DVD and Blu-ray Releases for August 31st, 2010
August 30, 2010
It's a devastatingly slow week on the home market when it comes to first run releases with only a couple making an appearance, and combined these two films failed to reach $100 million at the box office. There are a few TV on DVD releases that try to make up the difference, but overall it is still a very slow week. Looking at the best of the best, House, M.D.: Season Six on DVD or Blu-ray gets serious consideration for Pick of the Week, but that honor goes to Thriller: The Complete Series on DVD.
9th Company - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Collector's Edition DVD, Blu-ray, or Collector's Edition Blu-ray
Agatha Christie's Marple: Series 5 - Buy from Amazon
The Best Of Soul Train - Buy from Amazon: Single-Disc Edition or Three-Disc Edition
Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: 9th Company, 9th Company: Collector's Edition, Black Blood Brothers, Evil Dead: Limited Edition, Harry Brown, House, M.D.: Season Six, Jane's Addiction: Live Voodoo, Marmaduke, NCIS: Los Angeles: Season One, Red Riding Trilogy, Sons of Anarchy: Season Two, The Vampire Diaries: Season One, and Why Did I Get Married Too?
Celebrated Woman Of Color Film Collection: Volume 2 - Buy from Amazon
Harry Brown - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Hot Tub Time Machine - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
House, M.D.: Season Six - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Legends of the Canyon: Classic Artists - Buy from Amazon
Marmaduke - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Middle: The Complete First Season - Buy from Amazon
Once an Eagle - Buy from Amazon
OSS 117: Lost in Rio - Buy from Amazon
Parenthood: Season One - Buy from Amazon
Red Riding Trilogy - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Rio Breaks - Buy from Amazon
Showgirls: 15th Anniversary Sinsational Edition - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
Sons of Anarchy: Season Two - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Strawberry Shortcake - Buy from Amazon: Berrywood Here We Come and The Glimmerberry Ball Movie
Thriller: The Complete Series - Buy from Amazon
The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season - DVD or Blu-ray
Why Did I Get Married Too? - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This Russian film is the first from that country that looks at their involvement in the Afghan war treating it in a way similar to Vietnam War pics made here. That fact alone might be enough to get people interested in the movie. However, it also earned good reviews and it is a timely release with the current Afghan war becoming the longest-running war the United States has been involved in. It is worth picking up, while the Collector's Edition Blu-ray is the best deal.
Julia McKenzie takes the lead in the latest series of Miss Marple mysteries; however, not everyone likes the new interpretation of the iconic character. The DVD also has the same price-per-minute problem that a lot of British imports suffer from, while the 4-disc set includes a documentary on Agatha Christie.
An excellent collection of music featured on Soul Train during its record-breaking run on TV. If you are a fan of this music, it is definitely worth picking up. The Three-Disc Edition is the better deal, as it is nearly three times the music and extras and barely more than twice the price.
Not a good week for Blu-ray releases with no first run release that looks like it will be a big seller. There are a few TV releases that could do reasonably well, but the only release on this list I'm really excited about is Evil Dead. I just hope there are not 800 Blu-ray releases for this movie like there were DVD releases.
This family drama has provided a lot of compelling stories over the first three years, but it has also came dangerously close to Soap Opera Territory on numerous occasions. Was it able to maintain its balancing act this season, or did it finally succumb? Check out our review to find out.
This four-disc set include Beauty Shop, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Waiting to Exhale, and Holiday Heart. These films earned mixed to good reviews and should please members of their target audience. Also, its hard to beat the price, which is less than $7 per movie.
The latest in a long line of Diego DVDs to hit the home market. How does Diego's Ultimate Rescue League compare to past releases? Read our reviews to find out.
The pilot for this series was one of the most anticipated for the 2009 TV season, and it delivered on its promise, both in terms of critical reception and ratings. However, as the season wore on, it quickly lost its luster in both areas and was canceled at the end of the season. Did it deserve better? And is the 6-disc set worth picking up? Check out our review for my opinion.
Michael Caine stars as Harry Brown, a pensioner whose best friend is killed by some young thugs, so he gets his revenge. The film earned good reviews and opened strong in limited release, but its legs was closer to those of the average wide release than an art house film, and it never managed to expand significantly. Given the nature of the film, it is likely that it will perform better on the home market, even with merely average extras (audio commentary track and a making of featurette). The Blu-ray is BD-Live enabled, while it only costs a few dollars more than the DVD does.
This review is two months late. However, that's because the Blu-ray didn't arrive till last week. So was it worth the wait? Read our review for my opinion.
Still one of the best TV shows on TV, even if some of the cast changes over the past few years haven't been 100% successful. There are plenty of extras on the DVD, while the Blu-ray has enough exclusives to make it a contender for Pick of the Week.
After three split-season sets, iCarly has released three non-chronological releases. While I vastly prefer the former over the latter, is iSpace Out still worth picking up? Check out our review for my opinion.
A documentary look at the legendary musical acts that came out of Laurel Canyon in the wake of the JFK assassination. Extras on the DVD include extended footage, bootleg footage, silent film footage, archival images, and more. Worth picking up for fans of the music from that era, worth checking out for fans of Rockumentaries in general.
I was offered a chance to review this movie, but I had to pass for two reasons. One, it's the end of the month, which is an exceptionally busy time for me and I have to be more selective as to what screeners I accept to review. And two, it looked like crap. It earned some of the worst reviews of the year and even a lot of the critics that gave it a positive review said it was only good enough for young kids. However, even if you have young kids, there are so many better options that this film is safely skippable.
A.K.A., Malcolm In The Middle, the remake. Okay, maybe that's not 100% fair, but the similarities are too great to ignore. In fact, the biggest difference is the quality, as this show fails to match the previous show. It's typical sitcom fluff. Not interested.
This 1976 mini-series is one of the first of its kind to air on American TV, and while it is mostly forgotten today, it is worth checking out. The replay value of this nine-hour, two-disc DVD is limited enough that a rental is probably the better option.
A French spy spoof and sequel to OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies. This film earned very strong reviews, but died at the box office. Hopefully it will find a more receptive audience on the home market, as it deserves to be seen by more people.
The second TV adaptation of the critical and box office hit film, Parenthood. The first TV series came out in 1990, but it only lasted 12 episodes, which means this series has already surpassed its predecessor in terms of longevity. On the other hand, it is not exactly winning over a lot of critics. It is not a bad show, but it is nowhere near as good as the movie was and is more or less average. Extras on the three-disc set include audio commentary track, deleted / extended scenes, and behind-the-scenes. That's not a whole lot, but acceptable.
This trilogy is actually a British mini-series that earned excellent reviews and started its box office run in a strong position. However, it was never able to truly expand. I was expecting a screener, but so far it hasn't arrived. Hopefully it will get here soon.
A documentary about two young surfer living in the crime-ridden area of Rio de Janeiro and their attempts to escape the gang life through sports. It's worth checking out, but it looks like it is going to slip through the cracks.
This review is even later than the Hot Tub Time Machine review, but in my defense, they arrived on my desk the same day, so I got to them as fast as I could. Was it worth the wait? No. This movie is one of the worst movies ever made. But is it, "So bad, it's good"? Check out our review to find out.
This show looks at the lives of an outlaw biker gang, the people that are part of it, rival gangs, and the cops trying to stop then. It has earned some good reviews, but until the screener arrives, I won't know if I will be adding my voice to the praise.
The contest just ended and the winners will be announced shortly, but the screeners for Berrywood Here We Come and The Glimmerberry Ball Movie won't arrive till tomorrow at the earliest.
An anthology horror series from the early 1960s. At first glance, this DVD seems expensive. However, this 14-disc set has a running time of roughly two days and eight hours. That's a price-per-minute of 2.9 cents, compared to 3.8 cents for NCIS: LA, for example. Additionally, the DVD is loaded with extras, including audio commentary tracks on 29 of the 67 episodes, isolated music tracks on select episodes, and rare archival promos and stills. Absolutely worth picking up, and a contender for Pick of the Week.
Part of the recent flood of Sexy Vampire TV shows and movies. It is on network TV as opposed to cable TV, so it can't do the sexy as explicitly as True Blood can. In fact, it has more in common with 90210 than with True Blood. So if you are a fan of Teenage Soap Operas and are looking for one with a fantasy angle to it, this is worth checking out. Otherwise, stay far away.
The latest Tyler Perry release was the sequel to Why Did I Get Married? and while it earned worse reviews, it managed to do slightly better at the box office. Extras include a couple featurettes, a guide to the characters, and a music video. That's not a lot for a first run release, and it is strictly for die hard Tyler Perry fans. On a side note, I can't believe they are releasing a Pan & Scan version of the movie. And I really can't believe it is outselling the Blu-ray.
Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Marmaduke, Hot Tub Time Machine, Why Did I Get Married Too?, Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1974, Harry Brown, Strawberry Shortcake: The Glimmerberry Ball Movie, Strawberry Shortcake: Berrywood Here We Come