DVD and Blu-ray Releases for November 22nd, 2011

November 22, 2011

It's kind of a slow week on the home market in two ways. Firstly, the only major release of the week is Super 8. Secondly, half the releases I was supposed to review are running late. Fortunately, Super 8 is a top notch film and the Blu-ray Combo Pack is this week's Pick of the Week.

2011 Official World Series Championship Film: St. Louis Cardinals - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Real fans want full games, not highlights.

The Adventures Of Tintin: Season One - Buy from Amazon
With the movie coming out next month, there's no better time to release the first season of the cartoon on DVD.

Note: This Blu-ray made its home market debut on the 8th.

Atlas Shrugged, Part 1 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film has been suck in Development Hell for arguably more than three decades. It was only finally put into production, because the producer was about to lose the rights to the novel. That's not a great sign, but can the end result rise about its troubled journey? Check out our review to find out.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: 12 Angry Men, The Birth of a Nation, ESPN 30 for 30 Collector's Set, Fairy Tail: Part 1, My Life as a Turkey, Rushmore, These Amazing Shadows: The Movies That Make America, and Way Down East
Secondary Blu-ray releases this week include some famous classics like 12 Angry Men, to more infamous classics, like The Birth of a Nation.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Conan the Barbarian and Spy Kids: All the Time in the World
Just the two 3D releases this week, and both were critical and box office disappointments.

Christmas Releases - Buy from Amazon: Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (DVD), Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (Blu-ray), Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas Special (DVD), Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas Special (Blu-ray), A Madea Christmas: The Play (DVD), A Madea Christmas: The Play (Blu-ray), and Prep & Landing
Four Christmas releases on this week's list, and in the end I might review them all. However, at the moment, three of the four screeners are late.

Complete Series Megasets - Buy from Amazon: The L-Word
Just the one Megaset, and I might be getting the screener to review.

Conan the Barbarian - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray, or 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack
One of the biggest box office flops of the summer. I won't know if it deserved this fate till after the screener arrives. Also coming out this week is Conan The Adventurer: Season Two, Part One.

The Devil's Double - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film looks at the life of the body double for Uday Hussein, one of the most notorious men in the notoriously brutal Iraqi regime. Dominic Cooper was praised for his performance, but how well does the rest of the film live up to it? Read our review for my opinion.

Doctor Who: Season Six - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
One of the oldest Sci-Fi franchises of all time is still going strong six years after its reboot and nearly 50 years after it first aired on TV. The episodes are great, the extras are numerous and the Blu-ray only costs a little bit more than the DVD. On the other hand, it is still an import and, like most such releases, it does cost a lot of money. It's worth it, but you can't mention the show without commenting on the price.

Helldriver - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
From the makers of Machine Girl and Tokyo Gore Police. Hmmm, this might be worth a blind buy. Although about one in three times when I do blind buy something from Japan, it turns out to be porn.

Law & Order: U.K.: Season Two - Buy from Amazon
It will be interesting to see how long this series will last, considering the franchise is nearly extinct on American TV. It has earned very good reviews, which is a good sign. Meanwhile, the DVD has audio commentaries on two episodes, a featurette, and outtakes. If you are a fan of the original or of British murder mystery shows, then it is worth picking up.

Love Begins - Buy from Amazon
The Love Comes Softly franchise has produced ten TV movies over the course of eight years. Clearly it is connecting with its target audience, churchgoers interested in expansion era drama, but the crossover appeal is somewhat limited.

A Madea Christmas: The Play - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I'm not a fan of Tyler Perry's work in general, and Madea in particular. (Listening to a character who has been arrested numerous times give moral advice doesn't sit well with me.)

Making the Boys - Buy from Amazon
An amazing documentary about Making the Band, which was groundbreaking in terms of its portrayal of gay characters in mainstream media. Worth picking up if you are a fan of documentaries or of LGBT cinema.

Nova: Fabric of the Cosmos - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Buy from Amazon
Brian Greene hosts this four-hour Nova special that is based on his work on theoretical physics and string theory. Those that are interested in the subject will want to pick up this release, while the Blu-ray is a good deal over the DVD.

Perry Mason: Season Six, Volume Two - Buy from Amazon
The screener arrived late. I will get to is ASAP.

Prep & Landing - Buy from Amazon
This TV special first aired in 2009, while the sequel airs early next month. Do they pack enough entertainment into the 22-minute long running time to be worth checking out? And are there enough extras on the DVD to be worth picking up? Check out our review for my opinion.

The Ridges - Buy from Amazon
Four Ohio college students decide to expose the truth behind an allegedly haunting abandoned asylum. However, they discovered more than they were expecting. An independently made film that was made for under $20,000, but has earned a number of awards at film festivals. Fans of Paranormal Activity or The Blair Witch Project should also enjoy this movie.

Sarah's Key - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film was one of the best limited releases in terms of box office numbers. Granted, it was never able to expand its theater count beyond a few hundred theaters, but it did earn more that $7.5 million. Its reviews were also better than most films earn, and it is at least worth checking out. If you are a fan of Kristin Scott Thomas, it is worth picking up.

Spy Kids: All the Time in the World - Buy from Amazon: DVD or 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack
The franchise continues roughly a decade after it began. Is it a worthy successor to the first films? Is it for hardcore fans only? Or is it better to stick with the originals? Read our review to find out.

Super 8 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
This film cost just $50 million to make, which is a fraction of what the usual summer blockbuster costs. But with J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg behind it, the expectations couldn't be higher. Did it live up to the hype? Check out our review to find out.

The Super Hero Squad Show: The Infinity Gauntlet Vol. 2 - Buy from Amazon
I was only able to review one volume of this show, but I thought it was a fun cartoon aimed mostly at kids. It emphasized humor, which did turn off adult fans of the characters.

Three Amigos! - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
This was one of my favorite films when I first saw it roughly 25 years ago. However, there's a chance it hasn't aged well. Can it still make me laugh as hard today? Has it slipped to more of a guilty pleasure? Has it fallen even farther? Check out our review to find out.

Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman: Season 2 - Buy from Amazon
Morgan Freeman narrates a science show that deals with topics from parallel universes to faster than light travel to more metaphysical questions like life after death. The reviews for the show have been impressive and if you haven't seen it, it is worth checking out while we wait for season three.


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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Three Amigos, Rushmore, The Birth of a Nation, Atlas Shrugged: Part 1, 12 Angry Men, Conan the Barbarian, Spy Kids: All the Time in the World, Super 8, Making the Boys, Elle s'appelait Sarah, The Devil's Double