Monty Python's Life Of Brian (The Immaculate Edition) (1979) - Brian was a poor little schnook born in the manger next to Jesus whom, throughout his life, people mistook for the Messiah. This epic farce from the Python gang also takes on revolutionaries, Latin grammar, Roman gladiator movies, religious hypocrisy, "Star Wars," and lisping. 94 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English, Portuguese.
El Cid (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (1961) - Charlton Heston essays the title role as the famed warrior who led his men in driving the Moors out of medieval Spain. After being accused of treason, the disgraced Castilian knight Rodrigo Diaz would come to be known as El Cid as he struggled to keep his country together in order to fight the North African invaders. Lavish in detail and mammoth in scope, director Anthony Mann's epic tale also stars Sophia Loren, Raf Vallone, Herbert Lom. 188 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English (SDH), Spanish; audio commentary; featurettes; interviews; theatrical trailers; photo gallery; filmographies. Two-disc set.
The Val Lewton Horror Collection - Along with "Cat People" (1942), "I Walked with a Zombie," "The Curse of the Cat People," "The Body Snatcher," "Isle of the Dead," "Bedlam," and "Martin Scorsese Presents: Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows," this six-disc also includes two exclusive double features. First, a New Mexico town is filled with fear when a killer jungle cat is on the loose in "The Leopard Man" (1943), with Dennis O'Keefe and Jean Brooks; and the new third mate aboard a vessel discovers that his captain is sadistic maniac in "The Ghost Ship" (1943), starring Richard Dix and Russell Wade. Next, a women comes to New York City to look for her missing sister and uncovers a devil-worshipping cult in "The Seventh Victim" (1943), with Kim Hunter, Tom Conway and Jean Brooks; followed by "Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy," a documentary look at how the producer's '40s RKO tenure changed the face of screen horror. 13 1/4 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English; audio commentary; theatrical trailers.
Groundhog Day (15th Anniversary Edition) (1993) - Released less than 20 years ago, this one doesn't quite qualify under our rules, but it's such a special film that it deserves mention. Pittsburgh weatherman Bill Murray finds that his worst nightmare has become a reality when he joins producer Andie McDowell and cameraman Chris Elliott in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the "Groundhog Day" ceremony. Seems that the cynical Murray keeps waking up to the same day, over and over, and he has to find romance and happiness in order to escape this comic time-warp. 101 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese; audio commentary; interview; documentary; deleted scenes.
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