DVD Releases for September 16, 2008 - Part I

September 15, 2008

We have a big list this week with more than 50 releases. This includes very few top-notch, first run releases, but that weakness is counterbalanced by the strength in the TV on DVD department, including a few contenders for DVD Pick of the Week like Duckman - Season One & Two and Pushing Daisies - Season One on DVD or Blu-ray. If I were to choose just one release this week, it would be the former; however, I think the latter has a better chance at mainstream appeal. As I previously said, this is a huge list this week, so much so that it had to be split into two parts. Part two can be found here.

88 Minutes - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
One of the worst movies of the year. Arguably the worst Al Pacino movie ever. Additionally, the film bombed which explains the poor DVD (audio commentary track, two short featurettes, and an alternate ending) while the Blu-ray has no additional extras at the moment (BD-Live has no film specific features) and the extras it does have are not in High Definition. It is less than $1 more in price, but even so, I can't recommend a rental, so the price is moot.

Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - Christmas with the Nelsons - Buy from Amazon
A "Best Of" release for a series that has fully come out on DVD, which means the target audience is limited. Additionally, while there were several Christmas episodes, this single-disc only has four of them. I'm not sure why they didn't have a 2-disc set and include them all. However, this oversight further reduces the value of the DVD.

Alvin and the Chipmunks - The Alvinnnn!!! Edition - Buy from Amazon
The Chipmunks TV series that ran from 1983 through to 1990. Most episodes had two 12-minute segments, and this 2-disc set contains 13 of those, and one double-length episode as well.

  • Curse of Lontiki - The Chipmunks are doing a tour in Hawaii and Alvin enters a surfing contest, but he thinks the trinket he found on the beach is cursed and will bring him bad luck.
  • Mr. Fabulous - Theodore enters a wrestling match against a Russian wrestler named Ivan the Terrible, but Simon and Alvin create a super suit to give him the edge.
  • Unidentified Flying Chipmunk - Alvin convinces Theodore to dress up as an alien to provide a boost in their publicity, but government forces capture him and plan to do experiments on him.
  • A Horse of Course - Alvin, Simon, and Theodore buy a horse hoping to turn him into a racing champion. An old horse.
  • New Improved Simon - Simon has a crush and Alvin helps him change his image to get the girl. On a side note, listening to The Chipmunks perform "Born to Be Wild" killed a little of my soul.
  • Snow Job - Alvin fast talks his way into a skiing competition. The only problem, he doesn't know how to ski.
  • Maids in Japan - The Chipmunks' concert tour in Japan is going poorly because there's no publicity, but Alvin has a plan to fix this. A plan that involves Kabuki theater.
  • Every Chipmunk Tells A Story - After an accident involving pudding and a piano, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore explain how it all happens, separately. It goes without saying their stories don't exactly match.
  • Romancing Miss Stone - Alvin's sudden interest in school is explained by his new teacher, Miss Stone, who is hot... at least she's hot compared to most cartoon characters.
  • ...What?
  • Three Alarm Alvin - The Chipmunks decide to start a fire department, but when they go into a home to put out a fire, they are the ones who need rescuing.
  • Alvin's Oldest Fan - The Chipmunks hold a contest to win a date with Alvin, but when the winner turns out to be an old lady, Alvin tries to ditch her.
  • A Chip Off the Old Tooth - Theodore has a tooth ache, but he's too scared to go to the dentist, so he hides it from Dave while the gang think up ways of pulling it themselves.
  • Whatever Happened to David Seville - Something about Zomboidrigidosis, a bad soap opera, and a wax statue. Quite frankly, it made no sense to me.
  • Cadet's Regets - The double-length episode. Here the boys sign up to go to Camp Eagleton, to become men, but they quickly learn that the army life is no life for them and they try to escape.
There are no extra features on this 2-disc set. There are also no subtitles, no proper chapter placements, but at least there are play all buttons.

Alvin and the Chipmunks is a cartoon series with nostalgia as its main appeal. However, I can't image there are a lot of fans excited about The Alvinnnn!!! Edition 2-disc set. It is a Best Of... TV on DVD release without any extras, or even a hint of more volumes to come. It's not even that cheap on a per minute basis. If you loved the show as a kid and haven't seen it in a while, give it a rental. But for most fans, that will be enough.

An American in Paris - Two-Disc Special Edition - Buy from Amazon
One of the best musicals ever and the winner of the 1952 Best Picture Oscar, which was one of eight nominations and six wins for the film that year. However, while this 2-disc set features a new transfer and lots of additional extras, one has to think a High Definition release is not that far away.

Another Cinderella Story - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A direct-to-DVD sequel of the Hilary Duff film, A Cinderella Story. This time around it is a musical starring Selena Gomez of The Wizards of Waverly Place. The film is earning reasonably good reviews, especial considering its nature, while the DVD has more extras than I was expecting (featurettes on Selena Gomez, a featurette about Drew Seeley who plays the male lead, a featurette about the music, a featurette about the fashion, a behind-the-scenes featurette, a music video, a sing-along version of the songs, and more). The Blu-ray has no additional extras, but does cost just 25% more, which is a very reasonable cost to upgrade. Fans of Selena Gomez, the original movie, or the current group of teen-oriented musicals should check it out. Many who do will end up buying the film.

Avatar - The Last Airbender - Book Three - Fire - Buy from Amazon
All four volumes of the third book compiled into one collection, complete with a bonus disc with additional extras. Easily worth picking up for fans of the show, who await the movie, likely with equal parts anticipation and dread, as it will be very difficult for the film to live up to the series.

The Babysitters - Buy from Amazon
A movie about underaged prostitution. This is a movie that promised to be controversial, but it wasn't able to deliver anything else. That said, Katherine Waterston did earn some praise for her performance, and hopefully her next role will be in a movie that has better execution. Extras include audio commentary track and interviews, but it is hard to rate this one as anything more than a rental.

Beetlejuice - 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition - Buy from Amazon
On the one hand, Beetlejuice is one of my favorite movies of all time, featuring a manic performance by Michael Keaton as the titular character and the visual flare that only Tim Burton can provide. On the other hand, this is a movie that screams for High Definition and I can't image a Blu-ray version is too far away. Additionally, the extras on this 'special edition' are far from special with just the isolated music track , which is great for fans of Danny Elfman but hardly a substantial feature, and three stories from the Beetlejuice animated series, or roughly an episode an a half. Granted, it was a great show, but hopefully it will get its own DVD release soon, which would make this DVD set have no real extras. The movie is worth owning, but I also think it is worth waiting to get the Blu-ray edition when it comes out. (On a side note, just over a year ago I mentioned they should release a special edition for the 20th anniversary, however, I suggested an audio commentary track, retrospective, and more. Too bad they didn't take my advice.)

Blood Simple - Buy from Amazon
The Coen Brothers' first writing and directing effort, and still one of their best. The Film Noir flick tells the story of a private eye hired by a jealous husband to kill his cheating wife and her new lover. However, the P.I. has his own plans. The only extra on the DVD is an audio commentary track provided by Kenneth Loring of Forever Young Films, or at least that's what the Coen Brothers would have you believe. In other words, the DVD is exactly the same as the previous release, but if you don't have it yet, it is worth picking up.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: 1408, 88 Minutes, Another Cinderella Story, Dragon Ball Z: Tree of Might / Lord Slug, Emperor of the Seas, Great North, The Hulk, The Love Guru, Made of Honor, The Mist, Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy, Pushing Daisies: The Complete First Season, The Pyongyang Concert - New York Philharmonic & Lorin Maazel, Risky Business, Scenic National Parks: Crown Jewels Collection, Scenic National Parks: Grand Canyon, Scenic National Parks: Yellowstone, Scenic National Parks: Yosemite, Speed and Angels - With Game, Speed Racer, and Torchwood - The Complete First Season
Not a particularly strong week for Blu-ray releases with the number one seller being a box office disappointment. There are a few other releases of note, including the HDTV on DVD release, Torchwood, and the direct-to-DVD release, Another Cinderella Story. Those two categories have lagged behind when it comes to studio support for High Definition adoption rate, so these two releases are further proof that the format is becoming more and more mainstream.

The Busby Collection - Volume 2 - Buy from Amazon
To call Busby Berkeley an influential director and choreographer would be an understatement of massive proportions, almost as massive as the dance numbers he filmed. That said, while he has an amazing body of work, the four films presented here are not among his best. They are just average compared to the rest of his films. The extras on the 4-disc set include a number of shorts, including musicals, comedies, and cartoons, but overall it still feels more like a rental than a purchase.

Warning: This DVD does not come out this week and makes its home market debut on the 23rd. However, the DVD screener arrived early and I was able to get the review done this week.

Caillou - Caillou's Winter Wonders - Buy from Amazon
The latest DVD release for Caillou. Caillou is a Canadian animated series that focuses on the adventures of a 4-year old boy and his family. The show aims to be realistic, which means Caillou occasionally is stubborn, can grow frustrated at times, and forgets to be polite. These behaviors mean he is not always the best role-model, but by showing a protagonist going thing the same situations as the target audience it is more empathetic and as long as there are adults watching with the kids to explain why such behavior is wrong, it should help kids.

This single disc release contains four episodes with fourteen stories that run for 84 minutes in total. There's a winter theme to the stories and in them Caillou waits for the first snow to fall, makes snow angels, learns to skate, goes tobogganing, plays hockey (it is Canadian after all), goes caroling (which I always considered a form of punishment (for both the people wandering in the cold singing and those forced to listen)), learns about winter celebrations (io, Saturnalia!) and learns how Maple Syrup is made.

Extras are limited to short character bios, DVD-Rom features, and a message to parents. This is not much, but it is on par with previous releases from this franchise.

Fans of Caillou should have a fun time with Caillou's Winter Wonders, even if it is way too early for Christmas. (No Christmas before Halloween. Thanks.)

Charlie Chan Collection - Volume 5 - Buy from Amazon
The final 11 movies from the Sidney Toler / Fox era of this long-running franchise. Sidney Toler was not as popular as Warner Oland was, which explains why this 8-disc set doesn't have as many extras as the previous releases had. However, there's still more than enough here that fans of the character will want to pick it up.

Chuck - Season One - Buy from Amazon
A TV show starring Adam Baldwin. Okay, he's not the star of the show, but as a Firefly alumni, he deserves a special shout-out. The show actually stars Zachary Levi as Chuck Bartowski, a computer geek who, through an accident, has government secrets downloaded into his brain. Now two secret agents, Yvonne Strahovski and the aforementioned Adam Baldwin, are sent to protect him and utilize his new abilities. (It makes more sense on the show that it does on paper.) Extras on this strike-shortened season include a featurette on creating the characters and casting the leads, a roundtable on some of the best scenes in the season, and some outtakes. That's an okay list, but not particularly great. Call it a purchase, but I'm not as enthusiastic as I would like to be with my recommendation.

Constantine's Sword - Buy from Amazon
A documentary about the violence committed in the name of religion. It focuses on Christianity, mainly because it was made in arguably the most Christian nation in the world, the United States. The film's reviews were amazing, but it never really connected with an audience during its limited release. Since the film never found an audience during its theatrical run, its small list of extras (introduction and deleted scenes) is understandable. It is still worth picking up, however.

Criminal Minds - Season Three - Buy from Amazon
Joe Mantegna takes over from Mandy Patinkin, but fortunately this did not lead to a drop in quality. Extras include featurettes on the creation of an episode, Joe Mantegna's character, actor Shemar Moore, and others (five in total), as well as deleted scenes and outtakes. Easily worth picking up, and if it had a few audio commentary tracks, it could have been the DVD Pick of the Week.

Cybill - The Collector's Edition Volume 1 - Buy from Amazon
A great show, but why are they releasing a Best Of DVD and not full season sets? Extras include an interview with the show's star, Cybill Shepherd, as well as some image galleries, but I'm still holding out for full-season sets.

Dalmatians Triple Shot - Buy from Amazon: 101 Dalmatians 2: Patch's London Adventure, 101 Dalmatians, and 102 Dalmatians
Disney is releasing three 101 Dalmatians related titles this week, including the direct-to-DVD animated sequel, the live action remake, and the sequel to the live action remake. Pretty much everything but the original.

101 Dalmatians 2: Patch's London Adventure - Buy from Amazon
Patch, one of the 99 Dalmatian puppies is depressed. He can't seem to stand out amongst his brothers and sisters and always seems to be pushed back to the rear of the crowd. So while the gang prepared to move to the country, he runs away to London, and runs into his hero, Thunderbolt, the famous TV dog. In the meantime, Cruella De Vil is back on the streets and in an attempt to cure herself of her obsession with the Dalmatian puppies, she become obsessed with an artist... an artist who paints black dots on white canvases. This will end poorly.

A direct-to-DVD sequel to a Disney animated classic. I've lost track of how many such movies there have been. I bet there are very few people at Disney that know exactly how many such films have been released. Granted, this one is better than average compared to the rest of these films, but it is still a far cry from the original. Additionally, there is only one new extra on this version of the DVD compared to the original release, a game called Patch's Twilight Adventure. In this game, you must solve puzzles, travel around a map, play a few mini-games, and collect keys to save your brothers and sisters. This is actually a lot better than most DVD games are and should entertain the kids as they play it a couple of times. And with the other two games, two music videos, and a making-of featurette, the DVD doesn't feel barren, but it doesn't feel worthy of upgrading either.

101 Dalmatians - Buy from Amazon
While making direct-to-DVD sequels to a Disney animated classics is common place, turning them into a live action remake is not. There have been a few updates to the story, including making Roger a computer programmer instead of a songwriter, and Cruella De Vil is the head of a fashion design empire instead of a... I'm not sure what she was in the original. However, while these changes are rather minor, there is a major change. In this version we focus more on the humans, and less on the dogs.

Granted, the movie has an impressive cast, including Glenn Close as Cruella De Vil, and plenty of British actors in smaller parts (Hugh Laurie, Tim McInnerny, Mark Williams, and others). But the dogs should be the stars of the show. Without hearing the voices of the animals, or at least the inner voices of the animals, the film loses a lot of its effectiveness, as they don't have real personalities. I think the filmmakers were assuming Glenn Close performance as Cruella De Vil would be enough, but it wasn't. Additionally, there are no special features on this DVD.

102 Dalmatians - Buy from Amazon
While 101 Dalmatians earned poor reviews, it earned a bundle at the box office and a sequel was inevitable. This time we follow Oddball, the daughter of one of the original 101 Dalmatians, who is born without spots, and Waddlesworth, a parrot who is convinced he is a rottweiler. However, again the star is Glenn Close as Cruella De Vil, who starts the movie in a mental hospital being cured of her obsession with fur coats and paroled. However, the ringing of Big Ben somehow reverses the cure, and she again begins her mad quest to get a Dalmatian puppy fur coat.

If 101 Dalmatians was an unnecessary remake of a classic, this movie is an equally unnecessary sequel. It's not bad per se, but there's little here that sets it apart from the original, which wasn't very good to begin with. The limits its appeal dramatically.

Strangely, while the movie earned barely half of what the original made, this DVD is loaded with extras, especially compared to the original's DVD. Things start with an audio commentary track with the director and several of the animal trainers. There are also three behind-the-scenes featurettes on Cruella De Vil, the animals in the movie, and the sets and costumes. They can be watched separately, or together as an 18-minute featurette. There are four scenes you can watch with various levels of computer special effects. Adults won't learn a lot, but it could be fun for kids. There's a minute-long deleted scene, with optional audio commentary. A short montage with the puppies and finally a featurette on how to choose the right dog, which basically says nothing more than check with a local expert.

Of the three 101 Dalmatians-related films Disney is releasing on DVD this week, it is hard to be enthusiastic about any of them. 101 Dalmatians 2: Patch's London Adventure is arguably the best, but there's little reason to grab this movie over the original, and little reason to grab this DVD over the original release. The weakest of the three movies, 102 Dalmatians, has the best DVD, but I would only check out the live action films if you liked the original, but didn't like hearing the animals talk. I think it is safe to assume there are not many people like that out there.

Death Note - Buy from Amazon
A Japanese live action movie based on a cartoon series that was originally based on a comic book. In the movie, a character who refers to himself as Kira finds a notebook of demonic origin that allows him to kill anyone just by writing their name in the book. He even has some control over the circumstances of their death. He uses his powers to kill criminals, but has to avoid detection from 'L', one of the world's premiere private detectives who is trying figure out how it is happening. The film made more than twice what it cost to produce in its native Japan, while the Anime series is popular here (the second season isn't as bad as the first, by the way).

Dirty Sexy Money - Season One - Buy from Amazon
Peter Krause stars as Nick George, a lawyer whose father was recently killed in a plane crash. His father worked for the richest family in New York City, the Darlings. At the funeral he reunites with the family, and shortly after Tripp Darling offers him a job, specifically to replace his father. Nick George immediately rejects this offer, but when he learns his father may have been murdered, he takes the job hoping to learn if someone in the Darling family was responsible. But will the money corrupt him before he can get to the truth?

After the first episode, I was worried that this show would just be another nighttime soap opera about the lives of the rich and power and their petty, self-inflicted problems. Besides Tripp and his wife, Letitia, there are five adult kids to deal with. Patrick is the eldest son, who is being pushed into politics by his father and his wife, but who has a secret that would destroy his career if it ever got out. Karen is the chronically divorced second child who was the childhood sweetheart of Nick, and who still has feelings for Nick, and won't let his marriage, or her upcoming marriage, get in the way. Brain is the outcast of the group who never fit in and instead of going into the family business, he went into the seminary. However, he is anti-social and a misanthrope, which extends to his illegitimate son. Finally there are the two youngest, the twins Jeremy and Juliet, who are the epitome of the spoiled rich kids who are so used to living off of daddy's money that they've lost contact with reality. However, while I was worried this would just be another Dynasty, the writing on the show is amazing, as is the acting. Not all of the storylines were equally interesting, for instance Brian's situation takes up a lot of the first season, but I didn't care because he was too much of a jerk. Also, the twins don't interact with the political intrigue in the show, which limits their screen time. However, while Jeremy became a larger character in the last half of the shortened season, Juliet barely appeared. This was disappointing to me, because she was at least a sympathetic character.

Extras on the 3-disc set are in line with current TV on DVD releases with audio commentary tracks on three episodes (but not the season finale). There are also several deleted scenes, a featurette on the genesis of the show, and another on the style. There are also subtitles, proper chapter placements, and play all buttons.

The writers' strike ended the season after just ten episodes, which means the price per minute on this 3-disc set is a higher than a lot of other network shows. However, Dirty Sexy Money is certainly worth checking out and Season One is worth picking up over just renting.

Dragon Ball Z - Season Six - Cell Games Saga - Buy from Amazon
If Dragon Ball isn't the most popular Anime series of all time, it is certainly high on that list. This season of the longest running series in the franchise has the Z Fighters dealing with Cell, a super powerful villain who can absorb others to make him even more powerful. He decides to hold a tournament to determine the strongest fighter on Earth, and if they can't defeat him, he will destroy the planet. (Super powerful bad guys with the ability to destroy planets are fairly common in this universe.) The massive multi-episode battles can become repetitive at times, but there's still a lot to enjoy here, especially for fans who are eagerly anticipating the upcoming movie.

Duckman - Season One & Two - Buy from Amazon
One of my favorite cartoon shows of all time. Jason Alexander stars as Duckman, a short-tempered, hedonistic Duck who lives with his three sons... two sons... well, one of them has two heads, and his sister-in-law, and works as a Private Dick with his partner, Cornfed the pig. Don't want to spend too much time on this release as I am supposed to get the DVD to review, but it is late. Hopefully that will be corrected soon. Extras include audio commentary tracks, featurettes, and more and it is worth picking up. In fact, it is a contender for DVD Pick of the Week.

The Earrings of Madame De... - Criterion Collection - Buy from Amazon
A French film from 1953 that follows a pair of earrings and chronicles the infidelities in several related relationships. An excellent movie that is getting the Criterion touch this week and the DVD includes an audio commentary track, interviews, a featurette on the visual style, and more. Certainly worth checking out for most, and picking up for fans of French cinema.

Finding Amanda - Buy from Amazon
Starring Matthew Broderick and Brittany Snow, this film opened in limited release but didn't have the reviews to survive. It is not a terrible film, as even most of the negative reviews point out, but not enough works for the replay value to be high, and for most a rental will be enough.

Glenn Beck - Unelectable - Buy from Amazon
More like Glenn Beck - Unwatchable. How is this man still on TV? There are four cable news networks and each have four daily primetime TV shows. Of those 16 shows, his consistently ranks dead last. I know why he was initially given a show, to say controversial things that piss off liberals in order to build an audience, but that experiment has failed and the only way he could still be on the air is if he is blackmailing his boss.

Goosebumps - Buy from Amazon: One Day at Horrorland, Monster Blood, and A Night in Terror Tower
Three more DVDs filled with stories based on the works of R. L. Stine. Each DVD has 4 episodes each, meaning at this point we are more than halfway done the TV series. Granted, most fans would likely prefer full season sets to these featureless Best Of DVDs, but that seems unlikely at this point. (However, there could be a full series box set released down the road. All three DVDs are worth checking out for fans of the show, and there's enough replay value here that purchasing is probably the better choice over just renting.

Harold - Buy from Amazon
Harold is a movie about a 13-year old boy, Spencer Breslin, who has to deal with his first day of school, which is made worse by the fact that he is suffering from early onset male-pattern baldness. As if high school didn't suck enough as it is. The film earned terrible reviews and went nowhere at the box office, although it is not nearly as bad as that sounds. In fact, it has a certain charm to it, mostly thanks to its star, who is able to channel his inner George Costanza. The only extra on the disc is a short featurette on the red carpet premiere, which hurts its overall value, but it is still worth checking out, even if it is just for a rental.

High School Flashback Collection - Buy from Amazon
Previously released as the Brat Pack Collection, only this time around the three films have real special features and not a mix CD. The three movies are also available separately (The Breakfast Club - Buy from Amazon, Sixteen Candles - Buy from Amazon, and Weird Science - Buy from Amazon). While two of the three movies are good, there have been too many previous releases to be worth upgrading. Maybe when they come out on Blu-ray it will be different.

Inside the Actors Studio - Robin Williams - Buy from Amazon
Robin Williams sits down for a two-part interview that runs nearly 100 minutes... most of the time Robin Williams is doing his schtick, but James Lipton does get some questions in. If you are a fan of Robin Williams comedic style, this is great to watch. However, if you are a fan of James Lipton's interview style, he's bowled over by the manic energy that is Robin Williams and we don't get as much insight as we normally see in this show.

Warning: This DVD does not come out this week and makes its home market debut on the 30th. However, the DVD screener arrived early and I was able to get the review done this week.

Iron Man - Buy from Amazon: Single-Disc Edition, Two-Disc Collector's Edition, or Blu-ray
The 2008 summer blockbuster season got off to a great start, as Iron Man beat almost all expectations and opened with $100 million during its first weekend (assuming you count Thursday's box office) while it ended north of $300 million. And it wasn't a case of hype drawing people into the theaters, because the film's reviews were even better than its box office performance.

The movie starts with Tony Stark in a war zone demonstrating his company's latest weapon. However, his convoy is ambushed on the trip back and he is captured by a group of terrorists who force him to build them a weapon. He has other plans. This is one of the best Super Hero movies ever made and combines action with character development. Especially Tony Stark, who is played to perfection by Robert Downey, Jr. And character development is important, as we don't actually see the iconic Iron Man suit until about halfway through the movie. There were a couple times where suspension of disbelief was stretched, but this is a minor complaint, especially given its genre.

Extras on the Single-Disc Edition are terrible with just some deleted scenes. I was really hoping there would be an audio commentary track with the director, Jon Favreau, and star, Robert Downey, Jr in a commentary track, but we only get 11 extended / deleted scenes that run 24 minutes. Some are cool and perhaps could have fitted in the movie, but most were wise choices to cut.

The Two-Disc Collector's Edition has the above deleted scenes, and several major featurettes, starting with I Am Iron Man, a 7-part, 109-minute long making-of documentary. (It's not as long as the movie is, but it is close.) It's very comprehensive and deals with just about every aspect of the filmmaking process, especially the special effects. The Invincible Iron Man is a little under half as long and deals with the character of Iron Man, including its comic book origins and the depth of the mythology. Even hardcore fans of the character should learn something new here. Wired: The Visual Effects of Iron Man is a 27-minute featurette on the special effects, which is clearly an important aspect of the movie. There is a 6-minute screen test for Robert Downey, Jr and a 4-minute behind-the-scenes look at Robert Downey, Jr and Jeff Bridges rehearsing a scene with Jon Favreau. There's also a bit from Onion News Network, which many have probably seen on their official site. Finally, there are a boatload of images.

Unfortunately, I don't have the Blu-ray edition yet, but there will be a BD-Live extra on the disc for those with Profile 2.0 players, as well as other High Definition exclusive extras.

Iron Man is one of the best movies of the year, and one of the biggest hits. Fans of high action summer blockbusters will certainly want to add this movie to their collection. The only question is what version. The Single-Disc Edition is too bare-bones to be worth the meager price. The Two-Disc Collector's Edition is an excellent value and likely will be the DVD Pick of the Week when it comes out. Meanwhile, the Blu-ray edition appears to be worth the upgrade, and depending on how well the additional features are implemented, it could be enough to sell hardware and become the fastest selling Blu-ray ever.

Kabluey - Buy from Amazon
A wonderfully charming Indie comedy that never came close to finding an audience during its short theatrical run. Now it is in danger of slipping between the cracks on the home market. Extras are limited to a couple of dozen deleted scenes, but it is still worth checking out for most, picking up for many.

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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Iron Man, Hulk, Made of Honor, Speed Racer, The Love Guru, The Mist, 88 Minutes, Constantine's Sword, Kabluey, Finding Amanda, The Babysitters, Harold, Desu Noto, 1408, Another Cinderella Story