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That Time of The Week: New DVD & Blu-Ray Releases The Week of 8/25

Labor Day’s over, September’s here and we’ve got the latest batch of releases.

Among the latest offerings are some fantastic television series, a favorite Disney classic, and a surprisingly excellent comedy from Michael Bay.

Fire up that queue and prep that shopping cart.  It’s that time of the week.

The Walking Dead: The Complete Third Season

Starz / Anchor Bay / Released 8/27/13

In this uncertain world, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his band of survivors must not only fight the dead, but also face a whole new fear: the living, as they take refuge in a prison and attempt to set up a permanent camp. But while invading zombies are an ever-present danger, they must also battle the living, not only in the form of abandoned prisoners, but also the sadistic “Governor” (David Morrissey) and his followers. New characters introduced this season include Danai Gurira as “Michonne,” with her two “zombie pets” in tow, and Dallas Roberts (Shadow People) as the Governor’s lieutenant Milton, as well as the return of Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker). Extras include behind-the-scenes footage, featurettes, commentaries, and deleted scenes.

Last Word: One of television’s best crafted shows returns from it’s disappointing sophomore season with an exciting, emotionally charged third season. As the original cast confronts a new threat, allegiances are split and divided as they continue to fight the imminent situation as well as the constant fight against the undead that have forever changed their world. This season also excels with some of the strongest writing and acting to date, which leads to a heart wrenching finale. Highest recommendation.

Pain & Gain

Paramount / Released 8/27/13

Based on the unbelievable true story of a group of personal trainers in 1990s Miami who, in pursuit of the American Dream, get caught up in a criminal enterprise that goes horribly wrong. Directed by Michael Bay, this action comedy stars Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie.

Last Word: One of the sharpest, funniest movies of the year that didn’t get the audience it deserved. The entire cast (which also includes Tony Shalhoub, Ed Harris, Rob Corddry, Bar Paly, Rebel Wilson and Ken Jeong are all great and the three leads all give some of the best performances of their respective careers. Like all of Michael Bay’s films, it’s incredibly well shot, but it’s pitch black humor and ultra violence are what stays with you after the credits roll. Highly recommended.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Walt Disney Home Video / Released 8/27/13

Whether we’re young or forever young at heart, the Hundred Acre Wood calls to that place in each of us that still believes in magic. Share all the fun, whimsy and wonder of The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh in this amazing Special Edition of the original Disney classic – now digitally restored and remastered in high definition to thrill a whole new generation! Experience the very first time Tigger “pounces” Pooh; laugh out loud when Pooh’s rumbly tumbly gets him stuck in a hilariously sticky situation… All your favorite Hundred Acre Wood characters come alive in this timeless motion picture overflowing with rich animation, masterful storytelling and unforgettable songs. Extras include the classic short A Day For Eeyore, 5 mini adventures, a featurette and music video

Last Word:  Nostalgia wins this time as one of the seminal films of my childhood comes to Blu-ray.  Based on A.A. Milne’s classic stories, this film collects three previously released shorts (Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day and Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree), which despite the variance in character design and voice artists, charms throughout.  Featuring such iconic characters as Winnie The Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger, Rabbit, Kanga, Piglet, Gopher, Roo, Owl and Christopher Robin, The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh is like a warm blanket and if you ever experienced Pooh’s adventures growing up, this is a must have.  Highest recommendation.

Elementary: The First Season

Paramount / Released 8/27/13

This modern-day twist on the legendary detective finds Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) as a recovering drug addict, starting a new life in New York City as an NYPD consultant. By his side is his trusty “sober companion,” Dr. Joan Watson (Lucy Liu), hired by Sherlock’s dad to keep the investigator on the straight and narrow. Sherlock rejects Watson’s attempts to have him participate in group therapy and makes her life and job as challenging as possible. Meanwhile, Watson develops a flair for detective work, and discovers that following Sherlock’s instincts lead her down a frustrating yet fascinating path. For these two strong-willed partners in crime-fighting, justice is elementary. Extras include featurettes and behind the scenes webisodes.

Last Word: Despite another well regarded Sherlock Holmes’ reimagining (BBC’s Sherlock), this CBS series also updates the classic Arthur Conan Doyle characters with an equally entertaining vision.  Unlike Sherlock, Elementary uses Doyle’s work as a starting point, but making some significant changes (Watson’s gender switch, the setting change from England to the US, etc).  Series leads Johnny Lee Miller, Lucy Liu and Aidan Quinn as Captain Toby Gregson, who had previously met Holmes at Scotland Yard, Elementary is also tremendous fun and combines the procedural elements of CSI with strong characterization.  Highly recommended.

A Company Man

Well Go USA / Released 8/27/13

Hyeong-do (SO Ji-sub) goes to the office every day, but isn’t thrilled with the cubicles, the politics, his co-workers, or the management. His job is murder. Literally. At this company, death is all in a day’s work. Hyeong-do is a corporate assassin, working for a company specializing in contract killings. He’s one of the best, and a loyal employee. But when his new trainee gets killed on the job, he feels an obligation to care for the kid’s family – and taking his eye off the ball is not how a guy gets promoted. Now, Hyeong-do wants out of the cutthroat rat race to start a new life, but his colleagues have different plans – and “retirement” may come at a far bloodier price than expected. Extras include making of and trailer.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist

MPI Home Video / Released 8/27/13

Based on the international bestseller, The Reluctant Fundamentalist is both a gripping thriller and a fascinating look at the post-9/11 world. Kate Hudson, Kiefer Sutherland and Liev Schreiber lead a powerful cast in the story of a young man caught in the middle of an unfolding international crisis. When an American academic in Pakistan is kidnapped by anti-American radicals, the CIA thinks popular young Pakistani professor Changez (Riz Ahmed) is involved. But as Changez tells his remarkable story about his life in the US – including his rising career on Wall Street and passionate relationship with a beautiful New York artist – to an American foreign correspondent, the truth becomes harder to pin down. Acclaimed director Mira Nair’s adaptation of Mohsin Hamid’s novel is a tense tale of hidden agendas and best intentions gone wrong. Extras include Making Of and Trailer.

Last Word: Despite a strong cast, this flashback to the period following 9/11 is a bit heavy handed and loses focus as important issues presented within seemingly get lost or temporarily forgotten.  This is worth seeing, but in it’s attempt to cover several genres, it doesn’t succeed at any of them. 

Kon-Tiki

Anchor Bay / Released 8/27/13

Based on the amazing true adventure of Thor Heyerdahl (Pal Sverre Hagen), Kon-Tiki is the tale of a Norwegian explorer in 1947 who embarks on the voyage of a lifetime to prove a point. When the scientific commnunity rejects his theory that South Americans were the first to settle in the Polynesian Islands, Heyerdahl resolves to prove its validity – and save his reputation – by embarking on the voyage himself. Recruiting a group of five men who are just bold enough to tackle the seemingly impossible trip, he builds a simple raft to original pre-Columbian specifications and sets off on the epic 101 day-long journey across the treacherous ocean to meet his fate, while the world watches. Extras include featurette, documentary and full length version of alternate Norwegian cut of the film.

Last Word: Visually stunning and well deserving of it’s Best Foreign Film Oscar Nomination, Kon-Tiki is a tremendously entertaining adventure film which captures the eternal battle of man vs. nature.  With amazing visual effects and a genuinely exciting execution, Kon-Tiki captures the drive and immediacy of exploration and the amazing world we live in.

Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s

Entertainment One / Released 8/27/13

It’s the most mythic of all American emporiums – and the scene of many an ultimate fashion fantasy. Now audiences get a rarified chance to peek behind the backroom doors and into the reality of the fascinating inner workings and fabulous untold stories from Bergdorf Goodman’s iconic history. The legend, the parties, the fashion idols, the windows, the women, the buyers and shoppers – and most of all, the quintessentially American dreams of New York’s high-fashion hot-spot – all come to life in an ode to a realm where creativity and commerce reign equally supreme. Extras include interviews.

Last Word: A bit more self congratulatory than enlightening, Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s is a  bloated celebration of the pretentious shopping habits of the 1%.  It’s hard to imagine this as a documentary, when in fact it comes across as an extended infomercial for this long standing New York institution.  Overall, a hard to enjoy look at the unrelatable self important and their shopping habits.

Among Friends

Lionsgate / Released 8/27/13

Veteran scream queen Danielle Harris (the Halloween franchise) makes her directorial debut with the horror thriller. Good times take a dark turn when longtime friends get together for an ’80s-themed murder-mystery party that is soon hijacked by someone from their past. The dinner guests will have to face their lies and secret betrayals as they discover the terrifying lengths to which their host will go to expose the truth.

Stranded

Image Entertainment / Released 8/27/13

When the isolated U.S. military moonbase is bombarded by a rogue meteor storm, Colonel Gerard Brauchman (Christian Slater) and his small crew are cut off from Earth with their life support failing. Before long, the crew discovers the meteors harbored alien spores… and they’re replicating. Now a vicious, shape-shifting predatory life form is loose inside the crippled facility, picking off victims one by one. Locked in a desperate fight for survival, Brauchman and the terrified remaining astronauts have one final mission… keep the creature from escaping the moon and finding a new food supply on Earth. Extras include featurettes.

Last Word: Despite being a mash-up of several better genre films, Stranded is nothing more than a sub-standard thriller that’s watchable, but makes you wish you were watching one of the many films that inspired this.

Pawn Shop Chronicles

Anchor Bay / Released 8/27/13
One small town pawn shop… one big time wild ride. In this shop, these people may be pawning far more than they bargained for: Brendan Fraser, Elijah Wood, Vincent D’Onofrio, Academy Award nominee Matt Dillon, Norman Reedus, Thomas Jane, Lukas Haas, and Paul Walker star in 3 twisted tales all connected by items from a Southern small-town pawn shop. A man searching for his kidnapped wife, a couple of white-supremacist drug dealers, and a sad-sack Elvis impersonator, plus more desperate characters come to life in the action-packed and hilarious story written by Adam Minarovich and from director Wayne Kramer. Extras include commentary.

Last Word: A large ensemble squanders their talent in this almost two decades late Pulp Fiction homage that features three intertwining stories set around a pawn shop.  Unfortunately, the derivative and flat script is the structure for yet another lousy film that hides behind the grindhouse moniker. 

Idolmaker

Shout! Factory / Released 8/27/13
Vincent Vaccari (Ray Sharkey) is an idol maker, a music promoter and manager who is obsessively driven by his desire to discover the next big act. After transforming Tomaso DeLorusso (Paul Land), a popular saxophone player, into rock ‘n’ roll sensation “Tommy Dee,” Vinnie becomes obsessed with his next big hit, a local busboy named Guido (Peter Gallagher). With a single-minded vision of what Guido needs to become, Vinnie embarks on a destructive journey to control every aspect of his new act’s image, a journey that might end up destroying everyone around him.  Directed by Oscar winner Taylor Hackford, The Idolmaker marks the feature film debut for Peter Gallagher and Joe Pantoliano, Ray Sharkey also stars as rock promoter Vincent Vaccari, a character based on the real life of manager Bob Marcucci, who discovered and promoted several rock ‘n’ roll stars including Frankie Avalon and Fabian. Sharkey would go on to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy for his performance. Extras include commentary.

Sapphire & Steel: The Complete Series

Shout! Factory / Released 8/27/13

“All irregularities will be handled by the forces controlling each dimension. Transuranic, heavy elements may not be used where there is life. Medium atomic weights are available: Gold, Lead, Copper, Jet, Diamond, Radium, Sapphire, Silver and Steel. Sapphire and Steel have been assigned.”

When time itself is threatened by the forces of evil, it’s time to call on Sapphire & Steel! Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous) and David McCallum (The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ) play the two inter-dimensional agents charged with investigating breaks in the corridor of time. Their atmospheric and enigmatic adventures form one of the most unconventional science-fiction series ever created.  Originally airing from 1979 to 1982 on British television network ITV, Sapphire & Steel is a cult classic series in the vein of Doctor Who and The X-Files, with a fan base that continues to grow more than three decades after its debut.  Extras include episode introductions, photo gallery and more.

Shadow Dancer

Magnolia / Released 8/20/13

When single mother Collette McVeigh (Andrea Riseborough) is arrested for her part in an aborted IRA plot in London, an MI5 officer (Clive Owen) offers her a choice: lose everything and go to prison or return to Belfast to spy on her own family. With her son’s life in her hands, Collette chooses to place her trust in the MI5 and return home. When her brothers’ secret operation is ambushed, suspicions of an informant are raised and Collette finds both herself and her family in grave danger. Extras include featurettes, interviews, and trailers.

Sons of Anarchy: Season Five

20th Century Fox / Released 8/27/13

From creator Kurt Sutter comes the adrenaline-charged Sons of Anarchy, featuring exclusive “creator’s cut” episodes and kicking into high gear with its biggest, most explosive season ever! As SAMCRO’s new president, Jax is surrounded by ruthless enemies and gut-wrenching betrayal. With Gemma fighting for control of the family and a bloodthirsty Clay out for revenge, Jax defennds himself haunted by the sins of his past. Alliances are forged, friends are murdered, and loyalties are put to the ultimate test. Now, with the truth in sight, Jax must do whatever it takes to secure the legacy of brotherhood and protect his family-even if it costs him everything. Extras include commentary, deleted scenes and featurettes.

Errors of the Human Body

MPI Home Video / Released 8/13/13

A slick, tense sci-fi thriller in the vein of early Cronenberg, Errors of the Human Body is a journey into the disastrous consequences of experimentation gone horribly wrong. Still reeling from his recent divorce and devastating loss of his infant son to a rare genetic mutation, Canadian geneticist Geoff Burton (Michael Eklund) relocates to Dresden, Germany, to work on a groundbreaking new project. Together with his former intern Rebekka (Karoline Herfurth) he starts developing a human regenerative gene that could prevent the tragedy that befell his son from ever happening again. But matters prove increasingly difficult as jealous coworkers, old romances, and personal demons all threaten to impede his progress. As Geoff comes maddeningly close to a medical breakthrough, he begins to spiral out of control. Now he must determine how far he s truly willing to go to atone for the errors of his past.

Love and Honor

MPI Home Video / Released 8/23/13

When young soldier Dalton Joiner (Austin Stowell) finds out that his girlfriend Jane (Aimee Teegarden) back home has dumped him, he vows to sneak out of Vietnam during his one-week leave to win her back. His best friend Mickey Wright (Liam Hemsworth) will do anything to help his buddy out as long as there might be a few girls along the way. In just seven days they must get to the States, change Jane s mind and make it back to the war without getting caught. But when they arrive stateside they find Jane and her beautiful, committed activist friend Candace (Teresa Palmer) at the heart of the anti-war movement. Now the young soldiers must make some life changing decisions as they spend a week learning the truth about love, honor and commitment. Set against the backdrop of the landmark summer of 1969, Love and Honor is a heartwarming romantic drama featuring a passionate young cast.  Extras include making of featurette and trailer.

Last Word:  Solid chemistry between Hemsworth and Palmer almost saves this historically light period piece.  There is a bit of charm to this Nicholas Sparks want-to-be, but overall, it’s a fairly tepid film that’s both predictable and fairly unrealistic.  A pleasant enough diversion, that is save by it’s well meaning performances.

No One Lives

Anchor Bay / Releaded 8/20/13

Luke Evans and Adelaide Clemens star in this insane “high octane gore fest” (John Fallon) about a young couple driving cross-country via quiet rural roads. When the couple is abducted by a clan of backwoods criminals, a nightmare unfolds. But the kidnapped pair in not who they seem and their captors soon realize they are in way over their heads as a battle of terror with some very depraved twits explodes. Lee Tergesen, Laura Ramsey, Derek Magya, Beau Knapp, America Olivo, WWE Superstar Brodus Clay and Lindsey Shaw co-star.  A ruthless criminal gang takes a young couple hostage and goes to ground in an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. When the captive girl is killed, the tables are unexpectedly turned. The gang finds itself outsmarted by an urbane and seasoned killer determined to ensure that no one lives. Extras include featurette.

Call Me Fritz: The Complete Third Season

Entertainment One / Released 8/27/13
Politics. Power. Really pervy porn … Yep, it’s a brand new season of “Call Me Fitz,” the hit twisted family dramedy about the handsome, substance-abusing, morally bankrupt used car salesman, Richard “Fitz” Fitzpatrick (Jason Priestly), who torments his naïve co-workers, sleeps with any woman who has a pulse, and thinks nothing of it. And this year, our cocksure anti-hero is back on top. Sure, a career selling pre-owned is pretty sweet, but why stop there when real power is within reach? Question is, how does a guy like Fitz get what he wants, when what he wants is always above the law? Public office, baby.  Extras include featurettes and sizzle reel.

Last Word:  It’s a shame that Canadian series Call Me Fitz hasn’t found an audience in the United States because it’s really very funny with a continuing spectacular performance from Jason Priestly in this fantastic dark comedy.  Highly recommended.

Black Rock

Lionsgate / Released 7/30/13

Not every island is a paradise.  Three young women – Sarah (Kate Bosworth), Abby (Katie Aselton) and Lou (Lake Bell) – get together for a private campout at one of the iconic settings of their childhood, an empty island off the coast of Maine, to renew their bond of sisterhood. They quickly learn, though, that the island is anything but empty, when they encounter three men, who have come to the island to hunt. A misunderstanding quickly turns to tragedy, and the three women soon find themselves the targets of the hunt. What started as a simple playdate to recall old times is now a race for survival. Extras include commentary, featurettes and trailer.

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