundy in one nice, tidy, high-def package.
From TV to Video: (8/31)"Brothers & Sisters: The Complete Fourth Season" (2009-10) is a six-disc set with 24 episodes, $45.99 from Disney ... "FlashForward: The Complete Series" (2009-10) is a five-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.99 from Disney ... "House: Season Six" (2009-10) is a six-disc set with 31 episodes, $59.98 from Universal ... "iCarly: iSpace Out" (2010) features six episodes of the very popular Nickelodeon series, $16.99 from Paramount ... "The Judy Garland Show: Volume Five" (1963-64) is a medley-filled two-episode set with guest stars Steve Allen, Mel Torme, Jayne Meadows and Diahann Carroll, restored and digitally remastered from the original videotapes and digitally remixed sound in 5.1 surround sound; $19.98 from Infinity Entertainment ... "The Middle" (2009-10) is a three-disc set with 24 episodes, $44.98 from Warner ... "NCIS: Los Angeles -- The First Season" (2009) is a six-disc set with 24 episodes, $64.99 from CBS/Paramount ... "Parenthood: Season One"
(2010) is a three-disc set with 13 episodes, $39.98 from Universal ...
"Sons of Anarchy Season Two" (2009) four-disc set with 13 episodes, $59.98 from Fox ... "The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season" (2009-10) is a five-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.98 from Warner.
Buzzin' the 'B's: (8/31)In "The Red Riding Trilogy" (2009), three films come together to form one overwhelming cinematic experience about a mysterious -- and perhaps related -- series of gruesome crimes in Northern England. Based on events that occurred over a turbulent decade in the West Riding district of Yorkshire, England, the films present a dark and disturbing world of serial murders, child abductions and police corruption. The three films are connected by recurring events and characters, chiefly a deeply conflicted police detective, Maurice Jobson (David Morrissey), and ruthless high-ranking official Harold Angus (Jim Carter). Three directors use a different method for each film: Julian Jarrold ("Becoming Jane") shoots in 16mm film for 1974; James Marsh ("Man on Wire") in 35mm for 1980; and Anand Tucker ("Leap Year," "Shopgirl") in digital video for 1983. In the end, they've created a modern crime epic in which no one escapes undamaged. From IFC Films and MPI Media Group ... In "Tormented" (2009), starring Alex Pettyfer, April Pearson, Dimitri Leonidas and Calvin Dean, a bullied teenager comes back from the dead to take revenge on his classmates; from IFC Films ... In "Beatdown" (2010), a respected street fighter finds himself the target of dangerous gangsters who murdered his brother and hides out at his father's house in a small Southern town, where he soon gets involved in the local underground cage-fighting circuit and devises a way to get revenge; stars Rudy Youngblood, Michael Bisping, Susie Abromeit, Eric Balfour and Danny Trejo; from Lionsgate.
On the Indie Front: (8/31)There's four indie outings from IFC Films this week: Bijou Phillips, Christopher Masterson and Lauren German star in "Made for Each Other" (2009), a comedy about an upstanding, hard-working young man who cheats on his beautiful new wife -- and then desperately searches for someone for her to cheat on him with ... "French Film" (2008), starring Hugh Bonneville, Victoria Hamilton, Douglas Henshall and Anne-Marie Duff, is a comedy about how French and English cultures differ in their attitudes on relationships ... In "A Quiet Little Marriage" (2008), starring Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Cy Carter, Jimmi Simpson and Michael O'Neill, the future looks bright for a young and attractive Los Angeles couple, but beneath the surface of their wonderful life is a tangle of secrets, lies and pain ... Two complete strangers, Anna and Stephen, are brought together by chance by an elderly man who waits for his wife on a train station platform in "The Waiting Room" (2007), starring Anne-Marie Duff and Rupert Graves.
Foreign: (8/31)
"OSS 117: Lost in Rio" (2009 -- French) is a sequel to the 2006 satirical spy spoof "OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies," which was a smash in its native France and a cult hit in the U.S. "Lost in Rio" once again stars French comedy sensation Jean Dujardin as the ever-absurd Agent OSS 117. In his latest outing, it's 1967 and OSS 117's mission finds him partnering with a sexy Israeli Mossad agent (Lousie Monot) and traveling to swinging Rio de Janeiro to track down a roll of elusive microfilm and capture a high-ranking Nazi officer (Rudiger Vogler) who has gone into exile in Brazil. From Music Box Films.
For the Family: (8/31)"Go, Diego, Go!: Diego's Ultimate Rescue League" (2010)features three new-to-DVD episodes with the Animal Rescue League as they help Diego and his friends undergo a test to earn a World Rescuers' patch; help Bottlenose become an ocean animal rescuer by saving the ocean animals from a tsunami-like wave and a devastating oil spill; and climb a treacherous mountain to reunite Prince Vicuna with his parents, $16.99 from Paramount ... Fox has two new Strawberry Shortcake features: "Strawberry Shortcake: The Glimmerberry Ball Movie and Strawberry Shortcake: Berrywood Here We Come" (2010), $14.98 each.
Special Interest: (8/31) Cinema Libre has two releases this week that deal with important issues in the news: "Water Wars: When Drought, Flood and Greed Collide"
(2009) is a timely documentary (particularly in the face of the current, immense flooding in Pakistan) that uncovers critical water issues facing humanity. It takes the viewer from the floods and droughts in Bangladesh, to dam building in India, water management in the Netherlands and the latest wake-up call in America: the Katrina disaster and the drought in the Southwest. "For My Wife ... " (2008) is a feature documentary chronicling the making of an activist. After the tragic death of her wife, Charlene Strong was thrust into the spotlight becoming a powerful voice for the equal rights of same-sex couples and their families, resulting in the passage of Washington State's historic Domestic Partnership legislation. $19.95 each.October Blu-ray: "RoboCop,"
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For the first time this set offers the theatrical and unrated extended versions of 2004's "Anchorman" as well as the "alternate film" companion to "Anchorman," "Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie," a feature-length film compiled from dropped sub-plots and alternate takes. The set also includes "The Many Months of Burgundy," Ron's personal 32-page diary as well as a set of 12 trading cards. If you're a Ron Burgundy fan, you can't do without this collection. This Blu-ray edition offers great picture clarity and sound and enough bonus features to take your mind off real news for hours on end. And the Will Ferrell-Christina Applegate spanking scene at the end of "Lost Movie" is definitely worth the price of admission.
(August 27)
Get ready for some genre-bending releases this October: First up is the 
Vienna-born, New York-raised Josef von Sternberg ("Shanghai Express," "Morocco") directed some of the most influential, extraordinarily stylish dramas ever to come out of Hollywood. Though best known for his star-making collaborations with Marlene Dietrich, Sternberg began his movie career during the final years of the silent era, dazzling audiences and critics with his films' dark visions and innovative cinematography. The titles "Three Silent Classics by Josef Von Sternberg", made on the cusp of the sound age, are three of Sternberg's greatest works, gritty evocations of gangster life ("Underworld"; 1927), the Russian Revolution ("The Last Command"; 1928) and working-class desperation ("The Docks of New York"; 1928) made into shadowy movie spectacle. New, restored high-definition digital transfers. From The Criterion Collection.
"Lost: The Complete Sixth and Final Season" (2010) is a five-disc set with 16 episodes $79.99 from Disney ... "Lost: The Complete Collection" (2004-10) is a 37-disc set, $229.99 from Disney ... "NCIS: The Seventh Season" (2009-10) is a six-disc set with 24 episodes, $64.99 from CBS/Paramount ... "90210: The Second Season" (2009-10) is a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $47.99 from CBS/Paramount ... "The Patty Duke Show: The Complete Third Season" (1965-66) is a six-disc set with 32 episodes, $39.97 from Shout! Factory ... "Pawn Stars: The Complete Season Two" (2009-10) is a four-disc set with 32 episodes, $24.95 from A&E ... "Private" (2009 -- TV)follows the drama, romance and deadly thrills at the exclusive Easton Academy private school, from NewVideo/Flatiron Film Co. ... "Red vs. Blue Season 7: Recreation" (2010) is the Web series based on the "Halo" video game, $19.95 from New Video/Flatiron Film Co. ... "The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season" (2009) is a four-disc set with 22 episodes, packed in a collectible molded head packaging featuring Ralph Wiggum, $59.99 from Fox.
"The Square" (2010), starring David Roberts, Claire van der Boom, Joel Edgerton and Anthony Hayes, is a sinister tale centering on an adulterous couple whose scheming leads to arson, blackmail and murder; from Sony ... In "The Bad Mother's Handbook" (2007), starring Robert Pattinson, Catherine Tate, Holly Grainger, Anne Reid and Steve John Shepherd, a young man helps a friend with her pregnancy and finds himself on a memorable nine-month journey with three independent, outspoken women; from Lionsgate ... "Dorian Gray" (2009) stars Colin Firth, Ben Barnes, Rebecca Hall and Ben Chaplin in a new horror adaptation of Oscar Wilde's 1891 hedonistic best-seller "The Picture of Dorian Gray"; from National Entertainment Media ... In "Addicted to Her Love (aka Love Is the Drug)" (2006), starring John Patrick Amedori, Lizzy Caplan, D.J. Cotrona, Daryl Hannah and Jonathon Trent, an outsider at a new school falls for a girl who travels in an elite circle and finds that he can make friends with the group by supplying them with drugs from the pharmacy he works at -- with dire consequences; from E1 Entertainment ... A young man unwittingly follows his girl into a sexual addiction recovery group where he meets a host of oddball characters, including a man who has a thing for condiments and a newly celibate martial artist in "Group Sex<" (2010), starring Henry Winkler, Tom Arnold, Greg Grunberg, Lisa Lampanelli and James Denton; from Monarch Home Video ... 
Three young Americans encounter vampires and the supernatural in modern Eastern Europe in "Metamorphosis" (2007), starring Christopher Lambert, Corey Sevier and Irena A. Hoffman, from MTI Home Video ... An eccentric modern-day dandy obsessed by the power of art and visual imagery to mold the behavior and psychology of the individual orchestrates an elaborate series of staged visual events for the sole purpose of subliminally influencing the life of a harmless, down-to-earth graphic designer ... events that begin to take on the cruel and sinister overtones, in "Dark Night" (2005); from Vanguard Cinema) ... While on their first indie tour, a rock group's bus gets stranded on a country road, where they meet up with some strange farm inhabitants -- members of a half-pig/half-human science experiment, who want to add the rockers to their group in "Squeal" (2008); from E1 Entertainment ... "Four Stories of St. Julian" (2009) is an unconventional thriller that takes place entirely inside an elevator: four strangers get stuck in an elevator in the St Julian building, a decrepit, inner-city building that was once a respected hospital but is now home to the city's downtrodden and corrupt; from Vanguard Cinema.
"Nickelodeon Favorites: Happy Halloween" (2009) fetures six Halloween-themed episodes, one each from "Dora the Explorer," "Go, Diego, Go!, " "Wonder Pets!," "Yo Gabba Gabba," "Blue's Clues" and "Ni Hao, Kai-lan," $16.99 from Paramount ... "Adventures at School" (2009) is an essential back-to-school library for kids ages 3 to 9 includes 14 tales on three discs: "Crazy Hair Day ... And More Back to School Stories," "The Teacher From the Black Lagoon ... And More School Stories," and "Miss Nelson Has a Field Day ... And More School Time Stories." $24.95 from Scholastic StorybookTreasures ... "Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes" (2010) is an original animated movie, $19.98 from Warner.
Also from Docurama is "Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg" (2009), an eye-opening documentary about television pioneer Gertrude Berg, the entertainment genius and entrepreneur who wrote, starred in and produced the first successful American sitcom, "The Goldbergs," and charmed a nation. Traces Berg's rise to stardom from her childhood in New York to her early radio days to her enormously influential sitcom, "The Goldbergs" (1949-56), which brought Berg the first Best Actress Emmy in history. Berg's passion and incredible productivity paved the way for a wide variety of causes, including women in entertainment, Jewish-American identity and actors' rights, but she is most celebrated for singlehandedly proving that the American family transcends social, religious and economic divisions. $29.95. ... "Instant Expert Series" is a new line of informative DVDs that offer a quick, authoritative guide to essential subjects, for students and lifelong learners. Each DVD includes an interactive quiz, printed study materials, discussion questions, more. First entries in the series, $14.95 each: "Ancient History: Egypt", "World History: The French Revolution," "American History: The Mayflower," "America History: Ben Franklin," "Arts and Literature: Beowulf," "Science and Technology: The Story of Oil." From A&E Home Entertainment.
A witty, dream-like period piece with lavish sets, stunning costumes and cameos by Scottish pop singer Jimmy Somerville, of Bronski Beat, and English writer and queer cultural icon Quentin Crisp, author of "The Naked Civil Servant." "Orlando" is the story of an aristocrat's journey through time, spanning over four centuries, first as a man, then as a woman, as Orlando never ages, from the era of Queen Elizabeth I to the 20th century. From Sony ... Winner of both the Academy Award for best foreign-language film and the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or, Marcel Camus' "Black Orpheus" (Orfeu negro) (1959) brings the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice to the 20th-century madness of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. With its eye-popping photography and ravishing, epochal soundtrack, "Black Orpheus" was a cultural event, kicking off the bossa nova craze that set hi-fi's across America spinning. In a two-disc set with new, restored high-definition digital transfer. From The Criterion Collection.
"Cougar Town: The Complete First Season" (2009-10) is a three-disc set with 24 episodes, $39.99 from Disney ... "Dexter: The Fourth Season" (2009) is a four-disc set with 12 episodes, $49.99 from Paramount ... "Father Knows Best: Season 5" (1958-59) is a five-disc set with 38 episodes, $34.99 from Shout! Factory ... "Friday Night Lights: The Fourth Season" (2009-10) is three-disc set with 13 episodes, $29.98 Universal ... "One Tree Hill: The Complete Seventh Season" (2009-10) is a five-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.98 from Warner ... "Ugly Betty: The Complete Fourth and Final Season" (2009-10) is a four-disc set with 20 episodes, $39.99 from Disney.
'70s England is in full swing as three outcast friends find themselves drinking, joking, fighting and chasing girls, while dreaming of escape from their blue-collar hometown of Cemetery Junction in the appropriately named comedy "Cemetery Junction" (2009), written and directed by Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant, and starring Felicity Jones, Matthew Goode, Christian Cooke, Tom Hughes, Jack Doolan, Ricky Gervais, Ralph Fiennes and Emily Watson; from Sony ... "Dark and Stormy Night" (2009) stars Daniel Roebuck, Jennifer Blaire, Dan Conroy, Brian Howe and Fay Masterson in a loving lampoon of the classic "old-dark house" thrillers. Set in the 1930s, this Larry Blamire-directed film begins with the family of the deceased (and very rich) Sinas Cavinder gathered for the reading of his will in a gloomy old mansion, complete with secret passageways, portraits with the eyes cut out and, of course, a gorilla. They soon find themselves being murdered by a mysterious hooded phantom; from Shout! Factory ... A college freshman who has been groomed from birth to continue her mother's legacy by joining the Delta house decides to pledge their rival, the Kappas, creating an all-out rivalry and fight-to-the-finish competition in "Sorority Wars" (2009), starring Lucy Hale, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Faith Ford and Amanda Schull; from RHI Entertainment/Vivendi Entertainment ... "The Lost Skeleton Returns Again" (2009) stars Fay Masterson, Brian Howe, Andrew Parks, Susan McConnell, Jennifer Blaire and Dan Conroy in a clever, over-the-top sequel to "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra," which brilliantly spoofed no-budget sci-fi movies of the 50s; here old friends and new enemies schlep into the Amazon jungle in search of yet another rare element, Jerranium 90; from Shout! Factory ... "Burning Bright" (2010), starring Briana Evigan, Charlie Tahan and Garret Dillahunt, is a thriller centered on a young woman and her autistic little brother who are trapped in a house with a ravenous tiger during a hurricane; from Lionsgate ... Sean Bean, Chris Hemsworth, Victoria Profeta star in "Ca$h" (2010), a thriller about a married couple with financial problems who have a case of money literally fall into their hands (while the husband is driving his old Buick below an overpass, a case falls onto the hood of the car and he finds $600,000 inside). They have the time of their lives ... until the owners of the cash come after the ill-gotten gain; from Lionsgate.
In the Wild West town of Mudbug, Sheriff Sugar Wolf arrives to confront an over-the-top villain, deranged gambler Big Baby Chips in "Big Money Rustlas"
(2010), starring Shaggy 2 Dope, Violent J, Tom Sizemore, Jason Mewes, Ron Jeremy, Brigitte Nielsen, Vanilla Ice and Todd Bridges; from Psychopathic Records, Vivendi Entertainment and Fontana Distribution ... In "The City of Your Final Destination"
(2009), starring Anthony Hopkins, Laura Linney, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Omar Metwally and Hiroyuki Sanada, an Iranian-American student wins a grant to write a biography of the Hispanic author Jules Gund, and he travels to Uruguay to convince the family to give him permission. He finds more than he expected when he meets the writer's brother (Hopkins), wife (Linney) and mistress (Gainsbourg); from Screen Media Films.
(August 15)
Upcoming releases: September 7: Spy comedy "Killers" starring Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Tom Selleck and Catherine O'Hara, on DVD and Blu-ray with "Killer Chemistry: Behind the Scenes With the Cast of Killers" featurette, gag reel, deleted and alternate/extended scenes, from Lionsgate ... September 14: Romance "Letters to Julia" starring Vanessa Redgrave, Amanda Seyfried, Gael Garcia Bernal, Chris Egan and Franco Nero, on DVD and DVD/Blu-ray Combo Pack, with deleted and extended scenes, commentary, "The Making of Letters to Juliet: In Italia," from Summit Entertainment ... September 28: "Babies," the documentary look at one year in the life of four babies from around the world, from Mongolia to Namibia to San Francisco to Tokyo, with the bonus feature "The Babies: Three Years Later," from Universal ... October 12: Graphic novel-to-big-screen "Jonah Hex,"
starring Josh Brolin, John Malkovich and Megan Fox, available as a single DVD and DVD/Blu-ray Disc Combo Pack; the Blu-ray version offers "The Weird Western Tales of Jonah Hex," "The Inside Story of Jonah Hex," additional scenes, from Warner.
The folks over at Shout! Factory are peering 20 minutes into the future with the much-anticipated "Max Headroom: The Complete Series," a five-disc set with all 14 episodes for $49.97. Extras include "Live on Network 23: The Story of Max Headroom" featurette; "Looking Back at the Future" roundtable discussion with stars Amanda Pays, Jeffrey Tambor, Concetta Tomei and Chris Young, moderated by Max Headroom superfan and creator of "The Middleman" Javier Grillo-Marxuach; "The Big-Time Blanks" featurette with Morgan Sheppard and Concetta Tomei; "The Science Behind The Fiction" featurette; "Producing Dystopia" featurette; "The Writers Remember" featurette and more.
"The Diplomat" (2009) stars Dougray Scott, Rachael Blake, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Richard Roxburgh, Claire Forlani and Don Hany in a British thriller: Scotland Yard Commander Julie Hales has discovered that British diplomat Ian Porter has dangerous ties to a notorious Russian trafficker in heroin. But the stakes are raised when an attempt on Porter's life leads Hales to a terrifying new discovery: a nuclear bomb previously belonging to the Soviet Union is missing and in the hands of the enemy. From Vivendi Entertainment ... "Triage" (2009) stars Colin Farrell, Juliet Stevenson, Paz Vega and Jamie Sives in an exploration of guilt, forgiveness and love that revolves around the shocking tale of a battle-scarred war photographer who returns from covering the fighting in Kurdistan -- without his colleagues -- as an entirely different person. From National Entertainment Media ... In a future world where the wealthy can have their brains implanted in clones so they can be immortal, a bounty hunter is called in to track down a rogue clone in "Clone Hunter" (2009), starring Ben Thomas, Angela Funk and David Ian Lee. From Lifesize Entertainment ... Teenage twins battle dark forces hidden beneath Auckland, New Zealand's volcanoes in "Under the Mountain" (2009), starring Tom Cameron, Sophie McBride, Oliver Driver, Leon Wadham and Sam Neil. From Lionsgate.
In "The Good Heart" (2009), starring Brian Cox, Paul Dano and Stephanie Szostak, Jacques, the curmudgeonly owner of a gritty New York dive bar that serves as a home to a motley assortment of professional drinkers, meets Lucas, a homeless young man who has already given up on life, he takes him under his wing, schooling him in the male-centric laws of the alcoholic clubhouse: no new customers, no fraternizing with customers, and absolutely no women. However, when Lucas insists they help a distraught and beautiful young woman who shows up at the bar seeking shelter, their unlikely friendship is put to the test. From Magnolia Home Entertainment ... Ashley Judd shines as a talented music professor forced to come to terms with her debilitating depression; she finds solace through her friendship with Mathilda, a kindred spirit struggling with bipolar disorder in "Helen"
(2009), also starring Lauren Lee Smith and Goran Visnjic. From E1 Entertainment ... Three guys tell the stories of how they met the loves of their lives, and how they managed to completely screw up the relationships in "Say Goodnight" (2008), starring Aaron Paul, Carly Pope, Shannon Lucio, Smith Cho, Rob Benedict, David Monahan and Christopher Gessner. From MTI Home Video.
Is access to clean drinking water a basic human right, or a commodity that should be bought and sold like any other article of commerce? From the producers of "Who Killed the Electric Car" comes "Tapped" (2009), a behind-the-scenes look into the unregulated and unseen world of an industry that aims to privatize and sell back the one resource that ought never to become a commodity: our water. A couple of eye-opening facts about the business of water in our country: Each year, Americans buy 29 billion single-serve bottles of water. To transport that water we use over 18 million barrels of oil. And, in 2007, water was an $11.5 billion business. $19.98 from The Disinformation Company.
(August 9)
Warner Bros.' New Line Cinema label has nightmares and dreams in store for you come this October. On October 5, New Line will release the reboot of 
(August 4)
Those pesky zombies just keep coming: On August 24 Magnolia Home Entertainment will release the latest chapter in George A. Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" franchise, 
"The Kim Novak Collection" is a three-disc set with five of Novak's best-known films, fully restored and remastered, including two new to DVD: "Picnic" (1955) starring William Holden, Rosalind Russell, Cliff Robertson and Susan Strasberg; "Jeanne Eagels" (1957) with Agnes Moorehead and Jeff Chandler (DVD debut); "Pal Joey" (1957) starring Frank Sinatra and Rita Hayworth; "Bell Book and Candle" (1958) starring James Stewart, Jack Lemmon Elsa Lanchester; Paddy Chayefsky's "Middle of the Night" (1959) starring Frederick March (DVD debut). $39.95 from Sony ... Warner Home Video is celebrating the 75th (75!) birthday of another icon, Elvis Presley, with two offerings: The restored and remastered Blu-ray and DVD versions of "Elvis on Tour" (1972), the Golden Globe-winning documentary that followed Elvis on a 15-city tour of the United States in 1972; $19.96 DVD, $34.99 Blu-ray. The company also has put together "The Elvis 75th Anniversary DVD Collection," a boxed set with 17 Elvis films, including the new "Elvis on Tour" as well as "Jailhouse Rock," "Viva Las Vegas," "It Happened at the World's Fair," "Kissin' Cousins," "Girl Happy," "Tickle Me," "Harum Scarum," "Spin Out," "Double Trouble," "Stay Away, Joe," "Speedway," "Live a Little, Love a Little," "Charro!" "The Trouble With Girls," "Elvis: That's the Way It Is" documentary, "This Is Elvis" documentary; $74.92. ... Errol Flynn was one of the "bad boys" of cinema, having fun on screen and off, but could he ever act. "Errol Flynn Adventures, TCM Spotlight" is a five-disc set with five restored and remastered Errol Flynn classics debuting on DVD. The collection includes: "Desperate Journey" (1942), "Northern Pursuit" (1943), "Uncertain Glory" (1944), "Objective, Burma!" (1945), all directed by the legendary Raoul Walsh, and "Edge of Darkness"(1943), directed by Lewis Milestone. These films show Flynn at his best as an action-hero; $42.92 from Warner.
starring Doug McClure, Ann Turkel and Vic Morrow, in a new high-definition transfer of the uncut international version presented in anamorphic widescreen, and loaded with extras; "Piranha" (1978), director Joe Dante's take on underwater carnivores, starring Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, Kevin McCarthy, Keenan Wynn, Barbara Steele, Dick Miller, Paul Bartel, Belinda Balaski, Richard Deacon and Barry Brown, presented in anamorphic widescreen for the first time; and "Deathsport/BattleTruck Collector's Edition" with "Deathsport" (1978), starring David Carradine, Claudia Jennings, Richard Lynch and William Smithers, and "BattleTruck" (released theatrically as "Warlords of the 21st Century" in 1982).
directed by John Hughes and starring Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Paul Gleason, with a "Sincerely Yours" 12-part documentary with Nelson, Hall, Sheedy and other cast members as they reflect on the making of "The Breakfast Club"; from Universal ... "Road to Perdition" (2002), directed by Sam Mendes and starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Daniel Craig, Ciaran Hinds and Jennifer Jason Leigh, with new bonus features that include a Sam Mendes feature introduction, "A Cinematic Life: The Art & Influence of Conrad Hall," and "The Library: A Further Exploration of the World of Road to Perdition"; from Paramount ... And, lastly, Disney has put together a special edition of "James and the Giant Peach" (1996), directed by Henry Selick with the voices of Simon Callow, Richard Dreyfuss, Jane Leeves, Joanna Lumley, Miriam Margolyes, Pete Postlethwaite, Susan Sarandon, Paul Terry, David Thewlis, for Blu-ray and standard DVD consumption.
"After.Life" (2009) stars Liam Neeson, Christina Ricci and Justin Long in a creepy, low-key and thought-provoking thriller on the slim boundaries between life and death. After a car accident, a young woman (Ricci) is seemingly caught between life and death and a funeral director (Neeson) who appears to have the gift of transitioning the dead to the afterlife, but who also just might be intent on burying her alive. Is she alive, like she thinks, or is she really dead, just waiting to be buried. From Anchor Bay ... In 
"Max's Chocolate Chicken," "Max's Christmas," "Morris's Disappearing Dog," "Otto Runs for President," "Noisy Nora," "Emily's First 100 Days Of School," "Voyage to the Bunny Planet," "Reading to Your Bunny." Since the beloved "Noisy Nora" was first published in 1973, Rosemary Wells has become one of our most treasured author-illustrators. With a career spanning more than 40 years and 120 books, the estimable Wells has delighted children and adults alike with such unforgettable characters as Max, Ruby, and Nora, the attention-seeking mouse. $19.95 from Scholastic Storybook Treasures... "Curious George: Back to School" (2010) includes eight episodes of the PBS KIDS TV series in which George discovers that you can learn new things at school, at home and everywhere in between, $16.98 from Universal ... "Dora's Big Birthday Adventure" (2010) is a music-filled, movie-length adventure that has Dora and Boots set out on a whirlwind adventure through Magic Storybook Land, with guest stars Rosie Perez as La Bruja (the witch), John Leguizamo as the Flying Monkeys and Hector Elizondo as the Wishing Wizzle. Includes two other episodes and a DVD game. $16.99 from Nick/Paramount.
"The Dungeon Masters" (2008) is a documentary set against the backdrop of crumbling middle-class America, about three struggling adults (two men and a woman) who devote their lives to Dungeons & Dragons, the storied role-playing game. One player is a sanitation worker who lures friends into a "Sphere of Annihilation." Another is an evil "drow-elf" displaced by Hurricane Katrina. And one is a failed supervillain who starts a cable access show involving ninjas, puppets and a cooking segment. But the baroque fantasies of these three clash with their mundane real lives, and they gradually come to realize that the game's imaginary triumphs can't completely mask the very real disappointments of life. $19.98 from FilmBuff/MPI Media Group.
