DVD Talk: November 2007 Archives

No, no, no...Not Ben and Fred... The Savages is the latest film from Director Tamara Jenkins and it stars Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The endearing tale of two estranged siblings reuniting to decide what to do about their mentally deteriorating father is getting some excellent buzz. The Savages is in theaters everywhere this weekend. Also in theaters this week is What Would Jesus Buy? - Morgan Spurlock produced this new documentary that asks the question: "What was Christmas before shopping?"; Romance and Cigarettes - John Turturro's latest project turns out to be a disappointment; and Confessions of a Superhero - this "staggering" documentary about four people who live their lives dressed as superheroes is "a mesmerizing, revealing look at Hollywood's bottom layer." Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Oswald's Ghost, I'm Not There, The Mist, Enchanted, August Rush, This Christmas, Hitman, Beowulf IMAX 3-D, Beowulf, No Country for Old Men. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films in theaters in our Movie Talk Forum Area.

Some great TV shows have made their way onto DVD this week including: Everybody Loves Raymond - The Complete Series - a fun and exciting sitcom about a goofy sportswriter and his neurotic family; I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - the classic show is just as funny today as it was 50 years ago; Dark Shadows: The Beginning Collection 2 - a wonderfully weird and entertaining endeavor, these first few segments are a hilarious, pre-haunted hoot; Other shows include: Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 12, C.S.I. Crime Scene Investigation - The Complete Seventh Season, Wanted: Dead or Alive - Season Three, Veronica Mars - The Complete Third Season, and Love American Style - Season 1, Vol. 1. Want more? Check out all of the TV on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk database.

Ouch! Ouch I say! My wallet is reeling after all of the Black Friday deals and DVD bargains floating around in the forums. Needless to say if you're anything like me then you probably have a slew of anime on its way to your doorstep. Hopefully you listened to some of our advice and picked up some great shows such as Bleach, Ghost in the Shell 2nd GIG, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and Beck. If you haven't checked out those reviews be sure to come in and read our latest installment of Anime Talk! We've been pouring through recent releases and have striven to help you with your holiday wishlists.

This week the DVD Savant has taken a short vacation, but still had time to write up a couple of reviews including: Up the Down Staircase - Sandy Dennis is delightful, and so is everybody else in Robert Mulligan's insightful bestseller adaptation. Fall semester at Grover Cleveland High is a nightmare for new teacher Sylvia Barrett ... the chaos in her classroom won't let her get any teaching done.; The Day of the Triffids - This English miniseries adaptation is short on scares but faithful to the literary values of John Wyndham's post-apocalyptic tale. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

Another banner week for DVDs with the studios releasing some great films and boxed sets: Futurama: Bender's Big Score [review] the first of four direct-to-video films based on the hilarious animated show; Drunken Angel: The Criterion Collection [review] - the first film where legendary director Akira Kurosawa found his filmmaking voice; and Elvis: Blue Suede Collection - A collection of nine of The King's best films including Jailhouse Rock, Viva Las Vegas, andIt Happened at the World's Fair; Other releases of note include: Hot Fuzz: 3 Disc Collector's Edition, Mr. Bean's Holiday, Edvard Munch-Special Edition 2-DVD Set, Happy Days: The Third Season, and Mr. Show: The Complete Collection. 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.

If you're looking for some unique gift ideas for this holiday season consider the work from the DVD Talk Review Staff including: David Walker who wrote/produced/directed a film called Black Santa's Revenge with Ken Foree which is now out on DVD; Jamie S. Rich's latest book Have You Seen The Horizon Lately? is out and is one not to miss; Paul Mavis' book The Espionage Filmography: United States Releases, 1898 Through 1999 is a treasure trove for the spy film fan; the penultimate book to buy for the film fan on your list is DVD Savant's self titled book DVD Savant; if you can find a copy Stuart Galbraith IV The Emperor and the Wolf: The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune is one of the definitive books on these two great artists. Another gift idea is logo wear from DVD Talk and DVD Stalk

This week we have a very special giveaway from Kino International for an exclusive set of DVDs as featured in their 2008 DVD Catalog including: Battleship Potemkin - Kino International has a new restoration of Sergei Eisenstein's 1925 masterpiece (one of most influential silent film of all time), Nosferatu: The Ultimate Two-DVD Edition - F.W. Murnau's classic is triumphantly reborn in this breathtaking new restoration by the F.W. Murnau Foundation, Lady Chatterley - Winner of 5 Cesar Awards, a keenly perceptive, frankly sensual adaption of D.H. Lawrence's classic novel and She: Deluxe Edition - Filled with art deco sets, gorgeous costumes, Busby Berkeley-style choreography, and backed by Max Steiner's powerful score, She is pure heart-stopping, eye-popping adventure. Enter now for your chance to win one of 5 Kino Holiday Packs and be sure not to miss the Huge Kino International Holiday Sale with 25%-30% off their entire catalog.

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: This is England - a raw yet often hilarious take on poverty and crime; The Lady Vanishes - Criterion Collection - - a classic Hitchcock thriller that gets the Criterion treatment with this new two-disc release.; and The McCartney Years - a 3-disc complitaion of Paul McCartney's music videos and concert footage is a fitting testimony to his achievements; Other recent reviews include: Knee Deep, Baby Shambles -Up the Shambles, The Girl Next Door, Doctor Who - Time-Flight and So Much So Fast. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week and the ability to browse reviews by studio.

DVD Talk Radio has an interview with Scott Dacko director of the indie thriller - The Insurgents. Winning raves at a number of film fests including a best of show nod at the Oldenburg Film Festival, The Insurgents is an explosive thriller that asks the question, "What if the terror thread came from within?". Extremely well written and expertly directed The Insurgents is one of those hidden gems of a film that's worth seeking out. And if you needed another reason to see the film look no further than the drop dead gorgeous Juliette Marquis. DVD Talk Editor Geoff Kleinman interviews Scott Dacko about The Insurgents including a discussion of: the strangest conspiracy theories he found researching the film, how Scott persuaded John Shea and Mary Stuart Masterson to be in his first movie, and how he's using an Apple TV to show his film in High-Def in theaters. Listen to our complete interview with Scott Dacko using our Online DVD Talk Radio Player or Download the complete interview with Scott Dacko (20 mins 12MB). Also be sure to listen to our past interviews on DVD Talk Radio with Brad Bird, Stephen J. Anderson, Mike Rowe, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg and Bobcat Goldthwait.

Frank Darabont decides to adapt another Stephen King tale with his latest thriller The Mist and the results are, once again, very good. Thomas Jane stars in this small-town tale of people trapped inside a supermarket with a freak storm full of blood-thirsty creatures raging outside. The Mist traps you in theaters everywhere this weekend. Also in theaters this week is Enchanted - Amy Adams will surely become a huge star based on her performance in this fun little fairy tale; August Rush - Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers star in Kirsten Sheridan's heartwarming film; and I'm Not There - Todd Haynes tackles the life and career of musical legend Bob Dylan. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: This Christmas, Hitman, Beowulf IMAX 3-D, Beowulf, Margot at the Wedding, Southland Tales, Love in the Time of Cholera, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, Dreams to Remember..., No Country for Old Men. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films in theaters in our Movie Talk Forum Area.

Some great TV shows have made their way onto DVD this week including: Berlin Alexanderplatz - Criterion Collection - Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 15-plus hour epic is a masterpiece and the crowning achievement of the director's over-achieving career; The Universe - The Complete Season One - The series offers a wealth of information about matters big and, well, bigger as it explores not only the planets that are in our general neck of the woods, but also ideas and basic principles that color modern astronomy; The Chuck Jones Collection - a set of six half-hour television special created by the famous animation director that includes some of his best work. Other shows include: MXC: Most Extreme Elimination Challenge - Season 3, Bob Hope: The Ultimate Collection, 24: Season Six, Movies 101, and Waking the Dead - The Complete Season Two. Want more? Check out all of the TV on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk database.

This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews including: It's a Wonderful Life - Frank Capra's Christmas favorite bounces back one more time ... in a two-disc set; The Burt Lancaster Signature Collection - which includes five of the athletic actors film: The Flame and the Arrow, Jim Thorpe - All American, South Sea Woman, His Majesty O'Keefe and Executive Action; I Am Cuba The Ultimate Edition - Mikhail Kalatazov's epic of the Cuban Revolution was screened only a few times in Havana and Moscow and then locked away for almost thirty years. It's a cinematic marvel that, for expressive camera gymnastics, outdoes practically any film ever made; The Barbara Stanwyck Signature Collection - Warners gathers six lesser-known Barbara Stanwyck titles, several of which are forgotten gems: Annie Oakley, My Reputation, East Side West Side, To Please a Lady, Jeopardy and Executive Suite. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

HTMarket.com is back with another fantastic Home Theater Holiday Giveaway on DVD Talk. This week they're giving away five fantastic home theater goodies including: A Personalized Movie Marquis - give your home theater the custom touch with a personalized sign made from furniture grade wood; A Reel Clock - a wall mounted time piece made out of an authentic Goldberg 16mm reel; Quick Snap Movie Poster Frame - a quick and easy way to display your favorite movie poster; An Authentic Velour Rope - add a touch of authenticity to your home theater with a plush, stain resistant velour rope; A Chameleon Bass Trap - a versatile ready to hang acoustics innovation, with the Chameleon Bass Trap you control the color, finish, pattern and style of the fabric in your acoustic panels. Enter now for your chance to win one of these great prizes from HTMarket.com.

Another banner week for DVDs with the studios releasing some great films and boxed sets: Live Free or Die Hard: 2-Disc Unrated Edition [review] which continues the franchise 12 years after the last installment and is a potent action film in its own right; Nosferatu: Ultimate 2-Disc Edition [review] - one of the all-time classics of silent cinema now available with a new restoration improves on the earlier release and The Lady Vanishes - a classic Hitchcock thriller that gets the Criterion treatment with this new two-disc release. Other releases of note include: The Song Remains the Same: Two-Disc Special Edition [review], Hudson Hawk - Special Edition [review], Mission: Impossible - The Complete Third TV Season, Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist - The Complete Series, Rescue Dawn [review], and Santa Clause 3 : The Escape Clause [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 a field filled with wannbes and novices, Eric Stanze has managed something very rare indeed. Heâ€™s become associated with quality, vision, and solid cinematic professionalism. Bill Gribon sits down with the director to discuss his movies, the difficulties of working with small budgets, and the ecomonics of making a movie today. They also talk about his latest film Deadwood Park, the story of a town plagued by the haunting memory of a notorious child killer. Read Bill's full interview with independent director Eric Stanze, and be sure to check out our review of Deadwood Park.

Having trouble finding a gift for the movie fan in your life? Let DVDTalk help you out. This year's Holiday Buyer's Guide will steer you in the right direction. Whether you're looking for a disc that the whole family can enjoy, a gruesome horror flick to scare your pants off, or something for a foreign film buff, we have suggestions to fit every taste. Check out or recommendations for Mainstream Movies, Family DVDs, Boxed Sets, TV on DVD, Horror Films, Foreign Films, and even Home Theater Accessories. All this and more in the DVDTalk Holiday Buyer's Guide

If you've been waiting to dip your toes into the HD waters, there has never been a better time. With the holiday season upon us, sales are popping up left and right. To help you make sense of the different formats and just exactly which movies are available on each, DVDTalk has come up with a HD Holiday Buyer's Guide. We'll be giving you our thoughts on suggestions on players and titles for both formats. If you see something you like, don't hesitate. This is the best time to buy into the High Definition formats.

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: Hairspray based on the hit stage musical that in turn was based on John Waters' loopy 1988 flick, is a delight from start to finish; Drunken Angel - the first film where legendary director Akira Kurosawa found his filmmaking voice; Futurama: Bender's Big Score - a direct-to-DVD flick that really feels like a full feature film with a clever plot and a lot of big laughs; and Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse - Long considered one of the most insightful and gripping documentaries about filmmaking ever created; Other recent reviews include: Sawdust and Tinsel - Criterion Collection , Killer of Sheep: The Charles Burnett Collection, and War & Peace (1972). Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week and the ability to browse reviews by studio.

It's back! DeepDiscount.com is running their famous and gigantic 20% off blow out sale where you can save an additional 20% off their already low prices on DVDs and get free shipping on your order. Every title is on sale, all you need to do is enter the coupon code DVDTALK in the promotion code box when you check out to receive your discount. Coupons do not apply to orders for prerelease DVD's or other merchandise, including video games, books, or CDs. Coupon may only be used once per customer! DO NOT MISS THIS SALE (Sale runs 11/09/07 - 11/25/07) Compare notes with other DVD Talkers about this sale in our DVD Bargain Forum.

I am Beowulf! Robert Zemeckis adapts the age-old tale for the big screen with a gorgeous motion-capture process and a great voice cast of Ray Winstone and Angelina Jolie. Oh, and anyone who doesn't want to hear Crispin Glover as the voice of Grendel is insane. Beowulf hacks and slashes its way into theaters everywhere this weekend. Also in theaters this week is Margot at the Wedding - Noah Baumbach's fantastic new comedy starring Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh; Southland Tales - "This is the way a career ends, this is the way a career ends, not with a bang, but with an enormous, turgid, excruciatingly slow drain."; and Love in the Time of Cholera - Nike Newell helms this adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's wonderful novel. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, Dreams to Remember..., No Country for Old Men, Lions for Lambs, P2, Fred Claus, Wristcutters: A Love Story, Do It for Johnny, Bee Movie, American Gangster. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films in theaters in our Movie Talk Forum Area.

Some great TV shows have made their way onto DVD this week including: Twin Peaks - The Definitive Gold Box Edition - one of the most original and unusual television shows to ever air on a major network gets the deluxe treatment, and even though the set isn't quite 'definitive', it still comes highly recommended; Squidbillies Vol. 1 - a flat out weird show that will appeal to those with a taste for irreverent and off the wall animated comedy; The Blue Planet - Seas of Life - An eight part documentary from the producers of the Planet Earth series, this show takes viewers into the oceans to places never before filmed. Other shows include: Project Runway - The Complete Third Season, Whose Line Is It Anyway: Season 1, Vol 2, Frankenstein, Masters of Horror: Dream Cruise, and The Real McCoys: Complete Season 2. Want more? Check out all of the TV on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk database.

Wow, so many new shows have just landed on the market that it could easily make your head spin! Pumpkin Scissors, Hell Girl, FLAG, and Glass Fleet are all fresh releases that just found a home on store shelves. Which one is worth checking out? What has the potential to fizzle? We take these shows to task and several others. As usual WTK chimes in with some anime bargains and with DD's 20% sale there hasn't been a better time to buy into some shows!

This week the DVD Savant looks at some great films including: Chinatown: Special Collector's Edition - Roman Polanski's neo noir masterpiece looks even better in a new transfer; Killer of Sheep: The Charles Burnett Collection - This disc set restores Burnett's acclaimed 1977 study of life in Watts, along with another of his features and several short films; Endgame: Blueprint for Global Enslavement - A thoroughly discouraging 'docu' that claims that a conspiracy is taking over the world, and that every disagreeable issue one can think of is related to it; Days of Heaven - Terrence Malick's most acclaimed film features breathtaking photography by Néstor Almendros; Battleship Potemkin - Kino gives us a new restoration, recovering many censored scenes and re-synching the film's impressive original score; Pixar Short Films Collection - Volume 1 - Twenty-four years of short films chart the development and rising success of Pixar.Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

A strong week for DVDs with the studios releasing some great films including: Ocean's Thirteen [review] - fans of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and the rest of the Ocean's gang are dealt a royal flush in the immensely satisfying film; Killer of Sheep: The Charles Burnett Collection [review] - a long-overdue showcase of an American filmmaker who has yet to get his proper due. Even if you chose not own a copy of this amazing disc, you should at the very least watch it and expose yourself to an incredible piece of cinema; They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky, they're all together ooky and this week fans can get the The Addams Family Complete Series on DVD; Other releases of note include: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Cannibal Man [review], Da Vinci's Inquest Season 2 [review], The Princess Bride: 20th Anniversary Edition [review], and The Young Ones - Extra Stoopid Edition. 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 several clips from the KOCH LORBER FILMS new release Blame it on Fidel [view trailer]. Caught up in the political revolution sweeping France in the early 1970s, Fernando (Stefano Accorsi) and Marie (Julie Depardieu) reject the comforts of their bourgeois life and dedicate themselves full time to radical activism. This comes as a shock to their precocious nine year-old daughter, Anna (Nina Kervel), who struggles to understand her parents' newfound ideals. Hailed as "an instant classic" by Film Journal International, this critically-acclaimed film by Julie Gavras is supplemented by over 70 minutes of DVD bonus features. Watch these clips from Blame it on Fidel: Group solidarity, Anna and the orange, Behind-the-scenes. Get more info on Blame it on Fidel 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: MGM Classic Musicals Collection - which includes six great musicals including West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Guys and Dolls, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying; Paprika - a wildly inventive and strangely compelling film that is one of 2007's most satisfying spectacles; Spike Jones - The Legend - a strong sampling of material starring the iconoclastic and influential bandleader, it includes such classics as "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth" and "Der Fuehrer's Face". Other recent reviews include: El Cantante, In Between Days, Hitler: A Career, Looks and Smiles, and Silip: Daughters of Eve. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week and the ability to browse reviews by studio.

Joel and Ethan Coen return to Blood Simple and Fargo form with No Country for Old Men - their excellent adaptation of Corman McCarthy's groundbreaking novel. With the Coen Brothers behind the camera and a stellar cast of Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin, this film is a no-brainer for anyone who loves quality cinema. Our very own Jamie S. Rich's review even includes a beautiful illustration by the amazing artist Joëlle Jones. No Country for Old Men is in theaters everywhere this weekend. Also in theaters this week is Lions for Lambs - Robert Redford directs himself, alongside a star-studded cast of Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep, in this tense drama about the investigation of two injured American soldiers in Afghanistan; Fred Claus - Could this holiday comedy possibly be as bad as it looks in the trailer?; and P2 - Wes Bentley and (the gorgeous) Rachel Nichols star in this sadistic little thriller. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Wristcutters: A Love Story, Do It for Johnny, Bee Movie, American Gangster, Martian Child, Runnin' Down a Dream: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bill's Big Pumpkins, Darfur Now, Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten, Control, Dan in Real Life. 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 Basket Case 2, Tobe Hooper's Masters of Horror: The Damned Thing, and Day Watch: Unrated), 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.

Some great TV shows have made their way onto DVD this week including: the long delayed Adventures of Young Indiana Jones - Volume One, ambitious program and one that proved to be something special; Christmas Television Favorites (How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Year Without Santa Claus, Frosty and Rudolph and more), a set of terrific holiday animated classics; Count Dracula, a 1997 BBC production that happens to be one of the best-ever adaptations of Bram Stoker's novel. Other shows include: Johnny Cash Christmas 1977, Jumong Volume 4, CSI Miami - The Fifth Season, Gun Camera, Jonathan Creek - Season Two, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - The Complete Series. Want more? Check out all of the TV on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk database.

On the latest episode of DVD Talk Radio, DVD Talk Editor Geoffrey Kleinman speaks with Brad Bird, Director of Ratatouille. We speak with Brad Bird about his experience making Ratatouille, why animation should be considered a tool rather than a genre and what exactly Blu-Ray means to a director. Listen to our complete interview with Brad Bird using our Online DVD Talk Radio Player or Download the complete interview with Brad Bird (16 min 12MB). Also be sure to listen to our past interviews on DVD Talk Radio with Stephen J. Anderson, Mike Rowe, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, Bobcat Goldthwait, Oliver Stone, Kevin Smith and Sarah Silverman.

This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews including: Erik the Conqueror - Mario Bava's action-packed rip-off of The Vikings is great entertainment, with the director's visual qualities much in evidence; Maurice Jarre: A Tribute to David Lean - An impressive 1992 concert is accompanied by a commentary, an interview and a separate CD version; No End in Sight - Charles Ferguson's sober docu stacks up the sorry chain of events that turned a fast victory in Iraq into a deplorable quagmire of incompetence and venality; Icons of Horror: Sam Katzman - Sony answers other studio collections of cult favorites with four fun (and often hilarious) monster shows from cheapjack producer Sam Katzman; 2001: A Space Odyssey Two-Disc Special Edition - Warners' Stanley Kubrick collection includes a new transfer with the kind of extras that the director's space epic has deserved all along; The Boss of It All Lars von Trier's offbeat comedy about heartless business practices is filmed in a perplexing process called "Automavision", which when seen demands an explanation, if not an apology. Very funny just the same. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

So much is changing within the anime industry right now that it's hard to know how some series are going to pan out. Are the Geneon shows going to be picked up by another publisher? Who knows at this point! What we do know is that plenty of other great (and not so great) releases are on the market right now. In this week's Anime Talk column we take a look at Ghost in the Shell: Laughing Man, Tekkonkinkreet, GTO - Great Teacher Onizuka, Basilisk, and more! WTK also chimes in once again with the latest Anime Bargains so be sure to check it out!

Another banner week for DVDs with the studios releasing some great films and boxed sets: Ratatouille [review], Pixar's latest movie, is a hysterically funny film that's destined to be one of the years best, and the Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 1 [review] let fans see the studio's earliest work including some of the segments that they made for Sesame Street; Stanley Kubrick - Warner Home Video Directors Series [review] is a 9-disc set that includes the renowned directors best films; often described as the best sitcom in television history, Seinfeld The Complete Series is also hitting shelves this week. Other releases of note include: Michael Moore's Sicko [review], The Best of the Colbert Report [review], Doctor Who - The Complete Third Series [review], The X-Files Ultimate Collection, Coen Brothers Gift Set, and Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who [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.

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: Amazing Grace, a forgotten gem from filmmaker Michael Apted which is an inspiring, intriguing, and ultimately endearing statement on man's inhumanity to man - and an individual's struggle to eradicate it forever; Welcome to My Living Room, a concert by the incomparable Carole King that proves that at 63, like fine wine, she's not getting older, she's getting better; The Three Stooges Collection - Volume One - 1934-1936 at long last presents the iconic comedians two-reel shorts the way that fans have been clamoring for: in chronological order with stunning transfers. Even if you're not a Three Stooges fan you'll probably be surprised by the consistently high quality of this set of two-reel comedies. Other recent reviews include: Talk to Me, Man Push Cart, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, The Two Jakes and Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week and the ability to browse reviews by studio.

Silent DVD is back again and continues to cover the veritable flood of early films being released. This week a pair of Robert Youngson's influential silent comedy compilations are reviewed from The First Kings of Comedy Collection. These films were just about the only way to see these shorts for years and they did a lot to keep silent films alive. The Jazz Singer is also reviewed, the first feature film with synchronized dialog it marked the beginning of the end for silents. WB has released the film in a three disc set that is filled with an amazing amount of extras that make it a must-have set. Be sure to check out last week's column that looked at the third boxed set from American Film Archives, Treasures III, and the British classic noir, A Cottage on Dartmoor.

This week one of the best films of 2007 hits DVD - Ratatouille. Directed by Brad Bird, Ratatouille is another convincing argument that "animation is a tool for storytelling and NOT a genre." To cover this huge release we have a number of features on the site, including a report from Daniel Hirshleifer from the Ratatouille media day, a report from Adam Tyner on Ratatouille from Pixar and an audio interview at DVD Talk Radio with Brad Bird. With a title this big we also have 2 reviews of the DVD one by Randy Miller III and the other by Aaron Beierle. Unfortunately Disney was unable to produce the Blu-Ray disc for us to cover for release date, so as a result we're unable to bring you any coverage of what they feel is the biggest Blu-Ray disc release of the year. A real shame.

He's got an uncomfortably funny movie coming out on DVD called Danny Roane: First Time Director, and he's ready for people to love him again. Not that they've ever stopped, but maybe he realizes that from the gawk-at-Britney's-fender-bender crowd, it's the wrong kind of love. A confrontational, reality-warping comedian of considerable talent, with a blocks-long resume, Andy Dick is - for better or worse - most well known for his outrageous, booze and drug fueled behavior in the public eye. His mild grope-fest of Ivanka Trump on Jimmy Kimmel Live is reportedly a lesser offense, and his true relationship with the drink is known only to him. Andy takes a few moments to speak with DVDTalk about his new movie, the story, coincidentally, of a talented comedian trying to recover his intoxicant-ravaged credibility by directing a movie. Will Danny Roane, or his creator Andy Dick, be able to leave the demon rum well enough alone long enough to stage a comeback of sorts? Fans of comedy that cuts like a rusty tin can lid have their fingers crossed. Read our complete interview.

Jerry Seinfeld's highly-anticipated animated film, Bee Movie, finally comes to fruition with some very solid results. What the film may lack in clever plot, it certainly makes up for with the presence of Seinfeld and some beautiful visuals. Bee Movie buzzes into theaters everywhere this weekend. Also in theaters this week is American Gangster - put Ridley Scott together with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe and you get a pretty amazing work of cinema; Martian Child - John Cusack and Amanda Peet lead the way in this interesting little film about a boy who believes he's a Martian; and Runnin' Down a Dream: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Peter Bogdanovich's excellent film about one of rock music's greatest legends. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Bill's Big Pumpkins, Darfur Now, Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten, Control, Dan in Real Life, Saw IV, Blade Runner: The Final Version, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Bella, King Corn, Mr. Untouchable, Cinerama Adventure, Sleuth, Lars and the Real Girl, Gone Baby Gone, 30 Days of 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: The Sopranos - Season Six, Part 2 - it doesn't get better than this, and it's always great to see a top-notch series retain its impeccable quality by leaving while the show can still be Highly Recommended; Absolutely Fabulous - White Box - Once again playing Patsy and Edna, Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders gather the troops for an extended romp full of raunchy humor and ridiculous situations; American Gangster: The Complete First Season - a sometimes successful, sometimes wrong-headed documentary look at six of the most notorious African-American crime figures of the latter half of the 20th century. Other recent TV on DVD reviews include: Jumong, Volume 3 (MBC TV Series), Little People, Big World: Season 1 , Medium - The Third Season, NCIS Naval Criminal Investigative Service - The Fourth Season and Route 66 - Season 1, Vol. 1. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted TV on DVD.