White House Down
Directed by Roland Emmerich, the man who blew stuff up in The Day After Tomorrow, 2012 and Independence Day, and starring Channing Tatum as John Cale, a guy interviewing for a secret service job when the White House is besieged by baddies. John’s the only one left standing, so he finds himself guarding the president (Jamie Foxx) while on the hunt for his daughter Emily, who has wandered off. The fun and action continues on the special features: stunt training for the actors, the witty banter between Tatum and Foxx, an extra on the supporting cast (Maggie Gyllenhaal and Richard Jenkins among them) and a special on the director.
High Plains Drifter
Feeling nostalgic? The 40th anniversary of old-west classic High Plains Drifter, starring “the man with no name” is restored and offered on Blu-ray for the first time. The Stranger (Clint Eastwood, who also directs) saves a lawless town from a band of ruthless convicts. And it’s the 10th anniversary of the very funny, very poignant Love Actually. The instant Christmas classic boasts a stellar all-star class including Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant and Keira Knightly, among many others. Specially marked packs include a holiday ornament. And speaking of Hugh Grant, romantic-comedy fave Notting Hill has been digitally remastered, so you can see Grant’s puppy-dog mug panting after film star Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) in HD.
R.I.P.D.
Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges are detectives on the Department of Eternal Affairs task force, saving the living from the pesky undead who hide among us. Traditional veteran cop/rookie cop and whodunit storyline with a supernatural twist, the Blu-ray is packed with special features including alternate openings, character avatars and “deados”, special effects and anatomy of a scene.
Grown-Ups 2
Lenny (Adam Sandler) moves his wife and kids back to his hometown and gets right back into step with his buddies from high school (Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade). This time the guys face off against forces of nature, demented cops (Shaquille O’Neal, Peter Dante) and a posse of frat boys (Twilight’s Taylor Lautner among them). Co-starring Salma Hayek, Maya Rudolph, and a slew of SNL alumni. Special features on the standard disc include deleted scenes and an extra focused on the shenanigans between Shaq and Dante.
Yes, it’s almost that time again, so if you have kids, read on.
Monsters University
This prequel to Disney’s hit animated kid-flick Monsters, Inc. focuses on Mike and Sully (Billy Crystal and John Goodman) during their college years at Monsters University, where the best scarers are made. Polar opposites, uptight Mike and party-boy Sully must ultimately work together to graduate with monster honours and turn into the best of friends. Hours of extras on the Blu-ray including The Blue Umbrella short, audio commentary, deleted scenes, games, an extra on the music, art gallery promos and much more.
Scoot & Kassie’s Christmas Adventure
Heartwarming story about a rescued police dog who foils the bad guys’ plans to spoil a charity Christmas. Added bonus for parents: Luke Perry is the dad. Deleted scenes and gag reel on the standard disc.
Barbie & Her Sisters in a Pony Tale
Barbie, Stacie, Chelsea, Skipper and the gang ditch Malibu and head to the Swiss Alps, where the horse-lovin’ sisters discover a magical wild horse in the woods. Outtakes, music video and webisodes on the Blu-ray combo pack.
Monster High: 13 Wishes
The number-two doll brand has a brand-new movie. The ghoul-friends at Monster High discover that being popular is not all it’s cracked up to be when Howleen summons a genie and is granted 13 wishes that turn out to be a mixed blessing. The Blu-ray comes with three animated shorts and sneak peeks, as well as a digital copy.
