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Adua and Her Friends
(1960 -- Italy) A rare masterpiece and a wonderful example of Italian Cinema starring two European film icons, Simone Signoret and Marcello Mastroianni, "Adua and Her Friends" tells the story of four prostitutes forced to fend for themselves when a new law closes the bordellos of Rome. They pool their savings to open a trattoria, but find they cannot get a license. A prominent fixer with connections obtains the license for them, on the condition that they conduct their old business upstairs and pay him an exorbitant monthly fee. Director Antonio Pietrangeli was one of the most talented members of the Italian neo-realism movement. Newly restored from the original 35mm negatives. Extras: Documentary on the restoration of the film and a booklet containing critical analysis of the genesis of the film. (RaroVideo U.S./Entertainment One).
All in the Family: Season Nine
(1978-79) Three-disc set with 23 episodes, $29.93. Extras: Ninety-minute retrospective. (Shout! Factory).
Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy
(2011 -- TV) Hayden Panettiere, Marcia Gay Harden. Referred to as "Foxy Knoxy" by her Italian prosecutor and the press, American exchange student Amanda Knox was painted as an oversexed, remorseless killer during a controversial two-year murder trial leading up to her conviction and subsequent sentencing to 26 years in jail. But did she really kill her roommate, or was she herself a victim of circumstance and a suspect investigation? (A&E Home Entertainment).
The Bionic Woman: Season 2
(1976-77) Five-disc set with 24 episodes. (Universal).
Broken Hill
(2010) Alex Vega, Timothy Hutton, Luke Arnold. Dove-approved inspirational drama. A young man raised in the Australian Outback struggles to make his dream of being accepted into the famous Sydney Conservatorium of Music come true. (Entertainment One).
Circles of Deceit
(1993-96) U.S. Debut of the riveting spy thriller starring Dennis Waterman as an ex-SAS operative freelancing for the British government; four full-length dramas. (Acorn Media).
Covert Affairs: Season One
(2010) Three-disc set with 11 episodes. (Universal).
Daydream Nation
(2010) Kat Dennings, Reece Thompson, Josh Lucas, Andie MacDowell. A city girl moves to a small town and becomes entangled in a love triangle between her high school teacher and a stoner classmate. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurette. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Anchor Bay).
Diabolique
(1954) Before "Psycho," "Peeping Tom" and "Repulsion," there was "Diabolique." This thriller from Henri-Georges Clouzot ("Le corbeau," "The Wages of Fear"), which shocked audiences in Europe and the U.S., is the story of two women -- the fragile wife and the willful mistress of a sadistic school headmaster -- who hatch a daring revenge plot. With its unprecedented narrative twists and unforgettably scary images, "Diabolique" is a heart-grabbing benchmark in horror filmmaking, featuring outstanding performances by Simone Signoret, Vera Clouzot and Paul Meurisse. New digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition. Extras: Selected-scene commentary by French-film scholar Kelley Conway; new video interview with Serge Bromberg, co-director of Henri-Georges Clouzot's "Inferno"; new video interview with horror film expert Kim Newman; booklet featuring a new essay by film critic Terrence Rafferty. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (The Criterion Collection).
The Feathered Serpent Complete Series
(1976) U.S. debut of the cult classic set in ancient Mexico. Patrick Troughton stars as the villainous high priest Nasca in this ITV drama, which is available to U.S. audiences for the first time. Packed with court intrigue, political maneuvering, and romance, "The Feathered Serpent" boasts lavish costumes, elaborate sets, literate scripts, and timeless themes: loyalty, courage, heroism, and the battle between good and evil. All 12 episodes from its two seasons. (Acorn Media).
Flashpoint: The Complete Third Season
(2010-11) Four-disc set with 20 episodes of the series about the cops in the SRU (inspired by Toronto's Emergency Task Force) tactical team, a unique unit of elite heroes who rescue hostages, bust gangs, defuse bombs, scale buildings and interrogate suspects -- all in a day's work. $42.99 . (CBS/Paramount).
Freedom Riders
(2011) American Experience documentary celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 1961 "Freedom Riders," the group of men and women who, using non-violent tactics, risked their lives to challenge segregated facilities in the south in 1961. From May until November, more than 400 black and white Americans risked their lives -- many enduring savage beatings and even imprisonment -- for simply traveling together on buses and trains through the deep south. The film features testimony from a fascinating cast of central characters -- the riders themselves, state and federal government officials, and journalists who witnessed the rides firsthand. The film is partially based on Raymond Arsenault's acclaimed book "Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice." American Experience is hosting the 2011 Student Freedom Ride, a journey retracing the historic civil rights bus rides that changed America. Accompanied by some of the original Freedom Riders, 40 college students will participate in the bus ride which will take place from May 6-16, 2011. $24.99. Extras: Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (PBS Distribution).
The Mechanic
(2011) Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Tony Goldwyn, Donald Sutherland. Extras: Deleted scenes, "Tools of the Trade: Inside the Action" featurette. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Sony).
The Other Woman
(2011) Natalie Portman, Scott Cohen, Charlie Tahan, Lisa Kudrow. Portman gives a mature performance in this sensitive and compelling modern drama adapted by writer-director Don Roos from Ayelet Waldman's novel" Love and Other Impossible Pursuits." She plays Emilia, a law-school graduate who falls in love with Jack, her married boss. After he divorces his bitter wife, they marry and soon have a baby, but joy turns to grief when the newborn dies. Emilia is devastated but nonetheless carries on, attempting to forge a connection with her 8-year-old stepson and to resist the interference of Jack's jealous ex-wife. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (IFC Entertainment/MPI Media).
Pale Flower
(1964) In this cool, seductive jewel of the Japanese New Wave, a yakuza, fresh out of prison, becomes entangled with a beautiful yet enigmatic gambling addict; what at first seems a redemptive relationship ends up leading him further down the criminal path. Bewitchingly shot and edited and laced with a fever-dream-like score by Toru Takemitsu ("Woman in the Dunes," "Ran"), this breakthrough gangster romance from Masahiro Shinoda ("Samurai Spy," "Double Suicide") announced an idiosyncratic major filmmaking talent. The pitch-black "Pale Flower (Kawaita hana)" is an unforgettable excursion into the underworld. New high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition. Extras: New video interview with director Masahiro Shinoda; selected-scene commentary by film scholar Peter Grilli, co-producer of "Music for the Movies: Toru Takemitsu"; original theatrical trailer; new essay by film critic Chuck Stephens. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (The Criterion Collection).
The Rite
(2011) Anthony Hopkins, Colin O'Donoghue, Alice Braga, Ciaran Hinds, Toby Jones, Rutger Hauer, Marta Gastini. Extras: Alternate ending; "The Rite: Soldier of God," a featurette on Father Gary Thomas, the Vatican-ordained exorcist whose life story inspired the film (includes footage shot inside the Exorcism Academy). Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Warner).
Royal Pains: Season Two
(2010) Four-disc set with 12 episodes (Universal).
The Secret of Dorian Gray
(1970 -- Italy) Never before released on DVD in the U.S., this is a 1970s Italian film restored to its original splendor. (RaroVideo U.S./Entertainment One)
Shoeshine
(1946 -- Italy) Dir.: Vittorio de Sica; Rinaldo Smordoni), Franco Interlenghi. While "The Bicycle Thief" is certainly Italian director Vittorio de Sica's best-known work, it certainly wasn't his first to examine the social problems of post-war Italy. Two years earlier, he directed the critically acclaimed "Sciuscia (Shoeshine)," which focuses on the disintegration of a friendship between two Italian youths who fall victim to the state's juvenile detention system. Filmed on location in post-war Rome using non-professional actors, "Shoeshine" --widely regarded as one of the finest films to have emerged from Italian neorealist cinema --was inspired by the real stories of those struggling to overcome the oppressive forces of a corrupt and ineffective political system. Restored and re-mastered. (Entertainment One).
Takedown (Transparency)
(2010 -- Canada) Lou Diamond Phillips, Estella Warren, Deborah Kara Unger. A security guard (Lou Diamond Phillipps) -- who lost his daughter to a brutal attack -- comes across an abhorrent human trafficking racket and embarks on a do-or-die mission against the Russian mob. (Entertainment One).
Thor: Tales of Asgard
(2011) New animated feature timed for the theatrical release of the live-action "Thor." Extras: Commentary, "Worthy: The Making of Thor: Tales of Asgard" featurette, "The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes" bonus episode. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Marvel/Lionsgate).
Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job: Season 5
(2010) Ten episodes of the Adult Swim series, $19.97. (Warner).
Vanishing on 7th Street
(2010) Hayden Christensen, John Leguizamo, Thandie Newton. When a massive power outage plunges the city of Detroit into total darkness, a disparate group of individuals find that they're the only remaining people in the city and, soon enough, they realize that an encroaching darkness is out to get them as well. Extras: Making-of featurette, commentary by director Brad Anderson. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
The Wild Thornberrys: Season One
(1998-99) Four-disc set with 20 episodes, $29.93. (Shout! Factory).
The Mechanic
Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) is a "mechanic" -- an elite assassin with a strict code and unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets. It's a job that requires professional perfection and total detachment, and Bishop is the best in the business. But when his mentor and close friend Harry (Donald Sutherland) is murdered, Bishop is anything but detached. His next assignment is self-imposed -- he wants those responsible dead. His mission grows complicated when Harry's son (Ben Foster) approaches him with the same vengeful goal and a determination to learn Bishop's trade. Though Bishop has always acted alone, he can't turn his back on Harry's son, and he takes the impulsive student deep into his world -- and a deadly partnership is born. But while in pursuit of their ultimate mark, deceptions threaten to surface and those hired to fix problems become problems themselves.
Vitals: Director: Simon West. Stars: Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Tony Goldwyn, Donald Sutherland.
2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 92 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $97.952 million, Sony.
The Rite
Follows skeptical seminary student Michael Kovak (Colin O'Donoghue), who reluctantly attends exorcism school at the Vatican. While in Rome, he meets an unorthodox priest, Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins), who introduces him to the darker side of his faith.
Vitals: Director: Mikael Hafström. Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Colin O'Donoghue, Alice Braga, Ciaran Hinds, Toby Jones, Rutger Hauer, Marta Gastini. 2011, CC, MPAA rating: R, 112 min., Horror, Box office gross: $32.310 million, Warner.
The Roommate
She's cute. She's loyal. She's psychotic. And, unfortunately for college freshman Sara , she's her new roommate. When Sara arrives at school, she finds new romance with Stephen and forms a fast friendship with her roommate Rebecca. What begins as camaraderie soon turns creepy, and Sara comes face-to-face with the terrifying realization that her new best friend is obsessive, unbalanced ... and maybe even a killer.
Vitals: Director: Christian E. Christiansen. Stars: Leighton Meester, Minka Kelly, Cam Gigandet, Aly Michalka.
2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 91 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $37.300 million, Sony.
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