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New on DVD: April 27

New on DVD: April 27
 Big Fish
Edward Bloom (Albert Finney) is well known as a teller of tall tales about his colorful life as a less than ordinary young man (Ewan McGregor) whose wanderlust took him around the world and back again. Bloom’s fabled stories charm everyone he encounters except his son Will (Billy Crudup), who left home as a young man too–but mainly to get out from under his father’s considerable shadow. When Edward becomes ill and his wife, Sandra (Jessica Lange), tries to reconcile them, Will embarks on his own personal journey trying to separate the myth from the reality of his father’s life and come to terms with the man’s giant feats and great failings
What’s Cool:
  • Commentary by director Tim Burton
  • Featurettes: “Edward Bloom at Large”; “Amos at the Circus”; “Fathers and Sons”
  • Featurettes: “Tim Burton: The Storyteller”; “A Fairytale World”; “Creature Features: Exploring the Magic of Stan Winston Studios”
  • “The Author’s Journey: Bringing Big Fish From the Page to the Screen”–author Daniel Wallace and screenwriter John August discuss the origins and inspirations for Big Fish.
  • Trivia quiz: “The Finer Points”
From Our Review:
A highly original story–part fantasy, part family drama–and very high production values, courtesy of one of cinema’s most original directors and his team, makes Tim Burton’s Big Fish a good catch.

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 Stuck on You
Bob and Walt Tenor (Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear) are small-town legends, conjoined twins who are the proud owners of a fast-food restaurant. When the acting bug bites Walt, he convinces Bob to head west for the bright lights of Hollywood. Things go well when the guys encounter legendary diva Cher, who casts Walt as a way to sabotage her pathetic television series. Instead of dooming the show, Walt propels it to the top of the ratings, and the brothers become instant celebrities. Meanwhile, Bob finds romance with a longtime cyber-pal. But as their lives change, one thing is certain: nothing will ever come between them
What’s Cool:
  • Commentary by directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly
  • Featurettes: “It’s Funny: The Farrelly Formula”; “Bringing Stuck on You to The Screen”; “The Makeup Effects of Stuck on You.
  • 8 deleted scenes
  • Bloopers reel
From Our Review:
Except for a few bright moments with its cast, Stuck on You doesn’t stick with you in any way other than to remind you the Farrelly brothers have lost their touch.
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 Love Actually
Everywhere you look, love is causing chaos. From the bachelor Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (Hugh Grant) to aging rock stars–love arrives in many forms, shapes and sizes. Here, 10 separate but intertwining stories of love all lead up to a big climax on Christmas Eve, proving that love is the driving force in all of these people’s lives. Also stars Bill Nighy, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth and Laura Linney.
What’s Cool:
  • Commentary by director Richard Curtis and stars Hugh Grant and Bill Nighy
  • Deleted scenes with introductions by Richard Curtis
  • Music video: “The Trouble With Love Is” by Kelly Clarkson
  • The music of Love Actually with introductions by Richard Curtis
From Our Review:
A breath of fresh air in a season full of downer dramas and horror films, Love Actually allows you to sit back and enjoy the romantic, comical and bittersweet consequences of being under Cupid’s spell.
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 Love Don’t Cost a Thing
Alvin (Nick Cannon) has spent the last three years of high school grinding away at his studies, while socially, he’s a big phat zero. As he enters his senior year, he wants to shed his nerdy persona and somehow become cool enough to chill with ultra-popular students like Paris Morgan, the hottest girl in school (Christina Milian). When Paris accidentally wrecks her mother’s car, Alvin seizes the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and engineers a plan to launch him from pariah to player. In exchange for Alvin laying down the cash and fixing the car, Paris will pretend to date him–and ensure his entrée into the ranks of the school’s elite
What’s Cool:
  • Deleted scenes
  • Alternate ending
  • Music videos: “Luv Me Baby” by Murphy Lee and “Shorty (Put It on the Floor)” by Busta Rhymes, Fat Joe, Chingy and Nick Cannon
  • “The Making of Love Don’t Cost a Thing
From Our Review:
It’s shocking that Love Don’t Cost a Thing, a remake of the equally bad 1987 comedy Can’t Buy Me Love, was adapted in the first place, and even more surprising that it wasn’t released direct to video.
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 Ghosts of the Abyss
Director James Cameron journeys back to the site of his greatest inspiration–the legendary wreck of the Titanic. With a team of the world’s foremost historic and marine experts and friend Bill Paxton, he embarks on an unscripted adventure back to the final grave where nearly 1,500 souls lost their lives almost a century ago. Using state-of-the-art technology developed expressly for this expedition, Cameron and his crew are able to explore all of the wreckage, inside and out, as never before.
What’s Cool:
  • “Reflections from the Deep” featurette–includes unseen footage from the risky dives to the ocean floor as well as revealing interviews with director James Cameron, star Bill Paxton and the entire crew.
  • “The MIR Experience” featurette–an innovative multi-angle where you can choose different cameras and see the Titanic from other angles.
  • A 90-minute extended version of the film
From Our Review:
It’s worth the risk of looking silly in the 3D glasses to join James Cameron on his trip to depths of the North Atlantic for a firsthand look at the great, tragic Titanic.
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Still Hot
 Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
This Academy Award-nominated film based on the popular novel series tells the saga of Capt. Lucky Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe), who, during the Napoleonic Wars, captains his frigate H.M.S. Surprise. When the ship is suddenly attacked by a superior French vessel, Aubrey decides to set sail on his hobbled craft in a high stakes chase across two oceans to intercept and capture their foe. It’s a mission that can decide the fate of a nation–or destroy Lucky Jack and his crew. Also stars Paul Bettany as Aubrey’s trusted confidante and ship’s doctor, Dr. Stephen Maturin. Directed by Peter Weir.
What’s Cool:
  • Featurettes: “In the Hundred Days,” director Peter Weir’s guide through production; “In the Wake of O’Brian,” about adapting the novels; “Cinematic Phasmids,” a look at the special effects; “HBO First Look: The Making of Master and Commander.
  • Six deleted scenes
From Our Review:
The cast and crew of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World tackle the subject matter with verve and create a painstakingly accurate picture of life on a 1800s warship. Even when things are dead calm, it’s a breathtaking film to behold.
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Compiled by Anne Reiman

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