DVD and Blu-ray Releases for October 5th, 2010
October 5, 2010
One of the busiest weeks on the DVD / Blu-ray release report; in fact, I set a record for most reviews in a single week. With so much competition, one might think it would be tough picking the Pick of the Week, but that was not the case, as Beauty and the Beast - Blu-ray / DVD Combo walked away with that distinction. The only other release that really came close to it was Phineas and Ferb: A Very Perry Christmas, while there are about a dozen or so other releases worth picking up on this week's list.
30 Days of Night: Dark Days - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Buy from Amazon
All in the Family: Season Seven - Buy from Amazon
Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns - Buy from Amazon: The Tenth Inning (DVD), The Tenth Inning (Blu-ray), or Complete Box Set
Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: 30 Days of Night: Dark Days, 2001 Maniac, Bad Lieutenant, Baseball: The Tenth Inning, Battle of Britain, Beauty and the Beast, The Blair Witch Project, Blue Mountain State: Season One, Bones: Season Five, Delgo, The Exorcist, La Femme Nikita / Run, Lola, Run, Full Metal Panic?: FUMOFFU: The Compete Series, Grindhouse: Special Edition, Groundhog Day / So I Married An Axe Murderer, The Grudge / Silent Hill, Hard Candy, High Tension, The Home Alone Collection, The Human Centipede, The Karate Kid: Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack, The Karate Kid, The Last of Mohicans, Mad Max, The Maltese Falcon, The Mission, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Open Water / Open Water 2: Adrift, The Oxford Murders, Peanuts Holiday Collection, Robocop Trilogy, Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V, Ronin, The Secret of Kells, Secretary, Sisters, Splice, Stargate Universe: SG-U: Season One, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Troll 2, Wonderland, and The Year Without Santa Claus
Bones: Season Five - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Bratz: Pampered Petz - Buy from Amazon
Caprica: Season 1.0 - Buy from Amazon
Christmas Releases - Buy from Amazon: The Backyardigans: Christmas With the Backyardigans, Barbie in the Nutcracker, Charlie and Lola - I Really Need Actual Ice Skates, Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales, A Christmas Carol, The Christmas Story Lady, Holiday TV Classics, The Home Alone Collection (Blu-ray), How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Love Actually, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse & Other Disney Playhouse 3-Pack, The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas, Noel / Smile, Olivia: Merry Christmas, Olivia, Opus ' Bill in a Wish for Wings that Work, Peanuts Holiday Collection (Blu-ray), Phineas and Ferb: A Very Perry Christmas, Spot's Magical Christmas, Veggie Tales: Christmas Sing-A-Longs!, Veggie Tales: It's a Meaningful Life, and The Year Without Santa Claus (Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack)
Doctor Who: Dreamland - Buy from Amazon
Don't Let Me Drown - Buy from Amazon
Fred: The Movie - Buy from Amazon
Gunsmoke: Fourth Season, Volume One - Buy from Amazon
The Human Centipede - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Season Seven - Buy from Amazon
Medium: Season Six - Buy from Amazon
NHL Stanley Cup Champions 2010: Chicago Blackhawks Special Edition - Buy from Amazon
A Nightmare on Elm Street - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Penguins of Madagascar: I Was a Penguin Zombie - Buy from Amazon
The Queen - Buy from Amazon
RoboCop Trilogy - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
The Secret of Kell - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Splice - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
TV Series Megaset - Buy from Amazon: Benny Hill, Empires, Great Detectives Anthology, Monk, and Rumpole of the Bailey
Ugly Americans: Volume One - Buy from Amazon
A direct-to-DVD sequel to 30 Days of Night. I'm not sure that was a wise decision, nor will I be able to judge for sure till the screener arrives.
A great show, but one that stuck around perhaps a few too many seasons. (There were a lot of cast changes the last couple years.) Is season seven still worthy of the name? Won't know till the screener arrives.
The first of several Christmas releases on this week's list and while it is still too early for Christmas, is this DVD worth it for fans of the show? Check out our review for my opinion.
Famed documentarian Ken Burns updated his award-winning baseball documentary naming the new part The Tenth Inning, great name, but is it a worthy installment? Won't know till the screener arrives.
Arguably the greatest Disney animated movie ever and easily the Pick of the Week. For more details, check out our review.
At one time the most profitable movie of all time, on a percentage basis. But can its quality match its profitability? Check our out review for my opinion.
One of the busiest weeks for Blu-ray ever with a ton of first run releases, special edition, classic releases, TV on DVD releases, and so on. On the top of the list in terms of interest is Beauty and the Beast, but there are also a couple Humphrey Bogart releases that are worth checking out, and many others.
When you think of original programming on Spike TV, "quality" is generally not the first word that comes to mind. However, can this show break that trend? Read our review for my opinion.
I admit I stopped watching the show by this point, so while I enjoyed the first few seasons, I can't tell you if it has jumped the shark or if it is still going strong. At least I won't be able to till the screener arrives.
One of about a dozen DVDs / Blu-rays coming out this week where the screener might or might not arrive late.
Wait for full season sets.
It's the first Tuesday of October and with it comes a flood of Christmas releases. Some are re-releases of older films Love Actually, Grinch, etc., while there are also some new releases, as well as plenty of TV on DVD releases to round out the list. Most you can skip, but there are a few that are worth grabbing (Phineas and Ferb: A Very Perry Christmas, Opus ' Bill in a Wish for Wings that Work, etc.).
An animated Doctor Who. It's divided fans, so if you haven't seen it yet, start with a rental.
I was given the chance to review this DVD; however, I had to turn it down because at the time it was already clear that this week was going to break records for number of reviews I had to do. That's too bad, as it looks like it could be a really good movie. I might get a copy of it later this week, and if I do, hopefully I'll be able to get to it in a timely fashion.
Two Dora the Explorer Christmas releases are being re-released this week, but are there any real differences between these and the previous version? Read our review to find out.
I'll be mailing out the prizes to the winner(s) shortly, but the screener is late, so the review will have to wait.
The screener is late, I'll review is ASAP after it gets here.
I got a chance to review this movie, but I said no thanks. It's too weird, even by my standards, and I own a movie about a wrestler that dies and comes back as a giant squid to have one more match with his rival. However, the screener might still arrive. It wouldn't be the first time I declined to review something, only to have the screener arrive anyway. The reviews were mixed with some critics praising its unique story, while others were saying it was just too difficult to watch. Given that, even if you are interested, I would definitely start with a rental.
The original is considered a classic by many, so is there anyway the remake can live up to its predecessor? Read out review to find out.
Michael Mann's first big movie was a historical epic that took place during the Seven Years war, known here as the French and Indian war. It earned stunning reviews, but does it shine on Blu-ray? Check out our review for my opinion.
Four controversial dramas coming out on Blu-ray this week, a couple of which I previously reviews. Not all earned good reviews and not all can shine on Blu-ray, but how many are worth checking out or even picking up? Read our review to find out.
Four horror films from Lionsgate being release on three Blu-rays this week. However, how many of them are worth checking out, and are any of them worth picking up? Check out our review for my opinion.
A combination of Death Wish and Death Race 2000. When it came out, it was considered groundbreaking, but how well does it hold up 30 years later? And how strong is the Blu-ray debut? Read our review to find out.
This is one of the greatest Sitcoms to ever grace TV. But sometimes even the greatest shows falter in the end. Is this the case here? Won't know till the screener arrives.
I've reviewed this TV series in the past, but the screener for the most recent season is late. Hopefully it will arrive soon.
Five games on five discs. Hate the Blackhawks, but like these NHL releases. Hopefully this time next year I will be talking about the Canuck Stanely Cup Championship release.
The latest Ni Hao, Kai-Lan DVD has three episodes, starting with the double-length Princess Kai-Lan episode. But is there enough here that it is worth picking up if your kids are fans of the show? Read our review to find out.
The original is considered one of the best films in the genre. This film... not so much. If you are interested in buying, the Blu-ray costs close to 50% more, but it also has a lot more extras, including some that push the technology (picture-in-picture track and BD-Live). However, I would still go with the original.
The fourth Christmas release of the week, how well does this one stand out? Read our review to find out.
This film was made in 2008, but didn't get released here till earlier this year when it come out video-on-demand before getting a short theatrical run. Needless to say, it failed to find an audience in theaters, but does it deserve to perform better on the home market? Check out our review to find out.
The latest DVD release from the spin-off series. Unfortunately, the screener is late, so I will have to wait to comment.
Despite the name, this is less of a Christmas release and more of a Platypus release. I would prefer if it was a full season release, but despite this, it is still worth checking out, or even picking up? Read our review to find out.
This movie stars Samantha Bond and Emilia Fox, but when I first saw the entry on Amazon, I thought it said Samantha Fox. I would pay to see Samantha Fox play the Queen of England in a movie. That would be awesome in the most incredibly warped way.
The reboot has been delayed till after MGM is revived, or they finally pull the plug on the studio. But at least we can grab the original trilogy on Blu-ray. Is it worth it? Won't know till the screener arrives.
The latest in the flood of Roger Corman B-movies hitting the home market. This DVD has two movies on one disc, but they are not without extras. Is the DVD worth checking out? Or even picking up? Check out our review for my opinion.
On the one hand, this animated film earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature at the beginning of the year. On the other hand, of the five films that did, it was the biggest surprise. Having seen the four others, and having reviewed three of them, I'm looking forward to seeing this movie, but the screener is late.
All three films in the franchise coming out on a two-disc DVD collection. With a name like The Slumber Party Massacre, no one expects high art, but can it work within the B-movie horror / Teenage Slasher genre? Check out our review to find out.
The original Space Chimps wasn't a good movie, nor was it a hit at the box office, so making a direct-to-DVD sequel seems like a risk. Did this risk pay off? Check out our review to find out.
The latest from Canadian director Vincenzo Natali earned very strong reviews, but was unable to translate that into box office success. Hopefully it will find success on the home market, but it appears the only extra is a behind-the-scenes featurette. I guess the studio didn't want to spend more money on a film that bombed at the box office, but it is disappointing. It's still worth picking up, but it could have been a Pick of the Week contender with a fully tricked out DVD / Blu-ray release.
I didn't get this DVD / Blu-ray, but instead got the 1.0 release to review. Since I previously reviewed 1.5, it's like I've reviewed the full season. On a side note, I might get the full season Blu-ray release to review later this week.
Some have called this movie the worst movie made. But it can't be as bad as its reputation, right? Right?
The true sign of Christmas is when TV series Megasets start coming out. On a side note, I will be reviewing three of the five releases on this week's list, but the screeners didn't arrive till yesterday. It won't be too hard to review them, as I am familiar with all three TV shows, but it is still frustrating to get a screener for a Megaset the day before it comes out.
I'm supposed to review this episode, but the screener is late. Hopefully it will arrive soon. I know, I said that a lot this week, but it could have been worse, all the screeners could have arrived on time, in which case there would have been no way I would have gotten all the reviews done on time.
Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Beauty and the Beast, The Blair Witch Project, The Last of the Mohicans, Open Water, Mad Max, Secretary, High Tension, Bad Lieutenant, Wonderland, Hard Candy, Splice, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Karate Kid, The Oxford Murders, The Human Centipede, Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back, Bratz Pampered Petz!