10.24.11 | Chris Cummins | New Releases This WeekPrint this Post
Here at MovieFanFare, we are always committed to bringing you the latest and greatest DVD and Blu-ray releases. This week is no exception, as the incredibly diverse assortment of new releases include "best of" compilations featuring Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, the recent blockbuster Captain America, a collection of the timeless "Falcon" mystery movies, an exciting British alien film from the producers of the cult favorite Shaun of the Dead, vintage Western TV season sets, and so much more. Hungry for more? Then check out what is now available!
The Falcon Mystery Movie Collection, Vol. 1
The first seven RKO programmers featuring Michael Arlen's gentleman detective are collected on three discs. "The Gay Falcon" (1941) introduces George Sanders as Gay Lawrence, who tackles an insurance scam by jewel thieves and their supposed victims. Next, the saboteurs who kidnapped the scientist behind a synthetic diamond-making process have "A Date with the Falcon" (1941). Lawrence comes to the aid of a wrestler on the hunt for his ex-girlfriend in the first screen rendition of "Farewell, My Lovely," "The Falcon Takes Over" (1942). Audiences were introduced to "The Falcon's Brother" (1942) when Gay's brother Tom (Sanders' real-life sib Tom Conway) joins him on a fateful South American mission. Conway inherited the mantle in "The Falcon Strikes Back" (1943), as Tom Lawrence is framed for a banker's murder by war bond racketeers. When two businessmen and their $100,000 vanish during an airplane flight, Tom gets on the case in "The Falcon in Danger" (1943). Lastly, Lawrence has to deal with a professor's murder in "The Falcon and the Co-Eds" (1943).
Captain America: The First Avenger
Declared unfit for military service during World War II, scrawny Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) gets a chance to serve his country when he undergoes a procedure that transforms him into the ultimate super soldier: Captain America. Armed with his indestructible shield, Cap must defeat the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), a Nazi scientist who hatches his own plan to take over the world with the help of a powerful cosmic artifact. Tommy Lee Jones, Hayley Atwell, Stanley Tucci co-star in this exciting actioner, based on the Marvel Comics icon.
The inner city meets outer space in this blend of sci-fi, action, and comedy from England that chronicles what happens when an alien visitor lands in a rough South London neghborhood, only to be killed by a local teen gang. When the E.T.'s vicious mates show up looking for revenge, the youths must use their street savvy to fight the invaders. Nick Frost, Jodie Whittaker, Luke Treadaway star.
Written and directed by Alan Rudolph, this ensemble drama concerns the lives of a group of self-important Los Angeles residents. While dealing with his success, a womanizing songwriter copes with his complicated relationships with his father and the various ladies in his life. Can all of the characters figure out what they want from life? Keith Carradine, Sally Kellerman, Geraldine Chaplin, Harvey Keitel, Lauren Hutton star.
Following the death of his wife and child in a fire, trumpet player Joe (Burt Young) embarks on a journey of self-destruction. His life unexpectedly turns around when he meets Miguel (Bobby Cassidy), a disabled youngster who has had a hard life. As he begins mentoring Miguel, Joe slowly begins to find redemption and the courage he needs to move on with his future. Doug McKeon, Madge Sinclair co-star.
Laurel & Hardy: The Essential Collection
"Pardon Us" (1931), Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy's first feature-length film, finds the duo causing chaos behind bars after selling bootleg beer to a cop. Ex-soldiers Stan and Ollie try to reunite a war buddy's orphaned daughter with her grandfather in "Pack Up Your Troubles" (1932). The boys are lodge members who sneak off to a convention-minus their wives-in "Sons of the Desert" (1933). Based on an opera, "The Bohemian Girl" (1936) has Gypsies Stan and Ollie caring for a kidnapped princess. The pair play dual roles as long-lost twin brothers in "Our Relations" (1936) and help a young woman save her frontier inheritance from land grabbers "Way Out West" (1937). An Alpine lodge is the setting for music and laughs in "Swiss Miss" (1938), while Ollie brings old army pal Stan home to care for him in "Block-Heads" (1938). The boys are off to college in "A Chump at Oxford" (1940), and they take a "relaxing" ocean voyage as "Saps at Sea" (1940). This 10-disc set also features all 40 L&H sound shorts made for Hal Roach from 1929-1935-including "Berth Marks," "Brats," "Below Zero," "Our Wives," "The Music Box," and others-plus Spanish-language versions, guest cameos, and more.
Kane Richmond is the mysterious Lamont Cranston, who doubles as "the Shadow," and who is implicated in the murder of a crusading newspaper reporter. Cranston's Shadow tries to find the real culprit while dealing with taunts by the killer and well-meaning interference from fiancee Margo Lane (Barbara Reed). With George Chandler, Dorothea Kent.
Buster Crabbe stars in this thrilling oater about a gunfighter who attempts to help his brother deal with an unscrupulous rancher but doesn't arrive in time to save his life. Now, he'll deal out his own brand of justice to make sure the killers pay. With Barton MacLane, Judith Ames.
An Apache chief is killed by an angry settler, setting the stage for a war of vengeance waged by the chief's enraged son. After attacking a supply convoy led by an Indian-hating U.S. Army lieutenant (Peter Graves), the Apaches plan to disguise themselves using the dead soldiers' uniforms and launch an assault on the nearby Fort Yuma. With Joan Vohs, John Hudson, Joan Taylor, Abel Fernandez.
Lighthearted whodunit set against the backdrop of the glamorous fashion industry focuses on a stockboy at a clothing factory who's falsely accused of murdering one of the company's models. In order to clear his name, he and his girlfriend attempt to find the real killer as a determined detective closes in on them. Robert Lowery, Marjorie Weaver, Tim Ryan (who also co-wrote) star.
Fast-paced crime thriller stars Forrest Tucker as Brock Miller, a man on the run from the cops for a murder he didn't commit. Miller heads down to Puerto Rico to lay low while trying to find the real killer and clear his name, but soon learns that the lawyer he trusted means to double-cross him. With Allison Hayes, Gerald Milton, Jackie Wayne.
Exciting sagebrusher set against the backdrop of California's struggle for independence from Mexico and their quest for statehood. Don Francisco Hernandez leads the Mexican army in keeping a hold on the residents, but his half-brother serves as the revolutionaries' leader. With Jock Mahoney, Faith Domergue, and Michael Pate.
One critic dubbed this Warhol Factory tale of murder, lust, and depravity "a movie with something to offend absolutely everybody." Carroll Baker plays a New York electrolysist whose beauty salon serves as a front for her all-girl murder-for-hire operation. Co-stars Perry King, Susan Tyrrell, Stefania Casini. AKA: "Andy Warhol's Bad."
After decades of neglecting his family for the sake of his career, dying businessman Ed Asner attempts to reconnect with his grown children and bring everyone home for a final Christmas together. The Emmy-winning TV drama co-stars Maureen Stapleton, Rebecca Balding, Bruce Davison, Veronica Hamel, and Gail Strickland.
Barney Miller: The Complete Series
All 170 episodes of the series are featured on this 25-disc set that also includes the original unaired pilot, interviews, audio commentary on selected episodes, and the first season of the spin-off show "Fish."
The next time somebody tells you they don't make any good movies for the entire family anymore, just say, "Pooh!" This charming animated feature finds Winnie the Pooh reunited with Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, and Roo on a mission to rescue young Christopher Robin and recover Eeyore's missing tail. Includes six all-new songs and a new version of Winnie's theme performed by Zooey Deschanel. Stars the voices of Jim Cummings, Bud Luckey, and Jack Boutler; narrated by John Cleese.
Dennis the Menace: Season Three
Hey Mr. Wilson! All 38 episodes from the third season-including "Trouble from Mars," "Mr. Wilson's Uncle," "A Dog's Life," "The Bully," and "Dennis and the Witch Doctor"-are featured in a five-disc set.
Shaft: The TV Movie Collection
Damn right! "The cat that won't cop out when there's danger all about" returned in seven made-for-TV crime dramas starring Richard Roundtree as private eye John Shaft. A defense attorney and his client turn up dead, and it's up to Shaft to find the killer, in "The Enforcers" (1973). Eddie Barth, Robert Culp co-star. Then, "The Killing" (1973) finds Shaft trying to clear his name when a murder gets pinned on him. With Barth, Ja'net Dubois. Shaft helps a nightclub owner whose son is blamed for a vehicular crime, in "Hit-Run" (1973). Tony Curtis also stars. "The Kidnapping" (1973) of a banker's wife lands Shaft in hot water with the cops when he acts as middleman. Next, Shaft aids a police officer accused of corruption, in "Cop Killer" (1974). With Darren McGavin. A stolen necklace is at the center of Shaft's case, in "The Capricorn Murders" (1974). And, it's a personal mission for Shaft when he goes after the hit man who killed his friend, in "The Murder Machine" (1974). Clu Gulager also stars.
Surrealistic look at a young filmmaker (Donald Sutherland) trying to decide on what project will follow his successful first effort. As he attempts to retain his artistic integrity and continue to pursue his dream of making films that are intelligent and insightful, he must also deal with family issues and the shallowness of Hollywood. DirectorPaul Mazursky's salute to Federico Fellini's "8 1/2" co-stars Ellen Burstyn, Meg Mazursky; Jeanne Moreau and Fellini appear in cameos.
In this scarefest, a Los Angeles-based serial killer undergoes therapy with hopes of putting his murderous ways behind him. As his hatred for his psychologist grows, so does his desire to kill. In order to quench his bloodlust, he plays a deadly game of cat and mouse with the police by calling them prior to committing each of his murders-resulting in plenty of excitement and terror. Grant Williams, Shirley Knight, Onslow Stevens star; screenplay by Robert Bloch from a story co-written by Blake Edwards.
This outer space western follows an astronaut for hire as he takes on his latest job: destroying an asteroid that is headed towards Earth. But when our hero discovers that the multi-millionaire paying him is a greedy land baron responsible for the death of his dream girl's brother, he vows to stop the crook. James Olson, Catherine Schell, Warren Mitchell star in this Hammer Films production.
An amnesiac (Robert Webber) becomes involved in a chain of murders that could make him the next victim-or the killer! The secret to his survival might be found in a mysterious, torn photo of a beautiful woman...but will he be able to learn the truth before the next awful crime? This novel thriller from Hammer Studios relies more on nail-biting suspense than buckets of blood. Lelia Goldoni, Anthony Newlands, and Kiwi Kingston co-star.
Meet Michael Conrad (Michael Gough), enigmatic zookeeper, master of maniacal organ music, and leader of a bizarre, animal-worshipping cult. Under cover of darkness, Conrad uses his menagerie-including a lion, a lioness, a tiger, a black panther, two cheetahs, and a gorilla-to violently dispatch anyone who gets in his way. Jeanne Cooper, Rod Lauren, Virginia Grey, Jerome Cowan, Elisha Cook, Jr. also star in this offbeat chiller.
The great, stone-faced silent screen comedian appears in a variety of vintage screen gems! Fans of the one and only Buster Keaton will enjoy this compilation that includes the shorts "The Goat" (1921), "The Blacksmith" (1922), "Cops" (1922), and "The Love Nest" (1923), plus the feature-length classic comedies "The General" (1927) and "Steamboat Bill, Jr."
The genius of the legendary silent cinema comic is celebrated with this compilation of hilarious short films. Watch the great Charlie Chaplin at work in "The Bank" (1915), "The Rink" (1916), "The Pawnshop" (1916), "The Vagabond" (1916), and "Easy Street" (1917).
Tom & Jerry Golden Collection, Vol. 1
Tom and Jerry play their hilarious games of "cat and mouse" in this delightful compilation of the popular cartoons made by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera for MGM. Featuring 37 theatrical shorts, this two-disc set includes "Puss Gets the Boot," "Sufferin' Cats," "Puttin' on the Dog," "Mouse in Manhattan," "Springtime for Thomas," "The Cat Concerto," "Professor Tom," and more.
What happens when a bunch of Bradys pick up bowling balls and head on over to "Celebrity Bowling"? This episode of the popular game show (of sorts) pits the famous fictional siblings against one another in a hilarious kegling contest! Features Barry Williams, Maureen McCormick, Eve Plumb, Christopher Knight, Susan Olsen, and Mike Lookinland.
The Virginian: The Complete Fifth Season
All 29 episodes from season five-including "Legacy of Hate," "Jacob Was a Plain Man," "Yesterday's Timepiece," "The Girl on the Pinto," and "The Strange Quest of Claire Bingham"-are featured in a 10-disc set.
The Virginian: The Final Season: The Men from Shiloh
This retitled ninth season of "The Virginian" boasted a new theme song by Ennio Morricone to go with its freshly minted spaghetti western flavor. All 24 episodes of the season-including "The Executioners," "Gun Quest," "The Animal," "The Angus Killer," and "Jump-Up"-are featured in an eight-disc set.
Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy
Rawr! Steven Spielberg's brontosaurus-sized blockbuster "Jurassic Park" (1993), based on Michael Crichton's best-seller, follows scientists Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), and Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) to a Central American island where a millionaire (Richard Attenborough) has created the ultimate theme park attraction: live genetically engineered dinosaurs. Then, Spielberg's follow-up, "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" (1997), finds Malcolm (Goldblum) and his paleontologist girlfriend (Julianne Moore) heading an expedition to another dino-filled island, where vicious velociraptors, titanic tyrannosaurs, and a team of hunters await. With Vince Vaughn. And, in "Jurassic Park III" (2001), Grant (Neill) is hired by a divorced couple (William H. Macy and Tea Leoni) to take them to the second island to search for their missing son. Bad move! Pteranodons, raptors, and other menaces rule the roost. Dern also stars.
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Here's a look at last week's new releases.
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