Cop Out (available on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, On Demand and for Download July 20, 2010)
Similar to the blend of action and comedy found in last year’s Pineapple Express, Cop Out finds a happier medium between the two genres, but also doesn’t offer the unexpectedness of role reversals. Bruce Willis lends his typical cop persona, wisecracking intermittently while shooting his gun and Tracy Morgan attempts the foul-mouthed prankster, but only succeeds some of the time. The terribly stereotypical and far too over-the-top villain hurts the film almost as much as those that betray him and comes dangerously close to cancelling out the childishly hilarious turn from Seann William Scott as a parkour practicing master thief with a penchant for knock-knock jokes.
Two of Brooklyn’s finest – or perhaps worst – Jimmy Monroe (Bruce Willis) and Paul Hodges (Tracy Morgan) have enjoyed nine years as partners on the force, a feat quite amazing considering their unorthodox police tactics. Their latest blundered undercover job finds them suspended for one month without pay, a major problem for Jimmy who desperately needs the money to pay for his daughter’s wedding. When his contingency plan – a baseball card worth $80,000 – gets stolen, Jimmy and Paul track down the thief and unwittingly get drawn into a dangerous drug kingpin’s plot to expand his business. With hostages, murderers, unfaithful wives, and giant cell phone suits all on the line, the reckless duo will do whatever it takes to serve and protect – and get back their sports collectible.
Blu-ray Special Features include Over an Hour of Never-Before-Seen Extended Scenes and Outtakes, Picture-in-Picture Moments with Kevin Smith and Seann William Scott (S*** Bandit), Walk-Ons by Kevin Smith, Wisdom from the S*** Bandit, Factoids About the Movie and Other Information You May Helpful… or Totally Useless!
A Single Man (available on DVD and Blu-ray July 6, 2010)
George Falconer (Colin Firth), a British literature professor living in Los Angeles in 1962, is struggling to find meaning in his life. That’s an awfully generic way to start a movie review, and I agree that many movies are about the struggle for meaning in life. But in the case of “A Single Man,” an adaptation of Christopher Isherwood’s novel, the idea seems neither hackneyed nor overused; we follow George over the course of one day and actually see and respond to his struggle to find meaning. Ever since a car accident took the life of Jim, his lover of sixteen years (Matthew Goode), George has been on a desperate search for some degree of contentment, some sign that he can love again and will be loved in return. He hasn’t found it yet. He may never again find it. So why not make use of the gun in the desk drawer?
This film marks the directorial debut of Tom Ford, the fashion designer and former creative director of the Gucci house. It would be brilliant even if it had been his twentieth film. It’s a story of astonishing observation and poignancy, where beauty is found not only in the form of a face or the arc of an eyebrow, but also in the cold bleakness of a winter road, where pain and death give way to encounters of surprising tenderness. It’s a masterpiece of character development and performance; every one of George’s onscreen appearances, for example, is an opportunity for Ford to reveal him to us, which is to say we never see him in an empty or extraneous moment. The dialogue is a perfect blend of insight, contemplation, and wit – one of those rare instances where every word is carefully placed yet strung together as naturally as regular conversation.
George is far from an uptight, prissy cliché, although he does give the appearance of being neat and orderly; always nicely dressed, always articulate, always able to keep his things in their proper place. But within, he’s an absolute mess, tormented by grief, loss, regret, and above all, fear – the fear of isolation, of growing old alone and forgotten. He finds some solace with his best friend and former lover, Charlotte, a.k.a. Charley (Julianne Moore), an aging, hard-drinking British beauty who seems determined to wallow in her failures as a wife and mother. She states at one point that, as wonderful as what George and Jim had was, it was probably just a substitute for something real. George asserts, with understandable frustration, that what he and Jim had was very much real and not a substitute for anything.
Special Features include Director Commentary and The Making of A Single Man Featurette.
Blu-ray Exclusives include movieIQ and BD Live where you can connect to real-time information on the cast, music, trivia, and more while watching the movie!
Ip Man (available on Blu-ray July 27, 2010)
It’s a superbly action-oriented kung fu epic with the comparative feel of a Chinese Braveheart. It’s a piece of an even larger scale story sweeping many decades, and this is just the first part. Some segments are rushed while others develop evenly. However, with the careful, precise and inspiring fight choreography by Sammo Hung and Tony Leung Siu Hung and a dramatic presentation by Edmond Wong, this semi-biographical martial arts extravaganza based on the master of legendary Bruce Lee was nominated for 12 Hong Kong Film Awards, winning Best Picture and Best Action Choreography.
In 1935 Kwangtung, Fuoshan, a town in China known for its dedication to martial arts, Master Ip Man (Donnie Yen) quietly resides in his palatial home (with his wife Wing Seng and young son Ah June), reigning as the supreme kung fu patriarch, proficient in the arts of Wing Chun. He is unassuming and maintains a low profile, opting against accepting disciples of his own. Dojo Street, a bustling neighborhood of training schools, students and teachers, is thrown into disarray by a visit from Jin Shan Zhao (Siu-Wong Fan), a northern “country bumpkin” who challenges every sifu in the area, wins, and puts Fuoshan to shame. That is until he learns of Ip Man, who swiftly and soundly bests him for all to see.
Collector’s Edition Bonus Features Include: Interviews with Director and Actors, including 20 minutes with Donnie Yen, Featurette “The Making of Ip Man”, Deleted Scenes, Teaser and Regular Trailer, Two 30 Second TV Spots, Photo Gallery, and a Sneak Preview of Ip Man 2.
A Prophet (available on DVD and Blu-ray August 3, 2010)
Academy Award® nominated, A Prophet (2009, Best Foreign Language Film) details the gritty prison career of a nineteen-year-old Malik (Tahar Rahim). Arriving at the jail, he is cornered by the leader of the ruling Corsican gang (Niels Arestrup) and forced to carry out a number of dangerous missions including drug trafficking and brutal hits. Over time Malik is able to earn the gang leader’s confidence and rise up the prison ranks, all the while secretly devising his own plans.
Special features on both versions will include deleted scenes, rehearsal footage, screen tests and a commentary with Director Jacques Audiard, Actor Tahar Rahim and co-Screenwriter Thomas Bidegain.
The Runaways (available on DVD and Blu-ray July 20, 2010)
As intense and impressive as Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart are in their respective roles of Cherie Currie and Joan Jett, the real star of The Runaways is the music. The excellent soundtrack sets the film’s pace and style and encompasses many of the popular bands of the time. The film does provide all the necessary sex, drugs, and drama required of a biopic of the infamous band, but it manages to squeeze a little glamour into the proceedings and also oddly makes the band’s formation appear extremely lucky and rather easy. In fact, the real struggle comes in the epilogue when it’s revealed that singer-guitarist Jett had to form her own record label to keep her music going after being rejected by 23 major companies.
The year is 1975 and social misfit Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) finds a chance encounter with record producer Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) as an opportunity to pitch her idea of starting an all-girl rock band. Intrigued, Fowley directs Joan to drummer Sandy West (Stella Maeve) and from there The Runaways are born. Soon adding guitarist Lita, bassist Robin, and wild child singer Cherie (Dakota Fanning), the band begins their ascent into worldwide stardom and their descent into sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll.
Blu-ray and DVD Special Features include Commentary with Joan Jett, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning, and Two Featurettes: Plugged In: Making the Film and The Runaways.
Blu-ray Exclusives include movieIQ®+sync featuring “The Runaways” Playlist and BD-Live.
Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season One (available on DVD June 20, 2010)
Welcome to the middle of Nowhere, Kansas. Population: one kind old lady, one crabby old man, one timid dog and all sorts of creepy creatures, scary monsters and crazed villains! It’s a living nightmare for poor Courage, who faces these unthinkable dangers with his body shaking and his tail between his legs. But Courage loves his sweet Muriel and grumpy Eustace, so he digs deep to find the strength to save his beloved family from deadly weremoles, dark shadows and other sinister elements that pop up all over this terrifying town. With clever nods to classic horror films, this action-packed animated series keeps laughs and scares coming as Courage outwits evil with his singular brand of bravery. Get your spook on with the 13 episodes of this 2-disc Complete Season One Collection!
Disc 1
1) A Night at the Katz Motel ~ Cajun Granny Stew
2) The Shadow of Courage ~ Le Quack
3) Courage Meets Bigfoot ~ Hothead
4) The Demon in the Mattress ~ Freaky Fred
5) Night of the Weremole ~ Mother’s Day
6) The Duck Brothers ~ Shirley the Medium
7) King Ramses’s Curse ~ The Clutching Foot
Disc 2
8) The Hunchback of Nowhere ~ The Gods Must Be Goosey
9) The Queen of the Black Puddle ~ Everyone Wants to Direct
10) The Snowman Cometh ~ The Precious, Wonderful, Adorable, Lovable Duckling
11) Heads of Beef ~ Klub Katz
12) The Revenge of the Chicken from Outer Space ~ Journey to the Center of Nowhere
13) Little Muriel ~ The Great Fusilli
Jesse Stone: No Remorse (debuts on DVD June 27, 2010)
Police Chief Jesse Stone, suspended by the Paradise, Mass. Town Council, begins moonlighting for his friend, State Homicide Commander Healy, by investigating a series of murders in Boston, leaving Rose and Suitcase to handle a crime spree in Paradise on their own. Jesse pours his energy into his work in an effort to push away his twin demons: booze and women. When his investigation leads to notorious mob boss Gino Fish, Jesse’s pursuit becomes hazardous.
Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Tom Selleck returns in his signature role as Police Chief Jesse Stone in the highly-rated sixth installment of the Jesse Stone franchise. Based upon characters created in best-selling author Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone Books. Co-starring William Devane and Kathy Baker, Jesse Stone: No Remorse is a trip to paradise that you will not want to miss!
College, Inc. (available on DVD June 20, 2010)
America is built on the principle that higher education is attainable by anyone with the passion to succeed – but does this ring true today? Viewers are invited to join the award-winning FRONTLINE investigative team as they put modern education to the test in College, Inc.
College, Inc. examines the world of college and university education and asks if a degree is truly necessary even though it will often bring about massive student debt.
Today, the business of higher education is booming -- it's a $400 billion industry fueled by taxpayer money. But what are students getting out of the deal? Critics say a worthless degree and a mountain of debt. Investors insist they're innovators, widening access to education. FRONTLINE follows the money to uncover how Wall Street and a new breed of for-profit universities are transforming the way we think about college in America. A must-see documentary for educators and students alike, College, Inc. uncovers the truth behind higher education and the profit-hungry institutions that write the rules.
Benise: The Spanish Guitar (available on DVD July 20, 2010)
PBS invites viewers to turn their living rooms into concert halls with the release of DVD concert specials featuring two world-renowned performers. In Benise: The Spanish Guitar, viewers are introduced to the magical artistry of Benise, as he travels the world creating music that evokes the romance and adventure of the breathtaking locations he visits.
The Spanish Guitar is an epic tale, whose story is weaved in Benise: The Spanish Guitar. Integrating live performance with real footage, viewers travel with Benise as he voyages across the globe. From the cobblestone streets of Old Havana to an Arabian desert, the romantic canals of Venice to the oldest bullring in Spain, from a quaint Paris café to a 2000 year-old sacred Buddhist temple in India, watch as the enchanted Spanish Guitar becomes a treasure chest of inspiration-the keeper of stories of glory and tragedy through times and worlds gone by.
Benise's masterful guitar playing, brilliantly choreographed dance numbers, moving orchestral pieces, breathtaking couture fashion, and the unparalleled beauty of the Gitanas dancers gives Spanish dance a luminous makeover. Journey to worlds both far away and deeply personal with The Spanish Guitar, and remember that hope can be the healing thread in all of our lives.
Act I
Overture
Lovers Theme
Strings of Fire
Gypsy Nights
The Quest (Spain vignette)
Spanish Guitar with Kimberly Locke
The Duel (Spain vignette)
Malagueña
Act II
The Masquerade (Venice vignette)
Mi Amor
The Marionettes (Paris vignette)
Café Paris with Nick & Lena from Dancing with the Stars The Prince (India & Dubai vignette) Arabesque Aranjuez
Act III
The Sun (Havana vignette)
Cuba Libre with Dave Koz
Tango de Besame
Bamboleo (club mix)
The Priestess (Havana vignette)
Firedance
Evermore (The Wedding Song) with Giorgia Fumanti
Also included are five bonus world music videos: Europa (Paris, France), Long Kiss Goodbye (Venice, Italy), Cuba (Havana, Cuba), Aranjuez (Dubai, United Arab Emirates), India (Bombay, Pune, India).
A Sense of Wonder (available on DVD July 6, 2010)
A Sense of Wonder recalls the tireless life work of writer/biologist Rachel Carson, who inspired ecological consciousness and made a monumental impact on environmental policy.
When pioneering environmentalist Rachel Carson published Silent Spring in 1962, the backlash from her critics thrust her into the center of a political maelstrom. Despite her love of privacy, Carson’s convictions and her foresight regarding the risks posed by chemical pesticides forced her into a very public and controversial role. Struggling with cancer, Carson recounts with both humor and anger the attacks by the chemical industry, the government, and the press as she focuses her limited energy to get her message to Congress and the American people.
A Sense of Wonder is an intimate and poignant reflection of Carson's life as she emerges as America's most successful advocate for the natural world.
Special Features include Lessons from Carson and Challenges Ahead, A Visit with Stewart Udall and A Visit with Roger.
The New Recruits (available on DVD July 20, 2010)
The New Recruits is a documentary about a battalion of jet-setting business students armed with a radical plan to end global poverty: charge poor people for goods and services.
Heidi, Joel, and Suraj are selected from thousands of applicants to take part in the prestigious Acumen Fund Fellows Program. They will apprentice with "social enterprises" around the world, intending to help poor people by treating them as customers rather than recipients of charity.
Suraj, who is from Mumbai, is assigned to Ecotact, a company supposedly serving Kenya's poor by building pay toilets in slums. Suraj soon discovers that all Ecotact's toilets are in downtown Nairobi and used only by the wealthy.
Meanwhile, Heidi, from San Diego, is sent to India to work with D.light Design. D.light manufactures solar-powered LED lights for the rural population to use instead of kerosene. Heidi escapes her stifling work environment to determine how D.light's lamps are moving off shelves, finding that she is not alone in her inertia.
And Joel, from Tuscaloosa, is driven equally by his faiths in God and capitalism. He is assigned to Micro Drip, a company that sells drip irrigation systems to poor farmers in Pakistan. When Joel tries to coach a sales team right out of The Bad News Bears, he learns that the roots of Micro Drip's sales problems run far deeper.
The Science of Healing With Dr. Esther Sternberg (available on DVD July 6, 2010)
The Science of Healing with Dr. Esther Sternberg introduces viewers to the way the brain helps the body heal, both physically and emotionally. Science is beginning to understand the brain¹s function in healing, a role the ancient Greeks understood and practiced.
Physician and noted medical researcher Esther Sternberg leads viewers on a journey of discovery through her own personal story of illness and healing as she explores what leading scientists are learning about the mind/body connection. The senses, environment, diet, exercise, meditation and even music impact the body’s ability to heal. Dr. Sternberg’s eye-opening tour of the human body leaves viewers stunned at the amazing abilities inherent in all people.
Discover how the senses, environment, diet, exercise, meditation, and even music impact the body’s ability to heal.
Secrets To Love (available on DVD July 6, 2010)
For viewers wondering what happened to that “Leave it to Beaver” fantasy, where a perfect family is a reality, Secrets to Love may have the answers. For many couples, the fantasy dissolves away and people stuck asking themselves “how can we have a relationship that is healthy and happy like we envisioned?”
Director Tracie Donahue searches for the answers to finding (and maintaining) a healthy, happy love, by asking real couples and relationship experts the most important questions. What draws us to people? Do certain communication patterns contribute to the breakdown of relationships? How do skills such as empathy contribute to a healthy, functioning relationship – and can they be taught? It all starts at home – but if applied globally, think where it could lead?! This is a film about how real couples learned to create the marriage they hoped for.
Special Features include nine bonus videos featuring John Gray, Catherine Underwood, Dr. Karen Bales, and Dr. Phillip Shaver and a printable viewers guide.
Into the Deep: America, Whaling & the World (available on DVD July 6, 2010)
Equal parts fantastic sea adventure, mythic saga of man versus beast, and cautionary economic and environmental tale, Ric Burns' Into the Deep is the thrilling, epic story of three centuries of whaling and the unique relationship between American whalers and the giant creatures they hunted. These mysterious, mammoth beings -- both revered and reviled -- fueled the expansion of the American economy and enabled Nantucket, a backwater Massachusetts colony settled by religious refugees, to become a capitalist power on a grand and global scale.
At the height of the whaling industry, U.S. whaleships encircled the globe, a massive state-of-the-art fleet crewed by highly-skilled mariners whose ever-widening search for prey enabled them to chart the seven seas. Once slaughtered for the precious oil that filled their massive heads -- a high-quality illuminant that lit the drawing rooms of Europe and greased the wheels of the Industrial Revolution -- these magnificent creatures once again have a role to play in the new struggle to supply to our energy needs. As man continues to exploit resources and hunt species out of existence, this look at whaling's past is a stark reminder of not only the volatility of the global marketplace but the danger of viewing the planet and its creatures as commodities.
Into the Deep also explores the fate of the infamous whaleship Essex -- which set sail from Nantucket in the summer of 1819 – as it is interwoven with the story of a young Herman Melville, whose own imaginative voyage and familiarity with the Essex tragedy would give rise to one of the greatest works of American literature, Moby Dick.
Special Features include deleted scenes that a closer look at whales, the history of Nantucket, and the whaling industry, and bonus reenactment footage, featuring whaling sea shanties being sung aboard the Charles W. Morgan.
Goodnight Moon… and more great bedtime stories (available on DVD July 27, 2010)
Introduce your child to sign language! Beloved children’s books are brought to life with voice, sign language, and beautiful music scores. Great for all kids!
Goodnight Moon – Faithfully adapted from the original book and featuring a beautiful musical score, the most beloved bedtime story of all time is brought to life on DVD.
A Creature Was Stirring – Seen through the eyes of a child, this new adaptation of the classic Christmas poem will inspire viewers of all ages to believe.
Gladys Goes Out to Lunch – Go on an adventure with Gladys the gorilla as she smells something delicious and leaves the zoo to find out what it is.
DVD Features – 3 Stories on One DVD Plus: Sign Language Vocabulary, Comprehension Quizzes, Alphabet Fingerspelling, and Read-Along. Supports Vocabulary, Comprehension Quizzes, and Fine Motor Skills.
A Pocket for Corduroy… and more stories about friendship (available on DVD July 27, 2010)
Introduce your child to sign language! Beloved children’s books are brought to life with voice, sign language, and beautiful music scores. Great for all kids!
A Pocket for Corduroy – Corduroy goes on an exciting adventure through the Laundromat in search of the one thing he thinks he is missing – a pocket!
Blue Burt and Wiggles – Not wanting to say goodbye to winter, two best friends try to make the summer last forever.
Big Al – Big Al wants to make friends, but all of the other fish are afraid of him – until one day he proves what a great friend he can be!
DVD Features – 3 Stories on One DVD Plus: Sign Language Vocabulary, Comprehension Quizzes, Alphabet Fingerspelling, and Read-Along. Supports Vocabulary, Comprehension Quizzes, and Fine Motor Skills.
2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams (available on DVD July 20, 2010)
The infamous Tim Sullivan (2001 Maniacs, Driftwood) returns to the writing-directing helm with 2001 MANIACS: FIELD OF SCREAMS. This time around the Southern residents of Pleasant Valley take their cannibalistic Guts N’ Glory Jamboree on the road to Iowa where they encounter spoiled Northern heiresses Rome and Tina Sheraton and the cast and crew of their “Road Rascals” reality show.
Performing “The Bloodiest Show on Earth,” our Southern Maniacs prove to be more than ratings killers in what director John Landis calls “one of the rare sequels that surpasses the original.”
Special Features include Behind the Screams: The Making of 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams, DVD commentary with Writer/Director Tim Sullivan & Select Cast, Shock and Roll Slideshow, 5.1 Digital Surround, and the Red Band Trailer.
2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams -- Original Soundtrack (available in stores and on iTunes July 20, 2010)
The soundtrack features songs provided by musically talented fans of the franchise found on MySpace and Facebook, as well as the films’s star Bill Moseley providing the end-title track, with originally music by Patrick Copeland.
The result is a soundtrack as maniacal as the film. Highlights include Psycho Charger’s newly recorded “The South Will Rise (Field of Screams”), twangy country tracks from the film’s stars Ahmed Best & Clifford Allen Wagner, coupled with rock, indie rock and dance cuts from United Snakes, Me & My Friends, Sean Avolio, Sweet Cyanide, Kyle Justine, Shawn Mars and Zombie Girl, all interspersed with comedic dialog from the film. Rounding out the soundtrack is the original score by Patrick Copeland.
Songs Featured on The Soundtrack:
The South’s Gonna Rise Again – Ahmed Best & Clifford Allen Wagner
Killers on the Highway – Clifford Allen Wagner
Nottie Hottie – Me and My Friends (Featuring Elizabeth Couchon)
All Up in My Candy – Sean Avolio
All Fall Down – Shawn Mars
S.L.M. – Sweet Cyanide
Redneck Zombies – Psycho Charger
FaceBook SuperStar – Kyle Justin
Go Zombie – Zombie Girl
Do You Wanna Be My Girlfriend? – Deanna DellaCioppa
Cannibals – Lin Shaye, Christa Campbell, Kathryn Le, Nicole Rae
Lord Let Me Help You Decide – Spider Mountain
Jersey Shore: Season One (available on DVD July 20, 2010)
MTV put eight young adults together in a house in Seaside Heights, New Jersey – a popular East Coast summer hot spot – and filmed them going about their regular business. The result was often surprising, hilarious, over-the-top content that became an overnight sensation as a national audience fell in love with The Situation, Snooki, Pauly D., JWOWW, Ronnie, Sammi Sweetheart, Vinny and Angelina. In Jersey Shore: Season One, fights ensue and love triangles are formed, as the cast juggles their work schedule and takes advantage of the Jersey Shore’s nightlife scene. Beyond the tanning, muscles and fist pumping, viewers learn there is more to this cast as they form a loyalty and bond that will last beyond their time in Seaside Heights.
This 3-Disc DVD includes exclusive, never-before-seen special features including Deleted Scenes, the Reunion Special, Tips from The Situation and Snooki, Cast Commentary by The Situation, Snooki & Pauly D, "Before The Shore" and a Jersey Shore Makeover with Michael Cera.
Desperate Romantics (available on DVD July 20, 2010)
This summer, the BBC releases to DVD a character-driven romp through the alleyways, studios, and chop-houses of 19th century London with the 2-disc DVD set, Desperate Romantics.
Written by Peter Bowker and based on the book by co-creator and executive producer Franny Moyle, this risqué, bohemian drama centers around four young, thrill-seeking artists living in the throes of the Industrial Revolution - steadfast William Holman Hunt (Rafe Spall), naive John Millais (Samuel Barnett), mischievous Dante Gabriel Rossetti (Aidan Turner) and budding journalist Fred Walters (Sam Crane). Otherwise known as the Brotherhood, this flamboyant quartet is determined to achieve artistic immortality. Their quest takes them into some of the lewdest, darkest and funniest corners of the city. Joining these intrepid artists is sassy, sexy model Lizzie Siddal (Amy Manson). But is she risking it all with this dangerous bunch?
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- Joy Dominguez
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