Category Archives: DVDs

Nov 13 2013
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DVDs

Summertime Blues

Water-park job keeps teen from drowning in vacation misery

TheWayWayBack

The Way Way Back

DVD $19.98 / Blu-ray $29.98 (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)

A sunny, sparkling summer coming-of-age comedy now released as part of the Fox Home Entertainment Holiday Collection, this tale of a miserable 14-year-old teen, Duncan (Liam James), dragged away on a family vacation with his mom (Toni Collette) and her oppressive boyfriend (Steve Carell), won over indie audiences before finding broader success with more mainstream crowds earlier this year. Things start looking up for Duncan, however, when he meets a cute girl next door (AnnaSophia Robb) and lands a gig at the local water park, where he meets a cool-cat mentor older friend (Sam Rockwell) who helps him navigate the challenges of life, love, family and friendship. Bonus features include several making-of and behind-the-scenes features.

—Neil Pond, American Profile Magazine

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Nov 07 2013
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Books, DVDs, History

Up, Up & Away

1983 tale of America’s first space cowboys shines on Blu-ray

TheRightStuff

The Right Stuff: 30th Anniversary Edition

Blu-ray $27.98 (Warner Home Video)

Director Philip Kaufman’s acclaimed 1983 drama about America’s space race and the original seven astronauts of Project Mercury—adapted from writer Tom Wolfe’s equally acclaimed 1979 bestseller—came to the screen in an era before computerized razzle-dazzle and the wizardry of digital special effects. But no matter: It remains a rocket ride of high-spirited, spunky adventure that perfectly captures the space-cowboy tone of the times, spurred along by a dream cast of Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Sam Shepard, Dennis Quaid, Fred Ward, Barbara Hershey and Levon Helm. The commemorative Blu-ray comes with a generous load of bonus features, including several documentaries, a profile of real-life astronaut John Glenn, and commentary by the director, cast and crew.

—Neil Pond, American Profile Magazine

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Nov 05 2013
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DVDs, History

For History Buffs

Watching World War II unfold from every angle

WWII3FilmCollection

WWII 3-Film Collection

Blu-ray $29.99, DVD $24.98

(Lionsgate/A&E Consumer Products)

Here’s one DVD set that will keep armchair history buffs glued to their seats for hours—11 of them, to be exact! This five-disc collection of three History channel specials (WWII in HD, WWII in HD: The Air War and WWII From Space) offers expert examinations of the world’s most destructive conflict from three different perspectives, using combinations of first-person accounts, gripping narration, rare restored color film footage and stunning computer-graphic simulations that show what battles, troop movements and other key events would have looked like if they could have been tracked with modern-day satellite technology.

—Neil Pond, American Profile Magazine

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Oct 28 2013
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DVDs, Pop Culture

Hot & Bothered

Bullock, McCarthy buddy up as mismatched police partners

TheHeat-1The Heat

DVD $29.98, Blu-ray $39.99 (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)

Playing a pair of totally mismatched police partners, Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy bring a riotously fresh comedic chemistry to this female variation of Hollywood’s familiar “buddy comedy.” Bridesmaids director Paul Feig knows that gals can be just as funny—and just as raunchy—as guys, and The Heat turns up the grown-up tee-hees just about as far as they can go for an R rating. Bonus features include several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, bloopers, deleted scenes, hilarious commentary (with one track option from the commentators of Mystery Science Theater 3000) and a rundown of the fabulous supporting cast.

—Neil Pond, American Profile Magazine

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Oct 17 2013
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DVDs, Pop Culture

Squint Like Clint

Iconic 1973 Western made name for writer-director Clint Eastwood

HighPlainsDrifterHigh Plains Drifter: 40th Anniversary Edition

Blu-ray, $19.98 (Universal Studios Home Entertainment)

The main character didn’t have a name in his 1973 Western, but he certainly made one for Clint Eastwood. The “man with no name,” as he came to be called, became a pop icon of rugged, silent, vengeful Old West justice and helped establish Eastwood as an actor-director force in Hollywood. This new hi-res edition doesn’t have any special features (bummer!), but its charms are in its re-mastered clarity, which brings every dusty, squinty, sun-baked, sweat-soaked detail to vibrantly renewed life in the tale of a mysterious stranger of few words who helps a small, sin-ridden town rid itself of a violent band of outlaws.

—Neil Pond, American Profile Magazine

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Oct 14 2013
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DVDs, Pop Culture

Redrum! Redrum!

Documentary goes deep inside Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining

Room237

Room 237

Blu-ray $29.98 / DVD $27.98 (IFC Films)

If you thought the movie The Shining was just a scary story about a haunted hotel, well, you’re obviously not one of the people interviewed in this fascinating documentary, which rounds up several passionate super-fan theorists with their interpretations about the hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. Is the movie interwoven with clues about American expansionism, the horrors of the Holocaust or a faked moon landing? Or is it just a big, rambling cinematic maze that can’t ever be fully explored? Named for the location in the hotel where much of the movie’s weirdness takes place, Room 237 is a mesmerizing dive into a crazy kaleidoscope of possibilities.

 —Neil Pond, American Profile Magazine

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Oct 14 2013
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DVDs, Pop Culture, Television

Beam Me Up!

New Star Trek collection connects fans with series’ beginnings

StarTrekOriginalSeriesOrigins2Star Trek: The Original Series—Origins

Blu-ray $26.99 (CBS Home Entertainment/Paramount Home Entertainment)

Since it debuted on TV in 1966, it’s crossed the pop-culture universe to conquer comic books, novels, video games and movies. Now lifelong Trekkies and newer fans alike can reconnect with how it all began with this collection of origin episodes featuring first appearances of significant characters from the seminal Star Trek: The Original Series, including Spock, the super-villain Khan, and the alien Klingons; the cute but troublesome Tribbles; and both pilot episodes of the iconic series, “The Cage” and “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” which gave the show its memorable catchphrase.

—Neil Pond, American Profile Magazine

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Oct 10 2013
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DVDs, Pop Culture

Oh, The Horror!

Four new re-releases set the mood for Halloween

Halloween ComboCast a retro spell for Halloween with some classic, blood-curdling horror flicks. Director John Carpenter’s iconic Halloween, which got the whole teenager-in-danger genre rolling back in 1978, celebrates its 35th anniversary on a bonus-loaded Blu-ray (Anchor Bay, $34.99). The Exorcist: 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray includes documentaries, commentary and a tour of the movie’s locations with author William Peter Blatty (Warner Home Video, $49.99). The Amityville Horror Trilogy Deluxe Collector’s Edition features all three movies about one of the haunted-est houses of ‘em all on Blu-ray (Scream Factory, $69.97). And Chucky: The Complete Collection packages six fright films about the tiny terror of toy land (Universal Home Entertainment, Blu-ray $84.98, DVD $34.96).

—Neil Pond, American Profile Magazine

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Oct 04 2013
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DVDs, Pop Culture

The Dependable Villain

New collection celebrates the dastardly talents of Vincent Price

VincentPriceCollection2The Vincent Price Collection

Blu-ray ($79.97, Scream Factory)

In the 1960s, Vincent Price became lionized as one of Hollywood most dependably deplorable villains, especially in a string of low-budget flicks in which he played an assortment of madmen, zealots and other horribly unhinged offshoots of humanity. This deluxe collection of six of his movies from that era (Fall of the House of Usher, The Haunted Palace, The Masque of the Red Death, Pit and the Pendulum, Witchfinder General and The Abominable Dr. Phibes) comes with an assortment of top-notch bonus content, including interviews with schlock-king director Roger Corman, who worked with Price on many of his films; commentaries; still photos; and a 24-page booklet.

—Neil Pond, American Profile Magazine

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Oct 01 2013
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DVDs, Music, Pop Culture

Stamp of Approval

Coming soon to a mailbox near you: Ray Charles!

Ray_Charles_Forever_Cover2Ray Charles Forever

CD/DVD ($18.98, Concord Records)

Why does this new Ray Charles CD/DVD combo look like a postage stamp? Because it’s part of the celebration around the recent release of the U.S. Postal Service Icons Forever Stamp honoring the enduring rhythm and blues singer. With 12 re-mastered studio tracks (including “Song For You,” “Ring Of Fire,” “Till There Was You,” “Imagine” and “America The Beautiful”), a DVD of live performances and interview segments, it’s a multimedia reminder of a performer whose decade-spanning career has generated more than 100 albums, made him one of the original inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, spawned an Academy Award-winning movie—and now put him in the mailbox! (It’s on sale at major Post Office locations, an online at usps.com.)

 —Neil Pond, American Profile Magazine

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