Blu-ray 19th May Release

True Blood: The Complete First Season (HBO Series) [Blu-ray]

HBO Home Video / 2008 / 720 Minutes / Unrated
Street Date: May 19, 2009

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Horror

Starring: Steven Moyer, Anna Paquin
Plot Synopsis: TRUE BLOOD chronicles the backwoods Louisiana town of Bon Temps... where vampires have emerged from the coffin, and no longer need humans for their fix. Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin, Academy Award®-winner for “The Piano”) works as a waitress at the rural bar Merlotte's. Though outwardly a typical young woman, she keeps a dangerous secret: she has the ability to hear the thoughts of others. Her situation is further complicated when the bar gets its first vampire patron - 173-year old Bill Compton (Steven Moyer, "Quills") - and the two outsiders are immediately drawn to each other. Delivering the best of what audiences have come to expect from Creator and Executive Producer Alan Ball (writer of Oscar®-winning Best Picture "American Beauty", creator of the Emmy® Award-winning HBO® series “Six Feet Under"), TRUE BLOOD is a dark and sexy tale that boldly delves into the heart - and the neck - of the Deep South.

24: Season Seven [Blu-ray]

Fox Home Entertainment / 2008 / Unrated
Street Date: May 19, 2009

Genres: Action, Drama, Television

Starring: Kim Raver, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Kiefer Sutherland

Valkyrie [Blu-ray]

MGM Home Entertainment / 2008 / 120 Minutes / Rated PG-13
Street Date: May 19, 2009

Genres: Drama, War

Starring: Tom Cruise
Director: Bryan Singer

Plot Synopsis: “Tom Cruise gives one of the best performances of his career” (Jeffrey Lyons, NBC/Reel Talk) in this action-packed film from the director of The Usual Suspects and X-Men. Based on the incredible true story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) and his ingenious assassination plot targeting Adolf Hitler, this engrossing thriller reenacts the daring operation to eliminate one of the most evil tyrants the world has ever known. Co-starring Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Terence Stamp and Eddie Izzard, Valkyrie delivers gripping suspense and pulse-pounding excitement from start to finish.

Disc Features:
• Audio Commentaries: Tom Cruise, Bryan Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie / Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander
• Featurettes: "The Journey to Valkyrie," "The Road to Resistance: A Visual Guide," "The African Front Sequence," "Taking to the Air," "Recreating Berlin," "92nd Street Y: Reel Pieces with Tom Cruise and Bryan Singer," "The Valkyrie Legacy"
• Digital Copy

Paul Blart: Mall Cop [Blu-ray]

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment / 2009 / 91 Minutes / Rated PG
Street Date: May 19, 2009

Genres: Comedy, family

Starring: Kevin James, Keir O'Donnell, Jayma Mays
Director: Steve Carr

Plot Synopsis: Attention, shoppers: Former King of Queens star Kevin James makes the successful leap to big screen leading man with this Die Hard meets Home Alone slapstick comedy produced by Adam Sandler. In his most empathetic role since his endearing scene-stealing turn in Hitch, James (who also co-wrote the script) stars as biggest loser Paul Blart, a 10-year veteran of the West Orange, New Jersey shopping mall, where he gets no respect from taunting kids who pelt him with ball pit orbs, or a senior who brazenly violates Blart's strictly enforced speed limit in his motorized wheelchair. The film is slow to get rolling as it lays on the pathos as thick as the peanut butter the lonely, overweight and socially awkward Blart spreads on his pies ("Food fills the cracks in he heart," he tells his mother). But then, a band of cycling, skateboarding thieves presumably recruited from the X games take over the mall on so-called Black Friday, the busiest holiday season shopping day. Blart is "untrained, unarmed, and presents a huge target," but, like a plus-size John McClane on a Segway, he is the wild card determined to stop them and rescue his unrequited crush (Jayma Mays) who has been taken hostage. James carries the film on his massive shoulders (the supporting cast is strictly discount outlet, with comedian Adam Ferrara as a sympathetic cop and Bobby Cannavale from Will & Grace and Third Watch as a bullying SWAT team leader the most familiar faces). He proves himself to be an impressively agile physical comedian and he's game for every body slam, pratfall, and tumble. Rated PG for mild violence, a few profanities, and a couple of gross-out gags, Paul Blart: Mall Cop is less crude than previous Sandler productions, more The Benchwarmers than Deuce Bigalow.

My Bloody Valentine 3D [Blu-ray]

Lionsgate Home Entertainment / 2009 / 101 Minutes / Rated R
Street Date: May 19, 2009

Genres: Suspense, thriller

Starring: Jensen Ackles, Jaime King, Kerr Smith, and Betsy Rue
Director: Patrick Lussier

Plot Synopsis: Ten years ago in the town of Harmony, an inexperienced coal miner caused an accident that trapped and killed five men and sent the only survivor, Harry Warden, into a coma. When Harry awoke, exactly one year later on Valentine’s Day, he wanted revenge and brutally murdered 22 people with a pickax before being killed himself. Now, after years of peace, something from Harmony’s dark past has returned. Wearing a miner’s mask and armed with a pickax, an unstoppable killer is on the loose. As his footsteps come ever closer, the townspeople realize in terror that it just might be Harry Warden who has found his way back.

Disc Features:

• Audio Commentary - Director Patrick Lussier and co-screenwriter/actor Todd Farmer deliver a very entertaining and quite funny track. Both are vets of the horror genre (with Lussier having edited the 'Scream' flicks and helmed the 'Dracula 2000' series, while Farmer wrote 'Jason X'), and neither condescend to the material.
  
• Featurette: "Deep Inside My Bloody Valentine" (HD, 7 minutes)
  
• Featurette: "Sex, Blood & Screams" (HD, 5 minutes)
  
• Deleted Scenes (SD) - Next is a dozen cut scenes plus an alternate ending.
  
• Gag Reel (SD, 1 minute)
  
• Theatrical Trailer (HD) - Finally, we get the original theatrical trailer in full HD.
  
• Digital Copy (SD)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Skynet Edition) [Blu-ray]

Lionsgate Home Entertainment / 1992 / 152 Minutes / Rated R
Street Date: May 19, 2009

Overall Grade Must have collection




Genres: Action, thriller

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Director: James Cameron

Plot Synopsis: Arnold Schwarzenegger returns as The Terminator in this explosive action-adventure spectacle. Now he's one of the good guys, sent back in time to protect John Connor, the boy destined to lead the freedom fighters of the future. Linda Hamilton reprises her role as Sarah Connor, John's mother, a quintessential survivor who has been institutionalized for her warning of the nuclear holocaust she knows is inevitable. Together, the threesome must find a way to stop the ultimate enemy - the T-1000, the most lethal Terminator ever created. Co- written, produced and directed by James Cameron (The Terminator, Aliens, Titanic), this visual tour de force is also a touching human story of survival.

Disc Features:

• Audio Commentaries - Two "archival" tracks included. Director James Cameron recorded his first-ever audio commentary for the 'T2 Extreme Edition' DVD, along with co-writer William Wysher. It is a very strong effort indeed. Say what you want about the one-time "King of the World!", but he is a very intelligent, articulate, and passionate guy, and along with Wysher he imparts a great deal of detail on all aspects of the film's development, production and release. He explains every technical decision, as well as maintaining consistent story points with the first film with Wisher. Definitely a must listen.
  
  The second track is just as good, though 'just" an assemblage of audio interview extracts (meaning the participants do not address directly what is onscreen). However, with 26 members of the cast and crew of 'T2' on board and all the major players are represented -- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, and most of the main technical team -- how could it not succeed? I really like these compiled, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink tracks, because they are so informative and no one person gets to dominate. So I'm afraid that along with the Cameron and Wysher track, you're going to have to watch 'T2' yet again.
  
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 6 minutes)
  
• Theatrical Trailers (HD) - Three trailers are included plus a couple of extra previews. We get the film's teaser and two theatrical trailers. Also here is a video promo for the 'T2' special edition DVD, and the 'T2' THX logo that seems to be so beloved by fans. All of the clips have been mastered in 1080p/VC-1 video and looks quite good.

Back Catalogue Blu-ray: