DVD Talk: July 2011 Archives

Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, and Olivia Wilde team up as the old west is rocked by Cowboys & Aliens read reviews from Brian Orndorf and Tyler Foster]. Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling learn the ways of Crazy, Stupid, Love. Read reviews from Brian Orndorf, Jason Bailey and Tyler Foster. And aliens inflitrate the hood on the comedy Attack the Block. Read reviews from Brian Orndorf, Tyler Foster and Jason Bailey. Also in theaters: Jay Baruchel and Scott Speedman are murder suspects in Good Neighbors. Hip-hop titans are explored in Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest. Sci-fi meets frowny faces in Another Earth. Violence is confronted in The Interrupters. Don Cheadle and Brendan Gleeson are The Guard. Wayne Wang discovers the drama of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. And Miranda July looks to The Future. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Submarine, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Horrible Bosses, Winnie the Pooh, Friends with Benefits, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films In Theaters in our Movie Talk Forum.

Interested in the latest TV on DVD reviews? DVD Talk has you covered! This week's notable entries include: The Closer: The Complete Sixth Season - the show keeps going strong with no signs of slowing down; Supernatural: The Anime Series - an intriguing companion piece for the long-running live-action show; and The Best of "I Love Lucy" - this collection of 14 episodes is a solid overview of the classic, hilarious series. Other shows recently reviewed include: Conan The Adventurer: The Complete First Season, Minnesota Twins: 1991 World Series, and Victorious: Season One, Volume One. Want more? Check out all of the TV on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk database.

Our reviewers have been busy this week, filling the DVD Talk Review Database more great entries. Some new reviews of note include: National Lampoon's Animal House [Blu-ray review] - a great film that's still awfully funny; The Blues Brothers - the classic musical/comedy finally gets the Blu-ray treatment; and Source Code [Blu-ray review] - an immensely gripping thrillride. Other reviews of note include: Kate Bush - A Life Of Surprises [DVD review], Jackboots on Whitehall [DVD review], and Mao's Last Dancer [Blu-ray 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.

Some great DVD and Blu-ray reviews have been added to the the DVD Talk Review Database recently including: Queen to Play - a film that is reassuring and hopeful without ever condescending to us or letting its head stray into the clouds; The Sacrifice - Andrey Tarkovsky's final movie is a poetic and moving film; and Strigoi: The Undead - Part family drama, part horror, part comedy this film is ultimately an hour and forty five minutes of engaging entertainment. Other recent reviews include: Undertaker, The Killer is Loose, and Because They're Young. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

Last weekend the Castro Theater in San Francisco hosted the 16th Annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival and DVDTalk's John Sinnott was there to cover it all. Rare, long thought 'lost' films such as the early John Ford feature Upstream and the Douglas Fairbanks film Mr. Fix-it were screened along with beloved classics including F. W. Murnau's Sunrise and the all-star Lon Chaney picture He Who Gets Slapped. There were some great surprises too; including the announcement that Able Gance's epic masterpiece Napoleon would be screened in March. Check out our coverage for complete details!

Trying to come up with a way to beat the summer heat?? Why not stay indoors and watch one of the rare films now available through MOD (Manufactured On Demand) programs that several studios have rolled out. DVDTalk has been really excited about these programs and has been trying to cover as many of the releases as we can. Intrepid writer Paul Mavis has compiled the latest reviews in one convenient column including reviews of some classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons, some action-fill war flicks, and even the made-for-TV movies that launched the TV series Harry O. and Search. Whether you like SF, comedies, or drama, there are plenty of MOD releases to sate your appetite. Check them all out in the latest installment of The M.O.D. Squad.

Marvel brings another hero to the big screen with Captain America: The First Avenger . Read reviews from Brian Orndorf, Tyler Foster, and Jason Bailey. And Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis commence the dance of the pants in Friends with Benefits. Read reviews from Brian Orndorf and Jason Bailey. Also in theaters: Kristin Scott Thomas figures out the mystery of Sarah's Key. Jenna Fischer needs A Little Help. Our planet has a pal with Another Earth. And boundaries are broken in Autoerotic. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Submarine, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Horrible Bosses, Winnie the Pooh, Zookeeper, Page One: Inside The New York Times, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Bad Teacher, Tabloid, The Tree of Life, and Midnight in Paris. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films In Theaters in our Movie Talk Forum.

Agatha Christie's Poirot - Movie Collection Set 6

More TV shows have made their way on to DVD, and DVD Talk has got them covered. Check out our reviews of the newest TV releases including: Agatha Christie's Poirot - Movie Collection Set 6 - Each mystery is considerably engaging and David Suchet remains the perfect Poirot; Reggie Perrin - Set 1 - A remake-cum-reimagining of the classic British sitcom The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin; and Challenge Of The Gobots: The Original Miniseries - a series with enough unique wackiness to make it worthwhile and entertaining as well. Other shows recently reviewed include: Team Umizoomi, Beast Wars: Transformers - The Complete Series, and WWE: Extreme Rules 2011. Want more? Check out all of the TV on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk database.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is now playing in theaters everywhere. The film series that brought us eight magical movies (Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2) is now "officially" over, but DVDTalk.com writer Neil Lumbard takes a fond look back on the landmark series and reflects on if this is truly the conclusion to everything Harry Potter after all. Is the magic really leaving us or is there more joy and wonder to come? Read the article to find out!

This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews and articles including: Buster Keaton The Short Films Collection 1920-1923 - A phenomenal wealth of genius and fun here; The Sacrifice - Andrei Tarkovsky's final film was produced and shot in Sweden. An intense, slowly paced experience with a number of extremely long, effective camera takes; and The Egyptian - An ancient epic with an unusual epic theme -- the brief worship of a monotheistic god by the Pharaoh Akhnaton, 1300 years before Christ. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

This week several great movies are coming out, including a few that shouldn't be missed: Bill Moyers: God and Politics [DVD review] - the topics explored by Moyers back in 1987 continue to be just as relevant to Americans today; The Music Room: The Criterion Collection [Blu-ray review] - a highly recommended breakthrough for Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray; and Beauty and the Beast: The Criterion Collection [Blu-ray review] - Jean Cocteau's 1946 film is a bonafide classic. Other reviews of note include: Take Me Home Tonight [Blu-ray review], Small Town Murder Songs [DVD review], and Zonad [DVD 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.

Check out the latest DVD reviews that have been entered into the DVD Talk Review Database including: The Rack - an underrated highlight of Paul Newman's career; Third Reich: Rise & Fall - this documentary takes the unique approach of offering oral testimony as to the beginnings of and the battles within the Nazi Party; and Fragment of Fear - a terrific, little-seen suspenser. Other recent reviews include: Rango, Naked: The Criterion Collection, and Wild and Weird. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

The legendary boy wizard says goodbye with a bang in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Read reviews from Brian Orndorf, Tyler Foster, and Jamie S. Rich. And Disney returns a special stuffed bear to the big screen in Winnie the Pooh. Also in theaters: Errol Morris takes on true crime in Tabloid. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Horrible Bosses, Zookeeper, Page One: Inside The New York Times, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Larry Crowne, Bad Teacher, Monte Carlo, The Tree of Life, and Midnight in Paris. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films In Theaters in our Movie Talk Forum.

More TV shows have made their way on to DVD, and DVD Talk has got them covered. Check out our reviews of the newest TV releases including: Robot Chicken: Star Wars III - this may be the best of the Robot Chicken trilogy; Mystery Science Theater 3000: Hamlet - a classic the MST crew leaves our sense of Shakespeare as dead and/or dying as the various cast members at the finale; and Doctor Who: The Awakening - short and sweet two part adventure from Peter Davison's tenure as The Doctor. Other shows recently reviewed include: RiffTrax: LIVE! Reefer Madness, Squidbillies - Volume 4, and Little Rascals: Boys of Our Gang. 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 and articles including: Curse of the Faceless Man - A petrified Etruscan emerges from the ruins of Pompeii, gets mistaken for a piece of antique statuary and goes on a madcap killing spree while searching for his lover, lost in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius; Insignificance - Nicolas Roeg's most light-hearted feature is from a play but manages most of the director's time & space-fracturing personal cinematic flourishes; and The Mexican Spitfire 8-Movie Collection - Great fun with a marvelous comic personality. 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 such as: Damnation Alley [Blu-ray review] - this post-apocalyptic epic which never had a DVD release, finally arrives on Blu-ray thanks to Shout! Factory; The Lincoln Lawyer [Blu-ray review] - this Michael Connelly vehicle boasts a hefty amount of gripping suspense; and [Rec] 2 [DVD review] - pure dynamite, stampeding around in a grandly ghoulish form. Other reviews of note include: Arthur (2011) [Blu-ray review], Buster Keaton - Short Films Collection: 1920 - 1923 [Blu-ray review], and Battle Beyond the Stars [Blu-ray 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.

Check out the latest DVD reviews that have been entered into the DVD Talk Review Database including: Hobo with a Shotgun - a blood-drenched Valentine to '80s trashsploitation; Park Row - a romantic, exciting, and authentic portrait of the New York newspaper business circa 1886; and The Boss - one of the best "B" movies of the 1950s. Other recent reviews include: Paul, Hoedown, and The Wild Hunt. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Spacey make life unbearable for Jason Bateman as the Horrible Bosses. Read reviews from Brian Orndorf, Tyler Foster, and Jamie S. Rich. Kevin James talks and walks with the animals as the Zookeeper. And a special chimp feels the weight of the world in Project Nim. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Page One: Inside The New York Times, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Larry Crowne, Bad Teacher, Quarantine 2: Terminal, Monte Carlo, Terri, Cars 2, The Perfect Host, Green Lantern, Super 8, X-Men: First Class, The Ledge, The Ward, The Tree of Life, and Midnight in Paris. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films In Theaters in our Movie Talk Forum.

Interested in the latest TV on DVD reviews? DVD Talk has you covered! This week's notable entries include: Mystery Science Theater 3000: Gunslinger - Joel Hodgson's penultimate show has the cast doing what they do best, hilariously trying to make their way through a very uninspiring film; The Big C: The Complete First Season - if you're looking for a good summer television program to watch, this should be on a very short list; and Rocko's Modern Life: Season One - one of the many bright spots in 1990s animation. Other shows recently reviewed include: RiffTrax: LIVE! Reefer Madness, Squidbillies - Volume 4, and Little Rascals: Boys of Our Gang. Want more? Check out all of the TV on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk database.

Opening this week is the documentary "Page One: Inside the New York Times," which follows a year in the life of the behemoth of print journalism as it struggles with sweeping changes in the media landscape, captured by director Andrew Rossi. In June, Rossi spoke at the 2011 Investigative Reporters and Editor Convention, also screening his film to a room of prominent journalists. The filmmaker also offered a few moments to DVD Talk's Brian Orndorf to discuss his picture and his feelings on the future of the industry. Read what the director said in this latest DVD Talk exclusive interview.

This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews and articles including: Brazil - Terry Gilliam's comic masterpiece interpretation of Orwell's 1984 looks wonderful in HD, but it's a shorter cut than can be found on earlier Criterion DVD discs, and devoid of extras; Kiss Me Deadly - Robert Aldrich and A.I. Bezzerides take a blackjack to Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer character, stripping away his righteous fervor to reveal the venal, irresponsible thug beneath; and The Boy Friend - Ken Russell goes "G"-rated to produce one of his most delightful entertainments. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

Some pretty cool discs are being released this week. Check out these new titles: Eureka: Season 4.0 [DVD review] - these episodes breathes new life into the show and arguably make it more interesting than it ever was; Das Boot [Blu-ray review] - for dramatic intensity and claustrophobic realism, none can hold a periscope to this German production; and Of Gods and Men [Blu-ray review] - a beautifully expressed and measured film. Other reviews of note include: The Sacrifice: 2-Disc Remastered Edition [Blu-ray review], Wake Wood [Blu-ray review], and Trailers From Hell! Vol. 2 [DVD review]. Be sure to check out our DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

This week the DVD Talk Review Database has some great new entries, including a few discs you may have overlooked. Recent DVD reviews include: Excel Saga: Complete Series - an experimental anime comedy that lovingly pokes fun at the art form - a wild blast of total randomness; Celebrity Bowling - Loads more fun that you might expect from a show like this - one of year's most pleasurable guilty pleasures; and Buster Keaton - Short Films Collection: 1920 - 1923 - a collection of some of the finest silent comedies ever made. Other recent reviews include: Who Took the Bomp? Le Tigre on Tour, Soldier in the Rain, and Kate Bush - A Life Of Surprises. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

No robot testicles or Megan Fox as Michael Bay attempts to bring back the thunder with the mega-sequel Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Read reviews from Brian Orndorf and Tyler Foster. Tom Hanks finds his happy place with Julia Roberts in the comedy Larry Crowne. And rage doesn't fly economy in Quarantine 2: Terminal. Also in theaters: John C. Reilly helps the kids in Terri. Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester, and Katie Cassidy head to Monte Carlo. Liv Tyler and Charlie Hunnam love and leap off The Ledge. And David Hyde Pierce welcomes murder as The Perfect Host. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Bad Teacher, Cars 2, Green Lantern, Conan O'Brien Can't Stop, Super 8, Mr. Popper's Penguins, An Invisible Sign, Beginners, X-Men: First Class, The Ward, The Tree of Life, Midnight in Paris, The Hangover: Part II, and Kung Fu Panda 2. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films In Theaters in our Movie Talk Forum.