DVD Talk: March 4, 2007 - March 10, 2007 Archives

Zack Snyder takes CGI-manipulation to a whole new level in his adaptation of Frank Miller's highly stylized, ultra-violent graphic novel 300. Gerard Butler steps into the role of Spartan king Leonidas as he leads his gang of 300 warriors against the massive Persian army. One of the year's most buzzed-about films, 300 opens wide this weekend. Also in theaters this week is The Host - Joon-ho Bong's modern take on the classic monster movie is getting some great word of mouth; The Namesake - Kal Penn goes the dramatic route in Mira Nair's follow-up to Vanity Fair; and The Ultimate Gift - Abigail Breslin and James Garner star in this heartwarming Faith-based film. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Wild Tigers I Have Known, Air Guitar Nation, Zodiac, Black Snake Moan, Wild Hogs, Days of Glory (Indigenes), Full of It, The Number 23, Reno 911!: Miami, The Astronaut Farmer, Amazing Grace. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films in theaters in our Movie Talk Forum Area.

Another action packed edition of The Blue Room this week starting off with a look our spotlight title Interactive Sex With Jenna Haze - call it a comeback of mammoth proportions with Jenna Haze showing that she's on top of her game in the best virtual sex title of the year. Chris Thorne's ever popular Thorne in Your Side feature is back with news of the first adult picture to hit Blu-Ray and the Showtime series apparently nobody wants you to find out about. The Blue Room is also filled to the rim with new reviews this week including: Penny Flame's Out of Control by Shane's World with Penny Flame trying 'a little something different', Educating Nikki - Hustler's debut of their smoking hot contract girl, Club Jenna's Casting Couch Part 1 - featuring early work from Lauren Phoenix, Vanessa Lane, Nadia Styles, Leah Luv, and Penny Flame. If you've ever read DVD Talk's adult reviews or read The Blue Room and wanted to give your two cents on titles, now is your chance. DVD Talk is looking for writers to join our adult review staff (more info here). We're looking for writers to cover both straight and gay adult titles.

DVD Stalk is back at it and packed with tons of great reviews (including an early look at the latest DVD release of Lucio Fulci's Lizard in a Woman's Skin, Terry Gilliam's latest, Tideland, and the Sarah Michelle Gellar starring The Return), information on all of this week's horror releases, and previews of some upcoming scares. We also have our usual bag of evil goodies, including the DVD Stalk Blog and an opportunity to load up on DVD Stalk apparel. We hope you'll check out DVD Stalk and drop us a line to let us know what you think. Check out our daily DVD Stalk Blog, friend us on DVD Stalk's MySpace, drop by the DVD Stalk Apparel Store, and be sure to check out DVD Talk's reviews of over 1,700 Horror DVDs.

A number of notable TV on DVD releases reviewed recently including: Hawaii Five-0 - The First Season - one of TV's best and most enduring cop shows looks fantastic on DVD; Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner - a man whose made a career out of lampooning himself gets savagely roasted, in a good way; Girlfriends - The Complete First Season - an enjoyable sitcom that will keep one laughing and smiling; Secret Agent - The Complete Collection Megaset - before Patrick McGoohan became forever identified with his groundbreaking surrealist series, The Prisoner, he rose to prominence on British television as a secret agent named John Drake. Other TV on DVD releases reviewed include: Dae Jang Geum 2, Da Vinci's Inquest: S1, McHale's Navy: S1, Maude: S1, News Radio: S5 and Sonic The Hedgehog. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted TV on DVD.

This week the DVD Savant has a number of new reviews including: Bicycle Thieves - Vittorio De Sica and Cesare Zavattini's landmark gets a visual dusting off, but the film itself needs no excuses; Performance - Nicolas Roeg and Donald Cammell's psychedelic gangster tale is one of the few 60s doper pictures that hasn't dated - the visuals and music video-like editing are knockouts; The Well - A small town explodes when it looks like a white man has murdered a tiny black girl. But then it's discovered what really happened to the tot; Literary Classics Collection - Warners stacks five (actually six) winning titles based on books you were supposed to read in school: The Prisoner of Zenda (1937 & 1952), The Three Musketeers (1948), Madame Bovary, Captain Horatio Hornblower and Billy Budd. Read all this and more in this week's DVD Savant.

A good week for notable DVDs including: Borat - Sacha Baron Cohen and Larry Charles team up to make one of the best satires we've seen in a very very long time, its not to be missed; Peter Pan: SE [Review] - a classic among classics this timeless tale about everlasting childhood has captivated the world and Disney's version is one of the most memorable; Confetti [Review] - the Brits try their hand at an entertaining Christopher Guest like mocumentary about wedding planners trying to out-due each other; South Park: S9 [Review] - the ninth season proves to be one of South Park's best and a must own DVD. Other notable DVDs out this week include: Fast Food Nation [Review], Hawaii Five-0: S1 [Review] and Revenge of the Nerds: SE. 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.

Buena Vista Home Entertainment pulled out all the stops with a major premiere for the launch of Peter Pan: Platinum Edition. One of Disney's finest classics Peter Pan gets its third DVD release in full Platinum Edition form featuring an all new digital restoration and 5.1 sound mix that represents one of Disney's best restorations jobs to date. To cover the premiere of this massive DVD launch, DVD Talk writer Jamie S. Rich traveled to London for a special screening and Peter Pan Tour of London (including a fly over the city). Ride along with Jamie as he takes a look at London from the perspective of Peter Pan. Also be sure to read DVD Talk's Review of Peter Pan: Platinum Edition DVD

This week we have a very special giveaway from Think Film for the DVD release of Shortbus. From acclaimed filmmaker John Cameron Mitchell (director of Hedwig and the Angry Inch) comes Shortbus, an exploration onto the lives of several characters living in present day New York as the navigate the comic and the tragic intersections between love and sex. The Shortbus DVD features: Gifted And Challenged: The Making Of Shortbus, How To Shoot Sex: A Docu-Primer, Deleted Scenes with Filmmaker & Cast Commentary, Filmmaker and Cast Feature Commentary and more. Enter now for your chance to win one of five copies of Shortbus DVD we're giving away this week.

This week we have several clips from Koch Lorber Films' La Belle Captive [view trailer]. Alain Robbe-Grillet's erotically-charged masterpiece portrays a man's obsession with a mysterious woman he meets in a nightclub and later encounters bound in the middle of a road. Enjoy these provocative clips from La Belle Captive: Blonde stranger, Shadowy meetings, House of horrors and Questions. In addition, Koch Vision brings you a special promotional clip from Mile High: The Complete First Season, the fast-paced and sexy BBC America hit series now on DVD.

With over 18,600 DVD reviews in the DVD Talk Review Database, it's easy to overlook some of the great reviews. Recent DVD Reviews include: Casino Royale - a reboot of the James Bond franchise with Daniel Craig adding his alternative take on the legendary spy; The Pursuit of Happyness - Will Smith is excellent in a film that is a cathartic emotional experience that gives you a character worth rooting for; For Your Consideration - Christopher Guest ventures beyond his signature mockumentary into straight satire with very good results; Journey to the End of the Night - a surprisingly taut drama benchmarked by fine, natural performances; The Holiday - a marathon of romantic comedy, but patient viewers will be rewarded with some genuinely satisfying moments; A Good Year - a beautifully shot, whimsically portrayed romantic comedy that adorns one of the most notoriously rugged dramatic actors with a soft spot. Visit the DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week including a the ability to Browse reviews by studio.

David Fincher finally sits back down in the Director's chair to helm the truth-based tale Zodiac. Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey, Jr., and Mark Ruffalo lead the hunt for the infamous San Francisco Bay Area serial killer. They may never have caught the actual murderer, but you can catch Zodiac as it opens wide this weekend. Also in theaters this week is Black Snake Moan - Craig Brewer follows up his critical darling, Hustle & Flow, with this sultry grimefest (and we mean that in the best possible way) starring Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci; Wild Hogs - Tim Allen, John Travolta, and Martin Lawrence star in this silly (and surprisingly funny) little flick; and Days of Glory (Indigenes) - Rachid Bouchareb's engaging and emotional WWII tale. Be sure to catch reviews of other recent Theatrical Films: Full of It, The Number 23, Reno 911!: Miami, The Astronaut Farmer, Amazing Grace, Ghost Rider, Bridge to Terabithia, Breach, Music and Lyrics. As always, we invite you to share your thoughts on films in theaters in our Movie Talk Forum Area.

This week we have a look at Martin Scorsese's The Departed - winner of 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Film Editing and Best Adapted Screenplay. Warner Bros has given The Departed the royal treatment on DVD with more than 2 hours of bonus features including: 9 additional scenes with Introductions by Director Martin Scorsese, Feature-Length Career profile "Scorsese on Scorsese", The Story of The Boston Mob, Crossing Criminal Cultures, and more. Check out these two clips from The Departed: a preview of The Departed and Behind The Scenes of The Departed. Get more info on The Departed DVD here.