DVD Talk: August 2013 Archives

Before you head off to the cinema this weekend, check out DVD Talk's reviews of the latest releases including: I Declare War - Writer/director Jason Lapeyre and co-director Robert Wilson's film about kids waging a make believe war in a forest is unique, entertaining, and it has powerful themes to back it all up; The Grandmaster - Wong Kar-Wai's movie arrives on U.S. shores with a new cut made specifically for American audiences; and Ain't Them Bodies Saints - a well-made movie with a tone that is inviting and clear, understated storytelling makes it easy to watch. Other recent films include: The World's End, Kick-Ass 2, Elysium, The Wolverine, I'm So Excited, The Conjuring, Pacific Rim, The Lone Ranger , and Despicable Me 2. 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: Star Trek: Enterprise - Season Two - Slightly more character-driven and smoother than the first year, this isn't perfect television... but more often than not, it's better than you remember; Prime Suspect: The Complete Collection - a landmark crime program, spanning seven series in total over the course of 15 years it is an excellent mystery thriller packed with unexpected twists and turns; and Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Ninth Season - the show tried a few new things this season and fans will find that it's worth adding to their collections. Other shows recently reviewed include: Political Animals: The Complete Series, Tales of the City: 20th Anniversary Edition, and Family Ties: The Seventh and Final Season. Want more? Check out all of the TV on DVD reviews in the DVD Talk database.

The Extraordinary Adventures of AdÃ¨le Blanc-Sec

This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews and articles including: The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec - This marvelously witty and spirited action-comedy by director Luc Besson brings to life the classic French graphic novel series about a French beauty who's an author, archeologist and adventuress in a slightly fantastic Paris of 1911 ; Fire Maidens of Outer Space - one of the bottom-barrel creature features of childhood TV weekends surfaces in an incredible perfect HD transfer, in all its uncut, uncouth glory; and Tarzan and the Slave Girl - Lean & cool Lex Barker cuts a fine jungle figure in his second RKO romp as the Lord of the Apes. The eventful story includes a lost city, a strange disease, kidnapped beauties and a one-shot Jane. 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: The Walking Dead: Season Three [review] - there isn't a bad episode in the bunch and Anchor Bay's Limited Edition set comes with perhaps the coolest home video collectible in any format; The Great Gatsby [review] - Baz Luhrmann's all-star adaptaton of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel just doesn't live up to the promise of what could have been, even if it looks tremendous; and Dark Angel [review] - a fun mix of sci-fi, action and horror spearheaded by Dolph Lundgren's loveable lunkhead persona and some pretty decent action scenes. Other reviews of note include Q: The Winged Serpent [review], Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye [review], and This Is Live [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: Pain & Gain - Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie are some of the dumbest criminals ever to hit Miami in Michael Bay's hilarious action-comedy film; The Muppet Movie (The Nearly 35th Anniversary Edition) - this first Muppet feature film is still loads of fun decades after it first hit the silver screen; and Betty Boop: The Essential Collection, Volume 1 - A must-have for animation buffs and a set guaranteed to enchant child and adults alike heretofore unfamiliar with these phantasmagorical cartoons. Other recent reviews include: Greystoke - The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie - Collector's Edition, and Cockneys vs. Zombies. 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 DVD Talk's reviews of the latest releases including: The World's End [a 2nd review]- Edgar Writer's newest film is fun, hilarious, and manages to have genuine moments; and You're Next [a 2nd review]- a home invasion slasher flick that makes good use of its meager budget. Other recent films include: Kick-Ass 2, Elysium, The Wolverine, I'm So Excited, The Conjuring, Pacific Rim, The Lone Ranger , and Despicable Me 2. Check out these, and more, in DVDTalk's Theatrical Review section.

Doctor Who: Spearhead from Space Blu-ray Edition

TV on DVD remains very popular with more and more favorites being released. New TV reviews include: Doctor Who: Spearhead from Space Blu-ray Edition - classic Who arrives on Blu-ray... this story remains a highlight in the early seventies run of the series and one of the best episodes that Jon Pertwee was involved in; The Arthur C. Clarke Collection - a must-own for aficionados of vintage television related to the "unknown"; and WarGames: WCW's Most Notorious Matches - a solid, no-frills, no-nonsense presentation of an iconic "gimmick" match. Other shows recently reviewed include: Doctor Who: The Green Death Special Edition, George Gently, Series 5, and Wedding Band: 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: Betty Boop: The Essential Collection Volume 1 - Max Fleischer's classic cartoon character is pert, saucy and downright adult-rated, and the bop-to-the-jazz-beat "Toontown" animation style is bizarre, hypnotic; Shane - Alan Ladd is the ultimate man of mystery, a gunman-cavalier who saves the day for the sodbusters, thus insuring that America grows strong and free; and The House of Seven Corpses - A old fashioned, reasonably creepy horror offering... a film crew shooting a horror picture in an old mansion is threatened by the same occult forces that killed seven people there many years before. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

There are some new titles coming out that might make it worth a trip to the video store this week. Check out these recent releases: The Awful Dr. Orlof [Blu-ray review, DVD review] - a minor gem, filled with all sorts of clever ideas, fully signifying Jess Franco's arrival as a horror director of note; Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Third Season [review] - the acting and storylines are consistently good... this is one of best television dramas out there; and Amour [review] - writer/director Michael Haneke's brutally honest picture is tremendously moving and powerful in a way very, very few films are. 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 Devil's Backbone: Criterion Collection - Guillermo del Toro's tale of orphaned children and their meager existence is an effective ghost story which is suspenseful, but in different ways than you'd expect; The Driver - Walter Hill's film is a lean, entertaining thriller that is coolly effective and features several impressive chase sequences; and Kansas City Bomber - a grimy little actioner that's both incisive and intriguingly hazy, perfectly documenting a long-lost, sordid milieu. Other recent reviews include: That Touch of Mink, The Earrings of Madame De...: The Criterion Collection, and What Maisie Knew. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

It'd be a good weekend to go to the movies. Here are DVDTalk's recent theatrical reviews: Kick-Ass 2 - It isn't as cool as the previous film, but this is still a worthwhile moviegoing experience for fans; and RiffTrax Live: Starship Troopers - The Rifftrax crew does a great job skewering Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi action flick in this live event. If you missed it, there is an encore performance on September 12. Other recent films include: Elysium, The Wolverine, I'm So ExcitedThe Conjuring, Pacific Rim, The Lone Ranger , Despicable Me 2, The Way, Way Back, Monsters University, and World War Z.. Check out these, and more, in DVDTalk's Theatrical Review section.

Some great TV shows have made their way onto DVD this week including: Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Third Season - in this show's third season the team of writers, directors and actors may have done their best work to date; Medical Center: The Complete Third Season -another solid season for the beautifully produced medico series; and The Beasts are on the Streets - Hanna-Barbera meets Irwin Allen in this 1978 made-for-TV disaster flick directed by James Bond helmsman Peter Hunt. Other shows recently reviewed include: Doc Martin's Casebook: Sets 1-5, Nickelodeon Double Pack! (Dora's Musical School Days / Blue's Big Musical Movie), and Joanna Lumley's Nile. 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 Awful Dr. Orlof - The late Jess Franco's first horror film is an eventful gothic chiller with plenty of screaming victims, a crazed mad doctor and the ultimate henchman, a mute, blind, bug-eyed quasi-zombie who likes to molest women and answers to the name "Morpho"; Cry Vengeance - Scarred ex-con Mark Stevens has but one thought after his release from prison: track down and kill the mobster responsible for the death of his wife and child; and The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu - This 3-hour Romanian documentary assembles uncut propaganda/publicity newsreels generated by the Ceausescu regime from the 1950s to the day in 1989 when he was overthrown and summarily executed. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

It's a bit of a slow week for new home video releases, but there are still some discs you might want to take note of including: Seconds [review] - John Frankenheimer's sci-fi-tinged story about a man stuck in a dead-end life given a second chance to live happily is a harrowing exploration of the meaning of the American dream; Olympus Has Fallen [review] - a serious, physically hard-hitting rush of action built around a foreign terrorist's siege of the White House; and The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec [review] - Luc Besson's adaptaion of Jacques Tardi's original comics features a fun starring performance from Louise Bourgoin. 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: Burn (2012) - an excellent documentary about firefighters fighting for the city they love (Detroit) but which doesn't love them back; Zero Effect - a severely underrated modern noir film that holds up extremely well and remains a well-plotted mystery populated by excellent performances; and Amour - writer/director Michael Haneke's brutally honest picture is tremendously moving and powerful in a way very, very few films are. Other recent reviews include: Landmarks of Early Soviet Film, Vanishing Waves, and Paradise: Love. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

Check out DVDTalk's latest reviews of movies that are in theatrical release. This week's crop includes: Elysium, a 2nd review- latest in a surprising string of "our planet is doomed" science-fiction films, this isn't the masterpiece that some moviegoers were hoping for but it still manages to be a worthwhile feature; and Blue Jasmine - Cate Blanchett is remarkable as the frayed trophy wife losing her grip in the latest ethical drama from the ever-prolific Woody Allen. Other recent films include: The Wolverine, I'm So ExcitedThe Conjuring, Pacific Rim, The Lone Ranger , Despicable Me 2, The Way, Way Back, Monsters University, and World War Z.. 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: Community: The Complete Fourth Season - In this first season without the show's creator/executive producer Dan Harmon at the helm, the group finds itself on the verge of graduating from Greendale Community College, something they try to rectify; Damages: The Final Season - the legal drama-noirish thriller starring Glenn Close and Rose Byrne remains totally engrossing in its fifth and final season; and Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited 1-4 - This set collects one serial a piece for the first four men to step into the role of The Doctor, William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, John Pertwee and of course Tom Baker. If you're a fan and looking to sample some of the vintages serials but don't know where to start, this is a pretty solid collection of stories. Other shows recently reviewed include: Superjail: Season Three, Midsomer Murders: Set 22, and Nicky Deuce. 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 Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell - Otto Preminger takes on the military establishment in this true story of a general who refused to stay silent about Army mismanagement; Terror on a Train - Rushed out to defuse a shipment of naval mines, industrial engineer Glenn Ford must somehow check out eleven freight cars stacked with the buggers, any one of which might have been tampered with... and he has only seven hours to get the job done; and Seconds - A depressed middle-aged businessman longs to escape from the loveless, dreary life he has made for himself -- and then makes contact with a mysterious organization that provides a new identity, a new appearance, and a new beginning -- for a price. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

There are some new titles coming out that might make it worth a trip to the video store this week. Check out these recent releases: Oblivion [review] - Director Joseph Kosinski intentionally created a film that pays tribute to earlier sci-fi classics... its visual effects and cinematography are excellent, and any story hiccups are overcome by the intriguing finale and fluid action; Robin Hood: 40th Anniversary Edition [review] - a fun, lightweight and unpretentious film that families can still enjoy featuring likable characters, plenty of laughs, a breezy plot and attractive animation; and The Garden of Words [review] - this visually sumptuous anime tells a simple, real-world story with a great sensitivity and attention to detail. It comes highly recommended Other reviews of note include A Boy And His Dog [review], Mud [review], and The Place Beyond the Pines [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: Trance - James McAvoy, Vincent Cassel and Rosario Dawson are all excellent in this film, which uses hypnotherapy as a plot device to help McAvoy find the location of a Goya painting he stole; Peggy Sue Got Married - Kathleen Turner's performance, John Barry's score, some good direction, and scattered scenes of powerful, truthful emotion make tis a movie worth seeing; and Niagara: 60th Anniversary Edition - Marilyn Monroe sizzles in this sexually potent, psychologically thrilling mix of melodrama and hardboiled action. Other recent reviews include: The Awful Dr. Orlof, Ishtar, and Boy. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.

TV on DVD remains as popular as ever. Check out reviews of these recent releases: The Jack Benny Program: The Lost Episodes - the shows in this set are a goldmine... not only are 18 episodes included, but a wealth of bonus material including newsreel clips dating as far back as 1935 and excerpts from Benny's later TV specials; Wilfred: The Complete Original Series - a laid-back, hilariously grotesque fantasy with a nasty bite this Aussie original version of the show is much better than the American remake; and Banshee: The Complete First Season - the chaotic story of Lucas Hood, an ex-con that assumes the identity of a small-town sheriff in this Cinemax original series. Other shows recently reviewed include: Maria Bamford: Ask Me About My New God!, I Dream Of Jeannie...15 Years Later, and Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption. Want more? Check out all of the TV on DVD reviews in the DVDTalk database.