DVD Playhouse--March 2010

DVD PLAYHOUSE: MARCH 2010
By
Allen Gardner

PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL “PUSH” BY SAPPHIRE (Lionsgate) In-your-face, but undeniably powerful film that follows the plight of an overweight inner-city teen (Gabourey Sidbe, a real find) who must deal with an abusive mother (Mo’Nique, in a career-making turn for which she won a most-deserved Best Supporting Actress Oscar), a baby born of her abusive, and absent, father, and trying to survive day-to-day with few people to offer her help, save for a sympathetic teacher (Paula Patton) in a special ed program. Director/producer Lee Daniels, a former personal manager/producer-turned-filmmaker, brings a kitchen sink authenticity to the proceedings, along with a cast of famous powerhouse performers, who manage to disappear into their roles. Tough stuff, but not to be missed. Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay (Geoffrey Fletcher). Bonuses: Commentary by Daniels; Featurettes; Interviews with Sapphire and Daniels; Deleted scene. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
BIGGER THAN LIFE (Criterion) Director Nicholas Ray’s 1956 follow-up to the classic Rebel Without a Cause is a cinematic tour-de-force, with James Mason as a successful academic who finds himself addicted to cortisone, as the result of an experimental treatment. One of the best-photographed films of all-time, with remarkable production design and lighting (check out that key light that does a 360 degree turn on Mason during the course of the film. Wow!). One of the Eisenhower era’s most subversive pictures, as if “Father Knows Best” were directed and shot by David Lynch. A true masterpiece. Cinemascope and Technicolor print is especially vibrant on the Blu-ray release. Bonuses: Commentary by critic Geoff Andrew; Interview with Ray from 1977; Featurettes; Interview with Nick Ray’s widow Susan; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
THE STONING OF SORAYA M. (Lionsgate) Based on a true story, this harrowing film follows a journalist (Jim Caviezel) who is told a shocking story by an outraged villager (Shoreh Aghdashloo) in rural Iran about a young woman (Mazhan Marno) who was literally stoned to death after her womanizing husband falsely accuses her of infidelity. The final scene is as shocking as the bullet-riddled finale of Bonnie & Clyde. An important film, in every respect. Bonuses: Commentary by director/co-writer Cyrus Nowrasteh and co-writer Betsy Nowrasteh; Film crew commentary; Featurette; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
BRIEF INTERVIEWS WITH HIDEOUS MEN (IFC Films) Directing debut of actor John Krasinski (who also co-stars) follows a graduate student (Julianne Nicholson) who, after being dumped by her boyfriend, decides to interview a cross-section of men about what drives the male species to behave so badly. Fascinating blend of satire and social litmus test co-stars Timothy Hutton, Bobby Cannavale, Will Forte, Christopher Meloni, Chris Messina, and Frankie Faison. Bonuses: Interview with Krasinski; Featurette; TV spot and trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
THE DAMNED UNITED (Sony) Michael Sheen, in another masterful turn proving he’s one of his generation’s great actors, stars as Brian Clough, one of England’s most renowned soccer managers in the ‘60s and ‘70s, whose controversial, disastrous 44 day reign at the helm of championship team Leeds United went down in English football history as one of the sport’s great upsets. Co-starring a who’s-who of England’s finest (Jim Broadbent, Colm Meany, Timothy Spall), this is one of the rare riveting sports movies that’s about losing, rather than winning. Bonuses: Commentary by director Tom Hooper, Sheen, producer Andy Harries; Featurettes; Trailers. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
BLANK GENERATION (MVD) Classic movie of the punk rock era from 1980 stars legendary punker Richard Hell, and his band the Voidoids, as a group of up-and-comers who are profiled by a French journalist (gorgeous Carole Bouquet) visiting New York. Beautifully captures a time, and a city, long gone by, with cameos from many keys figures of the era, including exec producer Andy Warhol as (what else?) himself. Bonuses: Live performances by Richard Hell and the Voidoids at CBGB; Interview with Hell. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 mono.
2012 (Sony) Disaster epic from director Roland Emmerich, who has yet to re-capture the magic he made with Independence Day. John Cusack leads a cast that includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Danny Glover and Woody Harrelson as they try to outrun nature’s fury when the earth starts to literally give way with one natural disaster after the next in the year 2012, as foretold by the Mayans centuries ago. Eye-popping special effects and eye candy can’t hide a barely-existent storyline, underdeveloped characters and sensory overload that overwhelms the viewer within the first 15 minutes. Independence Day was proof that you can have the eye candy, and enjoy your plot and characters, too. A disappointment, to say the least. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Alternate ending. BD bonuses: Picture-in-picture commentary with Emmerich; MovieIQ. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
BROKEN EMBRACES (Sony Pictures Classics) Pedro Almodovar’s latest stars his muse Penelope Cruz as an actress who falls in love with her director (Lluis Homar), much to the chagrin of her much older sugar daddy, who plots revenge. If Douglas Sirk had grown up on the Iberian Peninsula, this might have been the film he’d have made around 1958 (minus the graphic sex, language and other Almodovar staples). That said, while the film rocks cinematically, it remains one of Almodovar’s lesser efforts, feeling more like an exercise than a labor of love from one of the world’s great auteurs. In spite of that, the good bits are so good, it’s well worth seeing. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Deleted scenes; Featurettes; Interview with Cruz; Short film by Almodovar. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
SERVICE (Serbis) (E1 Entertainment) Steamy tale from the Philippines about a family-run adult movie theater and the goings-on inside the once-grand establishment that, much like the country it takes place in, has gone to seed (at least according to filmmaker Brillante Ma. Mendoza, who’s working with some major metaphors here). Reminiscent of the films of Paul Schrader, with an Asian twist, Service is knee-deep in sleaze, corruption and vice, but does so in such an honest, compelling way, the viewer feels as though their passport has been stamped, and their consciousness altered, by a journey to another world. Tough stuff, but superbly done. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 mono.
ROSA AND THE EXECUTIONER OF THE FIEND (MVD) Spanish-language film about a lonely widow, a Jew who escaped Nazi persecution in 1939 and lives across from the U.N. building in New York, who is taken hostage by an enraged Cuban who, armed with a sniper rifle, vows “to execute one of the greatest fiends the world has ever known” as he arrives at the U.N. Strong, claustrophobic drama feels more like a play committed to film, but is still powerful, and somewhat reminiscent of Frank Sinatra’s film Suddenly, about an assassin who takes a family hostage in a small town. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
PARIS (IFC Films) John Dos Passos-like tale of intersecting lives in the City of Lights. Juliette Binoche stars along with some of France’s biggest names (Romain Duris, Melanie Laurent, Francois Cluzet) in a series of stories that cross all social and economic lines and celebrates the humanity that encompasses one of the world’s greatest cities. A delight from start to finish. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
GENTLEMEN BRONCOS (20th Century Fox) An aspiring sci-fi writer and born loser (Michael Angarano) finds his dreams vanishing before his eyes when a greedy author steals his story at a writer’s workshop. A few clever ideas (not to mention a great opening title sequence) can’t save this misfire from Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess, like its predecessor, just seems to revel in the strangeness and geekiness of its characters, but has little else to offer. Game supporting cast including Jennifer Coolidge and Mike White try their best, to little avail. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Outtakes; Featurette; Deleted scenes. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
FIX (E1 Entertainment) Stylishly-made thriller about a dude named Milo (co-writer/director Tao Ruspoli) who, to keep his brother Leo (Shawn Andrews) out of prison, must raise $5,000 in 15 hours to pay for his trip to rehab. With his reluctant girlfriend (Olivia Wilde) in tow, Milo travels the whole of the City of Angels: from mansions in Bel-Air to the projects in Watts, hustling for the money by any means necessary. Ruspoli has a real eye (and isn’t too bad an actor, either), although the film’s manic energy and pace could have used a bit of balance. Overall, a solid effort from a neophyte director. Bonuses: Featurettes; Commentary by Ruspoli, Wilde, Andrews, crew members; Interviews with Ruspoli and Andrews; Photo gallery. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
THE VENGEANCE TRILOGY (Palisades Tartan Asia Extreme) Korean auteur Park Chan-Wook’s “Revenge Trilogy” packaged in one set for the first time. SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE follows a deaf-mute who, desperate to get a kidney transplant for his dying sister, kidnaps the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, only to have things go horribly awry. OLDBOY is about an arrogant businessman who, after a drunken night on the town, finds himself imprisoned in a single room. 15 years later, he is suddenly released, and given five days to hunt down those who imprisoned him, and to find out why. Winner of the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. LADY VENGEANCE tells a story of revenge from the female perspective, when a young woman is framed for a child murder, she emerges from prison 13 years later hardened and thirsting for payback. All three films are a testament to the virtuoso filmmaking talents of Chan-Wook, as well as not-so-subtle morality plays about the futility of revenge. The only issue this writer has with these films (and the canon of Chan-Wook’s films in general) is their almost fetishistic emphasis on sadism, torture and gruesome violence. While filmmakers like Sam Peckinpah extended violent moments to emphasize their ugliness, Chan-Wook seems to delight in presenting them as grisly works of art. Bonuses on all: Commentary by Chan-Wook, cast and crew; Featurettes; Interviews with cast and crew; Deleted scenes; Trailers. 32-page booklet, featuring interviews and essays from filmmakers who have been influenced by the trilogy. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
THE BAADER-MEINHOF COMPLEX (MPI) Dazzling, grab-you-by-the-balls historical drama about the infamous Baader-Meinhof/Red Army Faction terror organization, whose reign of chaos and bloodshed devastated Germany in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Director Uli Edel and screenwriter/producer Bern Eichinger pull no punches in their portraits of the terrorists as children of the middle and upper middle class whose post-WW II idealism goes horribly, perversely awry. Award-caliber performances from Martina Gedeck, Moritz Bleibtreu, Johanna Wokalek, and Bruno Ganz. Bonuses: Featurettes; Interviews with the filmmakers. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
AN EDUCATION (Sony Classics) Touching coming-of-age story, based on author Lynn Barber’s memoir (adapted for the screen by Nick Hornby), about a girl (Carey Mulligan, an actress to watch) in 1964 London, headed for a respectable middle class future at Oxford, who finds her straight-and-narrow path suddenly taking a sharp turn when she encounters a seductive and (seemingly) sophisticated older man (Peter Sarsgaard, excellent as always) who shows her both the glamour, and the seamier side, of the outside world. Solid drama with fine performances by all (Alfred Molina, Olivia Williams, Rosamund Pike, Dominic Cooper, and the great Emma Thompson) hearkens back to the “kitchen sink” dramas of Tony Richardson and John Osborne. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Commentary by director Lone Scherfig, Mulligan and Sarsgaard; Deleted scenes; Featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
SHERLOCK HOLMES (Warner Bros.) Guy Ritchie’s re-boot of Arthur Conan Doyle’s cerebral 19th century sleuth for the post-MTV generation is somewhat successful, thanks largely to the always-charismatic and inventive Robert Downey Jr. in the title role and Jude Law, who brings a dashing charm to perennial sidekick Dr. Watson. The silly plot involves a secret organization bent on world domination which Holmes, Watson and a seductive, slightly bent American con artist (Rachel McAdams) must join forces to stop. Beautifully shot and designed, (one actually feels covered in Victorian-era soot and grime after watching the film), with a couple truly dazzling set pieces, making this the first tolerable film from director Guy Ritchie since his smashing debut with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels over a decade ago. That said, Baker Street purists might find Holmes’ reinvention as an action hero more than slightly tough to swallow. Also available on Blu-ray disc, which really makes those set pieces pop. Bonuses: Picture-in-picture commentary and behind-the-scenes; Storyboard comparisons; Photo galleries; Focus points; Timelines; Featurettes; BD Live features; Trailers. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
I SELL THE DEAD (IFC Films) Best described as “a horror movie by horror fans for horror fans,” this tongue-in-cheek pastiche stars Dominic Monaghan as a 19th century grave robber who, just before he’s to meet the hangman’s noose, confesses all to a priest (Ron Perlman): gruesome tales of vampires, zombies and death-dealing that we see enacted in gruesome detail. Produced by horror icons Larry Fessenden and Angus Scrimm, this grisly and hilarious homage is sure to please horror aficionados everywhere. Bonuses: Commentary by Monaghan, Fessenden, director Glenn McQuaid; Featurettes; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
POSSIBLE FILMS BY HAL HARTLEY Microcinema releases two volumes of films by indie auteur Hal Hartley. SURVIVING DESIRE, from 1991, stars Hartley doppelganger Martin Donovan as a college professor in deep smit with a comely young student. Also features three Hartley shorts: Theory of Achievement, Ambition, and Upon Reflection: Finding Desire. Possible Films volume 2 features five new short films by Hartley: A/Muse, Implied Harmonies, The Apologies, Adventure, and Accomplice. A few of the films feature Hartley playing himself, and while all five are extremely self-reflexive exercises, they aren’t self-indulgent in the least, and retain Hartley’s signature, delightful, deadpan humor. All are full screen, Dolby 2.0 mono.
OLD DOGS (Disney) John Travolta and Robin Williams star as lifelong best friends who find their lives (what else?) “turned upside down” when they’re charged with the care of seven year-old twins while on the verge of closing the biggest business deal of their lives. By-the-numbers family comedy has enough goofy pratfalls, bathroom humor and elbows-in-the-ribs for a dozen Ritz Brothers movies from the ‘40s—and one doubts if those were even considered funny then. The question that kept going through my mind during the very long 88 minutes of this film was “Travolta and Williams can’t need the money at this point, so…why?!” If anyone has the answer, please let me know. 3-disc set: Blu-ray, regular DVD and digital copy. Bonuses: Featurettes; Bloopers; Deleted scenes; Music videos; Commentary by filmmakers. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
BOONDOCK SAINTS II ALL SAINTS DAY (Sony) The best thing about the first Boondock Saints film was the documentary, Overnight, made about its volatile writer/director Troy Duffy, one of the best films ever shot about Hollywood hubris. This second chapter has the MacManus brothers (Sean Patrick Flannery and Norman Reedus) returning to Boston after living the quiet life on the Emerald Isle, to investigate, and avenge, the murder of a beloved priest. Hipster humor mixed with gratuitous bloodletting didn’t work the first time out, and neither does it here. Duffy might be angling to be an Irish Tarantino, but he lacks the wit and originality which makes QT a brand that endures. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Commentary by cast and crew; Deleted scenes; Featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
BROTHERS (Lionsgate) Jim Sheridan’s well-meaning remake of the Danish film of the same name follows two siblings: one a clean Marine (Tobey Maguire) about to ship off to Iraq, the other (Jake Gyllenhaal) a perennial screw-up who can’t do anything to please his stern father (Sam Shepard), but soon finds himself a success in taking care of his sister-in-law (Natalie Portman, who does her best, but is horribly miscast as a Midwestern military wife) and nieces, in his brother's absence. Noble to a fault, which is its primary downfall, not to mention the sentimentality which creeps in when it’s not needed. A good effort, that never quite gels. Bonuses: Commentary by Sheridan; Featurettes; Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
THE TWILIGHT SAGA NEW MOON (Summit) First film of the tween book sensation about a teenage girl (Kristen Stewart) whose romance with a teen vampire (Robert Pattison) turns increasingly dangerous as ancient secrets and old enemies set out to destroy him. Beautifully shot, but almost laughably bad at times, with dialogue that makes the cult TV classic “Dark Shadows” seem positively Shakespearean by comparison. Sure to please the teenage girls in your house (provided they’re not in the gifted program), all over 18s however, arm yourself with garlic and a crucifix and keep your distance! Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Commentary by director Chris Weitz and editor Peter Lambert; 6-part documentary; Featurettes; Music videos. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
FREE WILLY ESCAPE FROM PIRATE’S COVE (Warner Bros.) Direct-to-video sequel that shows its roots from the get-go. Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, stars as a girl who leaves her home Down Under to join her grandfather (Beau Bridges—is he really playing grandpas now?) in South Africa, where she discovers a baby Orca stranded in the lagoon near granddad’s rundown seaside amusement park, and helps raise it to adulthood until it can be released back into the ocean. Sure to please the little people in your home with its many scenes of adorable animals being adorable. Harmless, but forgettable otherwise. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Featurettes; Deleted scenes; Outtakes. BD bonuses: Free Willy pop-up trivia track. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.



BLU-RAY TITLES Criterion retains its mantle as the Rolls-Royce of DVD labels with the Blu-ray release of three classics. First, Akira Kurosawa’s game-changing samurai films YOJIMBO and SANJURO, two “Eastern Westerns” that are among the most influential films of all-time. Toshiro Mifune stars as a masterless samurai, wandering the wastelands of Feudal Japan, doing mercenary work for highest bidder, but usually with a secret moral agenda of his own. The first film has been remade twice: by Sergio Leone as A Fistful of Dollars, and by Walter Hill three decades later as Last Man Standing, but both can be seen as heavily-influencing films like the Mad Max series, all of Clint Eastwood’s westerns, even the Dirty Harry and Lethal Weapon films. World-class filmmaking, period. Bonuses: Commentary by Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince; Documentaries on the films’ production; Trailers and teasers; Photo galleries. Widescreen. DTS-HD Master Audio Perspecta 3.0. Terrence Malick’s DAYS OF HEAVEN is the lyrical, poetic, visually-stunning tale of migrant workers (Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Linda Manz) who flee 1910 Chicago after Gere accidentally kills his boss, and find work in the Texas panhandle, harvesting wheat for a wealthy, but ailing young farmer (Sam Shepard). One of the most beautiful films ever shot, with each frame looking like an oil painting which could be framed and hung in the Louvre. Bonuses: Commentary by editor Billy Weber, art director Jack Fisk, costume designer Patricia Norris, and casting director Dianne Crittenden; Audio interview with Gere; Video interviews with cameraman John Bailey, cinematographer Haskell Wexler, and Shepard. Widescreen. DTS-HD surround. Blue Underground releases the Euro-trash cult classic VAMPYRES, arguably the greatest bi-sexual, English-dubbed, Spanish/Italian vampire picture ever made! Also knows as Daughters of Dracula, this controversial 1974 tale of two undead babes (Marianne Morris and Playboy Playmate Anulka) roaming the English countryside in search of mortal blood was hacked to pieces for its U.S. release, and has been restored lovingly for this release, which even today, might even garner an NC-17. All we can say: “Bite me!” Bonuses: Commentary by director Jose Ramon Larraz and producer Brian Smedley- Ashton; Featurette; Interviews with Morris and Anulka; Trailers. Widescreen. DTS 7.1 and Dolby 5.1 surround.



DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL! Lionsgate releases MAD MEN SEASON THREE, arguably television’s finest hour of the early 21st century. The third season finds the (m)ad execs of 1963 Madison Avenue dealing with the times they are-a changin’: Don Draper(Jon Hamm, terrific in the lead)’s seemingly perfect marriage is crumbling; the agency’s merger with a British firm has hit rough seas; and the fateful day of November 22, 1963 brings wedding bells and an historically seismic shockwave that sends everyone reeling. Absolutely brilliant, from top to bottom. 4-disc set features all 13 season three episodes. Bonuses: Commentary by creator Matthew Weiner, cast and crew; Documentaries and featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. Sony releases BREAKING BAD THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON, starring Emmy-winner Bryan Cranston as a cancer-stricken high school chemistry teacher who resorts to selling his own high-end formula crystal methamphetamine to earn a nestegg which his family can live on once he’s gone. Tremendous blend of black humor, gripping drama and social satire, with fine support from Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, and Aaron Paul. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Cast and crew commentary; Deleted scenes; 13 featurettes; Music video; Commercials; Gag reel; Interviews with cast members; Photo gallery. BD Bonuses: Interactive episode guide. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround. ABC Family releases GREEK CHAPTER FOUR, the fourth season of love, life and social politics at fictional Cyprus-Rhodes University’s Greek system, featuring guest star Jesse McCartney in all 12 of the season’s episodes. Fun and surprisingly intelligent series realistically captures that awkward phase between late adolescence and adulthood that occurs during college. Bonuses: Bloopers; Series recap; Featurettes; Music video; Commentary by cast and crew. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround. Discovery Channel releases STORM CHASERS, a two-disc set featuring footage shot under the most extreme of meteorological conditions: tornadoes, flash floods, hurricanes, and did we mention tornadoes? Some of the most amazing footage ever shot of extreme weather, courtesy IMAX filmmaker Sean Casey, makes the viewer feel as though they’re in the eye of the storms themselves. Hang on! Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 surround. TLC releases OVERHAULIN’ a reality show in which hot rod designer Chip Foose takes junked cars and turns them into dream machines. Fun and fascinating, for motorheads and civilian drivers alike. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono. Paramount releases 7th HEAVEN THE TENTH SEASON, the heartwarming family drama about a loving family with (believe it or not) little if any dysfunction to send them astray. Stephen Collins and Catherine Hicks head the cast that also includes Lorenzo Brino, Tyler Hoechlin and Beverley Mitchell. 5-disc set contains all 22 episodes of the 2005-06 season. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH THE SIXTH SEASON stars Melissa Joan Hart, now a co-ed at Adams College in Boston, also working on a city newspaper along with new boyfriend Josh (David Lascher). Nice blend of comedy and magical realism, buoyed by a likeable young cast. 3-disc set contains all 22 episodes of the 2001-02 season. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. Acorn Media releases more fine television from across the Pond, starting with MURPHY’S LAW SERIES 2, starring James Nesbitt as a maverick Irish cop who takes on the toughest blokes of London’s underworld. Tough and gritty as it gets, with Murphy tracking serial killers, a young cop’s death, and taking on a very personal mission of revenge. Terrific adult drama, full of action and pathos. Bonuses: Biography of Nesbitt. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. A VOYAGE ROUND MY FATHER, originally broadcast in 1982, stars two giants of the British stage and screen: Sir Laurence Olivier and Alan Bates playing father and son barristers whose contentious love for one another plays out against the father’s waning days. Jane Asher is terrific (and never lovelier) as Bates’ wife. Bonuses: Bios of writer John Mortimer, Olivier and Bates. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo.



ANIMATION NATION Disney releases four films by Japanese master animator Hayao Miyazaki: PONYO, inspired by the Hans Christen Andersen classic “The Little Mermaid,” tells the story of a young lad who rescues a goldfish named Ponyo, and their incredible journey of adventure and self-discovery when Ponyo’s father, a powerful sorcerer, makes her return to her home in the sea. Eye-popping animation and a charming storyline help elevate this (and all of Miyazaki’s work), not to mention English voice work from the likes of Cate Blanchett, Noah Cyrus, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson, Cloris Leachman, Lily Tomlin and Betty White. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Featurettes; Introduction by the film’s producers; Storyboard presentation of the film. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-HD 5.1 surround. KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE tells the story of a young girl who must follow family tradition and become a witch, deciding to use her new-found skills and flying broomstick for something good, creating a delivery service that literally offers worldwide, same-day air arrival! Delightful and gorgeous to look at, with fine voice work from Kirsten Dunst, Janeane Garofalo, the late Phil Hartman and Debbie Reynolds. CASTLE IN THE SKY tells the story of Pazu, an engineer’s apprentice, who finds a young girl floating down from the heavens, wearing a glowing pendant. Together, they realize that each is searching for a legendary floating castle called Laputa, and set off to find it together. English voice work from Anna Paquin, James Van Der Beek, Cloris Leachman and Mark Hamill. Finally, MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO follows the adventures of two sisters who, upon moving to a new area near a dense forest, find that their friendliest new neighbor is a spirit named Totoro, who lives in the woods. Incredible visual imagery, heavily-influenced by Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland.” English voice actors include Tim Daly, Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning and Lea Salonga. Bonuses on all three: Introduction by John Lasseter; Storyboard presentation of the film; Featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 surround. Sony releases PLANET 51, an animated family comedy about an astronaut (voiced by Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson) who lands on a distant planet occupied by little green people who, surprisingly, are very much like the people of Earth socially—including their propensity for paranoia, when they mistakenly think the astronaut’s arrival is the beginning of an alien invasion! Fun film, full of great slapstick visual humor. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: 3 extended scenes; Music video montage; 2 featurettes. BD bonuses: Game with optional IPhone controller app. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround. Paramount/Nickelodeon release SPONGEBOB’S LAST STAND, a collection of seven Spongebob Squarepants cartoons that are sure to delight all the little people in your house. Bonuses: Spongebob sneak peek; Featurettes; Music videos; Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. THE BACKYARDIGANS ESCAPE FROM THE TOWER features three fun adventures from Nickelodeon’s beloved animated series: Break Out, For the Love of Socks, and Los Galacticos. Bonuses include Rock the Luau, with music from The Fresh Beat Band. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. GO GREEN! features six ecology-themed tales starring some of Nickelodeon’s most cherished characters: Dora the Explorer: “Bugga Bugga,” Go, Diego, go!; “Manatee’s Mermaid Rescue!”; Wonder Pets! “Save the Tree” & “Save the Elephant”; “Yo Gabba Gabba!: “Green”; Blue’s Clue’s: “What Does Blue Want to Make Out of Recycled Things?”; and Ni Hao, Kai-lan: “The Place Where We All Live.” Terrific animation, music and positive messages make this ideal viewing for the young ones. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. New Video releases Scholastic Storybook Treasures GIGGLE, GIGGLE, QUACK…AND MORE STORIES by Doreen Cronin, five stories on one DVD, narrated by Abigail Breslin, Randy Travis and Alexander Gould, all designed to be read along with the kids, ages 3-8: “Giggle, Giggle, Quack,” “Dooby Dooby Moo,” “Duck for President,” “Diary of a Worm,” and “Diary of a Fly.” Bonuses: Spanish versions of “Giggle” and “Duck”; Interview with illustrator Harry Bliss; Read-along; Discussion questions. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 mono.

DOCUMENTARY DAYS Indiepix releases WE LIVE IN PUBLIC, winner of the 2009 Grand Jury Prize at Sundance for Best Documentary. Shot over ten years and culled from over 5000 hours of footage, the film examines the effect the Internet is having on our society, as seen through the eyes of renowned Internet expert, artist, futurist and visionary Josh Harris. Fascinating cautionary tale is a real feast for the senses, and will have your brain buzzing for days and weeks after you’ve seen it. Bonuses: Commentary by director Ondi Timoner and Josh Harris; Featurettes; Trailer. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. Warner Bros. releases THE BROTHERS WARNER an affectionate and sometimes warts-and-all portrait of the original founders of Warner Bros. Studios: Jack, Harry, Albert and Sam Warner, first generation American Jews who turned a storefront that used a sheet for a movie screen into one of the most powerful, and legendary, movie studios in Hollywood. Directed by Warner granddaughter Cass Warner Sperling, the film features interviews with actors from Hollywood’s Golden Age who worked with the brothers directly: Dennis Hopper, Debbie Reynolds, Tab Hunter, and more, as well as film historians. Loaded with archival photos and footage, many being seen publicly for the first time, The Brothers Warner offers a heart-felt look at a bygone era and how successful businesses can often fracture the closest of families. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 surround. A&E releases THE JACK5ONS A FAMILY DYNASTY, chronicling the lives of the legendary Jackson family of musicians. Originally intended to present an inside look as the brothers prepared to celebrate their 40th anniversary in the business, the tone of film took a 180 after the death of Michael Jackson last year. The filmmakers were granted unparalleled access to the family before, during and after their time of grief, resulting in a no-holds-barred look at a family that stands triumphant one moment, and devastated the next. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. CLASH OF THE GODS is a 3-disc set that takes a look at the classic Greek myths and explores what truth might have lain behind them. Invaluable blend of history and fiction, and how the former can often influence the latter. Also available on Blu-ray disc. 10 part series. Full screen. Dolby and DTS-HD 2.0 stereo. THE REAL WOLFMAN examines the strange case that occurred in mid-18th century France, in which a mysterious beast, said to resemble a wolf, killed and maimed 102 villagers in the town of Gevaudan. Thus was born the legend of the werewolf, and the story behind the fascinating documentary. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. Finally, Sexy Intellectual releases MUSE UNDER REVIEW, an up-close look at the band Muse and their career, incorporating rare footage of the band at work, at rest and at play. Intimate look at the inner workings of a band, for better and for worse. Full screen. Dolby 2.0 stereo. Virgil Films releases WE BELIEVE, a heartfelt look at the city of Chicago’s love affair with perennial baseball underdogs the Chicago Cubs, featuring rare, and never-before-seen footage of the Cubs at play, including the first known film of the Cubbies shot in 1907, and Thomas Edison’s footage of the Windy City filmed in 1897. Narrated by Gary Sinise, and featuring interviews with native Chicagoans and Cubs legends such as Billy Corgan, Mayor Richard M. Daly, Ernie Banks, Ryne Sandberg and Mark Derosa. We Believe is a testament to the all-American ideal of boundless optimism in the face of overwhelming odds. Bonuses: Trailer; Deleted scenes. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.