Fruitvale Station has just been announced by Anchor Bay Entertainment for release on Blu-ray Disc January 14th, 2014.

The movie is a biographical drama film based on the true story of  a young man who was killed by a BART police officer.

The names of the officers were changed for the film.

Fruitvale Station won the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for U.S. dramatic film at Sundance.

It also won the award for Best First Film in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

The cast includes Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Kevin Durand and Octavia Spencer.

Fruitvale Station was the first feature film written and directed by Ryan Coogler.

The critical response to the film was very positive, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 94% and an IMDb score of 7.7/10.

Fruitvale Station took in $16.1M at the US box office.

Planned features for the disc include an 1080p encode presented at 1.78:1 with lossless 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio.

The retail price is $39.99, or pre-order it from Amazon for $27.99, saving 30%!

Alternatively you can add it to your Blu-rayStats Wishlist.

Synopsis:

Filmmaker Ryan Coogler makes his feature directorial debut with this drama centered on the tragic shooting of Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan), a vibrant 22-year-old Bay Area father who was senselessly gunned down by BART officers on New Year’s Day in 2009, and whose murder sent shockwaves through the nation after being captured on camera by his fellow passengers. Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer, Melonie Diaz, and Kevin Durand co-star.

Drinking Buddies is an interesting new indie Blu-ray title this week from Magnolia Home Entertainment, with release on December 3rd, 2013.

The movie written and directed by Joe Swanberg, and follows two co-workers at a craft brewery in Chicago.

The film is part of the Mumblecore movement, which is characterized by natural and unscripted dialogue, and as such the dialogue in the film was entirely improvised by the cast.

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Be sure to watch for the upcoming Anchor Bay Entertainment Blu-ray release Lee Daniels’ The Butler – on Blu-ray Disc January 14th, 2014.

This historical fiction drama film was written by Emmy award winning Danny Strong and was also the last film produced by Laura Ziskin.

The movie was loosely based on the life of Eugene Allen and tells of a White House butler who witnesses key events of the century.

The cast includes Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Robin Williams, John Cusack, Alan Rickman, Liev Schreiber, James Marsden and Jane Fonda.

Lee Daniels’ The Butler was of course directed by Lee Daniels, who was the man behind films like Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire and The Paperboy.

Reviews for the film were predominantly positive, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 74% and an IMDb score of 6.8/10.

Lee Daniels’ The Butler was a big success in the cinema, reaching $115.7M at the US box office against a budget of $30 million.

Expect a 1080p video encode with lossless 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio.

Supplements including. featurettes, a music video, deleted scenes and a gag reel are also planned.

The retail price is $39.99, or pre-order it from Amazon for $29.96, saving 25%!

Alternatively you can add it to your Blu-rayStats Wishlist.

Synopsis:

Lee Daniels’ The Butler tells the story of a White House butler who served eight American presidents over three decades. The film traces the dramatic changes that swept American society during this time, from the civil rights movement to Vietnam and beyond, and how those changes affected this man’s life and family. Forest Whitaker stars as the butler with Robin Williams as Dwight Eisenhower, John Cusack as Richard Nixon, Alan Rickman as Ronald Reagan, James Marsden as John F. Kennedy, Liev Schreiber as Lyndon B. Johnson, and many more. Academy Award nominated Lee Daniels (Precious) directs and co-wrote the script with Emmy award winning Danny Strong (Game Change).

A big week for releases in the Blu-ray Cover Art Gallery for the week of December 2nd 2013.

It is a huge week for Fox Home Entertainment with the release of The Wolverine on Blu-ray Disc, as well as the Blu-ray 3D version of The Wolverine.

Fox also has the X-Men and the Wolverine Collection this week with all 6 movies, and the X-Men: The Adamantium Collection with exclusive packaging.

On the television side, Fox continues with The Simpsons: The Sixteenth Season.

There are also some classic movies this week from Fox, including The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and Desk Set.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has The Smurfs 2 in 3D this week, as well as a Blu-ray release for Matilda.

Warner is digging into the Paramount vault with catalog releases for Al Pacino’s Serpico and Academy Award winning Terms of Endearment from Paramount Home Entertainment.

They also have the Jack Ryan Collection and The Hangover Trilogy this week, along with a collector’s edition for Ben Affleck’s Argo.

On the Art House side, look for Robert Altman’s Nashville and Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion from the Criterion Collection.

Magnolia Home Entertainment has Drinking Buddies and the documentary Good Ol’ Freda on Blu-ray this week.

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Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Blu-ray has scheduled the Blu-ray release for Tom Hanks film Captain Phillips on Blu-ray Disc January 21st, 2014.

The movie is an action thriller film based on the real life experiences of merchant mariner Captain Richard Phillips.

Phillips was taken hostage by Somali pirates during a hijacking in 2009.

The screenplay was based upon the book by Richard Phillips and Stephan Talty.

Tom Hanks was the lead actor with support from Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed, Mahat M. Ali, Michael Chernus and Corey Johnson.

Captain Phillips was directed by Paul Greengrass, who is perhaps most famous for The Bourne Ultimatum and The Bourne Supremacy, though also directed Green Zone and United 93.

The movie was met with strong reviews, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 94% and an IMDb score of 8.1/10.

Captain Phillips was also a success in the cinema, reaching $102.7M at the US box office.

While the details are not clear yet, as a Sony title it is pretty safe to assume a 1080p encode presented at 2.40:1 with lossless 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio.

A filmmaker commentary and a set of featurettes is also planned for this release.

The retail price is $40.99, or pre-order it from Amazon for $36.89, saving 10%!

Alternatively you can add it to your Blu-rayStats Wishlist.

Extras:

• Capturing Captain Phillips Embarkation
• Capturing Captain Phillips Full Ahead
• Capturing Captain Phillips Stand Fast
• Filmmaker Commentary

Synopsis:

Captain Phillips is a multi-layered examination of the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates. Based on a true story, the film focuses on the Alabama’s commanding officer, Captain Richard Phillips (two-time Academy Award-winner Tom Hanks, Best Actor, 1993, Philadelphia; Best Actor, 1994, Forrest Gump), and the Somali pirate captain, Muse (Barkhad Abdi), who takes him hostage. The two men are set on an unstoppable collision course when Muse and his crew target Phillips’ unarmed ship; in the ensuing standoff, both men will find themselves at the mercy of forces beyond their control.

Getaway is the latest action movie unleashed by Warner Home Video, which saw release on Blu-ray Disc November 26th, 2013.

This action crime thriller was written by Gregg Maxwell Parker and Sean Finegan for Dark Castle Entertainment and will be the last Dark Castle film through Warner.

The movie is the story of a former race car driver who is pitted against the clock in a high-speed game in order to save the life of his kidnapped wife.

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Be sure to watch for the upcoming Warner Home Video crime drama Prisoners – scheduled for Blu-ray Disc release December 17th, 2013.

The movie is about an abduction of two young girls in Pennsylvania and the desparate search to find them.

The film was initially rated NC-17 by the MPAA, but was edited to attain an R rating.

Even so the movie is still considered to be not for the faint hearted!

The cast includes Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo and Paul Dano.

Prisoners was directed by Canadian director Denis Villeneuve, who was also directed Incendies.

The film received great reviews, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 81% and an IMDb score of 8.1/10.

Prisoners also did fairly well in the cinema, reaching $60.8M at the US box office.

Planned features for the disc include a 1080p encode with lossless 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio.

A couple of production featurettes are also planned.

The retail price is $35.99, or pre-order it from Amazon for $24.99, saving 31%!

Alternatively you can add it to your Blu-rayStats Wishlist.

Extras:

• Every Moment Matters
• Powerful Performances

Synopsis:

How far would you go to protect your family? Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) is facing every parent’s worst nightmare. His six-year-old daughter, Anna, is missing, together with her young friend, Joy, and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is a dilapidated RV that had earlier been parked on their street. Heading the investigation, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) arrests its driver, Alex Jones (Paul Dano), but a lack of evidence forces his release. As the police pursue multiple leads and pressure mounts, knowing his child’s life is at stake the frantic Dover decides he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands. But just how far will this desperate father go to protect his family?

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 in 3D has just been announced by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment for release on Blu-ray 3D January 28th, 2014.

This computer-animated comic science fiction film is the sequel to the 2009 film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, which was loosely based on Judi and Ron Barrett’s book.

In this sequel the food machine awakens and produces sentient food monsters that threaten the world.

The voice cast includes Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Neil Patrick Harris, Benjamin Bratt, Terry Crews and Will Forte.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 in 3D was directed by Cody Cameron. who made Open Season 3, along with Kris Pearn.

The movie was mostly well received by critics with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 70% and an IMDb score of 6.5/10.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 in 3D was popular in the cinema, taking in $114.5M at the US box office.

Planned features for the disc include a stereo MVC 1080p encode presented at 2.40:1 with lossless 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio on a disc coded for All Regions.

A collection of mini movies, audio commentary, featurettes and a music video are also planned.

The retail price is $45.99, or pre-order it from Amazon for $41.39, saving 10%!

Alternatively you can add it to your Blu-rayStats Wishlist.

Extras:

• Attack of the 50-Foot Gummi Bear Mini Movie – Flint’s mischievous gummi bear grows to 50-feet by using his new food-modifying invention while Steve is in charge. Steve must frantically chase the gummi bear and transform him back to normal size before Flint returns to the lab.
• Steve’s First Bath Mini Movie – Flint’s failed date with Sam is because of Steve’s mischievous ways.
• Super Manny Mini Movie – Manny, the Jack of all trades, saves an adorable kitty with his many skills.
• Earl Scouts Mini Movie – The Foodimals join Earl’s scouting program but are very competitive.
• Deleted Scenes
• Filmmaker Commentary with directors Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn
• Anatomy of a Foodimal – Flamangos, Cheesespiders, Hippotatomuses! Oh my! Sit down with filmmakers to discuss the inspiration behind these wacky food-animal hybrids that have taken over Swallow Falls, and chat with the gang to find out how they came up with the Food-imal’s creative and amusing names.
• Production Design: Back in the Kitchen – Where do you go after it rains cheeseburgers all over Swallow Falls? Back to the kitchen of course! Hear from filmmakers Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn on how they came up with stories and jokes for the film.
• Awesome End Credits – Dive into the end credit sequence with the filmmakers and discover how they used a mix of 3D, 2D, stop motion and live action.
• Cloudy Café: Who’s On the Menu? – Hear from newcomers Will Forte and Kristen Schaal about what drew them (pun intended) to this animated feature and how they ‘discovered’ the voices of Chester V and Barb. Then, sit down with Terry Crews, as he steps into the pair of size 12 shoes left by Mr. T to portray Officer Earl Devereaux. Plus, hear from all your returning favorites including Anna Ferris and Bill Hader.
• Building the Foodimals – Animators discuss creating and animating the foodimals.
• The Sasquash – Exploring all the places in the film that the sneaky Sasquash is hiding.
• Delicious Production Design – Animators discuss the design of the film
• Cody Simpson ‘La Da Dee’ Music Video & Making of the video featurette

Synopsis:

Inventor Flint Lockwood thought he had saved the world when he destroyed his most infamous invention – a machine that turned water into food, resulting in cheeseburger rain and spaghetti tornadoes. But Flint soon learns that his invention survived and it is now combining food and animals to create “foodimals!” Flint and his friends embark on an adventurously mouth-watering mission to battle hungry tacodiles, shrimpanzees, hippotatomuses, cheesepiders and other foodimals to save the world – again!

Red 2 is the latest Blu-ray title from Summit Entertainment, on shelves this week with a November 26th, 2013 release date.

This action-comedy film was a sequel to the 2010 film Red.

The movies were inspired by the DC Comics comic book series created by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner.

The film stars many from the original cast, along with some new characters in this new addition to the franchise.

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Woody Allen’s latest movie Blue Jasmine has been announced by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, scheduled for a January 21st, 2014 release.

This comedy drama film is about a wealthy Manhattan socialite falling on hard times.

After a limited release in Los Angeles and New York City, the film was opened to a wider release a month later.

It was in fact Woody Allen’s best-ever opening per-screen average box office.

The cast includes Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Bobby Cannavale, Louis C.K., Andrew Dice Clay, Sally Hawkins, Peter Sarsgaard and Michael Stuhlbarg.

Blue Jasmine was of course directed by Woody Allen, whose body of work includes Vicky Cristina Barcelona, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Midnight in Paris, Annie Hall, Manhattan, New York Stories, and Hannah and Her Sisters.

The critical response to the film was very positive, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 91% and an IMDb score of 7.7/10.

Blue Jasmine went on to earn $32.7M at the US box office.

Planned features for the disc include an 1080p encode presented at 2.40:1, and lossless 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio.

A couple of cast interview segments are also planned.

The retail price is $35.99, or pre-order it from Amazon for $27.98, saving 22%!

Alternatively you can add it to your Blu-rayStats Wishlist.

Extras:

• Notes From the Red Carpet – The cast discusses making the film and their take on the characters
• Blue Jasmine Cast Press Conference with Cate Blanchett, Peter Saarsgard and Andrew Dice Clay

Synopsis:

Poignant, romantic, and mesmerizing, writer/director Woody Allen’s latest masterpiece centers around Jasmine (Cate Blanchett), a former New York socialite teetering on an emotional tightrope, balancing between her troubled east coast past and a fresh start in San Francisco. Having moved into her sister’s humble apartment, Jasmine ricochets between the tumultuous acceptance of her new limitations, and the dreams of reclaiming her past life’s glamour. Join a powerful cast for an intimate portrayal of the battle between fantasy and reality which rages within us all.