09.27.09 | Jerry Frebowitz | New Releases This WeekPrint this Post
New DVD Releases for this week include the animated hit "Monsters vs. Aliens" and other theatrical newcomers, along with TV series, a very unusal film from Hong Kong and some obscure vintage favorites including a British musical starring Jessie Matthews.
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Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)
Transformed into a giant after being hit by a meteor, Susan (voiced by Reese Witherspoon) is taken to a secret government prison that houses a group of bizarre creatures. But when an evil alien (Rainn Wilson) launches an attack on Earth, Susan and her fellow monsters--the gelatinous B.O.B. (Seth Rogen), Dr. Cockroach (Hugh Laurie), and the Missing Link (Will Arnett)--are the only ones who can save the planet. Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler also supply voices for this computer-animated sci-fi tale.
Away We Go (2009)
Sam Mendes directs this charming effort starring John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph as an unmarried couple expecting their first child. After realizing that their lives are lacking substance, the pair takes off on a cross-country odyssey visiting family and friends to hopefully learn how and where to raise their child. Will they find the proper role models? Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeff Daniels, and Allison Janney co-star.
Management (2008)
Practically homeless and eking out a living as an employee of his parents' Arizona motel, Mike (Steve Zahn) gets a rare lucky break when he talks visiting sales executive Sue (Jennifer Aniston) into hasty sex in the hotel laundry room. Smitten beyond reason, Mike follows Sue to Washington, D.C., where he improbably woos her in the face of competition from former flame (and millionaire) Jango (Woody Harrelson). Fred Ward, Margo Martindale co-star.
The Girlfriend Experience (2009)
Chelsea (adult film star Sasha Grey) is a high-priced call girl who offers an unusual service to her clients. She gives them the full "girlfriend experience," which involves more nuanced attention (in addition to the hot sex). Her steady boyfriend, however--a personal trainer--is having trouble coping with her exotic lifestyle. Steven Soderbergh directs this fascinating character study. Chris Santos, Ron Stein co-star. Includes both the theatrical version and the unrated alternate cut.
Shrink (2009)
Literary success, a steady workload, and a marijuana habit do little to quell the demons raging inside celebrity psychiatrist Dr. Henry Carter (Kevin Spacey), whose grief over his wife's suicide pushes him to accept counseling a young woman (Keke Palmer) suffering a similar loss. Juggling this new challenge along with a variety of other oddball clients, Carter searches for a way through his pain. Saffron Burrows, Dallas Roberts, and Robert Loggia co-star.
Filth And Wisdom (2008)
Co-written and directed by pop superstar Madonna, this whimsical comedy chronicles the lives of three London-based roommates. As a Ukrainian immigrant/would-be rock star, an aspiring ballerina who works as a stripper, and a pharmaceutical worker who yearns to help people in Africa all try to make their dreams come true, they gain a greater understanding of life. Eugene Hutz, Vicky McClure, Holly Weston star.
I Am Because We Are (2008)
Featuring insights from such important figures as former President Bill Clinton, this documentary written, produced, and narrated by Madonna explores the plight of over one million children in the African nation of Malawi orphaned due to the AIDS pandemic. Through the heart-wrenching stories of poverty and adversity, viewers will marvel at how the children still manage to find happiness. In turn, everyone can learn a valuable lesson about respecting their fellow man.
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009)
Superman has become a fugitive from the law thanks to a frame-up concocted by U.S. president Lex Luthor, forcing him to turn to Batman for help. With a $1 billion bounty on their heads, the Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader must contend with a host of super villains--and even a few heroes--out to collect, all while trying to stop a meteoroid from crashing into Earth. Exciting animated tale, based on the "Superman/Batman" comic series, features the voices of Tim Daly, Kevin Conroy, Clancy Brown.
The Wizard Of Oz (1939)
This is the newest four-disc version, the 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition. Follow Dorothy over the rainbow and down the Yellow Brick Road in one of the most beloved films in cinematic history. Not in Kansas anymore after a tornado whisks her away to the Land of Oz, Dorothy is off for adventure in the Emerald City with the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, the Cowardly Lion, and Toto, too, all the while being chased by the Wicked Witch of the West and looking for a way home. Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Margaret Hamilton, and Frank Morgan star. Lots of extras including audio commentary; "making of" documentary; featurettes; interviews; deleted scenes; biographies; photo gallery; outtakes; isolated music score; theatrical trailers; radio shows; more. On four discs, this set also includes a collectible hardback book, a watch, a campaign book, the bonus feature "The Dreamer of Oz" (1990), and more. Wow, that's a lot of stuff!
Hardware (1990)
Set in a pollution-ravaged future Earth, this imaginative sci-fi thriller follows a young couple as they retrieve what they believe is scrap metal--unaware that the debris is the still-active components of a murderous military android. But when the demented robot reassembles itself, the lovers must avoid falling victim to his deadly reign of terror. Dylan McDermott, Stacey Travis, Iggy Pop star. Uncut, unrated 2-disc edition.
Daughter Of Darkness (1948)
Atmospheric Gothic chiller follows a mysterious servant girl whose strange power over men forces her to leave her home village. Taking up residence in a community located by the moors, she soon enchants a carnival boxer...amongst other men whose desire for her results in their downfalls. Maxwell Reed, Siobhan McKenna, Anne Crawford star; look for Honor Blackman in a very early role.
Sex And Zen (1991)
One of the most outrageous films ever made, this Hong Kong fable tells the story of an oversexed scholar who isn't happy with his love life with his shapely wife. After he sleeps with different women, he decides to get a transplant, from a horse no-less, which should give some idea of the type of transplant! His life then becomes a series of wild and raucous encounters that take sexy comedies to new levels. Lawrence Ng and Amy Yip star.
Stepfather II: Make Room For Daddy (1989)
Papa's got a brand new brood! Terry O'Quinn returns as Mr. Not-So-Nice Dad, escaping from a psychiatric hospital and posing as a therapist while continuing his demented search for the perfect fatherless family to claim as his own...at all costs. Meg Foster, Jonathan Brandis, Caroline Williams co-star.
Life On Mars: The Complete Series (2008)
U.S. remake of the innovative BBC series follows modern-day New York detective Sam Tyler (Jason O'Mara) as he's inexplicably transported back in time after being hit by a car. Trapped in 1973, Det. Tyler works for the gruff Lt. Gene Hunt (Harvey Keitel), acclimating himself to '70s-style police procedure while trying to figure out what caused his mysterious time jump. Michael Imperioli, Gretchen Mol, Jonathan Murphy co-star. All 17 episodes of the series are presented in a four-disc set.
Kings: The Complete Series (2009)
Fusing the biblical story of King David to the sweeping reach of Shakespearean drama, this enthralling series set in the fictitious, modern-day steel and concrete metropolis of Gilboa finds King Silas Benjamin (Ian McShane) presiding over an uneasy peace. Trouble from a neighboring kingdom results in destiny taking shape for farm boy David (Christopher Egan), the unlikely warrior who falls in love with the king's daughter (Allison Miller). Eamonn Walker, Susanna Thompson co-star. All 13 episodes of the series are presented in a three-disc set.
Cobra: The Complete Series (1993)
Navy SEAL Robert "Scandal" Jackson went AWOL after disobeying an order to kill innocent civilians. But when he's shot and left for dead, he winds up spending three weeks in a coma. Waking up with a new face, Scandal is offered a chance to join a covert crimefighting agency that specializes in helping those who've been betrayed by the legal system. Michael Dudikoff, Allison Hossack, James Tolkan star. All 22 episodes of the series are featured in a four-disc set.
Man Stroke Woman: Complete Series (2005)
The battle of the sexes has never seemed so hilarious! Debuting in 2005, this side-splitting BBC sketch comedy series examines the complex relationships between men and women--and the situations that unite and divide them. Amanda Abbington, Nicholas Burns, Ben Crompton, Daisy Haggard, Meredith MacNeill, and Nick Frost (of "Shaun of the Dead" fame) star. All 12 episodes of the series are featured in a two-disc set.
Ultraman: The Complete Series (1966-1967)
Hayata, the Beta Capsule! It's the original 1966-67 "Ultraman" series, the UHF favorite in which ace pilot Hayata uses his Beta Capsule to become the giant alien superhero Ultraman, so that he and the other members of the Science Patrol can battle huge monsters across the Japanese landscape. Susumu Kurobe stars in the title role. All 39 episodes of the series are presented in a four-disc set.
Sailing Along (1938)
A lively British musical that stars Jessie Matthews as a woman who gives up her life on the stage for the love of a man (Barry Mackay). Jack Whiting, Roland Young also star in this tune-filled treat.
Beyond The Blue Horizon (1942)
After her parents are killed by rampaging elephants, a young beauty is trapped in the remote jungle where she was raised. Following her eventual rescue, she returns to her family's home in San Francisco with plans of claiming her inheritance. While trying to prove her identity to her doubting kin, she takes work in a failing circus and encounters a handsome lion tamer. Light-hearted comedy stars Dorothy Lamour, Richard Denning, Jack Haley.
Lisbon (1956)
An international crime boss helps a beautiful woman free her husband from Communist captivity in this dramatic tale of intrigue and surprising twists. Ray Milland (who also directed), Maureen O'Hara, and Claude Rains star.
Seven Keys To Baldpate (1935)
A writer who must complete his latest novel in 24 hours in order to win a bet thinks he's found the perfect place to work in a remote country inn. However, he finds himself caught up in a bizarre scheme of deception, missing money, and murder that outdoes any book's plot. Light-hearted whodunit, based on a story by Charlie Chan creator Earl Derr Biggers, stars Gene Raymond, Margaret Callahan, Eric Blore.
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