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Inglourious Basterds (2-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray] (2009)

Amazon.com

Although Quentin Tarantino has cherished Enzo G. Castellari’s 1978 “macaroni” war flick The Inglorious Bastards for most of his film-geek life, his own Inglourious Basterds is no remake. Instead, as hinted by the Tarantino-esque misspelling, this is a lunatic fantasia of WWII, a brazen re-imagining of both history and the behind-enemy-lines war film subgenre. There’s a Dirty Not-Quite-Dozen of mostly Jewish commandos, led by a Tennessee good ol’ boy named Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) who reckons each warrior owes him one hundred Nazi scalps–and he means that literally. Even as Raine’s band strikes terror into the Nazi occupiers of France, a diabolically smart and self-assured German officer named Landa (Christoph Waltz) is busy validating his own legend as “The Jew Hunter.” Along the way, he wipes out the rural family of a grave young girl (Melanie Laurent) who will reappear years later in Paris, dreaming of vengeance on an epic scale. Now, this isn’t one more b (more…)

The Waltons Movie Collection (A Wedding on Walton’s Mountain / Mother’s Day / A Day for Thanks / A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion / Wedding / Easter)

Honesty. Integrity. Family. Stories of a family’s – and a nation’s – yesteryear continue in six Reunion Movies. Set in the 1940s are A Wedding on Walton’s Mountain (will Erin have a change of heart?), Mothers’ Day on Walton’s Mountain (honoring the person everyone turns to when crises arise) and A Day for Thanks on Walton’s Mountain (with Robert Wightman as John-Boy). Taking place in the 1960s and featuring Richard Thomas as John-Boy are A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion (as a nation mourns the death of JFK), A Walton Wedding (no big-city Manhattan nuptials for John-Boy) and A Walton Easter (Happy 40th, John and Olivia!). Six warm Walton memories are yours to share. For fans of the family-friendly classic TV series, this 3-disc set features six made for television holiday-themed movies.

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Emma (2009)

Beautiful, clever, and rich Emma Woodhouse is convinced she is good at matchmaking after her older sister and her governess both marry suitable husbands. No matter that as Mr Knightley drily observes, in reality, she had nothing to do with these relationships. Yet Emma, certain of her talents, plays a dangerous game as she persuades her new friend, the young, pretty and socially inferior Harriet to reject an advantageous marriage proposal to a local farmer in favour of dashing Mr Elton. So begins a story which challenges Emma’s naivety, her social preconceptions and her relationship with Knightley. Fresh and funny, this perceptive adaptation, featuring a stellar cast, brings Jane Austen’s comic masterpiece to life.

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Michael Jackson: This Is It (2009)

Amazon.com

It’s hard not to watch This Is It without feeling a mixture of sorrow and elation. When he passed away in the summer of 2009, Michael Jackson was in the midst of rehearsals for his final tour, an ambitious 50-date engagement. In editing 120 hours of rehearsal footage together, Jackson producer Kenny Ortega proves that it would’ve been an event for the ages. Michael performs material that spans his career, from a Motown medley to multi-platinum hits from Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad. Though he hadn’t toured in 10 years, it becomes instantly apparent, despite rumors to the contrary, that Jackson was still in full possession of that unmistakable voice–high-pitched whoops and all–and that he still had the gravity-defying moves of a man half his age. Jackson and Ortega also collaborated on some real showstoppers, such as a graveyard-set “Thriller”; an imposing “They Don’t Care About Us,” in which several dancers appear to morph into thousands; and a film noir (more…)

Toy Story 2 (Two-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo w/ Blu-ray Packaging) [Blu-ray] (1999)

Andy heads off to cowboy camp leaving his toys to their own devices. Things shift into high gear when an obsessive toy collector named Al McWhiggin (owner of Al’s Toy Barn) kidnaps Woody. At Al’s apartment, Woody discovers that he is a highly valued collectible from a 1950s TV show called Woody’s Roundup, and he meets the other prized toys from that show, Jessie the Cowgirl, Bullseye the Horse, and Stinky Pete the Prospector. Back at the scene of the crime, Buzz Lightyear and the other toys from Andy’s room, Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Rex and Hamm spring into action to rescue their pal from winding up as a museum piece. The toys get into one predicament after another in their daring race to get Woody before Andy returns.Bonus Features include: BE Live, Director commentary, Toy Story 3 Sneak Peek: The Characters, Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: International Space Station, Paths to Pixar: Technical Artists, Studio Stories: Toy Story 2 Sleep Deprivation Lab, Pinocchio, Th (more…)