DVD Talk: May 2013 Archives

Before you head off to the cinema this weekend, check out DVDTalk's reviews of the latest releases including: After Earth [a second review] - this is M. Night Shyamalan's best movie in quite some time... take that for what it's worth; The Kings of Summer - a coming-of-age film where a lot of the jokes are funny and the majority of the dramatic elements are authentic; and The East (2013) - this thriller is a decent flick with a satisfying amount of suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Other recent films include: Fast & Furious 6, The Hangover Part III, Epic, Star Trek Into Darkness, The Great Gatsby, Iron Man 3, and Oblivion. Check out these, and more, in DVDTalk's Theatrical Review section.

TV on DVD remains very popular with more and more favorites being released. New TV reviews include: Doctor Who: The Visitation - one of the better entries in the Peter Davison run, this story has a good mix of adventure, humor and suspense with some fun sci-fi trappings; Counting Cars: Season 1 - a great mix of following a crew as they work inside and outside their Vegas car shop, it's speedy, fun and entertaining; and Al Madrigal: Why is the Rabbit Crying? - stand-up comedian and Daily SHow regular Al Madrigal manages to do dad comedy without coming off as hacky... this is a fun show. Other shows recently reviewed include: The Syndicate: Series 1, The Client List: The Complete First Season, and Boss: Season 2. 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: 3:10 to Yuma - Delmer Daves' best western is a nearly perfect suspense tale, as farmer and family man Van Heflin is forced to escort outlaw Glenn Ford to prison. Heflin's only hope is to outsmart the outlaw gang hot on his trail. Great drama, interesting characterizations and romantic backup from Felicia Farr and Leora Dana; Forbidden Hollywood Collection Volume 6 - The four restored films cover a wide range of subjects, showing how Code enforcement robbed American films of edgy subject matter and frank political comment; and He Walked By Night - The expert commentary is the buying point for this edition of a superior film noir directed by not signed by Anthony Mann, the true story of a loner thief-killer who proved difficult to trace and even harder to kill. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

Some great discs are being released this week. Check out these new movies: Rolling Thunder [review] - a lean and efficient seventies revenge movie, a tense and involving thriller that builds to a satisfyingly grim conclusion; Doctor Who: Series Seven - Part Two - Matt Smith continues his run as the long-lived Time Lord; and Swimming To Cambodia [review] - the first of Spalding Gray's monologues to be filmed, it's a fascinating movie that deserves to been seen by fans and new audiences alike. 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 cool discs have been reviewed over the past week. Check out these recent entries: The Enforcer (1951) - Hard-hitting and uncompromising this movie is terrific, the kind of classic movie even those who avoid old black-and-white films would find totally engrossing; Leave Her to Heaven - a noir-tinted melodrama that continues to remain uniquely compelling nearly seventy years after it first roared into theaters; and Id: A - The strong performances, willingness to take on the seamier side of modern life, and finely managed dramatic tension deliver a very satisfying and intellectually stimulating experience. Other recent reviews include: Craig Shoemaker: Daditude, The Bowery Boys: Volume One, and Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry / Race With The Devil. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

What better way to spend the Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of the summer movie season, than by checking out a flick at the local multiplex? Here are DVDTalk's reviews of this week's biggest releases: Fast & Furious 6 [a second review] - one of the most reliable action franchises of the 21st century delivers another popcorn film of the highest order; The Hangover Part III -If you're looking for something funny to watch with your own Wolfpack this weekend... you might want to keep looking; and Epic - the animation is stunning and this film will surely be a hit amongst younger audiences. Other recent films include: Star Trek Into Darkness, Frances Ha, Jamie S. Rich, Iron Man 3, Pain & Gain, and Oblivion. Check out these, and more, in DVDTalk's Theatrical Review section.

Some great TV shows have made their way onto DVD this week including: Maverick - The Complete Second Season - A seminal television Western at its peak, this season is the best and most interesting of the program's five-years; A Fine Romance: Complete Collection - a memorable sitcom relationship expertly brought to life by the real-life pair of Judi Dench and Michael Williams; and Mel Brooks: Make A Noise - a great overview of one of our greatest comedians. Other shows recently reviewed include: Childrens Hospital: The Complete Fourth Season, 30 Rock: Season Seven, and The FBI: The Fourth 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: Gate of Hell - Prepare to have your retinas dazzled by Teinosuke Kinugasa's vintage tale of fierce love in the Emperor's court, as a great warrior demands the wife of another loyal retainer, breaking all the rules... an Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film; Loophole - Wow! This modest crime thriller with some smart ideas is a great film noir rediscovery; and If I Were You - Writer-director Joan Carr-Wiggin's conventional but intelligent script gives the underused Marcia Gay Harden a chance to flex her acting muscles in comedy mode. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

Some great discs are being released this week. Check out these new movies: National Lampoon's Vacation: 30th Anniversary [review] - this classis is still offers a great time thanks to the dream team behind the camera and a hilarious cast in front; Side Effects [review] - another slick thriller from director Steven Soderbergh... the film's twists are numerous and the narrative is highly entertaining; and The Grand Duel [review] - A fantastic, genre classic is given a proper DVD release. Other reviews of note include True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season [review], The Aquabats! Super Show! Season One [review], and Struck By Lightning [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.

Our reviewers have been busy this week, filling the DVD Talk Review Database more great entries. Some new reviews of note include: The Last Stand - Arnold Schwarzenegger's return to R-rated action movie stardom is a ridiculously entertaining movie tha tyou won't want to miss; Band of Outsiders: The Criterion Collection - French New Wave filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard's singular mashup of Shakespeare, pulp crime fiction, Rimbaudian poetry, surrealism, and his inveterate love of all cinema's fresh possibilities; and The Great Escape - a true classic, and fifty years on still thrills and excites as it did when originally released. Other recent reviews include: 3:10 To Yuma: Criterion Collection, The Three Stooges: Rare Treasures From The Columbia Pictures Vault, and Kristen Schaal: Live at the Fillmore. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

Planning a trip to the local multiplex this weekend? Here are DVDTalk's reviews of the latest theatrical releases: Star Trek Into Darkness - while this sequel is most certainly exciting, it isn't fresh... instead of simply referencing the original films, it steals entire plot points; Mud - writer/director Jeff Nichols makes this film both uniquely authentic and genuine; and Frances Ha - with a main character and narrative that are both infectious... this funny and charming film is a rare gem. Other recent films include: The Great Gatsby, Iron Man 3, Pain & Gain, Sightseers, Oblivion, and Graceland. Check out these, and more, in DVDTalk's Theatrical Review section.

Interested in the latest TV on DVD reviews? DVD Talk has you covered! This week's notable entries include: 30 Rock: Season Seven - It may be the end of the line but in this season the show remained as or was even more entertaining than it was when it first started; The Aquabats! Super Show! Season One - This set is fun top to bottom and filled with positive, high-energy, musical superhero fun; and True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season - this season is a step down from what came before but it's still a fun and entertaining series. Other shows recently reviewed include: Babes in Toyland (1954 & 1955 TV versions), Howdy Kids!! A Saturday Afternoon Western Roundup, and Friends: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray). 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 Great Escape - John Sturges' all-star POW tunnel-and-run adventure turns Steve McQueen, James Garner, and twenty more interesting actors into desperate escapees... a superior old-time favorite; The Enforcer - Humphrey Bogart is the tough DA who takes on Murder Incorporated, and the whole picture is devoted to hardboiled crime action; and This Land Is Mine - Charles Laughton delivers a genuine acting tour-de-force as a milquetoast teacher who finds his courage while standing up to Nazi occupiers, in Jean Renoir's RKO war propaganda picture. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

There are a few new releases this week that you won't want to miss. Check out these hot titles:: Cloud Atlas [review, another review, ] - does pretty much everything right, from its storytelling to an across-the-board fantastic voice cast; French Masterworks: 5 Iconic Films Albatros Productions [review] - witty, avant-garde, and endearing, there's something for all tastes in this impressive set of silent movies; and Dexter: The Seventh Season [review] - there's no denying that this is one of the strongest seasons to date. 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: The Red Pony - Excellent on every level, this movie remains one of the best films ever to come out of Republic Studios and the transfer get high marks; The Grand Duel - a fantastic, genre classic is given a proper DVD release; and Mel Brooks: Make A Noise - a great overview of one of our greatest comedians.. Other recent reviews include: Nick Carter Mysteries Triple Feature, 13 Eerie, and Thanks A Million. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

The big release this week is Baz Luhrmann's adaptaion of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby. DVDTalk reviewer Jeff Nelson thought that Leonardo DiCaprio's performance makes the movie worth checking out on the big screen while Jamie S. Rich found very little to compliment. Other new releases include: Sightseers [a second review] - a quirky, yet dark comedy that is a thoroughly entertaining film; and Aftershock - while the cons heavily outweigh the pros, this isn't an absolute waste of time. Other recent films include: Iron Man 3, Pain & Gain, Oblivion, Graceland, 42, and Simon Killer. . Check out these, and more, in DVDTalk's Theatrical Review section.

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: Dexter: The Seventh Season - regardless of what you thought about the last season, make no mistake about it - this is what you've been waiting for; Childrens Hospital: The Complete Fourth Season - Kovas is truly television's first genius and this amazing boxed set of over thirteen hours of his little-seen work is must-have viewing; and The FBI: The Fourth Season, Parts One & Two - more of the assured, polished storytelling that fans have come to excect from the series. Other shows recently reviewed include: The Official Digimon Adventure Set: The Complete Second Season, Friends: The Complete Second Season, and Quincy, M.E.: Season Five. Want more? Check out all of the TV on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk database.

Some pretty cool discs are being released this week. Check out these new titles: Superman: Unbound [review] - does pretty much everything right, from its storytelling to an across-the-board fantastic voice cast; Jack Reacher [review] - a briskly paced crime thriller, and Tom Cruise adds a pleasing edge to his leading man charisma; and Upstream Color [review] - this highly recommended Shane Carruth film has an experimental presentation that forces you to think and contemplate what you watched. 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: Silver Linings Playbook - a funny, entertaining and quite captivating film thanks to the presence of Jennifer Lawrence; Richard III - A peerless home video presentation of one of the all-time great Shakespeare films; and Any Day Now - a great film, taking tricky subject matter and handling it with a subtletly missing from too many of today's movies. Other recent reviews include: Mama, Manborg, and 711 Ocean Drive. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

Before you head off to the cinema this weekend, check out DVDTalk's reviews of the latest releases including: Iron Man 3 - an explosively entertaining summer flick that will satisfy those who are looking for a fun time at the cinema; What Maisie Knew - this memorable drama combines solid writing, excellent acting, and smart visual choices in order to create a strong motion picture; and Gimme the Loot - writer/director Adam Leon makes a splash with this debut, a veritÃ© drama about two young graffiti artists in New York City trying to raise some cash. Other recent films include: Pain & Gain, Oblivion, Graceland, 42, Simon Killer, Evil Dead (2013), and G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Check out these, and more, in DVDTalk's Theatrical Review section.

This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews and articles including: The Dawn Patrol - Neil Hamilton sends Richard Barthelmess, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and a bunch of rookie flyboys up to get shot to bits by German aces in this original WWI aviation classic; Ruthless - Edgar G. Ulmer's high-budget tale of an All-American business shark plays like an anti-capitalist Citizen Kane. Beautifully directed and filmed, with strong performances from Zachary Scott, Louis Hayward, Diana Lynn, Sydney Greenstreet, Lucille Bremer and Martha Vickers; and Vietnam: The Ten Thousand Day War - Peter Arnett wrote this unflinching docu miniseries that tells the straight story of the Vietnam debacle, from the end of WW2 until the evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in 1975. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

So many excellent TV shows have been released on DVD that it's easy to have some of them fall through the cracks. In case you missed them, here are some great shows that have all earned the coveted DVD Talk Collector Series rating: Breaking Bad: The Complete Fourth Season - simply one of the very best shows currently in production and if you're not watching, you should be; The Ernie Kovacs Collection - Kovacs is truly television's first genius and this amazing boxed set of over thirteen hours of his little-seen work is must-have viewing; and Route 66: The Complete Series - quite simply, the best television drama anthology of the 1960s and a fine addition to any collection. Other DVD Talk Collector Series-rated shows include: House of Cards Trilogy, Nurse Jackie: Season Four, and The Honeymooners - Lost Episodes 1951-1957. Want more? Check out all of the TV on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk database.