New DVD Releases: Week of 8-2-10

08.02.10 | Chris Cummins | New Releases This WeekPrint this Post

Wow! I can't remember a week that has as many great new releases as this one does. Regardless of your viewing interests, this batch of DVDs and Blu-rays should have something to please you. Let's take a look at what offerings are vying for your time and money this week.

The Kim Novak Film Collection

Graceful, captivating and unforgettable. Kim Novak is all of these things and more. Celebrate her legacy with this set that includes a variety of her most beloved films. First, it's hard to believe Kim Novak could lose a beauty contest, but that's just what befalls her as she plays "Jeanne Eagels" (1957) in this stirring (if fictionalized) biopic of the silent screen actress. After Jeanne comes up short in the pageant, the event's organizer (Jeff Chandler) takes her under his wing...and into his arms. Co-stars Agnes Moorehead, Gene Lockhart. In the acclaimed romantic drama "Middle of the Night" (1959), a middle-aged clothing manufacturer (Fredric March) falls for a company worker (Novak) who happens to be 30 years his junior. Despite skepticism and criticism from friends and family, the couple attempts to make a go of it. Glenda Farrell, Lee Grant, and Albert Dekker co-star; from Paddy Chayefsky and Delbert Mann, writer and director of "Marty." Three-disc set also includes "Picnic," "Pal Joey," and "Bell, Book and Candle."

TCM Spotlight: Errol Flynn Adventures

Another great collection making its DVD debut this week is this celebation of exciting classics starring Errol Flynn. "Desperate Journey" (1942) is a spirited Raoul Walsh WWII drama starring Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan as the leaders of an RAF bomber crew who must make a perilous trek through Nazi-occupied Poland when their plane is shot down. With Alan Hale, Raymond Massey. Flynn and Ann Sheridan are resistance leaders faced with fighting Nazis and local sympathizers in a small Norwegian fishing village under German occupation, in "Edge of Darkness" (1943). Walter Huston, Judith Anderson, Ruth Gordon co-star. Flynn stars as a Mountie who searches the Canadian wilderness for a downed Nazi pilot (Helmut Dantine), in "Northern Pursuit" (1943). With Gene Lockhart, Julie Bishop; directed by Walsh. And, condemned murderer Errol escapes the guillotine in occupied Paris when a British air raid destroys the prison and allows him to escape, but police inspector Paul Lukas is hot on his trail. "Uncertain Glory" (1944) also stars Jean Sullivan, Lucille Watson; directed by Walsh. Five-disc set also includes "Objective, Burma!."

Elvis 75th Anniversary DVD Collection

If Elvis were still alive, he'd be 75. It's hard to believe, isn't it? So grab yourself a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich and pay tribute to the King with 17-disc set that includes "Jailhouse Rock," "It Happened at the World's Fair," "Kissin' Cousins," "Viva Las Vegas," "Girl Happy," "Tickle Me," "Harum Scarum," "Spinout" (1966), "Double Trouble," "Stay Away, Joe," "Speedway" (1968), "Live a Little, Love a Little," "Charro!," "The Trouble with Girls (And How to Get Into It)," "Elvis: That's the Way It Is" (Special Edition), "Elvis on Tour," and "This Is Elvis." Encased in a special commemorative box fit for the King, this collector's set also includes a 40-page concert photo book and 10 reproduction memorabilia pieces. Thank you, thank you very much.

Elvis on Tour

Elvis may have left the building, but you relive his musical magic with this Golden Globe-winning documentary that chronicles his whirlwind 1972 tour, which saw the legendary singer play 15 cities in 15 nights. Shot in a multi-cam format, the film includes rehearsal and backstage footage (including some of Presley's kung-fu moves!) as well as captivating live performances of his biggest hits and montage sequences that were supervised by Martin Scorsese

Max Headroom: The Complete Series

A ratings bomb during its original airing, Max Headroom has gone on to be a cult classic...and one of the most requested TV shows that never made it to DVD. Fortunately, the folks at Shout Factory have rectified this situation by finally making the series available. The digitized, stuttering TV host and New Coke pitch man was featured in this short-lived but groundbreaking series that was set "20 minutes into the future." In a dystopian world virtually controlled by television, investigative reporter Edison Carter (Matt Frewer) is aided by a computer-generated version of himself called Max Headroom (also played by Frewer) in his crusade against corporate greed, dangerous technology, religious zealots, and more. With Amanda Pays, Chris Young, W. Morgan Sheppard, Charles Rocket, and Jeffrey Tambor. All 14 episodes of the series--including "Blipverts," "War," "The Blanks," "Dream Thieves," and "Baby Grobags"--are collected in a five-disc set. The release also includes a number of special features, including a cast retrospective. Here's a look at the show:

If you are feeling especially nerdy, check out this Wikipedia entry on the fascinating Max Headroom pirating incident that happened in 1987 and watch the following video:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Based on the acclaimed children's book by Jeff Kinney, this hilarious film for the entire family follows young Greg Heffley as he tries to navigate his way through middle school. As the wisecracking youth keeps a journal of his life, his experiences with bullies, wedgies, and moldy cheese help him find his place in the world. Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, and Steve Zahn star.

Henson's Place: The Man Behind The Muppets

Hot on the heels of their Sesame Street: 20 Years...And Still Counting! and Dog City: The Movie releases. Lionsgate releases yet another classic Muppets-related program. Go behind the magic of the Muppets with this vintage TV special that examines the career and unforgettable creations of Jim Henson. Along with insights from Henson on how he came up with his most memorable characters, this program also includes an interview with Frank Oz, clips from "Sesame Street" and "The Muppet Show," a look at the making of "Labyrinth," a tour of Henson's workshop, and much more.

'night, Mother

Marsha Norman wrote the screenplay for this film adaptation of her Pulitzer Prize-winning play that stars Sissy Spacek as a despondent woman who is at peace with her decision to take her own life. As her mother (Anne Bancroft) attempts to get her to change her mind, both women become involved in an emotionally draining battle of the wills. With Ed Berke, Carol Robbins.

Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn

1980s cheese. No more, no less. Sadly, not in 3-D.

Days That Shook the World: The Complete Series

History never takes a holiday, as the events chronicled in this ambitious British documentary series demonstrate. Fusing gripping documentary footage with dramatic re-creations, the program delves into epochal events that transformed the world--for better and for worse. This six-disc set includes all 30 episodes of the series as well as the pilot episode.

The First Films of Akira Kurosawa

The nascent cinematic style of Akira Kurosawa is evident in "Sanshiro Sugata" (1943), his first outing as director. A 19th-century jujitsu student is engrossed by the disciplines of judo, culminating in a heated engagement with his beloved's father. Susumu Fujita, Denjiro Okochi star. Blending dramatic realism and documentary, "The Most Beautiful" (1944) offers an account of a World War II-era female factory workers infused with a sense of patriotism. Takashi Shimura, Shoji Kiyokawa star. "Sanshiro Sugata, Part II" (1945) sets the hero (Fujita) of the original film against the siblings of his previous nemesis. With Okochi, Yukiko Todoroki. Based on a popular Kabuki play, Kurosawa's "The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail" (1945) follows a fugitive clan lord and his six loyal aides as they flee through medieval Japan to escape the wrath of the lord's brother, a vengeful shogun. Fujita, Hanshiro Iwai star. 5 hrs. total on four discs.

Hawaii Five-O: The Ninth Season

Prepare yourself for CBS' impending remake of the show with this six-disc set that features all 23 episodes from season nine--including "Nine Dragons," "Heads, You're Dead," "Man in a Steel Frame," "To Die in Paradise," and "Practical Jokes Can Kill You."

For details and availability of more of this week's new releases, click here.

Here's a look at last week's New DVD Releases.