Flash: (August 26)
From the Big Screen:
Due this week: "Chicago 10," "Postal," "Redbelt," "Son of Rambow" and "What Happens In Vegas."
For more releases this week, see our "Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases."
DVD Collectibles:
It's Western week on the old DVD homestead, headed up by a restored and remastered edition (from the original three-panel Cinerama release) of 1962's
"How the West Was Won." The breathtaking epic had four directors -- John Ford (segment "The Civil War"), Henry Hathaway (segments "The Rivers," "The Plains" and "The Outlaws"), George Marshall (segment "The Railroad") and Richard Thorpe (uncredited: transitional historical sequences) -- and a bevy of stars: Carroll Baker, Lee J. Cobb, Henry Fonda, Carolyn Jones, Karl Malden, Gregory Peck, George Peppard, Robert Preston, Debbie Reynolds, James Stewart, Eli Wallach, John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Walter Brennan, Andy Devine, Raymond Massey, Agnes Moorehead, Harry Morgan, Thelma Ritter, Mickey Shaughnessy, Russ Tamblyn and Spencer Tracy.Warners will release the film in a two-disc special edition, an Ultimate Collector's Edition and on Blu-ray Disc. The Collector's edition includes a 36-page souvenir book reproduction, 10 behind-the-scenes photos and 10 postcards, original theatrical release pressbook reproduction.
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Other Western releases from Warner this week: "Errol Flynn Westerns Collection," a four-disc set with "Montana," "Rocky Mountain," "San Antonio," "Virginia City," $49.92 ... "Pale Rider"
(1985), directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Eastwood, Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress, Chris Penn, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Douglas Mc Grath, Marvin J. Mc Intyre, Sydney Penny and Billy Drago ... and
"Warner Home Video Western Classics Collection," a six-disc set with "Escape From Fort Bravo," "Many Rivers to Cross," "Cimarron" "The Law and Jake Wade," "Saddle the Wind," "The Stalking Moon," $59.92.
From the sublime to the absurd: The Criterion Collection will release Pier Paolo Pasolini's notorious final film, "Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom" (1975 -- Italy), which has been called nauseating, shocking, depraved, pornographic ... it's also a masterpiece. The controversial poet, novelist, and filmmaker's transposition of the Marquis de Sade's 18th-century opus of torture and degradation to 1944 Fascist Italy remains one of the most passionately debated films of all time, a thought-provoking inquiry into the political, social, and sexual dynamics that define the world we live in. In a new, restored high-definition digital transfer ... Universal will release the cult horror film "Brotherhood of the Wolf: Director's Cut"
(2001 -- France), director Christophe Gans' wild take on a true story that took place in 18th century France when a mysterious beast kiled more than a 100 people in the wilds of the Gevaudan province; the King sends the Chevalier de Fronsac and his native American friend Mani to investigate the killings. Stars Samuel Le Bihan, Vincent Cassel, Emilie Dequenne, Monica Bellucci, Jeremie Renier and Mark Dacascos; in a two-disc set with deleted scenes, "Making of Brotherhood of the Wolf: The Guts of the Beast," behind-the-scenes documentary, more ... Sony will release "The Three Stooges Collection: 1940-1942, Volume Three," a two-disc set with 23 digitally-restored shorts, arranged chronologically, $24.96.
From TV to Video:
"Alfresco," a two-disc set with 13 episodes of the British sketch comedy series from the 1980s; launched the careers of Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie, Robbie Coltrane, Stephen Fry, Ben Elton, others; $39.99 from Acorm Media ... "The Color Honeymooners Collection #4," a three-disc set with 12 episodes of the Jackie Gleason show that aired from Miami Beach in 1966-70; $39.98 from MPI Home Video ... "Dog the Bounty Hunter: The Best of Season 4" features the seven best episodes of Season 4, $19.95 from A&E Home Video ... "The Duchess of Duke Street: The Complete Collection" is a 10-disc set with all 31 episodes of the BBC/PBS Masterpiece Theatre series, $99.99 from Acorn Media ... "Entourage: The Complete Fourth Season" is a three-disc set with 12 episodes, $39.98 from HBO Video ... "Everybody Hates Chris: The Third Season" (2007-08) is a four-disc set with 22 episodes, $39.99 from Paramount ... "Haunted Histories Collection: Volume 2" is a five-disc set with five episodes of the History Channel spooky series, $24.95 from A&E Home Video ... "NCIS: The Fifth Season" (2007-08) is a five-disc set with 18 episodes, $64.99 from Paramount ... "One Tree Hill: The Complete Fifth Season" is a five-disc set with 18 episodes, $59.98 from Warner ...
"The Shield: The Complete Sixth Season" is a four-disc set with 10 episodes, $59.95 from Sony ... "UFO Hunters: The Complete Season One" is a four-disc set with 13 episodes, $39.95 from A&E Home Video ... "The Untouchables: Season Two, Volume Two" (1961) is a four-disc set, $42.99 from Paramount.
Buzzin' the 'B's:
"Postal" (2008) stars Zack Ward, Dave Foley, Larry Thomas and Verne Troyer in Uwe Boll's controversial comedy about a cult leader, his nephew and a gang of sexy commandos who face off against the Taliban in Middle America; unrated from Vivendi Entertainment ... In the uncut sequel,"Phantasm IV: Oblivion" (1998), directed by Don Coscarelli and starring A. Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Bannister and Angus Scrimm, the original cast returns to undertake a surreal journey through the dimensions of time and space to understand the terrifying birthright of the Tall Man, as well as the origins of the infamous and lethal Sphere, ending with the Tall Man's final assault with his dark army, putting the future of the human race on the line; from Anchor Bay ... "Linda Lovelace for President" (1975) is an intentionally campy film designed to capitalize on Linda Lovelace's sudden fame following "Deep Throat": The Upright Party nominates Lovelace for president and she goes on a cross-country campaign trip; stars Linda Lovelace, Val Bisoglio and Micky Dolenz; from Dark Sky Films/MPI Home Video ...
In "Vampire Diary" (2007), starring Morven Macbeth and Anna Walton, a female filmmaker making a documentary on trendy neo-vampires meets a highly enigmatic and beautiful woman who claims she is a real-life vampire and the two embark on a passionate affair; from Monrach Home Video.
On the Indie Front:
"Pope Dreams" (2007), starring Phillip Vaden, Stephen Tobolowsky, Julie Hagerty and Marnette Patterson, is a coming-of-age story about a directionless 19-year-old who works for his dad during the day and plays in a heavy metal band at night; his only clear goal is to get his ailing mother to meet the pope before she dies. Along the way he falls in love and gets discovered by two Broadway producers; from PorchLight Home Entertainment ...
"Purple Violets" (2007), the latest from director Edward Burns, stars Selma Blair, Patrick Wilson, Edward Burns, Debra Messing and Dennis Farina. Infidelity, first loves and second chances are complexly intertwined in this comedy set in The Big Apple. A one-time promising writer saddled with a cheating husband, a successful crime novelist who lacks significant literary distinction, a tough-talking schoolteacher still smarting from a decade-old break-up and a smooth-talking lawyer determined to win back the one that got away, all seek to regain control of their lives; from he Weinstein Co./Genius Products ... "Chicago 10" (2008), with the voices of Hank Azaria, Dylan Baker, Nick Nolte, Mark Ruffalo, Roy Scheider, Liev Schreiber and Jeffrey Wright, is a highly-stylized and wildly original documentary-style film, chronicling the real-life events surrounding the anti-war protest of the 1968 Democratic National Convention held in Chicago and the charismatic protest organizers brought to trial by the city. Told through a visually-arresting animation style and a bold use of archival footage and music; from Paramount ... Two boys growing up in the dawning video age of the 1980s are blown away after first seeing "Rambo: First Blood," and, armed with a video camera, plan on making cinematic history by filming their own action-packed epic, setting them at odds with their parents and school in "Son of Rambow" (2008), starring Will Poulter, Bill Milner, Jules Sitruk, Charlie Thrift, Jessica Stevenson and Neil Dudgeon, from Paramount ... "August" (2008) is the story of two brothers fighting to keep their start-up dot-com company afloat as the bottom falls out of the stock market during August 2001, a month before the 9/11 terrorist attacks; stars Josh Hartnett, Naomie Harris, Adam Scott, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Robin Tunney, Rip Torn and David Bowie; from First Look Studios.
For the Family:
"Where the Wild Things Are ... And Five More Stories by Maurice Sendak" is a must for kids of all ages. The title tale -- originally published in 1963 -- is regarded as a landmark children's classic. It's the wildly imaginative story of Max, a young boy who misbehaves and is sent to his room without supper. There, he lets his imagination take him to a faraway place where, after donning a distinctive wolf costume, he befriends the strange, mythical creatures that inhabit the island. But, after a "wild rumpus" Max decides it's time to head back home, "where someone loved him best of all." From Scholastic Storybook Treasure ...For the little one's there's "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning" (2008) , a direct-to-video animated prequel, from Disney ... "The Care Bears: Care-A-Lot Collection" is a two-disc set with 22 episodes, $22.98 from Fox ... "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Trick or Treason" is a new animated feature, $14.99 from Paramount ... In the animated/live-action outing "Bob the Builder On Site: Houses & Playgrounds," Bob the Builder and his crew show kids what it takes to build a hardy house and a safe playground; $19.98 from HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate ... "Casper and Friends: Trick or Treat" and "Casper & Wendy: Scare Up Some Fun" each feature 12 Harvey Comics' Casper cartoons, $9.93 each from Classic Media ... "Curious George: Sails With the Pirates and Other Curious Capers" includes eight episodes of the animated series, $16.98. from Universal ... "Fat Albert's Halloween Special"
(1977) is an animated/live-action feature from the popular TV series, $12.93 from Classic Media/Genius Products.
Exceptional Sound. No Exceptions!
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Special Interest:
With the Democratic National Convention in full swing, and with the GOP in the wings, it's time for a heavy dose of political videos between now and November. First off is "The Real McCain" (2008): Maverick or flip-flopper? Robert Greenwald's new documentary sheds light on John McCain's "straight talk," politics and policies,$9.95 from The Disinformation Company ... "Uncounted" (2008) takes and a look at the 2004 Presidential election to answer one fundamental question: was the election stolen and, if so, how? $19.95 from The Disinformation Company ... "Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?" (2008) is a tongue-in-cheek yet thought-provoking documentary by writer-director Morgan Spurlock about Osama bin Laden's continued success at evading capture; from The Weinstein Co./Genius Products ... "a.k.a. Tommy Chong"
(2008) is a dynamic portrait of comedy legend Tommy Chong of Cheech and Chong set against the unfolding political horror story of post 9/11 America. Follows the tragic and absurd tale of Chong as he travels down the rabbit hole of America's war on drugs and the federal prison system after becoming the primary target in a government sting, code named "Operation Pipe Dreams." In February of 2003, the U.S. government spent $12 million to take down Chong for selling art glass water pipes, a/k/a bongs, over the internet. What emerges is an intimate portrait of a cosmic character, caught in the crosshairs of a surreal Cheech and Chong fantasy come to life. $24.98 from Infinity Entertainment ... "The President's Collection Gift Set" is a 14-disc set of the acclaimed American Experience series, comprised of 20th century presidential biographies profiling the lives and legacies of Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, John Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush; $125.99 from Paramount.
Other special interest offerings this week: "Battle 360: The Complete Season One" is a four-disc set of all 10 episodes of the History Channel series that follows the USS Enterprise and its crew through some of World War II's most intensive battles; packed in a collectible SteelBook case, $39.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Terry Pratchett's Discworld Collection" (2007) is comprised of two animated versions of two Terry Pratchett's sci-fi fantasy books featuring a world of funny wizards, witches, dwarfs, trolls and giants: "Wyrd Sisters: and "Soul Music"; $39.99 from Acorn Media ... "Best of Comedy Central Presents -- II" features uncensored routines by Dave Attell, Mike Birbiglia, Frank Caliendo, Zach Galifianakis, Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Stephen Lynch, and Nick Swardson; $19.99 from Comedy Central/Paramount.
More News:
You Must Remember This:
Warner Home Video has just announced a December 2 release date for the impressive "Casablanca Ultimate Collector's Edition,"
available as a two-disc Blu-ray set or a three-disc DVD set, housed in a giftbox with a laser cut O-sleeve, 48-page photobook, 10 one-sheet reproduction cards, archival correspondence, exclusive passport holder and luggage tag. The 1942 film, No. 2 on AFI's list of the 100 Greatest American Movies, was directed by Michael Curtiz and stars Humphrey Bogart as the inimitable Rick Blaine, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Dooley Wilson. 
Extras include commentaries by Roger Ebert and historian Rudy Behlmer, introduction by Lauren Bacall, additional scenes and outtakes, "Bacall on Boagrt" and "You Must Remember This: A Tribute to Casablanca" featurettes, production research gallery, "Carrotblanca" cartoon, premiere episode from the 1955 TV series, scoring session outtakes, bonus disc with "Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul" documentary. The DVD set sells for $59.98; add $5 more for the Blu-ray version. (Posted August 19)
DVD Collectibles:
Due this week from Koch Lorber Films is an interesting box set of features: the "Marco Ferreri Collection" For 40 years, Italian filmmaker Marco Ferreri has stunned and shocked filmgoers with his confrontational and daring works. Politics, impossible relationships, alienation, madness and sexual frankness mark the eight films in this collection: "El Cochecito" (The Wheelchair) (1960) in which a man wants a motorized wheelchair so he can join in the races for the handicapped; "The Seed of Man (1969) in which a global plague wipes out most of Earth's population and a young couple argue about having a child; "La Grande Bouffe" (The Big Feast) (1973), Ferreri's greatest international success about four friends who hire prostitutes and hole up in a Parisian villa for group sex and to eat themselves to death, starring screen giants Marcello Mastroianni, Philippe Noiret, Michel Piccoli and Ugo Tognazzi; "Don't Touch the White Woman (1974) stars Catherine Deneuve and Marcello Mastroianni in this re-creation of General Custer's last stand, filmed in the midst of modern Paris; "Bye Bye Monkey" (1978), in which Gerard Depardieu and Marcello Mastroianni star as two foreign eccentrics decaying in a rat-infested NYC apartment; "Seeking Asylum" (1979) , a rare "family film" focusing on unorthodox schoolteacher Roberto Benigni as he takes over a fortress-like pre-school; "Tales of Ordinary Madness" (1981), in which Ben Gazzara plays a drunken poet dealing with the elusive possibility of love, based on the writings of Charles Bukowski; "The House of Smiles" (1988), in which Ingrid Thulin stars as an elderly woman struggling to survive inside an asylum. $39.98. (Posted August 19)
From The Criterion Collection comes "The Small Back Room"
(1949), directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger and starring Cyril Cusack, Jack Hawkins and Michael Gough. After the lavish Technicolor spectacle of "The Red Shoes," British filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger retreated into the inward, shadowy recesses of this moody, crackling character study. Based on the acclaimed novel by Nigel Balchin, "The Small Back Room" details the professional and personal travails of troubled, alcoholic research scientist and military bomb-disposal expert Sammy Rice, who, while struggling with a complex relationship with secretary-girlfriend Susan, is hired by the government to advise on a dangerous new German weapon. Frank and intimate, deftly mixing suspense and romance, "The Small Back Room" is an atmospheric, post-World War II gem. As is always the case with Criterion, the DVD comes packed with worthwhile and illuminating extras. (Posted August 19)
From TV to Video:
"Dexter: The Complete Second Season" (2007) is a four-disc set with 12 episodes, $42.99 from Paramount ... "Gossip Girl: The Complete First Season" is a five-disc set with 18 episodes, $59.98 from Warner ... "House: Season Four" is a four-disc set with 16 episodes, $59.98 from Universal ... "Maneater Series Collection: Volume 2" includes three titles from the Sci Fi Channel "Maneater" series: "Croc," "Eye of the Beast" and "Grizzly Rage"; $26.95 from Genius Products ...
"Married ... With Children: The Complete Ninth Season" is a three-disc set with 28 episodes, $39.95 from Sony ... "Perry Mason: Season Three, Volume One" (1959-60) is a three-disc set, $54.99 from Paramount ... "Recount" (2008) is the recent HBO telefilm that chronicles the turbulent weeks in Florida after the 2000 presidential election; stars Kevin Spacey, Bob Balaban, Ed Begley Jr., Laura Dern, John Hurt, Denis Leary and Tom Wilkinson; from HBO Video ... "Terminator -- The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season" is a three-disc set with nine episodes, $29.98 from Warner (Also available on Blu-ray Disc) ... "The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd" (1976) stars Zoe Wanamaker and Colin Firth in a BBC adaptation of a D.H. Lawrence story about Lizzie Holroyd and her boorish husband Charles who scream their lives away until Lizzie falls in love with another man and wishes her husband dead -- a wish that comes horribly true; from BBC Video/Warner. (Posted August 19)
Buzzin' the 'B's:
A semi-paralyzed reporter sets out to investigate a story that leads him into a disturbing sub-culture where wheelchairs and braces are worshipped and people opt to have perfectly healthy limbs amputated to join the cult world of the "handicapped" in "Quid Pro Quo" (2008), starring Nick Stahl, Vera Farmiga, Ashlie Atkinson, Rachel Black, Dylan Bruno, Kate Burton and Anna Chlumsky; from Magnolia Home Entertainment ... In "Deal"
(2008), starring Burt Reynolds, Bret Harrison and Shannon Elizabeth, a retired gambler (Reynolds) itching to get back in the game teams up with a hotshot college senior (Harrison) to take the poker world by storm. But a beautiful Vegas call girl (Elizabeth) complicates the plan, and soon the teacher and student find themselves in a heads-up battle for the championship; from MGM ... In "Love and Mary" (2007), starring Lauren German, Gabriel Mann and Whitney Able, a sophisticated pastry chef who's struggling to keep the doors of her bakery open decides to return back home with her fiance to collect a sizeable engagement gift from her eccentric Texan family. But when he's felled by allergies and unable to travel, she bails his identical twin brother out of jail and travels back home passing him off as her fiance; from MTI Home Video ...In "Her Best Move" (2007), soccer prodigy Sara Davis is on her way to becoming the youngest player ever selected to join the U.S. National Team, but her biggest challenge is balancing the demands of high school, a new boyfriend, a part-time job and her overbearing, sports obsessed father. Stars Leah Pipes, Scott Patterson, Lisa Darr and Drew Tyler Bell; from MGM ... "The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior" (2008) is a direct-to-DVD sequel, here starring Randy Couture; from Universal. (Posted August 19)
On the Indie Front:
Uma Thurman plays a suburban wife and mother who begins to question her seemingly perfect life and perhaps her sanity on the 15th anniversary of a tragic high school shooting that took the life of her best friend in "The Life Before Her Eyes" (2008), co-starring Evan Rachel Wood and Eva Amurri; from Magnolia Home Entertainment ... In "Keepin' the Faith: Lookin' for Mr. Right" (2008), a young woman patiently waiting for the Lord to send her the right man struggles with her friends, who want to hook her up with the main of their dreams. First in a new series of urban faith-based romantic comedies; from Warner. (Posted August 19)
Foreign:
"Chronicle of an Escape" (2006 -- Argentina) is a suspenseful thriller based on the horrifying true story of one man's dangerous journey to escape imprisonment after the military coup in Argentina in the late 1970s; from Genius Products. (Posted August 19)
For the Family:
Lots of cartoon action this week: "Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers -- The Collection: Volume 2" is a four-disc set with the final 33 episodes, $39.98 from Koch Vision ... "Jane and the Dragon: A Dragon's Tale" contains the first five episodes from the animated series adapted from Martin Baynton's popular children's books that follows the adventures of Jane and and her Dragon in 9th century England; $14.99 from Shout! Factory ... "George of the Jungle Swingin' 1st Season" is a three-disc set with 19 episodes from the Cartoon Network series, $23.98 from Classic Media/Genius Products ... "Transformers Animated: Season One" is a two-disc set with 16 episodes, $26.99 from Paramount ... "Wayside School: Season One" is a two-disc set with 13 episodes of the comically absurd tales of students on the top floor of Wayside, a quirky grammar school that was accidentally built 30-stories high; $19.99 from Paramount ... On the reality front there's "Orangutan Island: Season 1," the Animal Planet series that takes an up-close and personal look at rescued orangutans, from Genius Products. (Posted August 19)
Special Interest:
"Television Under the Swastika" (1999) is a fascinating look at the world's first television broadcast network. Nazi leaders, determined to beat Great Britain and the U.S. to be the world's first television broadcaster, began Greater German Television in March 1935. Making use of 285 reels of film discovered in the catacombs of the Berlin Federal Film Archive, filmmaker Michael Kloft explores both the technology behind this new medium and the programming the Nazis chose to put on it; $24.95 from First Run Features ...
In the winter of 1945, Primo Levi, one of the century's great writers, was liberated from the Auschwitz concentration camp. With the war still underway, he embarked on a thousand-mile journey to his home in Turin, Italy -- a strange, beguiling odyssey memorialized in his book, "The Reawakening." Sixty years later, director Davide Ferrario set out to follow in Levi's footsteps in "Primo Levi's Journey" (2007 -- Italy). Retracing his historic trip, the film weaves a path through a modern Europe that has both changed and remained eerily the same -- from democratic rallies in the East to neo-Nazi demonstrations in the West. Narrated by Academy Award- winning actor Chris Cooper; from New Yorker Video ... On the lighter side there's "Dana Carvey: Squatting Monkeys Tell No Lies" (2008), an HBO comedy special taped before a live audience at the Wells Fargo Center of the Arts in Santa Rosa, Calif.; $19.97 from HBO Video ... and "John Oliver: Terrifying Times," an original stand-up special featuring John Oliver from "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," recorded at Symphony Space Theatre in New York City; $19.99 from Comedy Central/Paramount. (Posted August 19)
This Just In:
Paramount and Lucasfilm have announced an October 14 release for the latest Indiana Jones adventure, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," which pulled in more than $775 million in worldwide boxoffice. The actioner -- which brings the Indy saga up to 1957 with the Soviets as Dr. Jones' nemesis -- will be available as a single-disc DVD, a two-disc Special Edition DVD and a two-disc Special Edition Blu-ray Disc. Both the Special Editions will be loaded with several hours of bonus materials. Among them: "The Return of a Legend," a documentary about the making of the film; a six-part production diary; several galleries of production stills and behind-the-scenes photos; three previsualization sequences; a preproduction visit with Spielberg and other cast and crew members as they prepare for the film; and six featurettes on the warrior makeup, the crystal skulls, the cultural impact of the Indiana Jones character, the film's props, the creative team behind the film and the postproduction process. The Blu-ray version also includes three interactive timelines -- on the story, the production and the real-world historical influences referenced in the film. (Posted August 12)
DVD Collectibles:
Two quirky releases hit the stores this week. First off is "Brand Upon the Brain!" (2006), a film that takes place in the weird and wonderful super-cinematic world of Canadian cult filmmaker Guy Maddin, where personal memory collides with movie lore for a radical sensory overload. This eerie excursion into the gothic recesses of Maddin's mad, imaginary childhood is a silent, black-and-white comic science-fiction nightmare set in a lighthouse on grim Notch Island, where fictional protagonist Guy Maddin was raised by an ironfisted, puritanical mother. Originally mounted as a theatrical event (accompanied by live orchestra, foley artists, and assorted narrators), the film is an irreverent, delirious trip into the mind of one of current cinema's true eccentrics. Stars Gretchen Krich, Sullivan Brown, Maya Lawson, Katherine E. Scharhon, Todd Moore. Loaded with extras from The Criterion Collection. (Posted August 12)
Also from Criterion comes "Eclipse Series 11: Larisa Shepitko", a bare-bones two-box set devoted to the work of Soviet filmmaker Larisa Shepitko. The career of Shepitko, an icon of sixties and seventies Soviet cinema, was tragically cut short when she was killed in a car crash at age 39, just as she was emerging on the international scene. This set includes: "Wings" (1966), her first feature after graduating from the State Institute for Cinematography, about a once heroic female Russian bomber pilot now living a quiet, disappointingly ordinary life as a school principal; and "The Ascent," (1977) her emotionally overwhelming final film that won the Golden Bear at the 1977 Berlin Film Festival. Set during the darkest days of World War II, the film follows the path of two peasant soldiers, cut off from their troops, who trudge through the snowy backwoods of Belarus evading the Nazis and seeking refuge from villagers. A true artist, who had deftly used the Soviet film industry to make statements both personal and universal, Shepitko remains one of the greatest unsung filmmakers of all time. $29.95. (Posted August 12)
From TV to Video:
"Blue Murder, Set 3" is a two-disc set with three BBC gritty police procedurals featuring single-mom Detective Chief Inspector Janine Lewis, $39.99 from Acorn Media ... "Caroline in the City: The First Season" (1995-96) is a three-disc set with 24 episodes, $42.99 from Paramount ... "Dave's World: The First Season" (1993-94) is a three-disc set with 23 episodes, $42.99 from Paramount ... "The Dick Francis Thriller: The Racing Game" is a two-disc set with all six episodes from the inaugural season of the PBS Mystery! series about a steeplechase rider who suffers a career-ending injury and returns to the track as a private investigator; based on the fiction of champion-jockey-turned writer Dick Francis; $39.99 from Acorn Media ... "Hustle: Complete Seasons 1-4" is an eight-disc set, $99.98 from BBC/Warner ... "The Love Boat: Season One, Volume Two" (1978) is a four-disc set, $39.99 from Paramount ... "P.D. James: The Essential Collection" is a 15-disc set featuring all nine PBS Mystery productions featuring James' indefatigable Scotland Yard Commander Adam Dalgliesh; $149.98. from Koch Vision ... In "P.D. James: Devices and Desires," the latest PBS Mystery adventure, Scotland Yard Commander Adam Dalgliesh tracks down a serial killer; $29.98 from Koch Vision ... "Prison Break: Season Three" is a four-disc set with 13 episodes, $49.98 from Fox ... "Wall Street Warriors: Season 2" is a two-disc set with 10 episodes of MOJO HD's reality series about Wall Street, $24.98 from Infinity Entertainment ... "The Wire: The Complete Fifth Season" is a four-disc set with all 10 episodes from the final season, $59.99 from HBO Video ... "Wire in the Blood: Prayer of he Bone" is the sixth season premiere of the critically acclaimed British crime series, $19.98. from Koch Vision. (Posted August 12)
Buzzin' the 'B's:
"The Killing Gene (aka Waz)" (2007) stars Stellan Skarsgard, Melissa George, Selma Blair and Ashley Walters in a sadistic tale that follows two detectives as they investigate a string of double murder crime scenes left with the mathematical equation "w delta z" carved into each victim's body. As the detectives begin to unearth the meaning of the equation, they realize that each victim is being offered a gruesome choice -- kill their loved one or be killed themselves; from The Weinstein Co./Genius Products ... The love of a happily married couple is tested in an unimaginable way when the wife dies and returns to haunt the body of their daughter in "The Secret" (2007) , starring David Duchovny, Lili Taylor and Olivia Thirlby, from Image Entertainment ... In "The Art of War II: Betrayal" (2008), agent Neil Shaw (Wesley Snipes) is called out of retirement and finds himself in the midst of a plot to assassinate several leading Senators - and then discovers that he's been set up as bait, from Sony ... A family man convicted of killing a burglar must cope with life in the violent penal system in "Felon" (2008), starring Val Kilmer, Stephen Dorff, Harold Perrineau, Sam Shepard and Anne Archer, from Sony ... "CJ7" (2008), directed by and starring Stephen Chow, is a family comedy about a poor Chinese laborer who learns important lessons after his son gets a strange new toy from the junkyard: A mysterious orb that is really a bizarre "pet" with extraordinary powers, from Sony ... "Watching the Detectives" (2007) stars Lucy Liu and Cillian Murphy in a comedy about a film noir buff whose life is turned on end by a femme fatale with a big adventure in mind, from Peace Arch Entertainment/Genius Products ... When a geeky, overweight rushee is found dead in the hottest sorority house on campus, three popular sorority sisters become suspects in "Legacy" (2008), starring Haylie Duff, Madeline Zima, Brett Claywell, Margo Harshman, Jane Sibbett, Kate Albrecht and Tom Green, from The Weinstein Co./Genius Products ... "The American Mall" (2008) is an MTV musical romantic comedy set in a mall and focused on the relationship between two young musicians who fall for each other and their respective personal and professional struggles, starring Nina Dobrev, Rob Mayes, Autumn Reese, Yassmin Alers and Al Sapienza, from Paramount ... In the South Korean Asian extreme thriller "Wide Awake" (2007), a young boy is improperly anesthetized during heart surgery and feels the entire procedure; from the scalpel slicing through his chest to the saw cutting through his rib cage, he remains completely aware and unable to cry for mercy. Decades later when a series of killings occur, a doctor and his wife wonder if their stalker is that same young boy, now grown up and hell-bent on revenge; from Genius Products ... In "Juncture"
(2007), starring Kristine Blacport, Jeff Nicholson and John Hutton, a young woman with a brain tumor and only three months to live becomes a vigilante to hunt down the criminal miscreants who have slipped through the cracks in the criminal justice system; from MTI Home Video ... "Outside Sales" (2006) is a comedy about a depressed salesman coping with a cheating wife, his sadistic boss and the beautiful sales rep hired to replace him, starring Tricia O'Kelley, Lucas Fleischer, Danny Strong and Christopher John Fields, from Echo Bridge Home Entertainment. (Posted August 12)
For the Family:
"Eon Kid: Season One, Volume One" (2005) features five episodes of the Kids WB! series, $16.98 from Anchor Bay ... "Tom and Jerry Tales Volume 5" is an anthology of 12 cartoons from the Kids' WB series, $14.97 from Warner ... "Superheroes: The Filmation Adventures" is a two-disc set with 18 classic cartoon shorts, $24.98 from Warner ... "The Berenstain Bears: Family and Friendship" (2008) is a compilation of sharing, caring and growing up lessons with the animated bears based on the best-selling children's book series; six episodes, $12.99 from Sony ... "Adventures From the Book of Virtues" consists of three DVDs of animated stories from the PBS kids animated series based on William J. Bennett's "The Book of Virtues": "Adventures in Faith," "Adventures in Honesty" and "Adventures in Courage"; $12.98 each or available in a box set for $29.98, from PorchLight Home Entertainment ... In "Play With Me Sesame: Furry, Fun and Healthy Too" Grover, Frazzle Monster and Bert engage in interactive fun while teaching healthy habits such as exercise, good oral hygiene, healthy eating and getting plenty of rest, $14.93 from Genius Products ... "Strawberry Shortcake: Rockaberry Roll" is a new Strawberry Shortcake animated adventure in which Strawberry and her pals form their own band, Strawberry Jam, and enter the Strawberryland Talent Show, $14.98 from Fox ... "Yes to Running! Bill Harley Live" (2008) features songs and stories for kids by the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter; includes "Mom and the Radio," "Mrs. Ammons and the Boys' Room," "You're in Trouble," "The Ballad of Dirty Joe," more; $14.99 from Round River Records. (Posted August 12)
Special Interest:
"Aftermath: Population Zero" (2008) is a National Geographic look at what the Earth would be like if humans vanished from existence, $19.98 from Warner ... "Raw Spice: The Unofficial Story of the Making of the Spice Girls" (2005) is a documentary that charts the formation of the Spice Girls in 1994, highlighted with never-before-seen footage of the girls candidly discussing their ambitions and fears, as well as their trademark outrageous behavior and some titanic blowouts; $19.98 from Shout! Factory ... "Soundstage: Heart -- Live" is a PBS Soundstage concert recorded in 2005, in high-def video and 5.1 Surround Sound; $19.98 from Koch Vision ... "Soundstage: Reo Speedwagon -- Live:
Up Close and Musical" is a 16-song set from the July 3 PBS Soundstage concert, recorded in high-def video and 5.1 Surround Sound; $19.98 from Koch Vision ... "Special Forces Volume 1" contains the
war documentaries "The British SAS: Attack in the Desert" and "The Green Berets: Vietnam -- The Battle of Lang Ve"; $6.99 from Echo Bridge Home Entertainment ... "Special Forces Volume 2" contains the
war documentaries "The Royal Dutch Marines: Terror Strikes Twice" and "Germany's GSG-9: Jihad in the Fatherland"; $6.99 from Echo Bridge Home Entertainment ... "Flying in the Secret Sky"
(2008) chronicles the U.S. civilian pilots who volunteered to fly much-needed aircraft to Great Britain at the beginning of World War II, a time when the U.S. was neutral; these "cowboys of the air" are the forgotten heroes of WWII, men who embodied the improvisational spirit that was key to the Allied victory; from WGBH Boston Video. (Posted August 12)
DVD Collectibles:
"Joy House" is a claustrophobic 1964 outing by the great French director Rene Clement, starring his favorite leading man, Alain Delon, and a pair of sultry American temptresses, Jane Fonda and Lola Albright. A notorious playboy and con man (Delon) has an affair with the wife of a mobster and quickly finds himself a marked man. While on the lam, he meets a beautiful American widower and philanthropist (Albright) who hires him as a live-in chauffeur. With this new job, he figures he's found the perfect refuge, but, unfortunately, there's much more to the posh villa than he initially suspects. While his new employer makes blatant advances, and her curvaceous niece (Fonda) also attempts to seduce him, the small-time criminal discovers he's traded one deadly mistake for another. Digitally remastered from Koch Lorber Films. (Posted August 5)
Time for More Sex:
Warner Home Video/New Line has just announced a September 23 release date for "Sex and the City: The Movie," the $150 million big-screen adaptation of the long-running HBO series. Sarah Jessica Parker returns as Carrie Bradshaw, the style-maven journalist whose romantic exploits - and stories about sex, love and the fashion-obsessed -- were the key focus of the show. Also reprising their roles are Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon, with Chris Noth, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler and Jason Lewis returning as the women's love interests. The film will be released in three configurations: a theatrical DVD, a two-disc Special Edition DVD with an extended version of the film and extras, and a Blu-ray Disc edition with the extended version of the film and extras. (Originally posted August 3)
From TV to Video:
"BEN 10 Season Four" is a two-disc set with 12 episodes, $19.98 from Warner ... "Family Ties: The Fourth Season"
(1985-86) is a four-disc set with 24 episodes, $42.99 from Paramount ... "The Five Doctors: 25th Anniversary Edition" is a two-disc set of Dr. Who classics; includes both the 1983 and 1995 versions of "The Five Doctors" as well as "The Black Orchid" and "The Time Meddler"; $34.98 from Warner ... "Foyle's War, Set 6" includes three new feature-length episodes of the British series that combines mystery and real history, set during World War II; aired on "PBS Mystery!"; $49.99 from Acorn Media ... "Get Smart: Season 1" is a four-disc set with 30 episodes, $24.98 from HBO Home Video ... "Life in Cold Blood" is a two-disc set with episodes of the Animal Planet show about the warm-hearted world of cold-blooded animals; narrated by Richard Attenborough; $34.98 from BBC/Warner ... "Lonesome Dove Collector's Edition" is a remastered edition of the 1989 Western starring Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Angelica Huston, Diane Lane, Chris Cooper, Danny Glover, Frederic Forrest, D.B. Sweeney, Rick Schroder, Steve Buscemi and Robert Urich, in a two-disc set loaded with extras (and also available on Blu-ray Disc), $19.95 from Genius Products ... "Route 66: Complete First Season Television Series" is an eight-disc set with 30 episodes, $49.98 from Infinity Entertainment ... "Sensitive Skin: Complete First and Second Seasons" is a two-disc set with 12 episodes of the British dark comedy series about aging and marriage, starring Joanna Lumley, Denis Lawson and Anthony Stewart Head; $29.98 from Warner ... "Star Trek: The Original Series: Season Two" is an eight-disc set with 26 episodes, remastered from the original camera negative, presented in pristine condition with new state-of-the-art digital visual effects and a new 5.1 soundtrack, $99.99 from Paramount ... "Terminal City" is a three-disc set with all 10 episodes of the Sundance Channel series about a 43-year-old mother of three who's diagnosed with breast cancer and recruited to host a reality hospital show; the groundbreaking drama looks at the modern family through twin lenses of cancer and reality television; $36.98 from Koch Vision. (Posted August 5)
Buzzin' the 'B's:
"Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers " (1988) is a cult classic about a private detective tracking down a runaway who crosses paths with a sect of Egyptian chainsaw-worshipping prostitutes, starring Gunnar Hansen, Linnea Quigley, Jay Richardson and Dawn Wildsmith, from Infinity Entertainment ... When a mass of flesh-eating, super-intelligent army ants -- 200 million strong -- make their way through the jungles of Brazil devouring every living thing in their path, a scientist and an entomologist are called in to stave off the deadly attack -- and save the world in "The Hive" (2007), starring Kal Weber, Tom Wopat and Elizabeth Healey, from Genius Products ... Three twentysomething high school buddies return to their hometown following the untimely death of their friend Bender and relive some of their crazy high school antics, unexpectedly forcing them to confront some important issues about growing up in "Wasted" (2005), starring Eddie Kaye Thomas, Kip Pardue and Josh Cooke, from The Weinstein Company and Genius Products ...
"Starship Troopers 3: Marauder" (2008) stars Casper Van Dien and Jolene Blalock in a direct-to-video sequel that reprises humanity's fight against the bugs; available on Blu-ray Disc and in a DVD and Blu-ray Disc set of all three films; from Sony. (Posted August 5)
On the Indie Front:
"The Killing of John Lennon" (2008)is a fine film that delves into the murder of the iconic rock star and Beatle. Mark David Chapman, a 25 year old security guard in Hawaii, bought a plane ticket to New York with the intention of killing The Beatles' John Lennon. Camping outside Lennon's apartment in New York waiting for an autograph, Chapman's childlike obsession descends into madness and murder. Writer-director Andrew Piddington explores Chapman's obsession with Lennon, basing his script on Chapman's own words from interviews and court transcripts. Retracing the events leading up to the shooting in December 1980, the film was shot in a quasi-documentary style at the actual locations where the events took place, including the sidewalk outside the Dakota. From Genius Products. (Posted August 5)
Foreign:
Set in a small Italian town in the 60's and 70's, "My Brother Is an Only Child" (2008 -- Italy) tells the story of two brothers who want to change the world -- but in completely different ways. The elder, Manrico (Riccardo Scarmaccio,) is a handsome, charismatic firebrand who becomes the prime mover in the local Communist party. Accio (Elio Germano,) the younger, more rebellious brother, finds his own contrarian voice by joining the reactionary Fascists. What starts as a typical tale of sibling rivalry becomes the story of the polarizing and paralyzing politics of those turbulent times, and the rift between the brothers is further intensified when Accio realizes that he loves his brother's girlfriend, Francesca who, like everyone else, is blind to Manrico's increasingly dangerous ideas. From ThinkFilm/Image Entertainment. (Posted August 5)
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For the Family:
"Garfield's Fun Fest" (2008) is a new Garfield feature-length movie; $19.98 from Fox ... "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Volume Three" is a three-disc set with 13 episodes of the final battle of good vs. evil in the 2002 revival of the classic '80s cartoon series; $26.98. from BCI Entertainment. (Posted August 5)
Special Interest:
"Salvador Dali -- The Dali Dimension: Decoding the Mind of a Genius" is an award-winning film that delves into the psyche of the most important Surrealist artist who ever lived, Salvador Dali. Through a series of rare film clips and interviews with the artist, "Dali Dimension" explores the many inspirations that resulted in Dali's unforgettable masterpieces; $24.95 from MVD Visual ... "Pete Seeger: The Power of Song"
(2007) is a documentary that chronicles folk singer Pete Seeger and his impact on music and social activism that is still being felt today. Includes interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Peter, Paul & Mary and the inconvenient artist himself, Seeger, along with never-before-seen archival footage and Seeger's personal home movies; $24.95 from The Weinstein Co./Genius Products/Miriam Collection ... More music: "I Got The Feelin': James Brown in the '60s," a three-disc set with director's cut of "The Night James Brown Saved Boston" and the full-length concert performances "James Brown Live at The Boston Garden From April 1968" and "Man to Man -- James Brown Live at The Apollo Theater 1968"; from Shout! Factory ... "REO Speedwagon: Live From the Heartland" and "Heart: Live" are the two lastest PBS Soundstage performance releases from Koch Vision ... On the comedy front there's "Dana Carvey:
Squatting Monkeys Tell No Lies," a 60-minute HBO stand-up special, $19.97 from HBO Video and "Citizen Jimmy"
(2008), a one-hour comedy special by stand-up Jimmy Dore, featuring his topical takes on all the ills of the country, from George W. Bush's well-hidden genius, to health care, gas prices, Dick Cheney, and Christian Preachers who rail against gay marriage before getting caught in an Airport restroom, from Image Entertainment ... "Clash of the Cavemen" is a History Channel documentary that reconstructs prehistoric life circa 25,000 B.C.; $24.95 from A&E Home Video ... and, lastly, to prepare you for the Presidential campaign A&E Home Video has released "Biography: Barack Obama"
and "Biography: John McCain," $12.95 each. (Posted August 5)
Flash: (July 31)
Blu-ray rules the fourth quarter:
In addition to the previously announced much-anticipated Blu-ray versions of "Pirates of the Caribbean: 3-Movie Collection" (September 16 from Disney), "The Godfather Collection" (September 23 from Paramount), the "Matrix" films (October 14 from Warner Home Video), six James Bond features (October 21 from MGM) and "Young Frankenstein" (October 7 from Fox), Fox will release on November 4 the "Planet of the Apes: 40 Year Evolution Blu-ray Collection," with "Planet of the Apes," Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Escape From the Planet of the Apes, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (in a unrated version), Battle for the Planet of the Apes, $159.98; each disc is packed with exclusive new High-Def content. On November 11, Warner will release "Harry Potter Years 1-5," a five-disc Blu-ray set of all the Potter films, in time for the theatrical release of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" on November 21; $129.95. Expect many more announcements soon.
(Posted July 31)
Flash: (July 30)
"The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour: The Best of Season Three,"
One of the offbeat highlights of the late-1960s was "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour," a weekly variety show that debuted in February 1967 on CBS. Showcasing the talents of irreverent folk-singer/comedians the Smothers Brothers (who had a bevy of folk-tinged musical/comedy album hits in the 60s), the show quickly morphed from a "hip" version of the typical comedy-music variety show of its era to a show that extended the boundaries of what was considered permissible in television satire, eventually turning hard into politics and anti-Vietnam War sentiments before CBS pulled the plug after Season 3 in 1968.
Until now there have been no compilations of the show (In 2003 New Video put out a documentary, "Smothered -- The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour," which looked at the trials and tribulations of the show). Now, Time Life has finally stormed the bulwarks and, on September 16, will release to stores a four-disc set with 11 episodes selected by the brothers -- loaded with extras -- for $49.95. Check our September DVD calendar for more information on the release.
(Posted July 30)
DVD Collectibles:
From MPI Home Video comes "Classic British Thrillers," an anthology of three quirky British films from the 1930s and 1940s. The British Cinematograph Films Act of 1927 was passed to give motion pictures made in the U.K. an edge over Hollywood imports. These films, called "quota quickies," provided on-the-job training for some of the biggest stars of the Golden Age of British Cinema. This single disc includes three fine pieces of vintage British cinema: "The Phantom Light," a creepy "quickie" directed by Michael Powel; "Red Ensign," an expose of corruption and sabotage in the British shipping industry, directed by Powel; and "The Upturned Glass," a revenge thriller starring James Mason as a surgeon turned sleuth. An offbeat gem ... Also due this week is the "Tyrone Power Matinee Idol Collection," a five-disc set with 10 films starring the heartthrob from the 30s and 40s: "Cafe Metropole," "Day-Time Wife," "Girl's Dormitory," "I'll Never Forget You," "Johnny Apollo," "Love Is News," "Luck of the Irish," "Second Honeymoon," "That Wonderful Urge" and "This Above All"; $49.98 from Fox. (Posted July 29)
From TV to Video:
"Baldwin Hills: The Complete First Season," a two-disc set with 10 episodes, $26.99, from BET/Paramount) ... "Beverly Hills 90210: Season Five" (1994-95) is an eight-disc set with 32 episodes, $61.99 from Paramount ... "Birds of Prey: The Complete Series" is a four-disc set with 13 episodes about three female crimefighters in New Gotham City, $39.98 from Warner ... "Bobby G: Adventure Capitalist, Season 1" is MOJO HD's reality series about fearless entrepreneur Bobby "Bobby G" Genovese, $19.98 from Infinity Entertainment ... "Dark Shadows: The Beginning #5" includes Episodes 144-178 that originally aired from January 12, 1967 to March 1, 1967, from MPI Home Video ... "Girlfriends: The Fourth Season" (2003-04) is a three-disc set with 24 episodes, $39.99 from Paramount ... "The Hills: The Complete Third Season" is a four-disc set with 28 episodes, $39.99 from Paramount ... "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Seventh Year" is a five-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.98 from Universal ... "Parking Wars: The Best of Season One" gives you the best from the A&E series about the ticket-givers of the Philadelphia Parking Authority, $12.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Robin Hood: Season Two" (2006 -- U.K. TV) is a five-disc set with 13 episodes of the BBC America series, $99.98 from Warner ... "Robin of Sherwood: The Complete Collection" (1984-86) is a 10 volume set with all 26 episodes of the British series that is a definitive retelling -- with gritty period realism -- of the Robin Hood legend; $99.99 from Acorn Media ... "Two Fat Ladies" (1997) is a four-disc set with all 24 episodes of the most popular cooking show in BBC history that was also a Food Network hit in the U.S.: Two oversized women jump aboard a classic motorcycle and sidecar and travel all over Britain, preparing meals for nuns, cricketers, diplomats, lumberjacks and an odd assortment of others; $59.99 from Acorn Media (You can find more on this release at Glenn Abel's wonderful DVD site, DVD Spin Doctor) ... "Witchblade" is a seven-disc set with 24 episodes, $69.98 from Warner ... "A Woman of Independent Means" (1995) is a two-disc set of the miniseries starring Sally Field, $29.95 from A&E Home Video. (Posted July 29)
Buzzin' the 'B's:
"Stargate: Continuum" (2008) is the second direct-to-video (DVD and Blu-ray) "Stargate SG-1" feature; from MGM ... "Masters of Horror Season Two Box Set" includes all 13 episodes of the second season of the blood-chilling Showtime anthology series, housed in a specially designed, limited edition "skull" package; $86.97 from Anchor Bay ... "Adventures of Johnny Tao" (2007) is a family-friendly action adventure about a young man whose prize possession, his father's guitar, is made of half of an ancient spear; the other half holds a curse and an evil spirit that unleashes an army of kung-fu, sugar-craving warriors that only Johnny and a beautiful Chinese warrior can stop. Stars Matthew Twining, Matt Mullins, Chris Yen, Kelly Perine, Lindsay Parker, Marianne Muellerleile, Michael Gregory, James Hong, Jason London; from MTI Home Video ... "WarGames: The Dead Code" (2008) stars Matt Lanter and Colm Feore in a sequel to the 1983 smash: A computer hacker who engages a super-computer named Ripley in an online terrorist-attack simulation game that is designed specifically to profile potential threats to the United States comes to the attention of Homeland Security, which becomes convinced that he's a potential threat; from MGM ... After two martial arts students and best friends are expelled from the legendary temple of Shaolin, they meet again as mortal enemies on the battlefield -- one a power-hungry general, the other a freedom-fighting rebel in "Tai Chi Master" (1993 -- Hong Kong), directed by Yuen Woo-Ping and starring Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh, Chin Siu Ho, Fennie Yuen, Yuen Cheung Yan and Lau Shun; in a two-disc set from The Weinstein Co./Genius Products/Dragon Dynasty ... "Inglorious Bastards" (1978) stars Fred Williamson, Bo Svenson, Ian Bannen, Massimo Vanni in director Enzo G. Castellari's EuroCult war movie about a gang of condemned criminals who escape from an Allied prison convoy with a plan to blast their way to the Swiss border, only to find themselves "volunteering" for a suicide mission deep inside Nazi occupied France. To be remade by Quentin Tarantino for The Weinstein Co. Available from Severin Films ... In "Puzzle"
(2006 -- South Korea) , five ruthless criminals are recruited by an unknown boss to pull off a daring bank robbery. But when the team leader is found dead, each member suspects the other of betrayal; from Genius Products. (Posted July 29)
On the Indie Front:
Stranded and broke in India after the financing flops on her low-budget film, feisty B-list actress Marigold Lexton lands a role in a musical, where she has a whirlwind romance with the production's choreographer in the musical comedy "Marigold" (2007), starring Ali Larter and Salman Khan; from Echo Bridge Home Entertainment ... "Special Needs"
(2006) is a mockumentary about a flamboyant TV producer and his bully sidekicks who want to produce a reality TV show featuring physically and mentally disabled contestants; from Troma ... "The Audience Strikes Back" (2008) is a Star Wars fan mockumentary in which a group of moviegoers who have just attended the Seattle premiere of "The Revenge of the Sith" participate in a taped discussion about the film; what starts out as a friendly conversation about the iconic movies quickly veers off into uncharted territory as the fans take up the war in Iraq, gay marriage, Christian fundamentalism, abortion, the Rapture, the environment and more; $28.95 from Indie-Pictures. (Posted July 29)
For the Family:
"Tiny Toon Adventures: Season 1, Volume 1," a four-disc set with 35 episodes from the animated programs first season, $44.98 from Warner ... "The Wiggles: You Make Me Feel Like Dancing"
(2008) is the latest outing from the pre-schoolers ' favorite band offers 20 new songs to get the little ones up and moving, from Warner ... "Alice Upside Down" (2007) stars Alyson Stoner, Luke Perry, Lucas Grabeel and Penny Marshall in a tween film based on the popular best-selling Alice McKinley books by Newbery medalist Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, about 11-year-old Alice McKinley, who has moved to a new town with her widowed dad and teenage brother, leaving her the only girl in an all male household; from Anchor Bay ... "64 Zoo Lane" is a feature-length animation about the adventures of a little girl who lives next door to a zoo and who, every night, slides down the neck of Georgina the giraffe to listen to one of the animal's stories; $14.98 from PorchLight Entertainment ... "Phineas
and Ferb: The Fast and the Phineas" includes a two-part adventure featuring the characters from the Disney Channel animated series, $19.99 from Disney ... "Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School" contains four episodes of the Disney Channel series, $19.99 from Disney ...
"Avatar: The Last Airbender, Book 3 Volume 4" features six episodes of the Nick animated series, $16.99 from Paramount. (Posted July 29)
Special Interest:
"The Cool School" (2008) is a documentary that features the evolving art movement in Los Angeles during the 50's and 60's, focusing on the seminal Ferus Art Gallery, which groomed the L.A. art scene from a loose band of beatniks into a coterie of competitive and brilliant artists, featuring such artists as Ed Kienholz, Ed Ruscha, Craig Kauffman, Wallace Berman, Ed Moses, Andy Warhol and Robert Irwin; $29.95 from Arts Alliance America/Arthouse Films ... "A History of Britain: The Complete Collection" is a five-disc set of the BBC series, $39.95 from A&E Home Video ... "The Strauss Family" (1972) is a two-disc set of the eight-part British miniseries about the first family of 19th century music, starring Derek Jacobi and Jane Seymour, with glorious renditions of the Strauss' works by the London Symphony Orchestra; $29.95 from A&E Home Video ... "Love Story"
(2005) is a feature-length documentary about the legendary Los Angeles band Love, and their singer, Arthur Lee; from Start Productions. (Posted July 29)
Flash: (July 22)
Cool Films:
No matter the decade, there's a place where icons, idols and the infamous flock for bottomless drinks and over-the-top trysts. 
Straight men and con artists, radicals and revolutionaries, flacks and scabs: they're all here -- shooting the breeze, working the room, cursing the past and toasting the future -- in Sony's intriguing selection of "Martini Movies," scheduled for release September 23. Making their U.S. DVD debut in the collection is Joseph Wambaugh's thin-blue-line cop saga "The New Centurions," directed by Richard Fleischer; Sidney Lumet's heist thriller "The Anderson Tapes," starring Sean Connery; "The Garment Jungle," a behind the scenes look at the famed New York City garment district, directed by Vincent Sherman; "Affair in Trinidad," a steamy film noir set in the Carribean, also directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford; and "$(Dollars)," a quirky heist comedy directed by Richard Brooks and starring Warren Beatty and Goldie Hawn; available for $19.94 each. (Posted July 22)
DVD Collectibles:
The Criterion Collection releases another fine pair of classic films this week: Akira Kurosawa's "High and Low" (1963) and Carl Theodor Dreyer's "Vampyr" (1932).
Toshiro Mifune is unforgettable as Kingo Gondo, a wealthy industrialist whose family becomes the target of a cold-blooded kidnapper in Kurosawa's highly influential domestic drama and police procedural "High and Low." Adapting Ed McBain's detective novel "King's Ransom," Kurosawa moves effortlessly from compelling race-against-time thriller to exacting social commentary, creating a diabolical treatise on class and Japanese society. Two-disc set with a new, restored high-definition digital transfer, with newly restored original four-track surround sound. Extras include a new audio commentary by Akira Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince; a 37-minute documentary on the making of "High and Low," created as part of the Toho Masterworks series "Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create"; a rare archival interview with Toshiro Mifune; a booklet featuring a new essay by critic Geoffrey O'Brien and a reprinted essay by Japanese film scholar Donald Richie.; more. (Posted July 22)
With "Vampyr," Danish filmmaker Dreyer's brilliance at achieving mesmerizing atmosphere and austere, profoundly unsettling imagery (as in "The Passion of Joan of Arc" and "Day of Wrath") was for once applied to the horror genre. Yet the result -- concerning an occult student assailed by various supernatural haunts and local evildoers at an inn outside Paris -- is nearly unclassifiable, a host of stunning camera and editing tricks and densely layered sounds creating a mood of dreamlike terror. With its roiling fogs, ominous scythes, and foreboding echoes, "Vampyr" is one of cinema's great nightmares. Two-disc set with a new, restored high-definition digital transfer. Extras include an optional all-new English-text version of the film; commentary featuring film scholar Tony Rayns; "Carl Th. Dreyer" (1966), a documentary by Jorgen Roos chronicling Dreyer's career; a visual essay by scholar Casper Tybjerg on Dreyer's influences in creating "Vampyr"; a book featuring Dreyer and Christen Jul's original screenplay and Sheridan Le Fanu's 1871 story "Carmilla," a source for the film; more. (Posted July 22)
Jazz at Warner: Warner home video will release four jazz-themed films to DVD this week: "Bird" (1988), directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Forest Whitaker, Diane Venora, Michael Zelniker, Samuel E. Wright and Keith David, in a two-disc special edition with a six-track CD of the soundtrack with special master recordings from legendary jazz musician Charlie Parker; "Blues in the Night" (1941), directed by Anatole Litvak and starring Priscilla Lane, Betty Field, Richard Whorf, Lloyd Nolan and Jack Carson; "Pete Kelly's Blues" (1955), directed by Jack Webb and starring Jack Webb, Janet Leigh, Edmond O'Brien, Peggy Lee, Andy Devine, Lee Marvin, Ella Fitzgerald and Martin Milner; and "'Round Midnight" (1986), directed by Bertrand Tavernier; Dexter Gordon, Francois Cluzet, Gabrielle Haker, Sandra Reaves-Phillips, Lonette McKee, Christine Pascal, Herbie Hancock and Bobby Hutcherson. (Posted July 22)
From TV to Video:
"Comedy Central's TV Funhouse" is a two-disc set featuring all eight uncensored episodes of the outrageous "broken kid's show for adults," featuring a stable of puppet and live animals (the Anipals), $28.49 from Paramount ... "LA Ink: Season One, Volume 1," a three-disc set with 13 episodes, $24.95 from Genius Products ... "Las Vegas: Season Five," a four-disc set with 17 episodes, $59.98 from Universal ... "Spaced: The Complete Series," a three-disc set of the British series about two twentysomething slackers; from the makers of "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz," $49.98 from Warner. (Posted July 22)
Buzzin' the 'B's:
In "Picture This" (2008), "High School Musical" star Ashley Tisdale stars as an unpopular high school senior who lands a date to the biggest party of the year with the school's hottest guy but there's one major problem: she's grounded; from MGM ... "Brutal Massacre: A Comedy"
(2007) is a mockumentary about the horror film shoot from Hell, a hilarious look into the chaotic world of low budget independent filmmaking as a once-successful horror film director tries to make his comeback vehicle; stars David Naughton, Brian O'Halloran, Gerry Bednob and Gunnar Hansen; from Anchor Bay ... "The Last Winter" (2007) blends real-life environmental concerns over global warming with a supernatural story line. In the Arctic region of Northern Alaska, an oil company's advanced team struggles to establish a drilling base that will forever alter the pristine land. After one team member is found naked and dead in the snow, an environmentalist suspects sour gases may have accidentally been released in the area, provoking hallucinations, disorientation and insanity in the group ... instead, an unknown fear lurks in the snow. Stars Ron Perlman, James LeGros, Connie Britton, Zach Gilford and Kevin Corrigan; from Genius Products ... "Maneater Series Collection: Volume 1" is a box set with three titles in the popular "Maneater" TV movie series: "Maneater" (2007), starring Gary Busey; "BloodMonkey" (2007), starring F. Murray Abraham; and "In the Spider's Web" (2007) starring Lance Henrikson; $26.95 from Genius Products ... "The Boston Strangler" (2008), starring David Faustino and Andrew Divoff, is a retelling of the story of serial killer Albert De Salvo, aka The Boston Strangler; from The Weinstein Co./Genius Products. (Posted July 22)
On the Indie Front:
An American with an uncanny ability to speak Japanese and his roommate, a Japanese American who aspires to be a sumo wrestler but finds his weight and blood pressure are thwarting his dreams, struggle to find their place in a world where cultural identity is seldom what it seems in "Big Dreams Little Tokyo" (2006), starring Dave Boyle and Jayson Watabe; from Echo Bridge Home Entertainment ... It's 2009, Jeb Bush is the president, and the country has lost its social services, social graces, public parks, and common sense. Philip Baker Hall plays a widower who, having outlived his family and friends, now finds himself without a home. But he does have a duck, and together they travel the city in search of water and meaning in the desert that is L.A. That's the story of "Duck" (2007), starring Philip Baker Hall, Bill Brotchtrup, Noel Gugliemi, Bill Cobbs and French Stewart; from Westlake Entertainment. (Posted July 22)
For the Family:
There's two kids features this week from First Run Features:
"Abel's Island" (1988), based on the award-winning classic from William Steig (author of "Shrek"); animated by award-winning producer-director Michael Sporn. It's the delightful story of Abel, an elegant and romantic mouse who gets swept away in a flood and stranded for more than a year on a desert island before his resourcefulness enables him to escape and return to his wife; features the voice of Tim Curry. Also includes the tale "The Story of the Dancing Frog," narrated by Amanda Plummer. "The Marzipan Pig"
(1990) is based on the award-winning book by Russell Hoban; animated by award-winning producer-director Michael Sporn. A marzipan pig falls behind the sofa and is lost; in his loneliness, the pig's feelings of love reach out, in a strange chain of events, to an owl, a mouse, and a hibiscus flower. Narrated by Tim Curry. Also features "Jazztime Talk," narrated by Ruby Dee. $14.95 each ... Kids TV series this week: "The Batman: The Complete Fifth Season," a two-disc set with the final 13 episodes, $19.98 from Warner ... "Teen Titans: The Complete Fifth Season," a two-disc set with the final 13 episodes, $19.98 from Warner ... "Transformers Cybertron: The Ultimate Collection" (2005), a seven-disc set with 52 episodes of the Cartoon Network series, $61.99 from Paramount ... Lastly, there's a new edition of Sesame Street adventures: "Sesame Street: Count on Sports" (2008), in which the Sesame Street characters team with sports stars for math lessons for toddlers, $14.93 from Sesame Workshop/Genius Products. (Posted July 22)
Special Interest:
More jazz: "Clint Eastwood Presents Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends" is a 2007 documentary -- directed by Bruce Ricker -- on the extraordinary career of one of music's greats: Tony Bennett. Bennett is considered to be one of the greatest living singers in American popular music, and this film reflects all that he has accomplished while living against the background of a changing America. The 90-minute film weaves archival footage with contemporary clips of Bennett performing live throughout his career including him singing his famous hits "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" and "For Once in My Life". Peppered throughout the film are interviews with celebrities reminiscing about their favorite moments with the legendary singer. The two-disc set sells for $24.98, from Warner ... "Black Coffee" is a three-disc set of the documentary that explores the dark side of dark roast, light roast and everything in between, examining the impact of the coffee bean on social, economic and sexual mores and the exploitation of third-world countries for the commercialization of the beverage; $29.98 from BFS Entertainment ... "Earth: The Biography" (2008) is a BBC/National Geographic Channel documentary that is a comprehensive history of the living planet, from Warner ... "Gulf Stream and the Next Ice Age" is a 2005 documentary on how the disruption of ocean currents could lead to a new ice age in Europe; $22.98 from BFS Entertainment ...
"NFL: In Just One Play" showcases many of the most exciting National Football League players in the game today; $19.98 from Warner ... "Celine" is an unauthorized bio of the top-selling female vocalist, $19.95 from Monarch Home Video. (Posted July 22)
Flash: (July 17)
Fifty new titles have been announced for release to DVD for August, September, October and November, including three additions to the Fox Film Noir collection on September 2: "Boomerang!" (1947), directed by Elia Kazan and starring Lee J. Cobb, Arthur Kennedy, Dana Andrews and Jane Wyatt; "Moontide" (1942), starring Jean Gabin and Ida Lupino; and "Road House" (1948), directed by Jean Negulesco and starring Ida Lupino, Cornell Wilde and Ruchard Widmark.
(Posted July 17)
Flash: (July 15)
Just Announced:
On September 16 Warner Home Video will release boxoffice disappointment "Speed Racer," based on the classic 1960s series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida that later was retooled for North American audiences. The film, dircted by the Wachowski brothers and starring Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon and Matthew Fox, will be released on standard DVD and in a three-disc Blu-ray Disc set that includes a full-disc DVD game "Speed Racer Crucible Challenge" and a bonus digital copy disc. Also on that day Sony will release the comedy "Made of Honor," starring Patrick Dempsey and Michelle Monaghan. And, on September 23, Fox will release the slight thriller "Deception," starring Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor, Michelle Wiliams, Maggie Q and Natasha Henstridge. (Posted July 15)
DVD Collectibles:
The Criterion Collection will release this week Jacques Tati's 1971 "Trafic," the director-actor's followup to his successfull "Mr. Hulot's Holiday," "My Uncle" and "Play Time." In "Trafic," the bumbling Monsieur Hulot (Tati), outfitted as always with tan raincoat, beaten brown hat, and umbrella, takes to Paris's highways and byways. For this, his final outing, Hulot is employed as an auto company's director of design, and accompanies his new vehicle (a camper tricked out in all sorts of absurd gadgetry) to an auto show in Amsterdam. Naturally, the road is paved with modern-age mishaps. This late-career delight is a masterful demonstration of the comic genius's expert timing and sidesplitting visual gags, and a bemused last look at technology run amok. New, restored high-definition digital transfer in a two-disc set. Extras include "In the Footsteps of Monsieur Hulot" (1969), a two-hour documentary tracing the evolution of Jacques Tati's beloved alter ego; an interview from 1971 with the cast of "Trafic," from the French television program "Le journal de cinema"; "The Comedy of Jacques Tati," a 1973 episode from the French television program "Morceaux de bravoure"; and a new essay by film critic Jonathan Romney. (Posted July 15)
From TV to Video:
"Beau Brummell: This Charming Man"
(2006), stars James Purefoy in a BBC telefilm about the dandy of Regency England, from Acorn Media ... "Best of Manswers: Season One's Top 25 manswers" is a top 25 list from the decidedly sexist TV show, $16.99 from Paramount ... "Dallas: The Complete Ninth Season" is a four-disc set with 31 episodes, $39.98 from Warner ... "Eureka: Season Two" is a three-disc set with 13 episodes, $39.98 from Universal ... "Evening Shade: Season One" is a five-disc set with 24 episodes, $42.99 from Paramount ... "Reno 911! The Complete Fifth Season Uncensored" is a three-disc set with 14 episodes, $39.98 from Paramount ... "Robbie Coltrane: Incredible Britain" (2007) features three episodes of the British series in which Robbie Coltrane travels the scenic back roads from London to Glasgow in a vintage Jaguar convertible; $29.99 from Acorn Media ... "Saving Grace: Season One" is a four-disc set with 13 episodes, $49.98 from Fox ... "Swamp Thing: The Series: Vol. 2" is a four-disc set with the first 25 episodes of Season 3; $39.99 from Shout! Factory. (Posted July 15)
Buzzin' the 'B's:
A group of beautiful coeds discover that their dorm was once a mental hospital where unspeakable experiments were performed by a deranged physician trying to "cure" troubled teens ... and the mad doctor's ghost is back to continue his torturous work in "Asylum" (2007), starring Sarah Roemer, Travis Van Winkle, Jake Muxworthy, Cody Kasch and Carolina Garcia; from MGM ... "Insanitarium" (2008) stars Jesse Metcalfe, Kiele Sanchez, Kevin Sussman, Olivia Munn and Peter Stormare in a thriller about a mental hospital that uses patients as test subjects, turning them into bloodthirsty, flesh-eating psychopaths; from Sony ... An ex-FBI negotiator uses all his skills to save a Los Angeles-bound jumbo jet from the terrorists who have placed a bomb on board in "Final Approach" (2007), starring Dean Cain, Anthony Michael Hall, Ernie Hudson, Sunny Mabrey, Lea Thompson, William Forsythe and Tracey Gold, from Genius Products ... In the Asian extreme "Voice" (2005 -- South Korea), a high school student is able to hear the voice of her deceased friend, from Genius Products ... In "Guardians" (2006), starring Tara Ketterer and Ben Budd, a small town is invaded by hideous creatures summoned into our dimension by occultists and the Guardians are the only ones capable of battling the monsters and saving the Earth; from Warner ... As an extravagant party unfolds on the top floor of an abandoned towering skyscraper, five guests receive a mysterious text message inviting them to join an exclusive VIP party being held on the 27th floor, where they find themselves trapped in a sadistic killer's deadly game, in
"Steel Trap" (2007), starring Georgia Mackenzie, Mark Wilson, Pascal Langdale and Julia Ballard; from Dimension Extreme/The Weinstein Company/Genius Products. (Posted July 15)
Foreign:
Due this week: "The Year My Parents Went on Vacation"
(2007 -- Brazil), starring Paulo Autran, Caio Blat, Simone Spoladore, Michel Joelsas, Germano Haiut, Daniela Piepszyk and Liliana Castro. Set in the turbulent year of 1970, this poignant and humorous coming of age story thrusts 12-year-old Mauro (Michel Joelsas) into a maelstrom of political and personal upheaval. When his left-wing militant parents are forced to go underground, Mauro is left in the care of his Jewish grandfather's neighbor in Sao Paulo. Suddenly finding himself an exile in his own country, he is forced to create an ersatz family from the religiously diverse and colorful population of his new neighborhood. Mauro befriends tomboyish, street smart Hanna (Daniela Piepszyk) and develops a crush on Irene (Liliana Castro,) a pretty waitress in a local bar where everyone, including Mauro, an ardent soccer fan, gathers to watch iconic star Pele in the 1970 World Cup. From City Lights Home Video. (Posted July 15)
For the Family:
In "Roxy Hunter and the Secret of the Shaman" (2008) Nickelodeon's favorite female pre-teen sleuth is back on the case to retrieve a missing priceless crystal jewel whose loss threatens the 150th anniversary of Serenity Falls; from Sony ... Join Huckleberry Larry and Tomato Sawyer for a wild ride down the Mighty Mississippi where they discover an important lesson in helping others inspired by the Bible: "Sometimes not helping someone can be just as bad as actually hurting them," in "VeggieTales: Tomato Sawyer and Huckleberry Larry's Big River Rescue," $14.99 from Big Idea ... "Hip Hop for Kids: School House Hop!" is the latest in the fitness series that helps kids stay in shape with easy-to-learn dance moves, featuring Roger G. and his energetic crew of teen hip-hoppers, with such extras as a "Schoolhouse Hop" music video and an eating right nutrition segment; $19.50 from Jumping Fish Productions. (Posted July 15)
Special Interest:
"America's Test Kitchen, Season 8" is a four-disc set with 26 episodes of the public television show, hosted by Chris Kimball, whose culinary team brings viewers the best recipes using techniques and ingredients that have been perfected in the test kitchen to ensure perfect results for great home cooking. In addition, the collection includes honest tastings of supermarket ingredients, detailed ratings of indispensable kitchen equipment and tools, and helpful kitchen science tips; $39.95 from WGBH Boston Video. (Posted July 15)
DVD Collectibles:
With three big-screen sequels-of-sorts coming out in the next few weeks (featuring Batman, the Mummy and the X-Files), Hollywood is mining catalog gold with extravagant DVD and Blu-ray Disc reissues. "Batman Begins Limited Edition Gift Set" (2005) is available in three configurations:
a Batman Begins Limited Edition Gift Set Blu-ray Disc"Batman Begins Limited Edition Gift Set" standard DVD two-disc set in a gift box with a Batman-branded 128 MB flash drive with 18 images from the upcoming "The Dark Knight" (which opens July 18), five collectible Batman postcards, more; from Warner 
"The X-Files Revelations" (2005) is a two-disc set with eight critical episodes hand-picked by series creator Chris Carter just in time for the series' second trip to the big screen on July 25. These eight essential episodes -- "Pilot," "Beyond the Sea," "The Host," "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose," "Memento Mori," "The Post-Modern Prometheus," "Bad Blood" and "Milagro" -- span seasons 1-6 and cover a variety of paranormal and unexplained cases centering on alien abductions, psychic phenomenon and life forms not quite human that set the stage for the eagerly anticipated sequel; from Fox ... "The Mummy: Deluxe Edition" (1999). "The Mummy Returns: Deluxe Edition" (2001), and the original "The Mummy"
(1932), directed by Karl Freund and starring Boris Karloff and Zita Johann, all digitally restored in two-disc sets (with the two modern "Mummys" also on Blu-ray Disc), just in time for the August 1 theatrical release of "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," starring Jet Li and Brendan Fraser; from Universal. (Posted July 8)
"The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet: Best of Ricky & Dave" is a four-disc set with 24 episodes, culled from the show's 14-year run, that focus on the trials and triumphs of the Nelson sons as they grow from boys to men. Includes such extras as early radio show episodes, a "Ricky Sings" featurette, an "Ozzie & Harriet Trivia Game," 12 music performances by Ricky; $34.99 from Shout! Factory. (Posted July 8)
"Mon oncle Antoine"
(1971) is director Claude Jutra's evocative portrait of a boy's coming of age in wintry 1940s rural Quebec. Delicate, naturalistic, and tinged with a striking mix of nostalgia and menace, "Mon oncle Antoine" follows the everyday lives of both young Benoit, as he first encounters the twin terrors of sex and death, and his fellow villagers, living under the thumb of the local asbestos-mine owner. Set during one ominous Christmas, "Mon oncle Antoine" is a holiday film unlike any other, and an authentically detailed illustration of childhood's twilight.
In a new, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by director of photography Michel Brault, in a two-disc loaded with extras, from The Criterion Collection. (Posted July 8)
From TV to Video:
Construction workers break ground on what is said to be Indian holy ground, unleashing an evil spirit known as the Bone Eater in "Bone Eater" (2007), starring Bruce Boxleitner, William Katt, Walter Koenig, Veronica Hamel and Gil Gerard, from Lionsgate ... "Cannon: Season One, Volume One" is a four-disc set with 12 episodes, including the two-part pilot; $39.99 from Paramount ... "Fastlane: The Complete Series" is a six-disc set with 22 episodes, $59.98 from Warner ... "I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Fifth Season," a four-disc set with 26 episodes, $39.95 from Sony ... "Jake and the Fatman: Season One, Volume One," a three-disc set with 11 episodes, $40.99 from Paramount ... ">Monk: Season Six," a four-disc set with 16 episodes, $59.98 from Universal ... "Psych: The Complete Second Season, a four-disc set with 16 episodes, $59.98 from Universal "Soul Food -- The Series: The Final Season," a four-disc set with 14 episodes, $49.99 from Paramount ... "Stargate: Atlantis Season Four," a five-disc set with 20 episodes, $49.98 from MGM .
