How to Spend $20
By Eric Hughes
October 14, 2008
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Pick of the Week
For people who think fedoras are back in style: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Special Edition)
After a series of franchise reboots - Die Hard, Rambo, Rocky - that debuted to basically little fanfare, it was refreshing this summer to run into one that actually made a splash.
Speculation on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull's actual plot ran rampant ever since news broke that a third sequel was in the cards. To keep the project under a veil of secrecy, Paramount used a number of tricks, including registering five fake titles with the MPAA - The City of Gods, The Destroyer of Worlds, The Fourth Corner of the Earth, The Lost City of Gold and The Quest for the Covenant. And you know what? It paid off. Big time. In May, Crystal Skull broke the series' 19-year hiatus from theaters, garnering more than $316 million Stateside (and another $467 million abroad).
Set during the Cold War in 1957, the franchise's fourth film finds Professor Henry Jones (Harrison Ford) called back into action, this time on a quest to Peru in search of a legendary skull made of a single piece of quartz. Should Jones be able to take the skull to its rightful place, order will be restored in the world. However, if Soviet Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) redirects the skull to its origin, she'll gain a considerable amount of power that could wreak havoc on the West.
Disc includes: The Return of a Legend featurette, Pre-Production featurette, Production Diary: Making Kingdom of the Crystal Skull featurette (12 parts), pre-visualization sequences, galleries, LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures XBOX 360 Game.
For people who weren't huge fans of Halloween: Resurrection anyway: Halloween: 30th Anniversary Collection (Limited Edition
Before A Nightmare on Elm Street, before Friday the 13th even, there was Halloween, John Carpenter's 1978 independent horror film that amassed a stunning $47 million (equivalent to over $150 million today) at the domestic box office - against a budget of just $325,000. That iconic Michael Myers mask? It was actually a Captain Kirk mask with its eyes cut out that production designer Tommy Lee Wallace purchased for less than two dollars. Yet countless slasher films and other movies in the horror fold owe part of their success (and influence) to Carpenter's baby.
This month, the film that began the nine-part (and counting?) series, Halloween, celebrates its 30th anniversary with a package of goodies for franchise diehards. Here, consumers are treated to a double bill of the original (including a special extended cut), Halloween 4, Halloween 5 and a 2003 documentary about the series. Oddly missing the party, however, are Halloween 2, Halloween 3 (which doesn't include Michael Myers anyway), Halloween 6, Halloween: H2O, Halloween: Resurrection and Rob Zombie's 2007 remake. A bit incomplete, no?
Disc includes: Halloween, Halloween: Extended Cut, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, Halloween: 25 Years of Terror documentary.
For people who think it's hard to make a joke about abortion: 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
Winner of the Palme d'Or at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival (and in the process becoming the first Romanian film to take home the prestigious prize), 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days chronicles the lives of two roommates in a university dorm who try to arrange an illegal abortion in 1987 Communist Romania under the rule of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.
The movie, budgeted at an easy €600,000, appeared in many critics' top ten lists, including ones from The New York Times' A.O. Scott, Los Angeles Times' Kenneth Turan and Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum. And an enthusiastic 96 percent of critics had something positive to say about the movie over at Rotten Tomatoes. In the States, 4 Months earned no Academy Award nominations, but did win Best Foreign Language Film at The Golden Globes.
Disc includes: 1 Month with 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days: A Documentary Film by Sorin Avram; crew interviews.
For people who want to be in The Circle: That '70s Show: The Complete Series Stash Box
That '70s Show, which ended its eight-season run two years ago after airing an even 200 eps, is available today in a complete series package. The show, from the people that brought you 3rd Rock From the Sun (and, unfortunately, That '80s Show) served as a launching pad for many of its series regulars, many of whom have built themselves - Ashton Kutcher, Topher Grace and more recently Mila Kunis - quite a career in a post-That '70s Show world.
Initially shaped as a bold retrospective of the '70s, the comedy tackled pretty hefty social issues, like feminism, sexual identity, economic hardships, American government mistrust and teen drug use. Later seasons of the show focused less on political aspects of the '70s, and instead used the decade as a mere backdrop for its storylines. An unofficial spinoff, That '80s Show, hatched in 2002, but poor ratings pulled the muddled series off the air after just 13 episodes.
Disc includes: Audio commentary, behind-the-scenes webisodes, additional featurettes.
For people who are still confused by The Architect's monologue: The Ultimate Matrix Collection [Blu-ray]
Previously released in 2004, a year after The Matrix Trilogy came to a close in theaters, The Ultimate Matrix Collection is now available on Blu-ray. It's true, both sequels to the 1999 original failed to live up to their (uber) high expectations. However, being that some time has probably past since you last saw these movies, it may be wise to give this sci-fi trilogy another go, considering you now can watch it in pristine high definition.
Disc includes: Audio commentaries for all three movies, The Matrix Revisited featurette, The Matrix Reloaded Revisited featurette, The Matrix Revolutions featurette, The Animatrix, The Roots of The Matrix featurette, The Burly Man Chronicles featurette, The Zion Archive featurette.
October 14, 2008
102 Minutes That Changed America
44
Adventures of Robin Hood: Complete 2nd Season
Alfred Hitchcock Classics (Set)
Alien - Predator: Total Destruction Collection (Set)
Altered Consciousness Collection
Alternative Medicine
American Gangster
An American Rebel
Back to You: Season 1 (Widescreen)
The Best of Charlie Chaplin (Set)
The Best of Johnny Carson & Friends
British TV Family Collection: Three Historical Per
Bruce Springsteen: Videobiography (Widescreen)
Buster Keaton (Set)
The Carpenters: Behind The Music (Widescreen)
Casino
Chaplin (15th Anniversary Edition)
Chris Isaak Christmas (Widescreen)
Critical Condition
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Eighth Season
CSI: Seasons 1-8 (Set)
Dance of the Dead (Widescreen)
Dark Floors (Widescreen)
Deadly Game (Widescreen)
The Deputy
Dolphins (IMAX)
Eastern Promises
The Edge of Heaven
Elton John: In Performance (Widescreen)
Final Warning
Home Alone Complete Caper Collection (Set)
Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventure Collection (Set)
Jeffrey Ross: No Offense, Live From New Jersey
Life with Derek: The Complete First Season
Lil' Bush, Resident of the United States: Season 2
The Living Sea (IMAX)
Mad Cow
March Of The Wooden Soldiers
Mongol
Nash Bridges: The First Season
Notorious (Premiere Collection)
Orange Winter
The Partridge Family: The Complete Third Season
Pavarotti: Christmas at Notre Dame
The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Veggie Tales (Widescreen)
Poltergeist (Deluxe Edition)
Popeye & Betty Boop
Quark: The Complete Series
Radiohead: Logical Emotions (Full Screen)
Rebecca (Premiere Collection)
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Phenomenon (Widescreen)
Room 205 (Widescreen)
Rules of Engagement: The Complete Second Season (Widescreen)
Salt
The Sarah Silverman Program: Season Two Volume One
Saving God
Short Cuts (Criterion Collection)
Space Station (IMAX)
Stuck
The Substitute (Widescreen)
Survivorman: Season 2
Sweet Sixteen (Director's Cut)
Tortilla Heaven
The Unit: Season 3 (Widescreen)
The Universe: Complete Season Two
Vanished
War, Inc.
Warren Miller: Playground
Whatever You Say (Widescreen)
Would I Lie To You (Widescreen)