Based on feedback in these columns and via e-mail, we’re trying a shorter format with higher profile titles this time around. Do you prefer this size list, or the larger ones we’ve had lately?
First, the DVD picks:
- Armored
- Astro Boy: Reviewed here. Alex: This is also the final film by Imagi, which went out of business earlier this year.
- Breaking Bad: Complete Second Season
- Brief Interviews with Hideous Men
- Broken Embraces
- Cinema Insomia: Super Wheels
- The Cool School
- Destination Truth: Season 1
- Did You Hear About the Morgans?
- Dillinger is Dead (Criterion Collection)
- The Fourth Kind
- Hawaii 5-O: Season Eight
- Monk: Season Eight: This was also the final season.
- Mystery Science Theatre 3000: XVII: Includes “The Crawling Eye,” “The Beatniks,” “The Final Sacrifice” and “Blood Waters of Dr. Z.”
- Ninja Assassin
- The Princess and the Frog (Single Disc Edition)
- Slayers Revolution: The Complete Fourth Season: Alex: Finally, after much delay (related to Megumi Hayashibara – Lina’s Japanese Voice Actress, having a hiatus from acting to have a kid), we get the fourth season of this semi-parody of fantasy anime. There’s also a fifth Season, Evolution-R, which has also been licensed, but hasn’t been released yet.
- South Park: The Thirteenth Season
- Twilight Saga: New Moon (Two Disc Edition)
- Wonderful World
Now, the Blu-Ray picks:
- Armored
- Astro Boy
- Breaking Bad: Season One
- Breaking Bad: Season Two
- Brief Interviews with Hideous Men
- Broken Embraces
- Did You Hear About the Morgans?
- Fallen Angels: Directed by Wong Kar-Wai, and originally intended as a third chapter in the phenomenal Chungking Express.
- The Fourth Kind
- Gunslinger Girl: The Complete First Season: Anime series about young girls being given the Bionic Woman treatment and turned into counter-terrorist operators.
- Gunslinger Girl – Il Teatrino: The Complete First Season
- The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum
- Ninja Assassin
- The Princess and the Frog (Three Disc DVD/Blu-Ray combo)
- The Princess and the Frog (Single Disc Blu-Ray)
- South Park: Season Thirteen
- Twilight Saga: New Moon
- Wonderful World
Finally, the picks of the week. Blaine says, “the only title I’ve actually seen is Astro Boy. Though enjoyable, it’s not fantastic. The titles I haven’t seen but intend to buy and watch ASAP are Monk: Season Eight, Fallen Angels and Ninja Assassin (because J. Michael Straczynski served as script doctor). Rickyjames keeps raving about Breaking Bad at every opportunity, as well, so that’s also a possibility.” Alex says, “Like Blaine, I haven’t seen Ninja Assassin, but I do intend to pop that into my Netflix Queue at the closest opportunity. However, I have seen Slayers Revolution, and I’m definitely going to recommend it – though I do recommend watching the first few seasons on Funimation’s web page or Hulu if you’re in the United States – there are some references to prior seasons with this season). It probably wouldn’t hurt to watch the OVAs if you can find them, too.”
The shorter format is much easier to dig through, and so much of what comes any given week is not worth listing. Do we really need ot know that Project xyz comes out in fourteen different box styles?
Just my two cents
Grimjack
Slayers season 4 is definitely not as good as the earlier three – only fans need apply, others should start with season 1. Also, it really *felt* like only half a season, which kinda fits as it had only about half the number of episodes of earlier seasons. Also, Hulu.com has both seasons 4 and 5, subtitled too!
It’s a toss-up for me. The long list are nice sometimes because there are the occasional hidden gems that come up. But then again (especially with Anime releases) all the different box set releases for the same title gets a bit excessive.
Otherwise this week it looks like more MST3k goodness for me and maybe some ninja assassin.
And wow did the princess and the frog tank that badly? Seems like it was still in the theater only a few weeks ago.
Princess and the Frog used the standard 17 week window. There’s now much less relationship between Disney’s theatrical release results and the home video release schedule, as they’re planned in advance. For example, it was know that “Alice in Wonderland” would only have an 11 week window from the outset, upsetting many exhibitors. It’ll hit home markets in late May, and has been doing quite well for a March release.