There is quite a lot to cover today, and I will begin with yet another reminder that you can still save $5 on any DVD or Blu-ray title priced $14.99+ at Best Buy (including items on sale); this is the last week to do so as the coupon expires on the 31st. Also, the 50% off sale on the Criterion Collection is still going on at Barnes & Noble; over the past two weeks I provided ten recommendations from the collection, which can be viewed in two parts, here and here. Now, on to the new releases for this week:
Source Code (Duncan Jones, 2011) - After making his directorial debut with the outstanding Moon, Duncan Jones follow-up feature is no less spectacular. Jake Gyllenhaal, Michell Monaghan, and Vera Farmiga star in this action thriller about a soldier (Gyllenhaal) who becomes part of an experimental government program aimed at preventing a terrorist attack on a Chicago commuter train.
Format: Blu-ray - The supplements are the same as the DVD version, but it is a title I feel would be better experienced on the Blu-ray format. It is on sale for $18.99 at Best Buy, making it $13.99 after coupon. Should you prefer it, Best Buy also offers an exclusive combo pack that includes the Blu-ray as well as a DVD copy and a Digital Copy of the film for $22.99 ($17.99 after coupon).
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2010) - From the distributor: "Suffering from acute kidney failure, Uncle Boonmee has chosen to spend his final days surrounded by his loved ones in the countryside. Surprisingly, the ghost of his deceased wife appears to care for him, and his long lost son returns home in a non-human form. Contemplating the reasons for his illness, Boonmee treks through the jungle with his family to a mysterious hilltop cave – the birthplace of his first life…" Uncle Boonmee won the Palme d'Or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.
Format: Blu-ray - The DVD format was released two weeks ago, but I held off for the following reason: exclusive to the Blu-ray format, which released today, is the original short that served as the inspiration for the film, A Letter to Uncle Boonmee; Amazon originally had it available for pre-order at $20.99, but the price has since jumped to $30.99.
Trust (David Schwimmer, 2010) - Official synopsis: "A suburban family is torn apart when 14-year-old Annie (Liana Liberato) meets her first boyfriend online. After months of communicating via online chat and phone, Annie discovers her friend is not who he originally claimed to be. Shocked into disbelief, her parents (Clive Owen and Catherine Keener) are shattered by their daughter's actions and struggle to support her as she comes to terms with what has happened to her once innocent life."
Format: DVD - Opting for the cheaper format here, as the supplements are identical. Best Buy has it on sale for $14.99, making it $9.99 after coupon.
The Clone Returns Home (Kanji Nakajima, 2008) - From RottenTomatoes: "In this thoughtful science fiction drama from filmmaker Kanji Nakajima, Kohei Takahara (Mitsuhiro Oikawa) is an astronaut who is invited to take part in a top-secret scientific study in which a clone will be created from his DNA and brought to life in the event of his untimely death. Kohei agrees to participate, and when he loses his life as his mission goes awry while returning to Earth, the clone is brought to life. While the "new" Kohei seems healthy and all but indistinguishable from the original, a major flaw is soon discovered -- the clone has no memories past Kohei's childhood, and doesn't comprehend the notion of the astronaut's death. When the clone escapes, it happens to find Kohei's body near the crash site, and is jarred back to a memory of the death of Kohei's twin brother when he was little. The clone is convinced Kohei's corpse is actually the lost twin that died years ago, and he sets out to take the body back to his family"
Format: DVD - Only available on DVD. Amazon has it available for $18.49.
Winter in Wartime (Martin Koolhoven, 2008) - From Sony Pictures Classics comes a tale set in Nazi-occupied Holland,1945, where thirteen-year-old Michiel becomes part of the Resistance after aiding a wounded British paratrooper, forcing him to come face-to-face with the grim realities of war. Format: Blu-ray/DVD Combo - As usual, this Sony Picture Classics release is only available in a combo format. Amazon has it for $27.99
American Grindhouse / Nightmares in Red, White and Blue (Elijah Drenner, 2010 & Andrew Monument, 2009) - Two documentaries bundled together in a double-feature. The first, American Grindhouse, is about the history of American Exploitation cinema; the other, Nightmares in Red, White and Blue, explores the appeal of the horror genre, examining the idea that horror films reflect the times and places in which they are made. Format: DVD - Only available on DVD. While Nightmares in Red, White and Blue was released on July 5th, I held off knowing that a double feature containing American Grindhouse was releasing today. Amazon has the duo available for $22.49.
In other news, for those who have been waiting - the final episode of Mortal Kombat: Legacy is out now:
A DVD/Blu-ray release of the series is coming, but there is no release date as of yet.
Furthermore, the fourth DLC character for Mortal Kombat was unveiled, and it turns out that it is not Reiko, as I expected. In fact, it is not even a Mortal Kombat character, but FREDDY KRUEGER:
Freddy will be available Sunday, August 9th for Xbox 360 and PS3 users.
Finally, here is the MKast Episode for the recent DLC character, Rain:
The Barnes & Noble 50% off sale on the Criterion Collection that began on the 12th is still running, lasting through the 1st of August. You can find read the list of my first five recommendations here. What follows is five more recommendations; the link attached to the film title will take you to its page on the Criterion Collection website, from which each synopsis has been taken, while the link attached to the prices will take you to their DVD listings at Barnes&Noble.com (if you opt for the Blu-ray format, they are the same price). Unless otherwise noted, these titles are likely to be found in most stores:
Pickup on South Street (Samuel Fuller, 1953) - Spine # 224 - "Petty crook Skip McCoy (Richard Widmark) has his eyes fixed on the big score. When the cocky three-time convict picks the pocketbook of unsuspecting Candy (Jean Peters), he finds a haul bigger than he could have imagined: a strip of microfilm bearing confidential U.S. secrets. Tailed by manipulative Feds and the unwitting courier’s Communist puppeteers, Skip and Candy find themselves in a precarious gambit that pits greed against redemption, Right versus Red, and passion against self-preservation. With its dazzling cast and director Samuel Fuller’s signature raw energy and hardboiled repartee, Pickup on South Street is a true film noir classic by one of America’s most passionate cinematic craftsmen."
Supplements: Interview with the late Samuel Fuller from film critic Richard Schickel; Excerpts from the Cinéma Cinémas series featuring Fuller discussing the making of the film; illustrated biographical essay on Fuller by Jeb Brody; stills gallery; and a booklet featuring excerpts from Fuller's autobiography A Third Face (including Martin Scorsese's introduction and Fuller's discussion of Pickup on South Street) as well as an essay by cultural historian Luc Sante.
The sale price is $14.99. You may have difficulty locating this one in certain stores; best to check availability via the website first.
Man Bites Dog (Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel and Benoit Poelvoorde, 1992) - Spine # 165 - "Documentary filmmakers André and Rémy have found an ideal subject in Ben. He is witty, sophisticated, intelligent, well liked—and a serial killer. As André and Rémy document Ben’s routines, they become increasingly entwined in his vicious program, sacrificing their objectivity and their morality. Controversial winner of the International Critics’ Prize at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival, Man Bites Dog stunned audiences worldwide with its unflinching imagery and biting satire of media violence."
Supplements: 1993 video interview with the filmmakers; No C4 for Daniel-Daniel - a student short by the filmmakers; stills gallery; and a booklet featuring a brief essay by film critic Matt Zoller Seitz.
Blast of Silence (Allen Baron, 1961) - Spine # 428 - "Swift, brutal, and black-hearted, Allen Baron’s New York City noir Blast of Silence is a sensational surprise. This low-budget, carefully crafted portrait of a hit man on assignment in Manhattan during Christmastime follows its stripped-down narrative with mechanical precision, yet also with an eye and ear for the oddball idiosyncrasies of urban living and the imposing beauty of the city. At once visually ragged and artfully composed, and featuring rough, poetic narration performed by Lionel Stander, Blast of Silence is a stylish triumph."
Supplements: Requiem for a Killer: The Making of "Blast of Silence"; rare on-set Polaroids; locations revisited in 2008; and a booklet featuring an essay by film critic Terrence Rafferty as well as a four-page graphic-novel adaptation by artist Sean Phillips.
The Cranes Are Flying (Mikhail Kalatozov, 1957) - Spine # 146 - "Veronica and Boris are blissfully in love, until the eruption of World War II tears them apart. Boris is sent to the front lines…and then communication stops. Meanwhile, Veronica tries to ward off spiritual numbness while Boris’s draft-dodging cousin makes increasingly forceful overtures. Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival, The Cranes Are Flying is a superbly crafted drama, bolstered by stunning cinematography and impassioned performances."
Supplements: A booklet featuring an essay by Chris Fujiwara.
Monsoon Wedding (Mira Nair, 2001) - Spine # 489 - "Cultures and families clash in Mira Nair’s exuberant Monsoon Wedding, a mix of comedy and chaotic melodrama concerning the preparations for the arranged marriage of a modern upper-middle-class Indian family’s only daughter, Aditi. Of course there are hitches—Aditi has been having an affair with a married TV host; she’s never met her husband to be, who lives in Houston; the wedding has worsened her father’s hidden financial troubles; even the wedding planner has become a nervous wreck—as well as buried family secrets. But Nair’s celebration is ultimately joyful and cathartic: a love song to her home city of Delhi and her own Punjabi family."
Supplements: Audio commentary featuring director Mira Nair; seven short films by Nair - three documentaries (So Far From India [1983], India Cabaret [1985], The Laughing Club of India [2001]) and four fiction films (The Day the Mercedes Became a Hat [1993], 11'09'11—September 11 [2002; segment: "India], Migration [2007], How Can It Be? [2008], all with video introductions by Nair; video interview with actor Naseeruddin, conducted by Nair; video interviews with director of photography Declan Quinn and production designer Stephanie Carroll; and a booklet featuring an essay by critic and travel writer Pico Iyer.
And that concludes my list of Criterion Collection recommendations. Of course there are a plethora of other titles well worth your attention, but I can not possibly hope to cover them all. With that in mind, here are several honorable mentions you might also want to check out; the link in each film title will take you to the its page on the Criterion Collection website:
This week is rather scant on new releases, but there are a few decent tidbits of news for the video gamers out there. In future updates, I intend to incorporate more news concerning the video game world in addition to my regular list of new release films, so this is essentially a glimpse of things to come. Also, don't forget that Barnes & Noble is having a 50% off sale on the Criterion Collection right now through August 1st. Last week I provided a list of five recommendations for the sale, and later this week I will provide another five.
Now, on to the lone recommended DVD release for the week:
Small Town Murder Songs (Ed Gass-Donnelly, 2010) - When the body of an unidentified girl is found by the lake in a small town, an aging police officer named Walter (Peter Stormare) is called upon to head the town's first murder investigation in decades. When he finds his prime suspect in the current boyfriend of his ex-lover, Walter struggles to cope with a haunting past that resurfaces amid tension within the community.
Format: DVD - Only available on DVD. Barnes&Noble.com has it listed for $21.58 (and some stores may be carrying the title as well, albeit at a slightly higher price). Amazon has it for $24.49.
Next up, there is a novel hitting shelves today that I have been anticipating for quite some time - Bioshock: Rapture by John Shirley - a prequel to the [rather phenomenal] video game, BioShock. The official synopsis:
"It's the end of World War II. FDR's New Deal has redefined American politics. Taxes are at an all-time high. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has brought a fear of total annihilation. The rise of secret government agencies and sanctions on business has many watching their backs. America's sense of freedom is diminishing . . . and many are desperate to take there freedom back.
Among them is a great dreamer, an immigrant who pulled himself from the depths of poverty to become one of the wealthiest and admired men in the world. That man is Andrew Ryan, and he believed that great men and women deserve better. And so he set out to create the impossible, a utopia free from government, censorship, and moral restrictions on science--where what you give is what you get. He created Rapture---the shining city below the sea.
But as we all know, this utopia suffered a great tragedy. This is the story of how it all came to be . . .and how it all ended."
Both Barnes&Noble.com and Amazon have the hardcover edition for $16.83. You can save an extra 15% ordering through Barnes & Noble by using the coupon code T9P8A9P (expires 7/31), making it $15.30 after tax. Both retailers also have a paperback edition available for $9.60.
Moving on, the latest DLC character for Mortal Kombat - Rain - is available today on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. If you purchased the season pass available exclusively for the latter, you can download Rain at no additional cost. Otherwise, he is $4.99, or $400 Microsoft Points. Also, as is customary with the DLC characters, another required Compatibility Pack accompanies the release - and as usual there are two free alternate costumes included: Klassic MK2 outfits for Kitana and Jade. What follows are two trailers for Rain, courtesy of Netherrealm Studios:
For those still eagerly awaiting the conclusion to the Mortal Kombat: Legacy web series, the episode will debut at the San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) on July 21st. It has also been confirmed that along with the episode, the fourth DLC character for Mortal Kombat will be revealed (I still have my money on Reiko). Following its premiere at the SDCC, the episode will appear on Machinima this Sunday, July 24th; I will include the episode with my weekly update on Tuesday, July 26th.
Also, the collector's edition for the forthcoming Batman: Arkham City has been revealed:
Along with the game, which releases on October 21st, the $99 collector's edition comes with:
-A custom Batman statue (which appears to have a compartment on the base for storing the game case).
-A collectible art book.
-The Batman: Arkham City soundtrack (which appears to be in the form of a voucher for a digital copy).
-Vouchers granting early access to DLC content (the Iceberg Lounge challenge map and The Dark Knight Returns skin for Batman).
-A copy of Batman: Gotham Knight (a collection of six animated shorts that came out back when The Dark Knight hit theaters, bridging the gap between Batman Begins and its sequel) on DVD.
Lastly, those who have already flocked to see the new Harry Potter film in theaters may have noticed that a teaser trailer for the much-anticipated Batman sequel, The Dark KnightRises (July 20th, 2012) was attached. Well, Captain America: The First Avenger hits theaters later this week, and attached will be a teaser trailer for the upcoming Spidey reboot, The Amazing Spider-man, which will release on July 3rd, 2012. If you have yet to see the teaser for The Dark Knight Rises, then have a gander courtesy of the YouTube channel for machinima.com:
I mentioned previously that Barnes & Noble is having a 50% off sale on the Criterion Collection that began on the 12th and is running through the 1st of August. Furthermore, I mentioned that I would provide a list of recommended titles that you should consider acquiring during the sale. What follows are the first five out of ten; the link attached to the film title will take you to its page on the Criterion Collection website, from which each synopsis has been taken, while the link attached to the prices will take you to their DVD listings at Barnes&Noble.com (if you opt for the Blu-ray format, they are the same price). Unless otherwise noted, these titles are likely to be found in most stores:
Revanche (Götz Spielmann, 2008) - Spine # 502 - "A gripping thriller and a tragic drama of nearly Greek proportions, Revanche is the stunning, Oscar-nominated international breakthrough of Austrian filmmaker Götz Spielmann. In a ragged section of Vienna, hardened ex-con Alex (the mesmerizing Johannes Krisch) works in a brothel, where he falls for Ukrainian hooker Tamara. Their desperate plans for escape unexpectedly intersect with the lives of a rural cop and his seemingly content wife. With meticulous, elegant direction, Spielmann creates a tense, existential, and surprising portrait of vengeance and redemption, and a journey into the darkest forest of human nature, in which violence and beauty exist side by side."
Supplements: A video interview with the director, Götz Spielmann; a half-hour "making-of" featurette; Foreign Land - an award-winning short film directed by Spielmann; a booklet featuring an essay by critic Armond White.
Harakiri (Masaki Kobayashi, 1962) - Spine # 302 - "Following the collapse of his clan, an unemployed samurai (Tatsuya Nakadai) arrives at the manor of Lord Iyi, begging to be allowed to commit ritual suicide on the property. Iyi’s clansmen, believing the desperate ronin is merely angling for a new position, try to force his hand and get him to eviscerate himself—but they have underestimated his beliefs and his personal brand of honor. Winner of the 1963 Cannes Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize, Harakiri, directed by Masaki Kobayashi is a fierce evocation of individual agency in the face of a corrupt and hypocritical system."
Supplements: Video introduction by Japanese-film historian Donald Richie; excerpt from a Directors Guild of Japan video interview with the director, Masaki Kobayashi; video interviews with star Tatsuya Nakadai and screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto; poster gallery; a booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Joan Mellen as well as a reprint of her 1972 interview with Kobayashi.
M (Fritz Lang, 1931) - Spine # 30 - "A simple, haunting musical phrase whistled offscreen tells us that a young girl will be killed. “Who Is the Murderer?” pleads a nearby placard as serial killer Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre) closes in on little Elsie Beckmann . . . In his harrowing masterwork M, Fritz Lang merges trenchant social commentary with chilling suspense, creating a panorama of private madness and public hysteria that to this day remains the blueprint for the psychological thriller."
Supplements: Audio commentary by German film scholars Anton Kaes and Eric Rentschler; Conversation with Fritz Lang - a 50-minute film by William Friedkin (director of The Exorcist); Claude Chabrol's M le maudit - a short film inspired by M; an interview with Chabrol about Lang's filmmaking technique; classroom tapes of M editor Paul Falkenberg discussing the film and its history; interview with Harold Nebenzal, the son of M producer Seymour Nebenzal; A Physical History of M; stills gallery with behind-the-scenes photos and production sketches by art director Emil Hasler; a booklet featuring an essay by film critic Stanley Kauffmann, a 1963 interview with Lang, the script for a missing scene, and contemporaneous newspaper articles.
Gomorrah (Matteo Garrone, 2008) - Spine # 493 - "Matteo Garrone’s Gomorrah is a stark, shocking vision of contemporary gangsterdom, and one of cinema’s most authentic depictions of organized crime. In this tour de force adaptation of undercover Italian reporter Roberto Saviano’s best-selling exposé of Naples’ Mafia underworld (known as the Camorra), Garrone links five disparate tales in which men and children are caught up in a corrupt system that extends from the housing projects to the world of haute couture. Filmed with an exquisite detachment interrupted by bursts of violence, Gomorrah is a shattering, socially engaged true-crime story from a major new voice in Italian cinema."
Supplements: Five Stories - a 60-minute documentary on the making of Gomorrah; video interviews with director Matteo Garrone and actor Toni Servillo; video interview with writer Roberto Saviano (the author of the book on which the film is based); short video piece featuring Toni Servillo and actors Gianfelice Imparato and Salvatore Cantalupo; deleted scenes; a book featuring an essay by critic Chuck Stephens.
Wings of Desire (Wim Wenders, 1987) - Spine # 490 - "Wings of Desire is one of cinema’s loveliest city symphonies. Bruno Ganz is Damiel, an angel perched atop buildings high over Berlin who can hear the thoughts—fears, hopes, dreams—of all the people living below. But when he falls in love with a beautiful trapeze artist, he is willing to give up his immortality and come back to earth to be with her. Made not long before the fall of the Berlin wall, this stunning tapestry of sounds and images, shot in black and white and color by the legendary Henri Alekan, is movie poetry. And it forever made the name Wim Wenders synonymous with film art."
Supplements: Audio commentary with director Wim Wenders and actor Peter Falk; The Angels Among Us - a 2003 documentary featuring interviews with Wenders, Falk, actors Bruno Ganz and Otto Sander, writer Peter Handke, and composer Jürgen Knieper; "Wim Wenders Berlin Jan. 87" - an episode of the French television program Cinéma cinémas; interview with director of photography Henri Aleka; deleted scenes and outtakes; excerpts from Alekan la lumière (1985) and Remembrance: Film for Curt Bois (1982); notes and photos by art directors Heidi Lüdi and Toni Lüdi; a booklet featuring an essay by critic Michael Atkinson and writings by Handke and Wenders.
If you have a Barnes & Noble membership ($25/year), you will save an extra 10% if purchasing these titles in-store. Check back next week for my other five recommendations.
A rather decent assortment of titles hitting shelves today. The Best Buy coupon for $5 off any DVD or Blu-ray priced $14.99+ is still valid, and will surely help to ease the burden on the wallet.
*NOTE: Rango will not be released until Friday, July 15th.
[REC] 2 (Jaume Balagueró & Paco Plaza, 2009) - The first installment in this soon-to-be quadrilogy was in high demand after its [inferior] American remake, Quarantine, enjoyed a fairly lucrative run in theaters. For whatever reason, though, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment held off on releasing the original film on DVD in the U.S. until almost half a year after Quarantine hit DVD (by that time, [REC] 2 was only a few months away from making its theatrical debut in Spain). Now, two years later, Sony has finally released the sequel on DVD in the U.S.; a prequel (directed by Paco Plaza) and another sequel (directed by Jaume Balagueró) are slated for release later this year and sometime in 2012, respectively. At any rate, [REC] 2 picks up fifteen minutes after the end of the first film with a medical officer and a SWAT team sent into the quarantined apartment building to get a handle on the situation that has arisen in the wake of a deadly virus outbreak.
Format: DVD - One of my most anticipated releases of the year. Like the first film, it is only available on DVD for the R1 (U.S.) release. Amazon has it available for $18.99.
The Lincoln Lawyer (Brad Furman, 2011) - an adaptation of the Michael Connelly novel of the same name starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller, a defense attorney whose Lincoln Town Car doubles as his office. Haller is called upon to defend a wealthy Realtor (Ryan Phillippe) accused of rape in what initially appears to be a straightforward, open-and-shut case. However, as Haller digs into the evidence, he discovers disturbing links to a prior case of his, setting off a treacherous chain of events. Also starring Marisa Tomei, William H. Macy, and Josh Lucas.
Format: DVD - The Blu-ray includes a DVD and a Digital Copy of the film, but nothing exclusive in the way of supplements. Therefore, I opt for the DVD, which is $2 cheaper this week. It is on sale for $15.99 at Best Buy this week; $10.99 with the $5 coupon.
Insidious (James Wan, 2010) - As a die-hard fanatic of the Saw franchise, I will always be curious when a new film from the director of its first installment comes around. The film stars Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne as a Josh and Renai, couple who have just moved into a new house. Soon after one of their sons, Dalton, falls inexplicably into what is assumed to be a coma. However, as a mixture of strange and frightening things begin occurring throughout their new house, Josh and Renai gradually begin to realize that whatever is happening is linked to their comatose son, whose current state represents something far more insidious (oooh, clever no?).
Format: DVD - Once again, the Blu-ray offers nothing exclusive except for BD-Live support, so I opt for saving $2 with the DVD format. It is on sale at Best Buy for $17.99; $12.99 with the $5 coupon.
Rango (Gore Verbinski, 2011) - an animated film about a pet chameleon (voiced by Johnny Depp) who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt - a Wild West-inspired town out in the desert that is need of water and new sheriff. Also featuring the voices of Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy.
Format: Blu-ray/DVD/DC Combo - In addition to a DVD and a Digital Copy of the film, the Blu-ray also sports an extended cut (complete with an alternate ending) as well as a few exclusive features. It will be available for $19.99 at Best Buy when it hits shelves this Friday; $14.99 after the $5 coupon.
Finally, today marks the beginning of Barnes & Noble's 50% off the Criterion Collection sale, which will be run through August 1st. If you have a B&N membership, you can save an extra 10% in stores or receive free shipping online (and often lower prices than what you find in stores, too). As promised, I will provide a list of recommended titles for the sale later this week.
Surprisingly enough, considering it is a holiday week, there are a handful of new releases worth checking out. That $5 Best Buy coupon I keep mentioning is still valid throughout the entire month of July, so be sure to put it to good use. Here's what we have hitting shelves today:
13 Assassins (Takashi Miike, 2010) - This jidaigeki epic from the renowned Takashi Miike, which had been receiving widespread critical acclaim while traversing the festival circuit, is actually a remake of the 1963 Eiich Kudo film about a group of thirteen samurai who band together to assassinate the corrupt Lord Naritsugu. It is the first of two jidaigeki remakes by Miike, the second being Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai, which is a remake of the 1962 Masaki Kobayashi film Harakiri (a personal favorite of mine). There has been some discontent due to the Magnet release only containing the international cut of the film, which runs 15 minutes shorter. While it would have been nice to have the original cut, all of the deleted scenes are included as a supplemental feature.
Format: Blu-ray - Normally I would not recommended the Blu-ray version of a Magnet release (which generally means identical supplements across both formats), but it is on sale at Best Buy this week for $17.99. Throw a $5 coupon into the mix and you can snag it for $12.99.
Hobo with a Shotgun (Jason Eisener, 2011) - At the end of my review for The Rite back in January, I mentioned that I would love to see Rutger Hauer in a more prominent role again, as lately the talented actor has been popping up in many minor supporting roles. It would seem that Jason Eisener knew about this wish, and brought it to fruition with this throwback to low-budget exploitation films of the 1970s and 80s. Hauer stars as the titular homeless vigilante armed with a shotgun.
Format: Blu-ray - Once again, it is a Magnet release, but given that the Collector's Edition DVD is on sale for the same price as the Collector's Edition Blu-ray at Best Buy ($17.99), I opt for the superior format - especially when there's a $5 coupon at my disposal to make it only $12.99.
Of Gods and Men (Xavier Beauvois, 2010) - I had the opportunity to see this film in a theatrical setting near the end of May, as the trailer - along with an overwhelming amount of critical acclaim - piqued my interest. After the screening, I decided that it was a meditative film experience; one that will leave the viewer wrapped in thought long after the credits role. The film is based on the true story of a group of Trappist monks stationed in a poverty-stricken Algerian village who must decide whether to stay or leave when a hostile Islamic terrorist group grips the region in fear. What I admired most about Of Gods and Men was that it was a not heavy-handed film in a political sense, but instead an engaging drama largely void of such unnecessary bias.
Format: Blu-ray/DVD Combo - Sony Pictures Classics is at it again with their expensive combo pack as the only option. Best Buy is not carrying the title in stores, so using a $5 coupon on the $26.99 sale price is out of the question. Amazon, however, is offering it for the same price (tax free and with free shipping, to boot).
Gettysburg / Gods and Generals Limited Collector's Edition (Ronald F. Maxwell, 1993 & 2003) - Maxwell's Civil War epics were released on Blu-ray last month, but Independence Day was just around the corner, so a boxed set of the two films was held off until this week. Along with the Director's Cut of Gettysburg (17 minutes longer) that had previously been available on DVD, the beefy Director's Cut of Gods and Generals (61 minutes longer) that made its debut (only on Blu-ray) in June is also present. Furthermore, the boxed set also includes additional supplements such as 24" X 36" Civil War map created by National Geographic, a 40-page photo book of Civil War artifacts, a 150th Anniversary commemorative coin, and a 32-page extract from the TIME illustrated history book.
Format: Blu-ray - Though you can buy the individual films separately, it does not cost much extra to opt instead for this impressive boxed set. Amazon has it on sale for $55.99. However, if you were wanting these re-releases on DVD, there is a DVD version of the boxed set as well, on sale for $47.99 at Amazon (which, to clarify, is the only way to obtain a DVD version of the Gods and Generals Director's Cut).
Transformers Japanese Collection: The Headmasters (1987) - In the U.S., the original Transformers animated series (commonly referred to as "Generation 1," or "G1") was canceled in the beginning of its fourth season, right after the initial three-part episode titled "The Rebirth," which introduced several new characters - including the Headmasters. Takara, the Japanese producers of the Transformers toyline, picked up the show and kept "G1" running across three more series. The first of these was subtitled The Headmasters. Taking place one year after the two-part "The Return of Optimus Prime" episode (which concluded season three), Takara ditched the premise for the Headmasters set up in "The Rebirth," taking the concept - along with the series as a whole - in a radically different direction. Now, for the first time, Shout! Factory, the company behind the recent re-release of the U.S. Transformers "G1" seasons, is bringing Takara's continuation of the series stateside. The other two series, Transformers: Super-God Masterforce and Transformers: Victory, are slated for release in the near future.
Format: DVD - Only available on DVD. Shout! Factory had intended to release a boxed set of all three Japanese series today as well, available only via their website until after all three individual releases have hit store shelves. However, last week they sent an e-mail to all those who had pre-ordered, informing them that they had to cancel all pre-orders due to a production delay that is anticipated to last eight to ten weeks. The listing for the boxed set has also been removed from their website for the time being. Best Buy is selling The Headmasters series for $24.99 this week, but you should be able to have them match the Wal-mart.com price of $19.86. Depending on the mindset of the Customer Service Rep. you deal with, you may be able to combine a $5 coupon with the price match (I was successful with this, personally), making it just under $15 before tax.
I should note that starting July 12th, all Criterion Collection titles will be 50% off at Barnes & Noble (60% in-store if you have a membership with them). In addition to my regular update, next week I will provide a list of recommended titles for this sale.
Finally, the new DLC for Mortal Kombat hits Xbox Live and Playstation Network today. You can download Kenshi for $4.99 (or 400 Microsoft Points; if you purchased the season pass on Xbox Live, you can download him at no additional charge), and the required Compatibility Pack update includes the Klassic Costumes for Smoke and Noob Saibot. Here is another piece on Kenshi, from the MKast Series, along with the series entry for Skarlet below it.
