Now Available to Own: Guardians of the Galaxy, Frank, Dead Snow 2, and More

Prepare your bank accounts, it’s time to see what’s Now Available to Own for the week of December 9, 2014. Each week we run down new movie, television, and video game releases that you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home. We also share some slick deals that may catch your fancy. On shelves this week, you can find titles such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Frank, Dead Snow 2, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, and more. Check out the complete list of new releases after the jump.

Movies on Blu-Ray

Guardians of the Galaxy (James Gunn) Rated PG-13 [121 min] – In the far reaches of space, an American pilot named Peter Quill finds himself the object of a manhunt after stealing an orb coveted by the villainous Ronan. Director: James Gunn Stars: Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, John C. Reilly, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, and Glenn Close

I’d have to say that James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the most entertaining movies of the year. Sure it’s just Space Avengers as ScreenJunkies have pointed out in their recent Honest Trailer, but it’s pretty damn great. My biggest problem with the film is it’s lack of interesting villains, but it’s quite forgivable based on solid the rest of the elements of the movie are. Special features includes:

Audio Commentary
Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes
Making-of Featurettes
Exclusive Look at Marvel’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron
Gag Reel

Frank (Leonard Abrahamson) Rated R [95 min] – Frank Jon, a young wanna-be musician, discovers he’s bitten off more than he can chew when he joins an eccentric pop band led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank. Starring Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, and Maggie Gyllenhaal

Something about this movie really moved me. It’s sad, funny, honest, and really special. Without seeing any of Michael Fassbender’s facial expressions you can feel his performance radiating out of his giant paper-mâché head. It will definitely not be for everyone, but I implore you to give it a chance. Special features included are:

AXS TV: A Look at Frank
Theatrical Trailer

I, Origins (Mike Cahill) Rated R [106 min] Michael Pitt and Brit Marling star in this thought-provoking drama that challenges the line between facts and faith. Dr. Ian Gray (Pitt) is a molecular biologist studying the evolution of the eye, along with his lab partner, Karen (Marling). After a tragic romance with an exotic young woman (Astrid Bergès-Frisbey), Ian’s obsession with her triggers a chain of events that leads to a stunning discovery years later…one that may unlock the greatest mysteries of life. Starring Michael Pitt, Steven Yeun, and Astrid Bergès-Frisbey

Sadly, I missed this one. I find Marling’s movies to be hit or miss, but I was game for this one. The name is a bit too on the nose though. Special features included are:

Deleted Scenes
A Window to the Soul
The Origins of Connectedness
Image Gallery
Theatrical Trailer

When the Game Stands Tall (Thomas Carter) Rated PG [115 min] – The journey of legendary football coach Bob Ladouceur, who took the De La Salle High School Spartans from obscurity to a 151-game winning streak that shattered all records for any American sport. Starring Jim Caviezel, Alexander Ludwig, Michael Chiklis, and Laura Dern

I am not sad I missed this one. The whole movie was in the trailer. Special features included are:

Select Scene Commentary with Director Thomas Carter & Coach Bob Ladouceur
Six Deleted & Extended Scenes
“Undefeated: Making When the Game Stands Tall”
“Gridiron Action”
“The Heart and Soul of a Program”

Dolphin Tale 2 (Charles Martin) Rated PG [107 min] – The team of people who saved Winter’s life reassemble in the wake of her surrogate mother’s passing in order to find her a companion so she can remain at the Clearwater Marine Hospital. Starring Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble, and Cozi Zuehlsdorff

Couldn’t say I was depressed from missing out on this blockbuster of a sequel too. Special features includes:

Underwater Magic
Dolphin Tale 2: True Story
Look Who’s Running The Show
Bethany Hamilton Meets Winter
The Mission
Cozi Zuehlsdorff – “Brave Souls”
Gavin DeGraw – “You Got Me”
Blooper Reel

Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead (Tommy Wirkola) Rated R [100 min] – If the worst day of your life consisted of accidentally killing your girlfriend with an axe, chain-sawing your own arm off, and watching in horror as your closest friends were devoured by a zombified Nazi battalion, you’d have to assume that things couldn’t get much worse. In Martin’s case, that was only the beginning. Starring Vegar Hoel, Ørjan Gamst, and Martin Starr

I didn’t really find the first Dead Snow to be anything spectacular or groundbreaking for the zombie genre. So I skipped this one and will wait for it on Netfilx. Special features includes:

International Version
Audio Commentary with Director & Writer
Short Film: Armen
VFX Featurette
Dead Snow Comic Book
Trailer

Time Bandits (Terry Gilliam) (Criterion Collection Edition) Rated PG [110 min] – In this fantastic voyage through time and space from Terry Gilliam, a boy named Kevin escapes his gadget-obsessed parents to join a band of time-traveling dwarves. Armed with a map stolen from the Supreme Being, they plunder treasure from Napoleon and Agamemnon—but Evil (David Warner) is watching their every move. Featuring a darkly playful script by Gilliam and Monty Python’s Michael Palin (who also appears in the film), Time Bandits is at once a giddy fairy tale, a revisionist history lesson, and a satire on technology gone awry. Starring Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall, John Cleese, Katherine Helmond, and Ian Holm

This was in my Netflix queue forever and regretfully I wasn’t able to catch it before it was removed from Instant Streaming. I’m not a Criterion Junkie like some, but this looks like a very warranted list of special features:

New 2K digital restoration, supervised by director Terry Gilliam, with uncompressed stereo soundtrack on the Blu-ray
Audio commentary featuring Gilliam, cowriter/actor Michael Palin, and actors John Cleese, David Warner, and Craig Warnock
New piece narrated by film writer David Morgan and featuring production designer Milly Burns and costume designer James Acheson on the creation of the film’s various historical periods and fantasy worlds
Conversation between Gilliam and film scholar Peter von Bagh at Finland’s Midnight Sun Film Festival in 1998
Excerpt from a 1981 appearance by actor Shelley Duvall on Tom Snyder’s Tomorrow show
Trailer
PLUS: An essay by critic David Sterritt