Tuesday, June 1, 2010

DVDs out June 1st: Unusually U.K.-Centric

Alice in Wonderland: Lewis Carroll's enduring novels get the Tim Burton treatment. Burton regular Johnny Depp gives an appropriately deranged performance as the Mad Hatter, but the real highlight is Helena Bonham Carter as the psychotic - and possibly hydrocephalic - Red Queen. Australian actress Mia Wasikowska plays the title role.
Find it in the catalog!

The Barbara Stanwyck Show: Vol. 2: Hollywood siren Barbara Stanwyck (Double Indemnity, Sorry, Wrong Number) hosted her own television anthology series on NBC from 1960-1961. The show featured a host of notable actors and actresses as guest performers, including: Dana Andrews, Joan Blondell, Joseph Cotten, Lee Marvin, Anna May Wong, and Hollywood newcomers Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson.

Foyle's War: Set 6: The sixth season of the popular British detective series. Michael Kitchen anchors the show as Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle, a man who "fights his own battle on the home-front."

Life: A 10-episode nature documentary, created by the BBC as a highlight of its Darwin Season 2009. Narrated by Richard Attenborough for the BBC and Oprah Winfrey for Discovery Channel.
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Midsomer Murders: Set 15: If you're a fan of British detective dramas, this is a banner week for you. In addition to the aforementioned Foyle's War box-set, the fifteenth Midsomer Murders collection also comes to DVD. The set includes four complete episodes, all set in the fictional county of Midsomer.
Find it in the catalog!

The Wolfman: An effects-heavy remake of the 1941 Universal Pictures classic, starring Benicio del Toro as the lycanthrope. Co-starring: the genuinely British thespians Emily Blunt Anthony Hopkins.
Find it in the catalog!