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This Week in DVD: Valkyrie, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, My Bloody Valentine 3D, True Blood (Season 1), and More

Posted on Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 by Adam Quigley

This Week in DVD is a column that compiles all the latest info regarding new DVD releases, sales, and exclusive deals from stores including Target, Best Buy and Fry’s.

Please don’t take the commentary on the movies and TV shows too seriously, as they’re meant not to be reviews but rather previews that include the general thoughts and ramblings of a twice-committed DVD addict. The categories represent solely the author’s intentions towards the DVDs at hand, and are in no way meant to be a reflection on what he thinks other people should rent or buy. So if he ends up putting a movie you like in the “Skip it” section without having seen it, please keep in mind that the time you could spend leaving a spiteful but ultimately futile comment could instead be used for more pleasant things in life. Like buying DVDs.

Rent It

VALKYRIE
(Available as single-disc and 2-Disc Special Edition)
As hard as I try, I can’t bring myself to garner much interest in this film. I blame history for spoiling the ending. It’s like watching The Passion of the Christ: “So… I wonder what happens to Jesus at the end.” There’s also something inherently off-putting in seeing Tom Cruise in Nazi Germany with an eye patch and no accent. That said, I’m a big supporter of Bryan Singer’s work, and the film has been said to be serviceably entertaining, so I’ll be sure to give it a fair shake just as soon as I learn to stop whining about those aforementioned minor issues. If you’ve seen the film though, it would really help if you could offer some incentive to check it out in the comments.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: The single disc contains no extras, while the 2-disc holds a commentary by director Bryan Singer, actor Tom Cruise, and writer Christopher McQuarrie, a second commentary with writer Christopher McQuarrie and writer Nathan Alexander, 2 featurettes (”The Journey to Valkyrie”, “The Valkyrie Legacy”), and a digital copy of the film.

BEST PRICE*
Target Best Buy Fry’s
$16.99 $15.99
Amazon – $15.99

*Does not include 2-Disc Edition, which costs $22.99 at each of the listed stores (including Amazon).

MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D
(Available as single-disc and 2-Disc Special Edition)
If you listen to the /Filmcast, you may have heard me celebrating this film as a glorious revival of those mostly forgotten old school 3D horror flicks from the ’80s, managing to combine gratuitous amounts of gore, nudity, and even an excessively violent midget death… in 3D! So why am I only recommending a rental? Those damn red-and-blue glasses. Without the RealD (i.e. “good 3D”) experience, much of what made this film such an enjoyable experience in theaters is lost. No doubt B-horror buffs will still find something to love, but casual viewers may not see the appeal.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: The single disc contains no extras, while the 2-disc holds a commentary with director Patrick Lussier and co-writer Todd Farmer, two featurettes (”Deep Inside My Bloody Valentine”, “Sex, Blood and Screams”), deleted scenes, and a gag reel.

BEST PRICE*
Target Best Buy Fry’s
$16.99 $17.99 $15.99
Amazon – $17.99

*Does not include 2-Disc Edition, which costs $22.99 at each of the listed stores (including Amazon).

OUTLANDER
Vikings and aliens, man. Vikings and aliens. All the lousy reviews in the world aren’t enough to deter me from checking out the film that dares to put that combo on film. And if you need any more convincing than that, then this film clearly isn’t for you.
Blu-ray? No.
Notable Extras: Commentary by writer/director Howard McCain, writer Dirk Blackman, and producers Chris Roberts and John Schimmel, deleted scenes, visual effects tests, animatics, and production design galleries.

BEST PRICE
Target Best Buy Fry’s
$13.99 $14.99 N/A
Amazon – $13.99

FANBOYS
After its lengthy, sordid production history—complete with an endless supply of volatile internet rants from passionate Star Wars geeks—Fanboys was finally given (perhaps begrudgingly) a limited theatrical release during early 2009. And yet, after all that controversy on the net, when it came for the actual film’s release, the hype for the film seemed to vanish almost instantly. Apparently those passionate geeks didn’t consider the possibility that the studio was tinkering with the movie so much because, well, it’s just not very good. Not that I can blame them for protesting the studio’s meddling. After all, it’s hard to resist the allure of a comedy based entirely around people like us referencing the same things we love. And I’m sure that for some people, that alone will be enough to make the film enjoyable. (Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up being one of them.)
Blu-ray? No.
Notable Extras: Commentary with cast/crew, deleted scenes, featurettes (”The Truth about Fanboys”, “Star Wars Parallel”, “Four Fanboys & One Fangirl”, “The Choreography”), and webisodes.

BEST PRICE
Target Best Buy Fry’s
N/A $14.99 N/A
Amazon – $13.99

TRUE BLOOD (SEASON 1)
When True Blood first aired, it understandably received a rather lackluster response. I think a lot of people were expecting something very different from Alan Ball, the creator who brought us Six Feet Under and the writer behind American Beauty. Instead of using its premise to deliver, say, a thoughtful study of intolerance using vampires as a metaphor (which might’ve been interesting for an episode or two, but probably wouldn’t have had any lasting appeal), the focus seemed to be more geared toward embracing the camp factor, presenting the show as a darkly comedic gothic love story. Evidently, this decision paid off big time once the season picked up a bit more steam, with just about everybody raving about its second half. Naturally though, this development occurred after I had already given up on the show, so now I need to revisit it and see what I’ve been missing.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: Audio commentaries on select episodes and PSA-style shorts.

BEST PRICE
Target Best Buy Fry’s
$34.99 $32.99 $31.99
Amazon – $32.99

EXCLUSIVE DEAL:
What? Free exclusive True Blood red T-shirt. Front: “Real Blood Is For Suckers”
Where? Best Buy.

EXCLUSIVE DEAL:
What? Free $5 Target GiftCard when you buy both True Blood (Season 1) and any 1 Charlaine Harris book (which the show is based off of).
Where? Target.

Skip It

PAUL BLART: MALL COP
Let’s do a comparison. Paul Blart: Mall Cop = $177 million at the box office. Observe & Report = $23 million at the box office. In conclusion, I hate everyone.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: Commentary with Kevin James and producer Todd Garner, Deleted Scenes, featurettes (”Stunts”, “The Mall”, “Kevin James: Not Your Average Mall Cop”, “On Set with Mike ‘Rooftop’ Escamilla”, “Action Sports Junkies”, “Thoughts with Kevin James”), and outtakes.

BEST PRICE
Target Best Buy Fry’s
$16.99 $15.99
Amazon – $16.99

Other noteworthy DVDs available this week…
24 (Season 7) – Friday Night Lights (Season 3) – Eden Log

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  • simbad
    paul blart is one of the worst comedies ive seen in a while
  • if you went in with the mentality of laughing at its plot holes and overall awfulness... it was by far the funniest movie of the year
  • My Bloody Valentine remake is HORRIBLE, fake, and glossy. Do NOT rent it. I think the 1981 original is better and more entertaining.

    I'm definitely adding Fanboys and Valkyrie to my Netflix queue, thanks.
  • ----
    It was a really fun theater experience and fully embraced its own cheesiness, unlike the original which was a lackluster piece of shit.
  • gooby
    "It’s like watching The Passion of the Christ: “So… I wonder what happens to Jesus at the end.” "

    That is such a lame argument. Countless films are based on fact where the audience knows the ending before going in. I'm not seeing T4 this weekend only for the last 15 minutes. I'm seeing it for the entire film. No, they don't succeed in killing Hitler, Jesus dies (then lives), Titanic sinks, Malcom X is shot, Ghandi is shot, the JFK conspiracy remains, Lerry Flynt wins the verdict, Nixon resigns, Nixon says it's not illegal if Prez's do it, Selena dies, Braddock beats Baer...............If you're not interested in it, let that be that.
  • I was mostly kidding. I don't *actually* blame history for spoiling the ending of Valkyrie. My comments were meant to be tongue-in-cheek. I hoped that would be obvious, but maybe not. :(
  • Adam - I am German. When I heard about Tom Cruise playing Stauffenberg in Valkyrie, I was a little deterred. And weirded out. That being said, after listening to Christopher McQuarrie's episode of the Creative Screenwriting episode, in which he details the long process of getting this movie rolling, I was curious enough to go see it.

    That being said, it is a very entertaining thriller, which undoubtedly comes from Singer's direction. However, there are also some good performances in this, even Tom Cruise is alright. Hitler is pretty cool in this. I mean, the actor who plays him, is good. Anyway, my main point is, even though you know the ending, it is still a pretty easy watch, and maybe more engaging than you think. At least I hope so.
    Ok, this comment is WAY too long. Hope it helped a little
  • HelloJackToad
    That being said, it has half the cast from Pirates of the Caribbean. That being said, it has Eddie Izzard as well. That being said, Bryan Singer still looks 16.
  • That being said, all the people listed above have talent. That being said, you do not.
  • The difference between Paul Blart and Observer and Report besides the fact that they were both truly awful movies (yeah, BOTH of them) is that Paul Blart was at least marketable and it came out first.
  • I liked Outlander and I can't wait to watch Observe and Report :D
  • Valkyrie is good, nothing great, but worth watching for sure. Tom Cruise is fine, except for one scene which you'll know when you see it. Solid thriller though.
  • Brad
    Valkyrie is actually pretty good. I'm not at all a Bryan Singer fan - I think Usual Suspects is overrated and he screwed up the X-Men so bad they'll never recover - but I thought this was a really strong outing for him. There's not a lot of depth but it looks great, it is tense, dramatic and briskly paced. If you hate Tom Cruise in general, this is not going to be the performance that makes you a believer but he does a fine job. There is actually a transitional gag at the beginning which gets them for German to English pretty effectively, similar to the campfire scene in The 13th Warrior. I actually didn't mind them not having stupid German accents, as there is never a time when that is an effective substitute for actually speaking German anyway - it is usually just goofy. For me, the fact that we know the outcome of history didn't take away from the suspense - in fact it did the opposite. It gave the film a constant current of dread, waiting for the shoe to drop. Plus, although I knew the broad strokes of what went down going in, I didn't actually know the real details of this story and the details are pretty amazing.

    Perhaps I am over-selling the film. It is not perfect. There are almost so many "Good Nazis" in the film one starts to wonder who exactly was following Hitler. And Singer really misses an important beat near the end. But those flaws aside, I do recommend the film fairly highly - I liked it much more than I expected and think it was somewhat unfairly overlooked.
  • You forgot A Bug's Life on Blu-ray!
  • Jackie/B
    True Blood is a great series.... It has all of the great things we look for. Good writing, blood, and a topless Anna Paquin. Bring on season 2!!
  • I was one of the few to actually see Outlander in theaters during its very small run ... and it fucking ruled. Like you said Vikings & Aliens. I'm absolutely going to pick this up.
  • Whatthewhat
    Was "The Pianist" any less appealing because the characters spoke English for no reason?
  • I rather enjoyed Outlander. I have never NOT enjoyed anything that Ron Perlman has done and then you throw in John Hurt and (I think this is her name) Sophia Myles, and all is well. The guy from Passion of the Christ wasn't very good though. His character just got annoying at times.

    And I think Fanboys should be a "BUY It". One of the better comedies I have seen in the last year and the second best Star Wars tribute film (behind Spaceballs) I have ever seen.
  • james
    Two things:

    1. It's incredibly stupid to say that something is next to unwatchable or one should have less interest in it because you know what's going to happen, that throws anything historically based out the window.

    2. How the hell can you give out these stupid recommendations if you yourself have not seen the movies in question?
  • "Please don’t take the commentary on the movies and TV shows too seriously, as they’re meant not to be reviews but rather previews that include the general thoughts and ramblings of a twice-committed DVD addict. The categories represent solely the author’s intentions towards the DVDs at hand, and are in no way meant to be a reflection on what he thinks other people should rent or buy. So if he ends up putting a movie you like in the “Skip it” section without having seen it, please keep in mind that the time you could spend leaving a spiteful but ultimately futile comment could instead be used for more pleasant things in life. Like buying DVDs."
  • omar swarez
    Sounds like someone needs a nap
  • First off, I'd like to thank Nick for saving me the time of having to address that second point, but in regards to your first: I was kidding. Read what I wrote again. It was tongue-in-cheek.
  • It's ok Adam, I hate everyone too.
  • Paul Blart is almost worth seeing if you enjoyed Observe & Report becasue it's hillarious how O&R is almost a direct parady of it. It's almost like Jody Hill saw an early cut of Paul Blart and thought how can I completely mock this film in every way.
  • Finally! Somebody else agrees with me! This is exactly what I said on the podcast, and yet nobody I've talked with about the movie seems to mirror my perspective. Glad to see I'm not alone. :)
  • "Let’s do a comparison. Paul Blart: Mall Cop = $177 million at the box office. Observe & Report = $23 million at the box office. In conclusion, I hate everyone."

    haaaaaaaaa seriously. What is WRONG with the world.
  • Kyle
    I will be renting Paul Blart solely for the fact that I love Kevin James in King of Queens.
  • I love how people take the high road... getting mad at Paul Blart for beating Observe and Report at the box office. But the truth is.... Observe and Report just isnt that good either.
  • dontworryboutit
    observe and report was briliant. at the same time it was dark and fucked up. that's hard to sell.
  • MrSawyer
    Where's 24?
  • If you get the chance to see Valkyrie, I think that it's a serviceable thriller worth your time. As usual, Singer's direction is great and if you're a fan of his work I honestly think there's no reason you wouldn't like that movie.
  • observe and report < paul blart
  • GJG
    yup
  • observe and report didn't turn out as incredible as i thought it would be, but reading that comment lowered my brain cell count.
  • doofbacke
    that stupid valkyrie accent complaint!
    what do you want? tom cruise speaking english with a german accent?
    watch the german dubbed version for more accuracy...
  • no blu ray for outlander?! ouch.
  • schatsi
    why u americans went all to see Paul blart is beyond me. i didnt laugh even once.
  • Considering it made almost 31 million overseas. I wouldn't just label it as "u americans".
  • Even if you dislike Observe and Report, you should at least be able to acknowledge that it was much more interesting and ambitious than Paul Blart.
  • Awesome. Another week I save money.
  • My Bloody Valentine 3D... that movie says the word Sarah 72 times in 100 minutes. I saw it a second time in theaters just to do a count. Maybe I only noticed it because that's my name but whatever. 72 times in 100 minutes seems excessive.

    As for Outlander...that movie is hilariously baffling. I was the only one in the theater when I saw it and I was just dying. And, if you think about it, it only made $166,000 so my $10 was 0.00006% of it's box office total. Maybe. I'm really bad at math.

    Fanboys could have been SO MUCH MORE awesome. But Jay Baruchel is great in it.
  • I know it's almost impossible to do without actually pirating but, I think I'd rather read someone's take on if it's worth a buy, rent or pass had they actually seen most of the films listed. Like I said I know we can't but that's the only real way to be sure, otherwise it's moot and most ppl will just end up buying, renting, or passing based on their "should I"s then someone elses.
  • Josh
    Paul blart is actually much better than observe and report.

    not that either were particularly good...
  • Charles
    Just finished the "Valentine" DVD, gave it a rental, never saw it then the theaters, was charged an extra 15 cents by blockbuster to "fully enjoy the experience of awesome 3D" (way to go blockbuster) and my eyes are still bleeding from scratching at them.
    My fault I know, but really not worth it. Really unbearable at times to keep the glasses on.
  • freemachine
    Observe and Report is the shit. I saw it without my GF (busted) and loved it so much that I took her to see it when she came up to visit (unbusted). Solid film. Paul Blart, on the other hand, was pure crap made for tweens and younger. If you have at least one functioning brain cell, you'll hate Paul Blart.
  • freemachine
    Valkyrie is one of those films that you cannot say could be better under different circumstances. They made the plot as exciting as possible, yet a chain is only as strong as it's....blah, blah. Cruise delivers as well as he can, and that was the mistake. Anyone---Anyone, would have been a better casting choice. He's just not convincing. If you can ignore this blatant and technical foul, then you might enjoy a couple of hours of decent suspense. And yes, they managed to keep it interesting despite the well popularized and unfortunate outcome.
  • J_D
    In response to your comment that you "blame history for spoiling the ending," I would have to say that some of the best films of all time are based on real historical events, meaning the ending is "spoiled." I don't think this takes away from the suspense of Valkyrie, in fact I think it enhances it. The acting in this movie is great, not to mention the great special features (including an excellent 40 min documentary about Operation Valkyrie) and the amazing blu-ray quality. I definitely recommend purchasing this one. Some of these videos are really interesting, especially the one about casting where you can see how similar each actor looks to the figure he's playing, and might entice some people to go out and see the film:

    http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=2541E8D2F...
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