DVD and Blu-ray Releases for February 7th, 2012

February 7, 2012

The biggest release of the week on the home market is The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1, which comes out on DVD and Blu-ray ... on Saturday. So you still have a few more days to wait. As for the best release of the week, that's Lady and the Tramp, which is making its Blu-ray and is our Pick of the Week.

Note: This Blu-ray made its home market debut on the 24th of January.

The Apartment - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
Billy Wilder's follow-up to Some Like It Hot. That film is one of my all time favorites. How will this one compare? Check out our review to find out.

Anonymous - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film's reviews were not good, but they were better than the film's box office result. Granted, it was originally supposed to open wide and instead went the "select cities" route, which resulted in a total box office of just $4 million. Extras on the DVD include an audio commentary track, deleted scenes and the cast and crew discussing who wrote Shakespeare. The Blu-ray includes more interviews, extended scenes, and a featurette on the CG effects. If you are a fan of costume dramas in general or of the Shakespearean mystery in particular, then it worth checking out. If you are interested in buying, the Blu-ray is the better deal.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Casino Royale, Dangerous Liaisons, Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat, Dreamgirls, A Fish Called Wanda, Horror Triple Feature, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, La Jetee/Sans Soleil (Criterion Collection), Rebound, A Star is Born (Kino Classics Edition), Star Wars Lego: The Padawan Menace, and Throw Momma From the Train
There are quite a few secondary Blu-ray releases that caught my eye this week, including A Fish Called Wanda, Casino Royale, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, etc.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Day of the Dead and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas
Two 3D releases this week, neither of which are blockbusters, but the latter could do okay on 3D.

Cyberbully - Buy from Amazon
A TV movie that aired on ABC Family last year. It's a little "After school special" but it should still please its target audience.

Downton Abbey: Season Two (Original U.K. Edition) - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This TV show has become a surprisingly big hit, considering it should have just a niche appeal. Right now, both formats are in the top five on Amazon.com sales ranking for the week. The price-per-minute is better than a lot of imports, and it is worth picking up.

Father Dowling Mysteries: Season One - Buy from Amazon
This show had to deal with scheduling changes and even a network switch during its short three-year run. Was this a contributing factor to its early demise? Or was it being bounced around because it was a weak show? Read our review for my opinion.

Fireflies in the Garden - Buy from Amazon
This film sat on the studio shelf for a long time before finally coming out in limited release. It earned really weak reviews and went nowhere at the box office. It should do better on the home market, but mainly because it would be hard to do worse.

Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred - Buy from Amazon or Video on Demand
The second Fred Figglehorn movie hits the home market this week. Is it better than the first? And will that make the haters change there minds? Read our review to find out.

Geek Charming / Shake It Up! - Buy from Amazon
This two-disc set includes the TV movie Geek Charming and ten episodes from the TV show Shake It Up!. Is it worth picking up if you like one of those two? Or do you need to be a fan of both to justify the price? Read our review to find out.

Note: These Blu-rays made their home market debuts on the 24th of January.

Alfred Hitchcock Blu-ray Triple-Shot:
Rebecca - Buy from Amazon
Spellbound - Buy from Amazon
Notorious - Buy from Amazon

Not one, not two, but three Alfred Hitchcock films made their Blu-ray debuts a couple weeks ago. Are they worth picking up? Read our review to find out.

Lady and the Tramp - Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack - Buy from Amazon
Disney has done an amazing job while releasing its classic cartoons on Blu-ray. Will the latest such release live up to the previous ones? Check out our review to find out.

Love Story - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
The second romance film in a row on this week's list. Will I like this one as much as Lady and the Tramp? Read our review to find out.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: I Heart Minnie - Buy from Amazon
I might get a screener to review, but at the moment it is late.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 - Buy from Amazon: Season One and Season Two
It has been a long time since I've seen anything from this franchise. It has had many difference incarnations over the years. It still popular decades after it first aired and they are making a theme park in its native Japan.

New Tricks: Series 6 - Buy from Amazon
An excellent police procedural TV show from Britain that focuses on a cold case squad staffed with retired cops. It's a great show and better than most police procedurals that are on TV, but there is a huge amount of competition in that genre.

The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I'm not a fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber, but this DVD and Blu-ray is selling very well, according to Amazon.com.

Police Woman: Complete Second Season - Buy from Amazon
It has been nearly six years since season one came out, but now that Shout! Factory has the rights, the rest of the show should come out rather quickly.

Project Nim - Buy from Amazon
The fact that this documentary didn't earn an Oscar nomination is still one of the biggest shocks of Awards Season 2012. Will it still earn a lot of fans on the home market? Check out our review for my opinion.

Rocko's Modern Life: Season Two - Buy from Amazon
I was supposed to review season one, but it never arrived. If I don't get a chance to review season two, I will not be happy.

Stormhouse - Buy from Amazon or Video on Demand
This DVD arrived on my desk without warning. I would have reviewed it, but with the Oscars upon us, I just ran out of time. But my loss is your gain, as it will be a prize for an upcoming contest. (Not this Friday, but probably next Friday.)

The Sunset Limited - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones star in this movie. The former saves the latter from committing suicide and the two get to talking about their beliefs. There are not many reviews online, but the ones I've seen are mostly positive. Extras on the DVD and the Blu-ray include an audio commentary track and a making of featurette. It's worth checking out, but you might want to start with a rental first, because it's not a mass appeal kind of movie.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Breaking Dawn was the book a lot of fans of the series thought was bad. So it should come as no real surprise that the movie was the worst in the franchise. It's not just badly made, it's offensively bad in a number of ways. That said, it earned $700 million worldwide, so it will likely be a huge hit on the home market, no matter what the critics said. The extras are strong, but unless you are a diehard fan, I don't think it is worth it. One last note, it doesn't come out till Saturday.

Veggie Tales: If I Sang A Silly Song - Buy from Amazon
20 silly songs from Veggie Tales. I might have to pick this up.

A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack
The third installment in the franchise earned better than expected reviews, but struggled to find an audience. Sadly, the extras are pretty weak (interview featurette, short making of featurettes, deleted scenes) and the end result is only a solid rental / leaning to a purchase for fans of the two stoners.

Note: These Blu-rays made their home market debuts on the 24th of January.

Woody Allen Blu-ray Double-Shot:
Annie Hall - Buy from Amazon
Manhattan - Buy from Amazon

Two of Woody Allen's biggest hits of all time. Are they also among his best? If so, do the Blu-rays do shine? Check out our review to find out.


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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Love Story, Dreamgirls, Lady and the Tramp, A Fish Called Wanda, Throw Momma From the Train, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Manhattan, Annie Hall, Dangerous Liaisons, Notorious, Casino Royale, Spellbound, Rebecca, Sans Soleil, The Rebound, Fireflies in the Garden, The Apartment, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1, Anonymous, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, Project Nim