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Two very different picks this week with only one thing in common: they were both among the summer's best action movies.
The thought of a PG-13 "Die Hard" may have seemed like blasphemy to some, but the goofy, outrageous "Live Free or Die Hard" proved unpredictably potent at the box office. Bruce Willis' signature hero, John McClane, had been absent from the screen for 12 years, but his fourth film proves taking down terrorists is just like riding a bicycle.
Don't think too hard about the plot (a bunch of nonsense involving cyber terrorists, computer hacking and how our country's entire infostructure could be easily compromised by a nerd with an axe to grind), just sit back and enjoy one deliriously over-the-top action set-piece after another.
The DVD contains commentary by Willis and director Len Wiseman, a feature length behind-the-scenes doc and an extended conversation between Willis and co-star Kevin Smith. The film and all three previous series installments are also newly available on Blu-ray.
Turn your brain back on for "Rescue Dawn," one of the year's best films, which works as both action movie and compelling narrative. The wildly talented Christian Bale stars in this based-on-a-true-story account of Vietnam-era prisoners of war in Loas.
Director Werner Herzog previously told the tale in a documentary film, "Little Dieter Needs to Fly," and his attention to detail shines through in this rousing, visceral survival story.
The DVD includes Herzog commentary, deleted scenes and a making-of featurette.
Also released:
"Angel-A"
"Ghosts of Cite Soleil"
"Hairspray" (2-disc Special Edition) (also Blu-ray)
"Manufactured Landscapes"
"Moliere"
"The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause"
Older titles and special editions:
"Hudson Hawk" (15th Anniversary Edition)
"The Lady Vanishes" (Criterion Collection)
"Monty Python's Life of Brian" (Collector's Edition)
Boxed set:
"Film Noir: Five Classics from the Studio Vaults"
Hi-definition:
"Bad Santa" (Blu-ray)
"Red Dawn" (Blu-ray)
"Tremors" (HD-DVD)
