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DVD/Blu-ray DISCussion (New for 6.14.11)

Several poorly received new releases debut on DVD and Blu-ray today along with Warner Bros.' fan exploitation in Blu-ray re-releases of two Harry Potter films. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince are being re-released as the Ultimate Versions, so wizarding fans — time to dig into them pockets again. Sadly, they are still they are the best films on offer this week. The best new release is the crime film Kill the Irishman. Otherwises we have plenty of options if you are a sadomasochist.

First Releases
- Battle: Los Angeles (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Hall Pass (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Red Riding Hood (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Kill the Irishman (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Jackass 3.5: The Unrated Movie (DVD)

Re-Releases
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (DVD and Blu-ray)
- The Makioko Sisters (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Insignificance (DVD and Blu-ray)
- The Cincinnati Kid (Blu-ray)


Battle: Los Angeles (DVD and Blu-ray)

What's the Deal?
Battle: Los Angeles has all
the hallmarks of a major summer blockbuster: lots of action, an alien invasion and (sarcasm alert) proof that the American military is best and most important in the world. But weirdly, it got a spring release. Jonathan Liebesman was known for directing horror films before getting the call to direct this action film and has earned himself the gig to direct the sequel to Clash of the Titans (whether that is a poisoned chalice we have to wait and see). Aaron Eckhart of Thank You For Smoking and The Dark Knight fame leads this action film and has the beautiful and feisty Michelle Rodriguez (Avatar) as part of a platoon as the last line of defence in Los Angeles against a world-wide alien invasion.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 35% (poor)
Player Affinity Score: 5.3/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features:
Behind The Battle; Building the Aliens; Acting with Aliens; Shooting the Aliens; Preparing for Battle; Creating L.A. in LA

Additional Blu-ray Special Features:
PS3 Theme; Directing the Battle; Boot Camp; The Freeway Battle; Command Control; Staff Sergeant Nantz; Marine Behind The Scenes; Aliens Ambush The Marines; Battling Unknown Forces; Technical Sargeant Santos; Alien Autopsy; Gas Station Explosion; Visual FX on the Freeway; Do You Believe in Aliens?; Alien Command & Control

Amazon Price: $16.99 (DVD), $19.99 (Blu-ray), $24.99 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Score (DVDTalk.com):
Content 2 stars, Video 4.5 stars, Audio 4.5 stars, Extras 3.5 stars, Replay 0 stars (out of 5). Rent It.


Hall Pass (DVD and Blu-ray)

What's the Deal?
In the '90s, the Farrelly Brothers were seen as comedy legends, making films like Dumb and Dumber, There is Something About Mary and Kingpin. But their star has been fading. Unfortunately Hall Pass was not the return to form they were hoping for. Starring Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis (Going the Distance), Hall Pass also features Jenna Fischer (The Office), Christina Applegate and Stephen Merchant (Extras).

Rick (Wilson) and Fred (Sudeikis) are two bored men despite the fact they have attractive wives, Maggie (Fischer) and Grace (Applegate). Annoyed with their wandering eyes, the wives give their husbands a “hall pass” for the weekend to do anything they want, aiming to prove their loyalty.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 34% (poor)
Player Affinity Score: 5.2/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features:
Outrageous additional scene: Coakley (Richard Jenkins) plays it cool with a cop

Additional Blu-ray Special Features: Hilarious gag reel

Amazon Price: $14.99 (DVD), $19.99 (Blu-ray), $22.99 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Score (DVDTalk.com):
Content 1 stars, Video 3 stars, Audio 3 stars, Extras 1 stars, Replay 0 stars (out of 5). Skip It.


Red Riding Hood (DVD and Blu-ray)

What's the Deal?
What happened to Catherine Hardwicke? Seriously! She started with great promise, making a real splash with Thirteen, a hard-hitting social drama. After finding fame and box-office success with Twilight, she was offered to make a retelling of the fairy tale of Red Riding Hood, the start of a new trend to make “adult” fairy tales. But Red Riding Hood was seen as nothing more then a Twilight rip-off. Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way produces this film, based on a script by David Johnson (Oprhan). Amanda Seyfried stars in the film with experienced actors Gary Oldman and Julie Christie and emerging actors, such as Shiloh Fernandez (who auditioned to play Edward in Twilight) and Max Irons (son of Jeremy).

In a Medieval village, Valerie (Seyfried) is a young woman whose parents wants her to marry the wealthy Henry (Irons). But Valerie is in love with an outsider woodcutter, Peter (Fernandez). But what makes it worst is a werewolf is attacking the village and a werewolf hunter, Father Soloman (Oldman) arrives to find and kill it, no matter who it is.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 11% (awful)
Player Affinity Score: 4.0/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: Trailer

Additional Blu/DVD Combo Special Features:
Alternate cut: Includes a provocative alternate ending ; Secrets behind the red cloak picture-in-picture commentary with Amanda Seyfried, Shiloh Fernandez, Max Irons and director Catherine Hardwicke; Gag reel ; Red Riding Hood: Red's men the guys share their casting stories and we get a sneak peek at exclusive clips from their audition tapes ; 2 music videos ... ; Additional scenes

Amazon Price: $14.99 (DVD), $19.99 (Blu-ray), $22.99 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (DVD and Blu-ray)

What's the Deal?
Watching Martin Lawrence do any sort of comedy is at best creepy, but normally it's a form of torture. Lawrence continues to bring us cinematic suffering by giving us a third “Big Momma” and Brandon T. Jackson (Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief) comes around for the ride. John Whitesell continues his trainwreck of a career by directing his second “Big Mommas” film alone with other pieces of trash, See Spot Run and Deck the Halls.

In this three-quel, FBI agent Malcolm Turner (Lawrence) has to go undercover again as Big Momma, this time with his teenage step-son Trent (Jackson) after he witnessed a murder. So the two dress as women and hide in an all-girls performing arts school, trying to find the murderer before he finds them.


Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 5% (awful)
Player Affinity Score: 5.0/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features:
Closed Caption; Audio commentary by director John Whitesell, producer David T. Friendly and actors Brandon T. Jackson, Jessica Lucas and Portia Doubleday (theatrical version only) ; Deleted scenes ; Gag reel

Additional Blu-ray Special Features:
Doubleday (Theatrical Version Only); Deleted Scenes; Song and Dance: Momma Style; Bigger Busts Countdown; Baby You Know" Music Video; "Lyrical Miracle" Extended Music Video

Amazon Price: $15.99 (DVD), $22.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


Kill the Irishman (DVD and Blu-ray)

What's the Deal?
Often times, straight-to-DVD crime films tend to be poor, but according to Rotten Tomatoes and DVDTalk.com Kill the Irishman is actually not bad. Directed by Jonathan Hensleigh (The Punisher, 2004), Kill the Irishman is loosely based on the story of Danny Greene (Ray Stevenson), an Irish-American who rises from a union leader to a senior mobster, working as an FBI informant and getting involved in a gang war in Cleveland ... that’s Cleveland for you. Christopher Walken, Val Kilmer, Vincent D’Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket) and Vinnie Jones all co-star.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 59% (average)
Player Affinity Score: N/A

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features:
Hour long documentary "Danny Greene: The Rise And Fall Of The Irishman" ; Theatrical trailer

Amazon Price: $14.99 (DVD), $20.49(Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com):
Content: 3 stars, Video 3 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 3 stars, Replay 0 stars (out of 5). Recommended.


Jackass 3.5: The Unrated Movie (DVD)

What's the Deal?
You've got to love the Jackass team; they are maniacs who properly should have died in accidents a long time ago. Anyway the Jackass team had so much footage from filming Jackass 3D they decided to give us a straight-to-DVD film with this footage and interviews.

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

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features:
Jackass The Beginning; 11 Deleted Scenes; A Hilarious Outtake Reel; Jackass European Tour

Amazon Price: $14.99 (DVD)

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


Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (DVD and Blu-ray)

What's the Deal?
The fifth Harry Potter novel is seen by many fans are one of the weaker books in the series, but weirdly ends up making of the best Harry Potter films (in my opinion). Before getting the Harry Potter gig, David Yates was known for his gritty television work on State of Play and Sex Traffic, and now he is going to complete the series. Joining the adventure is Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake) and one of my favourite actors Helena Bonham Carter. This is the only Harry Potter film not scribed by Steve Kloves. Michael Goldenberg (Peter Pan, Green Lantern) took his place.

This two-disc Blu-ray re-release features additional behind-the-scenes footage that explores the moviemaking magic behind nearly every element of the film from characters and creatures to the elaborate sets.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 78% (very good)
Player Affinity Score: 8.3/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features:
DISC 1 – MOVIE with In-Movie Experience! Explore the People, Places, Creatures and the Moviemaking Magic Behind Them, All As You Watch the Movie; DISC 2 – SPECIAL FEATURES: Creating the World of Harry Potter Part 5: Evolution; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Behind the Magic; Building the Magic: The Sets of Harry Potter; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: The Rebellion Begins; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Fulfilling a Prophecy; Additional Scenes in Hi-Def; Trailing Tonks: Natalia Tena (aka Nymphadora Tonks) Leads a Very Personal Film Set Tour; Harry Potter: The Magic of Editing: Director David Yates and Editor Mark Day Show What a Difference a Good Edit Makes; Theatrical Trailers; Collectibles include: 48-Page Book with Rare Images from Years 1-7; Year 5 Lenticular Card; Limited Edition Character Cards: #9 Luna Lovegood & #10 Dolores Umbridge

Amazon Price: $24.99 (DVD), $33.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (DVD and Blu-ray)

What's the Deal?
The other Harry Potter re-release (and Warner Brothers attempt to milk every penny out of its fans) is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. For the sixth film there is only one major cast addition, Jim Broadbent as Horace Slughorn. David Yates continues in the director’s chair.

This Blu-ray features cast-guided tours of various aspects of filmmaking, a featurette on J.K. Rowling's creation and launching of the final book in the series, "Deathly Hallows," and more than a dozen other behind-the-scenes featurettes.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 83% (very good)
Player Affinity Score: 7.7/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features:
Additional Scenes; J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life: A Personal Look at the Journey in Creating and Launching the Final Book; Close Up with the Cast of Harry Potter: Cast Members Are Your Personal Guides to Aspects of Moviemaking That Include Editing, Makeup, Stunt, Set Design, Props, Costumes and More!; The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Get a Sneak Peak; What’s on Your Mind?: Lightning-Round Q&A with Cast/Crew; One-Minute Drills: Cast Members Sum Up Their Characters; Creating the World of Harry Potter Part 6: Magical Effects
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Behind the Magic; Featurette Gallery: 14 Short Segments That Unlock More Moviemaking Secrets; Gallery of Five Distinctive Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ABC Family Promo Spots; Theatrical Trailers; Collectibles include: 44-Page Book with Rare Images from Years 1-7; Year 5 Lenticular Card; Limited Edition Character Cards: #11 Draco Malfoy & #12 Albus Dumbledore

Amazon Price: $26.99 (DVD), $29.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


The Makioko Sisters (DVD and Blu-ray)

What's the Deal?

Based on a serial novel by Junichiro Tanizaki from the 1940s, The Makioko Sisters is the story about four sisters in 1930s Japan who have taken over their father’s business. The older two sisters are already married but the youngest one can not marry until the shy and conservative third sister can find a husband. A film about Japanese culture and familial traditions, The Makioko Sisters was directed by Kon Ichikawa from The Burmese Harp fame.

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

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features:
New high-definition digital restoration; Original theatrical trailer; New and improved English subtitle translation; PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Audie Bock

Amazon Price: $13.99 (DVD), $19.99 (Blu-ray)

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


Insignificance (Blu-ray)

What's the Deal?
Insignificance is a '
50s-set comedy/drama based on a play by Terry Johnson and adapted by Nicolas Roeg, the director of Walkabout, Don’t Look Now and The Witches. This film looks at fictional version of famous figures like Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio and Joseph McCarthy. It stars the likes of Tony Curtis and Gary Busey. Insignificance is a film that examines the idea of celebrity, post-war America and the rise of the Cold War.

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

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features:
Newly restored digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Nicolas Roeg and producer Jeremy Thomas, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack; New video interviews with Roeg, Thomas, and editor Tony Lawson; Making Insignificance, a short documentary shot on the set of the film; Original theatrical trailer; PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Chuck Stephens and a reprinted exchange between Roeg and screenwriter Terry Johnson

Amazon Price: $21.99 (DVD), $29.49 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com):
Content: 3 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 3.5 stars, Extras 2 stars, Replay 2 stars (out of 5). Rent It.


The Cincinnati Kid (Blu-ray)

What's the Deal?
Steve McQueen is cool — that is a cinematic fact. His 1965 film The Cincinnati Kid is an adaptation of a novel by Richard Jessup. Directed by Norman Jewison (The Hurricane, The Thomas Crown Affair), The Cincinnati Kid has a top cast, including Edward G. Robinson (Little Caesar), Ann-Margret (Tommy), Karl Malden (Patton) and Rip Torn.

Set in New Orleans during the Depression, a young travelling poker play, Eric (McQueen), ends up pitted against a legendary player, Lancey Howard (Robinson) in a high-stakes game. Sounds a lot like The Hustler to me.

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

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $13.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A

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