Sunday, June 30, 2013

#9: The Sword in the Stone (50th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]

The Sword
The Sword in the Stone (50th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]
Ricky Sorenson (Actor), Karl Swenson (Actor), Wolfgang Reitherman (Director) | Format: Blu-ray
5.0 out of 5 stars(1)
Release Date: August 6, 2013

Buy new: $36.99 $24.96

(Visit the Most Wished For in Blu-ray list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)

Review & Description

Disney proudly presents the 50th anniversary edition of a spellbinding and beloved animated classic. Conjure up magical family fun with the humor, adventure, and Academy Award-nominated music (best score - adaptation or treatment, 1963) of The Sword In The Stone - on DVD and now on Blu-ray combo pack for the first time ever! Take an amazing journey with a young orphan named "Wart" and the extraordinary wizard Merlin. According to legend, only someone with the purest character and inner strength can pull the enchanted sword from the stone and claim the throne of England. Armed with newfound confidence and the power of friendship, Wart discovers his destiny and learns the best magic is the kind you find inside yourself! Read more


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#4: Game of Thrones: The Complete Second Season (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)

Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones: The Complete Second Season (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)
Emilia Clark (Actor), Michelle Fairley (Actor) | Format: Blu-ray
4.6 out of 5 stars(1504)

Buy new: $79.98 $43.99
21 used & new from $38.98

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Review & Description

Based on the best-selling book series by George R.R. Martin, Game of Thrones is an epic drama set in the grounded fantasy continent of Westeros, where ambitious men and women of both honor and ill-repute live in a land where summers and winters can last years. Season 2 plays out against the backdrop of a fast-approaching winter – the season of the white raven. In King’s Landing, the coveted Iron Throne is occupied by cruel young Joffrey, counseled by his conniving mother Cersei and uncle Tyrion, who has been appointed Hand of the King. But the Lannister hold on the Throne is under assault on many fronts. There’s Robb Stark, son of the slain Lord of Winterfell, Ned Stark, who seeks autonomy in the North and has taken Cersei’s brother Jaime prisoner in battle; Daenerys Targaryen, who looks to shore up her depleted power in the east through three newborn dragons; Stannis Baratheon, eldest brother of the late King Robert, who rejects Joffrey’s legitimacy and aligns with a powerful priestess to raise a naval attack; and Stannis’ brother Renly, who has maintained his own claim since fleeing King’s Landing. In the meantime, a new leader is rising among the wildlings North of the Wall, adding new perils for Jon Snow and the order of the Night’s Watch. With tensions and treaties, animosity and alliances, Season 2 of Game of Thrones is a thrilling journey through a riveting, unforgettable fictional landscape.

Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.

Note on Subtitles:

DVD Subtitles - English, French, Latin Spanish, Brazilian Portugese, Complex Chinese, Korean, and Thai.

Blu-ray Subtitles - English SDH, French, Latin Spanish, Castilian Spanish, Brazilian Portugese, Polish, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish.   The epic scope of the grand television fantasy series Game of Thrones is matched by the extraordinary wealth of extras found in its sophomore-season set. Based on A Clash of Kings, the second novel in George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, season two of Game of Thrones admirably encapsulates the sprawling War of the Five Kings, which pits the malevolent Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) against a host of contenders for the throne of the late King Robert (Mark Addy), including his brothers Stannis (Stephen Dillane) and Renly (Gethin Anthony). Further complicating matters is the appointment of Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) as Hand of the King to Joffrey, which sets off an intense behind-the-scenes power struggle with his siblings, Cersei (Lena Headey) and Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), who carry on an incestuous affair. Meanwhile, there's also the issue of Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and her three dragons; Daenerys spends much of season two making her way across the Red Waste in order to launch her own plan of conquest. These central conflicts are supported by a host of secondary storylines, including Alfie Allen's Theon Greyjoy, who is faced with dreadful choices in his own quest to prove his worth, and new cast member Carice van Houten as Melisandre, a priestess who uses a variety of wiles, including sex, to spur Stannis's assault against Joffrey's forces in the series' showstopping set piece, the Battle of Blackwater Bay. That Game of Thrones manages to not only weave together all of these myriad threads but also make them compelling and fully realized is among the keys to the show's astonishing popularity, as are the performances, which, along with the direction and writing, help to make the series the best costume fantasy drama ever produced on television. Its blend of historically inspired intrigue and supernatural elements keeps it far afield of camp territory, where most TV fantasy has bogged down in the past, while the cast, led by the extraordinary Peter Dinklage as the wily Tyrion, rivals any modern day/dress series. Of course, the show's copious violence and sexuality (the latter of which borders on excessive this season) are also key factors, but the visceral nature of these parts mesh well with the show's overall theme of a medieval land gripped by extraordinary bloodshed.

The five-disc DVD set of Game of Thrones' second season provides an exceptional amount of supplemental material on the show's production, primarily through 12 commentary tracks, including multiple tracks on single episodes. Among the participants are the main cast, including Dinklage, Headey, and Coster-Waldau, as well as series cocreators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss; director Neil Marshall (The Descent), who helmed "Blackwater"; and Martin himself, who explains many of the differences between his source novel and the program. The Battle of Blackwater Bay gets its own half-hour making-of featurette, while a quintet of the actors, including Headey and Clarke, participate in an informative roundtable discussion about their characters and the show's locations. Martin also returns for a brief conversation about the various religions of his fictional world along with Benioff and Weiss. Both die-hard fans and first-time viewers will appreciate the length and depth of the extra material included in the set, which expands greatly on the already massive world of Game of Thrones. --Paul Gaita Read more


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Saturday, June 29, 2013

#8: The Sword in the Stone (50th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]

The Sword
The Sword in the Stone (50th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]
Ricky Sorenson (Actor), Karl Swenson (Actor), Wolfgang Reitherman (Director) | Format: Blu-ray
5.0 out of 5 stars(1)
Release Date: August 6, 2013

Buy new: $36.99 $24.96

(Visit the Most Wished For in Blu-ray list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)

Review & Description

Disney proudly presents the 50th anniversary edition of a spellbinding and beloved animated classic. Conjure up magical family fun with the humor, adventure, and Academy Award-nominated music (best score - adaptation or treatment, 1963) of The Sword In The Stone - on DVD and now on Blu-ray combo pack for the first time ever! Take an amazing journey with a young orphan named "Wart" and the extraordinary wizard Merlin. According to legend, only someone with the purest character and inner strength can pull the enchanted sword from the stone and claim the throne of England. Armed with newfound confidence and the power of friendship, Wart discovers his destiny and learns the best magic is the kind you find inside yourself! Read more


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#9: A Good Day to Die Hard (Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy)

A Good
A Good Day to Die Hard (Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy)
Bruce Willis (Actor), Jai Courtney (Actor), John Moore (Director) | Format: Blu-ray
2.9 out of 5 stars(526)
Release Date: June 4, 2013

Buy new: $39.99 $24.49
26 used & new from $15.51

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Review & Description

Bruce Willis is back in action - mind-blowing, heart-stopping, rip-roaring action - as John McClane, the heroic New York cop with a knack for being in the wrong place at the right time. John's latest predicament takes him all the way to Russia to track down his estranged son, Jack (Jai Courtney), who has been imprisoned in Moscow. But the mission takes a deadly turn as father and son must join forces to thwart a nuclear weapons heist that could trigger World War III!The world has changed a lot in the 25 years between Die Hard and this fifth franchise rehash, but Bruce Willis is still the indestructible force of nature who is followed by gunfire and explosions everywhere he goes. In fact, he seems to have gotten more powerful and his body grown more resilient in spite of the crags in his face and the gray stubble over his ears. This time around, New York Police Department veteran John McClane has trekked to Russia for what he claims is a vacation, a running gag that lets Willis keep on quipping with the impeccable insouciance of a pedigreed action hero. What he's really up to is tracking his wayward son Jack (Jai Courtney), who John believes is on trial for murdering a mob kingpin. In the first of the movie's many dazzling set pieces, father and son meet cute just as Jack has broken out of a heavily fortified courtroom with a mysterious Russian businessman named Komarov (Sebastian Koch), who is in possession of some sort of information that's valuable on the world stage. Don't worry, the details aren't important as there's no room for plausibility in any direction. It's no spoiler to reveal that Jack is a covert CIA agent in pursuit of Komarov's file, and that instead of helping his estranged child, the senior McClane has actually bungled Junior's operation. This sets off a lengthy chase on the streets of Moscow (actually Budapest) that has father zooming after son with a tank full of caricatured Russian bad guys in the middle. Hundreds of vehicles sacrifice themselves for the hyperkinetic demolition derby between the three factions as they race through traffic-jammed streets, flattening everything made of metal and glass along the way. Though far less elegantly staged, the sequence recalls the opening chase in Skyfall, and the story rolls on in a similarly dumbed-down series of spy-movie showdowns that are all cranked up to 11. A Good Day to Die Hard is the most cartoonish sequel, given its superfluous plotting and nonstop spree of gratuitous destruction. There are a few plot twists--ultimately it's all about money, of course--but mostly it's an exercise in extravagant violence and automatic-weapons fire, with emotionless moments of rapprochement between John and Jack dropped in around the gunfights. Both of them survive beatings, car crashes, and ludicrous falls from tall buildings without injury as Komarov is lost, then found, then lost again. Dad helps his son mop up the mess by doing what they both like to do best: kill scumbags. The dizzying editing and breakneck pace builds to a crescendo at Chernobyl, where a magical anti-radiation gas explodes many things, a truck is driven out of a flying helicopter, buildings and people are shot to pieces, and a paroxysm of fetishistic, slow-motion digital mayhem turns the decrepit nuclear facility to rubble. Bruce Willis is firmly in charge throughout, delivering the mother of F-bomb catch phrases with a succession of increasingly eye-popping fireballs hot on his heels. Yippee-ki-yay, indeed. --Ted Fry Read more


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#5: Oblivion (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet)

Oblivion Bluray
Oblivion (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet)
Tom Cruise (Actor), Morgan Freeman (Actor), Joseph Kosinski (Director) | Format: Blu-ray
3.8 out of 5 stars(98)
Release Date: August 6, 2013

Buy new: $34.98 $23.99

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Review & Description

Tom Cruise stars in Oblivion, an original and groundbreaking cinematic event from the visionary director of Tron: Legacy and producers of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. On a spectacular future Earth that has evolved beyond recognition, one man’s confrontation with the past will lead him on a journey of redemption and discovery as he battles to save mankind.The contrast between stunning blue-hued technology and the moldering remnants of an Earth that has been decimated by environmental catastrophe and weapons of absolute destruction is kind of a neat parallel to the twisty story that makes Oblivion such a fun, albeit decidedly bleak Tom Cruise sci-fi crowd pleaser. Cruise is Jack Harper, a futuristic maverick who patrols the wasteland of our planet in 2077, 60 years after an alien invasion by the "scavs" left it a dying cinder. His girlfriend/partner Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) whispers directives in his ear from their iPad-like headquarters in the clouds, getting her orders from a video-only spectral overlord named Sally (Melissa Leo), who oozes not-quite-right with every politely southern-drawled command. Jack's job is to zip around repairing security drones and keep safe from scav attacks the enormous fusion converters that are sucking Earth's last ocean resources dry for the surviving humans who now populate Saturn's moon Titan. Very soon Jack and Victoria will be departing to the massive hovering mothership for their escape to Titan and a life of love and leisure. But something's not quite right in Jack's perception of things, in spite of the "security memory wipe" both he and Victoria live with. He can't shake persistent dreams of a thriving New York City, a place he experiences in reality only as crumbling canyons marked by the ground-level spire of the Empire State Building. There are other troubling signs as Jack whizzes through dangerous atmospheres and landscapes in a snazzy bubble-shaped spacecraft or rides a streamlined motorbike that's the perfect accessory for his sleek leather suit and ergonomic armaments. He thinks the scavs are trying to capture, not kill him, plus he's spending more and more secret time shooting hoops and listening to Led Zeppelin at a bucolic lakeside log cabin where Victoria can't track him. Oblivion takes its time with this absorbing mood-setting background of visually ravishing tableaux. At the halfway mark, it starts throwing around wild twists and turns after Jack investigates the crash landing of a spaceship from Earth's past. From it he rescues the woman of his dreams (Olga Kurylenko), which is the breaking point for his already almost-blown mind. The sinister vibe that has been a background rumble throughout quickly gains volume. An appearance by Morgan Freeman in cool-cat shades and a black cape gives the extra complexity some real class. It's a bit of a paradox that the script has such bold insights, yet is also so brashly derivative. The stylistic flourishes and elegant conceptual designs are singular in their vision, but there are direct references and plot cues taken from dozens of other movies, including WALL-E, The Matrix, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Planet of the Apes, Moon, and Total Recall. It's not too hard to see where the threads lead, but flying along as Oblivion ties them together is a trip of its very own. --Ted Fry Read more


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Friday, June 28, 2013

#7: Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Episodes I-VI) [Blu-ray]

Star Wars
Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Episodes I-VI) [Blu-ray]
Mark Hamill (Actor), Hayden Christensen (Actor), George Lucas (Director) | Format: Blu-ray
3.0 out of 5 stars(2471)

Buy new: $139.99 $69.99
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Review & Description

Star Wars: The Complete Blu-ray Saga will feature all six live-action Star Wars feature films utilizing the highest possible picture and audio presentation.

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
(32 Years Before Episode IV) Stranded on the desert planet Tatooine after rescuing young Queen Amidala from the impending invasion of Naboo, Jedi apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Jedi Master discover nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker, a young slave unusually strong in the Force. Anakin wins a thrilling Podrace and with it his freedom as he leaves his home to be trained as a Jedi. The heroes return to Naboo where Anakin and the Queen face massive invasion forces while the two Jedi contend with a deadly foe named Darth Maul. Only then do they realize the invasion is merely the first step in a sinister scheme by the re-emergent forces of darkness known as the Sith.

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
(22 Years Before Episode IV) Ten years after the events of the Battle of Naboo, not only has the galaxy undergone significant change, but so have Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padmé Amidala, and Anakin Skywalker as they are thrown together again for the first time since the Trade Federation invasion of Naboo. Anakin has grown into the accomplished Jedi apprentice of Obi-Wan, who himself has transitioned from student to teacher. The two Jedi are assigned to protect Padmé whose life is threatened by a faction of political separatists. As relationships form and powerful forces collide, these heroes face choices that will impact not only their own fates, but the destiny of the Republic.

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
(19 Years before Episode IV) Three years after the onset of the Clone Wars, the noble Jedi Knights have been leading a massive clone army into a galaxy-wide battle against the Separatists. When the sinister Sith unveil a thousand-year-old plot to rule the galaxy, the Republic crumbles and from its ashes rises the evil Galactic Empire. Jedi hero Anakin Skywalker is seduced by the dark side of the Force to become the Emperor's new apprentice--Darth Vader. The Jedi are decimated, as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Master Yoda are forced into hiding. The only hope for the galaxy are Anakin's own offspring.

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Nineteen years after the formation of the Empire, Luke Skywalker is thrust into the struggle of the Rebel Alliance when he meets Obi-Wan Kenobi, who has lived for years in seclusion on the desert planet of Tatooine. Obi-Wan begins Luke's Jedi training as Luke joins him on a daring mission to rescue the beautiful Rebel leader Princess Leia from the clutches of the evil Empire.

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Luke Skywalker and his friends have set up a new base on the ice planet of Hoth, but it is not long before their secret location is discovered by the evil Empire. After narrowly escaping, Luke splits off from his friends to seek out a Jedi Master called Yoda. Meanwhile, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, and C-3PO seek sanctuary at a city in the Clouds run by Lando Calrissian, an old friend of Han’s. But little do they realize that Darth Vader already awaits them.

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
(4 years after Episode IV) In the epic conclusion of the saga, the Empire prepares to crush the Rebellion with a more powerful Death Star while the Rebel fleet mounts a massive attack on the space station. Luke Skywalker confronts Darth Vader in a final climactic duel before the evil Emperor.

Episode I, The Phantom Menace "I have a bad feeling about this," says the young Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor) in Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace as he steps off a spaceship and into the most anticipated cinematic event... well, ever. He might as well be speaking for the legions of fans of the original episodes in the Star Wars saga who can't help but secretly ask themselves: Sure, this is Star Wars, but is it my Star Wars? The original elevated moviegoers' expectations so high that it would have been impossible for any subsequent film to meet them. And as with all the Star Wars movies, The Phantom Menace features inexplicable plot twists, a fistful of loose threads, and some cheek-chewing dialogue. Han Solo's swagger is sorely missed, as is the pervading menace of heavy-breather Darth Vader. There is still way too much quasi-mystical mumbo jumbo, and some of what was fresh about Star Wars 22 years earlier feels formulaic. Yet there's much to admire. The special effects are stupendous; three worlds are populated with a mélange of creatures, flora, and horizons rendered in absolute detail. The action and battle scenes are breathtaking in their complexity. And one particular sequence of the film--the adrenaline-infused pod race through the Tatooine desert--makes the chariot race in Ben-Hur look like a Sunday stroll through the park.

Among the host of new characters, there are a few familiar walk-ons. We witness the first meeting between R2-D2 and C-3PO, Jabba the Hutt looks younger and slimmer (but not young and slim), and Yoda is as crabby as ever. Natalie Portman's stately Queen Amidala sports hairdos that make Princess Leia look dowdy and wields a mean laser. We never bond with Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), and Obi-Wan's day is yet to come. Jar Jar Binks, a cross between a Muppet, a frog, and a hippie, provides many of the movie's lighter moments, while Sith Lord Darth Maul is a formidable force. Baby-faced Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) looks too young and innocent to command the powers of the Force or wield a lightsaber (much less transmute into the future Darth Vader), but his boyish exuberance wins over skeptics.

Near the end of the movie, Palpatine, the new leader of the Republic, may be speaking for fans eagerly awaiting Episode II when he pats young Anakin on the head and says, "We will watch your career with great interest." Indeed! --Tod Nelson

Episode II, Attack of the Clones If The Phantom Menace was the setup, then Attack of the Clones is the plot-progressing payoff, and devoted Star Wars fans are sure to be enthralled. Ten years after Episode I, Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), now a senator, resists the creation of a Republic Army to combat an evil separatist movement. The brooding Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is resentful of his stern Jedi mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), tormented by personal loss, and showing his emerging "dark side" while protecting his new love, Amidala, from would-be assassins. Youthful romance and solemn portent foreshadow the events of the original Star Wars as Count Dooku (a.k.a. Darth Tyranus, played by Christopher Lee) forges an alliance with the Dark Lord of the Sith, while lavish set pieces showcase George Lucas's supreme command of all-digital filmmaking. All of this makes Episode II a technological milestone, savaged by some critics as a bloated, storyless spectacle, but still qualifying as a fan-approved precursor to the pivotal events of Episode III. --Jeff Shannon

Episode III, Revenge of the Sith Ending the most popular film epic in history, Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith is an exciting, uneven, but ultimately satisfying journey. Picking up the action from Episode II, Attack of the Clones as well as the animated Clone Wars series, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), pursue General Grievous into space after the droid kidnapped Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid).

It's just the latest maneuver in the ongoing Clone Wars between the Republic and the Separatist forces led by former Jedi turned Sith Lord Count Dooku (Christopher Lee). On another front, Master Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz) leads the Republic's clone troops against a droid attack on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk. All this is in the first half of Episode III, which feels a lot like Episodes I and II. That means spectacular scenery, dazzling dogfights in space, a new fearsome villain (the CGI-created Grievous can't match up to either Darth Maul or the original Darth Vader, though), lightsaber duels, groan-worthy romantic dialogue, goofy humor (but at least it's left to the droids instead of Jar-Jar Binks), and hordes of faceless clone troopers fighting hordes of faceless battle droids.

But then it all changes.

After setting up characters and situations for the first two and a half movies, Episode III finally comes to life. The Sith Lord in hiding unleashes his long-simmering plot to take over the Republic, and an integral part of that plan is to turn Anakin away from the Jedi and toward the Dark Side of the Force. Unless you've been living under a rock the last 10 years, you know that Anakin will transform into the dreaded Darth Vader and face an ultimate showdown with his mentor, but that doesn't matter. In fact, a great part of the fun is knowing where things will wind up but finding out how they'll get there. The end of this prequel trilogy also should inspire fans to want to see the original movies again, but this time not out of frustration at the new ones. Rather, because Episode III is a beginning as well as an end, it will trigger fond memories as it ties up threads to the originals in tidy little ways. But best of all, it seems like for the first time we actually care about what happens and who it happens to.

Episode III is easily the best of the new trilogy--OK, so that's not saying much, but it might even jockey for third place among the six Star Wars films. It's also the first one to be rated PG-13 for the intense battles and darker plot. It was probably impossible to live up to the decades' worth of pent-up hype George Lucas faced for the Star Wars prequel trilogy (and he tried to lower it with the first two movies), but Episode III makes us once again glad to be "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away." --David Horiuchi

Star Wars: The Original Trilogy (Episodes IV - VI) The Star Wars trilogy had the rare distinction of becoming more than just a series of movies, but a cultural phenomenon, a life-defining event for its generation. On its surface, George Lucas's original 1977 film is a rollicking and humorous space fantasy that owes debts to more influences than one can count on two hands, but filmgoers became entranced by its basic struggle of good vs. evil "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away," its dazzling special effects, and a mythology of Jedi Knights, the Force, and droids.

In the first film, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) gets to live out every boy's dream: ditch the farm and rescue a princess (Carrie Fisher). Accompanied by the roguish Han Solo (Harrison Ford, the only principal who was able to cross over into stardom) and trained by Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), Luke finds himself involved in a galactic war against the Empire and the menacing Darth Vader (David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones). The following film, The Empire Strikes Back (1980), takes a darker turn as the tiny rebellion faces an overwhelming onslaught. Directed by Irvin Kershner instead of Lucas, Empire is on the short list of Best Sequels Ever, marked by fantastic settings (the ice planet, the cloud city), the teachings of Yoda, a dash of grown-up romance, and a now-classic "revelation" ending. The final film of the trilogy, Return of the Jedi (1983, directed by Richard Marquand), is the most uneven. While the visual effects had taken quantum leaps over the years, resulting in thrilling speeder chases and space dogfights, the story is an uneasy mix of serious themes (Luke's maturation as a Jedi, the end of the Empire-rebellion showdown) and the cuddly teddy bears known as the Ewoks.

Years later, George Lucas transformed his films into "special editions" by adding new scenes and special effects, which were greeted mostly by shrugs from fans. They were perfectly happy with the films they had grown up with (who cares if Greedo shot first?), and thus disappointed by Lucas's decision to make the special editions the only versions available. --David Horiuchi

DVD & Blu-ray Versions of Star Wars


Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition with Bonus Disc)

Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition with Bonus Disc)

Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition Without Bonus Disc)

Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition Without Bonus Disc)
Star Wars Trilogy
Star Wars Trilogy
”Star
Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
”Star
Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy (Episodes I - III) [Blu-ray]
”Star
Star Wars: The Original Trilogy (Episodes IV - VI) [Blu-ray]
”Star
Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Episodes I-VI) [Blu-ray]
Release Date September 21, 2004 December 6, 2005 November 4, 2008 November 4, 2008 September 16, 2011 September 16, 2011 September 16, 2011
Format/Disc # DVD (4 Discs) DVD (3 Discs) DVD (6 Discs) DVD (6 Discs) Blu-ray (3 Discs) Blu-ray (3 Discs) Blu-ray (9 Discs) + 16 page booklet
Blu-ray 3D No No No No No No No
Blu-ray No No No No Yes Yes Yes
DVD Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
Digital Copy No No No No No No No
Original Theatrical Version No No Yes Yes No No No
Bonus Features Star Wars, Episode IV: Commentary by George Lucas, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie Fisher

Star Wars, Episode V:
Commentary by George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie Fisher

Bonus Disc:
All-new bonus features, including the most comprehensive feature-length documentary ever produced on the Star Wars saga, and never-before-seen footage from the making of all three films
"Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy"

Featurettes: The Legendary Creatures of Star Wars, The Birth of the Lightsaber, The Legacy of Star Wars


Teasers, Trailers, TV spots, Still Galleries

Playable Xbox demo of the new Lucasarts game Star Wars Battlefront
The making of the Episode III videogame

Exclusive preview of Star Wars: Episode III
Star Wars Episode IV:  Commentary by George Lucas, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie Fisher

Star Wars Episode V: Commentary by George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie Fisher
None Star Wars, Episode I: Commentary by George Lucas and company

Star Wars, Episode II:


From Puppets to Pixels
State of the Art: Previsualization of Episode II

8 deleted scenes with intros

Music Video
Visual Specs Breakdown
12 Web Documentaries
4 Trailers
12 TV Spots
Easter Egg
Still Galleries DVD-ROM links
Star Wars, Episode I: Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Scott Squires, Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

Star Wars, Episode II: Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, Pablo Helman, John Knoll and Ben Snow, Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

Star Wars, Episode III: Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Rob Coleman, John Knoll and Roger Guyett

Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

Star Wars, Episode IV: Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren

Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

Star Wars, Episode V: Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren

Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

Star Wars, Episode VI: Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren, > Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

Same as Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy (Episodes I-III) [Blu-ray] and Star Wars: The Original Trilogy (Episodes IV-VI) [Blu-ray] plus:

New! Star Wars Archives, Episodes IV-VI: Includes deleted, extended and alternate scenes; prop, maquette and costume turnarounds; matte paintings and concept art; supplementary interviews with cast and crew; and more

Star Wars Documentaries: NEW! Star Warriors (2007, Color, Apx. 84 Minutes)

NEW! A Conversation with the Masters: The Empire Strikes Back 30 Years Later (2010, Color, Apx. 25 Minutes)

NEW! Star Wars Spoofs (2011, Color, Apx. 91 Minutes)

The Making of Star Wars (1977, Color, Apx. 49 Minutes)

The Empire Strikes Back: SPFX (1980, Color, Apx. 48 Minutes)

Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi (1983, Color, Apx. 48 Minutes)

Anatomy of a Dewback (1997, Color, Apx. 26 Minutes)

Star Wars Tech (2007, Color, Apx. 46 Minutes)

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Sunday, June 23, 2013

#2: Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (Unrated Cut) (Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy + UltraViolet)

Hansel & Gretel
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (Unrated Cut) (Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy + UltraViolet)
Jeremy Renner (Actor), Gemma Arterton (Actor), Tommy Wirkola (Director) | Format: Blu-ray
3.7 out of 5 stars(128)
Release Date: June 11, 2013

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After getting a taste for blood as children, Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) have become the ultimate vigilantes, hell-bent on retribution. Now, unbeknownst to them, Hansel and Gretel have become the hunted, and must face an evil far greater than witches...their past.There are too many body parts flying around Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters to single out the tongue that has nearly been gnawed off in the cheek of its clever premise that fairy-tale heroes have grown up into savage supernatural mercenaries. Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton strut around like 18th-century Avengers in leather uniforms, cursing up a storm of modern vernacular and bearing an inventive array of historically and mechanically impossible weapons such as grenades, crossbows, tasers, machine guns, and other weapons of witch-killing mass destruction. It's all a big joke of course, and one that the movie wears boldly and without a shred of irony. To quibble with its gaps in narrative logic or be righteously indignant that the script is often a slapdash mess is to miss the point that it's all meant to be a pile of plain old silly fun. After their childhood trauma at the gingerbread house, the famous Teutonic siblings are now in the business of killing witches full time, hiring themselves out to villages plagued by ugly, evil women wearing loads of scary makeup (Famke Janssen being the evilest and scariest) who feed on the townsfolk's kids. They do their job well and the movie spares no opportunity to show the effect of their fantastical arsenal with profusions of firepower, explosions, viscera, and disgusting cartoon violence, decapitation being the most favored method of killing by the movie and the title characters both. As the latest in the trend of revisionist fairy-tale telling, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters takes the low road whenever possible, but it does so with a blithe spirit, a foul mouth, and the above-mentioned gore galore to create a B-movie soul that pities any sort of critical over-analyzing. It's also pretty funny. There are several inspired offhand moments, such as the missing-children notices slapped on the sides of farmers' milk cans or the way Hansel has to make time for insulin injections because of the gingerbread overdoses he endured at the hand of the proto witch he and Gretel encountered as children. The art direction, wardrobe, and anachronistically engineered props that propel the story all have a cool steampunk design theme and make the silliness pretty hard to resist. Renner, Arterton, and Janssen aren't really taking things too seriously, which is fine because neither are we. This is the American debut of Norwegian director Tommy Wirkola, who brings the same playful gross-out sensibility he did to his 2009 feature Dead Snow. That one was about long-dormant Nazi soldiers rising up as zombies. What fun! It was a lark and a goof, just like Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. --Ted Fry Read more


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Saturday, June 22, 2013

#10: G.I. Joe: Retaliation (Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy +UltraViolet)

G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy +UltraViolet)
Channing Tatum (Actor), Dwayne Johnson (Actor), Jon M. Chu (Director) | Format: Blu-ray
3.0 out of 5 stars(60)
Release Date: July 30, 2013

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In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence.For everyone who rolled their eyes even as they were secretly digging 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra as a guilty pleasure (not to mention giving it big box-office clout), this rejiggered sequel will probably prove irresistible. Hasbro and Hollywood have successfully created a franchise based on toy action figures that were introduced almost 50 years ago, now featuring all the guns, glory, and apocalyptic politics of the modern age. Along with that come the heights of preposterous circumstances and childish fantasy that any $200-plus million action movie requires. The video game quality and action figure/comic book childishness notwithstanding, G.I. Joe: Retaliation is anything but childlike with its incalculable body count, physical carnage, and extreme fetishization of violence and techno armaments. Feeling cocky from their vanquishing the evil Cobra organization in the first movie, the Joes are all the more ready to save the world from itself, making clandestine forays into North Korea and Pakistan with deadly precision. (The dizzying assault on a Pakistani weapons base is genuinely spectacular.) What they don't know is that Cobra has been lying in wait, and that the free world's Commander in Chief (Jonathan Pryce, having a fine time) is being impersonated by the nefarious Cobra operative Zartan (Arnold Vosloo). In the guise of a benevolent leader seeking world nuclear disarmament, "President" Zartan discredits and wipes out all but three of the Joe force. Fortunately Dwayne Johnson is among them, and every moviegoer knows he's pretty much an army of one. The script is so whiz-bang fast and full of impossibly extravagant CGI-enhanced eye-poppery that any synopsis would be akin to, well, 10-year-olds smashing three-inch action figures into each other and making up a narrative to go along with their guttural sound effects. And isn't that a pretty good description of escapism? Mention must be made of an incredible sustained set piece staged on sheer Himalayan cliffs where sword-wielding ninjas soar on ropes in an elaborate choreography that is as inventive as it is thrilling. The finale explodes at historic Fort Sumter, of all places, where the faceless Cobra Commander showdowns with the revivified Joes during "The President's" bogus disarmament summit. The cast is adequate in portraying good or bad real-life action figures with funny names and unbreakable bodies. Bruce Willis seems very happy chomping in to a glorified cameo as the retired Joe commander. Though the Joes carry the day and glory can be claimed, it should be noted that a sequel is teed up perfectly, especially in light of the fact that Cobra pretty much succeeds in its world-domination plan by obliterating the whole of London and its eight million inhabitants. It is the most extreme of money shots, rendered with loving detail; but don't worry, kids, it's only a movie. --Ted Fry Read more


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