DVD and Blu-ray Releases for June 5th, 2012
June 5, 2012
While summer is usually the slowest time of the year on the home market, this week is fantastic with a lot of prime releases, including first-run, TV on DVD releases, classics and limited releases. Unfortunately, the largest single category is, "Screener is Late". You will see that phrase countless times on this list. (Perhaps it's because last week was a short week due to Memorial Day.) It is especially hard to select a Pick of the Week, because I don't like handing out that title when the screener is late. There are a few likely candidates, including Burn Notice: The Complete Fifth Season, Yellow Submarine on Blu-ray, but I went with Tomboy on DVD.
Act of Valor - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Bad Ass - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Bear Nation - Buy from Amazon
Breaking Bad: Season Four - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Act of Vengeance, ARN The Knight Templar: The Complete Series, Blood Work, Casino, Cocktail, The Color of Money, Dragon Ball Z Kai: Part Eight, ECW: Unreleased: Volume 1, Erin Brockovich, ESPN Films: 30 for 30, The Grapes of Wrath, Hoosiers, King Kong, Mummy, National Lampoon's Animal House, A Perfect World, Ransom, Scent of a Woman, Sea of Love, Smokey and the Bandit, Spartacus, The Sting, The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series, U.S. Marshals, United 93, and Zorba the Greek
3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: John Carter and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Burn Notice: The Complete Fifth Season - Buy from Amazon
Charlie's Angels: The Complete Series - Buy from Amazon
Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Eighth Season - Buy from Amazon
Doc Martin: Series 5 - Buy from Amazon
Fairly Legal: Season One - Buy from Amazon
Falling Skies: The Complete First Season - DVD or Blu-ray
G.I. Joe Renegades: Season One, Volume 1 - Buy from Amazon
Hatfields & Mccoys: Bad Blood - Buy from Amazon
In Plain Sight: Season Four - Buy from Amazon
John Carter - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 3D Combo Pack
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 3D Combo Pack
Machine Gun Preacher - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Necessary Roughness: Season One - Buy from Amazon
New Tricks: Season Seven - Buy from Amazon
NFL New York Giants: Road to XLVI - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Pretty Little Liars: The Complete Second Season - Buy from Amazon
Private Romeo - Buy from Amazon
The Three Stooges: The Ultimate Collection - Buy from Amazon
Thundercats: Season 1 - Book 2 - Buy from Amazon
Tomboy - Buy from Amazon
White Collar: Season Three - Buy from Amazon
Workaholics: Season Two - Buy from Amazon
The Yankles - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Yellow Submarine - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
This film blurs the line between a movie and a recruitment advertisement. It was made with the help of the Navy SEALs and included many active Navy SEALs as the lead actors. Unfortunately, having real life soldiers might make the action more realistic, but having non-professional actors means the emotional scenes are very weak. Is it still worth checking out? Won't know for sure till after the screener arrives, but I have my doubts.
From the director of Breaking Wind and The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It. I'm not surprised it is earning zero positive reviews.
A documentary about Bears, that's hairy gay men who are above average in weight. There are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and I've only hunted down a few online, so it is hard to judge the film's quality. If you are interested in Gay Cinema and / or documentaries, it should be worth checking out. If you are a fan of both, it should be worth picking up.
An award-winning summer series starring Bryan Cranston, as a high school chemistry teacher who turns to making Meth after he is diagnosed with terminal cancer. I'm looking forward to seeing this season, but the screener is late.
It's a hugely busy week for Blu-ray, as Universal continues its 100th anniversary celebration by releasing a ton of classics on high definition. They weren't the only studio to release great films on Blu-ray this week, and I'm sure I've missed a few that would have been contenders for Pick of the Week during the slower weeks we've encountered recently.
There are only two 3D release on this week's list, but they are both first-run releases and both should sell relatively well.
Love this show and I can't wait too see season five. However, the screener is late. If it is close to Season Four, it's pick of the week material.
A lot of people thought rebooting this series was a mistake, and they were right. The show earned bad reviews and was canceled after just eight episodes.
A great show starring Larry David playing a fictionalized version of himself. The show has earned great reviews, and a number of awards. I'm looking forward to reviewing it, but the screener is late.
Martin Clunes returns as the titular Doc Martin, a brilliant doctor with absolutely no bedside manner. In this season, not only is Doc Martin married, but he has a kid. Oh boy. Hopefully it's he's better relating to his child than he is relating to his patients. It's an excellent show and it is definitely worth picking up. It does have a very high price-per-minute, but this is common with British imports, so if you picked up the previous seasons, you know what to expect.
Sarah Shahi stars as a lawyer who quit her job after the death of her father to become a mediator. The show's reviews are good, but not great, and there are a lot of similar shows out there. Also, there are not a lot of extras to add value to the DVD.
An ensemble drama about the aftermath of alien invasion. It is produced by Steven Spielberg and there were high hopes for the show. Its reviews were really good and the pilot was the most watched out of any of the new cable shows last year. If you are a fan of genre TV, it is worth checking out. Plus there are enough extras on the DVD and Blu-ray that it is worth picking up.
I was never a huge fan of the 1980s cartoon; however, I have seen a few of the more recently produced animated titles and have enjoyed them more. I don't know if this one is among the best and won't till the screener arrives.
Yet another screener that is late. I really like Christian Slater, but his track record at the box office has been weak for a while now.
John Wayne made a 3-D movie? Apparently he did. Unfortunately, Hondo isn't coming out on 3D this week, but it is making its Blu-ray review. Is it worth picking up for John Wayne fans? Is it worth picking up for fans of Westerns in general? Read our review for my opinion.
For many years, Parker Posey was the queen of Indie films. She still does a lot of Indie film, but she's in more studio productions as well. The House of Yes was near the peak of her Indie cred, but is the film a little too Indie for mainstream audience? And if you missed it before, is it worth grabbing now? Check out our review to find out.
Mary McCormack stars as Mary Shannon, who works for the Witness Protection Program. The fifth and final season ended just last month, but at least fans can catch up on the penultimate season this week.
Just a quick note that the screener is late. Or to be more accurate, I'm a moron. I forgot to get in my request till yesterday, so you can't fault the studio for getting the movie to me late. However, It will be my first 3-D review. I just hope my 3-D TV arrives before the movie does.
One of three films to open wide on February 10th of this year that went on to earn $100 million. Its reviews were mixed with most critics saying its target audience it rather narrow. It's too scary for younger kids, but won't really entertain adults. But for tweens and young teens, it is a fun action ride. Extras on the DVD are very limited to just some outtakes and deleted scenes. The Blu-ray has an interactive map with behind-the-scenes / making of segments. If you have children in the right age range, it is worth picking. In the meantime, the studio has a new app, which you can checkout here.
Based on an important story, this movie only earned weak reviews and wasn't able to expand significantly after a rather good start in limited release. Perhaps I will like it more than the average critic, but I won't know till after the screener arrives.
Callie Thorne earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in this show, but the overall reviews are only good and not great.
A British police procedural set in a cold case department. The leader, Sandra Pullman (Amanda Redman), hired three retired cops to investigate these cold cases, because they were around when the crimes were first committed. It's an excellent show and it is absolutely worth picking up, even with the higher price-per-minute that comes with most imports.
All four playoff games in the New York Giant's road to the Super Bowl. For fans of the New York Giants, this is a must have.
A black comedy from 1997 that only managed a limited release before disappearing. Is it an undiscovered gem? Read our review to find out.
I'm outside of this show's target demographic and I've never seen the show, so I can't really comment on the quality. However, it has won six Teen Choice Awards, so clearly does have a lot of fans in its target demographic.
Just a quick note that the screener is late but I hope to get to the review ASAP. Also, this DVD will be featured on this week's Box Office Prediction Contest.
A first-time director taking on a script by two screenwriters who have only made one feature-length film between them. Did they hit their target? Or did their inexperience shine through? Check out our review for my opinion.
One of the biggest hits from the early part of the year. The film should do really well on the home market, but is it worth picking up or will a rental suffice? Check out our review to find out.
Three tiny heroes help people in trouble with their mighty math powers. So what problems do they have to solve this time? Read our review to find out.
All 8 previously released volumes, plus three discs of bonus shorts and other extras. It is a great collection; however, it's a bit much to ask for something that is mostly double-dips.
The newest incarnation of this long-running franchise has its second DVD release this week. The show's reviews have been excellent and the two-disc set is worth picking up for fans of the franchise. And if you weren't a real fan of the original show, but like the darker more mature animated series from today, you should check it out.
When 10-year old Laure moves with her family to a new neighborhood, she's mistaken for a boy by some of the kids and decides to live with her new identity. The film earned nearly prefect reviews and I'm looking forward to seeing the film, but the screener is late. Also, of note, this Friday this DVD will be featured on our Box Office Prediction Contest.
I loved season one and season two and can't wait till to see season three, but the screener is late.
Another title that I may or may not get a screener for. The show is about three roommates who work in the same office, although "work" might be too strong of a term. They are slackers who elevate not working to an art form. The reviews are good, but until the screener arrives, I won't know which side I'm on. Also of note, the show makes its Blu-ray debut with a Two-Season box set, which is the better deal on a price-per-minute basis.
A film about a Jewish baseball team. There's more to it than that, but since the Blu-ray arrived late, I'll save the details till I get to the review.
Out of all of the screeners I'm still waiting for, this one might be the one I want to see the most. I love this movie and I hope it rocks in high definition.
Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, King Kong, The Sting, The Mummy, National Lampoon’s Animal House, Ransom, Smokey and the Bandit, Erin Brockovich, Cocktail, Scent of a Woman, Sea of Love, The Color of Money, Casino, United 93, A Perfect World, Spartacus, Hoosiers, Blood Work, Zorba the Greek, Hondo, The House of Yes, Office Killer, John Carter, Machine Gun Preacher, Safe House, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Act of Valor, Tomboy, Rogue River, Breaking Wind, Bad Ass, Hatfields & McCoys: Bad Blood, Bear Nation, The Yankles