Indiana Jones is one of the most beloved film franchises around, and now the all four movies are coming onto Blu-ray together in a box set. If you want to own these adventures and finally watch them in high definition, this is the way to start. A few highly recommended new releases also come to disc this week.
First Release
- The Cabin in the Woods (DVD and Blu-ray)
- The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (DVD and Blu-ray)
- The Magic of Belle Isle (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Chico and Rita (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Katy Perry the Movie: Part of Me (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Hysteria (DVD and Blu-ray)
Re-Release
- Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures (Blu-ray)
- Children of Paradise (1945) (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Les Visiteurs du Soir (1942) (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Halloween II (1981) (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) (DVD and Blu-ray)
- The Game (1997) (Blu-ray)
- Ed Wood (1994) (Blu-ray)
- The Devil’s Advocate (1997) (Blu-ray)
- Judge Dredd (1995) (Blu-ray)
- Macbeth (1948) (Blu-ray)
Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures *Recommendation of the Week*
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Written by Lawrence Kasdan (screenplay), George Lucas, Phillip Kaufman (story)
Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm Elliott
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Written by Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz (screenplay), George Lucas (story)
Starring: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Amrish Puri, Roshan Seth, Phillip Stone
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Written by Jeffrey Boam (screenplay), George Lucas, Menno Meyjes (story)
Starring: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliot, Julian Glover, River Phoenix, John Rhys-Davies, Alison Doody
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Written by David Koepp (screenplay), George Lucas, Jeff Nathanson (story)
Starring: Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt
What’s the Deal?
Indiana Jones is one of the most iconic characters in film history, the nerdy professor by day who goes on globe-trotting adventures in his free time. Spanning four movies, Ford, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas made one of the most popular film franchises ever. You can watch Indy battle Nazis, the Soviets and a child-enslaving cult all over the world and find relics from Judo-Christian mythology, Indian history and, well, aliens.
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 94% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: 9.8/10
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 85% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: 8.0.10
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 89% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: 9.3/10
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 77% (very good)
Player Affinity Score: 5.8/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: N/A
Amazon Price: $64.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 4.5 stars, Video 4.5 stars, Audio 5 stars, Extras 3.5 stars, Replay 4 stars (out of 5). Highly Recommended.
The big new release of the week is the horror The Cabin in the Woods, a critical darling, including for those of us here at Player Affinity. The other highlights of the week are the British comedy-drama The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Spanish animated feature Chico and Rita. There are also plenty of re-releases including the David Fincher thriller The Game and Tim Burton bio-pic Ed Wood.
The Cabin in the Woods (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Drew Goddard
Written by Drew Goddard, Joss Whedon
Starring: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford
What’s the Deal?
The Cabin in the Woods was a horror movie that sat on the shelf for three years, which is rarely a good sign, but it turned out that the Joss Whedon-produced movie is one of the best horror films in recent years in its deconstruction of the genre.
The Cabin in the Woods seems to tell the typical story of five teenage friends who go to a secluded cabin where they are attacked by supernatural creatures, but there is more to this situation than meets the eye.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 90% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: 8.3/10 (read our review)
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Closed Caption; Audio commentary with writer/director Drew Goddard and writer/producer Joss Whedon; We are not who we are: making The Cabin in the Woods; An army of nightmares: makeup & animatronic effects; Primal terror: visual effects; The secret secret stash: Marty's stash, hi, my name is Joss and I'll be your guide; Wondercon Q&A
Additional Blu-ray Special Features: Wondercon Q&A; It;s not what you think: The Cabin in the Woods BonusView mode
Amazon Price: $15.00 (DVD), $19.96 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 4.5 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 4.5 stars, Extras 4 stars, Replay 4.5 stars (out of 5). DVD Talk Collector Series.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by John Madden
Written by Ol Parker (screenplay), Deborah Moggach (novel)
Starring: Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilson, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Ronald Pickup, Celia Imrie, Dev Patel
What’s the Deal?
Based on a novel by Deborah Moggach and featuring some of best veteran British actors around, the comic-drama The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was a popular movie on both sides of the Atlantic as a group of British retirees travel to India to spend time at a new hotel.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 77% (very good)
Player Affinity Score: 7.3/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Closed Caption; Behind the story: lights, colors and smiles; Casting legends
Additional Blu-ray Special Features: Trekking to India: "Life is never the same"; Tuk Tuk travels
Amazon Price: $14.99 (DVD), $29.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
The Magic of Belle Isle (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Rob Reiner
Written by Guy Thomas
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Virginia Madsen
What’s the Deal?
From the prolific Rob Reiner is the drama The Magic of Belle Isle, in which he reunites with his The Bucket List star Morgan Freeman. Freeman plays Monte Wildhorn a wheelchair-bound author who movies to a rural town where he befriends his neighbor and three daughters and subsequently finds his passion for writing.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 29% (bad)
Player Affinity Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Closed Caption; Commentary with director Rob Reiner, Morgan Freeman and Virginia Madesn; Discovering The Magic of Belle Isle; Behind the scenes picture-in-picture comparison: birthday party; Interview with director Rob Reiner; ASX TV: a look at The Magic of Belle Isle; Theatrical trailer
Amazon Price: $12.99 (DVD), $19.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
Chico and Rita (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal, Tono Errando
Written by Ferando Trueba, Ignacio Martínez de Pisón
Starring: Lenny Mandel, Limara Meneses
What’s the Deal?
Chico and Rita is a critically acclaimed animated movie from Spain that was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Set to the background of the Cuban jazz scene, Chico and Rita tells of the relationship between a pianist and a singer as they journey in the worlds of love and music.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 86% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Making of CHICO & RITA Featurette; Audio Commentary with Directors Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal; U.S. Trailer
Amazon Price: $29.96 (DVD), $34.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
Katy Perry the Movie: Part of Me (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz
Starring: Katy Perry
What’s the Deal?
Katy Perry is the latest singer to have a 3D concert movie to follow her on and off stage antics and drama, including some revealing moments touching on her divorce from Russell Brand.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 77% (very good)
Player Affinity Score: 7.0/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Includes Never-Before-Seen Katy Content
Amazon Price: $12.99 (DVD), $16.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
Hysteria (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Tanya Wexler
Written by Jonah Lisa Dyer, Stephen Dyer, Howard Gensler
Starring: Hugh Dancy, Jonathan Pryce, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Felicity Jones
What’s the Deal?
Hysteria is a historic romantic comedy set at the end of the 19th Century in London. Mortimer Granville (Hugh Dancy, Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene) is a struggling young doctor who takes up a job assisting Dr. Robert Dalrymple (Jonathan Pryce) in his use of 'pelvic massage' to cure female hysteria. Essentially, they've invented the vibrator.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 56% (average)
Player Affinity Score: 7.0/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: N/A
Amazon Price: $20.95 (DVD), $30.95 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 2 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 3 stars, Replay 1 stars (out of 5). Rent It.
Children of Paradise (1945) (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Marcel Carné
Written by Jacques Prévert
Starring: Arletty, Jean-Louis Barrault, Pierre Brasseur, Marcel Herrand, Pierre Renoir
What’s the Deal?
Made during the German occupation of France, Children of Paradise is often considered one of the best French movies ever made. Children of Paradise is an epic romance telling of the relationship between Garance (Arletty) and Baptiste (Jean-Louis Barrault) and the people who are fall for them as fate conspires to keep them apart.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 97% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: New high-definition digital transfer from Pathé’s 2011 restoration; Audio commentaries by film scholars Brian Stonehill and Charles Affron; Video introduction by director Terry Gilliam; Once Upon a Time: “Children of Paradise,” a 2010 documentary on the making of the film; New visual essay on the design of Children of Paradise by film writer Paul Ryan; The Birth of “Children of Paradise,” a 1967 German documentary that visits Nice, where the film was partially shot, and features interviews with cast members Arletty, Jean-Louis Barrault, Pierre Brasseur; production designer Alexandre Trauner; and others; Restoration demonstration; U.S. trailer; New English subtitle translation; PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Dudley Andrew and excerpts from a 1990 interview with director Marcel Carné
Amazon Price: $24.99 (DVD), $34.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
Les Visiteurs du Soirs (1942) (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Marcel Carné
Written by Pierre Laroche, Jacques Prévert
Starring: Arletty, Jules Berry, Marie Déa, Marcel Herrand, Fernand Ledoux, Alain Cuny
What’s the Deal?
The other French movie being re-released by The Criterion Collection is Les Visiteurs du Soirs. Set at the end of the 15th Century, two minstrels, Gilles (Alain Cuny) and Dominique (Arletty) arrive to cause heartbreak and misery in a castle for the Devil.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 100% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: New high-definition digital restoration; L’aventure des “Visiteurs du soir,” a documentary on the making of the film; Trailer; New English subtitle translation; PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Michael Atkinson
Amazon Price: $24.99 (DVD), $34.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
Halloween II (1981) (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Rick Rosenthal
Written by John Carpenter, Debra Hill
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence
What’s the Deal?
The original Halloween is considered the best horror/slasher movies ever made and Halloween II is a direct sequel to that genre classic. The legendary John Carpenter and screenwriter Debra Hill were heavily involved with the sequel, writing and producing the film for prolific TV director Rick Rosenthal to helm.
Halloween II is set on the same night as the first movie. Killer Michael Myers is still alive after being shot six times by Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence). He continues his pursuit of Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) to the hospital she was taken to and Loomis makes a discovery as to why Myers is after the terrified teen.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 29% (bad)
Player Affinity Score: 5.0/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Two-Disc Set Includes Theatrical Version And The Television Cut With Added Footage Not Seen In The Theatrical Version; Audio Commentary With Director Rick Rosenthal And Actor Leo Rossi (Theatrical Version); Audio Commentary With Actor/Stunt Coordinator Dick Warlock (Theatrical Version); The Nightmare Isn’t Over!: The Making Of Halloween II – Featuring interviews with Director Rick Rosenthal, Actor/Stunt Coordinator Dick Warlock, Actors Lance Guest, Leo Rossi, Nancy Stephens, Executive Producer Irwin Yablans, Director of Photography Dean Cundey, Co-Composer Alan Howarth and more!; Horror’s Hallowed Grounds: The Locations Of Halloween II – Host Sean Clark revisits the original shooting locations of the film
Amazon Price: $19.99 (DVD), $19.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 3.5 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 5 stars, Replay 3.5 stars (out of 5). Highly Recommended.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) (DVD and Blu-ray)
Written and directed by Tommy Lee Wallace
Starring: Tom Atkins, Stacey Nelkin, Don O’Herlihy
What’s the Deal?
Halloween III: Season of the Witch was a controversial film because it was a sequel that did not feature Michael Myers and was an attempt by producer John Carpenter to expand the series beyond the serial killer. This attempt tells how a doctor, Daniel Challis (Tom Atkins), discovers that an evil toy company attempts to kill as many people as possible on Halloween by using Halloween masks and an ancient curse.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 33% (poor)
Player Affinity Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Tommy Lee Wallace; Audio Commentary With Actor Tom Atkins; Stand Alone: The Making Of Halloween III: Season Of The Witch Featuring Interviews With Writer/Director Tommy Lee Wallace, Actors Tom Atkins, Stacey Nelkin, Brad Schacter, Stunt Coordinator Dick Warlock, Executive Producer Irwin Yablans, Director Of Photography Dean Cundey, Co-Composer Alan Howarth and more!; Horror’s Hallowed Grounds: The Locations Of Halloween III – Host Sean Clark And Writer/Director Tommy Lee Wallace Revisit The Original Shooting Locations Of The Film; Teaser Trailer; Theatrical Trailer; TV & Radio Spots; Still Gallery
Amazon Price: $19.93 (DVD), $19.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 3.5 stars, Video 4.5 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 4 stars, Replay 3.5 stars (out of 5). Highly Recommended.
The Game (1997) (Blu-ray)
Directed by David Fincher
Written by John D. Brancato, Michael Ferris
Starring: Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Kara Unger, James Rebhorn, Peter Donat, Armin Mueller-Stahl
What’s the Deal?
The Game was David Fincher’s follow up feature to his hit psychological thriller Se7en. Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) is a successful investment banker whose younger brother Conrad (Sean Penn), who disappeared years ago, shows up on Nicholas’ doorstep on his 48th birthday. Conrad gives Nicholas a card to invite his older brother to play in a game that could change his life forever, but forces Nicholas down a strange and twisted path.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 71% (good)
Player Affinity Score: 8.0/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: New, restored digital transfer, supervised by director David Fincher and director of photography Harris Savides, with original theatrical 5.1 surround theatrical soundtrack, in DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition; Alternate 5.1 surround mix optimized for home theater viewing, supervised by sound designer Ren Klyce and Fincher, in DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition; Audio commentary by Fincher, Savides, actor Michael Douglas, screenwriters John Brancato and Michael Ferris, digital animation supervisor Richard “Dr.” Baily, production designer Jeffrey Beecroft, visual effects supervisor Kevin Haug, and visual effects producer Robyn D’Arcy; An hour’s worth of exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and film-to-storyboard comparisons for four of the film’s major set pieces, with commentary; Alternate ending; Trailer and teaser trailer, with commentary; PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic David Sterritt
Amazon Price: $24.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
Ed Wood (1994) (Blu-ray)
Directed by Tim Burton
Written by Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski (screenplay), Rudolph Grey (book)
Starring: Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Patricia Arquette, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jeffery Jones, Lisa Marie, Bill Murray
What’s the Deal?
Ed Wood is often considered one of Tim Burton’s best movies and for good reason. Ed Wood is a comic biopic about the man often regarded as the worst director ever. Johnny Depp took on the part of a man whose passion outweighed his actual talent as the movie explores the period between the making of Glen or Glenda to Plan 9 from Outer Space and his relationship with the fallen horror icon Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau, in an Oscar-winning role).
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 91% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: 8.8/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Music video composed by Howard Shore; Let's Shoot This F#*%@r!; The Theremin; Making Bela; Pie Plates Over Hollywood; Theatrical trailer; Deleted scenes; Audio commentary with Tim Burton
Amazon Price: $12.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
The Devil’s Advocate (1997) (Blu-ray)
Directed by Taylor Hackford
Written by Jonathan Lemkin, Tony Gilroy (screenplay), Andrew Neiderman (novel)
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, Charlize Theron
What’s the Deal?
Between Speed and The Matrix, Keanu Reeves starred in the supernatural thriller The Devil’s Advocate. Kevin Lomax (Reeves) is a young defense attorney in Florida who has never lost a case. Because of his growing reputation, Lomax is recruited by a major New York law firm, but his new boss, John Milton (Al Pacino), turns out to be Satan himself.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 67% (good)
Player Affinity Score: 6.0/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Over 10 minutes of deleted scenes with commentary by director Taylor Hackford
Amazon Price: $11.98 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
Judge Dredd (1995) (Blu-ray)
Directed by Danny Cannon
Written by William Wisher, Jr., Steven E. de Souza (screenplay), Michael De Luca, William Wisher, Jr. (story), John Wagner, Carlos Ezquerra (comic)
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Armand Assante, Diane Lane, Rob Schneider, Joan Chen, Jürgen Prochnow, Max von Sydow
What’s the Deal?
The most recent adaptation of 2000 AD’s popular comic book, Dredd, is about to hit theaters, so there is no better time to cash in on the reboot of the series than by re-releasing the 1995 Sylvester Stallone version that fans of the movie universally hate (but I enjoy it as a guilty pleasure).
In the future, most of the Earth has turned into an uninhabitable desert and humanity will live in chaotic "Mega Cities." In Mega City One, the Judges keep law and order, and the best of them is Judge Joseph Dredd (Stallone), even though he has a violent streak. But a new threat emerges when a former judge-turned-criminal, Rico (Armand Assante, American Gangster) escapes from prison and Dredd ends up being framed for murder.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 15% (awful)
Player Affinity Score: 5.0/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Stallone's Law: The Making Of JUDGE DREDD
Amazon Price: $12.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
Macbeth (1948) (Blu-ray)
Directed by Orson Welles
Written by Orson Welles (screenplay), William Shakespeare (play)
Starring: Orson Welles, Jeanette Nolan, Dan O’Herlihy, Roddy McDowall
What’s the Deal?
Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare’s most famous plays and it has seen many adaptations over the years. One of the most famous is the Orson Welles version which he writes, directs and stars as the Scottish nobleman who becomes corrupt and kills his king to usurp the throne only to find a similar fate lies in store.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 86% (excellent)
Player Affinity Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Orson Welles' Ghost Story: Return to Glennascaul with Introduction by Peter Bogdanovich
Amazon Price: $21.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
