THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 1st, 2009

STATE OF PLAY

Special Features

  • Deleted Scenes
  • Featurette

State of Play
is a careful adaptation of BBC Material for the American masses. Taking a dose of stiff intrigue and mixing it with the framing of a Pseudo Valerie Plame/Chandra Levy investigation, we get recycled goods. Russell Crowe gets to show his natural ability for once, while Ben Affleck teaches the audience that he belongs behind the camera.

Director Kevin McDonald masterfully nails shots and frames the high-stakes political tension. But, there’s never a moment in the film that actively engages you. If you pick up the DVD, there’s some deleted scenes and a making-of featurette.



RESCUE ME: SEASON FIVE – VOLUME ONE

Special Features

  • Featurettes
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Gag Reel

Rescue Me: Season 5 Volume 1 is my first indication that Tolan/Leary are running out of steam. The urgency of the last few years has gone out the window, as the power duo takes their time to wind down the show. The action is back on Tommy, as he continues to struggle with the vices controlling his life. We also get an extended Michael J. Fox guest spot, as tries to become Janet’s latest bang mate. Good times.

HEROES: SEASON 3

Special Features

  • Featurettes
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Audio Commentaries


Heroes: Season 3
reminds me of how important a good showrunner is to a television series. Bryan Fuller returned midway through this season, after the collapse of Pushing Daisies at ABC. Finding new material in the characters’ past and tying it to the modern rise of the villains, there was an attempt at bringing coherence back to this show. If you jumped ship, like most sane people…this might be the time to start carefully treading back.


OBSESSIVE DVD NERDS, I BESEECH YOU!

The
Chewer
Nation has been having fun with the little monthly challenges I’ve
thrown down. I’ve got a new one that just might take us through the end
of 2009. What I want us all to do is to review The Criterion
Collection. But, there’s a catch. The number of words you can use will
be determined by the spine number.

Due to length, click on the titles to access the spine specific reviews.

1. Grand Illusion
2. The Seven Samurai
3. The Lady Vanishes
4. Amarcord
5. The 400 Blows
6. Beauty and the Beast
7. A Night to Remember

8.
The Killer

9.
Hard Boiled
10. Walkabout

11. The Seventh Seal
12. This is Spinal Tap
13. The Silence Of The Lambs
14. Samurai I: Mushashi Miyamoto
15. Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple
16. Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island
17. Salo or The 120 Days of Sodom
18. The Naked Kiss
19. Shock Corridor
20. Sid & Nancy
21. Dead Ringers
22. Summertime
23. Robocop
24. High and Low
25. Alphaville
26. The Long Good Friday
27. Flesh for Frankenstein
28. Blood for Dracula
29. Picnic at Hanging Rock

30. M

31. Great Expectations
32. Oliver Twist
33. Nanook of the North
34. Andrei Rublev
35. Diabolique
36. The Wages of Fear
37. Time Bandits
38. Branded to Kill
39. Tokyo Drifter
40. Armageddon
41. Henry V
42. Fishing with John
43. Lord of the Flies
44. The Red Shoes
45. A Taste of Cherry
46. The Most Dangerous Game
47. Insomnia
48. Black Orpheus
49. Nights of Cabiria
50. And The Ship Sails On

and so on and so on.

Post your Criterion reviews on the CHUD message board.

EVERYTHING ELSE THAT’S AVAILABLE ON DVD

  • All In The Family: The Complete First Season (Reissue)
  • All In The Family: The Complete Second Season (Reissue)
  • All In The Family: The Complete Third Season (Reissue)
  • All In The Family: The Complete Fourth Season (Reissue)
  • All In The Family: The Complete Fifth Season (Reissue)
  • All In The Family: The Complete Sixth Season (Reissue)
  • America (2009 Movie)
  • Ben 10: Alien Force, Vol. 4
  • Brave New Voices (HBO)
  • Bring It On: Fight To The Finish
  • Brothers And Sisters: The Complete Third Season
  • Clatterford: The Complete Season Two
  • CSI Crime Scene Investigation: The Ninth Season
  • Desperate Housewives: The Complete Fifth Season
  • Disney Nature: Earth
  • Doctor Who: Episode 88 – The Deadly Assassin
  • Doctor Who: Episode 94 – Image Of The Fendahl
  • Doctor Who: Episode 150 – Delta And The Bannermen
  • The Family Hour
  • 4 Films In 1: Comedy (Meet Bill/The Amateurs/Relative Strangers/Scorched)
  • G.I. Joe A Real American Hero: The M.A.S.S. Device
  • The Game: The First Season
  • Gaumont Treasures 1897-1913
  • Good Dick
  • Heroes: Season Three
  • Holy Flame Of The Martial World (The Shaw Brothers)
  • Humanity’s End
  • Lichtung: Four Seasons
  • Lichtung: Puppies And Kittens
  • The Meerkats
  • Over British Columbia (PBS)
  • People Like Us: The Complete Series
  • Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares: Complete Series Two
  • Randy And The Mob
  • Rescue Me: Season Five, Vol. 1
  • The Rivals Of Sherlock Holmes, Set 1
  • Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory: Season One
  • Sin Nombre
  • State Of Play
  • Stuff Happens With Bill Nye
  • Sugar
  • Supernatural: The Complete Fourth Season
  • Take Out
  • TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Horror
  • TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Murder Mysteries
  • TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Sci-Fi
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Complete Season Eight
  • Tennessee
  • Terry Fator: Live From Las Vegas
  • To Dance With Death
  • The Toe Tactic
  • The Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye
  • Truck Turner
  • Two And A Half Men: The Complete Sixth Season

      
BLU-RAY: THE DISC THAT WALKS LIKE A MAN

  • Blu-ray 4-Pack: The Invisible/The Sixth Sense/Signs/Unbreakable
  • Braveheart
  • Bring It On: Fight To The Finish
  • Cozy Cracklin’ Fireplace
  • CSI Crime Scene Investigation: The Ninth Season
  • Disney Nature: Earth
  • Fire And Ice
  • The Girl Next Door
  • Gladiator
  • Heroes: Season Three
  • High Crimes
  • Lichtung: Four Seasons
  • Lichtung: Puppies And Kittens
  • M*A*S*H
  • Monster
  • Over British Columbia (PBS)
  • State Of Play
  • Sugar
  • Supernatural: The Complete Fourth Season
  • Terry Fator: Live From Las Vegas

    
SPEND YOUR MONEY!

NEW RELEASES


*Blu-Ray prices are in BOLD BLUE


State of Play                                  $16.99   $25.99
Heroes: Season 3                            $37.99   $47.99
CSI: Season 9                                $64.99
Disney Nature: Earth                        $16.99  $25.99
Terry Fator: Live from Las Vegas        $9.99   $14.99
Bring It On: Fight to the Finish              $19.99   $26.99 
Rescue Me: Season 5 Volume 1          $32.99
Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie       $19.99
Two and a Half Men: Season 6           $39.99
Desperate Housewives: Season 5        $37.99
Brothers and Sisters: Season 3           $37.99
Supernatural: Season 4                     $37.99    $49.99

$22.99 Blu-Ray


Braveheart
Gladiator



———————————————–

NEW RELEASES

*Blu-Ray prices are in BOLD BLUE

State of Play                                                 $15.99   $25.99
Disney Nature Earth                                     $16.99   $24.99
Gladiator                                                      $22.99
Braveheart                                                    $22.99
Monster                                                        $12.99
Heroes: Season 3                                          $36.99   $49.99
Desperate Housewives: Season 5                  $37.99
Supernatural: Season 4                                  $35.99  $49.99
Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory: Season 1      $19.99
Two and a Half Men: Season 6                     $29.99
Rescue Me: Season 5 Volume 1                   $31.99
Brothers and Sisters: Season 3                      $44.99
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season 9     $59.99   $59.99
Terry Fator Live from Las Vegas                                   $9.99
Bring It On Fight to the Finish                        $16.99
True Blood: Season 1                                                      $34.99       $39.99

$9.99 DVDs

Madagascar Escape 2 Africa
The Dark Knight
Kung Fu Panda
Iron Man
Hancock
Tropic Thunder

TV on DVD $19.99 each

Supernatural Seasons 1-3
Two and a Half Me Seasons 1-5
Rescue Me Seasons 1-4
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Seasons 1-3
Smallville Seasons 1-7
One Tree Hill Seasons 1-5


EARLY BEST BUY BLU-RAY RELEASES $19.99

  • Hot Fuzz
  • Shaun of the Dead
  • Grace