There are a couple of high brow releases as well as a one so low as to be considered “basement” brow in this week’s dvd/blu-ray release round up. Hey, something for everybody!

Downton Abbey, the hugely popular BBC import currently running in its second season on PBS, has already cropped up on dvd. While anyone interested in watching Downton Abbey already knows about the show and is probably religiously watching, you may not know that you can get the complete season 2 in its original, uncut UK edition, not to mention you can get it when there are still two more episodes left to air! (That should make Patton Oswalt deliriously happy!)

The three disc set includes the 2011 Christmas Special!

Try to avoid the stampede to Target to pick up your copy of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – part 1. For all of you longing for dvd in order to sit in the privacy of your darkened living room to witness the marriage of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, tissues at the ready, your wait is over. Actually, this title will be released on Saturday February 11, but I figured you’d want the extra notice to get your track shoes one.

Special Features:

-Go behind the scenes with a captivating 6-PART MAKING-OF DOCUMENTARY; relive the memories with Edward & Bella's personal WEDDING VIDEO; get a glimpse into JACOB'S DESTINY; watch your favorite scenes over and over in EDWARD FAST FORWARD and JACOB FAST FORWARD; plus an AUDIO COMMENTARY with Director Bill Condon

Whether or not you believe its premise, Anonymous makes for a good costume drama. (The costumes have been nominated for an Academy Award.) It also features a rare appearance of both Vanessa Redgrave and her daughter Joely Richardson in the same film. The each play Queen Elizabeth I at different stages of her life.

Set in the political snake-pit of Elizabethan England, Anonymous speculates on an issue that has for centuries intrigued academics and brilliant minds… who was the author of the plays credited to William Shakespeare? Anonymous poses one possible answer, focusing on a time when cloak-and-dagger political intrigue, illicit romances in the Royal Court, and the schemes of greedy nobles hungry for the power were exposed in the most unlikely of places: the London stage.

Anonymous stars Rhys Ifans, Joely Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson, David Thewlis and Xavier Samuel.

Special Features:

-Audio Commentary: Director Roland Emmerich and Writer John Orloff deliver a steady and enlightening commentary, speaking on the importance of the film's modern-day open, the necessity of fiction in the portrayal of supposed historical fact, dramatic licenses in the film, the work of the cast and crew, the specifics behind crafting and shooting various scenes, the purpose of the film's dramatic elements, the costuming, technical details of the digital photography, set design, special effects, and much more. This is a good companion track that fans should enjoy.

-Deleted Scenes (1080p, 2:54): "Use Your Imagination Robert," Ben Visits the Earl of Oxford, and Funeral Scenes.

-Extended Scenes (1080p, 3:29): Tennis Match and The Mermaids Tavern.

-More Than Special Effects (1080p, 13:08): A detailed look at the film's digital and practical recreations of 16th century locations.

-Who is the Real William Shakespeare? (1080p, 10:39): Cast and crew discuss the evidence presented in the movie that Shakespeare didn't write Shakespeare.

-Speak the Speech… (1080p, 16:14): A detailed look at casting the film's critical roles.

The Rebound is a romantic comedy from Bart Freundlich (The Myth of Fingerprints) that was filmed back in early 2009, but was a victim of The Film Department’s untimely demise. It has already been released theatrically all over the world, but is going straight to dvd and blu-ray in the US. It stars Catherine Zeta Jones as a recent divorce who becomes involved with her kids’ caregiver, the much younger Justin Bartha.

Official Synopsis:

"Upon discovering her husband's infidelity, Sandy (Zeta-Jones) and her two kids move from the suburbs to pursue a new life in the big city. There she meets Aram (Bartha), a local coffee shop employee whose wife only married him as a means to getting her green card. The two strike up a friendship which eventually evolves into something more. But it isn't long before they're faced with the big question – 'Is this real or just a rebound?'"

Special Features:

-Cast and crew interviews

A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas 3D stars John Cho and Kal Penn returning for their third outing as the titular Harold and Kumar.

Six years have elapsed since Guantanemo Bay, leaving Harold and Kumar estranged from one another with very different families, friends and lives. But when Kumar arrives on Harold's doorstep during the holiday season with a mysterious package in hand, he inadvertently burns down Harold's father-in-law's beloved Christmas tree. To fix the problem, Harold and Kumar embark on a mission through New York City to find the perfect Christmas tree, once again stumbling into trouble at every single turn.

Special Features:

-Extended Cut: The 3D Blu-ray edition features 3D and 2D presentations of the 90-minute theatrical cut of the film and a 2D presentation of its 96-minute extended cut. The biggest downside? Not only is the extended cut not available in 3D, its 2D presentation doesn't offer a lossless audio option. Just a standard (but serviceable) 448kbps Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track.

-Through the Haze with Tom Lennon (HD, 9 minutes): "World Famous Actor and Comedian" Thomas Lennon hosts … hilarious, uncensored, tongue-in-cheek EPK shorts: "I'm Doing a Puff Piece Over Here," "I Hate Drugs," "F#*@ You, Charles Dickens," "I'm Just Brainstorming Here," "The Marshmallow Man" and "19th Greatest Christmas Story Ever Told." I watched them twice, and I'll probably watch them anytime I revisit A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas. Good stuff.

-Title (HD, 4 minutes): Community may have beaten them to the punch bowl by a full year, but Harold & Kumar's Christmas claymation sequence still delivers. Take a brief look at its creation, complete with a PiP comparison between its animated storyboard reel and the final scene. At four minutes, though, it's too short.

-Deleted Scenes (HD, 4 minutes): A small, inconsequential collection of deleted scenes. There are a few laughs to be had, but just a few.

Disney’s Lady and the Tramp is making its first appearance on dvd and blu-ray in a Diamond Edition and as with most classic Disney titles, will only be around for a limited time. Lady and the Tramp is the “love” story of  a cute, classy "Lady" cocker spaniel who escapes from her confining owner and falls for an alley dog, known as the "Tramp", when he rescues her from some mean dogs out on the streets. Surely you’re familiar with the “spaghetti scene”?

Special Features:

-Disc Introduction by Diane Disney Miller (HD, 2 minutes): Walt Disney's daughter briefly touches on her father's work, his love of animals, and his love of Lady and the Tramp; as Miller recalls, one of the legendary filmmaker's personal favorites.

-Audio Commentary: Inside Walt's Story Meetings: Time travel, dear readers. Time travel. "Inside Walt's Story Meetings" is an audio track featuring a talented group of voice actors delivering a dramatic recreation of Walt Disney's story meetings. With archive transcripts in hand and clever editing in tow, it's as close to a filmmakers' audio commentary as you can get on a film like this, and fans and animation enthusiasts will no doubt enjoy listening to Disney and his team develop, write and animate Lady and the Tramp.

-Disney Second Screen, Featuring "Inside Walt's Story Meetings" (HD): Download Disney's Second Screen app to your iPad or PC, sync the Lady and the Tramp Blu-ray with the app, and enjoy an interactive experience complete with behind-the-scenes materials, family activities, art and storyboard galleries, and more. It's a nice addition to the release, even if everyone isn't interested in taking advantage of it.

-Diane Disney Miller: Remembering Dad (HD, 8 minutes): Miller shares memories and stories about her father's life, career and legacy. Honestly, I wish this one was much longer. Every little tidbit that brings Walt Disney to life is appreciated, as it only enriches his contributions to the world of animation.

-Deleted Scenes (HD, 19 minutes): Though presented via storyboards, three deleted scenes — "Introduction of Boris," "Waiting for Baby" and "Dog Show" — are available for the curious completists among you.

-Never Recorded Song: "I'm Free as the Breeze" (HD, 2 minutes): While Lady and the Tramp was released in 1955, development began as early as 1936. "I'm Free as the Breeze," written in 1946 by Ray Gilbert and composed by Eliot Daniel, features Tramp explaining his life philosophy. It was cut when it was decided Tramp wouldn't be a singing dog.

-Classic DVD Bonus Features (SD, 157 minutes): The "Classic DVD" section of the disc includes almost all of the previously released DVD edition's extras, including the seven-part, 53-minute "Lady's Pedigree: The Making of Lady and the Tramp" (much of which is comprised of vintage featurettes with Walt Disney himself), "Finding Lady: The Art of the Storyboard," "Original 1943 Storyboard Version of the Film" (in truth a 12-minute storyboard treatment), "The Siamese Cat Song: Finding a Voice for the Cats," "PuppyPedia: Going to the Dogs" (designed strictly for kids), a "Bella Notte Music Video," three "Theatrical Trailers," four lengthy "Excerpts from Disneyland TV Shows" and two more "Deleted Scenes." In other words, most everything you would have missed if Disney hadn't put it all on the disc. The only downside? It's all presented in standard definition.

-Sneak Peeks (HD, 10:58 minutes): Trailers and previews for Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure, Cinderella, Brave, Chimpanzee, The Aristocats, Tinker Bell: Secret of the Wings, Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3, ABC's The Chew, Disney Channel's Shake It Up and Mary Poppins: The Hit Broadway Musical round out the package.

We've also got a heads up on future release. Roman Polanski's Carnage starring three Oscar winners and a nominee in the form of Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly comes to dvd ad blu-ray on March 20.

The film is based on Yasmina Reza's Tony Award-winning play, "The God of Carnage" and it's the story of two boys whose playground tussle leads to each child's parents taking on the other in "verbal warfare."

Special Features:

-Actors' Notes

-An Evening with John C. Reilly & Christoph Waltz

-On the Red Carpet

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Yesterday was all about Kate Winslet as translucent English Rose and her ad campaign for St. John’s. The tabs and the internet have been buzzing with speculation about the Golden Globes and what and who Kate will wear on the red carpet, what her makeup and hair will look like, what jewels will adorn her. It’s kind of nice to get this clip from Roman Polanski’s Carnage (for which she’s received one of her two Globe nominations this year). In the clip, Winslet’s Nancy Cowan, in sharp contrast to the tight-lipped, buttoned up professional (as evidenced by her hair if nothing else) that we’ve seen in the other clips and trailers, is slightly disheveled, drunk and planning to get drunker.

Besides Winslet’s slurred rambling, a highlight is John C. Reilly’s Michael Longstreet, one half of the other couple in whose home Winslet is doing the drinking. His reaction to this relative stranger railing against his wife is hilarious.

As I’m sure you know by now, Carnage is based on the awarding winning play “God of Carnage” by Yasmina Reza and stars along with Winslet and Reilly, Christoph Waltz as Alan Cowan and Jodie Foster as Penelope Longstreet. Foster has also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress Musical or Comedy.The short synopsis: Two pairs of parents hold a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a fight, though as their time together progresses, increasingly childish behavior throws the evening into chaos. 

Carnage is another holdover from last year that we’ve been talking about for months. After playing nearly every conceivable film festival it opened in NY and LA on December 16 and is finally getting a wider release this week. (I have my ticket! YAY!) 

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Roman Polanski’s Carnage is one of the few remaining awards contenders that I have yet to see and am really looking forward to. If it feels like we’ve been talking about it forever, it’s been since about July. Carnage, starring the Oscar heavy cast of Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly, made its North American debut as the opening night selection of this year’s New York Film Festival back in October after it had already played at festivals all over the world, including Venice. It’s currently playing on seven screens in NY and LA, but I can’t find a wide release date for the US. It will open on 3^rd February in the UK. Meanwhile, both Jodie Foster and Kate Winslet have been nominated for a Golden Globe in the Best Supporting Actress Musical/Comedy category.

Carnage is set in New York (actually a single apartment in New York) and is based on Yasmina Reza’s 2009 Tony winner for Best Play,”God of Carnage” (Le Dieu du Carnage).  It’s about  two sets of middle-class couples who meet for dinner after their children get into a fight at school. (One of them hits the other in the head.)  Given the cast and the plot one might think that this will be a straight drama but, not if you know that it also won the Olivier Award in 2009 for the London production for Best Comedy.  All is definitely not what it appears with these people, perhaps even ‘not quite right’. This is a satirical look at upper middle class New Yorkers, something along the lines of a slightly less venomous “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”.

Enjoy the pics. It might be all we get on this side of the pond, until dvd. We’ll keep you posted.

We have a new clip from Roman Polanski’s Carnage to share.

As soon as we got the first trailers and clips we saw how tightly wound Jodie Foster's character is. I think this clip certainly bears that out. It also bears out my assumptions that John C. Reilly's is a bit sycophantic, Kate Winslet's a tad priggish and Christoph Waltz is the pragmatist.

Carnage is based on the award winning play “God of Carnage” by Yasmina Reza and tells the story of two sets of parents who decide to have a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a schoolyard brawl. Given Foster’s ‘chirpy-ness’ in this snippet, and having seen what’s coming in the trailers, “tightly wound” is an understatement. Her passive aggressive insistence that Winslet and Waltz’s son is to blame is obvious. What will be interesting to find out is whether or not this clip comes close to the beginning when the two couples are still being civil or toward the end when they’re called some sort of truce and are just exhausted. I’m judging from the state of Winslet’s hair that it’s the former.

Carnage opens in the US and Canada on December 16 and 3^rd February in the UK.

The new UK trailer for Roman Polanski’s Carnage, based on the hit play “God of Carnage” by Yasmina Reza, doesn’t really break any new ground. For the most part (there are some additions) it shows us the same scenes as in the US trailer, but orders them differently thus placing more emphasis on some topics, less on others. For instance, in the US trailer, there is more humor revolving around drinking while in the UK version, we learn that Christoph Waltz’s character Alan, calls his wife Nancy (Kate Winslet) by the pet name, Doodle. It’s all about the context.

The premise for the film is simple. Two New York couples, both the parents of young boys, meet to discuss the fact that one boy has hit the other boy with a stick during a playground dispute.  What follows is sort of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe” –lite, with initial reserve, manners and consideration giving way to much bickering, insults and apparently vomiting.

The cast consists of the four actors you see in the trailers and the posters: Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly. I have to say, the poster above, supposedly the final version, is completely bland. That may be the point though. Appearances being deceiving and all.

Carnage opens December 16 in the US & Canada and 3 February in the UK

Roman Polanski’s Carnage is already scheduled for the Venice International Film Festival and I was surprised by its omission from the Toronto announcements but thought perhaps details were still being worked out and it would be announced with the next wave. Well, now we know that indeed, details probably were being worked out but for a different festival. Carnage, starring the Oscar heavy cast of Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly, will make its North American debut in New York, as it has been chosen as the opening night selection of this year’s New York Film Festival.  The scheduling of Carnage follows on the heels of last year’s coup, The Social Network.

Carnage is set in New York (actually a single apart in New York) and is based on Yasmina Reza’s 2009 Tony winner for Best Play,”God of Carnage” (Le Dieu du Carnage).  It’s about  two sets of middle-class couples who meet for dinner after their children get into a fight at school. (One of them hits the other in the head.)  Given the cast and the plot one might think that this will be a straight drama but, not if you know that it also won the Olivier Award in 2009 for the London production for Best Comedy. Take a look at the new pics below. They definitely give hints that not only is all not what it appears with these people but perhaps even ‘not quite right’. My personal favorites are Foster spritzing tulips, presumably to give them scent because tulips have none and Waltz apparently blow-drying a cell phone.  I’m expecting something along the lines of a satirical look at upper middle class New Yorkers.

Source & Source

Sony Pictures Classics has released two great new images from Roman Polanski’s Carnage starring Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly, to go along with the the one that was released back in March.

The film is an adaptation of a successful stage play, “God of Carnage” by French playwright Yasmina Reza. Playwright Christopher Hampton wrote the screenplay based on his English-language translation of the play.  Now simply titled, Carnage (What is it with gutting the parts of any title that makes it sound interesting but lengthening to absurdity films that already have name recognition? Transformers: Dark of the Moon, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey etc etc) the film is set in Brooklyn (although shot in France, as all of Polanski’s films are since he’s still wanted,  although it actually takes place in one room and unfolds in real time,  ninety minutes. The plot centers on two couples who meet in one’s living room to talk about an incident between their children, (One of the couple’s kids has been hitting the other in the head in the schoolyard.) The meeting implodes and it becomes  basically an exploration of middle-class values and affectation. There’s a lot of humor (surprisingly), along with violence, fear, pain, and despair bubbling to the surface as well.

This, my friends, is a perfect example of an “adult” film. I pray this gets an ‘R’ rating. I personally would rather it lose a few teenaged butts in the seats and have it do boffo home box office than have the heart of it gutted or the language changed. I hope Sony Pictures Classics agrees with me. If they do, I’ll be first in line to buy a ticket. With a pedigree like this, three Academy Award winners (one of them multiple) and one nominee, considering this is basically the entire cast, I think Polanski would have to try very hard to screw this up. I’m betting he won’t.

The photo of Kate Winslet and Jodie Foster alone was a promotional photo from way back in September 2010 when casting was announced.

Click on thumbnails for the slideshow (sometimes the page needs to load first, but then it gets real pretty).

Jodie Foster Takes Her ‘Beaver’ (and Mel Gibson) to Cannes – PHOTOS

Mel Gibson’s only very loyal friend, Jodie Foster premiered her movie The Beaver at the 64^th Annual Cannes Film Festival where sugar tits made an appearance all dressed up in his tux.

Bar Refaeli was also at the premiere looking mouth-watering gorgeous. It really makes a girl wonder about Leonardo DiCaprio’s sanity.

Mel Gibson skipped the photocall for The Beaver but Foster, being the director and all, didn’t and did say Gibson would be at the premiere but wouldn’t be talking. She says of his tape-recorded racism:

“I can’t excuse Mel’s behavior. Only he can explain that,” Foster told reporters at Cannes. “But I do know the man that I know. He’s been a friend for many, many years, and as a friend, he is kind and loyal and thoughtful, and I can spend hours on the phone with him talking about life. And he’s complex, and I appreciate his complexity and what his complexity brings to his work.”

Gibson plays a suicidally depressed husband and father who seeks relief (and therapy) through his Beaver hand puppet.

Watch: Mel Gibson’s ‘The Beaver’ 3 Sneak Peek Clips

Mel Gibson Flashes His Beaver @ Rockefeller Centre

As bizarre as that all sounds, critics are saying it’s Gibson’s best work yet. Will you watch the movie?

Pictures after the break.

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