New DVD Spin: There Will Be Blood, Munchausen, Bette Davis, Walk Hard, and More

What's landing on our DVD shelves this week? Here are some that snatched our attention. Keep visiting us here at Film.com/DVD for more reporting and opinionating on titles you see here.

Editor's Choice:

There Will Be Blood (Paramount)
Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Ciaran Hinds, and Kevin J. O'Connor.

Here's Paul Thomas Anderson's drama of the Gilded Age at its most soul-devouring, one of 2007's most highly praised films in a year when that really meant something.

When Daniel Plainview -- a role that would have single-handedly made Daniel Day-Lewis a star if he hadn't been one already -- gets a mysterious tip-off that there's a little town out West where an ocean of oil is oozing out of the ground, he heads there with his son, H.W., to take their chances in dust-worn Little Boston. In this hardscrabble town, where the main excitement centers around the Holy Roller church of charismatic preacher Eli Sunday, Plainview and H.W. make their lucky strike. But even as the well raises all of their fortunes, nothing will remain the same as conflicts escalate and every human value -- love, hope, community, belief, ambition, and even the bond between father and son -- is imperiled by corruption, deception, and the flow of oil.

The movie is available on a single-disc DVD with no extras, and a two-disc edition that adds featurettes, deleted scenes, the 1923 silent film The Story of Petroleum, a "Dailies Gone Wild" outtake, and a slide show of vintage photos from the era selected by Anderson. Film.com * Rotten Tomatoes * MetaCritic

Editor's rating: 5 out of 5 Oh-hell-yeahs

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen - 20th Anniversary Edition (Sony)
Director Terry Gilliam (Brazil) and an all-star cast including John Neville, Eric Idle, Oliver Reed, and Uma Thurman deliver this tale of the enchanting adventures of Baron von Munchausen on his journey to save a town from defeat. Being swallowed by a giant sea-monster, a trip to the moon, a dance with Venus and an escape from the grim reaper are only some of the improbable adventures. On DVD and Blu-ray. Special features include: "The Madness and Misadventures of Munchausen," an all new three-art documentary on the making of the film; commentary with director Terry Gilliam & co-writer/actor Charles McKeown; deleted scenes; storyboard sequences with all-new vocal performances by Terry Gilliam and Charles McKeown; and "Marvelous World of Munchausen Enhanced Graphics & Trivia Track" (Blu-ray exclusive). Film.com * Rotten Tomatoes * MetaCritic

Editor's rating: 4 out of 5 Oh-hell-yeahs

The Bette Davis Centenary Celebration Collection (20th Century Fox)
Celebrating the queen of Hollywood stars' 100th birthday, this boxed set contains a choice selection of Ms. Davis' classics: All About Eve * Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte * The Virgin Queen * Phone Call from a Stranger * The Nanny. More information at Amazon * DVD Beaver review.

Editor's rating: 5 out of 5 Oh-hell-yeahs

Also out this week:

The 11th Hour (Warner Bros.)
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, William McDonough, Bill McKibben, Kenny Ausubel, Janine Benyus, Sylvia Earle Ph.D., Paul Hawken, and Stephen Hawking.

The 11th Hour is the last moment when change is possible. The film explores how we've arrived at this moment -- how we live, how we impact planet Earth's ecosystems, and what we can do to change our course. Featuring ongoing dialogues of experts from all over the world, including former Soviet Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev, renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, former CIA chief R. James Woolsey, and sustainable design experts William McDonough and Bruce Mau in addition to over 50 leading scientists, thinkers and leaders who discuss the most important issues that face our planet and people. Film.com * Rotten Tomatoes * MetaCritic

The Cats of Mirikitani (Arts Alliance America)
In 2001, Japanese American painter Jimmy Mirikitani, over 80 years old, is living on the streets of lower Manhattan. Filmmaker Linda Hattendorf takes an interest, and begins to engage with him to create a documentary of his life. After the destruction on September 11, 2001, the debris- and dust-choked streets are deserted; when Hattendorf looks for Mirikitani, he is still in his usual spot. She invites him to stay a while at her apartment. Gradually we learn who he is, and of his past, with amazing and unexpected results. (The cats of the title are featured in Mirikitani's artwork.) This documentary is an intimate exploration of the lingering wounds of war and the healing power of art. The film is a heart-warming affirmation of humanity that will appeal to all lovers of peace, art, and cats. Film.com * Rotten Tomatoes * MetaCritic

Classic Musicals From The Dream Factory (Volume 3) (Warner Bros.)
Along with the rich variety of extras (vintage shorts, deleted/alternate musical numbers, classic cartoons, and audio rediscoveries from the vault) with which Warner adorns its DVD collections of vintage films, this generous boxed set features an all-new-to-DVD collection with nine favorites from a 20-year period when M-G-M defined the movie musical. There are three all-star, widescreen musicals from the 1950s (Hit The Deck, Kismet, and Deep in My Heart), a couple of two-disc double-feature sets honoring the tap dancing queen Eleanor Powell (Broadway Melody of 1936/Broadway Melody of 1938 and Born to Dance/Lady Be Good), along with two films starring Jane Powell (Nancy Goes to Rio and Two Weeks With Love). Amazon * Turner Classic Movies

Lions for Lambs (MGM)
Starring Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Michael Pena, Derek Luke, and Andrew Garfield.

The story begins after Arian and Ernest, two determined students at a West Coast university, follow the inspiration of their idealistic professor Dr. Malley and attempt to do something important with their lives. But when the two make the bold decision to join the battle in Afghanistan, Malley is both moved and distraught. Now, as Arian and Ernest fight for survival in the field, they become the string that binds together two disparate stories on opposite sides of America. In California, an anguished Dr. Malley attempts to reach a privileged but disaffected student who is the very opposite of Arian and Ernest. Meanwhile, in Washington DC, charismatic presidential hopeful Senator Jasper Irving is about to give a bombshell story to a probing TV journalist that may affect Arian and Ernest's fates. As arguments, memories, and bullets fly, the three stories are woven even more tightly together, revealing how each of these Americans has a profound impact on one another and the world. The DVD includes a commentary track by Robert Redford. Film.com * Rotten Tomatoes * MetaCritic

Looking for Cheyenne (Genius Products)
Starring Mila Dekker, Aurélia Petit, Malik Zidi, Luc Leclerc du Sablon, Christine Dory, Guilaine Londez, Pierre Hiessler, and Laurence Côte.

Cheyenne, a young unemployed journalist whose welfare payments are about to be cut off, decides to leave Paris to live a marginal life in the country. She leaves behind Sonia, the woman she loves. Sonia is a physics and chemistry teacher at a Parisian high school. She tries her best to forget Cheyenne, but it's not easy. How do we reconcile what we want with what we're actually able to do, what we think and how we act? How do we cope with a person we love and yet have to refuse? Looking for Cheyenne is a contemporary fable about the precarious states created by modern society, the need for change, and the power of love. Film.com * Rotten Tomatoes * MetaCritic

Music Within (MGM)
Starring Ron Livingston, Melissa George, Michael Sheen, Yul Vazquez, Rebecca De Mornay, Hector Elizondo, and Leslie Nielsen.

Richard Pimentel enlists in the Army for a tour of duty in Vietnam. During combat, the young recruit loses his hearing to a bomb blast, and has to deal with this newfound disability on his return to civilian life in Oregon. Richard discovers that his disability and the struggle to transcend it is a defining moment in his fight for what he believes in. When he tries to help his friends -- vets like himself and others with disabilities -- to get work in an environment that treats them with pity at best and disdain as a matter of course, he realizes that he can make a difference. Together, the friends experience the currents of those turbulent times, and the wild, joyful energy of winning through confrontation and humor. Without his hearing Richard is all the more prepared to listen to the message deep within himself, and to carry that message to the thousands of people whose lives are improved by the movement he helps organize. Film.com * Rotten Tomatoes * MetaCritic

P2 (Universal)
Starring Rachel Nichols, Wes Bentley, Simon Reynolds, Grace Lynn Kung, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee.

It's Christmas Eve, a time for curling up by the fire with family and friends, a day when even the most voracious corporate climbers generally head home by dinnertime. But not Angela. She's the last one left at the office, determined to close one more deal before the holiday. The long hours she keeps will have an impact, but not the kind she's been hoping for. When she gets down to the parking garage, she discovers her car won't start. The timing couldn't be worse; she's already late for Christmas Eve dinner with her family, the garage is deserted, and her cell phone doesn't get a signal underground. But then a friendly security guard comes along and offers to help. He flirtatiously invites her to stay and share a small Christmas dinner he's preparing in the parking office, but she laughs it off. Before she knows what's hit her, she's been knocked unconscious. When she wakes up, she's tied to a chair in the security guard's office. As it turns out, his dinner invitation was not optional -- and it's going to involve a lot more than a meal. If Angela wants to live to see Christmas morning, she must find a way to escape from level P2 of the parking garage. Film.com * Rotten Tomatoes * MetaCritic

Reservation Road (Universal)
Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Connelly, and Mira Sorvino.

Based on the critically acclaimed novel of the same name by John Burnham Schwartz, this tale of anger, revenge, and great courage follows two fathers as their families and lives converge. On a warm September evening, college professor Ethan Learner, his wife Grace, and their daughter Emma are attending a recital. Their 10-year-old son Josh is playing cello -- beautifully, as usual. His younger sister looks up to him, and his parents are proud of their son. On the way home, they all stop at a gas station on Reservation Road. There, in one terrible instant, Josh is taken from them forever. On a warm September evening, law associate Dwight Arno and his 11-year-old son Lucas are attending a baseball game. Their favorite team, the Red Sox, is playing, and hopefully heading for the World Series. Dwight cherishes his time spent with Lucas. Driving his son back to his ex-wife, Lucas' mother Ruth Wheldon, Dwight heads toward his fateful encounter at Reservation Road. The accident happens so fast that Lucas is all but unaware, whereas Ethan -- the only witness -- is all too aware when a panicked Dwight speeds away. The police are called, and an investigation begins. Haunted by the tragedy, both fathers react in unexpected ways, as do Grace and Emma. As a reckoning looms, the two fathers are forced to make the hardest choices of their lives. Film.com * Rotten Tomatoes * MetaCritic

Resurrecting the Champ (20th Century Fox)
Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Josh Hartnett, Kathryn Morris, David Paymer, Teri Hatcher, Alan Alda, Harry J. Lennix, and Peter Coyote.

One night after leaving the paper, sports reporter Erik Kernan sees a gang of thugs beating up a homeless man. He notices how well the grizzly old fellow can take a punch. He bobs, he weaves, he lands a few good ones himself until Erik chases the thugs away, who leave jeers of how they beat "The Champ" in their wake. Erik realizes he has just rescued the legendary "Battling Bob Satterfield" and stumbled on the story of a lifetime. Rumor had it that Satterfield was dead -- and yet here he was. An article about the rise, fall, and resurrection of a former heavyweight contender could get Erik's career off the ropes and breathe life into his confidence. A story like this could be the title shot he has been waiting for: a chance to change his life forever. Film.com * Rotten Tomatoes * MetaCritic

Sharkwater (Warner Bros.)
Starring Patrick Moore, Erich Ritter, Rob Stewart, Paul Watson, and Boris Worm.

Sharkwater takes you into the most shark-rich waters of the world, exposing the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world's shark populations in the marine reserves of Cocos Island, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. It's among the most gripping and beautifully shot documentaries I've seen in years. The DVD comes with a behind-the-scenes featurette, Beneath the Surface; Shark Defense, a naval training film; and theatrical trailers and TV spots. Film.com * Rotten Tomatoes * MetaCritic

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (Sony)
Starring John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Tim Meadows, and Kristen Wiig.

"America loves Cox!" says the big letters on the box. And that pretty much tells you everything you need to know. If it made you laugh, you'll like this movie. In this forced and middlin' successful biopic parody, John C. Reilly -- who has proven to be so much better -- stars in an up-and-down-and-up-again story as a singer/songwriter whose songs would change a nation. On his rock-and-roll spiral, Cox sleeps with 411 women, marries three times, has 22 kids and 14 stepkids, stars in his own '70s TV show, collects friends ranging from Elvis to the Beatles to a chimp, and gets addicted to every drug known to humankind. But despite it all, Cox grows into a national icon. The movie arrives on disc this week in a number of options: a single-disc theatrical version DVD, a two-disc Unrated Special Edition DVD, Blu-ray, and UMD for PSP. Extras include commentary with Judd Apatow, Jake Kasdan, Lew Morton, and John C. Reilly; eight full song performance sequences; assorted behind-the-scenes featurette; and deleted scenes. The two-disc and Blu-ray editions add an extended version of the film, more deleted and extended scenes; a Christmas song by Dewey Cox; Cox Sausage commercials (with outtakes); "The Last Word with John Hodgman"; "Tyler Nilson: A Cockumentary"; and more. Film.com * Rotten Tomatoes * MetaCritic

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (Sony)
Starring Emily Watson, Alex Etel, Ben Chaplin, David Morrissey, and Brian Cox.

The story begins when Angus, a young Scottish boy, finds an enchanted egg. Taking it home, he soon finds himself face-to-face with an amazing creature: the mythical "water horse" of Scottish lore. Angus begins a journey of discovery, facing his greatest fears and risking his life to protect a secret that would give birth to a legend. Film.com * Rotten Tomatoes * MetaCritic

TV on DVD:

The pick of the TV on DVD list this week is Fortysomething, a 2003 British dramedy series released by Acorn Media. Fortysomething stars Hugh Laurie (House), who also directed the first three episodes. Before House, Laurie honed his doctor-playing skills in this hit British comedy. This six-episode series costars Anna Chancellor (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Suburban Shootout) and is available to U.S. audiences for the first time.

How do you know when you're having a midlife crisis? Maybe it's when you can't remember exactly where your wife works -- or whether she works at all. Or when your children have a more active sex life than you do. Or maybe it's when you start to hear the unspoken thoughts inside other people's heads. Laurie stars as Paul Slippery, an anxiety-ridden British doctor suffering from all those symptoms and more. His wife (Chancellor) has embarked on a new career and perhaps an extramarital affair or two. His three oversexed sons mock him without mercy. And at work he's tangled in red tape and tormented by a flaky colleague. Back in the native accent, Laurie's edgy, high-energy characterization adds to the strong cast and Britcom repartee. Fortysomething is adapted from the novel by BAFTA and Emmy-winner Nigel Williams. Guest stars include Stephen Fry, Laurie's partner-in-comedy from shows such as A Bit of Fry & Laurie, Jeeves & Wooster, and Blackadder.

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