April 14, 2008 - Our newest DVD review looks at Cloverfield, the virally-marketed, J.J. Abrams-produced film which offers an effective, contemporary spin on the monster movie with a character handheld video perspective reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project. Twentysomething friends gathered at a going away party have their night shaken when mysterious disaster threatens Manhattan. Paramount's DVD satisfies with two big featurettes, a commentary by director Matt Reeves, outtakes, deleted scenes, alternate endings, and more. In addition, we shed light on eleven Easter eggs not easily found. Read the full review.

April 8, 2008 - It's Tuesday again, which means the time is right for you to check out DVDizzy.com's DVD Schedule for a look at all of today's major new releases on three formats.

April 4, 2008 - The next movie treated to a review is The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep, Columbia Pictures and Walden Media's recent fantasy about a boy and the unique sea monster he befriends in 1940s Scotland. Jay Russell (My Dog Skip) directs the PG-rated film, which is adapted from a book by Dick King-Smith (Babe); stars Alex Etel, Emily Watson, and Ben Chaplin; and features visual effects from Weta of Narnia and Lord of the Rings. Available next Tuesday, Sony's 2-Disc Special Edition provides the film in dual screen formats plus eight deleted scenes and six featurettes that total 77 minutes. More...

April 3, 2008 - Our DVDizzy.com Upcoming DVD Schedule has been fully updated for the month of April, providing information on over 100 notable releases on DVD, Blu-ray, and vanishing format HD DVD. Check it out here.

April 2, 2008 - Paramount's other new Alvin and the Chipmunks DVD steps into focus for our review of The Chipmunk Adventure: Special Edition. How special you consider it depends on whether or not you own the studio's 2006 DVD. It is repackaged alongside the full 11-song soundtrack at a modest list price. The film, released theatrically in 1987, offers a good time with Chipmunks and Chipettes music and round-the-world travel. Read the full review.

Disney has announced DVD and Blu-ray release plans for its profitable 2008 music documentary Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds Concert. The feature will arrive on both formats on August 19th. The DVD, a 2-Disc Extended Edition (SRP: $34.99), will serve up a 90-minute cut in both 2-D and 3-D viewing modes. Bonus features on both will include behind-the-scenes footage with Miley, Hannah, and the Jonas Brothers; a sing-along mode; and "total concert immersion through 3-D viewing capability." DVD will contain a Dolby 5.1 track and both fullscreen and anamorphic widescreen formats, while Blu-ray goes 16x9 only and will deliver Dolby Digital 7.1 surround sound. Recalling the successful theatrical gimmick, the home video releases are vowed to be sold "for a limited time only."

The same day also will see a DVD and Blu-ray release given to Camp Rock, the Jonas Brothers' Disney Channel Original Movie, in an "Extended Rock Star Edition" with music videos and the behind-the-scenes featurette "How to Be a Rock Star!" In a move sure to irritate some of the DVD-buying public, the DVD ($29.99 SRP) will supply only a fullscreen version of the film, while Blu-ray customers are treated to a 1.78:1 high-def widescreen format.

Cover art for the two August DVD releases has been posted here.

April 1, 2008 - Today, as Fox's blockbuster live-action/CGI feature film Alvin and the Chipmunks comes to DVD and Blu-ray, Paramount releases a pair of discs from the 50-year-old franchise's 1980s heyday. Our newest review looks at Alvin and the Chipmunks Go to the Movies: Funny, We Shrunk the Adults, which serves up three episodes from the animated 1990 series "The Chipmunks Go to the Movies" (which some call an eighth season of the Emmy-nominated "Alvin and the Chipmunks"). The increasingly fun episodes are inspired by the hit '80s comedies Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Big, and Back to the Future. Read on...

Take a look at all of today's new standard and high-definition releases with a visit to DVDizzy.com's DVD Schedule.

March 31, 2008 - Another new review covers Juno, the film that recently won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. The PG-13-rated dramedy comes to Blu-ray and two different DVD editions in the middle of April. Our article covers a screener that houses all the two-disc Special Edition's bonus features. Ellen Page stars as the sarcastic, eponymous teenager who becomes pregnant and looks to give her baby over to an affluent adoptive couple (Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman). There's plenty of reason this quirky independent film has found unusual critical and mainstream success with numerous awards and a record-setting gross. Check out our review...

In our latest DVD review, Aaron Wallace takes a look at one of this week's biggest releases: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Tim Burton proves to be the perfect match for the dark, ironic Stephen Sondheim musical. Inspired direction, a potent performance by Johnny Depp, and solid renditions of Sondheim's fine songs all add up to a "thrilling, funny, and exceedingly clever" film which ranks among "Burton's very best." The review covers DreamWorks' 2-Disc Special Edition which provides over two hours of exclusive featurettes and some snazzy packaging. Read the full review.

March 27, 2008 - Our newest interview comes via online junket with Jon Turteltaub.

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Turteltaub has directed 8 major films over the past two decades, all at Disney branches. His career of surprise hits began with the sequel-spawning 3 Ninjas and continued with bobsledding comedy Cool Runnings, Sandra Bullock's While You Were Sleeping, Phenomenon with John Travolta, and The Kid starring Bruce Willis. Turteltaub's biggest and most recent successes have come in the helm of the blockbuster adventure National Treasure and its sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets. With Secrets' DVD release approaching, Turteltaub took out an hour to discuss with UltimateDisney.com and other global online outlets the changing family film, the many elements of making a big budget film, a third National Treasure installment, his upcoming live-action Sorcerer's Apprentice remake, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and much more. You definitely won't want to miss the full interview, which may be the first to contain both "grilled cheese sandwich" and "huge pipe of crack" in the same sentence.

March 26, 2008 - Our latest DVD review takes an early look at There Will Be Blood, the fifth feature film from writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson. The turn-of-the-century drama follows an oil man and his young adopted son to small-town California. That synopsis can't do justice to the supremely crafted character study which soars on the Oscar-winning performance of star Daniel Day-Lewis. Paramount's 2-Disc Collector's Edition scores points for inspired packaging, but its light supply of supplements clocks in at under an hour and says little. Both the movie and our review warrant a look. Read on...

Visitors to this site have probably sent more e-mail inquiring about the 1989 made-for-TV movie Polly and its 1990 sequel Polly: Comin' Home than anything else in Disney's catalog. Musical adaptations of Pollyanna starring Keshia Knight Pulliam as Polly and her "Cosby Show" mom Phylicia Rashad as Aunt Polly, both were recently released to DVD. But you can't buy them in stores and online you can expect to pay in the neighborhood of $45-$75 (Polly, Comin' Home). Why? Because the two made their way to DVD in the same way that most live-action Disney fare has in the past few years, as Disney Movie Club exclusives. Existing members can buy the titles for $19.95 each plus shipping. Non-members can now enroll in the club with a 3 movies for $1.99 each deal . Explore our full list of Disney Movie Club Exclusives (with links to buy from Amazon or see the exclusives at Disney Movie Club while you consider joining.

Recent Disney DVD and CD Reviews:
• Enchanted - Successful fantasy-comedy leans heavily on Disney's fairy tale tradition, with 10 minutes of 2D animation, songs from '90s Renaissance composers Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, and various allusions and cameos. Princess-to-be Giselle (Amy Adams) is transported to present-day New York City, where she is taken in by a divorce lawyer (Patrick Dempsey) and his young daughter. The witty hit's DVD supplies terrific picture and sound, but impresses less with a meager extras menu.
• 101 Dalmatians: Platinum Edition - Though much more down to earth than its Silver Age brethren, this 1961 canine comedy still stands as one of Disney's best animated features with gentle humor, an appealing story, and a wretched villain. The 2-disc set merits much praise for picture and sound. Though the bonus slate is light, some fine inclusions are found, including informative fact tracks, a host of trailers from over the years, a half-hour of deleted songs and demos, and 3 solid featurettes. [Related Article: California Press Junket Report; Related Interviews: Lisa Davis (voice/model for Anita), Alice Davis (costume designer/wife of animator Marc Davis), Andreas Deja (veteran Disney animator)]

Recent Non-Disney DVD Reviews:
• Stargate: The Ark of Truth - The inconclusive, plot-recycling first of two direct-to-video movies meant to follow the long-running sci-fi series requires a fan's point of view to be appreciated. MGM's disc serves up a 9-minute prelude on relevant latter season storylines, an audio commentary, a making-of featurette, and a Comic-Con panel discussion.
• Nancy Drew - Warner's family-friendly feature film mystery gets looked at in an On-Demand version with pop-up fun facts.
• Into the Wild - The Sean Penn-directed drama retells the true story of a college graduate who left responsibility and civilization behind to enjoy the freedom and beauty of living off the land. Paramount's 2-Disc Collector's Edition goes light on the supplements, offering just a trio of supplements over the barebones single-disc release.
• In the Valley of Elah - Tommy Lee Jones stars as a Vietnam vet joining police and military in a search for answers to his Iraq soldier son's disappearance. Fellow Oscar winners Charlize Theron and Susan Sarandon co-star in this, Paul Haggis' directorial follow-up to his 2005 Best Picture Oscar winner Crash. Warner's DVD supplies a deleted subplot and a solid 43-minute documentary which interviews cast members and the family whose real story inspired the film.

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