DVD and Blu-ray Releases for October 30th, 2012
October 30, 2012
It's not a great week on the home market. The best first run release is The Campaign, but while the movie is good, the DVD and the Blu-ray Combo Pack don't have enough extras. There are a few limited releases that piqued my interested as far as Pick of the Week was concerned. Safety Not Guaranteed on DVD or Blu-ray, Ruby Sparks on DVD or Blu-ray, and Polisse on DVD were all contenders. However, in the end I went with Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection. The Blu-ray box set is awesome.
Americano - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Best Red vs. Blue DVD. Ever. Of All Time - Buy from Amazon
Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection, C: Control - The Money and Soul of Possibility: The Complete Series, Fafner: Heaven and Earth Movie, Hellsing Ultimate: Volumes 1-4 Collection, Long Day's Journey Into Night, Max Fleischers Superman: Collector's Edition, Reef 2: High Tide, Rosemary's Baby (The Criterion Collection), and Un-Go: Complete Collection
3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Bikini Beach Babes Issue #5, Bikini Girls in Action: Paintball Girls, Fairy Forest & The Feast, Fireplace, Little Rascals: Best of Our Gang, Play Something Sweet, Three Stooges, and Underwater World
The Campaign - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Christmas Releases - Buy from Amazon: Andre Rieu: Home For The Holidays (DVD), Andre Rieu: Home For The Holidays (Blu-ray), Case for Christmas, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas!, A Christmas Story 2 (DVD), A Christmas Story 2 (Blu-ray Combo Pack), Dreamworks Holiday Classics (DVD), Dreamworks Holiday Classics (Blu-ray), Kaboom: Christmas Carols, Love's Christmas Journey, Lucky Christmas, Santa and the Three Bears, Trading Christmas, and Twisted Christmas: Live in Las Vegas
Coma - Buy from Amazon
Copper: Season One - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
First Position - Buy from Amazon
House of Dark Shadows - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season Seven - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Kathy Griffin Collection: Red, White & Raw - Buy from Amazon
Martha and Friends: Holiday Collection - Buy from Amazon
Metalocalypse: Season Four - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Penguins of Madagascar: Operation Antarctica - Buy from Amazon
Polisse - Buy from Amazon
The Princess Bride: 25th Anniversary Edition - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
Safety Not Guaranteed - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Streets of San Francisco: The Complete Fifth Season - Buy from Amazon
TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon: All in the Family, Chuck (DVD), and Chuck (Blu-ray)
WWE: Brock Lesnar - Here Comes the Pain! - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Mathieu Demy writes, directs, and stars in this film. In it he plays a man who has to settle his mother's estate and search for the mysterious woman mentioned in her will. The film earned mixed reviews, but I won't know which side of the divide I'm on till the screener arrives.
One of the longest running webseries of all time and one of the most famous Machinima productions. Will fans of the series enjoy this DVD? Is it a good introduction for neophytes. Read our review for my opinion.
There are not a lot of secondary Blu-ray releases this week, but there are two of them that are top-tier. Rosemary's Baby is getting a Criterion Collection release this week, but that's not the best Blu-ray in my mind. That would be Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection. Granted, it is expensive, but it's worth it.
There are a lot of 3D releases this week, but none of them even come close to second-tier.
This film earned good reviews and did well at the box office becoming a solid midlevel hit. Unfortunately, this doesn't translate into substantial extras. The DVD only has deleted scenes while the Blu-ray also has outtakes and alternative lines. Still, it is worth renting.
A kind of weird mix of Christmas releases this week, including a few musical releases. Also coming out this week is A Christmas Story 2, which seems like a really bad idea. There are no reviews so far, but most people I've heard can't stand the idea of this film.
A mini-series based on the 1978 movie of the same name. The original earned better reviews, but I hope this one is at least worth checking out, as the screener should be on its way.
A police procedural... ugh... set in 1980s New York City. Okay, that's at least an interesting hook. The reviews have been good and there are plenty of extras on the DVD and the Blu-ray (audio commentaries, making of featurettes, deleted scenes, etc.). Certainly worth checking out, but there is a lot competition in the genre.
A documentary about one of the most prestigious ballet competitions around. The film earned nearly perfect reviews and nearly cracked $1 million during its theatrical run. That's very good for a documentary. Certainly worth checking out, especially if you are a fan of ballet. But even if you are not a fan of the art form, there's enough here to be worth at least a rental.
Night of Dark Shadows - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The 1970 movie based on the TV soap opera Dark Shadows and the 1971 sequel are both coming out on the home market this weekend. The first film earned mixed reviews while the second has no reviews, but if you like the original soap, these at least have a tone that is closer to the original soap than the recent remake had.
A TV show for those who like their humor crass. However, the series has been on for seven years and that's a long time to deal with characters that are fundamentally unlikable in a number of ways. Is the show still funny? Or are they too much to take? Read our review for my opinion.
Seven stand-up concert specials by Kathy Griffin running more than five hours, for just $20. If you are a fan of hers, this is an incredible deal.
An animated series that is part of the Martha Stewart empire. Its aimed at kids and offers some of her decorating and party planning mixed in with the story. Is this DVD worth checking out? Read our review to find out.
One of the better shows on Adult Swim and one of the shows with the widest appeal. It's strange, but not too strange and not strange for the sake of being strange. Extras on the DVD and Blu-ray includes Nathan Reads Shakespeare, which has Nathan (Brendon Small) reading A Comedy of Errors and going way off topic. There's a behind-the-scenes featurette, fan art, and more. Worth picking up.
Still waiting for the screener.
A French film about a special police force that deals with crimes against children. The film's reviews are amazing, it won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival last year and was a major player at the César Awards earlier this year. If you are a fan of French cinema, it is a must have.
One of my favorite movies of all time. This isn't the first time it has been released on Blu-ray, but is it worth picking up if you missed it the first time? Is it worth the upgrade? Check out our review to find out.
This film had a lot of pre-release buzz compared to most limited releases, but it didn't live up to expectations. Did the film deserve to find a more receptive audience in theaters? Is it too much of an art house release? Check out our review for my opinion.
This film generated a lot of pre-release buzz, at least compared to most limited releases. When it opened, it earned amazing reviews, so it wasn't just hype. However, despite this, it never managed to find the box office success a lot of people thought it should find. The extras on the DVD and Blu-ray are limited to a couple featurettes and an Easter Egg. It is still worth picking up, but I can't be too enthusiastic about my recommendation. On the other hand, had it had a full complement of extras, it would have been a contender for Pick of the Week.
It's two separate volumes bundled together at a price that is very close to what a full season set would be.
Just two Megasets this week, but it includes one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, All in the Family.
WWE releases have consistently found their way onto the top 30 on the sales chart when they come out. I was never a huge fan of Professional Wrestling and I have no idea who this particular wrestler is, so I don't know if its appeal is higher or lower than the average WWE performer.
Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Rosemary's Baby, The Princess Bride, Americano, Dark Shadows, The Campaign, First Position, Safety Not Guaranteed, Polisse, Ruby Sparks, A Christmas Story 2, Night of Dark Shadows, House of Dark Shadows, The Reef 2: High Tide, Mathieu Demy, Kathy Griffin, Alfred Hitchcock, Martha Stewart