THE WEEK OF JANUARY 20TH



MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION

Special Features:

  • 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono (English)
  • Audio commentary featuring film scholar Thomas Doherty
  • Magnificent Obsession (1935, 102 minutes): a new digital transfer of John M. Stahl’s complete earlier version of the film
  • Douglas Sirk: From UFA to Hollywood (1991): a rare
    80-minute documentary by German filmmaker Eckhart Schmidt in which Sirk
    reflects upon his career
  • Video interviews with filmmakers Allison Anders and Kathryn Bigelow, paying tribute to Sirk
  • Theatrical trailer
  • PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by film critic Geoffrey O’Brien

Magnificent Obsession is a film that I use to judge people. But, that’s a discussion for another time. Criterion has been a roll lately with its efforts to mine the older works of the major studios. From December’s revelatory release of White Dog to this week’s release of Magnificent Obsession, we’re being treated to a wonderful time in home entertainment.

Much has been made of this film’s release on DVD. Douglas Sirk is an acquired taste that mixes the heightened melodrama of the 1950s with the decadence of American materialism. But, Sirk plays fast and loose with how much he adores glamour. Think Michael Bay on Xanax. What makes this DVD a must-have is the original version of the film has been discovered and brought to digital life. Compare and contrast Sirk’s take against the Stahl original. For long-time Sirk fans, there’s the inclusion of Eckhart Schmidt’s love-letter to Sirk. Not an actual love-letters, but a heartfelt documentary that tracks Sirk’s career up to 1991.

SAW V

Special Features:

  • Audio Commentary with Director David Hackl and First Assistant Director Steve Webb
  • Audio Commentary with Producers Oren Koules and Mark Burg and Executive Producers Peter Block and Jason Constantine
  • The Pendulum Trap
  • The Cube Trap
  • The Coffin Trap
  • The Fatal Five
  • Slicing the Cube: Editing the Cube Trap
  • Theatrical Trailer


Saw V reminds of me of the time that I went to see Child’s Play 3. Seeing how far a studio was willing to take a stupid concept led to my distaste for studio horror franchises. Sure, Chucky later came back in mildly entertaining sequels, but such fortune isn’t in Jigsaw’s future. The deleted scenes and other featurettes go to show only how cookie-cutter this franchise has become. But, the commentary from the new director/writing team shows that there is some good intentions left in the house that Tobin Bell built.


LAKEVIEW TERRACE

Special Features:

· Audio commentary
· Behind-the-scenes featurettes
· Deleted scenes

Lakeview Terrace works in two ways. It goes to show that Neil Labute is having to work through random genre flicks to get back to the genius that marked his theatrical and early cinematic work. But, it also shows a rather trite portrayal of the fears of the modern American urban dweller. Don’t worry, kids. Such issues aren’t pondered that closely in the film or the rather maladroit special features. The commentary goes nowhere, but the deleted scenes allow you to see that far worse material was drafted out of the picture.

CIRCUIT CITY WENT TITS UP THIS WEEK

Much has been said about the announcement that Circuit City is liquidating its remaining stores. I won’t revel in the dismay, as there are thirty thousand workers being shown the door. What I will do is revel in shared memories via Circuit City’s commercials of long ago.

EVERYTHING ELSE THAT’S AVAILABLE ON DVD

The Adventures of Walker & Ping Ping
American East
Amusement
The Berenstain Bears: Kindness, Caring and Sharing

Boogeyman 3
Captains and the Kings
Center Stage: Turn It Up
The Children of Huang Shi
Children of the Stones
Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger
City of Ember
Cold Prey
Criss Angel Mindfreak: The Complete Season Four
The End of America
The Express
Fireproof
George Wallace
The Girls of Little House on the Prairie: Country School
The Girls of Little House on the Prairie: Prairie Friends
The Great Polar Bear Adventure
Henry Poole Is Here
Igor

Jonathan Creek: Season 3
Jurassic Fight Club: The Complete Season One
The Last Detective: Complete Collection
Max Payne
MI-5: Volume 6
Monsterquest: The Complete Season Two
Moonlight: The Complete Series
Paranormal State: The Complete Season Two
Poison Ivy: The Secret Society
The Powerpuff Girls: 10th Anniversary Collection: The Complete Series
Repo! The Genetic Opera
Save Me
Saw V
Vacancy 2: The First Cut

Voodoo Dollz

BLU-RAY: THE DISC THAT WALKS LIKE A MAN

13 Going on 30
 Amusement


Antwone Fisher


The Deal


Domino
 El Norte (Criterion Collection)


Election


The Express

Henry Poole is Here
 Igor


King Kong (2005)
 Max Payne


The Notebook: LE Gift Set
 The Pink Panther (2006)


Poison Ivy 4: The Secret Society

Repo! The Genetic Opera

Saw V


Unfaithful

SPEND YOUR MONEY!

DVDs

The Express: The Ernie Davis Story >>>> $19.99
Igor >>>> Low Price ($16.99)
Center Stage: Turn It Up >>>> $19.99
City Of Ember >>>> $16.99
Max Payne: Unrated >>>> Low Price ($16.99)
Max Payne: Deluxe Unrated w/Digital Copy >>>> $22.99
SAW V >>>> $16.99
SAW V: Deluxe Unrated Director’s Cut w/Digital Copy >>>> $22.99
The Notebook: Collector’s Edition >>>> $22.99 ????
Back At The Barnyard: Cowman – The Uddered Avenger >>>> $12.99
———————————————————————–

6.50 DVDs:

Pretty In Pink: Everything’s Duckie Edition
Airplane: Don’t Call Me Shirley Edition
What Women Want
Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events
Underworld: Special Edition

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10.00 DVDs:

Open Season
Penelope
Home On The Range
Never Back Down
The Three Musketeers

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$13 Fitness DVDs

The Firm: Ultimate Fat Burning WorkoutDancing With The Stars: Latin Cardio Dance
The Biggest Loser Workout: Cardio Max
10 Minute Solution: Hot Body Boot Camp
Quick Start Yoga For Weight Loss
Taebo
Gaiam Yoga For Beginners

Blu-Ray Discs:

Max Payne: Unrated w/Digital Copy >>>> $29.99
Igor >>>> $29.99
SAW V w/Digital Copy >>>> $26.99

DVD Sets:

Family Guy: Volume I / II / III / IV / V / VI >>>> $18.99 each
One Tree Hill: Season 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 >>>> $18.99 each
Nip/Tuck: Season 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 >>>> $18.99 each
The Office: Season 1 >>>> $12.99

Retroactively Erased


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DVDs

American East  

$19.99

Amusement  

$24.99

Back at the Barnyard: Cowman 

$14.99

Boogeyman 3  $19.99

CenterStage: Turn It Up  

$19.99

The Children of Huang Shi  

$19.99

Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger 

$14.99

Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger SE (3-disc)  

$22.99

City of Ember  

$19.99

The Deal 

$24.99

El Norte (Criterion Collection) 

$34.99

Emergency: Season 5 

$29.99

The Express 

$19.99

George Wallace

$19.99 

Henry Poole is Here

$14.99

Igor

$19.99

Magnificent Obsession (Criterion Collection)

$34.99

Max Payne (1-disc)

$16.99

Max Payne SE (2-disc)

$24.99

MGM: When the Lion Roars

$24.99

Moonlight: Complete Series

$29.99

My Three Sons: Season 1 Volume 2

$29.99

National Lampoon’s Stoned Age (R & NR)

$19.99

The Notebook LE Gift Set

$26.99

Poison Ivy 4: The Secret Society

$19.99

Powerpuff Girls: The Complete Series

$49.99

Repo! The Genetic Opera 

$14.99

Rockford Files: Season 6  

$29.99

Saw V     

$16.99

Saw V Collector’s Edition 

$27.99

Vacancy 2: The First Cut       

$19.99

Waking the Dead: Season 3   

$29.99

Blu-Ray Discs

13 Going on 30 

$24.99

Amusement 

$34.99

Antwone Fisher 

$24.99

The Deal 

$29.99

Domino 

$19.99

El Norte (Criterion Collection) 

$34.99

Election 

$24.99

The Express 

$29.99

Henry Poole is Here 

$27.99

Igor 

$29.99

King Kong (2005) 

$19.99

Max Payne 

$26.99

The Notebook: LE Gift Set 

$34.99

The Pink Panther (2006) 

$24.99

Poison Ivy 4: The Secret Society 

$34.99

Repo! The Genetic Opera 

$24.99

Saw V 

$26.99

Unfaithful 

$24.99