(2009)
* * * (B)
Directed by StevenRumbelow
Starring DexterFletcher, Dickon Tolson, Lana Kamenov, David Carradine
Echo Bridge//Rated R//Horror//90 minutes
Available on: DVD
After a zombiefyingvirus sweeps the land, two men and one woman seek refuge in the countryside.Isolated and frightened, their anxiety grows as throngs of mindless reanimateddead grasp at them while they make food runs into an abandoned town. Days passand the zombies learn to kill and eat animal flesh. Since crowds of undead areattracted to the survivor's new home, the uninfected build a fence to protectthemselves. Hoping they can outlast the creatures, the trio prepares nicedinners, drinks too much wine and watches movies, though fear is their constantcompanion. During a supply-gathering foray, they find a survivor (Carradine)unable to part with his zombie mummy, kept tied to her bed. The film, moreinterested in the psychological aspects of the situation than in zombieattacks, makes the most of its $1.5 million budget. This thought-provokingadaptation of a David Moody novel, may be grim, but it's worth watching. DVD features:Digital copy, widescreen.
CITY ISLAND
(2009)
* *1/2 (B-)
Directed by Raymond DeFelitta
Starring Alan Arkin,Andy Garcia, Emily Mortimer, Julianna Margulies, Steven Strait, DominikGarcia-Lorido, Ezra Miller
Anchor Bay//Rated PG-13//Comedy//104 minutes
Available on: DVD andBlu-ray
Bronx native VinceRizzo (Garcia) is a prison guard whose nutty clan take pains to hide theirfoibles from one another. Vince secretly attends an acting class while hisdaughter secretly works as a stripper and his son hide his preference for fatwomen. Family skeletons come rattling out of the closet after Vincediscovers his long-lost son is incarcerated and arranges for the youngman's release into his custody. Vince's decision unleashes a torrentof resentment and exposes everyone's vulnerabilities as eachfamily member confronts difficult truths. DVD and Blu-ray features: commentarywith Director and Andy Garcia, Dinner With The Rizzos featurette, deletedscenes. English language tracks, Spanish subtitles, widescreen.
THE UNIVERSE: OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
(2007-2009)
* * * * (A)
Created by DouglasCohen
Directed by DouglasCohen, Laura Verklan
A&E//NotRated//Documentary//470 min
Available on: DVD andBlu-ray
The HistoryChannel's "Universe," unravels the unknown with stunningphotography captured by deep space probes to reveal the planets and moonsof our solar system. Knowledge concerning our tiny corner of the universehas grown immensely, leaving scientists salivating over other questions.Do liquid oceans exist beneath ice-covered Europa? Will Titan's atmosphere andliquid methane oceans support life? Has life ever existed on Mars? What isthe likelihood earth will be destroyed by an asteroid or quasar? Are thereother earthlike planets we can find? Eye-popping graphics depict a mix of factand educated speculation that tickles the mind. It's worth owning thesejam-packed discs because multiple viewings are required to absorb the wealth ofinformation they contain. 2-Disc DVD and Blu-ray features: 10 episodes, Englishlanguage tracks, widescreen.
THE BACK-UP PLAN
(2010)
* *1/2 (B-)
Directed by Alan Poul
Starring JenniferLopez, Alex O'Loughlin, Michaela Watkins, Noureen DeWulf, Eric Christian Olsen
Sony//RatedPG-13//Comedy//105 minutes
Jennifer Lopez'scomeback romantic comedy casts her as Zoe, a pet store owner racing against herbiological clock when she decides to get artificially inseminated using afriend's sperm. On the very day of the procedure, Zoe meets Stan (O'Loughlin)and romantic sparks fly. The film, occurring over the subsequent nine months,examines the couple's ups and downs as Stan attempts to support Zoe'spregnancy. Olsen and DeWulf appear as wacky pet store employees while Watkinsfulfills the obligatory role of Zoe's best friend. DVD and Blu-ray features:deleted scenes, Making-Of Featurette, Interview with Jennifer Lopez, Englishlanguage tracks, widescreen.
2:22
(2008)
* *1/2 (B-)
Directed by PhillipGuzman
Starring Mick Rossi,Val Kilmer, Peter Dobson, Bruce Kirby
Inception//RatedR//Drama//104 minutes
Available on: DVD andBlu-ray
At 2:22am on New Year'sEve, master-criminal Gully (Rossi) and his gang impersonate a luxury hotel'sstaff so they can pinch the pricey jewels lining its vault. Guests caughtin the wrong place at the wrong time are subsequently held hostage along withthe staff, but the robbers are unprepared for the demands and schemes thatresult. DVD features: English language tracks, widescreen. Blu-ray features:Making of featurette, Theatrical Trailer, Photo Gallery, English languagetracks, widescreen.
LONG GOOD FRIDAY
(1979)
* * * (B)
Directed by JohnMackenzie
Starring Bob Hoskins,Helen Mirren, Paul Freeman, Dave King, Derek Thompson, Eddie Constantine, BryanMarshall
Image//RatedR//Thriller//113 minutes
Available on: Blu-ray
It's onlyfitting the film putting Bob Hoskins on the map be included in a group ofHoskins movies getting a Blu-ray makeover. Here he plays gangster Harold Shand,planning to go legit by redeveloping dilapidated London dockyards for the 1988 Olympics. Shandfinds it difficult to stay on the straight and narrow when his associates arekilled and his favorite pub is blown sky-high, during his negotiations with anAmerican Mafioso. Blu-ray features: Theatrical trailer, English languagetracks, widescreen.
MONA LISA
(1986)
* * * (B)
Directed by Neil Jordan
Starring Bob Hoskins,Cathy Tyson, Michael Caine, Robbie Coltrane
Anchor Bay//Rated R//Drama//104 minutes
Available on: Blu-ray
Hoskins shines as agangster's lackey. Temperamental George (Hoskins) falls for Simone (Tyson), thehigh class Londoncall-girl he chauffeurs. When Simone confides her desperate efforts to locate amissing teen prostitute, George trolls the city's underbelly for clues to herwhereabouts. Stylishly filmed and emotionally tense, Mona Lisa engenders some sad and knowing smiles. Blu-ray features:Theatrical trailer, English language tracks, widescreen.
Also Out This Week
LOST: Season Six
(2010)
Created by J.J. Abrams
Starring Matthew Fox,Evangeline Lilly, Michael Emerson
Buena Vista//RatedTV-14//Drama//802 minutes
Available on: DVD andBlu-ray
The aftermath of adevastating explosion results in alternate realities experienced by survivorsof Oceanic Flight 815. The sixth and final season attempts to bring the popularABC series to a satisfying conclusion, while giving fans of the show a newchapter of the island's story found exclusively on the DVD and Blu-ray season.5-Disc DVD features: commentaries on selected episodes, The new man in charge -a new chapter of the island's story, Crafting the final season, A hero'sjourney, See you in another life, brotha - mysteries of this season'sintriguing flash sideways, Lost on location with the cast and crew, behind thescenes look on the set in Hawaii, Lost in 8:15 - a crash course, Lost bloopers,deleted scenes, English language tracks, French or Spanishsubtitles,widescreen. Blu-ray features same plus: BD-Live connection to Lost University- delve deeper into the themes and mysteries explored by the series.
TITANIC II
(2010)
Directed by Shane VanDyke
Starring Bruce Davison,Brooke Burns, Shane VanDyke, Marie Westbrook
Asylum//NotRated//Action//90 minutes
Available on: DVD
On the 100-yearanniversary marking the sinking of the Titanic, a luxury cruise liner,christened Titanic II, embarks on its maiden voyage. Unaware of impendingdisaster, the crew and passengers head directly in the path of a tsunami andfree-floating icebergs. This made-for-TV-movie scored an abysmal 2.2average rating out of a possible 10, from 450 users on the Internet MovieDatabase. DVD features: Making Of Featurette, Gag Reel, trailers, Englishlanguage tracks, widescreen.
DINOSAUR TRAIN: DINOSAURS UNDER THE SEA
(2010)
Paramount//Not Rated//Children//120 minutes
Available on: DVD
The Jim Henson Companyand PBS reach out to preschoolers with Tyrannosaurus Rex Buddy and his adoptivefamily of Pteranodons. Together they explore their prehistoric world, singabout it and offer up fun dinosaur information for rugrats. DVD features:Games, Coloring Pages and Dinosaur Reference Guide, Information for Parents,English language tracks, widescreen.
WORDGIRL: TRICKS AND TREATS
(2010)
Paramount//Not Rated//Children//100 minutes
Available on: DVD
This PBS learning videointroduces 16 new vocabulary words. The program teaches and reinforces thewords' meanings in eight action-packed adventures that feature WordGirl usingher word knowledge to defeat ill-mannered villains. DVD features: InteractiveGames, Coloring Pages, Information for Parents, English language tracks, widescreen.
ABANDONED
(2009)
Directed by MichaelFeifer
Starring BrittanyMurphy, Dean Cain, Mimi Rogers, Peter Bogdanovich
Anchor Bay//Not Rated//Thriller//93 minutes
Available on: DVD andBlu-ray
In her finalperformance, Brittany Murphy portrays Mary, a young woman who becomes unhingedafter her boyfriend (Cain) mysteriously vanishes from his hospital bed. Thehospital administrator (Rogers) has no record of his stay, a police searchturns up nothing, and Mary's friends, who have not met her boyfriend, begin tosuspect he's a figment of her imagination. A staff psychiatrist (Bogdanovich)interviews Mary, and claims she is unstable, but a stranger presents himself,claiming Kevin is being held for a $10 million-dollar ransom. DVD and Blu-rayfeatures: English language tracks, Spanish subtitles, widescreen.
$5 A Day
(2009)
Directed by Nigel Cole
Starring ChristopherWalken, Alessandro Nivola, Sharon Stone, Peter Coyote, Amanda Peet, Dean Cain
Image//RatedPG-13//Drama//98 minutes
Available on: DVD andBlu-ray
All on the same day,Flynn (Nivola) loses his job, gets dumped by his girlfriend (Peet), and learnshis estranged, deadbeat dad Nat (Walken) has a terminal illness. He'ssusceptible to Nat's plea that Flynn drive him cross country to getexperimental treatment. However, Nat is a con man, pulling dangerous scamsalong the way to gather the funds he needs. DVD and Blu-ray features: Directorand cast interviews, Trailer, Still galleries, English language tracks, Spanishsubtitles, widescreen.
METAMORPHOSIS
(2008)
Directed By Jeno Hodi
Starring ChristopherLambert, Corey Sevier, Irena A. Hoffman, Charlie Hollway
MTI//RatedR//Horror//105 minutes
Available on: DVD
Three young Americanstrek through Hungaryin search of a famous castle said to be protected by man-eating wolves and tiedto the Blood Countess Bathory. Briefly joined by the beautiful Elizabeth, one youth is seduced before shemysteriously disappears. The trio reaches the castle where blood-thirstyvampire Thurzo (Lambert), is pleased by the arrival of fresh blood. Elizabeth returns whenThurzo pursues the Americans, but the adventurers don't know whether she'sfriend or foe. DVD features: trailers, English language tracks, Spanishsubtitles, widescreen.
WOLFHOUND
(2007)
Directed by Nikolai Lebedev
Starring OksanaAkinshina, Actor Aleksandr Bukharov, Aleksandr Domogarov
Universal//Rated//Action - Russian with English subtitles//135 minutes
Available on: Blu-ray
This Russian-languagefantasy epic follows the efforts of a warrior named Wolfhound, to take revengeagainst the man commanding an army that obliterated his tribe and killed hisfamily. Blu-ray features: Russian language tracks, English subtitles,widescreen.
THE SIMPSONS: Season Thirteen
(2001-2002)
Created by MattGroening
Voices of DanCastellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith
Fox//NotRated//Animated, Comedy//491 minutes
Available on: DVD andBlu-ray
The popular animatedseries finds Homer living in a smart-house that tries to kill him. In anotherepisode, he gets hooked on marijuana prescribed for his injury. DaughterLisa investigates Buddhism, son Bart's illness forces him to live in a plasticbubble, wife Marge attempts to get sugar banned and Homer makes a toughdecision when his wife's old flame offers a million dollars to spend one nightwith her. By making smart social commentary on popular culture, theshow remains fresh and relevant. 4-Disc DVD features: commentary on eachEpisode with writers, actors and directors, Ralphisms, A Token from Matt Groening,The People Ball, The 13th Crewman, Blame It On The Monkeys, The Games, TheSweet Life of Ralph, Sketch Gallery l & ll, deleted scenes, Commercials,English, French or Spanish language tracks, widescreen. 3-Disc Blu-ray featuressame plus: Multi-angle, Animation showcases, Special l.
