New on DVD and Blu-ray: 'Side Effects' and More
Also new this week: "The Last Stand," "Beautiful Creatures," "Stand Up Guys" and the 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray… Read more »
New DVD & Blu-ray Releases
Queue It Up: Our Weekly Picks
Release Schedules
New This Week
Starring: Chris Colfer, Rebel Wilson, Christina Hendricks
Director: Brian Dannelly
The Scoop: "Glee" star Colfer hits the big screen in this high school comedy that he wrote and stars in. He plays a small town kid with big dreams about getting into a prestigious university. To do that, he needs a more exciting application, though, so he decides to create a literary journal… even if it means blackmailing half the school into writing for him. Oh, and he gets killed by lightning. SPOILERS!!!
84 min., limited | Watch the trailer
Starring: Alice Englert, Alden Ehrenreich, Viola Davis, Emmy Rossum
Director: Richard LaGravenese
The Scoop: If you're upset that the "Twilight" madness is over, stop your crying: "Beautiful Creatures" is here to soften the blow. Ethan (Ehrenreich) is a Southern teen who longs for some excitement. It comes, in the form of Lena (Englert), a gothy girl with a mysterious air about her. Sounds spooky! Sounds tweeny! Move over, Bella and Edward, you have some competition.
Rated PG-13 | Watch the trailer
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Johnny Knoxville, Forest Whitaker
Director: Jee-woon Kim
The Scoop: Finally, Schwarzenegger has given up this boring political nonsense and returned to what he does best: Shooting people with oversized guns while declaiming goofy one-liners. This time around, he plays a small town sheriff whose small town is under siege by drug running thugs. His solution? Kill 'em all. Welcome back, Arnold. You said you'd be back. We should've listened.
Rated R, 107 min. | Watch the trailer
Starring: Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin
Director: Fisher Stevens
The Scoop: Pacino and Walken are both known for chewing more scenery than a brontosaurus, so when the two of them team up in this indie, who knows what might happen? Pacino plays a crook just out of prison while Walken is his best friend – and the guy tasked by the mob with killing him. Bonus: The film is directed by "Short Circuit" star Stevens.
Rated R, 94 min., limited | Watch the trailer
Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Anthony Michael Hall
Director: Harold Ramis
The Scoop: (1983) In this timeless classic, Clark Griswold (Chase) decides to take his family on vacation so they can bond and enjoy Wally World amusement park together. Instead, they end up on the worst road trip ever, due to a dead grandma, ill-advised skinny dipping and the fact that Wally World is closed. This movie will seem all too realistic to anyone who has taken a road trip with the family.
Special Features: Commentary
Rated R, 98 min. | Watch the trailer
Starring: Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez, Michael Chiklis
Director: Taylor Hackford
The Scoop: This may sound like the plot of every single Statham movie ever made, but trust us, it's not: In "Parker," he plays a crook who is sold out and left for dead by his crooking buddies. In order to get revenge, he decides to horn in on their next job, romancing a lady in the process. As one does when one is Jason Statham. "Parker!"
Rated R, 118 min. | Watch the trailer
Starring: Michael Polley, Robert MacMillan, Michael Polley, Harry Gulkin, Susy Buchan, John Buchan, Mark Polley, Joanna Polley, Cathy Gulkin, Marie Murphy
Director: Sarah Polley
The Scoop: Sarah Polley's documentary Stories We Tell finds the director/actress exploring a family secret. She had discovered a few years earlier that her biological father was not actually the person she knew as her father; in an effort to fully understand this long-held family secret, Polley interviews every member of her family, and had the man she thought of as her dad write his version of events and record it, using him reading his story as a recurring voiceover throughout the film.
Rated PG-13, 108 min. | Watch the trailer
Starring: Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum, Jude Law
Director: Steven Soderbergh
The Scoop: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"'s Mara stars in this gripping drama by director Soderbergh. She plays a gal whose doctor (Law) prescribes some experimental drugs to help her get over her mental issues. Instead, she kills someone, which is a pretty serious side effect. The fact that she might also be having an affair with the doctor just adds to the numerous layers of moral turpitude he's mired in.
Watch the trailer
Starring: Ingrid Boslo Berdal, Ivan Gonzalez, Kyra Zagorsky
Director: Too many to list
The Scoop: The title of this international collaboration is quite literal, as the movies consists of 26 individual vignettes - one for each letter of the alphabet - dealing with death. Each of those chapters is also directed by a different indie horror auteur from around the world, making this a perfect sampler of international modern horror.
Rated N/A, 123 min., limited | Watch the trailer
Recent Releases
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston
Director: Roman Polanski
The Scoop: (1974) Once upon a time, when Nicholson wasn't yet a household name, he starred in this detective noir and became pretty much the coolest actor in the free world. Now "Chinatown" is at long last getting the full Blu-ray treatment so you can view every plot twist and smooth bit of dialogue in pristine, remastered glory. Perhaps the seminal detective film of all time. Nobody beats Jack.
Special Features: Commentary, historical retrospective, featurettes, etc.
Rated R, 130 min. | Watch the trailer
The Town (Ultimate Collector's Edition Blu-ray)
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner
Director: Ben Affleck
The Scoop: (2010) Affleck's latest ode to the mean streets of Boston has already had a couple Blu-ray editions, but the Ultimate Collector's Edition is just that: Ultimate and for collectors. That's because it has not one, not two, but three different versions you can watch of this heist flick: The original, the extended and a special hybrid cut showing off all the differences between the two. Sounds like a real steal. Get it?
Special Features: Alternate ending, commentary, featurettes, etc.
Rated R, 125 min. | Watch the trailer
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Starring: Josh Hutcherson, Vanessa Hudgens, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine
Director: Brad Peyton
The Scoop: You can be forgiven for wondering what "Journey 2" is a sequel to; The first film — "Journey to the Center of the Earth" — starred Brendan Fraser and involved, you know, a journey to the center of the Earth, neither of which are involved this time around. Instead, though, "The Rock" joins Hutcherson and Hudgens in an adaptation of the Jules Verne adventure "The Mysterious Island."
Special Features: Gag reel, deleted scenes
Rated PG, 94 min. | Watch the trailer
Starring: Mark Strong, Antonio Banderas, Freida Pinto
Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
The Scoop: Originally titled "Black Gold," "Day of the Falcon" tells the story of two Arab leaders in the 1930's (Mark Strong and Antonio Banderas) who war over the oil hidden beneath their lands. "A Prophet's" Tahar Rahim plays the young prince torn between the two, while Freida Pinto plays his wife. A truly international film.
Rated R, 130 min., limited | Watch the trailer
A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III
Starring: Charlie Sheen, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray
Director: Roman Coppola
The Scoop: This should really be called "A Glimpse Inisde the Mind of Bill Murray," because it basically proves that there is nothing Murray won't do for close friends like writer/director Coppola. Otherwise we can't think of any reason for either he or Schwartzman to appear in this ill-advised attempt to use Sheen's ongoing decay for laughs. Way to take one for the team, guys.
Rated R | Watch the trailer
Starring: Alexandra Daddario, Tania Raymonde, Scott Eastwood
Director: John Luessenhop
The Scoop: Remember Leatherface? Man, he was scary back in 1974. Not so much since then, but go ahead and ask your grandparents how scary the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" was. Well, now director Luessenhop is hoping to recapture those glory days (?) with this new take on it, which features a young cast of new victims who stumble into hell on Earth when they stupidly inherit a house.
Rated R, 92 min. | Watch the trailer
Harold & Kumar: Ultimate Collector's Edition
Starring: Kal Penn, John Cho, Neil Patrick Harris
Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson, Jon Hurwitz, Danny Leiner, Hayden Schlossberg
The Scoop: (2004-2011) Just in time for the holidays! This contains all three "Harold & Kumar" films: "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," "Escape from Guantanamo Bay" and "A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas 3D." Hey, how can anybody dislike the franchise that revived Harris' career?
Special Features: Six coasters and three air fresheners
Rated R, 88-107 min. | Watch the trailer
Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Lizzy Caplan, Chris O'Dowd
Director: Jordan Roberts
The Scoop: "Sons of Anarchy" hunk Hunnam and "Bridesmaids" player O'Dowd headline this offbeat sex comedy. O'Dowd plays a jerk who secretly films his brother (that's Hunnam) getting it on with a lovely lady (Caplan). When the tape ends up in her father's possession, that's a big problem considering he's a gangster. Hilarity ensues.
Unrated, 89 min., limited | Watch the trailer
Starring: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant
Directors: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer
The Scoop: At the top of the list of books people thought couldn't possibly ever be adapted into movies is David Mitchell's "Cloud Atlas," which has six different sets of characters in six time periods, all intertwined via… stuff. The Wachowskis have done their best to use their "Matrix" tricks to make this watchable and understandable; having Hanks and Berry as their stars certainly helps too.
Rated R, 164 min. | Watch the trailer
Starring: Alice Englert, Alden Ehrenreich, Viola Davis, Emmy Rossum
Director: Richard LaGravenese
The Scoop: If you're upset that the "Twilight" madness is over, stop your crying: "Beautiful Creatures" is here to soften the blow. Ethan (Ehrenreich) is a Southern teen who longs for some excitement. It comes, in the form of Lena (Englert), a gothy girl with a mysterious air about her. Sounds spooky! Sounds tweeny! Move over, Bella and Edward, you have some competition.
Rated PG-13 | Watch the trailer
Starring: Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Delroy Lindo
Director: Spike Lee
The Scoop: (1992) Kids probably know Malcolm X mainly as the Magneto to Dr. Martin Luther King's Professor X, but the leader, who famously promoted racial equality by any means necessary, is one of the most influential figures of 20th century America. So it's only fitting that his story received an epic big screen treatment by director Lee and Washington, who earned a Best Actor Oscar nod for the role.
Special Features: Commentary, documentaries, deleted scenes, trailer
Rated PG-13, 202 min. | Watch the trailer
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans
Director: Marc Webb
The Scoop: If it seems like just a few years ago that Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire were smashing box office records with their "Spider-Man" films, it's because it was. But that didn't stop Sony from rebooting the franchise anyway, with Garfield stepping into Peter Parker's geeky, webbed shoes and Stone taking over as love interest Gwen Stacy. Despite all that, though, the film kinda rocks.
Special Features: Featurettes, commentary, second screen, deleted scenes, etc.
Rated PG-13, 136 min. | Watch the trailer
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
The Scoop: Described by some as a cross between "Black Hawk Down" and "Independence Day," this sci-fi war flick is about Earth being invaded by aliens who are bent on the destruction of Los Angeles. Hey, we've all felt that way about L.A. at some point, right? This time, the aliens are being battled tooth and nail by a gritty force of Marines led by "The Dark Knight"'s Eckhart, so Earth has that in its favor.
Special Features: Featurettes
Rated PG-13, 112 min. | Watch the trailer
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Ultimate Edition)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
Director: David Yates
The Scoop: The "Harry Potter" phenomenon may be ending, but thanks to the massively comprehensive newest entry in Warner Bros' line of Ultimate Edition Blu-rays, you can bury yourself in the Potterverse for eternity if you want. "The Order of the Phoenix" is the fifth installment of the story -- also known as "the one where Harry acts like a jerk" -- and is widely regarded as one of the best of the film adaptations.
Special Features: Commentaries, 30 featurettes, additional scenes, trailers
Rated PG-13, 138 min. | Watch the trailer
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Ultimate Edition)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
Director: David Yates
The Scoop: By now, just about everyone in the world knows who "The Half Blood Prince" is, but even with that mystery solved, the film still packs a hefty emotional punch thanks to the shocking death of Dumbledore (spoiler alert!). Thanks to the bevy of bonus features in the Ultimate Edition, now you can go behind the scenes to find out just how director Yates went about staging that climactic moment.
Special Features: Maximum Movie Mode interactive experience, featurettes, etc.
Rated PG, 153 min. | Watch the trailer
New on Blu-ray
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston
Director: Roman Polanski
The Scoop: (1974) Once upon a time, when Nicholson wasn't yet a household name, he starred in this detective noir and became pretty much the coolest actor in the free world. Now "Chinatown" is at long last getting the full Blu-ray treatment so you can view every plot twist and smooth bit of dialogue in pristine, remastered glory. Perhaps the seminal detective film of all time. Nobody beats Jack.
Special Features: Commentary, historical retrospective, featurettes, etc.
Rated R, 130 min. | Watch the trailer
The Town (Ultimate Collector's Edition Blu-ray)
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner
Director: Ben Affleck
The Scoop: (2010) Affleck's latest ode to the mean streets of Boston has already had a couple Blu-ray editions, but the Ultimate Collector's Edition is just that: Ultimate and for collectors. That's because it has not one, not two, but three different versions you can watch of this heist flick: The original, the extended and a special hybrid cut showing off all the differences between the two. Sounds like a real steal. Get it?
Special Features: Alternate ending, commentary, featurettes, etc.
Rated R, 125 min. | Watch the trailer
Starring: Mark Strong, Antonio Banderas, Freida Pinto
Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
The Scoop: Originally titled "Black Gold," "Day of the Falcon" tells the story of two Arab leaders in the 1930's (Mark Strong and Antonio Banderas) who war over the oil hidden beneath their lands. "A Prophet's" Tahar Rahim plays the young prince torn between the two, while Freida Pinto plays his wife. A truly international film.
Rated R, 130 min., limited | Watch the trailer
A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III
Starring: Charlie Sheen, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray
Director: Roman Coppola
The Scoop: This should really be called "A Glimpse Inisde the Mind of Bill Murray," because it basically proves that there is nothing Murray won't do for close friends like writer/director Coppola. Otherwise we can't think of any reason for either he or Schwartzman to appear in this ill-advised attempt to use Sheen's ongoing decay for laughs. Way to take one for the team, guys.
Rated R | Watch the trailer
Starring: Alexandra Daddario, Tania Raymonde, Scott Eastwood
Director: John Luessenhop
The Scoop: Remember Leatherface? Man, he was scary back in 1974. Not so much since then, but go ahead and ask your grandparents how scary the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" was. Well, now director Luessenhop is hoping to recapture those glory days (?) with this new take on it, which features a young cast of new victims who stumble into hell on Earth when they stupidly inherit a house.
Rated R, 92 min. | Watch the trailer
Harold & Kumar: Ultimate Collector's Edition
Starring: Kal Penn, John Cho, Neil Patrick Harris
Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson, Jon Hurwitz, Danny Leiner, Hayden Schlossberg
The Scoop: (2004-2011) Just in time for the holidays! This contains all three "Harold & Kumar" films: "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," "Escape from Guantanamo Bay" and "A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas 3D." Hey, how can anybody dislike the franchise that revived Harris' career?
Special Features: Six coasters and three air fresheners
Rated R, 88-107 min. | Watch the trailer
Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Lizzy Caplan, Chris O'Dowd
Director: Jordan Roberts
The Scoop: "Sons of Anarchy" hunk Hunnam and "Bridesmaids" player O'Dowd headline this offbeat sex comedy. O'Dowd plays a jerk who secretly films his brother (that's Hunnam) getting it on with a lovely lady (Caplan). When the tape ends up in her father's possession, that's a big problem considering he's a gangster. Hilarity ensues.
Unrated, 89 min., limited | Watch the trailer
Starring: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant
Directors: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer
The Scoop: At the top of the list of books people thought couldn't possibly ever be adapted into movies is David Mitchell's "Cloud Atlas," which has six different sets of characters in six time periods, all intertwined via… stuff. The Wachowskis have done their best to use their "Matrix" tricks to make this watchable and understandable; having Hanks and Berry as their stars certainly helps too.
Rated R, 164 min. | Watch the trailer
Starring: Alice Englert, Alden Ehrenreich, Viola Davis, Emmy Rossum
Director: Richard LaGravenese
The Scoop: If you're upset that the "Twilight" madness is over, stop your crying: "Beautiful Creatures" is here to soften the blow. Ethan (Ehrenreich) is a Southern teen who longs for some excitement. It comes, in the form of Lena (Englert), a gothy girl with a mysterious air about her. Sounds spooky! Sounds tweeny! Move over, Bella and Edward, you have some competition.
Rated PG-13 | Watch the trailer
Starring: Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Delroy Lindo
Director: Spike Lee
The Scoop: (1992) Kids probably know Malcolm X mainly as the Magneto to Dr. Martin Luther King's Professor X, but the leader, who famously promoted racial equality by any means necessary, is one of the most influential figures of 20th century America. So it's only fitting that his story received an epic big screen treatment by director Lee and Washington, who earned a Best Actor Oscar nod for the role.
Special Features: Commentary, documentaries, deleted scenes, trailer
Rated PG-13, 202 min. | Watch the trailer
