Some reefer comedy, a jump through time and space, an anime favorite and a controversial comic-turned-animated series out today on DVD and Blu-ray.
COMEDY CENTRAL'S HOME GROWN: UNCENSORED On DVD
The best of Comedy Central's most "experimental" shows are now available in this must-own collection that's sure to bring all your buds together -- and by buds, we mean friends. (Really). Just don't be surprised when you find yourself up at 3 a.m. eating raw cookie dough in your parents' kitchen. Released via Comedy Central Home Ent. and Paramount Home Ent., COMEDY CENTRAL'S HOME GROWN: UNCENSORED DVD arrives in stores nationwide on June 10 and will also be available at www.shop.comedycentral.com.
COMEDY CENTRAL'S HOME GROWN: UNCENSORED is a single disc featuring a collection of episodes and clips from a cornucopia of COMEDY CENTRAL shows including: CHAPPELLE'S SHOW, CRANK YANKERS, DRAWN TOGETHER, LEWIS BLACK'S ROOT OF ALL EVIL, RENO 911! THE SARAH SILVERMAN PROGRAM, STRANGERS WITH CANDY, COMEDY CENTRAL'S TV FUNHOUSE and VIVA VARIETY. It also includes acquired, alternative, paper-rolling programming such as SPIDER ON DRUGS, THE ANIMATION SHOW, and THE JOY OF PAINTING WITH BOB ROSS.
BOONDOCKS Season 2 On DVD
Sony Pictures Home Ent. presents this popular series, based on Aaron McGruder's award-winning comic strip, features 13 uncut and uncensored episodes from the broadcast season as well as two exclusive bonus episodes: "The Hunger Strike" with guest stars Cee-Lo, Donald Faison and Tavis Smiley and "The Uncle Ruckus Reality Show" with guest stars Donald Faison and Debra Wilson. This season of THE BOONDOCKS finds Granddad sneaking the boys into the movies because he's cheap; Riley and Granddad refusing to talk with cops about two local thieves, even after Granddad's car is stolen, Sarah's obsession with Usher, who's threatening her relationship with Tom; Stinkmeaner's spirit possessing Tom as he tries to get revenge on Granddad; Riley joining the basketball team; and the boys fighting over who will be the boss while Granddad is on vacation.
Special Features Include:--Behind THE BOONDOCKS--Introduction to "The Hunger Strike"--Introduction to "The Uncle Ruckus Reality Show"--Audio Commentaries--Trouble in Woodcrest?--The Cast: Regina King, John Witherspoon, Cedric Yarbrough, Gary Anthony Williams, Jill Talley and Gabby Soleil.--Minisodes
JUMPER on DVD and Blu-ray
From Fox Home Ent. (vfx by Weta Digital) comes JUMPER. David is a Jumper who can teleport himself anywhere in the world which creates a fun and exciting life. But things turn deadly when David finds himself pursued by a secret organization sworn to kill Jumpers. Forming an uneasy alliance with another Jumper he becomes a player in a war that has been raging for thousands of years.
Previs Supervisor Laurent Lavigne helped the filmmakers develop the concept and look of the jump effect. "What was asked of us was to come up with cool stuff, come up with how jumpers would fight each other and against other people and different types of jumping," he explained. He says they developed the idea the jumper's disruption of space and time would affect the environment. The idea that they damage the fabric of space lead to both the motivation for the Paladins' attempts to stop the jumpers and the idea of "jump scars" that allow jumpers to track and follow each other.
With a concept in place, Visual Effects Supervisor Joel Hynek and Visual Effects Producer Kevin Elam used several techniques on set to capture images for the jumping effect. Multiple still cameras were exposed at varying shutter speeds and fired in sequence -- much like the "bullet time" effect made famous in THE MATRIX -- to smear and stretch the actors' image. Motion control techniques, stunt doubles and simple "freeze and action" techniques also were used.
Assembling the final vfx fell largely to Weta Digital. Dan Lemmon, who supervised the New Zealand-based house's work, says they were first approached last summer to prepare a clip to show at Comic-Con and maybe a few additional shots. That grew, first to 70 shots, then to a final total of about 300 shots, he added.
A lot of time was spent figuring out what the final look of the jump and the jump scars – both of which had been in look development for a couple years by that point. "They're such abstract ideas, and there's not really any visual reference that you can pull from," Lemmon said.
DVD Special Features Include:--Commentary from director Doug Limon, writer/producer SimonKinberg and producer Lucas Foster--Animated graphic novel JUMPSTART: DAVID'S STORY--Documentary "Doug Limon's JUMPER: Uncensored"--Featurette "Jumping Around the World"--Six deleted scenes--"Previz: Future Concepts"--Featurette: "Making an Actor Jump"--Featurette: "Jumping from Novel to Film: The Past, Present and Future of JUMPER"
Blu-ray Special Features (In HD) Include:--Commentary from director Doug Lion, writer/producer Simon Kinberg and producer Lucas Foster--Profile 1.1 picture in picture "Jumping Around the World"--Featurette "Doug Limon's JUMPER Uncensored"--Featurette "Making an Actor Jump"--Featurette "Jumping From Novel to Film: The Past, Present and Future of JUMPER"--"Previs: Future Concepts"--Animated graphic novel JUMPSTART: DAVID'S STORY--Six deleted scenes--Includes second disc with digital copy of movie in standard definition.
FANTASTIC FOUR -- WORLD'S GREATEST HEROES The Complete First Season on DVD
This Marvel (in conjunction with Moonstone Animation) animated series from 2006 is now out on DVD from Fox Home Ent.
When an experimental space voyage goes awry, four people are charged by cosmic rays. Together they become the Fantastic Four and use their unique powers o help the world battle multiple thetas, and to foil the evil plans of their equally powerful enemy, Doctor Doom.
Episode list (including nine never seen on U.S. television):
"Doomsday""Molehattan""Trial By Fire""Doomed""Puppet Master""Zoned Out""Hard Knocks""My Neighbor Was A Skrull""World's Tiniest Heroes""De-Mole-Ition""Impossible""Bait And Switch""Annihilation""Revenge Of The Skrulls""Strings""Imperius Rex""Doomsday Plus One""The Cure""Frightful""Out Of Time""Atlantis Attacks""Shell Games""Johnny Storm And The Potion Of Fire""Contest Of Champions""Doom's Word Is Law""Scavenger Hunt"
Special Features Include:--Commentary from head writer Chris Yost and exec producer Craig Kyle for "My Neighbor Was a Skrull," "Contest of Champions" (Joined by Joshua Fine) and "Scavenger Hunt."--Featurette "From Origin to Animation"--Featurette "Rise of the Rogues"--Featurette "Traveling to New Dimensions"--Still galleries "The Art of the FANTASTIC FOUR" -- Comic book cover art, animation art, production design and character development--Tiny partial reprint of the first issue of the ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR comic book from Brian Bendis, Mark Miller, Andy Kubert and Danby Miki.
NARUTO Uncut Box Set, Volume 8
From VIZ Media comes all 14 episodes of Volume 8 of the anime series NARUTO.
Naruto and Jiraiya's journey climaxes in all-out war with Orochimaru and his skilled right-hand man Kabuto. Naruto must perfect the Rasengan in time to save the future Hokage, but when Naruto himself needs saving Tsunade must overcome her fear and join Jiraiya in beating down Orochimaru. The legendary Sannin engage in the ultimate Summoning battle with their lives and the Leaf Village's future on the line. Will Naruto succeed in bringing back the Fifth Hokage and her supreme medical skill to heal the Village Hidden in the Leaves?
Special Features Include:--Comparisons - Storyboard-to-Animation--NARUTO Uncut Volume 9 Preview--Collectible booklet
