Recommended December DVD Releases

Also of Interest • December DVD Releases • 2007 DVD Releases

Let's take a look at the best new movies on DVD for December 2007.

Superbad DVD
Judd Apatow produced and Seth Rogen co-wrote this foul-mouthed, raunchy, sweet-natured comedy, which is about teenagers. As best friends Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) near high school graduation, they fixate on the idea of losing their virginity. Invited to a party, they decide the only hope they have of achieving their goal is to get some girls drunk there. However, Seth and Evan aren't old enough to buy booze, and they enlist the aid of a nerdy kid called Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). Fogell has a fake I.D., although it gives his name as McLovin.

December 11, 2007

Bugs! DVD
Originally released in IMAX theaters in 2003, this nature documentary narrated by Judi Dench is about various insects in the lush Borneo rain forest. But the focus is on the life cycles of two particular bugs: Papilio, a caterpillar that transforms into a butterfly, and Hierodula, a praying mantis that stalks prey and mates with a female twice his size. However, other insects are also shown, including leafcutter ants and a pair of dueling rhinoceros beetles. The film is a presentation of the pest control company Terminix.

The Bourne Ultimatum DVD
Matt Damon is back as Jason Bourne, the former assassin with a memory problem, in this action thriller, the follow-up to The Bourne Identity (2002) and The Bourne Supremacy (2004). Picking up sometime after Supremacy left off, Ultimatum still has Bourne trying to unravel the mystery of his past while avoiding being killed. This time around he goes to Turin, Paris, London, Madrid, Tangier and New York. Actresses Joan Allen and Julia Stiles are back, as is director Paul Greengrass. New to the cast are David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Paddy Considine and Albert Finney.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix DVD
This is the fifth in the series of films that began with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in 2001, and it is expected there will be two more after this one. All the key actors are back, including Daniel Radcliffe as the title character, Rupert Grint as Ron and Emma Watson as Hermione. Harry continues to be attracted to Cho Chang (Katie Leung), but there's still big trouble with the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). At Hogwarts, a new character, Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), joins the faculty and takes power away from Dumbledore (Michael Gambon).

December 18, 2007

The Simpsons Movie DVD
An animated comedy, this feature film was spun off the TV show The Simpsons that has been running since 1989. All the major characters, including Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta), his wife Marge (voice of Julie Kavner), and their children Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) and Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith), are brought over from the TV series. In the movie, Homer does something that contributes to a huge environmental problem in Springfield, and everyone turns on the Simpsons. The film contains a skateboarding sequence that fans will be talking about for years.

Stardust DVD
Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro and Peter O'Toole are among the big-name actors appearing in this whimsical fantasy based on the novel by Neil Gaiman. In the mythical realm of Stormhold, a star falls and takes the form of a woman called Yvaine (Danes), and various entities seek her. One is the young man Tristan (Charlie Cox), another is the witch Lamia (Pfeiffer), and a third is the King of Stormhold (O'Toole). Another character is the cross-dressing Capt. Shakespeare (De Niro). Also appearing in the movie are Sienna Miller, Ricky Gervais and Rupert Everett.

December 23, 2007