DVD and Blu-ray Releases for September 6th, 2011

September 7, 2011

It's a transition week on the home market and while today doesn't mark the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, it's soon. Very soon. As in Friday. That's when X-Men: First Class comes out, which is the first of the summer blockbusters. The film earned fantastic reviews and will likely be the Pick of the Week, when the screener arrives.

40 Days and 40 Nights - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
This film was released just when it appeared Josh Harnett would be an A-list star. That never happened. Was this film to blame? Read our review for my opinion.

Airwolf: The Movie - Buy from Amazon
The screener for this movie is late, but I wasn't a fan of the TV series.

Assassination Games - Buy from Amazon
Jean-Claude Van Damme has starred in a lot of movies over his career, but many of them were not very good. This film didn't earn good reviews, but as a fan of his since Bloodsport, I'm still interested in seeing it.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: 40 Days and 40 Nights, Black Blood Brothers: The Complete Series, Burst Angel: Box Set, The Caine Mutiny, Disc Worms, Dressed to Kill, Entitled, Everything Must Go, Fringe: Season Three, Genevieve, Hanna, Hellraiser, Hellraiser II: Hellbound, The Hills Have Eyes, A Horrible Way to Die, Last Night, The Office: Season Seven, Scarface Limited Edition Steelbook, Scarface: Limited Edition Humidor, Scooby Doo: Legend of the Phantosaur, Scream Collection, Straw Dogs, Thomas & Friends: Day of the Diesels, United 93, X-Men: First Class
There are several good Blu-rays on this week's list, including the first of the summer blockbusters, X-Men: First Class. We should have a very good week for Blu-ray sales, thanks mostly to this early start to the Christmas shopping season. However, with the number of TV on DVD releases, many of which don't even have a Blu-ray counterpart, the Blu-ray ratio might be a little on the low side.

Care Bears: Share Bear Shines Movie - Buy from Amazon
The latest film in this long-running series hits the home market this week. This time the plot focuses on Share Bear, who is the only Care left that still believes in Princess Starglo and the magic of wishing on a star. Will this magical tale entrance the target audience? Check out our review for my opinion.

Christmas Releases - Buy from Amazon: On Strike for Christmas
Again just one Christmas release, but that's still one too many in my eyes. No Christmas releases before Halloween. That's not an unreasonable rule, is it?

A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song - Buy from Amazon
A Cinderella Story was a pretty big hit, given its target demographic and now it has spawned not one, but two direct-to-DVD releases. This one appears to be selling well enough that the franchise could last for at least another installment.

Community: The Complete Second Season - Buy from Amazon
Earned good reviews its first season, but its ratings have been slipping for quite some time. Is this the result of declining quality, or is it just the result of eroding ratings for NBC / network TV as a whole? Won't know till the screener arrives.

Criminal Minds: Season Six - Buy from Amazon: Buy from Amazon
Criminal Minds is one of several dozen police procedurals on TV at the moment. There are simply too many TV shows in this genre on TV right now, so it takes something special to stand out. Can this show do it? Read our review to find out.

Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior - Buy from Amazon
A spin-off of Criminal Minds, this show only lasted 13 episodes. Was it a case of too many similar shows? Or was there a serious flaw in the series? Check out our review for my opinion.

Dressed to Kill - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
When this film was released, it created a major controversy for a number of reasons, including the opening shower scene that was so erotic that it had to be significantly cut just to earn an R-rating. But many times films that are known for their controversial nature when they were first released fail to live up to their reputation when seen many years later. Is that the case here? Read our review for my opinion.

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark - Buy from Amazon
Cassandra Peterson has been playing Elvira for more than 30 years and in 1988 she took her TV host character to the big screen. It isn't a good movie in an academic sense of the word, it does have its charms and and fans of B-movies should find something to enjoy here.

Everything Must Go - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film was Will Ferrell's latest attempt to move beyond comedy. Is it a success? Check out our review to find out.

Fringe: The Complete Third Season - DVD or Blu-ray
It's quite amazing that this show is returning this fall, as it was constantly on the bubble, and many people had written it off as dead. This past season, it barely hung onto a place in the top 100 in the ratings. The extras on the DVD and Blu-ray are good (audio commentary tracks on a couple episodes, featurettes, outtakes) while the Blu-ray only costs 20% more than the DVD. Worth picking up.

The Good Wife: The Second Season - Buy from Amazon
This show is one of the biggest hits on TV and has placed in the top 20 both seasons. I'm still waiting on the screener to review and hopefully it will get here quick.

Hanna - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
One of several DVD / Blu-ray releases coming out this week that I hope to get screeners for. It earned good reviews, but struggled to be a midlevel hit during the late spring. It looks like it is worth checking out, but I won't know if it is worth picking up until the screener arrives.

High School Musical: China - Buy from Amazon
This is not the first time this franchise has been exported to another nation. High School Musical: El Desafio opened in 2008. And with the growth of the industry in China, it should come as no surprise that Disney would make an installment there.

A Horrible Way To Die - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A serial killer escapes from prison and goes on a killing spree across the country in order to reunite with his ex-girlfriend. Meanwhile, she's just trying to forget her past after trying to use alcohol to get over it. The film's reviews were better than most in the genre, but were still below the overall positive level. The extras on both the DVD and the Blu-ray include an audio commentary track and a behind-the-scenes featurette. The Blu-ray has no additional extras and costs $10 more. That's too much, but the DVD is worth picking up for fans of the genre.

House - Buy from Amazon or House II - Buy from Amazon
I love these two movies. Absolutely cult classics in my mind. The first is better than the second is, but I like them both. Granted, it has been a while since I've seen either of them, so my opinion is based on an 20-year old opinion.

Jillian Michaels Killer Buns & Thighs - Buy from Amazon
This DVD is currently in the top ten on Amazon.com. That's surprising for an exercise video.

Maja Toudal: Live, Acoustic & Stripped - Buy from Amazon
This album actually came out on Monday and can be purchased as a digital download in a number of ways. (Bandcamp.com has the best quality.) She has a great voice and there are many excellent songs on this album. Worth picking up.

Midsomer Murders: Set 18 - Buy from Amazon
This is a great show, but the TV on DVD releases are notoriously expensive on a price-per-minute basis. But as always, if you consider this three TV movies, then it is good deal. Considering the three episodes are 100 minutes long each, this is not an unreasonable consideration.

No Ordinary Family: The Complete Series - Buy from Amazon
It's that time of year where we get ready to watch all of the new shows coming out on TV. It is also the time of year when we say goodbye to last year's crop of failed shows for the last time. No Ordinary Family was one such show that was canceled after just one season, but is it worth giving it a second chance on the home market? Read our review for my opinion.

The Office: Season Seven - DVD or Blu-ray
The final season of the US version of The Office starring Steve Carell. That is to say, it is the final season with Steve Carell, not the final season of the show. The series is still earning good reviews, and fans that have bought the previous seasons will certainly want to grab this one, but I'm a little worried about the show's future. There is a chance it will continue even if the ratings suffer, as NBC doesn't have a lot of other options.

Olivia: Princess for a Day - Buy from Amazon
Olivia gets to pretend to be a princess for a day, plus have eight other adventures. What are they? Read our review to find out.

Parks & Recreation: Season 3 - Buy from Amazon
This show has struggled to find an audience and hasn't done much better with critics. The most common complaint is that the show is too similar to The Office, only not as funny. The reviews are getting better, but the ratings are going the other way. (Although to be fair, the number of viewers increased, even if the ranking fell to 116th for the season.) The three-disc set does have plenty of extras, including audio commentary tracks, deleted scenes, outtakes, a some featurettes. Definitely worth checking out if you haven't seen the show before and worth picking up if you are a fan.

Police Story: Season One - Buy from Amazon
The screener for this release is late and quite frankly I don't know enough about the series to comment before seeing it.

Raymond Did It - Preorder from Amazon
Two quick notes about this movie. I reviewed this movie a while ago and recommended catching it when and where you could. It is now available for preorder on Amazon.com ahead of its November 22nd release. Or you can also buy signed copies direct from the studio. Any preorders done before October 15th will be shipped by Halloween. It's a great way to get the film early, and it's worth grabbing.

Scarface - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
Widely regarded as Brian De Palma's greatest film, Scarface makes its Blu-ray debut this week. Is it worth picking up? Is it worth spending the extra money to get the fancy humidor? I can answer that second question now. No. As for the first one, check out our review.

Scooby Doo: Legend of the Phantosaur - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Scooby Doo has been on TV on and off for more than 40 years, and with these direct-to-DVD releases coming out, there seems to be no end to the franchise. Many of them are fun for kids to watch, and even have a nice kick of nostalgia for adults.

Straw Dogs - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
One of three Blu-ray released on this week's list that were controversial films when they first came out. This film has been remade and the new version hits theaters in just over a week. So is it worth checking out the original version? Or have the years not been kind to it? Read our review for my opinion.

Team Umizoomi: Journey to Numberland - Buy from Amazon
Team Umizoomi is a show aimed a preschoolers designed to teach them simple math concepts. This DVD is a little different than most, as it starts with a double-length episode. Is this a good reason to buy the DVD? Check out our review to find out.

Transylvania 6-5000 - Buy from Amazon
This is not a good movie, I know that. However, I have always liked the movie. Call it is guilty pleasure. I might actually buy it on DVD.

Two and a Half Men: The Complete Eighth Season - Buy from Amazon
While this show is still earning good ratings, even most hardcore fans admit it has jumped the shark. There is a chance the major change in the cast will help the quality of the show, but I'm not betting on it.

X-Men: First Class - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The latest X-Men film was a prequel telling the story of how the super hero team formed. Some were worried that since the last two films in the franchise disappointed critically, this one would as well. Fortunately that wasn't the case and it earned excellent reviews. I'm still waiting on the screener, so I don't know if I will be a dissenting voice or agree with the majority, but hopefully it will arrive soon.


-

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Scarface, 40 Days and 40 Nights, Dressed to Kill, United 93, The Caine Mutiny, House, Hellraiser, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, House II: The Second Story, Transylvania 6-5000, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, Last Night, X-Men: First Class, Hanna, Everything Must Go, A Horrible Way To Die, Raymond Did It, The Entitled, Assassination Games, A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song