A handful of releases this week ends the month on a somewhat quiet note:
Viva Riva! (Djo Munga, 2010) - The synopsis from the official site reads: "Riva is a small time operator who has just returned to his hometown of Kinshasa, Congo with a major score: a fortune in hijacked petrol. With wads of cash and all out for a good time, Riva is soon entranced by the beautiful nightclub siren Nora (Mannie Malone), the kept woman of a local gangster. Into the mix comes Riva's Angolan crime lord ex-boss relentlessly seeking the return of a certain stolen shipment of gasoline. Director Djo Tunda Wa Munga's Kinshasa is a seductively vibrant, lawless, fuel-starved sprawl of shantytowns, gated villas, bordellos and nightclubs and Riva is its perfect embodiment."
Format: DVD - This is a Music Box Films release, which typically entails a high price tag coupled with identical supplements for either format (though I believe this title is currently only available on DVD, with a Blu-ray release to follow in the future). At any rate, the DVD is currently $26.99 at Amazon.
Ben Hur: 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition (William Wyler, 1959) - The epic film starring Charlton Heston in the titular role makes its way at long last to Blu-ray, receiving a boxed set treatment similar to that of the many other classics that have made the transition to the hi-def format.
Format: Blu-ray - The Blu-ray boxed set includes three Blu-ray discs; two are devoted to the film itself, and the third contains a slew of supplements - among which are the 1925 silent version of the film directed by Fred Niblo, a new feature-length retrospective on Charlton Heston and Ben Hur directed by Fraser C. Heston, and two vintage documentaries: Ben Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema and Ben Hur: The Making of an Epic. Also, accompanying the discs are two collectibles: a reproduction of Charlton Heston's personal diary kept from January 1958 through April 1960, and a hardcover book filled with photos, production art, and reproductions from the original theatrical pressbook. The Blu-ray boxed set is available for $44.99 at Amazon; for those who would prefer a DVD version of the set, it is available at Amazon as well for $34.99. Furthermore, Best Buy has two exclusive versions of the release: one is simply the Blu-ray boxed set plus a Roman soldier figurine ($59.99), while the other is a 4-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo format of the film without all the supplemental features or collectible books ($29.99; includes 2-disc Blu-ray and 2-disc DVD of the film).
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The Phantom Carriage (Victor Sjöström, 1921) - New life is given to this classic from the silent era, courtesy of the Criterion Collection. The synopsis from the Criterion webpage (visit the link for the trailer, too) for the film reads: "The last person to die on New Year’s Eve before the clock strikes twelve is doomed to take the reins of Death’s chariot and work tirelessly collecting fresh souls for the next year. So says the legend that drives The Phantom Carriage (Körkarlen), directed by the father of Swedish cinema, Victor Sjöström. The story, based on a novel by Nobel Prize winner Selma Lagerlöf, concerns an alcoholic, abusive ne’er-do-well (Sjöström himself) who is shown the error of his ways, and the pure-of-heart Salvation Army sister who believes in his redemption. This extraordinarily rich and innovative silent classic (which inspired Ingmar Bergman to make movies) is a Dickensian ghost story and a deeply moving morality tale, as well as a showcase for groundbreaking special effects."
Format: DVD - I have always purchased my Criterions on DVD, and with the superb quality they already offer in that format, I am in no hurry to upgrade the collection to Blu-ray. Amazon has it for $20.99.
NOTE: Transformers: Dark of the Moon will be released on Friday, September 30th.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Michael Bay, 2011) - Though critical reception was largely negative for the third (and supposedly final) installment in Michael Bay's series of films based on the Robots in Disguise, I thought the he delivered a sound effort this time around, making up for the overly-comedic and poorly-structured Revenge of the Fallen. In Dark of the Moon, the heroic Autobots learn of a Cybertronian ship helmed by Sentinel Prime that crash-landed on the moon, and race to recover the secrets within it before the maniacal Decepticons.
Format: Blu-ray - The Blu-ray release also includes the DVD version and a Digital Copy. I should note that NO supplemental material is included in this release, as they will accompany a 3D Blu-ray version to be released at a later date (my guess is late November or early December, just in time for the holidays). The 3D release will likely include the 2D Blu-ray as well (and possibly a DVD and/or Digital Copy), for those that do not have the capability to use the former (the special features will probably be on the 2D disc). The current release does include a $10 voucher towards the purchase of the forthcoming 3D Blu-ray, but most might want to simply hold off until then. If you intend to pick it up now, however, Best Buy will have it for $17.99 when it releases this Friday, complete with exclusive packaging (featuring Bumblebee on the front cover and Shockwave on the back).
Finally, on the video game front:
The Ico &Shadow of the Colossus Collection (developed by Team Ico; published by Sony Computer Entertainment) - Two beloved Playstation 2 classics, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, receive the HD treatment and Trophy support in this collection available exclusively for Playstation 3. It retailes for $39.99; K-mart is offering a $15 Gaming Coupon* for Shop Your Way Rewards Members (which is free to join) with purchase.
*Gaming Coupons are issued with your receipt and are generally valid beginning on the following Sunday for a set period of time (one to two months). Furthermore, as the name implies, they are only valid on gaming products.
Before I begin, allow me to indulge in sharing my excitement concerning a relatively recent occurrence: I am now an 'In-the-field' writer for Film International, which primarily entails writing reviews of films currently in theaters. Most - if not all - theatrical reviews I compose in the future will be published on the Film International website, as opposed to here. My first review - which is of Apollo 18 - is up now; you can read it here. While visiting the site, be sure to check out the other wonderful reviews written by the other 'In-the-field' writers as well!
Furthermore, I have been (and still am) writing other reviews which are to be published in print issues of Film International; the first of these is of Revanche (Criterion Collection), which you can find in the current issue (Volume 9 Issue 3). While I have not posted any reviews here in several months (or much else aside from my weekly recommendations), I intend to change that in the near future with more news updates, articles, and the occasional DVD or video game review.
Now, on to the recommendations; keeping it short and sweet this week - one new DVD release and one (major) video game release:
The Kennedys (Jon Cassar, 2011) - The recent television miniseries about the iconic Kennedy family, focusing on Joseph Kennedy, Sr. (Tom Wilkinson) and his sons, John (Greg Kinear) and Robert (Barry Pepper). The series chronicles events from the presidential election of November 8th, 1960 through Robert's assassination on June 6th, 1968, with flashbacks to earlier years interwoven throughout. You can read a more detailed synopsis here. The series received 10 Emmy Nominations; Barry Pepper won the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie.
Format: DVD - The only supplement is a 45-minute 'making-of' featurette, so I opt for the cheaper format. Amazon has it available for $16.99, but if Blu-ray is your preference, they have it for just $2.00 more.
And for video games, today marks one of the biggest releases of the year:
Gears of War 3 (developed by Epic Games; published by Microsoft Studios) - The third (and final for the current story-arc) entry in the popular third-person shooter is out today exclusively for the Xbox 360, and to commemorate the occasion Epic Games and Microsoft have banded together to provide you with a slew of options for purchasing the game, and I have the scoop on what deals are being offered at various retailers:
+Standard Edition - This is the $59.99 stand-alone version of the game; nothing unique about it.
+Limited Edition - This is the mid-tier edition, priced at $79.99; it includes alternate packaging for the game disc, a replica of the Octus Service Medal awarded to Adam Fenix for his work on the Hammer of Dawn (which is engraved with a unique code to unlock him as a playable character in multiplayer), a fabric COG flag, and a handful of memorabilia items (including the last will and testament of Adam Fenix, a Hammer of Dawn schematic, and a few other documents).
Limited Edition (Click to enlarge).
+Epic Edition - This is the most expensive edition, priced at $149.99; it includes everything from the Limited Edition as well as a collectible PVC statue of Marcus Fenix, a hardcover artbook by Tom Bissell, and a code to unlock the 'Infected Omen' weapon skins pack for use in multiplayer.
Epic Edition (Click to enlarge).
That isn't the end of the line, though, as there is even a Gears of War Xbox 360 bundle available for $399.99, too. It includes a custom Xbox 360 console sporting the Gears of War colors and logo as well as custom sounds when you power on/off the console and open the disc drive, a detachable 320gb HDD, 2 limited edition Gears of War-themed controllers, an Xbox 360 headset, and a copy of the standard edition of Gears of War 3 (which includes the 'Infected Omen' weapon skins found in the Epic Edition).
Gears of War Console bundle (Click to enlarge).
Finally, the limited edition controllers that come with the bundle can also be purchased separately for $59.99 (and also includes the 'Infected Omen' weapon skins).
Gears of War controller (Click to enlarge).
And now, here are what the various retailers are offering:
Amazon - Receive $20 Amazon gaming credit w/purchase of Gears of War 3 (appears to be for the standard edition only; credit can only be used on gaming purchases); receive $40 Amazon credit w/purchase of the Gears of War Xbox 360 console bundle (credit can be used on anything at Amazon).
Best Buy - Save $20 on a 12-month Xbox Live Gold subscription w/purchase of Gears of War 3 (any edition, including the console bundle); save 15% on the Gears of War 3 strategy guide w/purchase of Gears of War 3 (any edition, including the console bundle; works on both the standard guide [$19.99] and the limited edition guide [$34.99]); receive an extra 40% on any games traded in towards the purchase of Gears of War 3.
K-Mart - Shop Your Way Rewards members (free to join) may receive a $20 Gaming Coupon* w/purchase of Gears of War 3 (any edition); Save $30 on a 12-month Xbox Live Gold subscription w/purchase of Gears of War 3 (any edition); receive the Gears of War Triple Pack (includes Gears of War, Gears of War 2, and the DLC content for the latter) w/purchase of the Gears of War Xbox 360 console bundle.
Target - Receive a $40 gift card w/purchase of the Gears of War Xbox 360 console bundle; receive a $10 gift card when you purchase Gears of War 3 AND place a $1 pre-order for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
Toys R Us - Save $20 on a 12-month Xbox Live Gold subscription w/purchase of Gears of War 3 or the Gears of War Xbox 360 console bundle; receive a Gears of War 3 action figure 2-pack w/purchase of Gears of War 3 or the Gears of War Xbox 360 console bundle; receive a $10 gift card w/purchase of a Gears of War-themed Xbox 360 controller.
It would appear that K-Mart has the best deal(s) this week (which is not surprising, as they have been making a huge push in their video game department all year long, offering spectacular deals almost every week). Still, you may be able to match any of these deals at your local Best Buy, depending on how they interpret their policy (which in my experience is very lenient).
*K-Mart Gaming Coupons are issued with your receipt and are generally valid beginning on the following Sunday for a set period of time (one to two months). Furthermore, as the name implies, they are only valid on gaming products.
There's quite a bit to cover this week, so let's get right to it:
Thor (Kenneth Branagh, 2011) - Another of the recent Marvel Comics films that serves as one of many precursors to the much-anticipated Avengers film slated for release next summer. Chris Hemsworth stars as Thor, who is cast out of Asgard by his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), after his actions result in a long-standing truce being broken between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. Exiled to earth until he can prove himself worthy to return home, Thor finds himself in the company of an astrophysicist named Jane (Natalie Portman), her assistant Darcy (Kat Dennings), and her mentor Erik (Stellan Skarsgård). Meanwhile, in Asgard, Thor's devious brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) ascends to the throne after Odin falls into the "Odinsleep." Discontent with this chain of events, a group of Asgardian warriors make their way to earth to assist Thor in his return, though not without Loki doing everything within his power to prevent it.
Format: Blu-ray - The standard Blu-ray release comes in the form of a 2-disc combo that includes a DVD copy of the film as well; it is on sale at most retailers for $22.99 this week.
Incendies (Denis Villeneuve, 2010) - From Sony Pictures Classics, the film - adapted from the play Scorched by Wajdi Mouawad - is about a pair of twins who, upon their mother's death, discover that their father - believed to be dead - is still alive and that they have a brother whom they have never met. Fulfilling their mother's last wishes, the two siblings travel to the Middle East to unravel the mystery shrouding their family history. Incendies received an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film (Canada).
Format: Blu-ray/DVD Combo - The combo format is the only option for this release; Amazon has it available for $28.99.
Meek's Cutoff (Kelly Reichardt, 2010) - The official synopsis reads: "The year is 1845, the earliest days of the Oregon Trail, and a wagon train of three families has hired mountain man Stephen Meek to guide them over the Cascade Mountains. Claiming to know a shortcut, Meek leads the group on an unmarked path across the high plain desert, only to become lost in the dry rock and sage. Over the coming days, the emigrants face the scourges of hunger, thirst and their own lack of faith in one another's instincts for survival. When a Native American wanderer crosses their path, the emigrants are torn between their trust in a guide who has proven himself unreliable and a man who has always been seen as a natural born enemy."
Format: DVD - A 'making-of' featurette and the theatrical trailer are the only special features, unfortunately, so I opt for the cheaper format. Still, despite the lack of significant supplemental features, Oscilloscope deserves some praise for their gorgeous cardboard packaging (which is typical of their releases). Amazon has it available for $18.99; Wal-Mart has it available in stores for $13.00, but keep in mind that their version of the release comes in a standard DVD case.
Conan O'Brien Can't Stop (Rodman Flender, 2011) - A documentary covering the "Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television Tour" that Conan embarked upon after departing from NBC's Tonight Show.
Format: DVD - The cheaper format is the best option here, in my opinion. Wal-Mart has it available on their website for $10.00, which you should be able to price-match at your local Best Buy. The next best option appears to be Amazon, which has it for $15.99.
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011; created by Steven S. DeKnight) - This six-episode miniseries - which serves as a prequel to the first season of the show, Spartacus: Blood in the Sand - came about when production of the second season was put on hold due to the lead actor, Andy Whitfield, being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Though he recovered, he suffered a recurrence shortly thereafter, forcing him to abandon the role of Spartacus (which will be filled by Liam McIntyre); he passed away just two days ago on Sunday, September 11th, 2011.
Format: Blu-ray - In addition to the supplements accompanying the DVD release, the Blu-ray format contains extended cuts of the episodes (12 minutes of extra footage, so roughly 2 minutes extra per episode), audio commentaries for each episode, and a 3D battle sequence. Most retailers have the Blu-ray on sale for $24.99 this week.
Citizen Kane: 70th Anniversary Edition (Orson Welles, 1941) - Hailed as perhaps the greatest film of all time, Orson Welles' monumental masterpiece finally hits Blu-ray in the form of a 70th anniversary boxed set.
Format: Blu-ray - The boxed set includes a Blu-ray copy of Citizen Kane, restored from original nitrate elements in 4K resolution and remastered in high definition, a DVD copy of the 1995 Best Documentary Oscar nominee The Battle Over Citizen Kane, a DVD copy of the 1999 film RKO 281, a 20-page 1941 souvenir program reproduction, a 48-page hardcover book with photos, storyboards, and behind-the-scenes info, 10 reproductions of studio memos and correspondence, and 5 one-sheet/lobby-card reproductions. Amazon has the boxed set available for $39.99, as well as an exclusive version that comes with a DVD copy of Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons (which has never been released on DVD, making this currently the only way to own it on the format), priced at $55.99. For those who are intrigued by the boxed set but have not indulged in the Blu-ray format, there is a DVD version available for $31.99. Finally, if you simply want Citizen Kane on Blu-ray and can do without the extra fluff, Best Buy has an exclusive Blu-ray book available for $29.99 that includes a Blu-ray copy of Citizen Kane and a DVD copy of The Battle Over Citizen Kane.
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NOTE: Star Wars: The Complete Saga will be released on Friday, September 16th. Star Wars: The Complete Saga (George Lucas [episodes I-IV], Irvin Kershner [episode V], and Richard Marquand [episode VI]) - The epic saga that has inspired generations makes its Blu-ray debut this week, though it is being met with skepticism and disdain due to the lack of the theatrical cuts for the Original Trilogy (OT). Even still, Star Wars fans should have no problem finding a lot to love about this immense boxed set, which is loaded with a plethora of new features and several new documentaries (though, strangely enough, Star Wars: Empire of Dreams - which accompanied the DVD release of the OT - is absent). If you are a die-hard that is curious to see all of the various changes made to the films from their original theatrical releases up to this Blu-ray release, DVDActive has an exhaustive four-part editorial covering it all.
Format: Blu-ray - Many fans may hate the Prequel Trilogy (PT), but I would still recommend picking up The Complete Saga as opposed to the individual trilogy releases, as the former is the only way to gain access to all of the new supplemental features (the individual releases contain only audio commentaries for each film). Most retailers have The Complete Saga on sale for $79.99 this week (Best Buy is throwing in a free t-shirt), and the individual trilogy releases are on sale for $39.99.
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And for video games this week:
God of War: Origins Collection (developed by Read at Dawn & Sony Computer Entertainment Studios Santa Monica; published by Sony Computer Entertainment) - In case you missed the opportunity to play these stunning entries into the God of War series when they were on the Playstation Portable (PSP), they are now available together on one disc for the Playstation 3, remastered in HD and featuring Trophy support. Chains of Olympus serves as a prequel to the original God of War, while Ghost of Sparta bridges the gap between the first and second installments. The collection retails for $39.99.
K-Mart is offering a $15 Gaming Coupon* for Shop Your Way Rewards members (which is free to join) with purchase; you may be able to price match this deal at your local Best Buy for a $15 gift card instead.
*Gaming Coupons are issued with your receipt and are generally valid beginning on the following Sunday for a set period of time (one to two months). Furthermore, as the name implies, they are only valid on gaming products.
This week is fairly prolific for both home video and video games; expect more of the latter in the weeks to come, as all of the major fall releases are coming our way. The films hitting shelves today:
Hanna (Joe Wright, 2011) - Saoirse Ronan stars in the titular role of a 16-year-old raised in the isolated wilderness of Finland by her ex-CIA-agent father (Erica Bana) to become a lethal assassin. Her training complete, Hanna is sent on a mission that takes her through Europe, where she must defend herself from agents dispatched by an intelligence operative (Cate Blanchett) determined to stop her.
Format: Blu-ray - There are a handful of exclusive features that makes the Blu-ray more alluring; it is available at most retailers for $19.99 this week. For those who prefer DVD, but might upgrade at some point in the future, both Target and Best Buy have a combo pack available that include both formats for $22.99.
Scarface (Brian De Palma, 1983) - This update of the 1932 film, starring Al Pacino as Cuban-refugee-turned-drug-lord Tony Montana, is a film that certainly needs no introduction.
Format: Blu-ray- Today the film hits Blu-ray in the form of a limited edition 'Steelbook' release. Along with the special features from prior releases of the film, new to the Blu-ray release are a Picture-in-Picture Experience and a "Scarface Scoreboard" U-Control feature, which tallies the F-bombs and bullets fired as you watch the film. Also included is a DVD containing the original film directed by Howard Hawks as well as 10 collectible art cards. Amazon has it available for $19.99, and you will find it in Best Buy stores for the same price.
Scream Trilogy (Wes Craven, 1996, 1997, 2000) - Though Wes Craven's popular self-reflexive horror trilogy already received the Blu-ray treatment (via individual releases) when the fourth installment hit theaters earlier this year, the first three films have been re-released yet again, this time in a Blu-ray boxed set.
Format: Blu-ray - For those who already own the DVD release of the trilogy, this new boxed set contains most (but not all) of the special features from that release. However, exclusive to this set are two new documentaries: Still Screaming: The Ultimate Scary Movie Retrospective, and Scream: The Inside Story. It is available at Amazon for only $19.99. Also, do note that unlike the stand-alone Blu-ray release of Scream (which contained the 103-minute theatrical version of the film), the boxed set has the 111-minute director's cut.
NOTE: X-Men First Class will be released on Friday, September 9th.
X-Men: First Class (Matthew Vaughn, 2011) - From the director of Kick-Ass comes this prequel to the blockbuster films inspired by the Marvel Comics series, starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Kevin Bacon. Set in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the film details the formation of the X-Men as a CIA division and the early friendship/alliance between Charles Xavier (McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr (Fassbender). Along with a ragtag team of fellow mutants, Charles and Erik pursue the malicious Sebastian Shaw (Bacon) across the globe in an effort to prevent him from sparking a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Format: Blu-ray - A slew of exclusive features makes the Blu-ray format more appealing; Best Buy will be selling it for $22.99 this week, and though the price on Amazon at the time of this post is $24.99, I would expect it to drop to at least $22.99 by the time it releases this Friday
On the video game front, there are two majors releases this week:
Dead Island (developed by Techland; published by Deep Silver) - The game that has had folks talking ever since its announcement trailer debuted in February is out today. A first person RPG, Dead Island is set on the fictional island of Banoi, off the coast of Papua New Guinea, where the player's character (selected from four different choices) wakes up in the midst of a zombie outbreak.
The game is available for the Playstation 3 ($59.99), Xbox 360 ($59.99), and PC ($49.99) platforms. A 'Special Edition' was available to those who pre-ordered from GameStop; it includes alternate cover art as well as a voucher for an exclusive in-game weapon ("The Ripper") and the "Bloodbath Arena" DLC content. For those looking to make the most of their purchase, there are a few deals available. K-Mart is offering a $20 Gaming Coupon* for Shop Your Way Rewards members (which is free to join); Best Buy is offering a free copy of Zombieland on DVD or Blu-ray with purchase; Target is offering a $20 gift card with the purchase of two select titles, with Dead Island being among those on the list.
Resistance 3 (developed by Insomniac Games; published by Sony Computer Entertainment) - Set four years after Resistance 2, the latest in Insomniac Games' award-winning franchise opens to a world in which approximately 90% of the population has been either killed or transformed into Chimera. You play as Joseph Capelli, who has been dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Army and gone into hiding with his wife and son in Haven, Oklahoma. However, when Dr. Fyodor Malikov finds Capelli and presents him with a plan to potentially turn the tide against the Chimera forces, he must leave his family behind and embark on a mission to New York City.
The game is available exclusively for the Playstation 3 ($59.99). In addition to the standard edition, a Playstation Move bundle dubbed the "Doomsday Edition" is also available for $149.99. It includes, along with a copy of Resistance 3: 1 Playstation Eye Camera, 1 Playstation Move Motion Controller, 1 Playstation Move Navigation Controller, and 1 Playstation Move Sharp Shooter peripheral. As with Dead Island, there are also a few deals available for Resistance 3 this week. K-mart is offering a $20 Gaming Coupon* for Shop Your Way Rewards members (which is free to join); Best Buy is offering 50% off of select PS3 titles with purchase (most notable among them is inFamous 2); Target is offering a $20 gift card with the purchase of two select titles, with Resistance 3 being among those on the list.
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*Gaming Coupons are issued with your receipt and are generally valid beginning on the following Sunday for a set period of time (one to two months). Furthermore, as the name implies, they are only valid on gaming products.
