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OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases
Adventure Planet
(2014) Voices of Jane Lynch, Brooke Shields, Bailee Madison, Drake Bell, J.K. Simmons. Animated action adventure about a sister and brother living in Thailand who have unique abilities to communicate with nature and who try to stop an invasion of energy-hungry devices that threaten to engulf the Earth. Formats: DVD. (ARC Entertainment).
Aftermath (aka Remnants)
(2012) Edward Furlong, Monica Keena, Andre Royo, C.J. Thomason, Christine Kelly. Post-nuclear apocalyptic thriller has nine desperate strangers clinging to life in a farmhouse cellar, while radioactive fallout, dwindling supplies, poisonous air and hordes of devastated refugees who want in threaten their existence. Soon they have two choices: let the makeshift shelter become their tomb or face the terrors of the world outside. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (Image Entertainment).
All That Jazz
(1979) The preternaturally gifted director and choreographer Bob Fosse turned the camera on his own life for this madly imaginative, self-excoriating musical masterpiece. Roy Scheider gives the performance of his career as Joe Gideon, whose exhausting work schedule -- mounting a Broadway production by day and editing his latest movie at night -- and routine of amphetamines, booze, and sex are putting his health at serious risk. Fosse burrows into Gideon's (and his own) mind, rendering his interior world as phantasmagoric spectacle. Assembled with visionary editing that makes dance come alive on-screen as never before, and overflowing with sublime footwork by the likes of Ben Vereen, Leland Palmer, and the awesomely leggy Ann Reinking, "All That Jazz" pushes the musical genre to personal depths and virtuosic aesthetic heights. New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed 3.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray.
Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Dual Format Edition. Extras: Two audio commentaries: a feature-length one with editor Alan Heim and a scene-specific one with actor Roy Scheider; "Razzle-Dazzle," a new video essay on the film by critic Matt Zoller Seitz; episode from 1980 of the television talk show "Tomorrow," featuring director Bob Fosse and choreographer Agnes de Mille; new interview with Heim; new interview with Fosse biographer Sam Wasson; interview excerpts and footage from the set, featuring Fosse and Scheider; "Portrait of a Choreographer," a 2007 documentary on Fosse; "The Soundtrack: Perverting Thee Standards," a 2007 documentary about the music in the film; interview from 2007 with George Benson about his song "On Broadway," which opens the film; a booklet featuring an essay by theater critic Hilton Alls. (The Criterion Collection).
Belle
(2014) Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tom Wilkinson, Emily Watson, Sam Reid, Miranda Richardson, Penelope Wilton, Matthew Goode. Formats: Blu-ray Disc, Digital. Extras: "Belle: The Story," "Gugu Mbatha-Raw Breakout Role," "The Power of Belle," "From Painting to Screen," "The History Behind the Painting," stills gallery. (Fox).
Blandings, Series 2
(2013-14) Two-disc set with seven episodes, $39.99. North American DVD debut of the BBC series. P.G. Wodehouse's beloved Blandings Castle stories follow the foibles of an eccentric aristocrat, his peculiar family, and the ramshackle ancestral home they share. Starring in this witty BBC series are Timothy Spall, Jennifer Saunders, Jack Farthing. Formats: DVD. Extras: Photo gallery. (Acorn Media).
Blended
(2014) Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Kevin Nealon, Terry Crews, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Joel McHale, Abdoulaye Ngom, Jessica Lowe, Bella Thorne, Emma Fuhrmann. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Adam and Drew: Back Together Again," "Bella Thorne's Makeover," deleted scenes, "Georgia." Blu-ray adds "Safari," "Animals," "Parasailing," "Ostriches," "Dick's Customer Service," "Herlihopps: Basketball Actor," "Nickens."
(Warner).
Blood Glacier
(2013 -- Austria) Gerhard Liebmann, Edita Malovcic, Brigitte Kren. Scientists working in the Austrian Alps discover that a glacier is leaking a liquid that appears to be affecting local wildlife, causing changes in the fauna that are at first curious but soon become deathly horrifying. Formats: DVD. (IFC Films).
Cat Run 2
(2014) Scott Mechlowicz, Alphonso McAuley, Winter Ave Zoli. When several high-ranked officials are massacred on their own military base, two wannabe detectives discover a top-secret experiment that threatens their lives and the nation's security. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). (Universal).
Cesare Mori - The Complete Series
(2012) The true story of how Cesare Mori (""The Iron Prefect"") cleaned up the Sicilian Mafia is a little-known chapter of Italian history and spans the years from World War I to the rise of Fascism. In one night alone, he and his men arrested 300 delinquents and Mafia thugs who had taken total control of the people and the economy of the Madonie mountain region in Sicily. Summoned to the area because of his reputation as a man of action, he and his deputy are willing to do whatever necessary to loosen the criminal grip on the region. In Italian with English subtitles. Two-disc set, $29.95. Formats: DVD. (MHz Home Entertainment).
Closed Circuit Extreme
(2012 -- Italy) Stefano Fregni, Francesca Cuttica, Guglielmo Favilla, Gaia Insenga. After their friend goes missing, a young couple break into the house of a suspected serial killer and plant hidden cameras ... but when they attempt to retrieve the evidence, they're trapped and forced to fight for their lives. Formats: DVD. Extras: Trailer. (Jinga Films/MVD Entertainment).
Criminal Minds – The Ninth Season
(2013-14) Six-disc set with 24 episodes, $64.99. Formats: DVD. Extras: Deleted scenes, bloopers, Easter Egg. (CBS/Paramount).
Deadbeat
(2014) Single-disc with 10 episodes of the series about a moneyless, clueless young man who can see dead people; faced with a constant stream of stubborn spirits, Pac goes to whatever lengths require the least amount of effort to help New York City's most frivolous ghosts finish their unfinished business. Formats: DVD, Digital. Extras: "The Caracters of Deadbeat" featurette, "Medium for Hire: What Is Deadbeat?" featurette. (Lionsgate).
Donna Detective: Season 1
(2007) When Senior Detective Lisa Milani requested a desk job in a small town outside of Rome, it was to allow her spend more time with family. But after shes called on to assist with a major case, her extreme competence causes her to end up in charge of an entire investigative squad in the big city. Now she must report to investigating magistrates and demanding superiors, solve cases involving serial killers and other deadly criminals, and at the same time juggle her family life. In Italian with English subtitles. Three-disc set with six episodes, $29.95. Formats: DVD. (MHz Home Entertainment).
Earth: The Sequel
(2009) Based on the New York Times bestselling book by the same name, this documentary provides a straightforward look at the green energy revolution taking place all around us, featuring the inventors and entrepreneurs who are leading the charge in pushing the boundaries of science to harness energy from the sun, waves, wind, and even heat from the earth itself. Formats: DVD, $29.93. (Cinedigm).
Fear in the Night
(1947) DeForest Kelley, Paul Kelly, Ann Doran, Kay Scott. A man (DeForest Kelley) dreams he committed murder and, when he awakens to discover bruises on his body and more unsettling evidence, he then begins to suspect it was real. Formats: DVD. (Film Chest Media Group).
The Forbidden Girl
(2013 -- Germany) Peter Gadiot, Jytte-Merle Bohrnsen, Jeanette Hain. A troubled young man who lost his girlfriend in a tragic accident must resist the seductive lure of a young woman he's tutoring -- an ancient witch -- or be condemned to an eternal life on the dark side. Formats: DVD. (Inception Media Group).
Fuhrer Cult and Megalomania
(2011) "Even the pyramids," Hitler told his protege, architect Albert Speer, "will be dwarfed by the stone and concrete masses I plan to erect." By early in the 20th century, Nuremberg was regarded as the most anti-Semitic city in Europe. By 1929 Hitler had decided to make Nuremberg the "City of the Party Rallies" and a symbol representing the greatness of the German Empire in medieval times. Up to 1.5 million people converged on Nuremberg in the course of a party rally, which lasted eight days, forming an indispensable platform for the Nazis once a year -- with a gigantic propaganda machine, brochures and books, recordings, radio and films. This film documents the construction of Hitler's propaganda center. Formats: DVD. (First Run Features).
Giovani Falcone: The Judge/Borsellino: The 57 Days
(2012) Luza Zingaretti stars in two Maia stories. "Giovani Falcone" is the real-life story of one of Sicily's bravest sons standing up to the Mafia, wielding the law to break the back of organized crime. Giovanni Falcone was the judge who unmasked the Mafia during the 1980s and 90s by methodically following the money. His discoveries exposed the vast hierarchy of criminal families across Italy and around the world. In "Borsellino," Zingaretti stars as Judge Paolo Borsellino, who on May 23, 1992, waited in Palermo for a personal visit from his friend Judge Giovanni Falcone. They planned to celebrate Falcone's recent appointment in Rome as head of a national anti-Mafia office. May 23, 1992 also became the beginning of the 57 days in which Judge Borsellino lived and continued working as a marked man. Despite the danger and with unwavering support from his family, he used each day to advance the cause of bringing down the Mafia. In Italian with English subtitles. Two-disc set, $29.95. Formats: DVD. (MHz Home Entertainment).
Heartland: The Complete Fourth Season
(2010-11) Five-disc set with 18 episodes, $44.98. Formats: DVD. (Entertainment One).
Inspector Manara: Season One and Season Two
(2009-10) Guido Caprino stars as Inspector Luca Manara, a dreamy man and a supervisor's worst nightmare. He dismisses procedure and refuses to kowtow to local power players, but he's also without ego and a gifted investigator. When Manara arrives on a motorcycle to head up the police department in Tuscany, his offbeat methods endear him to colleagues and build espirit de corps. In Italian with English subtitles. Four-disc sets each with all 12 episodes, $39.95. Formats: DVD. (MHz Home Entertainment).
I've Always Loved You
(1946) Dir.: Frank Borzage; Catherine McLeod, Philip Dorn, William Carter, Maria Ouspenkaya. In this a stirring romance set in the world of classical music, a domineering maestro (Philip Dorn) exerts a Svengali-like control over Myra, a talented young pianist (Catherine McLeod). Frustrated by Leopold's domineering nature, the girl abandons her professional career and marries a humble farmer (William Carter). Years later, haunted by regret, Myra returns to face her former mentor, to prove that she was, and continues to be, a better musician than he ever credited her with being. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (Olive Films).
Jersey Shore Massacre
(2014) Danielle Dallacco, Angelica Boccella,Giovanni Roselli, Chris Lazzaro, Sal Governale, Richard Christy, Bigfoot, Ron Jeremy. A typical weekend down the shore takes a bizarre turn in the New Jersey Pine Barrens as six girls and five obnoxious fist-pumpers become the unsuspecting targets of a deranged killer. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (Attack Entertainment).
Live Nude Girls
(2014) Mike Hatton, Dave Foley, Andy Dick, Bree Olson, singers Har Mar Superstar and Kuba Ka, adult superstar AVN Hall of Famer Tera Patrick. When Shane (Hatton) inherits a gentleman's club from his estranged uncle, he leaves his Midwestern home for a life of partying in Los Angeles. Once he arrives, Shane finds the club run by a boozehound (Foley), employing a horde of wild, sexy strippers and on the verge of bankruptcy. Formats: DVD, VOD. (Screen Media Films).
Masterpiece: Breathless
(2014) Jack Davenport, Zoe Boyle, Catherine Steadman. Follows the exploits of doctors, nurses, and spouses connected with a busy obstetrics ward at a National Health Service hospital in London in 1961. It's a time when gynecologists are all men and nurses aspire to a trip down the aisle with a good-looking doctor. Abortion is illegal, the Beatles are still nobodies, and society is on the cusp of profound change. Airs on Masterpiece on PBS Sundays, August 24 to September 7. Formats: Two-disc DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. (PBS Distribution).
Medieval Lives
(2013) An engrossing glimpse into the experiences of birth, marriage, and death in the Middle Ages. Presented by Cambridge historian Dr. Helen Castor. Two-disc set with three episodes, $34.99. Formats: DVD. Extras: Twelve-page viewer's guide with a timeline, articles on the eras within the Middle Ages and the Black Death; biographies of selected medieval movers and shakers; fun facts; biography of Dr. Castor. (Athena).
Murder in Suburbia Complete Collection
(2004-05) Four-disc set with 12 episodes of the BBC/ITV series about two female detectives who patrol an upscale suburb where perfect-looking lives crack to reveal all kinds of depravity, $59.99. (Acorn Media).
The Musketeers
(2014) Three-disc set with 10 episodes of BBC America's new action-packed adventure series. Set on the streets of 17th century Paris, the series gives a contemporary take on the classic story of "The Three Musketeers" by Alexandre Dumas. Formats: DVD: $34.98, Blu-ray: $39.98. Extras: "Creating Their World," "Bootcamp, Muskets, Leather, Corsets and Swords" and "Saving Constance: Their Finest Hour" featuettes. (BBC Home Entertainment).
The Normal Heart
(2014) Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons, Julia Roberts, Alfred Molina, Joe Mantello, Jonathan Groff, Denis O'Hare, Stephen Spinella, Corey Stoll, Finn Wittrock, B.D. Wong. When writer Larry Kramer hosted a gathering of gay men at his home in 1981 to discuss the "gay cancer" that was plaguing their community, he effectively launched a series of events that would change the face of the Gay Rights Movement and American activism. In 1985, he immortalized the events in the groundbreaking play "The Normal Heart," which was later revived on Broadway in 2011, garnering five Tony Award nominations. Three decades after its Off Broadway debut, Kramer's dream of a film version to bring his urgent and pivotal story to an even wider audience finally arrived when "The Normal Heart" was broadcast on HBO. The drama tells the story of the onset of the HIV-AIDS crisis in New York City in the early 1980s. It explores the nation's sexual politics as gay activists and their allies in the medical community fight to expose the truth about the epidemic to a city in denial. Mark Ruffalo portrays Ned Weeks, who witnesses first-hand a mysterious disease that has begun to claim the lives of many in his gay community and starts to seek answers. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). (HBO).
The Possession of Michael King
(2014) Shane Johnson, Ella Anderson, Cara Pifko, Dale Dickey, Julie McNiven, Tomas Arana. Following the sudden death of his wife, a documentary filmmaker decides to make his next film about the search for the existence of the supernatural and decides to make himself the center of the experiment -- allowing demonologists, necromancers, and various practitioners of the occult to try the deepest and darkest spells and rituals they can find on him -- and an evil and horrifying force takes over his being. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital. (Anchor Bay).
President Wolfman
(2012) Marc Evan Jackson, Ashley Ann, Anthony Jenkins. The President of the United States has been bitten by a werewolf and is loose on the streets of Washington. This comedy/horror/political satire is also a "green movie," created entirely out of recycled stock and public domain film footage culled from over one hundred grainy government instructional shorts, classroom education movies, vintage stag reels and features that have fallen out of copyright -- as well as from the favor of the public -- with a newly scripted, scored and re-voiced soundtrack with enhanced visuals and effects. Formats: DVD. Extras: Several short films from director Mike Davis, outtakes, a music video, highlight reel of the production. (Wild Eye Releasing).
Quicksand
(1950) Mickey Rooney, Jeanne Cagney, Barbara Bates, Peter Lorre. After borrowing $20 from his employer's cash register, an auto mechanic is plunged into a series of increasingly disastrous circumstances which rapidly spiral out of his control. Formats: DVD. (Film Chest Media
Revelation Trail
(2013) Daniel Van Thomas, Jordan Elizabeth. Cross genre thriller billed as "The Walking Dead Meets Hell on Wheels." It's the late 19th century and a gruesome zombie plague threatens the American frontier. As the dead rise, the West may fall, but standing tall against the horde is a conflicted holy man known only as Preacher (Daniel Van Thomas), forced to find his purpose in the fight against the undead. Formats: DVD. Extras: Commentary with director John P. Gibson; bloopers and outtakes; behind-the-scenes featurettes "The Voice of Daniel Thomas," "Life on the Trail" and "Who Shot Who"; "On Location: Copper Canyon Ranch," "The Cabin" and "Old West Festival"; "My Beloved" music video by Angry Killbillies. (Entertainment One).
Revenge: The Complete Third Season
(2014) Five-disc set with 25 episodes, $45.99. Formats: DVD. (Disney).
Same Same But Different
(2009 -- Germany) Apinya Sakuljaroensuk, David Kross. Based on a true story, "Same Same But Different" revolves around Ben, a young German student traveling to Cambodia on a post-graduation summer trip, and Sreykeo, a 21-year-old bar girl in Phnom Penh. The two meet in a nightclub and quickly fall in love. After Ben returns home to Germany, Sreykeo, Skyping from Cambodia, reveals that she is HIV-positive; Ben immediately feels he must help her. In doing so he quickly discovers a world where not everyone is dealt the same cards and where motivations are not always pure. Formats: DVD. (First Run Features).
Sanctuary: Quite a Conundrum
(2012) Sasha Ramos, Erin Cline, Emily Rogers, Anthony Rutowicz, Joe Coffey, Chris Greene, Catherine Trail, Julianna Pitt. A summer swimming party goes terribly wrong when a neighbor shows up unannounced -- completely naked and brandishing a gun. Forcing the young hostess to admit to their failed tryst, he turns the gun on himself and falls dead into the pool. From that flash point starts a nightmarish odyssey for everyone involved. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Midnight Releasing).
The Siege of Leningrad
(2013) In 1941, Hitler ordered the German Army to invade Russia. The Nazis raced across Russia's heartland until they reached Leningrad -- the cradle of the Bolshevik Revolution. But the city did not fall quickly to Hitler's troops; instead it resisted. The siege of Leningrad began on September 8, 1941 and ended on January 27, 1944. For 872 days the city was surrounded. Within, the inhabitants fell into despair, starvation and cannibalism. Well over a million people lost their lives during this period. This documentary chronicles the breathtaking story both of heroism and mankind's failings -- and one of the worst atrocities carried out by Germany during the Second World War. Formats: DVD. (First Run Features).
Sons of Anarchy Season Six
(2013) 13 episodes. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Deleted scenes, "Anarchy Afterword," commentary on select episodes, season premiere, season finale, "Character Good Byes," gag reel. (Fox).
Triad
(2012 -- Hong Kong) William Chan, Michele Wai, Derek Tsang. Three childhood friends join the Hong Kong Triads, only to discover that fame and fortune will ultimately break them apart as only one can become the leader of the gang. Formats: DVD, Digital. Extras: "The Making of Triad" featurette. (Well Go USA).
Twilight Zone 80's: The Complete Series
Collection contains all three seasons (65 episodes) from the '80s TV series. Formats: DVD. (RLJ/Image Entertainment).
Vengeance Is Mine BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1979) A thief, a murderer, and a charming lady-killer, Iwao Enokizu (Ken Ogata) is on the run from the police. Director Shohei Imamura turns this fact-based story -- about the 78-day killing spree of a remorseless man from a devoutly Catholic family -- into a cold, perverse, and at times diabolically funny examination of the primitive co-existing with the modern. More than just a true-crime tale, "Vengeance Is Mine" bares humanity's snarling id. Restored high-definition digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Extras: Commentary from 2005 featuring critic Tony Rayns; excerpts from a 1999 interview with director Shohei Imamura, produced by the Directors Guild of Japan; trailer and tease; booklet featuring an essay by critic Michael Atkinson, a 1994 interview with Imamura by writer Toichi Nakata, and writings by Imamura on "Vengeance Is Mine" and his approach to filmmaking. (The Criterion Collection).
Welcome Back, Kotter: The Complete Series
(1975-79) Sixteen-disc set with all 95 episodes. Formats: DVD. Extras: Original screen tests, "Only a Few Degrees From a Sweathog" featurette. (Shout! Factory).
Young and Beautiful
(2013 -- France) Dir.: Francois Ozon; Marine Vacth, Geraldine Pailhas, Frederic Pierrot, Fantin Ravat. After losing her virginity, 17-year-old budding beauty Isabelle (Vacth) takes up a secret life as a call girl, meeting older gentlemen for erotic hotel room trysts. But throughout her sexual escapades Isabelle remains curiously aloof, showing little interest in the encounters themselves or the money she makes from them. What does Isabelle hope to gain by offering her body up to the whims of strangers? Formats: DVD. (IFC Films).
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