This Week on DVD and Blu-ray - December 1st, 2009

" The biggest release of December 1st has to be Terminator Salvation...

This week

By William David Lee
First published Dec 1, 2009

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Greetings once again, faithful readers, we are back once again for another week of new releases. Thanksgiving has come and gone and like most of you, my belly is a little fuller while my wallet is a little lighter. I certainly hope everyone had a great Turkey Day feast and a bountiful Black Friday. Me? I decided to sleep in and score some excellent deals off Amazon. No lines or frenzied crowds for me. Hopefully, you all saved a little extra cash for this week.

The biggest release of December 1st has to be "Terminator Salvation," the fourth film in the ultra-successful franchise. The original "Terminator" was a much smaller production that perfectly melded sci-fi with elements of the slasher flick. It kick started the career of James Cameron and pushed Arnold Schwarzenegger into icon status. "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" happens to be one of my favorite films of all time. The sequel was a huge action blockbuster and a landmark in special effects. "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" tried to follow in "T2's" footsteps, but seemed more concerned with visual mayhem and destruction than a solid story. I thought "Terminator Salvation" was a stronger film than "T3," but paled in comparison to the first two, lacking any sort of heart or emotional resonance. Usually a solid actor, Christian Bale seems to be going through the motions with his gravely Batman voice. At least, Sam Worthington and Anton Yelchin pulled in solid performances. The DVD of "Terminator Salvation" will feature the theatrical cut while the director's cut will only be widely available on the Blu-Ray and both formats have been reviewed by Mr. John J. Puccio. Target will be getting an exclusive 2-Disc DVD set with both the theatrical and director's cut along with a Digital Copy.

For more family friendly entertainment, there's "Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian," starring an eclectic cast that includes Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams, Bill Hader, Christopher Guest, and Hank Azaria. Despite being written by two of the stars and co-creators of "Reno 911!," the "Museum" films seem content with going for the broadest, laziest humor possible. I'll give the sequel some credit for Amy Adams' screwball comedy heroine performance as Amelia Earhart, a more compelling one

Join comedienne Charlyne Yi in her search for love in the pseudo-documentary "Paper Heart" which bits on DVD and Blu-Ray, courtesy of Starz and Anchor Bay. The movie mixes in interviews with couples on the subject of love with a fictional storyline about the budding romance between Yi and Michael Cera. "Paper Heart" won't be to everyone's tastes, but if you're a fan of both actors you might like it.

For some, the holidays mean family. For others, the holidays mean family dysfunction. There have been plenty of movies about both, but one of the best to tackle the latter subject is "A Christmas Tale." The French film stars Catherine Deneuve and "Quantum of Solace" baddie Mathieu Amalric and made numerous critics' top ten lists last year. Criterion releases it this week on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Several films debut on Blu-Ray on this week.

Guy Richie helms a more action-oriented "Sherlock Holmes" which will hit theaters in a few weeks. To coincide with "Holmes," Ritchie's first two films "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch" will be made available in BD.

He's no Guy Williams, but Antonio Banderas equates himself quite well in the role of Zorro in "The Mask of Zorro," directed by Martin Campbell ("Goldeneye," "Casino Royale"). This was a fun adventure flick with plenty of thrills and sword fights. Campbell will soon be directing the exploits of another masked hero in "Green Lantern." James Plath has a review up of the new Blu-Ray.

Previously obtainable exclusively at Target, the classic horror/comedy "Gremlins" will now be widely available now. I'm sure Gizmo will look extra cute in high definition and so will Phoebe Cates.

Also being released on Blu-Ray are "The Green Mile," a less successful Stephen King adaptation from Frank Darabont who fared better with "The Shawshank Redemption;" the Rolling Stones documentary "Gimme Shelter;" and "Secondhand Lions", a somewhat sappy drama starring Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, and Haley Joel Osment.

For those of you interested in TV on DVD, there's "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XVI," "Saturday Night Live: The Complete 5th Season," and "The Donna Reed Show: Season 3." If you want a recommendation from yours truly, then I suggest "Better Off Ted: Season 1." This new sitcom from ABC stars Jay Harrington as a conscientious executive at a soulless corporation. Like "Arrested Development," its quirky sense of humor has won critics over, but has failed to catch on with mainstream audiences who seem to prefer "Two and a Half Men."

That does it for this week. I'll be back next time for some more goodies including "Public Enemies," "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," and the penultimate season of "Lost."

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