Weekly Digital Disk Picks – August 16, 2011

There are relatively few choices this week, many of which are back catalog titles with Sylvester Stallone. Thankfully, there are a couple of noteworthy options.

Title DVD Release(s) Blu-Ray Release(s)
Action
Cobra Amazon.com
Blaine: This was originally a collaboration between Sylvester Stallone, Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. They couldn’t agree on certain creative points, so Stallone walked away to turn his ideas into this movie, while Simpson and Bruckheimer turned their ideas into “Beverly Hills Cop.”
Demolition Man Amazon.com
Blaine: Probably my favorite Stallone action movie of all time. Wesley Snipes has a lot to do with that.
The Specialist Amazon.com
Anime
Night Raid 1931 – Complete Collection Amazon.com, rightstuf.com Amazon.com, rightstuf.com
Alex: Series about psychic Japanese spies in Shanghai in 1931
Voltron: The Legend Begins Amazon.com
Art House
Cul-De-Sac (Criterion Collection) Amazon.com Amazon.com
Blaine: Directed by Roman Polanski, which means two things to me. One, it’ll be good. Two, I won’t provide any financial support for it until Polanski either turns himself in or dies. I don’t care if he did have her parents permission, the underage girl he had sex with was so opposed to the idea that she had to be drugged into compliance. I will never knowingly funnel money to Polanski in any way, shape or form.
Queen to Play Amazon.com
Classics (Cult)
Elvira’s Movie Macabre: The Brain That Wouldn’t Die / The Manster Amazon.com
Elvira’s Movie Macabre: The Terror / Eegah! Amazon.com
Comedy
Armed and Dangerous Amazon.com
The Best and the Brightest Amazon.com
The Big Lebowski: Limited Edition Amazon.com
Spin City: Season Five Amazon.com
Charlie Sheen’s first season
Drama
Assassins Amazon.com
Blaine: Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Banderas and Julianne Moore star in a movie scripted by the Wachowski brothers and directed by Richard Donner. How could that group put together a product that sucks this much?
Conspirator (Deluxe Edition) Amazon.com Amazon.com
The Grace Card Amazon.com
Family
The Gruffalo Amazon.com
Hoodwinked, Too! Hood vs. Evil Amazon.com Four disc DVD/Blu-Ray/3D Blu-Ray/Digital Copy combo edition, DVD/Blu-Ray combo edition
Muppets From Space Blu-Ray/DVD combo
Muppets Take Manhattan DVD/Blu-Ray combo
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Complete Season Nine Amazon.com
Fantasy
Paranormal State: Season Five Amazon.com
Horror
John Carpenter’s The Ward Amazon.com Amazon.com
Priest Rated DVD Unrated Blu-Ray 3D, Unrated Blu-Ray
Music / Musical
Amy Winehouse: In Concert 2007 Amazon.com
Blaine: Released by a minor company with no director available. I’m betting on a rushed product to cash in on her death. I list it not to recommend it, but to suggest that those who are interested may prefer to hold off for a better quality product.
Mystery
Dexter: The Fifth Season Amazon.com Amazon.com
Romance
Jane Eyre Amazon.com Amazon.com
Something Borrowed Amazon.com Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Copy, Blu-Ray
Sports
WWE Money in the Bank 2011 Amazon.com
Alex: What makes this Pay Per View great? How about CM Punk beating Cena for the WWE title and skipping town, and “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson-er-sorry, Daniel Bryan, winning one of the two Money in the Bank matches. Yes, I know wrestling is pre-determined, but stuff like this is why I watch.
Superhero
Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Season Two Volume One Amazon.com
Blaine: I’ve heard great things about this show, usually in the past tense, so it sounds like it’s been cancelled. I’m also amused that Amazon lists “Batman” and “Booster Gold” as the actors.
Suspense
Hush Amazon.com
Blaine: Starring Jessica Lange, Gwyneth Paltrow and Hal Holbrook. Do not expect to see Batman, Catwoman, Thomas Elliot, or anyone else from that crowd.
The Killing (Criterion Collection) Amazon.com Amazon.com
Blaine: My favorite heist movie, directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Finally, the picks of the week. Alex says, “Normally, I don’t pick wrestling events for these – most people don’t watch it, and usually there’s more universally appealing stuff out this week, but unless you have a Blu-Ray player (in which case I say go for The Big Lebowski), definitely check out Money in the Bank 2011.” Blaine says, “go for The Killing in the highest definition format you support. The MSRP is the same, since the bulk of Criterion’s production cost is in bonus features, so there’s no reason to grab the DVD if you have Blu-Ray capacity. This is one of the most mainstream titles in the library, and sci-fi fans will recognize a lot of the cast in this non-linear crime drama with a twisted sense of humour and great visual style. Possibly the most quickly paced Stanley Kubrick film.”

2 replies on “Weekly Digital Disk Picks – August 16, 2011”

  1. I find Demolition Man highly enjoyable. I never have gotten around to picking it up on DVD, this may be the time to get it on Blu-Ray. Oddly enough a couple of the things they predicted in the movie’s version of the future have come to pass

    I may regret it later, but I kind of want to see Priest at least once. It looks like it might be ok to shut off one’s brain and watch. I can’t stand Maggie Q though. Then again I made it through Skyline alive so now I feel like I can take on anything.

    • Demolition Man is a great snapshot of the time period in which it was made. The out-of-control Political Correctness of the 90’s taken to a satirical level.

      No, it’s not Shakespeare, but it is a fun little microcosm of early 90’s thinking.

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