There Will Be Blood
d. Paul Thomas Anderson
c. Daniel Day Lewis, Paul Dano
- Featurette: Dailies Gone Wild (double disc only)
- Featurette: The Story of Petroleum (double disc only)
- Additional Scenes (double disc only)
- Trailers (double disc only)
This might have been one of my most anticipated film releases of 2007. In just the same way the Coen brothers fans eagerly anticipated the release of No Country for Old Men, I was on pins and needles for the release of There Will be Blood. I am not ashamed to call Magnolia my favorite movie of all time. I think it is just about perfect in every way, even down to the raining frogs. I had been keeping up with the news of this new flick and was curious to say the least. Gone were Anderson’s stock actors (Macy, Hoffman, Reilly) and in was the greatest living actor alive in Daniel Day Lewis. Daniel Day acting in a movie directed by one of the brightest and innovative directors working? It had to be a winner. When it finally made it to Oklahoma, I went – no, I ran to see it the weekend it hit. Strange how building that much anticipation towards something can make even a great movie like this hard to reach the high levels you set for it. The best movie of 2007 was not There Will Be Blood – it was No Country for Old Men. People have called me retarded for saying that, but it’s true. However, There Will Be Blood was a magnificent piece of filmmaking with a wonderful turn from Daniel Day Lewis. The movie was beautiful and epic and I can’t wait to watch it again this week when it hits DVD. I just hope the story itself improves upon future viewings.
Lions for Lambs
d. Robert Redford
c. Tom Cruise, Robert Redford, Meryl Streep
- Commentary by director Robert Redford
- “The Making of Lions For Lambs”
- “Script to Screen”
- “United Artists Legacy”
- Theatrical teaser and trailer
Here is the political thriller that was supposed to full of Oscar nominated goodness. Unfortunately for it, Charlie Wilson’s War reached more people’s hearts (and with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Oscar notice) than this all-star extravaganza. What happened? Well, it ended up being a preachy, boring movie with no real point and nothing to make you care about. Directed by Robert Redford and starring Tom Cruise in his first film for his company Cruise/Wagner Productions since joining United Artists, the movie was a critical failure and bombed at the box office. With a cast that should have guaranteed the film to at least make its budget back and an Oscar winning director, this failure is made even greater. Is there any good in this? Not according to Russ Fischer who says “This isn’t a movie. It’s a lecture. Not an insightful or particularly passionate one, at that.”
Walk Hard – The Dewey Cox Story (Two-Disc Special Edition)
d. Jake Kasdan
c. John C. Reilly
- Commentary with Jake Kasdan, Judd Apatow, John C. Reilly and Lew Morton
- 8 Full Song Performances
- Deleted & Extended Scenes
- Line-O-Rama
- The Music of Walk Hard
- The Real Dewey Cox (Talkin’ Bout Cox)
- Extended Footage Not Seen in Theaters (Two-Disc Unrated and Blu-ray Editions)
- More Deleted & Extended Scenes (Two-Disc Unrated and Blu-ray Editions)
- 8 Additional Full Song Performance (Two-Disc Unrated and Blu-ray Editions)
- A Christmas Song From Dewey Cox (Two-Disc Unrated and Blu-ray Editions)
- Cox Sausage Commercial with Outtakes (Two-Disc Unrated and Blu-ray Editions)
- Song Demos (Two-Disc Unrated and Blu-ray Editions)
- Tyler Nilson: The Man Behind the Penis or Tyler Nilson: A Cockumentary (Two-Disc Unrated and Blu-ray Editions)
- Bull On The Loose (Two-Disc Unrated and Blu-ray Editions)
- The Making of Walk Hard (Two-Disc Unrated and Blu-ray Editions)
- The Last Word with John Hodgman (Two-Disc Unrated and Blu-ray Editions)
- BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVE: BD-LIVE – This will include access to numerous theatrical and home video previews and the ability to download video of Bill Hader as Derek Stone, a historian and expert “Coxologist”. It will also come with an FAQ explaining BD-Live features and how to use them .
I have heard a lot of bad things about this movie and I am going to ignore every one of them and pick it up Tuesday when it comes out. Why? John C. Reilly in a leading comedy role. That’s it. The film is a spoof on Walk the Line, the Johnny Cash biopic that everyone loved until they realized everyone else loved it and then it became cool to join the backlash. Whatever. I heard this movie is stupid and that is fine with me. I don’t think it will be Norbit or Meet the Spartans stupid, but more of a Will Ferrell or Adam Sandler stupid, which I actually enjoy. If I want smart comedy, I’ll watch Edgar Wright or Judd Apatow, but I want my stupidity too. Come on, my favorite comedy is BASEketball (fuck you haters). Plus, this is one of the first Blu-rays (along with 6th Day, and I’ll take this one over that any day) to use the new BD-Live technology that I now have thanks to the wonderful updating of the PS3.
P2
d. Franck Khalfoun
c. Rachel Nichols, Wes Bentley
- The Making Of Featurette
- Designing Terror Featurette
- Tension Nouveau: Presenting Franck Khalfoun
- Director and Filmmakers Commentary
I’ve been reading about this horror flick on a few of my favorite horror sites and all of them agree that it is a pretty solid little horror flick. Set on Christmas Eve, the film finds Rachel Nichols on the run from a deranged security guard (played by Wes Bentley) beneath the garage sub-levels of an office building. Now, I am not a huge fan of Bentley, who has been no better than average since his breakout role of “creepy video guy” in American Beauty, but if he can channel that same voyeuristic mentality into full out stalker, he might have something here. And hey, who doesn’t like a new horror flick that doesn’t completely disappoint every so often.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (20th Anniversary Edition)
d. Terry Giliam
c. Eric Idle, John Neville
- Commentary with Director Terry Gilliam & Co-Writer/Actor Charles McKeown
- ‘The Madness and Misadventures of Munchausen’ Documentary
- Storyboard Sequences with All-New Vocal Performances by Terry Gilliam and Charles McKeown
- Deleted Scenes
- Marvelous World of Munchausen Enhanced Graphics & Trivia Track (BD Exclusive)
Yes. Finally, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is coming to DVD. And we get an audio commentary by Terry Gilliam. And a 3-part making-of documentary! Deleted Scenes! Extra Blu-ray stuff too! It’s like Christmas in April! Terry Gilliam, the mastermind who brought us Brazil and 12 Monkeys and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and other stuff, brings us the story of Baron Munchausen and his adventures based on the literary character of the same name. The film’s documentary should be worth the price of admission all on its own as the production itself was mired in controversy, coming in over budget and being called a fiasco by Gilliam himself. However, the film has received a huge cult following and with both the commentary track and the (hopefully) entertaining documentary, should be the best release of the week.
Houdini: The Movie Star (Three Disc Collection)
Harry Houdini was one of the greatest escape artist magicians in history. For a short time, he dabbled in the movie business. His first film was simply a narrative meant to showcase his escaping abilities, but he would go on to star in a small number of movies before finally quitting the business due to it only bringing him a meager amount of financial gain compared to magic. This DVD set is brought to you by KINO International, who recently released fantastic editions of Nosferatu and Battleship Potemkin. Included on the three discs are THE MASTER MYSTERY (1919, 238 Min., Color Tinted), TERROR ISLAND (1920, 55 Min., B&W), THE MAN FROM BEYOND (1922, 68 Min., Color Tinted), HALDANE OF THE SECRET SERVICE (1923, 84 Min., Color Tinted), and THE GRIM GAME (Fragment, 1919, 5 Min., Color Tinted). The Master Mystery is a 15-part serial that launched Houdini to success in the film world. It will include an examination of scenes deleted by the New York Censor Board, an image gallery and detailed film notes. Also included is HARRY HOUDINI ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE from the Collection of George Eastman House Motion Picture Department, additional footage courtesy of the Larson-Casselton Collection, Filmed records of Houdini escapes (1907-ca. 1923), The illusion “Metamorphosis,” performed by Houdini’s brother Hardeen, 1914 Audio recording of Houdini introducing his “Water Torture Cell”, “Slippery Jim,” 1910 comedy short inspired by Houdini, Image gallery and detailed film notes.
Day of the Dead
d. Steve Miner
c. Ving Rhames, Mena Suvari, Nick Cannon
- Internet-only trailer
- Alternate ending
- Previews
- Feature length commentary with Jeffrey Reddick, Steve Miner and other cast members
Dawn of the Dead’s remake surprised me when it was a very entertaining zombie movie. Ignoring the slow moving zombies of the original and implementing the quick running ones that Danny Boyle introduced in his film, 28 Days Later (I know there weren’t actual zombies in 28 Days Later), Dawn of the Dead was a non-stop action horror movie with some really horrific scenes (the baby being born a zombie, being a prime example). With that movie as the backbone and the return of Ving Rhames, I was really excited about the Day of the Dead remake. Then I saw the trailer and it appeared they ignored everything that happened in Dawn of the Dead and were just making a stand-alone horror movie. Then I heard about the problems with the finished product and then it got shelved and is now being released as a DTD movie. Is it any good? Probably not. And what they hell is with the cover? Is that a zombie puking up his dinner? I am so confused.
Bette Davis Centenary Celebration Collection
Bette Davis was a two-time Oscar winner who deserves her place as one of the greatest actresses of all time. While many may know her from her deranged role in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, her best film might have been All about Eve. Davis stars as a famous Broadway star who encounters a young woman (Anne Baxter) who claims to be her biggest fan, but is actually a competitive actress who wants to steal her spot. The film was nominated for 14 Academy Awards, tied for the most nominations ever with Titanic. It would go on to win six, including Best Picture. Extra features includes Audio Commentaries with Celeste Holm – Star; Joseph L. Mankiewicz – Director; Ken Geist – Author/Film Biographer; Christopher Mankiewicz – Director’s Son, second commentary with Sam Staggs – Author/Film Historian, an Isolated Audio Track – Musical Score, Additional Footage – “MovieTone News: 1951 Academy Awards Honor Best Film Achievements, 1951 Hollywood Attends Gala Premiere of “All About Eve,” Holiday Magazine Awards, Look Magazine Awards”, “AMC Backstory: ALL ABOUT EVE”, Comparisons – Restoration Comparison, “Joseph L. Mankiewicz: A Personal Journey”, “The Real Eve”, “Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz” and “The Secret of Sarah Siddons.”
Reservation Road
d. Terry George
c. Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Connelly
- Deleted Scenes
- Looking Back on Reservation Road
- Friday Night Lights Episode “Last Days of Summer”
I guess I missed this one when it was released in theaters. Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Ruffalo play fathers who are involved in an accident that leaves one of their sons dead. The film then takes us into both father’s heads, one who wants revenge and the other who is torn over how to deal with his responsibility. It sounds really good – but – according to the post discussion thread on the message boards the two people who saw it hated it, citing its lack of subtlety. I just mention it because the story sounds good on paper. Even the haters mention that the acting is good (one even said Phoenix is at least better than We Own the Night, which I have to then question his taste in films). I want to check it out, but keep all expectations extremely low.
Time Slip (aka GI Samurai) Two-Disc Special Edition
Sonny Chiba Double Feature: Fighting Fist & Soul of Chiba
Many people, myself included, were only familiar to Sonny Chiba after Quentin Tarantino paid tribute to him in his movies. Then there are the CHUD message board alumns who have had a multi-paged Asian Film thread going for years who are more than familiar with the man’s exploits. In the script for True Romance, Tarantino calls Sonny Chiba “The greatest actor working in martial arts movies ever.” The first film being released this week is Time Slip, formerly known as GI Samurai, where a squadron of Japanese soldiers find themselves transported through time to Japan s feudal period, 400 years in the past, where rival samurai clans are battling to make their leader the supreme Shogun. I cannot find anywhere that lists what the extras are on this 2-Disc edition. The second release is a double feature (Fighting Fist & Soul of Chiba). Fighting Fist is from 1992 (!) and Soul of Chiba (also known as Soul of Bruce Lee) is from 1974.
OTHER MAINSTREAM RELEASES
The Water Horse – Legend of the Deep (Two-Disc Special Edition)
d. Jay Russell
c. Ben Chaplin, Brian Cox
- Deleted Scenes
- Myths and Legends
- The Story
- The Characters
- Setting the Scene
- Water Work: Creating The Water Horse
- Creating Crusoe
Resurrecting the Champ
d. Rod Lurie
c. Josh Hartnett, Samuel L. Jackson
- Making of Featurette
- Cast and Crew Interviews (Josh Hartnett, Samuel L. Jackson, Kathryn Morris, Alan Alda, director Rod Lurie, Boxing/Stunt Coordinator Eric Bryson)
TELEVISION on DVD
Matlock – The First Season
The Cosby Show: Season 7
The Cosby Show: Season 8
Perry Mason (50th Anniversary Edition)
Hell’s Kitchen: Season 1
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Season 6
Mythbusters – Collection 3
Rock of Love: Season 1
OTHER SHINY SILVER DISCS FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE
Sense & Sensibility (with Miss Austen Regrets) (BBC TV 2008)
The 11th Hour
Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory, Vol. 3 (Hit the Deck/Deep in My Heart/Kismet/Nancy Goes to Rio/Two Weeks with Love/Broadway Melody of 1936/Broadway Melody of 1938/Born to Dance/Lady Be Good)
Sharkwater
The 6th Day [Blu-ray]
Fortysomething (Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry)
Music Within (Rebecca De Mornay, Ron Livingston)
UFC: Ultimate Fighter Season 6
The Tollbooth
The True Story of Charlie Wilson (History Channel)
The Cellar Door
Innocent Voices
Manda Bala
Tick Tock Lullaby
Love and Other Four Letter Words
Dead Fish
Alien Agent (Billy Zane)
Cruel World (Edward Furlong, Andrew Keegan, Jaime Pressly)
Random Passage
The Engagement
BARGAIN BIN
There Will Be Blood – $15.99
There Will Be Blood: 2 DVD Collector’s Edition – $22.99
Music Within – $17.99
Ben 10: Race Against Time – $9.99
The 11th Hour – $4.99
Day Of The Dead – $14.99
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story – Theatrical Edition – $15.99
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story – 2 DVD Unrated Edition – $22.99 *
* Get a Free Dewey Cox T-Shirt with the purchase of Walk Hard: 2 DVD Unrated Edition
Buy Any 2 Of These Titles and Save $5:
Buy Any 3 Of These Titles and Save $10:
The Water Horse: Legend Of The Deep – $19.99 *
Lions For Lambs – $17.99
Resurrecting The Champ – $19.99
P2 – $14.99
Reservation Road – $19.99
* Free Tote Bag included with purchase of The Water Horse: Legend Of The Deep standard DVD version
$9.99 Nickelodeon Titles:
Go Diego Go!: Diego’s Magical Mission *
Avatar, The Last Airnbender: Book 3: Fire – Volume II *
Dora The Explorer: Undercover Dora *
The Backyardigans: Tale Of The Mighty Knights *
* Get a TY Beanie Baby Toy for only $1.99 when you buy any of the Nickelodeon titles listed above
$5.99 EACH:
Alpha Dog, King Kong (Peter Jackson), Wedding Crashers: Uncorked Edition, BLOW, The Bad News Bears (Matthau), The Longest Yard (Sandler), Varsity Blues, Layer Cake, House Of Flying Daggers, Memento, Donnie Brasco: Special Edition, Capote, Silent Hill, Miami Vice: Unrated, The Fountain, Children Of Men, GoodFellas, Breach, Jackass The Movie: Unrated Special Edition, Black Hawk Down, The Good Shepherd, Shawshank Redemption – Single Disc, Deliverance: Special Edition, The Break-Up, Training Day
$12.99 EACH:
High School Musical: Encore Edition, Hannah Montana: Pop Star Profile, Hannah Montana: Livin’ The Rock Star Life, The Cheetah Girls 2: Cheetah-Licious Edition, The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody: Sweet Suite Victory
Blu-Ray High Definition Discs:
Resident Evil: Extinction – $29.99
300 – $29.99
Superbad: 2 Disc Unrated Extended Edition – $29.99
The Water Horse: Legend Of The Deep – $29.99
The Die Hard Collection – $79.99
Prison Break: Season 1 – $64.99
Planet Earth: The Complete Series – $59.99
The Sopranos: Season 6.1 / 6.2 – $89.99 each
Ocean’s Trilogy Set – $49.99
Smallville: Season 6 – $49.99
Resident Evil: The High Definition Trilogy – $49.99
Spider-man: The High Definition Trilogy – $49.99
DVD Sets:
Matlock: Season 1 – $34.99
Teenage Muntant Ninja Turtles: Season 6 – $14.99
Rock Of Love: Season 1 – $24.99
Reservation Road – $19.99
American Gangster: 2 DVD Unrated Extended Edition – $15.99
P2 – $14.99
There Will Be Blood – $14.99 Premier Price: 5 Days Only
There Will Be Blood: 2 DVD Special Collector’s Edition – $22.99
Walk Hard: 2 DVD Unrated Edition – $15.99
The Water Horse: Legend Of The Deep – 2 DVD Special Edition – $16.99
John Legend: Live From Philadelphia – $8.99
Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber Of Fleet Street – $16.99
Alvin & The Chipmunks – $16.99
I Am Legend – $16.99
Enchanted – $16.99
Circuit City Premiere Price: A Low Price That is in Effect Tuesday – Saturday (5 Days only)
Lions For Lambs – $16.99 *
Resurrecting The Champ – $19.99 *
* Buy Both Titles together on the same receipt and save $5
$4.99 DVDs:
Breach, King Kong (Peter Jackson), The Good Shepherd, Waist Deep, Miami Vice: Unrated, Road To Perdition, Kill Bill – Volume I, Kill Bill – Volume II, Children Of Men, Finding Neverland, A Fish Called Wanda, Monster’s Ball, Because I Said So, From Hell, G, United 93, Airplane: “Don’t Call ME Shirley” Edition, See No Evil, The Birdcage, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Black Dahlia, Meet The Fockers, Meet The Parents: Bonus Edition, The Break-Up, Grandma’s Boy: Unrated, Spider-man, Men Of Honor, Idlewild, Master & Commander: The Far Side Of The World, American Pie: Collector’s Edition, American Pie 2: Unrated Collector’s Edition, American Wedding: Unrated
Reservation Road – $19.99
Resurrecting The Champ – $19.99
There Will Be Blood – $16.99
There Will Be Blood: 2 DVD Deluxe Edition – $22.99
John Legend: Live From Philadelphia – $8.98
P2 – $15.99
Lions For Lambs – $17.99
* Comes With Movie Script // Quantities limited // No rain checks
The Water Horse – Legend Of The Deep 2 DVD Special Edition – $17.99 *
*Standard DVD edition comes with an Exclusive Bonus Disc and includes The History Channel’s Deep Sea Detectives: Loch Ness program
Walk Hard – Low Price $16.99 *
* Standard DVD edition comes with an Exclusive Bonus Disc and also an exclusive calendar
Blu-Ray High Definition Discs:
Walk Hard – $29.99
The Water Horse – Legend Of The Deep – $29.99
DVD Sets:
Sense & Sensibility BBC Miniseries – $24.99