The Numbers News - DVD and Blu-ray Releases for February 19th, 2013

This week's list is a little shorter than usual, because of technical difficulties. I've been getting an average of one Blue Screen of Death per day for just over a week. It seems to happen most often when I open too many tabs in Firefox. Worse still, two of the sites that seem to set off the BSOD are YouTube and Rotten Tomatoes. Fortunately I've narrowed the problem down to a driver conflict for either my video or perhaps a Windows system driver. Or it could be bad RAM. Or it could be a bad power supply. Or perhaps a virus or other malware. So when I said I had it narrowed down the problem, I was lying. I don't have time to take the computer to get it fixed, not until the Oscars are over, but I promise to get caught up by the weekend. It is quite a good week for new releases with a number of contenders for Pick of the Week. The two main contender are Argo on Blu-ray Combo Pack and Game of Thrones: Season Two on DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack. While Argo is cleaning up during Awards Season, I've given Game of Thrones the edge here.

Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake 4 - Buy from Amazon
Great show, but stick with the full season sets, even if you have to wait a while longer.

Anna Karenina - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
I don't think it is unfair to call this film busted Oscar bait. It is the perfect genre to win awards. It earned good reviews, but not great reviews, while it missed expectations during Awards Season. There are not a ton of extras on the DVD or the Blu-ray, but it is still worth picking up for fans of costume dramas.

Argo - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Given the number of awards this film has won, the studio would have to screw up the home market release for it to not be a contender for Pick of the Week. Fortunately, that is not really an issue. The DVD is weak (interview featurette), but the Blu-ray is loaded (audio commentary, Picture-in-Picture track, documentary, and more). It is easily worth picking up and a serious contender for Pick of the Week.

Atlas Shrugged, Part II - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The first part of Atlas Shrugged was a terrible movie and a box office bomb, so I have no idea why they thought it was a good idea to make the second part, but here it is. Is it better than the first part? Read our review for my opinion.

Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
I got a request to review this very late, so hopefully it is not too late to get a screener. I've heard very good things about Blood & Chrome, so I'm looking forward to seeing it. There are not a lot of extras on the DVD or the Blu-ray (a making of featurette and deleted scenes) but for fans of the show, it is worth picking up, if the word is correct.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: The Insider, On the Waterfront (Criterion Collection), and The Thief of Bagdad
There are quite a few other secondary Blu-ray releases coming out this week, including many low budget horror films, but for the sake of my sanity, I'm only including the three I think are really worth picking up for most people.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Adventure Coral Reef 3D - Under the Sea of Egypt, Monsters, Inc., and Top Gun
It is an interesting week for 3D releases, but more so on the business end. If Top Gun sells well, you can expect to see more films converted to 3D with just a short, limited release in theaters.

Fun Size - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A kids movie that takes place on Halloween that opened the weekend before Halloween. Despite this great timing, it bombed at the box office. Will it find a wider audience on the home market? Or were moviegoers smart to stay away. Check out our review to find out.

Game of Thrones: Season Two - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
The first season of this show was awarded the Pick of the Week. Does season two deserve the same honor? Read our review to find out.

The Garfield Show: Spring Fun Collection - Buy from Amazon
I really liked the Garfield and Friends cartoon, but can this series live up to the earlier incarnation? Check out our review for my opinion.

Note: This Blu-ray made its home market debut on the 5th.

A Late Quartet - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The screener arrived a little late, thus living up to its name. It is a film about a string quartet dealing with the devastating news of one of its members. Will it appeal to fans of the music? Will it appeal to wider audiences? Read our review to find out.

Marvel's The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Volume Six - Buy from Amazon
I'm still waiting for the screener for this release. I did like the show when I got a chance to review it last time, so hopefully the screener arrives soon.

Monsters, Inc. - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack or 3D Combo Pack
I love this film, and I'm not alone. However, the 3D screener is late, so I'm not sure how well it made the transition from 2D to 3D. I do have high hopes.

Note: This DVD made its home market debut on the 15th of January.

Perry Mason: Season Eight, Volume Two - Buy from Amazon
The second late review of the week. This one is a bit later, but was it worth the wait? Read our review to find out.

Puppy Love - Buy from Amazon
A Hallmark Channel original movie. These generally are not known for the award-worthy quality, but will this film at least appeal to those looking for an inoffensive romantic film? Check out our review for my opinion.

Sinister - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A horror film that came out just before Halloween. It did well at the box office, especially compared to its budget, but it wasn't a major hit. Should more people discover it on the home market? Read our review to find out.

The Terminator - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
One of the best sci-fi action films of all time, but the first two Blu-rays were unacceptable when it came to the picture quality. It was remastered for this release, but did they fix the problems? Read our review to find out.

Top Gun - 3D Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon For some, this is the iconic 1980s action film. For others, it is loud and silly. I fall into the second camp. That said, I was interested in seeing how well the film made the transition to 3D. Will fans be happy with the end results? Will naysayers like myself be won over? Check out our review to find out.

Undefeated - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A powerful documentary from last year. It won over critics and was a major player during Awards Season. It finally comes out on the home market this weekend and hopefully people haven't forgotten about it.

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for February 19th, 2013 - Abridged Edition