01.02.12 | Chris Cummins | New Releases This WeekPrint this Post
Welcome to a brand new year! There's lots of excitement and information awaiting you on MovieFanFare in the months ahead, and let's kick things off with a look at what new DVD and Blu-ray releases will be made available in the first week of January. The new offerings include some recent theatrical releases, TV classics, and much more. As always, you can count on MovieFanFare to be your source for all the latest and greatest film info. It's time to get this year started right with a look at what is now available!
Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Season Five
All 38 episodes from the series's fifth season--including "Dry Run," (with Walter Matthau), "Road Hog" (with Richard Chamberlain), "Man from the South" (with Steve McQueen and Peter Lorre), "Mother, May I Go Out to Swim?" (with William Shatner), and "Hooked" (with Anne Francis)--are collected in a five-disc set.
The first victim of a mysterious new virus dies quickly after her return from a business trip; the contagion spreads through cities all over the world, claiming an alarming and steadily mounting number of innocent lives. In this unnerving contemporary thriller from director Steven Soderbergh, one man (Matt Damon) who appears immune joins the desperate attempt to contain the biological threat and find a cure. Gwyneth Paltrow, John Hawkes, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, and Kate Winslet co-star.
Married working mom Kate (Sarah Jessica Parker) discovers 21st-century women still find difficulty "having it all" after her investment project gets a boost from a powerful businessman (Pierce Brosnan). The time required to nourish the business opportunity puts extra strains on her relationships with her husband (Greg Kinnear) and kids...but this resourceful gal's determined to sort everything out! Charming romantic comedy co-stars Christina Hendricks, Kelsey Grammer, and Seth Meyers.
Co-written by Guillermo del Toro ("Pan's Labyrinth"), this remake of the 1973 ABC telefilm follows a girl as she is sent to live with her estranged father and his girlfriend at their new house in Rhode Island. After discovering that the home is inhabited by demons that apparently only she can see, she becomes convinced that the monsters are linked to the disappearance of the residence's former owner--and that she is their next victim. Bailee Madison, Guy Pearce, Katie Holmes star.
In this biting British satire of soap operas, actress Donna Sinclair's (Joanna Lumley) sinking public profile is just part of the daily struggle she faces playing Dr. Willoughby, the noble physician who is the central character in a daytime medical drama. While the character she plays is strong, noble, and selfless, Sinclair is a high-maintenance performer whose off-camera antics provide plenty of laughs. Brian Protheroe, Isobel Middleton co-star.
What happens when a big-time Hollywood director realizes the world is broken and it's time to figure out exactly how it works...and fix it? Follow "Bruce Almighty" helmer Tom Shadyac as he embarks upon an unusual and soul-searching odyssey after surviving a life-threatening concussion in 2007. Shadyac interviews poets, religious leaders, and scientists to explore biofeedback, quantum physics...and mind-reading yogurt. Includes appearances by Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, and Jim Carrey.
Greatest Super Bowl Moments: I-XLV
An absolute must-have for football fans everywhere! Thrilling NFL footage from each of the first 45 Super Bowls is combined with revealing interviews featuring players and coaches. You'll get stunning insights, behind-the-scenes stories, and recaps of some of the most memorable moments in gridiron history.
Justified: The Complete Second Season
All 13 episodes from the second season--including "The Moonshine War," "Cottonmouth," "The Spoil," "Brother's Keeper," and "Bloody Harlan"--are featured in a three-disc set.
Charming prequel for the whole family follows trouble-making pup Marley (who talks this time out) as he's left with his owner's teenaged cousin Bodi (Travis Turner) for the summer. Together, Bodi and his new pal get in a series of wacky adventures as Marley (voiced by Grayson Russell) vies for the top spot in the Ultimate Puppy Competition. Donnelly Rhodes, Merrilyn Gann, Chelah Horsdal also star.
Kate Winslet steps into the role Joan Crawford made famous in this new adaptation of James M. Cain's 1941 novel. In this five-part made-for-cable telefilm, Depression-era heroine Mildred Pierce (Winslet) embarks on a risky venture into the restaurant business after her divorce leaves her struggling to manage the demands of a spoiled teen daughter and a polo-playing new lover (Guy Pearce). With Melissa Leo, Mare Winningham, Brian F. O'Byrne, Hope Davis, and James LeGros.
Crusading attorney Mike Weiss (Chris Evans) takes on "big pharma" on behalf of a young woman accidentally infected with the HIV virus. While battling the powerful corporation in the courtroom, Weiss fights an altogether different war in his private life...as a drug addict struggling to end his dangerous habit before it claims his life. Fact-based drama co-stars Michael Biehn, Vinessa Shaw, and Jesse L. Martin.
The first 10 third-season episodes--including "Traffic," "Rash Talk," "An Apple a Day," "Run, Hank, Run," and "A Little Art, A Little Science"--are featured in a two-disc set.
If "Shark Week" is just too much to handle, maybe you can stand a single evening of the ravenous undersea beasts. A relaxing vacation at the Louisiana Gulf quickly turns into a bloody battle for survival when a group of party-minded college kids discovers the local waters are lousy with hundreds of man-eating, razor-toothed monsters. Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligan, Chris Carmack, Katharine McPhee, and Donal Logue star.
It's been estimated that the global lion population has dipped in the last half-century to roughly 20,000...and the factors why are explored in this fascinating nature film that tracks the existence of a Botswana lioness and her daunting, unceasing challenge to ensure the survival of her three cubs. Jeremy Irons narrates.
In this silent classic, Norma Talmadge stars as skilled social secretary who is a great at her job but not so wonderful at dealing with the unwanted romantic advances of her various male employers. But when she takes a job working for a powerful woman, will her fortunes change? Or will Talmadge just be faced with a new series of obstacles? With Kate Lester, Helen Weir, Gladden James.
The final 15 episodes--including "The Whisper," "Blind Spot," "Which Way Did He Go, McGill?," "Who's Mad Now?," and "Night Flight to Andorra"--are featured in a four-disc set.
For details and availability of more of this week's new releases, click here.
Here's a look at last week's new releases.
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