DVD and Blu-ray Releases for October 4th, 2011

October 5, 2011

It's a maddening week on the home market. There were more than a dozen featured reviews this week, and what seems like an equal number that are late. (And that's not mentioning the more than a dozen Blu-rays and DVDs that arrived late last week that I still haven't gotten to. At least I don't have to worry about not having enough to do for the next few weeks.) There were a number of contenders for Pick of the Week, including The Walking Dead: Season One on DVD or Blu-ray. But in the end I choose The Lion King Blu-ray Combo Pack.

Aaahh!!! Real Monsters: Season One - Buy from Amazon
I fondly remember this cartoon when it first came out and I hope to get a screener. I might have to wait till the complete series is released.

According to Jim: Season Five - Buy from Amazon
Still waiting for the screener for this release.

African Cats - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
The screener is late for this release, but hopefully it will get here soon.

Beavis & Butthead: Mike Judge's Most Wanted - Buy from Amazon
With the new incarnation of the show starting at the end of the month, a new "Best Of..." DVD is coming out this week. Is it worth picking up or should you stick with the previous three volumes? Read our review to find out.

Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This 2010 concert DVD / Blu-ray is selling very well, especially considering the average sales for other releases in the genre.

Bionic Woman: Season Three - Buy from Amazon
This DVD is selling surprisingly well for a catalog TV on DVD release. I guess fans of the show wanted to complete their collections right away.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: 12 Dogs of Christmas, African Cats, Amer, Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On, Bored to Death: Season Two, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Cider House Rules, Cinema Paradiso, Dead Alive, Deck the Halls, Fast Five, Frosty the Snowman, Harakiri (Criterion Collection), The Heart Specialist, Jackie Brown, Jackie Evancho: Dream With Me in Concert, JIG, Ken Burns: Prohibition, Last Exit to Brooklyn, The League: Season Two, Life is Beautiful, The Lion King, The Lion King Trilogy, Moby Dick, Peanuts Holiday Collection, The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway, Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Planet Earth: Limited Edition, Planet Earth: Special Edition, Pulp Fiction, Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (Criterion Collection), Santa Claus is Comin; to Town, Scream 4, Space Jam, Submarine, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, The Walking Dead: Season One, and "Weird Al" Yankovic: The Alpocalypse Tour
This week's collection of Blu-ray releases is complete insanity. Fortunately, it's a case of quality and quantity with at least a dozen releases that are worth buying, plus a few contenders for Pick of the Week, led by The Lion King Blu-ray Combo Pack.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and The Lion King Trilogy Box Set
Just the two 3D releases this week, but both are worth pickingup. Also of note, only one of the three films in the Trilogy Box Set is in 3D.

Boy Meets World: Season Seven - Buy from Amazon
The final season comes out on DVD this week, but I'm still waiting for the screener to arrive.

Note: This DVD made its home market debut on the 13th.

Brand New Day - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film, and the stage musical it was based on, was a big hit in its native Australia. However, it failed to find an audience here. Was there something lost in translation? Were cultural differences too much to overcome? Check out our review for my opinion.

Bored to Death: Season Two - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
One of several releases coming out this week where the screener is late. Given the cast, I have high hopes for the TV series.

Buck - Buy from Amazon
A documentary about the man who inspired The Horse Whisperer. It earned excellent reviews and did extremely well at the box office for a documentary. I might be getting a screener, but it is late.

Caesar and Otto's Summer Camp Massacre - Buy from Amazon
The latest in a series of low budget horror parodies starring the characters created by Dave Campfield and Paul Chomicki. The first one, Caesar and Otto, was made in 2007 while the third one, Deadly Christmas, comes out later this year. It's not to everyone's taste, but I think it is fair to call it goofy and fun.

Christmas Releases - Buy from Amazon: 12 Dogs of Christmas (Blu-ray), Deck the Halls (Blu-ray), Frosty the Snowman (Blu-ray), Max & Ruby's Christmas & Merry Bunny Christmas, Nickelodeon Favorites: Merry Christmas, Peanuts Holiday Collection (Blu-ray), Santa Claus is Comin; to Town (Blu-ray), The Smurfs: Holiday Celebration, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (Blu-ray), Veggie Tales: Little Drummer Boy, Veggie Tales: Veggie Christmas Favorites, and WordWorld: Happy Holiday Word Friends
It's still too early for Christmas releases, but at least there are a few worth picking up, like Peanuts Holiday Collection (Blu-ray).

Cinema Paradiso - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
Life is Beautiful - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon

Two Miramax. Releases are making their way to Blu-ray this week. However, while they were lauded by critics when they first came out, have they aged well? And if so, are the Blu-rays worth picking up? Check out our review for my opinion.

Complete Series Megasets - Buy from Amazon: Friday Night Lights, The Honeymooners: The Lost Episodes, Planet Earth: Limited Edition, Planet Earth: Limited Edition (Blu-ray), Planet Earth: Special Edition, and Planet Earth: Special Edition (Blu-ray)
This week's list of TV on DVD Megasets is dominated by Planet Earth, which has four sets on various formats. It is certainly worth owning on Blu-ray, while paying a little more for the Limited Edition set is of debatable value.

Dead Alive - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
One of Peter Jackson's earliest films is completely unlike the trilogy he is best known for. Will this film please mainstream audiences? Or is the appeal more limited? And is the Blu-ray worth picking up? Read our review to find out.

Elvira's Movie Macabre - Buy from Amazon: Lady Frankenstein / Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter or Scared to Death / Tormented
I'm still waiting for the screeners for these DVDs, but considering I still don't have the first four that were released, I doubt I'll be getting these either. That's too bad, as I do love reviewing these types of releases. Also coming out this week is Elvira's Haunted Hills, which is also late.

Fast Five - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
This was the first monster hit of the year, but did it deserve this success? Check out our review to find out.

Friday the 13th: The Ultimate Collection - Buy from Amazon
The first eight installments of the Friday the 13th franchise, before a new studio took over, plus a full-sized Jason mask. Is it worth picking up? Or should you stick with the individual releases? Check out our review to find out.

Note: This Blu-ray made its home market debut on the 13th of September.

Glee: Season Two - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The first season of Glee saw the show become a breakout success while earning countless award nominations. The second season was a little more down to Earth in terms of awards, but is it still worth picking up? Read our review to find out.

Grandview, U.S.A. - Buy from Amazon
Life in a small town is explored in this mostly forgotten movie from the mid-1980s. Is it worth checking out, or should it remain forgotten? Read our review for my opinion.

The Heart Specialist - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A romantic comedy aimed a African-Americans. I is set in a hospital and deals with the love lives of several doctors and nurses. The reviews are weak, even for the genre, and it struggled opening in select cities.

In Treatment: Season Three - Buy from Amazon
I might get this DVD to review. I've said that a lot this week, but if all the screeners that I was supposed to get all arrived on time, my head would have exploded.

Jackie Evancho: Dream With Me in Concert - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The DVD came out last month, the Blu-ray comes out this week.

JIG - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
A documentary about an Irish Jig competition and the people who work all year to become world champions. The film earned good reviews, but not great reviews, so its appeal might be limited to those who are already fans of that form of dance.

Ken Burns: Prohibition - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The first installment of the latest Ken Burns documentary series was seen by 3.9 million people. Will they be looking forward to the other two episodes? And should they grab the DVD or Blu-ray instead of waiting? Check out our review to find out.

The League: Season Two - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Never got the appeal of fantasy football. Maybe if / when the screener arrives I will be convinced.

Lie to Me: Season Three - Buy from Amazon
The final season hits the home market this week, but the screener is late.

The Lion King - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack, 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack, or Trilogy Box Set
This film recently entered the top ten on the all time chart. But does it deserve this success? And if it does, does the Blu-ray live up to the quality of the film? Read our review to find out?

Living Will - Buy from Amazon
Will and Blecher are roommates, but when Belcher dies, he comes back as a ghost. At first that's not a big deal, but when Will gets serious with a woman, Belcher decides to try to save his friend from a life of responsibility, whether or not he wants to be saved. It's an unfortunate premise given Ryan Dunn's recent death. Also, having Bam Margera on the front cover is a bit of false advertising, as he plays Hillbilly #1. If you are interested, check out our latest contest right away.

Meet the Browns: Season Two - Buy from Amazon
The DVD comes out on Tuesday, the contest will likely begin on Friday.

Melissa & Joey: Season One, Part Two - Buy from Amazon
Still waiting for the screener for this DVD. I missed out on the first volume of the season, so hopefully this one will arrive.

Moby Dick - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A two-part mini-series that aired earlier in the year. It stars William Hurt, Ethan Hawke and Gillian Anderson, among others. This is not the first time this classic novel has been adapted, and while it is not the best (the 1956 version is) it is worth checking out for fans of the book.

Mighty Hercules - Buy from Amazon
I only have the vaguest recollection of this series. In fact, the only thing I really remember is Pan saying, "Herc, Herc!" many, many times.

NHL Stanley Cup Champions 2011: Boston Bruins - Buy from Amazon
Another year without a shave and a haircut. The new season starts in Thursday, so hopefully this will finally be the year.

Nickelodeon Favorites: Merry Christmas - Buy from Amazon
It's too early for Christmas, at least in my opinion. But for those that feel otherwise, is this DVD worth picking up? Check out our review for my opinion.

The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Paul Reubens takes his Pee-wee Herman persona to Broadway and the show was a big enough success that it spawned an HBO special and now a DVD / Blu-ray release. For fans of the character, it's worth checking out, while at just $16, the Blu-ray is the better deal.

Perry Mason: Season Six, Volume 1 - Buy from Amazon
We are six seasons into one of the best courtroom dramas of all time. Is it still going strong? Or is it running out of steam? Check out our review to find out.

The PJs: Season Three - Buy from Amazon
I reviewed the first two seasons of this season, but the screener for the last season is late.

The Presence - Buy from Amazon
A low-budget horror film that is being released Direct-to-DVD. It's about a haunted cabin in the woods. That's not exactly the most unique setup, but can the film find a way to make it fresh? Read our review for my opinion.

Sarah Palin: The Undefeated - Buy from Amazon
There's talk Sarah Palin might enter the race for the GOP nomination. I know Romney hopes she will, because his best chance to win is for the right-wing half of the GOP to split the vote as many ways as possible. As long as there's a real race for the nomination, he can't crack 30% in the polls.

Scream 4 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
It was announced recently that Scream 5 is on its way, so the studio must be happy with this film's performance. I can't judge the quality, not till the screener arrives.

Soapdish - Buy from Amazon
A comedy about the making of a soap opera, where the behind-the-scenes has more twists than what happens on camera. It came out 20 years ago, so there's a chance not many people remember it. Is it worth rediscovering? Read our review for my opinion.

Submarine - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Despite earning great reviews, the film failed to match expectations at the box office and never expanded beyond the art house circuit. Is it too "Indie" for mainstream audiences? Or should more people give it a chance. Check out our review to find out.

Transformers: Beast Wars: Seasons 2 & 3 - Buy from Amazon
Hopefully I will be getting the screener for The Complete Series when it comes out at the beginning of next month.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
One of the biggest hits of the year, but was it one of the best? Check out our review for my opinion.

The Walking Dead: Season One - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
One of the best shows on TV, it looks at the survivors of a zombie apocalypse. It's s Pick of the Week contender, even before you take into account the number of extras on the DVD and Blu-ray, which are both fully loaded. Finally, the Blu-ray only costs $4 more than the DVD, making it clearly the better deal.

"Weird Al" Yankovic: The Alpocalypse Tour - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Still waiting for the screener for this release. I really hope it arrives soon.


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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, La vita è bella, Soapdish, Nuovo cinema Paradiso, Grandview, U.S.A., Dead Alive, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Bran Nue Dae, African Cats, Fast Five, Scream 4, Submarine, The Heart Specialist, Buck, JIG, The Undefeated, The Presence