DVD Releases For July 22, 2008

Blu-ray editions of THE MUMMY, THE MUMMY RETURNS and THE SCORPION KING, plus more animated DVDs of TRANSFORMERS, TV FUNHOUSE and blackjack actioner 21, all on DVD and Blu-ray today.

THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE On Blu-ray

From Sony Home Ent. comes the Blu-ray release of the 2005 horror film based on a true story about a single lawyer (Laura Linney) who takes on the church and the state when she fights for the life of a priest (Tom Wilkinson) who has performed a deadly exorcism on a young woman. Linney must battle the cocky state lawyer (Campbell Scott) as well as her own demons as she realizes that her career so far has not led her to fulfillment.

VFX was by Keith Vanderlaan's Captive Audience Prods.

Special Features Include (in standard definition):

--Commentary with director Scott Derrickson
--Deleted scene with optional commentary from Derrickson
--"Genesis Of The Story" featurette examines the origin of the film
--"Casting The Film" featurette discusses the actors chosen for the roles
--"Visual Design" featurette looks at the costumes, vfx and puppets used for the film
--Trailers for 21, STARSHIP TROOPERS 3: MARAUDERS and a "Blu-ray Is High-Definition" promo

THE SCORPION KING On Blu-ray

Timed to the upcoming theatrical release of THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR on August 1, get ready for non-stop excitement as THE SCORPION KING explodes onto Blu-ray from Universal Studios Home Ent. Unleashing action superstar Dwayne Johnson as the most feared warrior of the ancient world, THE SCORPION KING plunges you into a sweeping tale filled with stunning fight sequences, awe-inspiring battles and pulse-pounding thrills. A spin-off of the phenomenally popular THE MUMMY series, THE SCORPION KING, with vfx from CFX, R!OT Pictures and HATCH, is the ultimate special effects-powered epic and the must-see high-definition adventure of the year.

Set 5,000 years ago in the infamous city of Gomorrah, THE SCORPION KING is a head-on confrontation between good and evil. Warlord Memmon (Steven Brand) has created a reign of terror across the desert using a sorceress (Kelly Hu), who envisions all his victories. Only a few free tribes remain and in order to defeat Memmon they reluctantly hire Mathayus (Dwayne Johnson) to kill the beautiful sorceress. Instead, he kidnaps her to lure Memmon into a trap. With the help of the leader of the free tribe, Balthazar (Academy Award nominee Michael Clarke Duncan), and an unlikely accomplice, the stage is set for the ultimate showdown.

Special Features Include:

-- U-Control: This uniquely-immersive, in-movie experience from Universal allows you to customize your own high-definition experience with spectacular interactive features without stopping the movie
-- Picture In Picture: Enjoy a behind the scenes look at the making of the film while watching the feature.
-- My Scenes: Bookmark your favorite scenes while watching the movie
-- Commentary with director Chuck Russell

Includes: free movie ticket offer to see THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR in theaters ($7.50 value).

THE MUMMY On Blu-ray

Deep in the Egyptian desert, a handful of people searching for a long-lost treasure have just unearthed a 3,000 year old legacy of terror. Combining the thrills of a rousing adventure with the suspense of Universal's legendary 1932 horror classic, THE MUMMY (1999), starring Brendan Fraser, is a true nonstop action epic, filled with dazzling visual effects, top-notch talent and superb storytelling from Universal Pictures Home Ent., with vfx from ILM.

Special Features Include:

--Deleted Scenes
--Feature Commentary with Director/Writer Stephen Sommers and Executive Producer/Editor Bob Ducsay
--Feature Commentary with actor Brendan Fraser
--Feature Commentary with actors Oded Fehr, Kevin J. O'Connor and Arnold Vosloo
--THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR Sneak Peek
--Visual and Special Effects Formation
--An Army to Rule the World Part 1
--History of THE MUMMY Franchise
--Building a Better Mummy
--Storyboard to Final Film Comparison
--Photograph Montage

Includes: free movie ticket offer to see THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR in theaters ($7.50 value).

THE MUMMY RETURNS On Blu-ray

From Universal Studios Home Ent., Brendan Fraser and an all-star cast reunite with Stephen Sommers for explosive, non-stop thrills. An ancient legacy of terror is unleashed when the accursed mummy, Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), is resurrected -- along with a force even more powerful: The Scorpion King (Dwayne Johnson). Now, as the fate of all mankind hangs in the balance, Rick O'Connell (Fraser) and his wife Evie (Rachel Weisz) embark on a daring, desperate race to save their son -- and the world -- from unspeakable evil. The 2001 film's vfx were by ILM.

Special Features:

--Outtakes
--Feature Commentary with Director/Writer Stephen Sommers and Exec Producer/Editor Bob Ducsay
--MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR Sneak Peek
--An Army to Rule the World Part 2
--Unraveling the Legacy of THE MUMMY
--Visual and Special Effects Formation
--An Exclusive Conversation With The Rock
--Spotlight On Location
--Storyboard to Final Film Comparison
--Live FOREVER MAY NOT BE LONG ENOUGH Music Video

Includes: free movie ticket offer to see THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR in theaters ($7.50 value).

THE PERFECT STORM On Blu-ray

From Warner Home Video, with vfx by ILM, comes the Blu-ray release of THE PERFECT STORM (2000).

It's Halloween 1991. Near Gloucester Massachusetts the six members of the Andrea Gail, a swordfishing boat, head out to sea for their last trip of the season. Unbeknownst to them, a shockingly brutal storm is slowly gaining steam. Before the National Weather Bureau has a chance to inform the crew of the impending danger it's too late. The resulting battle with three merging weather fronts -- an unheralded natural disaster -- is grueling and tragic.

Based on the true-life bestselling novel by Sebastian Junger, THE PERFECT STORM stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Diane Lane and is directed by Wolfgang Petersen.

Special Features:

--Commentary with Wolfgang Petersen
--Commentary with S. Fangmeier and H. Elswit
--Commentary with Sebastian Junger
--James Horner Featurette
--Filmographies: HBO First Look Special
--"Witness to the Storm" featurette
--Photo gallery

21 On Blu-ray And DVD

Witness the high stakes thriller inspired by the true story of MIT students who mastered the art of card counting and took Vegas casinos for millions when Sony Pictures Home Ent. unveils 21 on July 22. Directed by Robert Luketic, with the screenplay by Peter Steinfeld and Allan Loeb, the all-star cast includes Jim Sturgess and Kate Bosworth with Academy Award nominee Laurence Fishburne and Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey.

Based on Ben Mezrich's NEW YORK TIMES bestseller BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE: THE TRUE STORY OF SIX M.I.T. KIDS WHO TOOK VEGAS FOR MILLIONS, 21 is now available in several versions for fans to collect including a single-disc DVD release, a two-disc DVD release, PSP and Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Home Ent.; previs from Proof.

The wealth of bonus features on the 21 DVD includes an audio commentary with director Robert Luketic and producers Dana Brunetti and Michael De Luca; the featurette "21 -- The Advantage Player," explaining the strategy behind blackjack and the basics of card counting; and the featurette "Basic Strategy: A Complete Film Journal," with Director Robert Luketic and other crew members discussing the visual process of creating the film and what it takes to make an ensemble cast come together. Also included is the featurette "Money Plays: A Tour of the Good Life," with production designer Missy Stewart and costume designer Luca Mosca takes a close look at the clothes, luxuries and locations for a Vegas fantasy. The two-disc DVD also includes a bonus digital copy of the film which can be unlocked in just minutes and played on a PC or PSP system.

There is a "21 Virtual Blackjack Game" exclusive to the Blu-ray disc which helps players to master their skills at blackjack and pick up valuable tips on how to count cards by practicing in the "classroom" or by going directly to the casino floor to place bets. The interactive game also allows for players earning a high score to post their results to the BD-Live Leaderboard and see how they stack up with the rest of the world.

Ben Campbell (Sturgess) is a shy, brilliant MIT student who finds a way to pay for medical school through his skill at playing cards. He is recruited to join a group of the school's most gifted students who head to Vegas every weekend armed with fake identities and the know-how to turn the blackjack odds in their favor. With unorthodox math professor Micky Rosa (Spacey) leading the way, they've figured out a way to crack the code by counting cards and employing an intricate system of signals. Seduced by the money, the Vegas lifestyle, and his smart and sexy teammate, Jill Taylor (Bosworth), Ben begins to push the limits. Though counting cards isn't illegal, the stakes are high, and the challenge becomes not only to keep the numbers straight, but to stay one step ahead of the casino's menacing enforcer, Cole Williams (Fishburne).

Special Features (Single Disc DVD):

--Filmmaker commentary with Director Robert Luketic and Producers Dana Brunetti and Michael De Luca
--Featurette: "21 -- The Advantage Player"
--Featurette: "Basic Strategy: A Complete Film Journal"
--Featurette: "Money Plays: A Tour of the Good Life"
--Bonus Previews

Two-Disc DVD Disc One Special Features:
--Filmmaker commentary with Director Robert Luketic and Producers Dana Brunetti and Michael De Luca
--Bonus Previews

Two-Disc DVD Disc Two Special Features:
--Featurette: "21 -- The Advantage Player"
--Featurette: "Basic Strategy: A Complete Film Journal"
--Featurette: "Money Plays: A Tour of the Good Life"
--Bonus Digital Copy

Blu-ray Special Features:
--Exclusive Blu-ray Game: "21 Virtual Blackjack"
--Filmmaker commentary with Director Robert Luketic and Producers Dana Brunetti and Michael De Luca
--Featurette: "21 -- The Advantage Player"
--Featurette: "Basic Strategy: A Complete Film Journal"
--Featurette: "Money Plays: A Tour of the Good Life"
--Bonus Previews

TRANSFORMERS CYBERTRON: The Ultimate Collection On DVD

Optimus Prime and the Autobots face one of their greatest challenges ever as they battle to save their home planet and the universe itself in TRANSFORMERS CYBERTRON: The Ultimate Collection, arriving in a seven-DVD set on July 22, 2008 from Paramount Home Ent. This power-packed release features all 52 episodes from the long-running 2005 Cartoon Network series based on the classic program from the 1980s.

TRANSFORMERS CYBERTRON: The Ultimate Collection includes hours of adventures full of intrigue and surprise and is the ultimate gift set for fans of the legendary “robots in disguise.” The seven-disc set will be available for the suggested retail price of $61.99. The collection includes all 52 episodes from the series and has a running time of 19 hours, 4 minutes.

Optimus Prime and the Autobots face the greatest danger in all eternity, a menace that threatens not only the survival of the Transformers, but the very existence of Cybertron and the universe itself. Cybertron, the Transformers home planet is on the brink of destruction as an ominous Black Hole looms. In order to save their world, the Transformers embark upon an intergalactic scavenger hunt across the universe searching for the lost Cyber Planet Keys. The evil Decepticons, villains unlike any you have seen before, are in a race against the Heroic Autobots to recover these lost Cyber Planet Keys -- keys that have the power to unlock the Cybertron planet itself, creating the greatest transformer the universe has ever seen. The battle will span the galaxy in a race to wield the all powerful Planet Keys and to save their home world of Cybertron from certain doom.

COMEDY CENTRAL'S TV FUNHOUSE UNCENSORED On DVD

When you were a kid, cartoons were on Saturday mornings, TV show hosts were beloved, and puppets were friendly, caring and kind. Well, you're not a kid anymore. That's why COMEDY CENTRAL'S TV FUNHOUSE, featuring host Doug and his Anipals, is packed with enough twisted cartoons, crass puppets, live animals and guest stars to send you to bed weeping over your lost youth.

Special Features Include:

--Commentaries by Creators Robert Smigel, Dino Stamatopoulos and Doug Dale
--Dirty Outtakes with Hojo and Dave
--Behind the Scenes: Killing Bob Hope and a Horse Cock
--Commentary with Chickie, Jason, Xabu and Dave
--Unaired THE CLOWN SHOW Pilot
--Triumph on ROB REINER ROAST
--Triumph on THE DAILY SHOW with Jon Stewart
--Lost Sketch: "What Do We Know, Part 2" with Bob Odenkirk
Comedy Central Quickies