Latest DVDs, CDs, books: Sept. 13
DVDs
“Star Wars: The Complete Saga” (PG-13) — All six “Star Wars” movies, from 1977’s “A New Hope” to 2005’s prequel finale, “Revenge of the Sith,” make the jump from hyperspace to Blu-ray Disc on Friday, featuring audio commentaries from “Star Wars” creator George Lucas, almost four dozen deleted, alternate or extended scenes, “making of” documentaries and “Star Wars” spoofs from “The Simpsons” to “Weird Al” Yankovic, among others. The original and prequel trilogies also are available in separate Blu-ray sets.
But “Star Wars” isn’t the only cinematic classic hitting Blu-ray this week; Orson Welles’ landmark 1941 debut, “Citizen Kane,” (PG) arrives today in a 70th-anniversary “Ultimate Collector’s Edition.”
Leading the current cinematic charge, “Thor” (PG-13) focuses on the Norse god of thunder (Chris Hemsworth), who’s cast out of the fantastical realm of Asgard by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins). Elsewhere on the recent-release front, “Meek’s Cutoff” (PG) follows Oregon-bound settlers (led by Michelle Williams) stranded in the 1845 wilderness with their blustery guide (Bruce Greenwood). Mormon history inspires another frontier drama, “17 Miracles” (PG).
In today’s foreign-language file: the Oscar-nominated “Incendies” (R) stretches from contemporary Quebec to war-torn 1970s Lebanon, while Michelle Yeoh headlines the Chinese martial arts drama “True Legend” (R).
Among today’s TV-to-DVD transfers (all unrated unless otherwise noted): “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,” “The FBI: Season One, Part Two,” “Blue Bloods: The First Season,” “Camelot: The Complete First Season,” and “Glee: The Complete Second Season.”
CDs
Lady Antebellum, “Own The Night”: We’re not sure if they actually own the night, but the top of the charts? That’s a much safer bet. Coed trio Lady Antebellum returns with more adult contemporary country that registers in multiformats and is sure to go multiplatinum.
Also in stores: Anthrax, “Worship Music”; Blitzen Trapper, “American Goldwing”; Blondie, “Panic of Girls”; Bush, “The Sea of Memories”; Kristin Chenoweth, “Some Lessons Learned”; Alice Cooper, “Welcome 2 My Nightmare”; Das Racist, “Relax”; Doris Day, “My Heart”; The Devil Wears Prada, “Devil Throne”; Dream Theater, “A Dramatic Turn of Events”; Girls, “Father, Son, Holy Ghost”; The Human League, “Credo”; Mason Jennings, “Minnesota”; Ladytron, “Gravity the Seducer”; Nick Lowe, “The Old Magic”; and Madina Lake, “World War III.”
BOOKS
“New York to Dallas” by J.D. Robb: In this latest series installment, pedophile Isaac McQueen escapes from Rikers Island and wants revenge on the woman who put him there, New York homicide cop Eve Dallas.
On the nonfiction front, film critic Roger Ebert shares his personal history and insights in his memoir, “Life Itself.”
Also hitting shelves: “Abuse of Power” by Michael Savage; “American Pickers Guide to Picking” by Libby Callaway; “The Ballad of Tom Dooley” by Sharyn McCrumb; “Every Day a Friday: How to Be Happier 7 Days a Week” by Joel Osteen; “Forbidden” by Ted Dekker; “Goddess of Vengeance” by Jackie Collins; “Grand Pursuit: The Story of Economic Genius” by Sylvia Nasar; “Happy Accidents” by Jane Lynch; “Here Comes Trouble: Stories from My Life” by Michael Moore; and “How Firm a Foundation” by David Weber.
