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OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases
An Adventure in Space and Time
(2013) David Bradley, Jessica Raine, Sacha Dhawan, Brian Cox. BBC drama travels back in time over 50 years to witness the creation of an icon -- the birth of Doctor Who. Read more. Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo. Extras: The very first Doctor Who adventure, "An Unearthly Child," on a bonus disc with its own bonus content (including "The Pitch of Fear," a sketch starring Mark Gatiss and David Walliams that takes a comedic look at the creation of Doctor Who); "The Making of the Adventure" behind-the-scenes featurette hosted by Carole Ann Ford, the actress who played the First Doctor's companion; deleted scenes; reconstructions; "William Hartnell: The Original" featurette. (BBC Home Entertainment).
Buttwhistle
(2014) Trevor Morgan, Elizabeth Rice, Analeigh Tipton, Thomas Jane. Ogden Confer, a community college student who, while dealing with the recent loss of his best pal, Rose, foils the suicide effort of a mysterious young lady, Beth, who proceeds to make him pay for not minding his own business. Formats: DVD, VOD. (Breaking Glass Pictures).
Cheap Thrills
(2013) Pat Healy, Ethan Embry, Sara Paxton, David Koechner, Amanda Fuller. Black comedy/thriller about a scheming couple who put a struggling family man and his old friend through a series of increasingly twisted dares during the course of an evening at a local bar. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital. Extras: Commentary with director E.L. Katz and star Pat Healy, making-of documentary, "Cheap Thrills at Fantastic Fest 2013," trailers, 16-page booklet. (Drafthouse Films).
Could This Be Love
(2014) Drew Sidora, Tommy Ford, Romeo Miller. Urban rom-com about a small town country girl who returns home after college to take over the family business, her father's beloved bed and breakfast. Facing an unfaithful husband and dysfunctional relationship with her mother, she finds herself at a difficult crossroads ... until a young, handsome lawyer checks in and opens her eyes to an entirely different life. Formats: DVD. (Entertainment One).
Covert Affairs: Season Four
(2013) Four-disc set with 16 episodes, $39.98. Formats: DVD. Extras: Deleted scene, Gag Reel, Action Reel, "Sights Unseen: Auggie Undercover -- A Covert Affairs Prequel." (Universal).
Dan Curtis' Dracula BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1974 -- TV) Jack Palance, Fiona Lewis, Simon Ward, Nigel Davenport. Adapted for the small screen by sci-fi/horror master Richard Matheson ("The Twilight Zone," "I Am Legend," "Duel") and produced by the legendary Dan Curtis ("Dark Shadows," "Trilogy of Terror," "The Winds of War"). Palance stars as Count Dracula, whose centuries-old existence is threatened after he attacks the lovely Lucy Westenra and her fiance calls in famed vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing to investigate. Transferred and restored in 2K High Definition from the original 35mm camera negative. (MPI Home Video).
Death Spa
(1989) William Bumille, Brenda Bakke, Ken Foree, Rosalind Cash. The new fitness club in town has everything a health nut could ever want: a variety of workout machines, classes taught by friendly (and frisky) instructors, and a state-of-the-art computer control system for maximum client comfort. Unfortunately, it's also possessed by the evil spirit of the owner's dead wife, and before long every dumbbell, leg press and rowing machine becomes a deadly weapon for her to enact bloody vengeance on the club's beautiful members. Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo. Extras: Commentary, making-of featurette, trailers. (Gorgon Video/MPI).
Dora and Boots - Best Friends Forever
(2013) The inseparable Nickelodeon duo explore a magical rainforest amusement park, celebrate Best Friends Day, rescue Boots' beloved shiny red boots, recover Boot's lost cuddly dinosaur, and more. Eight episodes, $14.99. Formats: DVD. (Nickelodeon/Paramount).
Eastern Bandits
(2012 -- China) Huang Xiaoming, Zhang Yi, Zhang Xinyi, Ni Jingyang. An anti-Japanese resistance fighter during World War II infiltrates a gang of bandits to enlist their help in assassinating a Japanese prince. When the plan goes awry, they're ambushed and must escape to save their lives. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc Digital. Extras: (Studio).
Endless Love
(2014) Alex Pettyfer, Gabriella Wilde, Bruce Greenwood, Joely Richardson, Robert Patrick, Rhys Wakefield. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "The Making of Endless Love." Blu-ray adds extended ending, deleted/extended/alternate scenes. (Universal).
Gambit
(2013) Colin Firth, Cameron Diaz, Alan Rickman, Stanley Tucci, Cloris Leachman. Caper comedy about an art curator who decides to seek revenge on his abusive boss by conning him into buying a fake Monet ... but his plan requires the help of an eccentric and unpredictable Texas rodeo queen. This remake of the 1966 caper comedy was directed by Michael Hoffman from a screenplay by Joel and Ethan Coen. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (Sony).
Hitler and the Nazi
(2014) Documentary offers an absorbing look at Adolf Hitler's brutal rise to power and features archived footage and interviews. Tracing his rise, first through politics and then through force, to become Germany's most powerful leader, the film captures the ruthless dictator as he marches Germany into another war in a delusional quest for global domination.
Formats: Three-disc DVD, $29.98. (Cinedigm).
How to Train Your Dragon Collector's Edition
(2010) Voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo. Extras: Kick-off episode of "DreamWorks Dragons: Riders of Berk"; "Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon" animated adventure with the original voice cast, deleted scenes and commentary. Blu-ray adds behind-the-scenes footage and interviews for "DreamWorks Dragons: Riders of Berk," trivia, a tutorial on drawing Toothless, Gobber's training secrets and more fiery fun. Packages also include a code for up to $7.50 off one movie ticket to see "How to Train Your Dragon 2" in theaters June 13. (Paramount).
Independence Daysaster
(2013) Ryan Merriman, Andrea Brooks, Emily Holmes, Tom Everett Scott. Syfy Original Movie puts a small town firefighter, a rag-tag team of nerds and do-gooders, a rogue scientist, and the stranded president of the United States up against some very evil space invaders that make the Transformers look like kids toys. Formats: DVD. (Anchor Bay).
Jack Irish, Set 2
(2014) Guy Pearce returns as down-on-his-luck private detective Jack Irish in this cinematic Australian noir series. The feature-length mystery finds jack grappling with more personal and
Journey to the West
(2013 -- China) The latest action-comedy from Stephen Chow is centered on Tang Sanzang, a Buddhist trying to protect a village from three demons, his emerging feelings for Miss Duan, the demon hunter who helps him, and Sanzang's transformative encounter with the Monkey King.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Six featurettes on stunts & special effects, cast & characters, director Stephen Chow, the laughs; production design and choreography; theatrical trailer. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
The Kennedys: Triumph and Tragedy
(2014) Box set which features the two-part documentary "The Kennedys," the bonus program "Oswald's Ghost," as well as a booklet and 24 pieces of memorabilia related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Formats: DVD, $29.99. (PBS Distribution).
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou BLU-RAY DEBUT
(2004) Internationally famous oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) and his crew -- Team Zissou -- set sail on an expedition to hunt down the mysterious, elusive, possibly nonexistent Jaguar Shark that killed Zissou's partner during the documentary filming of their latest adventure. They are joined on their voyage by a young airline copilot (Owen Wilson); a pregnant journalist (Cate Blanchett); and Zissou's estranged wife, Eleanor (Anjelica Huston). Wes Anderson has assembled an all-star cast that also includes Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Michael Gambon, Noah Taylor, Seu Jorge, and Bud Cort for this wildly original adventure comedy. New, restored digital transfer, approved by director Wes Anderson, with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Dual Format Edition. Extras: Commentary by Anderson and co-writer Noah Baumbach; new interviews with actors Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, and Jeff Goldblum; "This Is an Adventure," a documentary by Antonio Ferrera, Albert Maysles, and Matthew Prinzing chronicling the production of the movie; "Mondo Monda," an Italian talk show featuring an interview with Anderson and Baumbach, hosted by Antonio Monda; interview with composer and Devo member Mark Mothersbaugh; 10 performances of David Bowie songs in Portuguese by Brazilian recording artist and actor Seu Jorge; intern video journal by actor Matthew Gray Gubler; multiple interviews with the cast and crew, featuring behind-the-scenes footage; making-of featurette; nine deleted scenes; behind-the-scenes photos and original artwork from the film; trailer; an insert featuring a cutaway view of The Belafonte, the ship from the film, Eric Anderson's original illustrations, and a conversation between Wes and Eric conducted in 2005. (The Criterion Collection).
Pioneers of Television: Season 4
(2013) Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Cosby, Ray Romano, Roseanne Barr, Tim Allen, Bob Newhart, Dick Van Dyke and dozens more A-list TV stars tell behind-the-scenes tales of America's most popular shows in the fourth season of the PBS series: "Standup to Sitcom," "Doctors and Nurses," "Acting Funny" And "Breaking Barriers." Formats: DVD, $24.99. (PBS Distribution).
Red River
(1948) No matter what genre he worked in, Howard Hawks played by his own rules, and never was this more evident than in his first Western, the rowdy and whip-smart "Red River." In it, John Wayne found one of his greatest roles as an embittered, tyrannical Texas rancher whose tensions with his independent-minded adopted son, played by Montgomery Clift in a breakout performance, reach epic proportions during a cattle drive to Missouri, which is based on a real-life late 19th century expedition. Yet Hawks is less interested in historical accuracy than in tweaking the codes of masculinity that propel the myths of the American West. The unerringly macho Wayne and the neurotic, boyish Clift make for an improbably perfect pair, held aloft by a quick-witted, multilayered screenplay and Hawks's formidable direction. New 4K digital restoration of the rarely presented original theatrical release version, the preferred cut of director Howard Hawks, with monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray. 2K restoration of the longer version of "Red River."
Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Dual Format Edition. Extras: New interview with filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich about "Red River" and the two versions; new interview with critic Molly Haskell about Hawks and "Red River"; new interview with Western scholar Lee Clark Mitchell about Western genre literature; audio excerpts of a 1972 conversation between Hawks and Bogdanovich; excerpts from a 1970 audio interview with novelist and screenwriter Borden Chase; booklet featuring an essay by critic Geoffrey O'Brien and a 1991 interview with Hawks's longtime editor Christian Nyby; a new paperback edition of Chase's original novel, previously out of print. (The Criterion Collection).
Ride for Lance
(2014) Chief Petty Officer Lance Vacarro, a highly-decorated Navy SEAL, gave his life for his country in 2008. Two years later, to honor his sacrifice, four Navy SEAL riders and a support team launched The Lance Vacarro Memorial Ride that covered the continental United States -- from Virginia to Alaska and back -- in his honor and memory. Formats: DVD, $ 24.98. (Anchor Bay).
Run and Jump
(2013) Maxine Peake, Will Forte. After her husband suffers a debilitating stroke, spirited Irish housewife Vanetia Casey struggles to keep her family together in the wake of tragedy. Help comes in the form of American doctor Ted Fielding, whose research grant for documenting the family's recovery process takes care of finances but also requires that the straight-laced doctor live with the chaotic Casey family for two months. Formats: DVD. (IFC Films).
Saving Grace B. Jones
(2009) Dir.: Connie Stevens. Michael Biehn, Tatum O'Neal, Penelope Ann Miller, Piper Laurie, Scott Wilson. In a 1950s-era Missouri town the life of a couple is thrown into chaos when the husband's sister is released from the local asylum and comes to live with the family. Formats: DVD. (ARC Entertainment).
Suits: Season Three
(2013-14) Four-disc set with 12 episodes, $44.98. Formats: DVD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). (Universal).
Tapped Out
(2013) MMA champion Krzysztof Soszynski, MMA champion Anderson Silva, MMA champion Lyoto Machida, Jess Brown, Daniel Faraldo, Martin Kove. Follows a former Karate prodigy who decides to compete in an MMA tournament to avenge his family's death. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Interviews with Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida and Martin Kove. (Lionsgate).
The Trials of Cate McCall
(2013) Kate Beckinsale, Nick Nolte, James Cromwell, Clancy Brown, Taye Diggs. In order to be reinstated to the bar and regain custody of her daughter, hotshot lawyer Cate McCall (Kate Beckinsale) -- sober, in recovery and on probation -- reluctantly takes on the appeal of a woman who claims she was wrongfully convicted of murder ... and uncovers a web of deceit and corruption that extends to the most powerful echelons of the police department.
Formats: DVD. (Vertical Entertainment).
24 Exposures
(2013) Adam Wingard, Simon Barrett, Helen Rogers, Caroline White. When a young model is found brutally murdered, a fetish photographer and homicide detective are brought together at the crime scene through a shared if sadistic interest and, before long, an unlikely friendship develops between the two, as each tries to involve themselves in the other's professional life -- leading to horrific consequences. Formats: DVD. (IFC Films).
The Universe: Season 7 - Ancient Mysteries Solved
(2014) How were ancient builders, including those at Stonehenge, able to create structures around the world with one consistent unit of measurement -- the "megalithic yard" -- despite being oceans apart? This miniseries event uses experts and CGI from "The Universe" to reveal the answer and demonstrate how our past is connected to the history of the universe. Formats: DVD: $19.98, Blu-ray Disc: $19.99. (Lionsgate).
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