DVD and Blu-ray Releases for August 21st, 2012

August 22, 2012

It is an amazing week on the home market, if you count The Hunger Games. That film made its DVD and Blu-ray debut on Saturday, so it didn't quite come out this week, but it is still selling well. The best-selling Tuesday release was NCIS: Season Nine - Buy from Amazon, while the top five is dominated by Blu-ray catalog releases. I think Bernie comes close to being a Pick of the Week Contender and A Separation is even better, but I'm going with The Hunger Games as top pick.

The Adventures Of Tintin: Season Three - Buy from Amazon
This cartoon was never as popular here as it was in its native Belgium, or really Europe in general. Had the big-budget movie been a bigger hit, perhaps the cartoon would have been found out a bigger audience here.

The Aristocats - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
It has been about four years since this film came out on DVD, but it made its Blu-ray debut this week. Is it a good movie? Or is it one of Disney's lesser efforts? And is the Blu-ray worth the money? Check out our review for my opinion.

Bernie - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
An early limited release hit. The film earned 91% positive reviews and pulled in just over $9 million during its box office run. The extras are not bad with a trio of featurettes and some deleted scenes and it is definitely worth picking up. On the other hand, had it had an audio commentary track and some other extras, it might have been Pick of the Week material.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Black Magic Rites, Fortress, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, Los Lobos: Kiko Live, One In The Chamber, Shakugan no Shana: Season One Box Set, Stephen King's Thinner, Wargames, Weekend (The Criterion Collection), and WWE: The 50 Greatest Finishing Moves in WWE History
There are not a lot of second-tier Blu-ray releases coming out this week. Wargames was always a favorite of mine, and for $13, it is worth picking up.

Chimpanzee - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
The latest nature documentary from DisneyNature. Does it live up to its predecessors? Is it good for families to watch? Check out our review to find out.

The Closer: Season Seven - Buy from Amazon
This is one of too many police procedurals on TV at the moment. At least it was one of too many. Last season was the final season for the show. If you are a fan, you can at least be happy it didn't drag on so long it became a parody of itself.

The Dictator - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
One of several R-rated comedies to come out this summer. It missed expectations, but I won't know if it was unfairly overlooked until the screener arrives. The reviews were only mixed, but I remain cautiously optimistic.

Doc McStuffins: Friendship Is The Best Medicine - Buy from Amazon
Doc McStuffins makes its DVD debut this week. Is the show good for preschoolers? And is the DVD worth picking up? Read our review for my opinion.

Freelancers - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I thought this came out last weekend. Regardless, I'm dumping it to the prize pool.

Good Will Hunting - 15th Anniversary Edition - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
This film made its Blu-ray debut last year. Why the quick time for the double-dip? I don't know. But are there any additional extras on this DVD? Is it worth picking up if you missed it the first time? Read our review to find out.

House, M.D.: Season Eight - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
For most of this show's run, it was excellent. It did see its quality decline the last couple years, but it is still worth checking out. It became merely good instead of great. Extras include three featurettes with a total running time of nearly two hours. There are no exclusive extras on the Blu-ray, but it only costs $5 more. If you have collected the previous seasons, it's worth completing your collection.

The Hunger Games - Buy from Amazon: DVD and Blu-ray
This film was a huge hit in theaters, but was it a case of hype over substance? Or did it earn its $400 million theatrical runs? Read our review for my opinion.

Joysticks - Buy from Amazon
You guys watch Joe Don Baker movies? I literally only mentioned this movie so I could say that MST3K quote. It's not like it was a critical or box office hit.

Lady and the Tramp 2: Scamp's Adventure - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
The label "Direct-to-DVD animated sequel" is rarely seen as marketing gold. Is this film one of the rare exceptions? Read our review to find out.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Season One, Volume One - Buy from Amazon
The show that started a 20-year franchise. There are still a lot of fans of the show, but is that mostly nostalgia? Or is there a reason the franchise has lasted this long? Read our review for my opinion.

Mike & Molly: The Complete Second Season - Buy from Amazon
This show won the People's Choice Awards for Best New Comedy and it is up for three Emmy Awards, including a chance for Melissa McCarthy to win her second Emmy in a row. One could argue it is getting better and it is certainly worth picking up.

NCIS: Season Nine - Buy from Amazon
It's rare for a show to last a decade on the air, but NCIS begins its tenth season in the fall. Is it still going strong? Or is it showing its age? Check out our review to find out.

NCIS: Los Angeles: Season Three - Buy from Amazon
Can this spin-off finally set itself apart from its predecessor? Or does it continue to lag behind other police procedurals? Read our review for my opinion.

Perry Mason: Season Seven, Volume One - Buy from Amazon
This is the archetypical courtroom drama. In fact, as soon as you started to think about courtroom dramas, this show's theme song probably popped into your head. Does it deserve its place in TV history? Or by the seventh season, has it started to run out of steam? Check out our review for my opinion.

Pocahontas and Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
Pocahontas was part of Disney's resurgence. It was a hit in theaters, but is it also a great movie? And is the two-film Blu-ray release worth picking up? Read our review to find out.

The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
These two films were released during what was arguably the worst period of Disney's animated output. But was it a rare success during a low time? And is the Blu-ray worth picking up? Check out our review to find out?

Revenge: The Complete First Season - Buy from Amazon
This TV show earned good reviews during its first season, but I never got a chance to see it. The screener just arrived this afternoon, so I will get to it A.S.A.P.

A Separation - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The winner of this year's Best Foreign Language Picture Oscar, plus it earned another nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Needless to say, its reviews are nearly perfect. Extras include an audio commentary track and two interview featurettes. It is easily worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.

Note: This Blu-ray made its home market debut on the 7th.

Spaceballs: 25th Anniversary Edition - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
One of my favorite comedies of all time. However, it has already been released on Blu-ray. Is the double-dip worth the upgrade? Or should you stick with the Box Set? Read our review to find out.

The Super Hero Squad Show: The Infinity Gauntlet Vol. 4 - Buy from Amazon
This is the end of the series. I only got a chance to review it once, but it was fun. It is aimed at kids, so a lot of adults were upset it wasn't more serious, but they have plenty of movies, motion comics, etc. that they can watch instead.

The Tigger Movie - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
There have been many Winnie the Pooh movies released over the years. No one expects them to live up to the original, but is this movie at least worth checking out? And is the Blu-ray worth picking up? Read our review for my opinion.

Virginia - Buy from Amazon
The film has a great cast, and it is based on a powerful autobiographical story, so it should have an emotion core to it. However, the reviews suggest you should avoid it at all costs.


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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Pocahontas, Good Will Hunting, WarGames, The Rescuers, Spaceballs, The Rescuers Down Under, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Thinner, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, The Tigger Movie, Joysticks, Lady and the Tramp 2 Scamp’s Adventure, The Aristocats, Bernie, The Hunger Games, The Dictator, Chimpanzee, Jodaeiye Nader az Simin, Weekend, Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World, Virginia, Freelancers, Riti, magie nere e segrate orge nel trecento, Fortress