DVD Release Calendar: June 2012

May 29

All movies are 2012 releases unless otherwise noted. Availability: DVD | Blu-ray | Both Blu-ray and DVD

Coriolanus 79 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

Ralph Fiennes makes his directorial debut and stars in an adaptation of Shakespeare's violent tragedy. The action is transported to the present day (think gun battles and explosions, though it retains much of the original dialogue), as a general-turned-politician seeks a brutal revenge on the city that banished him. Vanessa Redgrave, Gerard Butler, and Jessica Chastain help round out the cast.

Goon 64 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

Sean William Scott stars as a bouncer turned semi-pro hockey player (specifically, an enforcer who uses his fists more than his stick) in a comedy based on the life story of Doug Smith, which was captured in the book he co-wrote with Adam Frattasio, Goon: The True Story of an Unlikely Journey into Minor League Hockey. Jay Baruchel (who also stars) and Evan Goldberg (Superbad 76) wrote the script, and Michael Dowse (Take Me Home Tonight 42) directs. The cast includes Liev Schreiber, who plays a rival enforcer, as well as Alison Pill and Eugene Levy.

We Need to Talk About Kevin 68 + Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

Lynne Ramsay’s adaptation of Lionel Shriver’s novel We Need To Talk About Kevin stars Tilda Swinton as a mother struggling to come to terms with the horrible actions taken by her sociopathic son, played by Afterschool’s Ezra Miller. John C. Reilly plays the father, and Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood provides the score (as he did for There Will Be Blood). This is Ramsay’s first film since 2002’s Morvern Callar 78, and her style combined with the difficult subject matter didn't sit well with some viewers and critics, though reviews were still mostly positive, and Swinton was universally praised.

More new releases on May 29, 2012
51	96 Minutes Brittany Snow, Evan Ross	Add to Queue
36	Gone Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer Carpenter, Wes Bentley	Add to Queue
44	Lula, the Son of Brazil Portugese-language drama	Add to Queue
40	Man on a Ledge Jamie Bell, Sam Worthington	Add to Queue
	One Direction - Up All Night: The Live Tour Concert performance
73	Sing Your Song Documentary about Harry Belafonte	Add to Queue
	Summer Interlude (1951) Criterion Collection
	Summer with Monika (1953)Criterion Collection
TV on DVD
	Degrassi: The Next Generation Season 11 Part 1
	Drop Dead Diva Season 3
	Maverick Season 1
	Rookie Blue Season 2
	Royal Pains Season 3 Vol. 2
74	True Blood Season 4
	Wing Commander Academy The Complete Series

June 5

Act of Valor 40 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

The intent behind this modest box office hit from February is admirable: depict the bravery and skill of U.S. Navy SEALs by using real-life active-duty SEALs in the cast. It's too bad the script they had to work with was so mediocre and the movie comes across, as Rolling Stone's Peter Travers puts it, like a "recruiting poster." Even the film's biggest critics, however, had praise for the action sequences.

Breaking Bad: Season 4 96

Emmy nominations won't be announced for another month and a half, but you can bet on the words "Breaking Bad" being read multiple times, as television's best current drama just keeps getting better with each passing season. Season 4 finds Bryan Cranston's Walter White embracing his dark side more than ever before, features stellar supporting performances by Aaron Paul and Giancarlo Esposito, and ends in an explosive finale that includes perhaps the single most memorable scene of the past year. You'll want to catch up now before the fifth and final season begins on July 15.

John Carter 51 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

Here's the secret about John Carter, the now notorious box office flop that cost Disney studio head Rich Ross his job earlier this year: a lot of people actually liked it, even if it was at times a jumbled mess. Taylor Kitsch stars as John Carter, a Confederate captain who wakes up to find himself on Mars and stuck in the middle of another, completely different civil war in this adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ A Princess of Mars, the first novel in his 11-volume Barsoom series. (Those other 10 novels probably will not be coming to a theater near you). Even the critics who didn't much care for Pixar director Andrew Stanton’s (WALL-E 94) live-action debut still had praise for the look of the film, so that $250 million production budget wasn't completely wasted.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 41 +Queue Watch Trailer

A sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth 57 without Brendan Fraser? It's true, and it's about as bad as you'd expect (though that would be the case with or without Fraser's presence.) Josh Hutcherson returns as Sean Anderson, but instead of going on another adventure with his uncle, he joins up with his mother’s boyfriend, played by Dwayne Johnson, and sets off on a quest to find his missing grandfather (Michael Caine). Luis Guzman and Vanessa Hudgens are also along for the ride under the guidance of director Brad Peyton (Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore 30).

Safe House 52 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

Swedish director Daniel Espinosa’s first Hollywood film stars Denzel Washington as a former U.S. intelligence operative turned prisoner whom Ryan Reynolds must protect after their safe house is compromised. The above-average cast also includes Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson, Sam Shepard, Robert Patrick, Rubén Blades, and Joel Kinnaman (who also starred in Espinosa’s breakout hit Snabba Cash, which has been retitled Easy Money and will finally get a U.S. release on July 27).

Yellow Submarine (1968) Add to Netflix Queue

The trippy 1968 animated film based on The Beatles' music gets a new DVD and Blu-ray release this week after being out of print for years, and fans should be impressed with the result. For this high-resolution release, the film has been painstakingly restored by hand, frame-by-frame, while new extras include a making-of documentary, audio commentary from the film's producer and art director, and a 16-page booklet featuring an essay by superfan (and Pixar head) John Lasseter. The soundtrack album will also get a (separate) re-release on the same day.

More new releases on June 5, 2012
73	Declaration of War French drama	Add to Queue
51	Hit So Hard Documentary about Hole drummer Patty Schemel	Add to Queue
57	How to Live Forever Documentary	Add to Queue
43	Machine Gun Preacher Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan	Add to Queue
74	The Woodmans Documentary	Add to Queue
Older movies debuting on Blu-ray
64	Blood Work (2002) Clint Eastwood, Jeff Daniels
	Cocktail (1988) Tom Cruise
	The Color of Money (1986) Paul Newman, Tom Cruise
	The Grapes of Wrath (1940) Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell
	Hoosiers (1986) Gene Hackman, Dennis Hopper
	A Perfect World (1993) Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood
60	Ransom (1996) Mel Gibson
59	Scent of a Woman (1992) Al Pacino, Chris O'Donnell
	Sea of Love (1989) Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin
	The Sting (1973) Paul Newman, Robert Redford
47	U.S. Marshals (1998) Tommy Lee Jones, Wesley Snipes
TV on DVD
	American Pickers Volume 3
	Arn: The Knight Templar Complete Series
	Babar Season 1
	Burn Notice Season 5
	CatDog Season 2, Part 2
85	Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 8
	Doc Martin Series 5
59	Fairly Legal Season 1
71	Falling Skies Season 1
	Heartland Season 2
	Hell's Kitchen Season 7
	In Plain Sight Season 4
	The Layover Season 1
63	Necessary Roughness Season 1
	New Tricks Season 7
	Pretty Little Liars Season 2
	Rags to Riches Complete Series
	Top Gear Season 18
	The Twilight Zone Complete Series
	White Collar Season 3
	Workaholics Season 2 [DVD] / Season 1+2 [Blu-ray]

June 12

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance 32 +Queue Watch Trailer

You'd think it would be hard for this sequel to be even worse than the original 2007 film Ghost Rider 35, but never underestimate Nicolas Cage. Spirit of Vengeance once again stars Cage as Johnny Blaze, a motorcycle stunt rider who has been transformed into the flaming supernatural badass Ghost Rider. Joining him this time out is Idris Elba (The Wire) as Johnny’s sidekick Moreau, Johnny Whitworth as villain Blackout, and the Highlander himself, Christopher Lambert, as the monk Methodius. The film’s directors are Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, who are known for their kinetic, hands-on approach, but don't watch this expecting another Crank.

Harold and Maude (1971) Criterion Collection

It's a big week for Criterion Collection releases (also out are the Charlie Chaplin classic The Gold Rush and Danny Boyle's nifty debut Shallow Grave), but we're partial to Hal Ashby's 1971 dark comedy about a death-obsessed young man (Bud Cort) who forms an unlikely relationship with a 79-year-old woman (Ruth Gordon). The cult classic (featuring music by Cat Stevens throughout) was named by AFI as one of the 100 funniest American movies of all time, and this new Criterion release includes a new digital restoration and commentary by Ashby biographer Nick Dawson.

In Darkness 74 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

Nominated for a foreign language Oscar, In Darkness is a claustrophobic Holocaust tale about a profiteer who helps Jews evade Nazi capture in the sewers of German-occupied Poland. The drama comes from director Agnieszka Holland (Europa, Europa, TV's The Wire), and most critics liked the film, though a few found it a dimly lit, inferior version of Schindler's List.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows 48 +Queue Trailer

Director Guy Ritchie and stars Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, and Rachel McAdams all return for their second go at the legendary literary character Sherlock Holmes; they're joined by Noomi Rapace as a gypsy, Stephen Fry as Sherlock’s brother Mycroft, and Jared Harris as Sherlock’s arch nemesis, Professor Moriarty. This time, the action carries over to France, as Holmes attempts to uncover a vast conspiracy that could change the course of history. Critics weren't overly impressed, and if you're looking for a less tedious take on Holmes, consider the recent BBC miniseries (just released on DVD) instead.

More new releases on June 12, 2012
29	Don't Go in the Woods Horror musical	Add to Queue
	The Gold Rush (1925/1942) Criterion Collection; Charlie Chaplin
43	Tyler Perry's Good Deeds Tyler Perry	Add to Queue
64	The Hedgehog French dramedy	Add to Queue
14	A Little Bit of Heaven Kate Hudson, Gael Garcia Bernal	Add to Queue
	Ranchero Indie drama	Add to Queue
	Shallow Grave (1994) Criterion Collection; dir. by Danny Boyle	Add to Queue
60	Thin Ice Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup	Add to Queue
Older movies debuting on Blu-ray
	Meatballs (1979) Bill Murray
TV on DVD
	Decoded Season 2
61	Entourage Season 8
73	Episodes Season 1
55	GCB Season 1
	Gene Simmons: Family Jewels Season 6
56	Missing Season 1
	The Sarah Jane Adventures Season 5
64	Scandal Season 1
67	Too Big to Fail Made-for-HBO movie	Add to Queue
	Tosh.0 Vol. 1 ("Hoodies")
	The Tribe Series 1, Part 1

June 19

Jeff Who Lives at Home 60 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

The writer-director-brother tandem of Jay and Mark Duplass (Cyrus 74, The Puffy Chair 73) return with another quirky, semi-improvised comedy, this time centering on a 30-year-old stoner (Jason Segel) who still lives with his mother (Susan Sarandon) and helps his more career-oriented brother (Ed Helms) investigate whether his wife (Judy Greer) is cheating on him. Despite that strong cast, critics felt the film was less successful than the brothers' previous work.

Louie: Season 2 90

Yes, it's that good. Ask any TV critic to name their favorite comedy series from the past year, and odds are you'll hear the word "Louie," the name of Louis C.K.'s truly one-of-a-kind FX series that blends moments of his stellar stand-up with short films written, directed by, edited by, and starring the comedian. Ever unpredictable, the second season featured Louie accusing Dane Cook (gamely playing himself) of stealing his material, guest appearances by Joan Rivers, Steven Wright, and Chris Rock, and an impressive hour-long episode filmed in Afghanistan. The series returns with new episodes on FX beginning June 28.

Project X (2012) 48 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

So how does producer Todd Phillips attempt to reinvent the “lets throw a massive party to become popular” genre? By turning it into a found footage document of debauchery, a formula Chronicle 69 recently employed (more successfully) to reinvigorate the superhero movie. Nima Nourizadeh’s debut feature follows high school losers JB, Costa, and birthday boy Thomas as their party becomes increasingly out of control. Project X has it all, if your definition of "all" encompasses flying dogs, little people stuck in ovens, cars driven into pools, zip lines, bouncy houses, tasers, fireworks, flamethrowers, and Miles Teller from Rabbit Hole.

Wanderlust 53 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

Married couple Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston leave their cushy New York lifestyle behind for life in a Georgia hippie commune in a Judd Apatow-produced comedy that also stars Justin Theroux, Malin Åkerman, Lauren Ambrose, Joe Lo Truglio, and Alan Alda. David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer 42, Role Models 60) directs from a script he co-wrote with fellow The State alumnus Ken Merino, though that screenplay is the movie's biggest failing, according to critics. Still, it has its moments.

More new releases on June 19, 2012
76	And Everything Is Going Fine (2010) Criterion Collection; doc about Spalding Gray	Add to Queue
73	Attenberg Greek comedy	Add to Queue
50	A Bag of Hammers Jason Ritter, Jake Sandvig	Add to Queue
57	The Big Fix Documentary	Add to Queue
61	Big Miracle John Krasinski, Drew Barrymore	Add to Queue
33	Cat Run Paz Vega, Janet McTeer	Add to Queue
48	The FP Cult action-comedy with dancing	Add to Queue
	Gray's Anatomy (1997) Criterion Collection; Spalding Gray monologue	Add to Queue
51	How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr Foster? Documentary	Add to Queue
63	Keyhole Jason Patric, Isabella Rossellini; directed by Guy Maddin	Add to Queue
63	My Reincarnation Documentary	Add to Queue
	Project X (1968) Sci-fi thriller directed by William Castle
	The Raconteurs: Live at Montreux 2008 Concert performance
38	Seeking Justice Guy Pearce, January Jones, Nicolas Cage	Add to Queue
	The Space Children (1958) Sci-fi thriller directed by Jack Arnold
Older movies debuting on Blu-ray
	The Colossus of New York (1958) Sci-fi
60	Empire of the Sun (1987) Christian Bale, John Malkovich; directed by Steven Spielberg
45	Evita (1996) Madonna, Jonathan Pryce, Antonio Banderas
46	Newsies (1992) Christian Bale, Robert Duvall
TV on DVD
	Batman: The Brave and the Bold Season 3
56	Franklin & Bash Season 1
	Hey Dude Season 3
	House of Payne Vol. 9
	The Invisible Man Complete Series
	Nova: Hunting the Elements PBS special
	The Sarah Silverman Program Complete Series
56	Web Therapy Season 1
67	Wilfred Season 1 [U.S. version]

June 26

21 Jump Street 69 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

One of the (pleasant) surprises of 2012 so far, this action-comedy reimagining of the late '80s TV crime drama (yes, the one that launched the career of Johnny Depp) was a commercial and critical hit upon its release this spring. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum play a dim-witted pair of cops enlisted to go undercover at a high school to expose a drug ring led by Dave Franco. Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 66) direct from a script by Hill and Michael Bacall (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World 69), while the supporting cast includes Ice Cube, Ellie Kemper, Nick Offerman, and Rob Riggle. A sequel is in development.

The Artist 89 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

Easily the best silent French black-and-white film released in the past year, critically acclaimed The Artist was 2011's biggest surprise box office hit, and eventually won five Academy Awards (out of 10 total nominations), including best picture. Set in late 1920s Hollywood, it tells the story of a silent film star (Jean Dujardin) whose career wanes as talkies gain acceptance, while an extra from his films, played by Berenice Bejo, becomes a star. Director Michel Hazanavicius previously worked with Dujardin and Bejo on OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies 62, but The Artist is his first breakthrough in the U.S.

Bullhead 68 Add to Netflix Queue

More involving than a crime thriller about illegal steroid use in Belgium's cattle industry has any right to be, Bullhead marks the feature debut for director Michael R. Roskam. While some critics enjoyed the nonlinear narrative structure (which features a lengthy flashback in the middle of the film) more than others, everyone had high praise for star Matthias Schoenaerts, whose remarkably complex performance marked him as a rising star (and parts in this year's Cannes entry Rust and Bone opposite Marion Cotillard and next year's Blood Ties with Clive Owen and Mila Kunis).

Mirror Mirror 46 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

The first of two "Snow White" films to hit theaters this year was the PG-rated Mirror Mirror, a colorful, light, and campy take on the classic fairy tale, directed by Tarsem Singh (Immortals 46). Lily Collins plays Snow White, who is banished to the woods by her evil stepmother the Queen (Julia Roberts). It is there that Snow White meets the seven dwarves, and they embark on a quest to restore her to her rightful place. Armie Hammer plays Prince Andrew Alcott, who must choose which woman to support, and the cast also includes Nathan Lane and Sean Bean. While it's not to be confused with a great film, your kids might like it.

A Thousand Words 26 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

One must employ caution when using the word "worst" to describe an Eddie Murphy comedy these days—after all, his last dozen or so years have been filled with one disaster after another—yet here we are, looking at the actor's lowest-scoring film since 2002's The Adventures of Pluto Nash 12. A Thousand Words, which sees Murphy playing a man who is cursed to die after speaking 1,000 words, was filmed in 2008, only to sit on the shelf for four years; apparently, it should have stayed there.

Wrath of the Titans 37 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

Well, at least it's not a remake. This 3D sequel to 2010's reimagining of the 1981 Greek mythology "classic" Clash of the Titans (which did not itself have a sequel) returns Sam Worthington as the hero Perseus, who is reluctantly drawn into a war among the gods. Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson also reprise their titanic roles from the prior film, joined by newcomers Rosamund Pike, Bill Nighy, and Édgar Ramírez, while Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles 37) directs. Despite those lousy reviews (which resulted in a Metascore similar to the previous film's 39), the film was enough of a box office success that writers have been hired for a third film.

More new releases on June 26, 2012
	The 39 Steps (1935) Criterion Collection; directed by Alfred Hitchcock
42	The Decoy Bride David Tennant, Kelly Macdonald, Alice Eve	Add to Queue
	The Hangman (1959) Robert Taylor, Fess Parker
	The Night of the Grizzly (1966) Clint Walker
82	Once Upon a Time in Anatolia Turkish drama won Grand Prix at 2011 Cannes	Add to Queue
60	Oranges and Sunshine Emily Watson, Hugo Weaving	Add to Queue
40	The Perfect Family Emily Deschanel, Kathleen Turner, Jason Ritter	Add to Queue
	Pink Floyd: The Story of Wish You Were Here Documentary
	The Samurai Trilogy Criterion Collection box set of Hiroshi Inagaki's three '50s films
72	Sound of Noise Highly original Swedish crime comedy	Add to Queue
	Stone Temple Pilots: Alive in the Windy City 2010 concert performance
	Tales That Witness Madness (1973) Horror anthology	Add to Queue
Older movies debuting on Blu-ray
	Deliverance (1972) Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds
TV on DVD
78	Damages Season 4
	Iron Man: Armored Adventures Season 2, Vol. 1
	Law & Order: Criminal Intent Season 7
	Little Mosque on the Prairie Season 5
	Meet the Browns Season 6 (Episodes 101-120)
	Poirot Series 5

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