DVD and Blu-ray Releases for December 27th, 2011

December 26, 2011

It's the week after Christmas, so it should come as no surprise that there's not a lot to talk about on the home market. Granted, there are a few releases that are noteworthy, but it is a very shallow list. That said, we didn't have to lower the standard for Pick of the Week, as Archer: Season Two came out on DVD and Blu-ray. Either format is worth the money, while the latter is the better deal.

Apollo 18 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
A found footage horror film set during the final mission to the moon. It's a good premise, but the end result was a disappointment and the film made very little noise at the box office. The DVD and the Blu-ray includes an audio commentary track and many deleted / alternative scenes, including four alternate endings. Four alternate endings? That suggests the filmmakers didn't have a solid plan going in. (Perhaps they are only very minor changes. I don't have a screener to judge.) Given the reviews, its worth a rental at the most, but that's only if you are a fan of the Found Footage genre.

Archer: Season Two - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
H. Jon Benjamin provides the voice for the titular Archer, a suave secret agent. Well, he's not really suave. Plus he doesn't keep it a secret. (It's a great pick-up line.) Does the second season live up to the first? Read our review for my opinion.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Archer: Season One, Eden on the East: Complete Series, Fairy Tail: Part 2, Inside Out, Slayers: Complete Seasons 4 & 5, and WWE: Best Pay Per View Matches of 2011
It's a slow week for secondary Blu-ray releases with just four animated shows and two WWE related releases. On the other hand, if you are a fan of Anime, you are in luck.

The Borgias: The First Season - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Jeremy Irons stars as Rodrigo Borgias, who starts the series by becoming Pope Alexander VI. The show has earned good reviews, as well as six Emmy nominations and one win. Unfortunately, like a lot of Showtime series coming out on DVD, the only extras are episodes from other Showtime shows. Those aren't extras, those are ads.

Chop - Buy from Amazon
A man is kidnapped and a finger is cut off. Then he's told if he doesn't make things right, he will lose more body parts. The problem is, he has no idea what he did wrong. It's an interesting premise, but I won't know how the overall film is till the screener arrives.

Dora the Explorer: Dora Loves Boots - Buy from Amazon
Dora recently entered its second decade on TV. The number of DVD releases are so high it's hard to keep track of them. So what episodes are on the latest release? And are there any extras? Read our review to find out.

Dutch - Buy from Amazon
It's a slow week for DVD releases. How slow is it? A re-release of a 20-year old box office bomb is in 27th place according to Amazon.com. It's even higher if you cut out all of the duplicate releases.

Final Destination 5 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The fifth and likely not last installment in the Final Destination series. Its reviews were better than expected, given its genre and the fact that it is the fifth installment. On the other hand, the extras are on the soft side. (There are some deleted scenes and a trio of featurettes.)

The First Grader - Buy from Amazon
An inspirational tale based on real life events that teaches us that it is never too late to learn. On the other hand, the reviews were only mixed. It's worth checking out, but start with a rental.

Game Time - Buy from Amazon or Video on Demand
A direct-to-DVD release that is coming out this week. It's about a kid moving to New York City with his mom, after they ran away from his abusive father, and finding solace in basketball. How does it compare to other direct-to-DVD releases? Check out our review for my opinion.

A Good Old Fashioned Orgy - Buy from Amazon
A group of friends reminisce about all of the great theme parties they threw over the years at a cabin owned by one of their families. Worried that they will drift apart after the cabin is sold, they decide to throw one more big party. And they decide it has to be an orgy. The film has an impressive cast, but weak reviews and a theater count that was too large by a factor of ten killed its box office chances. Maybe it will find an audience on the home market. The title alone should help it sell more than a few DVDs.

Happiness Is Peanuts: Friends Forever - Buy from Amazon
Good show, but the price-per-minute is unacceptable.

Hostel: Part III - Buy from Amazon
The first Hostel wasn't a great movie, and looking back the Torture Porn genre overstayed its welcome by the time Hostel II came out. Four more years later, this sequel comes out direct-to-DVD, but I don't know if there's much of an audience left for the franchise.

The Hunters - Buy from Amazon or Video on Demand
This DVD cover features Dianna Argon very prominently. But is this a case of false advertising? And is this a deal-breaker? Check out our review for my opinion.

In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Who keeps giving Uwe Boll money?

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd: Season 1 - Buy from Amazon
I might get a copy of this TV show to review. It does star David Cross, who is almost always very funny, so I'm looking forward to getting it.

Jane's Journey - Buy from Amazon
A documentary about Jane Goodall. It's a great subject matter, but a middling movie.

Jersey Shore: Season Four - Buy from Amazon
When we as a species are judged by the Galactic High Court, this show will be used as evidence against us.

Looney Tunes Pepe Le Pew Collection - Buy from Amazon
I'm confused. The DVD cover says this is a best of collection, but Pepe Le Pew starred in only 16 shorts and there are 17 on this DVD. (The 17th is probably Dog Pounded.) If it is a complete collection, then it is worth picking up. Otherwise, wait for chronological collections.

The Pool Boys - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film was made in 2007, but it is only now getting a release, direct-to-DVD. There's very little here to suggest it is a good movie, including no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Unless you are a hardcore fan of Matthew Lillard, it's probably best to skip this one.

Shameless: Season One - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A remake of a British TV show. Historically there have been many shows that were imported from the U.K., but every time it is a major risk. The British are a lot more risky when it comes to TV, so a lot of fans of the original were worried this show would be neutered to the point it would lose everything that made it funny the first time. The reviews suggest that wasn't the case. Hopefully I will get a chance to review the series, but in the meantime, I have high hopes.

Sid & Nancy - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
The screener won't ship till Tuesday, but hopefully it will get to me before the weekend.

Tuesday, After Christmas - Buy from Amazon
Tuesday, After Christmas is coming out on DVD the Tuesday after Christmas. It tells the story of a marriage ending after the husband cheats with a younger woman. The film earned good reviews, but never found an audience during its short theatrical release. Hopefully that will change on the home market.


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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Dutch, The Pool Boys, Final Destination 5, Inside Out, The First Grader, Apollo 18, A Good Old Fashioned Orgy, Marti, dupa craciun, Jane's Journey, Game Time, The Hunters, Hostel: Part III, In the Name of the King 2, CHOP