The Expendables A hard-hitting action/thriller about a group of mercenaries hired to infiltrate a South American country and overthrow its ruthless dictator. Once the mission begins, the men realize things arent quite as they appear, and they find themselves caught in a dangerous web of deceit and betrayal. With their mission thwarted and an innocent life in danger, the men struggle with an even tougher challenge one that threatens to destroy this band of brothers.Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) is a man with nothing to lose. Fearless and void of emotion, he is the leader, the sage and the strategist of this tight-knit band of men who live on the fringe. His only attachment is to his pickup truck, his seaplane and his team of loyal modern-day warriors. The team behind him is made up of Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), former SAS and a savant with anything that has a blade; Yin Yang (Jet Li), a master at close-quarter combat; Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), a long-barrel weapons specialist; Toll Road (Randy Couture), a skilled demolitions expert and considered the intellect of the group; and Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), a combat veteran and an expert in precision sniping who struggles with his own demons.
When the mysterious Church offers Barney a job no one else would take, Barney and his team embark on what appears to be a routine mission: overthrow General Gaza (David Zayas), the murderous dictator of the small island country of Vilena and end the years of death and destruction inflicted on its people. On a reconnaissance mission to Vilena, Barney and Christmas meet their contact Sandra (Giselle Itie), a local freedom-fighter with a dark secret. They also come to learn who their true enemy is: rogue ex-CIA operative James Monroe (Eric Roberts) and his henchman Paine (Steve Austin). When things go terribly wrong, Barney and Christmas are forced to leave Sandra behind, essentially giving her a death sentence. Haunted by this failure, Barney convinces the team to return to Vilena to rescue the hostage and finish the job he started. Vitals: Director: Sylvester Stallone. Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Giselle Itie, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews, Dolph Lundgren, Charisma Carpenter, David Zayas, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Eric Roberts. 2010, CC, MPAA rating: R, 103 min., Action, Box office gross: $102.516 million, Lionsgate.
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Ancient Aliens: The Complete Season One (2010) Three-disc set with 5 episodes, $29.95. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (A&E Home Entertainment).
Animal Tales (2010) An animal-themed collection of episodes from Barney ("Pets"), Bob the Builder ("Scruffty on Guard"), Thomas & Friends ("Thomas and the Golden Eagle"), Fireman Sam ("Baa Baa Baby") and Kipper ("Cakes and Tails"), $14.98. (HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate).
Batman Beyond: The Complete Series. Nine-disc set with all 52 episodes from Seasons 1-3, $99.98. Extras: Commentaries; season retrospectives; featurettes: "Tomorrow Knight: The Batman Reborn," "Gotham: City of the Future," "The High Tech Hero"; four-page, 8"x 12" collectible booklet. (Warner).
Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder (2000, 2002) Lindsay Crouse, Meredith Monroe, Richard Thomas, Skye Bartusiak, Walton Goggins, Tess Harper. Parts 1 and 2. (Paramount)
Countdown to Zero (2010) Traces the history of the atomic bomb from its origins to the present state of global affairs: nine nations possessing nuclear weapons capabilities with others racing to join them, with the world held in a delicate balance that could be shattered by an act of terrorism, failed diplomacy, or a simple accident. Extras: Deleted scenes, additional interviews, archival footage, Ploughshares Fund PSA. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
David Bowie: Rare and Unseen (2009) A look at the British actor, musician and producer who has lead the pop music scene for five decades. Most famous for his alter-ego, the ostentatious, androgynous "Ziggy Stardust" during the glam-rock era of the early 1970s, Bowie has continually reinvented his music and image and is regarded as an influential innovator. Uses missing-believed-wiped archive interviews and rare and unseen footage. $14.95. (MVD Entertainment).
The Disappearance of Alice Creed (2009) Martin Compston, Eddie Marsan, Gemma Arterton. Two masked men kidnap the daughter of a millionaire but their plan goes awry when she fights back and turns the tables on them. Extras: Commentary by director J. Blakeson, storyboard featurettes, extended scenes. Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (WestEnd Films).
Eat Pray Love (2009) Julia Roberts, James Franco, Richard Jenkins, Viola Davis, Billy Crudup, Javier Bardem. Includes both theatrical and director's cut. Extras: "Ryan Murphy's Journey With Eat Pray Love" featurette. Also available on Blu-ray Disc, which adds "Eat Pray Love: The Beginning of the Journey" featurette, "Finding Balance" featurette, "Praying in India" featurette. (Sony).
Exhibit A (2007 -- U.K.) Brittany Ashworth, Bradley Cole, Angela Forrest, Oliver Lee. A young girl's video camera documentation of her family's financial and emotional deterioration ... and then the unimaginable. Extras: "Making of" featurette, behind-the-scenes footage, bonus teaser trailers, more. (IndiePix).
The Expendables (2010) Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Giselle Itie, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews, Dolph Lundgren, Charisma Carpenter, David Zayas, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Eric Roberts. Available on DVD and Blu-Ray/DVD Combo with digital copy. (Lionsgate)
Fire & Ice: The Dragon Chronicles (2008 -- TV) Amy Acker, Tom Wisdom, John Rhys-Davies, Arnold Vosloo. A peaceful kingdom is invaded by a fire dragon. (Entertainment One).
Flipped (2010) Madeline Carroll, Callan McAuliffe, Rebecca De Mornay, Anthony Edwards, John Mahoney, Penelope Ann Miller, Aidan Quinn, Kevin Weisman, Morgan Lily, Ryan Ketzner, Gillian Pfaff. Extras: "Anatomy of a near Kiss" featurette. Also available as a Blu-ray/Combo Pack with digital copy. (Warner).
If You Could Say It With Words (2009) Marin Ireland, Gerry Lehanea. A painter with undiagnosed Asperger's Syndrome challenges a young woman's conventional idea of romance and his own understanding of love. (Vanguard Cinema).
I'm Still Here (2010) Casey Affleck's documentary about Joaquin Phoenix's transition from the acting world to a career as an aspiring rapper. Is it truth or fiction? Extras: Commentary, deleted scenes, alternate ending outtakes, more. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
Jolene (2010) Jessica Chastain, Dermot Mulroney, Theresa Russell, Chazz Palminteri, Rupert Friend, Michael Vartan, Denise Richards, Donald Sutherland. Jolene is a red-haired wanderer who isn't content to call one place home for any expended stretch of time. Setting off to explore the outside world at age 15, the free-spirited teen embarks on a decade-long cross-country of adventure which finds her crossing the paths of everyone from a firebrand Texan who steals her heart and destroys her marriage to his wealthy fundamentalist nephew, to an ex-mobster attempting to make good in Las Vegas. Based on E.L. Doctorow's acclaimed short story. (Entertainment One).
Journal of a Contract Killer (2008) Justine Powell, Jake Canuso, Marco Gambino, Adam Leese. A high-class hooker and assassin for the Italian Mob, now a single mother working in London as a waitress, is forced by the mob to do one last job. The hit goes wrong and her daughter is kidnapped ... but the mob didn't figure on her capacity for revenge. (Vanguard Cinema).
Leather Jacket Love Story (1997) Sean Tataryn, Christipher Bradley. A tough-as-nails biker and a naive young poet search for love in bohemian L.A. (Entertainment One).
LennonNYC (2010) The recent documentary on the years John Lennon spent living in new York City; aired on American Masters as part of the celebration of Lennon's 70th birthday. Following the breakup of the Beatles, the film follows Lennon and Yoko Ono as they moved to Manhattan in 1971, where he sought to escape the mayhem of the Beatles era and focus on his family and private life. At the same time, he created some of the most acclaimed songs and albums of his career. He also remained highly active in the anti-war movement as well as numerous other progressive political causes. With unprecedented and exclusive cooperation from Yoko Ono, access to never-before seen material from the Lennon archives, conversations with his closest confidants -- Ono, Elton John, David Geffen, the photographer Bob Gruen -- and rare recordings of Lennon's greatest solo hits. $24.95. (A&E Home Entertainment).
Love Shack (2010) Mark Feuerstein, Michael B. Silver, Pete Gardner, Molly Hagan, Diora Baird. Porn industry spoof centers on a dysfunctional "family" of adult film stars for a memorial porn shoot following the death of a legendary producer. Along the way, the film's hapless director must contend with dueling Divas, bickering couples, emotionally-scarred tag-team brothers, and a dominatrix with low self-esteem. Extras: Deleted scenes. (Strand Releasing).
Murder, She Wrote: The Complete Twelfth Season (1995-96) Five-disc set with all 24 episodes of the final season, $49.98. (Universal).
A Nanny for Christmas (2010) Emmanuelle Vaugier, Dean Cain, Cynthia Gibb, Richard Ruccolo. Romantic comedy about a smart and sassy business woman searching for a new job who gets a gig as a nanny at Christmas time, and receives a gift she never expected. (Anchor Bay Entertainment).
Not Since You (2009) Desmond Harrington, Kathleen Robertson, Christian Kane, Jon Abrahams, Sunny Mabrey. A romantic drama about a tight-knit group of college friends who graduated from NYU the year of 9/11 and reunite years later for a weekend wedding in Georgia, where unresolved conflicts and love affairs come to the fore. (Monarch Home Video).
The Pillars of the Earth (2009) Donald Sutherland, Ian McShane, Matthew Macfadyen, Rufus Sewell. Three-disc uncut set of the eight-part Starz miniseries based on Ken Follett's best-selling novel about an idealistic mason who sets out on a quest to erect a glorious Cathedral bathed in light during England's Dark Ages -- and runs up against a conspiracy of secrets. $59.95 Extras: "The Making of The Pillars of the Earth," "Visual Effects Progression," "Main Titles Progression." Also available on Blu-ray Disc. (Sony).
Presenting Roger Corman's ... Best of the B's Collection 3: Escape From Prison! Three-disc set with five digitally remastered, full-length women-in-prison feature films: "Swamp Women" (1955)," Women in Cages" (1971), "The Big Bust Out" (1973) "The Hot Box" (1972), "High School Big Shot" (1959). $29.98. Extras: Classic Corman film trailer. (Infinity Entertainment Group).
7th Heaven: The Final Season (2006-07) Five-disc set with 22 episodes, $49.99. (CBS/Paramount).
Shaolin Mantis (1978 -- Hong Kong) A young scholar recruited by the Emperor to infiltrate the Tien Clan in order to get evidence of the clan's connection to Ming loyalists and anti-Ching activities. If Wei fails in his mission, his own well-connected family will be punished. As the plot thickens, the young man goes into the wild to observe a praying mantis to develop the mantis style of fighting to save the day. (Weinstein/Vivendi Entertainment).
The Six Million Dollar Man: The Complete Collection. Forty-DVD set with all 100 digitally-preserved hour-long episodes -- including three presented in their original two-hour broadcast versions, all remastered from the original, uncut broadcast versions. The set also contains more than 17 hours of all-new bonus material, highlighted by new, in-depth interviews with Lee Majors (Col. Steve Austin) and Richard Anderson (Oscar Goldman) among others. Also included will be the three pilot TV movies ("The Six Million Dollar Man," "Wine, Women and War" and "Solid Gold Kidnapping"), the three reunion TV movies ("The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman," "Bionic Showdown" [featuring Sandra Bullock] and "Bionic Ever After?"), the never-before-released cross-over episodes of "The Bionic Woman," 17 original featurettes, audio commentaries and more. $239.95 from Time-Life. Preorders: 6mdm.com.
Space Precinct: The Complete Series (1994-95) Five-disc set with 24 episodes of the live-action/animated series about the extraterrestrial adventures of two NYPD detectives who are transferred to the Demeter City police force on the planet Altor. Created by animation genius Gerry Anderson. $49.98. (Image Entertainment).
Strictly Ballroom Special Edition (1992) Dir.: Baz Luhrmann; Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice, Bill Hunter, Pat Thomson, Gia Carides. Extras: New mini documentary "Strictly Ballroom: From Stage to Screen," "Samba to Slow Fox" featurette, commentary by Baz Luhrmann, Catheriine Martin and John O'Connell, photo gallery. (Disney).
The Tudors: The Complete Series (2007-10) Sixteen-disc set, $129.98. Extras: "Hirst's Castle" interview with Michael Hirst discussing the creation and writing process of "The Tudors" series; "Reviving History" featurette on the adaptation of the Tudors story to modern audiences; "Royal Manners" etiquette featurette; "Poetic License" interactive quiz; "Henry's Wives Club"; "History of the Tudor Rose"; "Medieval Arms"; "Tracking the Tudor Dynasty"; "Wheel of Misfortune"; deleted scenes; blooper reel; "Tudors 500th Anniversary: Hampton Court"; "Tudors 500th Anniversary: Tower of London"; "Tudors 500th Anniversary: British Library." (CBS/Paramount).
12 Men of Christmas (2009) Kristin Chenoweth, Anna Chlumsky, Josh Hopkins. When die-hard New Yorker and publicist E.J. Baxter (Chenoweth) loses both her high-powered Manhattan job and her lawyer-fiance at her office Christmas party, she winds up taking a job and moving to Montana. To help the local search-and-rescue station raise desperately needed funds, she convinces the male rescue workers to pose for a naked calendar, winning the heart of one of the pin-ups. Extras: Interactive calendar using images from the film. (Fox).
The Winning Season (2009) Sam Rockwell, Emma Roberts, Margo Martindale, Rob Corddry. A has-been coach is given a shot at redemption when he's asked to run his local high school's girls basketball team.Extras: Commentary by director James C. Strouse. (Lionsgate).
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