From Synecdoche New York to Escape From New York, this month’s releases offer a wide variety of styles, subjects, and stars. Kurt Russell, Sean Penn, Anne Hathaway, Jason Statham, Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin, Daniel Craig, and Halle Berry headline these top dramatic releases.
Dramatic DVD Releases Available March 3
Escape From New York (Blu-ray)
- This 1981 cult classic action film stars Kurt Russell as Snake, a reluctant hero in post-apocalyptic New York.
- Director: John Carpenter
- Discs: 1
- Movie Run Time: 99 minutes
- Rating: R
- Additional Information: The eclectic cast includes Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes, Harry Dean Stanton, and Adrienne Barbeau.
Dramatic DVD Releases Available March 10
Milk
- Sean Penn and James Franco (as his boyfriend) star in the true story of an openly gay city supervisor in San Francisco. Also on Blu-ray.
- Director: Gus Van Sant
- Discs: 1
- Movie Run Time: 129 minutes
- Rating: R
- Additional Information: Music composer and Oingo Boingo frontman Danny Elfman wrote the original score for Milk.
Rachel Getting Married
- Anne Hathaway stars as a troubled young woman returning home for her sister’s wedding in this home-video-type drama. Also on Blu-ray.
- Director: Jonathan Demme
- Discs: 1
- Movie Run Time: 113 minutes
- Rating: R
- Additional Information: Rachel Getting Married also stars Rosemarie DeWitt, Mather Zickel, Tunde Adebimpe, and Debra Winger.
Transporter 3 (Blu-ray, Single Disc Edition, Two-Disc Fully Loaded Edition)
- Jason Statham stars as in this action film about a man who transports a strange woman to a designated location.
- Director: Oliver Megaton
- Discs: 2
- Movie Run Time: 100 minutes
- Rating: PG-13
- Additional Information: Statham slimmed down and pumped up for this role, which required lots of bare-chested scenes.
Brokeback Mountain (Blu-ray)
- Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal play two gay cowboys who struggle with their love for each other.
- Director: Ang Lee
- Discs: 1
- Movie Run Time: 135 minutes
- Rating: R
- Additional Information: The film won Academy Awards for Best Achievement in Directing, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score), and Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay.
Synecdoche New York
- Philip Seymour Hoffman and Catherine Keener star in a mind-bending story about art that imitates art that imitates life in New York City. Also on Blu-ray.
- Director: Charlie Kaufman
- Discs: 1
- Movie Run Time: 124 minutes
- Rating: R
- Additional Information: The cast includes Tom Noonan, Michelle Williams, Samantha Morton, Hope Davis, and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Dramatic DVD Releases Available March 17
Clear and Present Danger/The Hunt for Red October (Blu-ray)
- In these two CIA thrillers based on the Jack Ryan novels by Tom Clancy, Alec Baldwin plays CIA analyst Ryan in The Hunt for Red October (1990) and Harrison Ford takes over the role of Ryan in Clear and Present Danger (1994).
- Director of Clear and Present Danger: Phillip Noyce
- Director of The Hunt for Red October: John McTiernan
- Discs: 2
- Movie Run Time: 276 minutes
- Rating: Not Rated
- Additional Information: Another film in the series, Patriot Games, is not included in this DVD package.
Dramatic DVD Releases Available March 24
Quantum of Solace (Widescreen, Two-Disc Special Edition, Blu-ray)
- Daniel Craig stars as James Bond in the story of what happens directly after Casino Royale.
- Director: Marc Forster
- Discs: 1 (2 in Special Edition)
- Movie Run Time: 106 minutes
- Rating: PG-13
- Additional Information: The film also stars Jesper Christensen, Judi Dench, and Lucrezia Lante della Rovere.
Things We Lost in the Fire (Blu-ray)
- Halle Berry and Benecio Del Toro deal with the tragic death of a man they both loved in a heartfelt drama about love and hope.
- Director: Susanne Bier
- Discs: 1
- Movie Run Time: 118 minutes
- Rating: R
- Additional Information: David Duchovny portrays the ill-fated husband and friend.
For more information about any of these DVD releases, visit Internet Movie Database.
Leslie C. Halpern - Leslie C. Halpern, Romantic Films/Comedies Topic Editor, authored Passionate About Their Work, Reel Romance, & Dreams on Film.
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