DVD and Blu-ray Releases for July 31st, 2012
July 31, 2012
According to Amazon.com, the best selling new release of the week is a catalog Blu-ray release. Not only that, it is a double-dip. There were a few contenders for Pick of the Week, including the aforementioned Blu-ray double-dip: Total Recall: Mind-Bending Edition. It looks better than the previous edition, it has more extras, and it is really cheap. Forever Marilyn is a great Blu-ray and is also excellent value for the money. Finally, Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XXIV. 'Nuff said. So which one is the pick of the week? Honestly, I can't decide. Call it a three-way tie.
ATM - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: 4.3.2.1, Body and Soul, The Bunny Game, Fire with Fire, Force of Evil, Fortress, La Grande Illusion, La Havre (Criterion Collection), Hijacked, Scalene, Shark Week: 25th Anniversary, Slipknot: (sic)nesses, and Strike Witches: Season One
3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: 2:22, The Bremen Town Musicians, Enemies Among Us, Erotic, Sex & Love, The Job, Las Vegas, Nazi Invasion: Team Europe, Pete Smalls is Dead, Punch and Judy and the Magic Broom, Rumpelstiltskin, TJ: Next Generation, Vamperifica, and War Flowers
Detention - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Flowers of War - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Also coming out this week is Marilyn: The Premiere Collection, which includes some movies that haven't been released on Blu-ray yet, but I think it is worth waiting for high definition at this point.
Hatfields & McCoys - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Last Days Here - Buy from Amazon
LOL - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Magic School Bus: The Complete Series - Buy from Amazon
Marvel Anime - Buy from Amazon: Blade and Wolverine
Melrose Place: The Seventh and Final Season - Buy from Amazon: Volume One and Volume Two
Misfits: Season One - Buy from Amazon
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XXIV - Buy from Amazon
Private Romeo - Buy from Amazon
Sand Sharks - Buy from Amazon
Twinkle Toes: The Movie by Skechers - Buy from Amazon
We the Party - Buy from Amazon
The Weight of the Nation - Buy from Amazon
Whisperer in Darkness - Buy from Amazon
Young Justice: Dangerous Secrets - Buy from Amazon
Zyzzyx Rd. - Buy from Amazon
Three co-workers coming home from an office party stop at an ATM, only to be trapped by a psycho killer. It earned terrible reviews and bombed at the box office. Even if you like the cast and the genre, there are better options out there.
There are quite a few prime releases here, but most of the Blu-rays worth picking up are part of the Forever Marilyn Box Set, which I reviewed this week.
There are lots of 3-D releases this week on Amazon.com, but I don't think any of them will sell a lot of units, not unless I've seriously underestimated the market for 3D erotica or Nazi Grindhouse films.
I heard a lot of positive buzz about this film before it was released, but the reviews were not good and it struggled in limited release. I'm hoping it is still, "good if you like the genre", but until the screener arrives, I won't be able to judge for myself. As always, I chose to remain cautiously optimistic.
The latest Dora DVD hits the home market this week. So what episodes are found on it and are there any extras? Check out our review to find out.
This film was the most expensive Chinese film and was the biggest hit in its native country the year it was released. On the other hand, it went nowhere here. Is it a good film that should be seen by more? Will it only appeal to those who know the history behind the story? Or is it a missed opportunity? Read our review for my opinion.
A seven-movie Blu-ray box set featuring the work of Marilyn Monroe. She starred in more than seven films, so what films are included? Are there any double-dips? And is the overall package worth picking up? Read our review to find out.
A three-part, five-hour TV mini-series about the Hatfield & McCoy feud. The reviews were good and the ratings were excellent, especially for a cable event. Unfortunately, the extras are a little weak with a 30-minute making of featurette and a music video. But if you are a fan of this genre in general, or of stories based on these real life events, it is still worth picking up.
A documentary about a heavy metal musician whose career was destroyed by addiction and other personal demons. The film earned amazing reviews, but went nowhere at the box office. Fans of Heavy Metal or of Rockumentaries in general will want to pick up this DVD.
This movie was supposed to hit theaters in May, but was pushed to direct-to-DVD. That's a bad sign. I don't yet have a screener to review, so I can't judge it for myself. I remain cautiously optimistic about the movie, while the DVD and the Blu-ray have better extras than most Direct-to-DVD releases (audio commentary track, interviews, featurettes).
All 26 hours of the classic animated educational show coming out on a 8-disc box set. The price is really low and it is worth picking up. I am a little surprised it is coming out now, because it would make a great Christmas gift.
I put in requests for these two titles, but I'm not sure if they will arrive late or if there were not enough screeners to go around. Hopefully they will get here soon.
I don't like this show and I hate split-season sets.
Five teenagers become superheroes after they are caught in an electrical storm while they were performing community service. Juvenile Delinquents getting super powers. This will end well. It's a good show and worth checking out.
I'm hoping to get a copy of this DVD to review. I'm a huge fan of this show and for a while I was getting the screeners all of the time, but they stopped showing up. Maybe it will arrive late.
A modern adaptation of Romeo and Juliet set in an all-male military academy. That's an interesting premise, but how is the execution? Read our review to find out.
Killer shark movies have jumped the shark.
This release is clearly timed to take advantage of the publicity generated by the remake. But is it just a cash grab? Or it is a worthy double-dip? Read our review for my opinion.
A good series, but is this DVD worth picking up? Or should fans wait for the full-season set? Check out our review for my opinion.
A cartoon based on a line of footwear? That's got to be a rather unique source. There are some good voice actors involved here (Tara Strong and Tom Kenny) so maybe it will be a pleasant surprise. I don't have a screener yet and there are no reviews so it is hard to judge.
Mario Van Peebles is a good director, but this is not a good movie. It relies on stereotypes of clichés to move through its party gone wild plot. If you are a fan of that genre, then perhaps it is worth a rental, but no more.
An HBO documentary series about the obesity epidemic. It is extensive at close to six hours long, but it might not add enough to the discussion to be worth it. It is a subject that has been discussed over and over again. It is also a hideously complicated subject. For instance, did you know that skinny people tend to have much healthier and much more diverse intestinal bacteria? If you get a fecal bacteria transplant, it can help you lose weight. Yeah, "fecal bacteria transplant" it's as strange as it sounds.
On the one hand, I'm really excited to see this and more H.P. Lovecraft stories turned into movies. On the other hand, I'm still pissed off that the big budget At the Mountains of Madness adaptation appears to be dead, again. Development Hell doesn't even begin to describe the situation there.
While Warner Bros. can't turn any of their D.C. Comics properties except Batman into a successful movie, their animated series have been very strong recently. It is not a full season set, but the price-per-minute is low compared to most similar releases. Worth picking up.
The lowest grossing theatrical release of all time, now out on DVD. It will certainly perform better on the home market. It would only need to sell two DVDs to do that.
Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Total Recall, Fire with Fire, Zyzzyx Rd., Detention, 4.3.2.1, Jin líng shí san chai, ATM, Le Havre, Last Days Here, We the Party, LOL, Hijacked, Private Romeo, Fortress, La Grande Illusion