This Week on DVD and Blu-ray - September 29th, 2009

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Greetings again, DVD Town citizens, welcome to another edition of This Week. September is just about over and summer is winding down. After a brief heat wave here in sunny San Diego, I'm looking forward to the cooler months of Fall. It also means we're getting closer and closer to the holiday season. I'm looking forward to Halloween, Thanksgiving, and, of course, Christmas. Now that I'm Blu-Ray capable, I'm hoping for some really nice goodies. Hint, hint.

One of those goodies I'll be getting sooner than later is the brand-new "Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition." The classic musical starring Judy Garland makes its high definition debut. Warner Brothers remastered the film a few years ago for a new special edition, but they've given it a once over again and the transfer looks superb. The Ultimate Collector's Edition boxset includes a 4-disc set with 2 Blu-Rays (one for the film, one for the extras), a third disc of extras in standard definition, and a fourth disc with a digital copy. The boxset will also include a limited edition watch, a reproduction of the original 1939 campaign book, a 52-page booklet, and that's all stored in a handsome package. The Ultimate boxset is available in both DVD and Blu-Ray. If you purchase the set from Amazon, you'll get an exclusive set of 8x10 posters while Best Buy is offering a set of exclusive lenticular postcards. For the consumer on a budget, there is a less ostentatious 2-disc DVD edition; a Target exclusive 3-disc Blu-Ray without the bells, whistles & digital copy; and a single-disc Blu-Ray available only at Wal-Mart.

"The Wizard of Oz" is an excellent choice for a family friendly movie night, but if you want to have a family movie marathon then pare that release up with a few new titles. From Dreamworks Animation comes "Monsters vs. Aliens" which attempts to do to the drive-in monster movie genre what "Shrek" did for fairytales. "Monsters vs. Aliens" features a great cast of voice actors that includes Reese Witherspoon as Ginormica, Will Arnett as the Missing Link, Seth Rogen as the brainless blob B.O.B., Hugh Laurie going from Dr. House to Dr. Cockroach, and Rainn Wilson as the evil Galaxor. The movie got mediocre reviews, but I thought it was a really fun film. The Blu-Ray will include the brand-new short, "B.O.B.'s Big Break" which can be watched in 2D and 3D.

Go ahead and top that off with a double dose of Jim Henson as "The Dark Crystal" and "Labyrinth" are released in high definition for the first time. I own the Anniversary Editions that came out in 2007 and while those look great, the Blu-Ray transfers are even better. Plus, who can complain about seeing a scrumptious Jennifer Connelly in 1080p. You can read James Plath's reviews for "Dark Crystal" and "Labyrinth".

It may be an animated superhero picture, but "Superman/Batman: Public Enemies" isn't exactly kid friendly. The latest release in DC/Warner's line of direct-to-video films, "Public Enemies" features Superman and Batman on the run when Lex Luthor (now President of the United States) issues a billion dollar bounty to bring in the Man of Steel. Superheroes and supervillains alike look to cash in on one massive payday. The movie is rated PG-13 due to just a tiny bit of blood and swearing. "Public Enemies" hits stores on Blu-Ray as well as a single-disc DVD and a 2-disc DVD edition.

For you grown-ups, there are a couple new releases just for you.

Last year, Sam Mendes returned to the suburban malaise genre with "Revolutionary Road" which transplanted many of the same themes from "American Beauty" into the 1950's. I've long grown weary of these pictures. I get it there's a seedy underbelly hidden underneath suburbia and people are all secretly miserable. I much prefer it when Mendes distances himself from white picket fences as with "Jarhead" and "Road to Perdition." With "Away We Go," Mendes tackles the quirky indie comedy. The film received some positive reviews, but I felt "Away We Go" was every bad independent movie cliché rolled into one. It's the introspective character study, the madcap road movie, and the let's meet our wacky family flick. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph are charming enough in the lead roles, but the movie is too uneven and derivative to truly enjoy. "Away We Go" comes to us on DVD and Blu-Ray courtesy of Focus Features.

I have a lot of respect and admiration for Steven Soderbergh. His films may not always be successes (critically or financially), but he's always trying something different. That's more than you can say for the Michael Bays and Paul W.S. Andersons of the world. Soderbergh's most recent films include the epic biopic "Che" and the just released Matt Damon comedy "The Informant!" Two wildly divergent films if there ever were. In between, Soderbergh attempted to echo the European art film with the "The Girlfriend Experience," featuring porn star Sasha Grey as a high-class call girl. Magnolia releases "The Girlfriend Experience" on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Also coming out this week are two films that received limited theatrical runs. Lions Gate releases "Shrink" which stars Kevin Spacey as a psychiatrist to the stars while Image Entertainment releases the Jennifer Aniston rom-com, "Management," on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Making their Blu-Ray debuts are Mel Brooks' "Spaceballs" ("You idiots! These are not them! You've captured their stunt doubles!") and the film that lit up the internet more than it did the box office, "Snakes on a Plane."

Moving on to TV releases, Sept. 29 sees the release of "How I Met Your Mother: Season 4" on DVD and, for the first time, Blu-Ray. The show's star, Neil Patrick Harris, is red hot right now, and he certainly deserves all the attention. The former Doogie Howser has shown himself to be adept as a comedian and song-and-dance man. His character, Barney Stinson, is one of the series' highlights and an instant catchphrase machine. Having two of my crushes, Alyson Hannigan and Cobie Smulders, on the show also helps.

The BBC had a hit series on their hands with "Life on Mars," a drama about a cop who is mysteriously transported to the 1970's. It was only a matter of time before an American network stepped up to produce a remake. ABC did just that, gathering an all-star cast that included Jason O'Mara, Harvey Keitel, Michael Imperioli, and Gretchen Mol. But, the show failed to garner a strong viewer base and only lasted one season. You can pick up "Life on Mars: The Complete Series" this week.

Rounding out the TV on DVD releases are: "The Unit: Season 4," "CSI: NY - The Complete 5th Season," and the classic "Patty Duke Show: Season 1."

That does it for this week and this month. We'll kick start October next week with yet another release of Disney's "Snow White," the oft-delayed horror film "Trick R Treat," and the Jack Black/Michael Cera bomb, "Year One."

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