• 300: Two Disc Special Edition (2007, dir. Zack Snyder, Warner): Dig deep into the bloody computer-assisted battle scenes and greased-up gladiators with docs and behind-the-scenes footage from the first certified hit of the year.
• Ace in the Hole (1951, dir. Billy Wilder, Criterion): A hard-to-find classic from a master filmmaker resurfaces with extensive interviews and documentaries. Kirk Douglas stars in this jet-black, razor-sharp social critique of modern media.
• Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters for DVD (2007, dir. Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro, Turner Home Entertainment): Aqua Teen Hunger Force was always the highlight of [adult swim] on the cartoon network. With the help of big-name voice work (Bruce Campbell, Chris Kattan and Neil Peart), our heroes Frylock, Master Shake and Meatwad make the leap to the big screen.
• Avant-Garde 2: Experimental Cinema 1928 - 1954 (Kino): This two-disc set features shorts by Stan Brakhage, Willard Maas, Gregory Markopoulos, Marie Menken, Dimitri Kirsanoff, Jean Mitry and Sidney Peterson.
• The Dark Crystal: 25th Anniversary Edition (1982, dir. Frank Oz and Jim Henson, Sony): This kids’ classic from the Muppet master himself is also a pothead’s delight. They must have been so high when they made this — it’s the only way to explain why these creepy puppets move so slowly and why they are always stopping for food breaks. Labyrinth has also been re-issued.
• Disturbia (2007, dir. D.J. Caruso, Dreamworks): After being sentenced to 90 days house arrest, “it kid” Shia LaBoeuf thinks his neighbour is up to something creepy. What should be a low-rent tween remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window is actually a smarter-than-average thriller.
• The Doom Generation (1995, dir. Greg Araki, Lionsgate): Araki was the king of queer indie cinema in the ’90s. This violent road show with Rose McGowan is frantic at best, but falls apart at the halfway point.
• Hot Fuzz (2007, dir. Edgar Wright, Universal): The team behind Shaun of the Dead sets their sights on the buddy cop drama. Bloody and bloody funny, this send-up was the spring’s sleeper hit.
• Inland Empire: Two Disc Edition (2007, dir. David Lynch, Absurdia/Rhino): Talking about plot when you are dealing with Lynch is almost moot. What you need to know is that this auteur’s latest 172-minute opus features Jeremy Irons, Laura Dern and Naomi Watts and is loaded with features, including 90 minutes of deleted scenes.
• La Jette/Sans Soleil (1962, dir. Chris Marker, Criterion): Two sci-fi classics on one disc. Marker’s La Jette inspired Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys, while Sans Soleil uses documentary style to explore the nuances of memory.
• The Number 23 (2007, dir. Joel Schumacher, New Line): Jim Carrey over-extends himself into the thriller genre, playing a man obsessed with the number 23. It’s limp psychodrama that gives away all its best bits in the trailer.
• Pathfinder: Unrated (2007, dir. Marcus Nispel, 20th Century Fox): Viking mythology meets fantasy swordplay in this amped-up action pic that uses prophecy and revisionist history to tell the story of the “New World.”
• The Stranger (1946, dir. Orson Welles, MGM): The incomparable Edward G. Robinsons stars in this thriller from the iconoclastic Welles. The plot, about a government agent hunting down a ruthless war criminal, takes a back seat to the filmmaking and performances. Robinson also stars in the recently reissued Woman in the Window — part of the MGM film noir series.
• Vacancy (2007, dir. Nimrod Antal, Sony): More psychological thriller than horror flick, Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale are travellers who check into the wrong hotel and are forced to fight for their life when they discover they are about to become the unwilling stars of a snuff film.
• Zodiac (2007, dir. David Fincher, Paramount): Fincher shows considerable restraint in this creepy epic that tells the true story of San Francisco’s notorious Zodiac serial killer. Look for great performances by Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr.
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