DVD Talk: October 2007 Archives

This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews including: Breathless - Jean-Luc Godard crashed into film directing with this brash re-think of film style and visual grammar; Under the Volcano - John Huston's powerful take on the Malcolm Lowry novel hands Albert Finney one of his best roles; The Beast With a Million Eyes & The Phantom From 10,000 Leagues - These early American Releasing Corporation Sci-Fi pictures were probably poison to double bills in 1955, Now they're excellent teaching tools for anyone considering imitating mainstream entertainment on a microscopic budget; Yang Ban Xi: The 8 Model Works - a new Chinese documentary about the massive operas commissioned by Chairman Mao's wife during the 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution, when they were almost the only public theater not outlawed; A Woman without Love (Una mujer sin amor) - Facets nails one of Luis Bunuel's rarest Mexican films, a soap opera sensitive to the plight of a woman trapped in a loveless marriage. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

Just in time for Halloween comes a selection of HD Talk's horror picks. From old standbys to modern shockfests, we guarantee you'll find something in here that'll scare your socks off. Also in this week's HD Talk Daniel Hirshleifer gives us a status update on Blu-ray Profile 1.1 and discusses the pros and cons of this format update as well as a complete run down of our recet HD DVD and Blu-ray reviews including: Spider-Man 3, Top Gun, and The Day After Tomorrow. Be sure to drop by our HD Talk Forum and share your thoughts and feelings about the next generations of high-def entertainment.

The end of October is the official beginning of the wave of huge holiday releases including many notable releases this week: No End in Sight - a jaw-dropping great documentary which takes an unflinching look at the war in Iraq, a must see film; My So-Called Life [Review] - one of those extremely special series which finally gets the extra special treatment it deserves; Twin Peaks - The Definitive Gold Box Edition - David Lynch's masterpiece finally gets put back together in a release fans will eat cherry pie over; Spider-man 3 [Blu-Ray Review] - one of the biggest summer blockbuster rides in like a white knight to help defend big blu in the format war. Other notable DVDs out this week include: Angel - Special Collector's Set; The Blood Shed [Review], Day Watch [Review], Jackie Chan - The Myth [Review], Scrubs - S6 and Talk to Me [Review]. Be sure to check out our DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

This week for our Clip of The Week we have several clips from Shout! Factory's release of My So-Called Life: The Complete Series. The long-awaited box set tells the whole story of this beloved television show. An authentic portrayal of teenage and parental angst, My So-Called Life expressed the challenges of growing up and growing older. Along with nineteen episodes, the bonus features illuminate the origin, life and afterlife of this benchmark series with all-new interviews and episode commentaries featuring the original cast and creators. Watch these clips from My So-Called Life: The Complete Series: In The Car, I'm In Love, You Died Your Hair, Clair Daines Interview and My So Called Life Trailer. Get more info on My So-Called Life: The Complete Series here.

Video Watchdog's Tim Lucas, a prolific audio commentator and essayist, chats with DVD Talk's Stuart Galbraith IV about the new Mario Bava Collection, the future of DVD and High-Def formats, and Lucas's incredible magnum opus, a 12-pound, 1,000-page full-color monster biography of Bava (Black Sunday, Rabid Dogs, Twitch of the Death Nerve), a book that was 32 years in the making. Read our complete interview with Tim Lucas.

Steve Carell leads the way in the romantic comedy Dan in Real Life with some hilarious results. Juliette Binoche and Dane Cook round of the supporting cast in the Peter Hedges film. Dan in Real Life arrives in real life in theaters everywhere this weekend. Also in theaters this week is Saw IV - Tobin Bell is back for another round as Jigsaw...wait...wasn't Jigsaw dead??? Hmmm...; Blade Runner: The Final Version - the highly-anticipated "final cut" of the revolutionary film is finally in theaters; and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead - Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke star in what may be Sidney Lumet's greatest directorial achievement. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Bella, King Corn, Mr. Untouchable, Cinerama Adventure, Sleuth, Lars and the Real Girl, Gone Baby Gone, 30 Days of Night, Things We Lost in the Fire, Reservation Road, My Kid Could Paint That, Rendition. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films in theaters in our Movie Talk Forum Area.

DVD Stalk is back at it and packed with tons of great reviews (including looks at the DVD release of Black Sheep, Eli Roth's Hostel: Part II, and Saw III: Director's Cut), information on all of this week's horror releases, and previews of some upcoming scares. We also have our usual bag of evil goodies, including the DVD Stalk Blog and an opportunity to load up on DVD Stalk apparel. We hope you'll check out DVD Stalk and drop us a line to let us know what you think. Check out our daily DVD Stalk Blog, friend us on DVD Stalk's MySpace and DVD Stalk's Twitter, drop by the DVD Stalk Apparel Store, and be sure to check out DVD Talk's reviews of over 2,000 Horror DVDs.

This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews including: The Mario Bava Collection Volume 2 - Anchor Bay finishes off its new set of Alfredo Leone - held Mario Bava pix with 5 Dolls for an August Moon, Roy Colt & Winchester Jack, Bay of Blood, Baron Blood, Four Times that Night, Lisa and the Devil, Kidnapped, House of Exorcism; The Human Factor - A PAL Region 2 review by Lee Broughton of Edward Dmytryk's 1975 thriller with George Kennedy, John Mills and Raf Vallone; Ten Canoes - A beautiful ethnographic tale of tribal customs and peril among Australian aboriginals. Earthy, funny, and very well made; The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid - Savant didn't even know this disc, one of the best westerns of the 1970s, was even released (it came out about 3 weeks ago). Cliff Robertson's Cole Younger has a masterful plan to fleece a crooked bank, but Robert Duvall's hot-head Jesse James turns the raid into a turkey shoot. A great cast directed by Philip Kaufman. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

A huge week for notable DVDs including: Meet the Robinsons [Review | Interview] - the first outing for Walt Disney Animation Studios is a rousing sucess and though it is ostensibly about the future it will take you right back to that halcyon past with flying colors; The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones - the long awaited release from Lucasfilm is timed to get the buzz going on the next Indiana Jones film; Hostel II [Review] - pretty panned in theaters, reviewer Bill Gibron says they're all wrong and gives Hostel II the props he thinks it deserves. Other notable DVDs out this week include: Breathless - Criterion [Review], Days of Heaven - Criterion [Review], Fido [Review], Mr. Brooks [Review], Saw 3 Unrated [Review]. Be sure to check out our DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

This week our Clip of The Week is from 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama. Why do the poor often seem happier than the rich? Must a society lose its traditions in order to move into the future? How do you reconcile a commitment to non-violence when faced with violence? These are some of the questions posed to His Holiness the Dalai Lama by filmmaker and explorer Rick Ray. Ray examines some of the fundamental questions of our time by weaving together observations from his own journeys throughout India and the Middle East, and the wisdom of an extraordinary spiritual leader in a film called "the definitive film on the Dalai Lama" by DVD Talk. Watch a clip from 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama. Get more information on 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama here.

This week we have a very special giveaway from The Criterion Collection for the DVD release of Under The Volcano. Under the Volcano follows the final day in the life of self-destructive British consul Geoffrey Firmin on the eve of World War II. Withering from alcoholism, Firmin stumbles through a small Mexican village amidst the Day of the Dead fiesta, attempting to reconnect with his estranged wife but only further alienating himself. John Huston's ambitious tackling of Malcolm Lowry's towering "unadaptable" novel gave the incomparable Finney one of his grandest roles and was the legendary The Treasure of the Sierra Madre director's triumphant return to filmmaking in Mexico. The Under the Volcano DVD features: New, restored hi-def digital transfer; Audio commentary feat. producer Michael Fitzgerald; New video interview with Jacqueline Bisset, screenwriter Guy Gallo, Notes from Under the Volcano (1984), a 59 min. doc, Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry (1976), 99 min. doc and more. Enter now for your chance to win one of 5 Under The Volcano: Criterion Collection DVDs.

On the latest episode of DVD Talk Radio, DVD Talk Editor Geoffrey Kleinman speaks with Stephen J. Anderson, Director of Meet the Robinsons (as well as the voice behind "The Bowler Hat Guy"). We speak with Stephen J. Anderson about his experience Directing the first film to be released from the new Walt Disney Animation Studios (the result of the merging of Pixar Animation and Disney Feature Animation), his thoughts about using 3-D in a theatrical release and the importance and impact of Blu-Ray on film making. Listen to our complete interview with Stephen J. Anderson using our Online DVD Talk Radio Player or Download the complete interview with Stephen J. Anderson (16 min 15MB). Also be sure to listen to our past interviews on DVD Talk Radio with Mike Rowe, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, Bobcat Goldthwait, Oliver Stone, Kevin Smith and Sarah Silverman.

With over 20K DVD reviews in the DVD Talk Review Database, it's easy to overlook some of the great reviews. Recent DVD Reviews include: Spider Man 3 - a flawed comic book film, but it's a jam-packed thrill ride a minute with plenty of characterization to boot; A Mighty Heart - Like 2006's masterful United 93, the picture takes on a recent tragedy that could have easily turned exploitative and instead produces a tense and haunting political thriller; Murder Party - An instant cult classic, it's very smart, and quirkily funny, with a refreshingly subversive mixture of disdain for pretentious artistic types, and a celebration of silly slapstick combined with full-on gore . Other new DVDs recently reviewed include: Crazy Love, The Force Among Us, The Hoax, Nearing Grace, Spider Baby and Two Weeks. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week including a the ability to Browse reviews by studio.

Silent DVD is packed this week with reviews of several recent releases. The American Film Archives third boxed set, Treasures III, includes 48 restored movies made between 1900 and 1934 that all deal with various social problems. Just as well done as the previous collections, this one is a 'must buy.' One of the greatest British films from the silent era has also made its way to DVD. Anthony Asquith's A Cottage on Dartmoor is a suspenseful film that is an early forerunner of film noir. We also have a look at a collection of four Valentino films, as well as a pair of documentaries about the quest to add sound and color to early movies: Discovering Cinema. Read all this and more in this week's Silent DVD

Ben Affleck jumps into the director's chair for the fantastic Dennis Lehane adaptation Gone Baby Gone and produces "an unexpected emotional sucker punch." Just as with Mystic River, Lehane's source material is the star here, but it's the work of Casey Affleck, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, and Ben Affleck behind the camera that really turn the film into something very special. Gone Baby Gone arrives in theaters everywhere this weekend. Also in theaters this week is 30 Days of Night - No sun in Barrow, Alaska for 30 days + lots of vampires = some amazingly cool cinema in this highly anticipated Steve Niles adaptation; Things We Lost in the Fire - Halle Berry and Benicio Del Toro are both getting some major Oscar buzz for their work in this excellent Susanne Bier film; and Reservation Road - Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Ruffalo star in this moving Terry George film. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: My Kid Could Paint That, Rendition, The Ten Commandments, War Made Easy: How Presidents & Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death, Local Color, Why Did I Get Married?, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Michael Clayton, We Own the Night. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films in theaters in our Movie Talk Forum Area.

A ton of notable TV on DVD reviews this week including: Entourage - Season Three, Part 2 - Part 2 puts the series back on track and it's much tighter both in length and in focus of story; Creature Comforts America: The Complete First Season - Easily as colorful, clever and creative as its British counterpart, Creature Comforts America is another win for Aardman Animation; How I Met Your Mother - Season Two - a fun sitcom about a man telling his kids about how he met their mother and all of the crazy fun that occurred since then.. Other recent TV on DVD reviews include: Ballykissangel: The Complete Collection, Ben 10: The Complete Season 2 , Da Vinci's Inquest Season 2 , Family Ties - The Second Season and Roots - The Next Generations. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted TV on DVD.

This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews including: The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid - Cliff Robertson's Cole Younger has a masterful plan to fleece a crooked bank, but Robert Duvall's hot-head Jesse James turns the raid into a turkey shoot; The Jazz Singer (Three-Disc Deluxe Edition) - Al Jolson shows how he conquered Broadway in Warners' lavish 3-disc set; Strike Up the Band - Busby Berkeley's energetic followup to Babes in Arms sees Mickey Rooney struggling for a chance in the big time bandleading racket, aided, abetted and tolerated by Judy Garland; Fox Horror Classics - Fox unveils three of its gothic horrors from the 1940s, beautifully filmed by director John Brahm and cameraman Lucien Ballard; Discovering Cinema - Two French productions on the development of film sound and color have excellent detail and beautiful clips; Bug - William Friedkin hits a raw nerve with this surprising small scale tale of paranoid terror. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

A huge week for notable DVDs including: Transformers [DVD Review | HD DVD Review | Feature Coverage] - the summer's biggest and most enjoyable popcorn movie becomes the latest salvo in the format war; Grindhouse Presents, Planet Terror - Extended and Unrated [Review] - Judged on its own merits, Planet Terror is a gooey, gory good time. As over the top as anything to come out of Hollywood in the last decade the film is exactly what it should be, and that's sheer entertainment. Other notable DVDs out this week include: The Hoax, Ironside - Season 2 [Review], The Jazz Singer [Review] A Mighty Heart, Show Business: The Road to Broadway [Review]. Be sure to check out our DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

This week we have a very special giveaway from First Independent Pictures for the DVD release of Nearing Grace. Henry's (Gregory Smith) senior year has been anything but ordinary. As high school comes to an end he becomes consumed by his attraction to Grace (Jordana Brewster), the girl most likely to be voted prom queen. She's dating the popular quarterback but seems to enjoy Henry's attention. As their secret seduction spins out of control, will Grace be Henry's salvation or his downfall? The Nearing Grace DVD features: Commentary by Star Jordana Brewster and Director Rick Rosenthal, Behind The Scenes, TV Spots, Theatrical Trailer and more. Enter now for your chance to win one of 5 copies of Nearing Grace.

This week our Clip of The Week is from Ironside - The Complete Second Season - staring Raymond Burr. From their uniquely equipped office at SFPD headquarters, Chief Ironside continues to lead his special police unit, fighting crime others can't. His crack team includes Sgt. Ed Brown, ex-con-turned-assistant Mark Sanger and beautiful policewoman Eve Whitfield. Ironside's second season continued the tradition of attracting special guest stars--including Milton Berle, Anne Baxter, Bill Bixby, Ricardo Montalban, Burgess Meredith, Ed Asner and many more. Watch these clips from Ironside - The Complete Second Season: Ironside Trailer, I know who hit me! and You Didn't Really Kill Horatio did you?. Get more information on Ironside: The Complete Second Season here.

With over 20K DVD reviews in the DVD Talk Review Database, it's easy to overlook some of the great reviews. Recent DVD Reviews include: Black Sheep - No pretensions, no high-minded metaphors, just cheap thrills and silly laughs; The Wind That Shakes the Barley - acclaimed director Ken Loach returns with arguably his most accomplished film yet; Hostel II - a fantastic sequel, one of the best franchise revisits in the legacy of such motion picture money grabs. Other new DVDs recently reviewed include: A Dog's Breakfast, Elizabeth, The Film Crew: The Giant of Marathon, Love and Normal Adolescent Behavior: Havoc 2. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week including a the ability to Browse reviews by studio.

Cate Blanchett steps back into the role that made her a bonafide star in Elizabeth: The Golden Age. A fantastic follow-up to the original, our very own Jamie S. Rich's review even includes a beautiful illustration by the amazing artist Joëlle Jones. Elizabeth: The Golden Age gets into costume to arrive in theaters everywhere this weekend. Also in theaters this week is Michael Clayton - George Clooney stars as a "fixer" at a New York law firm in this excellent film; We Own the Night - Joaquin Phoenix, Eva Mendes, and Mark Wahlberg star in this James Gray mob flick; and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck steal the show in this character-driven tale of the legendary outlaw. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Naked Boys Singing!, Lust, Caution, Steal a Pencil for Me, The Final Season, The Heartbreak Kid, The Seeker: The Dark is Rising, Weirdsville, Dedication, Goal II: Living the Dream, Ira & Abby, The Darjeeling Limited. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films in theaters in our Movie Talk Forum Area.

DVD Stalk is back at it and packed with tons of great reviews (including looks at the DVD release of 1408, Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror, and the sequel 28 Weeks Later), information on all of this week's horror releases, and previews of some upcoming scares. We also have our usual bag of evil goodies, including the DVD Stalk Blog and an opportunity to load up on DVD Stalk apparel. We hope you'll check out DVD Stalk and drop us a line to let us know what you think. Check out our daily DVD Stalk Blog, friend us on DVD Stalk's MySpace and DVD Stalk's Twitter, drop by the DVD Stalk Apparel Store, and be sure to check out DVD Talk's reviews of over 2,000 Horror DVDs.

A ton of notable TV on DVD reviews this week including: The War: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick - For documentary fans and WWII buffs alike, Ken Burns' The War offers a thoughtful portrait of life on the front line and back home in America; Jericho: The Complete First Season - proved that given the right incentives, it could become the kind of show that fans always thought it could be; providing hope for the future as the show got a third life in large part due to their efforts; C.S.I. New York - The Third Season - The series took a detour from the "C.S.I." playbook in the third season, focusing more on plot-driven stories than character-driven stories, and the results are several stand-out mysteries and a finale that's just unbelievable. Other recent TV on DVD reviews include: Doctor Who - Survival, Hannah Montana - Life's What You Make It, Ironside - Season 2, Jesse James: Legend, Outlaw, Terrorist, Robert Klein: The HBO Specials 1975-2005. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted TV on DVD.

This week's Anime Talk takes a look at the the death of Geneon - one of the larger distributors of anime in the US packs up shop and goes away leaving a trail of unfinished series and a ton of questions in its wake. The gap left by Geneon's departure will surely be filled by the ever prolific: ADV, FUNimation, Bandai Visual, Bandai Entertainment, Manga, VIZ, and Media Blasters. So the anime train keeps rolling... In that spirit we have reviews of Witchblade, Wings of Honnaemise, Naruto's first movie and more. There are many solid releases out right now that deserve the time it takes to watch them through. Just stick with us and we'll help you decide what's worth it!

This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews including: Treasures III: Social Issues in American Film 1900-1934 - The National Film Preservation Foundation's four disc boxed set has dozens of short subjects and four rare features by the likes of Cecil B. De Mille, William Desmond Taylor, King Vidor, Mary Pickford; Anne of the Thousand Days / Mary, Queen of Scots - A bargain double bill from Universal, with both of Hal Wallis' Charles Jarrott-directed historical epics; A Few Days in September - A spy thriller with a great cast (Juliette Binoche, John Turturro) but a limp script and a trite, tasteless angle on 9/11; The Films of Kenneth Anger Vol. 2 - The second half of Fantoma's beautifully restored set of Kenneth Anger classics contains full versions of Scorpio Rising, Kustom Kar Kommandos, Invocation of My Demon Brother and Lucifer Rising; The Intruder - Roger Corman's socially conscious look at bigotry and race-baiting is easily the best film of its kind, and gives William Shatner his most interesting role; The Lost World (1925 + 1960) - See giant lizards with rubber frills chew each other up! Irwin Allen's kiddie matinee pastiche of the Arthur Conan Doyle classic abuses good reptiles and good actors (Claude Rains, Michael Rennie). Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

This week's HD Talk finds Daniel Hirshleifer making two trips. The first is to Industrial Light and Magic in San Francisco to hear about Transformers on HD DVD. While there, he meets a few industry legends and takes a gander at some classic movie props. The second is to Universal to chat with industry big wigs about the web-enabled features on many new HD DVDs, including Knocked Up and the upcoming Evan Almighty. Elvis Presley makes his hi def debut as Don Houston checks out Viva Las Vegas and John Sinnott reviews Jailhouse Rock. Both come away quite pleased with the image and sound of movies that are over 50 years old. Daniel Hirshleifer and Adam Tyner look into two 70's classics, Halloween and Deliverance respectively, and found that both still scare and thrill us as well now as they did three decades ago. All of this and two full audio interviews are available in this week's HD Talk. The discussion of both HD DVD and Blu-ray continues in the HD Talk Forum, so stop by and weigh in with your thoughts!

A strong week for notable DVDs including: Surf's Up [DVD Review | Blu-Ray Review] - With its laidback vibe and character-driven storyline, Surf's Up might actually be a bit subtle for the youngest viewers, but this flick is lovingly rendered and thoroughly likable; Reign Over Me [Blu-Ray Review] - an incredible film about friendship, family, and what is most important in life; 28 Weeks Later [Review] - with frenetic camera work and sharp tension that sits like an urchin in your gut, you'll easily get sucked into this second gruesome foray with the "infecteds". Other notable DVDs out this week include: Black Sheep, Evan Almighty [Review], The Film Crew: The Giant of Marathon, Hitler - The Rise of Evil [Review] , Joseph Campbell: Mythos I [Review], Man Push Cart, Michael Palin - Pole to Pole [Review], Poltergeist 25th Ann, Wrong Turn 2: Dead End [Review]. Be sure to check out our DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

In this week's DVD Talk Clip of The Week we have a look at three new DVDs: from KOCH Vision - Hitler: The Rise of Evil. Robert Carlyle portrays Adolph Hitler in a performance that "conveys the depths of the tyrant's evil" (San Francisco Chronicle). Never before available on DVD, the Emmy Award-winning mini-series Hitler: The Rise of Evil [view extended trailer] stars Peter O'Toole, Stockard Channing, Jena Malone, Julianna Margulies, Matthew Modine and Liev Schreiber. Also this week we have a clips from two acclaimed Sundance Film Festival official selections from KOCH LORBER Films: Ramin Bahrani's Man Push Cart [view trailer], the Independent Spirit Award nominee that Roger Ebert praised as "an experience - I loved it," and Christoffer Boe's Allegro [view trailer], a mind-bending exploration of love and memory that Filmmaker magazine called "accomplished, original and thought provoking."

With over 20K DVD reviews in the DVD Talk Review Database, it's easy to overlook some of the great reviews. Recent DVD Reviews include: Transformers - Fans of the original would probably lean toward the 1986 film, if given a choice between the two, but this new vision does manage to stand on its own as a silly, exciting theme-park ride; Meet the Robinsons - Remember those days of yore when you went to animated movies just to have a little fun, share some yuks and maybe get a little misty-eyed at the end? Meet the Robinsons, though it is ostensibly about the future, will take you right back to that halcyon past with flying colors; The Hole Story -A wonderful glimpse at the manic nature of the creative process is laugh-out-loud funny, while at the same time inspirational and poignant. Other new DVDs recently reviewed include: Felix the Cat: The Complete 1958-1959 Series, Show Business: The Road to Broadway, The Strange Case of Howard Phillips Lovecraft, The Treatment and The War: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week including a the ability to Browse reviews by studio.

The Farrelly Brothers reteam with Ben Stiller for their latest film The Heartbreak Kid. A remake of Neil Simon and Elaine May's 1972 film, Heartbreak... finds Ben Stiller falling for the girl of his dreams, Michelle Monaghan, while on his honeymoon. The Heartbreak Kid looks for some laughs in theaters everywhere this weekend. Also in theaters this week is The Seeker: The Dark is Rising - even Ian McShane and Christopher Eccleston can't rescue this dreary flick; Weirdsville - Wes Bentley, Taryn Manning, and Scott Speedman star in this black comedy from director Allan Moyle; and Dedication - Billy Crudup and Mandy Moore lead the way in Justin Theroux's directorial debut. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Goal II: Living the Dream, Ira & Abby, The Darjeeling Limited, The Kingdom, The Game Plan, Feast of Love, Into the Wild, The Trade, Jane Austen Book Club, Good Luck Chuck, Across the Universe. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films in theaters in our Movie Talk Forum Area.

A ton of notable TV on DVD reviews this week including: The Sarah Silverman Program - Season One - a rather unusual sitcom, sharing more in common with "Tenacious D" than your traditional half-hour comedy; Prison Break - Season Two - few TV series have had the guts to revel in so much primordial, biblical melodrama, but Prison Break: Season 2 pulls it off effortlessly; Numb3rs - The Third Season - a solid third season from the show that proved you can solve murders with math. Other recent TV on DVD reviews include: Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends - The Complete Season 2, Criminal Minds - The Second Season, King of Queens - The Complete Ninth Season, Las Vegas: Season Four and McLeod's Daughters - The Complete Third Season. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted TV on DVD.

This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews including: Robinson Crusoe on Mars - Director Byron Haskin turns Death Valley into Mars for this uncommonly intelligent space survival yarn; Dr. T and the Women - Robert Altman satirizes rich Texas housewives and ends up just saying a lot of negative things about women; Witchfinder General - One of the most talked-about horror films of the 60s is now fully restored, with its original Paul Ferris score; Vincent Price MGM Scream Legends Collection - MGM/Fox bundles a stack of recycled older transfers with one desirable new Vincent Price title, adding a not-so-special bonus disc as an extra; Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

A strong week for notable DVDs including: Fantastic Four - Rise of the Silver Surfer [Review] - not only is it an enjoyable blockbuster for the masses, it's also a memorable comic adaptation that should please hardcore comic book fans; Bram Stoker's Dracula - Collector's Edition [Review] - a revelation on its fifteenth anniversary, this new double-disc release spruces up the image and sound of the movie and adds a host of well-crafted bonus features worthy of our Highest Rating; The Jungle Book [Review | Feature] - one of Disney's most beloved films gets a masterful restoration; 1408: 2-Disc Collector's Edition [Review] - it's certainly not without a few nagging faults, but 1408 provides a solid amount of thrills, chills and suspense.Other notable DVDs out this week include: Caligula: 3 Disc Imperial Edition [Review], Funny Face - 50th Anniversary Edition [Review], Jindabyne, Other Side [Review] Star Trek: The Next Generation: Complete, Sun Dogs [Review], The War - A Ken Burns Film. Be sure to check out our DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

This week we have a very special giveaway from Image Entertainment for the DVD release of Caligula. One of the most controversial and talked about films of all times finally makes its way onto a fully featured a three disc set with a beautiful new high-definition transfer from recently uncovered negative elements and hours of never-before-seen bonus material. Enter now for your chance to one of 5 copies of Caligula: Three-Disc Imperial Edition DVD were giving away this week.

With over 20K DVD reviews in the DVD Talk Review Database, it's easy to overlook some of the great reviews. Recent DVD Reviews include: 28 Weeks Later - with frenetic camera work and sharp tension that sits like an urchin in your gut, you'll easily get sucked into this second gruesome foray with the "infecteds"; Chalk - we absolutely love this film and bet you will too, seek it out; Cujo: 25th Anniversary Edition - even after twenty five years that mutt still scares the crap out of us. Other new DVDs recently reviewed include: Barbie as The Island Princess , Charlie Chan - Volume 3, The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 2, Matthew Hopkins - Witchfinder General, Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea, Selena: 10th Anniversary Special Edition and Wall Street - 20th Anniversary Edition. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week including a the ability to Browse reviews by studio.