Blu-ray 17th November Releases

Star Trek (Three-Disc +Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]

Paramount Home Entertainment / 2009 / 127 Minutes / Rated PG-13
Street Date: November 17, 2009

Overall Grade A must have collection for this year.

Genres: Sci-fi action thriller

Starring: Chris Pine
Director: J.J Abrams

Plot Synopsis: J.J. Abrams' 2009 feature film was billed as "not your father's Star Trek," but your father will probably love it anyway. And what's not to love? It has enough action, emotional impact, humor, and sheer fun for any moviegoer, and Trekkers will enjoy plenty of insider references and a cast that seems ideally suited to portray the characters we know they'll become later. Both a prequel and a reboot, Star Trek introduces us to James T. Kirk (Chris Pine of The Princess Diaries 2), a sharp but aimless young man who's prodded by a Starfleet captain, Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood), to enlist and make a difference. At the Academy, Kirk runs afoul of a Vulcan commander named Spock (Zachary Quinto of Heroes), but their conflict has to take a back seat when Starfleet, including its new ship, the Enterprise, has to answer an emergency call from Vulcan. What follows is a stirring tale of genocide and revenge launched by a Romulan (Eric Bana) with a particular interest in Spock, and we get to see the familiar crew come together, including McCoy (Karl Urban), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Sulu (John Cho), Chekhov (Anton Yelchin), and Scottie (Simon Pegg).The action and visuals make for a spectacular Big-Screen Movie, though the plot by Abrams and his writers, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (who worked together on Transformers and with Abrams on Alias and Mission Impossible III), and his producers (fellow Losties Damon Lindeloff and Bryan Burk) can be a bit of a mind-bender (no surprise there for Lost fans). Hardcore fans with a bone to pick may find faults, but resistance is futile when you can watch Kirk take on the Kobayashi Maru scenario or hear McCoy bark, "Damnit, man, I'm a doctor, not a physicist!" An appearance by Leonard Nimoy and hearing the late Majel Barrett Roddenberry as the voice of the computer simply sweeten the pot. Now comes the hard part: waiting for some sequels to this terrific prequel.

Disc Features:

• Audio Commentary – Director J.J. Abrams, producers Bryan Burk & Damon Lindelof, and writers Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci (all recorded together) have a great rapport in this fast-paced, information-packed commentary.
  
• To Boldly Go (HD, 17 min. + 9 min.)
  
• Casting (HD, 29 min.)
  
• Starships (HD, 25 min. + 10 min.) – A look at the design of the ships in the movie, and how the art directors put a modern spin on the classic 'Trek' look. Abrams also explains why he shot many scenes in real factories and even a working brewery. Seven pods of additional clips are also available, the best of which has the actors demonstrating their "button acting" techniques.
  
• Aliens (HD, 17 min. + 8 min.)
  
• Planets (HD, 16 min. + 5 min.) – Creating planet Vulcan in the same desert location where Kirk fought the Gorn in the 'Original Series'.
  
• Props and Costumes (HD, 9 min. + 1 min.)
  
• Ben Burtt and the Sounds of Star Trek (HD, 12 min.)
  
• Score (HD, 7 min.)
  
• Gene Roddenberry's Vision (HD, 9 min.) – A tribute to the franchise's creator and his optimistic view of humanity's future.
  
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 14 min.) – Nine scenes with optional commentary by Abrams, Burk, Kurtzman, and Lindelof.
  
• Gag Reel (HD, 7 min.)
• Trailers (HD, 7 min.) – Four terrific trailers, including the exciting teaser with footage of the Enterprise being built (not in the movie).

My Sister's Keeper [Blu-ray]

New Line Home Entertainment / 2009 / 109 Minutes / Rated PG-13
Street Date: November 17, 2009

Genres: Drama

Starring: Jason Patric, Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Alec Baldwin
Director: Nick Cassavetes

Plot Synopsis:

Sara (Cameron Diaz) and Brian (Jason Patric) live an idyllic life with their young son and daughter. But their family is rocked by sudden, heartbreaking news that forces them to make a difficult and unorthodox choice in order to save their baby girl's life.

The parents' desperate decision raises both ethical and moral questions and rips away at the foundation of their relationship. Their actions ultimately set off a court case that threatens to tear the family apart, while revealing surprising truths that challenge everyone's perceptions of love and loyalty and give new meaning to the definition of healing.

Gone with the Wind (70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray]

Warner Home Video / 1939 / 233 Minutes / Rated G
Street Date: November 17, 2009

Genres: Romance

Starring: Clark Gable, Leslie Howard
Director: Victor Flemming

Plot Synopsis: David O. Selznick wanted Gone with the Wind to be somehow more than a movie, a film that would broaden the very idea of what a film could be and do and look like. In many respects he got what he worked so hard to achieve in this 1939 epic (and all-time box-office champ in terms of tickets sold), and in some respects he fell far short of the goal. While the first half of this Civil War drama is taut and suspenseful and nostalgic, the second is ramshackle and arbitrary. But there's no question that the film is an enormous achievement in terms of its every resource--art direction, color, sound, cinematography--being pushed to new limits for the greater glory of telling an American story as fully as possible. Vivien Leigh is still magnificently narcissistic, Olivia de Havilland angelic and lovely, Leslie Howard reckless and aristocratic. As for Clark Gable: we're talking one of the most vital, masculine performances ever committed to film.

Fight Club [Blu-ray]

20th Century Fox / 1999 / 139 Minutes / Rated R
Street Date: November 17, 2009

Genres: Thriller

Starring: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton
Director: David Fincher

Plot Synopsis: Fight Club, directed by David Fincher (Seven), is not for the faint of heart; the violence is no holds barred. But the film is captivating and beautifully shot, with some thought-provoking ideas. Pitt and Norton are an unbeatable duo, and the film has some surprisingly humorous moments. The film leaves you with a sense of profound discomfort and a desire to see it again, if for no other reason than to just to take it all in.

The Professional [Blu-ray]

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment / 1994 / 133 Minutes / Unrated
Street Date: November 17, 2009

Genres: Thriller

Starring: Danny Aiello, Gary Oldman, Jean Reno, Natalie Portman
Director: Luc Besson

Plot Synopsis: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman and Danny Aiello star in LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL, a go-for-broke thriller about a professional assassin whose work becomes dangerously personal. Calling himselfa "cleaner", the mysterious Leon (Reno) is New York's top hitman. When his next-door neighbors are murdered, Leon becomes the unwilling guardian of the family's sole survivor - 12-year-old Mathilda (Natalie Portman), but Mathilda doesn't just want protection; she wants revenge. Training her in the deadly tricks of his trade, Leon helps her track the psychotic agent (Oldman) who murdered her family.

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