DVD and Blu-ray Releases for October 8th, 2013

October 8, 2013

There are a couple first-run releases on this week's list: After Earth and The Hangover: Part III. However, neither film won over critics and both bombed in theaters, when compared to their production budgets. That said, The Hangover: Part III will likely be the best selling release of the week. As for the best new release, including a number where I'm still waiting for the screener. Ignoring those, the two best are Robot Chicken: Season Six on DVD or Blu-ray and Much Ado About Nothing on DVD or Blu-ray. Both are must haves, but I'm going with the latter over the former for Pick of the Week.

90210: The Fifth Season - Buy from Amazon
I didn't like the original show. I didn't like the remake. And if you look at the ratings, not very many people did like it.

After Earth - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
This is a terrible movie and a lot of that has to do with Jaden Smith, who does not have the charisma to carry a movie by himself. Just skip it.

Ain't in It for My Health - Buy from Amazon
A documentary about Rock'n'Roll Hall of Famer, Levon Helm, and his recording of his first album in 25 years. The film earned outstanding reviews, so I'm hoping it will find an audience on the home market.

American Horror Story: Asylum - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I'm still waiting for the screener for this TV series, and it is a series, not a mini-series, no matter what the Emmys say. I liked the first season, so I hope season two is just as good.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This 3-disc set includes both parts of the movie, plus a 70-minute documentary on the original comic book. It looks like this could be the source material for the upcoming Superman / Batman movie, so it might be worth checking out for that reason alone. On the other hand, it is a double-dip and even with the documentary, I don't think it is worth it.

Note: This DVD made its home market debut on the 1st.

Beauty & the Beast: The First Season - Buy from Amazon
One of several screeners that arrived late last week. I got through most of them, but still a lot of late reviews to get through. Was this one of the better TV on DVD releases I reviewed this week? Or would I have rather avoided it all together? Read our review to find out.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Airplane-II, Billy Rose's Jumbo, Corruption, The Exorcist: 40th Anniversary, Fantastic Voyage, I Married a Witch (Criterion Collection), Internal Affairs, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Monty Python's The Meaning of Life 30th Anniversary Edition, Shout at the Devil, Stalag 17, Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Original Trilogy, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and We Without Wings
There are quite a few secondary Blu-ray releases this week, including a lot of Sci-fi films.

Bones: The Complete Eighth Season - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I'm still waiting for the screener for this TV on DVD release. I do like the show, but I'm not sure if it is still going strong after eight seasons.

Christmas Releases - Buy from Amazon: The Christmas Toy, Emmett Otter's Jug-band Christmas, Horses of McBride, Lifetime 12 Films of Christmas, Merry Christmas Splat & More Winter Stories, Power Rangers Super Samurai a Christmas Wish, The Swan Princess Christmas, and Thomas & Friends: Santas Little Engine
There are quite a few Christmas releases on this week's list, but none of them are prime releases. The only one I'm interested in is Emmett Otter's Jug-band Christmas, but I'm a big Jim Henson fan.

Curse of Chucky - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
The latest, and possibly last installment in the Child's Play franchise. Its reviews are better than expected and there are more extras that most direct-to-DVD releases have on the DVD and even some exclusives on the Blu-ray. There is also a franchise box set coming out this week on DVD and Blu-ray.

Doctor Who - Buy from Amazon: Story 80: Terror of the Zygons
This story is well-liked by most of the fans of the franchise and, as usual, there are lots of extras. On a side note, apparently some lost episodes were found in Ethiopia, but details on what episodes were found has not been released. Since there are 106 episodes still missing, any new ones would be a boon for fans. There are several stories that are only missing one or two episodes, so we might have some new complete stories, once all of the findings are announced.

Europa Report - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A low-budget sci-fi horror film that earned good reviews, but unfortunately couldn't find an audience in theaters. There are not a lot of extras on the DVD or the Blu-ray, but if you are a fan of the genre, it is certainly worth picking up.

The Guild: Season Six - Buy from Amazon: Buy from Amazon
I love this show and I'm sad to see it end, but I'm not picking up this season, because I want to wait for it to come out on Blu-ray. There is a Megaset box set coming out in DVD, but not Blu-ray, and I would like this on high definition.

The Hangover III - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
If you have seen the first movie, stick with the first movie. This one is much, much worse than the original movie was.

Home Run - Buy from Amazon
A faith-based film about baseball and alcoholism. Its reviews were only mixed, and while it started out well, it collapsed during its second weekend of release.

Note: This DVD made its home market debut on the 1st.

How I Met Your Mother: Season Eight - Buy from Amazon
This screener arrived a day late, but I got to the review last week. Is the show still as good as it was in the beginning, or is it as weak as the last season I reviewed? Check out our review to find out.

The Lifeguard - Buy from Amazon
I really like Kristen Bell, but she really needs to pick better movies. This one earned terrible reviews and went nowhere at the box office. I just hope the Veronica Mars movie rocks and she gets better roles in the future.

Marvel's Avengers Assemble: Assembly Required - Buy from Amazon
Bad show, bad DVD. This cartoon is much weaker than the previous Avengers cartoon in most regards. It looks better, but that's it. Also, the price-per-minute is way too high. Skip it.

The Middle: The Complete Third Season - Buy from Amazon
A pretty standard family sitcom. I was never able get into it. By this time next year, it will be in syndication, so clearly there are enough fans out there for it to last this long.

Monster High: 13 Wishes - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
This DVD is selling extremely well according to Amazon.com. It is not the first in the Monster High franchise, and some of the previous ones have been big sellers, at least compared to the genre on average. There are not a lot of extras on the DVD or the Blu-ray, but it is definitely worth picking up if you have kids in the right age group.

Much Ado About Nothing - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I would have loved a chance to review this film, but that's likely not going to happen. The reviews were amazing and the film did very well in limited release earning more than $4 million at the box office. Extras include a couple audio commentary tracks, two featurettes, and a music video. It is easily worth picking up. In fact, it is a contender for Pick of the Week.

Note: This DVD made its home market debut on the 17th of September.

Nashville: Season One - Buy from Amazon
A drama set in Nashville that focuses on country music, family relations, and more. It struggled in the ratings, but does it deserve to find a larger audience? Check out our review for my opinion.

Naruto Shippuden Uncut Set 16 - Buy from Amazon
I usually don't mention Anime releases, but this one is pretty high on the sales chart according to Amazon.com.

Psych: The Complete Seventh Season - Buy from Amazon
There are way too many police procedurals on TV, but this one was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the upcoming eighth season is the final season for the show. If you have been keeping up with the show, it is worth picking up while you wait for the end. If you haven't seen the show yet, check it out.

The Purge - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
This film has an interesting premise, but the execution was weak. The only extra is a making of featurette, which is not a enough to lift it past the rental level.

Robot Chicken: Season Six - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
It has been a while since I've seen an episode of this show, but I loved the first few seasons, so I jumped at the chance to see it again. Is it as good as I remembered? Is it better? Read our review to find out.

Shiver - Buy from Amazon
Danielle Harris stars as a victim of a serial killer who escapes. Since she is the first to escape his grasp, he is determined to catch her again. There are almost no reviews, but I'm kind of interested, because I like Danielle Harris. It also has Lisa Foiles, and she's a very funny lady, who does a lot of video game related stuff.

The Six Million Dollar Man: Season 4 - Buy from Amazon
I used to love this show as a kid, but I'm not sure it has aged well.

Super Friends: Legacy of Super Powers - Season 6 - Buy from Amazon
D.C. Comics does have a surplus of great cartoons. Too bad they can't seem to get these characters to work on the big screen.

Transformers Prime: Predacons Rising - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
I'm still waiting for this screener to arrive. I liked Transformers Prime, so I'm hoping this is also a good show.

TV on DVD Full Series Megasets - Buy from Amazon: Aaahh!!! Real Monsters: The Complete Series, The Avengers: The Complete Emma Peel Megaset, and The Guild
Technically there is only one Complete Series TV on DVD Megaset this week. The Emma Peel collection is just part of The Avengers, while The Guild is a Webseries. On the other hand, all three are worth owning, assuming you don't have a previous edition of the Emma Peel set.

White Collar: Season Four - Buy from Amazon
I'm still waiting for the screener for this TV on DVD release. I loved the first three seasons, so I hope season four is just as good.

WWE: Goldberg - The Ultimate Collection - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
As I always say, I don't know enough about the WWE to talk about it, but it sells well enough that I always feel the need to mention it.

Zombie Hunter - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I like Danny Trejo, but perhaps he needs to be a little more selective in his choice of films.


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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, After Earth, The Hangover 3, Ain't in It for My Health: A Film About Levon Helm, The Purge, Much Ado About Nothing, Home Run, Europa Report, The Lifeguard, Curse of Chucky, Child's Play, Kristen Bell, Danielle Harris, Jim Henson, Jaden Smith, Danny Trejo