DVD and Blu-ray Releases for June 21st, 2011
June 21, 2011
It's another busy week for DVD / Blu-ray with four first-run releases coming out this week. Five if you include Cedar Rapids, which was had surprisingly brisk ticket sales in limited release. Cedar Rapids is also the only one of the big releases that I would consider for Pick of the Week honors. Despite the number of wide releases on this week's list, I'm going with an unorthodox choice for Pick of the Week, "Weird Al" Yankovic - Alpocalypse, but Louie: Season One on Blu-ray earns an honorable mention.
The Adjustment Bureau - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack
Agatha Christie's Marple: The Pale Horse - Buy from Amazon
Big Momma's: Like Father Like Son - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Bleach: Uncut Box Set 9 - Buy from Amazon
Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: The Adjustment Bureau, Agatha Christie's Marple: Complete Series 5, Cedar Rapids, Ceremony, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, The Eagle, Eurovision Song Contest Dusseldorf 2011, Ghost in the Shell: Individual Eleven, Ghost in the Shell: Laughing Man, Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society, Happythankyoumoreplease, The Island, The Killing Machine, Kiss Me Deadly (Criterion Collection), Louie: Season One, The Medallion, Mega Python vs. Gatoroid, The Romantic Englishwoman, Unknown (Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack), Unknown, and You Got Served: Beat the World
Boondock Saints: Truth and Justice Edition - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
Closer: Season Six - Buy from Amazon
The Eagle - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Elektra Luxx - Buy from Amazon
Happythankyoumoreplease - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders - Buy from Amazon
Medium: The Seventh and Final Season - Buy from Amazon
Mega Python vs. Gatoroid - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Mister T: The Complete First Season - Buy from Amazon
Orgasm, Inc. - Buy from Amazon: DVD: Alternate Cover or Theatrical Cover
The Other Woman - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Rocko's Modern Life: Season 1 - Buy from Amazon
Roger Corman's Cult Classics Triple Feature: Big Doll House, Women In Cages, The Big Bird - Buy from Amazon
Squidbillies: Volume Four - Buy from Amazon
Unknown - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack
"Weird Al" Yankovic: Alpocalypse - Buy from Amazon: CD or CD / DVD Combo Pack
William & Kate - Buy from Amazon
You Got Served: Beat The World - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Matt Damon and Emily Blunt star as two people trying to fight the forces of fate, literally. It's actually a rather complicated story involving angels, destiny, and magic hats, and it works, for the most part. Extras on the DVD include an audio commentary track, deleted scenes, and a trio of short featurettes. The Blu-ray has an interactive map of New York City, plus its BD-Live enabled. Its worth picking up, while the Blu-ray is the better value.
Even fans of this show who are used to paying higher price-per-minute for TV on DVD imports will not be impressed with this release, as it is being sold as a TV movie with a price that is high for a first run release. Call it a rental and hope for a future box set. Or if you've upgraded to Blu-ray, grab Agatha Christie's Marple: Complete Series 5.
After sitting on a studio shelf for nearly a decade, this film is clearly getting a release thanks to Bradley Cooper's rising star. However, is the film an undiscovered gem? Or will those who check it out because he's on the cover regret that decision? Read our review to find out.
The passing of the cross-dressing torch from father to son. Is it a touching movie? Or a big mistake? Check out our review for my opinion.
Teenage artists looking for their big break is practically a genre all on its own now. Big Time Rush is just one of a handful of such shows, but can it stand out against the competition, in a good way? Read our review to find out.
This is an amazingly popular series on the home market, especially for anime. It's one of the shows I've always wanted to start checking out, but with more than 150 episodes on DVD already, I simply wouldn't have enough time to start.
While there are more first-run releases on this week's list of Blu-ray releases, none of them strike me as films that will be able to move a lot of Blu-ray units. That's not to say there are none that are worth picking up, but I think it will be a typically slow summer week for Blu-ray. As for those that are worth picking up, Cedar Rapids and Louie: Season One are your best bets.
One of the biggest cult classics, at least when you compare its success on the home market as a ratio of its box office numbers. But is the latest Blu-ray release a better value that the previous one? Read our review for my opinion.
It's not common for a limited release to crack $5 million at the box office, especially one that opened in February. However, that's just what this film managed. Does it deserve to find an even bigger audience on the home market? Read our review to find out.
This film earned weak reviews and barely made any noise at the box office. Was this a fair result? Or did it deserve better? Check out our review for my opinion.
Kyra Sedgwick leads an impressive cast in this police procedural. There are a lot of shows that are in this sub-genre, plus there's not a lot that makes this one stand apart, other than the quality. Granted, for most the quality will be enough to pick it up.
I thought the first film was good, for a kids film, but will the sequel live up to its predecessor? Read our review to find out.
Of the four wide releases coming out on the home market this week, this one earned the weakest reviews and did the worst at the box office. It is not a very good movie, but it probably deserved to sell more movie tickets. The DVD only has an audio commentary track, a deleted / alternative scene and a making of featurette. The Blu-ray is BD-Live enabled but there's nothing exclusive. Call it a solid rental, possibly worth a purchase if you are a fan of the genre and / or the actors involved.
The first film earned terrible reviews and bombed at the box office. This film earned terrible reviews and also bombed at the box office. There's talk they will make the franchise into a trilogy. It must have a lot of fans on the home market.
This film couldn't live up to its buzz, neither at the box office, nor with critics. But was it a case of expecting too much? Won't know till the screener arrives.
Michael Bay's only box office bomb. But could it still be one of his better films, despite its inability to find an audience? Check out our review for my opinion.
A documentary about Doctors Without Borders, which is an amazingly important organization. The film wasn't able to find an audience theatrically, but hopefully that will change on the home market.
Making the transition from Stand-Up Comic to Sitcom Star is not always an easy one. Will Louis C.K.'s second attempt have a better chance of thriving than his first? Check out our review for my opinion.
I've reviewed this show in the past, but while I liked the initial premise, I thought it had jumped the shark a few seasons ago. Then again, if you've bought the first six seasons, it would seem strange to stop now.
The B-movie Creature Features lifted to the level of an art form. Even so, it does have a limited target audience.
If you are a child of the 1980s, this DVD might bring back a wave of nostalgia. Or it might make you ask, "What were we thinking about back then?" I'm in the latter category.
Nick Jr Favorites has two TV on DVD releases this week, the first is Summer Vacation while the second is Big Box of Play Dates 2, which includes Summer Vacation. Are either of these worth picking up? If so, which is the better deal? Read our review to find out.
A documentary about female sexuality and how it is being turned into a market for the pharmaceutical industry. I'm still waiting on the screener for this film, but while I'm waiting, it is worth noting that at the moment on Amazon.com, the toned down alternative cover is cheaper than the theatrical cover.
The third Natalie Portman film I've reviewed, this year. It's unfair to expect it to be as good as Black Swan, but can it live up to No Strings Attrached? Check out our review to find out.
I love this show and I can't wait till the screener arrives. However, I might have to wait for the Full Series Megaset to come out.
Women in Prison exploitation films were amazingly popular with drive-in theaters back in the 1970s, and Roger Corman made plenty of them. Will these three films be classics of the genre, or cheap knock-offs of better films? Won't know till the screener arrives.
I never got into this show. It's too strange, even for me.
Liam Neeson stars in this thriller centered on a man who wakes up from a car accident only to learn his wife is living with another man, who claims to be him. The film's reviews are better than average, but not great. Its box office numbers were also better than most, but it was still just a midlevel hit. However, it still would have been worth picking up, had the extras not been so weak. The DVD just has a couple short featurettes, while the Blu-ray has nothing exclusive. Call it a solid rental, perhaps worth picking up if you are a fan of the genre and / or cast.
This is not technically a DVD, but since it's "Weird Al" Yankovic's first studio album in five years, it is worth mentioning on this list. It's absolutely worth picking up, and if my word isn't enough to convince you, check out his latest music video.
Why? Why do people here care about this? I can see why the British might give a single damn about this marriage, after all, their tax dollars helped pay for it. But I don't see why anyone else would.
What? No.
Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, The Island, The Medallion, The Boondock Saints, Kiss Me Deadly, The Eagle, The Adjustment Bureau, Cedar Rapids, Black Swan, Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son, Ceremony, Unknown, Happythankyoumoreplease, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Bending All the Rules, The Other Woman, Orgasm Inc., Elektra Luxx, You Got Served: Beat The World