Weekly Digital Disc Picks – October 4, 2011

With October here, the lists are becoming longer. There are library titles coming to DVD and Blu-Ray, summer blockbusters, and TV on DVD product flooding in.

Title Available Formats
Action
The Bionic Woman: Season Three
Fast Five (Extended Edition)
Higanjima: Escape From Vampire Island
Japanese action/horror film, about a groups of teenagers trapped on an island inhabited by Vampires.
Anime
La Corda d’Oro: Primo Passo Complete Collection
Anime series about music students at an elite private school.
Glass Maiden
Interstella 5555
Anime film with chracter designs and story by Leiji Masumoto, and with the music from Daft Punk’s album “Discovery”
Legend of the Milennium Dragon
Film about a boy whisked back to Feudal Japan, where he gains the power to awaken a dragon and decide the war between the Nobles and the Oni.
Negima?! SAVE Edition
The second season of the anime adaptation of Ken Akumatsu’s (Love Hina) manga.
Art House
Cinema Paradiso
Harakiri (The Criterion Collection)
Life is Beautiful
Salo, the the 120 Days of Sodom (Criterion Collection)
Comedy
According to Jim: The Complete Fifth Season
Bad Teacher
Beavis and Butthead: Mike Judge’s Most Wanted
Bored to Death
Boy Meets World: Seventh and Final Season
The Honeymooners: Lost Episodes
Johnny English
The League: Season Two
Pee Wee’s Big Adventure
The PJ’s: Season Three
Documentary
Disneynature: African Cats
Ken Burns: Prohibition
Planet Earth
Drama
The Cider House Rules
In Treatment: The Complete Third Season
Jackie Brown
Last Exit To Brooklyn
Lie to Me: Season Three
Pulp Fiction
Family
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters: Season One
Beauty and the Beast
  • DVD/Blu-Ray/3D Blu-Ray/Digital combo: Amazon
Best of Saturday Morning Cartoon Classics
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The Lion King
  • Single Movie DVD/Blu-Ray Combo: Amazon
  • Single Movie DVD/Blu-Ray/3D Blu-Ray/Digital combo: Amazon
  • Trilogy DVD/Blu-Ray/3D Blu-Ray/Digital combo: Amazon
The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway
Pixar Short Films Collection Vol. 1
Space Jam
Horror
Dead Alive
Elvira’s Haunted Hills
Blaine: Why do I doubt the title refers to features of local geography?
Elvira’s Movie Macabre
Includes “Lady Frankenstein” and “Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter”
Evira’s Movie
Includes “Scared to Death” and “Tormented”
Friday the 13th Parts I-VIII Plus Jason Mask
Scream 4
The Walking Dead: Season One Special Edition
Music / Musical
4 Ed Sullivan Shows starring the Rolling Stones
“Weird Al” Yankovic Live! – The Alpocalyse Tour
Blaine: Why is this a concert video and not music videos? Because the deluxe version of the album already has 12 out of 13 videos with it. The 13th, “Perform This Way,” was a last minute album addition that is here as a bonus feature, but didn’t make the album.
Mystery
Perry Mason, Season Six Vol. 1
Rosemary and Thyme: Complete Collection
Science Fiction
Being John Malkovich
Seasonal
Classic TV Christmas Vol. 1
Includes episodes of “The Adventures of Robin Hood,” “Annie Oakley,” “Burns & Allen,” “Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion,” “Date with Angels,” “Dragnet,” “Four Star Playhouse,” “Meet Corliss Archer,” “Racket Squad,” “Scarlet Pimpernell” and “Sherlock Holmes.”
Frosty the Snowman
Frosty’s Winter Wonderland
Little Drummer Boy
New Christmas Classics
Includes “George of the Jungle: Jungle Bells,” “Casper’s Haunted Christmas,” “Fat Albert’s Christmas Special” and “Gumby Season’s Greetings.”
Original Christmas Classics
Includes “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town,” “Frosty the Snowman,” “Frosty Returns,” “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol,” and “Little Drummer Boy.”
Peanuts Holiday Collection
Includes “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town
Santa’s Magical Stories
Includes “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” “The Leprechauns’ Christmas Gold,” “Pinocchio’s Christmas,” “The Year Without A Santa Claus,” “Rudolph’s Shiny New Year,” “Nestor The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey,” “Jack Frost,” “A Miser Brothers Christmas,” and “Rudolph And Frosty’s Christmas In July”
The Smurfs Holiday Collection
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (Deluxe Edition)
Blaine: There are a lot of complaints in the comments that this release is more expensive than the DVD without bonus features. Amazon doesn’t currently list bonus features, but they list it as a two disc set, so I think it’s a lack of informatin problem rather than a lack of content problem.
Sports
Friday Night Lights: Complete Series
Superhero
The Best of Superman and Popeye
Blaine: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the work of the Fleischer studios was amazing.
Green Lantern: Extended Cut
Blaine: This is 20 minutes longer than the theatrical edition. All other editions are scheduled for October 11, so I’m not sure the release date is correct on this edition.
Mighty Hercules
Blaine: I have very fond memories of this series from my childhood. I’m afraid it won’t age well.
Suspense
Alfred Hitchcock: The Essentials Collection
Blaine: Includes “Rear Window,” “Vertigo,” “North by Northwest,” “Psycho” and “The Birds.” At the time of this writing, there is a single review giving it one star. If you read the review, you’ll see that it’s a great set of movies, and the reviewer is complaining that the collection isn’t on Blu-Ray. These are great movies.

Finally, the picks of the week. Alex says, “Going by series I’ve seen, I’m definitely picking Interstella 5555. However, Ken Burns’ Prohibition is definitely going on my watch list. Also, the Friday The 13th series has grown on me just enough (with the help of a few good iRiffs from Hor-Riff-ic Productions) to make me consider getting the Ultimate Collection.” Blaine says, “I’m going with The Lion King.”

3 replies on “Weekly Digital Disc Picks – October 4, 2011”

  1. If you don’t own it yet, the Pixar short film collection is an excellent addition to any home theater library. Even the older films, with their dated look, are really well done.

  2. Last Exit to Brooklyn is a remarkable, underviewed, and disturbing film.

    The Mighty Hercules I’ve discussed here. “Won’t age well” doesn’t begin to cover it.

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