DVD and Blu-ray Releases for May 14th, 2013

May 13, 2013

There are not a lot of new releases on the home market this week, and there are very few that are prime releases. The best-selling release is Dexter: Season Seven on Blu-ray, which is worth picking up, but the lack of extras prevents it from being the Pick of the Week. For that I'm going with a lesser known title, The Unbelievable Truth, which is coming out on DVD and Blu-ray this week.

Beware of Mr. Baker - Buy from Amazon
A documentary about Ginger Baker, the drummer from Cream and a certified crazy Rock 'n' Roller. The reviews are nearly perfect and it got off to a great start in limited release. However, like most documentaries, it wasn't able to expand significantly. Fans of rockumentaries, biographies, or documentaries in general should pick it up.

The Bletchley Circle: Cracking a Killer's Code - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Four women who worked at Bletchley Park cracking codes in World War II reunited to help stop a serial killer. The series earned good reviews and the DVD and Blu-ray have nearly half an hour of interviews as bonus features. Worth picking up.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: 3:10 to Yuma (Criterion Collection), Back to 1942, Brave New World, Colorful: The Motion Picture, Crimewave, Escape, Ghostbusters (Mastered in 4K), JFK - A New World Order, Jubal (Criterion Collection), The Miracle of the Bells, Tiger & Bunny, Set 2, Tinman: The Mini-Series Event, and Tomorrow You're Gone
There are quite a few secondary Blu-ray releases, even more if you include the 4k Remasters and the double-shots I passed over.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Texas Chainsaw 3D, Touch of Love, and World's Nature: Europe's most beautiful Places
Three 3D releases this week, one first run release, one edutainment release, and one porno. The only one I'm interested in is the edutainment release.

Cloud Atlas - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
This was an expensive and ambitious film, but its reviews were only good, not great, while it wasn't able to find a sizable audience in theaters. Extras are very limited on the DVD, but the Blu-ray does have a lot of little featurettes. The movie is worth checking out and the Blu-ray is worth picking up, but it isn't quite a Pick of the Week contender.

Dance Academy - Buy from Amazon: Season One, Volume One, Season One, Volume Two, Season Two, Volume One, and Season Two, Volume Two
An Australian show that airs on TeenNICK. The show has become very popular and the first two seasons are coming out on DVD this week while its third season is currently in production.

Dexter: Season Seven - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Most agree Dexter is no longer at its peak in terms of quality; however, has it fallen so far that it is no longer worth watching? And is the DVD or the Blu-ray worth picking up? Read our review for my opinion.

Note: This DVD made its home market debut on the 7th.

Doc McStuffins: Time for Your Checkup - Buy from Amazon
The DVD arrived just a little late, but I was able to get to the review over the weekend. How does it compare to other shows aimed at the same target demographic? Read our review for my opinion.

Doctor Who - Buy from Amazon: Episode 119: The Visitation
Not the best Doctor Who episode, but it gets a new remastered release with additional extras.

Fraggle Rock - Buy from Amazon: Meet the Fraggles and 30th Anniversary Collection
I loved this show as a kid and I've reviewed a couple of DVDs more recently and it holds up. The price here is a little high, but there's a lot of entertainment here.

Frankie Go Boom - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film has a great cast, but only earned mixed reviews and really went nowhere at the box office. Extras include a making of featurette, behind-the-scenes featurette, and some deleted / alternative scenes. It's enough for a rental, but I think that's it.

Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film had a lot of buzz going into its limited release, but the reviews were terrible and it bombed at the box office. It has better than expected extras (an audio commentary track and two featurettes) but that's not enough to lift it to a rental.

A Good Day to Die Hard - Buy from Amazon: Video on Demand
Just a quick note that the Blu-ray should arrive ahead of its June 4th release. This week you can watch the film the home market through Video on Demand.

Liz & Dick Buy from Amazon
I'm still waiting for this screener. I've heard some reports that it is good, some that it is bad, and many that it is so bad it's good. Can't wait to see it to tell which side I'm on.

Note: This DVD made its home market debut on the 30th of April.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: Princess Twilight Sparkle - Buy from Amazon
For a long, long time, is was assumed little girls didn't want conflict in their entertainment. They wanted their main characters to overcome any problems they had, what little those were, with sharing and caring. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is a show that has real conflict in it, sometimes life and death conflict. Does this help it rise above the usual offerings aimed at girls? And does the show have enough crossover appeal that others will want to pick it up? Check out our review for my opinion.

By a strange coincidence, I got the screener for this release the same week Season Two comes out. The full season set is the better deal.

MythBusters: Collection 9 - Buy from Amazon
This show has been on the air for more than a decade, but it is still going strong. The price-per-minute is a little high compared to other TV on DVD releases, but they are still worth picking up.

Note: This DVD made its home market debut on the 13th.

Nickelodeon Favorites: Once Upon a Rhyme - Buy from Amazon
The latest Nickelodeon Favorites DVD is focused on a Fairytales. What episodes are on this DVD and is it worth picking up? Read our review to find out.

Roseanne - Buy from Amazon: Season Nine or Complete Series
Fans of the show, and there are many of them, will be able to complete their DVD collections this week. They can do this either by picking up the ninth and final season, or by grabbing the complete series Megaset. That Megaset is a huge bargain. It's barely more than $5 more per season.

Texas Chainsaw 3D - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Horror remakes have gotten a bad rap lately. Does this film rise above the average? Or is it further evidence Hollywood should avoid making these in the future? Check out our review for my opinion.

Top Gear 19 - Buy from Amazon
This release is doing quite well according to Amazon.com, which is a sign it is a slow week.

TV on DVD Full Series Megasets - Buy from Amazon: 3rd Rock From the Sun, Bearcats!, Fraggle Rock, Roseanne, and That 70s Show
Isn't it a little strange that there are so many TV on DVD full series Megasets coming out at this time of year? Regardless, Fraggle Rock is the one I'm most interested in getting.

The Unbelievable Truth - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Adrienne Shelly stars and Hal Harley directs. The film is mostly unknown, but a lot of those who have seen it love it. The DVD and Blu-ray have a making of featurette and a short film. It is certainly worth picking up, maybe even a contender for Pick of the Week.

WWE: WrestleMania XXIX - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I have really nothing to say about this release. I haven't watched professional wrestling in decades and know nearly nothing about the WWE, outside of the handful of their wrestlers that have made the leap to mainstream acting. That said, these DVD / Blu-rays tend to be popular, so they are worth mentioning.


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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Cloud Atlas, A Good Day to Die Hard, Texas Chainsaw 3D, 3, 2, 1... Frankie Go Boom, A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, Beware of Mr. Baker, Hal Hartley, Adrienne Shelly