DVD and Blu-ray Releases for October 2nd, 2012

October 2, 2012

It's the first week of the month and there is a wide variety of releases worth checking out, but not exactly a strong selection of best sellers. The biggest first-run release is Dark Shadows and while I'm looking forward to possibly reviewing the Blu-ray Combo Pack, I don't think it will be a huge hit. New Girl: Season One and The Princess Bride: 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray look great, but I'm waiting for the screeners to make final decisions. I won't get a chance to review Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection, but it is a contender for Pick of the Week. The winner of that honor is Cinderella Blu-ray, which is a classic, even if it is a little old-fashioned.

90210: The Fourth Season - Buy from Amazon
Didn't like the original. Don't like the remake. I'm a little surprised it is still on the air. If the CW had something to replace it with, I'm sure they would.

Adventure Time: Jake Vs Me-Mow - Buy from Amazon
I'm still waiting for the screener for the complete first season, so I have low hopes this screener will arrive. It is a great show that will entertain kids, but has a weird absurd / subversive vibe to it that will also draw in some adults.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Annie: 30th Anniversary, Chained, Cyborg, Dark Star, Death Warrant, Die Another Day (50th Anniversary Repackage), Double Impact, Dr. No (50th Anniversary Repackage), For Your Eyes Only (50th Anniversary Repackage), From Russia with Love (50th Anniversary Repackage), General Education, Goldfinger (50th Anniversary Repackage), Headshot, In the Mood for Love (Criterion Collection), License to Kill (50th Anniversary Repackage), Live and Let Die (50th Anniversary Repackage), Magic City: Season One, The Man with the Golden Gun (50th Anniversary Repackage), Masters of the Universe (25th Anniversary), Milk of Sorrow, Moonraker (50th Anniversary Repackage), Night Riders, Overland Stage Raiders, Princess Bride: 25th Anniversary Edition, Red River Range, Strike Witches: Season Two (Blu-ray Combo Pack, Three Texas Steers, Thunderball (50th Anniversary Repackage), Tom & Jerry Robin Hood & His Merry Mouse, Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection, and World is Not Enough (50th Anniversary Repackage)
Just an absolute ton of secondary Blu-ray releases. Most of them are either Jame Bond re-issues or older John Wayne films. (There are also a few Jean Claude Van Damme films on the list.) The two releases I'm most interested in are The Princess Bride and Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection. I'm hoping to get a screener of the former to review, but so far it is late.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Flying Swords of Dragon Gate
Only one 3D release, but it is worth picking up.

Bonanza: The Official Complete Fourth Season - Buy from Amazon
Great show, but with 14 seasons coming out, they are not coming out fast enough. It shouldn't take half a decade to release a catalogue TV on DVD release.

Christmas Releases - Buy from Amazon: Daniel O'Donnell:Christmas Wishes: The Yule Log DVD and First Christmas: Story of First Christmas Snow
Still too early for Christmas and neither release is worth the money. First Christmas is a 22-minute short film, but it costs $15 on Amazon.com. That's overpriced. I've never really understood the point of Yule Log DVDs.

Cinderella - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
A film from the Golden Age of Disney animation. However, is it a timeless tale? Or is it outdated? And is the Blu-ray worth picking up? Is it worth paying extra for the Box Set. Read our review to find out.

Dark Shadows - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Yet another film directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. The film missed expectations with critics and at the box office. It did well enough that if it does a bit better on the home market, it will still break even, but it will be close. Extras on the DVD are limited to one seven-minute featurette, so it is only worth a rental, even if you are a fan of Burton / Depp collaborations. The Blu-ray has a Picture-in-Picture mode, and you can view the featurettes separately, plus some deleted scenes. That's closer to a purchase in my opinion; however, I won't know for sure till I get a screener. We will have a contest this Friday for Dark Shadows and a possible review later on.

Demetri Martin: Standup Comedian - Buy from Amazon
I was hoping to get a screener for this DVD to review. I have reviewed Demetri Martin's work in the past and I did like it, but I haven't seen this particular set.

Dinosaur Train: Dinosaurs A to Z - Buy from Amazon
My favorite preschool edutainment series returns with their latest DVD. What episodes are found within and are there any extras? Check out our review to find out.

Dora the Explorer: Dora's Royal Rescue - Buy from Amazon
Dora is one of the most enduring preschool cartoon characters. She's been on air longer than her target audience has been alive. Her latest DVD includes a double-length special episode, but is there enough here to be worth picking up? Read our review for my opinion.

Downton Abbey Seasons 1 & 2 Limited Edition Set - Original UK Version - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This show has earned incredible reviews and has been a major player at the Emmys the last two years. It has done so well, that fans are buying the original UK version enough to push it into the top ten new releases, at least according to Amazon.com.

Flying Swords of Dragon Gate - Buy from Amazon: DVD or 3D Combo Pack
This film earned good reviews, but not great reviews, and it didn't find an audience in limited release. It is worth checking out for fans of the genre and the 3D is the better deal.

Hart of Dixie: The Complete First Season - Buy from Amazon
The overall ratings at the CW are terrible, so much so I'm surprised the entire network hasn't gone under. Hart of Dixie barely survived its first season. The overall reviews were not a lot better, although it did earn a People's Choice Award nomination for Favorite New TV Drama. Even if you are a fan, the odds are not good for the show's long-term survival (it might be gone by December), so much of the relationship drama will never be resolved. Keep that in mind before you spend money on the first season.

The Hole - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
This film earned amazing reviews, but it was the wrong genre for limited release. It should perform better on the home market. Extras include a quartet of featurettes and it is worth picking up. However, check the prices, as the Blu-ray is currently twice as much as the DVD on Amazon.com.

How I Met Your Mother: The Complete Seventh Season - Buy from Amazon
I think this show needs to end. By the last season I reviewed, which was season six, the central premise had long since stopped being the most interesting part of the show, and the writers seem to know that, because it is not really the focus of the show. They just tease it a few times.

Hungry For Change - Buy from Amazon
A documentary about how we are killing ourselves with our food choices. There are not a lot of reviews online, but the ones I read were positive. Two aside notes. Firstly, I got hungry just watching the trailer. Now I want baklava. Secondly, there's a music video going around about kids complaining that their school lunches are limited to 850. Here's the thing, they are allowed unlimited fruits and veggies. So these kids would rather spend time making a music video to complain about the size of their lunches than eat a damn carrot. No wonder so many people are overweight.

Hypothermia - Buy from Amazon
A SyFy channel original movie. I might get a screener for this one, but given the batting average of SyFy, I'm not hopeful.

Iron Sky - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I'm still waiting for this screener. It is a weird film, but right in line with my tastes, so I'm looking forward to seeing it, despite the weak reviews.

The Lady - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Michelle Yeoh stars as Aung San Suu Kyi in this biopic. The film was generating louder buzz than most limited releases, but its reviews couldn't live up to expectations and it failed to find an audience in limited release. Perhaps if you are a big fan of the actress and / or the political activist she is playing, then it will be worth checking out. But even then, start with a rental.

New Girl: Season One - Buy from Amazon
This show earned some of the best reviews out of the freshman class last year, but I'm still waiting for the screener to judge for myself.

Nikita: The Complete Second Season - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This is the lowest rated show on network TV to earn a renewal last season. It placed 182nd for the year. However, its reviews are good and the main reason it struggles to find viewers is its network (CW) and its night (Friday). Since it was renewed for a third season, it will likely last for a fourth season, because that's what they need for syndication, so you shouldn't worry too much about it ending really shortly.

Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film has an impressive cast, but its reviews were terrible for a limited release. It failed to find a real audience in limited release, while its home market chances are not a whole lot better.

People Like Us - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
This drama earned mostly positive reviews, but bombed hard at the box office. The DVD and Blu-ray are loaded with extras, including audio commentary track, making of featurette, deleted scenes, outtakes, and more. Worth checking out. Call it a solid rental, leaning towards a purchase.

Pet Sematary - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
Movies based on Stephen King stories range from classic (The Shining) to good but flawed (Firestarter) to so bad I would argue they are not technically a movie (The Mangler). Where does this film fall in that spectrum? Check out our review to find out.

Red Lights - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Robert De Niro has been in so many bad movies lately, I'm beginning to wonder if he has debts to deal with.

Red vs. Blue: The Best Red vs. Blue DVD. Ever. Of All Time - Buy from Amazon
Red vs. Blue is one of the most popular Machinima titles of all time and has been going on for a decade. Wow. That's incredible. To celebrate, they are releasing a Best Of DVD this week (it came out on Monday) while there are releasing Season Ten on DVD and Blu-ray in November. I should be getting a screener, but so far it is late. However, the DVD is only $5 for two and a half hours of entertainment, so it's hard to complain about the price.

Note: These DVDs made their home market debut on the 4th of September.

R.L.Stine's The Haunting Hour - Buy from Amazon: Volume One or Blu-ray
R.L.Stine returns to TV with The Haunting Hour. How does it compare to his previous shows? Read our review to find out.

The Six Million Dollar Man: Season 2 - Buy from Amazon
The complete series was released two years ago, but only as a Time Life exclusive. If you missed out, the full-season sets are not a bad deal. However, you know once they've all been released, the Megaset will be given a wider release.

Sound of My Voice - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I heard good buzz about this movie before it came out in limited release. Unfortunately, while the reviews were very good, they were not good enough to thrive in limited release. They are certainly worth checking out on the home market. The DVD has a couple of featurettes, which isn't a lot, so call that format a rental. The Blu-ray has two additional extras, plus it costs the same amount as the DVD. That one is worth picking up.

Thundercats: Season 1, Book 3 - Buy from Amazon
This film earned strong praise and was a hit when it debuted. However, after one season, it was put on hiatus. (It isn't officially canceled, but the last episode aired in June and there's still no word.) Fans of the show will want to pick up this two-disc set, as DVD sales might help convince the Cartoon Network to give it another shot.

Transformers Rescue Bots: Roll to the Rescue - Buy from Amazon
Still waiting for the screener for this release. The show is clearly aimed at younger kids than most of the other Transformers shows I've reviewed, but I'm still looking forward to seeing it.

TV on DVD Complete Series Megasets - Buy from Amazon: House
Just one Megaset this week, and it just the old DVDs in a new box. Certainly not worth the upgrade, but perhaps worth picking up if you haven't before.


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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Die Another Day, The World is Not Enough, Cinderella, Moonraker, Thunderball, Pet Sematary, Annie, For Your Eyes Only, Goldfinger, Live and Let Die, Licence to Kill, The Princess Bride, Double Impact, From Russia With Love, The Man with the Golden Gun, Masters of the Universe, Dr. No, Death Warrant, Cyborg, In the Mood for Love, The Hole 3D, Dark Shadows, Peace, Love, and Misunderstanding, La Teta Asustada, People Like Us, Red Lights, The Lady, Fon tok kuen fah, Sound of My Voice, Iron Sky, Chained, Long men fei jia, General Education, John Wayne, Robert De Niro, Johnny Depp, Tim Burton, Demetri Martin, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michelle Yeoh