DVD and Blu-ray Releases for February 14th, 2012

February 14, 2012

It's a really slow week at the box office with only one first run release, The Rum Diary, and it bombed in theaters. Paranormal Activity 3 is coming out on DVD this week, but it came out on Blu-ray a few weeks ago, so it is not much of a factor in terms of sales this week. In fact, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 will likely lead the sales charts, despite coming out on Saturday. As for the best of the new releases, Take Shelter on DVD or Blu-ray is probably the best, but I'm still waiting for the screener to confirm that.

All Things Fall Apart - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson has been trying make it as a movie star, but so far it just hasn't worked out. With almost no reviews, there's little chance this film will change that.

American Teacher - Buy from Amazon
Matt Damon narrates this documentary about teachers. It earned good reviews, but not great reviews, and struggled at the box office. Hopefully it will find an audience on the home market.

Beavis and Butthead: Volume 4 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This show had a lot of fans when it first aired; however, that was a long time ago. Is the show still relevant today? Did they need to make changes? If so, does the show still work in its new format? Check out our review to find out.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: .hack//Quantum: Complete OVA Series, All Quiet on the Western Front Collector's Series, Boeing Boeing, Frontline: The Interrupters, The Geisha Boy, Nude Nuns with Big Guns, Ocean Heaven, The Perfect Weapon, Rock-A-Bye Baby, Three Outlaw Samurai (The Criterion Collection), Tiny Furniture (The Criterion Collection), and Urbanized
There's quite a good list of secondary Blu-ray releases on this week's list. The ones that stand out the most are the two Criterion Collection releases (Three Outlaw Samurai and Tiny Furniture) but All Quiet on the Western Front is also very intriguing. On the other hand, any movie called Nude Nuns with Big Guns almost demands your attention; however, I think its name is the only reason to pay attention.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: IMAX Triple Feature
Just the one 3D release this week, and it is edutainment, which usually means weak sales.

The Adventures Of Chuck And Friends: Friends To The Finish - Buy from Amazon
A preschool show based on a line of Tonka trucks. This is not a show that aims to educate like Dinosaur Train does, but is it at least entertaining in a way that doesn't feel like a toy commercial? Read our review for my opinion.

The Dead - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A zombie movie in the heart of Africa. The film earned good reviews, but there is an issue of zombie burn out. It takes a lot to stand out in this crowded genre. Extras include an audio commentary track, deleted scenes, and behind-the-scenes, which is enough to lift it to the purchase level.

The Debt - Buy from Amazon
The 2007 original from Israel that was remade last year. The remake is arguably better than the original, although if you really liked that one, this film is also worth checking out.

The Devil's Rock - Buy from Amazon
I might get a screener for this movie. It looks like Grindhouse exploitation, but early reviews are better than expected, so its appeal might extend beyond genre fans.

Dinosaur Train: Eggstravaganza - Buy from Amazon
Out of all of the preschool shows I review on a regular basis, this one is my favorite because I actually learn something about dinosaurs each time I watch it. So what topics are covered in this DVD? Read our review to find out.

Doctor Who - Buy from Amazon: Episode 7: The Sensorites, The Caves of Androzani (Special Edition), The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe (DVD), or The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe (Blu-ray)
Three Doctor Who stories are coming out on the home market this week, including one with the very first Doctor and one with the most recent one. All three are worth checking out. The earliest one is the weakest, but its age makes it important in the history of the show.

Dora the Explorer: Dora's Easter Adventure - Buy from Amazon
It is a little early for Easter, I think. Actually, now that I think about it, I have no idea when Easter is this year. Regardless, Dora the Explorer is getting a jump start on the holiday with this DVD release. So what episodes are on the DVD and are there any extras to boost the value? Check out our review to find out.

Dragon Age: Redemption - Buy from Amazon
Written by and starring Felica Day, who is one of the most popular actresses among the video game set. The series earned good reviews for the most part, but it is rather short at just 45 minutes long. Even adding in all of the extras, it is only 90 minutes long. On the other hand, it only costs $8.49 on Amazon.com, so it is hard to argue with the price.

Elite Squad: The Enemy Within - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film earned near perfect reviews, but was still unable to find an audience in limited release. Granted, foreign language films have additional hurdles to overcome while Brazilian movies don't have built in fanbases like French films do. However, it still deserved a lot more.

How to Die in Oregon - Buy from Amazon
It's dysentery, isn't it? No wait, that's how to die on the Oregon Trail. This film is a documentary about the death with dignity laws in Oregon. The film is earning perfect reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and it is worth picking up.

Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Even if you liked the first film, this one is likely worth avoiding.

Note: This DVD made its home market debut on the 23rd of November.

Inside Out - Buy from Amazon
A heist movie about hidden Nazi gold starring, among others, Telly Savalas. It's a lessor known film, but is it worth discovering now that it is out on DVD? Or is it best buried? Read our review for my opinion.

Jem And The Holograms: Season Two - Buy from Amazon
Don't buy this DVD, but grab the Complete Series Megaset instead.

The Lorax: Deluxe Edition - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
With Doctor Suess' The Lorax coming out in March, now's the best time to release the original cartoon on DVD and Blu-ray. The DVD and Blu-ray has a featurette on the environmental issues brought up in the story and two additional Dr. Suess shorts. Worth picking up.

Mama, I Want to Sing - Buy from Amazon
Ciara plays a gospel singer, who switches to the world of pop, but while her career thrives, her emotional life crumbles. There are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, so it's hard to tell if there's any appeal outside of churchgoers.

Mozart's Sister - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Marie Féret earned high praise for her performance as Nannerl Mozart, the titular character. Nannerl Mozart was a talented musician, but while she toured with her younger brother, when she came of age, she was expected to give up her music career and marry. The film earned good reviews, but not great reviews, while it struggled in limited release. Hopefully it will do better on the home market.

Murder, She Wrote: 4 Movie Collection - Buy from Amazon
After the show ended, several TV movies were made and now they are coming out on DVD. Granted, this is an excellent show and I'm sure there are a lot of fans interested in picking up this two-disc set. However, at the moment it is the third best selling DVD coming out this week, at least according to Amazon.com. That's really bad news, as there's little hope this will be a major seller and the overall sales could be really low.

Paranormal Activity 3 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
I reviewed this movie when it came out on Blu-ray and I don't have anything more to say.

The Penguins of Madagascar: Operation Get Ducky - Buy from Amazon
My reaction to The Penguins of Madagascar has been mixed. Some episodes have been quite funny, but it's hit to miss ratio needs work. Can the latest DVD improve its average? Or does it still need work? Check out our review to find out.

Pianomania - Buy from Amazon
A documentary about Stefan Knüpfer, who is Steinway & Sons' chief technician and Master Tuner. It seems like a very narrow subject for a documentary, but its reviews were excellent thanks to an interesting subject and the eclectic artists he meets as part of his job.

The Rum Diary - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A pseudo-sequel to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Expectations for the film were modest, but it failed to make any real impact. This explains why there are just a couple of featurettes on the DVD and Blu-ray. It is better than its box office number would otherwise indicate, but given the light extras, a rental will be enough for most people.

Take Shelter - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I'm still waiting for the screener for this film. I'm looking forward to seeing it, not just because of the reviews and nominations, but also because its two stars: Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain.

Note: This DVD made its home market debut on the 31st of January.

Texas Killing Fields - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray or Video on Demand
This movie has an amazing cast, especially compared to many limited releases. However, it wasn't able to find an audience theatrically. Was this bad luck? Or does the film have serious flaws that prevented it from connecting with moviegoers? Read our review for my opinion.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Breaking Dawn was the book a lot of fans of the series thought was bad. So it should come as no real surprise that the movie was the worst in the franchise. It's not just badly made, it's offensively bad in a number of ways. That said, it earned $700 million worldwide, so it will likely be a huge hit on the home market, no matter what the critics said. The extras are strong, but unless you are a diehard fan, I don't think it is worth it. One last note, it came out on Saturday, but I thought I would include it here as well.

Note: This DVD made its home market debut on the 23rd of November.

Up the Creek - Buy from Amazon
After Animal House was a huge hit, there were a lot of films that tried to entice the same target audience. Most failed, including this one. Most that did fail did so because they were simply not funny. Will this film entertain fans of the genre, even if they missed it the first time around? Read our review for my opinion.

Wainy Days - Buy from Amazon
The second Webseries on this week's list. This one is written, directed, and stars David Wainm, whose previous works include TV shows like Slate, Stella, Childrens Hospital, as well as movies like Role Models and Wet Hot American Summer. All four seasons are included on this DVD, so there's almost three hours of entertainment for just $10. That's a good price for this type of release.

Woody Allen: A Documentary - Buy from Amazon
A three hour documentary on Woody Allen, who is having one of his most successful years ever, so the timing of the release couldn't be better.


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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, The Perfect Weapon, Up the Creek, The Rum Diary, All Quiet on the Western Front, Mama, I Want to Sing!, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1, Tiny Furniture, Paranormal Activity 3, Texas Killing Fields, Pianomania, Take Shelter, Nannerl la soeur de Mozart, American Teacher, Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence, Tropa de Elite 2: O Inimigo Agora É Outro, Urbanized, All Things Fall Apart, The Lorax