Mother Mother is a devoted single parent to her simple-minded 27-year-old son, Do-joon. His foolish and sometimes dangerous behavior is often a source of anxiety to her. While walking home drunk one night, Do-joon follows a school girl for a while before she disappears into a dark alley. When she is found dead the next morning in an abandoned building, Do-joon is accused and quickly convicted of her murder thanks to an inefficient lawyer and an apathetic police force. His mother refuses to believe her beloved son is guilty and immediately undertakes her own investigation to find the girl's killer. In her obsessive quest to clear her son's name, she steps into a world of unimaginable chaos and shocking revelations. A unique murder mystery about a mother's primal love for her son, directed by Bong Joon-Ho, who helmed the incredible "The Host," the highest-grossing South Korean film of all time. In Korean with English subtitles. Vitals: Director: Bong Joon-Ho. Stars: Hye-ja Kim, Bin Won, Ku Jin. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 128 min., Drama, Box office gross: $.547 million, Magnolia Home Entertainment. | | |
THIS WEEK'S DVD RELEASES:
The Bannen Way (2010) Mark Gantt, Michael ironside, Robert Forster. Feature-length movie from Crackle's online series. Neal Bannen is a charming con-man and thief, with a father who's a police chief and an uncle who's a mob boss. His girlfriend wants him to reform but all he wants to do is complete one more job to pay off his debt to a notorious gangster ... but that just doesn't work out as easily as he hopes. Extras: Six featurettes. (Sony).
Being Human: Season One (2009) Two-disc set with six episodes of the BBC series about a vampire, werewolf and ghost who share a flat in Totterdown, Bristol. Extras: Video diaries, deleted scenes, character profiles, behind-the-scene featurettes, Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (BBC/Warner).
Black Narcissus (1947) This explosive work about the conflict between the spirit and the flesh is the epitome of the sensuous style of filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. A group of nuns -- played by some of Britain's best actresses, including Deborah Kerr, Flora Robson and Jean Simmons -- struggles to establish a convent in the snowcapped Himalayas; isolation, extreme weather, altitude, and culture clashes all conspire to drive the well-intentioned missionaries mad. A darkly grand film that won Oscars for its set design and for its cinematography by Jack Cardiff, "Black Narcissus" is one of the greatest achievements by two of cinema's true visionaries. New, restored high-definition digital transfer. Extras: Video introduction by French filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier; commentary featuring the late director Michael Powell and filmmaker Martin Scorsese; "The Audacious Adventurer," a 2006 video piece in which Tavernier discusses "Black Narcissus" and Powell; "Profile of Black Narcissus" (2000), a 25-minute documentary; "Painting with Light," a 27-minute documentary about Jack Cardiff's Oscar-winning cinematography on "Black Narcissus"; original theatrical trailer; booklet featuring an essay by film critic Kent Jones. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (The Criterion Collection).
The Bong Joon-Ho Collection Three-film set of director Bong Joon-Ho's films: "The Host" (two-disc Collector's Edition), "Mother" and "Barking Dogs Never Bite." (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
Cartoon Network Hall of Fame: Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season One (1999-2000) Two-disc set with 13 episodes, $24.98. (Warner).
Cats & Dogs (2001) Jeff Goldblum, Elizabeth Perkins. Reissue of the family film about the secret war between dogs and cats; timed for the July 30 theatrical release of "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore." Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Warner).
The Collective (2008) Kelly Overton, Laura Allen, Shane McRae. A young woman's hunt for her missing sister takes her to a strange cult -- known as The Collective -- living in a deconsecrated cathedral in New York City. (Vanguard Cinema).
Cop Out (2010) Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Jason Lee, Michelle Trachtenberg, Seann William Scott, Fred Armisen, Kevin Pollak, Adam Brody, Rashida Jones, and Susie Essman, Juan Carlos Hernandez, Cory Fernandez, Ana de la Reguera. Also available as Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack with Maximum Comedy Mode and a digital copy. (New Line).
Degrassi: The Next Generation, Season 9 (2009-10)Four-disc set with 19 episodes, $26.98. Extras: Bonus movie: "Degrassi Takes Manhattan," bloopers, deleted scenes, featurettes, music videos.
Elvis & Annabelle (2007) Blake Lively, Max Minghella, Joe Mantegna, Keith Carradine, Mary Steenburgen. Romance about a beauty pageant candidate who dies on the runway and comes back to life -- mysteriously -- at the mortuary owned by the family of an embittered young man; the pair fall in love but the question remains: after death has brought them together, will life tear them apart? (The Weinstein Co./Vivendi Entertainment).
Entre nos (2009 -- Spanish) Paola Mendoza, Sebastian Villada, Laura Montana, Anthony Chisholm. Mariana leaves her impoverished hometown in Bogota, Colombia, with her two young children, Gabriel and Andrea, and heads to the U.S. to be reunited with her husband. Soon after her arrival her husband abandons the family and, with all her options closing in on her, Mariana turns to the city's trash in order to put food on the table. With Gabriel and Andrea working beside her collecting cans, the family finds the most stability they have known since their arrival. And it is during these heartbreaking moments that the family triumphs. (IndiePix Films).
Forbidden World (Mutant) (1982) Jesse Vint, June Chadwick, Dawn Dunlap, Linden Chiles,, Fox Harris, Michael Bowen, Scott Paulin. On the remote planet of Xarbia, a scientific experiment has gone horrifically wrong, mutating into a man-eating organism. With plenty of gratuitous gore, unexpected nudity, surprising bits of black comedy, and an assortment of inspired and inventive special effects. Two-disc set with the remastered theatrical version and the never-before-seen, unrated director's cut. Extras: Commentary by director Allan Holzman, interview with producer Roger Corman, interviews with cast and crew, special effects featurette, poster and still Gallery, original theatrical trailer, additional New World trailers. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Shout! Factory Roger Corman's Cult Classics).
The Fragility of Seconds (2008) Matthew Tomkin, Michael Crabtree, Julio Cedillo. Three men, strangers to each other, arrive on the eve of the annual parade in honor of Mexico's Pancho Villa, in the dusty bordertown of Ojinaga, Chihuahua, Mexico; one to collect his sister Elena and her child to give them a chance for a better life in Texas; an FBI agent turned reclusive burnout, looking to disappear from his professional life of violence and despair; and a grifter just released from the Ojinaga prison days before the parade. A horrific even shatter everything in this suspense drama set against a backdrop of random drug war outbursts along the U.S. border with Mexico. (Vanguard Cinema).
Galaxy of Terror (1981) Edward Albert, Zalman King, Ray Walston, Robert Englund, Sid Haig, Taaffe O'Connell, Grace Zabriskie. A rescue space ship crew meets up with horrors projected by their own imaginations. Extras: Commentary with cast and crew; "New Worlds" featurette in which producer Roger Corman, screenwriter Marc Siegler and director Bruce D. Clark discuss the origins of the film; "The Crew of The Quest"; "Planet of Horrors" featurette on sets and alien landscapes; "Future King": memories of co-production designer (and future visionary filmmaker) James Cameron from members of the cast and crew; "Old School" mechanical and makeup effects with artists Allan A. Apone, Douglas J. White, Alec Gillis and others; "Launch Sequence" postproduction featurette; theatrical trailers; extensive photo galleries including posters, production sketches and designs; original screenplay. (Shout! Factory Roger Corman's Cult Classics)
Ground War (2009) PBS takes viewers on a thousand year journey through the history of warfare -- from trebuchets that once broke down walls to missiles that wipe out buildings. From the gladius to the AK-47, from the chariot to the tank, from the trebuchet to the howitzer, and from the battle ramp to the star fort, "Ground War" follows the fascinating punch and counterpunch of battle tactics and new technologies. With meticulous research and intriguing facts, "Ground War" explores the key technological advances that have defined ground warfare through the ages. $24.98. (PBS Distribution).
Jersey Shore: Season One (2009-10) Three-disc set with 11 episodes, $19.98. Extras: Deleted scenes, reunion special, tips from The Situation and Snooki, commentary by The Situation, Snooki & Pauly D, "Before The Shore," Jersey Shore makeover with Michael Cera. (MTV/Paramount).
Just Another Day (2010) Wood Harris, Jamie Hector, Ja Rule, Clifton Powell, Big Daddy Kane, Lil Scrappy, Trick Daddy. A rapper who dreams of getting his first record deal is willing to do almost anything to get his signature on a contract, and is thrown into a harsh business that accepts and destroys on a whim ... and that is dazzling, dishonest, irresistible. Extras: "A Hip Hop Hustle: The Making of Just Another Day," "Just Another Day Making Music," deleted scenes. (Image Entertainment).
Look Around You: Season One (2009-10) BAFTA-nominated hit UK comedy series that first premiered on BBC America and aired on Adult Swim in the U.S. this past winter; follows presenters Jack Morgan (Robert Popper) and Peter Packard (Peter Serafinowicz) as they guide viewers through a series of gloriously deadpan experiments. $24.98. Extras: Advanced double length module: "Calcium," "Little Mouse" full length pop video, commentary, "Pages From Ceefax," play-at-home quiz, additional music by Gelg, test card. (BBC).
The Losers (2010) Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Columbus Short. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Warner).
Martha Speaks: Martha Goes to School (2010) Eight new-to-DVD episodes has beloved family dog Martha and her family discover hundreds of new words to teach children; $14.99. Extras: Printable coloring pages, resources for parents, descriptive video service for the visually impaired. (Paramount/PBS Kids).
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (2009) In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg, a high-level Pentagon official and Vietnam War strategist, concluded that the war was based on decades of lies, and leaked 7,000 pages of top secret documents to The New York Times, making headlines around the world. Hailed as a hero, vilified as a traitor, and ostracized by even his closest colleagues, Ellsberg risked life in prison to stop a war he helped plan. This is the riveting story of one man's profound crisis of conscience that shook a nation, its courts, its free press and its presidency to the core. It is also an acutely timely and piercing look at the world of government secrecy in wartime as revealed by the ultimate insider. Marked by a landmark Supreme Court battle between America's greatest newspapers and its president, this political thriller of a documentary unravels a saga that leads directly to Watergate, Nixon's resignation and the end of the Vietnam War. Extras: Interviews with actor Woody Harrelson and best-selling author Naomi Wolf, The Nixon Tapes (audio highlights from the Oval Office), Ellsberg today, filmmaker biographies. (First Run Features).
Mother (2010) Director: Bong Joon-Ho. Stars: Hye-ja Kim, Bin Won, Ku Jin. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
Mt. St. Helens: Back From the Dead (2010) It was just 30 years ago that Mount St. Helens revealed her earthly glory, causing colossal devastation to everything in her path. Today, the seemingly dormant mountain and the uninhabited landscape that surrounds it are coming back to life, and scientists are trying to determine the reason. NOVA takes audiences on an intriguing exploration deep into Mount St. Helens for a better understanding of what’s causing the new volcanic activity and how to track future eruptions. $24.99. (PBS Distribution).
Music, Music Everywhere (2010) Five musical episodes for the pre-school set: "Barney: Play Piano With Me," "Bob the Builder: Roley's Important Job," "Thomas & Friends: Tuneful Toots," "Kipper: Arnold's rum," and "Angelina Ballerina: Angelina's Musical Day." $14.98, includes a bonus music CD. (HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate).
My Boys: Seasons 2 & 3 (2008-09) Three-disc set with 18 episodes, $34.95. (Sony).
The Outside (2009) Michael Graziadei, Nicky Whelan, Nia Peeples, Rob Moran, plus cameos by some of today's best surfers. A young surfer finds himself at the center of the pro surf circuit where he encounters an unscrupulous sports agent, major endorsements and wild parties -- but he finds the life of celebrity comes with a price. (Monarch Home Video).
The Red Shoes (1948) "The Red Shoes," the singular fantasia from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, is cinema's quintessential backstage drama, as well as one of the most glorious Technicolor visual feasts ever concocted for the screen. Moira Shearer is a rising star ballerina romantically torn between an idealistic composer and a ruthless impresario intent on perfection. Featuring outstanding performances, blazingly beautiful cinematography by Jack Cardiff, Oscar-winning sets and music, and an unforgettable, hallucinatory central dance sequence, this beloved classic, now dazzlingly restored, stands as an enthralling tribute to the life of the artist. New, restored high-definition digital transfer. Extras: Commentary by film historian Ian Christie, featuring interviews with stars Marius Goring and Moira Shearer, cinematographer Jack Cardiff, composer Brian Easdale, and filmmaker Martin Scorsese; introductory restoration demonstration with Scorsese; "Profile of The Red Shoes" (2000), a 25-minute documentary; video interview with Thelma Schoonmaker Powell, Michael Powell's widow; gallery from Scorsese's collection of "The Red Shoes" memorabilia; "The 'Red Shoes' Sketches," an animated film made from Hein Heckroth's painted storyboards; readings by actor Jeremy Irons of excerpts from Powell and Pressburger's novelization of "The Red Shoes" and the original Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale; theatrical trailer; booklet featuring an essay by film historian Ian Christie. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (The Criterion Collection).
The Runaways (2010) Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Stella Maeve, Scout Taylor-Compton. Extras: Commentary by Joan Jett, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning; two featurettes: "Plugged In: Making the Film" and "The Runaways." Also available on Blu-ray Disc, which adds movieIQ+sync featuring "The Runaways" playlist, BD-Live. (Sony).
Super Why! Attack of the Eraser (2010) Four new educational adventures have Super Why and his super friends practice spelling, use the power to read and investigate rhyming words in order to change the outcome of the story and save the day. Extras: Music videos, resources for parents, printable activities, coloring pages. (Paramount/PBS Kids).
Sutures (2009) Andrew Prine, Jason London, Carlos Lauchu, Allison Lange, Kate French. A mercenary surgeon, a sociopathic business man and his demonic staff will stop at nothing to prevail in the sale of black market body parts. (MTI Home Video).
Tenderloin (2009) Kurt Yaeger, Charles Branklyn, Jack Indiana, Tina Huang. An angry and wounded Iraq War vet moves into San Francisco's seedy Tenderloin neighborhood to lose himself in drinking, but finds instead a closer relationship with his young son, a tenement hotel full of exquisitely odd characters, and a red-hot lady. (Vanguard Cinema).
Tin Man (2007) Zooey Deschanel, Richard Dreyfuss, Neal McDonough, Alan Cumming, Raoul Trujillo, Kathleen Robertson. In this cyber-twisted update of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," a leather-clad, soul-sucking sorceress named Azkadellia has scorched the once-beautiful O.Z. into a desolate wasteland, and its only hope is with an "outsider" named DG, a young Midwestern woman whose troubling dreams have summoned her to the doomed paradise. Syfy Channel series. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Vivendi Entertainment).
Vampire Knight: Volume 1 (2008) Four original and uncut episodes of the anime series, $24.98. (Warner).
White House Revealed (2009) The Smithsonian Networks takes you on an insider's tour -- where most visitors can't go -- to meet the people who make the world's most famous house a home, with fascinating, behind-the-scenes stories. Narrated by Martin Sheen. $14.98. (Infinity Entertainment Group).
The Wronged Man (2009) Julia Ormond, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Lisa Arrindell Anderson. Lifetime telefilm tells the true story of Janet Gregory, a single mother and paralegal struggling to overcome doubts about Calvin Willis, an African-American husband and father wrongfully accused of raping a neighborhood girl; she takes Calvin's pro bono case and wages a dramatic and stormy 22-year battle with the justice system that ultimately redeems an unjustly accused man and cements a life-long friendship. Extras: "Discovering the Truth: The Making of The Wronged Man." (Sony).
X's and O's (2007) Clayne Crawford, Judy Marte, Warren Christie, Sarah Wright. A tight-knit group of San Francisco friends navigate the real world, post-college dating scene. Extras: Commentary by writer-director Kedar Korde, trailers, deleted scenes, gag reel. (Rivercoast Films).
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