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Comic-book fans and the general public agreed on one thing this year.
“Marvel’s The Avengers” was the mother of all superhero adaptations.
Directed by Joss Whedon, the PG-13 epic grossed a staggering $1.5 billion worldwide. That made the picture the third highest-grossing film of all time after James Cameron’s “Avatar” and “Titanic,” with $2.7 billion and $2.1 billion, respectively.
“Marvel’s The Avengers” ($29.99, DVD; $39.99, two-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo; and $49.99, four-disc Blu-ray 3-D/Blu-ray/DVD + digital copy + digital music download) hits stores Sept. 25, and the rousing title promises to remain hot from now through the December holiday gift season.
Certainly the combination of action, humor, visuals and heroics transforms the $220 million title, which has the superheroes teaming to defeat an enemy threatening the planet, into something lasting and special.
In the production notes for “Marvel’s The Avengers,” the gifted Whedon, whose credits include “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and the terrific cult favorite “Serenity,” talks about the challenges and excitement of bringing diverse superheroes together.
“I am a fan of what Marvel has established,” Whedon says. “The films they have released are extremely informative, useful and fun, but when they first came to me, ‘Thor’ and ‘Captain America’ were not even close to being finished. I just felt like, ‘OK, you have all these moving parts, but how can you possibly bring them together?’
“Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor and Captain America don’t seem like they could co-exist, and ultimately that is what intrigued me. It made me go, ‘This can be done and this should be done.’ These people (eccentric, sometimes egotistical superheroes) don’t belong together and wouldn’t get along. As soon as that dynamic came into focus, I realized that I actually have something to say about these people.”
Whedon certainly benefited from strong cast members, including Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Mark Ruffalo (the Hulk), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chris Evans (Captain America) and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury).
The down-to-earth Whedon readily admits that he was raised on superhero stories and is proud of that background.
“My visual style as a director comes from comic books,” he says. “My understanding of visual storytelling comes from panel art, which I was reading more voraciously than I was watching movies for most of my childhood.”
“The Avengers” was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first published in September 1963. The team originally consisted of Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Ant-Man and Wasp. Captain America joined the team in issue four after being trapped in a block of ice.
“I’d like to think that one of the reasons that Marvel characters have been so successful is when we created them, we tried to give them interesting personalities and personal problems so people would still be interested in them even if they didn’t have superpowers,” says Lee in the production notes. “In other words, we tried to make our heroes and heroines three-dimensional, interesting people.”
“Marvel’s The Avengers” proves Lee’s mission has been accomplished.
Bond is back in high-def
“Bond 50” ($199.99, DVD; $299.99, Blu-ray Disc; Sept. 25) will celebrate 007’s golden anniversary by offering 22 of the character’s films remastered in high definition.
This marks the first time all of the pictures — from “Dr. No” to “Quantum of Solace” — have been packaged in one complete offering.
“Bond 50” will contain more than 130 hours of bonus features.
Of course, this package is part of the buildup for the next 007 installment. “Skyfall” arrives on Nov. 9 with Daniel Craig returning as the British secret agent with a license to kill.
Hitchcock classics go ‘Blu’
The Master of Suspense will have 15 of his titles pressed in high-def in “Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection” ($299.99, Blu-ray Disc; Sept. 25).
The titles include “Rope” (1948), “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (1956), “North by Northwest” (1959), “Psycho” (1960), “The Birds” (1963) and “Frenzy” (1972).
For film buffs, the most exciting news is that “Vertigo” (1958), which many critics and fans consider Hitchcock’s crowning achievement, will make its high-def debut. Kim Novak and James Stewart should look remarkable.
The collection will feature more than 15 hours of bonus material, including a new documentary on “The Birds.”
New discs arriving!
The following titles recently landed or are coming soon.
The offerings can be mail-ordered via amazon.com or moviesunlimited.com or rented via netflix.com. Some can be obtained via digital download.
The upcoming titles include:
Movies
“The American President” ($19.99, Blu-ray Disc; Sept. 25) with Michael Douglas and Annette Bening in a smart PG-13 romantic comedy about the relationship between the country’s chief executive and an attractive lobbyist.
“Barricade” ($14.99, DVD; Sept. 25) with Jody Thompson, Eric McCormack, Conner Dwelly and Ryan Grantham in a PG-13 picture about a widowed psychiatrist trying to adjust to life as a single parent and focusing on understanding the children whom he never really bonded with. They come to know and understand one another due to harrowing mountain experiences that would frighten the most fearless people.
“Damsels in Distress” ($30.99, DVD; $25.99, Blu-ray Disc; Sept. 25) with Greta Gerwig in director Whit Stillman’s quirky PG-13 comedy about some beautiful female college students and their misguided ways of helping to cure depression among their fellow classmates.
“Dave” ($19.99, Blu-ray Disc; Sept. 25) with Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver in a PG-13 comedy drama about a man who agrees to impersonate the president and then finds his life turned upside down.
“Delicacy” ($24.99, DVD; $34.99, Blu-ray Disc; Sept. 25) with Audrey Tautou in a PG-13 French import about a young widow who finds romance in the arms of a subordinate in her workplace.
“The Game” ($29.99, DVD; $39.99, Blu-ray Disc; Sept. 25) with Michael Douglas and Sean Penn in a remastered Criterion Collection version of director David Fincher’s mean-spirited thriller (1997), rated R.
“The Man From Beijing” ($24.99, DVD; Sept. 25) with Suzanne von Borsody in an unrated thriller about a mass murderer in a remote hamlet in northern Sweden.
“Resident Evil: Damnation” ($26.99, DVD; $30.99, Blu-ray Disc; Sept. 25) with Makoto Kamiya directing a computer-animated R-rated fantasy inspired by the popular “Resident Evil” franchise.
“Snowman’s Land” ($24.99, DVD; Sept. 25) with Tomasz Thomson writing and directing an unrated drama about a German hit man who botches his last assignment by accidentally targeting the wrong person.
“Strippers vs. Werewolves” ($19.99, DVD; $24.99, Blu-ray Disc; Sept. 26) with Robert Englund of the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise in an unrated tale about the horrors that follow the murder of a werewolf in a gentleman’s club.
Sports
“New York Mets 50th Anniversary Collector’s Set” ($99.99, DVD; now available), a co-production by Major League Baseball and A&E Networks Home Entertainment that presents 10 discs providing more than 24 hours of moments and performances by players. The extras include a new documentary saluting the Mets and five complete classic Mets games. A 26-page illustrated tribute is also included.
Television
“American Experience: Death and the Civil War” ($24.99, DVD; now available) with filmmaker Ric Burns exploring the transformation of the nation by the battlefield deaths of thousands of people from 1861 to 1865.
“American Horror Story: The Complete First Season” ($49.99, DVD; $59.99, Blu-ray Disc; Sept. 25) with Connie Britton and Dylan McDermott in the popular chiller.
“Charlie’s Angels: The Complete Series” ($65.99, DVD; Sept. 25) with Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith as three attractive private eyes in a 27-disc box set with all episodes from the five seasons of the show (1976-1981). The extras include a featurette (“Angels Forever”) from season one.
“Desperate Housewives: The Complete Eighth and Final Season” ($45.99, DVD; Sept. 25) with Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria and Vanessa Williams in a five-disc set from the last year of the popular series. The extras include deleted scenes, bloopers, and cast interviews during the featurette “I Guess This Is Goodbye.”
“Gossip Girl: The Complete Fifth Season” ($59.99, DVD; Sept. 25) with Blake Lively and Leighton Meester in a five-disc set with all 24 episodes from the fifth year of the popular series. The extras include unaired scenes, a gag reel and two making-of featurettes.
“Rescue Me: The Complete Series” ($95.99, DVD; Sept. 25) with Denis Leary in a 26-disc box set that includes all seven seasons about a firefighter and his relationships and friends. The extras include eight gag reels, 20 deleted scenes, 31 featurettes, two commentaries and one extended scene.
Families/children
“Vampire Dog” ($14.99, DVD; Sept. 25) with Norm MacDonald in an unrated family tale about a boy whose life changes after he receives his grandfather’s 600-year-old Transylvanian dog, Fang.
Gaul on the radio
My “At the Movies” radio segment airs live at 11:35 a.m. every Friday as part of “The Dom Giordano Show” (WPHT-AM/1210 and www.thebigtalker1210.com).
The broadcast includes discussions of newly released movies and DVDs as well as motion picture news and cinema trends.
A different version of my “At the Movies” segment can be heard on Burlington County College radio station WBZC-FM/88.9, 95.1 and 100.7 on Fridays at 8:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. and on Saturdays at 10:45 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. The show can also be heard online at www.z889.org.
Gaul on the Web
My film reviews, features and columns can be found under entertainment/movies on our website, www.phillyBurbs.com.
Lou Gaul: 609-871-8055; email: lgaul@phillyBurbs.com