The new DVD releases include Charlie Wilson's War, Cloverfield and The Savages. In addition, we'll take a sneak peek at next week's movies on video/DVD.
April 22, 2008 - New DVD Releases:
Tagline: "A stiff drink. A little mascara. A lot of nerve. Who said they couldn't bring down the Soviet empire."
Length: 97 minutesMPAA Rating: R for strong language, nudity/sexual content and some drug use
Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman star in this political comedy directed by Mike Nichols and written by Aaron Sorkin. Set in the 1980s during the Cold War, the movie is based on a true story. Hanks portrays Charlie Wilson, a playboy Democratic U.S. Congressman from Texas who hates the Communists. After the Soviets invade Afghanistan, Wilson teams up with a rightwing socialite (Roberts) in trying to help Afghan rebels. But Wilson's efforts really start to become effective when he allies with a maverick CIA operative (Hoffman). Selected DVD Special Features:
- Widescreen
Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD. Check with your video store/online rental service for availability in other formats, including streaming video/digital download.
Tagline: "Some thing has found us."
Length: 85 minutesMPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence, terror and disturbing images
The conceit of this monster movie is that it's unedited footage shot by an amateur using a camcorder. The content is similar to Godzilla, but the visual style is like The Blair Witch Project. In Cloverfield, half a dozen 20-somethings attend a going-away party in Lower Manhattan when a gigantic reptilian beast attacks the city. Skyscrapers topple, the head of the Statue of Liberty rolls in the streets and the Brooklyn Bridge is destroyed. The young adults set out on a perilous expedition to rescue a woman who is trapped high up in a tall building near Central Park. Selected DVD Special Features:
- Widescreen
Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD. Check with your video store/online rental service for availability in other formats, including streaming video/digital download.
The Savages DVD
Length: 113 minutes
MPAA Rating: R for some sexuality and language
Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman star in this tragicomedy about a sister and brother who must deal with a family crisis. Jon Savage (Hoffman) is a college professor in Buffalo, where he teaches theater and is writing a book on Brecht. His sister Wendy (Linney) is an aspiring playwright in Manhattan, and she works as a temp to make ends meet. But when their grumpy father (Philip Bosco), who resides in Sun City, Arizona, shows signs of advanced dementia, Jon and Wendy move him to an assisted-living facility in Buffalo, and they must come to terms with the situation.
- Widescreen
Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD. Check with your video store/online rental service for availability in other formats, including streaming video/digital download.
Next Page - Additional Video/DVD Releases of Interest This Week