Blu-ray and DVD Releases for 1/24/12

Punished aka Abduction, Retribution DVD (Vivendi)

Can you believe that January is almost over? Well, there are plenty of great titles to choose from this week, whether you want to see Donnie Yen kick ass in Flash Point or witness Johnnie To’s next crime movie masterpiece with Punished. So let’s get started. Here are your blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 1/24/12:

ASIAN CINEMA

Punished (DVD) – this 2011 Hong Kong thriller about a kidnapping gone wrong was produced by Johnnie To and features a stellar cast including Anthony Wong, Richie Ren, and Maggie Cheung

Flash Point (blu-ray/DVD) – your friends at Well Go USA present this 2007 Donnie Yen film on blu-ray for the first time. If you love Hong Kong-style action, you won’t want to miss the final fight scene between Donnie Yen and Collin Chou (“The Matrix Reloaded”)

Godzilla (blu-ray/DVD) – this is it! The 1954 monster movie classic is remastered in high definition by the fine folks at the Criterion Collection

Time Traveler: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (DVD) – this 2010 live-action Japanese film is based on the popular anime “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time”

The Beginning of the Great Revival (DVD) – a 2011 Chinese language-film about the rise of the Communist Party. Features an all-star cast, including Chow Yun Fat and Andy Lau, in ‘blink and you’ll miss them’ cameos

End Call (DVD) – Asian Crush presents this 2008 Japanese horror film on DVD. It turns out that the Devil has a phone number and if you call him at midnight, he will grant your wish…at a cost

Lust in Hell (DVD) – Asian Crush also releases this 2009 Japanese horror film about a woman who can speak with the dead and falls for a man who recently lost his lover in a car crash

FOREIGN CINEMA

Fascination (blu-ray/DVD) – the master of Euro lesbian vampire sleaze, Jean Rollin, sees his 1979 film land on blu-ray from Redemption Films

The Iron Rose (blu-ray/DVD) – more Jean Rollin on blu-ray with this 1973 film about two lovers locked in a cemetery overnight as their sanity deteriorates

Shiver of the Vampires (blu-ray/DVD) – Redemption Films keeps the Jean Rollin horror coming with this 1971 erotic vampire tale

The Nude Vampire (blu-ray/DVD) – judging by the title, would you believe that this is a 1970 Jean Rollin erotic horror film?

Lips of Blood (blu-ray/DVD) – lastly, we have this 1975 Jean Rollin film about a family’s long-kept vampiric secret

The Moment of Truth (blu-ray/DVD) – Criterion releases this 1964 film which is about Spanish bull-fighting but happens to be in Italian with English subtitles

MAINSTREAM

Real Steel (blu-ray/DVD) – the 2011 crowd-pleasing family film about robotic boxers arrives on home formats. Starring Hugh Jackman of “X-Men” fame

Annie Hall (blu-ray) – Woody Allen’s seminal 1977 film is now in hi-def

Manhattan (blu-ray) – this 1979 film is perhaps Woody Allen’s most beloved work and now it’s on blu-ray

Stripes (Extended Cut) (blu-ray) – the beloved 1981 comedy starring Bill Murray comes to blu-ray with an extended cut

The Confession (DVD) – Kiefer Sutherland and John Hurt star in this 2010 web series that’s now been packaged as a feature film on DVD

See No Evil, Hear No Evil (blu-ray) – the popular 1989 comedy starring Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder is now on blu-ray

Stir Crazy (blu-ray) – more fun with Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder in their 1980 comedy

The Adventures of Milo and Otis (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (blu-ray + DVD combo) – the beloved 1989 family adventure film featuring a pug and a cat on ridiculously dangerous adventures

INDIE

Restless (blu-ray/DVD) – Gus Van Sant’s latest picture is a 2011 tragic romance starring Henry Hopper (son of Dennis) and Mia Wasikowska

Essential Killing (DVD) – everybody’s favorite sleazy indie auteur, Vincent Gallo, stars in this 2010 arthouse action movie

Few Options (DVD) – this 2010 prison-set indie drama has a bunch of glowing reviews on Amazon and co-stars Brad Dourif, Michael Sheen, and Rainn Wilson

Dirty Little Trick (DVD) – Michael Madsen is back in this 2011 Tarantino-esque thriller co-starring Dean Cain

CULT

Roger Corman’s Cult Classic’s Lethal Ladies Collection, Vol. 2 (The Arena, Cover Girl Models, Fly Me) (DVD) – Shout! Factory presents more Roger Corman cult classics on DVD. The one review on Amazon gives this set 5 stars so you might want to check it out

Tales of the Ancient Empire (DVD) – director Albert Pyun is simultaneously one of the most respected and reviled b-movie autuers. Now he’s back with a sequel to his 1982 cult hit “The Sword and the Sorcerer.” This 2010 film stars Kevin Sorbo and Michael Pare

CLASSICS

Notorious (blu-ray) – more Alfred Hitchcock on blu-ray! It’s about time, wouldn’t ya say? This 1946 espionage thriller stars Cary Grant and Ingrid Gergman, and was pretty much the basis for “Mission: Impossible 2’s” plot

Rebecca (blu-ray) – the Hitchcock love continues with this 1940 tale of Gothic suspense

Spellbound (blu-ray) – Hitchcock’s 1945 film about amnesia starring Gregory Peck

Wings (blu-ray) – a 1927 silent film starring “It” girl Clara Bow. This is a “war in the air” movie set during World War I, now restored on blu-ray

HORROR

The Woman (blu-ray/DVD) – the massively controversial horror film from “May” director Lucky McKee arrives on blu-ray and DVD courtesy of Bloody Disgusting Selects

Paranormal Activity 3 (blu-ray/DVD) – another year, another entry in this found footage series about demonic possession

House on Sorority Row (Remastered Special 2-Disc Edition) (DVD) – just as the title says, this 1982 cult slasher film arrives remastered on DVD for your viewing pleasure

The Devil’s Men/Terror (DVD) – Katrina’s Nightmare Theater presents these two horror films, the first starring Peter Cushing and Donald Pleasance, uncut on DVD

Revenge (DVD) – Katrina’s Nightmare Theater offers this 1971 horror film starring Joan Collins

The Summer of Massacre (blu-ray/DVD) – delayed from last week, this 2011 films purports to be the slasher movie with the highest body count of all time

Head Case (DVD) – is this 2011 horror flick, edited to look like the home videos of a serial killer couple, truly “the most disturbing film in a decade” as the cover proclaims? I’ll let you be the judge!

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