Bitter Dregs

Before I get started, I wanted to say that the Star Trek review project hasn't been abandoned. We should be back with another installment verrrrry soon!

Another week, another round of new DVDs:

The Big Trail (1930)

Drawn Together: Season 3

The Fire Within (1963)

There are three Sinatra DVD sets being released this week, presumably to coincide with this being the 10th anniversary of his death. I've never quite gotten the whole "death anniversary" thing. It reeks of something made up by a marketing department. But good news for Sinatra fans as the sets contain some new-to-DVD titles and are aggressively priced.

Frank Sinatra - The Early Years Collection

The Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly Collection

Frank Sinatra - The Golden Years Collection

The Great Debaters (2007)

Indiana Jones Adventure Collection A reissue of the first three films, a real shocker! It looks like there are a few new bonuses thrown in, but I can't imagine why you'd re-purchase them for that. No word on a Blu-Ray version, though many expect the new Indy film will get a HD release before the end of the year. The one positive thing here is that you can finally buy the films individually (hence skipping Temple of Doom).

The Lovers (1958)

Man of the West (1958) Another Anthony Mann western gets a DVD release. I caught this one on TCM a while back and liked it. It's a dark, complex character piece for a Western and has a lot in common with Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World New this week on Blu-Ray. This is one of those titles I am going to go rent when I get a Blu player. It's such beautiful film, visually, that I really want to see how it looks in hi def.

Mission: Impossible Season 4

The Rat Patrol: The Complete Series

Saturday Night Live: The Complete Third Season

Stargate Infinity: The Complete Series

Posted by John Knowles at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Spring has finally arrived here in MN and while I'm grateful for the end of the cold, I find myself in denial about Summer being so close...yes, it's May.

So let's see what the entertainment overlords have for us this week:

The 4400: Season 4

Bella (2006)

Bewitched: Season 6

Crossing Jordan: Season 1

First Sunday (2008) Also on Blu-Ray.

I'm Not There (2007)

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996) This was released in the late 1990s on DVD but has been out of print for so long that it almost qualifies as a new-to-DVD release. The lack of any extras makes me think the delay had to do with legal, rather than technical or talent-related issues.

P.S. I Love You (2007) Also on Blu-Ray.

Twister: Special Edition (1996) If, for some strange reason, you've wanted to own this on DVD and haven't bought it, here's an updated DVD. Also being released on Blu-Ray (they're finally releasing the "classics" on Blu!).

Posted by John Knowles at 05:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hello everyone and welcome to another week of new DVDs:

27 Dresses (2007) Also on Blu-Ray.

The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Vol. 3

Beverly Hills, 90210: Season 4

The Big Gay Sketch Show: Season 1 and 2

Cheers: Season 9

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

The Fall of the Roman Empire: Deluxe Edition (1964) First time on DVD.

The Golden Compass (2007) Also on Blu-Ray.

Paddle to the Sea (1966)

The Red Balloon (1953)

The Waltons: Season 7

Posted by John Knowles at 07:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's finally beginning to feel like Spring around here. My pathetic strands of raspberry plants are sprouting green stuff and the tulips that won't die have once again poked up through the ruins of our former flower patch. Can you tell how serious I am about gardening? Anyway, here's what we have coming this week for new DVDs:

Charlie Wilson's War (2007)

Cloverfield (2007)

Death of a Cyclist (1955) Gee, just in time for...cycling weather???

Eclipse Series 10 - Silent Ozu-Three Family Comedies

Friday Night Lights: Season 2

Gumby: The Movie (1995)

Laverne & Shirley: Season 4

The Major and the Minor (1942) Billy Wilder's first film hits DVD.

Midnight (1939)

One Missed Call (2008)

The Orphanage (2007)

The Savages (2007)

Posted by John Knowles at 07:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was out of town over the weekend, playing a symphony concert out in Rapid City. Among other things, we did Beethoven's 5th symphony (one of the non-"ultra-violent" ones). I honestly felt that I played it as well or better than I ever have before. Granted, I know the piece very well and have worked on the bass part a lot, but it just sounded good with a technical comfort level I don't recall having with this challenging piece of music. There's no reason I should be playing this better than I would have in college when I was younger and playing hard every day. Who knows, maybe I'm being delusional. Or, even as I play less and get older, my musicianship continues to improve, bit by tiny bit. Whatever it is, it was a fun gig that I felt good about. And to my Dad, who's conducted this group for may years: I've always been amazed at the amount of quality you squeeze out of this rag-tag collection of players. The road there isn't always pretty, but you and the orchestra always manage to make it work. Bravo! What does this have to do with new DVD releases? Not a damn thing! I just felt like writing about it at the moment.

Another thing: I watched a fryer burst into flames at my local McDonald's. Seriously. There were flames shooting up out of the grease before the fire suppression system doused the thing. Tee hee. The staff, after the fire was out, seemed to be at a loss as to what should be done. I really can't blame them.

So, on that note, let's see what we have on DVD this week:

Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) Also on Blu-Ray.

American Dad!: Season 3

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) Also on Blu-Ray.

Blast of Silence (1961)

Juno (2007) Also on Blu-Ray.

A Passage to India (1984) A new special edition, also being issued on Blu-Ray.

Posted by John Knowles at 07:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For this week's new DVDs, click here.

Before I begin, I thought I'd mention something I've been watching lately: St. Elsewhere. Fox has released the first season of this 1982 medical drama on DVD (no word yet on the rest of the series). It's cheap enough that I picked it up to see how it held up (I used to watch it when it was in first-run).

All in all, the show holds up well. The writing is great and the ensemble cast mostly excellent. This show, which had relatively poor ratings at the time, covered a lot of controversial ground in its stories. In just the first half of the season, besides various medical/personal problems, they deal with issues such as terrorism (a bit tame compared to today's dramas, but it was something for a network show to even deal with in the early 80s), abortion, racism, the homeless, and transsexuals.

I don't know that they were the first to have their characters grapple with these topics, but I don't believe it was too common at the time. The issue of abortion is dealt with in a sensitive and nonpolitical way. The people dealing with it seem very realistic. Far too often, shows are afraid to deal with topics like this for fear of alienating parts of the audience. They seemed to have little fear of this on this show. It can get a bit preachy once in a while (the episodes I saw about racism were pretty blunt), but usually they assume a certain intelligence in their audience.

The show was done in a serial form, while common today, wasn't so much on American television then. The style and pacing of the show reminds me a bit of The West Wing, particularly the way they do frequent camera follows of characters walking down hallways, with passing of the narrative to another group of people talking in mid-conversation. I'd be shocked if Aaron Sorkin hadn't seen St. Elsewhere.

The hair, clothes, computers (TRS-80!), and other things are fun and 80s-dated, but once you get into the groove of the show, it doesn't distract. The DVDs look just okay. I don't know what sort of film stock they shot this show on, but it looks very flat and grainy. I suspect the DVDs look about as good as this show is capable of. There are a couple of short featurettes on the set and an okay commentary on one episode. But for the cheap price this show goes for, who cares!

So, what do we have this week?

The 11th Hour (2007)

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) I've always had a fondness for this film. There's already a new special edition out on DVD; now it's on Blu-Ray. Cool!

Bette Davis Centenary Celebration Collection

Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory, Vol. 3

The Cosby Show: Season 7 Season 8 also comes out this week.

Hell's Kitchen: Season 1 This is the American version. The only reason I could think of to watch this show again would be for the DVD's uncensored track.

Lions for Lambs (2007)

Matlock: Season 1 Yes, fans of this show actually own DVD players: time to release it!

Resurrecting the Champ (2007)

Sense and Sensibility (2008, BBC)

There Will Be Blood

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007)

Posted by John Knowles at 07:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hmm, and I thought last week was a slow one...this week may top it: here it is.

Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007) And yes, you can get this masterpiece on Blu-Ray.

The Bette Davis Collection, Vol. 3 DVD Savant has a review of this set here.

Father Knows Best: Season 1 (1954)

Martin: Season 4

Murder, She Wrote: Season 8

Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) DVD Savant reviews the disc here.

That '70s Show: Season 8 The final season of the sitcom that went on almost as long as the actual 1970s.

Posted by John Knowles at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Looks like a pretty slow week, but let's check it out anyway. Click here for the whole thing.

Bonnie and Clyde - Ultimate Collector's Edition The 1967 film gets a deluxe DVD treatment. Also on Blu-Ray, reviewed here by DVD Savant.

Frisky Dingo: Season 1

Invisible Man: Season 1 (1959)

Lost Highway (1997) The first US DVD release for this film.

The Mist (2007)

Party of Five: Season 3

Sliders: Season 4

Taras Bulba (1962)

Warner Gangsters Collection, Vol. 3

Posted by John Knowles at 07:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The large mounds of dirty ice are melting and the campus has been emptied by spring break. Sounds like a good time to check out some new DVDs:

Atonement

Battlestar Galactica: Season 3 They took their time releasing this season, considering it's been on DVD in Europe for 6 months...

The Bionic Woman Volume 1

Conspiracy (2008)

Enchanted Also on Blu Ray.

I Am Legend (2007) Available in 1 disc, 2 disc, or Blu Ray.

The Ice Storm (1997) Criterion reissues the Ang Lee film.

Love in the Time of Cholera (2007) Tee hee...

Mafioso (1962)

McHale's Navy Season 3

The Wild Wild West: Season 4

Posted by John Knowles at 07:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Wow, 40 degrees here today: feels like...victory(?).

Here's this week's list.

Appleseed: Ex Machina (2007) Also on Blu-Ray.

Bee Movie

Dan in Real Life (2007) Also on Blu-Ray.

Dangerous Crossing (1953)

Hitman (2007) Also on Blu-Ray.

Nancy Drew (2007)

No Country for Old Men (2007) Also on Blu-Ray.

Sleuth (2007) Also on Blu Ray.

Stargate: The Ark of Truth (2008)

Posted by John Knowles at 07:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's the list and off we go!

12 Angry Men 50th Anniversary Edition (1957) MGM updates the previous bare-bones version.

Awake (2007)

Into the Wild (2007)

The Love Boat: Season 1: Vol. 1 The Saturday night 1970s staple comes to DVD.

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007) Also on Blu-Ray.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) Disney re-releases this one as a 2 DVD set.

TCM Archives - Forbidden Hollywood Collection, Vol. 2 Another box set from Warner of pre-production code films.

Posted by John Knowles at 07:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

So, did any of you watch the Oscars last night? I skipped them again this year. Just couldn't get too excited about it somehow.

Here's what we have coming up this week:

30 Days of Night (2007) Also on Blu-Ray.

Beowulf (2007) Also being released on HD-DVD: there are some titles that were already in the pipeline when the format's demise was announced.

The Darjeeling Limited

Death at a Funeral (2007)

Family Affair: Season 5

The Last Emperor (1987) Criterion issues a new version (and the old one really stinks) of this epic, complete with theatrical and extended versions. There is some controversy over this one since the director and DP asked Criterion to transfer the film cropped to a 2.0:1 aspect ratio (the film was shot and projected 2.35:1). Check out a review thread here.

Newhart: Season 1 (1982)

Silk (2007)

Slipstream (2007) Anthony Hopkins acts, writes, and directs...

The Smurfs: Season 1: Vol. 1 (1981) All you children of the 80s have been waiting for this, haven't you?

Posted by John Knowles at 07:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Hey there everyone. The big news today of course is the fact that the HD format war is officially over. Read the press release here if you're so inclined. Toshiba has thrown in the towel which paves the way for Blu-Ray to succeed or fail in the mass market. Yes, it could still fail overall. Many are still happy with the quality of standard DVD and there's still the factor of HD via downloads or cable/satellite on-demand. Blu Ray has the edge in quality, but its success is by no means assured.

Oh yeah, some shmoe named Castro has stepped down in Cuba.... :-)

So, what do we have for new stuff this week?

American Gangster (2007) This may be one of the last hits to be released on HD-DVD (I'm sure a Blu-Ray version will be announced).

Coach: Season 3

Dragon Ball Z - Season Four

German Expressionism Collection

In the Valley of Elah (2007) DVD Savant reviews this disc here. Also on Blu-Ray.

Lust, Caution (2007) Ang Lee's latest.

Michael Clayton (2007) Also on Blu Ray.

Pierrot Le Fou (1965)

Rendition (2007)

Walker (1987)

Posted by John Knowles at 07:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Holy crap it's cold around here! Still, no matter the weather, the new DVDs march on.

The Amateurs (2005) Also on Blu-Ray.

Becoming Jane (2007) Also on Blu-Ray.

Blade: The Series

Dallas: Season 8

The Equalizer: Season 1

Family Ties: Season 3

George of the Jungle: The Complete Series (1967)

Gone Baby Gone (2007) Also on Blu-Ray.

The Joan Crawford Collection, Vol. 2

No Reservations (2007) Also on Blu-Ray.

Peter's Friends (1992)

Romance & Cigarettes (2005)

We Own The Night (2007)

Posted by John Knowles at 07:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We finally finished watching Battlestar Galactica season three over the weekend. A really good finale, can't wait to see how they wrap the series up later this year. Certainly one of the best shows I've seen lately; I'm going to be buying this in HD sometime down the line.

So, what do we have this week?

2 Days in Paris (2007)

Across the Universe (2007) I have to wonder if this movie got green-lit due to its potential to sell soundtrack cds of Beatles covers....also on Blu Ray.

The Apartment: Collector's Edition The Wilder classic finally gets a decent DVD with a new transfer and bonuses. If this had been released a year or two ago, I would have sprung for it since the old DVD is pretty lackluster. Now, I'm set to wait for the inevitable Blu Ray release. This attitude is not uncommon throughout the film fan community.

The Aristocats The 1970 Disney flick gets its second DVD release.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) Also on Blu-Ray

Beauty and the Beast: Season 3

The Brave One (2007) Also on Blu Ray.

Descent (2007)

Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) Galadriel puts on some armor and kicks butt!

The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)

The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection - Volume 10.2

Tootsie - 25th Anniversary Edition A new SE replaces the old bare-bones DVD.

Posted by John Knowles at 07:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here we go again with another week of new DVDs:

Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Vol. 5

Bordertown (2006)

The Comebacks (2007)

Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 6

Daddy Day Camp Aren't you glad this one's also available in Blu-Ray???

El Cid (1961) First DVD release for the Bronston/Mann epic. DVD Savant has a review here.

Emergency!: Season 4

Groundhog Day - 15th Anniversary Edition The third and perhaps final DVD release before the inevitable HD version(s).

The Invasion (2007) Also Blu Ray.

King of California (2007) Also on Blu-Day.

The King of Kong (2007)

Mansfield Park (2007 UK TV)

Lake Placid 2

Monty Python's Life Of Brian - The Immaculate Edition New special edition, also in Blu Ray.

The Nines (2006)

Pioneers of Television (2008, PBS)

Posted by John Knowles at 07:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Late entry this week; first week of classes for the semester here at the U....sounds like a good excuse at least!

Here's the whole list of new DVDs and the "highlights."

4 by Agnès Varda

Adrift in Manhattan (2007)

Barney Miller: Season 2

ER: Season 8

The Game Plan (2007) Also on Blu Ray...what a great showcase for HD!

Hawaii Five-O: Season 3

The Hunting Party (2007)

Hustle: Season 4

Miss Julie (1951)

Saved From The Flames - 54 Rare and Restored Films 1896 - 1944

Saw IV And another classic comes to Blu Ray!

Sydney White (2007)

This Sporting Life (1963)

Torchwood: Season 1

Posted by John Knowles at 07:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Let's talk HD format war for a second. In case you hadn't heard, Warner Bros. decided to end the stalemate in the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray format war last week by declaring they'd go Blu Ray exclusive within six months. It seems that, sooner or later, HD-DVD is going to go away. IMO, they made this choice not a moment too soon. Why? Two reasons:

1) Apple just began video rentals over iTunes. Now, Apple isn't the first to do this, but having rentals on such a popular service pushes movie downloads further toward the consumer mainstream. This is just the beginning. I don't know how long it will take for downloads to become popular for movies, but I believe it will become mainstream sooner or later. This is a problem for those who want HD media to succeed; and when I say HD media, I mean HD on discs. Apple is offering movies in HD resolution (Microsoft already had them via its XBox console), 720p. Now, this isn't the same quality as you get on HD-DVD or Blu-Ray, it's more akin to broadcast HD quality. 720p isn't mind-blowing, but it's better than standard DVD and may be good enough for most people. If the various electronics companies and studios want HD on disc to be anything more than the Laserdisc of the 21st century, they need to stop screwing around and get the format out there before iTunes and Co. make "just OK" HD the norm. I am attracted to the idea of getting movies, especially rentals, electronically, but know it will be a long time before downloads have full 1080p/lossless audio. The bandwidth just isn't there yet.

2) Simple: I want to start buying movies in HD, but don't want to invest in a player while there are two formats!

OK, on to the usual:

Here's the whole list, and here's the highlights:

'Allo 'Allo!: Series 7

Alex Haley's Queen

Already Dead (2007)

Breaker Morant (1980, also on Blu Ray)

Earth vs. The Flying Saucers (1956)

Extras - The Complete Series

Family Guy: Blue Harvest (2007)

Good Luck Chuck (2007, also on Blu Ray)

Mr. Woodcock (2007, also on Blu Ray)

The Naked Prey (1966)

Post-War Kurosawa Box

The Rockford Files: Season 5

She's Gotta Have It (1986)

Suburban Girl

Posted by John Knowles at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Let's get right into it with the new DVDs of the week:

3:10 To Yuma (2007) Since Warners is attempting to end the HD format war, I"m going to start mentioning Blu Ray releases. This movie is also being released in Blu-Ray Disc (BR).

Boogeyman 2 Electric Boogeyloo???

Gunsmoke: Season 2: Vol. 1

Joshua (2007)

MI-5: Volume 5

SunshineSunshine (2007) Also in Blu Ray.

White Noise 2 (2007)

Zodiac (2007)

Posted by John Knowles at 07:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Happy New Year everyone. I hope you all had a nice holiday. Needless to say, there wasn't much happening last week in the realm of DVDs (other than lots of them being bought), so I took the week off. We journeyed to the land where I grew up: Rapid City, SD. We had a nice time hanging out with the family and just being away from the everyday stuff. We even saw a movie, the masterpiece, National Treasure: Book of Secrets. My oh my, what a silly film. It's one of those movies I actually find fun to watch with the right people. We all got a good chuckle out of the preposterous story and dumb dialogue (I'm not sure the rest of the theater understood what we were laughing about).

While most of the family was playing in church Christmas Eve, my Dad and I got to wait for a while for my brother's incoming flight at the fabulous Rapid City airport. The real upside to this time waiting was that we had time for a scotch at the bar where we ran into the former basketball coach from my old high school. He and my dad (former band director, same school) know each other, even if they aren't exactly friends, but they had a nice chat. The coach, who I hadn't seen since I graduated, went out of his way to say how much he appreciated the pep band being at the games. I don't think this guy is such a smooth character that he would have bothered to say this if he didn't mean it. I really thought this was a nice thing, particularly due to the fact that my friends and I in band didn't exactly "feel the love" from the jock side of the school. Not that we really cared, but it was a good thing and made the evening somehow worthwhile.

So, let's see what we've got for new stuff this week (I've combined the releases from last and this week):

American Pie Presents: Beta House Ah, another installment in the AP empire.

Eastern Promises (2007)

Galactica 1980: The Complete Series I used to love the original BG show when I was a kid. Needless to say it hasn't aged that well, but I thought this follow-up show was bad even in 1980.

The Heartbreak Kid (2007)

The Kingdom (2007)

Lost and Found: The Harry Langdon Collection

Resident Evil: Extinction

Seasquest DSV: Season 2

Shoot 'Em Up (2007)

War (2007)

Posted by John Knowles at 01:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here we are at the final week of the holiday buying season. December's almost gone; scary ain't it? click here for the list of the week.

The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Vol. 2

Balls of Fury (2007)

Blade Runner: The Final Cut This contains the new spruced up version of the film. Besides some cleanup and a few tweaks, it doesn't seem like this version is substantially different than the 1992 version. The DVD comes in 2 DVD (new cut and bonuses), 4 DVD (new cut, bonuses, plus all previous versions of the film), and 5 DVD with a briefcase and a bunch of other swag. I'm actually going for the 4 disc since I think it'd be fun to have the other versions. All versions are also available on both HD disc formats.

Bring It On: In It to Win It (2007) The latest installment in the Bring It On "saga."

Cinderella II (2001)

The Mod Squad: Season 1: Vol. 1

Rawhide: Season 2: Vol. 2

The Simpsons Movie

Stardust

DVD Savant has his annual Best-Of article up; always worth a read. Check it out here.

And, I'll have another TOS Rewind installment up soon as well.

Posted by John Knowles at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We're in it now, the point where the home video big guns get released to give a last minute boost to the buying season. Let's see what they've got for us this week, eh?

Beverly Hills, 90210: Season 3

Big Love: Season 2

The Bourne Ultimatum

Bugs! (2006)

Dirt: Season 1

Frasier: Season 10

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.: Season 3

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix You get your usual choice of basic 1 disc or extras-loaded 2 disc versions. This also marks the release of the HP films on both High Def formats.

High School Musical 2

Lost: Season 3

The man Who Could Work Miracles (1937)

Two-Lane Blacktop (1971, Criterion)

Walt Disney Treasures - The Chronological Donald, Volume Three (1947 - 1950)

Walt Disney Treasures - Disneyland - Secrets, Stories & Magic

Walt Disney Treasures - The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Disney's pre-Mickey cartoon critter.

Finally, DVD Savant has two new reviews worth checking out:

Close Encounters of the Third Kind 30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition (already released) and Blade Runner 4 Disc Collection (available next week).

Posted by John Knowles at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Welcome to winter in MN. We had the winter temperatures, now we have the snow to match. At home we're still playing WoW, but have made time for a few odds and ends such as Heroes and Kitchen Nightmares (the UK version, haven't really watched the US version yet). Now on to this week's new DVDs:

24: Season 6

Battlestar Galactica: Razor The 2 hour TV movie that aired last month; it serves as a bridge between seasons 3 and 4.

Dante's Cove - Season 1-2 & Original Pilot

Erik the Viking: Director’s Son’s Cut

Ford at Fox - The Collection A huge box set containing pretty much everything John Ford did at Fox; 24 films plus a documentary.

Lubitsch in Berlin

MGM Movie Legends: Bob Hope

The Nanny Diaries

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Saturday Night Live: Season 2

Superbad

Wallace & Gromit in Three Amazing Adventures

Will & Grace: Season 7

Posted by John Knowles at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So, did everyone have a good holiday? We had a pretty relaxing weekend and the smoked turkey was as good as ever. We also completely skipped shopping on Black Friday. Ah well, I'm sure I'll be OK with that somehow...

So, let's see what we have coming this week:

Bratz I can tell already that this is going to be a BIG week!

Drunken Angel (1948) This has nothing whatsoever to do with this particular Kurosawa film, but this reminded me of the other night: we watched the Dr. Who (current show, 3rd season) episode, "Blink." Great episode, one of the best yet. Drunken (weeping/killer) Angel indeed!

Futurama: Bender's Big Score! The 2007 TV movie.

Happy Days: Season 3

Hot Rod

I Know Who Killed Me (2007)

Laverne & Shirley: Season 3

Mork & Mindy: Season 3

Mr. Bean's Holiday

The Namesake

Paprika

Waitress

Posted by John Knowles at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Welcome all, to Thanksgiving week, home of Black Friday. These days I pause to give thanks for, among other things, not having to work retail! Let's see what my former employer will be hustling this week:

Bill Maher: The Decider

Charles in Charge: The Complete Season 2 I'm sure they'll be lining up in front of Best Buy waiting for this one...after all, Scott Baio did it.

CSI: Season 7

The Doris Day Show: Season 5

Hairspray (2007)

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991) First time on DVD for this excellent documentary.

The Lady Vanishes Criterion reissues the Hitchcock classic.

Led Zeppelin: The Song Remains the Same

Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

Mission: Impossible: Season 3

Queer as Folk - The Complete Series

The Santa Clause 3 - The Escape Clause (2006)

Star Trek The Original Series - The Complete First Season This is the CG-enhanced version of the show; combo DVD/HD-DVD.

The Wild Wild West: Season 3

Have a great holiday everyone!

Posted by John Knowles at 07:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here we go again; another week, another round of new DVDs:

Amazing Grace (2007)

Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980)

Bloodhounds of Broadway (1952)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind 30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition The Spielberg film gets another DVD release, this time in a 3 disc set that includes all three cuts of the film. It's also the first Spielberg film to be released in HD (Blu Ray).

Gilmore Girls: Season 7 The final season.

La Vie en Rose (2007)

The McCartney Years A collection of Sir Paul's music videos and concert films.

Ocean's Thirteen (2007)

Paris, Je T'aime (2007)

Shrek the Third

Posted by John Knowles at 07:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Before I get into the new stuff this week, I thought I'd share this. I just read a piece about the declining fortunes of Blockbuster. As a former employee, I found it rather....satisfying. Check it out here.

Now for the new DVDs of the week:

The Best of the Colbert Report

A Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966)

Chinatown Special Collector's Edition The Polanski classic gets an upgrade.

Deck The Halls (2006)

Doctor Who: Season 3

Full House: Season 8

Help! (1965) The long out-of-print Beatles film gets a reissue as a 2 DVD edition. If you want to go all the way on this one, you can pop for the Limited Edition which has a book, screenplay, and other goodies.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007)

Opus & Bill: A Wish for Wings That Work (1991)

Pixar Short Films Collection - Volume 1 Disney is hitting the Pixar content hard this week on Blu-Ray (and regular DVD), along with Cars and Ratatouille.

Ratatouille (2007)

Sicko (2007) Michael Moore's latest.

Posted by John Knowles at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Here we go, into November when the bigger hits of the past year start to roll out onto video. Last night, we actually watched something on our Tivo, something we hadn't done in a long time; it was quite, uh, novel? Anyway, here's what we have coming this week:

Angel - Seasons 1-5

Barbara Stanwyck - The Signature Collection A box containing six of her films (also available separately): Annie Oakley, East Side, West Side, Executive Suite, Jeopardy, My Reputation, and To Please a Lady.

Captivity (2007)

CSI: Miami: Season 5

Family Affair - Season 4

Looney Tunes - Golden Collection, Volume Five

Magnum P.I.: Season 7

Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 12

Scrubs: Season 6

Spider-Man 3

Talk to Me (2007)

Twin Peaks - The Definitive Gold Box Edition The whole series in one set, including the pilot and new bonuses.

Posted by John Knowles at 07:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hello again Yankee consumers! Shall we take a look at what we have to look forward to this week?

The Adventures of Aquaman Collection

The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Vol. 1 The first time on DVD for this series.

Breathless (1960) Criterion releases their version of the Godard film.

Christmas Carol Ultimate Collector's Edition (1951)

The Company (2007)

Days of Heaven (1978) Criterion issues the Malick film with a new film transfer and bonuses.

Hostel: Part II

The L Word: Season 4

Monarch of the Glen: Series 7

The Sopranos: Season 6: Part 2

Under the Volcano (1984)

Veronica Mars: Season 3

Warner Directors Series - Stanley Kubrick This will be the third Warner Kubrick box set on DVD (and yes, I bought both previous sets). The new one is notable for the inclusion of new extras as well as well as The Shining and Full Metal Jacket being released in enhanced widescreen for the first time (there is debate on those titles as to which way, open matte/4x3 or widescreen is the director-sanctioned way of viewing them). The "Life in Pictures" documentary is held over from the last set. However, the new box doesn't include Dr. Strangelove, Lolita, or Barry Lyndon. Also, Eyes Wide Shut will be the unrated international version without the CG censorship that was required to get the R rating from the MPAA. Finally, this set is being released on both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD this week. This set will be one of the first things I buy when I finally get a HD player.

Posted by John Knowles at 07:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Since I was out of town over the weekend, I can use that as an excuse for not getting the next Trek installment out. And, it's a 2 part episode, so I need twice as long to write it....yeah, that's it!

In the meantime, here's what we have in the land of DVD this week:

Carlos Saura's Flamenco Trilogy

The Hoax (2006)

Ironside: Season 2

The Jazz Singer (1927) Warners releases the first talkie film on DVD for the first time as a loaded 3 DVD set. I've gotta say that while I appreciate the historical significance of this film and Jolson's performances, the film itself doesn't do a lot for me. The DVD set however, looks like a really nice edition with gobs of extras and restored early Vitaphone shorts. DVD Savant has a good review of the set here.

Medium: Season 3

The Reaping (2007)

Roseanne: Season 9.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: The Complete Series Sorkin's 1 season wonder hits DVD. I really hope he manages to come back after the failure of this show. There were some great things about it, but it just didn't work in the end.

That '70s Show: Season 7

Transformers (2007)

Treasures from American Film Archives: Vol. 3 Another great set of curiosities from the cinematic past; this time, the theme is social issues. DVD Savant reviews this set here.

Posted by John Knowles at 07:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hello again everyone. I haven't seen many films recently. My viewing time has been devoured by WoW and catching up on some TV shows I've missed. In particular, the 3rd season of Dr. Who (which has been very good), re-watching Firefly with some friends who never caught it before, and various Gordon Ramsay shows (some of these are really guilty pleasures). Anyone seen anything notable lately?

Well, here's this week's list of new DVDs:

28 Weeks Later (2007)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Season 3 (1957)

CSI: NY: Season 3

Evan Almighty (2006)

Everybody Hates Chris: Season 2

Family Ties: Season 2

Mala Noche (1985)

Reign Over Me (2007)

Roots The 1977 mini series come back into print.

Stargate SG-1: Complete Series

Surf's Up (2007)

Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) The first time on DVD for this one.

Posted by John Knowles at 02:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This week's complete list is here.

1408

Caligula: Imperial Edition Yes, another reissue...

Civic Duty (2006)

Criminal Minds: Season 2

Entourage: Season 3: Part 2

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

How I Met Your Mother: Season 2

The Jungle Book (1967) The Disney film returns to DVD and is now in widescreen, unlike the 1999 DVD.

The Sarah Silverman Program: Season 1

The War - A Film By Ken Burns and Lynn Novick

Posted by John Knowles at 07:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The DVD release parade marches on into the Fall. click here for the whole thing.

Black Book (2006) DVD Savant has a review of this one here. Looks like this might be the first Paul Verhoeven film worth checking out in a long while.

The Bronx is Burning

Count Dracula (1977 BBC series)

Drawn Together: Season 2

The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972) Where the students of St. Olaf battle the outlaws of Jesse James' gang!

The Hand (1981)

The King of Queens: Season 9

Knocked Up Judd Apatow's latest.

My Name Is Earl: Season 2

Numb3rs: Season 3

The Streets of San Francisco: Season 1: Vol. 2

Suspiria (1977)

The Untouchables: Season 1: Vol. 2 (1959)

Posted by John Knowles at 07:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The link of the week is here and the list is...

here

Beyond the Gates (2005)

Boston Legal: Season 3

Deliverance 35th Anniversary Deluxe Edition DVD Savant has a good review here.

Everybody Loves Raymond: Season 9

Family Guy: Vol. 5: Season 5

Ghost Whisperer: Season 2

Gracie (2007)

Josie and the Pussycats: The Complete Series And yes, Kasey Kasem is in it.

Martha Graham: Dance on Film (1957)

Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)

Stargate Atlantis: Season 3

The Threepenny Opera (1931)

We Are Marshall (2006)

Posted by John Knowles at 07:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Okay, so I was having this discussion with Stacie today at lunch about our eventually getting some kind of HD disc player. She said, no way, not until the format war is over. Fair enough. However, she also mentioned that I could end the war right here and now by buying a player. Why? Because my family has a distinguished history of choosing the losing technology in format wars. Don't believe me? How about Betamax, Intellivision, and the TI 99/4A, to name a few. Heck, the Macintosh may have beaten Windows if I hadn't bought one. Her point was, if I buy one of these players, I'll spare the world the continuation of this nasty format war by prematurely deciding the loser. To quote Stephen Colbert, "The one that wins is the one you don't buy." Clearly my buying, say a HD-DVD player is needed for the public good. Right?

But for now, off to the realm of standard DVD for this week's new releases:

The Addams Family: Vol. 3

Away From Her (2006) Don't let the subject matter scare you off. Julie Christie and the rest of the cast are great; well worth seeing.

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007)

Charmed: The Final Season It's the end of the line for Chaaaahhhhmed!

Dirty Sanchez (2006)

Fraggle Rock: Season 3

The Graduate: 40th Anniversary Edition

Grey's Anatomy: Season 3

I Dream of Jeannie: Season 4

Masada (1981)

McHale's Navy: Season 2

Tom and Jerry: Spotlight Collection, Vol. 3

The Valentino Collection

Posted by John Knowles at 07:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Happy September, all. Things are crazy busy around here, but there's always time for the DVD fun, no?

click here for the whole list, as always.

30 Rock: Season 1 A very funny show that I hope gets another season.

The Black Donnellys: The Complete Series

Bosom Buddies: Season 2

Delta Farce

Desperate Housewives: Season 3

Georgia Rule

Night on Earth (1991)

Nip/Tuck: Season 4

The Office: Season 3

Prison Break: Season 2

Stranger than Paradise (1984)

The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)

Posted by John Knowles at 07:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sorry about the incredible lameness this week. We were out of town and the semester begins on Tuesday here, so the blog must suffer...but do go and check out these two links:

The list of new DVDs (natch!)

DVD Savant's excellent review of the new Robocop DVD; the review of the film is worth a read.

Posted by John Knowles at 10:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's a rainy, slow week for new DVDs. Here's the list and here's my bit:

Broken English (2007)

The Dark Backward (1991)

Dexter: Season 1

Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan: Season 2

The Ex

House, M.D. - Season Three

House of Games (1987) Criterion issues the David Mamet film.

The Milky Way (1969)

Perfect Stranger (2007)

Serenity: Collector's Edition All right Joss fans, time for a double (or triple if you want it in HD) dip for all those new features.

She (1935)

South Park: Season 10

Ugly Betty: Season 1

Posted by John Knowles at 07:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Greetings DVD consumers! Let's jump right in and see what we have this week:

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters for DVD (2007) Yes, the movie with the terrorist ad campaign has come to DVD.

The Charlie Chan Collection, Vol. 3 Fox digs into the vaults for another round of Warner Oland Chan films: Behind That Curtain, Charlie Chan's Secret, Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo, Charlie Chan on Broadway, and The Black Camel.

Cria Cuervos (1977)

The Dark Crystal: 25th Anniversary Edition

Inland Empire (2006) David Lynch's latest.

Dynasty: Season 2

The First Films of Sam Fuller (1949-1951) Check out DVD Savan'ts review for details.

Fracture (2007)

The Fugitive: Season 1: Vol. 1

Hamlet (1996) The film that some of us have been waiting for some ten years, finally comes out of DVD for the f