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DISCussion: New on DVD and Blu-ray (1.27.15)

"New on DVD and Blu-ray this week!"
New on DVD this week is Brad Pitt's WWII action film, Fury, Academy Award-nominated animated feature, The Book of Life, and the film for which Robert Duvall received his Supporting Actor nomination, The Judge. With all the Oscar contenders in this week's line-up, we have decided to go with a sure-thing, and nominate The Usual Suspects as our Recommendation of the Week. New Release: Fury – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) The Book of Life – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) The Judge – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Before I Go to Sleep – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Why Don’t You Play in Hell – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Re-Release: The Usual Suspects (1995) – (20th Anniversary Blu-ray) *Recommendation of the Week* La Ciénaga (2001) – (Criterion Blu-ray)   New on DVD The Usual Suspects (1995) – (20th Anniversary Blu-ray)*Recommendation of the Week* Directed by Bryan Singer Written by Christopher McQuarrie Starring: Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Benico del Toro, Pete Postlethwaite Keyser Söze is back and better than ever after a 20th Anniversary makeover. Lies, deception, and one hell of a story earned The Usual Suspects two Oscars for Best Supporting Actor (Spacey) and Best Original Screenplay. A lone survivor recants to police the series of events leading up to a heist of epic proportions that ended in a deadly gun battle. Twists and turns define the narrative as Spacey's Verbal recants a wild tale of criminal masterminds. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 88% (Very Good) Metacritic: 77 (Very Good) IMDB: 8.7 (Excellent) Entertainment Fuse: 10/10 DISC DETAILS Amazon: $8.99 (Blu-ray)   New on DVD Fury – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Directed and written by David Ayer Starring: Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Bernthal, Michael Peña Norman Ellison (Lerman) is a young Army clerk who is inadvertently stationed with a war-hardened tank crew commanded by Don “Wardaddy” Collier (Pitt). Charged with engaging any remaining German forces outside of Berlin, Wardaddy's tank squadron comes face-to-face with Hitler's regime's death throws. Like a wounded animal backed into a corner, the Nazi's wildly rebel against the Allied forces, forcing Wardaddy and his contemporaries to put their hard-earned skills to the ultimate test. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 78% (Good) Metacritic: 64 (Good) IMDB: 7.8 (Very Good) Entertainment Fuse: 8.5/10 (Read our Review) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $19.96 (Blu-ray); $16.99 (DVD); $3.99/$14.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   New on DVD The Book of Life – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Directed by Jorge R. Gutiérrez Written by Jorge R. Gutiérrez and Douglas Langdale Starring: Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum The Book of Life is the Guillermo del Toro produced, vividly-imagined animated spectacle surrounding a young man torn between his family and love. Embarking on a journey that descends into the realm of the dead, Manolo (Luna) must go against worthy adversaries and his worst fears to reclaim his life and his love. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 82% (Very Good) Metacritic: 67 (Good) IMDB: 7.4 (Very Good) Entertainment Fuse: 8.5/10 DISC DETAILS Amazon: $19.99 (Blu-ray); $16.99 (DVD); $4.99/$12.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   New on DVD The Judge – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Directed by David Dobkin Written by Nic Schenk (screenplay and story), Bill Dubuque (screenplay), and David Dobkin (story) Starring: Robert Duvall, Robert Downey Jr., Vera Farminga Renown lawyer Hank Palmer (Downey Jr.) returns to his small-town home to represent his hard-headed father (Duvall) who has been charged with murder. As the town's judge, Joseph Palmer's murder trial garners widespread attention, and puts even more pressure on the already strained relationship between father and son. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 47% (Bad) Metacritic: 48 (Bad) IMDB: 7.5 (Very Good) Entertainment Fuse: 6/10 (Read our Review) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $22.99 (Blu-ray); $14.99 (DVD); $3.99/$14.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   New on DVD Before I Go to Sleep – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Directed by Rowan Joffe Written by Rowen Joffe (screenplay) and S.J. Watson (novel) Starring: Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong Great performances and quick pacing elevate an otherwise standard thriller. Christine Lucas (Kidman) has been in a terrible accident leaving her with anterograde amnesia. Unable to remember anything that happened the day before, Christine must piece together her life on a daily basis. Strong connotations to Christopher Nolan's Memento arise when Christine discovers that someone she loves might be lying about her “accident.” Incapable of trusting anyone around her, Christine struggles to uncover the truth. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 36% (Very Bad) Metacritic: 40 (Bad) IMDB: 6.2 (Good) Entertainment Fuse: 7/10 (Read our Review) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $17.96 (Blu-ray); $12.96 (DVD); $12.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   New on DVD Why Don’t You Play in Hell – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Directed and written by Shion Sono Starring: Jun Kunimura, Fumi Nikaidô, Shin'ichi Tsutsimi Over-the-top action and brutal violence define director Shion Sono's work, and are at their pinnacle in Why Don't You Play in Hell. When a wannabe film crew has the opportunity to document the clash between Yakuza rivals, they jump at the chance, but become embroiled in a bloody battle worthy of the upper echelon of Japanese horror/action cinema. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 83% (Very Good) Metacritic: 68 (Good) IMDB: 7.4 (Very Good) Entertainment Fuse: 8.5/10 DISC DETAILS Amazon: $19.99 (Blu-ray); $19.99 (DVD); $6.99/9.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   New on DVD La Ciénaga (2001) – (Criterion Blu-ray) Directed and written by Lucrecia Martel Starring: Mercedes Morán, Graciela Borges, Martín Adjemián A pioneering voice in Argentine cinema, Lucrecia Martel's La Ciénaga is a magnificently original work of art. Radically altering narrative structure and using a mixture of innovative sound and cinematographic techniques, Martel's film looks into class structure and political instability in the little-known region of the world. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 86% (Superb at 5 reviews) Metacritic: 75 (Good) IMDB: 7.0 (Very Good) DISC DETAILS Special Features: 4K digital film transfer, approved by director Lucrecia Martel, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray; Interview with Martel; Interview with filmmaker Andrés Di Tella about Martel and the film; Trailer; English subtitle translation; PLUS: An essay by film scholar David Oubiña Amazon: $27.59 (Criterion Blu-ray)

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