This week on the home market is actually worse than last week, by a considerable degree. There are no first-run releases, and only two releases are in the top 2000 on the Amazon sales chart. Ouch. Furthermore, those two releases are Cosmopolis and Being Human: Season Two and I'm still waiting for the screeners for both films. Being Human: Season Two is easily the best pick coming out this week and since the Blu-ray is the same price as the DVD, it is the Pick of the Week.

Being Human: The Complete Second Season - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
When this series was first announced, there were a lot of people who were quite upset. It is a remake of a well-liked British show, which is still on the air. Many fans of the original were attacking this series before a single episode was shot, assuming it would be an inferior American remake. However, they were mistaken in two regards. Firstly, it's Canadian. Secondly, when it aired, most people were pleasantly surprised. In fact, there are a few who think it is better than the original. I won't know if I will be that much of a fan, not until the screener arrives.

Cosmopolis - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Robert Pattinson stars as Wall Street billionaire whose financial empire is about to collapse. The film had a lot of buzz going into its release, but its reviews were only good and not great, while it never really found an audience in limited release. I'm still waiting for the screener to arrive, so I don't know which side of the divide I sit on.

Jab Tak Hai Jaan - Buy from Amazon
According to Amazon.com, this film is the sixth best selling new release for the week. Granted, it was a big hit for a Bollywood film and was the first to open in the top ten; however, I seriously doubt it will be a major seller on the home market.

Little Birds - Buy from Amazon
The second film starring Juno Temple on this week's list. This one earned mixed reviews with many critics complaining that it wasn't original or daring enough, but that the performances by the two leads were good. Perhaps they are good enough to check out the film, but start with a rental.

Mardock Scramble: Second Combustion - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A young prostitute, Balot, is taken in by a gang leader, Shell, who later tries to kill her. She survives, barely, and is given cybernetics to live, as well as some to defend herself. Now she must use these cybernetics to protect herself from the men Shell sends to kill her, to stop her from testifying against him. I am not well-versed in the world of Anime, but most of the reviews I've read for this movie were positive.

Nature: Animal Odd Couples - Buy from Amazon
This is a release that I would have ignored nearly any other week. PBS puts out a lot of great shows, including Nature, but $15 for an hour-long show is a lot to ask.

Trial & Retribution - Set 6 - Buy from Amazon
A British police procedural that first aired 15 years ago and it is still going on. Clearly it has some fans, but there are the usual caveats. i.e., the price-per-minute is really high compared to TV on DVD releases for American shows.

The Trouble With Bliss - Buy from Amazon
This film earned weak reviews and flopped at the box office. Skip it.

War of the Dead - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A zombie flick set during World War II. Zombie Nazis. One of the most popular zombie sub-genre. This one is earning mixed reviews among genre critics, so unless you are a fan of this type of horror film, you should stay away.

- C.S.Strowbridge

Date posted: 2012-12-31