The digital disc picks are up. However, it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to get an event comic review up until tomorrow morning.
First, the DVD releases:
- Alvin and the Chipmunks
- Batman – The Complete Animated Series: This is the excellent “Batman: The Animated Series” from the 1990s, run by Bruce Timm, and not the more recent “The Batman” series, which I’m told started to improve dramatically about a year after I gave up on it.
- Battlestar Galactica Franchise Collection: An Amazon.com exclusive shrink-wrap packaging of the miniseries, Razor, and seasons 1, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.
- A Christmas Story
- A Christmas Story (Ultimate Collectors Edition)
- Dear Me: A Blogger’s Tale
- Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series Collection: Yes, this even includes the season not yet available individually and which has no firm release date.
- Futurama: Bender’s Game
- George of the Jungle 2 Pack
- Get Smart (Single Disc Edition): This year’s movie.
- Get Smart (Two Disc Special Edition): This year’s movie.
- Get Smart – The Complete Series Gift Set: All five seasons of the Don Adams series, nicely authored with excellent extras.
- Heroes Franchise Collection: This is “Amazon.com exclusive” in the sense that no other retailer has permission to shrink wrap the two seasons together in quite this fashion.
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The Jim Carrey version.
- The Howdy Doody Show – 40 Episode Collection
- JAG – Season Seven
- Kung Fu Panda
- Kung Fu Panda Two-Pack: Includes “Kung Fu Panda” and “Secrets of the Furious Five.”
- The Lost World: The 1925 version, remastered by a company I haven’t heard of. It’s not priced like Madacy’s “remastered” releases, so let’s hope it doesn’t look or sound like them either.
- Mugen No Junin 3
- Pee Wee’s Big Adventure
- Popeye the Sailor: 1941-1943, Vol. 3
- Project Runway: The Complete Fourth Season
- Reaper: Season One
- The Red Balloon / White Mane: This Criterion release combines two movies that have also been released individually.
- Saiyuki, Vol. 2: Complete Collection
- Shrek the Halls: With a plush Shrek. You can also get “Shrek the Third” with a variety of plush figures.
- Shrek the Halls / Shrek the Third: A widescreen two pack.
- Silent Mobius: Motion Picture 2
- Silent Mobius: Motion Picture 2 Limited Edition w/ Steelbook and soundtrack CD
- Spin City: The Complete Season One: I’m surprised it took so long for these releases to start.
- Star Wars Prequel Trilogy: Same content, new box.
- Star Wars Original Trilogy: Both versions of each of the three movies.
- Transsiberian
- Usavich Season 1
- Vexille
- Waterworld: This will not be the pick of the week.
- Wild Wild West: The Complete Series
- Woman Under The Influence – Criterion Collection: Directed by John Cassavetes
Now, the Blu-Ray releases:
- Almost Famous (Extended Edition)
- Battle for the Planet of the Apes
- Beneath the Planet of the Apes
- Caligula: This is an Amazon.com exclusive release. I don’t know if that means they’re the only retailer getting the Blu-Ray, or if they’re just getting it sooner than anyone else.
- A Christmas Story (Regular Edition)
- A Christmas Story (Ultimate Collector’s Edition)
- Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
- Escape from the Planet of the Apes
- Futurama: Bender’s Game
- Get Smart
- Heroes: Franchise Collection: This is the first two seasons shrink wrapped together. It’s an “Amazon.com exclusive” in the sense that the other retailers are selling the same two seasons individually instead of together.
- Kiss of the Spider Woman
- Kung Fu Panda
- Lonely Hearts
- Monster’s Ball: This was a great movie, which Halle Berry deserved her Oscar for. (Yes, it really is the same Halle Berry from Catwoman. She seems to turn in better work when the director disagrees with her casting and she needs to fight for the role.)
- Planet of the Apes (40th Anniversary Edition): It’s a single disc edition.
- Planet of the Apes 40th Anniversary Collection: It’s a five disc set of the entire franchise.
- To Live and Die in L.A.
- Trans-Siberian
- Universal Soldier
Finally, the pick of the week. I’m going with the Batman: The Animated Series collection. That was the series that set a new quality standard for superhero storytelling, animated or otherwise. A goodly portion of the people in their 20s who are driving the superhero box office now grew up on this, and were willing to give these movies the opening weekend chance they needed to get the box office foothold they now enjoy so much.
Caligula
While this movie does a great job of depicting the insanity of Roman emperor Caligula, it is literally rated X. Not for kids.
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