This is the week that Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour makes its debut on DVD and Blu-ray. This movie was a huge hit theatrically, so it will be interesting to see how well it sells on the home market. However, while it is certainly a very good deal, I'm not sure it is a real contender for DVD Pick of the Week. For that we have to look to Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles on either DVD or Blu-ray, but there are also a few other releases worth checking out. There are are plenty of other releases, so much so that we had to split this week's list into two. Look for part I here.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - Buy from Amazon
Frances McDormand stars as the titular Miss Pettigrew, a London governess who is fired from her job only to be hired by Delysia Lafosse, an American actress played by Amy Adams. The film opened with excellent reviews, as most critics agreed that it was highly entertaining, if a little light and fluffy at times, while the two leads both gave amazing performances. Extras on the DVD are on part with most limited releases, which is technically what this film was (although an opening theater count of more than 500 is very high for a limited release) with an audio commentary track, deleted scenes, and a couple making of featurettes. Certainly worth checking out, and worth picking up over just renting.

Perry Mason: Season 3 - Volume 1 - Buy from Amazon
Awesome show, awful DVD releases. Season three was only 26 episodes long, so there is no legitimate reason to split the season into two volumes, and there's no reason to charge that much for 13 episodes.

Primo Levi's Journey - Buy from Amazon
A documentary about the writer Primo Levi, and his return to his home town of Turin, Italy after being liberated from Auschwitz. Strong reviews were not enough to help the film secure an audience during its theatrical release, but even with just a making of featurette on the DVD, it is still worth checking out for most fans of the genre, picking up for many of them.

Prom Night - Buy from Amazon: Theatrical Version, Unrated, or Blu-ray
One of the worst movies released this year. This is a remake in name only as this horror film shares almost nothing with the Canadian original. With that movie, the viewer was left guessing who the killer was and why they were killing their targets. Here you are told the who in why at the very beginning. (Hell, you are told in the trailer.) Without any mystery, what you are left with is a basic Teenage Slasher, and a very sub-standard example of one of those. Extras on the DVD include audio commentary track, making of featurette, deleted scenes, and outtakes. The Blu-ray has all of those extras (in standard definition), and a Picture-in-Picture track with storyboards of some of the kills, an online poll with one question, and downloadables, which consists of unrelated trailers. All in all the Blu-ray is better than the DVD, but not by as much as the price is greater. That said, I don't recommend even renting the movie, so it doesn't matter which format is better.

Quid Pro Quo - Buy from Amazon
The movie tackles the bizarre subculture of paralyzation fetishists, able-bodied people who want to be disabled. The is perhaps too bizarre, even for art house crowds, as it never found an audience theatrically. The DVD should do better, especially with better than expected extras (deleted scenes, audition tapes, documentary clips, etc.). However, those interesting should rent first.

Recount - Buy from Amazon
A Political TV movie about the Florida recount written and produced by Danny Strong. Some people reading this might be asking who Danny Strong is. He played Jonathan on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, among other roles. The film earned great reviews, and was even nominated for five Emmys (all for acting). Some have complained that the movie is biased, which is probably fair, so depending on which side of the political spectrum you hail from, this might be a must see, or another example of how biased Hollywood is. Extras include an audio commentary track, two interview featurettes between two of the actors and their real-life counterparts, and a featurette on the real 2000 story. Certainly worth picking up, for the right audience. On a side note, I find it scary as hell that nearly 8 years later America's voting system still hasn't been fixed. There might not be many hanging chads this time around, but there are still issues with no paper trail, faulty machines, even not enough machines. In 2004 stories about people have to wait 4, 6, even 8 hours to vote were not uncommon. In comparison, I have voted in every federal election, provincial election, even most municipal elections since I was first allowed. That's at least 10 election, and combined I haven't had to wait an hour to vote. I have no idea why this isn't a bigger issue down south.

The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Scorpion King was a pretty bad movie. Early word says this direct-to-DVD sequel is worse. Extras on the DVD include a handful of featurettes on various subjects, deleted scenes, and some outtakes. The Blu-ray has no additional extras, and it costs more than 60% more. Not worth the upgrade. Then again, the movie is probably not worth renting, so it doesn't matter.

The Small Back Room - Criterion Collection - Buy from Amazon
A British film from 1952 starring David Farrar as Sammy Rice, an explosives expert working during World War II. Normally he's testing the Allies latest ordnance, but his latest assignment has him checking out the latest Germany has to offer, a bomb that only goes off once someone picks it up, and which appears to be targeting children. An excellent film that builds on the characters found within. Extras on the DVD include an audio commentary track, interview with the D.P., audio excerpts from director Michael Powell's autobiography, and a booklet with images and an essay. Worth picking up for fans of the genre or era in general, and especially for fans of Michael Powell.

Street Kings - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film earned weak reviews and barely made a peep at the box office. On the other hand, the DVD is loaded with extras including an audio commentary track, deleted scenes, and featurettes on the locations, the script, stunts, cast, etc. and a whole lot more. However, a strong DVD release and a weak movie is still hard to recommend. Meanwhile, the Blu-ray has no additional extras and costs a lot more to buy. However, since the movie is strictly a rental, it really doesn't matter.

Television Under the Swastika - Buy from Amazon
An hour-long documentary about the Nazi Germany's early use of Television, which was years ahead of all other nations. The film looks at how they Nazis were on the cutting edge of the technology, and how they used it for propaganda purposes, which is how it is being used today. It includes many original filmed clips that were shown on TV more than 70 years ago, which makes this DVD invaluable for historians, both of TV and of Nazis. Even the total lack of extras doesn't hurt its value too much, and it is still worth checking out, and worth buying over just renting.

Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A very pleasant surprise. When this show was first announced, many thought that basing a TV series on the Terminator franchise was a mistake, especially after Rise of the Machines disappointed. However, thanks in large part to Summer Glau's performance, the TV series was a hit right out of the gate. Now it is coming out on DVD and Blu-ray, both of which offer the same set of extras (trio of audio commentary tracks, deleted scenes, audition tapes, making of featurette, outtakes, and more. A very strong collection of extras, which is important since the first season was only 9 episodes long. (Blame the writers' strike for that one, but at least they go a slice on the online pie, so it was worth it. I would have been cheesed had they gone on such a long strike without getting a good deal.) For fans of the show, it is a package that is worth picking up, but I'm not convinced the Blu-ray is worth the extra cash.

Twenty-Four Eyes - Criterion Collection - Buy from Amazon
A Japanese film about a teacher just starting her career in a small town in Japan. She is viewed as 'too modern' or 'too Western' by the adults, but is seen as much more through the eyes of her twelve students. The film was directed by Keisuke Kinoshita, who also adapted the novel it is based on, and this movie is arguably his best movie. (Although A Japanese Tragedy could give it a run for its money. That movie appears to be missing from the home market. Perhaps Criterion will be releasing it soon.) Extras on the DVD are a little light compared to most Criterion Collection releases with just an interview, a couple of trailers, and a booklet. Still worth checking out for most, picking up for fans of post-World War II Japanese cinema.

Wizard of Gore - Buy from Amazon
A remake of a 1970 horror film of the same name. This time around Crispin Glover plays Montag the Magnificent, a stage magician whose act consists of him brutally torturing and killing his volunteers from the crowd, only to have them reappear unharmed after the act is over. However, when a serial killer starts killing women using the same methods as Montag's act, the police start looking closer. While this is a horror remake that is going direct-to-DVD, it is much better than 90% of other such films, even those that earn theatrical releases. Additionally, the DVD is loaded with extras compared to most direct-to-DVD films, including an audio commentary track, making of featurette, featurette on the special effects, featurette on the Suicide Girls (if you don't know who they are, you probably don't care), deleted scenes, and more. Easily worth picking up for fans of the genre, worth renting for others.

- C.S.Strowbridge

Date posted: 2008-08-18