Special Mention – Documentaries:  Beats, Rhymes, & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest and Project Nim – Putting documentaries and films together on the same list is quite difficult, so I needed a separate place to mention two great docs.  I am a huge fan of the innovative hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest and the Michael Rapaport-directed documentary that covers the group’s past, present, and possible future was entertaining, insightful, and full of great beats (Trailer HERE).  Additionally, from the director of one of my favorite documentaries ever, Man on Wire, James Marsh made a new documentary this year that focused on the life of a chimpanzee named Nim.  Nim was the subject of an extended study involving sign language and living with humans, which was followed by a life of turmoil.  Project Nim is a deeply affecting documentary that goes over Nim’s story.  (Review HERE)

Another Special Mention:  Bellflower – Not a film that I am in love with, but I really admire it quite a bit and it was one of those that I kept thinking about after having watched it, then watched it again.  Made for $17,000 as a debut film, using a custom built muscle care (equipped with actual flamethrowers), and filmed on custom made cameras, Bellflower is a unique sort of love story with a hipster meets post-apocalyptic atmosphere, which I grew quite fond of. (Review HERE, Interview HERE)

And One Last Special Mention:  Take Shelter – I wanted to specifically point this film out as well, because while it did not make my top 10, I do think it contains the two best performances of the year from Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain.  This is the story of a man who may or may not be slowly going crazy, due to intense nightmares, and decides to devote a vast amount of time building an expansive tornado shelter under his backyard, to the alarm of his wife and young daughter.  Both lead actors do tremendous work in a film that I would love to see get more acclaim because of it.  (Review HERE)

And now for the top 10…

10.  The Muppets – I am kicking things off with the movie that had me smiling the most this year.  The Muppets gave me all the joy I wanted in a movie that featured these timeless characters.  Complete with wonderful songs, Muppets-style self aware humor, call backs, and tons of cameos, this was one of my most anticipated films of the fall and it completely delivered.  Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller managed to put together a script that lived up to the spirit of the Muppets.  Bringing on the Flight of the Conchord’s Bret McKenzie to collaborate on and write the songs, along with director James Bobin to add his Conchord-style visual sensibility only further helped to capture the fun and witty spirit of the film.  A purely enjoyable film that that brought me lots of happiness.

“Maniacal laugh!” (Review HERE)

9.  Another Earth – The first of the two existential, sci-fi dramas that I will have on this list.  While I thought the premise was interesting enough – what if a duplicate earth suddenly appeared, relatively close, in our universe? – I was really surprised as to how into this film I was.  This surprise was especially due to how the sci-fi nature of the premise is essentially pushed into the background for the majority of the film, as a more low-key drama emerges, based off of a tragedy, and becomes the film’s focus.  Made as a fairly independent feature, only to receive studio backing later on, this feature film from co-writers Mike Cahill (also the director) and Brit Marling (also the star) really got to me with its intriguing ideas and well handled tone.  It was certainly enough to make a lasting impression.

“What would we really like to see if we could stand outside ourselves and look at us?” (Review HERE)

8.  Hanna – I love talking about Hanna.  It has so many cool aspects to go into.  Saoirse Ronan is kick ass as a young girl, raised to be the perfect assassin, who discovers what the real world is like for the first time.  Eric Bana continues to show how badass he can be in action.  Joe Wright’s direction leads to some well shot sequences, many involving slick action.  The undercurrent of fairy tale-related imagery and characters added a neat thematic element as well.  And the awesome score by The Chemical Brothers made things all the better to enjoy.  Hanna was a cool little sleeper that hit during the early spring and I totally dug it.

“I just missed your heart” (Review HERE)

7.  Hugo – A film that I grow to love more and more every time I think about it.  Hugo is an affecting adventure/drama of sorts that involves the quest for a young, orphaned boy, who lives in a Paris railway station, to find out the secret behind a broken gift from his father.  In discovering more about this gift, the narrative segues into another fantastic story about the history and inventiveness of early cinema.  Martin Scorsese not only brought a popular children’s novel to life, he also managed to make one of the best directed films of the year, based on the technical accomplishments he achieves in areas like production design and the fact that his film is completely enhanced by his decision to film in 3D (which actually makes sense, when applied to the narrative) and make it the best 3D experience I have had in theaters.  I can’t emphasize enough how this movie should be seen in theaters, in 3D, as Scorsese made a film that literally serves as a tribute to cinema.

“So I figured, if the entire world was one big machine, I couldn’t be an extra part. I had to be here for some reason.” (Review HERE)

6.  Martha Marcy May Marlene – Along with Insidious (the best pure horror movie I saw this year), Martha Marcy May Marlene kept me incredibly tense throughout its running time.  It definitely helped that the film was exceedingly well acted, contained a story structure that managed to deliver just enough information through dialogue, and communicated so much more visually and through nuances within the characters and their interactions.  Superb editing is a specific area I hope this movie gets awards recognition for, given the deliberate flow of the film.  This is the darkly intriguing story of a girl who has escaped a cult and attempts to readjust back to normal life with family, crossed with flashbacks to her time in the cult.  It has a moody atmosphere, which perfectly establishes a sense of paranoia to match the viewer with the mind of Elizabeth Olsen’s Martha.  I easily joined the cult of this movie’s fandom.

“I know who I am. I am a teacher and a leader; you just never let me be that.” (Review HERE)

5.  Rango – Still probably the strangest movie on my list.  Rango is just as much a fun adventure movie about talking animals as it is a surreal western about a chameleon going through an identity crisis.  Director Gore Verbiniski and Johnny Depp reteamed (after ‘Pirates’ 1-3) to make this incredibly well-animated film that gave me a lot of sheer joy.  It is easily a film that can be off-putting to many, but I was completely taken by its weird charm.  The fact that a mainstream “kids” film could incorporate elements of westerns, existentialism, a Star Wars-like chase sequence, and a plot incredibly similar to Chinatown is kind of amazing and it left a great impression on me.  I am completely hoping For A Few Rangos More.

“Now, we ride!” (Review HERE)

4.  Midnight In Paris – I was completely taken by this year’s Woody Allen film.  Not only did he make one of my favorite films of the year, complete with a top-notch cast, wonderful photography, and a creatively fanciful story; Allen managed to make one of my favorite films that he has ever made.  I managed to see this film without knowing what the early twist of the story was (which I alert people of in my review) and was wonderfully surprised with a very arresting story that calls back to past Allen films like The Purple Rose of Cairo.  Headed up by Owen Wilson, the cast is wonderfully well-suited to this film, given the great script that they get to play out and the beautiful setting they get to occupy.  Similar to Martin Scorsese and Hugo, a director more advanced in their age does not mean they have no more ambition.

“What is it with this city? I need to write a letter to the Chamber of Commerce.” (Review HERE)

3.  Melancholia – The second existential, sci-fi drama on my list and the one that left me practically floored.  There were two things I was definitely not expecting to have done, film-wise, this year.  One was being caught up on all of the Twilight films, but that is for another discussion.  The other was not only seeing the latest feature from director Lars Von Trier, who always seems to be going for a sucker punch to your emotions, but completely embracing it and being fully taken by what it had to offer.  Melancholia offers a long study concerning the end of times, with a visually stunning opening prologue, a “part one” that deals the emotional drama (and sometimes hilarity) of a wedding, a “part two” that delves into the possibility of a rogue planet colliding with earth, and an ending that had me completely wrapped up in its dark, visual splendor.  And I wasn’t even depressed afterward, as I was too taken in by the beauty of Melancholia.

“Hold my hand.  Close your eyes.” (Review HERE)

2.  Attack the Block – A lot of people familiar with me may have been able to see this one coming, as I have been talking and posting incessantly about his movie ever since I saw it early in the summer.  Attack the Block is creative genre madness at its finest.  The story of a gang of South London teens taking on an invasion of nasty aliens is met with stylish direction, a clever and constantly humorous script, a sweet score from the electronic group Basement Jaxx, and sufficient thrills based around the fantastic and practical effects work in the design of the aliens.  At a quick-paced 88 minutes, Attack the Block is the movie I have watched the most this year and it continues to deliver each time.  And here’s a little bonus, believe.

“This is too much madness to explain in one text!” (Review HERE)

1.  Drive – Stylish, smart, and super cool, Drive is my real hero, my real number 1.  I was easily gripped by this film.  This was the incredibly familiar story of a part-time stunt driver/part-time wheelman (Ryan Gosling) taking matters into his own hands, when it came down to protecting a woman (Carey Mulligan), yet director Nicolas Winding Refn completely made it his own.  Certainly not resting on cruise control, Drive is a slick action drama with plenty of appeal.  Gosling’s intensity matched with the surprising intimidation factor of Albert Brooks.  The fantastic soundtrack and score by Cliff Martinez.  The thrilling and crazy-violent nature of some of this film’s key sequences.  The fact that this film has one of the best romantic narratives of the year.  Drive had all of this and kept me extremely satisfied throughout (and enough so to have me see it again the following day as well).  In a year full of great films, Drive managed to stick out to me as the one that deserved my top spot and I will be excited to receive the night-call to watch it again.

“…I don’t carry a gun.  I drive.” (Review HERE)

With the Top 10 out of the way, here are a batch of other notable films, disappointments, and a worst of the year list:

11-20 (Alphabetical):

13 Assassins, 50/50, The Artist, Insidious, I Saw the Devil, Kung Fu Panda 2, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Skin I Live In, The Tree of Life, Win Win

Honorable Mentions:

The Adventures of Tintin, Beginners, Bridesmaids, Contagion, Fast Five, Fright Night, I Love You Philip Morris, The Illusionist, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Red State, Submarine, Warrior, X-Men: First Class, and of course Captain America: The First Avenger

Films I Wish I Had Seen:

Being Elmo, Certified Copy, A Dangerous Method, Terri, Tyrannosaur, We Need to Talk about Kevin

Most Disappointing Films:

Cowboys and Aliens – There was so much potential and promise in this film.  Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig as leads; Jon Favreau directing; Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, and Brian Grazer producing; a ridiculously fun idea for a story; all of this and the movie was still a big bore.  As this was near the top of my most anticipated list, I was saddened to not enjoy it as much as I would have wanted. (Review HERE)

Drive Angry 3D – I was not as saddened by this movie as ‘Cowboys’, but I was still hoping for much more given the combination of the team behind the surprisingly entertaining My Bloody Valentine 3D and Nicolas “Rage” Cage.  Somehow, the movie titled “Drive Angry” did not feature nearly enough angry driving and had a fairly low-key Cage, when his wild-man nature was really needed.  At least William Fichtner was awesome in this film, but not much else was.  (Review HERE)

Top 10 Worst Films of 2011:

Luckily I was able to avoid a number of movies, including two terrible looking Adam Sandler films, whatever the hell Bucky Larson was, a movie about a married horse mother that was supposed to make us imagine how she does it, the arrival of a full-sequenced centipede, and Season of the Witch – starring Nic Cage’s hair.  Still, I found a number of pretty bad flicks to list out here:

10.  Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – As a person who really likes the first three ‘Pirates’ films, I was supremely disappointed with what ‘On Stranger Tides’ had to offer.  Lackluster and boring, everything that people were ironically expecting before the fun surprise that was the first ‘Pirates’ film, is exactly what we got in this fourth entry.  Deadly mermaids were not enough to save this one for me. (Review HERE)

9.  Sanctum – A film that could have been a decent B-movie, with a James Cameron stamp of approval, based on the use of 3D, turned out to be terrible due its clichéd disaster plot-like story and having the worst performance I have seen this year.  Mr. Fantastic himself, Ioan Gruffud, is so bad in this movie that I almost wanted to crawl into an underground cavern to escape him.  (Review HERE)

8.  No Strings Attached – Well it made me either more or less curious about watching Friends with Benefits…moving on (Review HERE)

7.  Straw Dogs – Pointless remake of a movie I don’t even care for that much, but was at least aware of its controversy and themes.  This remake might have been better received by me if it did not brand itself within the same guise as the Sam Peckinpah-directed predecessor, given that it practically reverses the original’s purpose, but no, it’s just a trashy story that builds to a violent climax, designed to appeal to audience desires.  Cyclops himself, James Marsden, might as well have said, “Gotcha suckers!” at the end.  (Review HERE)

6.  The Thing – I was on board with the idea of this film from the outset.  The fact that I heard good things about the practical effects usage early on was also promising.  The result?  A really stale story that had none of the foreboding paranoia that made John Carpenter’s The Thing so effective, along with laughably bad CGI effects.  Bonus points for having the laziest prequel/sequel title this side of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.  (Review HERE)

5.  I Am Number Four – Hey, it’s Twilight with Aliens!  (Review HERE)

4.  Priest – During this movie, Paul Bettany rides alone on his futuristic motorcycle for days before arriving at his destination.  It is one of the more humorous montage scenes of the year.  And then there’s the rest of this fairly lame sci-fi/vampire/horror/action/western film to sit through, featuring verbal sparring between Bettany and Cam Gigandet, a wasted Karl Urban, and horrendously bad dialogue.  (Review HERE)

3.  Red Riding Hood – This movie is amazing according to my favorite review comment thread participant – HERE

2.  The Roommate – At least this movie didn’t call itself Single White Female.  Not being a remake is a plus, but being a really terrible rehash of a film, featuring a story that’s been done to death is not much better.  The only suspense here may come from deciding on the amount of time it takes before you turn the film off.  This is the film that featured a murdered kitten to shock audiences and also features Cam Gigandet in his second appearance on this list.

1.  Larry Crowne – Almost as insultingly nice as it is bad.  Despite being well-meaning, Larry Crowne, to me, is the biggest dud of the year.  Tom Hanks’ second theatrical feature he has directed pales in comparison to That Thing You Do and offers next to no entertainment value.  Instead, we get Hanks in his whitey tighties, That 70s Show’s Wilmer Valderama as the head of a scooter gang, Julia Roberts looking miserable, and the great Bryan Cranston somehow playing beneath himself, with dialogue that seems on par with lines from The Room.  Not even co-star George Takei’s, “Oh My’s” were enough to save this utterly sad film.  (Review HERE)

Not quite top 10 worst, but still pretty bad:

Apollo 18, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, Scream 4, Sucker Punch

And that should do it for me, with this year’s wrap up.  Have a Happy New Year Everyone! (here’s a hint for my most anticipated of 2012):

Hanna:  I just missed your heart.

Saoirse Ronan stars as the title character, Hanna.  As the film begins, Hanna is seen in the middle of an icy forest in Finland.  She stalks and kills a deer, only to be attacked by a man, from behind.  This man turns out to be Erik (Eric Bana), Hanna’s father, who has trained Hanna to be in charge of all her strength, stamina, and smarts.  When it comes to combat, Hanna is a fierce warrior.  Her skills also extend to being fluent in many languages and having all of the knowledge that is contained within an encyclopedia that has been read to her (presumably) many times over.  At this point, Hanna is 16 and she is ready to use all of her training for its intended purpose.

Following this introduction to Hanna’s isolated upbringing, Erik retrieves a locater device and splits, leaving it up to Hanna to deal with the woman she has been training all her life to go up against.  This woman is Marissa Weigler (Cate Blanchett), a ruthless intelligence operative who becomes incredibly concerned upon learning that Erik and Hanna are alive.  Following a brief initial capture by Weigler’s operatives, Hanna soon proves that she is a force to be reckoned with.  The rest of the film mainly follows Hanna, as she stealthily journeys across Europe, with the intentions of following her father’s orders.  While all this is occurring, the shielded truth surrounding Hanna begins to unfold.

Erik:  I tried to prepare you.

Hanna:  You didn’t prepare me for this.

Two things strike me about this film.  One is how strong the three lead actors are.  Given the minimal amount of information and choice to not dwell too long in scenes revolving around exposition, I was really taken by how compelling Ronan, Bana, and Blanchett were in their roles.  The film tells its story on the go, especially when dealing with Hanna, who is discovering a whole new world after leaving her icy forest home.  The way her curiosity functions to have her adjust to all of these new environments is quite interesting to watch.  Bana has possibly the most mystery surrounding his character, as we constantly see him moving with specific intentions, yet with no indication as to what his overall goal is.  The fact that his humanity still manages to come out in how we see him affected by Hanna is only apparent due to how effective Bana is in the role.  Blanchett has the task of playing a cold, shell of a person.  She is very focused on her task, but she too has a human side bleeding into her work, which also becomes apparent when she is forced to reconcile with some abstract thoughts on the past, as they are brought up to her.

The other thing that struck me about this film was how reality-based it seemed to be.  I am not suggesting that everything in this film is possible or that every character action is logical, but I do enjoy the idea that the film is suggesting this in how it is made.  It is similar to the Bourne series in this way, which also has larger than life characters based in a real world.  Hanna brings a realistic Europe into a story that is not above sharing its motifs with fairy tales.  Constant allusions are made to the Brothers Grim throughout this film, which only adds to the way this film is stylish, yet bound to real world logic.

As far as the action and chase beats go, director Joe Wright, who previously directed Atonement (a period film bettered by having as sense of flashiness that didn’t call attention to itself), finds his footing quite well here.  He establishes a mood that allows the film to breathe for an appropriate period of time, before delving into gritty, kinetic, and well choreographed sequences that are only bettered by the thumping score in the background.  I would say this is an action film as much as something like Leon:  The Professional, which is much more character focused, while providing for some stunning action moments.  Still, when the thrills and fights do occur, this movie dishes out some well handled set pieces.

Getting back to Ronan and the story, I really did enjoy how this film revealed itself slowly.  At the outset, the viewer has the bare minimum needed to understand what is going on.  As the film goes on, you discover more and more, and even find that what the film does have to say is quite interesting, but also makes you more intrigued by these characters.  Hanna too discovers more and more as the film moves along.  During a portion in the film, she stows away with an English family (with Olivia Williams and Jason Flemying as the parents).  Hanna befriends the daughter, Sophie (Jessica Barden), mainly due to how alien she seems to her.  Hanna has emerged from a world without irony or anything that doesn’t involve a new step in training.  Speaking with and going along with Sophie is a completely new experience for Hanna, and Ronan plays this aspect of the character with aplomb.  This performance is of course a central component to the film and Ronan nails it.

Finally, to mention the soundtrack again; as I have been typing this out, I have listened to the score a couple times over.  It is such a distinctive set of beats that this film is tied to.  Wright had a way of tying the music in Atonement into the actual film, which is tough to describe, beyond saying actions match the rhythm.  He does the same here, and The Chemical Brothers have managed to create a series of tracks that infuse their electronica sensibilities into a film that is quiet when it needs to be, only to burst out in more ways than one, once the action kicks into gear.  With Daft Punk for Tron: Legacy and now this, I can only hope that more mainstream artists embrace a collaboration process that is similar.

I was enamored with what this film brought forth.  Initially intrigued by few elements alone (yes, mainly the soundtrack), I was very happy to get such an offbeat, dark, yet kick ass experience.  Make no mistake, this film certainly heads down a dark road when it comes to the people brought into this whole “Hanna situation,” but it also manages to celebrate other aspects, such as female empowerment (much more so than Sucker Punch, the women of which Hanna could break in a heartbeat).  The work of talented performers along with some slick and solid direction only further serve to make the experience all the more rewarding.  Hanna may not have the most exciting narrative, but it manages to give enough deadly force to its story, while providing some pretty cool action beats within this grim tale.

Hanna:  Come and find me.

Film 

The premise of the story is certainly a unique and interesting one.  The film contains obvious science fiction aspects, but also a strong love story with neither being the mainstay of the movie’s content.  Both of these structure the Traveler’s delivery in the one-hour, forty-seven-minute runtime.  Bana plays Henry DeTamble, a normal-looking man with a very abnormal ability.  DeTamble has the uncanny knack of moving back and forth through time, often against his will.  While such an occurrence may sound plain silly, it is a rather ‘un-silly’ reason why Henry does what he does.  Believe me when I say you need to watch the film for the explanation. 

Enter Clare Abershire (McAdams), the seemingly star-struck woman who is somewhere between shock and head over heels upon her ‘first’ encounter with DeTamble, her eventual husband.  Fast forward a bit and we discover that though the two share a distinctly strong bond, Clare understandably loses patience over time with her husband’s sudden disappearances as he is transported to another time and place with an unknown hour or day of return.  Both Bana and McAdams are quite proficient in their roles though their chemistry and that of the story’s does not truly surface until Traveler’s halfway mark. 

In all honesty, this movie was a tedious and almost suffering experience during the first 50 minutes.  It just lumbered on with a disintegrating Henry DeTamble dropping his clothes around every corner while Clare seemed borderline superfan to Bana’s character.  You must be patient with this film.  I see now why several critics and cinema patrons gave up on this one.  But, just as a football game doesn’t stop at three quarters of play, The Time Traveler’s Wife does not cease at 50 minutes.  The story begins to take a more definitive shape while foreshadowing abounds after surpassing the middle point.  It is only then that you get to begin working with something more substantial as a viewer.  When it’s all over, you’ll be glad you sat tight for the film’s complete story to play out for your senses.

Video 

One could not ask for a more crisp, clear viewing of this story as its palette is a beautifully vibrant one in the VC-1 encode.  This picture is a fine example of 1080p resolution producing such minute details as every beard whisker and skin pore upon the actors’ faces, while the aspect ratio of 2.35:1 soundly carries the picture on your television.  Grain is kept at absolute minimal levels, even in low light shots, which is an unexpected but appreciated high point.

Audio 

If you’re looking for an all-encompassing sound experience, you would do yourself a favor by not putting The Time Traveler’s Wife high on your ‘must hear’ list.  This track is front-heavy with only the occasional, although pleasantly surprising, rear speaker sound.  As is the case with just about any dialogue-driven movie, those speakers behind you just do not get much of a workout (and by dialogue-driven I’m referring to the non-action, non-musical productions that do not utilize your audible arsenal).  Your subwoofer will lie pretty dormant in these kinds of films as well.  There is nothing wrong with the disc, it’s just the nature of the beast in this case.  Still, it leaves the viewer hoping for something more.  In the end, however, you will find the dialogue quality to be quite clear and fulfilling.

Special Features 

There’s good news and bad news here.  The good news is all the features on this disc are in 1080i high definition!  The bad news is there are only two extras.  Nevertheless, for those two extras, there is a decent amount of substance in both time and content.

• An Unconventional Love Story – This featurette contains several short discussions with the director, producers and actors from The Time Traveler’s Wife regarding their points of view on the script, the story’s flow, and filming various scenes (25:55).
• The Time Traveler’s Wife – Love Beyond Words:  Actors Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana, as well as screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin and director Robert Schwentke talk about the story’s transition from novel to movie (21:06).

Final Thoughts 

In the end, The Time Traveler’s Wife was a decent film.  It just had some difficulty getting off the ground early on.  Looking back on those first 50 minutes, you will notice some ‘where is this going’ footage, sure, but also some content that does strongly tie in to the latter half of the film.  The originality of the story definitely separates this movie from the pack as far as others in the love story genre are concerned.  It may leave you scratching your head in bewilderment at times and checking your watch at others, yet in the end, you may just find a few ‘ah-ha’ moments scattered throughout.  

Pre-order The Time Traveler’s Wife on Blu-ray today!

Synopsis: Lose yourself in timeless love with this gloriously romantic story of the journey of two hearts. Artist Clare Abshire (Rachel McAdams of The Notebook) shares a deep emotional bond with Henry De Tamble (Eric Bana of The Other Boleyn Girl), a handsome librarian who travels involuntarily through time. Knowing they can be separated without warning, Clare and Henry treasure the moments they have together, imbuing them with the yearning and passion of two people imprisoned by time?and set free by love. Based on the #1 bestseller, The Time Traveler’s Wife weaves together destiny and devotion, past and future to turn an extraordinary love into an extraordinary love story.

Visit the official website and check out the video clip below!

Pre-order The Time Traveler’s Wife on Blu-ray today!

Miramax has made plans to release the Mike Judge comedy Extract on Blu-ray December 22nd.  Extract features comedic performances from Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, J.K. Simmons and Ben Affleck.  Iheard good things about this one!

In shocking news, don’t know if you consider this good or bad, Troma Entertainment has decided to go “Blu” in 2010 by releasing a new Blu-ray title every month.  Here’s hoping we see The Toxic Avenger on the Blu-ray format in the near future!

Summit Entertainment has announced that they will be bringing The Hurt Locker to the Blu-ray format on January 12th.  I can’t say I know too much about this one.

This last bit of news was from Friday, but sadly we never got around to posting it until now.  Warner Brothers/New Line Cinema has set a February 9th Blu-ray release date for the Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana drama The Time Traveler’s Wife.

Pre-order your Blu-rays today with Amazon’s pre-order price guarantee and know that 1% of your purchase will go directly to making a difference in the life of a child at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. To pre-order any Blu-ray mentioned in the above news article just click on the movie title link.

Funny People

Throughout the production of the film, Judd Apatow and his entire production team were mindful of home entertainment audiences, gathering exclusive footage of the filmmaking process and creating special features that they knew fans would love. Accordingly, both the two-disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray and DVD come loaded with exclusive bonus features, including:

— Hilarious gag reels
— Deleted & Extended / Alternate Scenes
— Line-O-Rama: Re-watch some of the movie’s funniest scenes, but this time with alternate punch lines
— Feature Commentary with director Judd Apatow and stars Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen
— Documentaries:
— Funny People Diaries: A documentary in four parts which takes audiences inside all aspects of the filmmaking process from early cast table reads and joke brainstorming sessions, to the various filmmaking techniques employed throughout the production.
— Judd’s High School Radio Show
— Raaaaaaaandy!: This mockumentary takes fans on the road with Aziz
Ansari’s Randy character from the film.
— Music from Funny People: Listen to music from and inspired by the film from James Taylor, Adam Sandler, Jon Brion and RZA
— From the Archives: Watch Adam Sandler and Judd Apatow on a 1990 episode of The Midnight Hour with Bill Maher; Sandler’s first appearance on David Letterman; and Seth Rogen doing stand up at 13!
— The Films of George Simmons: Watch footage from George Simmons’ greatest films including Sayonara Davey and Merman
— Prank Call 1990: Watch Sandler as he performs an actual prank phone call, in this archival footage from Judd Apatow’s personal video library

— “Yo Teach…!”: Go “behind-the-scenes” of “Yo Teach…!”, the television show featured in the film Funny People

Funny People on Blu-ray Hi-Def includes everything on the two-disc Collector’s Edition DVD, plus more exclusive content and interactive features, including:

— Enjoy more hilarious laughs with two more Line-O-Rama’s
— Watch additional Deleted, Extended and Alternate Scenes
— Additional music and an extensive look at James Taylor on the set
— Over an hour of stand up performances by the film’s cast
— Additional archival material including Sandler’s second Letterman appearance, Sandler at Los Angeles’ famed Comedy & Magic Club and Judd Apatow performing on The Dennis Miller Show
— Hilarious prank calls from Adam Sandler and Judd Apatow
— Adam Sandler and Judd Apatow’s appearance on “Charlie Rose”
— U-Control: Funny People music: Universal’s exclusive signature feature puts the viewer just a click away from additional insights into the music in the film without ever leaving the movie.
— BD-Live: Access the BD-Live Center through any Internet-connected player to download more exclusive content, the latest trailers and more!
— My Chat: Using any Internet-connected player, host a text chat with friends while watching the movie in synchronization
— My Funny People Commentary: Create play-by-play video, audio or text movie commentary and share it with friends through UniversalHiDef.com and the BD-Live Center

— My Scenes Sharing: Bookmark favorite scenes from the movie to share with BD-Live buddies!