DISCussion: New on DVD and Blu-ray (3.18.2014)

For DISCussion this week, Disney's Frozen with the all the songs you love is coming out onto DVD and Blu-ray for your viewing pleasure. The DVD version comes with a music video and the short film Get a Horse and the Blu-ray also includes behind-the-scene documentaries and deleted scenes. First Release - Frozen (DVD and Blu-ray) - American Hustle (DVD and Blu-ray) - Saving Mr. Banks (DVD and Blu-ray) - Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (DVD and Blu-ray) - Kill Your Darlings (Blu-ray) - Reasonable Doubt (DVD and Blu-ray) Re-Release - The Hidden Fortress (1958) (Blu-ray) - A Brief History of Time (1992) (Blu-ray) - The Black Stallion (1979) (Blu-ray) - Mysterious Skin (2004) (Blu-ray) - The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) (Blu-ray) Frozen (DVD and Blu-ray) *Recommendation of the Week* Directed by Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee Written by Jennifer Lee (screenplay), Chris Beck, Jennifer Lee, Shane Morris (story), Hans Christian Andersen (fairy tale 'The Snow Queen') Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana Disney's animation resurgence continues with their latest princess musical Frozen which has earned $1 Billion in the box-office and Academy Awards for Best Animated Film and Best Original Song. In the kingdom of Arendelle Princess Elsa (Idina Menzel) is cursed with the uncontrollable power of creating ice and snow and has been living in isolation after injuring her sister Anna (Kristen Bell) when they were children. When their parents die on a sea voyage Elsa has to take the crown and during her coronation her powers are released, causing an eternal winter and she runs away to the mountains. It is up to Anna to go to the mountains to save her sister and Arendelle. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 89% (excellent) Metacritic Rating: 74/100 (good) Entertainment Fuse Score: 8.0/10 DISC DETAILS DVD Special Features: "Let It Go" (End Credit Version)" music videos; -Demi Lovato; -Martina Stoessel (Violetta): Spanish and Italian; "Get a Horse!" Mickey Mouse short Additional Blu-ray Special Features: "The making of Frozen" - learn the secret of how the movie was made in this musical extravaganza; D'frosted: Disney's journey from Hans Christian Andersen to Frozen - once upon a time, Walt Disney wanted to make a movie about a snow queen. Join the filmmakers and Disney legend Alice Davis as they discuss the company's 75-year journey to Frozen; Deleted scenes; Amazon Price: $14.96 (DVD), $19.96 (Blu-ray) Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 4.5 stars, Video 5 stars, Audio 5 stars, Extras 3.5 stars, Replay 4.5 stars (out of 5). Highly Recommended. All of this week's new DVD and Blu-ray releases feature big name actors with the highlights being American Hustle, Saving Mr. Banks and Kill Your Darlings. The Criterion Collection has two re-releases on offer this week, the Japanese movie The Hidden Fortress and the documentary A Brief History of Time. American Hustle (DVD and Blu-ray) Directed by David O. Russell Written by Eric Warren Singer, David O. Russell Starring: Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lawrence Writer/director David O. Russell has been very successful in the award seasons recently with his movies The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook. He continues this success with the crime comedy-drama American Hustle which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won three BAFTAs and three Golden Globes. Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) is a successful con-artist in 1970s New Jersey with his lover/partner-in-crime Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams). But when the FBI lead by Agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) close in on them they are given the choice between going to jail or help him bring down corrupt politicians in New Jersey, starting with the popular mayor of Camden, Carmine Politio (Jeremy Renner), a politician who genuinely wants to help his constituents. But Irving and Sydney's safety is put at risk because of the involvement of the Mafia and Irving's volatile wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence). Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 93% (excellent) Metacritic Rating: 90/100 (excellent) Entertainment Fuse Score: 7.3/10 DISC DETAILS DVD Special Features: The making of American Hustle; Deleted & extended scenes Amazon Price: $16.99 (DVD), $22.99 (Blu-ray) Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 4.5 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 4.5 stars, Extras 4 stars, Replay 4.5 stars (out of 5). DVD Talk Collector Series. Saving Mr. Banks (DVD and Blu-ray) Directed by John Lee Hancock Written by Kelly Marcel, Sue Smith Starring: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Collin Farrell The bio-pic Saving Mr. Banks about the author P.L. Travers was a highly praised comedy-drama based on a script by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith that was on the 2011 Black List of the best unproduced screenplays. Emma Thompson stars as Travers, the author the Mary Poppins books who has resisted selling the rights to her books to Disney for 20 years. But by 1961 she is running out of money has to go to Los Angeles to meet Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) and talk about an adaptation. Her conditions are she has script approval and there would be no songs or animation. In Los Angeles Travers reflects on her childhood, growing up in rural Australia with her lovely, yet alcoholic father (Colin Farrell) as she battle Disney's writers. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 80% (very good) Metacritic Rating: 65/100 (good) Entertainment Fuse Score: 6.5/10 (read our review) DISC DETAILS DVD Special Features: Deleted Scene -- "Nanny Song" Additional Blu-ray Special Features: The Walt Disney studios: from Poppins to the present - join director John Lee Hancock on a tour of the Disney Studios lot, reflect on studio life during the making of Mary Poppins, and discover how Walt's creative spirit still flourishes today; "Let's Go Fly a Kite" - cast and crew break out in a rousing, heartfelt tribute to composer Richard Sherman on the last day of filming; Deleted scenes Amazon Price: $17.99 (DVD), $22.99 (Blu-ray) Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (DVD and Blu-ray) Directed by Justin Chadwick Written by William Nicholson (screenplay), Nelson Mandela (autobiography) Starring: Idris Elba, Naomie Harris Nelson Mandela is one of the biggest political figures in the 20th Century and was one of the most important men in South Africa. The bio-pic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is based on Mandela's long autobiography that looked at his life from his birth to his election as President of South Africa. Director Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl) and writer William Nicholson (Gladiator) took on the adaptation and the popular Idris Elba starred as Mandela as the movie focuses on his marriage with Winne Madikizela (Naomie Harris), his recruitment into the ANC, his leading of the terrorist campaign, his trial and imprisonment and the negotiations to end Apartheid. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 58% (average) Metacritic Rating: 60/100 (good) Entertainment Fuse Score: 7.0/10 DISC DETAILS Amazon Price: $14.96 (DVD), $24.96 (Blu-ray), $22.96 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 3 stars, Video 5 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 2.5 stars, Replay 2.5 stars (out of 5). Rent It. Kill Your Darlings (Blu-ray) Directed by John Krokidas Written by John Krokidas, Austin Bunn (screenplay), Austin Bunn (story) Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan, Ben Foster, Michael C. Hall, Jack Huston, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Elizabeth Olsen The independent movie Kill Your Darlings was a popular movie on the festival circuit, winning The Venice Days International Award at the Venice Film Festival and nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. Featuring a cast of talented young actors like Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan (Chronicle) and Elizabeth Olsen Kill Your Darlings tells the story of the beatnik generation of writers in their early days at university and experiment with new literary ideas. But a killing takes place as their rivalries grow. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 77% (very good) Metacritic Rating: 65/100 (good) DISC DETAILS DVD Special Features: Commentary with Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan, John Krokidas and Austin Bunn; Deleted scenes; Q&A with John Krokidas and Austin Bunn; In conversation with Daniel Radcliffe and Dan DeHaan; On the Red Carpet at the Toronto Film Festival Amazon Price: $24.99 (Blu-ray) Reasonable Doubt (DVD and Blu-ray) Directed by Peter Howitt (as Peter P. Croudins) Written by Peter A. Dowling Starring: Dominic Cooper, Samuel L. Jackson Reasonable Doubt is a legal thriller starring Dominic Cooper and Samuel L. Jackson. Cooper stars as Mitch Brockden is a raising District Attorney who commits a hit-and-run and tries to make amends by deliberately loosing the prosecution of a man accused of murder, Clinton Davis (Samuel L. Jackson). Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 14% (awful) Metacritic Rating: 19/100 (awful) DISC DETAILS DVD Special Features: Closed Caption; Behind the scenes with cast and crew interviews; Deleted scenes; Extended interviews with Samuel L. Jackson, Dominic Cooper and Gloria Reuben; Trailer gallery Amazon Price: $12.96 (DVD), $18.96 (Blu-ray) Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 3 stars, Video 4.5 stars, Audio 5 stars, Extras 2 stars, Replay 2 stars (out of 5). Rent It. The Hidden Fortress (1958) (Blu-ray) Directed by Akira Kurosawa Written by Shinobu Hashimoto, Ryuzo Kikushima, Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara The first re-release from the Criterion Collection is Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress, one of his most beloved movies. The Hidden Fortress tells the story of two greedy peasants attempt to profit during a war by escorting a man and a woman through enemy lines, not knowing they are really a princess and her general. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 100% (excellent) DISC DETAILS DVD Special Features: New audio commentary by film Historian Stephen Prince, author of The Warrior's Camera: The Cinema Of Akira Kurosawa Documentary from 2003 on the making of the film, created as part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful To Create Interview from 2001 with filmmaker George Lucas about Kurosawa Trailer Amazon Price: $34.99 (Blu-ray) A Brief History of Time (1992) (Blu-ray) Directed by Errol Morris Starring: Stephen Hawking The other re-release from the Criterion Collection is the documentary A Brief History of Time, looking at the life and career of physicist Stephen Hawking. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 92% (excellent) DISC DETAILS DVD Special Features:  New interview with Morris New interview with Bailey Amazon Price: $24.99 (Blu-ray) Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 4.5 stars, Video 4.5 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 2 stars, Replay 3.5 stars (out of 5). Recommended. The Black Stallion (1979) (Blu-ray) Directed by Carroll Ballard Written by Melissa Mathison, Jeanne Rosenberg, William D. Wittliff (screenplay), Walter Farley (novel) Starring: Kelly Reno, Mickey Rooney, Teri Garr Based on a popular children's novel by Walter Farley, The Black Stallion is a beloved family movie about Alec (Kelly Reno), an American boy who ends up trapped on a island with an Arabian Stallion, Black. When they are rescued a horse trainer, Henry Dailey (Mickey Rooney) aims to prepare them for the race of a life time. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 86% (excellent) Metacritic Rating: 79/100 (very good) DISC DETAILS DVD Special Features: Original theatrical trailer Amazon Price: $11.78 (Blu-ray) Mysterious Skin (2004) (Blu-ray) Directed by Gregg Araki Written by Gregg Araki (screenplay), Scott Heim (novel) Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brady Corbet, Michelle Trachtenberg, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Elisabeth Shue The director's cut of Mysterious Skin has also earn a Blu-ray release. Based on a novel by Scott Heim, Mysterious Skin follows two very different young men, Neil McCormick (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a confident teenage hustle and Brain Lackey (Brady Corbett, Martha Marcy May Marlene), an outsider who believes in UFOs. Both were on the same little league team and after 10 years reunite and discover a dark secret in their pas Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 84% (very good) Metacritic Rating: 74/100 (good) DISC DETAILS DVD Special Features: 5.1 DTS-HD Soundtrack; 2.0 PCM Soundtrack; Isolated Score & Effects Track (DTS-HD); Conversation between Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Brady Corbet at Sundance 2014 (HD); Director Introduction (HD); Novelist Scott Heim Reflects 10 Years Later (HD); Script/Sketches Gallery; Photo Gallery; Featuring Never Before Seen Photos; Commentary Track with Gregg Araki, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Brady Corbet; Deleted Scenes (SD); Book Reading (SD); Audition Tape (SD); International Trailer (SD) Amazon Price: $26.99 (Blu-ray) The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) (Blu-ray) Directed by Wallace Worsley Written by Edward T. Lowe Jr., Perley Poore Sheehan (screenplay), Victor Hugo (novel) Starring: Lon Chaney, Patsy Ruth Miller, Norman Kerry, Nigel de Brulier, Brandon Hurst The Victor Hugo novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame has been adapted a number of times, including in the 1923 silent movie which has earn a Blu-ray re-release. Set in Paris in the 15th Century the brother of the archdeacon, Jehan Frollo (Brandon Hurst) plans a peasants' revolt with gypsy king, Clophin (Ernest Torrence) whilst the deaf, half-blind hunchback Quasimodo (Lon Chaney) falls for the gypsy king's adopted daughter, Esmeralda (Patsy Ruth Miller). Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 100% (excellent) DISC DETAILS Amazon Price: $34.99 (Blu-ray)