Well, sort of. Probably as close as we’ll ever get to the real thing anyway. It’s the first worldwide live community screening of the movie, and here’s how it works:

- Buy the Blu-ray disc of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” available on Dec. 8, 2009. Buy it on Amazon.com!

- Be one of the first 100,000 BD-Live community members (accessible through a BD-Live enabled Blu-ray Disc played on an Internet-connected Blu-ray player) to RSVP and secure a spot for the screening. 

- Log in on Dec. 12, 2009 at 12 PM PST (3 PM EST) and simultaneously watch the movie together with Daniel Radcliffe and director David Yates, and hear an interactive Q&A where fans can ask questions about the film to Daniel and David, directly from their home.

In addition, more features for Blu-ray owners:

• An exclusive introduction to the upcoming Harry Potter Ultimate Editions by Daniel Radcliffe
• My Commentary – Fans are able to post user-generated Picture-in-Picture commentary over the film and share it with their friends and other BD-Live community members
• Live Community Screenings – Allows users to send invitations and have a virtual screening with friends and family while chatting together through the BD-Live platform
• Facebook Connect – Allows users to interact with their Facebook friends, update their Facebook status while in BD-Live and invite their Facebook friends to Live Community screenings.

Image: TM and (c) 2008 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc

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It takes place in the decadent world of Paris at the dawn of the 20th century. Michelle Pfeiffer plays Lea, a legendary courtesan who agrees to undertake the romantic education of Chéri (Rupert Friend), the 19-year-old son of a former rival (Kathy Bates).

Lea is 30 years older than Chéri and the former lover of some of France’s wealthiest and most powerful men. The last thing she expects is to fall in love with her student. The romance consumes them both and plunges them into struggles over sex, money, age and status.

It’s a lovely film (though darker than the trailer lets on), with heartfelt performances by Pfeiffer and Friend. Directed by Stephen Frears, it’s rated R for some sexual content and brief drug use. The DVD hits store and cyber shelves on Oct. 20, 2009. Bonus features including deleted scenes and a making-of featurette.

THE GIVEAWAY: I have five (5) DVDs of “Cheri” to give away.

HOW TO ENTER: To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this post by midnight on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009. Be sure to include a valid email address. Winners will be drawn randomly. I’ll email the winners for their snail-mail address after the contest ends. Good luck!

Check out premiere pics here, and the trailer below…

Image: Buena Vista Home Entertainment

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• Two-disc Special Edition DVD (read my review here)
• Poster
• T-shirt

THE GIVEAWAY: Two (2) Prize Packs that include the above DVD, poster and T-shirt.

HOW TO ENTER: To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this post by midnight on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009. Be sure to include a valid email address. Winners will be drawn randomly. I’ll email the winners for their snail-mail address after the contest ends. Good luck!

Check out the fun “Transformers” content, including personalized phone calls from Optimus Prime/Starscream and the “Robotize Me” app. And take a look at the special features:

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The story follows an uptight corporate staffer, Margaret (Bullock), who needs to get married in order to avoid being deported back to Canada. So she ropes her assistant Andrew (Reynolds) into getting married, but things go awry when they travel to Alaska to visit his family, who decides that the happy couple should get married right then and there.

Read my full review here.

Bonus Features: There aren’t a ton of extras on the deluxe version, but included is a gag reel, two deleted scenes, writer and director commentary, and an alternate ending. Andrew tries to relay a romantic message to Margaret on the departing plane. In the process of the message being comically garbled by the stewardess and the control tower guy, the INS agent causes a stir, gets tasered, and forces the plane to turn around. Margaret and Andrew are reunited and their love is declared in time for the happy ending.

I sort of expected that to happen in the film, so I’m glad they went with the ending they used instead. I mean, you pretty much knew they’d get together at some point.

Buy the Deluxe DVD Edition + Digital Copy, $22.99

Buy the Single-Disc Widescreen Edition, $15.99

Buy the Blu-ray Edition, $25.99

Image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

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GENESIS II, 74 minutes, 1973. “My name is Dylan Hunt. My story begins the day on which I died.” Set between now and the era of the starship Enterprise, this story follows Hunt (Alex Cord), who awakens after 154 years of suspended animation into a post-apocalyptic world that’s torn between the peace-loving citizens of Pax and the militaristic, mutant Tyranians. Both want Hunt to join their cause. But the Tyranians have two cruel weapons to persuade Hunt: a device of torture called a stim. And an alluring mutant (Mariette Hartley) with two navels … and one ice-cold heart.

Planet Earth, 74 minutes, 1974. The time is the 22nd century. The place is the Confederacy, a matriarchy where men are enslaved and impotent. The hero is Dylan Hunt (John Saxon), a handsome 20th century scientist awakened from suspended animation – just the “breeder” a Confederacy dominatrix (Diana Muldaur, who went on to play Dr. Pulaski in “Star Trek: The Next Generation”) has been waiting for! In this sequel to “Genesis II,” Gene Roddenberry puts a reverse spin on women’s lib in an action-filled tale set in a gleaming world of futuristic cities, underground sub shuttles, palm-sized computers and skintight uniforms. Can Hunt defy the Confederacy and free his downtrodden fellow males, or is he doomed to slavery on “Planet Earth”?

Plenty of 1970s-era goodness in these two DVDs! If you’re a fan of the “Star Trek” universe or Gene Roddenberry, they’re definitely worth a look.

Images: Warner Archive

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DVD: Shrink * Trailer * Official Site	In Theaters: July 24, 2009; On DVD Sept. 29, 2009
Runtime: 104 minutes	Directed by: Jonas Pate
MPAA Rating: R for drug content throughout, and pervasive language including some sexual references	Gecko Rating:

I thought “Shrink” was going to be funny, but I’m here to tell you, it’s not. It’s kind of depressing, actually. It reminds me a lot of “Crash,” both in mood and music and plotline, with a lot of different storylines all crossing paths.

The movie shows us the side of Hollywood most of us never see – where people are seeing shrinks, behaving badly, and imploding in their own lives. Kevin Spacey plays Henry Carter, a psychiatrist whose A-list clientele includes a once-famous actress (Saffron Burrows), an insecure young writer (Mark Webber), and an obsessive-compulsive super-agent (Dallas Roberts).

But Henry’s not in such great shape himself. He’s been asked to take his first pro bono case, a troubled teenage girl (Keke Palmer) from a neighborhood far from the Hollywood hills.

While the cast is great, including Robin Williams, Jack Huston, Robert Loggia, and Ashley Greene, the story is sort of all over the place, never getting a grip anywhere. Maybe that’s the point director Jonas Pate was trying to make. That beyond the glitz and glamour of the red carpet, these people are all hot messes. It’s definitely worth a look, though, if you’re a Kevin Spacey fan.

Buy “Shrink” on DVD from Amazon.com.

Images: Roadside Attractions

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But this is a great collection to own if you’re a fan of the Little Rascals and that era. The five DVD set includes all 52 shorts from 1938 through 1942. You can buy it here for $34.95. Here’s a little clip:

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The set includes “The Maltese Falcon,” “The Big Sleep,” “Dial M For Murder,” and “The Postman Always Rings Twice.” I can see myself vegging out on the couch for an afternoon with these lovely murder mysteries. More detail on this two-disc set from Warner Home Video (Buy it on Amazon):

• The Maltese Falcon. This is classic Bogart in his prime, with plenty of rat-a-tat banter as he plays a detective so tough, he beats someone with his own gun and then hands it back to him! Also stars Sidney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre. Every time I come across this movie while surfing around, I’m compelled to watch the entire movie. It’s that gripping.
• The Big Sleep. Bogart teams up with real-life love Lauren Bacall in this well-acted film noir that takes a couple of passes through to really get what’s going on. The complicated plot doesn’t dumb things down for viewers, though, and it’s totally worth it. Bogart’s Philip Marlowe is classic stuff.
• Dial M for Murder. This 1954 Hitchcock film stars Grace Kelly as the cheating wife of a tennis player, played by Ray Milland. But even after he learns about the affair, his main concern is losing his wife’s money in a divorce. An unexpected turn in the middle kicks this movie up a hundred notches.
• The Postman Always Rings Twice. This 1946 film stars John Garfield as a drifter who gets a job at a restaurant run by Nick and his young wife, Cora (Lana Turner). Again, money plays into things as Cora falls for Frank, but doesn’t want to give up her husband’s money. The scheming pair plot to commit murder, which raises the suspicion of the D.A.

Also check out:

• TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: American Musicals (The Band Wagon, Meet Me in St. Louis, Singin’ in the Rain, Easter Parade)
• TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Romantic Comedies (Adam’s Rib, Woman of the Year, The Philadelphia Story, Bringing Up Baby)
• TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Broadway Musicals (Show Boat, Annie Get Your Gun, Kiss Me Kate, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) 

Image: Amazon.com

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The story follows sassy cheer captain Lina Cruz (Milian), whose world goes all topsy-turvy when she moves with her family from the urban streets of East L.A. to the sunny beaches of Malibu. At her new school, Lina clashes with Avery (Rachele Brooke Smith), the competitive all-star cheer captain, while also falling for Avery’s cute brother, Evan (Cody Longo).

Plenty of snappy tunes, fierce competition and teen fun continue in this all-new movie from Universal Home Entertainment. And you can enter to win a DVD right here!

THE GIVEAWAY: Two (2) DVDs of “Bring It On: Fight to the Finish.”

HOW TO ENTER: To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this post by midnight on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. Be sure to include a valid email address. Winners will be drawn randomly. I’ll email the winners for their snail-mail address after the contest ends. Good luck!

Visit the film’s My Yearbook page, which includes a widget, wallpapers, mall event listings, and lots more. Watch the trailer, and more clips after the jump!

Trailer:

More after the jump…

Confrontation:

Behind the Scenes:

Image: © Universal Studios

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The story is all about corporate intrigue, spies and secrets, but it’s more light-hearted than you might think at first glance. Instead of missiles and terrorists, we’re dealing with something more benign, along the lines of body lotion, hair gel and pizza crust. The great Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti also star in this fun caper, written and directed by Tony Gilroy.

Read my review here, and see if you agree with my assessment.

• Buy the DVD
• Buy the Blu-ray
• Buy the Video on Demand
• Buy it on iTunes:

Image: Amazon.com

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