THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI Blu-ray Collector’s Edition (1957) William Holden, Alec Guinness, Sessue Hayakawa, Jack Hawkins. $34.95 Extras: William Holden and Alec Guinness on “The Steve Allen Show”; “The Bridge on the River Kwai Premiere,” narrated by William Holden; “Crossing the Bridge Picture-in-Graphics Track” includes information on the progression of the bridge’s construction, the challenges of creating a bridge in the jungle during wartime, the real POW experience, and a book-to-screen comparison; four featurettes; “Making of The Bridge on the River Kwai”; USC short film introduced by William Holden; “An Appreciation” by filmmaker John Milius; “Rise and Fall of a Jungle Giant”; photo gallery; replicas of the original theatrical lobby cards and a 32-page book of on-set and behind the scenes photography. (Sony).
Spectacularly produced, and the winner of seven Academy Awards® (1957), including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor (Alec Guinness), The Bridge on the River Kwai continues to be one of the most memorable cinematic experiences of all time. Now, for the first time on Blu-ray, following an extensive all-new 4K digital restoration from the original negative, with newly restored 5.1 audio, experience director David Lean’s masterpiece as you never have before.
CADFAEL: Complete Collection Derek Jacobi $99.99 Extras:audio comments by Derek Jacobi, Derek Jacobi essay, Ellis Peters materials, production scrapbooks, and historical background notes(Acorn Media)
Once a Crusader, now a man of the cloth, the worldly but humble Brother Cadfael uses his keen intuition to protect the innocent and bring the guilty to account in war-torn medieval England. Sir Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius; Gladiator) gives a captivating performance as the crime-solving monk in this award-winning series. Seen on PBS’s Mystery! and based on the bestselling books by Ellis Peters, these 13 dramas offer a riveting glimpse into the past.
THE FUGITIVE: The Fourth and Final Season: Volume 1 (1966-67) David Janssen, Barry Morse, Bill Raisch, William Conrad $42.99. (Paramount).
Dr. Richard Kimble is accused to be the murder of his wife. The night before his execution, he escapes. The only chance to prove his innocence is to find the man who killed hi wife. Kimble, persecuted by the Lt. Gerard, risks his life several times when he shows his identity to help other people out of trouble.
THE GOONIES 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition (1985) Dir.: Richard Donner; Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton, Ke Huy-Quan, Joe Pantoliano. DVD: $39.98, Blu-ray: $49.99 Extras: Cast commentary with director Richard Donner and the actors, “The Making of The Goonies” documentary, Cyndi Lauper music video “The Goonies ‘R Good Enough,” deleted scenes. Also comes with a new board game, collectible storyboard prints, a 1985 souvenir magazine with behind-the-scenes stories about the filming in Astoria, Oregon (including the production design that transformed Astoria into the “Goon Docks”), and a reprint of a 2009 article with updates on the cast and crew. (Warner).
From the imagination of Steven Spielberg, The Goonies plunges a band of small heroes into a swashbuckling surprise-around-every corner quest beyond their wildest dreams! Following a mysterious treasure map into a spectacular underground realm of twisting passages, outrageous booby-traps and a long-lost pirate ship full of golden doubloons, the kids race to stay one step ahead of a family of bumbling bad guys…and a mild mannered monster with a face only a mother could love.
THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW: The Complete Series (1992-98) Garry Shandling, Rip Torn, Jeffrey Tambor, Janeane Garofalo, Wallace Langham $149.98. Extras: Video introduction by Garry Shandling; deleted scenes; outtakes; Garry Shandling lectures at University of Southern California; commentaries by Garry Shandling, Todd Holland, Judd Apatow and Peter Tolan; “The Making of The Larry Sanders Show” feature-length documentary; Garry Shandling and Judd Apatow on “The Writer’s Process”; interviews with cast and crew: Garry Shandling, Jeremy Piven, Bob Odenkirk, Linda Doucett, Penny Johnson, Janeane Garofalo, Scott Thompson, Wallace Langham, Sarah Silverman, and Mary Lynn Rajskub; Garry Shandling’s personal visits with guest stars: Alec Baldwin, Sharon Stone, David Duchovny, Tom Petty, Jon Stewart, Ellen DeGeneres, Jerry Seinfeld, Carol Burnett and more; Rip and Jeffrey visit with Garry in his living room; Emmy print campaign gallery (Season 6); “The Journey Continues …” . (Shout! Factory).
Larry Sanders (Garry Shandling) is a neurotic late-night talk show host flanked by Artie (Rip Torn), his caustic, foul-mouthed producer, and Hey Now Hank Kingsley (Jeffrey Tambor), his hopelessly insecure, ethically inept sidekick. Off-air it is all train wrecks and egos, but when the lights go down and the theme music kicks in, you get late-night Entertainment Inc. at its finest.
The Larry Sanders Show raised the bar for fearless, acerbic Hollywood satire. The innovative use of both video and film to distinguish on-air events from real-life happenings, displaying the jarring dynamic between the on-camera poise of Larry and his backstage neurosis, was brutally fascinating. And in the company of a patronizing, combative staff and a parade of A-list guests, more than game for putting their own celebrity in the crosshairs, you had a backstage pass to a Hollywood that was shockingly raw and hilarious.
THE PACIFIC (2010) Isabel Lucas, William Sadler, Joseph Mazzello, James Badge Dale, Jon Seda DVD:$79.99, Blu-ray: $99.98. Extras: Interviews, profiles, more. Blu-ray adds two companion interactive features across all 10 episodes. (HBO Video).
The Pacific is an epic 10-part miniseries that delivers a realistic portrait of WWII’s Pacific Theatre as seen through the intertwined odysseys of three U.S. Marines – Robert Leckie, John Basilone and Eugene Sledge. The extraordinary experiences of these men and their fellow Marines take them from the first clash with the Japanese in the haunted jungles of Guadalcanal, through the impenetrable rain firests of Cape Gloucester, across the blasted coral strongholds of Peleliu, up the black sand terraces of Iwo Jima, through the killing fields of Okinawa, to the triumphant, yet uneasy, return home after V-J Day. The viewer will be immersed in combat through the intimate perspective of this diverse, relatable group of men pushed to the limit in battle both physically and psychologically against a relentless enemy unlike any encountered before.
V: The Complete First Season (2009-10) Morena Baccarin, Elizabeth Mitchell, Scott Wolf, Joel Gretsch DVD: $39.98, Blu-ray: $49.99 Extras: ” The Actor’s Journey from Human to V” featurette, “An Alien in Human Skin: The Makeup FX of V” featurette, ” Breaking Story: The World of V: featurette, “The Visual FX of V” featurette, commentary with executive producers Scott Rosenbaum and Steve Pearlman, bloopers, deleted scenes. (Warner).
The Visitors are among us. In a single shared moment, they appear in every major city in the world, promoting a message of peace. They want to share their knowledge of technology; they want us to unite. And they are counting on a very important component of human nature: devotion. At first considered a threat, the Visitors — or V’s — quickly become a fascination. But when FBI Counter Terrorist Agent Erica Evans discovers what lurks beneath the alarmingly human exterior of the V’s, resisting this new world has never been more important — and never has there been more at stake. It truly is the dawning of a new day.
