This Week On DVD and Blu-ray: May 12, 2009

Trek movies on Blu-ray, more Blu-ray Bond and then some

Two titles you won't see in the release date section below are the Watchmen Director's Cut and the 300 (The Complete Experience) Blu-ray, but both have just been confirmed with July 28 and July 21 release dates respectively. Both updates came too late for this report and will be included on the next one, but a complete write up can be found right here, which includes artwork and special features.

Now, for today's releases…

Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collections
I am anxiously awaiting my very own copy of the full original crew Star Trek movie series as I only own Wrath of Khan and The Voyage Home on DVD and haven't seen the others in a long, long time. As a matter of fact, I can hardly remember what the other four films are about. Search for Spock is pretty much self-explanatory and I know the one where they find God (or some sort of deity is awful, but I can't remember what the first one is about (outside of that one bald chick) and I think it is the sixth one that is actually pretty good, but I can't remember exactly. However, I look forward to the opportunity to revisit them all in Blu-ray and from what I understand a review copy will be in my possession soon (and, unfortunately, it appears review copies of the complete collection weren't sent out to anyone just yet so I can't even link to a review).

What you have here are two options when buying these. The first is the all-encompassing "Original Motion Picture Collection" which is only available on Blu-ray and includes all six original crew films as well as a large group of special features, which you can read about here and I will be able to tell you about once the discs arrive. The one thing I do know is Wrath of Khan is the only film of the six that has received a full remastering, a la what Paramount did for the recent Blu-ray release of the Godfather trilogy.

The second option is available on both DVD and Blu-ray and includes what Paramount is calling the "Motion Picture Trilogy" and it includes Wrath of Khan, Search for Spock and The Voyage Home.

The Buy Now link below will give you buying options for all three.

Buy Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collections
Licence to Kill & The Man with the Golden Gun Blu-rays
Fox and MGM released these two all quiet-like and from what I understand they were part of some Best Buy box set collection when Quantum of Solace was released and are finally being released individually. Personally I love both of these Bond films and Timothy Dalton's two films happen to be two of my favorite, even though I wasn't especially keen on him as Bond. While I prefer Living Daylights over Licence to Kill, I will definitely be picking this one up. Same goes for The Man with the Golden Gun, which is certainly campy, but it is probably my favorite Roger Moore Bond one of the more entertaining Bond flicks in my opinion.
Buy Licence to Kill
Taken (Extended Cut)
Fox hit pay dirt with Taken as it has now made $144 million at the domestic box-office and over $220 million worldwide. Considering it was released at the end of January with little to no expectations it has gone on to do quite well. I am expecting a Blu-ray review copy soon so I hope to have a review for you shortly.
Buy Taken (Extended Cut)
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Meh, I didn't care for this film, and this is coming from someone that actually likes the first two.
Buy Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – The Complete First Season
I just did a mini-review feature for this release as well as "Dexter" season two on Blu-ray and the "Star Trek" original series Blu-ray release right here, so check that out for a longer opinion, but for me this is a great release and the fact the season is presented in widescreen for the first time and Paramount didn't stick with the 2000 fullscreen presentation is a great bonus.
Buy CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - The Complete First Season
S. Darko: A Donnie Darko Tale
I have no interest in this one being one of those folks that doesn't ride the Donnie Darko bandwagon and from the small amount of early buzz I have read this sequel does not impress.
Buy S. Darko: A Donnie Darko Tale
Passengers
Sony did its very best to make sure no one saw this when it released in theaters so why would you want to waste your money buying it on home video?
Buy Passengers
The Grudge 3
I actually really enjoyed the first The Grudge American remake (which is available on Blu-ray in the "Even More" section below), but the sequel was awful and I don't expect anything at all from this direct-to-video return to the franchise which comes with the following short synopsis:

Kayako's curse from The Grudge and The Grudge 2 continues killing the residents of a Chicago apartment building. News of these deaths reaches Japan, where Kayako's sister knows the secret that could end the grudge once and for all. Will she be able to stop the raging spirit, or will she become another victim?

Basically, more of the same but made for less.

Buy The Grudge 3
Paramount Catalog Blu-ray
Major League / Wayne's World / Wayne's World 2 / Black Sheep / Without a Paddle
Paramount is the king of catalog Blu-ray releases and today they release five comedic titles with only one of them really worth the purchase… that is, if you are looking for my opinion.

My pick for purchase (if you feel you need to buy one of these) would be Major League. I remember when this film first hit cable. It must have been around 1991 or so and I would record my favorite movies off HBO and watch them over and over again. Well, I think there must have been about a month in there somewhere when I watched this movie every single night. I absolutely loved everything about this movie and still find it funny today.

As for the Wayne's World films, they were really a product of their time and I don't think they carry much of a nostalgic effect — after all, the sequel sucked. Without a Paddle I have yet to see and while I was never a die-hard Chris Farley fan I am sure there are some out there that probably think Black Sheep is the one title to buy here, even though I think most will admit Tommy Boy is the quintessential Farley flick.

Buy Paramount Blu-ray
The Best of Star Trek: "The Original Series" and "The Next Generation"
I haven't watched these yet, but one comes with what are deemed to be the four "best" episodes from the original "Star Trek" series and the other with four "best" episodes from "Next Generation". I was never a fan of "Next Generation" so I have no comment on the four episodes they offer, but I can tell you they are "The Best of Both Worlds" parts one and two, "Yesterday's Enterprise" and "The Measure of a Man." I'm going to check them out and see if the series may be worth a revisit, but I'm not expecting much. As for the original series you get "The City on the Edge of Forever," "The Trouble with Tribbles," "Balance of Terror" and "Amok Time."

Of the original series selections, "Trouble with Tribbles" is a no-brainer and I think the other three are solid choices as well, even though they probably aren't my four favorite. "Tribbles," while certainly memorable, is one that wears thing really quick and this is going to sound incredibly geeky, but as interesting as "Amok Time" is the T'Pau character annoys the hell out of me.

Had I been making this list I am not quite sure what four exactly I would have included, but "Who Mourns for Adonais?" and "A Piece of the Action" (both from season two) are definitely my two favorite episodes. I also think it would be great to somehow find a way to put "Spock's Brain" on some kind of DVD set, an episode where Spock's brain is actually removed from his head… classic stuff. And people are complaining about the plot in the new film. Go figure.

Buy The Best of Star Trek
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Post #1
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Might find myself picking up Taken off Amazon this week- to me, it's still the best, most entertaining (albeit completely implausible) action film I've seen this year.

- Vince
( May 12th, 2009 | 1:59 am )
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Post #2
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Donnie Darko is my shit. Great soundtrack great story great directing. As far as S. Darko goes…..that piece of junk wasn't worth two hours of my time that I wasted on it.

- Tyler C
( May 12th, 2009 | 10:52 am )
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