'Traitor' with Don Cheadle available on DVD, Blu-ray on Dec. 19, 2008

I just received the following press release.

Academy Award Nominee Don Cheadle Headlines ‘Traitor’: A Taut, Topical, Political Thriller From Overture Films, Anchor Bay Entertainment
Available on DVD and Blu-ray on Friday, Dec. 19, 2008

BURBANK, CA – Academy Award® nominee, four-time Emmy Award®-nominee and Golden Globe®-Award winner Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda, Crash, Ocean’s 11, 12 and 13) gives a riveting performance in the topical and taut political thriller Traitor, which comes to DVD and Blu-ray on Friday, December 19, 2008 (pre-book November 16, 2008). This critically-acclaimed film also stars Guy Pearce (Memento, L.A. Confidential), Said Taghmaoui (“Lost”, Three Kings), Neal McDonough (“Desperate Housewives”, Flags of Our Fathers) and three-time Golden Globe®-Award nominee Jeff Daniels (Dumb and Dumber, Terms of Endearment).

Traitor is directed by screenwriter Jeffrey Nachmanoff (The Day After Tomorrow), based on an original story he wrote with five-time Golden Globe® nominee Steve Martin (The Pink Panther, Father of the Bride 1 and 2, Roxanne). SRP is $29.98 for the DVD and $39.98 for the Blu-ray.

Traitor is a taut international thriller set against a puzzle of covert counter-espionage operations. When straight-arrow FBI agent Roy Clayton (Pearce) investigates a dangerous international conspiracy responsible for a prison break in Yemen, a bombing in Nice and a raid in London, all clues seem to lead back to former U.S. Special Operations officer, Samir Horn (Cheadle). But a tangle of contradictory evidence emerges, forcing Clayton to question whether his suspect is a disaffected former military operative—or something far more complicated. Obsessed with discovering the truth, Clayton tracks Horn across the globe as the elusive ex-soldier burrows deeper and deeper into a world of shadows and intrigue. Traitor is written and directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff (screenwriter of The Day After Tomorrow).

Special features on the Traitor DVD include audio commentary with writer/director Jeffrey Nachmanoff and actor Don Cheadle, “Action! The Stunts and Special Effects of Traitor” and International Espionage: An In-Depth Look at Traitor’s Exotic Locations.” The Blu-ray release will offer he same elements plus a bonus disc with a digital copy of the feature film and will be BD-Live enabled.

Critics and audiences have been unanimous in their praise of Traitor: Joe Neumaier of NY Daily News says, “Nachmanoff fills the movie with a sense of gripping, ‘70’s style grittiness. Its story…moves like the tautest of spy thrillers…” Robert Butler of the Kansas City Star adds Traitor, “blends the elements of the international thriller…with a haunting personality study. Jeff Craig of Sixty Second Preview raves, “Smart and serious, Traitor is a top-notch thriller.” And Pete Hammond of Hollywood.com calls Traitor “this year’s Bourne Ultimatum, a nail-biting, relentless suspense thriller that will have you on edge for two solid hours.”

In addition, critics have singled out Cheadle’s powerful performance: A.O. Scott of the New York Times raves, “Cheadle’s performance gives Traitor a sense of ethical gravity and real intrigue … (he’s) as subtle an actor as any working in movies today.” “Cheadle remains the go-to man for a film like this,” raves Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times. “Don Cheadle … reaffirms his excellence,” stated Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune. “Don Cheadle has been one of the best reasons to go to the movies in recent years,” claims David Denby of the New Yorker. Christy Lemire of the Associated Press also calls Cheadle’s performance, “as smart and nuanced as ever.”

About Anchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment is the home entertainment division of Starz Media, LLC. It includes the Manga Entertainment brand. It distributes feature films, children’s entertainment, fitness, TV series, documentaries, anime and other filmed entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray formats. It is the exclusive distributor in the U.S. of the theatrical titles from Overture Films. Headquartered in Burbank, CA, Anchor Bay Entertainment has offices in Troy, MI, as well as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Starz Media is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to the Liberty Capital Group.

About Overture Films
Overture Films develops, produces, acquires, and distributes feature length, theatrical motion pictures worldwide. The studio is a wholly owned unit of Starz Media, a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to the Liberty Capital Group NASDAQ: LCAPA, LCAPB), a tracking stock group of Liberty Media Corporation. Its affiliated companies, Anchor Bay Entertainment and Starz Entertainment, make the films available domestically to viewers via home video, premium television, Internet and other outlets.

“Traitor” DVD
Street Date: December 19, 2008
Pre-book: November 16, 2008
Cat. #: DV80012
UPC: 0 1313 80012-9 0
Run Time: 114 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
SRP: $29.98
Format: Widescreen Presentation (16x9 1.78:1)
Audio: Dolby Surround 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Bonus Features: Audio commentary with writer/director Jeffrey Nachmanoff and Actor Don Cheadle, “Action! The Stunts and Special Effects of Traitor” and “International Espionage: An In-Depth Look at Traitor’s Exotic Locations” featurettes, theatrical trailer.

“Traitor” Blu-ray
Street Date: December 19, 2008
Pre-book: November 16, 2008
Cat. #: N3054
UPC: 0 1313 83054-8 0
Run Time: 114 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
SRP: $39.98
Format: Anamorphic Widescreen (2.40:1) 1080p AVC MPEG-4
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Bonus Features: Audio commentary with writer/director Jeffrey Nachmanoff and Actor Don Cheadle, “Action! The Stunts And Special Effects of Traitor” and “International Espionage: An In-Depth Look at Traitor’s Exotic Locations” featurettes, theatrical trailer, BD-Live enabled and bonus disc with a Digital Copy of the feature film.