Columbia Pictures Film Noir Classics Volume I Five-disc set of five restored and digitally re-mastered Film Noir classics: The Sniper, The Big Heat, 5 Against The House, Murder By Contract and The Line-up. $59.95. (Sony)

In the 1940s, a new genre – film noir – emerged from the world of “hard – boiled” pulp magazines, paperback thrillers, and sensational crime movies. These films – tough and unsentimental – depicted a black-and-white universe at once brutal, erotic and morally ambiguous. Now, Sony Pictures and The Film Foundation have brought five noir classics together in one collection, all restored and remastered, and featuring brilliant performances by Glenn Ford, Lee Marvin, Kim Novak, Eli Wallach and Gloria Grahame, the genre-defining cinematography of Burnett Guffey, Hal Mohr and Lucien Ballard, and focused, taut direction by celebrated directors including Fritz Lang, Don Siegel and Phil Karlson.


Forrest Gump Box of Chocolates (1994) Dir.: Robert Zemeckis; Tom Hanks, Robin Wright Penn, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field. DVD ($29.98), Blu-ray ($49.99) Special edition of the film packaged in a “chocolate box” with chocolate scent, a commemorative booklet and a replica “Forrest Gump” feather bookmark. Extras: Commentary, “The Magic of Make-Up” featurette, “Through the Ears of Forrest Gump” sound design featurette; “Building the World of Gump” production design featurette; “Seeing Is Believing — The Visual Effects of Forrest Gump,” screen tests. (Paramount).

“Stupid is as stupid does,” says Forrest Gump (played by Tom Hanks in an Oscar-winning performance) as he discusses his relative level of intelligence with a stranger while waiting for a bus. Despite his sub-normal IQ, Gump leads a truly charmed life, with a ringside seat for many of the most memorable events of the second half of the 20th century. Entirely without trying, Forrest teaches Elvis Presley to dance, becomes a football star, meets John F. Kennedy, serves with honor in Vietnam, meets Lyndon Johnson, speaks at an anti-war rally at the Washington Monument, hangs out with the Yippies, defeats the Chinese national team in table tennis, meets Richard Nixon, discovers the break-in at the Watergate, opens a profitable shrimping business, becomes an original investor in Apple Computers, and decides to run back and forth across the country for several years. Meanwhile, as the remarkable parade of his life goes by, Forrest never forgets Jenny (Robin Wright Penn), the girl he loved as a boy, who makes her own journey through the turbulence of the 1960s and 1970s that is far more troubled than the path Forrest happens upon. Featured alongside Tom Hanks are Sally Field as Forrest’s mother; Gary Sinise as his commanding officer in Vietnam; Mykelti Williamson as his ill-fated Army buddy who is familiar with every recipe that involves shrimp; and the special effects artists whose digital magic place Forrest amidst a remarkable array of historical events and people.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) Dir.: Stephen Sommers; Stars: Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, Ray Park, Rachel Nichols, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Said Taghmaoui, Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Arnold Vosloo, Christopher Eccleston. Available as a two-disc DVD ($34.98), single-disc DVD ($29.98) and two-disc Blu-ray ($39.99). Extras: Commentary by director Stephen Sommers and producer Bob Ducsay, digital copy, “The Big Bang Theory: The Making of G.I. JOE,” “Next-Gen Action: The Amazing Visual FX and Design of G.I. JOE.” (Paramount).

Based on Hasbro’s immensely popular action figures, G.I. Joe is the ultimate elite fighting force, engaged in an extraordinary action-adventure matchup of good versus evil! In G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, the G.I. Joe team, armed with the coolest hi-tech gadgets and weapons, travels the world from the Egyptian desert to the polar ice caps in a high stakes pursuit of Cobra, an evil international organization threatening to use a technology that could bring the world to its knees.


North by Northwest 50th Anniversary Edition (1959) Dir.: Alfred Hitchcock; Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Jessie Royce Landis, Leo G. Carroll, Martin Landau. For its 50th anniversary, the film has received a meticulous restoration and remastering especially for this occasion with Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging scanning the original VistaVision production elements in 8K resolution. Available for the first time in premium Blu-ray DigiBook packaging, selling for $34.99, and as a Special Edition DVD ($24.98). Extras: “The Master’s Touch: Hitchcock’s Signature Style” , “North by Northwest: One for the Ages” The Blu-ray Book also contains 44 pages full of photos, film facts and “insider information.” (Warner).
The Rockford Files: Movie Collection — Volume 1 Two-disc set with four Rockford TV movies, $26.98. (Universal).
Say Anything 20th Anniversary Edition (1989) John Cusack, Ione Skye, John Mahoney, Lili Taylor, Joan Cusack, Jeremy Piven. DVD ($19.98) Blu-ray ($34.98) Extras: “A Conversation With Cameron Crowe” featurette; “I Love Say Anything …! featurette; intro and commentary by Cameron Crowe, John Cusack and Ione Skye; alternate scenes; deleted scenes; extended scenes; vintage featurette; TV spots; photo gallery. Blu-ray also contains “To Know Say Anything … Is to Love It!” Trivia Track (over 200 questions) and “Say Anything … 20 Years Later” retrospective featurette. (Fox)

In this charming critically acclaimed tale of first love, Lloyd, an eternal optimist, seeks to capture the heart of Diane, an unattainable high school beauty and straight-A student. He surprises just about everyone – including himself – when she returns the sentiment.

I can’t believe it has been 20 years! This film is as good as romantic comedies get.

The Shield: The Complete Series Collection (2002-08)Twenty-eight disc set with 88 episodes presented in a collectible 34-page bound anthology book, $159.95. Extras: Commentary, “Rampart” documentary about the Los Angeles Rampart division police scandal that inspired the series, “The Barn” behind-the-scenes set tour of “The Barn” where series was shot. (Sony).

All seven seasons of the Emmy®-winning, groundbreaking series in a collectible 34-page bound anthology book filled with photos, quotes and a special letter from creator Shawn Ryan! Loaded with DVD extras including new featurettes, this set includes all 88 arresting episodes and an amazing ensemble cast featuring Emmy® winner Michael Chiklis.

Spin City: Season Three (1998-99)Michael J. Fox, Richard Kind, Michael Boatman, Barry Bostwick Four-disc set with 26 episodes, $39.99. (Shout! Factory).

Michael J. Fox is back as Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty, the damage-controlling spin wizard to New York Citys favorite blundering boss man, Mayor Randall Winston. Season Three spells reelection time, and that means business in the office, aside from a steady stream of assassination plots, supermodels, teenage girl muggers, ex-girlfriends and a city full of problems. With all the ensuing chaos, there are enough distractions and obstacles to make business nearly impossible for Mike and his crew. Guest stars included Conan OBrien, Heidi Klum, Joe Torre, Lou Diamond Phillips and Courtney Thorne-Smith.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Complete Season One (2008) Extras: DVD (49.98), Blu-ray ($59.99) (Warner).

The “Clone Wars” goes back to the original Star Wars film when Obi-Wan Kenobi tells Luke Skywalker that he was once a Jedi knight the same as your father and that they fought together in the Clone Wars. Since that moment fans have been obsessed with what the clone wars were. This new TV series takes place immediately after the events of Star Wars-Episode II: Attack of the Clones. The series follows Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker and introduces us to some new characters such as Ahsoka Tano a girl Jedi knight as well as characters we already know.

TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Hitchcock Thrillers Two-disc set with “I Confess,” “Strangers on a Train,” “Suspicion” and “The Wrong Man”; $27.92. (Warner).
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) Dir.: Tony Scott; Stars: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, Luis Guzman, Michael Rispoli, James Gandolfini. DVD ($28.96), Blu-ray ($39.95) Extras: Commentary by director Tony Scott, writer Brian Helgeland and producer Todd Black; “No Time to Lose: The making of Pelham 1 2 3”; “The Third Rail: The NYC Subway System”; “Marketing Pelham”; “From the Top Down: Stylizing Character.” (Sony).

Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) is a New York City subway dispatcher whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. Ryder (John Travolta), the criminal mastermind behind the hijacking and leader of a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the train’s passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages. But there’s one riddle Garber can’t solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape?


Walt Disney Treasures Wave IX: Zorro: The Complete First and Second Season (1957-59) $59.99 each. Extras: Four one-hour features that continued the Zorro storyline, originally airing in 1960-61 as part of “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color” as well as an introduction by Leonard Maltin.
(Disney).

Out of the night, when the full moon is bright, comes the horseman known as Zorro. Debuting October 10, 1957, Walt Disney’s thrilling series about the masked avenger was so successful, it made Zorro a household name — and quashed every series that went up against it. Filled with action, adventure and suspense, this volume presents the first season’s 39 episodes (all newly restored and remastered) in their original blakc-and-white format. To enrich your experience of Disney’s unforgettable classic, this six-disc set also includes ZORRO: EL BANDIDO and ZORRO: ADIOS EL CUCHILLO, the rarely seen two-part, one-hour specials shown on Disney’s anthology series, WALT DISNEY PRESENTS. Then discover the many faces of Zorro from his literary beginnings through the creation of the Disney TV series. Featuring exclusive introductions by film historian Leonard Maltin, this is a timeless collection from generations past for generations to come.