This Week On DVD and Blu-ray: September 29, 2009

The Wizard of Oz leads the way this week

The Wizard of Oz (70th Anniversary Edition)
Warner Home Video's remastering of the 70-year-old classic The Wizard of Oz is certainly this week's big release, but how many of you are going to be willing to shell out the dollars for the Blu-ray collector's set or perhaps double-dip on a DVD edition considering it was only four years ago when they released a three-disc collector's edition. Warner sent me the two-disc DVD edition for review, but what sense does it make for me to review the DVD edition when the Blu-ray version is the obvious highlight here? Especially considering I already reviewed the 3-disc version?

I will say this, and Blu-ray buyers should be paying attention, Blu-ray.com is reporting Target stores will have a cheaper version of the Blu-ray available without all the bells and whistles you see in the small image to the left. This means you are getting the disc and some extras in high definition, and from what I understand Target is the only place where you can get it. They are also supposed to have a Blu-ray edition of Gremlins to boot, so perhaps your local Target is the place to check out this week.

Buy The Wizard of Oz (70th Anniversary Edition)
Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal [Blu-ray]
Strangely enough I was actually considering watching Labyrinth just two nights ago. I didn't end up watching it, but it is a film I have owned for quite some time but haven't watched probably since it was first released back in 1986. The Dark Crystal I have watched since I first saw it and it is a film I truly love and watched a ton as a child. I don't think it will ever get old.
Buy Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal [Blu-ray]
Monsters vs. Aliens
Meh, I enjoyed this film in the theaters but watching it again or buying it outright certainly isn't a top priority. I bet this will probably play even better at home since the 3-D doesn't matter and don't most generally decent-to-good films play better in the comfort of your own home? I suspect this one will be no different.
Buy Monsters vs. Aliens
Away We Go
I just wrote a short capsule review of this one, which you can read right here. Suffice to say, I like this film and think it is a decent candidate for a buy, but as is the case a lot of the time, it wouldn't hurt to give it a rent first and see if it's your kind of feature.
Buy Away We Go
The Girlfriend Experience
I just can't bring myself to watch Steven Soderbergh's little experimental films. While I did watch Che, I have yet to see Bubble and have no real interest in seeing The Girlfriend Experience. For some reason the onliners have grown to report on every little thing Soderbergh does and while I like a lot of his films I'm not some kind of loyal Soderbergh completist that needs to see every little thing the helmer churns out.
Buy The Girlfriend Experience
Kings – The Complete Series
I heard a lot of good things about this canceled NBC series when it debuted, but it seems like it was just too much thinking for primetime audiences to handle. I fully intend on giving it a watch and seeing what it's all about and if you are interested, David Plotz at Slate wrote a good piece on it right here.
Buy Kings - The Complete Series
C.S.I.: New York – The Complete Fifth Season
I like all three of the "C.S.I." series… Yup, even the truly awful "Miami" version. It's the awful that I love. As for "C.S.I. New York," I didn't fall immediately in love with it, but it's a show that has evolved since it first aired. Personally I find the characters played by Carmine Giovinazzo and Anna Belknap to be the heart of the show. If they somehow managed to get rid of Melina Kanakaredes I think it would gain even larger popularity. Her character just gets on my nerves for some reason.
Buy C.S.I.: New York - The Complete Fifth Season
The Hills Run Red
This is a direct-to-DVD Warner release about some hills. I'm excited… You?
Buy The Hills Run Red
Shrink
Kevin Spacey stars in this one and the reviews weren't too good. You can click the artwork for additional info, but I don't think I am ever going to worry about trying to see this one. I already skipped a couple of screenings when it released back in July and don't plan on bogging down my Netflix queue with it.
Buy Shrink
Management
I'm sorry, but Jennifer Aniston is an overexposed actress that never seems to play anything other than the same role over and over again and I just can't take it. I have no interest in this film partially based on that fact and then partially based on the fact it just doesn't look very good.
Buy Management
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Post #1
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You should give The Girlfriend Experience a go, Brad. I hadn't seen any of Soderbergh's previous low-fi productions before I saw it, but I thought it was quite interesting. Although I can understand why others don't like it.

- Carson Dyle
( September 29th, 2009 | 6:34 pm )
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Post #2
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If you like DC comics characters and great animation, Superman/Batman: Public enemies is a great story with lots of action.

- zyzygy
( September 29th, 2009 | 10:47 pm )
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Post #3
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I think the reason a lot of internet press have latched on to Soderbergh's small movies is that as a culture the internet seems to follow idols like Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, who talk a good game about all the movies they want to make but take 6-7 years between pictures. The fact that Soderbergh works as much as he does is a credit to him and his feelings on the art form, where he could just make big checks on Ocean's 993rd he instead balances it with films, like them hate them or oblivious to them, that he wants to make that are smaller more experimental and clearly not about the money. It is refreshing and and The Girlfriend Experience is a good flick. I hope to see Che and Bubble sometime in the future.

- Ross
( September 29th, 2009 | 11:44 pm )
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