DVD and Blu-ray Releases for November 8th, 2011

November 7, 2011

It's a rather mixed week on the home market. Granted, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 is coming out this week, but it doesn't make its home market debut till Friday. Also, after the Harry Potter releases, there's a huge drop in quality. Given the issue with the Harry Potter releases, it's best to wait till next year and grab the ultimate editions. I'm not sure there's anything here that rises to the level of Pick of the Week. In the end I went with Captain America: The First Avenger on Blu-ray Combo Pack, even though it didn't come out this week. However, the screener was late and it is the best release on this week's list.

13 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The original film was excellent. This film is not. Only one positive review out of twelve on Rotten Tomatoes is a terrible score and there's little reason to watch this film instead of the original.

The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
Robert Rodriguez has made many films, including many films for kids. Some of these have been really good, others not so much. So where does this film fall on that spectrum? Read our review to find out.

Atlas Shrugged: Part 1 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The movie arrived, but I decided to go Galt and not review it. I'm kidding. It arrived at 3:00 p.m. on Monday afternoon, so I wasn't able to get to it for this week. I have three late arrivals ahead of it, but I might get to the review before the weekend.

Note: These DVDs made their home market debut on the 25th of October.

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes - Buy from Amazon:Volume Three and Volume Four
The first season of the latest Marvel comic cartoon comes to a close, but can it live up to the first half? Check out our review for my opinion.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Absence of Malice, Alleged, Blue Velvet, The Collector, Dragon Ball Z - Level 1.1, Executive Decision, Fanny and Alexander (The Criterion Collection), The Fisher King, Frankenhooker, Little Big Man, Mortal Kombat: Legacy, Mutiny on the Bounty, One Eyed Jacks, Page Eight, The River Why, To Die For, and "Weird Al" Yankovic: Alpocalypse
There is a wide selection of of Blu-rays coming out this week from award-worthy releases, to films like Frankenhooker. There are a few here I might get to review, including Little Big Man, which I'm very interested in seeing again. It's been many, many years since I saw it last.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Bolt, Chicken Little, G-Force, and Meet the Robinsons
Disney is really pushing 3-D. At the moment, I would say they are the biggest studio when it comes to getting 3-D at home. It's growing fast enough that I'm tempted to make the leap before Christmas.

The Cannonball Run - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
There are not many people who think this movie is award-worthy, but it is a guilty pleasure for many. I felt this way about the film when I first saw it, but that was a long time ago. It is still entertaining? And is the Blu-ray worth picking up? Read our review to find out.

Note: This Blu-ray made its home market debut on the 25th of October.

Captain America: The First Avenger - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
The last of the individual Avenger movies came out on Blu-ray / DVD a couple weeks ago, but the screener arrived late. Will this film get fans even more excited for next years release? Or is comic book overload setting in? Check out our review to find out.

Case Histories: Season One - Buy from Amazon
The series stars Jason Isaacs, who is best known here as Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter series. I don't think it's a coincidence the two shows are coming out on the same week. In this BBC series, he plays a former soldier turned cop turned private investigator. It's a very crowded genre, but the show has earned high praise, as did the novels it is based on.

The Change-Up - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
This is the biggest release coming out on Tuesday, and I don't think it's unfair to call it a box office disappointment. The reviews were just as bad as its ticket sales. Unless you are a hardcore fan of the two leads, it's best to leave this one alone.

Christmas Releases - Buy from Amazon: Babar and Father Christmas, Barbie: A Perfect Christmas, Beethoven's Christmas Adventure, and Christmas Mail
Now that we are getting closer to Christmas, the number and quality of Christmas releases seems to have been cut dramatically.

Complete Series Megasets - Buy from Amazon: Band of Brothers / The Pacific, Band of Brothers / The Pacific (Blu-ray), Clannad, Law and Order, and Mr. Magoo
Some really nice complete series Megasets this week, including Law & Order, which costs $451. That's a lot, but the show lasted two decades, so the price-per-minute is very reasonable.

Darker Than Black: Gemini of the Meteor - Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack - Buy from Amazon
A TV on DVD release that includes both the DVD and the Blu-ray versions. That's quite rare. It is also quite rare for Anime to place in the top 20, even on Amazon.com.

Destroy All Monsters - DVD or Blu-ray
This installment of the Godzilla series features nearly a dozen monsters doing battle in nearly half a dozen cities worldwide. If you are a fan of the genre, then this film is a must have. That said, the Blu-ray costs way too much compared to the DVD, which is disappointing.

Doctor Who: Season Six, Part Two - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
There was a rumor recently that Matt Smith was leaving the show. There was also rumors last year to the same effect. I wonder if this will become an annual event. Regardless, the show's revival has been amazing no matter who has played the doctor. Fans of the franchise will absolutely want to own the second half of the sixth season, while the Blu-ray only costs $3 more, so it is clearly the better deal. Also coming out this week is Doctor Who: Story 58: Colony in Space. It's below average for Doctor Who, so unless you are a fan of John Pertwee or a completist, it might be wise to save your money for other releases.

Gia - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
This TV movie earned Angelina Jolie an Emmy nomination, a SAG nomination and a Golden Globe win. Was her performance really worth the accolades? And is the Blu-ray worth picking up? Check out our review for my opinion.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray, or Blu-ray Combo Pack
One of the best movies of the year and certainly one that is worth adding to your collection. However, I'm not happy with the studio's decision to only have it available for a limited time as some cheap marketing gimmick. Also, there is already word of a gift set coming out next year that will have a lot more extras than the current complete collections on DVD or Blu-ray.

Note: This Blu-ray made its home market debut on the 25th of October.

Jurassic Park: Ultimate Trilogy - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Box Set, Blu-ray Gift Set
The first film was critically acclaimed. The second film broke box office records. And the third was, well, it just was. A couple weeks ago the franchise made its debut on Blu-ray about a year after its last theatrical release. Have the movies aged well? And is there enough bang for the buck? Read our review for my opinion.

LeapFrog: Scout and Friends: Phonics Farm - Buy from Amazon
The latest LeapFrog releases focuses on Scout the Puppy, the new and very popular character. What does Scout and Friends try to teach on this DVD? And is it good value for the money? Read our review to find out.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Space Adventure - Buy from Amazon
I could be getting this DVD shortly. I have reviewed several releases from the series in the past and they are quite entertaining for shows aimed at preschoolers.

Professor Layton and The Eternal Diva - Buy from Amazon
A movie based on a puzzle game. Most puzzle games don't really have a plot, so an adaptation would be a really bad idea. However, this film has earned mostly good reviews and fans of the game or of Anime in general should check it out.

Puppet Master Double-Shot - Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter / Curse of Puppet Master - Buy from Amazon
This franchise started more than 20 years ago, but like many direct-to-DVD franchises, it's had its ups and downs. Okay, it has had more downs than ups. But are these two films high points? Check out our review to find out.

Rickey Smiley: "Open Casket Sharp" - Buy from Amazon
Just a quick note that I might be getting this DVD to review. I'm not familiar with his stand-up, so I really should wait till it arrives.

Rush: Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This band formed in 1968. They have been recording albums since before I was born. They continue to earn accolades and entertain fans. If you are a fan of the band, then this release is absolutely worth picking up. If not, give it a rental and you might become a fan.

The Sleeping Beauty - Buy from Amazon
This is the French movie by Catherine Breillat and not the upcoming similarly named film starring Emily Browning. This one earned excellent reviews and if you are a fan of Catherine Breillat, or of French cinema in general, it's worth picking up.

Tim Tebow: Everything In Between - Buy from Amazon
Why is a first-year QB with a sub-80 rating the focus of a DVD?


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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, The Cannonball Run, Executive Decision, The Fisher King, Absence of Malice, Little Big Man, To Die For, Mutiny on The Bounty, Blue Velvet, Fanny och Alexander, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, Atlas Shrugged: Part 1, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D, 13, The Change-Up, The River Why, La belle endormie