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DVD/Blu-ray DISCussion (New for 11.08.11)

All good things have to come to end and that is certainly the case of the "Harry Potter" series. After seven books and eight movies, the fantasy series has finally come to its conclusion. So not only is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow Part 2 coming out to DVD and Blu-ray, but also an eight-film collection which is our Recommendation of the Week. 

First Releases
- Cars 2 (DVD and Blu-ray)
- The Change-Up (DVD and Blu-ray)
- 13 (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Atlas Shrugged: Part 1 (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (DVD and Blu-ray) (Release Date Nov. 11)
- Harry Potter: the 8 Film Collection (DVD and Blu-ray) (Release Date Nov. 11)

Re-Releases
- Bolt in 3D (Blu-ray)
- Meet the Robinsons in 3D (Blu-ray)
- Fanny and Alexander (Blu-ray)
- Blue Velvet (Blu-ray)
- The Fisher King (Blu-ray)
- Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) (Blu-ray)
- One Eyed Jacks (Blu-ray)
- Gia (Blu-ray)


Harry Potter: The 8 Film Collection (Blu-ray) (Release Date Nov. 11) *Recommendation of the Week*

What’s the Deal?
"Harry Potter" is the most successful movie franchise ever, earning $7.7 billion worldwide. Despite this, Warner Bros. plans to discontinue all DVDs and Blu-rays on Dec. 29. So if you do not own any of the "Harry Potter" movies and are planning on buying them, this is the box set for you.

The series has been so successful because of the high quality of the movies and talent involved. Top directors Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men), Mike Newell (Donnie Brasco) and David Yates have contributed to the movies and the cream of British acting talent has gotten involved in this fantasy series. "Harry Potter" also brought fame to its young stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, and the series has helped make Britain a very attractive place to film blockbusters.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 80% (very good) (read our review)
Player Affinity Score: 6.8/10

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 83% (very good) (read our review)
Player Affinity Score: 7.0/10

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 91% (excellent) (read our review)
Player Affinity Score: 8.5/10

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 87% (excellent) (read our review)
Player Affinity Score: 7.8/10

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 78% (very good) (read our review)
Player Affinity Score: 8.3/10

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 83% (very good) (read our review)
Player Affinity Score: 7.7/10

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 79% (very good) (read our review)
Player Affinity Score: 9.0/10

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 96% (excellent) (read our review)
Player Affinity Score: 8.7/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $48.99 (DVD), $79.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


The other major new release of the week is Pixar’s latest, Cars 2. And for those of you looking for something older, there is the 3D Blu-ray of Bolt, David Lynch’s Blue Velvet and Terry Gilliam’s The Fisher King. For fans of world cinema, there is the Swedish movie Fanny and Alexander.


Cars 2 (DVD and Blu-ray)

What’s the Deal?
Pixar’s "perfect record" as a studio is no more in the eyes of many thanks to Cars 2, their first poorly received movie. Despite fans of Pixar not wanting a sequel to Cars, this series was a passion project for John Lasseter. Made as a Bond spoof, Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy return and Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer and Eddie Izzard join the voice cast.

Since the first movie, Lightening McQueen (Wilson) has become a successful race car, winning the Pistol Cup a number of times and is invited to compete in the first World Grand Prix. With his friend Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), the two travel the world. At the same time, Britain’s best spy, Finn McMissile (Caine), has to stop a new villain and recruits Mater to help him.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 38% (poor)
Player Affinity Score: 7.0/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: Theatrical Short - Toy Story Toon: Hawaiian Vacation; All-New, Exclusive Cars Toon: Air Mater; Director Commentary

Additional 3D Blu-ray Special Features: Nuts and Bolts: A Sneak Peek of Cars Land; World Tour – Interactive Map; Deleted Scenes; Short Documentaries; Set Explorations from the Different Cities in the Movie

Amazon Price: $16.99 (DVD), $24.99 (Blu-ray), $31.99 (3D Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 2.5 stars, Video 5 stars, Audio 5 stars, Extras 2 stars, Replay 2 stars (out of 5). Rent It.


The Change-Up (DVD and Blu-ray)

What’s the Deal?
From the director of Wedding Crashers and the writers of The Hangover comes a mediocre body-swap comedy starring Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman.

Dave (Bateman) is a family man who envies his friend Mitch's (Reynolds) care-free life while Mitch believes Dave has it all. After a night of drinking the two urinate in a fountain and end up swapping bodies.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 24% (poor)
Player Affinity Score: 5.7/10 (read our review)

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $17.99 (DVD), $19.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


13 (DVD and Blu-ray)

What’s the Deal?
13 Tzameti was a highly praised French movie by Georgian director Gela Babluani. It was so success that Babluani made an English-language remake, like what Michael Haneke did with Funny Games. Also, like Funny Games, 13 was met with a negative critical reaction. Babluani brought together a decent cast with Sam Riley (Control), Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Ray Winstone, 50 Cent and Michael Shannon.

The plot is simple: Vince (Riley) is a naïve young man who assumes the identity of another and ends up competing in a in a underground Russian Roulette tournament.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 8% (awful)
Player Affinity Score: N/A

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $16.99 (DVD), $26.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


Atlas Shrugged: Part 1 (DVD and Blu-ray)

What’s the Deal?
Ayn Rand's novels and other writings are iconic for right wingers and her 1,168 page novel, Atlas Shrugged, is considered her greatest work. Because of the length of that novel, Producer John Aglialoro planned to turn the novel into a movie trilogy, but seeing as the first movie was a critical and box-office flop, it is unlikely we will ever see the other parts made. Actor Paul Johannson directed this adaptation that stars Taylor Schilling (Mercy) and Grant Bowler (Killer Elite).

In 2016, the American economy is one the verge of collapse (so it has not changed since 2008). Factories are closing down, transportation is grinding to a halt and misery reigns across the land. Major people who kept the country running are disappearing and no one knows why. Amidst the chaos, one executive, Dagny Taggart (Schilling), wants to keep her railroad company running despite government interference and asks the question, who is John Galt?

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 12% (awful)
Player Affinity Score: N/A

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: Road to Atlas Shrugged; I Am John Galt; "The John Galt Theme" Slideshow; Commentary with John Aglialoro, Brian Patrick O'Toole and Harmon Kaslow

Amazon Price: $16.99 (DVD), $19.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (DVD and Blu-ray) (Release Date Nov. 11)

What’s the Deal?
To many critics and fans, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is seen as saving the best for last and Warner Bros. hopes to push this movie for some Oscars. It is also the most successful movie of the series, making over $1 billion worldwide. Made back-to-back with “Part 1,” David Yates returns as director for fourth time and most of the cast returns for the final movie. A new addition is Kelly MacDonald (No Country for Old Men).

After Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) escape from the Malfoy estate, they end up knowing where to find the Horcruxes. After a bank heist, the teens have to go back to Hogwarts where Voldemort and his Death Eaters plan their final assault to stop the Boy Who Lived.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 96% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: 8.7/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: Additional Scenes; Warner Bros. Studio Tour (London)

Additional Blu-ray/DVD Combo Special Features: Maximum Movie Mode hosted by Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) and other cast members; A Conversation with JK Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe; The Goblins of Gringott's; The Women of Harry Potter

Amazon Price: $13.99 (DVD), $17.99 (Blu-ray), $19.99 (Three-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


Bolt in 3D (Blu-ray)

What’s the Deal?
Bolt was the first movie under John Lasseter’s control of Disney Animation under his plan of releasing all future Disney and Pixar movies in 3D. Tangled directors Chris Williams and Byron Howard helm this movie that was utilized the voice talents of John Travolta, Susie Essman (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Mark Walton and Miley Cyrus.

Bolt (Travolta) is a dog who stars on a popular TV show, a job he's had since his puppy years. But Bolt actually believes he has superpowers and when his co-star Penny (Cyrus) is kidnapped in the latest episode Bolt sets out to save her under the impression she has actually been abducted. On the way, Bolt meets his biggest fan, Rhino the Hamster (Cyrus) and Mittens the spray cat (Essman), who give Bolt some brutal truths.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 88% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: 7.5/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $37.49 (3D Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


Meet the Robinsons in 3D (Blu-ray)

What’s the Deal?
The futuristic sci-fi animated feature Meet the Robinsons was the first movie to be released under John Lasseter’s return as the head of Disney Animation. Directed by Steve Anderson (Winnie the Pooh), Meet the Robinsons tells the story of Lewis (Daniel Hansen and Jordan Fry), a 12-year-old who is an orphan and a brilliant inventor. But when one of his inventions transports him into the year 2037, he sets out to find the family he does not know.
 
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 66% (good)
Player Affinity Score: 7.0/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: Audio Commentary; Inventing The Robinsons; Deleted Scenes; Keep Moving Forward -- Inventions That Shaped The World; Bowler Hat Barrage! Game; Family Function 5000: Family Tree Game; "Kids of The Future" Music Video By Jonas Brothers; "Little Wonders" Music Video Performed By Rob Thomas; Movie Showcase

Amazon Price: $33.99 (3D Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


Fanny and Alexander (Blu-ray)

What’s the Deal?
Ingmar Bergman is Sweden’s best known filmmaker, and courtesy of the Criterion Collection, you can now own his 1982 movie Fanny and Alexander, which also comes with the 320-minute-long cut that was shown as a TV series in Sweden. Both the movie and the TV series are highly praised pieces of work and the movie version won four Oscars, including Best Foreign Language Film.

Set in turn of the century Sweden, Fanny and Alexander focuses on Alexander (Bertil Guve), an 11-year-old boy who watches the highs and lows of the Ekdahl family.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 100% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: N/A

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: Ingmar Bergman Bids Farewell to Film, a sixty-minute conversation between Bergman and film critic Nils Petter Sundgren recorded for Swedish television in 1984; Audio commentary on the theatrical version by film scholar Peter Cowie; A Bergman Tapestry, a documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew; Costume sketches and footage of the models for the film’s sets; Stills gallery; Theatrical trailer; Optional English-dubbed soundtrack for the theatrical version; PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by documentarian and film historian Stig Björkman, novelist Rick Moody, and film scholar Paul Arthur; Fanny and Alexander—The Television Version 1982, 320 minutes, In Swedish with English subtitles; Fanny and Alexander—The Theatrical Version 1982, 188 minutes, In Swedish with English subtitles; The Making of Fanny and Alexander 1983, 110 minutes, In Swedish with English subtitles

Amazon Price: $40.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


Blue Velvet (Blu-ray)

What’s the Deal?
David Lynch is a highly regarded director, but because of his surreal style it is sometimes hard to warm up to some of his movies. Blue Velvet is considered one of his best.

In an idyllic small town in America, a young man, Jeffrey (Kyle MacLachlan), makes a shocking discovery when he finds a severed human ear. Annoyed with the police’s slow investigation, Jeffrey stars to investigate himself with the police detective’s daughter, Dorothy (Isabella Rossellini) and the two soon discover the sinister underworld that lies beneath their town.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 91% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: 8.5/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $15.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


The Fisher King (Blu-ray)

What’s the Deal?
The comedy drama The Fisher King has a lot of talent both in front and behind the camera. Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges star in this movie directed by the great Terry Gilliam and written by Richard LaGranvenese (A Little Princess).

Jack Lucas (Bridges) is a popular talk radio host who becomes suicidal after a madman is influenced to carry out a massacre because of his show. Filled with remorse, Jack ends up befriending a homeless man, Perry (Williams), a man who is a victim of the massacre and Jack attempts to find redemption through Perry.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 85% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: N/A

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $12.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) (Blu-ray)

What’s the Deal?
The famous historical event of the Mutiny on the Bounty has been adapted a number of times, including in 1935 and 1984. The 1962 version was based on the 1932 novel of the same name by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall and adapted by Charles Lederer (The Thing from Outer Space). Lewis Milestone (All Quiet on the Western Front) directs and Mutiny on the Bounty was his last movie. Marlon Brando leads a cast that includes Trevor Howard (Brief Encounters) and Richard Harris.

In 1787, the HMS Bounty is sent on an expedition to Tahiti and her captain, Bligh (Howard), wants to get to the island as fast as possible. He enforces a strict regime on the ship, leading to hostility and a mutiny lead by First Lieutenant Fletcher Christian (Brando).

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 69% (good)
Player Affinity Score: N/A

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $15.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


One Eyed Jacks (Blu-ray)

What’s the Deal?
The Western One Eyed Jacks had a troubled production history thanks to its star Marlon Brando. Sam Peckinpah was fired from the writing duties and Stanley Kubrick was replaced as director by Brando himself. Because of Brando’s inexperience behind the camera he ended up making a five hour long movie which Paramount had to cut.

After a bank robbery in Mexico, Dad Longworth (Karl Malden) is able to take all the stolen gold and leaves his partner Rio (Brando) to be captured. Years later Rio escapes from prison and plans to get revenge against Dad who ended up becoming a respected sheriff in a small town in California.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 46% (average)
Player Affinity Score: N/A

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: Includes original theatrical trailer, and period movie poster gallery!

Amazon Price: $12.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


Gia (Blu-ray)

What’s the Deal?
Back in the mid-to-late '90s, Angelina Jolie was an emerging star and the HBO TV movie Gia was a stepping stone to the fame and respect she later earned. Jolie won a Golden Globe for her performance as the world’s first supermodel, Gia Carangi, from her rise in the fashion world, her descent into drug addiction and her death at 26 from AIDS.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 92% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: 7.0/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $10.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 1.5 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 0 stars, Replay 1 stars (out of 5). Skip It.

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