Experience the thrilling action and epic adventure like never before when the groundbreaking first season of STAR TREK®: THE ORIGINAL SERIES lands on Blu-ray disc April 28 from CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment. Boasting superior picture and pristine audio for the best possible home viewing experience, the Blu-ray seven disc set includes all 29 first season episodes and loads of special features. 

The first season Blu-ray release of STAR TREK®: THE ORIGINAL SERIES features brand-new technology that finally provides fans/viewers with the best of both worlds by giving them the ability to see each episode’s newly enhanced or original special effects and hear a new enhanced soundtrack or the original one. Viewers will be able to select either version to view or toggle back and forth between the newly enhanced visual effects found on the remastered episodes and the original broadcast episode effects. Also for the first time, fans will be able to enjoy the series in 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, the best sound format possible, and have the option of selecting the original mono sound  heard on the series’ original television airings decades ago.

As part of the special features, select episodes include the “Starfleet Access” bonus content. By choosing the “Starfleet Access” option, viewers will be able to watch the selected episodes with special pop-up trivia and picture-in-picture video commentaries. The set also includes an interactive tour of the starship Enterprise, rare on-set home movie footage, an inside perspective on what it took to transport Trek into the 21st century and much more. A definitive STAR TREK® collection with more than 24 hours of entertainment, the set will be available for the suggested retail price of $118.00 US and $136.00 CAN. An exclusive collectible Sulu figure from Diamond Select Toys is also being made available with purchase of the Blu-ray set; fans pay only shipping and handling charges.
   
Starring one of the most endearing casts in television history led by William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan and Nichelle Nichols, STAR TREK® is a worldwide phenomenon and served as a launching pad for numerous television series and feature films.  These classic first season episodes started it all, introducing the world to Kirk, Spock and the rest of the Enterprise’s iconic crew.

STAR TREK®: THE ORIGINAL SERIES SEASON ONE is a seven disc set presented in the original 4:3 aspect ratio with English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English Original 2.0 Mono, Spanish 2.0 Mono and French 2.0 Mono sound.  STAR TREK®: THE ORIGINAL SERIES SEASON ONE Blu-ray is not rated in the U.S. and rated G in Canada.  The total running time is 24 Hrs., 20 Min. 

The Blu-ray disc breakdown is as follows:

Disc One:           
        •   The Man Trap
        •   Charlie X
        •   Where No Man Has Gone Before
        •   The Naked Time
        •   Special Feature: Preview trailers for each episode
        •   Special Feature: Spacelift: Transporting Trek Into The 21st Century
        •   Special Feature: Starfleet Access episode – Where No Man Has Gone Before

Disc Two:   
        •   The Enemy Within
        •   Mudd’s Women
        •   What Are Little Girls Made Of?
        •   Miri
        •   Dagger of the Mind
        •   Special Feature: Preview trailers for each episode

Disc Three:   
        •   The Corbomite Maneuver
        •   The Menagerie, Part 1
        •   The Menagerie, Part 2
        •   The Conscience of the King
        •   Special Feature: Preview trailers for each episode
        •   Special Feature: Reflections on Spock
        •   Special Feature: Starfleet Access episode – The Menagerie, Parts 1 & 2

Disc Four:   
        •   Balance of Terror
        •   Shore Leave
        •   The Galileo Seven
        •   The Squire of Gothos
        •   Special Feature: Preview trailers for each episode
        •   Special Feature: Life Beyond Trek: William Shatner
        •   Special Feature: Starfleet Access episode – Balance of Terror

Disc Five:   
        •   Arena
        •   Tomorrow is Yesterday
        •   Court Martial
        •   The Return of the Archons
        •   Special Feature: Preview trailers for each episode
        •   Special Feature: To Boldly Go…Season One
        •   Special Feature: The Birth of a Timeless Legacy

Disc Six:   
        •   Space Seed
        •   A Taste of Armageddon
        •   This Side of Paradise
        •   The Devil in the Dark
        •   Special Feature: Preview trailers for each episode
        •   Special Feature: Interactive Enterprise Inspection
        •   Special Feature: Sci-Fi Visionaries
        •   Special Feature: Starfleet Access episode – Space Seed

Disc Seven:   
        •   Errand of Mercy
        •   The Alternative Factor
        •   The City on the Edge of Forever
        •   Operation: Annihilate!
        •   Special Feature: Preview trailers for each episode
        •   Special Feature: Billy Blackburn’s Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Memories
        •   Special Feature: Kiss ‘N’ Tell: Romance in the 23rd Century
        •   Special Feature: Starfleet Access episode – Errand of Mercy

BUY NOW- Star Trek: The Original Series – Season 1 [Blu-ray]

If ever a movie was meant to be experienced in high definition, Sin City is guilty on all counts! Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez’s visually stunning crime thriller debuts on Blu-ray this April 21, 2009, from Miramax Films. Featuring the ultimate in high definition picture and sound, this 2-Disc set comes fully loaded with two cuts of the film plus eight hours of bonus material, including innovative special features created exclusively for the Blu-ray High Definition release. The interactive game “Kill ‘em Good,” lets viewers play Marv, the outcast misanthrope on a mission to avenge the death of his true love, Goldie.   The “Cine-Explore” feature, a breakthrough interactive visual commentary lets viewers watch picture-in-picture footage of the film in its early green-screen stages original artwork synced with filmmaker commentary.  Additional special features include Commentary with Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, interviews with Robert Rodriguez and “guest director” Quentin Tarantino, Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes showcasing the cars, props, costumes and make-up of Sin City, and much more!  One of the most eagerly awaited films to debut in the format, Sin City arrives on Blu-ray with both barrels blazing!

Sin City is based on Frank Miller’s popular series of graphic novels and features an all-star crew both behind and in front of the camera.  Acclaimed director Robert Rodriguez (Grindhouse, Spy Kids) teamed with Mr. Miller to co-direct an all-star cast that includes Bruce Willis, Oscar-nominee Mickey Rourke (Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for: The Wrestler, 2008), Clive Owen, Jessica Alba and Rosario Dawson, in this riveting tale of killers, cops, hookers and hit men, all inhabiting one very dangerous, very sexy city. Sin City debuted in theatres in 2005 to critical acclaim and box office success and, like Mr. Miller’s graphic novels, continues to grow in its fan base. Now these fans, and anyone who loves explosive, groundbreaking filmmaking, can see and hear the movie like never before with the ultimate in high definition picture and sound.

Blu-ray Features include:

All new Cine-Explore – Innovative Blu-ray technology allows viewers to experience a
uniquely interactive visual commentary that pushes the envelope. When selected, see
picture-in-picture green screen footage and original art synced with the filmmakers’
commentary.

All new “Kill ‘em Good” Interactive Comic Book – Dive into a visually stunning interactive
game that puts you in the driver’s seat. Exploiting the Blu-ray format in ways never before
seen, you finish the story – with guns blazing!

Plus many more features….

The results are even more mind-blowing when you compare the Blu-ray transfers to their standard DVD counterparts. Literally every aspect of the image has received a fitting overhaul, rendering any previous release of Sin City a decidedly dated relic. If you have any love Frank Miller’s original comic series or for Rodriguez’s adaptation — any affection at all — this release deserves a very special home on your shelves.

GET Sin City [Blu-ray] NOW

Synopsis:
Mickey Rourke gives the performance of a lifetime as pro wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a former superstar now paying the price for twenty years of grueling punishment in and out of the ring.  But he’s about to risk everything to prove he has one more match left in him: a re-staging of his famous Madison Square Garden bout against “The Ayatollah.”  Darren Aronofsky directs a powerful cast in this action-packed saga of guts, glory and gritty determination that is “as irresistible as a headlock” (New York Post).

One of the most-critically acclaimed films of the year, featured on dozens of year-end “top ten” lists and garnering numerous accolades for its once fallen star, The Wrestler debuts on Blu-ray Disc and DVD April 21 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.  Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain) directs Mickey Rourke (Sin City, Man on Fire) in a career-defining role as Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a veteran performer on the professional wrestling circuit who is desperate to hold on to the fame and glory that once surrounded him.  Despite himself and the odds stacked against him, “The Ram” begins to evaluate his state of life, attempting to reconnect with his estranged daughter and striking up a relationship with an exotic dancer with troubles of her own.  Bruised and battered both inside and outside the ring, Randy slowly tries to piece together the life he still has; but the thrill of the show and the passion for his art threatens to take it all away from him once again.

Blu-ray Disc Features:
The Wrestler Blu-ray Disc is presented in widescreen format 2.35:1 aspect ratio with English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio, English and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English, French and Spanish subtitles along with Digital Copy.  Individual disc bonus features as follows:

1. Within the Ring featurette
2. Wrestler Round Table
3. The Wrestler Music Video – Written and Performed by Bruce Springsteen

The Wrestler, shot documentary-style, feels more genuine that most movies, capturing both the glory and pain of everyday life. Still, heartache is the theme of the film, and both the emotional and physical toll Ram’s life takes on his heart marks the core of the story, the man, and the journey for meaning.

Overall, The Wrestler looks fantastic on Blu-ray, serving as yet another disc that isn’t clean and clear but recreates the director-intended look of the film very well, making it a first-class presentation.

The Wrestler nevertheless represents one of cinema’s great character studies that should continue to fascinate for years to come. 20th Century Fox has once again released a quality Blu-ray disc, though this one is disappointingly short on bonus materials. However, the studio has provided their usual stellar video and audio presentation that only heighten the impact of the film. Despite the lack of extra content, The Wrestler on Blu-ray comes highly recommended.

BUY The Wrestler [Blu-ray] NOW

Like many things in life, Tiny Toon Adventures can only be fully understood when considered with what came before and after it. Can you watch Jack Nicholson’s original interpretation of the Joker without thinking of Heath Ledger’s more recent portrayal? All the same, Tiny Toons can really only be seen in retrospect as the link between the Muppet Babies of the late 1980s and the subsequent, far more engaging Animaniacs, which premiered in 1993.

Tiny Toon Adventures takes place (for the most part) at ACME Looniversity, where younger counterparts of nearly all of the original Looney Tunes characters learn how to be ‘looney’ from the original characters of the 30s and 40s. Though the primary focus remains on the characters of Babs (Tress MacNeille) and Buster Bunny (Charles Adler), Plucky Duck (Joe Alaskey), and Hamton J. Pig (Don Messick) who essentially have the same personality as the character on which he or she is based, there is a wide supporting cast that includes rough younger approximations of the Tasmanian Devil (Dizzy Devil), Yosemite Sam (Montana Max), and Pepe Le Pew (Fifi La Fume). While a number of the episodes try to focus on their attendance of ACME Looniversity, they also do things such as travel back in time, become parodies of other major popular characters and, in certain cases, turn into giant eyeballs. This being a Steven Spielberg production, there are also a number of references to older classic Hollywood films, and a few ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ sight gags that are for collectors only. Which is not to say that the show is totally without charm, or that it isn’t more knowing than the vast majority of children’s animation altogether.

DVD Extra Features:

The set includes a trailer for The Zeta Project, a recent DVD release of a cartoon from the creators of Batman Beyond about a hitman robot that decides he is no longer going to kill people.

BUY NOW:
Tiny Toon Adventures: Season 1, Vol. 2

Originally released in 2004, Mean Girls releases on Blu-ray on April 14th from Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment and Director Mark Waters. Perhaps Lindsay Lohan’s greatest acting, this movie tells the story about a girl raised in the African bush country by her zoologist parents who finds the transition from being home-schooled, to the riggers of public high school, to be her greatest challenge.

Mean Girls is one of Lohan’s best performances, if not the best. It is nice to look back at an earlier role in her acting portfolio. Her youthful, enthusiastic, and healthy personality was much more pleasing and she definitely helped make Mean Girls a fun and entertaining movie. Rachel McAdams is great as a “mean girl” and the SNL elite deliver nice supporting roles.

The Mean Girls Blu-ray includes great special features:

1. Commentary by Director Mark Waters, Screenplay Writer & Actress Tina Fey, and Producer Lorne Michaels
2. Word Vomit (Blooper Reel)
3. So Fetch (Deleted Scenes)

The Last Kiss is an interesting comedy-drama movie from the Oscar-winning writer of Million Dollar Baby and Director Tony Goldwyn, that explores complicated relationships and the emotions that are very real for many people. Originally released in 2006, this film is now available on Blu-ray April 14th from DreamWorks Home Entertainment.

The Last Kiss is brilliantly original. The story likely hits home with many people because of its genuine and honest exploration of relationships and the human emotion. Zach Braff is great as the mixed up and then ashamed Michael. Tom Wilkinson and Blythe Banner also give very respectable performances. Jacinda Barrett and Rachel Bilson are solid as Michael’s competing love interests. Casey Affleck also reminds us why he is a great actor. The Last Kiss is a compelling movie because it has moments that are uncomfortably real, and you find yourself rooting for certain characters and hoping for the right conclusions.

Special features in The Last Kiss Blu-ray include:

1. Director and cast commentaries featuring Zach Braff, Jacinda Barret and Rachel Bilson
2. Deleted Scenes
3. Cary Brothers’ “Ride” music video directed by Zach Braff
4. The Last Kiss – Behind Our Favorite Scenes
5. Gag Reel

Paramount Studios Home Entertainment released the Happy Madison Productions movie Strange Wilderness on Blu-ray April 14th, directed by Fred Wolf. Peter Gaulke (Steve Zahn) is a dim-witted wildlife TV show host with a band of misfits on his crew. Threatened with cancellation because of low ratings, Peter puts together a plan to track the legendary creature Bigfoot.

Strange Wilderness also stars Justin Long, Allen Covert, Jonah Hill, Kevin Heffernan, Ashley Scott, Peter Dante, Harry Hamlin, Robert Patrick, Jeff Garlin, Ernest Borgnine and Joe Don Baker.

Strange Wilderness is definitely among the more strange productions from Adam Sandler’s company. It is also one of the more crude. There really aren’t even that many laughs. The tough part is to determine an appropriate market for the film. Perhaps a Friday or Saturday night gathering of college friends might be the right fit for this story.

The Strange Wilderness Blu-ray includes these special features:

• Cooker’s Song
• The Turkey
• What Do We Do
• Reel Comedy: Strange Wilderness
• Deleted Scenes

Arctic Tale is an amazing new Blu-ray release from Paramount Home Entertainment and National Geographic Films. Available on Blu-ray April 21st, this beautiful and educational film presentation shows off the vast snow kingdom at the top of the world. From the same people who brought us March of the Penguins, this real-life adventure is natural, touching, and personally connected.

Queen Latifah does a nice job as the Arctic Tale storyteller. I was a little cautious at first as to the quality of her voice for such a film, but she brings great personality to the animals and their unique stories. Arctic Tale is a captive tale suitable for the whole family. There are a couple moments that are sad, and of course there are hunts for live food, so be aware if you have especially sensitive children. Though these moments are presented as tactfully as possible.

Get more out of the Arctic Tale Blu-ray with these special features:

• Making of Arctic Tale
• “Are We There Yet? World Adventure: Polar Bear Spotting”
• Theatrical Trailer HD

Synopsis:  Epic action and mind-blowing effects rock the planet in this thrilling reinvention of the sci-fi classic,  THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL.  Keanu Reeves portrays Klaatu, an otherworldly being whose arrival on Earth triggers an unstoppable series of events that threaten all of mankind.  In a desperate attempt to save humanity, governments and scientists race to unravel the mystery behind the visitor’s appearance.  When a woman (Jennifer Connelly) and her young stepson find themselves embroiled in the alien’s plan, they become the world’s only hope to stave off apocalyptic annihilation.  

A contemporary reinvention of the original, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL is an intense and electrifying drama centering on an imminent global catastrophe and one outsider’s determination to stop it.  The action-packed thrill ride stars Keanu Reeves (Street Kings, The Matrix franchise) as Klaatu, a humanoid alien who comes to Earth to exterminate the human race before the planet succumbs to impending disaster.  When the government responds with hostile force, the fate of humanity lies with a young scientist (Academy Award® winner* Jennifer Connelly; Blood Diamond, A Beautiful Mind) who must embark on a high-stakes mission to convince the entity that mankind is worth saving… before it is too late.

In addition to astonishing special effects – including the molecular destruction of Shea Stadium –  THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL also features gripping performances from an all-star ensemble cast including Academy Award® winner** Kathy Bates (Misery), Jaden Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness), John Cleese  (Die Another Day), Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”) and Kyle Chandler (“Friday Night Lights”). 

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL Special Edition Blu-ray Disc and DVD, both with Digital Copy, are three-disc sets that include the 1951 version of the film,  which was widely acclaimed as one of the most thought-provoking science-fiction films of all time.  Both the BD and DVD are highlighted by out-of-this-world bonus features including deleted scenes, featurettes, picture-in-picture commentary, a “Build Your Own Gort” feature (BD-exclusive) and more. A two-disc version of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL is also available on DVD, featuring both 2008 and 1951 versions of the film.

Special Edition Blu-ray Three-Disc Features:
THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL BD is presented in widescreen format (2.45:1 aspect ratio) with English 5.1
DTS HD Master Audio and Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital with English, Spanish, French, Portuguese,
Cantonese Korean and Mandarin subtitles.  Packaged with the original 1951 version of the film.
Bonus features include those above plus the following:

1. Klaatu’s Unseen Artifacts:  The Day The Earth Stood Still Picture-In-Picture Track
2. “Build Your Own GORT,” BD-Java Game

BUY NOW: The Day the Earth Stood Still (3-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray]

Synoposis: Set in 1964 at St. Nicholas Church in the Bronx, Fr. Brendan Flynn’s (Philip Seymour Hoffman) progressive views and charismatic presence have won him the respect and admiration of the congregation. At the parish school, principal Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep) keeps her students in line with old-fashioned fear and intimidation. When young Sister James (Amy Adams) shares with Sister Aloysius her concern that that Father Flynn has “taken an interest” in twelve-year-old Donald Miller (Joseph Foster), the school’s “first Negro student,” the older nun launches her own investigation. Determined to protect every one of her charges, Sister Aloysius attempts to use the evidence she discovers to have Flynn removed from the school. John Patrick Shanley’s finely shaded script takes audiences through a spectrum of truth, emotion and belief, and asks if any decision is ever free from doubt.

From producer Scott Rudin (No Country for Old Men) and Miramax Films, Doubt, one of the most riveting and talked about films of the year, comes to DVD and Blu-ray™ Hi-Def on April 7, 2009 from Miramax Films. The recipient of five 2009 Academy Award® nominations and on over 50 top 10 lists, Doubt brings to blistering life a battle royale between old guard and free thinker, played out in a crucible of sexual politics and religious piety. Its razor-sharp, whip-smart story and top-notch cast will have viewers buzzing long after the credits roll. A series of thoughtful and revealing bonus features illuminate the creative process behind this remarkable film. 

Doubt dominated this year’s Oscar acting categories with nominations for Meryl Streep (Best Actress), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Best Supporting Actor), Amy Adams (Best Supporting Actress) and Viola Davis (Best Supporting Actress). Academy Award winner John Patrick Shanley (Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, Moonstruck, 1987) was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for a script based on his Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play.

Two-time Oscar® winner Meryl Streep (Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Kramer vs. Kramer, 1979; Best Actress in a Leading Role, Sophie’s Choice, 1982), Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman (Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Capote, 2005), Amy Adams (Junebug) and Viola Davis (Nights in Rodanthe) deliver fierce, unflinching performances in a story defined by the quest for truth, the forces of change and the devastating consequences of blind justice in an age defined by moral conviction. 

Doubt’s subtle balance of humor, drama, intrigue and world-class performances drew unparalleled praise from critics across the country. The film is “Brilliant, riveting, even thrilling,” says FoxNews.com. “Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams perform with uncommon grace. Meryl Streep is chilling, fierce and Oscar-bound,” raves Elle.

Bonus Features

Both DVD and Blu-ray Hi-Def versions of Doubt include the following bonus features:

1. From Stage to Screen—An intimate discussion with playwright, screenwriter and director John Patrick Shanley about the history of Doubt, including his inspirations for the story, the acclaim the play’s Broadway run received, the Pulitzer Prize and the process of adapting it for the screen. Joining the conversation are Meryl Streep and Sister Margaret McEntee (a consultant on the film and Shanley’s former teacher). 
2. Scoring Doubt—Renowned composer Howard Shore discusses his inspiration for the music in the film and his collaboration with both John Patrick Shanley and producer Scott Rudin.
3. The Sisters of Charity—In an insightful and lively dialogue, Meryl Streep and John Patrick Shanley discuss the interviews that Shanley did before shooting with real nuns to discuss their lives and make sure they would be accurately portrayed in the film. 
4. Feature Commentary with John Patrick Shanley
5. The Cast of Doubt—A conversation with actors Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis.

Behind The Scenes: The Cast