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October 31, 2008
New Movie Reviews: Zack and Miri, Changeling, and Splinter
Kevin Smith aims for a few blushes and smiles directing Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks in the smutty comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Halloween horror reaches out for one last seasonal scare with the demonic thriller The Haunting of Molly Hartley. And Clint Eastwood directs Angelina Jolie in the missing child saga Changeling. DVD Talk critics Brian Orndorf and Jason Bailey weigh in on the potent drama. Also in theaters: A documentarian hits the road to find out why his best friend was murdered in the searing picture Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father. B-movie horror finds new imagination in the grisly mutant chiller Splinter. And Charlie Kaufman gets weird (of course) in Synecdoche, New York. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: RocknRolla, Let the Right One In, Pride and Glory, Saw V, Rachel Getting Married, High School Musical 3: Senior Year, Max Payne, W., Sex Drive, Quarantine, The Duchess, Appaloosa, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, and The Secret Life of Bees. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films In Theaters in our Movie Talk Forum.
October 30, 2008
TV on DVD: Dr. Quinn, Back to You, and How I Met Your Mother
This week we have a nice mix of new and vintage TV shows that have been reviewed by the staff. Recent TV on DVD reviews include: Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Complete Series Megaset - a memorable and touching series with well-developed characters, strong actors, and good writing; Back to You: Season 1 - Yet another series that Fox cancelled too soon, this show is a handsomely mounted, well-cast sitcom that deserved a chance to find an audience and potentially flourish; and How I Met Your Mother - Season Three - 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 shows recently reviewed include: Spin City: The Complete Season 1, Desperate Housewives: The Complete Fourth Season, and Shrek the Halls. Want more?
Check out all of the TV
on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk
database.
October 29, 2008
Recently Announced DVDs: The Little Mermaid, El Norte, and Cannery Row
Newly announced DVDs for this week include The Little Mermaid Trilogy - All three films, The Little Mermaid, The Little Mermaid II: Return To The Sea, and The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning will hit store shelves on 12-16-2008; El Norte: Criterion Collection DVD and Blu-ray - a realistic picture of both the Guatemalan government's oppression of the Quiche Indians and the hard life of illegal immigrants in the United States. 1-20-09; and Cannery Row - The criminally underrated adaptation of two John Steinbeck novels this Nick Nolte/Debra Winger film arrives on DVD on 1-27-09. Keep track of all the upcoming DVDs with the DVDTalk Release List.
This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews including: Dr. No [Blu-ray] - MGM's first James Bond Blu-ray sports a terrific Lowry Digital-restored image. Savant digs into the cultural forces that went into the creation of 007, the biggest craze of the 1960s next to the Beatles; Warner Bros. Pictures Gangsters Collection, Vol. 4 - The Shield's fourth foray into guns, gangsters and gun molls rounds up five entertaining titles: The Little Giant, Kid Galahad, The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse, Invisible Stripes and Larceny Inc., plus a new documentary, Public Enemies,The Golden Age of the Gangster Film; and The Films of Budd Boetticher - Sony's five-disc collection of Budd Boetticher's "Ranown" cycle of Randolph Scott westerns is the perfect intersection of critical taste and genre thrills: this is one of the most awaited disc sets of the last three years, containing The Tall T, Decision at Sundown, Buchanan Rides Alone, Ride Lonesome and Comanche Station, with some good commentaries and an excellent bio on the director, A Man Can Do That. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.
October 28, 2008
This Week's Notable DVDs: The Little Rascals, Donna Reed, and Journey to the Center of the Earth
We're in the eye of the hurricane. After the recent releases of Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Indiana Jones, things are pretty calm. They won't stay that way for long though. In a couple of weeks more hot titles are coming out including Wall-E, Hellboy II and The Dark Knight. Even so, there were a few notable releases this week including: This week's top new releases are The Little Rascals: The Complete Collection [review] - The comedy of these films still holds up today, thanks to the universal premise of kids being kids; The Donna Reed Show: The Complete First Season [review] - a nimble amalgamation of professional gloss, smartly written lines, perfect casting, and some surprising twists and turns on the traditional Cold War American sitcom genre; and Journey to the Center of the Earth [review]- likable and upfront about its ridiculousness. Other releases of note
include: Tinker Bell [Blu-ray review], The Final Countdown (Blu-ray) [review], and Mystery Science Theater 3000: 20th Anniversary 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.
October 27, 2008
DVDTalk Clip of the Week: POULTRYGEIST: NIGHT OF THE CHICKEN DEAD
POULTRYGEIST: NIGHT OF THE CHICKEN DEAD, Troma's most critically acclaimed film in its 35 year history, will be available on DVD on October 28th! When the American Chicken Bunker, a military themed fast food restaurant, builds its latest chain restaurant on the site of an ancient Native American burial ground, the displaced spirits take revenge on unsuspecting diners and transform them into chicken zombies! Now, it's up to a dimwitted counterboy, his collegiate lesbian ex-girlfriend and a burqa-wearing fry cook to put an end to the foul feathered menace once and for all. Limited to only 15,000 individually numbered DVDs this bonus-packed 3-Disc Collector's Edition includes the feature length making of documentary POULTRY IN MOTION: TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN. Check out the trailer here, read Ian Jane's rave review and then pick up a copy of POULTRYGEIST: NIGHT OF THE CHICKEN!
The DVD
Talk Review Database continues to grow, and last week was no exception. Here are some of the stand out discs that you might want to check out: A Christmas Story: Ultimate Collector's Edition - an unmitigated Christmas classic,and a wonderfully warm film that that comes beyond recommendation; Six in Paris - six French New Wave directors each create a short film that takes place in a specific neighborhood and the result is one of the better examples of anthology film; and The Rocky Horror Tribute Show - It's an inventive, backwards glancing delight, encompassing American culture through a classic British awareness. Other recent reviews include: Mondays in the Sun - Meridian Collection, Ten Nights of Dreams, and The Green Archer (Serial). 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.
October 24, 2008
DVD Stalk: Troma, Sweeney Todd, and the Shaw Brothers
DVD Stalk is back to give you your
monthly does of all things horror DVD related and with Halloween just a few
short days away that only seems appropriate. This month we've got a look at some Asian horror from the Shaw Brothers, we ponder whether M.
Night Shyamalana is all washed up, scan Sweeney Todd on Blu-ray, and look at Troma's latest offering as well as an interview with the head of DVD production for Troma, Evan Husney. All this and more in this month's DVD Stalk! In case you missed them, check out our earlier installments where we covered Basket Case 2, Hostel Part II, and Planet Terror.
Everyone's favorite Halloween homey Jigsaw returns for his fifth holiday in the horror sequel Saw V. Disney brings their cable movie series to the big screen with some tween-bait fireworks in High School Musical 3: Senior Year. And the disarmingly sweet Swedish horror film Let the Right One In turns out to be one of the best films of 2008. Also in theaters: Edward Norton and Colin Farrell suit up as combative brothers in the police corruption drama Pride and Glory. Wong Kar-Wai dusts off and polishes up his 1994 epic Ashes of Time Redux. And high school intolerance meets uneasy comedy in the melodrama Tru Loved. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Max Payne, W., Sex Drive, Quarantine, RocknRolla, Body of Lies, City of Ember, Rachel Getting Married, What Just Happened, The Duchess, Religulous, Appaloosa, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, The Secret Life of Bees, and Eagle Eye. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films In Theaters in our Movie Talk Forum.
October 23, 2008
TV on DVD: Sarah Silverman, Doctor Who, and The Edwardians
TV on DVD remains very popular with more and more favorites being released. New TV reviews include: The Sarah Silverman Program: Season Two, Vol. One - even though this DVD contains only six episodes, this rather unusual but very funny sitcom comes highly recommended; Doctor Who: The Brain of Morbius - A quality adventure from Baker's heyday as the Doctor; and The Edwardians - this wonderful BBC production gathers together eight 70-minute TV dramas chronicling a handful of the influential figures that graced the Edwardian period. Other shows recently reviewed include: Agatha Christie: Poirot - The Definitive Collection, Ugly Betty: The Complete Second Season, and The Partridge Family - The Complete Third Season. Want more?
Check out all of the TV
on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk
database.
October 28th sees the long awaited DVD debut of Troma's latest feature film, Poultrygeist: Night Of The Chicken Dead in a lavish three-disc special edition. Troma's head honcho, Lloyd Kaufman, who also served as co-writer, director and actor, took some time out of his busy schedule to talk about the film, the DVD, and the studio's history with DVD Talk writer Ian Jane. Check out what Lloyd has to say!
October 22, 2008
DVD Savant: Legend Horror and Sci-Fi Features, Ray Harryhausen, and The Unforeseen
This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews including: Legend Horror and Sci-Fi Features - Quickie notices on six separate Legend Films Halloween releases, each colorized and in B&W: The Devil Bat, Phantom from Space, Bride of the Monster, Creature from the Haunted Sea, The Phantom Planet, and The Last Man on Earth. Several of these P.D. wonders are presented in very good transfers!; Ray Harryhausen Gift Set - Sony gives us Ray Harryhausen's first four Columbia hits in Blu-ray: It Came from Beneath the Sea, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, 20 Million Miles to Earth, and the main attraction, a remastered encoding of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. With a mountain of extras, some of them very good; and The Unforeseen - Laura Dunn's documentary look at the cost of lending and development deregulation to Austin, Texas and our country's future. Extremely relevant, in the light of recent calamitous events. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.
October 21, 2008
This Week's Notable DVDs: The Incredible Hulk, Family Guy and James Bond on Blu-ray
It's break the bank week with several hot titles reaching store shelves. This week's top new releases are The Incredible Hulk [ 3-Disc DVD review, 1-Disc DVD review and the Blu-ray review] - a triumphant reboot that reinstates the basics of the big green hero: destruction and solitude; Family Guy: Volume Six [DVD review #1 and DVD review #2], a delightfully caustic mash-up of obscure pop cultural references, non sequitur punchlines, and delightfully off-kilter characters; and the James Bond Blu-ray Collection featuring the first six 007 movies to make it to high def including Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Thunderball, Live and Let Die, For Your Eyes Only, and Die Another Day. Other releases of note
include: Flight of the Red Balloon [review], Kenji Mizoguchi's Fallen Women [review], and The Looney Tunes: Golden Collection, Vol. 6.
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.
There's a lot of cool releases that have come to light over the last week. Recently announced DVDs and Blu-ray discs of note include: Pinocchio DVD and Blu-ray - The next Disney film to escape from the vault will hit store shelves on 3-10-2009; The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor DVD and Blu-ray - East meets West in the 4th installment of this series staring Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, and Michelle Yeoh. 12-16-08; and Mr. Bean: The Ultimate Collection - Includes 7 DVDs filled with the entire Mr. Bean series, the two hilarious blockbuster movies, 16 Animated Episodes, a bonus documentary, and more! The set comes to DVD on 12-16-08. Keep track of all the upcoming DVDs with the DVDTalk Release List.
October 20, 2008
DVDTalk Giveaway: The Incredible Hulk Prize Pack
This week we have a special giveaway from Universal Studios! Enter now for your chance to win one of five Incredible Hulk Prize Packs! Each pack includes an Incredible Hulk DVD, a Hulk Stress Ball, and an Incredible Hulk Cling Decal! Be sure to read DVD Talk's review of the incredible DVD release (is there any other adjective that applies?) and then click here for your chance to win!
Some great new films have been entered into the DVD
Talk Review Database over the last week. Here are some of the stand out discs that you might want to check out: The 7th Voyage of Sinbad [Blu-ray review]- the exceptional special effects and creatures of Ray Harryhausen, the greatest visual effects artist of all time, bring this fantasy film to life; Halloween (2007) - 3-Disc Unrated Collector's Edition - a scrappy, semi-brilliant reawakening of a fabulous horror icon; and L.A. Confidential [a second review]- Truly a modern-day masterpiece, this film has it all: muscular script and direction, tremendous acting and a strong sense of place and time. Other recent reviews include: Baraka, Wrangler: Anatomy of an Icon, and The Substitute. 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.
KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) Available on DVD and Blu-Ray for the first time!
This groundbreaking film was the first independent ever to receive the
top four Oscar nominations including Best Picture for producer David
Weisman, and Best Director for Hector Babenco. Adapted by Academy
Award nominated screenwriter Leonard Schrader from Manuel Puig's
novel, set in a non-specific Latin American country, Kiss of the
Spider Woman takes a penetrating look at the role of sex, politics,
and torture under an oppressive right-wing regime. The timeless story,
more relevant today than ever, follows the complex relationship
between two fundamentally different men with opposite life views -
building with emotional crescendo as they gradually come together in a
stunningly transcendental conclusion. William Hurt delivers his Oscar
winning performance in this captivating tribute to the power of film
and fantasy as escape from inhumane conditions.
KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) also includes the feature length making of documentary TANGLED WEB: MAKING KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN. A strange odyssey from novel to film is chronicled in TANGLED WEB: MAKING KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN. Creative team Manuel Puig, William Hurt, Hector Babenco, David Weisman, Leonard Schrader, and Raul Julia confess the daunting challenge and profound satisfaction of creating this watershed film - which almost never made it to the big screen. Burt Lancaster's mysterious obsession, director Babenco's epic struggle with author Puig, the birth of today's independent cinema - all play parts in the startling saga of this timeless gem. Filmmaker David Weisman's Tangled Web captures the many unique and emotional moments that serendipitously turned this courageous movie into a masterpiece.
Purchase the Two-Disc Collector's Edition on DVD or Blu-ray. Watch the KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN Trailer and the TANGLED WEB: MAKING KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN Trailer.
October 18, 2008
DVD Talk Feature: Essential Horror DVDS for Under $15
With Halloween just around the corner, the time grows near to start picking up a few great horror flicks to set the ghoulish holiday mood. You've got to have dashes of paranormal activity, gushing blood, witchcraft, psychotic characters, and at least a handful of flicks based on pure terror to really grab the essence of good ole' October 31st. But what if you want to nail down all of the above on a strict budget - something we can all relate to nowadays? Staff reviewer and cautious penny-pincher Thomas Spurlin has a few recommendations for those looking to squeeze the most out of their hard-earned cash with his list of Essential Horror DVDS for Under $15, a rundown that can be used either during the month of October or any other time of the year that rustles up the desire for a quality, inexpensive night of spills and chills.
October 17, 2008
New Movie Reviews: W., Max Payne, and Sex Drive
A George W. Bush bio-pic directed by Oliver Stone? Amazingly, the sparks fail to fly in the placid drama W. Mark Wahlberg and director John Moore ruin the fun of video games in the actioner Max Payne. And the teen sex comedy genre is given an unenthusiastic workout in Sex Drive. Also in theaters: Racism and heartache are touched by the healing hands of sisterhood in the melodrama The Secret Life of Bees. Hollywood feels the flames of satire and bitter truth in Barry Levinson's What Just Happened. And the contentious issue of gay marriage is explored in the sympathetic documentary Saving Marriage. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Quarantine, RocknRolla, Body of Lies, City of Ember, Rachel Getting Married, The Express, The Duchess, An American Carol, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Religulous, Appaloosa, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Blindness. Eagle Eye, and Flash of Genius. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films In Theaters in our Movie Talk Forum.
October 16, 2008
TV on DVD: Quark, Brothers and Sisters, and The Sarah Jane Adventures
Interested in the latest TV on DVD reviews? DVD Talk has you covered! This week's notable entries include: Quark - The Complete Series - a neglected little gem of a spoofy sci-fi comedy, created by the nicely twisted mind of Buck Henry; Brothers and Sisters - The Complete Second Season - still one of the strongest dramas on television today; and The Sarah Jane Adventures - The Complete First Season - wonderful, thoughtful, imaginative children's entertainment that's sharp enough to wow grown-ups with equal measure. Other shows recently reviewed include: Peanuts Holiday Collection including the classic A Charlie Brown Christmas, Ghost Whisperer: The Third Season, and Full Circle with Michael Palin. Want more?
Check out all of the TV
on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk
database.
October 15, 2008
Recently Announced DVDs: The Dark Knight, The Homefront Collection, and 4400
One of the summer's best movies is finally up for preorder, but that's not the only disc to get excited about. Recently announced DVDs and Blu-ray discs of note include: The Dark Knight DVD and Blu-ray a magnificent tour de force from director Christopher Nolan and stars Christian Bale and Heath Ledger. 12-9-08; Warner Bros. and the Homefront Collection features three all-star, song-filled extravaganzas made by the studio’s finest talents during the tumult of WWII including Irving Berlin’s This is the Army, Thank Your Lucky Stars, and Hollywood Canteen. 11-11-08; and The 4400: The Complete Series comes to DVD on 10-28-08. Keep track of all the upcoming DVDs with the DVDTalk Release List.
This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews including: John Carpenter's The Thing - Savant digs into this terrific Sci-Fi horror remake, that scores on every count and then settles for a frustrating finish. It looks fantastic in Blu-ray, but why is Universal so stingy with the extras? We're grateful for our riches where we can find them; Rodan & War of the Gargantuas - Classic Media finishes its Toho fantasy series with contrasting Kaiju Eiga crowd pleasers. Rodan is a 50s classic and War of the Gargantuas a kooky 60s thriller with a catatonic Russ Tamblyn in the starring role. Also included is a new docu, Bringing Godzilla Down to Size, about the effects men behind, and inside, Toho's rubber-suited city wreckers; and Beetlejuice - Tim Burton cemented his claim on the director's chair with this horror comedy that's really a ghost-oriented film blanc. Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis do the haunting, while Winona Ryder makes the goth look fashionable and Michael Keaton goes nuts in a the showoff title role. Great Danny Elfman score, Sylvia Sydney, Harry Belafonte -- it's almost perfection. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.
October 14, 2008
This Week's Notable DVDs: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Icons of Horror, and The Matrix [Blu-ray]
Another week, another blockbuster makes its way to DVD and Blu-ray. This week's top title is Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull [DVD review, Blu-ray review] - a beautiful journey through some exotic locales with characters a lot of us have loved for what seems like a lifetime. Other titles coming out this week include: The Ultimate Matrix Collection [Blu-ray] [review 1, review 2] - if you're wondering if this is worth the upgrade from the standard DVD's, then the answer is an astounding yes! and Icons of Horror: Hammer Films [DVD review], including The Two Faces Of Dr. Jekyll, Scream of Fear, The Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb, and The Gorgon. Other releases of note
include: War, Inc. [review], Chaplin [review], and The Universe - The Complete Season Two [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.
October 13, 2008
DVDTalk Giveaway: Luchino Visconti's Ludwig
This week we have a special giveaway - the complete four hour masterpiece, Ludwig, now on DVD from KOCH Lorber Films. Director Luchino Visconti brings his famed majestic style to this lavish and operatic portrait of Ludwig II (Helmut Berger), the 19th century 'mad king' of Bavaria. Tormented by his unrequited love for his cousin, Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Romy Schneider), coupled with his obsession with the music of Wagner (Trevor Howard), the troubled monarch retreats into a fantasy world - building fairytale castles and ultimately losing his already-fragile grip on his sanity. Newly restored and re-mastered, the 2-disc release of Ludwig also featuring over two hours of bonus features. Enter now for your chance to win one of 5 copies of Ludwig - now on DVD for the first time ever!
I can't think of a better way to celebrate Columbus Day than to stay home and watch a movie. (Of course, that's how I celebrate just about every holiday.) Can't decide what to watch, let the DVD
Talk Review Database help you decide. Here are some of the stand out discs that have been recently reviewed that you might want to check out: The Three Stooges Collection - Volume Four: 1943-1945 Brilliant, surreal physical comedy, where torture and pain are elevated to breathtaking grace; Horatio Hornblower: Collector's Edition - a fascinating chronological treatise of one man's journey through years of Naval service at a critical time for the British Empire; and Le Deuxième Souffle - a beautifully made and deliciously dark slice of French noir that delivers everything you'd hope it would and then some. Other recent reviews include: When We Left Earth - The NASA Missions, Dante's Inferno, and Up the Yangtze. 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.
With the new television season underway, it seemed like a good time to poll the DVD Talk review staff and find out their favorite TV shows on DVD. The whole staff was asked for their input, and then we argued, pleaded, inveigled, threatened, and even cajoled each other. Eventually we settled on these nine shows. Ten would have been nice, but if we had to decide on another things would have gotten ugly. From classic 50's sitcoms to cutting edge dramas and even a British documentary, the list covers a wide range of styles and genres but no matter what your taste, you won't go wrong with any of these shows. Click here, to view DVD Talk's Best of TV on DVD! Want more?
Check out all of the TV
on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk
database.
October 10, 2008
New Movie Reviews: Body of Lies, City of Ember, and RocknRolla
Ridley Scott directs Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe in the explosive, oddly conventional terrorism thriller Body of Lies. Family cinema gets a needed shot of the dark in the Gil Kenan apocalyptic adventure movie City of Ember. And Guy Ritchie returns to the London crime genre with the crafty, tireless gangster thriller RocknRolla. Also in theaters: The Spanish film Rec gets an American makeover in the unfortunate Quarantine. Jonathan Demme and Anne Hathaway explore severe wedding day blues in Rachel Getting Married. Suicide, family, and the Mississippi Delta make for powerful cinema in Ballast. Director Mike Leigh decides to walk on the sunny side of the street in Happy-Go-Lucky. And the life of football star Ernie Davis is revisited in the obvious, but kindly bio-pic The Express. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: The Duchess, An American Carol, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Religulous, Appaloosa, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Blindness. Eagle Eye, Miracle at St. Anna, Nights in Rodanthe, How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, Lakeview Terrace, Hounddog, Burn After Reading, and Flash of Genius. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films In Theaters in our Movie Talk Forum.
October 09, 2008
TV on DVD: Robot Chicken, The Munsters, and Desperate Housewives
It seems like a higher and higher percentage of DVD releases are TV shows. Want to know which ones are worth picking up and which ones you should just catch as reruns? DVD Talk has you covered with our extensive TV on DVD reviews. This week's notable entries include: Robot Chicken: Season Three - the show sticks to the formula that has made the series a cult hit: quirky, distasteful and wonderfully irreverent humor; The Munsters: The Complete Series - Universal is putting out this boxed set that features some of their most legendary monsters just in time for Halloween; and Desperate Housewives: The Complete Fourth Season this season is truly a return to the darkly comic style that made the show such a cultural phenomenon. Other shows recently reviewed include: Trial and Retribution - Set 1, This American Life - Season 1, and CSI: NY - The Fourth Season. Want more?
Check out all of the TV
on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk
database.
October 08, 2008
Recently Announced DVDs: Spinal Tap [Blu-ray], Little Britian USA, and Mr. Smith
With all of the new DVD announcements it's easy to miss some a title or two. Recently announced DVDs and Blu-ray discs of note include: Spinal Tap [Blu-ray] Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, and Derek Smalls are back and in high definition. This movies started the mockumentary genre and it's still one of the best. 1-20-09; Based on the hit British series, HBO's Little Britain USA arrives on DVD on 1-13-09; and the Frank Capra/Jimmy Stewart classic Mr. Smith Goes to Washington comes to DVD on 12-09-08 with a newly restored image. Other newly announced titles include: Moonlight - The Complete Series on 1-20-09, and Alan Resnais' Same Old Song on 12-16-08. Keep track of all the upcoming DVDs with the DVDTalk Release List.
This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews including: Saddle the Wind - John Cassavetes and Julie London enliven this Robert Taylor western from the fading MGM studio. A great appearance by Charles McGraw; written by Rod Serling and directed by Robert Parrish; The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration - Paramount's multi-disc Blu-ray set has stunning new restored transfers of the whole trilogy: The Godfather, The Godfather Part II and The Godfather Part III. Plus fine new documentaries and interactive guides; and Icons of Horror Collection: Hammer Films - Sony cleans out their vault of horrors with four desired Hammer titles: Terence Fisher's rare The Two Faces Of Dr. Jekyll with Christopher Lee, the excellent thriller Scream of Fear with Susan Strasberg, the so-so sequel The Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb, and The Gorgon, a creepy Terence Fisher effort with Barbara Shelley, Chris Lee and Peter Cushing. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.
October 07, 2008
This Week's Notable DVDs: Touch Of Evil, Sleeping Beauty, and 30 Rock
Some solid releases are making their way to studio shelves this week. The top titles include: Touch Of Evil - 50th Anniversary Edition [review 1, review 2] - the kind of scholarly, celebratory treatment of a fantastic film that has only become possible in the last decade thanks to the advent of DVD technology; Sleeping Beauty: Two-Disc Platinum Edition [DVD review], Disney has brought out the big guns with a shimmering new 2.55:1 transfer, a sublime fresh audio mix, and a fantastic collage of old and new supplements; and 30 Rock: Season 2 [review 1, review 2, review 3]- all three writers highly recommend the set. When was the last time that happened? Other releases of note
include: The Visitor [review], and new edtions of three classic Hitchcock films: Vertigo [review], Rear Window [review], and Psycho [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.
October 06, 2008
New DVD Reviews: Indiana Jones, Sarah Marshall, and Errol Flynn
It's an exciting time of the year! Every fall Hollywood starts releasing their biggest hits to cash in on the holiday shopping season. Confused as to which discs to buy and which to pass up? No worries the DVD
Talk Review Database has you covered. Here are some of the stand out discs you might want to check out: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull an exquisitely crafted, lightning-paced thrill ride; Forgetting Sarah Marshall - comic genius tucked inside the misery of romantic rejection; and Errol Flynn - The Warner Bros. Western Collection - A quartet of westerns staring the swashbuckling star including Virginia City, San Antonio, Montana, and Rocky Mountain. Other recent reviews include: Kenny, Abel Gance's silent anti-war epic J'Accuse, and Lou Reed's Berlin. 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.
October 03, 2008
New Movie Reviews: Religulous, Appaloosa, and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Bill Maher hates Jesus. Well, maybe he doesn't, but he certainly has enough venom toward faith to fill a documentary in the comedy Religulous. Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen team up to bring justice to the old west in the wonderful western Appaloosa. And the kids aren't alright in the hipster Michael Cera teen comedy Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. DVD Talk critics Brian Orndorf and Jamie S. Rich have a listen. Also in theaters: Talking dogs and zero laughs await those brave enough to sit through Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Dakota Fanning does her best Streep impression in the long-awaited end-of-innocence drama Hounddog. The stirring tale of the intermittent windshield wiper is told in the Greg Kinnear film Flash of Genius. The world loses sight and immediately disintegrates in Blindness. Conservatives get their shot at multiplex glory in the political spoof An American Carol. And Simon Pegg swoops in and saves another anemic comedy in How to Lose Friends & Alienate People. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Eagle Eye, Miracle at St. Anna, Nights in Rodanthe, Choke, The Lucky Ones, Smother, The Duchess, My Best Friend's Girl, Lakeview Terrace, Ghost Town, Burn After Reading, Righteous Kill, Humboldt County, Igor, and Battle in Seattle. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films In Theaters in our Movie Talk Forum.
October 02, 2008
TV on DVD: Mr. Bean, Criminal Minds, and Edward the King
This week we've got an eclectic mix of TV on DVD reviews for ya. Reviews such as: The Best of Mr. Bean, Volume 2 - a cheap way to get acquainted with the surreal slapstick lunacy of the seemingly alien Mr. Bean; Criminal Minds: The Complete Third Season - filled with fascinating criminals amd supported by smooth, stylish production and a talented cast this show comes highly recommended; and Edward the King an overall fascinating series about the British monarch. Other shows recently reviewed include: Fat Albert's Halloween Special, Shin Chan: Season 1, Part 2, and The Last Bolshevik / Happiness. Want more?
Check out all of the TV
on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk
database.
October 01, 2008
Recently Announced DVDs: Hellboy II, Gangsters 4, and Clone Wars
With the holiday season approaching, a lot of the summer blockbusters are making their way to DVD and Blu-ray. Recently announced releases include: Hellboy II: The Golden Army on both DVD and Blu-ray - Guillermo Del Toro returns behind the camera for another quirky dark fantasy involving everyone's favorite demon. 11-11-08; Warners releases another set of classic mobster films with Gangsters Collection Volume 4 including The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse, The Little Giant, Larceny, Inc., Invisible Stripes, Kid Galahad and the docu Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film. Look for it on 10-21-08; and the animated theatrical Star Wars movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars arrives on DVD and Blu-ray on 11-11-08. Other newly announced titles include: The Polar Express Presented in 3-D [Blu-ray] on 10-28-08, and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 on 11-18-08. Keep track of all the upcoming DVDs with the DVDTalk Release List.
This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews including: How the West Was Won - Warners goes all-out with this lavish Blu-ray release of a digitally finessed version of the 3-panel Cinerama narrative epic; Cool Hand Luke - Paul Newman's soulful blue eyes are even more effective in Blu-ray, in the hit 1967 chain-gang picture that sold the concept of the anti-hero to Middle America; and Virginia City - Errol Flynn tangles with gold-smuggling Confederates, feisty Miriam Hopkins and Humphrey Bogart's Latin bandit ... ? Michael Curtiz directs this energetic, slightly goofy Civil War epic. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.
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