Telemystery: Montalbano, Foyle's War, Hannibal, Hawaii Five-0, Law & Order SVU, Maigret, Mod Squad, New This Week on DVD

Telemystery, your source for one of the most comprehensive listings of crime drama, amateur sleuth, private investigator, mystery and suspense television series, mini-series and made-for-television movies, now available on or coming soon to DVD, Blu-ray disc, or Video-on-Demand, is profiling seven series from our site being released this week.

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Detective Montalbano
Episodes 23-24 and Episodes 25-26

Murder, betrayal, office politics, temptation … it's all in a day's work for Detective Salvo Montalbano.

The series is filmed in the ancient, sun-washed Sicilian city of Ragusa, and is based on the international best-selling mystery novels by Andrea Camilleri.

Two DVD sets of two episodes each are being released this week:

Episode 23: "Angelica's Smile". A series of robberies take place within the singular Vigata s elite. One of the victims is Angelica, a young bank manager: gorgeous, magnetic. Montalbano is bowled over; she suggests the heroine of Ariosto's Orlando Furiouso and not only for her name. Salvo falls to her feet like a schoolboy and tries his best in fighting a difficult battle to resist her. Meanwhile, the investigation continues until he realizes that the robberies are only a cover for something completely different, much more serious and tragic.

Episode 24: "Mirror Effect". Somebody's trying to confuse Detective Montalbano: a strange villa, a love story out of Shakespeare, some mysterious explosions and a couple of dead bodies complicate the question of what is and isn't real. A game of mirrors seems to culminate in a warning to Montalbano himself. One thing is certain; behind this strange case there is something really big and the detective has to find out what it is. As the case gets more difficult, something slips out of Montalbano's control.

  

Episode 25: "A Voice in the Night". A theft at a supermarket controlled by a Mafia family … and the Mafia inspires fear, especially when it s allied with politics. Montalbano finds himself having to trap the guilty using even more unconventional methods. This time he does something he'd never done before, at least up to now. But when your adversaries aren t following the rules, you re authorized to break them yourself. In the end what counts is just solving the case, at least until the next homicide.

Episode 26: "A Ray of Light". Thousands of Tunisians are fleeing their homeland for Sicily and at the same time a great number of robberies have started. To Montalbano, the connections between the refugees and the robberies sounds contradictory. Running parallel to two robbery cases is another case linked to arms dealers. During the investigations it becomes increasingly clear that the three men involved are not terrorists, but were trying to get weapons to the rebels fighting against dictatorship in Tunisia.

  

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Foyle's War
Set Seven

As the popular mystery series returns, World War II is over, but the Cold War simmers in 1946 London.

DCS Christopher Foyle (Michael Kitchen) has retired from police work when Britain's secret intelligence service compels him to join its ranks. Reunited with his former colleague, newlywed Sam Wainwright (Honeysuckle Weeks), Foyle faces new — but no less deadly — threats in the world of spies and counterintelligence.

    

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Hannibal
Season One

FBI Agent Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) hunts the most notorious serial killers. Graham is both gifted and cursed with an extraordinary ability: he can think like his prey, seeing what they see and feeling what they feel. What he doesn't know is that his new partner is the most notorious serial killer of all.

While pursuing an especially troubling, cannibalistic murderer, Special Agent Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne) teams Graham with a highly respected psychiatrist — a man with a taste for the criminally minded: Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen). Dr. Lecter tests Graham every step of the way, toying with him and playing a game all his own, while they work to unravel the mystery and catch the killer. Like only Lecter can, he twists Graham's mind, daring him to question everything he knows about others … and himself.

This first season of the series concluded its run on NBC earlier this summer. It has been renewed for a second season.

        

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Hawaii Five-0 2010
Season Three

In this reimagining of the classic crime drama, this series follows an elite police force based in Hawaii, and features many of the same character names. Alex O'Loughlin stars as Commander Steve McGarrett (the "son" of the Jack Lord's character), Scott Caan as Detective Danny "Danno" Williams, Daniel Dae Kim as Detective Chin Ho Kelly, and Grace Park as Detective Kona "Kono" Kalakaua.

This third season of the series originally aired on CBS from September 2012 through May 2013. The fourth season premieres this Friday, September 27th.

        

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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Season Fourteen

This fourteenth season opens with a scandal that erupts at the heart of the squad, and the resulting investigation unearths past secrets that threaten the entire department. After the case surrounding Captain Cragen (Dann Florek) is closed, the workload gets more explosive as a brash new assistant DA (Raúl Esparza) comes onto the scene.

Challenging mysteries involve a sniper that targets cops, escort services in murderous competition, high-tech kidnappings, and a wily predator who games the justice system.

Originally airing on NBC from September 2012 through May 2013, the new season premieres this coming Wednesday, September 25th.

  

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Maigret (France)
Set Nine

Bruno Cremer brings the beloved Parisian Inspector Maigret to life in this series of filmed adaptations of legendary writer Georges Simenon's bestselling crime novels.

Sporting his pipe that seems a nod to Sherlock Holmes, the pragmatic, reserved and refined Maigret investigates murders in his singular unhurried manner and inevitably discovers the truth. To crack his cases he peels back the veneer of seemingly idyllic villages and neighborhoods, exposing the criminals who lurk in all levels of society.

Against a backdrop of 1950s Paris and the surrounding French countryside, these original feature-length films pay homage to one of the most brilliant detective minds of the twentieth century.

In French with English subtitles, this final set of the series includes episodes 49 through 54.

  

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The Mod Squad
Season Three (Volume 1 and Volume 2)

The Mod Squad are three hipper-than-hip undercover cops with a touch of menace and plenty of attitude.

Younger looking than they were, these three police officers were able to earn the confidence of the bad guys, infiltrate their domain, and then bust their backsides while still looking good.

This third season, which originally aired on ABC from September 1970 through March 1971, is being released in two DVD sets:

Season Three, Volume 1:  

Season Three, Volume 2:  

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Visit the Telemystery website to discover more television mystery series currently available on and coming soon to DVD, Blu-ray disc, or video on demand.

Sleight of Hand by Phillip Margolin is Today's Nook Daily Find

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Sleight of Hand by Phillip Margolin as today's Barnes & Noble Nook Daily Find.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Monday, September 23, 2013.

Note: The price has been matched by Amazon.com for today only.

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Sleight of Hand
Phillip Margolin
A Dana Cutler Mystery
Harper

Charles Benedict — charismatic criminal defense lawyer, amateur illusionist, and professional hit man — has performed his greatest sleight of hand yet: framing a millionaire for the murder of his much younger wife.

When Horace Blair married Carrie, the prosecutor in his DUI trial, he made her sign a prenuptial agreement guaranteeing her twenty million dollars if she remained faithful for the first ten years of marriage. Just one week before their tenth anniversary, Carrie disappears, and Horace is charged with her murder. Desperate to clear his name, the millionaire hires D.C.’s most ruthless defense lawyer — Charles Benedict.

P.I. Dana Cutler is in the Pacific Northwest on the trail of a stolen relic dating from the Ottoman Empire. Hitting a dead end sends her back to Virginia perplexed and disappointed — and straight into the case of Horace and Carrie Blair.

Now Dana must conjure a few tricks of her own to expose Benedict’s plot, before he can work his deadly magic on her …

 

Important Note: This book was listed at the price mentioned above on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

A Conversation with Suspense Novelist Patricia Hale

with Patricia Hale

We are delighted to welcome mystery author Patricia Hale to Omnimystery News today, courtesy of Partners in Crime Tours, which is coordinating her current book tour. We encourage you to visit all of the participating host sites; you can find her schedule here.

Patricia's debut novel of suspense is In the Shadow of Revenge (Carina Press; July 2013 ebook and audiobook formats) and we recently had the opportunity to talk with her about it.

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Omnimystery News: Is In the Shadow of Revenge a first in series book?

Photo provided courtesy of
Patricia Hale

Patricia Hale: This is something I'm wrestling with right now. While writing In the Shadow of Revenge, I really came to like the narrator, Cecily Minos, and the P.I. she hires, Nick Marquette. The chemistry between them came about naturally and unplanned. So now that I've completed the story I'm reluctant to let them go. I'd like to begin a series, but I'm not sure if I want to continue these characters or develop new ones. There are things about each character that I'd want to do differently if I do continue them, so my quandary becomes the reader. How will readers feel if I change something about the character that they happened to especially like? Naturally, careers change, people age, marry, have kids etc. I'm not concerned with life changes, but if I change a characteristic that is no longer useful for subsequent stories will I disappoint readers? Changing a series character has to be a well thought out decision with both the writer's needs and the readers' expectations carefully considered.

OMN: Tell us something about the book that isn't mentioned in the publisher's synopsis.

PH: The synopsis focuses on three friends' driven by revenge, after experiencing a terrifying event as kids. What it doesn't reference is the supernatural thread that runs through the book regarding Cecily's sixth sense, and her conflicting relationship as both a child and an adult with the Ouija Board.

OMN: What is the best advice you've received as an author?

PH: The best advice I've had came from my dad and though it didn't pertain to writing, it often applies. He told me to learn from my mistakes and not to personalize them. Those words have helped keep me focused when I read a rejection letter or get a long list of revisions from an editor. My first response is always to throw it in the trash with a comment I won't repeat here. But after an hour or two of sulking (sometimes it takes a full day) I re-open the email and read the response carefully. Almost always there is advice that can help me become a better writer, I just have to put away my ego so I can hear it. My dad's advice has not only helped with writing, but in my day job, my marriage and as a parent. Mistakes are very valuable. When we set aside our defenses and allow ourselves to be open to critique, we not only become better writers, but better people. My advice to aspiring authors is don't get discouraged. We all hit obstacles, roadblocks, rejections. Pay attention to them, use them to your advantage and then go around them, go over them or go under them, but get past them and keep moving forward.

OMN: Complete this sentence for us: "I am a mystery/suspense writer, and thus I am …".

PH: I am a mystery/suspense writer, and thus I am drawn to anyone or anything that exists on the fringes of what we as a society have labeled "normal". I'm also a Criminal Minds junkie and admit to spending numerous hours with Hodge and the team tracking down the craziest of crazies. I tell my husband that I missed my calling and if I could do it over again I'd join the BAU. He laughs and tells me I'm sick. So, am I? Because I'm drawn to the crazed and insane among us, does it make me one of them? Actually, for me, I think it's that I'm the antithesis of them. I'm a chicken. I sleep with a flashlight beside my bed in case we loose electricity and my nightlight goes out. Researching and writing about the deviants of our society allows me to visit a world that frightens me from the safety of my computer and that's where my intrigue stems from. I think many of us have the desire to be scared. Why else do we ride Space Mountain — the two things I am most afraid of, roller coasters and darkness — partake in haunted hayrides with hatchet toting zombies and watch movies like Hannibal and Psycho? We crave the thrill. We want to feel that adrenalin surge triggered by the things that frighten us most and experience it all within the safety of DisneyWorld, or a movie theater or even within our own homes. Writing mystery/suspense provides me with an entrance into a world I would never encounter. Serial killers and psychopaths are not a part of my mundane life, (knock on wood) of work, children, dishes and dogs. I like to make my heart pound, and hopefully yours too, from the safety of the page.

OMN: How do you approach turning a story into a novel?

PH: My writing process has never been what I'd call organized, but it is disciplined. When I get an idea for a book, I just start writing. Sometimes I have the whole story in my head and sometimes I have just the beginning. Either way, I just sit down and write and even when I think I know the direction the story will take, an unexpected twist or two is inevitable. Not always knowing what comes next can be a good thing because it keeps me open to possibilities, but sometimes I don't know where to go next and I have to give the story time to unfold in my head. Though I don't work from an outline, I do keep a very disciplined schedule. I write everyday, early in the morning while the house is quiet. I also work full time outside of the house and so writing everyday can be a challenge, but one paragraph is better than nothing and writing everyday keeps the story fresh in my head.

OMN: Do you have a regular place where you write?

PH: I'm not sure if I want to tell anyone where I write. I used to have a lovely office with a very beautiful writing desk, then a few years ago life took an unexpected twist and one of my children moved back home with their two children. My office was turned into a bedroom for the kids and my husband's office became a playroom. My husband took over my desk for his desktop computer and I have set up a collapsible, card table set up in our walk-in, bedroom closet for my laptop. My clothes are pushed to one side and above me on a shelf that I screwed into the closet wall are pictures of my kids, my grandchildren, my Ouija Board and an array of mugs holding old coffee. At my feet are two German Shepherds and one crazy Beagle patiently waiting for their walk.

OMN: It all sounds very busy for you! Do you have time for other activities?

PH: As I mentioned before, I also work outside of my home at a holistic veterinary practice. As hard as it is some days to break away from writing, I do enjoy my job and the people I work with. Animals have always been a big pat of my life. We had dogs when I was a child and as a teenager, I had a horse and participated in 4-H. Now, I have two German Shepherds and have recently taken in a Beagle/Dachshund mix. My husband and I are hikers so the dogs get lots of exercise accompanying us on trails throughout New England. Yoga also plays a big role in my day, keeping me sane (most of the time) and fit. Years ago, when aerobics hit the scene I was an exercise instructor and so physical fitness and nutrition are important to me as well. Sometimes Cecily, the narrator in my novel mentions one of my interests. More often, she's pouring wine … my weakness.

OMN: Give us a Top 5 list on any subject.

PH: My top five books (in no particular order):

• On Writing by Stephen King;
• How To Be Good by Nick Hornsby;
• A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving;
• A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick;
• Mystic River by Dennis Lehane; and
• Broken Harbor by Tana French.

That's six, but I couldn't decide which to eliminate from the list.

OMN: What's next for you?

PH: Now that In the Shadow of Revenge has been released, I'm working on two more novels that will feature a male/female P.I. team. The next book engages the team in hunting down a serial killer and the third has one of them going under cover in a religious cult in search of a detective's daughter. Hope that whets everyone's appetite for more …

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Patricia Hale is a graduate of the MFA program at Goddard College in Vermont. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, NH Writer's Project and Maine Writer's and Publisher's Alliance. Her essays and articles have appeared in New England literary magazines and the anthology, My Heart's First Steps. When not writing, she enjoys hiking with her dogs and kayaking on the lakes near her home. Patricia lives in New Hampshire with her husband and two German shepherds.

To learn more about the author, please visit her website at PatriciaHale.org or find her on Facebook and Twitter.

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In the Shadow of Revenge
Patricia Hale

Everybody thought brilliant Cecily would leave dead-end Millers Falls for something better. But a two-decades-old tragedy locks her in place. Few understand the fierce bond that Cecily and Amelia share with Hilary, who was assaulted one summer as the two other girls watched helplessly. It's a bond of love and guilt … and a desire for vengeance that cuts clear to the bone.

So Assistant DA Cecily Minos waits, eager to see the guy in her courtroom. When Amelia meets a man who has the tattoo the girls remember seeing that day, they think they've finally caught a break. But the police refuse to reopen the case, and it's up to Cecily and Amelia to pursue their suspect.

Their investigation soon uncovers secrets best left buried. But the law is slow, and they've waited long enough for revenge …

        

Murdered by Midnight by David Devere is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Murdered by Midnight by David Devere as today's second free mystery ebook (A Shane Webber Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, September 23, 2013 at 7:20 AM ET. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

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Murdered by Midnight
David Devere
A Shane Webber Mystery
Publisher: David Devere

Welcome to New Etherea, the safest place on earth. For two hundred years the area of land now occupying the Great Salt Lake Desert in Utah has been home to fantastic beings descended from mythical ancestors. A bustling metropolis of vivid color, industry, and economics.

When Special Agent Shane Webber is asked in by the Bureau of Etherean Affairs to consult on the death of a young Pegasus woman, he is unprepared for how deep into the mythical city he will go to uncover the clues to her murder.

As the clues to the case unravel amidst an intricate web of politics and conspiracy, Agent Webber will come face to face with his own past prejudices as he encounters a threat never before imagined and the secret behind a centuries old truth.

  

Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

Out of the Dark by Geri Foster is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Out of the Dark by Geri Foster as today's free mystery ebook (An Action Novel of Romantic Suspense; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, September 23, 2013 at 7:10 AM ET. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

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Out of the Dark
Geri Foster
An Action Novel of Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Geri Foster

After a Russian mission goes south, Falcon Securities agent John "Mac" McKinsey is stranded with assassins on his trail. His boss arranges for him to hitch a ride with the corporate attorney Emily Richards, who is in Russia as a mediator.

Emily Richards wants only to return home then on to a peaceful vacation with her best friend. When armed men invade her hotel room minutes after Mac arrives, Emily is forced to depend on Mac to stay alive. Anger that Mac has entangled her in a life or death struggle quickly turns to fear when the men pursuing them call her by name.

Together Mac and Emily engage in a tumultuous ride to escape with their lives and capture a crazed bomber and a vindictive drug lord. More difficult is tearing down their own emotional walls. Can they succeed and admit love is the most precious thing in life?

  

Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for September 23, 2013

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the editors of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is now available on our website.

Godoku is similar to Sudoku, but uses letters instead of numbers. To give you a headstart, we provide you a mystery clue to fill in a complete row or column (if you choose to use it!).

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This week's letters and mystery clue:

A C E N O R S T U

Arabella Beaumont is employed as this in a mystery series by Pamela Christie (9 letters).

We now have two weeks of our puzzles on one page in PDF format for easier printing. Print this week's puzzle here.

Previous puzzles are stored in the Mystery Godoku Archives.

Enjoy the weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, and Thanks for visiting our website!

Today's Mystery and Suspense Update from Big Fish Games (130923)

Here is today's mystery and suspense update from Big Fish Games …

• The New Release is Fearful Tales: Hansel and Gretel.

• The Daily Deal is Adelantado Trilogy: Book One, just $2.99 today only!

• The current Catch of the Week is Clairvoyant: The Magician Mystery, just $2.99 through Sunday, September 29, 2013 only.

• Today's Special Deal — It is Bonus Punch Monday! Receive a BONUS PUNCH with every game purchase, only on Mondays.

Visit the Omnimystery Entertainment Network for more games of mystery and suspense!

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Today's New Release is Fearful Tales: Hansel and Gretel

You awake from a strange dream to find gingerbread men trashing your home. Where are your children? They left for the village store hours ago and have not returned. A mysterious woman appears, taunting you. Is she responsible for your children's disappearance? One gingerbread man has promised to help you, but can you really trust him?

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour.

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Today's Daily Deal is Adelantado Trilogy: Book One

Discover the fabulous secrets that a jungle hides in this first entry of the Adelantado Trilogy! Help the brave and noble officer, Don Diego De Leon, to find and save the lost expedition. Befriend the natives who can be of valuable assistance to you. Help them as you restore buildings, harvest foods, and create a settlement. Upgrade your skills and earn fabulous trophies. Treasures await you in this exciting Strategy game!

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour. You can purchase this game today only — Monday, September 23, 2013 — for $2.99.

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The current Catch of the Week is Clairvoyant: The Magician Mystery

Investigate the sudden and mysterious disappearance of a carnival magician! Use your clairvoyant instincts to lead you through a dark carnival atmosphere as you interview shady characters and play carnival games unraveling the truth behind the three-ring mystery in this colorful Hidden Object game!

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour. You can purchase this game at the special price of $2.99 through Sunday, September 29, 2013.

New German Poster for Crime Thriller Prisoners

A new German poster has been released by Warner Bros. for the crime thriller Prisoners (right; click for larger image).

Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) is facing every parent's worst nightmare. His 6-year-old daughter and her young friend are missing, and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is a dilapidated RV that had been parked on their street. Heading the investigation, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) arrests its driver, but a lack of evidence forces the only suspect's release. Knowing his child's life is at stake, the frantic Dover decides he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands. The desperate father will do whatever it takes to find the girls, but in doing so, may lose himself, begging the question: When do you cross the line between seeking justice and becoming a vigilante?

Directed by Denis Villeneuve from an original screenplay by Aaron Guzikowki, Prisoners opened this weekend in US theaters and opens in German theaters October 10, 2013.

This Week's Amazon TV Deal of the Week: It Takes a Thief, The Complete Series

This week's Amazon TV Deal of the Week is the complete series of It Takes a Thief.

Smooth, suave and sophisticated, Alexander Mundy (Robert Wagner) is the world's greatest cat burglar. Now, he's plying his trade as the SIA's most debonair spy — traipsing the globe, seducing beautiful women and embezzling fortunes, all on behalf of Uncle Sam and the U.S. government.

International locales, gorgeous women, guest stars galore … this classic spy drama aired for three seasons on ABC from January 1968 through March 1970.

This week only, save 58% on It Takes a Thief: The Complete Series, available on DVD. Offer ends September 28th, 2013.

New Poster for Suspense Thriller Oldboy

A new poster has been released by FilmDistrict for the suspense thriller Oldboy (right; click for larger image). The tagline: "As not why you were imprisoned. Ask why you were set free."

An advertising executive (Josh Brolin) is kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his punishment, only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment. His quest for revenge leads him into an ill-fated relationship with a young social worker (Elizabeth Olsen) and ultimately to an illusive man (Sharlto Copley), who allegedly holds the key to his salvation.

Directed by Spike Lee from an adapted screenplay by Mark Protosevich and based on the manga by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi, Oldboy opens in theaters November 27, 2013.