DVD and Blu-ray Releases for February 2nd, 2010

February 2, 2010

It's still a slow time of year for home market releases. It's too late for the Christmas shopping rush, while it is still too early for Awards Season releases to come out. There are a few limited releases, direct-to-DVD releases, TV on DVD releases, and catalogue titles that are of interest, but the best of the best is Zombieland. While both formats are worth checking out, the Blu-ray is the Pick of the Week.

Adam - Buy from Amazon
Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne star in this movie, which is about a romance between two people, one of whom has Asperger's Syndrome. It earned good reviews, but not great reviews, and did well in limited release, but never expanded wide. It's worth checking out, and with extras like audio commentary track, deleted scenes, and making-of featurettes, it is worth picking up over just renting.

Air Bud 2: Golden Receiver - Special Edition - Buy from Amazon
With the Buddies spin-off franchise going strong, Disney is releasing the originals on special edition DVDs. Does the sequel live up to the original? Check out our review to find out.

Amelia - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film had Awards Season buzz going in, but it was a critical and commercial flop. Was this a matter of unfair expectations? Perhaps. But I won't know for sure until the screener arrives.

Warning: This DVD does not come out this week and made its home market debut on the 26th of January. However, the DVD screener arrived late, hence the delay in the review.

B-Girl - Buy from Amazon
One of a slew of dancing movies to come out over the past few years. Does it stand out for fade into the background? Check out our review to find out.

Beverly Hills 90210 - Season Nine - Buy from Amazon
I hate this show, but at least they are not splitting the season into two volumes.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Amadeus, Amelia, An American in Paris, The Babysitters, Bonnie & Clyde, Casablanca, The Departed, Doctor Who: The Complete Specials, Doctor Who: The End of Time, Parts 1 and 2, Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars, The Fallen Ones, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Gangs of New York, Gigi, The Girl Next Door, The Godfather, The Godfather II, He was a Quiet Man, Hellboy: Sword of Storms and Blood & Iron, The House of the Devil, The Last King of Scotland, Liza's At the Palace, The Lost, Love Happens, Maid in Manhattan, Man from Earth, March of the Penguins, Million Dollar Baby, Mona Lisa Smile, The Music Man, Mystic River, New York, I Love You, Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior, Ong-Bak 2: The Beginning, Pan's Labyrinth, Planet Hulk, Spiral, Training Day, Triangle, Unforgiven, Universal Soldier: Regeneration, Virgin Territory, Walk the Line, and Zombieland
A huge selection of Blu-ray releases this week; however, it is a deceptively shallow list, as most of it is catalogue titles. The only first run release that is truly of interest is Zombieland. There are a couple of other titles worth picking up, but Zombieland is Pick of the Week material.

Warning: This DVD does not come out this week and made its home market debut on the 19th of January. However, the DVD screener arrived late, hence the delay in this review.

Death in Love - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film earned reviews that were exactly 50% positive. It's almost like my vote is the tiebreaker. (Okay, that's overstating the importance of my opinion, but it's a fun thing for me to think.) Which way will I go? Head over to our review to find out.

Doc Martin - Season Three - Buy from Amazon
Martin Clunes plays the titular doctor, who at the start of the series leaves his lucrative job as a surgeon and comes to a small town after developing a phobia for blood. He's a misanthrope with a passion for the health of his patients, but this comes at the expense of tact. An excellent series that is worth picking up despite the lack of substantive extras (there just some text bios and images) but start with Season One.

Doctor Who: The Complete Specials - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Instead of having regular episodes, the most recent season of Doctor Who had several TV specials instead. It's an interesting concept, but a lot of people complained that the specials didn't feel that special and they felt more like an average episode of the show. That said, an average episode of Doctor Who is still worth checking out. Add in the extras (audio commentary track and behind-the-scenes) and it is worth buying, while the Blu-ray costs less than 30% more, which makes it the better deal.

Dora the Explorer: Dora's Greatest Adventures - Buy from Amazon
With twice as many episodes as the normal Dora the Explorer release, is this the greatest DVD release? Check out our review to find out.

Dynasty - Season Four - Volume Two - Buy from Amazon
An iconic nighttime soap from the 1980s. I had a chance to review this three-disc set, but instead decided to punt it over to the prize pool. (Monthly preview, Awards Season, etc. meant time was short.) The contest begins this Friday.

G.I. Joe A Real American Hero: Season 1.3 - Buy from Amazon
I reviewed the first volume of season one, the second volume never showed up, while volume three is late. Hopefully it will arrive soon.

The Godfather - Buy from Amazon: The Godfather, The Godfather II
I reviewed this franchise when it first hit Blu-ray and said it was so good that it was a reason to upgrade to High Definition. Now the studio is releasing the first two films on Blu-ray separately, which feels like a slap to the face to The Godfather III, especially since the Box Set costs just $3 more than the two Blu-rays cost to buy separately. These movies should be in everyone's collection, but stick with the earlier release.

House of the Devil - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray, or DVD and VHS
Jocelin Donahue stars as Samantha, a college student desperate for money who accepts a babysitting job in a remote house in the woods. However, there is no baby. Despite this, she decides to take the job. This turns out to be a mistake. An old-school horror film, and here old-school is a compliment. Extras include an audio commentary track, deleted scenes, and a couple of making-of featurettes. The Blu-ray doesn't have any additional extras, but that price is an excellent deal. As for the VHS copy... it's a fun extra, especially since this type of film first thrived thanks to VCRs and home rentals, but I'm not sure it is worth the extra cash. It is a contender for Pick of the Week, regardless of what format you choose.

Love Happens - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A generic name for a very generic movie. Even if you are a fan of the genre and the actors involved, it is probably best you avoid it.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show - Season Six - Buy from Amazon
The penultimate season of this multi-award-winning show. (29 Emmy wins is not a record, but it is high on the list.) Every year the show was at the top of its game and the only complaint is the lackluster DVD releases, as there have been no extras. That has been a problem from the start, so if you have been buying the seasons up to this point, there's no reason to stop now. If you have never seen the show, rent season one. You will be hooked.

Mister Ed - Season Two - Buy from Amazon
The second season of this TV series is also the first season it was on network TV. (It started its run in syndication.) It's a high concept comedy, which usually means a short run on TV. However, this show lasted six seasons and even won a Golden Globe for best comedy.

More than a Game - Buy from Amazon
As a non-fan of basketball, this documentary will have a hard time winning me over. Was it able to? Check out our review to find out.

Murder, She Wrote - Season 11 - Buy from Amazon
Another penultimate season of a long running show. This one was the constant bridesmaid, earning 41 Emmy nominations but only winning twice. (Angela Lansbury went zero for twelve.) Lack of extras hurt the DVD release, as does the episodic nature of the show. Because you don't need to see the shows in the order they originally aired, owning them is not a necessity, especially since they are still syndicated to this day. That said, if you were happy with the previous seasons, there's no reason to stop buying now.

New York, I Love You - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A anthology love story to the city of New York directed by a series of directors, and some actors making their directing debut. Reviews were mixed with some stories more successful than others. Some were deemed unwatchable and removed from the theatrical release. I'm most interested in seeing those two deleted segments and seeing if they truly are the worst of the bunch. I doubt they will be. The only other extra on the DVD or Blu-ray is an interview featurette with five of the directors. That not a lot of extras, but it is worth renting for most, picking up for some.

Ong-Bak 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Tony Jaa could become the biggest thing in martial arts movies, but he needs a breakout success story here for that to happen. Does this film deserve to be that breakout? Won't know until the screener arrives.

Planet Hulk - Buy from Amazon: Single-Disc DVD, Two-Disc DVD, or Blu-ray
The latest Marvel direct-to-DVD release from Lionsgate. So far these films have been earning mixed reviews, but some of the later ones were better. (The origins stories tended to be a little clumsy.) And I hope this is the best so far. Won't know until the screener arrives.

She-Wolf of London: Complete Series - Buy from Amazon: Buy from Amazon
This series ran for one season in 1990 - 1991 and it is likely coming out solely because of the upcoming release of The Wolf Man. I must admit I have no recollection of this show, but I've read a few positive reviews even if it has a bit of a "Freak of the Week" mentality and after some of the backers dropped out halfway through the first season there were massive changes. It was a mess behind the scenes is what I'm saying, but fans should be happy that it is coming out on DVD. On the other hand, if you have never seen it but liked X-Files, give it a rental.

Triangle - Buy from Amazon: DVD, DVD with Lenticular Cover, or Blu-ray
This movie has a terribly dull name, but will the movie be any better? Check out our review to find out.

Universal Soldier: Regeneration - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren reunite for the third installment of Universal Soldier. The previous film, The Return, was released in theaters in 1999, but this one is coming out direct-to-DVD. That's not a good sign. It might be a good movie, but there are not enough reviews to say one way or the other. Extras are better than expected with an audio commentary track and a making-of featurette, while the Blu-ray has a trivia track and it is BD-Live enabled. That said, unless you are a hardcore fan of the two leads, this is no more than a rental.

The Wolf Man - Buy from Amazon
This DVD was released not too long ago, but it is getting a re-release to capitalize on The Wolf Man's upcoming release. Even with dated special effects, this movie will likely be a whole lot better.

Wolverine & X-Men: Fate of the Future - Buy from Amazon
One of the best comic book cartoons on TV right now, but can it maintain its solid quality? I'll tell you when screener arrives.

Yo Gabba Gabba! Birthday Boogie - Buy from Amazon
Learn about birthdays, talents, and going for rids on this latest DVD release for Yo Gabba Gabba!. For more details, check out our review here.

Zombieland - Buy form Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
With a name like Zombieland one immediately thinks of B-Movie material. However, it was one of the best movies to come out last autumn and it mixed the horror and the comedy better than 90% of the genre. Even if you are sick of zombie movies, this one is still worth checking out. And if you are a fan, it is a must-have. Extras on the DVD including an audio commentary track, three making-of featurettes, deleted scenes, and more. The Blu-ray has a picture-in-picture track, trivia track, and it is BD-Live enabled. It costs 30% more than the DVD, but that's on the low end of expectations and it is clearly the better deal. A Pick of the Week contender.

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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, The Departed, El Laberinto del Fauno, The Last King of Scotland, The Babysitters, Death in Love, He Was a Quiet Man, Zombieland, Ong-Bak 2, The House of the Devil, Wrong Turn at Tahoe, More Than a Game, Spiral, New York, I Love You, B-Girl, Universal Soldier: Regeneration, Adam, Amelia