If you aren’t spending the weekend glued to Netflix’s return of Arrested Development, this week’s new titles might be one of the best yet. Among the must see’s are The Last Stand, Schwarzenegger’s relentlessly entertaining return to action films, Side Effects, the latest film from the awesome Steven Soderbergh, two films from Hayao Miyazaki (including my favorite anime, My Neighbor Totoro), the first season of The Aquabats Super Show!, the LEGO Batman film, some new tv releases including Perception and three DVDs of classic episodes of The Lone Ranger. Plus there’s also Parker, based on the Richard Stark novel, The Hunter, starring Jason Statham and much more.
As always, fire up that queue and prep that shopping cart and check out this weeks’ latest releases!
The Last Stand
Sheriff Ray Owens (Schwarzenegger) moved out of Los Angeles and settled into a life fighting what little crime takes place in sleepy border town Sommerton Junction. But that peaceful existence is shattered when Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega), the most notorious, wanted drug kingpin in the western hemisphere, makes a deadly yet spectacular escape from an FBI prisoner convoy. With the help of a fierce band of lawless mercenaries led by the icy Burrell (Peter Stormare), Cortez begins racing towards the US-Mexico border at 250 mph in a specially-outfitted Corvette ZR1 with a hostage in tow. Cortez’ path: straight through Summerton Junction, where the whole of the U.S. law enforcement, including Agent John Bannister (Forest Whitaker) will have their final opportunity to intercept him before the violent fugitive slips across the border forever. At first reluctant to become involved, and then counted out because of the perceived ineptitude of his small town force, Owens ultimately rallies his team and takes the matter into his own hands, setting the stage for a classic showdown. Extras include featurettes, making of and deleted and extended scenes.
Side Effects
One pill can change your life. From Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) comes this suspenseful and provocative tale of intrigue starring Channing Tatum, Academy Award nominees Rooney Mara and Jude Law, and Academy Award winner Catherine Zeta-Jones. After her husband (Tatum) is released from prison, Emily (Mara) begins suffering from terrifying anxiety and turns to psychiatrist Dr. Banks (Law) for help. But when Banks prescribes an experimental drug for her, the side effects have chilling and deadly consequences. Extras include featuettes, viral website and commercials.
Parker
To get away clean, you have to play dirty. Parker (Jason Statham) is a professional thief who lives by a personal code of ethics: Don’t steal from people who can’t afford it and don’t hurt people who don’t deserve it. But on his latest heist, his crew double crosses him, steals his stash, and leaves him for dead. Determined to make sure they regret it, Parker tracks them to Palm Beach, playground of the rich and famous, where the crew is planning their biggest heist ever. Donning the disguise of a rich Texan, Parker takes on an unlikely partner, Leslie (Jennifer Lopez), a savvy insider, who’s short on cash, but big on looks, smarts and ambition. Together, they devise a plan to hijack the score, take everyone down and get away clean. Also starring Michael Chiklis. Extras include featurettes and commentary.
LEGO Batman: The Movie – DC Superheroes Unite
All the thrilling moments from the video game plus all-new exclusive footage! An award party for Gotham City’s Man of the Year, Bruce Wayne, quickly descends into chaos when The Joker crashes onto the scene with a full gallery of rogues at his side, including The Riddler, Catwoman and Two-face. The Dark Knight swings into action to corral the uninvited guests, but one criminal attendee isn’t quite so obvious – Lex Luthor, and with him a secret weapon that could change the balance of power in Gotham forever: The Deconstructor! The troublesome team of Lex Luthor and The Joker may be more than a stubborn Batman and Robin can handle alone, but what are Super Friends for? Join the crusade against evil as Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and the Justice League storm into action to protect the innocent, save Gotham City and even have a few laughs along the way. Uncover all-new thrilling moments never before seen in the video game, it’s the first LEGO Batman movie and, who knows, even Batman may have a little fun! Extras include featurettes, bonus cartoons and shorts.
Stand Up Guys
After serving 28 years in prison for refusing to give up information on one of his close criminal associates, Val (Al Pacino) is released and picked up by his best friend Doc (Christopher Walken). They soon re-team with Hirsch (Alan Arkin), and the three embark on what turns into their last crazy night together. As the sun rises on the guys’ reunion, a dangerous secret comes to light, and they must confront their pasts once and for all. Extras include commentary, featurettes and deleted scenes.
My Neighbor Totoro
Disney presents a studio Ghibli film about the magic of friendship and sisterhood from Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki (Best Animated Feature, 2002, Spirited Away). Follow the adventures of Satsuki and her four-year-old sister Mei as they discover their new neighbor is a mysterious forest spirit named Totoro who can only be seen by the eyes of a child. As Totoro introduces the girls to his extraordinary friends, they embark on the journey of a lifetime. Featuring the voice talents of Tim Daly, Lea Salonga and real-life sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning, My Neighbor Totoro is an amazing animated adventure the whole family will fall in love with. Extras include original Japanese storyboards, original Japanese trailer and featurettes.
The Lone Ranger: Who Was That Masked Man?
The Lone Ranger: Kemo Sabe – Trusted Friend
The Lone Ranger: Hi-Yo Silver, Away!
Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear…when with one
jaunty call, “Hi-Yo, Silver!” the Lone Ranger solidified his role as
America’s favorite hero of the Wild West. Mounted atop a white
stallion, he remains a steadfast symbol for truth and justice, capturing
the hearts and imaginations of generations of fans. Bound by honor
and joined through fate, the Lone Ranger and Tonto set out to right the
wrongs of the Wild West. Each set stars Clayton Moore and Jay
Silverheels and features eight classic episodes.
Perception: The Complete First Season
Enter the brilliant mind of Dr. Daniel Pierce and relive every thrilling case of Perception: The Complete First Season. Experience an original twist on the classic crime drama as Emmy Award winner Erick McCormack (Best Lead Actor in a Comedy series, 2001, Will & Grace), stars as the eccentric neuroscience professor whose revealing visions help him uncover what lies beneath consciousl emotion. Though recruited by the FBI for his masterful understanding of the human mind, Daniel’s odd and offbeat view makes it difficult for him to get close to anyone. His former student, Agent Kate Moretti (Rachael Leigh Cook), is one of the few people willing to accept Daniel’s peculiarities in exchange for his imaginative solutions. Two very different personalities join forces as they try to tackle the Bureau’s most complex cases.
Howl’s Moving Castle
Disney proudly presents a remarkable Studio Ghibili film from Academy Award winning director Hayao Miyazaki (Best Animated Feature, 2002, Spirited Away). Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. The vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste, jealous of their friendship, puts a spell on Sophie. In a life-changing adventure, Sophie climbs aboard Howl’s magnificent flying castle and enters a magical world on a quest to break the spell. Featuring the voice talents of Christian Bale and Billy Crystal, Miyazaki’s artistry comes to life with inventive characters, unique storytelling and richly detailed animation.
Teen Wolf: Season Two
After an action-packed end to its premiere season, Teen Wolf jumps full force into season two with even more suspenseful drama. Scott McCall, an ordinary teenager with a wild secret, continues to find himself caught in a supernatural war between hunters and werewolves. While navigating the complicated roadways of high school, Scott must keep his forbidden romance with Allison a secret and protect himself from new Alpha wolf Derek. Scott will have to trust his instincts above all else if he hopes to end the war in Beacon Hills and keep his friends and family safe.
Ultimate Gangsters Collection: Contemporary
Warner Bros. was best known for
firmly establishing the genre of gangster films, which contained
socially conscious themes and a simple visual look. Now, three of the cinema’s most important and influential directors, Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma and Michael Mann are celebrated along with some of the most celebrated actors of all time including Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Sean Connery, Harvey Keitel, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Kevin Costner in this must have collection featuring five legendary films.
- The Untouchables – Federal Agent Eliot Ness sets out to stop Al
Capone. Because of rampant corruption, he assembles a small, hand-picked team, including a
tough-as-nails street cop and a rookie sharpshooter.- Mean Streets – The future is set for Tony and Michael, owning a
neighborhood bar and making deals in the mean streets of New York city’s Little Italy. For
Charlie, the future is less clearly defined. A small-time hood, he works for his uncle making
collections and reclaiming bad debts. He’s probably too nice to succeed. In love with a woman
his uncle disapproves of (because of her epilepsy) and a friend of her cousin, Johnny Boy, a
near psychotic whose trouble-making threatens them all, he can’t reconcile opposing values.
A failed attempt to escape (to Brooklyn) moves them all a step closer to a bitter, almost
preordained future.- Goodfellas – Henry Hill is a small time gangster, who takes part in a
robbery with Jimmy Conway and Tommy De Vito, two other gangsters who have set their
sights a bit higher. His two partners kill off everyone else involved in the robbery, and slowly
start to climb up through the hierarchy of the Mob. Henry, however, is badly affected by his
partners success, but will he stoop low enough to bring about the downfall of Jimmy and
Tommy?- Heat – Neil McCauley is a thief — an expert thief. His philosophy in life –
become attached to nothing in life that you can’t walk away from in 30 seconds if you spot
the “Heat” around the corner. His crew of criminals is a high-tech outfit pulling off professional
jobs that impress even the likes of Detective Vincent Hanna. But Hanna, a man driven through
life only by his work, becomes obsessed, at the expense of his private life, with bringing
McCauley down. As McCauley’s crew prepare for the score of a lifetime, and Hanna’s team
tries to bring him in, the two find that they are challenged by the greatest minds on the
opposite side of the law that either one has ever encountered.- The Departed – Two just-graduated officers from Massachusetts State
Police Academy follow opposite sides of the law: Billy Costigan is assigned to work
undercover with the Irish mobster Frank Costello to get evidences to arrest him. His true
identity is only known by his superiors Dignam and Oliver Queenan. The protégée of Costello,
Colin Sullivan, is promoted in the Massachusetts State Police and is the informer of Costello.
Each police officer gives his best effort trying to disclose the identity of the other “rat”.
This Girl Is Badass
She’s the best in the business. Witness jaw-dropping fight sequences from Chocolate‘s kick-ass Jeeja Yanin, who also stars in the sequel to the martial arts hit, The Protector. In This Girl Is Badass, Jeeja takes her skills to the next level as a bike messenger who is hired by competing mob bosses to smuggle goods. Caught in the middle and given an ultimatum, the only way out is a confrontation erupting into a battle of bullets, face kicks and blows. Extras include featurettes and a trailer.
Mel Brooks: Make A Noise (American Masters)
After more than 60 years in show business, Mel Brooks has earned
more major awards than any other living entertainer; he is one of 14 EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) winners. A comedy force of
nature, Brooks is very private and has never authorized a biography, even issuing an informal gag order on his friends until now, making his participation (and theirs) in this film a genuine first. Showcasing the
Brooklyn native’s brilliant, skewed originality, American Masters: Mel
Brooks: Make A Noise features never-before-heard stories and new
interviews with Brooks, Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Cloris Leachman,
Carl Reiner, Joan Rivers, Tracey Ullman and others. This
career-spanning documentary of the man behind Blazing Saddles, Young
Frankenstein, The Producers, Spaceballs and of course the 2000 Year Old
Man journeys through Brooks’ professional and personal ups and downs,
providing a rare look at a living legend, beloved by millions.
Saving Hope: The Complete First Season
When tragedy strikes Chief of Surgery Charlie Harris (Michael Shanks), he leaves Hope Zion Hospital in chaos and his fiancée and fellow surgeon, Alex Reid (Erica Durance), in a state of shock. Now trapped in a coma, Dr. Harris wanders the halls of the hospital in “spirit” form, as Alex and the rest of the staff make courageous decisions to keep hope alive. Extras include featurettes and interviews.
The ABC’s of Death
This explosive film is comprised of 26 individual “chapters” on the topic of death, each helmed by a different director assigned to a specific letter of the alphabet. Provocative, funny and shocking, this anthology is the definitive vision of modern horror diversity. Get ready to learn your ABCs! Extras include featurettes, deleted scenes, trailers commentaries and more. Segments include the Apocalypse, Bigfoot, Cycle, Dogfight, Exterminate, Fart, Gravity, Hydro-Electric Diffusion, Ingrown, Jidai-geki (Samurai Movie) and more.
The Aquabats! Super Show! Season One
From the creators of Yo Gabba Gabba! and frontman Christian Jacobs comes the perfect blend of live-action and animation! Follow the amazingly wild comic antics of The Aquabats, the galaxy’s first group of musical, crime-fighting superheroes! MC Bat Commander, Crash McLarson, Ricky Fitness, EagleBones Falconhawk and Jimmy the Robot will take you along on their most outrageous adventures to protect space from the creatures and super villains out to destroy it! All 13 Season One episodes can now be found in one deluxe collection sure to banish boredom and make anyone an instant fan of the world’s most inept superheroes! Extras include the original pilot, blooper reel, featurettes, web shorts, and commentaries.
After Dark Originals Dark Circles
When new parents Alex and Penny retreat from the city and move into a place outside town, the stress and massive sleep-deprivation caused by their infant has both of them seeing things. Persistent sightings of a strange woman has each of them wondering if they are suffering from hallucinations, or if their new home holds a dark, supernatural presence. As their fragile grasp on reality spirals into delirium, Alex and Penny find themselves nearly helpless to deal with the horrific truth of what is really going in this house.
Jim Jefferies: Fully Functional
Foul-mouthed Australian comedian Jim Jefferies puts everything out there in this raunchy EPIX comedy special — and shows off his skill for skewering sacred cows and virtually everything else with brutal honesty. Over the course of a no-holds-barred evening during which no subject is safe, Jefferies dissects double standards when it comes to women, men and sex, and explains why being a slut is easier than being a stud.
A Common Man
No justice. No peace. Academy Award-winner Ben Kingsley (Ghandi, Sexy Beast, Iron Man 3) stars as a seemingly average citizen who plants five powerful bombs in different locations around a major city and threatens to detonate them unless his unconditional demand is met: The simultaneous release of four of the most deadly international terrorists from government prisons. His tactics are merciless. The risks are unthinkable. The manhunt has begun. But in an urban jungle already torn apart by fear, what could be the real motive behind a cunning madman’s ultimate plan? Ben Cross (Chariots Of Fire, Star Trek) co-stars in this explosive action-thriller about duty, justice and the unexpected vengeance of A Common Man.
Nightfall
In revenge there’s a fine line between life and death. He is a Hong Kong celebrity – a master pianist, adored, sought after by many. He is dead. Detective Lam (Simon Yam) is called in to find the murderer, and quickly identifies a killer from the past – a brutal man, just released from prison (Nick Cheung) with ties to the family. But the more Lam investigates, the truth becomes harder to find. What unfolds is a crime from the past, 20 years of lies, and a secret so shocking it threatens to pull the entire case down. Who is the victim and who is the killer? From the director of Murderer and starring two of Hong Kong’s most exciting action stars comes a gritty, brutal story of love, hate and vengeance. Includes featurette and trailer.
Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn
Sometimes the choices you make, make you. After serving several prison sentences, Bobby Baldano is released. Craving a life of crime, but desperate to honor his family, Bobby must decide whether to make his family proud or destroy what generations of Baldanos have built before him. When forced to make a life- altering decision between his two families, he’ll quickly learn that one wrong move could be his last. Extras include commentary, interviews and deleted scenes.
Cool Air
Death comes coldly. Struggling
screenwriter Charlie Baxter sets out to write his long-blocked “great
American screenplay” when he suffers a heart attack and his mysterious
upstairs neighbor Doctor Shockner comes to his rescue. The doctor
persuades Baxter to stay until he recovers fully, and introduces him to a
nightmarish world of insane experiments and murder. Baxter knows
something must be done to stop the evil that resides in the room at the
top of the stairs.
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