DISCussion: New on DVD and Blu-ray (6.24.2014)
The long awaited sequel to the 2007 action movie 300, 300: Rise of Empire is Entertainment Fuse's Recommendation of the Week.
First Release
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300: Rise of an Empire (DVD and Blu-ray)
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Enemy (DVD and Blu-ray)
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Winter's Tale (DVD and Blu-ray)
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Blood Ties (DVD and Blu-ray)
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Wolf Creek 2 (DVD and Blu-ray)
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Rob the Mob (DVD and Blu-ray)
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The Wedding Video (DVD)
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The Coed and The Zombie Stoner (DVD)
Re-Release
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A Hard Day's Night (1963) (Blu-ray)
300: Rise of an Empire (DVD and Blu-ray) *Recommendation of the Week*
Directed by Noam Murro
Written by Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad (screenplay), Frank Miller (unpublished graphic novel 'Xerxes')
Starring: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson, Rodrigo Santoro
When
300 was released it quickly became a fans favorite and made Zack Snyder a hot director in Hollywood. A sequel was commissioned, but it took seven years for it to reach cinemas.
300: Rise of an Empire tells the sidestory of the Battle of Salamis, the navel battle between the city state of Athens and the might of the Persian Empire. Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton,
Strike Back) is Athens' best general and is determine to save democracy whiles Artemisia (Eva Green) is a power hungry commander of the Persian navy and is determined to get revenge against the Greeks who left her for dead.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 41% (poor)
Metacritic Rating: 48/100 (average)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 6.8/10 (
read our review)
DISC DETAILS
Amazon Price: $16.99 (DVD),
$19.99 (Blu-ray),
$24.99 (3D Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 2.5 stars, Video 5 stars, Audio 5 stars, Extras 3.5 stars, Replay 2.5 stars (out of 5). Rent It.
They are many movies being released onto DVD and Blu-ray this week, including the psychological thriller Enemy, the critically derided Winter's Tale and horror sequel Wolf
Creek 2.
Enemy (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Written by Javier Gullón (screenplay), José Saramago (novel)
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mélanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon, Isabella Rossellini
As well as making
Prisoners last year Denis Villeneuve and Jake Gyllenhaal also made the psychological thriller
Enemy about a history professor, Adam Bell (Gyllenhaal) who ends up discovering he has a doppelganger and does everything he can to find out about him.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 75% (very good)
Metacritic Rating: 60/100 (good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 8.0/10 (
read our review)
DISC DETAILS
Amazon Price: $12.99 (DVD),
$19.99 (Blu-ray)
Winter's Tale (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Akiva Goldsman
Written by Akiva Goldsman (screenplay), Mark Helprin (novel)
Starring: Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Eva Marie Saint, Russell Crowe
Mark Helprin's
Winter's Tale is a critically acclaimed novel 1983 which Martin Scorsese thought was unfilmable. But it was a passion project for Akiva Goldman, the writer of movies such as
A Beautiful Mind,
Cinderella Man and
Batman & Robin and he made his directional debut with this adaptation.
Winter's Tale is a romantic tale set in New York, 1916 about Peter Lake (Colin Farrell), a thief who falls in love with dying young woman, Beverly Penn (Jessica Brown Findlay,
Downton Abbey). But he also crosses a ruthless gangster, Pearly Soames (Russell Crowe).
The movie was highly criticized, from the insane supernatural elements to Russell Crowe giving one of the worst attempts at an Irish accent we have heard in a long time.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 13% (awful)
Metacritic Rating: 31/100 (poor)
DISC DETAILS
Amazon Price: $16.99 (DVD),
$22.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 1.5 stars, Video 4.5 stars, Audio 4.5 stars, Extras 1 stars, Replay 1.5 stars (out of 5). Rent It.
Blood Ties (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Guillaume Canet
Written by Guillanume Canet, James Gray (screenplay), Jacques Maillot (original movie 'Les Liens du Sang')
Starring: Clive Owen, Billy Crudup, Marion Cotillard, Mila Kunis, Zoe Saldana, Matthias Schoenaerts, James Caan
The French director of
Tell No One Guillaume Canet makes his English language debut with the remake of the 2008 movie
Les Liens du Sang. This crime thriller tells the story of two brothers, Chris (Clive Owen), an ex-con trying to go straight and Frank (Billy Crudup,
Watchmen), a cop in the NYPD.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 47% (average)
Metacritic Rating: 46/100 (average)
DISC DETAILS
Amazon Price: $12.99 (DVD),
$15.58 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 2.5 stars, Video 4.5 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 1.5 stars, Replay 2 stars (out of 5). Rent It.
Wolf Creek 2 (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Greg McLean
Written by Greg McLean, Aaron Sterns
Starring: John Jarratt, Ryan Corr, Shannon Ashlyn
The original
Wolf Creek was a controversial horror movie with people either loving or hating the flick. Now a sequel has been made as pig-hunter and serial killer Mick Taylor (John Jarratt) finds more travelers who have to misfortunate to meet him in the Australian Outback.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 48% (average)
Metacritic Rating: 44/100 (poor)
DISC DETAILS
Amazon Price: $11.99 (DVD),
$16.49 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 4 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 4.5 stars, Extras 3.5 stars, Replay 3.5 stars (out of 5). Highly Recommended.
Rob the Mob (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Raymond De Felitta
Written by Jonathan Fernandez
Starring: Michael Pitt, Nina Arianda, Ray Romano, Andy Garica
Rob the Mob is another crime drama being released this week. Tommy (Michael Pitt,
Boardwalk Empire) and Rosie (Nina Arianda,
Tower Heist) are a New York couple in 1991 who rob the Mafia. But they take their actions too far and are hunted by both the criminal underworld and the FBI.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 83% (very good)
Metacritic Rating: 63/100 (good)
DISC DETAILS
Amazon Price: $12.99 (DVD),
$15.49 (Blu-ray)
The Wedding Video (DVD)
Directed by Nigel Cole
Written by Tim Firth
Starring: Rufus Hound, Lucy Punch, Robert Webb
The Wedding Video is a found footage British comedy starring many comedy actors the British love. Directed by Nigel Cole (
Made in Dagenham),
The Wedding Video stars stand-up comedian Rufus Hound as Raif Moyle who decides as a wedding gift for his brother, Tim (Robert Webb,
Peep Show) to make a wedding video for him and his fiancé. But everything that can go wrong will go wrong.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 71% (good)
Metacritic Rating: 51/100 (average)
DISC DETAILS
Amazon Price: $17.98 (DVD)
The Coed and The Zombie Stoner (DVD)
Directed by Glenn Miller
Written by Scotty Mullen
Starring: Ben Whale, Diane Chambers, Jamie Noel, Mindy Robinson, Catherine Annette
It is safe to say that
The Coed and The Zombie Stoner is not going to be a art-house masterpiece as this horror-comedy sees a nerdy sorority fall for one of the undead during the zombie apocalypse.
DISC DETAILS
Amazon Price: $13.44 (DVD)
A Hard Day's Night (Blu-ray)
Directed by Richard Lester
Written by Alun Owen
Starring: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Wilfrid Brambell, Norman Rossington, John Junkin, Victor Spinetti, Maggie d'Abo
The only major re-release this week is The Beatles movie
A Hard Day's Night, a fictionalized movie telling the story of a 'typical' day of The Fab Four.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 99% (excellent)
Metacritic Rating: 95/100 (excellent)
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: New 4K digital film restoration, approved by director Richard Lester, with two audio options—a monaural soundtrack and a new 5.1 surround soundtrack made by Apple Records—presented in uncompressed monaural and DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray; Audio commentary featuring various members of the film’s cast and crew;
In Their Own Voices, a new piece combining interviews with the Beatles from 1964 with behind-the-scenes footage and photos;
You Can’t Do That: The Making of “A Hard Day’s Night,” a 1994 documentary program by producer Walter Shenson;
Things They Said Today, a 2002 documentary about the film featuring Lester, music producer George Martin, writer Alun Owen, cinematographer Gilbert Taylor, and others; a new piece about Lester’s early work, featuring a new audio interview with the director;
The Running Jumping and Standing Still Film (1959), Lester’s Oscar-nominated short film featuring Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan;
Anatomy of a Style, a new piece on Lester’s approach to editing; new interview with Mark Lewisohn, author of
Tune In: The Beatles: All These Years—Volume One; Deleted scene; Trailers; One Blu-ray and two DVDs, with all content available in both formats; PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Howard Hampton
Amazon Price: $24.99 (Blu-ray)
300: Rise of an Empire (DVD and Blu-ray) *Recommendation of the Week*
Directed by Noam Murro
Written by Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad (screenplay), Frank Miller (unpublished graphic novel 'Xerxes')
Starring: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson, Rodrigo Santoro
When 300 was released it quickly became a fans favorite and made Zack Snyder a hot director in Hollywood. A sequel was commissioned, but it took seven years for it to reach cinemas.
300: Rise of an Empire tells the sidestory of the Battle of Salamis, the navel battle between the city state of Athens and the might of the Persian Empire. Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton, Strike Back) is Athens' best general and is determine to save democracy whiles Artemisia (Eva Green) is a power hungry commander of the Persian navy and is determined to get revenge against the Greeks who left her for dead.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 41% (poor)
Metacritic Rating: 48/100 (average)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 6.8/10 (read our review)
DISC DETAILS
Amazon Price: $16.99 (DVD), $19.99 (Blu-ray), $24.99 (3D Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 2.5 stars, Video 5 stars, Audio 5 stars, Extras 3.5 stars, Replay 2.5 stars (out of 5). Rent It.
They are many movies being released onto DVD and Blu-ray this week, including the psychological thriller Enemy, the critically derided Winter's Tale and horror sequel Wolf
Creek 2.
Enemy (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Written by Javier Gullón (screenplay), José Saramago (novel)
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mélanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon, Isabella Rossellini
As well as making Prisoners last year Denis Villeneuve and Jake Gyllenhaal also made the psychological thriller Enemy about a history professor, Adam Bell (Gyllenhaal) who ends up discovering he has a doppelganger and does everything he can to find out about him.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 75% (very good)
Metacritic Rating: 60/100 (good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 8.0/10 (read our review)
DISC DETAILS
Amazon Price: $12.99 (DVD), $19.99 (Blu-ray)
Winter's Tale (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Akiva Goldsman
Written by Akiva Goldsman (screenplay), Mark Helprin (novel)
Starring: Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Eva Marie Saint, Russell Crowe
Mark Helprin's Winter's Tale is a critically acclaimed novel 1983 which Martin Scorsese thought was unfilmable. But it was a passion project for Akiva Goldman, the writer of movies such as A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man and Batman & Robin and he made his directional debut with this adaptation.
Winter's Tale is a romantic tale set in New York, 1916 about Peter Lake (Colin Farrell), a thief who falls in love with dying young woman, Beverly Penn (Jessica Brown Findlay, Downton Abbey). But he also crosses a ruthless gangster, Pearly Soames (Russell Crowe).
The movie was highly criticized, from the insane supernatural elements to Russell Crowe giving one of the worst attempts at an Irish accent we have heard in a long time.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 13% (awful)
Metacritic Rating: 31/100 (poor)
DISC DETAILS
Amazon Price: $16.99 (DVD), $22.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 1.5 stars, Video 4.5 stars, Audio 4.5 stars, Extras 1 stars, Replay 1.5 stars (out of 5). Rent It.
Blood Ties (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Guillaume Canet
Written by Guillanume Canet, James Gray (screenplay), Jacques Maillot (original movie 'Les Liens du Sang')
Starring: Clive Owen, Billy Crudup, Marion Cotillard, Mila Kunis, Zoe Saldana, Matthias Schoenaerts, James Caan
The French director of Tell No One Guillaume Canet makes his English language debut with the remake of the 2008 movie Les Liens du Sang. This crime thriller tells the story of two brothers, Chris (Clive Owen), an ex-con trying to go straight and Frank (Billy Crudup, Watchmen), a cop in the NYPD.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 47% (average)
Metacritic Rating: 46/100 (average)
DISC DETAILS
Amazon Price: $12.99 (DVD), $15.58 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 2.5 stars, Video 4.5 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 1.5 stars, Replay 2 stars (out of 5). Rent It.
Wolf Creek 2 (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Greg McLean
Written by Greg McLean, Aaron Sterns
Starring: John Jarratt, Ryan Corr, Shannon Ashlyn
The original Wolf Creek was a controversial horror movie with people either loving or hating the flick. Now a sequel has been made as pig-hunter and serial killer Mick Taylor (John Jarratt) finds more travelers who have to misfortunate to meet him in the Australian Outback.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 48% (average)
Metacritic Rating: 44/100 (poor)
DISC DETAILS
Amazon Price: $11.99 (DVD), $16.49 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 4 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 4.5 stars, Extras 3.5 stars, Replay 3.5 stars (out of 5). Highly Recommended.
Rob the Mob (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Raymond De Felitta
Written by Jonathan Fernandez
Starring: Michael Pitt, Nina Arianda, Ray Romano, Andy Garica
Rob the Mob is another crime drama being released this week. Tommy (Michael Pitt, Boardwalk Empire) and Rosie (Nina Arianda, Tower Heist) are a New York couple in 1991 who rob the Mafia. But they take their actions too far and are hunted by both the criminal underworld and the FBI.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 83% (very good)
Metacritic Rating: 63/100 (good)
DISC DETAILS
Amazon Price: $12.99 (DVD), $15.49 (Blu-ray)
The Wedding Video (DVD)
Directed by Nigel Cole
Written by Tim Firth
Starring: Rufus Hound, Lucy Punch, Robert Webb
The Wedding Video is a found footage British comedy starring many comedy actors the British love. Directed by Nigel Cole (Made in Dagenham), The Wedding Video stars stand-up comedian Rufus Hound as Raif Moyle who decides as a wedding gift for his brother, Tim (Robert Webb, Peep Show) to make a wedding video for him and his fiancé. But everything that can go wrong will go wrong.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 71% (good)
Metacritic Rating: 51/100 (average)
DISC DETAILS
Amazon Price: $17.98 (DVD)
The Coed and The Zombie Stoner (DVD)
Directed by Glenn Miller
Written by Scotty Mullen
Starring: Ben Whale, Diane Chambers, Jamie Noel, Mindy Robinson, Catherine Annette
It is safe to say that The Coed and The Zombie Stoner is not going to be a art-house masterpiece as this horror-comedy sees a nerdy sorority fall for one of the undead during the zombie apocalypse.
DISC DETAILS
Amazon Price: $13.44 (DVD)
A Hard Day's Night (Blu-ray)
Directed by Richard Lester
Written by Alun Owen
Starring: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Wilfrid Brambell, Norman Rossington, John Junkin, Victor Spinetti, Maggie d'Abo
The only major re-release this week is The Beatles movie A Hard Day's Night, a fictionalized movie telling the story of a 'typical' day of The Fab Four.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 99% (excellent)
Metacritic Rating: 95/100 (excellent)
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: New 4K digital film restoration, approved by director Richard Lester, with two audio options—a monaural soundtrack and a new 5.1 surround soundtrack made by Apple Records—presented in uncompressed monaural and DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray; Audio commentary featuring various members of the film’s cast and crew; In Their Own Voices, a new piece combining interviews with the Beatles from 1964 with behind-the-scenes footage and photos; You Can’t Do That: The Making of “A Hard Day’s Night,” a 1994 documentary program by producer Walter Shenson; Things They Said Today, a 2002 documentary about the film featuring Lester, music producer George Martin, writer Alun Owen, cinematographer Gilbert Taylor, and others; a new piece about Lester’s early work, featuring a new audio interview with the director; The Running Jumping and Standing Still Film (1959), Lester’s Oscar-nominated short film featuring Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan; Anatomy of a Style, a new piece on Lester’s approach to editing; new interview with Mark Lewisohn, author of Tune In: The Beatles: All These Years—Volume One; Deleted scene; Trailers; One Blu-ray and two DVDs, with all content available in both formats; PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Howard Hampton
Amazon Price: $24.99 (Blu-ray) 
