Blu-ray releases: Abe Lincoln, Male Strippers, Spider-Man, Oliver Stone, and a rock musical are coming your way!

As the summer movie season limps away, making way for the fall/winter releases, it is customary for those who couldn’t (or wouldn’t) catch all the “blockbusters” in theaters to prepare for the home video releases of all those that didn’t make the cut for a theatrical viewing.  For some it’s merely a matter of buying up their favorites, but for others it’s a chance to see how good or bad that missed flick was.  All of the below films were controversial to some degree, each being a risky venture, a return to form, a tough sell, a missed opportunity, or completely unnecessary.  I’ll leave it up to you to decide which is which. 

Here’s the rundown:

ROCK OF AGES – October 09, 2012

Synopsis: Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Julianne Hough star in this rock musical comedy based on the Broadway stage show of the same name. When seedy 1980s LA rock dive the Bourbon Rooms comes under threat from property developers, owner Dennis Dupree (Baldwin) enlists the assistance of weathered rock legend Stacee Jaxx (Cruise) to keep the good times rolling. Meanwhile, young lovers Drew (Boneta) and Sherrie (Hough) fight to keep their love on track as they chase their dreams in the big city. The film features music by 1980s rock acts such as Def Leppard, Foreigner, Journey and Poison.

Blu-ray and Blu-ray combo pack features:

• Extended version of the film (combo pack ONLY)
• Rock of Ages: Legends of the Sunset Strip
• The Stories We Sing
• Defining A Decade
  • The 80’s Look
  • It’s All About The Moves
  • Stripping Miami
  • The Tease
  • If You Build It, They Will Rock It
  • Connection to The Music
  • So It Started In A Bar
• Any Way You Want It
• Visit Florida
• Selected Songs

SAVAGES – October 23, 2012

Synopsis: Three-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone returns to the screen with the ferocious thriller Savages, based on Don Winslow’s bestselling crime novel, one of The New York Times’ Top 10 Books of 2010. Laguna Beach entrepreneurs Ben (Johnson) and Chon (Kitsch) raise and sell some of the best marijuana ever developed, while sharing a one-of-a-kind love with the extraordinary beauty Ophelia (Lively). Their idyllic life is shattered when the Mexican Baja Cartel demands that the trio partner with them. But the cartel’s merciless boss, Elena (Salma Hayek), and her brutal enforcer, Lado (Benicio Del Toro), underestimate the unbreakable bonds among these three friends.

Blu-ray combo pack features:

• Feature Commentary with director Oliver Stone
• Feature Commentary with producers Moritz Borman, Eric Kopeloff, Co-Screenwriter/Novelist Don Winslow, Executive Producer/Co-Screenwriter Shane Salerno and Production Designer Tomás Voth
• Stone Cold Savages – A five-part profile of the film showcases the entire cast and crew as Oliver Stone pushes his loyal and talented company far past their limits in order to bring this story to life. From concept to completion, viewers get unprecedented access to a master storyteller’s creative process.
• Deleted Scenes
• Digital Ultraviolet copy
• pocket BLU
• Advanced Remote Control
• Mobile-To-Go
• BD Live

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER – October 23, 2012

Synopsis: Explores the secret life of Abraham Lincoln before he became President, and the untold story that shaped our nation. Visionary filmmakers Tim Burton (Dark Shadows) and Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) bring a fresh and visceral voice to the bloodthirsty lore of the vampire, imagining Lincoln as history’s greatest hunter of the undead.

2 Disc Blu-ray/3 Disc Blu-Ray 3D features:

• The Great Calamity Graphic Novel
• Audio Commentary with Writer Seth Grahame-Smith The Making of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
• Dark Secrets: Book to Screen
• On the Set: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
• Vampire Hunting: Fight Choreography
• The Art of Transformation: Make-Up Effects
• A Visual Feast: Timur Bekmambetov’s Visual Style
• PowerlessMusic Video by Linkin Park

MAGIC MIKE – October 23, 2012

Synopsis: Set in the world of male strippers, Magic Mike is directed by Steven Soderbergh and stars Channing Tatum in a story inspired by his real life. The film follows Mike (Tatum) as he takes a young dancer called The Kid (Pettyfer) under his wing and schools him in the fine arts of partying, picking up women, and making easy money.

Blu-ray Combo Pack  features:

• Extended Dance Scenes – Watch full-length dance scenes too hot for theatres!
• Dance Play Mode – Play all dance sequences back to back!
• Backstage on Magic Mike – From manscaping to hip shaking, Channing Tatum exposes the finer details of being a male stripper and the transformation of his co-stars McConaughey, Bomer and Manganiello went through in order to perfect the art of taking off their clothes.
• “Magic Mike” Standard Definition DVD contains the following special features:
• Backstage on Magic Mike – Backstage on Magic Mike – From manscaping to hip shaking, Channing Tatum exposes the finer details of being a male stripper and the transformation of his co-stars McConaughey, Bomer and Manganiello went through in order to perfect the art of taking off their clothes.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN – November 09, 2012

Synopsis: The story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. When Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

2D/3-disc Combo 2D set with DVD and UV Digital Copy/4-disc 3D Combo set/3D set features:

• Disc one is a Blu-ray containing the feature film, as well as the “Amazing Spider-Man Second Screen App,” which can be used with the Sony Tablet™ S, Xperia Tablet™ S and iPad. The App syncs with the film as it plays in “Timeline” mode and features “Production” mode allowing users to “sling” content from their tablets to the TV screen for a greater and more interactive HD experience. Content includes interviews, storyboards, concept art, pre-visualization sequences, stunt rehearsals, and more.
• Disc two is a Blu-ray featuring 90 minutes of behind-the-scenes documentaries, taking viewers behind the scenes of the development and direction of the film, casting, costumes, location shoots, visual effects, and more.
• Disc three is a DVD that includes the feature film, as well as stunt rehearsals and deleted scenes, The Oscorp Archives, an image gallery featuring production art stills, and audio commentary with director Marc Webb, and producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach.
• The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack contains a fourth disc featuring the film in 3D. Exclusive to the Blu-ray 3D is also an image progression reel and the “3D 101 with Marc Webb” featurette, providing a look at the 3D techniques used for the film and allowing viewers to toggle through three scenes from the film at different levels of 3D.

  The Limited Edition Gift Set, available at select retailers, comes with collectible Spider-Man and Lizard figurines, in addition to the 4-disc Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack.

Be sure to visit our blu-ray/DVD new release section for updates and click on any title to purchase.