Stay Home This Week With ‘Minions,’ ‘Mrs. Harris’ and the Crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise

MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU. (DVD Artwork). ©Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

Movies

Minions: The Rise Of Gru (Animation, Adventure, Comedy)

The biggest global animated franchise in history adds an all-new laugh-out-loud gru-vy movie in Illumination’s “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” available to own with over an hour of despicably entertaining bonus features on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, September 6, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The film is also currently available on Digital.

Long before he becomes the master of evil, Gru is just a 12-year-old boy in 1970s suburbia, plotting to take over the world from his basement. When the infamous supervillain group the Vicious 6 ousts their leader, Gru attempts to join their ranks but soon finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil. With Gru on the run, the Minions attempt to learn martial arts to help save him, and Gru discovers that even bad guys need a little help from their friends. Packed with the franchise’s signature subversive humor, “Minions: The Rise of Gru” features more thrilling action than any “Despicable Me” film ever before!

Jam-packed with exclusive bonus content, the Collector’s Edition release includes two all-new mini movies (“Post Modern Minions” and “Minions and Monsters”), hilarious outtakes, an extended scene, six character profiles, three how to draw (and animate) lessons with co-director Brad Ableson and several activities the whole family can enjoy together, including tips on how to make your own Minion hideout. There are also three entertaining behind-the-scenes featurettes covering everything from the film’s animation process to bringing the 1970s to a whole new generation with “Minions: The Rise of Gru.”

“Minions: The Rise of Gru” is written and directed by Kyle Balda (“Minions,” “Despicable Me 3,” “The Lorax”), co-directed by Ableson (“Minions Holiday Special”) and Jonathan del Val (“The Secret Life of Pets 2”) and co-written by Matthew Fogel (“The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part”) and Brian Lynch (“Minions,” “The Secret Life of Pets”). The film stars Steve Carell as the voice of Gru, Pierre Coffin, Taraji P. Henson, Lucy Lawless, Dolph Lundgren, Danny Trejo, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Julie Andrews and Alan Arkin. Its original score was created by Heitor Pereira.

Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris (Comedy, Drama)

Oscar nominated actress Lesley Manville (“Phantom Thread,” “Let Him Go”) stars as Ada Harris, a resilient and courageous woman who shows the world it’s never too late to pursue your dreams in “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris,” available to own as a special Collector’s Edition Blu-ray or DVD Tuesday, September 6, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The film is also currently available on Digital.

Written, directed and produced by Anthony Fabian (“Skin,” “Good Hope”) and based on the novel “Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris” by Paul Gallico, the delightful film showcases an incredible ensemble cast led by Manville alongside Academy Award nominee Isabelle Huppert (“Greta,” “Elle”), Jason Isaacs (the “Harry Potter” franchise), Lambert Wilson (“The Matrix Reloaded”) and Lucas Bravo (“Emily in Paris”).

A timeless and inspirational tale that takes place in the 1950s in one of the world’s most fashionable cities, “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” tells a humorously heartwarming tale about a London housecleaner — Ada Harris (Manville) — who thinks her lonely life might turn around if she can become the owner of a Christian Dior gown. Saying goodbye to her friends like Archie (Isaacs) won’t be easy, and neither will be winning over elite people in Paris from Madame Colbert (Huppert) to idealistic accountant André (Bravo). But Ada’s irrepressible charm just might end up saving the whole House of Dior in this uplifting story of how an ordinary woman becomes an extraordinary inspiration by daring to follow her dreams.

Boasting an impressive 94 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes and showcasing vintage pieces from the House of Dior, “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” features a cast of lovable characters and highlights the importance of friendship and kindness throughout one’s personal aspirations. The Collector’s Edition release comes with three deleted and extended scenes (“Ada Rushes Toward the Metro,” “Ada Wants to Speak to André” and “Full Cabaret”) and a hilarious gag reel featuring the cast enduring bloopers and mishaps during their time on set.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture — The Director’s Edition (Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi)

Set a course for the final frontier as the newly restored “Star Trek: The Motion Picture — The Director’s Edition” arrives on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray with a bonus Blu-ray disc filled with new and legacy special features Tuesday, September 6, from Paramount Home Entertainment.

When an unidentified alien intruder destroys three powerful Klingon cruisers, Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) returns to the helm of a newly transformed U.S.S. Enterprise to take command and confront an alien spacecraft of enormous power heading toward Earth.

Originally released in 1979, “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” became the fourth highest grossing movie of the year and earned three Academy Award nominations for Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction and Best Music, Original Score. The film successfully launched the “Star Trek” franchise beyond the original television series, despite having been rushed to theaters with incomplete special effects and forced editing choices.

In 2001, director Robert Wise revisited the film to refine the edit and enhance the visual effects. His updated vision was released on DVD in standard definition and embraced by fans, but has never been available in higher definition until now. Meticulously assembled and restored by producer David C. Fein with post-production supervisor Mike Matessino, both of whom originally collaborated with Wise, the film has been prepared for presentation in 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision high dynamic range (HDR) and a new powerful and immersive Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Fein and Matessino assembled a team of visual effects experts, led by returning visual effects supervisor Daren R. Dochterman, and utilized the extensive resources in the Paramount Archives to recreate the effects not just in HD, but in Ultra HD. After more than six months of painstaking work, the updated movie looks and sounds better than ever while staying true to Wise’s original intention.

New bonus features include an eight-part documentary, “The Human Adventure,” detailing how “Star Trek: The Motion Picture — The Director’s Edition” came to life; deleted scenes; an audio commentary with Fein, Matessino and Dochterman; effects tests; costume tests and computer display graphics.

Trekkies can also bring home “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” in a limited-edition collector’s set entitled “The Complete Adventure,” which includes the new Director’s Edition, the theatrical cut and a special longer cut originally created for broadcast television in 1983 all on 4K Ultra HD, along with special features on Blu-ray. Additionally, “Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture Collection” will arrive on September 6 with all six big-screen adventures featuring the original series crew on 4K Ultra HD. Each feature film will be available to purchase individually on 4K Ultra HD or Blu-ray, too, with “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” and “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” finally making their 4K Ultra HD debuts.