06.28.10 | Chris Cummins | New Releases This WeekPrint this Post
New DVD Releases: Week of 6-28-10
Another week, another batch of great new releases. This week's most noteworthy picks include a time travel comedy starring John Cusack (Create-A-Caption), a deluxe edition of a Judy Garland classic, a remake of one of George Romero's most influential works, the first film based on the Percy Jackson books, and much more. Let's take a look at what's new to DVD and Blu-ray.
"Back to the Future" meets "The Hangover" in this outrageous comedy following four guys as they get drunk in a ski resort hot tub that just so happens to be a time machine. Suddenly finding themselves in 1986, the men--recently divorced nice guy John Cusack, party animal Rob Corddry, unhappily married Craig Robinson, and antisocial nerd Clark Duke--try to make their future lives better by changing the past. With Chevy Chase, Crispin Glover and the always wonderful Lizzy Caplan. Although this film wasn't the monster hit it was expected to be, it will likely find a devoted audience on DVD and Blu-ray.
Judy Garland turns in one of her finest performances in director George Cukor's classic musical drama. The film chronicles the rise of an up-and-coming entertainer (Garland) whose path to stardom is sharply contrasted by the career decline of her husband (James Mason), a former matinee idol who's descended into alcoholism. With Jack Carson, Charles Bickford. Songs include "Born in a Trunk," "The Man That Got Away," "Lose That Long Face." This is the restored 1983 re-release.
Timothy Olyphant stars as a sheriff trying to combat the chaos that befalls the quiet town of Ogden Marsh, Iowa, in this re-imagining of George A. Romero's 1973 zombie classic of the same name. When a deadly toxin contaminates the water supply, it turns the townsfolk into bloodthirsty killers. Can Olyphant protect the few survivors long enough to get through a troublesome quarantine? Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson, and Danielle Panabaker co-star.
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Based on Rick Riordan's series of young adult novels, this thrilling adventure tale centers on seemingly ordinary teen Percy Jackson, who discovers he's actually the son of the Greek god Poseidon. Falsely accused of stealing Zeus' prized lightning bolt, Percy must embark on a perilous journey to retrieve it and prevent a war between the gods, encountering such mythical creatures as centaurs, minotaurs, and Medusa along the way. Logan Lerman, Uma Thurman, Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Catherine Keener star.
Two years after his wife died, teacher and loving father of two Michael begins seeing and hearing strange things at night. While volunteering at a literacy festival, he meets Lena, a writer of books on the supernatural whose novelist former lover Nicholas is still obsessed with. Together, all three characters have their lives changed by love, grief, and otherworldly happenings. Ciaran Hinds, Aidan Quinn, Iben Hjejle star.
Paul Bettany delivers an unforgettable performance as Charles Darwin in this captivating drama based on Randal Keynes' biography "Annie's Box." Struggling to finish his masterwork "On the Origin of the Species," Darwin becomes torn between faith and science as he tries to find a balance between his revolutionary theories on evolution and his religious wife's beliefs. With Jennifer Connelly, Jeremy Northam, Toby Jones.
This stylized thriller follows janitor Don McKay (Thomas Haden Church) back to his hometown after he receives an upsetting letter from his girlfriend (Elisabeth Shue) informing him that she has only a short time left to live. Once he returns to her side, however, even darker realities take hold as he finds the woman he loved attended to by strangers with hidden motives. Melissa Leo, James Rebhorn also star.
Investigating the disturbing, long-unsolved crime of a child's murder, detective Tom Adkins (Jon Hamm) is forced to confront the demons still haunting him over the disappearance of his own son eight years earlier. As he tries to piece together clues in the case, grim connections between both mysteries begin to take shape in his mind. Josh Lucas, Rhona Mitra co-star. AKA: "Stolen Lives."
Mad About You: The Complete Fourth Season
All 24 episodes from season four--including "New Sleep-Walking PLUS" "Get Back," "Everybody Hates Me," "The Weed," and the three-part "The Finale"--are collected on four discs.
The Real McCoys: The Complete Season 4
All 39 episodes of the fourth season--including "Beware a Smart Woman," "A Bundle from Japan," "Pepino's Wedding," "Back to West Virginny," and "George's Housekeeper"--are featured in a four-disc set.
Secret Service agents Peter Lattimer (Eddie McClintock) and Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly) save the president's life and find themselves transferred to a top-secret warehouse where all of the strange artifacts and ancient relics collected by the U.S. government are stored. Now, their new assignment will take them on one dangerous trek after another as they attempt to track down new objects and retrieve missing ones. With Saul Rubinek, Genelle Williams, C.C.H. Pounder, Allison Scagliotti, and Roger Rees. All 12 episodes from the first season--including the "Pilot," "Magnetism," "Elements," "Duped," and "MacPherson"--are featured in a three-disc set.
For details and availability for more of this week's new releases, click here.
Here's a look at last week's New DVD Releases.
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