Weekly Digital Disc Picks – November 30, 2010

One of the problems with bouncing back from a recession earlier this year is that there’s not a lot of recent product available for the DVD format.

Title DVD Release(s) Blu-Ray Release(s)
Action
Kill Zone Amazon.com
Alex: Dragon Dynasty release of the martial arts film starring Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung.
Knight and Day DVD Two disc combo edition, Three disc combo
Anime
Birdy – The Mighty Decode Vol. 1 Amazon.com, rightstuf.com
Birdy – The Mighty Decode Vol. 2 Amazon.com, rightstuf.com
Hell Girl – Three Vessels Collection 2 Amazon.com, rightstuf.com
Classics (Cult)
Roger Corman Collection 3: Escape From Prison Amazon.com
Includes “Swamp Women,” “Women in Cages,” “The Big Bust Out,” “The Hot Box” and “High School Big Shot.”
Classics (Traditional)
Fantasia / Fantasia 2000 Amazon.com Four disc DVD/Blu-Ray combo
Alex: I’m going out on a limb here and I’ll say that Fantasia is Disney’s greatest animated work and that Fantasia 2000 is, bare minimum, in their top 10.
Comedy
The Lucy Show: The Official Third Season Amazon.com
Meet the Parents Amazon.com
Meet the Fockers Amazon.com
Parks and Recreation: Season Two Amazon.com
Vampires Suck Amazon.com Amazon.com
Documentary
Waking Sleeping Beauty Amazon.com
Blaine: A documentary on the Walt Disney company after the passing of Walt Disney.
Drama
Meet John Doe Amazon.com
Michael Douglas Film Collection Amazon.com
Includes “The Star Chamber,” “Romancing the Stone,” “A Chorus Line,” “The Jewel of the Nile,” “Wall Street,” “The War of the Roses,” “Shining Through,” “Don’t Say a Word,” “It Runs in the Family” and “The Sentinel.”
Family
Red-Headed Alibi / Stolen Jools Amazon.com
Blaine: Shirley Temple may get top billing, but Buster Keaton is the credit that excites me the most.
Fantasy
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010) Amazon.com Two disc combo, Three disc combo
Blaine: I doubt it’s a coincidence this is hitting the same day as Fantasia. I’m just surprised the Hitchcock version (from Alfred Hitchcock Presents) isn’t hitting today, too. The copyright has expired, so that one’s usually out all over the place.
Romance
Cairo Time Amazon.com Amazon.com
Blaine: Starring Alexander Siddig
Twilight Saga: Eclipse single DVD, two disc DVD single Blu-Ray, combo edition
Science Fiction
Space: 1999: Complete Season One Amazon.com
Blaine: I understand dipping into the archives to release Star Trek and The Twilight Zone on Blu-Ray, but this? I don’t get it, not when so few archive titles are available in the format.
Superhero
Marvel Knights: Iron Man – Extremis Amazon.com
Alex: Motion Comic based on Warren Ellis’ extremis arc. I have to admit I haven’t been impressed with most of the motion comics I’ve seen. Blaine: The print comic this is based on is excellent. I haven’t seen the motion comic, because motion comics I have seen based on material originally inteded to be static haven’t panned out well.
Western
Have Gun, Will Travel: Season Five, Volume One Amazon.com

Finally, the picks of the week. Alex says, “This has been a slow week in terms of quantity of releases, but it’s not without its quality releases. Buy the Fantasia collection. Do it now. Don’t wait to find out if they “censored” the female centaurs, just get it. Even if you’re a big time Twilight fan, get the Fantasia collection – Twilight will stay in print for a while, Fantasia will probably go out of print again in a few months. Just get Fantasia. You’ll thank yourself (and us) later.” Blaine says, “listen to Alex.”

One reply

  1. Anyone who thinks Fantasia is in any way, shape or form good should get a copy of “Allegro non-Troppo”, which is available on DVD from Amazon. It’s an Italian movie made in the ’70s which is a similar idea – take pieces of classical movies and show them with animation. There’s even a poke at the fact that it’s been done before in the movie.

    But it’s done in a completely different mindset than anything Disney ever did. Put it on your netflix, watch it, and then tell me if you can stomach Fantasia.

    Oh, and do NOT watch the dubbed version .

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