The Numbers News - DVD and Blu-ray Releases for October 19th, 2010

There's a bit of a lull in activity on the home market this week, at least in terms of big sellers. The best selling release is Predators and while I recommend picking up the Blu-ray, the movie barely made $50 million at the box office, so I have realistic expectations regarding its sales potential. Meanwhile, the Pick of the Week is a classic from 1975, The Rocky Horror Picture Show - 35th Anniversary Blu-ray.

Accidentally on Purpose: The DVD Edition - Buy from Amazon
"The DVD Edition"? I guess when a show is canceled after just one season, you have to get creative with the name to avoid sounding desperate.

Agora - Buy from Amazon
A biopic about a atheistic mathematician from the 4th century who was persecuted by Christians. This film has a tiny target audience, but it is worth checking out for a wider audience? Read our review to find out.

Apocalypse Now - Three-Disc Full Disclosure Edition - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
I can't wait till the screener arrives. This Blu-ray could be Pick of the Week material. It's also coming out in a Two-Disc Edition, but most fans will want Hearts of Darkness as well as the two versions of the movie.

Assault Girls - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This Blu-ray is selling surprisingly well for a foreign language import. Also, Amazon seems to think if you want Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl (which I'll talk about later), you will want this one too. This caught my attention. Might go for a blind buy here.

Note: This DVD made its home market debut on the 5th.

Benny Hill: The Complete Series Megaset - Buy from Amazon
The first of three Full-Series Megasets, which arrived late, that I was able to get to this week. Benny Hill was never known for mature, sophisticated humor. However, this could either result in timeless slapstick humor, or terribly unPC humor, that seems very dated today. Which way does it go? Read our review for my opinion.

The Bionic Woman: Season One - Buy from Amazon
This spin-off of The Six Million Dollar Man ran for a few seasons back in the 1970s. I'm hoping to get a screener for its predecessor, but no such luck for this one. Been too long since I've seen either show to judge them without the screener, but this DVD is selling surprisingly well.

Colin - Buy from Amazon: Single-Disc DVD or Blu-ray
Reportedly made for just $75, this no-budget Zombie follows the titular character as he's attacked by a zombie and turned into one. While there are tons of zombie movies out there, it's not often that they show the zombie's point of view. Reviews were mixed, but that's still a whole lot better than average for the genre and fans of zombie movies will want to check it out.

Disney Nature Double-Shot - Buy from Amazon: Oceans: DVD or Blu-ray and The Crimson Wing: DVD or Blu-ray
Two Disneynature documentaries are coming out this week, the first spans the globe and the other looks at a group of flamingos that live in one lake. Those two subjects couldn't be any more different in scope, but how are in the terms of quality? Check out our review to find out.

Note: This DVD made its home market debut on the 5th.

Don't Let me Drown - Buy from Amazon
An independent drama that deals with the immediate aftermath of 9/11. I don't know how long it will be before these stories can be told and have mass appeal, but it's not now. These stories can still be good, they will just not be popular. Is this one of the good ones? Check out our review to find out.

Note: This DVD made its home market debut on the 5th.

Empires: DVD Collection - Buy from Amazon
The second of the three Megasets, this is actually a collection of four different TV shows. So how many of these are worth picking up? How many are worth checking out? How many are worth skipping entirely? And how does that affect the overall value? Read our review to find out.

Note: This DVD made its home market debut on the 5th.

Great Detectives Anthology - Buy from Amazon
Three of the greatest sleuths of all time, Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, and Hercule Poirot, are collected in this massive DVD Megaset. But is this a definitive collection? Read our review to find out.

The Hitman Diaries: Charlie Valentine - Buy from Amazon
Raymond J. Barry stars as Charlie Valentine, and aging gangster looking for one last score before he can retire. Wise move? Probably not. Does it make for a good movie? Check out our review to find out.

Holy Roller - Buy from Amazon
Jesse Eisenberg is quickly becoming one the best actors of his generation, but while he gives another great performance in this film, the rest of the movie is mixed.

Jonathan Creek: The Specials - Buy from Amazon
Alan Davies stars as Jonathan Creek, a man who works as a creative consultant for stage magicians. That is to say, he makes the tricks they use in their acts. He uses this skill to help him solve crimes that are of an unusual nature. If you like shows like The Mentalist, then this one is definitely worth checking out.

Note: These DVDs made there home market debut on the 5th.

MGM Movie Collections - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A couple weeks ago, MGM released a flood of DVD collections. These range in size from two-movie sets (Holiday Movie Collection); to three-movie sets (Another Holiday Movie Collection); six-movie sets (Sci-Fi Movie Collection); and even 10-movie sets (Action Movie Collection). And there are multiple examples of each. I received 80s and Sports to review. Are there enough good movies on these two collections to be worth the price? Check our out review for my opinion.

Mirrors 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I reviewed the first film, but found it lacking. Is the follow-up better? Read our review for my opinion.

Night of the Demons - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
One of a number of screeners I'm supposed to get this week, that is currently late. Hopefully, it will arrive soon, as I want to get the review done before Halloween.

Please Give - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The latest from Nicole Holofcener, who previously made Friends with Money, among other films. This one earned amazing reviews and did quite well for a limited release, but never expanded wide (or semi-wide, or even widish). This could explain why the DVD / Blu-ray doesn't have a lot of extras (behind-the-scenes, interview, and deleted scenes). That said, it is absolutely worth picking up.

Predators - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
23 years after the original hit theaters, the latest in the franchise came out. But was it worth the wait? Check out our review for my opinion.

Psycho - 50th Anniversary - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
I wish I was getting this Blu-ray to review. It's one of the greatest movies ever made. But how well can a movie from 1960 hold up on Blu-ray? It is loaded with extras, so even if it looks just average on Blu-ray, it is worth owning.

The Psycho Legacy - Buy from Amazon
While I wasn't able to get a copy of Psycho to review, I was able to get a copy of this documentary. Is it a worthwhile consolation? Read our review to find out.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show - 35th Anniversary Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is coming out on an Anniversary Edition Blu-ray this week, and I'm finally getting a chance to see the whole thing, and not just a few of the musical numbers over and over again. So does it live up to all of the fuss?
Lawrence Fletcher: "I wonder what all the fuss is about?"
Candace: "Ahem. June 15th. It's your wedding anniversary."
What? I had to squeeze in one last Phineas and Ferb quote. ... Just read the review and it will all make sense.

Scooby Doo Double-Shot - Buy from Amazon: All Star Laff-A-Lympics - Volume 2 and Where Are You? - Volume 4
Two more DVDs from Hannah Barbara's most popular cartoon character are coming this week. The price-per-minute is high compared to a lot of TV on DVD releases, but this is true of most single-disc releases.

Shaun the Sheep: Season 1 - Buy from Amazon
After a bunch of single-disc releases, the show is finally coming out on a full season DVD. If you are waiting, you will save a whole lot of money grabbing this set.

The Six Wives of Henry Lefay - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Elisha Cuthbert stars as the daughter of Henry Lafay, and has to deal with his six ex-wives at his funeral. This film was made in 2007 for a 2008 release. It's only making its debut this week, and it is going direct-to-DVD. That doesn't necessarily mean it is a bad movie, but it is a bad sign. It is also a bad sign that there are nearly no reviews online.

Tales From the Darkside: Final Season - Buy from Amazon
The final season of this horror anthology is coming out just in time for Halloween, but the screener is late.

TV Series Megaset - Buy from Amazon: Alias Smith and Jones and Pee-Wee's Playhouse
Just the two Megasets this week, and I missed the Smith and Jones release on my first pass. On the other hand, Pee-Wee still has a lot of fans.

Vampire Girl vs.Frankenstein Girl - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
From the same people who brought us Tokyo Gore Police... Add to basket now. Also, next month RoboGeisha comes out.

Wallander - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Kenneth Branagh stars in this British adaptation of the Swedish crime novels. This is the second series of three TV movies and the show has been so successful that a third series of six episodes is in the works. (As is another novel in the series.) Fans of the actor should certainly check out this show and at just $4 more, the Blu-ray is the better deal.