New Movies on DVD & Blu-ray: September 1

From general to slave to gladiator: Ridley Scott's Oscar-winning triumph that landed Russell Crowe a Best Actor Academy Award steps into Paramount's "Sapphire Series" Blu-ray arena with more than four hours of bonus material. The Blu-ray includes both the original theatrical version of the film as well as the extended version.

Special features include audio commentary; abandoned sequences and deleted scenes; "Strength and Honor: Creating the World of Gladiator" with Enhanced Viewing Mode; "Scrolls of Knowledge" trivia track relating key scenes to their historical accuracy; "My Gladiator Journal"; "Visions from Elysium: Topic Marker"; the Learning Channel special "Gladiator Games: The Roman Bloodsport"; visual effects deconstruction and much more.

Mel Gibson's epic, Oscar-winning period tale of William Wallace and the Scottish rebellion charges onto Paramount's "Sapphire Series" Blu-ray with more than two hours of new special features, including three interactive timelines (breaking down and comparing production, historical and fiction chronologies); "Braveheart: A Look Back"; "Smithfield: Medieval Killing Fields" and 3D models of Falkirk and Bannockburn, two major "Battlefields of the Scottish Rebellion."

Four great sci-fi classics are packaged together in the latest wave of TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection DVDs: Stanley Kubrick's indelible '2001: A Space Odyssey,' Charlton Heston's futuristic crime thriller 'Soylent Green'; the film that introduced the iconic Robby the Robot, 'Forbidden Planet'; and George Pal's incredible 'The Time Machine,' based on the H.G. Wells tale.

Also available today: TCM Greatest Classic Films: Horror (including 'Freaks,' House of Wax,' 'The Haunting' and 'Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde') and TCM Greatest Classic Films: Murder Mysteries (with 'The Big Sleep,' 'Dial M For Murder,' 'The Maltese Falcon' and 'The Postman Always Rings Twice').

'The Wrestler' Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke's 1988 boxing drama finally gets its DVD release. Former boxer Rourke penned this dramatic tale of an alcoholic, washed-up fighter who is tempted to climb back in the ring one more time -- even though it might kill him -- in an effort to raise money for his girlfriend's financially troubled arcade. Christopher Walken also stars.

Available for the first time on DVD, the film has been newly remastered for a widescreen presentation and features an original score by Eric Clapton.

This coming-of-age baseball tale follows Miguel Santos, a.k.a. "Azucar" (Sugar), a poor-but-talented pitcher from the Dominican Republic who gets his big break at age 19 when he advances to the United States' minor league system. Struggling to adjust to prejudices and a language barrier in small-town Iowa corn country, he begins to question his life's ambition.

Special features include deleted scenes, "Making Sugar: Run the Bases," "Play Beisbol! The Dominican Dream including interviews with MLB players David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez and Sammy Sosa" and more.

The premiere entry from the newly created Disneynature film label, 'Earth' tells the story of three animal families and their amazing journeys across the planet we call home. Narrated by James Earl Jones and set against some of the world's most spectacular vistas from pole to pole, the epic adventure captures amazing, intimate moments of our planet's wildest and most elusive creatures.

Available in a single-disc DVD or two-disc Blu-ray Hi-Def/DVD Combo Pack, special features include "Earth Diaries," an in-depth look at the making of the film and an opportunity to learn more about our planet and its myriad fascinating inhabitants, plus Blu-ray "Filmmaker's Annotations" pop-up facts.

Russell Crowe plays an investigative journalist who uncovers a Washington conspiracy in this tense thriller. Crowe is Cal McAffrey, a street smart D.C. reporter who finds his loyalties and journalistic integrity put to the test when the assistant of his old friend, up-and-coming U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck), is brutally murdered. Investigating the murder with the help of his partner Della (Rachel McAdams) while his ruthless editor, Cameron (Helen Mirren), breathes down his neck, Cal discovers that Collins and his assistant were involved -- and quickly finds a Pandora's Box of political cover-up that threatens the shake the foundation of the nation's capitol.

Special features include deleted scenes and a behind-the-scenes making-of featurette.