DVD Releases and News

Fresh Fodder: New DVD Releases - 03/20/07

Bum bum, du du dum, du du dum, bum bum,
Bum bum, du du dum, du du dum, bum, bum,
Bum, bu bu bum, bu bu, bu bummmm
Bum, bu bu bum, bu bu, bu bummmmm!

Yeah, that's the Rocky theme, baby (we can't help it if you're phonetically challenged, we're over here tearing up some punching bags!)! What started as a "I can't believe they are making this movie again" moment turned into a critically-hailed hit for Sylvester Stallone with Rocky's triumphant return. We can't wait to get keyed up all over again, now that the high from "300" has worn down a bit.

Also this week - "Blood Diamond" - and after DiCaprio's performance in "The Departed" we're actually buying into this one, too. OK, maybe buying is the wrong word.

And then there's "Eragon," which the kiddies are going to be all over like white on rice, while parents distract themselves with something not quite so mind-numbing.

Look at the movies coming out next week - holy crap!

As always, leave us your mini-reviews in the comments!

The Stuff We Care About

Rocky Balboa

Synopsis: "Rocky Balboa comes out of retirement to step into the ring for the last time and face the heavyweight champ Mason 'The Line' Dixon."

Features

Rating: Rated PG for boxing violence and some language.
Studio: Sony Pictures
DVD Format: Widescreen Anamorphic, 1.85:1, Color
DVD Features: Subtitles: English, French, Audio Track 1: English, Dolby Digital 5.1, Audio Track 2: French, Dolby Digital 5.1, Audio Track 3: Commentary by Sylvester Stallone, Unknown

Special Features

Deleted Scenes including an alternate ending
Boxing Bloopers
Skill vs. Will: The Making of Rocky Balboa
Reality in the Ring: Filming Rocky’s Final Fight
Virtual Champion: Creating the Computer Fight

Preview:

Blood Diamond
(2-disc Special Edition)

Synopsis: "A fisherman, a smuggler, and a syndicate of businessmen match wits over the possession of a priceless diamond."

Features

Rating: Rated R for strong violence and language.
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Format: Widescreen Anamorphic, 2.40:1, Closed Captioned, Color
DVD Features: Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Audio Track 1: English, Dolby Digital 5.1, Audio Track 2: English, Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Audio Track 3: French, Dolby Digital 5.1, Audio Track 4: Spanish, Dolby Digital 5.1

Special Features

Commentary by director Edward Zwick
"Blood on the Stone" documentary: Follow the path of a diamond from the ground to the store
Featurettes: Becoming Archer (a profile of Leonardo DiCaprio and how he trained for the war), Journalism on the Front Line (Jennifer Connelly on women journalists at war), Inside the Siege of Freetown (see how Ed Zwick tackled the pivotal scene)
Music video: "Shine On Em" by rap artist Nas
Theatrical trailer

Preview:

Eragon
(2-disc Special Edition)

Synopsis: "In his homeland of Alagaesia, a farm boy happens upon a dragon's egg -- a discovery that leads him on a predestined journey where he realized he's the one person who can defend his home against an evil king."

Features

Rating: Rated PG for fantasy violence, intense battle sequences and some frightening images.
Runtime:102 Minutes
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Format: Widescreen , 2.35:1, Closed Captioned, Color
DVD Features: Subtitles: English, Spanish, Audio Track 1: English, Dolby Digital 5.1, Audio Track 2: English, DTS 5.1, Audio Track 3: French, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, Audio Track 4: Spanish, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Special Features

Disc 1:

WIDESCREEN FEATURE
Director's Commentary with Stefen Fangmeier

Disc 2:

GIL'EAD
Pronunciation/Background 6 stills
EXTENDED and DELETED SCENES (with optional commentary by Stefen Fangmeier)
INSIDE THE INHERITANCE TRILOGY: THE MAGIC OF ERAGON FEATURETTE
Prologue: The Storyteller's Scroll (Focuses on turning the novel into a screenplay)
Chapter One: Realizing Alagaesia (focusing on storyboards, location scouting and character design)
Chapter Two: The Destined Roles (Casting the actors)
Chapter Three: From Carvahall To Farthen Dur (on set filming
Vision of Eragon with Optional Commentary by Director Stefen Fangmeier
Arya's Ambush - Original Animatic Sequence
Vision of Eragon: Conceptual Art Gallery
ORIGINAL STORYBOARDS