Mill Creek Entertainment has announced the wide release of several bargain-priced Blu-ray Double Features which were previously available as Walmart exclusives. Among the more notable films is The Squid and the Whale, Hollywood Homicide, Hudson Hawk, Ship of Fools and the original When a Stranger Calls. Mill Creek is also releasing two more entries in the National Parks Exploration Series.
The Mill Creek press release did not detail tech specs or special features. The six Double Features and two National Parks releases break down as follows:
In Hollow Man (previously made available on Blu-ray in 2007 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment), Kevin Bacon and Elisabeth Shue play former lovers who, along with a team of other scientists like themselves, discover the secret of invisibility. Then Christian Slater stars in the action-packed sequel, Hollow Man 2, as a dangerous invisible solider gone rouge. Facing his demise unless given a life saving serum, he hunts down the biologist involved in his transformation, the detective assigned to protect her and the government forces that created him.
In Attack Force, Steven Seagal plays Marshall Lawson, a man who loses his strike-team in a cold-blooded and seemingly random attack, and takes it upon himself to investigate the suspicious circumstances of the brutal killings. Soon he uncovers CTX Majestic, a covert military operation so secret, that now the military wants Marshall eliminated. Resolute in his pursuit, Marshall engages in a merciless battle with a drug dealer operation that appears to be secretly funded by a rogue arm of the military. Seagal also stars in Into the Sun as an ex-CIA American who goes after terrorists responsible for the murder of the governor of Tokyo and the kidnapping of his wife's sister. Along the way, the former agent uncovers a plot to detonate a nuclear device in the U.S.
Hollywood Homicide teams Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett together as an unlikely pair of detectives investigating the murder of a rap group while pursuing their other full-time professions. Welcome to Hollywood Homicide: the only profession where a guy can come to work hungry, horny, thirsty, and broke, and resolve all four by the end of the watch. Then, in Hudson Hawk, Bruce Willis stars as an ex-cat burgular who sets out to steal a series of priceless artifacts in director Michael Lehmann's globe-spanning caper. The film also features performances by Danny Aiello, Andie MacDowell, David Caruso and James Coburn.
Vivien Leigh and Simone Signoret headline a stellar cast in Ship of Fools, an acclaimed drama about German exiles who are forbidden from anchoring at American ports. Then Warren Beatty stars in Lilith as a Korean war veteran who returns home and takes a job at a mental hospital. While working at the hospital, Beatty begins an affair with one of the patients, only to find that she's much more deeply disturbed than he'd thought. Robert Rossen's compelling film examines the fine line between sanity and insanity.
The Squid and the Whale tells the moving story of two brothers dealing with their parents' divorce. Set in Brooklyn in the 1980s, Noah Baumbach and his brother capture their childhood experiences, with performances from Owen Kline, Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg and Anna Paquin. Running with Scissors (previously made available on Blu-ray in 2007 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) suggests bizarre behavior goes with the territory when a teenage boy is "adopted" by his mother's wacky therapist and must cope with an extended family of eccentrics. Scissors stars Joseph Cross, Annette Bening, Brian Cox, Evan Rachel Wood, Alec Baldwin, Gwyneth Paltrow, Patrick Wilson and Gabrielle Union.
When a Stranger Calls: A terrified young baby-sitter, an incessantly ringing phone and whispered threats set the stage for Fred Walton's suspenseful thriller. Carol Kane stars as the baby-sitter who is tormented by a series of ominous phone calls until a compulsive cop (Charles Durning) is brought on the scene to apprehend the psychotic killer. Seven years later, though, the nightmare begins again when the madman returns to haunt Kane, now a wife and mother. Happy Birthday to Me: Popular high school senior Virginia Wainwright (Melissa Sue Anderson) survives a freak accident, but suffers from memory loss and traumatic blackouts. As she attempts to resume a normal life, something terrible is happening - her friends are ruthlessly murdered one-by-one. Will she be the next victim or is she the killer?
Discover the allure and artistry of Mother Nature's wilderness in this breathtaking exploration through Glaciers National Park. Tucked away and hidden from view by snowcapped mountains and pristine forests lies the Rocky Mountain's glass slipper. Glacier National Park sits in one of the planets three great mountain chains. The erosion by water and glaciers has sculpted the mountain range into dramatic valleys and peaks giving with a variety of unique and elegant features. This hiker's paradise contains over 700 miles of trails which lead you through alpine meadows, rugged mountaintops, crystal lakes and majestic waterfalls creating an adventurous visit through natures powerful past and present. Witness the gripping history and remarkable landscape of the Crown of the Continent through in-depth interviews and hi-depth imagery.
Experience the indigenous spirit and beauty that nature holds in this magnificent journey through Voyageurs National Park. At the heart of the North American Continent lies a voyageur world of adventure and tranquility where interconnected water routes and boreal forests capture an untouched and stunning native land. The Boundary Waters region stretches from Isle Royal in Lake Superior on the east, to Voyageurs National Park on the west, in between it contains the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness – the largest pristine wilderness in the lower 48 states. This historic heaven contains over 1000 icy, clear, blue water, lakes and over a million acres of pristine nature all unchanged since the last Ice Age. The sights and sounds of this unique Northern ecosystem immerse you into a world of freedom almost forgotten. This expedition through nature's original water park paradise contains in-depth interviews and hi-depth imagery to capture the spirit and beauty of Voyageurs National Park. A trip to one of the most untouched and stunning places in the U.S.
I haven't actually seen The Squid and the Whale but dear god... what did that poor movie do to deserve this?
It's enormously popular amongst Wes Anderson (most of his movies have been given the Criterion treatment) fans and was well recieved... That's really bizarre. I plan on grabbing the When a Stranger Calls/Happy Birthday to me pack when it's dirt cheap. I love Happy Birthday to Me
Why can't we get solo releases of things that have already come out Hollow Man 2 etc. Sick of these double features!! At least put two of the same movies together like When a Stranger Calls and its sequel.
yes, we already have several of these...good thing they will release them again, or maybe their publicity department was on vacation...in the national parks
I've wanted The Squid and the Whale on Blu-ray for a long time...it definitely deserves a solo release, not this double feature crap. I'll hang on to my DVD.
I prefer individual releases as well, but I'm sure most of these movies can sit just fine on half of a 50GB disc. The Squid and the Whale will probably look and sound fine, but it seems to be a film that would have been perfect for Sony to license to Criterion. I guess it's better to get it as a double feature than not at all though.
Buyer beware: Hudson Hawk's picture quality is about the same as the Special Edition DVD, and the audio is worse. It is listed on the back of the case as having DTS 2.0, but it is Mono, with no separation whatsoever. (The DVD had Dolby Surround 2.0.) I emailed Mill Creek; they have no plans to release a corrected Blu-ray (no surprise).
wish i had known about these cause walmarts site doesnt have them listed. but def day one when a stranger calls/happy birthday to me. i just hope its the version with the original soundtrack.
The Mill Creek double feature blu-rays, are only $5.00 at Walmart at the present time. You wouldn't pay $5.00 for a blu-ray movie? You don't have to watch The Squid and the Whale! Just watch Running With Scissors.
