We’ve got a rather packed week for releases this week.
It was tough to choose the pick of the week, and I
admit I may have chosen something else had I seen more
of the options.
First, the genre releases:
- Astro
Boy –
Ultra Collector’s Edition DVD Set 1: Collecting
the black and
white episodes from the 1960s. - Battle
for the
Planet of the Apes: Part of a long list of series
releases this week. - Beneath
the
Planet of the Apes: The second one we’ll list.
There will be
more. - The
Chronicles
of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe:
Note that this is
the 1988 BBC adaptation, and not the recent movie
which comes out
April 4. - Conquest
of
the Planet of the Apes: More in the series. - Dark
Shadows
DVD Collection 23: This is one of the few soap
operas on DVD,
probably because of how many episodes they run. This
was was fairly
short-lived, and it’s still got over 20 volumes. - Doctor
Who –
The Beginning Collection: How the whole thing
started. This is
it; the collection that starts with the first episode
ever. - Escape
From
The Planet of the Apes: Man, this was a long
series. - Godzilla
(Monster Edition): This is the Devlin/Emmerich
remake from the
1990s starring Matthew Broderick. I’m guessing
they’re trying to cash
in on the monster movie surge that’s going along with
the King Kong
releases below. - Invisible
Man:
Season 1: The British series (loosely) based on
the H.G. Wells
novel. - King
Kong
(1933): Now available in a single disk
edition. - King
Kong
(2005): This is the two disk special edition. - Masters
of
Horror – John Carpenter and Stuart Gordon: These
are also
available individually. - Planet
of the
Apes (1968): The film that launched it all. The
Saturday Movie
Reviews are in alphabetical order, so this one should
get reviewed on
May 13. - Planet
of the
Apes – The Ultimate DVD Collection: A 14 DVD set
with some rather
nifty packaging. Take a look at it, even if you don’t
plan to buy
it. - Quantum
Leap –
The Complete Fourth Season: The second last
season. - Robot
Chicken,
Vol. 1: I’ve heard great things, but have never
watched it. - Sound
of
Thunder: Based on the short story about a time
travelling hunter. - The
Super
Mario Bros. Super Show!: A collection of episodes
from the series
I used to watch before school each day. - Danger
Mouse –
Seasons 5 and 6: Amusing. - The
X-Files:
Complete Fourth Season: Now in cheaper, thinpack
packaging. - The
X-Files:
Complete Fifth Season: Same deal. - The
X-Files:
Complete Sixth Season: And again.
Now, the non-genre releases:
- 3
Films by
Louis Malle – Criterion Collection: Includes
Murmur of the
Heart, Lacombe, Lucien and Au revior
les
enfants. - Children
Are
Watching Us – Criterion Collection: More Criterion
goodness. - Degrassi:
The
Next Generation – Season 3: I don’t know if Kevin
Smith appears in
this season, but his episodes are available
individually anyway. - Knot’s
Landing
– The Complete First Season: I never did watch
this show. - Memoirs
of a
Geisha: This did well at the recent Oscars. - Monty
Python’s
Personal Best: All six volumes together in one
set. - Northern
Exposure – The Complete Fourth Season: I didn’t
watch this show,
either. Gotta love the packaging, though. - Six
Feet Under
– The Complete Fifth Season: Another well reviewed
HBO series. - Triumph
of
thhe Will: Like Birth of a Nation, it’s a
remarkably
well-made film with a rather disturbing message. It’s
probably the
most famous propaganda film in history, made for the
Nazis. - Wonder
Showzen
– Season One: Another one I’ve heard about but
never seen.
Finally, the pick of the week. I’d have to go with
the Doctor
Who set. I haven’t seen the new King
Kong or
Memoirs of a Geisha yet (though I’ve ordered
both), and I
don’t like recommending anything I haven’t seen, just
in case. The
other tempting choices for the pick of the week
(Planet of the
Apes, the 1933 King Kong, and the fifth
season of
The X-Files) are all rereleases. However,
every
pre-Eccelston Doctor Who I’ve seen is in that set, and
I enjoyed
them. Give it a chance.
The Lion, Witch & Wardrobe
The BBC production, while not Oscar material, was still pretty good I thought. Then again I was about 12 when I saw it :)
Damien
Excellent
I was worried that something really cool will come out while I’m on vacation. Glad to see that ain’t happening! Ok, I’m just trying to brag about being on vacation.
Just what I need, a stuffed ape
Wow. I thought the packaging for the original Battlestar Galactica was the epitome of the stuffed-head DVD release, but this blows it out of the water.
I wonder, if you tilt it, does it say "Mama"?