DVD/Blu-ray DISCussion (New for 1.24.11)

There is one clear winner for Recommendation of the Week, the comedy-drama 50/50. This critics darling was a hit with audiences, was nominated for two Golden Globes and is likely to do well on DVD and Blu-ray.

First Releases
- 50/50 (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Real Steel (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Paranormal Activity 3 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
- Restless (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
- The Whistleblower (DVD and Blu-ray)

Re-Releases
- Godzilla (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Annie Hall (Blu-ray)
- Manhattan (Blu-ray)
- Notorious (Blu-ray)
- Rebecca (Blu-ray)
- Spellbound (Blu-ray)
- Stripes (Blu-ray)
- The Adventures of Milo and Otis (Blu-ray)


50/50 (DVD and Blu-ray)

Directed by Jonathan Levine
Written by Will Reiser
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Anjelica Huston

What’s the Deal?
Cancer is always a tough subject to be on film at the best of times, let alone as a subject in a comedy. But 50/50 is considered one of the best movies of 2011 and was collectively Player Affinity‘s top-rated movie of 2011. Writer Will Reiser based the screenplay on his own experience with cancer as a 27-year-old man, Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), has to struggle with the disease and how it impacts on his friend (Seth Rogan), girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard), mother (Anjelica Huston) and therapist (Anna Kendrick).

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 93% (excellent) (read our review)
Player Affinity Score: 9.1/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: Audio Commentary with the Filmmakers; Deleted Scenes; The Story of 50/50 & more!

Amazon Price: $18.99 (DVD), $17.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 4.5 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 3.5 stars, Replay 4.5 stars (out of 5). Highly Recommended.




The other two major first releases of the week are the sci-fi family drama Real Steel and the horror prequel Paranormal Activity 3, which continues to meet the expectations of its fanbase. Restless and The Whistleblower are also being released to please fans of indie cinema. As for re-releases, Two Woody Allen comedies and three Alfred Hitchcock movies are coming onto Blu-ray, as well as the Japanese classic Godzilla.


Real Steel (DVD and Blu-ray)

What’s the Deal?
Directed by Shawn Levy
Written by John Gatins (screenplay), Dan Gilroy and Jeremy Leven (story), Richard Matheson (short story)
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Max Kenton, Evangeline Lilly

Michael Bay really misunderstood audiences when it came to the "Transformers" series because all they want is to see robots beating the hell out of each other. Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) did seem to get it with his surprise hit Real Steel.

Based on a Richard Matheson Twilight Zone episode, Real Steel is set in the near future where robot boxing has become a major sport, replacing human boxing. Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) is a struggling robot operator and a ex-boxer who has to avoid debt collectors. His 11-year-old son, Max (Max Kenton) is essentially dumped on his doorstep. When they discover a discarded robot that could have the potential to be a champion, they start to improve their rocky relationship.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 59% (average)
Player Affinity Score: 7.2/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: Bloopers; Making of Metal Valley; Building the Bots; Audio Commentary With Director Shawn Levy

Additional Blu-ray Special Features: Countdown To The Fight: The Charlie Kenton Story; Real Steel Second Screen: Ringside with Director Shawn Levy - Simultaneously explore exclusive interactive content with your iPad or computer as you watch the movie

Amazon Price: $17.99 (DVD), $24.99 (Blu-ray), $27.99 (3-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 2.5 stars, Video 4.5 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 3.5 stars, Replay 3.5 stars (out of 5). Rent It.



Paranormal Activity 3 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Directed by Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
Written by Christopher B. Landon (screenplay), Oren Peli (characters/original film)
Starring: Chloe Csengery, Jessica Tyler Brown, Lauren Bittner, Christopher Nicholas Smith

What’s the Deal?
When Paranormal Activity  came out in 2009 it was a surprise hit and became one of the biggest profit-turners ever, making over $193 million from a $15,000 budget. Paranormal Activity 3 is a prequel to the first two movies. Set in 1988, it sets out to explain why the young Katie (Chloe Csengery) and Kristi (Jessica Tyler Brown) were the target of the poltergeist.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 66% (good)
Player Affinity Score: 7.3/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $21.99 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 4 stars, Video 3.5 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 0.5 stars, Replay 3.5 stars (out of 5). Recommended.



Restless (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Directed by Gus Van Sant
Written by Jason Lew
Starring: Henry Hopper, Mia Wasikowska, Ryo Kase

What’s the Deal?
Following the success of Milk, Gus Van Sant returned to making indie cinema with Restless. Enoch Brae (Henry Hopper) is a teenager with a  fascination with death that leads him to crash funerals. He is also followed by the ghost of a kamikaze pilot (Ryo Kase, Letters from Iwo Jima). But then he falls for a terminally ill girl, Annabel (Mia Wasikowska).

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 36% (poor)
Player Affinity Score: N/A

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: Gus Van Sant’s Silent Version of Restless; Enoch & Annabel: One Love; Enoch & Hiroshi: The Best of Friends; Gus Van Sant: Independent Voice; Being Restless; Coming to Life: This is Restless; Deleted Scenes

Amazon Price: $23.49 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


The Whistleblower (DVD and Blu-ray)

Directed by Larysa Kondracki
Written by Larysa Kondracki, Eilis Kirwan
Starring: Rachel Weisz, Monica Bellucci, Vanessa Redgrave

What’s the Deal?
Based on a true story, the independent movie The Whistleblower tells the story of Kathryn Bolkovac (Rachel Weisz), a Nebraska cop who serves in the peacekeeping mission in post-war Bosnia. She is sent to train police officers for the new nation, but she ends up discovering a sex scandal that is being covered up by the UN and private contractors.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 74% (good)
Player Affinity Score: N/A

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: Closed Caption; Kathy Bolkovac: the real Whistleblower

Amazon Price: $16.99 (DVD), $17.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 4.5 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 3.5 stars, Extras 1 stars, Replay 1 stars (out of 5). Recommended.


Godzilla (1954) (DVD and Blu-ray)

Directed by Ishirō Honda
Written by Ishirō Honda (screenplay), Shigeru Kayama and Takeo Murata (story)
Starring: Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata

What’s the Deal?
Godzilla (or Gojira) is the first and best movie of a monster series of 28 movies along with a 1998 remake. This Japanese cult classic is a top-notch monster movie that rivals 1933’s King Kong (they did fight each other in the 1962 movie King Kong vs. Godzilla). Godzilla is the accidental creation of American Nuclear Testing that terrorizes Tokyo. With the military unable to stop it, scientist Dr. Hideto Ogata (Akira Takarada) tries to find a solution.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 93% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: 8.0/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: Disc 1 - Audio Commentary by Film Historian David Kalat; Trailer; Disc 2 - Audio Commentary for Godzilla, King of the Monsters by Kalat; Trailer for Godzill, King of the Monsters; New interviews with actors Akira Takarada and Haruo Nakajima and Special Effects Technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai; ; Interview with legendary Godzilla score composer Akira Ifukube; Featurette detailing Godzilla's photographic effects, introduced by Special Effects Director Koichi Kawakita and Special Effects Photographer Motoyoshi Tomioka; New Interview with Japanese-film critic Tadao Sato; The Unluckiest Dragon, an illustrated audio essay featuring Historian Greg Pflugfelder describing the tragic fate of the fishing vessel Daigo Fukuryu Maru, a real-life event that inspired Godzilla

Amazon Price: $19.99 (DVD), $27.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


Annie Hall (1977) (Blu-ray)

Directed by Woody Allen
Written by Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman
Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton

What’s the Deal?
Annie Hall is considered one of Woody Allen’s best movies, which is even more impressive considering his reputation and long filmography. Annie Hall is currently ranked 141 on IMDB’s Top 250 Movies and won four major Oscars. This romantic comedy explores  the relationship of two neurotic people in New York City, TV comedian Alvy Singer (Allen) and his Midwestern girlfriend Annie Hall (Diane Keaton).

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 98% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: 7.5/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $16.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


Manhattan (1979) (Blu-ray)

Directed by Woody Allen
Written by Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman
Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Mariel Hemingway, Meryl Streep, Michael Murphy

What’s the Deal?
The other Woody Allen release of the week is Manhattan, which was nominated for two Academy Awards, won two BAFTAs and is highly regarded at the American Film Institute. That sexual dynamo Woody Allen plays Isaac, a 42-year-old man who has divorced Jill (Meryl Streep), enters into an affair with 17-year-old (Mariel Hemingway) and falls for his best friend’s mistress (Diane Keaton).

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 98% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: 8.0/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $16.99 (DVD)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


Notorious (1946) (Blu-ray)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcok
Written by Ben Hecht
Starring: Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant

What’s the Deal?
Notorious is considered one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best movies, ranked 157 on the IMDB Top 250 Movies and  nominated for two Oscars. Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman) is a American woman whose German father has been sentenced in the USA. Falling into a world of drink and men, Alicia is recruited by American agent T.R. Devlin (Cary Grant) to infiltrate a Nazi spy ring in South America.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 94% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: 8.0/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $16.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


Rebecca (1940) (Blu-ray)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Written by Robert E. Sherwood and Joan Harrison (screenplay), Philip MacDonald and Michael Hogan (adaptation), Daphne Du Maurier (novel)
Starring: Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier, Judith Anderson

What’s the Deal?
Based on a novel by Daphne du Maurier Rebecca was Alfred Hitchcock’s first American movie. Rebecca was nominated for 11 Oscars in 1941 and won two of them, including Best Picture. It is also ranked 113 on the IMDB Top 250 Movies list.

Joan Fontaine plays a young woman who becomes the Second Mrs. De Winter when she marries the wealthy widower Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier). But all around are memories of Maxim’s deceased wife, Rebecca.



Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 100% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: 9.0/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $16.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


Spellbound (1945) (Blu-ray)

What’s the Deal?
The last Alfred Hitchcock movie of the week is Spellbound, a film-noir mystery that was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning one of them for Best Score. Dr. Constance Petersen (Ingrid Bergman) is a psychiatrist who has to solve the clues of a murder and protect her amnesia patient (Gregory Peck) as he recovers his memory.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 87% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: N/A

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $16.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


Stripes (1981) (Blu-ray)

Directed by Ivan Reitman
Written by Len Blum, Daniel Goldberg and Harold Ramis
Starring: Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates

What’s the Deal?
Before Ghostbusters, Ivan Reitman, Bill Murray and Harold Ramis worked on the military comedy Stripes. John (Murray) and Russell (Ramis) are two men who hate their jobs decide to join the army, thinking it would be fun and a great way to get in shape. But they run into a by-the-book drill sergeant (Warren Oates).

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 88% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: N/A

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: Commentary with director Ivan Reitman and writer/producer Dan Glodberg; Two-part documentary featuring interviews with the cast including Bill Murray

Amazon Price: $14.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


The Adventures of Milo and Otis (1986) (Blu-ray)

Directed by Masanori Hata
Written by Mark Salzman (screenplay), Masanori Hata (story)
Starring: Dudley Moore

What’s the Deal?
Last but not least is the Japanese family movie The Adventures of Milo and Otis, a sweet little tale about Milo the ginger kitten and Otis the pug, who are best friends on a farm. But when they are separated, the two animals have to find each other. Dudley Moore narrates the movie. The American version edited out some of the most scary moments from the Japanese original.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 80% (good)
Player Affinity Score: 7.0/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $14.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A