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OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases
The Assassin's Blade (aka The Butterfly Lovers)
(2008 -- Hong Kong) Charlene Choi, Chun Wu, Ge Hu, Xin Xin Xiong, Siu-Wong Fan. Based upon a famous Chinese legend, this "Romeo & Juliet" fable tells the story of Zhu Yanzhi, who disguises her female identity in order to be accepted into the country's most prestigious male-only martial arts academy, where she immediately finds herself at odds with -- and becomes attracted to -- her superior, Liang. After she reveals her true identity, and the pair express their desire for each other, she returns home to find out that her parents have betrothed her to another. Formats: DVD. (Well Go USA).
Band of Outsiders BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1964) Four years after "Breathless," Jean-Luc Godard reimagined the gangster film even more radically with "Band of Outsiders." In it, two restless young men (Sami Frey and Claude Brasseur) enlist the object of both of their fancies (Anna Karina) to help them commit a robbery -- in her own home. This audacious and wildly entertaining French New Wave gem is at once sentimental and insouciant, effervescently romantic and melancholy, and it features some of Godard's most memorable set pieces, including the headlong race through the Louvre and the unshakably cool Madison dance sequence. New digital master of Gaumont's recent high-definition restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Extras: Visual glossary of references and wordplay found in "Band of Outsiders"; exclusive interviews with cinematographer Raoul Coutard and actor Anna Karina; excerpts from a 1964 interview with director Jean-Luc Godard, including rare behind-the-scenes footage from the film; filmmaker Agnes Varda's 1961 silent comedy "Les fiances du pont Mac Donald," starring Godard and Karina and featuring other members of the "Band of Outsiders" cast; Godard's original theatrical trailer and the 2001 U.S. re-release trailer; booklet featuring an essay by poet and critic Joshua Clover, Godard's character descriptions for the film's 1964 press book, and an interview with the director from the same year. (The Criterion Collection).
Barrymore
(2012) Christopher Plummer. The screen version of the William Luce play about famed actor John Barrymore. Adapted by writer-director Erik Canuel from the 1996 Broadway production for which Plummer won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in 1997. As John Barrymore reckons with the ravages of his life of excess, he rents an old theater to rehearse for a backer's audition to raise money for a revival of his 1920 Broadway triumph in "Richard III." Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Behind-the-scenes documentary, "Backstage With Barrymore," featuring Helen Mirren, Julie Andrews and Zoe Caldwell. (Image Entertainment).
Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy
(2013) Broadcast on PBS in January 2013 and narrated by Tony- and Academy Award-winner Joel Grey, the film examines the leading role of Jewish composers and lyricists in the creation of the modern American musical and showcases the work of legends such as Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, George and Ira Gershwin, Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim. Alongside standout performances and archival footage, the film co-mingles cultural history with illuminating perspectives on the origins and meanings of some of Broadway's most beloved songs, stories, and shows. Formats: Two-disc DVD, $39.99. Extras: Bonus disc with three hours of extra performances and interviews not seen on PBS, a 16-page viewer's guide, more. (Athena).
Brubaker BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1980) Robert Redford, Yaphet Kotto, Jane Alexander, Murray Hamilton, David Keith, Morgan Freeman. (Fox).
Cars III
(2009) Travis Jones, Richard Bain, Tyler Jones. A Troma B- grade film: A used car salesman must sell a Mercury Topaz within the hour -- or the devil gets his soul. To achieve his goal and save himself, he'll do whatever it takes -- even if it means pointing a gun at his customers' heads. Formats: DVD, $14.95. (CAV Distributing).
Citizen Hearst
(2013) Documentary, narrated by William H. Macy, traces the 125-year history of the Hearst media empire, from William Randolph Hearst's pioneering and controversial days of headline-grabbing yellow journalism to the global impact of the company's many successful media brands. Provides a rare glimpse behind the glass walls of the Hearst Tower, interviewing legends in the media industry such as Oprah Winfrey, Dan Rather, Ralph Lauren, Heidi Klum, Donna Karan, Nina Garcia, Leonard Maltin and top Hearst magazine editors, among others, and gaining unprecedented access to the Hearst Castle and family members in San Simeon, California. Formats: DVD, $19.98. (Lionsgate).
The Condemned
(2012 -- Puerto Rico) Cristina Rodlo, Renee Monclava, Axel Anderson. Psychological thriller about the dark and terrible secrets hidden in an old mansion that come back to life when a young woman transforms the abandoned family house into a museum detailing her father's scientific and humanitarian achievements. Formats: DVD. Extras: "Playing With Fire -- On the Set," "Making The Condemned, deleted scenes. (Strand Releasing).
Doc McStuffins: Time for Your Check Up
(2013) Second DVD compilation for Disney Junior's hit animated TV series for kids 2-5 about a nurturing 6-year-old girl who heals stuffed animals and broken toys out of her backyard playhouse clinic. Includes five episodes and a growth chart. Formats: DVD, $19.99. (Disney)
Doc Martin: Special Collection -- Series 1-5 + The Movies
A 13-disc collector's edition with 38 episodes and two movies. Formats: DVD, $124.99. Extras: Behind-the-scenes segments, photo galleries, trivia, cast filmographies. (Acorn Media).
Doctors of the Dark Side
(2011) Documentary about the pivotal role of physicians and psychologists in detainee torture. The stories of four detainees and the doctors involved in their abuse demonstrate how US Army and CIA doctors implemented the Enhanced Interrogation Techniques and covered up signs of torture at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. Narrated by Academy Award-winner Mercedes Ruehl. Formats: DVD. Extras: "How We Filmed the Torture Doctors," "How to Help Doctors Prevent Torture," "Worse than the Pictures: An Insider's view of Abu Ghraib." (Shelter Island).
Drive-In Collection: The Dungeon of Harrow/Death By Invitation
Two exploitation films: "The Dungeon Of Harrow" (1962): This lurid Texas shot gem follows two survivors of a shipwreck as they find themselves trapped on a remote island, run by a mad baron keen on torture. "Death By Invitation" (1971): A gritty tale of 20th century witchery topped off with a pleasant touch of psychedelia. Formats: DVD. (Vinegar Syndrome/CAV Distributing).
Elmo the Musical
(2012) Five episodes of Elmo's newest imaginative and math skill-enhancing lessons along with the home video classic, "Let's Make Music." Debuting in Sesame Street's 43rd season, "Elmo the Musical" is an extension of the show’s S-T-E-A-M curriculum (science, technology, engineering, arts and math). Each 11-minute episode is an interactive musical adventure created by Elmo and the child at home. Focusing on imagination and math skills, such as enumeration, relational concepts, addition/subtraction, geometric shapes and many more, Elmo takes viewers on explorations as he imagines himself in "Sea Captain the Musical," "Circus the Musical," "Prince Elmo the Musical" and even "President the Musical!" Formats: DVD, $14.98. (Sesame Workshop/Warner).
The Exorcist in the 21st Century
(2012) Chilling documentary that examines the unknown world of exorcism in the Catholic Church. With unprecedented access granted by the Catholic Church, director Fredrik Horn Akselsen accompanies a Vatican-approved Catholic priest and exorcist Father Jose Antonio Fortea as he travels the world to enlighten the masses of demonic possession and help fellow exorcists. Also featured is Father Gabriel Amorth, Official Vatican Exorcist, who has been an exorcist for 25 years and estimates he has seen 70,000 cases. Formats: DVD. Extras: A 50 minute filming of a real life exorcism, an extended interview with Father Jose Antonio Fortea, full interview with Father Gabriel Amorth. (Disinformation Company).
Felicity: Season Three
(2000-01) Three-disc set with 17 episodes, $19.98. Formats: DVD. Extras: Commentary with cast and crew, "A Look Back at Season Three With Greg Grunberg" featurette, Keri on "MADtv." (Lionsgate).
Felicity: Season Four
(2001-02) Three-disc set with 22 episodes, $19.98. Formats: DVD. Extras: Commentaries; behind-the-scenes look at the filming of the final episode; a special Q&A with J.J. Abrams, Jennifer Garner, Matt Reeves and Keri Russell; "Lost Elena," the long-awaited answer to Felicity fans' biggest question. (Lionsgate).
Flashpoint: The Fifth Season
(2012) Three-disc set with 13 episodes of the series about a special tactical team that rescues hostages, busts gangs, defuses bombs, and takes on other tough cases. Formats: DVD, $39.98. (CBS/Paramount).
Fringe: The Complete Fifth & Final Season
(2012) Three-disc set with 13 episodes. Formats: DVD, $39.98; Blu-ray Disc, $49.99; Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Featurette, producer commentary, gag reel, more. (Warner).
Fringe: The Complete Series
(2012) All 109 episodes on 28 DVDs or 20 Blu-ray discs.
Formats: DVD, $159.96; Blu-ray Disc, $197.50. (BBC/Warner).
Gamer 3D
(2009) Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Kyra Sedgwick. Uses state-of-the-art Samsung 3D technology to bring on the thrills in the futuristic adventure set in a prison where convicts fight to the death in a twisted, real-life video game. Formats: 3D Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital. Extras: "Inside the Game: Controlling Gamer" featurette. (Lionsgate).
The Great Escape BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1963) Dir.: John Sturges; Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, James Donald, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn. Extras: Commentary by director John Sturges, cast and crew; "The Great Escape: Bringing Fact to Fiction"; "The Great Escape: Preparations for Freedom"; "The Great Escape: The Flight to Freedom"; "The Great Escape: A Standing Ovation"; "The Great Escape: The Untold Story"; "The Great Escape: The Untold Story -- Additional Interviews"; "A Real Virgil Hilts: A Man Called Jones"; "Return to The Great Escape"; original theatrical trailer. (MGM/Fox).
The Great Gatsby: Midnight in Manhattan
(2000) Produced in celebration of the 75th Anniversary of "The Great Gatsby" (and coinciding with the May 10 theatrical release of Baz Luhrmann's version of "Gatsby") for the BBC's acclaimed art series Omnibus, this documentary explores the life and dark creative spirit of F. Scott Fitzgerald. It examines his disappointing college days at Princeton, his difficult relationship with fellow author Ernest Hemingway, and his turbulent last days in Hollywood. It dispels the age-old mythology surrounding Fitzgerald, largely created by himself, that tends to glamorize the Jazz-Age and his alcoholism. Includes commentary from Fitzgerald's granddaughter, Eleanor Lanaham, writers Hunter S. Thompson, George Plimpton and Jay McInerney, and literary critic Harold Bloom, with a wonderful in-depth analysis of "Gatsby" and its place in the American canon. Also included is the bonus feature "Private Affairs: A Dream of Living," a play that looks at the lives of F. Scott Fitzgerald, his wife Zelda, and Ernest Hemmingway in 1925 Paris.
Formats: DVD, $14.98. (BBC Home Entertainment).
Gunsmoke: The Eighth Season Volume One and Volume Two
(1962-62) Each five-disc set contains 19 episodes of the iconic (and longest-running) television Western starring James Arness as Marshal Matt Dillon, the only man responsible for keeping law in the Wild West of Dodge City. Formats: DVD, $49.99 each set. Extras: Preview trailers on select episodes, sponsor material. (CBS/Paramount).
The Henry Fonda Film Collection
"Jesse James," "Drums Along the Mohawk," "The Grapes of Wrath," "The Return of Frank James," "Immortal Sergeant," "The Ox-Bow Incident," "My Darling Clementine," "Daisy Kenyon," "The Longest Day," "The Boston Strangler." Formats: DVD. (Fox).
ID:A
(2011 -- Denmark) Tuva Novotny, Flemming Enevold, Carsten Bjornlund. Scandinavian thriller about a young woman in search of her identity, boasting a plot that gradually reveals fragments of information before unveiling the final shocking truth. A young woman wakes up in a river in France with a bag with 2 million euros, a scar across her abdomen and no memory. She seeks refuge in the nearest town but soon discovers that mysterious men are following her. When she discovers that her accent is Danish, she decides to go to Denmark in the search for her identity. Formats: DVD. (Shout! Factory).
In the Hive
(2012 -- TV) Dir.: Robert Townsend; Roger Guenveur Smith, Michael Clarke Duncan, Loretta Devine, Vivica A. Fox, Jonathan 'Lil J' McDaniel. Urban drama about a school for "discarded" boys.
Formats: DVD. (Entertainment One).
Jack Reacher
(2012) Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Robert Duvall, David Oyelowo, Richard Jenkins, Werner Herzog, Jai Courtney. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Blu-ray extras: Commentary by Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie, commentary by composer Joe Kraemer, "When the Man Comes Around" behind-the-scenes featurette, "You Do Not Mess With Jack Reacher: Combat & Weapons" featurette, "The Reacher Phenomenon" featurette. (Paramount).
Mama
(2013) Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier, Isabelle Nelisse, Daniel Kash, Javier Botet, Jane Moffat, Morgan McGarry, David Fox. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Commentary with director/co-writer Andy Muschietti and producer/co-writer Barbara Muschietti; original short with introduction by Guillermo Del Toro; "The Birth Of Mama" featurette; deleted scenes. Blu-ray adds "Matriarcal Secrets" special effects featurette. (Universal).
Marley Africa Road Trip
(2011 -- TV) Follows three sons of music legend Bob Marley as they travel back to Africa with hopes of reconnecting with their father. Thirty years after his passing, Ziggy, Rohan and Robbie Marley uncover the roots of his legacy of music, family and African Unity. Formats: DVD. (ARC Entertainment).
Mighty Fine
(2012) Chazz Palminteri, Andie MacDowell, Jodelle Ferland, Rainey Qualley. Set in the 1970's, "Mighty Fine" is the story of Joe Fine, a charismatic, high-spirited man, who relocates his family -- wife Stella, daughters Natalie and Maddie -- from Brooklyn to New Orleans, in search of a better life. But his devotion to his family knows no bounds, providing them with the greatest life, from a palatial home to a steady string of extravagant gifts, in a spending spree that is wildly out of touch with reality, threatening the very fabric of the family. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital Download, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Commentary with director Debbie Goodstein. (Lionsgate).
Mutantz, Nazis and Zombies
(2009) Singe disc with three Troma B- grade films: "The Secret of the Magic Mushrooms," "Attack of the Tromaggot" and "Teen Ape Vs. The Monster Nazi Apocalypse." Formats: DVD, $14.95 (CAV Distributing).
Nature: What Plants Talk About
(2013) When we think about plants, we don't often associate a term like "behavior" with them, but experimental plant ecologist JC Cahill is trying to correct that perception. The University of Alberta professor maintains that plants do behave and lead anything but solitary and sedentary lives. He builds the case that plants eavesdrop on each other, talk to their enemies, call in insect allies to fight those enemies, recognize their relatives, and nurture their young. Cahill documents the behavior of plants through the use of time-lapse photography and high-tech cameras.
Formats: DVD, $19.99. (PBS Distribution).
One Hour Photo BLU-RAY DEBUT
(2002) Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Dylan Smith, Gary Cole. Extras: New: Cast rehearsals, "Lensing One Hour Photo," main title test, "Sy's Nightmare Elements," storyboards, poster explorations. Original release commentary by director Mark Romanek and Robin Williams, "The Charlie Rose Show," Sundance: Anatomy of a Scene, Cinemax featurette, trailer and TV spots. (Fox).
The Oranges
(2012) Leighton Meester, Hugh Laurie, Oliver Platt, Catherine Keener. The enduring friendship between the Walling and Ostroff families is tested when Nina, the prodigal Ostroff daughter, returns home for the holidays after a five-year absence and enters into an affair with David, head of the Walling family. Formats: DVD. Extras: "Opening Doors: Inside the Oranges," "Juicy Secrets: Behind the Scenes of The Oranges." (Fox).
The Rabbi's Cat
(2011 -- France) Based on the bestselling graphic novel by Joann Sfar -- award-winning filmmaker ("Gainsbourg") and one of France's most celebrated comic artists, this animated adventure tells the story of a rabbi and his sharp-tongued feline philosopher brimming with scathing humor.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital. Extras: Documentary on the Filmmaker: "Joann Sfar Draws From Memory"; "People of the Graphic Novel" documentary short; making-of featurette; U.S. trailer. (Cinedigm).
Revenge for Jolly
(2012) Brian Petsos, Oscar Isaac, Elijah Wood, Adam Brody, Gillian Jacobs, Garret Dillahunt, Ryan Phillippe, Kristen Wiig. Harry is having a very, very bad day: When he returns home from an all-night drinking binge with his cousin, he discovers that his little dog Jolly -- Harry's one true love and the source of light in his dark, solitary life -- has been murdered. Brokenhearted and beyond consolation, he vows to track down the dog's murderer and, armed with a stockpile of firepower in the trunk of his car, he and Cecil embark on a frenzied, alcohol-fueled wild-goose chase, leaving a bloody path of destruction in their wake. Formats: DVD. (Sony).
Rookie Blue: The Complete Third Season
(2012) Four-disc set with 13 episodes, $39.98. Formats: DVD. (Entertainment One).
Royal Pains: Season Four
(2012) Four-disc set with 16 episodes, $39.98. Formats: DVD. (Universal).
Safe Haven
(2013) Dir.: Lasse Hallstrom; Julianne Hough, Josh Duhamel, Cobie Smulders, David Lyons. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Deleted and extended scenes, alternate ending. Blu-ray adds "Igniting the Romance in Safe Haven," set tour, Josh Duhamel's "Lessons in Crabbing." (Fox).
Shanghai Noon/Shanghai Knights BLU-RAY DEBUT
(2000/2003) Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson. (Disney).
Sparkle BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1976) Irene Cara, Lonette McKee, Dwan Smith, Mary Alice, Dorian Harewood, Philip Michael Thomas. (BBC/Warner).
Somebody's Child
(2012 -- TV) Lynn Whitfield, Michael Jai White, Byron Minns, Nadine Ellis, Clifton Powell. A divine twist of fate causes Constance Rivers (Whitfield) and her son Douglas (White) to open their hearts to an ex-convict. Then, while on the brink of losing her battle with kidney disease, Constance's near death confession causes her past and present to instantly collide. Dove-approved inspirational drama. Formats: DVD, VOD. (One Village Entertainment).
Starlet
(2012) Dree Hemingway, Besedka Johnson, Stella Maeve, James Ransone, Karren Karagulian. Explores the unlikely friendship between 21 year-old aspiring actress Jane (Dree Hemingway) and elderly widow Sadie after their worlds collide in California's San Fernando Valley. Jane spends her time getting high with her dysfunctional roommates and taking care of her chihuahua Starlet, while Sadie passes her days alone, tending to her garden. Drifting and driving contentedly around the sun-dappled San Fernando Valley, Jane one day finds a pile of cash stashed inside an old thermos she's purchased at a yard sale held by the elderly Sadie. After treating herself to a manicure and Starlet to a sparkly new halter, Jane returns to the house where she bought the thermos and, prompted by a growing sense of morality and guilt, begins a tentative friendship with Sadie. Formats: DVD. (Music Box Films).
Steel Magnolias
(2012 -- TV) Queen Latifah, Phylicia Rashad, Adepero Oduye, Condola Rashad, Jill Scott, Alfre Woodard. Contemporary version of the stage play and classic film chronicles the lives and friendship of six women in Louisiana. Supporting each other through triumphs and tragedies, they congregate at Truvy's Beauty Spot to ponder the mysteries of life and death, husbands and children -- all the important issues that truly unite and celebrate women. Formats: DVD, UltraViolet (cloud). (Sony).
Superman: Unbound
(2013) DC Universe Animated Original Movie has Superman going up against Brainiac, who has crossed the universe, collecting cities from interesting planets -- including Supergirl's home city of Kandor -- and now the all-knowing, ever-improving android has his sights fixed on Metropolis. Formats: Blu-ray Combo Pack ($24.98) and DVD ($19.98), Digital, UltraViolet. Extras: Sneak peek at "Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox," the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie, "Kandor: History of the Bottle City" and "Brainiac: Technology and Terror" featurettes, four bonus episodes from "Superman: The Animated Series," digital excerpt from the graphic novel "Superman: Brainiac." (Warner).
The Telephone Book
(1971) Sarah Kennedy, Norman Rose, Jill Clayburgh. A major, though forgotten, work from New York's underground film scene of the late 60s and early 70s, Nelson Lyon's "The Telephone Book" tells the story of a sex-obsessed hippie who falls in love with the world's greatest obscene phone caller and embarks on a quest to find him. Her journey introduces her to an avant-garde stag filmmaker, a manipulative psychiatrist, a bored lesbian housewife, and more. Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo. Extras: Commentary with producer Merv Bloch, original music soundtrack,still gallery, theatrical trailers. (Vinegar Syndrome/CAV Distributing).
Texas
(1994 -- TV) Stacy Keach, Patrick Duffy, Chelsea Field, Benjamin Bratt, Maria Conchita Alonso, David Keith, Randy Travis, John Schneider, Ricky Schroder. Miniseries tells the tale of the extraordinary men and women of the southwestern frontier in the tumultuous years leading up to the Texas Revolution and the famous battle of the Alamo. Formats: DVD,$19.99. (CBS/Paramount).
30 Rock: Season 7
Upstream Color
(2012) Amy Seimetz, Shane Carruth, Andrew Sensenig, Thiago Martins. One of the year's most talked about independent films since its award-winning premiere at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, this is director Shane Carruth's much-anticipated follow-up to his 2004 award-winning cult classic, "Primer." A woman (Amy Seimetz) is abducted and hypnotized with an organic material harvested from a specific flower. When she falls for a man (Carruth), the two come to realize he may also have been subjected to the same process. They search urgently for a place of safety within each other and struggle to assemble the fragments of their wrecked lives, unknowingly drawn into the life cycle of a presence that permeates the microscopic world. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital. (Cinedigm).
The Verdict BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1982) Dir.: Sidney Lumet; Paul Newman, Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden, James Mason, Milo O'Shea, Lindsay Crouse, Edward Binns, Julie Bovasso. Extras: "Paul Newman: The Craft of Acting," "Milestones in Cinema History: The Verdict," "Sidney Lumet: The Craft of Directing," commentary with Lumet and Newman, two additional featurettes. (Fox).
Viva Zapata! BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1952) Dir.: Elia Kazan; Marlon Brando, Jean Peters, Anthony Quinn, Joseph Wiseman. (Fox).
Witness: A World in Conflict Through a Lens
(2012) Groundbreaking four-part HBO Documentary series offers a stark view into present-day conflict zones in Mexico, Libya, South Sudan and Brazil, as shown through the lens of three war photographers. Carrying viewers to the heart of the human drama in war-torn areas, the film explores what compels our current generation of photojournalists to get closer to battle when everyone else seeks cover. The three young combat photographers: Eros Hoagland, who explores the gang-and-drug related violence in both Juarez, Mexico and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Michael Christopher Brown, who chronicles escalating ethnic tensions in the wake of Gaddafi's ouster last year in Libya; and Veronique de Viguerie, who follows the "Arrow Boys" and their struggle against Gen. Kony in South Sudan. Executive produced by Michael Mann. Formats: DVD, $19.99. (HBO).
WWII From Space
(2013) HISTORY special uses an all-seeing CGI eye that offers a satellite view of the battles of WWII, allowing you to experience it in a way that places key events and tipping points in a global perspective. By re-creating ground breaking moments that could never have been captured on camera and by illustrating the importance of simultaneity and the hidden effects of crucial incidents, this program puts the war's monumental moments in never-before-seen context. $19.99. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (Lionsgate).
Jack Reacher
Fans of Lee Child's wildly popular series of novels about ex-military investigator-turned avenging angel Jack Reacher blanched when they heard that Tom Cruise was going to play the lead in the film adaptation of the author's "One Shot." Reacher, after all, is a 6-foot 5-inch 250 pound blond haired bruiser; Cruise is 5-foot 7-inches, dark-haired and pretty-faced. It'll never work, they said. But, surprisingly, it works: Cruise channels the impulse -- if not the physicalness -- of Reacher, and comes across as a witty, sharp, intelligent and violent-if-need-be hero in a well-laid out and executed mystery. The film revolves around the shooting of four random people in downtown Pittsburgh by an ex-Army sniper and the arrest of a suspect who, it turns out, may not be the right killer. Beaten almost unconscious on his way to jail, he tells his defense attorney one thing: "Get Reacher for me." And sure enough, Jack Reacher shows up. He knows this shooter from his days as an MP in Iraq -- a trained military sniper who never should have missed a shot (four shots hit their mark, one went astray). Reacher is certain something is not right -- and he begins an investigation that quickly escalates in its brutality and concomitant bloodshed. Throw in some wild car chases, a neat guest appearance by Robert Duvall, some hidden agendas, and twists and turns, and you have a fun, exciting thriller (by the way, Reacher makes plenty of mistakes in his pursuit of the truth, a nice touch that makes him human and not just a killing machine). Only weak spot in the film: the delightful Rosamund Pike, here cast as a lame but well-meaning defense attorney. Vitals: Director: Christopher McQuarrie. Stars: Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Robert Duvall, David Oyelowo, Richard Jenkins, Werner Herzog, Jai Courtney.
2012, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 130 min., Action, Box office gross: $79.465 million, Paramount.
Safe Haven
When a mysterious young woman arrives in a small North Carolina town, her reluctance to join the tight knit community raises questions about her past. Slowly, she begins putting down roots, and gains the courage to start a relationship with a widowed store owner with two young children. But dark secrets intrude on her new life with such terror that she is forced to rediscover the meaning of sacrifice and rely on the power of love. Romantic thriller based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks.
Vitals: Director: Lasse Hallstrom. Stars: Julianne Hough, Josh Duhamel, Cobie Smulders, David Lyons.
2013, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 115 min., Romance, Box office gross: $70.327 million, Fox.
Mama
Guillermo del Toro presents this supernatural thriller that tells the tale of two little girls who disappeared into the woods the day that their parents were killed. When they're rescued years later and begin a new life, they find that someone or something still wants to come tuck them in at night. Five years ago, sisters Victoria and Lilly vanished from their suburban neighborhood without a trace. Since then, their Uncle Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and his girlfriend Annabel (Jessica Chastain), have been madly searching for them. But when, incredibly, the kids are found alive in a decrepit cabin and brought back to civilization, the couple wonders if the girls are the only guests they have welcomed into their home. As Annabel tries to introduce the children to a normal life, she grows convinced of an evil presence in their house. Are the sisters experiencing traumatic stress, or is a ghost coming to visit them? How did the broken girls survive those years all alone? As she answers these disturbing questions, the new mother will find that the whispers she hears at bedtime are coming from the lips of a deadly presence.
Vitals: Director: Andres Muschietti. Stars: Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier, Isabelle Nelisse, Daniel Kash, Javier Botet, Jane Moffat, Morgan McGarry, David Fox.
2013, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 100 min., Horror, Box office gross: $70.230 million, Universal.
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Have Gun Will Travel: The Sixth and Final Season, Volume One and Two
(1962-63) Richard Boone stars as the suave, enigmatic, cultured gun-for-hire Paladin -- one of the fastest guns in the West -- who appreciates fine food, beautiful women, and the refined lifestyle of San Francisco's Carlton Hotel. But, at a moment's notice, this legendary gunslinger will hit the trail to fight injustice and track down evildoers --- for a price, of course. A classic. Each two-disc set contains 16 episodes. Formats: DVD, $29.98 each set. (CBS/Paramount).
(2012-13) Last 13 episodes wraps up seven years of the acclaimed series with a season full of network tanking, election meddling, upward spiraling, funeral weddings, Florida, reverse health scares, sacrificial bunions, symphonic "Sanford and Son" arrangements, last lunches and boat modeling. Formats: Two-disc DVD, $44.98. Extras: Commentaries with Tina Fey, Jane Krakowski and writer-producer Tracey Wigfield; deleted scenes; "The Donaghy Files" animated webisode in which Jack auditions unlikely candidates for the Big Game half-time show; series retrospective and insider's tour of the "30 Rock" set with Fey. (Universal).
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