10.18.2011: What To Watch – DVD/Blu-ray Releases

DVDs and Blu-rays are sailing the high seas with pirates and flying above Earth with aliens.  “We Are Of Peace.  Always.” especially with a treasure chest full of DVD & Blu-ray booty.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) on DVD, Two-Disc Blu-ray + DVD in DVD packaging, Two-Disc Blu-ray + DVD in Blu-ray packaging, Five-Disc Limited 3D Edition Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + Bonus Disc, and 15-Disc Limited Edition Four-Movie Collection.  Starring Johnny Depp (The Rum Diary), Penélope Cruz (Nine), Geoffrey Rush (The Warrior’s Way) and Ian McShane (TV’s The Pillars of the Earth).  Written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio (both of Pirates of the Caribbean: I-III).  Directed by Rob Marshall (Nine).

It’s the end of the trilogy but not of the movie franchise with Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides being a standalone film in the series.  Gone are director Gore Verbinski, actors Orlando Bloom & Keira Knightley and Dick Cook, former Walt Disney Studios chairman but not producer Jerry Bruckheimer, writers Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio and of course, actor Johnny Depp.  The story of the fourth installment, a first with director Rob Marshall, was powered by sci-fi & fantasy author Tim Power’s 1987 On Stranger Tides, whose rights were purchased by the studio in 2007.  The part history and part fantasy novel inspired the writers to incorporate both Blackbeard and the Fountain of Youth into the screenplay with Depp assisting in the design of the story.  Depp was also more involved in the production process due to the problems with At World’s End.  It apparently worked as On Stranger Tides premiered to the tune of $90.151 million and grossed $1.039 billion worldwide, making it currently the fourth highest earning movie of 2011 and #8 in overall worldwide gross.  With it’s success, rumors have it that Depp will once again become pirate Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean 5.

The four-movie collection includes Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) on Blu-ray + Digital Copy, Dead Man’s Chest (2006) on Blu-ray + Digital Copy, At World’s End (2007) on Blu-ray + Digital Copy, and On Stranger Tides on Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + Bonus Disc.  The 15 discs is housed in an authentic replica pirates chest with a collectible map.

Synopsis:  Jack Sparrow (Depp) finds himself crossing paths and swords with the enigmatic Angelica (Cruz).  When she forces him aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge, the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard (McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected journey to the fabled Fountain of Youth.  Along the way, Jack must use all his wiles to deal with the barbarous Blackbeard and his crew of zombies, Angelica, the ravishing pirate with whom Jack shares shares a dubious past, and the beautiful, enchanting mermaids whose masterful cunning can lure even the most seasoned sailor to his doom.  The indestructible Captain Hector Barbossa (Rush), Captain Jack’s longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs (Kevin McNally), Philip (Sam Claflin), a stalwart missionary, and the mysterious mermaid Syrena (Astrid Berges-Frisbey) join in on the adventure.  courtesy of Disney

Official Website:  http://disney.go.com/pirates/

facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/PiratesoftheCaribbean#!/PiratesoftheCaribbean?sk=wall

Twitter:  @DisneyPirates

V: The Complete Second Season (2010-2011) on 2-Disc DVD and 2-Disc Blu-ray.  Starring Elizabeth Mitchell (TV’s Lost), Morena Baccarin (TV’s Homeland), Morris Chestnut (The Perfect Holiday), Joel Gretsch (TV’s The 4400), Logan Huffman (TV’s America), Charles Mesure (TV’s Desperate Housewives), Christopher Shyer (J. Edgar), Laura Vandervoort (TV’s Smallville), Scott Wolf (TV’s The Nine) and Jane Badler (TV’s Neighbours).  Created by Kenneth Johnson (TV’s Bionic Woman).

The second and final season of the ’80s television miniseries turned present day television series on ABC was just getting to the good alien lizard parts until it was cancelled by the network in May of 2011.  Though the pilot episode of the first season was watched by 14.3 million viewers, the show lost its audience to an average 6.93 million during the second season, one of the reasons for the sci-fi thriller’s termination.  Original V fans were able to appreciate the writers’ spin on elements of the miniseries and the introduction of the character Diana this season with actress Jane Badler reprising her role but as the former Queen, now mother to current Queen, Anna.  With only ten episodes aired, instead of the original order of 13, V was nominated at multiple award associations but flew away with no wins.

Synopsis:  First there was rumbling.  Then, darkness filled the sky.  The Visitors have arrived.  FBI Counterterrorism Agent Erica Evans (Mitchell) stares in disbelief at one of the 29 massive alien ships hovering over the major cities of the world.  A video image of the beautiful High Commander, Anna (Baccarin), is seen from above.  She soothingly says, “Don’t be frightened.  We mean you no harm.”  That’s a relief.  The Visitors spread their message quickly and clearly: They come in peace, bearing gifts of medical miracles and technological breakthroughs far beyond our wildest imaginations.  Through their Peace Ambassadors program, the Visitors have built a loyal following.  But not everyone trusts the V’s.  There are those who believe they are strategically arming themselves with a very powerful weapon: Devotion.  As the world’s fascination with the V’s continues to grow, Erica discovers a secret hidden beneath the skin of every V – a secret that may threaten the lives of everyone close to her including her teenage son, Tyler (Huffman), who believes the V’s are his ticket to something incredible.  courtesy of ABC

Official Website:  http://abc.go.com/shows/v/about-the-show

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