By David Weiner
2:59 PM PDT, August 27, 2013
Leonardo DiCaprio mesmerizes as The Great Gatsby; Pain & Gain flexes its muscles; Sons of Anarchy season five; the complete Prime Suspect on Blu-ray; The Walking Dead season three shuffles onto DVD and Blu-ray and more in this week's new releases.
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New on Blu-ray & DVD: August 27
Warner Bros.
Leonardo DiCaprio mesmerizes as The Great Gatsby; Pain & Gain flexes its muscles; Sons of Anarchy season five; the complete Prime Suspect on Blu-ray; The Walking Dead season three shuffles onto DVD and Blu-ray and more in this week's new releases.
The Walking Dead: The Complete Third Season
Anchor Bay
With less than two months before The Walking Dead returns for its fourth season, fans and newbies alike can catch up and discover this nail-biter series that's become a cultural phenomenon. Featuring plenty of zombie action and a whole new storyline featuring the nearby sanctuary town of Woodbury run by a mysterious, two-faced Governor (played by David Morrissey), season three of The Walking Dead ups the ante as Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and his band of survivors struggle to survive by holing up in an abandoned prison. Bonus features include behind-the-scenes featurettes, commentary, deleted scenes and more!
The Great Gatsby
Warner Bros.
Leonardo DiCaprio reunites with director Baz Luhrmann for performance fireworks and the pure spectacle of this adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic tale. Wannabe writer named Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) heads to New York in search of the American Dream in 1922, ending up next door to mysterious, party-giving millionaire Jay Gatsby (DiCaprio) across the bay from his cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan) and her philandering husband Tom (Joel Edgarton). Soon, Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super-rich, along with their illusions, loves and deceits in this deliciously dark look at Fitzgerald's world that mirrors our own modern times and struggles. Bonus features include deleted scenes and multiple, in-depth making-of featurettes.
Pain & Gain
Paramount
Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson flex their acting muscles for this outrageous crime caper based on a true story and directed by Michael Bay. The story follows a trio of Miami bodybuilders (Wahlberg, Johnson and Anthony Mackie) looking to move up in the world, so they hatch a plan to kidnap a local crime boss (played by Tony Shalhoub) and extort him for his money. Of course, once they get to live large, that's where the real pain begins. The expert supporting cast features Ken Jeong as the motivational speaker that inspires Wahlberg, Ed Harris as the private investigator who helps Shalhoub get his money back, Rebel Wilson as a medical technician with a taste for Mackie, and Rob Corddry as a gym owner and partner in crime.
Prime Suspect: The Complete Collection
Acorn Media
The universally acclaimed U.K. police drama starring Helen Mirren is back with the entire series on Blu-ray. The 7-disc set includes nine feature-length mysteries as detective Jane Tennison rises through the ranks of Britain's Metropolitan Police while battling sexism and her own demons. Guests stars include Ralph Fiennes, Tom Wilkinson, David Thewlis, Jonny Lee Miller, Ciaran Hinds and Mark Strong. Bonus features include photo gallery and behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Sons of Anarchy Season Five
20th Century Fox
The explosive, adrenaline-charged fifth season of the FX hit kicks into high gear! As SAMCRO's new president, Jax is surrounded by ruthless enemies and gut-wrenching betrayal. With Gemma fighting for control of the family and a bloodthirsty Clay out for revenge, Jax finds himself haunted by the sins of his past. Alliances are forged, friends are murdered, and loyalties are put to the ultimate test. Now, with the truth in sight, Jax must do whatever it takes to secure the legacy of brotherhood and protect his family --- even if it costs him everything. Includes extended episodes, a gag reel, commentary and deleted scenes.
Kon Tiki
Anchor Bay Entertainment
Nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film, this riveting, true-life tale comes from the directing duo whose next project is Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean 5 with Johnny Depp. Kon Tiki tells the amazing story of Thor Heyderdahl (Pål Sverre Hagen), a Norwegian explorer in 1947 who embarks on the voyage of a lifetime to prove a point. When the scientific community rejects his theory that South Americans were the first to settle in the Polynesian Islands, Heyerdahl resolves to prove its validity—and save his reputation—by embarking on the voyage himself. Recruiting a group of five men who are just bold enough to tackle the seemingly impossible trip, he builds a simple raft to original pre-Columbian specifications and sets off on the epic 101 day-long journey across the treacherous ocean to meet his fate, while the world watches.
Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Ninth Season
ABC Studios
Seattle's favorite doctors are back for the biggest challenge of their lives. The plane crash that tookt he life of Lexie Grey sent shockwaves throughout the hospital staff, but from the ashes comes new romance as each surgeon handles the loss in their own personal way. Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey, Sandra Oh, Justin Chambers, Kevin McKidd, Jessica Capshaw, Sara Ramirez and Jesse Williams star.
Elementary: The First Season
Paramount Home Entertainment
New Holmes. New Watson. New York. Dexter and Trainspotting star Jonny Lee Miller teams up with Lucy Liu to put an entirely new spin on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's world-famous detective, with Miller portraying Sherlock Holmes and Liu playing Watson in this clever new crime drama. Contains all 24 episodes, plus bonus features including multiple behind-the-scenes featurettes and all-new cast and crew interviews.
The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh on Blu-ray
Walt Disney
All your favorite Hundred Acre Wood characters are back, from Winnie the Pooh to Eeyore and Tigger too! Experience the very first time Tigger pounces Pooh and laugh out loud when Pooh’s rumbly tumbly gets him stuck in a hilariously sticky situation in this family favorite, now on Blu-ray! Bonus features include the theatrical short film A Day For Eeyore, five mini Adventures of Winnie The Pooh shorts, Disney’s groundbreaking Intermission activity and much more.
Koch
The late, great mayor of New York City, the larger-than-life Edward Koch, is profiled in this hearty documentary. A tough and hilariously blunt ace politician who ruled Manhattan from 1978 to 1989, Koch helped to save the city and keep it running during a down-and-dirty decade of grit, graffiti, near-bankruptcy and rampant crime. Bonus features include the never-before-seen short film Witnesses NYC and Koch's final public appearance at a Q&A at the New York Jewish Film Festival.
Q: The Winged Serpent on Blu-ray
Shout Factory
The entertainingly trashy '80s classic is now on Blu-ray! Its name is Quetzalcoatl, a dragon-like Aztec god that is summoned to modern-day Manhattan by a mysterious cult. But just call it "Q"…because that is all you'll be able to say before it tears you apart! Roosting within the top of the Chrysler Building, this fearsome monster begins raining blood – from the bodies of window washers, construction workers and rooftop sunbathers alike – onto the streets of New York! Michael Moriarty, Richard Roundtree and David Carradine star.
Dark Angel (I Come in Peace) on Blu-ray
Shout Factory
Dolph Lundgren has a close encounter of the deadly kind when a killer alien comes to earth in this 1990 thriller. Using the endorphins of human bodies to manufacture narcotics, the alien is leaving a path of destruction, and it's up to Detective Jack Caine (Lundgren) and his straight-arrow FBI partner (Brian Benben) and girlfriend, the city coroner (Betsy Brantley), to send this alien home in pieces!
A Company Man
This stylish hit man flick follows Hyeong-do (SO Ji-sub), a top corporate assassin, working for a company specializing in contract killings. His loyalty to the company is tested when his new trainee gets killed on the job and he feels an obligation to care for the kid's family. Now, Hyeong-do wants out of the cutthroat rat race to start a new life, but his colleagues have different plans -- and "retirement" may come at a far bloodier price than expected.
The Idolmaker on Blu-Ray
Shout Factory
The Golden Globe-winning cult musical from 1980 is now on Blu-ray! In this fast-paced, compelling look at the music industry during the 1960s, Ray Sharkey plays Vincent Vacarri, aka The Idolmaker, a music promoter and manager who is obsessively driven by his desire to discover the next big act. After transforming a popular saxophone player (Paul Land) into rock 'n' roll sensation "Tommy Dee," Vinnie becomes obsessed with his next big hit, a local busboy named Guido (Peter Gallagher), and embarks on a destructive journey to control every aspect of his new act's image -- a journey that might end up destroying everyone around him.