DVD and Blu-ray Releases for September 20th, 2011

September 20, 2011

It's another incredibly busy week on the home market with over 400 new releases on Amazon.com. Granted, the vast majority of them are not worth mentioning, while the signal to noise ratio seems to be lower than the average week. There are several major releases coming out in this group, including a few that are prime contender for Pick of the Week. Bridesmaids on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Castle: Season Three, and Dumbo: Blu-ray Combo Pack were all on the shortlist. But in the end, that honor went to Modern Family: Season Two.

51 - Buy from Amazon
The latest Syfy / After Dark release. Will it be on par with the average Syfy Channel release? Or will it maintain After Dark's winning record? Check out our review to find out.

The Accidental Spy - Buy from Amazon
Jackie Chan was no spring chicken when this film came out. Was he slowing down with age? Or is the film vintage Jackie? Read our review for my opinion.

Blades of Blood - Buy from Amazon
A martial arts / historical epic set in Korea during a tumultuous time in the country's history. Will it find an audience here? Or does the lack of historical context hurt the film? Read our review for my opinion.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Le Beau Serge (Criterion Collection), Breakfast at Tiffany's, Bride Flight, Bridesmaids, Casino Royale, Les cousins (The Criteron Collection), Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, Dumbo, The Kennedys, Lady Death, Mike & Molly: Season One, Modern Family: The Complete Second Season, The Others, Scary Movie 2, Scary Movie 3, Set Up, Spooky Buddies, Sophia Loren: Award Collection, The Sword With No Name, Terry Pratchett: Going Postal, and Vamp
It's a pretty long list of Blu-ray releases coming out this week, but there are more catalog titles than those that are likely to be big sellers.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: 3D Safari Africa
Only one 3D release this week, and it's a nature documentary.

Body of Proof: The Complete First Season - Buy from Amazon
Dana Delany stars as a surgeon who is involved in a car crash and as a result can no longer perform surgery. Reviews were only mixed, but many critics said the show got better as the short season went along. (It was a midseason replacement.) Ratings were good, so it will likely last at least one more season. If you are interested in adding another police procedural to your plate, it's worth checking out.

Breakfast at Tiffany's - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
This film is an absolute classic that I got to review previously. The question isn't whether or not it is worth owning. It is. The question is whether or not the Blu-ray is worth the upgrade. Check out our review to find out.

Bridesmaids - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
This film was one of the biggest surprise hits of the summer, but is it as good as its box office numbers would indicate? Read our review for my opinion.

Captain America - Buy from Amazon
I thought this came out last month.

Castle: Season Three - Buy from Amazon
One of several home market releases where I'm still waiting on the screener. I hope it arrives soon, as it is definitely a contender for pick of the week.

Dumbo - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Just a quick note... The screener arrived today and I'll try to get to the review ASAP. A few other late DVDs arrived just before the weekend and I need to get to those first.

Happy Endings: Season One - Buy from Amazon
The show started well in the ratings, but struggled with critics. In the end, that situation was reversed. It was renewed for a second season, but if the ratings don't improve, it won't last much longer.

Hawaii Five-O: Season Eleven - Buy from Amazon
Hawaii Five-0: Season One - Buy from Amazon

The penulatimate season of the original series hits the home market the same week as the first season of the new series. How do the two shows compare? Check out our reviews here and here to find out.

The Kennedys - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This show earned a lot of controversy before it aired, so much so that the original network balked at the chance to show it. When it was finally seen, it wasn't that shocking. It's hardly a documentary, but I don't think it's fair to call it a hit job either.

Law & Order: Los Angeles - The Complete Series - Buy from Amazon
The latest installment in the franchise only lasted one season. It wasn't a bad show, but there's just too much competition plus the network has been really struggling lately.

Mad: Season 1, Part 1 - Buy from Amazon
A Cartoon Network show based on the long-running humor magazine. It's like Robot Chicken, in that each episode consists of many short skits in its 11-minute running time.

The Mentalist: Season Three - Buy from Amazon
One of my favorite police procedurals on TV at the moment, and it remained in the top ten in ratings for the third year in a row. Great show, but with just two featurettes and some deleted scenes, the DVD is a little weak. It's still worth picking up, but not a contender for Pick of the Week.

Mike & Molly: Season One - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy star as a couple dealing with a new romance. That's not really a unique premise, but the hook is both people are looking to lose some weight. Two plus sized actors as the leads in a romantic sitcom is quite rare. The reviews were good, but not great, but the show is worth checking out.

Modern Family: Season Two - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The first season of this show earned Pick of the Week honors last year, will season two do the same? Read our review to find out.

The Others - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
This film was a sleeper hit when it came out in 2001 and while it never topped the chart, it did earn close to $100 million domestically and more than $200 million worldwide. Now that is it coming out on Blu-ray, is it worth picking up? Read our review for my opinion.

Raising Hope: The Complete First Season - Buy from Amazon
When I saw the ads for this show last year, I thought it showed a lot of promise. However, there are simply not enough hours in the day to watch every show I want to see, so I'll have to wait for the screener to show up before I can judge the show.

Red Green Show: The Geezer Years - Buy from Amazon
A great show and while at first glance the price seems really high for TV on DVD releases, there are 55 episodes on this nine-disc set.

Scary Movie 2 - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
Scary Movie 3 - Buy from Amazon
They are working on the fifth installment of this franchise, so the studio obviously thinks there are still plenty of fans out there. But will these fans want to relive these two installments on Blu-ray? Read our review for my opinion.

Secrets In The Walls - Buy from Amazon
The screener hasn't arrived yet, but I will get to the review ASAP when it does.

Set Up - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film was quite a pricey Direct-to-DVD release with more than a few bigger names in the cast. Was it worth the money? Read our review to find out.

Spongebob Squarepants: Runaway Roadtrip - Buy from Amazon
The latest SpongeBob DVD features the cast of SpongeBob on various vacations. But will this theme bring the laughs? Or will it get repetitive? Check out our review for my opinion.

Spooky Buddies - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
The latest installment in this franchise is a Halloween themed movie. I won't know how well it compares to previous installments till the screener arrives.

Terry Pratchett: Going Postal - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The latest Discworld novel turned into a British mini-series. The reviews for most of these releases have been good and fans of the book should give it a shot.

Note: This Blu-ray made its home market debut on the 13th.

Thor - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, 3D Combo Pack
The screener arrived just a little late and I was able to get the review done last week. Was it worth the wait? Check out our review to find out.

We are the Night - Buy from Amazon
Still waiting for the screener for this film. It's a German Vampire film, which is not something you see every day.


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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Scary Movie 3, The Others, Scary Movie 2, Casino Royale, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Dumbo, Thor, The Sword with no Name, Bridesmaids, Setup, 51, Bride Flight, Spooky Buddies, Wir sind die Nacht