New Video and DVD Releases

The new DVD releases include Blood Diamond, Driving Lessons and The Patriot. In addition, we'll take a sneak peek at next week's movies on video/DVD.

July 3, 2007 - New Video and DVD Releases:

Blood Diamond HD DVD

Length: 143 minutes
MPAA Rating: R for strong violence and language

Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly star in this drama directed by Edward Zwick. The story is set in 1999 Sierra Leone during a civil war. A fisherman named Solomon Vandy (Hounsou) finds and hides a large, rare diamond. Later, the smuggler Danny Archer (DiCaprio) teams up with Solomon in an attempt to retrieve the valuable stone. They are joined in their quest by journalist Maddy Bowen (Connelly), who wants to expose how the diamond business is responsible for innocent people being killed.

Selected DVD Special Features:

• HD HD DVD

Find out more about this DVD release.

Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD. Check for availability on VHS.

Driving Lessons DVD

Tagline: "All Ben wanted was a job. All Evie needed was a friend."

Length: 98 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language, sexual content and some thematic material

Eccentric characters add to the humor in this quirky British comedy. Driving Lessons is a coming-of-age story about Ben Marshall (Rupert Grint from Harry Potter), who yearns to get away from his repressive home life where his mother (Laura Linney) pursues Christian good works with excessive zeal. Ben's chance for escape comes when he gets a job with a retired actress (Evie Walton), and he learns life lessons along the way, in addition to gaining maturity. Driving Lessons is Jeremy Brock's directorial debut, and he also scripted the movie. Brock was also the screenwriter for The Last King of Scotland, Charlotte Gray and Mrs. Brown.

Selected DVD Special Features:

• Widescreen

Find out more about this DVD release.

Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD. Check for availability on VHS.

The Patriot (2000) Extended Cut - Blu-ray Disc

Tagline: "What would you do if they destroyed your home, threatened your family. Where would you draw the line?"

Length: The extended version is 175 minutes. The theatrical version is 165 minutes.
MPAA Rating: R for strong war violence

Nominated for three Oscars, the action/drama The Patriot is set in 1776 South Carolina. Mel Gibson plays Benjamin Martin, a farmer who had been a soldier in the French and Indian War. Haunted by the brutality of his past military experience, he wants nothing to do with the American Revolution. However, his son (Heath Ledger) enlists, forcing Benjamin to make the difficult decision to join in the war against Britain. The Patriot was directed by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day) and has a screenplay written by Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan).

Selected Blu-ray Disc Special Features:

• Widescreen
• Blu-ray Disc
• Extended Cut

Find out more about this DVD release.

Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD. Check for availability on VHS.

Next Page - Additional Video/DVD Releases of Interest This Week