DVD releases this week include reissued classics

Published: Sunday, May 10, 2009 7:08 p.m. MDT
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"TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: WWII Battlefront Europe" (TCM/Warner, 1949-70, b/w and color, two double-sided discs, $27.92). This wildly divergent mix includes "Battleground," a traditional ensemble film about the Battle of the Bulge; "Where Eagles Dare," a heroic action film with Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton battling Nazis; "The Dirty Dozen," one of the great action pictures (liberally laced with comedy), as Lee Marvin heads an all-star cast; and the weirdest of these, "Kelly's Heroes," a heist-comedy with Eastwood, Telly Savalas and Donald Sutherland (who seems to have wandered in from the set of "MASH").

"TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: War Collection Battlefront Asia" (TCM/Warner, 1943-68, b/w and color, two double-sided discs, $27.92). "Bataan" is a realistic look at South Pacific heroics, led by Robert Taylor, and "Destination Tokyo" re-creates submarine action with Cary Grant and John Garfield. And John Wayne stars in both "Back to Bataan" and his infamous "The Green Berets" (which he also directed).

"The Da Vinci Code" (Sony/Blu-ray, two discs, 2006, $38.98). For those of you who just couldn't get enough of Ron Howard's adaptation of the Dan Brown novel, this is for you. The original two-and-a-half-hour PG-13 film has now been expanded to nearly three hours (and is unrated but still in PG-13 territory).

The result is a bit sluggish, in my view, but fans probably won't care, as long-haired Tom Hanks teams up with French cutie Audrey Tautou to trace symbols and clues that may reveal "the biggest cover-up in human history," as the press release says. And there are more bonus features in this Blu-ray reissue. (There's also a scene from the sequel, "Angels & Demons," introduced by Ron Howard.)

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Extras: widescreen, audio commentary (new commentary on selected scenes), featurettes; BD-Live applications (for Internet-connected Blu-ray players)

"It Could Happen to You" (TriStar/Blu-ray, 1994, PG, $28.95)."Roxanne" (Columbia/Blu-ray, 1987, PG, $28.95). These two new Blu-ray reissues are examples of how this new format brings attention to enjoyable movies that people may have forgotten.

"Roxanne" is Steve Martin's contemporary adaptation of "Cyrano de Bergerac," which is a bit raunchy and uneven but generally funny and smart, while "It Could Happen to You" is a thoroughly delightful old-fashioned comedy (in the best possible sense), loosely based on the true story of a New York cop (Nicolas Cage, back when he was charming) who split his lottery winnings with a down-on-her-luck waitress (Bridget Fonda — where's she been lately?), much to the consternation of his greedy wife (Rosie Perez).

Extras: widescreen; BD-Live applications (for Internet-connected Blu-ray players)

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Judy Garland stars in the film "Meet Me in St. Louis."

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