DISCussion: New on DVD and Blu-ray (3.31.15)

Any other week, it may have been a difficult decision between The Imitation Game and Wild, but our choice was pretty black and white given the release schedule. Christopher Nolan's visual feast, Interstellar has been crowned our Recommendation of the Week. New Release: Interstellar – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Imitation Game – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Wild – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Island of Lemurs: Madagascar – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Wild Card – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Re-release: Hoop Dreams (1994) – (Criterion Blu-ray) Cries and Whispers (1972) – (Criterion Blu-ray)   Interstellar – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) *Recommendation of the Week* Directed by Christopher Nolan Written by Jonathan and Christopher Nolan Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain Sci-fi on an epic scale, Christopher and Jonathan Nolan prove, once again, how purely imaginative they can be. Under Christopher's direction, Interstellar is a breathtaking masterpiece of set design and practical effects. Wanting to add an additional layer of believability, Nolan filmed using the highest quality film stock possible, and sought out the advice of physicists and scientists to correctly portray the interplanetary aspects of his film. Gripping visuals and lofty ideas define Nolan's films, and Interstellar is no exception. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 72% (Good) Metacritic: 74 (Very Good) IMDB: 8.8 (Superb) Entertainment Fuse: 8.6/10 (Read our Review) DISC DETAILS Special Features: “The Science of Interstellar;” an assortment of behind-the-scenes featurettes; Trailers Amazon: $19.99 (Blu-ray); $14.99 (DVD); $3.99/$14.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy) Score (DVDTalk.com): Content: 5 stars(out of 5); Video: 4.5 stars; Audio: 5 stars; Extras: 4 stars; Replay: 4.5 stars. DVD Talk Collector Series.   Imitation Game – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Directed by Morten Tyldum Written by Graham Moore (screenplay), Andrew Hodges (book) Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode The Oscar-nominated (and winner for best adapted screenplay) biopic of computer pioneer, Alan Turing (Cumberbatch). Set during the height of World War II, Turing is tasked with breaking the famed German Enigma code - a major victory for the Allies. Following his heroic journey of personal hurdles, and carrying the weight of a nation at war, Imitation Game is a beautiful tribute to a troubled man. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 89% (Very Good) Metacritic: 73 (Very Good) IMDB: 8.1 (Excellent) Entertainment Fuse: 7.5/10 (Read our Review) DISC DETAILS Special Features: Commentary by Tyldum and Moore, Making-of featurette; deleted scenes; Q&A Amazon: $19.95 (Blu-ray); $17.93 (DVD); $4.99/$12.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy) Score (DVDTalk.com): Content: 4 stars(out of 5); Video: 4.5 stars; Audio: 4 stars; Extras: 4 stars; Replay: 3.5 stars. Recommended.   Wild – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée Written by Nick Hornby, Cheryl Strayed (memoir) Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Gaby Hoffman Based on Cheryl Strayed's memoir of her journey along the Pacific Crest Trail, Wild follows as Strayed (Witherspoon) fights against nature and her own troublesome past. After her mother passes away, strayed sinks into a depression, loosing her husband, and circling the drain of self destruction. Determined to prove her own self worth, she vows to complete the Pacific Coast Trail, no matter the cost. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 90% (Excellent) Metacritic: 76 (Very Good) IMDB: 7.2 (Very Good) Entertainment Fuse: 7.5/10 (Read our Review) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $19.95 (Blu-ray); $10.00 (DVD); $4.99/$12.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   Island of Lemurs: Madagascar – (Blu-ray and Instant) Directed by David Douglas Written by Drew Fellman This heartwarming documentary, narrated by the incomparable Morgan Freeman, highlights the lives of the world's most ancient primate; the lemur. Astounding variety and specialization, the lemurs are native to the remote island of Madagascar, proving a challenge to probing camera crews and observing scientists alike. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 79% (Good) Metacritic: 66 (Good) IMDB: 7.4 (Very Good) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $22.99 (Blu-ray); $3.99/$14.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   Wild Card – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Directed by Simon West Written by William Goldman (novel and screenplay) Starring: Jason Statham, Michael Angarano, Dominik García-Lorido Jason Statham will kick your ass. Wild Card has the British bad-boy going against some “heavy hitting” East-Coast mobsters vacationing in his home turf, Las Vegas. After the son of a well-connected man rapes one of Statham's (Nick Wild) friends, he starts beating people up left and right. And Gambling. And working as the bodyguard as a convenient solution to all of his problems. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 28% (Terrible) Metacritic: 40 (Bad) IMDB: 5.6 (Generous) Entertainment Fuse: 4/10 (Read our Review) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $14.99 (Blu-ray); $11.99 (DVD); $12.99 (Instant Buy) Hoop Dreams (1994) – (Criterion Blu-ray) Directed by Steve James Written by Steve James and Frederick Marx Starring: William Gates, Arthur Agee, Emma Gates Steve James picks up a video camera and profiles two inner-city Chicago boys making their way to NBA stardom. A gripping portrayal of both adolescence and growing up, Hoop Dreams follows as the boys move from high-school to college in pursuit of their dreams. An indictment of America's treatment of poor blacks, and the harsh realities of growing up with an incredibly narrow window of opportunity, James' documentary is a pivotal depiction of modern American life. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 98% (Superb) Metacritic: 98 (Superb) IMDB: 8.3 (Excellent) Entertainment Fuse: 9.5/10 DISC DETAILS Special Features: New high-definition digital restoration, created through a collaboration between the Academy Film Archive, the Sundance Film Institute, and the UCLA Film & Television Archive, with 4.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray; Two audio commentaries: one with filmmakers Steve James, Frederick Marx, and Peter Gilbert, and one with the film’s subjects, Arthur Agee and William Gates; Life After “Hoop Dreams,” a new documentary that catches up with Agee, Gates, and their families; Additional scenes; Collection of excerpts from Siskel & Ebert tracking the acclaim for Hoop Dreams; Original 1994 music video for the film’s theme song; Trailers; PLUS: Essays by author John Edgar Wideman and filmmaker and critic Robert Greene Amazon: $22.99 (Criterion Blu-ray)   Cries and Whispers (1972) – (Criterion Blu-ray) Directed and written by Ingmar Bergman Starring: Harriet Andersson, Liv Ullmann, Kari Sylwan Dying of cancer, Agnes (Andersson) is being watched over by her two sisters, Karin (Ingrid Thulin) and Maria (Ullmann). Comforted only by her jovial servant, Anna (Sylwan), Agnes' final days are spent with her sisters, reliving the repressed memories of their childhood. Winning Sven Nykvist his first, well-deserved, Oscar for cinematography, Cries and Whispers is a marvel of structural filmmaking. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 89% (Very Good) IMDB: 8.1 (Excellent) DISC DETAILS Special Features: New 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray; Introduction by director Ingmar Bergman from 2001; New interview with actor Harriet Andersson conducted by historian Peter Cowie; On Solace, a new video essay by filmmaker :: kogonada; Behind-the-scenes footage with commentary by Cowie; Ingmar Bergman: Reflections on Life, Death, and Love with Erland Josephson (2000), a fifty-two-minute interview with Bergman and his longtime collaborator; Trailer; New English subtitle translation; Optional English-dubbed soundtrack; PLUS: An essay by film scholar Emma Wilson Amazon: $22.99 (Criterion Blu-ray)