DVD and Blu-ray Releases for January 29th, 2013

January 28, 2013

There are quite a few films that opened wide in theaters on this week's list, but most of them bombed at the box office. Hotel Transylvania is the only exception, but while it is a good kids movie, it isn't Pick of the Week material. The best release of the week, in my opinion, is Seven Psychopaths on either DVD or Blu-ray.

Amy Schumer: Mostly Sex Stuff - Buy from Amazon
The latest stand-up concert DVD to come my way. Is it worth checking out for fans of the comedienne in particular? Is it worth checking out for fans of stand-up in general? Read our review for my opinion.

The Awakening - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
A skeptic learns the truth about ghosts. I really wish more movies would end with the skeptic being right. A skeptic being proved wrong is so cliché at this point. That said, it is not a bad movie and there are some decent extras on the DVD and Blu-ray. Worth checking out.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Peter Weller returns as the out-of-retirement Batman and Ariel Winter provides the voice for Robin. In this installment, The Joker also comes out of retirement. The first part was good, but not great. It had an opportunity to talk about the politics of the Batman world, but instead used strawmen. (On a side note, the "typical liberals" are shown as dope smokers, which is a little funny as the legalization of recreational marijuana is supported by a majority of Americans. You can't paint your opponents as marginal when they are in the majority.) The extras are good and if you enjoyed the first part, this one is also worth picking up.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: All Superheroes Must Die, Baka & Test: Season Two, Die Hard: 25th Anniversary Collection, The Duellists, Fate/Stay Night: Collection 1, Flight of the Navigator, Pig / 1334, That Obscure Object of Desire, and White Zombie: Kino Classics' Remastered Edition
Not a whole lot of secondary Blu-ray releases with Die Hard being the biggest. White Zombie and That Obscure Object of Desire are not as big, but should be in demand for their niche markets.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Amazing Oceans, Fascination Coral Reef, Fascination Coral Reef: Mysterious Worlds Underwater, and Hotel Transylvania
Hotel Transylvania is the biggest 3D release of the week, but there are also a trio of Edutainment nature documentaries.

Citadel - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film earned mixed reviews and struggled in limited release. It should do better on the home market, but it won't be a big seller.

The Cold Light of Day - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
A typical September release. It earned terrible reviews and failed to make an impact at the box office. Skip it.

Downton Abbey: Season 3 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
One of the best reviewed TV shows of the past few years. It has a mixture of class concerns and costume drama. It is the best-selling DVD and Blu-ray of the week, but even most hardcore fans of the show will admit it is weaker that it was in the first season. There are no audio commentary tracks on the DVD or Blu-ray, but there are more than two hours of featurettes, which is a good deal.

Femme Fatales: The Complete First Season - Buy from Amazon
I'm still waiting for the screener for this TV on DVD release, but this Friday we will be starting a massive contest with several copies of the DVD as prizes, as well as a signed poster and signed script. Awesome.

Hotel Transylvania - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, 3D Combo Pack
Adam Sandler provides the voice for Dracula, who is far from the monster we've come to expect. Instead, he runs a hotel for Monsters who are trying to get away from humans. There peaceful existence is disrupted when a human tourist, Johnny, stumbles on their hotel. The situation is made worse when Johnny falls in love with Dracula's daughter, Mavis. The movie is good, for kids, and there's enough nods to classic movie monsters that parents won't mind seeing it. The home market releases are fully loaded and there are enough extras that they are worth picking up if you have kids that liked the movie.

Madly Madagascar - Buy from Amazon
A Valentine's Day adventure set in the world of Madagascar. Is it worth watching when it comes out on TV? Is it worth grabbing early? Read our review to find out.

Naruto Shippuden: Set 13 - Buy from Amazon
According to Amazon.com, this is the 12th best selling new release of the week. It's that slow. I know there are a lot of fans of Naruto out there, but it is still a niche market.

Nickelodeon: Rootin' Tootin' Wild West - Buy from Amazon
This DVD comes out as a Walmart exclusive tomorrow, but is it worth hunting down? Check out our review.

noobz - Buy from Amazon
There are still no reviews for this film, despite opening in theaters on Friday. That's a bad sign.

Pan Am: Season One - Buy from Amazon
There was quite a bit of buzz going into this show, but while the reviews were good, the ratings were not and it was quickly canceled.

Paranormal Activity 4 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Still waiting for the screener for this show. The reviews were bad but the box office numbers were good. Extras for the franchise have never been good and again there are just some deleted scenes on the DVD and the Blu-ray.

Seven Psychopaths - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film had plenty of buzz going into its theatrical release and the reviews were even better than expected. It then bombed at the box office. Not surprisingly, the extras are weak with just a few very short featurettes. It is still worth picking up. Hell, compared to the competition, it is Pick of the Week material.


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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Flight of the Navigator, Hotel Transylvania, The Cold Light of Day, Paranormal Activity 4, Seven Psychopaths, The Awakening, Citadel, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2, noobz, All Superheroes Must Die, Die Hard, Michael Emerson, Andy Samberg, Adam Sandler, Peter Weller, Selena Gomez, Ariel Winter