New on DVD this week:
- Peter Pan
The Platinum Edition of Disneys Peter Pan marks the first time the film has been released on Blu-ray. J.M. Barries classic tale of the boy who never wanted to grow up appeals just as strongly today as it did when it was released in 1953. Pirates and mermaids? A fairy and a man-eating crocodile? The tale certainly doesnt discriminate by gender. The combo pack is chock-full of extras: Growing Up With Nine Old Men is a mini-doc about the core group of animators who were with Disney from the very beginning. The son of one of the nine tells the story of growing up with the close-knit extended family, and interviews all the offspring. There are deleted scenes and deleted songs (Never Smile at a Crocodile) and classic DVD special features like a sing-along extra, a making-of featurette and a conversation with Walt himself. Tinker Bell gets her own extra, wherein we learn that she started off as a ball of light on stage, became a girl in the 1924 silent film,and set off Marilyn Monroe rumours in the Disney version (the model was actually Margaret Kerry, also interviewed). Digitally remastered, Never Land never looked so good!
- Flight
Just in time to check it off your must-see Oscar list is Flight, starring Denzel Washington as an airline pilot lauded as a hero for executing one of the most amazing feats of aerodynamics ever one that he could never have pulled off sober. When the inevitable toxicology report comes back and shows that Cpt. Whip Whitaker has booze and drugs in his system, its up to his disapproving lawyer (Don Cheadle) and old airline buddy (Bruce Greenwood) to patch things up and try and get Whip sober. British actress Kelly Reilly is great as a fellow addict trying to get clean; John Goodman co-stars as Whips dealer friend. The two-disc Blu-ray includes highlights from a Q&A session, a making-of extra, and in case you wondered whether a plane could actually fly upside down experts spell it out for us in the Anatomy of a Plane Crash extra.
- Celeste and Jesse Forever
Celeste and Jesse (Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg) are too cute for words and driving their friends bonkers. The couple has been split for six months but still spends most waking moments together, and some nighttime ones, too. When one of the pair decides to get a life and start dating, the age-old question is posited: is it possible to stay friends once a love affair ends? Heartfelt performances by Jones (who co-wrote the screenplay) and smart writing elevate this film above standard relationship-drama fare. Commentaries with Jones and Samberg, red carpet, Q&A and trailers are included on the standard discs special features.
- Weeds
The first thing we want answered from this final season of Weeds is who was in the hitmans scope in the cliffhanger from season seven. Nancy Botwin (Mary Louise Parker) has certainly made enough enemies during her ascent from a widow selling pot at her sons soccer games to a drug queenpin on the run. The business has become a family affair, with sons Shane (Alexander Gould) and Silas (Hunter Parrish), brother-in-law Andy (Justin Kirk) and sister (Jennifer Jason Leigh) helping run the show. But has Nancy really become a benevolent do-gooder, giving away all the profits? Special features include cast and crew commentaries, a gag reel, Everyday Advice From Guru Doug (Kevin Nealon), deleted scenes and a making-of featurette, while The Wrap Up provides closure for fans.
