Home Media Magazine - January 5, 2009 - (Page 18) NEWS Eliza Dushku in The Alphabet Killer www.homemediamagazine.com JUST ANNOUNCED A Weekly Product Update* ‘Alphabet Killer’ Thrills on DVD By Kyra Kudick nchor Bay Entertainment Jan. 6 releases The Alphabet Killer (DVD $26.97), starring Eliza Dushku, Cary Elwes and Timothy Hutton. The film is a psychological thriller loosely based on the unsolved case of a 1970s serial killer in Rochester, N.Y., who raped and killed victims with double-initial names and then dumped their bodies in towns beginning with the same letter. Writer/producer Tom Malloy (The Attic), who also stars, said the initial idea for the story came from his wife. “I wanted to write another horror film, and my wife is from Rochester — and if you were from Rochester, you knew about this case,” Malloy said. But Malloy didn’t want to focus strictly on the case itself. “Police procedurals are everywhere,” he said. “I was more interested in showing the internal battle of man vs. himself.” To that end, the focus of the story is a fictional female detective (Dushku) who becomes increasingly obsessed with solving the case and has a psychotic break, resulting in a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Malloy said the idea for a schizophrenic character came from the strong connection between letters and numbers throughout the case. Transporter 3 STREET DATE Elegy BOX OFFICE (MILLIONS) The Perfect Hideout TITLE PREBOOK GENRE PRICE Transporter 3 3/10 2/11 $31.6 Action DVD $29.95, BD $39.99 Lionsgate. 2008. Jason Statham. In this latest addition to the franchise, Frank Martin once again finds himself transporting mysterious cargo to a dangerous destination. Also available in a two-DVD special edition with digital copy at $34.98. The Blu-ray Disc also has a digital copy. Elegy 3/17 2/12 $3.6 Drama DVD $27.96 “Schizophrenics have a very tough time with letters and numbers, so in a way her illness gives her an insight [into the case],” he said. Dushku said the character drew her to the project. “People are fascinated with what is insane,” she said. The film looks stark and cold, shot on location in Rochester in winter, and Dushku’s appearance seems to mirror her environment, thin, haggard, with bags under her eyes — a departure from her usual Hollywood glam look. “It was not a lip-glossy role,” Dushku said with a chuckle. “It was really freeing. I would show up at work, skip the hair and makeup, and get into the meat and the character — trying to get into the head space of this person.” When it came to casting the villain in the film, Malloy asked himself about the head space of his audience: “How can I throw people off, knowing they will be playing detective in their heads?” His answer was to “cast as many psychos as [he] could” in supporting roles, so the number of actors who have previously played villains makes guessing the outcome a challenge. Extras include two audio commentaries, one with Malloy; a making-of featurette; and an alternate scene. Sony Pictures. 2008. Ben Kingsley, Dennis Hopper, Penélope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard. A middle-aged college professor is captivated by a young student with whom he has a passionate relationship. Includes a commentary and the featurette “The Poetry of Elegy.” The Perfect Hideout 2/17 1/13 DTV Thriller DVD $19.98 Well Go USA. 2008. Billy Zane, Cristian Solimeno, Melinda Cohen. A couple is on the run after accidentally killing a cop. As S.W.A.T. closes in on them, they take a man hostage, not realizing he is a serial killer. Yentl: Extended Director’s Edition 2/3 1/17 Re-release Drama DVD $29.98 Fox/MGM. 1983. Barbra Streisand, Mandy Patinkin, Amy Irving. A Jewish girl poses as a boy to study traditional Jewish law at a Talmudic academy and falls in love with a fellow student. Includes an introduction by Streisand, commentary, deleted scenes and more. The Hunchback of Notre Dame 3/3 1/29 TV Drama DVD $14.94 Sony Pictures. 1982. Anthony Hopkins, Derek Jacobi, John Gielgud, Robert Powell, Lesley-Anne Down. This made-for-TV movie originally aired on CBS. Based on the epic Victor Hugo novel Notre-Dame de Paris, it is a tragic Gothic romance about a deformed man and a beautiful gypsy woman. The Story of David 3/3 1/29 TV Drama DVD $14.94 Sony Pictures. 1967. Timothy Bottoms, Anthony Quayle, Keith Michell, Jane Seymour. This made-for-TV movie originally aired on ABC. Based on the biblical story of King David, the saga begins with the boy battling Goliath and ends with the man’s romance with Bathsheba. Saturday Morning 3/3 2/3 DTV Comedy DVD $19.99 Vivendi. 2009. Joey Piscopo, Louis Mandylor, George Wendt. A mild-mannered man who is not a morning person is forced to leave his home in the wee hours due to a home renovation project and discovers a utopia between the hours of 6 and 8 a.m. Forbidden Hollywood Collection Vol. 3 3/24 2/17 Re-release Various DVD $49.92 Warner. This volume features six controversial 1930s movies from filmmaker William Wellman. Titles include Other Men’s Women, The Purchase Price, Frisco Jenny, Midnight Mary, Heroes for Sale and Wild Boys of the Road. The Robe: Special Edition 3/17 2/18 Re-release Drama DVD $19.98, BD $34.99 Fox. 1953. Richard Burton, Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Jay Robinson, Richard Boone. The Oscar award-winning biblical epic based on the novel by Lloyd C. Douglas has been newly restored and includes an introduction by Martin Scorsese, commentary, a making-of featurette and more. Return of the Outlaws 3/17 2/18 DTV Western DVD $26.98 LIONSGATE AND HIT ENTERTAINMENT OFFER KIDVID FRANCHISE FAVORITES By Kyra Kudick Lionsgate. 2008. John Castellanos, Corbin Timbrook, Lorenzo Lamas. An outlaw escapes hanging and convinces a crew to join him in the ultimate heist, but a small-town sheriff stands in their way. Happily N’Ever After 2 3/24 2/25 DTV Animated DVD $19.98 L ionsgate and HIT Entertainment will ring in the new year by releasing several new titles from beloved children’s franchises. Arriving March 10 (prebook Feb. 11) is Barney’s Top 20 Countdown (DVD $14.98), with the big purple dinosaur sharing his 20 favorite songs. Special features include a “What’s That Sound?” game, a sing-along to “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and a bonus episode of “Roary the Racing Car,” a new animated series from the creators of “Bob the Builder.” March 17 (prebook Feb. 18) comes Bob the Builder On Site: Skyscrapers (DVD $14.98), showing how skyscrapers are built. Thomas & Friends: High Speed Adventure races to DVD ($14.98) March 31 (prebook March 4) with six new stories. Also debuting March 31 (prebook March 4) is Bedtime for Frances, in which author Russell Hoban’s lovable badger comes to life in three stories. The DVD is packaged with the book at $14.98. Lionsgate. 2008. A parody of the fairy tale “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Includes three interactive games, “Red Riding Hood Challenge,” “Bo Peep and the Sheep” and “Snow White and the Great Hall.” Also available as a two-pack with Happily N’Ever After at $29.98. South Pacific: 50th Anniversary 3/31 3/4 Re-Release Musical BD $34.99 Fox. 1958. Rossano Brazzi, Mitzi Gaynor, John Kerr. A young American nurse meets a handsome and mysterious French planter on a South Pacific island during World War II. Includes sing-a-long karaoke subtitles, audio commentary and more. Hope & Faith: Season One 3/31 3/4 TV Comedy DVD $39.98 Lionsgate. Faith Ford, Kelly Ripa. The four-DVD set includes 25 episodes from the 2003-04 season of the show about a suburban wife and mother of three who gets a surprise when her celebrity sister comes to town and single-handedly disrupts the once-peaceful household. TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection 5/5 3/31 Re-release Various Four-DVD sets $27.92 Warner. The second wave of Turner Classic Movies includes 60 films in 15 themed groups. The titles include such films as Singin’ in the Rain, The Dirty Dozen, Annie Get Your Gun and The Wild Bunch, among others. * In order of box office, then prebook date Home Media Magazine January 5–11, 2009 http://www.homemediamagazine.com
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