This Week on DVD and Blu-ray - June 9th, 2009

" This Week on DVD and Blu-ray - June 9th, 2009.

This week

By William David Lee
First published Jun 9, 2009

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"Get off my lawn."

I think every one of us could only wish to be as half as badass as Clint Eastwood in our old age. Heck, I wish I was that badass right now. The big release for June 9 is "Gran Torino" featuring Eastwood in what may be his last leading role. If "Gran Torino" truly is his swan song, then I'd have to say he goes out with a bang. Much like what "Unforgiven" did to de-romanticize the Western, "Gran Torino" acts in a similar fashion to the vigilantism of one of Eastwood's most famous characters, Dirty Harry.

Eastwood has always been one of my favorite actors and it's a testament to his talents that he's able to make racism endearing. I put "Gran Torino" in my top 10 list for 2008 and if you haven't seen it, now's your chance. John J. Puccio has posted a pair of glowering reviews for the DVD release as well as the Blu-Ray. The extras on both releases are a bit sparse, but Clint seems like the type of director to let his work speak for itself.

Another of my favorite actors makes his presence felt this week. I'm speaking of the Clive Owen actioner, "The International." Owen stars as an Interpol agent investigating a worldwide banking firm that's secretly funding terrorism and assassinations. The film was originally set for release in the fall of 2008 only to be delayed as the studio requested reshoots to make the film more action-oriented. This resulted in the movie's ironic release amidst the continuing erosion of the economy. The film takes the formula of a 70's political thriller and adds a modernized Jason Bourne flavor to it. "The International" was directed by Tom Tykwer who helmed the hyper-kinetic "Run, Lola, Run." Tykwer brings that same slick style to "International" with mixed results. Owen's co-star, the ultra-talented Naomi Watts, is largely wasted while the third act was slightly anti-climatic. Still, "The International" is at least worth a rent due to a fantastic twenty minutes-plus shootout inside a life-size replica of the Guggenheim Museum.

Woodstock was a once in a lifetime event and despite many attempts to recreate and imitate it, no music festival since has been able to catch lightning in a bottle again. A select few were in attendance and witnessed history in person. For the rest of us, the closest we'll ever get to those three days on Max Yasgur's dairy farm is through "Woodstock," the documentary directed by Michael Wadleigh. The previous DVD was released way back in 1997, but this new release blows that away. There's a 2-Disc set with the film spread over both disc as well as a 3-Disc set (2 for the Blu-Ray). The latter release is a limited-edition set jammed with plenty of extras wrapped up in a nice fringe-like package. John's review of the Blu-Ray is online for your perusal.

The Weinstein Company/Genius Products releases the star-studded flop "Crossing Over." Written and directed by Wayne Kramer ("The Cooler"), "Crossing Over" has nothing to do with psychic John Edwards. Instead, it follows in the preachy footsteps of "Crash" and "Babel" as a multi-tiered movie about illegal immigration. The film stars Harrison Ford, Ray Lliota, Ashley Judd, Cliff Curtis, and Alice Braga and is only available on standard DVD.

The ultimate movie about infidelity and boiled bunnies makes its debut on Blu-Ray. "Fatal Attraction" stars Glenn Close as a jilted (and psychotic) lover who simply will not be ignored by Michael Douglas. The film was nominated for multiple Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director for Adrian Lyne. Lyne also directed "Indecent Proposal" starring Woody Harrelson, Demi Moore, and Robert Redford which will also see a Blu-Ray release this week. If "Fatal Attraction" and "Indecent Proposal" don't float your boat, there's always "Predator 2" on Blu-Ray. Danny Glover, Gary Busey, and Robert Davi may not be able to replace Arnold, Carl Weathers, and Jesse Ventura, but the sequel is a decent action flick. The Blu-Ray contains many of the same extras previously found on the 2-Disc Special Edition.

If you're looking to bolster your collection of TV-on-DVD sets, there are two big releases this week, one the beginning, one the end. A&E's dramatic series, "The Closer" sees its first season released on DVD. The show features Benjamin Bratt as an ex-drug addict who goes to excessive lengths to help others break their addictions. Unlike other shows, "The Shield" did not disappoint in its series finale. The seventh and final season will be available on DVD June 9. TV just won't be the same without Vic Mackey and the Strike Team.

I'll be back next week DVDTOWN.com citizens with a little "Ghostbusters" and "Transformers" action. See you then.

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