This Week on DVD and Blu-ray - August 11th, 2009

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Usually we have a big budget, special effects driven film anchoring the release list for the week, this time around it's a plain, old comedy that acts as our centerpiece. With terms like "bro-mance" and "man-crush" now a part of our modern lexicon, it was only a matter of time before someone built a film around those topics. "I Love You, Man" is as close as you'll get to a romantic comedy for guys, albeit a decidedly hereto one. Paul Rudd stars as real estate agent Peter Klaven who has never truly had a male best friend. He finds one in Jason Segel as the free-spirited Sydney Fife. Both Rudd and Segel have been very entertaining in supporting roles, but they've recently been bumped up to leading man material and deservedly so. "I Love You, Man" also boasts a fantastic supporting cast that includes the lovely Rashida Jones, the almost as lovely J.K. Simmons, current "SNL" cast member Andy Samberg and "SNL" alum Jane Curtain. Not to mention Thomas Lennon, Jaime Pressly, Jon Favreau, and Lou Ferrigno as himself. Our own John J. Puccio reviewed the DVD and Blu-Ray editions, giving them moderate notices. I'm not ashamed to say, I enjoyed the film much more and have no problems in giving it a definite recommendation to see.

"High School Musical" star Zac Efron headlines "17 Again" that is best described as a modern day "Big." No Efron doesn't hang out with Robert Loggia or dance on a giant keyboard. That would have been kind of cool though. No, Matthew Perry plays a former high school basketball star that is given a second chance to relive his youth as Zac Efron. Not a bad deal, I suppose. Thomas Lennon pops up again in a scene-stealing role as Efron's best friend, a nerd obsessed with "Lord of the Rings" and "Star Wars" who attempts to romance the school principal (Melora Hardin, looking absolutely stunning). Mr. Puccio has reviewed the standard DVD edition which is lacking in any extras.

I'm not a big fan of the 'inspiration teacher' genre. To quote "The Simpsons," "'Dead Poets Society' has ruined an entire generation of teachers." But, "The Class" is a cut above the rest of the...umm...well, class. The French production was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language category as well as netting the Palme D'or at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. James Plath has reviewed the Blu-Ray edition and calls it an incredibly realistic film and he should know as a professor and chair of the English department at Illinois Wesleyan University. "The Class" is also available on standard DVD.

It's attack of the 80's in high definition as a series of films from the Me Decade debut on Blu-Ray. First up is a double dose of the Brat Pack with "About Last Night..." and "St. Elmo's Fire." The former stars the very young pairing of Demi Moore and Rob Lowe while the latter stars both along with Emilio Estevez, Andrew McCarthy, Judd Nelson, and Ally Sheedy.

Last week, "Big Trouble in Little China" hit Blu-Ray and this week another John Carpenter film makes the jump to BD. "Starman" featuring Jeff Bridges as an alien stranded on Earth who takes the form of Karen Allen's dead husband. Also out on Blu-Ray is "Blue Thunder" with Roy Scheider in a bad-ass helicopter. 'Nuff said.

DVD Town keeps Mr. Plath very busy and you can read his reviews for "About Last Night", "Starman", and "Blue Thunder".

Rounding out the releases for this week is the first season of "90210," the CW's new version of the hit Fox series which stars a whole new generation of impossibly good looking people in ritzy Beverly Hills.

That does it for this week. We'll be back next week with the Simpsons, the mass murdering Dexter, Akira Kurosawa, and Hannah Montana.

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