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THIS WEEK'S DVD RELEASES:
Bass Ackwards (2010) A man coming off a disastrous affair with a married woman has a lyrical, strange and comedic cross-country journey in a modified VW bus. Extras: Commentary, "The Making of Bass Ackwards; deleted scenes; bloopers. (New Video/Flatiron Film Company).
Beautiful (2009) Peta Wilson, Aaron Jeffery. After a third teenage girl disappears from their idyllic suburb, Suzy -- the girl-next-door of every boy's dreams -- persuades Daniel, a 14-year-old with an obsessive crush, to help her uncover the terrible truth. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (E1 Entertainment).
Blood on the Highway (2008) Deva George, Nate Rubin, Robin Gierhart. Three maladjusted twentysomethings -- on their way to a rock concert -- accidentally wander into a town populated by bloodthirsty, dim-witted vampires. With no way to escape, they join the last remaining humans and prepare for an all-out, no-holds-barred battle with an army of the undead. (E1 Entertainment).
The Brotherhood VI: Initiation (2009) Latest installment in the franchise has a group of pledges arriving at a secluded lake cabin for a fraternity initiation, where they're met by a blood-thirsty lumberjack who won't stop until he's killed them all. (E! Entertainment).
The Closer: The Complete Fifth Season (2009) Four-disc set with 15 episodes, $39.98. Extras: Gag reel, unaired scenes, "Seen at the Crime Location Map" featurette. (Warner)
The Crazies (2010) Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson, Danielle Panabaker. Extras: Commentary by director Breck Eisner; featurettes: "Behind the Scenes With Director Breck Eisner," "Paranormal Pandemics," "The George A. Romero Template," "Visual Effects in Motion" and "Make-up Mastermind: Rob Hall in Action"; "The Crazies Motion Comic Episodes 1 and 2"; "Storyboards: Building a Scene;behind the scenes photo gallery. Also available on Blu-ray Disc, which includes a digital copy. (Anchor Bay).
The Dive From Clausen's Pier (2004) Michelle Trachtenberg, Sean Maher, Will Estes. When an accident renders her fiance a quadriplegic, a young woman faces mounting pressures that ultimately cause her to start a new life in New York. A Lifetime Original Movie. (A&E Home Entertainment).
Don McKay (2009) Thomas Haden Church, Rachel Harker, Elisabeth Shue, Stephen Benson. Don McKay, a high school janitor who leaves his hometown after a tragedy, returns 25 years later to rekindle a romance with his old flame, who is dying, but the homecoming brings McKay more than he bargained for. Extras:Commentary by director Jake Goldberger and producer Jim Young, deleted scenes. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Image Entertainment).
The Eclipse (2009) Ciaran Hinds, Iben Hjele, Aidan Quinn. A teacher who believes his house is haunted meets up with a horror writer and a novelist in a quaint seaside Irish town. Extras: Behind the scenes featurette, deleted scenes. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
Eureka: Season 3.5 (2009) Two-disc set with nine episodes, $29.98. (Universal).
Everlasting Moments (2008) Swedish master Jan Troell ("The Emigrants," "The New Land") returns triumphantly with "Everlasting Moments," a vivid, heartrending story of a woman liberated through art at the beginning of the 20th century. Though poor and abused by her alcoholic husband, Maria Larsson (Maria Heiskanen) finds an outlet in photography, which opens up her world for the first time. With a burnished bronze tint that evokes faded photographs, and a broad empathetic palette, "Everlasting Moments" -- based on a true story -- is a miraculous tribute to the power of image making. Two-disc set with new high-definition digital transfer, approved by director Jan Troell. Extras: "Jan Troell's Magic Mirror," an hour-long documentary about Troell's life and career; short documentary on the making of "Everlasting Moments"; documentary featuring photographs by the real Maria Larsson, accompanied by narration telling her story"; a booklet featuring an essay by critic Armond White. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (The Criterion Collection).
Homeland (2009) Fran Kranz, Elize du Toit, Whip Hubley, Sue Cremin, John G. Conolly. Five peoples' fates become entwined when a Marine returns on furlough from Iraq. When no one greets him at the airport, he sets out to look for his father on the wild Northwest coast and his journey becomes harder and harder as it intersects with his un-met step-mother, a bitter First Gulf War veteran, and the British stewardess from his flight home. And then a body washes up on the beach. (Vanguard Cinema).
Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Crispin Glover. Extras: Deleted scenes. Also available as a two-disc Blu-ray edition, which adds four featurettes: "Production: Acting Like Idiots," "Chevy Chase: The Nicest Guy in Hollywood," "Totally Radical Outfits: Dayna Pink," "Crispin Glover: One Armed Bellhop"; digital copy. (MGM).
How the Earth Was Made: The Complete Season Two (2009-10) Four-disc set with 12 episodes, $39.95. (A&E Home Entertainment).
It Came From Kuchar (2009) Documentary. Long before YouTube, there were the brilliantly insane, no-budget movies of underground, filmmaking twins George and Mike Kuchar. Creating stars out of their friends and family with just consumer-grade cameras, the teenage Kuchar brothers went from the 1960s New York City underground film scene of Andy Warhol and Kenneth Anger to become the twin maestros of B-movie glamour and sleaze. In a mesmerizing stream-of-consciousness style, "It Came From Kuchar" effortlessly weaves nostalgic footage of 1950s New York, a "greatest hits" collection of Kuchar clips and present day interviews of an all-star lineup of fans including John Waters, Buck Henry, Atom Egoyan, Wayne Wang, Bill Griffith, Gerard Malanga, B. Ruby Rich and Guy Maddin. Both outrageous and lovable, George and Mike will inspire you to pick up a camera and start making movies. $24.95. Extras: Behind-the-scenes footage, additional interviews, footage, secrets from the Kuchar Brothers' fascinating and bizarre world. (IndiePix Films).
The Last Big Thing (1996) Mark Ruffalo, Dan Zukovic, Susan Heimbinder. From a bland tract house on the outskirts of Los Angeles, Simon Geist (with occasional help from his platonic girlfriend Darla) wages war against all of modern American popular culture. Geist starts up a magazine called "The Next Big Thing," which he uses to confront and insult upcoming actors, comics, models and rock bands, but as his mysterious Underground Agenda escalates, will he become the "last big thing" or be co-opted by the very forces he is railing against? Extras: Sundance Festival Smash hit short "Conjurer of Monikers" by the film's director, Dan Zukovic. (Vanguard Cinema)
Leave It to Beaver: The Complete Series (1957-63) Thirty-seven disc set with 234 episodes, $199.99. Extras: Special commemorative booklet, special "value-added" exclusive replica of the original "Leave It to Beaver Money Maker Board Game," a full-disc of exclusive bonus features offering a nostalgic look at the television series from the cast and crew: "It's A Small World" rare pilot episode that started it all, "Forever the Beaver: The Cleavers Look Back," "Ken Osmond and Frank Bank Remember," "The Drum Major of the Toy Parade" conversation with theme song composer Dave Kahn, six episodes of Shokus Radio's "Stu's Show" featuring members of the cast, special film for the U.S. Treasury featuring the Cleavers, original network promos. (Shout! Factory).
Madeline's Great Adventures (1993) Six episodes from the animated series based on the popular children's books. Madeline and friends encounter their very own Arabian lamp, a visit from the Prince of Monaco, a band of pirates and even track down 40 charitable thieves. $12.99. (Shout! Factory).
The Mermaid Chair (2006) Kim Basinger, Alex Carter, Bruce Greenwood. A married woman (Basinger) falls in love with a Benedictine monk. A Lifetime Original Movie. (A&E Home Entertainment).
Nuclear Hurricane (2007) Jamie Luner, Jack Scalia, Erin Gray, Gil Gerard, Meredith McGeachie, Eriko Tamura. The world's most advanced nuclear reactor's core is in danger of a meltdown just as a gigantic hurricane bears down on it in this Syfy Channel disaster flick. (E1 Entertainment).
Once More With Feeling (2009) Chazz Palminteri, Maria Tucci, Drea de Matteo. A successful middle-aged psychiatrist who always wanted to be a singer but followed his immigrant parents' wishes instead, finds that old dreams die hard. (IFC Films).
The Other Woman (2008) Josie Bissett, Ted Whittall, MacKenzie Porter, Jason Priestley. A woman who stole her husband from his first wife now faces the same competition in the form of a younger woman who wants to steal him away from her. A Lifetime Original Movie. (A&E Home Entertainment).
Pagan Queen (2009 -- Czech Republic) Winter Ave Zoli, Csaba Luca, Lea Mornar, Vera Filatova, Veronika Bellova. Based on the folklore eternalized in the story of "The Crown of Vysehrad," a love story between Libuse, the Slavic mythological heroine of 8th century Bohemia, and queen of the Slaivc tribes, and Premysl, a simple farmer. (Vanguard Cinema).
Paranormal Cops (2010) Two-disc set with six episodes, $19.95. (A&E Home Entertainment).
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) Dir.: Chris Columbus; Stars: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel, Sean Bean, Rosario Dawson, Steve Coogan, Uma Thurman, Pierce Brosnan, Catherine Keener, Joe Pantoliano, Kevin McKidd. Extras: Five extended and deleted scenes, featurettes: "Discover Your Powers Quiz," "The Book Comes to Life." Also available on Blu-ray Disc, which adds five more deleted scenes, four featurettes: "Secrets of the Gods," "Inside Camp Half-Blood," "On Set With Brandon T. Jackson," "Meet the Demigods." (Fox)
Plain Truth (2004) Mariska Hargitay, Alison Pill. An unmarried 18 year-old Amish girl is charged with the murder of her infant child. A Lifetime Original Movie. (A&E Home Entertainment).
Pretty Bird (2009) Dir.: Paul Schneider; stars Billy Crudup, Paul Giamatti, Kristen Wiig, David Hornsby, Anna Camp. Based on the outrageous true story of three would-be entrepreneurs who set out to invent and market a personal rocket belt. As personalities clash and individual agendas emerge, the partnership begins to unravel in shockingly unexpected ways. A humorous look at the folly of human ambition and a parable about the dark side of the American Dream. Adapted from the book "The Rocketball Caper: A True Tale of Invention, Obsession and Murder" by Paul Brown. (Paramount).
The Real McCoys: Complete Season 4 (1960-61) Four-disc set with 39 episodes, $29.98. (Infinity Entertainment).
Red vs. Blue: The Blood Gulch Chronicles (2010) Six-disc set of the first five seasons of the Internet series that takes place in the distant future where 10 soldiers battle for control of the least desirable piece of real estate in the known universe -- a box canyon in the middle of nowhere. $59.95. Extras: Commentary, special videos, deleted scenes, outtakes, hidden tracks, character profiles, alternate endings, PSAs, Documentary footage, rare clips from the RvB Archives. (New Video/Flatiron Film Company).
Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969 -- Hong Kong) Jimmy Wang Yu. When a marauding gang of swordsmen rampages a peaceful town, capturing every last sword master and demanding an unthinkable ransom, only one man will dare to fight back. (Vivendi/Weinstein/Dragon Dynasty).
St. Urbain's Horseman (2007) David Julian Hirsch, Elliott Gould, Andrea Martin. Canadian miniseries based on Mordecai Richler's post-WWII novel about Jake, a film director of modest success, a faithful husband, and a man in disgrace. His alter ego is his cousin Joey, a legend in their childhood neighborhood in Montreal. Nazi-hunter, adventurer, and hero of the Spanish Civil War, Joey is the avenging horseman of Jake's impotent dreams. When Jake becomes embroiled in a scandalous trial in London, he puts his own unadventurous life on trial as well, finding it desperately wanting as he steadfastly longs for the Horseman's glorious return. (E1 Entertainment).
Soul of a People: Writing America's Story (2009) The powerful story behind the controversial public assistance program the Federal Writers Project -- one of four arts programs in President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration, established during the height of the Great depression -- that hired unemployed men and women to document America in books, guides and interviews. $19.98. (Infinity Entertainment Group).
Stolen (aka Stolen Lives) (2009) Josh Lucas, Jon Hamm, Jimmy Bennett, Rhona Mitra. A devoted cop haunted by the unsolved disappearance of his young son eight years earlier discovers the buried remains of a boy who was brutally murdered more than half a century ago in the same region, and he becomes obsessed with investigating the long-forgotten crime. (IFC Films).
String Theory (2009) Rico Anderson, Carmen Mormino, Janine Venable, Darion Basco, John Colton, Charles Cooper. This indie outing starts as a seemingly simple morality tale centered on the fate of a beat-up church in Santa Monica, but ends as a psychedelic meditation on the modern experience of God. The Altman-esque cast of characters who interact in the course of one day include a surfer strung-out on theoretical physics, a dissatisfied lawyer, a morally compromised TV minister, a homeless man, a twisted city councilman, a prostitute, two bookies and a mysterious mute boy. (Vanguard Cinema).
The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo The Complete Series (1985) Two-disc set with 13 episodes, $19.98. (Warner).
Warehouse 13: Season One (2009) Three-disc set with 12 episodes, $49.98. (Universal).
The Warlords (2007 -- Hong Kong) Jet Li, Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Wu Jing-Le. Set in the midst of war and political upheaval during the Taiping Rebellion of the 1860s, a general joins two bandits to fight off evil warlords, taking an oath to become "blood brothers," pledging loyalty to one another until death ... but things quickly turn sour and the three men become embroiled in a web of political deceit, and a love triangle involving a beautiful courtesan. Extras: Behind the scenes interviews. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
What if God Were the Sun (2007) Lacey Chabert, Gena Rowlands. A grieving nurse finds comfort and inspiration in her new assignment, where she meets a terminally ill woman with a quick with and strong faith. A Lifetime Original Movie. (A&E Home Entertainment).
The White Ribbon (2009 -- German) Dir.: Michael Haneke; Stars: Ulrich Tukur, Burghart Klaussner, Rainer Bock. Blu-ray Disc extras: "Making of The White Ribbon," "My Life" look at Michael Haneke's career, Cannes Film Festival premiere featurette, "An Interview With Michael Haneke." (Sony).
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