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Battle Royale: The Complete Collection
(2000, 2003) A title that has shocked, thrilled and unnerved audiences; a film whose fiendishly simple premise has inspired many imitations, including the upcoming "The Hunger Games" motion picture. Based on the 1999 global best-seller by Koushun Takami, the
Behind Your Eyes
(2011) Frida Farrell, Tom Sandoval, Daniel Fanaberia, Arthur Roberts. A weekend to meet the parents becomes a weekend of trying to stay alive for perfect couple Steven and Erika when they're kidnapped and tortured by unknown assailants .Formats: DVD. (Osiris Entertainment).
Carnage
(2011) Dir.: Roman Polanski; Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz, John C. Reilly.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: "Actors' Notes -- A Look at the Making of the Film," "An Evening with John C. Reilly and Christoph Waltz," "On the Red Carpet." (Sony).
Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life
(2011) Eric Elmosnino, Lucy Gordon, Laetitia Casta, Doug Jones, Anna Mouglalis, Orphee Silard. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital Download. Extras: Making-of documentary, collection of original storyboards and character sketches. (Music Box Films).
Watch the trailer:
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
(2011) Director: David Fincher. Stars: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Robin Wright, Stellan Skarsgard, Christopher Plummer, Joely Richardson. Formats: DVD, three-disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital Download, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Commentary by director David Fincher. Blu-ray adds the "Vangar Archives" featurettes: "Men Who Hate Women," character profiles, on location featurette, post-production and promotion featurettes. (Sony).
Hey Arnold! Season Two, Part 1
(2011) Two-disc set with 10 episodes, $19.93. Formats: DVD. (Shout! Factory).
Hop
(2011) Russell Brand, James Marsden, Hugh Laurie, Hank Azaria, Kaley Cuoco, Gary Cole, Elizabeth Perkins, David Hasselhoff, Chelsea Handler. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Phil's Dance Party": An all-new mini-movie starring fan-favorite chicks Phil and Carlos; "The World of HOP" interactive map of Easter Island explores the making of "Hop"; "All Access with Cody Simpson," who performed the film's theme song, "I Want Candy"; "Russell Brand: Being the Bunny"; "Russell Brand's Kid Crack Ups"; three games; more. Due Friday.(Universal).
In the Garden of Sounds
(2010 -- Switzerland) Deprived of his sight at an early age, Wolfgang Fasser turned to his ears for access to a world he once feared would be closed off forever. Awed by the restorative powers of sound, Fasser established a physical therapy retreat for disabled children where they use music and noise to communicate with others and gain control of their bodies.
Formats: DVD. Extras: "Travels with Wolfgang," "Shalom Klezmer," resource guide, filmmaker biography. (First Run Features).
Jane By Design: Volume 1
(2011) Two-disc set with 10 episodes, $29.99. Formats: DVD. (ABC Studios).
The Legend of Awesomest Maximus
(2011) Kristanna Loken, Rip Torn, Will Sasso, Ian Ziering, Sophie Monk. National Lampoon spoof of sword and sandal films, from "Troy" to "300." Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, Digital Download. (Image Entertainment).
Letter Never Sent
(1959) The great Soviet director Mikhail Kalatozov, known for his virtuosic, emotionally gripping films, perhaps never directed one more visually astonishing than "Letter Never Sent." This absorbing tale of exploration and survival concerns four members of a geological expedition who are stranded in the bleak and unforgiving Siberian wilderness while on a mission to find diamonds. Luxuriating in wide-angle beauty and featuring one daring shot after another (the brilliant cinematography is by Kalatozov's frequent collaborator Sergei Urusevsky), "Letter Never Sent" is a fascinating piece of cinematic history and a universal adventure of the highest order. New high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition. Extras: A booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Dina Iordanova. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (The Criterion Collection).
Little Girl
(2010 -- Italy) Bathed in the neorealist tradition of Roberto Rossellini and Vittorio De Sica, "Little Girl" ("La Pivellina") is a captivating tale of people at the margins of society who open their hearts to a stranger. In a run-down park on the outskirts of Rome, a 2-year-old girl is discovered and taken in by a family of hard-luck circus performers. A note in the child's pocket from a desperate mother reveals little about who she is or why she was left. As the bond grows between the girl and her surrogate family, this naturalistic drama becomes a revealing and soulful portrait of courage and discrimination, and of loss and togetherness. Formats: DVD. Extras: Filmmaker interview, biographies. (First Run Features).
A Lonely Place to Die
(2011) Melissa George, Ed Speleers, Eamonn Walker, Sean Harris, Alec Newman, Karel Roden. A group of mountaineers in the Scottish Highlands discover a kidnapped girl, terrified, dehydrated and unable to speak a word of English, and are pursued by her captors.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (IFC Films).
Mister Rogers & Me
(2010) An MTV producer's life is transformed when he meets the recently retired host of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," Fred Rogers. Friendship with the PBS icon sets the young producer on a quest to find depth and simplicity amidst a shallow and complex world through conversations with Susan Stamberg (NPR), Tim Russert ("Meet The Press"), Marc Brown ("Arthur") and more. $24.99. Formats: DVD. Extras: Commentary, bonus interviews. (PBS Distribution).
The Muppets
(2011) Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones, Alan Arkin, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, with the voices of Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, David Rudman, Matt Vogel, Peter Linz. Formats: 3-Disc Blu-ray/DVD/Digital with Soundtrack, 2-Disc Blu-ray/DVD, 1-Disc DVD with Soundtrack, 1-Disc DVD, VOD. Extras: "The Longest Blooper Reel Ever Made (In Muppet History -- We Think)," "Little Screen Test on the Way to the Read Through" featurette, "Disney Intermission," an all-new feature that allows viewers to press "pause" on their remote control and watch as the Muppets take over the screen and entertain until the movie resumes playing, "Explaining Evil: The Full Tex Richman Song," commentaries with screenwriter and star Jason Segel, director James Bobin and screenwriter Nicholas Stoller. (Disney).
People Are Funny
(1955) Highlights from the debut season of one of classic television's most popular game shows, "People Are Funny", in a special DVD collector's set, three-disc set with 16 episodes, $24.98.
Formats: DVD. (Film Chest).
Roadie
(2011) Ron Eldard, Bobby Cannavale, Jill Hennessy, Lois Smith. After 20 years on the road with Blue Oyster Cult, Jimmy Testagros returns to his hometown in Queens to life with his ailing mother. Complications arise when he falls for an old friend, who is now married to his longtime nemesis. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Commentary, behind-the-scenes featurette. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
Scarecrow & Mrs. King: The Complete Third Season
(2011) Five-disc set with 22 episodes, $39.98. (Warner).
Secret Pleasures: Four Asian Films About Love, Longing and Fishhooks
(2011) New box set includes: "The Isle," an erotic arthouse thriller that tells the tale of a beautiful woman who lives on an eerie, remote lake selling food to fisherman by day, and her body by night; "Electric Shadows," a charming tale of a delivery man and a young girl's passion for the movies -- which re-ignites his own longing for the days when the cinema enchanted China's masses; "The Personals," in which an attractive, successful doctor places a personal ad in a newspaper to try to meet (and eventually marry) Mr. Right. A succession of blind dates ensues, with men who are lonely, desperate, dangerous, perverted or all of the above; and "Ghosted," a mysterious love story set in Taiwan and Germany in which an artist tries to come to terms with the unsolved murder of her Taiwanese lover. Formats: DVD. (First Run Features).
Sidewalls
(2011 -- Argentina) Javier Drolas, Pilar Lopez de Ayala. Romantic comedy examining how the architecture of a city conditions the lives of two of its residents. Martin and Mariana live in the same apartment complex in bustling Buenos Aires, and they hurry about their lives unaware of each other. Both are young and beautiful -- and emotionally damaged, but when they encounter each other by chance, the end of loneliness may be at hand.
Formats: DVD. (IFC Films).
The Sitter "Totally Irresponsible Edition"
(2011) Jonah Hill, Max Records, Ari Graynor, J.B. Smoove, Sam Rockwell, Landry Bender. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo. Blu-ray Extras: Deleted and extended scenes, alternate ending, gag reel, outtakes , "For Your Consideration" with Blythe featurette, "The Making of The Sitter" featurette, "Jonah the Producer" featurette. (Fox).
Snow White: A Deadly Summer
(2012) Shanley Caswell, Maureen McCormick, Eric Roberts. A new twist on the fairy tale has Snow being sent off to a summer camp with a murderous past. Formats: DVD, Digital, VOD. (Lionsgate).
Splintered
(2010) Stephen Martin Walters, Holly Weston, Sacha Dhawan, Sadie Pickering, Jonathan Readwin, Sol Heras, Colin Tierney. Troubled teen Sophie drags her friends deep into a forest in search of a local legend -- a wild beast, half animal and half man, that uses its cunning ability and brutal strength to kill for pleasure. But when the beast leads Sophie and her friend, John, to an abandoned orphanage, the hunters become the hunted. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes. (Well Go USA).
Telstar
(2008) Con O'Neill, Kevin Spacey, Pam Ferris. Set against the backdrop of hedonistic, swinging, early '60s London, this is the stranger-than-fiction true story of Joe Meek, an enormously talented but quirky maverick who blazed a unique path as the world's first independent music producer. He enjoyed enormous success early on with the biggest selling record of its time, "Telstar," the first British album to hit #1 on American charts. But the flamboyant, tone-deaf songwriter was also a deeply troubled soul -- dabbling in the occult and addicted to amphetamines -- and his decline was as meteoric and spectacular as his rise. Bad luck, depression, heartbreak and paranoia soon lead to violence and self-destruction.
Formats: DVD. (Inception Media Group).
That '70s Show -- Season 1 BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1998-99) Four-disc set with all 24 episodes, $24.98. Extras: "Groovy Green Screen" split screen comparison showing the progression from raw green screen video to the finished popular '70s inspired character transitions, "Hello Wisconsin!" "Promo Palooza." (Mill Creek Entertainment).
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
(2011) Gary Oldman, Mark Strong, John Hurt, Ciaran Hinds, Colin Firth, Toby Jones, David Dencik, Kathy Burke, Tom Hardy. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Interviews with Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, director Tomas Alfredson and screenwriter Peter Straughan; commentary by Alfredson and Oldman. Blu-ray adds "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: First Look," deleted scenes, interview with John Le Carre. (Universal).
The War Room
(1993) The 1992 presidential election was a triumph not only for Bill Clinton but also for the new breed of strategists who guided him to the White House and changed the face of politics in the process. For this thrilling, behind-closed-doors account of that campaign, renowned cinema verite filmmakers D. A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus closely followed the brainstorming and bull sessions of Clinton's crack team of consultants -- especially the folksy James Carville and the preppy George Stephanopoulos, who became media stars in their own right as they injected a youthful spirit and spontaneity into the process of campaigning. Fleet-footed and entertaining, "The War Room" is a vivid document of a political moment whose truths ("It's the economy, stupid!") still ring in our ears. New, restored high-definition digital transfer, approved by directors D. A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition. Extras: "Return of the War Room," a 2008 documentary in which advisers James Carville, George Stephanopoulos, Paul Begala and others reflect on the effect the Clinton war room had on the way campaigns are run; "Making The War Room," a conversation between the filmmakers about the difficulties of shooting in the campaign's fast-paced environment; panel discussion hosted by the William J. Clinton Foundation and featuring Carville, Clinton adviser Vernon Jordan, journalist Ron Brownstein, and surprise guest Bill Clinton; interview with strategist Stanley Greenberg on the increasing importance of polling; booklet featuring an essay by writer Louis Menand. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (The Criterion Collection).
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
First of a three-picture adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s literary blockbuster "The Millennium Trilogy," which altogether has sold 50 million copies in 46 countries and has become a worldwide phenomenon. The series was made into a trio of Swedish films in 2009 starring Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace ("The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," "The Girl Who Played With Fire" and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest," all international boxoffice hits). The first film begins with disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), having lost a libel suit and resigning as co-owner of his magazine, Millennium. In the interim, he takes on the investigation of a 40 year-old disappearance case on behalf of the wealthy Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) of Vanger Industries. With the help of the pierced, tattooed and capable computer hacker, Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), they uncover corruption that no one could have ever imagined.
Vitals: Director: David Fincher. Stars: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Robin Wright, Stellan Skarsgard, Christopher Plummer, Joely Richardson.
2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 158 min., Drama-Thriller, Box office gross: $99.903 million, Sony.
The Muppets
On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan, and his friends Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets' former stomping grounds. To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate.
Vitals: Director: James Bobin. Stars: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones, Alan Arkin, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, with the voices of Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, David Rudman, Matt Vogel, Peter Linz.
2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 103 min., Family Comedy, Box office gross: $86.694 million, Disney.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
During the dark days of the Cold War in the 1970s, an intelligence officer is recalled from retirement when there are signs that one of the top-ranking officers of the British Secret Intelligence Service is a Soviet mole. A complicated, at-times slow-moving spy yarn based on the John le Carre novel. Done better as "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" by the BBC in 1979 with
Alec Guinness and Ian Richardson.
Vitals: Director: Tomas Alfredson. Stars: Gary Oldman, Mark Strong, John Hurt, Ciaran Hinds, Colin Firth, Toby Jones, David Dencik, Kathy Burke, Tom Hardy.
2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 127 min., Drama, Box office gross: $15.806, million, Universal.
Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life
Taking the best from "La vie en rose" and "Amelie," renowned comic book artist Joann Sfar's "Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life" is a completely original take on one of France's greatest mavericks, the illustrious and infamous Jewish singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg (Eric Elmosnino). Sfar follows Gainsbourg's life -- born Lucien Ginsburg to Russian-Jewish parents -- from his precocious childhood in Nazi-occupied Paris, to his beginnings as small time jazz musician and finally pop superstar. Along the way he romances many of the era's most beautiful women, including Juliette Greco (Anna Mouglalis), Brigitte Bardot (Laetitia Casta) and Jane Birkin (Lucy Gordon). Employing a witty surrealistic style and a soundtrack that includes many of the musician's greatest hits, the film is a quintessential time capsule to '60s Paris.
Vitals: Director:Joann Sfar. Stars: Eric Elmosnino, Lucy Gordon, Laetitia Casta, Doug Jones, Anna Mouglalis, Orphee Silard.
2011, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 130 min., Bio-Drama, Box office gross: $.230 million, Music Box Films.
Carnage
A razor sharp, biting comedy centered on parental differences. After two boys duke it out on a playground, the parents of the "victim" invite the parents of the "bully" over to work out their issues. A polite discussion of child-rearing soon escalates into verbal warfare, with all four parents revealing their true colors. None of them will escape the carnage. Based on Yasmina Reza's play "Le Dieu du carnage."
Vitals: Director: Roman Polanski. Stars: Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz, John C. Reilly.
2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 79 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $.530 million, Sony.
The Sitter
After Noah (Jonas Hill), a suburban slacker and the world's most irresponsible babysitter, takes a job watching the neighbor's kid -- who happen to be three of the world's worst kids -- he gets a call from his girlfriend in the city to hook up with her. So Noah takes to the streets of New York -- with the kids -- for an urban adventure that spins out of control as he finds himself on the run from the maniacal local drug lord. Raunchy laughs and insane action -- it's all in a night's work for The Sitter.
Vitals: Director: David Gordon Green. Stars: Jonah Hill, Max Records, Ari Graynor, J.B. Smoove, Sam Rockwell, Landry Bender. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 81 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $29.748 million, Fox.
Hop
Blending animation with live action, "Hop" is a comedy about E.B., the teenage son of the Easter Bunny. On the eve of taking over the family business, E.B. leaves for Hollywood in pursuit of his dream of becoming a drummer. He encounters Fred, an out-of-work slacker with his own lofty goals, who accidentally hits E.B. with his car. Feigning injury, E.B. manipulates Fred into providing him shelter, and Fred finds himself with the world's worst houseguest. With the new easter Bunny in Hollywood, what will become of Easter?
Vitals: Director: Tim Hill. Stars: Russell Brand, James Marsden, Hugh Laurie, Hank Azaria, Kaley Cuoco, Gary Cole, Elizabeth Perkins, David Hasselhoff, Chelsea Handler. Due Friday.
2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 90 min., Animated Family Comedy, Box office gross: $108.012 million, Universal.
Battle Royale: The Complete Collection
Letter Never Sent
(1959) (Criterion)
That '70s Show -- Season 1
The War Room
(1993) (Criterion)
Read more.
futuristic tale first came to the screen in 2000, directed by the legendary Kinju Fukasaku. Authors, filmmakers and film fans the world over consider the film and its 2003 sequel, "Battle Royale II: Requiem," sacred cinematic classics. In the near future, the economy has collapsed, unemployment has soared and juvenile crime has exploded. Fearful of their nation's youth, the Japanese government passes The BR Law: Each year, a 9th grade class is sent to a remote island where they will be locked into exploding neck collars, given a random weapon, and forced to hunt and kill each other until there is only one survivor left. Chiaki Kuriyama and screen legend Takeshi Kitano star in the movie that has been argued, acclaimed and banned around the world. More than a decade later, it remains one of the most savage, shocking and emotionally powerful films of all time. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. Four-disc set: "Battle Royale Director's Cut" with both Japanese and English language tracks and English subtitles; "Battle Royale Theatrical Cut" with both Japanese and English language tracks and English subtitles; "Battle Royale II" with Japanese language and English subtitles; "Battle Royale Bonus Content" with Japanese language and English subtitles. Extras: "The Making Of Battle Royale," "Battle Royale press conference," "Instructional Video: Birthday Version," audition & rehearsal footage, special effects comparison featurette, Tokyo International Film Festival 2000, Battle Royale documentary, basketball scene rehearsals, behind-the-scenes featurette, filming on-set, original theatrical trailer, special edition TV spot, TV spot: Tarantino version. $44.98 DVD, $49.99 Blu-ray. A single-disc DVD and Blu-ray of "Battle Royale Director's Cut" will also be available for $24.98 and $29.99. (Anchor Bay).
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March 18, 2012
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