08.24.09 | Jerry Frebowitz | New Releases This WeekPrint this Post
New DVD and Blu-ray Releases for this week include theatrical newcomers, some Foreign films, TV favorites including the long-awaited DVD debut of thirtysomething. Also, this week is the new release of a cliffhanger serial from the days of silent cinema.
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Duplicity (2009)
An ex-CIA agent (Julia Roberts) and a former MI6 operative (Clive Owen) find the steamy past they share heating back up when their paths unexpectedly cross. Working as corporate spies for rival shampoo conglomerates, Roberts and Owen join forces to steal a valuable new formula out from under their bosses. But will a series of double-crosses--and their undeniable attraction to one another--put the kibosh on the heist? Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti co-star in this slick and sexy thriller.
Fighting (2009)
Bare-knuckle brawler Shawn MacArthur (Channing Tatum), eager to raise his standing in the brutal world of underground street fighting, looks to a slick hustler (Terrence Howard) ready to exploit his talents for money and glory. Forget about breaking only the first "rule of Fight Club"--MacArthur may have to break them all in order to survive! Fierce, action-packed film co-stars Zulay Henao, Luis Guzman.
Adventureland (2009)
Set in 1987, this coming-of-age seriocomedy follows a recent college grad (Jesse Eisenberg) who moves back in with his parents when his plans for a tour of Europe fall through. Taking a summer job at a rundown amusement park, Eisenberg unexpectedly learns some valuable life lessons from an eclectic band of co-workers, particularly the smart and beautiful girl (Kristen Stewart) he can't help but fall for. Martin Starr, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig co-star; directed by Greg Mottola ("Superbad").
Sunshine Cleaning (2009)
Single mom Rose (Amy Adams) and her wayward sister Norah (Emily Blunt) start up a grim--but lucrative--crime scene cleanup operation to help Rose pay for her troubled son's private schooling. Biohazards prove to be the last of their worries, however, as the siblings' contentious relations threaten to wreck not only their business, but their family. Winning mix of the sunny and serious co-stars Alan Arkin, Steve Zahn, and Mary Lynn Rajskub.
The Informers (2009)
The celebrated Bret Easton Ellis novel set in 1980s Los Angeles comes to the screen in this riveting adaptation, which revels in the excessive tastes and irresponsible lives of an interlocking cast of dysfunctional hedonists. The episodic story follows, among many other characters, a film producer (Billy Bob Thornton) eager to reconcile with his wife (Kim Basinger) while his son (Jon Foster) tangles with a promiscuous girlfriend (Amber Heard). Winona Ryder, Mel Raido, Mickey Rourke co-star.
American Son (2008)
California kid Mike Holland (Nick Cannon) has only 96 hours of liberty remaining before he is deployed to Iraq to serve his country in uniform. Coming to grips with his imminent departure proves so difficult for Mike that he makes the decision to lie to his own family about his destination, a choice that burns inside him over the course of the four-day Thanksgiving holiday at his Bakersfield home. Melonie Diaz, Matt O'Leary co-star.
Goodbye Solo (2008)
This insightful drama chronicles the unlikely relationship that develops between a Senegalese cabbie working in North Carolina and his suicidal, curmudgeonly passenger. During a lengthy journey to a mountain in Blowing Rock, both men begin to learn about each other while discovering the true meaning of friendship and forgiveness. Souleymane Sy Savane, Red West, Diana Franco Galindo star.
The Last Days Of Disco (1998)
Set during the early 1980s, Whit Stillman's music-propelled comedy of manners stars Chloe Sevigny and Kate Beckinsale as recent college grads who spend their nights partying at a New York disco, where they search for love among theother nightclub regulars. Chris Eigeman, Mackenzie Astin, and Jennifer Beals also star in this witty gem.
Screwballs (1983)
Would it be any surprise that all of the kids attending Taft and Adams High School (T&A...get it?) are overly preoccupied with all things sexual? All of them, that is, except for Purity Busch (Linda Speciale), the one virginal teen in the horny student body. In producer Roger Corman's famously raunchy romp, Purity's unruly classmates engage in blush-inducing hijinks intended to sully her good (albeit suggestive) name. With Peter Keleghan, Linda Shayne.
Rudo Y Cursi (2008)
Working on a banana plantation together, brothers Beto (Diego Luna) and Tato (Gael Garcia Bernal) nurse dreams of far greater successes in life while playing on their local soccer squad. When a visiting talent scout expresses interest in the siblings but has only one professional contract to offer, Beto and Tato's close-knit relationship begins to fray. Humorous and dramatic Mexican film co-stars Guillermo Francella, Adriana Paz.
Nikkatsu Noir (1957-1967)
Thrill to the mukokuseki akushun ("borderless action") produced for these gripping crime dramas made by Japan's oldest film studio, Nikkatsu. This five-disc collection includes "I Am Waiting" (1957), director Koreyoshi Kurahara's lavishly shot debut in which an ex-boxer comes to the aid of a hostess dominated by her thuggish boss; Yujiro Ishihara, Mie Kitahara star. Two criminals try to go legit, but that process becomes as painful as a stab from a "Rusty Knife" (1958) when they are witnesses to murder. Ishihara, Akira Kobayashi star. When killers "Take Aim at the Police Van" (1960) and take out the inmate inside, a prison warden is called to account. Michitaro Mizushima, Misako Watanabe star. A "Cruel Gun Story" (1964) is told when an ex-con gets roped into another caper as soon as he tastes freedom. Jo Shishido stars. Finally, Shishido plays an assassin playing it cool as two rival gangs clash, in "A Colt Is My Passport" (1967). With Jerry Fujio, Ryotaro Sugi. 7 1/4 hrs. total.
Here's Lucy: Season One (1968)
When "The Lucy Show" ended its six-year run in 1968, star Lucille Ball came back with this 1968-74 CBS comedy which saw her play Lucy Carter, a trouble-prone widow with two teenage kids (played by real-life offspring Desi Arnaz, Jr. and Lucie Arnaz), who worked for her brother-in-law Harrison Carter (perennial foil Gale Gordon) at his Unique Employment Agency. All 24 episodes from the debut season.
thirtysomething: The Complete First Season (1987)
This Philadelphia-based 1987-91 drama concerned a group of middle-class friends (in their 30s, natch) coping with various personal and professional challenges in their lives. The show, considered groundbreaking for its time, presented characters that were relatable to the masses as they dealt with such problems as marriage, monogamy, children, and death in a realistic way. Timothy Busfield, Polly Draper, Peter Horton, Mel Harris, Ken Olin, and Patricia Wettig star. All 21 episodes from the first season.
Lie To Me: Season One (2009)
With profound expertise in reading the most fleeting "tells" in a person's body language, Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) proves to be an invaluable resource to law enforcement when it comes to ferreting out liars in baffling cases. In this fascinating and suspenseful series, Lightman is joined by partner Dr. Gillian Foster (Kelli Williams) and their team of deception experts in discovering not just when lies are told, but why. With Monica Raymund, Brendan Hines. All 13 episodes from the series's debut season.
Mistral's Daughter (1984)
Based on Judith Krantz's best-seller, this miniseries chronicles the glamorous worlds of art and high fashion--from the 1920s Paris of Chanel and Picasso to the New York modeling agencies of the '50s and the '80s model wars. Through the years, arrogant painter Julien Mistral learns about regret and true love through his experiences with various muses and his relationship with his daughter. Stefanie Powers, Lee Remick, Stacy Keach, Robert Urich star. This is the 6-hour version.
The Adventures Of Robin Hood: The Complete Series (1955-1958)
The legendary outlaw hero of Sherwood Forest and his Merry Men foiled the Sheriff of Nottingham's schemes in this fondly remembered series that ran on CBS from 1955 to 1958. Richard Greene, Alexander Gauge, Bernadette O'Farrell star; filmed on location in England. All 143 episodes of the series (11 discs).
Booker: Collector's Edition (1989)
Richard Grieco reprised his "21 Jump Street" role for this 1989-90 spin-off that found former Jump Street cop Dennis Booker resigned from the force and putting his anti-establishment, maverick approach to crime solving to good use as an investigator for a Japanese-owned insurance conglomerate. With Carmen Argenziano, Marcia Strassman, Katie Rich. Twenty episodes of the series.
Lightning Hutch (1926)
Charles Hutchinson (who also directed) stars in this thrilling silent serial as heroic crimestopper Lightning Hutch. When a diabolical villain kidnaps a scientist who created a poison gas and his daughter, Hutch must rescue them and defeat the madman before he uses the toxin for his own nefarious purposes. With Edith Thornton, Sheldon Lewis, Eddie Phillips. 10 thrilling chapters on two discs. Silent with original music score. This is the only complete Charles Hutchinson serial available to collectors.
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