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OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases
Adventures of Bailey: Christmas Hero
(2012) Rick Shew, Trey Bumpass, Christine Galyean, Liz Franke. Worried that he won't get any presents from Santa because he's been a bad doggie, Bailey learns of a mysterious Native American Indian brave who may be able to make his Christmas wishes come true. With visions of tennis balls, squeaky toys and dog bones dancing in his head, Bailey sets out to find this legend in the woods. But his misguided actions threaten the Baker family's Christmas plans. Dove-approved family film. Formats: DVD. (Entertainment One).
Aim High: The Complete First Season
(2011) All six webisodes of the series about a 16-year-old undercover CIA agent who fights terrorists in-between homework and dates with his crush Amanda, the most popular girl in high school. Formats: DVD, $14.97. Extras: "Meet Nick Green" featurette, "All Better Now" music video, "Video Yearbook" featurette. (Warner).
The Amazing Spider-Man
(2012) Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, C. Thomas Howell, Chris Zylka, Embeth Davidtz, Stan Lee. Formats: DVD, three-disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo, four-disc 3D Blu-ray/Blu-ray/DVD Combo, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Also available as a Limited Edition Gift Set (four-disc 3D/Blu-ray version) with collectible Spider-Man and Lizard figurines. Extras: "The Amazing Spider-Man Second Screen App," including interviews, storyboards, alternate takes, costume tests, pre-visualization sequences and more; behind-the-scenes documentaries; deleted scenes; commentary; "The Oscorp Archives": Production art gallery; stunt rehearsals. 3D set adds "3D 101" with Marc Webb and 3D scene progression reel. (Sony).
American Restoration: Volume Two
(2012) Two-disc set with 17 episodes, $19.95. Formats: DVD. (A&E).
Arthur Christmas
(2011) Voices of James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton, Ashley Jensen. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo Disc, 3D Blu-ray/DVD Combo, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Un-wrapping Arthur Christmas" featurette, five progression reels, "Elf Recruitment Video." (Sony).
Astonishing X-Men 2-Disc Blu-ray Collection
(2012) Two-disc set with "Astonishing X-Men: Gifted," "Astonishing X-Men: Dangerous," "Astonishing X-Men: Torn," "Astonishing X-Men: Unstoppable," bonus content, and original cover art illustration by John Cassaday. Also available on DVD. (Shout! factory).
Bonfire of the Vanities BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1990) Dir.: Brian De Palma; Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Melanie Griffith. (Warner).
Call the Midwife
(2012) Based on the best-selling memoirs of Jennifer Worth, the critically acclaimed BAFTA nominated drama is a moving, intimate, funny and, above all, true-to-life look at the colorful stories of midwifery and families in East London in the 1950s. Two-disc set. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (BBC Home Entertainment).
Celebrity Trials in the Media
(2012) A fascinating look at the media's fascination with celebrity trials, centering on the rape trial of Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant and the child molestation trial of singer Michael Jackson. Director Brian Malone examines the ethical shortcomings of the press when they drop their guard to cover celebrities; if a celebrity is involved, an otherwise unnoticed case of drunk driving, insider trading, rape or even murder gets more national and local coverage than the real news of the day. This documentary examines Americans' fascination with celebrity scandals, from Fatty Arbuckle to Patty Hearst and Tonya Harding to Winona Rider and, of course, O.J. Simpson. Formats: DVD, $19.95; Digital. (Cinema Libre Studio).
Chilly Christmas
(2012) Bryson Sams, C. Thomas Howell, Brooke Langton and Tom Arnold. An 11-year-old boy -- unhappy because he's moving with his detective dad from California to Manhattan -- tries to train his dog Chilly to live in an apartment (including using the toilet and a treadmill) while fending off dognappers. Formats: DVD. (Anchor Bay).
The Client BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1994) Dir.: Joel Schumacher; Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, Anthony La Paglia, Brad Renfro. (Warner).
Cut to the Chase: Charley Chase Comedy Collection
Charles Joseph Parrott of Baltimore, Maryland started out in vaudeville during the rough and tumble days in the first decade of the 20th century. Exactly 100 years ago this year, this young man fresh off the stage, started working at the Christie Film Company as a juvenile lead, a gag writer and a comedy director. When he changed his name to Charley Chase and found himself featured in the Hal Roach short comedies, he became one of the great geniuses and stars of Hollywood's golden era of silent comedy. As renowned as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd at the time, Chase easily matched them laugh for laugh. The always-dapper Chase specialized in portraying the pleasant common man with very common skills placed in the most uncommon of circumstances. Included in this two-disc set are "April Fool," "The 'Fraidy Cat," "Bad Boy," "The Caretaker's Daughter," "Be Your Age," "Bromo and Juliet," "Dog Shy," "Charley My Boy," "The Uneasy Three," "Innocent Husbands," "Isn't Life Terrible?," "What Price Goofy?," "Long Fliv the King," "Mama Behave," "Mighty Like A Moose," "Mum's the Word." Formats: DVD. (Milestone Films).
Dinotasia
(2012) One of our favorite natural history subjects, the good old dinosaur, gets a makeover and then some in this fantastically ambitious and groundbreaking documentary. Based on cutting-edge paleontology and the latest fossil records, "Dinotasia" presents a series of vignettes about dinosaurs -- both familiar faces and some we have only found out about in the past 10 years. The film uses CGI to bring the stories to life, but draws on animation's birth in silent film and early Disney to create proper, traditional visual storytelling. It's more than a documentary, it's a love letter to fans of graphic novel-style film vignettes and classic film animation. Werner Herzog narrates. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. (Cinedign Entertainment/Flatiron Film Company).
Elvira's Movie Macabre: Mega Movie Marathon
Six-disc set with 12 B-movie classics from Elvira's nationally syndicated series, including:" Night of the Living Dead," "I Eat Your Skin," "The Satanic Rites of Dracula," "The Werewolf of Washington," "The Terror," "Eegah!," "Scared to Death," "Tormented", "The Brain that Wouldn't Die," "The Manster," "Lady Frankenstein," "Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter"; $34.98. Formats: DVD. (Entertainment One).
Entourage: The Complete Series
Fire With Fire
(2012) Josh Duhamel, Rosario Dawson, Bruce Willis, Vincent D'Onofrio, 50 Cent, Richard Schiff, Vinnie Jones. Thriller follows a fireman's unexpected course of action when he's threatened by a white supremacist that he's testifying against in a murder case. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital. Extras: Commentary, behind-the-scenes interviews. (Lionsgate).
Guys and Dolls BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1955) Dir.: Joseph L. Mankiewicz; Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra, Vivian Blaine, Stubby Kaye, Sheldon Leonard. Blu-ray book with production notes, bios, photos, trivia. (Warner).
High Ground
(2012) Documentary follows a team of veterans of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq as they set out to climb a towering Himalayan peak to overcome challenges and heal the mental and emotional ravages of war. The 11 wounded U.S veterans, each dealing with unique issues and looking to move on with their lives, join an expedition to climb the 20,000-foot Himalayan giant Mount Lobuche. Led by blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayer and a team of Mount Everest summiteers as their guides, they embark on an emotional and gripping climb to reach the top and heal their psychic wounds. Formats: DVD, VOD. (Virgil Films).
Hirokin: The Last Samurai
(2011) Wes Bentley, Jessica Szohr, Angus Macfadyen, Laura Ramsey. On a planet where humans must scavenge the post-apocalyptic barren wasteland, Hirokin, a reluctant samurai with a dark past, sets off on a mission to fulfill his destiny. Armed with his samurai blade, Hirokin is forced to choose between avenging the murder of his family by the planet's evil dictator and his elite army of warriors, and fighting for the freedom of his people. Formats: DVD. Extras: Making-of, special effects, visual effects and editing featurettes; deleted scenes. (Lionsgate).
I Wish
(2011 -- Japan) Koki Maeda, Ohshiro Maeda, Ryôga Hayashi. Twelve-year-old Koichi lives with his mother and retired grandparents in the southern region of Japan; his younger brother Ryunosuke lives with their father in the northern region of Japan. The brothers have been separated by their parents' divorce, and Koichi's only wish is for his family to be reunited. When he learns that a new bullet train line will soon open linking the two towns, he starts to believe that a miracle will take place -- that a wish made at the moment these new trains first pass each other at top speed will come true. With help from the adults around him, Koichi sets out on a journey with a group of friends, each hoping to witness a miracle. Formats: DVD. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
Javier Bardem 3-Film Collection
Three Bardem films in time for his villainous role in the new Bond film, "Skyfall": "No Country for Old Men," "Biutiful" and Mondays in the Sun," $19.98. Extras: Includes all the featurettes, deleted scens and commentaries from the original DVD releases. Formats: DVD. (Lionsgate).
Kiss Me
(2011 -- Sweden) Ruth Vega Fernandez, Joakim Natterqvist, Liv Mjones. A thirtysomething upper middle-class woman, Mia, finds her life turned upside down when she unexpectedly falls in love with the free-spirited Frida when the two meet at an engagement party in the country -- Frida's mother is about to marry Mia's father -- calling into question Mia's engagement to her longtime boyfriend Tim. Formats: DVD. (Wolfe Video).
Law & Order: The Eleventh Year
(2000-01) Five-disc set with 24 episodes, $36.98. Formats: DVD. (Universal).
Lifetime Gold Collection
Two-disc set with four of Lifetime's most popular Original Movies: "Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story," "Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy," "Ambulance Girl" and "We Were the Mulvaneys," $14.95. Formats: DVD. (A&E).
The Love You Save
(2011 -- TV) Robin Givens, Christopher Williams, Kierra "Kiki" Sheard. A successful single real estate mogul, with a seemingly perfect life finds things coming apart at the seams when her children discover a secret from their past that shakes the family to its core. Dove-approved family film. Formats: DVD. (Image Entertainment).
Maximum Conviction
(2012) Steven Seagal, Steve Austin, Michael Pare, Aliya O'Brien. When former black ops operative Tom Steele (Seagal) and his partner Manning (Austin) are assigned to decommission an old prison, they must oversee the arrival of two mysterious female prisoners. Before long, an elite force of mercenaries assault the prison in search of the new arrivals. As the true identities of the women are revealed, Steele realizes he's caught in the middle of something far bigger than he had imagined. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo. Extras: (Anchor Bay).
Moms to the Rescue Collection
Four compelling and entertaining Original Lifetime Movies on two discs: "Honeymoon With Mom," "Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story," "Mom, Dad and Her" and "Mom at Sixteen," $19.95. Formats: DVD. (A&E).
Outpost: Black Sun
(2012) Catherine Steadman, Richard Coyle, Julian Wadham, Daniel Caltagirone. A NATO Special Forces Unit in Eastern Europe must battle a zombie army of Nazi Storm-Troopers created by a war-criminal German scientist. This sequel to 2008's Nazi zombie film "Outpost" is a straight-ahead action-horror-thriller that doesn't get bogged down in talk despite an emphasis on science (the Nazis are transformed into monsters by a quantum force field). Fun. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). (Xlrator).
The Pact
(2012) Caity Lotz, Casper Van Dien, Agnes Bruckner, Mark Steger, Haley Hudson. As a woman struggles to come to grips with her past in the wake of her mother's death, an unsettling presence emerges in her childhood home. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (IFC Midnight Films).
Planes, Trains and Automobiles 25th Anniversary Blu-ray
(1987) Dir.: John Hughes; Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins, Michael McKean, Kevin Bacon, Dylan Baker. Extras: "John Hughes: Life Moves Pretty Fast," an in-depth look at the work and legacy of John Hughes, including "John Hughes: The Voice of a Generation" and "Heartbreak and Triumph: The Legacy of John Hughes"; "Getting There Is Half the Fun: The Story of Planes, Trains And Automobiles"; "John Hughes for Adults"; "A Tribute to John Candy"; deleted scene: "Airplane Food." (Paramount).
RVBX: Ten Years of Red vs. Blue
(2012) On April 1, 2003, the first episode of "Red vs. Blue" took the Internet by storm, heralding the dawn of a new era of online viral video. Based on the explosively popular video game franchise Halo and created with a new form of animation called "machinima," "Red vs. Blue" was unlike anything online audiences had ever seen before. From tank romances to alien offspring, buddy clubs, "knock knock" jokes, laser faces and more, this is the sci-fi comedy that paved the way for an entire generation of online video. This 14-disc boxed set collects the full first 10 seasons of "Red vs. Blue" episodes with newly remastered surround sound audio, plus additional videos and miniseries, hours of special features, interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and much more. Formats: DVD, $139.95; Blu-ray Disc, $179.95. (Cinedign Entertainment/Flatiron Film Company).
Rags and Riches
Mary Pickford is known today as the first film actress to achieve international super stardom. Funny, feisty and diminutive, she was also the first actor to have complete artistic control of her films. And because Pickford chose to work with the best directors, writers, craftsmen and editors, what incredible films they are. These three titles, newly mastered with full orchestral scores, demonstrate the star's commitment to excellence and the brilliant range of her acting: "The Poor Little Rich Girl" (1917), "The Hoodlum" (1919) and "Sparrows" (1926). Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (Milestone Films).
Rashomon
(1950) A riveting psychological thriller that investigates the nature of truth and the meaning of justice, "Rashomon" is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made. Four people recount different versions of the story of a man's murder and the rape of his wife, which director Akira Kurosawa presents with striking imagery and an ingenious use of flashbacks. This eloquent masterwork and international sensation revolutionized film language and introduced Japanese cinema -- and a commanding new star by the name of Toshiro Mifune -- to the Western world. New digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Commentary by Japanese-film historian Donald Richie; video introduction by director Robert Altman; excerpts from "The World of Kazuo Miyagawa," a documentary on "Rashomon's" cinematographer; "A Testimony as an Image," a 68-minute documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew; archival audio interview with actor Takashi Shimura; original and rerelease trailers; a booklet featuring an essay by film historian Stephen Prince, an excerpt from director Akira Kurosawa's "Something Like an Autobiography," and reprints of "Rashomon's" two source stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, "Rashomon" and "In a Grove." (The Criterion Collection).
REC 3: Genesis
(2012 -- Spain) Javier Bote, Leticia Dolera, Diego Martin. Third chapter in the REC "recorded" series follows one young couple's wedding day in the country that turns into one big nightmare when a viral outbreak transforms their guests into blood-thirsty zombies. Formats: DVD. Extras: Deleted scenes, blooper reel. (Sony).
Red vs. Blue: Season 10
(2012) Finale to the Project Freelancer saga, complete with newly animated battle sequences. Formats: DVD, $19.95; Blu-ray Disc, $24.95; Digital. Extras: PSAs, Special videos, audio commentary, trailers, outtakes, deleted scenes. (Cinedign Entertainment/Flatiron Film Company).
Regular Show: The Best DVD in the World* At This Moment in Time
(2011-12) Features 16 episodes from the second and third seasons of the popular animated series about Mordecai and Rigby -- a bluebird and a racoon who are the groundskeepers at a park and whose attempts to escape their everyday boredom take them to fantastical extremes; $19.82. Formats: DVD. (Cartoon Network).
Rescue
(2011) IMAX documentary plunges audiences into the grueling, highly technical work of saving lives in the face of a natural disaster, following first responders as they train at sea, in the air and on the ground preparing for the worst that can happen. And then it does ... when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake strikes the Caribbean nation of Haiti. Formats: DVD, 3D Blu-ray Disc (compatible with 2D players). (Image Entertainment).
Sunset Boulevard BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1950) Dir.: Billy Wilder; William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olson, Fred Clark, Lloyd Gough, Jack Webb. Newly restored. Not only a cinematic masterpiece, "Sunset Boulevard" also captures some extraordinary moments in Hollywood history, including Cecil B. DeMille on the set of "Samson and Delilah," which was erected in a soundstage still in use on the Paramount lot. Director Erich von Stroheim, who had directed Swanson previously in real life, appears as Norma Desmond's butler and former director. Various notable figures make appearances in the film as themselves, including actors Buster Keaton, Hedda Hopper, Anna Q. Nilsson and H.B. Warner. And, of course, there are the iconic images of Hollywood itself, including the well-known shot of Paramount's legendary gates. The main objective of the restoration effort was to remain faithful to the distinctive look created by the director and
The Blu-ray boasts over two hours of in-depth bonus material that sheds light on the film, its origins and its path to becoming a classic. Also includes a never-before-released deleted scene entitled "The Paramount-Don't-Want-Me Blues," which was obtained from the Academy Film Archive and features Academy Award-winning songwriters Jay Livingston and Ray Evans performing a comedic song that was cut for fear of being too Hollywood insider in 1950. Extras: Commentary by Ed Sikov, author of "On Sunset Blvd: The Life and Times of
Billy Wilder"; featurettes: "Sunset Boulevard: The Beginning," "Sunset Boulevard: A Look Back," "The Noir Side of Sunset Boulevard," "Sunset Boulevard Becomes a Classic," "Two Sides of Ms. Swanson," "Stories of Sunset Boulevard," "Mad About the Boy: A Portrait of William Holden," "Recording Sunset Boulevard," "The City of Sunset Boulevard," "Franz Waxman and the Music of Sunset Boulevard," "Behind the Gates: The Lot," "Edith Head: The Paramount Years ," "Paramount in the '50s": "Morgue Prologue" script pages, deleted scene "The Paramount-Don't-Want-Me Blues"; Hollywood location map; production, movie and publicity galleries; theatrical trailer. (Paramount).
Supernatural Activity
(2012) Joey Oglesby, Donny Boaz, Andrew Pozza, Devin Bonnee, Lizabeth Waters. A send-up of "found footage" films by the creators of "Scary Movie" in which a team of myth-debunking ghost hunters on television take off on their most frightening assignment just in time for the last episode of the season. Formats: DVD, Digital. (Well Go USA).
The Swan Princess Christmas
(2012) The all-new CGI musical follows the return of Princess Odette, Prince Derek, and their trusted woodland friends as they celebrate their first Christmas together, and face the villainous and evil sorcerer, Rothbart. Extras: Storybook read-along, sing-along videos, "Season of Love" music video by Anna Graceman. Formats: DVD. (Sony).
They Live Collector's Edition
(1988) Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster. Horror master John Carpenter directs this heart-pounding thriller in which aliens are systematically gaining control of the Earth by masquerading as humans and lulling the public into submission. Humanity's last chance lies with a lone drifter who stumbles upon a harrowing discovery -- a unique pair of sunglasses that reveals the terrifying and deadly truth. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Commentary with writer-director John Carpenter and Roddy Piper; "Independent Thoughts": An interview with Carpenter; "Man vs. Aliens": an interview with Keith David; "Woman of Mystery": an interview with Meg Foster; "Watch, Look, Listen: The Sights & Sounds of They Live"; 2012 cast reunion Q&A with Piper, David and Foster; original EPK: T"he Making of They Live"; never-before-seen footage from the commercials created for the film; original theatrical trailer; TV spots; still gallery. (Shout! Factory/Scream Factory).
360
(2012) Dir.: Fernando Meirelles; Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law, Rachel Weisz and Ben Foster. A sexy, dramatic thriller about interconnected romantic life in the 21st century. "360" starts
in Vienna, weaving stories set in Paris, London, Bratislava, Rio, Denver and Phoenix into a single, mesmerizing narrative. A businessman tempted to be unfaithful to his wife, sets into motion a series of events that ripple around the globe with dramatic consequences. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: "Coming Full Circle: The Making of 360," "Behind the Scenes Picture-in-Picture Comparisons," "AXS TV: A Look at 360." (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
Top Shot: Season Four
(2012) Four-disc set with nine episodes, $29.95. Formats: DVD. (A&E).
Universal 100th Anniversary Collection
Features a selection of 25 unforgettable films that helped shape the legacy of one of the most successful movie studios of all time. The Universal 100th Anniversary Collection includes an exclusive "100 Years of Universal" 72-Page collector's book with rare photos and memorabilia from the studio's archives. The collection also includes an exclusive 15-track music CD containing a selection of the most popular music scores from Universal films, including "Psycho," "The Sting," "Jaws," "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" and "Out of Africa." Extra features include an exclusive bonus disc, with eight "100 Years of Universal" featurettes, vintage cartoons and rarely seen shorts from the Universal archives. The titles: "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930), "Dracula" (1931), "Dracula Spanish" (1931)" (Blu-ray Collection only), "Buck Privates" (1941), "Pillow Talk" (1959), "Spartacus" (1960), "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962), "The Birds" (1963), "American Graffiti" (1973), "The Sting" (1973), "Jaws" (1975), "National Lampoon's Animal House" (1978), "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982), "Scarface" (1983), "The Breakfast Club" (1985), "Back to the Future" (1985), "Out of Africa" (1985), "Field of Dreams" (1989), "Do the Right Thing" (1989), "Jurassic Park" (1993), "Schindler's List " (1993)" (DVD Collection only), "Apollo 13" (1995), "The Fast and the Furious" (2001), "The Bourne Identity" (2002), "Mamma Mia! The Movie" (2008), "Despicable Me" (2010). Formats: DVD, $299.98; Blu-ray Disc, $349.98. (Universal).
A Very Mary Christmas (aka Expecting Mary)
(2010) Elliott Gould, Linda Gray, Lainie Kazan, Cloris Leachman, Della Reese, Olesya Rulin, Cybill Shepherd, Gene Simmon, Fred Willard. A pregnant teen, on the run from her unsupportive mother, hitchhikes to L.A. to see her rock star father, along the way meeting up with a group of eccentric characters in a trailer park where she finds the true meaning of family. Formats: DVD. (Echo Bridge Home Entertainment).
Warren Miller's ... Like There's No Tomorrow
(2011) Narrated by Olympic gold medalist Jonny Moseley and filmed on five continents, documentary tours the world's most inspiring snowy landscapes, from the rugged peaks of New Hampshire's Mount Washington to the legendary powder of Squaw Valley, California; from the striking Himalayas in Gulmarg, India, to the southern hemisphere's highest peak in Portillo, Chile. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (Shout! Factory).
What She Wants for Christmas
(2012) Denise Boutte, Christian Keyes, Jackie Long. Ten-year-old Abigail has written to the North Pole and asked for something very special this year -- something she's kept secret even from her mother. But when Abigail discovers that Santa won't be bringing her special "gift," she activates her back-up plan to capture jolly St. Nick ... and gets Christmas all tied up. Formats: DVD. (Entertainment One).
Wolf Lake: The Complete Series
(2001-02) Three-disc set with all nine episodes, $39.98. Formats: DVD. Extras: Un-aired pilot, "Wolf Lake: The Original Werewolf Saga" featurette. (Entertainment One).
Your Sister's Sister
(2012) Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt, Mark Duplass, Mike Birbiglia. Extras: Commentary by the filmmakers and crew. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (IFC Films).
The Yummy Gummy Search for Santa
(2012) When Santa vanishes on Christmas Eve, Gummibar and his band of wacky, misfit friends shake their booties from the North Pole to the tropics on a madcap search ... only to find Santa was abducted by a dance-crazed alien. Now the fate of Christmas morning rests in the hands -- and feet -- of the YouTube sensation dancing green gummy bear. Formats: DVD, $14.98. Extras: Six music videos. (Lionsgate).
The Amazing Spider-Man
Reboot of the film series based on the Marvel comic book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, about Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. When Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents' disappearance -- leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), his father's former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors' alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.
Vitals: Director: Marc Webb. Stars: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, C. Thomas Howell, Chris Zylka, Embeth Davidtz, Stan Lee.
2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 136 min., Action, Box office gross: $259.811 million, Sony.
Your Sister's Sister
Lost in an emotional funk one year after his brother's death, Jack (Mark Duplass) takes his best friend Iris (Emily Blunt) up on her offer for a reflective week of solitude at her family's remote island retreat. Upon arriving at the house, Jack discovers that Iris' sister Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt) had the same idea, and the two spend an awkward evening together. Iris shows up the next morning unannounced, setting in motion an emotionally twisted tale of sisters, brothers, and best friends. Director Lynn Shelton once again honestly explores the complexities of interpersonal relationships while gently poking fun at her characters' predicaments.
Vitals: Director: Lynn Shelton. Stars: Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt, Mark Duplass, Mike Birbiglia.
2012, CC, MPAA rating: R, 90 min., Comedy Drama, Box office gross: $1.546 million, IFC Films.
Arthur Christmas
Aardman Animations movie reveals the answer to the age old question of children everywhere, just how all those millions of presents get delivered in one night. The answer: with a lot of high-tech logistics and gadgetry and absolute military precision coordinated by Santa's son Steve. While Santa's other bumbling son Arthur deals with the stacks of letters from children, Steve and his tech-savvy crew coordinate virtually everything else to ensure the successful mission of delivering presents around the globe on Christmas Eve. Meanwhile, soon-to-be-retiring Santa simply does as he's told, and centenarian Grand-Santa watches the whole procedure on TV from the comfort of his easy chair. But when one little girl's present doesn't get delivered on Christmas Eve, it raises the question of just what is an acceptable margin of error when you're talking about children and Santa Claus -- something that Steve, Arthur, Santa and Grand-Santa don't quite agree on. Thus begins a very unusual, highly comical last-ditch effort by Arthur, Grand-Santa, and a wrapping elf named Bryony to deliver the forgotten present. Vitals: Director: Sarah Smith, Barry Cook. Stars: Voices of James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton, Ashley Jensen.
2011, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 97 min., Family, Box office gross: $12.700 million, Sony.
Bonfire of the Vanities
(1990)
The Client
(1994)
Guys and Dolls
(1955)
Patton
(1970)
Planes, Trains and Automobiles 25th Anniversary Blu-ray
(1987)
Rashomon
(1950) (The Criterion Collection)
Sunset Blvd.
(1950)
Eighteen-disc set with all eight seasons and more than six hours of bonus content, boxed in a stylishly cool, black casing. Formats: DVD, $249.99; Blu-ray Disc, $299.99. Extended "Anatomy of Entourage" behind-the-scenes featurette, 17 commentaries, "The Mark Wahlberg Sessions," "Making of Medellin" featurette, "The Celebrity Factor," "Life at the Top," ONE X ONE PSA, "Inside the Hollywood Life," "The Shades of Sasha Grey," "Entourage On Location," "Entourage Exposed," "Anatomy of an Episode," "Into the Jungle," "Hollywood Minutes." (HBO).
Even the Rain
(2010 -- Spain) Gael Garcia Bernal, Luis Tosar, Juan Carlos Aduviri, Karra Elejalde. Idealistic filmmaker Sebastian and his cynical producer Costa arrive in Bolivia to make a revisionist film about Christopher Columbus' conquest of the Americas. But as filming commences, the local citizens begin to riot in protest against a multi-national corporation that is taking control of their water supply. With the film shoot in jeopardy, both men find their convictions shaken. Weaves together history, politics, religion and the emotional art of movie making. Formats: DVD. (Image Entertainment).
cinematographer. Stark shadows and darkness occasionally cut by the bright light of a film projector are themselves essential in telling the disturbing story of madness and obsession. The restoration team secured a vintage print made at the time of release from the Library of Congress to view and study the tones and extensively researched documentation from the production to accurately present the director's original vision. Although none of the original nitrate materials survive, the restoration team conducted a worldwide search for the earliest generation elements, ultimately using an acetate 35mm duplicate negative as a primary source for scanning at 4K to create the highest picture quality possible. In addition, work done on the film's original mono soundtrack back in 2001-2002 was expanded upon. As with the picture, no original sound materials survive, but a variety of source elements were analyzed, transferred, digitally cleaned and incorporated into the final restoration -- including optical soundtrack negatives, music and effects tracks and partial music master materials.
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