New DVD Releases This Week: The Gatekeepers, Admission

There are at least a few new releases of interest this week. The Gatekeepers looks good, I don't know much about the Israeli internal security service. Admission has Tina Fey in it so it has my attention.

These are some of the new DVDs released this week, the ones I find interesting or of note.

 

Tuesday July 9, 2013

The Gatekeepers, PG-13      Amazon
The Gatekeepers (Hebrew: שומרי הסף) is a 2012 documentary film by director Dror Moreh that tells the story of the Israeli Shin Bet from the perspective of six former heads of Israel’s secretive internal security service. The film combines in-depth interviews with archival footage and computer animation to recount the role that the group played in Israel’s security from the Six-Day War to the present. The film was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 85^th Academy Awards.

 

Dead Man Down, R      Amazon
Dead Man Down is a 2013 American neo-noir thriller crime film written by J.H. Wyman and directed by Danish director Niels Arden Oplev. The film stars Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace, Dominic Cooper, and Terrence Howard.

 

Spring Breakers, R      Amazon
Spring Breakers is a 2012 American comedy-drama exploitation film film written and directed by Harmony Korine. The film stars Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine and James Franco. The film follows four college-aged girls on their spring break.

 

Admission, PG-13      Amazon
Admission is a 2013 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Paul Weitz and starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd. Straight-laced Princeton University admissions officer Portia Nathan is caught off-guard when she makes a recruiting visit to an alternative high school overseen by her former college classmate, the free-wheeling John Pressman.

 

 

 

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Graphic Credit: DVD Icon made from WikiMedia.org free software, you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation.

 

 

TV This Week: Ray Donovan, Camp Pilot

Ray Donovan looks good so far. OK, it's been just one episode but I'll keep watching - for now. I've heard absolutely nothing about Camp but I'll try to watch.

These are the TV shows I plan on watching this week. Most of them I will watch by DVR or OnDemand. All times ET.

 

Sunday

Ray Donovan, A Mouth is a Mouth. Showtime, 10:00pm.
Ray develops a scheme to get Mickey back behind bars; Abby decides to ignore Ray and hang out with Mickey; Ray must assist an actor who has received threats and a star whose livelihood is being jeopardized by a sex tape.

 

Monday

Gasland Part 2, movie, 2½ hrs. HBO, 9:00pm.
An eye-opening look is taken at the environmental dangers being caused by the hydraulic fracturing process used to find and attain fossil fuels buried deep within the Earth, and the impact that the industry is having on the world is examined.

Under the Dome, Manhunt. CBS, 10:00pm.
The residents of Chester's Mill manage to gather at Joe McClatchey's house, where they plan a "recharge" party with the generator that he has with him; Big Jim Rennie and Dale Barbara take time to search for the missing Paul Randolph.

 

Tuesday

Frontline, Two American Families. PBS, 10:00pm.
Cameras follow a black family and a white family in Milwaukee as they struggle to stay above the poverty line, and the intimate portrait also explores the changing nature of America's economy and the uncertain future of the middle class. 1½ hrs.

 

Wednesday

Secrets of the Dead, Ultimate Tut. PBS, 9:00pm.
A team of archaeologists, geologists and anatomists uses 3D graphics, stylized reconstruction and forensic investigative techniques to explore the real story behind Tutankhamen and build a definitive picture of the young pharaoh. Narrator: Liev Schreiber. 2 hrs.

Camp, Pilot. NBC, 10:00pm.
Mackenzie Granger, Director for Little Otter Family Camp, begins dealing with her divorce while facing the challenges of keeping her summer camp afloat after a tempting buyout offer from Roger Shepard, owner of an upscale resort across the lake.

 

Thursday

 

 

 

Friday

 

 

 

Saturday

666 Park Avenue, Lazarus, Part 1. ABC, 9:00pm.
Jane is still reeling from the discovery of what happened to her mother when her father shows up to get her out of The Drake at gunpoint; Henry is given a cryptic warning by Sullivan; Louise and Brian find out the consequences of Alexis' fury.

 

Sunday

Ray Donovan, Twerk. Showtime, 10:00pm.
Mickey reconnects with Bunchy and Terry; Ray purchases a hip-hop musician; Ray's mentor decides to host a fundraiser for his wife; Mickey encounters an FBI agent who has a strange preoccupation for all things Hollywood-related.

 

Graphic Credit: TVTW Icon made from WikiMedia.org free software, you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation.

 

 

New DVD Releases This Week: Last Resort: The Complete Series and Venus and Serena

Fourth of July is this week so I didn't expect many new releases. Last Resort: The Complete Series was a good TV show that I wish had gotten another season or two. Venus and Serena sounds interesting and I'm not much of a tennis fan anymore.

These are some of the new DVDs released this week, the ones I find interesting or of note.

 

Tuesday July 2, 2013

Last Resort: The Complete Series, Not Rated      Amazon
When the crew of the fictional U.S. Navy Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, the USS Colorado (SSBN-753) pick up a U.S. Navy SEAL team off Pakistan's coast, the Colorado receives an order to launch nuclear ballistic missiles at Pakistan. The Colorado's Commanding Officer, Captain Marcus Chaplin (Andre Braugher) refuses the order and he and his crew take over an island.

 

Venus and Serena, PG-13      Amazon
Venus and Serena is a documentary film that takes and inside look at Venus Williams and Serena Williams lives and careers. Venus and Serena was directed by Maiken Baird and Michelle Major. It was the official selection at the 2013 Miami International Film Festival, 2012 Toronto Film Festival, 2012 Tribeca Film Festival and 2012 Bermuda Docs Film Festival.

 

 

 

Note: this blog post contains affiliate links.

Graphic Credit: DVD Icon made from WikiMedia.org free software, you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation.

 

 

TV This Week: Ray Donovan, Under the Dome

It's Fourth of July week and the TV pickings are slim. Under the Dome got good ratings for its first episode, can it hold on to viewers? I liked it so I'll tune in again. Ray Donovan has gotten good reviews so I'll check it out.

These are the TV shows I plan on watching this week. Most of them I will watch by DVR or OnDemand. All times ET.

 

Sunday

Under the Dome, Pilot. CBS, 9:00pm.
The residents of Chester's Mill suddenly find themselves sealed off from the rest of the world when an inexplicable transparent dome encompasses the entire city, leaving the people to struggle for resources as everyone begins to panic. Repeat, in case you missed it. It got good ratings.

The Killing, Eminent Domain. AMC, 9:00pm.
Detective Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder manage to get a hold of the victim that has been on the run; after enduring a difficult scenario, Seward suddenly confronts the demons from his past; Bullet tries to cope with the truth.

Ray Donovan, The Bag or the Bat. Showtime, 10:00pm.
In Los Angeles, when a man is released from prison early, he seeks revenge on his son who set him up; Ray must assist a celebrity who is experiencing concerns about a transsexual; Ray helps out a singer who is being pursued.

 

Monday

Under the Dome, The Fire. CBS, 9:00pm.
While the residents of Chester's Mill try to come to terms with the uncertainty of life in the dome, their panic is yet again heightened when a house is engulfed in flames and the fire department is located outside of the dome.

 

Tuesday

 

 

 

Wednesday

 

 

 

Thursday - Fourth of July

 

 

 

Friday

 

 

 

Saturday

Zero Hour, Winding. ABC, 8:00pm.
Hank and Laila continue the race against the Pyrates in search of the True Cross; "Molars" and White Vincent are captives on the same ship and share intelligence; Beck, Paige, Arron and Rachel meet Hank and Laila in Strasourg and discover the mole.

666 Park Avenue, Elysian Fields. ABC, 9:00pm.
As Jane tries to figure out what the "conspiratti" is, Detective Cooper reveals his part in the group; Henry tries to track down Jane's estranged father to surprise her at the engagement party Olivia is throwing them; Alexis and Louise face-off.

 

Sunday

The Killing, Hope Kills. AMC, 9:00pm.
After not being able to make any head way in the case, Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder get closer to solving the case; Seward struggles to come to terms with his inevitable end; the young Bullet decides to step up and be the protector.

Ray Donovan, A Mouth is a Mouth. Showtime, 10:00pm.
Ray develops a scheme to get Mickey back behind bars; Abby decides to ignore Ray and hang out with Mickey; Ray must assist an actor who has received threats and a star whose livelihood is being jeopardized by a sex tape.

 

Graphic Credit: TVTW Icon made from WikiMedia.org free software, you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation.

 

 

Internet Archive Pick of the Week: Welsh Fairy Tales and Other Stories

This weeks selection is Welsh Fairy Tales and Other Stories, an audio book. Twenty four tales are included, none over ten minutes long. It was recently added to the Archive and is also from LibriVox.org. I haven't listened to them yet but I plan to soon.

 

Here's how the Internet Archive is described at Wikipedia:

The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge." It provides permanent storage of and free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly three million public-domain books. As of October 2012, its collection topped 10 petabytes. In addition to its archiving function, the Archive is an activist organization, advocating for a free and open Internet.

 

 

New DVD Releases This Week: A Place at the Table, The Call and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

No real big releases this week, I don't think I remember these being in the theaters. Anyway The Call and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone look like they may be decent and I do want to see A Place at the Table.

These are some of the new DVDs released this week, the ones I find interesting or of note.

 

Tuesday June 25, 2013

The Call, R      Amazon
Jordan Turner (Halle Berry) is a LAPD 9-1-1 operator. One night, she receives a call from Leah Templeton (Evie Thompson), a teenage girl fearing for her life as a man breaks into her home. Jordan's clever instructions allow Leah to evade the intruder, but when the call is disconnected Jordan calls Leah back which gives away Leah's hiding spot to the intruder. Jordan attempts to stop him over the phone to which he says "It's already done", and hangs up. A few days later, Jordan sees a report on TV that shows that Leah had been murdered.

 

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, PG-13      Amazon
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is a 2013 comedy film directed by Don Scardino. The film follows Las Vegas magician Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) as he attempts to reunite with his former partner Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) to take on dangerous street magician Steve Gray (Jim Carrey).

 

Help!, G      Amazon
Help!, now on Blu-ray, is a 1965 film directed by Richard Lester, starring The Beatles – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr — and featuring Leo McKern, Eleanor Bron, Victor Spinetti, John Bluthal, Roy Kinnear and Patrick Cargill. Help! was the second feature film made by the Beatles and is a comedy adventure which sees the group come up against an evil cult.

 

A Place at the Table, PG      Amazon
A Place at the Table is a 2012 documentary film directed by Kristi Jacobson and Lori Silverbush, with appearances by Jeff Bridges, Raj Patel, and chef Tom Colicchio. The film is about hunger in the United States.

 

 

 

Note: this blog post contains affiliate links.

Graphic Credit: DVD Icon made from WikiMedia.org free software, you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation.

 

 

TV This Week: Mad Men finale, Doctor Who Revisited, Big Brother, Zero Hour, 666 Park Avenue

Tonight is the season finale of Mad Men. Next Sunday night is the pilot of Under the Dome. Doctor Who Revisited is up the the Sixth Doctor. Big Brother 15 begins this week and ABC burns off remaining episodes of Zero Hour and 666 Park Avenue.

These are the TV shows I plan on watching this week. Most of them I will watch by DVR or OnDemand. All times ET.

 

Sunday

Crossing Borders, Pilot. NBC, 9:00pm.
Former NYPD detective Carl Hickman became a recluse until he receives an offer from his friend Detective Major Louis Daniel to join a team of unique specialists to help track down a serial killer crossing various international borders undetected. 2 hrs.

The Killing, Scared and Running. AMC, 9:00pm.
Sarah and Holder do everything they can in order to find a victim on the run in order to ensure that no one else finds them first; Ray Seward begrudgingly takes in an unexpected visitor and he does very little to be a warm and welcoming host.

Mad Men, In Care Of. AMC, 10:00pm.
* * * Season Finale * * * With all the troubles that Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce has had to overcome, Don begins to feel overwhelmed while dealing with a very serious problem of his own which leads to the agency partner desperately searching for a solution.

 

Monday

 

 

 

Tuesday

Frontline, Rape in the Fields. PBS, 10:00pm.
Along with two investigative reporting programs, correspondent Lowell Bergman spent 12 months looking into the secret price of sexual assault that many migrant women pay in order to continue working in America's food packing plants and fields.

 

Wednesday

Big Brother 15, Premiere. CBS, 8:00pm.
Julie Chen returns to host the 15^th installment packed with new twists, never-before-seen games and a record number of willing participants eager to compete; the cast members are introduced as they prepare for the isolation period to begin.

 

Thursday

 

 

 

Friday

 

 

 

Saturday

Zero Hour, Sync. ABC, 8:00pm.
Hank hears out Laila for her side of the story, but he isn't sure if he can forgive her, teaming up with her to get closer to the True Cross; White Vincent discovers another clue while working for "Mother" that brings him closer to the end.

Doctor Who Revisited, The Sixth Doctor. BBC America, 8:30pm.
A detailed look is taken at earlier seasons of the iconic television show Doctor Who, a phenomenon that is still popular after 50 years, featuring The Sixth Doctor, played by Colin Baker, and his adventures and his foes, including Sil. 2½ hrs.

666 Park Avenue, Sins of the Fathers. ABC, 9:00pm.
Sasha reveals her plan to get Henry elected; Sasha offers Father Douglas an arrangement to rid himself of the demons that have tormented him since trying to open the red box; a new tenant moves into the Drake; Alexis plots revenge against Louise.

 

Sunday

Under the Dome, Pilot. CBS, 9:00pm.
The residents of Chester's Mill suddenly find themselves sealed off from the rest of the world when an inexplicable transparent dome encompasses the entire city, leaving the people to struggle for resources as everyone begins to panic.

The Killing, Eminent Domain. AMC, 9:00pm.
Detective Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder manage to get a hold of the victim that has been on the run; after enduring a difficult scenario, Seward suddenly confronts the demons from his past; Bullet tries to cope with the truth.

 

Graphic Credit: TVTW Icon made from WikiMedia.org free software, you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation.

 

 

Internet Archive Pick of the Week: Grateful Dead 1989 Summer Solstice Concert

More people should know about and use the Internet Archive so every Saturday I will feature something from it. Today's selection seems appropriate since yesterday was the summer solstice, it's the Grateful Dead Live - "Summer Solstice" show - Shoreline Amphitheater - Mountainview, CA - 1989-06-21 (June 21, 1989).

Song highlights include Touch of Grey, Box of Rain, Truckin', and Brokedown Palace. The 242 MB zipped file of this concert can be directly downloaded from the Internet Archive or there is a BitTorrent link that you can use as well.

Here's how the Internet Archive is described at Wikipedia:

The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge." It provides permanent storage of and free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly three million public-domain books. As of October 2012, its collection topped 10 petabytes. In addition to its archiving function, the Archive is an activist organization, advocating for a free and open Internet.

 

 

New DVD Releases This Week: Jack the Giant Slayer; Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut

It's a slow week for DVDs but the kids might like Jack the Giant Slayer and older Anglophiles may like Quartet, it's Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut.

These are some of the new DVDs released this week, the ones I find interesting or of note.

 

Tuesday June 18, 2013

Jack the Giant Slayer, PG-13      Amazon
Jack the Giant Slayer is a 2013 American fantasy adventure film based on the fairy tales "Jack the Giant Killer" and "Jack and the Beanstalk". The film is directed by Bryan Singer with a screenplay written by Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney and stars Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane, Bill Nighy and Ewan McGregor. The film tells the story of Jack, a young farmhand who must rescue a princess from a race of giants after inadvertently opening a gateway to their world.

 

Quartet, PG-13      Amazon
Quartet is a 2012 British comedy-drama film based on the play of the same title by Ronald Harwood, which ran in London's West End from September 1999 until January 2000. It was filmed late in 2011 at Hedsor House, Buckinghamshire. The film is actor Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut.

 

Stoker, R      Amazon
During her 18th birthday, India Stoker's (Mia Wasikowska) life is turned upside down after her loving father Richard (Dermot Mulroney) dies in a horrific car accident. India is then left with her estranged unstable mother Evelyn (Nicole Kidman). At Richard's funeral, Evelyn and India are introduced to Richard's charming and charismatic brother Charlie (Matthew Goode), who has spent his life traveling the world. He then announces that he is staying indefinitely to help support India and Evelyn, much to Evelyn's delight and India's chagrin.

 

 

Note: this blog post contains affiliate links.

Graphic Credit: DVD Icon made from WikiMedia.org free software, you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation.