DVD and Blu-ray Releases for May 22nd, 2012
May 22, 2012
It's a strange week on the home market. There are not a lot of films on this week's list, but there are more first run releases than normal, while we are also moving into the summer TV schedule, so a lot of those shows are getting home market releases this week, in preparation for their upcoming seasons. The list is top-heavy, not very deep, and lacks contenders for for Pick of the Week. The Secret World of Arrietty is the best release and the Blu-ray looks amazing, but there are not a lot of extras to be found. Likewise, Sherlock: Season Two is a great show, but the DVD and Blu-ray don't have a lot of extras, plus the price-per-minute is rather high for a TV on DVD release. I have high hopes for The Woman in Black, but the screener is late. In the end I'm going with The Secret World of Arrietty, but the other two are Honorable Mentions.
Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Beyond, A Bullet for the General, Certified Copy (The Criterion Collection), Dragon Ball Z Kai: Season Two, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood: 4 OVA's and Comic Theater, Lethal Weapon: The Complete Collection, Planzet, Simply Red: Live at Montreux 2003, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Alpha, and WWE: The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions
Carol Channing - Larger Than Life - Buy from Amazon
Daltry Calhoun - Buy from Amazon
Fox Triple-Shot
Mutant Girls Squad - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
My Babysitter's a Vampire: Season One - Buy from Amazon
Newlyweds - Buy from Amazon
Perfect Sense - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Red Tails - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
The River: The Complete Series - Buy from Amazon
Rizzoli & Isles: Season Two - Buy from Amazon
Route 66: The Complete Series - Buy from Amazon
Sade: Bring Me Home - Live 2011 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Also making their Blu-ray debuts this week are Castle in the Sky and Whisper of the Heart, but I'm still waiting for those screeners.
Sherlock: Season Two - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Survivor - Buy from Amazon: Panama - Exile Island and Guatemala
Teen Spirit - Buy from Amazon
Teen Wolf: Season One - Buy from Amazon
This Means War - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
The Woman in Black - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
A low-budget martial arts action film involving diamonds and revenge. Can it stand out from the pack? Or are there just too many better options out there? Check out our review for my opinion.
Not a lot in terms of secondary Blu-ray releases. The only one that jumps out as interesting is Certified Copy.
A documentary look at the life and career of Carol Channing. The film earned amazing reviews, but it never found an audience on the home market. Hopefully that will change.
This film was an early attempt for Johnny Knoxville to become a legitimate leading actor. It didn't work out. Looking back, did it deserve to find success? Or were people correct the first time around? Check out our review to find out.
Number One With a Bullet - Buy from Amazon
Sinful Davey - Buy from Amazon
Wanda Nevada - Buy from Amazon
Three more releases coming out through the DVD On Demand program, or whatever the name is. (MakeSpace? Movies on Demand?) They tend to chose catalogue titles that are mostly forgotten, but are there any undiscovered gems here? Read our review for my opinion.
This film originally hit theaters just over a decade ago, but it never really found an audience. This week it is coming out on a bargain DVD, but is it worth checking out? Or is it best forgotten? Read our review for my opinion.
From the director of Tokyo Gore Police and Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl. ... Hmmm, I might have to blind buy this one.
A Canadian show about a 13-year old boy who thinks he's too old to need a babysitter, but his mother hires one anyway. As embarrassing as that is, the girl his mom hired is the one he has a crush on. To further complicate things, she's a vampire. The show should please tweens, although I have read some complaints that the action is too much for young kids.
Two newlyweds, Buzzy and Katie find out their families might be the biggest obstacle to happiness when Buzzy's crazy sister shows up and decides to stay a while, and Katie's disapproving sister starts to fill her her head with thoughts that Buzzy is cheating on her. The film earned good reviews, but not great reviews, and it struggled to find an audience in limited release. Hopefully that will change on the home market.
An epidemic that steals people's senses ravages the land. One of the scientists looking to cure the disease, Eva Green, falls in love with a chef, Ewan McGregor, but when he becomes one more victim... The film earned mixed reviews and missed the Mendoza Line when the opened. It deserves to perform better home market, but perhaps most should start with a rental.
Based on a true story and one that is worth telling. However, while the film has some great dog fighting scenes, the characters and dialogue are weak. I don't have the screener, so I don't know if I agree with the critics, nor do I know about the extras or the technical presentation.
The DVD isn't technically called the complete series, but since it was canceled after one season, it might as well be. I really can't recommend the show, because it would be cruel getting someone attached to a show knowing it ends before any of the mysteries are solved.
Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander star as the titular Rizzoli, a detective, and Isles, a coroner. The show has earned strong reviews, especially for the two leads, and it is a fun summer series. Easily worth picking up for fans of the genre, although there are a lot of crime dramas to chose from.
I might get this DVD release to review, but since Shout!Factory releases tend to arrive early or not at all, it probably won't arrive at all.
According to Amazon.com, this release is in the top five best selling releases for the week. Granted, this could be a momentary quirk, but even so, its a bad sign for some of the first-run releases that are below it in the chart. That said, Sade is an incredible singer and I hope this Blu-ray sells well.
The latest film from Studio Ghibli. Will it be one of the many classics they've created? Or will it be one of the rare misses for the studio? Check out our review to find out.
The BBC series about Sherlock Holmes starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Holmes and Watson. The show has earned amazing reviews and is so popular that an American network is making their own version next season. I completely understand this, after all, it is the best selling new release according to Amazon.com, so it has a lot of fans. However, I'm almost certain the American version won't be as strong. That said, fans will always have this show to enjoy.
Ugh. I am not a fan of Reality TV and I am still a little amazed this show has lasted this long. It is still bringing in about 10 million viewers, but that's well below the 20 million to 25 million it was pulling in earlier in its run.
Cassie Scerbo stars as a mean high school girl who accidentally dies and is refused entrance into heaven because of all the mean things she did. The only way she can get in is if she does something nice. So she decides to help a social outcast, Lindsey Shaw, win prom queen, even if she doesn't want to win. The movie does borrow from the large collection of clichés from the various genres, but it has enough charm to win over its target audience of tween girls.
When I first heard about this show, my initial thought was disbelief combined with immediate disappointment. However, I have heard that it is better than expected. I won't know if this is a real compliment or damning it with faint praise till after the screener arrives.
One of a few screeners that are late. This one combined spy action with a romantic comedy love triangle. The reviews were not good, but perhaps I'll be in the minority. Won't know for sure till after the screener arrives.
Another film I hope to review, but I'm still waiting for the screener. Of the first run releases yet to arrive, this is the one I'm looking forward to seeing the most. Not only did it earn good reviews, it is also an old school haunted house horror film from the masters of the genre, Hammer Horror. As long as the Blu-ray is well done, it is Pick of the Week material.
Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Get Over It, Number One with a Bullet, Daltry Calhoun, Red Tails, The Woman in Black, This Means War, Copie conforme, Arrietty (借りぐらしのアリエッティ), Newlyweds, Perfect Sense, Carol Channing: Larger Than Life, Beyond