By David Weiner
8:29 AM PDT, April 24, 2012
Mark Wahlberg in the fast-paced thriller Contraband; Halle Berry swims with sharks in Dark Tide; the BBC version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy on Blu-ray and more in this week's new releases.
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Camelot 45th Anniversary on Blu-ray
Warner Bros.
The Story: The lavish, Oscar-winning film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical celebrates its 45th anniversary with a newly re-mastered Blu-ray edition! Based on T.H. White's The Once and Future King, Richard Harris is King Arthur, Vanessa Redgrave is Queen Guinevere and Franco Nero is Lancelot, torn apart by the conflicts between passion, love, honor and duty. Memorable musical numbers include If Ever I Would Leave You, What Do the Simple Folk Do? and The Lusty Month of May.
Notable Special Features: The Blu-ray book contains the all-new featurette Camelot: Falling Kingdoms; 36 pages of photos, info and trivia; a bonus CD soundtrack sampler; commentary; world premiere footage and much more.
Notable Special Features: The Blu-ray book contains the all-new featurette Camelot: Falling Kingdoms; 36 pages of photos, info and trivia; a bonus CD soundtrack sampler; commentary; world premiere footage and much more.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy on Blu-ray
Acorn Media
The Story: Before it was an Oscar-nominated film, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was a gripping 1979 BBC mini-series starring Alec Guinness (Obi-wan of Star Wars). Now, John le Carre's Cold War-era spy drama makes its Blu-ray debut: A mole has infiltrated the upper echelons of British intelligence, and it's up to master spy George Smiley (Guinness) to smoke him out.
Notable Special Features: An exclusive interview with the director John Irvin and author John le Carre; glossary of main characters/terms; deleted scenes and more.
Notable Special Features: An exclusive interview with the director John Irvin and author John le Carre; glossary of main characters/terms; deleted scenes and more.
Iron Man Anime & X-Men Anime
Marvel Entertainment
The Story: With The Avengers soaring into theaters May 4, excitement for Marvel's team of superheroes is building to a fever pitch. To help tide you over, the Iron Man Anime series, as well as the X-Men Anime series, are finally debuting on DVD! Designed in true Japanese anime style to introduce the Marvel characters to Japanese audiences, each series contains all 12 episodes (and are sold separately).
Notable Special Features: For Iron Man Anime: "Re-Imagining Iron Man," "21st Century Hero: The Technology of Iron Man" and a special round-table conversation with the series creators. For X-Men Anime: "Re-Examining The X-Men," "X-Men: A Team of Outsiders" and another round-table.
Notable Special Features: For Iron Man Anime: "Re-Imagining Iron Man," "21st Century Hero: The Technology of Iron Man" and a special round-table conversation with the series creators. For X-Men Anime: "Re-Examining The X-Men," "X-Men: A Team of Outsiders" and another round-table.
Let the Bullets Fly
The Story: Asian superstar Chow Yun-Fat teams up with Jiang Wen and Ge You for this entertaining action-comedy that ranks as China's biggest domestic box-office hit. Taking place in China's lawless 1920s, Chow Yun-Fat's wealthy crime lord engages in a battle of wits and brutality against a train robber (Ge You) and his gang, who arrives looking to usurp his power and clean out the already oppressed citizens of Goose Town. Who will be the last man left standing?
Notable Bonus Features: Optional English dub; a behind-the-scenes featurette; deleted scenes and more.
Notable Bonus Features: Optional English dub; a behind-the-scenes featurette; deleted scenes and more.
Cinema Verite
HBO
The Story: Diane Lane, Tim Robbins and James Gandolfini star in this true story about the first-ever reality show series and its far-reaching consequences. In 1973, the Loud family allowed their everyday lives to be chronicled for the revolutionary PBS documentary series An American Family. As true reality set in and cameras captured the strains of their marriage, the Louds became a television sensation, catapulting them to notoriety while leaving them unprepared for fame. Lane and Robbins play the Louds, while Gandolfini plays producer/filmmaker Craig Gilbert. Patrick Fugit, Thomas Dekker, Kathleen Quinlan and Lolita Davidovich also star.
Notable Bonus Features: The Making of Cinema Verite; filmmaker commentary.
Notable Bonus Features: The Making of Cinema Verite; filmmaker commentary.
Dark Tide
Lionsgate
The Story: Halle Berry goes off the deep end as she swims with real sharks in this nailbiter from Blue Crush director John Stockwell. Halle plays Kate, a "Shark Whisperer" who has sworn off shark encounters following a fatal incident, only to be beckoned back to the dangerous South African waters known as Shark Alley when a thrill-seeking millionaire offers big bucks wants to swim with the sharks – outside of the cage. Halle's real-life love Olivier Martinez also stars.
Contraband
Universal
The Story: Mark Wahlberg is back with guns a-blazin' in the fast-paced thriller Contraband as Chris Farraday, a reformed smuggler who is forced back into doing what he does best -- running contraband – in order to settle his brother-in-law's (Caleb Landry Jones) debt. Doing one final run to Panama and back with millions in counterfeit bills, Chris must successfully navigate a treacherous criminal network of brutal drug lords, cops and hit men before his wife (Kate Beckinsale) and sons become their target. Ben Foster, Giovanni Ribisi, Lukas Haas, Diego Luna and J.K. Simmons also star.
Notable Bonus Features: Under the Radar – The Making of Contraband; Reality Factor – The Stunts and Action of Contraband; commentary and deleted scenes.
Notable Bonus Features: Under the Radar – The Making of Contraband; Reality Factor – The Stunts and Action of Contraband; commentary and deleted scenes.
New on Blu-ray & DVD: April 24
Universal
Mark Wahlberg in the fast-paced thriller Contraband; Halle Berry swims with sharks in Dark Tide; the BBC version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy on Blu-ray and more in this week's new releases.