DVD Talk: July 2012 Archives

Well, it's a bit of a slow week on new releases. They all can't be winners I guess. Still, there are a few new titles worth checking out, such as: Detention [Blu-ray review]- a film that gleefully incorporates horror and time travel in a convoluted journey to prom; Hatfields & McCoys [Blu-ray review] - a gritty, satisfying boxing melodrama with a knockout performance from John Garfield; and Force of Evil [DVD review] - a tightly woven crime drama about two brothers, a big racket, and the consequences that come when the chips fall. Other releases of note include: Whisperer in Darkness [Blu-ray review], The Hunter [DVD review], and ATM [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.

The DVD Talk Review Database continues to grow and has over 35,000 reviews currently. Check out these latest entries: Jiro Dreams of Sushi - it's a film about much more than sushi; The Fairy (La fÃ©e) - lovers of classic film comedy will want to seek this out... it's one of the year's best films; and Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) - With its a grand sense of adventure and awe, it's hard not to like this movie. Other recent reviews include: They Made Me a Fugitive, Little Lord Fauntleroy, and Claudia (Fox Cinema Archives). Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews.

This week in theaters, Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, and Richard Ayoade take on a suburban alien invasion in The Watch. Read reviews by Jeff Nelson and Jamie S. Rich. Writer Paul Dano accidentally creates the girl of his dreams (Zoe Kazan), but can only take their idealized relationship so far in the romantic comedy Ruby Sparks. And Matthew McConaughey plays a dirty cop whose murder-for-hire deal with a trailer park family goes horrifyingly awry in William Friedkin's pitch-black comedy Killer Joe. Also out this week are three acclaimed documentaries: a profile of the controversial Chinese artist, Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry; an investigative portrait of a long-lost singer/songwriter, Searching for Sugar Man; and Planet of Snail, the story of a very unlikely romance. Be sure to catch our reviews of other recent theatrical films: The Dark Knight Rises, Red Lights, Trishna, The Imposter, Grassroots, The Amazing Spider-Man, Savages, Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Do-Deca-Pentathalon, Magic Mike, Take this Waltz, Brave, and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.

Pretty Little Liars: The Complete Second Season

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: Pretty Little Liars: The Complete Second Season - one of the most wildly addictive series on television these days; The Inbetweeners - The Complete Series - The awkward years of life, just worse; and Treme: The Complete Second Season - a tremendous example of the possibilities that serialized television can aspire to in terms of ongoing storytelling. Other shows recently reviewed include: White Collar: Season Three, Groucho Marx in The Mikado, and Streets of San Francisco - Season 3, Volume 1. 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: They Made Me a Fugitive - Vintage Brit Noir, with tough guy Trevor Howard breaking prison to get revenge on the black marketeer that framed him for murdering a policeman. Terrific atmosphere and excellent suspense; State's Attorney - Slick defense mouthpiece John Barrymore saves Helen Twelvetrees from a jail sentence then installs her as a paramour in his glitzy Manhattan townhouse. Excellent Pre-Code fare; and Cover Girl - Rita Hayworth is at the top of her form and popularity in this 1944 Technicolor musical vehicle that takes every opportunity to display her redhaired beauty. 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: Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season One [Blu-ray review] - nothing short of remarkable... there's a pleasing mix of fantasy, action, drama and heart on display from start to finish; Metropolitan: The Criterion Collection [Blu-ray review] - a film whose characters, situations, quips, and open, guileless style have a very special way of welcoming you in; and The Last Days of Disco: The Criterion Collection [DVD review] - the characters are just acutely charming, funny, and endearing and you don't have to harbor any nostalgia whatsoever for disco to get all of the film's enjoyment. Other reviews of note include Footnote [Blu-ray review], Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream People Call Human Life [DVD review], and Masterpiece Mystery: Endeavor [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.

Singin' In The Rain: 60th Anniversary Collector's Edition

Our reviewers have been busy this week, filling the DVD Talk Review Database more great entries. Some new reviews of note include: Singin' in the Rain: 60th Anniversary Collector's Edition - A film that truly deserves its stellar reputation, this Blu-ray edition presents it in all its glory; Extraterrestrial - an indie drama/comedy with some clever ideas; and High Noon - widely regarded as a classic for all the right reasons - it's superbly directed, impeccably acted and its influence can be seen spreading far and wide. Other recent reviews include: Headspace; Sing Your Song: Harry Belafonte, and La Terra Trema. 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 17th Annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival and DVDTalk's John Sinnott was there to cover it all. Rare, long thought 'lost' films such as Ernst Lubitsch's The Loves of Pharaoh and the complete version of Pola Negi's The Spanish Dancer were screened along with beloved classics including Buster Keaton's The Cameraman and William Wellman's Wings. There were some great surprises too including the wonderful german film The Wonderful Lie of Nina Petrovna. Check out our coverage for complete details!

One of the most anticipated movies of the summer, Christopher Nolan's third Batman film, hits screens at last. Read Jamie S. Rich's reivew of The Dark Knight Rises. Then check out what he thought of director Michael Winterbottom modern take on Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Trishna. Be sure to catch our reviews of other recent theatrical films: Red Lights, The Amazing Spider-Man, Savages, The Do-Deca-Pentathalon, Magic Mike, Take this Waltz, Brave, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, To Rome With Love, Your Sister's Sister, Rock of Ages, Prometheus, and Moonrise Kingdom.

The Big Bang Theory: The Complete First Season

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: The Big Bang Theory: The Complete First Season - as far as fun, televised escapism goes, the series delivers; Adventure Time: The Complete First Season - theis show is bursting with imagination, sweetness, and a ridiculous sense of humor; and Damages: The Complete Fourth Season - a slickly-produced and especially well-acted melodrama about manipulation and the power and limitations that come with extreme wealth. Other shows recently reviewed include: Kojak: Season Four, Alphas: Season One, and James May's 20th Century. 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: Singin' in The Rain - The tip top movie musical finally reaches Blu-ray in both a plain-wrap release and a full blown boxed set that comes with gift goodies like its own collectible umbrella; Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines - a slapstick epic about a London to Paris air race in flimsy 1910-era contraptions that resemble motorized kites; and Chariots of Fire - An ode to vintage codes of ethics and chivalry, this became an audience favorite, as did its ubiquitous Vangelis title tune. 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: Lockout [Blu-ray review] - Guy Pearce is there for the ride and brings his comedic chops to a very likable character; Down by Law: Criterion Collection [Blu-ray review] - writer/director Jim Jarmusch's third film shows the filmmaker growing, adapting, trying things, and taking risks; and Invasion of the Body Snatchers [DVD review] - a great example of just how good and how tense a film can be when in the right hands. Other reviews of note include Friends With Kids [Blu-ray review], Salmon Fishing in the Yemen [Blu-ray review], and Outland [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.

DVDTalk's coverage of the latest anime offerings has finally returned. Anime Talk is back, bigger and better than ever. This time we play catch up and have capsule reviews of some great anime... the latest Studio Ghibli Blu-ray releases including their latest, The Secret World of Arrietty, are covered as well as some of those must-have premium sets from NIS such as Kimi ni Todoke, and House of Five Leaves. We also have a look at .hack//Quantum and Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood in Blu-ray. All this and much more in this month's Anime Talk!

This week in theaters, scientists Sigourney Weaver and Cillian Murphy try to debunk superstar psychic Robert DeNiro in Red Lights. Director Michael Winterbottom and star Frieda Pinto craft a distinctively modern take on Tess of the d'Urbervilles in Trishna. And a Texas family's long-lost son is not quite as he seems in the gripping documentary The Imposter. Also out this week: Jason Biggs and Joel David Moore take on city politics in the fact-based comedy/drama Grassroots, and the Sundance sensation Beasts of the Southern Wild widens its release. Be sure to catch our reviews of other recent theatrical films: The Amazing Spider-Man, Savages, The Do-Deca-Pentathalon, Magic Mike, Take this Waltz, Brave, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, To Rome With Love, Your Sister's Sister, Rock of Ages, Prometheus, and Moonrise Kingdom.

TV on DVD remains very popular with more and more favorites being released. New TV reviews include: Masterpiece Mystery: Endeavor - a spin-off of Inspector Morse, a prequel starring Shaun Evans as Detective Constable Morse at the beginning of his career; American Pickers: Volume 3 - a great concept - a journey through rural America to uncover treasures and find out more about the people who own them; and The Wild Thornberrys: Season Two, Part 2 - fine, family-friendly tales with enjoyable storytelling and pleasing animation. Other shows recently reviewed include: Gene Simmons Family Jewels: Season 6 - Part 2, Love in a Cold Climate, and Ghost Story aka Circle of Fear: The Complete First Season. 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: Harold and Maude - a warm and moving black comedy showcasing an against-all-precedent affair between a 20-year-old lover of morbidity, and an eighty-year-old nonconformist who steals car; Johnny Guitar - Nicholas Ray's superb western is one of the best films of the 1950s; and Vacation from Marriage - Separated for three years by the war, a dull English couple become convinced that their marriage cannot continue. But they have to meet first to talk it out... 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: Dark Shadows: The Complete Original Series [DVD review] - Did you miss out on the limited edition version of this set that went OOP almost instantly? Never fear, you can now get the entire series in this "deluxe edition." The only differance is that this release is not numbered and does not include a signed postcard by Jonathan Frid (Barnabas Collins). The whole series on 131 DVDs in a cool coffin-shaped box; Chariots of Fire [Blu-ray review] - This 1981 Best Picture Academy Award winner is grand, classic filmmaking; and The Saphead [Blu-ray review] - Buster Keaton's first feature film really comes to life in its high-energy, bustling finale. Other reviews of note include Freak Dance [DVD review], Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season [reissue] [Blu-ray review of original release], and American Reunion [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.

The Three Stooges: The Ultimate Collection

This week the DVD Talk Review Database has some great new entries, including a few discs you may have overlooked. Recent DVD reviews include: The Three Stooges: The Ultimate Collection - all 190 two-reel comedies Columbia released during 1934-1959 and a three-disc offering of rarities including two heretofore unreleased-to-DVD feature films; Whisperer in Darkness - another bravura adaptation from the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society; and Most Dangerous Game/Gow The Headhunter - This essential Pre-code ode to sadistic slaughter in the jungle has been given an incredible restoration. Other recent reviews include: The Hunter; Run For The Sun, and The Hearse / Blood of Dracula's Castle. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

This week in theaters, Marvel's web-slinger gets a big-screen reboot in The Amazing Spider-Man. We've got four sharply divided reviews: Jamie S. Rich and Neil Lumbard find it a refreshing new take on the character, while Tyler Foster and Jason Bailey find it overly familiar and altogether unnecessary. Also out this week: Director Oliver Stone tries to get back to his Natural Born Killers style, with less than stellar results, in Savages; the Duplass brothers examine sibling rivalry in The Do-Deca-Pentathalon, and Woody Allen's To Rome With Love widens its release. Be sure to catch our reviews of other recent theatrical films: Magic Mike, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Take this Waltz, Brave, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, To Rome With Love, Your Sister's Sister, The Invisible War, Rock of Ages, Prometheus, Moonrise Kingdom, Safety Not Guaranteed, and Snow White and the Hunstman.

Some great TV shows have made their way onto DVD this week including: Louie: Season 2 - hilarious, dark, disturbing, but possessed a depth that few other shows can realize; Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp - A truly bizarre show, the series' concept was basically to take Get Smart and basically do the same thing - except with chimpanzees in place of human actors. Really. I couldn't make something like this up; and Wordgirl: The Rise of Miss Power - Vocabulary building meets superhero fun . Other shows recently reviewed include: Frontline: Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero, Law & Order: Criminal Intent - The Seventh Year '08-'09 Season, and Casablanca: The Complete Series. 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: The Gold Rush - Charlie Chaplin's most famous film is revived in HD in two versions, the 1942 sound version Chaplin recut, and a faithful new reconstruction of the 1925 silent original; A Streetcar Named Desire - The Marlon Brando - Vivien Leigh smash play adaptation is a knockout in HD, in this reconstruction of director Elia Kazan's original cut before the Code censors and Catholic busybodies got involved; and Flame Over India - J. Lee Thompson directs a veddy proper Brits-in-India tale suspense thriller about a tiny train escaping through a desert overrun by murderous rebels. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

Another banner week for DVDs with the studios releasing some great films such as: Barbarella [Blu-ray review] - Producer Dino de Laurentiis' cult Sci-Fi/comedy/light sex romp arrives on Blu-ray; Midsomer Murders: Set 20 [DVD review] - Goodbye, DCI Tom Barnaby. The last epsiodes staring John Nettles have arrived where his iconic character is given a worthy, touching send-off; and The Outside Man [DVD review] - Low-key, dreamy French noir thriller with an intriguing, high-powered cast. Other reviews of note include The Devil's Needle and Other Tales of Vice And Redemption [Blu-ray review], Django Kill...If You Live, Shoot! [Blu-ray review], and George Gently - Series 4 [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.

Some great DVD and Blu-ray reviews have been added to the the DVD Talk Review Database recently including: The 39 Steps - it's brilliant - tight, tense, wholly devoid of sentimentality...the only apt genre categorization is simply "Hitchcock"; David Lean Directs NoÃ«l Coward - an important boxed set, restoring significant films from early in a great director's career; and Once Upon a Time in Anatolia - a supremely well-controlled, visually transporting work of cinematic art. Other recent reviews include: NumÃ©ro deux (No. 2); Superman vs. The Elite, and Project X. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.