DVD and Blu-ray Releases for July 17th, 2012

July 17, 2012

It's broken record time. As is usual for this time of year, it is a slow week on the home market. There are two first run releases coming out, Lockout and The Three Stooges, but neither film was a box office hit. On the other hand, there are a number of catalogue titles (Singin' In the Rain); limited releases (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen); and TV on DVD releases (Sanctuary: The Complete Fourth Season). All three of those releases are contenders for Pick of the Week, but in the end I went with Leverage: Season Four.

4:44 Last Day on Earth - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Written and directed by Abel Ferrara. He has made some great films, but this one is just mediocre. Perhaps fans of the two leads, Willem Dafoe and Shanyn Leigh, might want to give it a rental.

Alphas: Season One - Buy from Amazon
David Strathairn stars as the head of an organization that identifies and helps Alphas, people with superhuman abilities. They also use Alphas to investigate crimes committed by dangerous alphas. The show got off to a great start in terms of ratings; however, it fell rather fast and there were rumors it was canceled. Fortunately for fans, that wasn't the case. However, if the DVD doesn't sell well, the first season could be its last.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Blood Beast Terror, Burke & Hare, The Butterfly Effect, Camelot, Down by Law (The Criterion Collection), The Fairy, Fractale: The Complete Series, Hard to Kill, High Noon: 60th Anniversary Edition, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Just Cause, Mean Streets, Murder in the First, Next of Kin, A Perfect Murder, and The Turin Horse
An excellent selection of secondary Blu-ray releases, includes several classics. High Noon, Mean Streets, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and others are worth picking up.

Bonanza: Season Three - Buy from Amazon
Great show, but I'm not happy with the way they are releasing the DVDs. Firstly, they are expensive, even given the show's longer running time and more episodes per season. Secondly, they are taking way too long between seasons. It lasted 14 seasons. At this pace, by the time all the seasons are released, Blu-rays will be obsolete.

Casa de mi Padre - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Will Ferrell stars in a Mexican soap opera. The main joke is that in real life, he's American and doesn't speak Spanish. Some critics complained that was the only joke. The overall reviews were only mixed, but I won't know which side I'm on till the screener arrives.

Crosby, Stills, & Nash: 2012 - Buy from Amazon
Their first concert film in 20 years. That alone is enough to make it a must have for fans and the few reviews I've seen are mostly positive.

Note: This Blu-ray made its home market debut on the 10th.

Darkness - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
This film was a midlevel hit, if you are generous with that definition. It made a profit, but mostly because it was really cheap to make and market. Did it deserve to make more money? Or was it lucky to not cost the studio anything? Check out our review to find out.

Designing Women: The Final Season - Buy from Amazon
By the final season, this show was a mess. The behind-the-scenes / cast changes were getting more press than the show. For completists only.

Dirty Pretty Things - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
I remember quite a bit of pre-release buzz for this film, especially compared to the average limited release. However, it wasn't able to live up to expectations at the box office. Did it deserve a better fate? Check out our review to find out.

Doomsday Prophecy - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Typical SyFy movie of the week, which is not a compliment. The only reason I'm mentioning it is its star: Jewel Staite.

Eureka: Season Five - Buy from Amazon
This show is coming to a close, which is a shame, as it is still great. There are no audio commentaries on the DVD, but there are plenty of other extras, include deleted scenes, outtakes, retrospective, behind-the-scenes featurettes, a song, and more. Absolutely worth checking out and a contender for Pick of the Week.

Extraterrestrial - Buy from Amazon
A man and a woman have a drunken one-night stand and when her boyfriend comes home, they panic. However, he's more concerned about the UFO in the sky, so much so that he doesn't even realize they were having an affair. (It's easy to fast talk someone when there is an alien invasion going on.) The reviews were good, but not great, and it couldn't find an audience in limited release. It should do better on the home market.

Friends with Kids - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
An incredible ensemble cast helped this non-standard relationship romantic comedy earn a lot of buzz. But while it did well for a limited release, it wasn't able to expand truly wide. Should it do better on the home market? Read our review for my opinion.

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood: Complete Collection Two - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
One of the most popular Anime series in this market. Both the DVD and the Blu-ray are battling for a spot on the top 30 new releases for the week.

Get the Gringo - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Mel Gibson used to be the biggest box office draw around. Now he's starring in Video-on-Demand Premieres. Ouch. The reviews are really good, so it is likely that he is still toxic, which is why no studio wanted to give the movie a wide release. There are only two featurettes on the DVD / Blu-ray, which is weak. But if you are a fan, it is a solid rental / leaning toward a purchase.

Girls Gone Dead - Buy from Amazon
I might get a screener for this film. I have low expectations, but maybe it will be a fun, "Boobs and Blood" horror / comedy.

Note: This Blu-ray made its home market debut on the 10th.

Impostor - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
This film originally started as one short in a three-film anthology, but when that project fell apart, it was expanded into a feature-length film. Was that a mistake? Check out our review to find out.

The Inbetweeners: The Complete Series - Buy from Amazon
I might get a screener for this TV show. I have heard good things about this movie, so I am looking forward to seeing it.

Intruders - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I liked the premise of this film, but didn't have high hopes at the box office. It is the wrong genre for limited release and it was opening in too many theaters. Also, the reviews were weak, but not as weak as the film's box office run. The only extras on the DVD and Blu-ray are some featurettes, about 30 minutes of them. If you are a fan of the genre, it is worth a rental, but that's it.

Note: This Blu-ray made its home market debut on the 5th of June.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 3-D Combo Pack
I wasn't expecting a lot from this film when it was released in theaters. After all, there are very few sequels without their original stars that do as well at the box office. However, this one topped its original. Is it also better than the original? Or at the very least worth watching? Read our review for my opinion.

Leverage: Season Four - Buy from Amazon
I love con artist shows. I love heist movies. A show like Leverage combines those two elements in a way that I love even more. However, after four seasons, there's a chance the show has jumped the shark. Is that the case here? Or is it still worth picking up? Read our review to find out.

Lockout - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A Sci-fi action film set in a prison colony in space. It earned weak reviews with many critics saying it borrowed too heavily from other, better films. Additionally, there are only two featurettes on the DVD / Blu-ray, so unless you are a fan of the genre and / or the cast, there are better options out there.

O (Othello) - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
This film was made in 1999 but wasn't released till 2001 and in those years two other modern adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays came out. How does this one compare to those others? And is the Blu-ray worth picking up? Read our review for my opinion.

Ozzy Osbourne: Speak of the Devil - Buy from Amazon
After the death of guitarist Randy Rhoads, Ozzy's tour was canceled but later in the year he came back with this performance. This makes this DVD important in an historical sense, but it is also just a great show. Worth picking up if you are a fan.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Just a quick note that this screener is now late, but I hope to get to it A.S.A.P.

Sanctuary: The Complete Fourth Season - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I'm still waiting for the screener for this TV show, but I love the previous season, so without even seeing it, it is at least a contender for Pick of the Week.

Singin' In the Rain: 60th Anniversary Edition - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon: Regular or Ultimate Collector's Edition
According to Amazon.com, this is the best-selling new release of the week. Granted, it is an absolute classic, but it is still a catalogue title, so finishing in first place would be a surprise, even during a slow week. The regular Blu-ray is loaded with extras and is a contender for Pick of the Week, while the Ultimate Collector's Edition costs $75, even after Amazon.com's discount. That's too much for a recommendation.

The Three Stooges - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
When I first heard about this movie, I thought it was going to be a biopic about the comedy troupe. Then I heard it was going to be a reboot of sorts and my expectations plummeted. When I saw the cast and watched the first trailer, my expectations fell even further. I figured the film had a better chance of earning a single-digit Tomatometer Score than it would be to earn overall positive reviews. It came closer to the high end than the low end with 51% positive review. Extras include a few featurettes, deleted scenes, screen tests, etc. It's worth picking up, which is something I didn't think I would say.

Note: This DVD made its home market debut on the 5th of June.

White Collar: Season Three - Buy from Amazon: Buy from Amazon
One of two releases on this week's list that is more than a month late. (In my defense, it arrived more than a month late.) It is also one of two TV on DVD releases on this week's list that combined con artist and heist elements. The other, Leverage, was named Pick of the Week, was this one at least a contender? Check out our review to find out.

WWE: No Way Out 2012 - Buy from Amazon
I'm not a fan of the WWE, or any professional wrestling, but there's no denying the number of DVDs they sell.


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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, A Perfect Murder, The Butterfly Effect, Hard To Kill, Just Cause, Camelot, Darkness, Murder in the First, O (Othello), Next of Kin, Dirty Pretty Things, High Noon, Impostor, Singin' in the Rain, Down by Law, Mean Streets, Casa de mi Padre, The Three Stooges, Lockout, Intruders, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Friends with Kids, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, 4:44 Last Day on Earth, La fee, A Torinoi lo, Get the Gringo, Extraterrestre, The Blood Beast Terror