This week: The most eclectic mix in months. Travel from exotic India to neighborly New Orleans by hog (that's a lot of water to cross), then turn south - you'll come up for air in the 'Land of the Lost'.  Dig into four Halloween fright-night favorites if your eyes can stay open.  The week's hi-def concert mêlée is just as diverse... Leonard Cohen vs. Eminem? Hmmm, Mathers' got the madness, but Cohen's got the karma...

1.

Monsoon Wedding [Criterion Collection] ~  (2009)
"...spins a web of family relationships that knit and break... excellent performances, & director Mira Nair's eye for the unnoticed is at its best. Handheld camera gives a docudrama feel to this film about at an upper-middle-class Hindu Punjabi joint family, paying tribute to modern Indian music, TV, and Bollywood." 5 stars.

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2.

Easy Rider ~ Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Antonio Mendoza, Jack Nicholson (2009)
"One of the ten most important pictures of the (60's) decade." -Time Magazine.  Uncensored counterculture; a compelling mix of drugs, sex, & politics. Jack Nicholson's an alcoholic attorney who hooks up with two part-time, drug-dealing bikers in search of the American Dream. From California to New Orleans, they sample the highs and lows of America in a stoned-out quest for life's true meaning. Ageless stuff with a heavy, heavy ending. Not to be missed.

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3.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (2 Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + BD Live w/ Blu-ray packaging) ~ Adriana Caselotti, Roy Atwell, and Lucille LaVerne (2009)

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4.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Two-Disc Special Edition) ~ (2009)

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5.

Waterworld ~ Kevin Costner, Dennis Hopper (2009)
If you understand the potential of this film (it has lots), best wait for a hyper-extended cut; maybe even a 4-hr unedited version - which may be released sometime before the polar ice caps completely melt.

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6.

Land of the Lost ~ Will Ferrell, Anna Friel, Danny McBride, and Jorma Taccone (2009)

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  More Halloween Blu-Ray Editor's Picks

7.

Drag Me to Hell (Unrated Director's Cut) ~ David Paymer, Molly Cheek, Justin Long, and Reggie Lee (2009)

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8.

Trick 'r Treat ~ Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, and Rochelle Aytes (2009)

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9.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) ~ Jessica Biel (2009)

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10.

Shaun of the Dead ~ Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, and Lucy Davis (2009)

 (7)

 

Documentaries Of The Week:  

Scenic National Parks: Glacier Banff & Jasper ~ (2009)

 (1)

More Great Documentaries...   

Hi Def Music Of The Week:

1.

Leonard Cohen : Isle of Wight (Amazon Exclusive) ~ Leonard Cohen (2009)
Being the follow up to Hendrix in front of a riotous crowd of 600,000 takes some guts. Cohen takes 'em on with poetry & wins.

 (2)

2.

Eminem: Live from New York City ~ Eminem (2009)
Filmed at Madison Square Garden in '05 at the culmination of his farewell tour.

 (4)

3.

Toto: Falling in Between Live ~ Toto (2009)

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4.

Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis Play the Music of Ray Charles ~ Willie Nelson, Wynton Marsalis, Norah Jones (2009)

More Great Concerts on Blu Ray...

 

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Audio / Video Corner

Creative Labs HD 720p Pocket Camcorder - huge LCD, simple interface, flip out USB - it's a winner.