New on DVD this week.
Wreck-It Ralph
On the 30th anniversary of his video game, Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) is finally tired of being the ham-fisted villain and sets out on a crusade to prove that hes the nice guy. Plenty of tug-at-the-heartstrings moments can be found in unlikely places: from a homeless Q*Bert for example. Gamers of all ages from both the Intellivision and Xbox generations will appreciate all that the Disney film has to offer, from the video game soundbites to old-school characters, all residing in a bright and busy world. The Blu-ray disc includes Paperman, the Oscar award-winning short, interviews with artists, filmmakers and animators, deleted and alternate scenes, video game commercials and more.
This Must Be The Place
In one of the more bizarre films of the year, Sean Penn plays a burned-out former rock star named Cheyenne who leaves his home and his wife (Frances McDormand) in tax-sheltered Ireland and embarks on a cross-country U.S. trip to hunt down a Nazi war criminal and avenge his father. The film also features Judd Hirsch, Harry Dean Stanton, Kerry Condon and David Byrne (playing himself), all of whom are great. Its darkly funny, very touching, with some beautiful visuals from Italian director Paolo Sorrentino. No special features on the standard disc.
Rise of the Guardians
The children are in danger is the rallying cry that brings the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman and Jack Frost (voiced by Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin, Isla Fisher, Chris Pine) under the same roof at the North Pole HQ, united against Pitch the Boogeyman (Jude Law). While these guardians of childlike wonder battle Pitchs dark forces, Jack wrestles with his feelings of being not quite good enough. Some very pretty visuals accompany a great message for children. Special features on the standard disc include Dreamers and Believers, wherein cast and director chat about casting and story. Theres also a mini dream interpretation guide, filmmaker commentary, printables, and more.
Schindlers List 20th anniversary limited edition
Steven Spielbergs groundbreaking film brought the horror of the Holocaust to life through the true story of a Catholic factory owner named Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) who saved the lives of 1,100 Jews during the Second World War. The film, shot in stark black and white, won Best Picture in 1993 and co-starred Ralph Fiennes and Ben Kingsley. The three-disc anniversary edition has been restored to todays high definition standards and features an exhaustive documentary on survivors and their stories, as well as an extra on the USC Shoah Foundation.
