Tate Taylor’s “The Help,” an adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling novel, has a Tuesday, Dec. 6 release date. Perfect timing for a film that will want to get back on the radars of awards voters as the year-end glut of prestige pictures battle for headlines.

“The Help” already has earned significant support by earning a whopping $162.6 million at the domestic box office. That’s usually a factor when analyzing the chances of a Best Picture contender, while not the only factor.

But a scan of the usual Oscar-tracking Web site will tell you that “Help” co-star Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer are leading candidates in their respective categories. And the ensemble is being recognized at this year’s Hollywood Film Festival and Awards Gala, which will be held at the end of the month in Beverly Hills.

Will it be the first stop on a lengthy awards run? Possibly. And Disney getting “The Help” back into stores in early December is an incredibly smart move that can only bolster the film’s already healthy Oscar campaign.

Click HERE and HERE for our exclusive interviews with the cast and crew of “The Help.”

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Instead of having to generate For Your Consideration screeners, all the studio needs to do is provide pristine copies of Malick’s meditative “Tree” and hope that it connects with enough voters. It certainly connected with critics. With a staggering 224 reviews, the movie boasts an 84% grade on Rotten Tomatoes. But it’s $13-million box office take is light, by Oscar’s standards.

The movie needs to be seen. And I’m certain the Blu-ray will be spectacular (I’m DYING to see it).

In the meantime, Fox Searchlight has assembled an interesting feature titled “Living Locations, which journeys across space, flies over volcanoes and dives deep into the ocean to showcase some of the great scientific imagery from the film.

From the release:
“Places like Death Valley, Texas, Villa Lante in Italy and even the Sun, take us to the space between spaces and remind us of how precious our world and life really is. The Tree of Life on Blu-ray, available October 11, enhances the viewing experience of the film’s visual and aural beauty.”

What will you see?

1. Death Valley
Death Valley, located in the Mojave Desert in Eastern California boasts the lowest, driest and hottest locations in North America. The valley received its name in 1849 during the Gold Rush. Although it was named “death,” only one death in the area was actually recorded during the Gold Rush. In contrast to what early prospectors believed, at one time, the area that is now Death Valley was actually part of a succession of seas.

2. Texas
Texas is the second largest state in the US, and is almost twice as large as Germany and Japan. Because of its great size, Texas has varying climatic regions, and rivers define three of its borders, allowing for really different, yet beautiful, natural sights (including deserts, prairies, grasslands, forests, and coastlines). This is why parts of Texas resemble both the South and the Southwest.

3. Villa Lante
The Villa Lante is a garden of surprise near Viterbo, in central Italy. Construction began on the Villa Lante somewhere near 1566, and the property has changed hands many, many times since then. Families occupied the Villa until at least the 19th century. However, in 1944 Allied bombing after the fall of Rome heavily damaged the property, and it wasn’t until the late 20th century that a long term of restoration began.

4. The Sun
The Sun, the star that is at the center of our Solar System, has a mass 330,000 times that of Earth! The energy from the sunlight derived from the Sun supports almost all life on Earth, and drives our climate and weather. Because of the large effect the Sun has on the wellbeing of Earth, some cultures have even considered the Sun a deity.

5. Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa (located in Hawaii) is the largest volcano on Earth, and one of the five volcanoes that form the Islands of Hawaii. The volcano is thought to have been active for about 700,000 years. Though Mauna Loa’s most recent explosion was in 1984 and it caused no deaths, eruptions in 1926 and 1950 destroyed villages (the city of Hilo is even partially built on lava flows from the 19th century!). Because Mauna Loa is still active and evolving, the volcano is constantly monitored for safety’s sake.

And here’s an official trailer for the film:

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“Star Wars: The Complete Saga”
Hands down the most buzzed-about Blu-ray release of 2011, more for what it changes than for what it improves. Which is unfair, because even die-hard “Star Wars” fans screaming “Noooooooooo!” at the alterations George Lucas is making to his beloved sci-fi franchise are backtracking and admitting that the conversion to Blu-ray is spectacular.

20th Century Fox and LucasFilm reportedly hit it out of the park with this multi-disc set. If you can get past the endless gushing, Harry Knowles writes an impassioned speech about the various deleted scenes in the “Star Wars” set, which brings all six of Lucas’ films to Blu-ray for the first time. If you happen to know a Star Wars” fanatic and are wondering where they are this weekend, chances are they’re camped in front of a hi-def television set, nitpicking every little detail of the “Star Wars” trilogies … and absolutely loving every minute of it.

“Bridesmaids”
Still one of the funniest films I’ve seen this year, Paul Feig’s “Bridesmaids” hits DVD and Blu-ray this week in an unrated package from Universal. “Saturday Night Live” standouts Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph play best friends caught in a tidal wave of hilarious disappointment as Annie (Wiig) tries to throw Lillian (Rudolph) an unforgettable bridal shower. Wiig’s brilliant timing and outstanding support from Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper make “Bridesmaids” a must see. Stay for the extended and deleted scenes, the gag reel, and the feature commentary track with the cast and crew.

“Thor: Limited Edition 3D”
You haven’t seen the son of Odin (Anthony Hopkins) until you’ve seen him on Blu-ray. Marvel continues its mighty superhero prequels with an origin story for Thor (Chris Hemsworth) arrogant Norse god who is banished to Earth where he meets his true love (Natalie Portman) and learns the value of his lineage. We’re paying close attention because Kenneth Branagh’s weighty drama – along with Joe Johnston’s “Captain America: The First Avenger” – sets the stage for Joss Whedons’ ensemble adventure “The Avengers,” in theaters next summer. To that end, Paramount’s spectacular “Thor” Blu-ray boasts a clever short film with Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) that bridges Marvel’s story gaps, seven in-depth featurettes, 11 deleted scenes, previews for “Avengers,” a Branagh commentary track, a digital copy of the film and so much more.

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The studios revealed that “Star Wars” is the bestselling catalog Blu-ray Disc of all time, with worldwide sales totaling one million units, including 515,000 units sold in North America in its first week alone. According to a release, this represents $84 million in worldwide consumer spending, including $38 million in North America — unprecedented for a nine-disc Blu-ray collection at a premium price.

“Once again our fan’s enthusiasm to celebrate Stars Wars continues to amaze us,” said Kayleen Walters, Senior Director, Marketing, Lucasfilm. “Our goal was to deliver a premium product that they could enjoy with their family and friends and we are thrilled that they are enjoying it as much as we hoped they would.”

“Star Wars is a franchise with universal stories that resonates as much today as it did 30 years ago,” said Mary Daily, Executive Vice President of Marketing for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Vincent Marcais, Senior Vice President of International Marketing for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. “With the Blu-ray, audiences can go deeper into the mythology than ever before and reconnect with everything they love about the Saga in the best possible quality.”

More from the release:

The thirteen-month campaign to launch the SAGA Blu-ray and engage consumers around the globe began in August 2010. From Darth Vader at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a first look at San Diego Comic Con, a first-of-its-kind partnership with eBay, to creating the world’s largest lightsaber in the UK, the power of the Force continued to resonate around the world as fans came out in droves to have fun with that galaxy far, far away.

The comprehensive collection includes the six movies with unparalleled high-definition picture and sound quality, and features numerous deleted, extended and alternate scenes, new documentaries and a cross-section of the countless Star Wars spoofs that have appeared in pop culture over the past three decades. Marking the first time ever that the full Saga is available in one complete collection, STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA ON BLU-RAY also features a coveted peek into the making of the Saga with vintage documentaries, audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes moments, interviews, prop and costume turnarounds, retrospectives and more.

Episodes I-III and IV-VI are also available as distinct Blu-ray Trilogy collections. Additionally, the Ask Vader app is now live in the iTunes store! You can download it via http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/star-wars-blu-ray-ask-vader/id464507311?mt=8.

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Here’s the trailer. The presser follows below:

As the clip reveals, the disc will take you deep behind the scenes of this Marvel origin story, showing how Johnston shrunk the buff Chris Evans to play skinny Steve Rogers and setting up the character’s pivotal role in Whedon’s ensemble.

Marvel also recently released “Thor” on Blu-ray and DVD, completing the unofficial prequel kit that sets the table for “The Avengers.” Now collectors can bounce from “Thor” to “Iron Man,” from “The Incredible Hulk” to “Captain America” to see how the pieces fit.

Or, at least, they’ll be able to once “America” streets on Oct. 25.

Here’s the release:

Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures introduce the latest addition to the incomparable Marvel Super Hero team with CAPTAIN AMERICA: The First Avenger, ready for action on high definition Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD October 25, 2011. Called “the best superhero movie ever” (Brian Erdy, CBS-TV), the thrill-packed adventure is a blockbuster hit with audiences worldwide, earning over $350 million at the Global Box Office. When a terrifying force threatens everyone across the globe, the world’s greatest soldier wages war on the evil HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull. Loaded with fantastic action, stunning visual effects and an awe-inspiring hero imbued with courage, humanity and an unbreakable spirit, CAPTAIN AMERICA: The First Avenger transports viewers into a world of daring exploits and excitement. Starring Chris Evans in the title role, the film features an outstanding ensemble cast including Academy Award®-winner Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving as Marvel’s Ultimate Villain, Red Skull, Dominic Cooper, Neal McDonough, Derek Luke and Stanley Tucci.

The CAPTAIN AMERICA: The First Avenger three-disc set includes the film on Blu-ray in high-definition 3D and in high definition 2D, as well as on standard definition DVD with a digital copy. The two-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack includes a high definition presentation of the film, plus a standard definition presentation with a digital copy. Both sets boast over an hour of behind-the-scenes bonus material including an original Marvel short film, an exclusive sneak peek into the ultimate Super Hero team, Marvel’s The Avengers, six featurettes that go behind-the-scenes of the filmmaking process, deleted scenes and much more.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: The First Avenger Blu-ray and DVD specs

The CAPTAIN AMERICA: The First Avenger Blu-ray Discs(TM) are presented in 1080p high definition with English 7.1 DTS HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description with English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The DVD in the sets is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Surround and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The digital copy is presented with an English Audio track.

Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Breakdown:

Blu-ray

Feature film with commentary by director Joe Johnston, director of photography Shelly Johnson and editor Jeff Ford

Marvel One-Shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer

Featurettes:

Outfitting a Hero

Howling Commandos

Heightened Technology

The Transformation

Behind the Skull

Captain America Origins

The Assembly Begins

Deleted Scenes with commentary by director Joe Johnston, director of photography Shelly Johnson and editor Jeff Ford

Trailers

DVD

Feature film

Digital Copy

The three-disc set includes all of the above, plus the feature film on Blu-ray 3D.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: The First Avenger will also be available as a single-disc DVD presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround, French 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround and English Audio Description and English, French and Spanish subtitles. The disc includes feature commentary, the featurettes “Outfitting a Hero” and “The Assembly Begins” and trailers.

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In preparation for the anticipated releases of “Pulp Fiction” and “Jackie Brown,” the studio has shared with us exclusive trailers, which we’ve posted below:

This “Pulp” one sets the stage, calling it the Blu-ray fans have been “praying” for. That’s no exaggeration. And once you hear Samuel L. Jackson preaching as hit man Jules, you’ll no doubt want to head down to your nearest retailer and camp out in line until the Blu-ray hits on Oct. 4.

And then there’s Tarantino’s underrated “Fiction” follow up, “Jackie Brown.” Here’s that trailer:

While not quite the trailblazer “Pulp” managed to be, “Jackie Brown” still manages to weave a suspenseful tale and features a showstopping performance by the legendary Pam Grier. Both films make their Blu-ray debut on Oct. 4. It goes without saying that they are must-owns, so enjoy the trailers, and grab the discs once they are out.

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The studio has released a new trailer on Yahoo’s UK and Ireland site (via ComingSoon), which we’ve posted below:

Having the six “Star Wars” films on Blu-ray should be enough for rabid fans. But Lucasfilm apparently is ready to cram the multi-disc set with tons of extras. We ran full specs on the box months ago, but we’ll repost them below, just to get fans excited for the Sept. 16 release.

Special Features:

STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA ON BLU-RAY is presented in widescreen with 6.1 DTS Surround Sound. Special features include:

DISC ONE — STAR WARS: EPISODE I THE PHANTOM MENACE
– Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Scott Squires
– Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC TWO — STAR WARS: EPISODE II ATTACK OF THE CLONES
– Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, Pablo Helman, John Knoll and Ben Snow
– Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC THREE — STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH
– Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Rob Coleman, John Knoll and Roger Guyett
– Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC FOUR — STAR WARS: EPISODE IV A NEW HOPE
– Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren
– Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC FIVE — STAR WARS: EPISODE V THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
– Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren
– Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC SIX — STAR WARS: EPISODE VI RETURN OF THE JEDI
– Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren
– Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC SEVEN — NEW! STAR WARS ARCHIVES: EPISODES I-III
– Including: deleted, extended and alternate scenes; prop, maquette and costume turnarounds; matte paintings and concept art; supplementary interviews with cast and crew; a flythrough of the Lucasfilm Archives and more

DISC EIGHT — NEW! STAR WARS ARCHIVES: EPISODES IV-VI
– Including: deleted, extended and alternate scenes; prop, maquette and costume turnarounds; matte paintings and concept art; supplementary interviews with cast and crew; and more

DISC NINE — THE STAR WARS DOCUMENTARIES
– NEW! Star Warriors (2007, Color, Apx. 84 Minutes) — Some Star Wars fans want to collect action figures…these fans want to be action figures! A tribute to the 501st Legion, a global organization of Star Wars costume enthusiasts, this insightful documentary shows how the super-fan club promotes interest in the films through charity and volunteer work at fundraisers and high-profile special events around the world.
– NEW! A Conversation with the Masters: The Empire Strikes Back 30 Years Later (2010, Color, Apx. 25 Minutes) — George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasdan and John Williams look back on the making of The Empire Strikes Back in this in-depth retrospective from Lucasfilm created to help commemorate the 30th anniversary of the movie. The masters discuss and reminisce about one of the most beloved films of all time.
– NEW! Star Wars Spoofs (2011, Color, Apx. 91 Minutes) — The farce is strong with this one! Enjoy a hilarious collection of Star Wars spoofs and parodies that have been created over the years, including outrageous clips from Family Guy, The Simpsons, How I Met Your Mother and more — and don’t miss “Weird Al” Yankovic’s one-of-a-kind music video tribute to The Phantom Menace!
– The Making of Star Wars (1977, Color, Apx. 49 Minutes) — Learn the incredible behind-the-scenes story of how the original Star Wars movie was brought to the big screen in this fascinating documentary hosted by C-3PO and R2-D2. Includes interviews with George Lucas and appearances by Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.
– The Empire Strikes Back: SPFX (1980, Color, Apx. 48 Minutes) — Learn the secrets of making movies in a galaxy far, far away. Hosted by Mark Hamill, this revealing documentary offers behind-the-scenes glimpses into the amazing special effects that transformed George Lucas’ vision for Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back into reality!
– Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi (1983, Color, Apx. 48 Minutes) — Go behind the scenes — and into the costumes — as production footage from Return of the Jedi is interspersed with vintage monster movie clips in this in-depth exploration of the painstaking techniques utilized by George Lucas to create the classic creatures and characters seen in the film. Hosted and narrated by Carrie Fisher and Billie Dee Williams.
– Anatomy of a Dewback (1997, Color, Apx. 26 Minutes) — See how some of the special effects in Star Wars became even more special two decades later! George Lucas explains and demonstrates how his team transformed the original dewback creatures from immovable rubber puppets (in the original 1977 release) to seemingly living, breathing creatures for the Star Wars 1997 Special Edition update.
– Star Wars Tech (2007, Color, Apx. 46 Minutes) — Exploring the technical aspects of Star Wars vehicles, weapons and gadgetry, Star Wars Tech consults leading scientists in the fields of physics, prosthetics, lasers, engineering and astronomy to examine the plausibility of Star Wars technology based on science as we know it today.

Feel The Force of the Star Wars Infinite Saga Site!

This September, the Star Wars Saga comes to Blu-ray for the very first time. Now you can be part of this groundbreaking release, through the magic of “infinite zoom” technology. When you share this site with your friends, exclusive imagery from the release will be revealed. And the more the site is shared around the world, the more the world will see. So spread the word today and “zoom” into the the ultimate insider’s view of Star Wars on Blu-ray!

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To burn his creative energies (and distract himself from his crippling depression), O’Brien hit the road for a music and comedy tour that is documented in the captivating and hilarious “Conon O’Brien Can’t Stop.”

The documentary is making its way to DVD and Blu-ray on Sept, 13, with deleted scenes, extra footage, a commentary with O’Brien and his crew, music videos, a Q and A session, and more.

A hit on the spring movie festival circuit, “Can’t Stop” catches O’Brien with his guard down to show how entertainers prepare to entertain … and displays how painful it can be when they aren’t allowed to entertain any more.

It’s a great film, a can’t miss when it comes out on DVD. Be on the lookout. We’ll bring you more coverage on the disc when it arrives in stores.

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Fox Home Entertainment has announced an Oct. 18 release date on Blu-ray and DVD for the charming feature, which earned $22 million at the summer box office. In the film, Gomez plays Grace, a small-town teenager who finally gets to go on her dream vacation to Paris, only to find herself in a whirlwind fantasy of mistaken identity and unexpected romance.

Katie Cassidy (“Melrose Place”) and Leighton Meester (“Gossip Girl”) co-star in the comedy, which also features “Glee” hunk Cory Monteith.

Below, we have a full breakdown of the DVD and Blu-ray specs:

MONTE CARLO Blu-ray + Digital Copy
• Feature Film
• Deleted Scenes
• Meet Madame Valery
• Pont Des Arts Bridge
• Try on the Dior
• Owen Plays Soccer
• Owen at Sacre-Coeur
• Alicia Confronts Cordelia
• Cordelia’s Fate
• Monte Carlo Match Up
• Ding-Dang Delicious: The Boys of Monte Carlo
• Monte Carlo Couture
• Jet Setter’s Dream
• Backstage Pass
• Gossip with the Girls
• Theatrical Trailer
• Digital Copy “How To”
• Live Extras
• Theatrical Trailer
• Live Lookup
• Digital Copy

MONTE CARLO DVD
• Feature Film
• Deleted Scenes
• Meet Madame Valery
• Pont Des Arts Bridge
• Try on the Dior
• Owen Plays Soccer
• Owen at Sacre-Coeur
• Alicia Confronts Cordelia
• Cordelia’s Fate
• Monte Carlo Match Up
• Ding-Dang Delicious: The Boys of Monte Carlo
• Backstage Pass
• Theatrical Trailer

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A feature-laden two-disc DVD with a digital copy will be made available on Aug. 23 from Paramount Home Entertainment. Previously available exclusively in theaters for only one week, director Jon M. Chu’s extended version was created with fans in mind and includes 34 minutes of footage not seen in the original theatrical film.

From the release:

The JUSTIN BIEBER: Never Say Never Director’s Fan Cut two-disc DVD comes in a stunning collectible keepsake box presented in Justin’s signature purple and includes an exclusive, limited edition Justin Bieber: Never Say Never necklace.

The DVD also boasts a wealth of never-before-seen bonus material including intimate footage of Justin throughout the day before his Madison Square Garden performance, more footage of “less lonely girls,” a peek into daily life on tour, a behind-the-scenes look at the work that went into creating the My World Tour, footage of the sound check parties held prior to each concert, a closer look at a special trio of fans, a discussion with director Jon M. Chu and more.

The disc breakdown is as follows:

Disc One:
• JUSTIN BIEBER: Never Say Never Director’s Fan Cut

Disc Two:
• Evolution Of A Tour: A behind-the-scenes look at the tremendous effort that went into mounting Justin Bieber’s My World Tour including footage of the rehearsals, dance training and more.

• Day Of The Concert: Follow Justin as he prepares for the biggest concert of his career.

• More Less Lonely Girls: Justin sings to lucky fans across the country.

• Life On The Road: Hang out with Justin in this unique peek at what his life is like on a daily basis.

• Sound Check Parties: An all-access look at the exclusive pre-show parties.

• The Dougie: A montage of Justin and Team Bieber doing their best Dougie-dances.

The Rocket Ship Girls: A closer look at some of Justin’s biggest fans.

Can You Sing “Baby”?: Justin performs “Baby” for his golden ticket-winning fans.

White Chocolate Interview: Justin hangs out with his friends.

• The Director: Jon M. Chu discusses his process in bringing Justin’s life to the big screen.

• Digital Copy

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