Categories
DVD & Blu-ray

DVD & Blu-ray Releases: Monday 7th November 2011

Including Taking Off, The Dead Zone, The Last Temptation of Christ, Band of Brothers and The Pacific

DVD & BLU-RAY PICKS

Taking Off (Park Circus): Available for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK, this was director Milos Forman’s first US feature. A comedy-drama made in 1971, it stars Lynn Carlin and Buck Henry as middle-class New Yorkers suburbanites, who try to figure out where their teenage daughter has run away to. [Buy it on DVD or Blu-ray from Amazon UK]

The Dead Zone (Scanbox Entertainment): David Cronenberg’s 1983 adaptation of Stephen Kings novel saw two masters of horror come together for a creepy and highly effective drama. When a high school teacher (Christopher Walken) wakes from a five year coma with the ability to see into the future. When he comes across a presidential candidate (Martin Sheen) he becomes disturbed at what he sees. [Buy it on DVD from Amazon UK]

The Last Temptation of Christ (Universal): Martin Scorsese’s 1988 retelling of the Crucifixion story was hugely controversial with Christians on its release, mainly down to one scene that departs from ‘accepted truth’ of the Gospels. One of the director’s most personal and interesting works, it stars Willem Dafoe as Jesus Christ, Harvey Keitel as Judas Iscariot, Barbara Hershey as Mary Magdalene, David Bowie as Pontius Pilate, and Harry Dean Stanton as Paul. [Buy it on DVD from Amazon UK]

Band of Brothers & The Pacific (Warner Bros/HBO): Both of these mini-series depicting World War II were the brainchild of producers Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Gary Goetzman. Band of Brothers (2001) was the story of Easy Company and depicted their parachuting into France early on D-Day right through to their capture of Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest at Berchtesgaden. The Pacific (2010) explored three U.S. Marines across the other side of the world from their first battle on Guadalcanal in 1942, through Iwo Jima and their return home after V-J Day in 1945. Impeccably realised, both series won Emmys and rank amongst the most ambitious television HBO has produced. [Buy it on Blu-ray or DVD from Amazon UK]

The Films of Michael Haneke (Artificial Eye): A deluxe 10 disc box set features ten of Haneke s masterpieces – now including the Palme d Or-winning The White Ribbon – and follows the sell-out success of 2009 s Essential Michael Haneke collection. 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance Benny s Video The Castle Code Unknown Funny Games Hidden The Piano Teacher The Seventh Continent Time of the Wolf The White Ribbon. [Buy it on DVD from Amazon UK]

Four Days Inside Guantanamo (Dogwoof): A documentary based on security camera footage from inside the notorious US prison on Guantรกnamo Bay. It explores an encounter between a team of Canadian intelligence agents and a child detainee that previously never been seen. Based on video footage recently declassified by the Canadian courts, it delves into the murky political, legal and scientific aspects of the prison. [Buy it on DVD from Amazon UK]

ALSO OUT

Beautiful Lies (Trinity) [Blu-ray / Normal]
Flying Monsters (2 Entertain) [Blu-ray / 3D Edition with 2D Edition]
It’s a Wonderful Life (Universal Pictures) [Blu-ray / 65th Anniversary Edition]
Scrooge (Paramount Home Entertainment) [Blu-ray / Normal]
Strictly Ballroom (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal]
The Lion King (Walt Disney) [Blu-ray / with DVD – Double Play]
Wonders of the Solar System/Wonders of the Universe (2 Entertain) [Blu-ray / Special Edition]

> UK Cinema Releases for Friday 4th November 2011
> The Best DVD & Blu-ray releases of 2010