DVD Talk: December 2007 Archives

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: Mr. Bean's Holiday - which proves that nary a word need be uttered for a film to be consistently clever and well-written; Zodiac - The Director's Cut - an unbelievably detailed and engaging epic about the men who became obsessed with stopping a serial killer; and Dear Pillow - honestly quirky but unusually heartfelt coming of age story, the film is not only surprisingly entertaining but surprisingly poignant in ways you probably wouldn't expect it to be; Other recent reviews include: Titanic - 10th Anniversary Edition, Tyler Perry - The Plays, The Killing Kind, Wool 100%, Chameleon Street, and Dark Mind. 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.

We can all thank Producer Guillermo del Toro for playing a huge part in bringing The Orphanage to the US. Juan Antonio Bayona's ghost story is already gaining comparisons to The Others, The Devil's Backbone, and The Sixth Sense. The Orphanage scares up theaters everywhere this weekend. Also in theaters this week is The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep - this story of a young, lonely boy discovering a giant sea creature's egg looks to be all wet; Alien vs. Predator: Requiem - for anyone who didn't already think Alien vs. Predator was horrible comes this sequel; and The Walker - Paul Schrader's latest has some highs and lows. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, There Will Be Blood, Persepolis, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, P.S. I Love You, The Great Debaters, The Water Horse, Charlie Wilson's Wars, I Am Legend, The Perfect Holiday, The Kite Runner. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films in theaters in our Movie Talk Forum Area.

2007 has been another great year for DVDs. Even with the format war going strong and many of the A-list catalog titles having been released over the past decade, the studios have been able to maintain a steady flow of quality discs. There were so many impressive DVDs that it was hard to whittle the releases of 2007 down to just the ten top discs. For that reason the review staff at DVDTalk decided to expand their list to the Top 20 DVDs of 2007. After much thought, discussion, hand-wrangling and soul-searching, we came up with our top 20 picks. Is your favorite on the list? Check it out and see. Also be sure to 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

2007 is drawing to a close and here at HD Talk, in between sipping egg nog and roasting chestnuts over an open fire, we've compiled a list of our favorite HD DVD and Blu-ray discs of the year. We've gone through to find the ten best HD DVD exclusive titles, Blu-ray exclusives, and format neutral releases. How closely does your list compare to ours? Did your most treasured discs make it in? There's only one way to find out! Click and take a gander. If you're not too busy celebrating with relatives, come by the HD Talk Forum to discuss the lists and everything else about HD DVD and Blu-ray.

Some great TV shows have made their way onto DVD this week including: Dirt - The Complete First Season - one of the unsung gems of that season, this show is a terrifically entertaining, pulpy, melodramatic look at the world of celebrities and tabloid stalkers; Teen Titans - The Complete Fourth Season - With the return of the Titan's greatest foe, a season long mystery involving one of the team's members, and an exciting three episode finale, this season of is not to be missed; Grafters - The Complete Second Season - a delightful mix of laid-back Northern England charm coupled with some surprisingly deft romantic comedy plotting; Other shows include: The O.C. - The Complete Series Collection, The Mod Squad - Season 1, Volume 1, Big Love: The Complete Second Season, Gene Simmons Family Jewels - Complete Season Two, and Mission: Impossible - The Third TV Season . Want more? Check out all of the TV on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk database.

This week the DVD Savant takes a look at a couple of new releases including: The Last Man on Earth - A certain new Will Smith movie motivates the re-issue of this favorite 1964 Vincent Price Sci-Fi / horror tale. But the same identical release is already available as a double-bill disc!; and Two-Lane Blacktop - James Taylor and Dennis Wilson are a pair of nomad drag racers in Monte Hellman's stylish road movie. With Laurie Bird and Warren Oates as GTO, and a lot of disappearing American scenery. And remember, "Those satisfactions are permanent."; 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: Eastern Promises [review] - a feature that drills into the senses, building an atmosphere of anxiety and ambiguity that strangely never imposes itself on the audience, but merely takes them by the hand and seduces them with taught, mercurial filmmaking of the highest order; Pan's Labyrinth on Blu-ray and HD DVD [review] - a truly amazing work of art and worthy of its multiple Oscar wins and nominations; and Battlestar Galactica 1980 - The Complete Epic Series - a short-lived series where the original Battlestar Galactica crew finally makes the long-anticipated descent to Earth. Other releases of note include: The Kingdom, Shattered, and The Heartbreak Kid 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: Blade Runner (Four Disc Collector's Edition) - a milestone of science fiction cinema, the movie has gone on to become one of the most influential pictures of its genre; Zodiac: 2-Disc Director's Cut - Of director David Fincher's idiosyncratic output, Zodiac is quite possibly one of his richest offerings, a multi-layered dissection of a complex and violent episode that consumed nearly everyone it touched; Two-Lane Blacktop - With standout performances by musicians James Taylor and Dennis Wilson next to the veteran actor Warren Oates, this genre picture has a rhythm and feel all its ow. Other recent reviews include: Film Noir: Five Classics from the Studio Vaults, Free Cinema , Ballot Measure 9, Sunshine, and Eastern Promises. 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.

Johnny Depp steps into the legendary, sinister lead role as Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Tim Burton's adaptation of the classic musical about some very special meat pies also stars Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman, and is already at the forefront of some Oscar chatter. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street delivers those meat pies to people in theaters everywhere this weekend. Also in theaters this week is Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - John C. Reilly and Jenna Fischer send up the musician biopic genre in this hilarious Apatow-produced parody; There Will Be Blood - Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film is getting some major Oscar buzz; and Persepolis - "one of the best movies of the year, and missing it would be to deprive yourself of something you really shouldn't do without." Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: National Treasure: Book of Secrets, P.S. I Love You, The Great Debaters, The Water Horse, Charlie Wilson's War, I Am Legend, The Perfect Holiday, The Kite Runner, Youth Without Youth, Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Golden Compass, Atonement, Juno, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. 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: Little Britain: The Complete Collection - With a blend of surreal humor, eerily evocative roleplaying, and searing sense of humor, this is one of the most socially devastating TV shows in recent memory; Lost - The Complete Third Season - taken as a whole, and without the enforced breaks in continuity the show suffered during its broadcast run, the third season of Lost is arguably its finest yet; Roots - The Complete Collection - one of the epochal television events of the 20th century, this miniseries created a cultural ripple which many would argue continues to this day. Other shows include: Frasier - The Tenth Season, McLeod's Daughters - Season 4, Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. - The Third Season, Will and Grace: Season Seven, Bill Maher - The Decider, and The Wiggles - Getting Strong. Want more? Check out all of the TV on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk database.

Literary circles stood up and took notice when Marjane Satrapi released her comic book memoir Persepolis in 2003. In the book, Satrapi tells the story of her youth growing up in Iran, tackling complex issues of patriotism, family, and love. This highly acclaimed comic has now been adapted into a feature-length animated film, co-directed by the artist and Vincent Paronnaud. The film version of Persepolis won a Grand Jury prize at Cannes this year, as well as receiving honors from the Sao Paulo, Vancouver, and Cinemanila Film Festivals and the British Film Institute. It's coming about the movie, which is one of our very favorite films of 2007. Hear the whole interview , conducted by our own Jamie S. Rich, on this weeks' DVDTalk Radio.

This week the DVD Savant presents his seventh 'best-of' DVD list, another string of head-scratchers that doesn't follow conventional wisdom but amounts to a stack of good entertainment. New reviews include: Shinobi no mono - an exciting and clever suspense film unlike the general run of stiff & stylized samurai pix; Latitude Zero - With dueling submarines, brain surgery to create a flying Griffin, goofy monster rats and goofier monster bat men this film lies somewhere in the twilight zone between 2001: A Space Odyssey and Teletubbies; and The Way I Spent the End of the World - A charming coming-of-age story set in Romania just before the fall of the oppressive Nicolae Ceaucescu regime.; 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: The Simpsons Movie [review] - a hilarious film that takes all of the things that makes the TV show so successful and deftly expands them to fill a feature length movie; Blade Runner Set [review] - the new revision plus three archival cuts and a huge volume of often-fascinating extras including many alternate scenes which are being shown for the first time; and Stardust [review] - excellent fantasy film packed solid with rich performances and a reliably stimulating narrative. Other releases of note include: Halloween - Unrated Director's Cut, The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Vol. Two, and One Tree Hill - The Complete Fourth Season 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 special giveaway from Paramount Home Entertainment for Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease: Vegas Strip and Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease: In The Bedroom. Bringing total body fitness straight from the Vegas strip and into the sexiest room in the house, Carmen combines body-sculpting dance moves with sultry stretches and toning exercises to help viewers take off those extra pounds while taking it all off in routines that are both fun and effective. Enter now for your chance to win one of 5 pairs of Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease: Vegas Strip and Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease: In The Bedroom on DVD.

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: The Bourne Ultimatum - a movie filled with clever reversals and bruising fight sequences which is an absolute thrill to watch; Barbara Stanwyck Signature Collection - another fantastic compilation featuring a unique star amongst the old studio system. Intelligent, vulnerable, tough, and funny, she had it all.; and Werner Herzog - White Diamond/Wheel Of Time - Herzog blends sound and vision like no one else and has created, with these two pictures, a pair of completely worthwhile and engrossing films; Other recent reviews include: Colma: The Musical, Queen: Rock Montreal, Blame It on Fidel, Edvard Munch-Special Edition, High School Musical 2, and The Leading Ladies Collection, Vol. 2; 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.

The Clip of The Week this time around is a holiday treat for fans of the ABC hit show Lost: a DVDTalk exclusive season three bonus clip. This footage features writers/executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse who are ready to reveal "some answers about Lost." If you've been following the award winning series, you won't want to miss it. All twenty three episodes of season three are now available on DVD and Blu-ray. With hours of bonus items including audio commentaries, all-new, never-before-seen flashbacks and hints to the meaning of the literary referances in the show, this seven disc set is packed. Check out the DVDTalk exclusive Lost Season Three bonus clip here.

Anime releases hit a bit of a slow period but things are starting to rev up once again! In the downtime the goofy guys over at Anime Talk discovered that there are actually other hobbies worth caring about. When we started to go through withdrawal we churned out reviews for Burst Angel's OVA, Trinity Blood's, Mars Daybreak, and Dragon Ball GT. Of course our backlog grows as Rightstuf is in the middle of their 12 Days of Christmas sale and our buddy WTK has all the bargain news that's fit to dish!

Some great TV shows have made their way onto DVD this week including: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: The Complete Series - Not only does the box set contain all 105 episodes of this smashing sixties spy series, but a copious amount of extras are included that will blow away even the most serious U.N.C.L.E. fan.; Saturday Night Live - The Complete Second Season - The youthful spirit and the subversive comedy the show became known for really kicked in this season; Miami Vice: The Complete Series - during its prime there were few things from the 80's as entertaining as this show. Other shows include: The Wild Wild West - Third Season, Ice Road Truckers: The Complete Season One, Doctor Who - Arc of Infinity, Spongebob Squarepants - Spongebob's Atlantis SquarePantis, Diagnosis Murder - The Third Season, and The Doris Day Show - Season 5. 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: Close Encounters of the Third Kind: 30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition - Steven Spielberg revisits his smash flying saucer epic, which looks better than ever remastered from HD; Blade Runner : Four-Disc Collector's Edition - a four-disc edition has the new revision plus three archival cuts and a huge volume of often-fascinating extras including many alternate scenes which are being shown for the first time.; The Flame and the Arrow - Burt Lancaster comes out fighting and grinning in his first costume adventure picture. Directed by Jacques Tourneur and featuring Virginia Mayo and Nick Cravat; Battle of Okinawa - Kihachi Okamoto's color follow-up to Japan's Longest Day is a grueling account of the protracted WW2 defense of the island, with impressive battles and a sobering look at the cost in human lives and suffering. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

Another banner week for DVDs with the studios releasing some great films: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 2-Disc Special Edition [review] the best so far of the franchise so far that satisfies on a multitude of levels and pushes Harry's problems in unforeseen directions; The Bourne Ultimatum [review] - a movie filled with clever reversals and bruising fight sequences which is an absolute thrill to watch; and Lost - The Complete Third Season - this seven-disc DVD boxed set comes with hours of never-before-seen bonus features including secrets from the world of the Others, behind-the-scenes featurettes, unprecedented access to the Lost writers room, and much more; Other releases of note include: Frasier - Complete Series, Two-Lane Blacktop, Harry Potter Years 1-5 Limited Edition Gift Set, High School Musical 2 (Extended Edition), Walt Disney Treasures - Disneyland - Secrets, Stories & Magic, and Walt Disney Treasures - The Chronological Donald, Volume Three (1947 - 1950). 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: Superbad - Unrated Extended Edition - A raunchy teen comedy with a foul mouth and just the right amount of heart; The Simpsons Movie - a hilarious film that takes all of the things that makes the TV show so successful and deftly expands them to fill a feature length movie; Looney Tunes - Golden Collection, Volume Five - some of the best film comedies of all time, maintaining a boisterous tone and an outrageous sense of humor that only seems to compound itself from short to short; and Angel-A - a strange but undeniably charming black and white take on It's A Wonderful Life; Other recent reviews include: Stardust, Gene Autry Collection: Twilight on the Rio Grande, Saint Clara, La Vie en Rose, and First Snow. 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.

This week we have a special giveaway from Universal Studios for The Bourne Ultimatum (DVD & HD DVD Combo) Matt Damon returns as highly trained assassin Jason Bourne, who is on the hunt for the agents who stole his memory and true identity. With a new generation of skilled CIA operatives tracking his every move, Bourne is in a non-stop race around the globe as he finally learns the truth behind his mysterious past. Enter now for your chance to win one of 5 copies of The Bourne Ultimatum on HD DVD.

Chris Weitz directs The Golden Compass - the first installment of Philip Pullman's fantasy trilogy - and looks to find Lord of the Rings success. Starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, this fantasic epic has gotten some good advance buzz (even from many fans of the novels). The Golden Compass is in theaters everywhere this weekend. Also in theaters this week is Atonement - Keira Knightley and James McAvoy star in this haunting adaptation of Ian McEwan's hit novel; Juno - Jason Reitman's follow-up to Thank You for Smoking is poised to be this year's breakout offbeat comedy; and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Julian Schnabel's latest film is a beautiful and devastating personl story. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Awake, The Savages, What Would Jesus Buy?, Romance and Cigarettes, Confessions of a Superhero, Oswald's Ghost, I'm Not There, The Mist. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films in theaters in our Movie Talk Forum Area.

If you've read Geoff Kleinman's report on his recent visit to Disney, I was a Pirate (for a Day), you already know what goes into the making of a pirate. To get a look at some of the other elements that went into bringing to life Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End -- the final installment of the trilogy that's just washed ashore on DVD and Blu-ray disc -- we turned to Industrial Light and Magic, who were kind enough to invite DVD Talk to their offices in San Francisco to talk about how they flexed their special effects muscles to bring Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones to the silver screen for one final row. Read Adam Tyner's complete coverage of the trip and learn some of the secrets ILM used to make movie magic.

Some great TV shows have made their way onto DVD this week including: Seinfeld - The Complete Series - a sitcom that was consistently hilarious for its nine-year, 179-episode run; Heeere's Johnny - The Definitive DVD Collection from The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson - massive dose of hilarity from one of the seminal figures in 20th century entertainment; Dr. Katz Professional Therapist - The Complete Series - a set of one of the funniest series Comedy Central's ever delivered; Other shows include: Law and Order: Special Victims Unit - The Fourth Year, Family Affair - Season Four, Martin: The Complete Third Season, The Batman - The Complete Fourth Season, Full House - The Complete Series Collection,and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians. 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 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) - Image and David Shepard turn Lon Chaney's 1923 epic into an Ultimate Edition complete with 3D photos from the set; Executive Suite - a dynamic 1950s 'business ethics' drama with Barbara Stanwyck, William Holden, Fredric March and June Allyson; The Killing Kind Curtis Harrington's tale of a mad killer with a Mama complex has a taught script and a great cast; and A Big Hand for the Little Lady - A sleeper hit with a stinger in its tale, this ensemble delight stars Henry Fonda, Joanne Woodward, Jason Robards, Burgess Meredith & Kevin McCarthy; 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: Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End [review] - a fun ride with some remarkable scenes and enjoyable characters; Superbad - Unrated (Two-Disc Special Edition) [review] - a thoroughly satisfying raunchy romp; and 24 - Season Six[review] - the indefatigable Jack Bauer (Emmy winner Kiefer Sutherland) returns for a sixth season of government intrigue and gritty brutality. Other releases of note include: Battlestar Galactica - Razor, Saturday Night Live - The Complete Second Season, The Wire - The Complete Fourth Season, and Ford At Fox - The 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.

In celebration of the DVD and Blu-Ray release of Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End Disney gave the opportunity to a select pool of journalists to come down to Los Angeles and be a pirate for a day. DVD Talk Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Kleinman jumped at this opportunity to leave the DVD Review workload behind and go play pirate for a day. From sword fighting to swashbuckling, from talking to pirates to talking like a pirate, the Pirate For A Day was a complete immersion into the world of a movie pirate. Read Geoff's complete report on what it was like to be a 'real' pirate for a day and listen to an interview with actors Lee Arenberg (Pintel) and Martin Klebba (Marty) about their experience making Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End.

This week we have a special giveaway from Koch Vision for Beyond The Golden Compass: The Magic of Philip Pullman (documentary: not associated with the New Line motion picture). Unlock the astonishing truths and hidden meanings inside the pages of Philip Pullman's best-selling fantasy novel. This cutting edge film examines the secret codes and symbols of Lyra's world â€“ a parallel universe where each person is guided by their animal daemon and where dark, evil forces lurk behind facades of piousness and beauty. Enter now for your chance to win one of 5 copies of Beyond The Golden Compass: The Magic of Philip Pullman on DVD.

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 all three of the soon to be released Walt Disney Treasures Tins: The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit - Walt's first commercially successful cartoon character and the direct precursor to Mickey Mouse; The Chronological Donald, Volume Three (1947 - 1950) - Where Donald moves from previous war-time concerns to the battlefield of the American Suburban Home; and Disneyland: Secrets, Stories and Magic - An exhaustive, eye-opening look at this icon of theme park; aside from the Disney tins, we also have a look at: Into Great Silence - a subtly powerful, decades-in-the-making look at life behind the walls of one of the world's most ascetic monasteries; and Nirvana: Unplugged In New York - a must-have for all fans of the grunge band from Seattle; Other recent reviews include: The Mario Bava Collection, Volume 2 , Christmas Time In South Park, Shrek the Third, Eric Clapton: Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007, and Keali'i Reichel: Kukahi - Live In Concert. 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.