There are many big new releases and re-releases for your enjoyment and the big theme of the week is Westerns, which includes both the Coen Brothers' version of True Grit and the Clint Eastwood classic The Outlaw Josey Wales. Other releases this week include the British film Another Year and the epic Blu-ray box-set, The Superman Anthology.
First Releases
- True Grit (2010) (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Just Go With It (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Sanctum (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Another Year (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
- The Company Men (DVD and Blu-ray)
- American: The Bill Hicks Story (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Green Lantern: Emerald Warrior (DVD and Blu-ray)
Re-Releases
- The Outlaw Josey Wales (Blu-ray)
- The Man Who Would Be King (Blu-ray)
- New York, New York (Blu-ray)
- Happy Gilmore (Blu-ray)
- Billy Madison (Blu-ray)
- Apt Pupil (Blu-ray)
- The Superman Anthology (Blu-ray)
True Grit (2010) (DVD and Blu-ray)
What's the Deal?
Charles Portis’ novel True Grit has been adapted into a film in 1969, earning its star John Wayne an Oscar. A rule of a cinema is that remakes tend to be bad or subpar copies, but that did not stop the great filmmakers the Coen Brothers from adapting the novel for second time. Their gamble paid off, True Grit was a critical hit, earning 10 Academy Award nominations and becoming the Coens' most commercially successful film. The Coens were able to attach Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin to the film and they were outshone by newcomer Hailee Steinfeld.
Mattie Ross (Steinfeld) is a very intelligent 14-year-old girl whose father was murdered by one of his farm hands, Tom Chaney (Brolin). Mattie wants revenge for what he did and hires an old U.S. Marshall, Rooster Cogburn (Bridges), to track Chaney down in Indian territory. But Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Damon) also wants to capture Chaney and take him to Texas for crimes he committed there. Mattie and Rooster have to find Chaney before LaBoeuf in a film that blurs the lines between comedy and drama.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 96% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: 8.4/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Mattie's True Grit HD; From Bustles to Buckskin - Dressing for the 1880s; Re-Creating Fort Smith; The Cast
Additional Blu-ray Special Features: Colts, Winchesters & Remingtons: The Guns of a Post-Civil War Western HD; Charles Portis - The Greatest Writer You've Never Heard Of... HD; The Cinematography of True Grit HD; True Grit Theatrical Trailer HD
Amazon Price: $15.49 (DVD), $18.49 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 4.5 stars, Video 5 stars, Audio 4.5 stars, Extras 3 stars, Replay 4.5 stars (out of 5). Highly Recommended.
Just Go With It (DVD and Blu-ray)
What's the Deal?
Dennis Dugan and Adam Sandler must really love working with each other because Dugan has directed six of Sandler's films. For their latest effort together Sandler is joined by a trio of women, Jennifer Aniston, 24-year-old model Brooklyn Decker and Nicole Kidman in a what-the-hell-are-you-doing-here role.
Danny Maccabe (Sandler) is a rich and successful plastic surgeon who has been left at the altar 20-years ago. Since then he has had a string of short term relationships and one-night stands. He finally meets the girl of his dreams, Palmer (Decker), but there is a problem: she thinks he is married. Instead of telling her the truth like a sensible human being, Danny has to go on a long elaborate lie, getting his assistant, Katherine (Aniston), to pretend to be his wife with her kids and go to Hawaii.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 18% (awful)
Player Affinity Score: 4.7/10
DVD Special Features: Commentary with Adam Sandler, Nick Swarsdon and The Filmmakers; Commentary with Director Dennis Dugan; Laughter is Contagious; Dolph-Not The One From Rocky IV; The Perfect Couple: Jen and Adam; Shooting Hawaii; Grand Wailea Promo
Additional Blu-ray Special Features: Adon: Living Plastic; Along Came a Prop Guy; Decker's Got Gas; Dolph-Not The One From Rocky IV; Kevin Nealon: The Plastic Man; What's A Dugan?; Look Who Else Is In The Movie; The Not So Perfect Couple; Decker's First Role; Laughter is Contagious
Amazon Price: $15.99 (DVD), $19.99 (Blu-ray), $24.99 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
Sanctum (DVD and Blu-ray)
What's the Deal?
Sanctum 3D was promoted because of the name of its big name producer, James Cameron, though he had little involvement in the actual filmmaking process. Audiences were not fooled and the film only made $23 Million in the USA from a $30 Million budget. Directed by Australian Alister Grierson (Kokoda), Sanctum was filmed using Cameron’s Fusion Camera System, and Richard Roxburgh (Moulin Rouge!), Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four) and Rhys Wakefield (The Black Balloon) star in it.
A globetrotting billionaire, Carl Hurley (Gruffudd), funds a cave diving exploration in New Guinea. But after a storm the caves are flooded and the team have to find a route to the sea before it is too late.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 31% (poor)
Player Affinity Score: 3.5/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Deleted scenes; Sanctum: The real story; Feature commentary with director Alister Grierson, actor Rhys Wakefield and co-writer/producer Andrew Wight
Amazon Price: $16.99 (DVD), $24.99 (Blu-ray), $24.99 (3D Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 1.5 stars, Video 2.5 stars, Audio 3 stars, Extras 3 stars, Replay 0 stars (out of 5). Rent It.
Another Year (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
What's the Deal?
British director Mike Leigh is known for making both gritty kitchen sink dramas, like Vera Drake, and comedies such as Happy-Go-Lucky. His comic-drama Another Year was one of the most highly praised films of 2010, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Jim Broadbent (Hot Fuzz) and Leigh-film regular Lesley Manville star as a married couple, while Tom and Gerri and follow them over the course of one year.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 92% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: 7.5/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Commentary with director Mike Leigh and actress Lesley Manville; The making of Another Year ; The Mike Leigh method
Amazon Price: $26.99 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 4 stars, Video 3.5 stars, Audio 3.5 stars, Extras 4 stars, Replay 4 stars (out of 5). Highly Recommended.
The Company Men (DVD and Blu-ray)
What's the Deal?
The Western world's current economic woes is the source material for The Company Men, a film about a middle manager being let go during the first round of cutbacks at his company. Written and directed by TV veteran John Wells (ER), The Company Men features the likes of Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper (Breach), Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones and Maria Bello (A History of Violence) as they examine what happens to people who are made redundant and forced to find new employment.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 66% (good)
Player Affinity Score: 5.5/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Audio Commentary With Writer and Director John Wells; The Making of The Company Men; Deleted Scenes; Alternate Ending
Amazon Price: $17.49 (DVD), $20.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content: 4 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 3.5 stars, Extras 3.5 stars, Replay 4 stars (out of 5). Highly Recommended.
American: The Bill Hicks Story (DVD and Blu-ray)
What's the Deal?
Bill Hicks was a very intelligent, biting comedian whose stand-up had a political and social commentary and was popular on both sides of the Atlantic. But he was also a very controversial figure and died at the age of 32 from pancreatic cancer. The documentary American: The Bill Hicks Story looks at both Bill Hicks’ career and rise to fame and at the man himself, looking at his life and philosophy.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 80% (very good)
Player Affinity Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: 30 Mins of Rare Clips including Unseen Performances and Footage from Bill's career; ; 3 Hours of Extended Interviews; Bill's Personal Audio Journals; Deleted and Alternate Scenes; ; Alternate Animation Sequences; Trailers & Audience Reactions; ; 1.5 Hours Of Featurettes: Austin SXSW Panel w/Bill's friends; Dominion Tour; Festivals in the US and UK w/the Hicks; ; Bill's Family visit Abbey Road; UK 15th Anniversary Tribute; Comedy School; Dwight in London; Making of Arizona Bay; The Ranch
Amazon Price: $24.99 (DVD), $20.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 4 stars, Video 3 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 4.5 stars, Replay 2.5 stars (out of 5). Highly Recommended.
Green Lantern: Emerald Warrior (DVD and Blu-ray)
What's the Deal?
The live action adaptation of the Green Lantern is just around the corner in an anthology film, six interlinking chapters involving Green Lantern characters, like Hal Jordan, Sinestro, Arisia and Kilowog. Comic book writers like Geoff Johns and Dave Gibbons and Television writer Alan Burnett (Batman: The Animation Series) took on segments. Actors like Nathan Fillion (Super), Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy from the Harry Potter films), Kelly Hu (X2: X-Men United) and Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy) lend their voices for the DVD. Green Lantern: Emerald Warrior could go in either a good direction like Batman: Gotham Knight or be a real disappointment, which I found with The Animatrix.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): N/A
Player Affinity Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Sneak Peek at upcoming DC Universe animated movie; Sneak Peek at "All-Star Superman"
Additional Blu-ray Special Features: Exclusively On Blu-ray: Why Green Lantern Matters: The talet of Geoff Johns; Filmmaker commentary with DC comics chief creative officer Geoff Johns and co-publisher Dan DiDio; Green Lantern virtual comic; From comic book to screen: Abin Sur; Beautiful...But Deadly- from comic book to screen: Laira Omoto; Only the Bravest: Tales of the Green Lantern Corps- in depth profile of the interconnected men, women and creatures of the corps; Sneak peek Batman: Year One- Preview DC Universe's next animated original movie; Explore the recent DC Universe animated original movie; All-star Superman; Bruce Timm presents 2 bonus cartoons
Amazon Price: $12.99 (DVD), $16.99 (Blu-ray), $25.99 (Amazon Limited Edition Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 2.5 stars, Video 3.5 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 4.5 stars, Replay 1 stars (out of 5). Rent It.
The Outlaw Josey Wales (Blu-ray)
What's the Deal?
The Western genre has been good to Clint Eastwood, making him a star and making one of the best Westerns ever, Unforgiven. One of Eastwood’s first major successes as a director was the 1976 film The Outlaw Josey Wales, a revisionist take on Westerns. It follows Josey Wales (Eastwood), a man who joins a Confederate guerrilla unit after his family was killed by Union soldiers and ends up protecting settlers in the West.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 97% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: 32-page Blu-ray book with photos and production notes; NEW! Documentary Clint Eastwood’s West, featuring Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Oliver Stone, and James Mangold; NEW! Commentary by Richard Schickel; Introduction from Clint Eastwood; Hell Hath No Fury: The Making of The Outlaw Josey Wales; Eastwood in Action Vintage Featurette; Trailer
Amazon Price: $24.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
The Man Who Would Be King (Blu-ray)
What's the Deal?
Based on a short story by Rudyard Kipling, The Man Who Would Be King is a deliberately old-fashioned film starring British greats Sean Connery and Michael Caine with Canadian favorite Christopher Plummer. John Huston, the director of classics like The Maltese Falcon and The African Queen, helmed this film and co-wrote the script.
In the 19th Century two British soldiers in India resign from the army and go into Kafiristan where no white man has set foot in since the days of Alexander the Great. Both men are able to trick the priests into making them the kings of the nation.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 95% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Vintage featurette Call It Magic: The making of The Man Who Would Be King ; Theatrical trailer
Amazon Price: $25.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content: 4 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 3 stars, Extras 1.5 stars, Replay 4 stars (out of 5). Highly Recommended.
New York, New York (Blu-ray)
What's the Deal?
We all know that Martin Scorsese is a true filmmaking great, one of the best directors the world has ever known. But even the very best directors are still prone to making a flop. After the success of his gritty films like Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, Scorsese made a more lighthearted film, with a large Hollywood budget behind it. Scorsese’s first muse, Robert De Niro, and musical star Liza Minnelli star in Scorsese’s homage to big band era of music, New York, New York.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 63% (good)
Player Affinity Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: N/A
Amazon Price: $14.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
Happy Gilmore (Blu-ray)
What's the Deal?
Happy Gimore is the first film that Dennis Dugan and Adam Sandler work together on and many people would consider it their best work – it even made its way into Player Affinity’s competition to find the best sport films.
Happy Gilmore (Sandler) is a hot-headed hockey player who has discovered to have a great golf drive. He joins the PGA needing the prize money to save his grandma’s house. But there are members of the PGA who do not like Happy’s angry antics.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 59% (average)
Player Affinity Score: 6.2/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: N/A
Amazon Price: $19.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 4 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 3.5 stars, Extras 1 stars, Replay 5 stars (out of 5). Recommended.
Billy Madison (Blu-ray)
What's the Deal?
Continuing the levels of Adam Sander stupidity is his 1995 hit Billy Madison, directed by Tamra Davis, best known for directing the Brittany Spears film Crossroads. Sander plays the title character as a stupid rich kid who is only allowed to inherit his father’s hotel business if he goes to school. Prepare for shenanigans as Sander acts like and performs with five-year-olds.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 44% (poor)
Player Affinity Score: 6.0/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: N/A
Amazon Price: $19.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
Apt Pupil (Blu-ray)
What's the Deal?
Between directing The Usual Suspects and X-Men, Bryan Singer made a small drama, adapting the Stephen King novella, Apt Pupil. Starring Brad Renfro (The Client, Bully) and Sir Ian McKellen, this movie tells the story of a 16-year-old high school student Todd Bowden (Renfro) who discovers his elderly neighbor, Arthur Denker (McKellen), is a wanted Nazi war criminal. Instead of doing the sensible thing of reporting him to the police, Todd is a sick individual and blackmails the old man into telling him stories about Nazi war camps.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 53% (average)
Player Affinity Score: 6.0/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: N/A
Amazon Price: $12.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
The Superman Anthology (Blu-ray)
What's the Deal?
Before the release of Superman in 1978, superheroes were confined to televisions and were very campy. Richard Donner attempted to treat Superman with respect, getting big name actors like Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando to star, with stage actor Christopher Reeve to play the Man of Steel. (Though I see Superman as a tongue-in-cheek film.) Richard Lester (Help!, The Three Musketeers) took over after Donner ran into conflict with the producers and Cannon Films’ low budget film is considered one of the worst superhero films ever made. Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns is an homage to the Donner film but sadly did not kickstart a new franchise in his vision.
Now you can enjoy Superman at his very best and very worst on the glories of Blu-ray.
Superman
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 94% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: 7.5/10
Superman II
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 88% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: 8.0/10
Superman III
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 24% (very bad)
Player Affinity Score: 3.0/10
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 10% (awful)
Player Affinity Score: N/A
Superman Returns
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 76% (very good)
Player Affinity Score: 8.0/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Disc #1: Superman: The Movie, Original Theatrical; Commentary by Ilya Salkind and Pierre Spengler (Original Theatrical Version); The Making of Superman: The Movie [1978 TV special]; Superman and the Mole-Men [1951 feature]; Warner Bros. Cartoons; Super-Rabbit [1943 WB cartoon]; Snafuperman [1944 WB cartoon]; Stupor Duck [1956 WB cartoon]; Trailers: Disc #2: Superman: The Movie, Expanded Edition; Commentary by Richard Donner and Tom Mankiewicz (Extended Version); Taking Flight: The Development of Superman, Making Superman: Filming the Legend; The Magic Behind the Cape; Screen Tests, Superman, Lois Lane with Optional Commentary, Ursa; A Selection of Restored; Scenes; Additional Music Cues, Main Titles, Alternate Main Titles, The Council’s Decision, The Krypton Quake, More Mugger/Introducing Otis, Air Force One, Can You Read My Mind (Pop Version); Music Only Track (Donner Cut): Disc #3: Superman II, Original Theatrical; Commentary by Ilya Salkind and Pierre Spengler (Original Theatrical Version); The Making of Superman II [1980 TV special]; Deleted Scene; First Flight: The Fleischer Superman Series; Fleischer Studios’, Superman, Superman, The Mechanical Monsters, Billion Dollar Limited, The Arctic Giant, The Bulleteers, The Magnetic Telescope, Electric Earthquake, Volcano, Terror on the Midway; Theatrical Trailer: Disc #4: Superman II - The Richard Donner Cut; Commentary by Richard Donner and Tom Mankiewicz (Donner Cut); Introduction by Richard Donner; Superman II: Restoring the Vision; Deleted Scenes; Famous Studios’ Superman, Japoteurs, Showdown, Eleventh Hour, Destruction, Inc, The Mummy Strikes, Jungle Drums, The Underground World, Secret Agent: Disc #5: Superman III Theatrical Version; Commentary by Iilya Salkind and Pierre Spengler; The Making of Superman III (1983 TV Special); Deleted Scenes; Theatrical Trailer: Disc #6: Superman IV The Quest For Peace Theatrical Version; Commentary by Mark Rosenthal; Superman 50th Anniversary Special (1988 TV Special); Deleted Scenes; Theatrical Trailer: Disc #7: Superman Returns; Requiem for Krypton: Making Superman Returns, Pt. 1 Secret Origins and First Issues: Crystallizing Superman,
Pt. 2 The Crystal Method: Designing Superman, Pt. 3 An Affinity for Beachfront Property: Shooting Superman- Superman on the Farm, Pt. 4 An Affinity for Beachfront Property: Shooting Superman- Superman in the City, Pt. 5 An Affinity for Beachfront Property: Shooting Superman- Superman in Peril, Pt. 6 The Joy of Lex: Menacing Superman, Pt. 7 He’s Always Around: Wrapping Superman; Resurrecting Jor-El; Deleted Scenes including the never-before-seen original opening to Superman Returns; Bryan Singer’s Journals – Video production journals; Trailers: Disc #8 Additional Bonus Material: Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman [Hi-Def]; You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman, Pt. 1- Origin, Pt. 2- Vision, Pt. 3- Ascent, Pt. 4- Crisis, Pt. 5- Redemption; The Science of Superman [Hi-Def]; The Mythology of Superman; The Heart of a Hero: A Tribute to Christopher Reeve; The Adventures of Superpup [1958 TV pilot]
Amazon Price: $89.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A