Kriterion For Kidz

A trio of classic family films are being released by Criterion on April 29th: The Red Balloon, White Mane, and Paddle To The Sea. All three titles are being made available for the first time on DVD in the United States, with The Red Balloon being one of the most sought after titles since the format's inception. Pre-order all three titles today!

Better. Stronger. And Now Commercial Free.

The NBC revamp of Bionic Woman is coming to DVD March 18th on a two-disc DVD. The release is being dubbed Bionic Woman: Volume One, possibly because it's full season run was interrupted by the writers' strike or possibly because it's second season renewal hangs in the balance.

Lions For DVD

Robert Redford's political drama Lions For Lambs heads to DVD on April 8th in both fullscreen and widescreen formats. The film, starring Redford, Meryl Streep, and Tom Cruise (whose newly rechristened United Artists released the film), deals with the effects that Washington policies have on regular people during wartime. So far no extras have been announced for the discs, however it will include an English Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack.

The Golden Compass Points To April

New Line Home Entertainment has announced a April 29th release date for it's big screen adaptation of Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass. The film will be released in single disc fullscreen and widescreen versions, along with a 2 Disc New Line Platinum Series DVD and Blu-Ray edition containing hours of bonus materials. Although the film was considered somewhat of a commercial disappointment at the American box office, the film performed extremely well overseas.

Criterion In April

April sees two new additions to the Criterion Collection and a tenth release for the Eclipse line. First up is Allen Baron's gritty noir Blast Of Silence on April 15th, followed by an April 22nd release of Death Of A Cyclist and Silent Ozu: Three Family Comedies from Japanese master Yasujiro Ozu. Stay tuned to Empire Eyes Forward for an announcement of three new Janus Films titles also arriving in April.

In The Valley Of Oscars

Coinciding with Oscar nominations for both films, Warner Bros. has announced a February 19th release date for Michael Clayton and In The Valley Of Elah. Nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Michael Clayton is being released in widescreen, fullscreen, and Blu-Ray formats on February 19th, with an HD-DVD release date of March 11th. In The Valley Of Elah will also have it's HD-DVD release delayed to March 11th, while the DVD and Blu-Ray versions are scheduled to arrive day-and-date on February 19th.

McDreamy Gets Enchanted

The live action / animated Disney mash-up Enchanted, starring Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey and James Marsden, is set for release on March 18th, in widescreen, fullscreen, and Blu-Ray formats. Perfect for those of you who think that there's just not enough whimsy in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

It Feels Good To Be A Gangster

The Denzel Washington /Russell Crowe blockbuster American Gangster has been officially announced for a February 19th release in 4 variations: a 2 Disc Unrated Extended Edition, a 3 Disc Collector's Edition, an Unrated Extended HD-DVD, and a box set titled Gangsters: The Ultimate Collection, which includes American Gangster, Scarface, Casino, and Carlito's Way.

Lose The Nerdy 3-D Glasses

Beowulf comes home in 2-D on February 26th. You can see it the way you saw it in theaters (sans mind-blowing 3-D visuals, of course) on the standard edition DVD, or you can bring home the unrated Director's Cut on DVD and HD-DVD. No word yet on what to expect from the new cut, but one would guess lots of added gore and maybe some of the naughtier bits blurred and obscured in theaters...or you could just pick up Gia if you can't wait that long.

Playing With The Toys

Coming fresh on the heels of today's DVD release of Family Guy Presents: Blue Harvest, Warner Bros. has announced a May 20th release of Robot Chicken: Star Wars, the Adult Swim spoof of the legendary sci-fi saga as acted out by action figures. When, if ever, The Jon Stewart Show (which as I recall had this idea first) will be released on DVD is anyone's guess.

Margot At The Empire

Director Noah Baumbach's Margot At The Wedding starring Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Jack Black arrives on DVD just in time for the Oscars® (with a good chance of being nominated for Best Original Screenplay) on February 19th. Margot is Baumbach's follow-up to his excellent 2005 film The Squid And The Whale, which makes a perfect double feature with his debut film Kicking And Screaming, available now from Criterion.

Universal Screwballs

Universal Studios has announced a new wave of titles from their "Cinema Classics" line, this wave focusing on screwball comedies from the 1930s and 40s. The titles includes: She Done Him Wrong, Midnight, The Major And The Minor, and Easy Living. Each film includes an exclusive introduction by Film Historian Robert Osborne. Pre-order all four today!

Too Lazy To Come Up With A "Bee" Pun

Jerry Seinfeld's computer animated family film Bee Movie comes home on March 11th in four different configurations. A standard single disc version available in fullscreen and widescreen formats, as is a 2 disc version dubbed "Jerry's 2 Disc Special Edition." If you have kids or enjoy the show Seinfeld, this film might be for you. So that leaves you, Joe Bradbury of Sioux City, Iowa, out of the picture. Enjoy your childless, Seinfeld hating life.

Return Of Lumet

After a string of misses and near hits, director Sidney Lumet returned to form this past fall with Before The Devil Knows You're Dead, now available for pre-order on DVD, Blu-ray, and HD-DVD. The film stars Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke as a pair of brothers who conspire to rob their parents' jewelry store. Before The Devil Knows You're Dead arrives on all three formats on April 15th.

A Double Dose From Warner's To Start February

Warner Bros. has announced a February 2nd release for two of the highlights of the 2007 fall movie season, The Brave One (also on Blu-ray and HD-DVD) and The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (also on Blu-ray and HD-DVD). In Neil Jordan's The Brave One, Jodie Foster stars as Erica Bain, a woman who turns vigilante after her life is turned upside down by violence. The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford puts a meditative spin on the traditional western, more reminiscent of the films of Terrence Malick than Sergio Leone. Both are available for pre-order now at DVD Empire®.