This Week in DVD & Blu-ray is a column that compiles all the latest info regarding new DVD and Blu-ray 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 films 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.

Buy It

FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS (SEASON 2)
It’s sad to think that this may be the last we see of Flight of the Conchords (in TV show form, anyway), but at least they went out strong, providing us with another wonderful season of offbeat, deadpan hilarity. …It isn’t perfect, however. Unlike the first season, where writers/creators/stars Jermaine Clement and Bret McKenzie already had the songs and needed to find a way to craft the episodes’ storylines around them, this time around, all of their songs were created exclusively for the new season. As such, the songs often tend to relate rather specifically to events taking place in the episodes, and a number of the tracks don’t hold up nearly as well on their own because of it. This is a minor quibble though, and isn’t nearly enough to detract from what’s otherwise a brilliant final outing from everyone’s favorite (and maybe only) New Zealand comedy duo.
Blu-ray? No.
Notable Extras: Deleted scenes, a documentary, and more.

BEST DVD PRICE
Target Best Buy Fry’s
$19.99 $15.77
Amazon – $17.99

Rent It

THE SOLOIST
Movies like this are why I’m glad film critics exist. It’s the type of film that, after having watched the trailer, I’m convinced I should want to see more than I actually do. It has all the makings of the great film: it’s directed by Joe Wright (Atonement), it stars two terrific actors (Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx), and it features a dramatic, emotional storyline pulsing with Oscar potential. But something about it just feels… kind of bland. And lo and behold, the reviews support this suspicion. It should still serve as a worthwhile rental, to be sure, but I don’t suspect I’ll be overwhelmed with grief that I ended up missing it in theaters.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: DVD – Commentary by director Joe Wright, deleted scenes, and featurettes (”An Unlikely Friendship: Making The Soloist”, “Kindness, Courtesy and Respect: Mr. Ayers + Mr. Lopez”, “One Size Does Not Fit All: Addressing Homelessness in Los Angeles”, “Beth’s Story”). Blu-ray – Everything from the DVD, plus a “Juilliard: The Education of Nathaniel Ayers” featurette.

BEST DVD PRICE
Target Best Buy Fry’s
$16.99 $15.77
Amazon – $16.99

BEST BLU-RAY PRICE
Target Best Buy Fry’s
$26.99 $25.77
Amazon – $26.99

Skip It

RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN
(Available as single-disc and Deluxe Edition)
This is your standard, inoffensive kid’s film fare. There’s nothing particularly interesting or unique about it, and the only reason anyone who isn’t under 13 should bother with it is if they’re a parent who’s being forced to sit through it with their under-13-year-old. Keep in mind, this is coming from somebody who legitimately loves and rewatches movies like Zathura, Sky High and The Monster Squad on a regular basis. Unlike those films, Race to Witch Mountain is simply yet another poorly written, sloppily put together Disney Channel-esque “family adventure”. Not all-out terrible by any means, but not good either.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: DVD – Nothing on the single-disc. 2-Disc includes deleted scenes with commentary by director Andy Fickman, a Dylan & Cole Sprouse: Blu-ray Is Suite featurette, bloopers, a Learn How To Take your Favorite Movies On The Go feature, and a digital copy of the film. Blu-ray – Everything from the 2-Disc, plus a Backstage Disney: Which Mountain? featurette, and a copy of the standard definition DVD.

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

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

BEST BLU-RAY PRICE
Target Best Buy Fry’s
$25.99
Amazon – $25.99

OBSESSED
I’d like to say that I’m always up for a trashy, exploitative B-movie thriller, but a movie like Obsessed makes me want to reconsider that stance. We’ve already seen this all before, a dozen times over, and without the suck-factor no less. Getting to enjoy a 5-minute girl-on-girl bitch-fight between Beyoncé and Ali Larter is not nearly enough incentive to trudge through the rest of this by-the-numbers silliness.
Blu-ray? Yes.
Notable Extras: DVD & Blu-ray – 3 featurettes (”Girl Fight!”, “Playing Together Nicely”, “Dressed to Kill”).

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

BEST BLU-RAY PRICE
Target Best Buy Fry’s
$25.99
Amazon – $25.99

EXCLUSIVE DEAL:
What? $5 Fry’s Gift Card with purchase of DVD or Blu-ray.
Where? Fry’s.

DELGO
Back in December, Delgo (a CGI fantasy adventure film with a $40 million budget) opened in 2,160 theaters and grossed a total of $694,782. It also set the record for Worst Wide-Release Opening of All-Time. I suppose I could also discuss the actual film, but let’s face it: the only interesting thing worth mentioning about this film is its stunning failure at the box office.
Blu-ray? No.
Notable Extras: Audio commentary with the directors, featurettes (”Behind the Scenes”, “Sounds of Delgo”, “Meet the Characters”, “See the Creatures”), a Chroma Chameleon animated short, and deleted scenes with an additional 14 minutes of footage.

BEST DVD PRICE
Target Best Buy Fry’s
N/A $14.99 $17.99
Amazon – $14.99

Other noteworthy DVD (and Blu-ray) releases this week…
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (Season 3) – Mutant Chronicles [Single-disc DVD / 2-Disc DVD / Blu-ray] – AugustLabor PainsFragmentsThe Mysteries of PittsburghThe Chaos Experiment

Other noteworthy Blu-ray-specific releases this week…
Sling BladeBig Trouble in Little ChinaMy Cousin Vinny

The Specials
NOTE: Some deals may be in-store only.


$14.99 – Blu-ray sale: Mission: Impossible III, Top Gun, Shooter, American Gangster, Kingdom of Heaven (Director’s Cut), Hulk, Casino, Old School

$4.75 – Minority Report, Dodgeball, and more…


$3.99 – Terminator 2, Memento, Big Fish, Troy, Master and Commander, Les Miserables, Green Street Hooligans, Talladega Nights, Hitch, The Pursuit of Happyness, The Interpreter, Madagascar, Over the Hedge, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, and more…

$8.99 – Tropic Thunder, Pineapple Express, Step Brothers, Burn After Reading, Wanted, Hellboy II, Eagle Eye (2-Disc Special Edition), Iron Man, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar 2, Casino Royale, Superbad, Across the Universe, Death Race, 3:10 to Yuma, Hancock, Lakeview Terrace, Killshot, and more…

Related Posts with Thumbnails

  • fucksmcgee
    I CAME HERE LOOKING FOR FILM NEWS AND I ACCIDENTALLY READ A 100 WORD PARAGRAPH ABOUT A TV SHOW! I HAVE GONE MY ENTIRE LIFE WITHOUT READING ANY INFORMATION ABOUT TV SHOWS, IN FACT THE VERY SIGHT OF A TELEVISION SCREEN CAUSES ME TO IMMEDIATELY VOMIT EVERYWHERE. BECAUSE OF YOU, ADAM QUIGLY, I NOW KNOW THAT FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS IS OUT ON DVD, AND WITH THAT INFORMATION I CAN NO LONGER GO ON LIVING. GOODBYE WORLD. MAYBE IN THE AFTERLIFE THERE WILL BE A WEBSITE WHERE I CAN READ FILM NEWS WITHOUT THE FEAR OF TELEVISION NEWS DESTROYING MY DAY.

    damn you, quigly, damn you.
  • plagueoftruth
    Genius.
  • Saladinho
    Lol!
  • LordOfDarkness
    Yo! How are we not mentioning 'Big Trouble in Little China' and 'Sling Blade' on Blu Ray? Is it because they're already out on DVD? Still awesome to mention them.
  • plagueoftruth
    I agree. It would be nice to add a 'just released on blu-ray' section at the end.
  • plagueoftruth
    Oh. Never mind, I don't know if that was just added but I see that it's there now. Right on.
  • plagueoftruth
    I didn't realize 'lords of darkness' meant how come we're not mentioning those on the message boards. Boy, I wish I could delete comments on here sometimes.

    With that said: FREAKING 'BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA' ROCKS!
  • plagueoftruth
    Thanks for keeping the 'Monster Squad' spirit alive, Adam.
  • sammyjankis
    What about the MUTANT CHRONICLES, with Thomas Jane and Ron Perlman ? I am at least interested in a Rent.
  • I originally had it listed under "Skip it", but I moved it to "Other noteworthy releases this week…"

    In my opinion, no good can come out of bad-mouthing low-budget indie films that people likely weren't going to watch anyway. Is it really productive to tell people to not watch a movie like that?

    Best to just focus on the actual worthwhile indie releases.
  • sammyjankis
    I wholly agree, and it probably is horrible, BUT, I feel the need to at least see it once. Just for the sake of proving to myself it sucks, instead of writing it off. In the midst of such bad releases, it definitely holds my interest more than "Obsessed" and some of the other trash coming our way.
  • dagreenman18
    Delgo is one of the worst films i have ever seen. It is one gigantic boring ripoff of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings
  • Hey fartsmcgee, shut up. No one forces you to read Adam's take on Television programming, that's of your own doing. If you like movies so much (and hate TV), then ignore the articles on all the stuff you don't care about. It's not required you browse everything posted on the site.
  • sma
    Learn how to use the reply button, idiot.
  • sma needs to get a life
    Learn to not be such a prick, fucko.
  • this week sucks, waiting for dexter s3
  • fartsmcgee
    Why does Quigly always talk about fucking TV shows?? Is this fucking /TV all of a fucking sudden? It's so annoying. Could he please go write for EW or some equally-annoying rag? It's all good and fine that he likes television, but I don't come here to read dissertations on fucking "Weeds", I'm a fan of film, not weekly serials.
  • fartsmcgee
    Joe -- Really? Is this as far as your logic abilities can carry you? They release Anime porn on DVD, does that automatically make it fair game for a site that purports itself to be film-oriented, as well? STFU, and often.

    And Plagueoftruth, you little groupie. Fact is I was stating my opinion, however strongly worded, about some of the content the editors of the site post -- not even the editors, just Adam Quigly. I'm perfectly entitled to that, and calling me a douchebag is completely uncalled for. I'm glad you'd read /Film even if it covered videogames and books -- but if a day ever comes when they started doing so, you'd have to understand that people are entirely privileged to state their opinion on the content in the corresponding 'comments' section. Idiot. (Ooh, look, I can add a superfluous insults to the end of my statements, too.)

    And Adam -- I've thought of a better solution. I'll get my news regarding film from someplace that practices a little professionalism instead of simply utilizing snide sarcastic little cunt comments when someone communicates displeasure with your glaringly sophomoric contributions to the site -- which happens frequently, I've noticed, and for good reason. You're a horrible fucking writer and the bile you pump out with regular basis has been, in the past, practically the only things on /Film I didn't read, not just because of their blatant banality but also 'cuz they are so fucking BORING. But, well, congratu-mother-fucking-lations, it's apparent your response to my gripes was aimed at communicating, "Don't need you anyway" so have a grand old time spending the rest of your life writing your poor excuse of an interpretation of TV shows that nobody ever reads, and please, don't hold back on your endlessly suave retorts, considering I won't be reading them, or anything else on this shit parade of a site, again.
  • Dude, you need some help!
  • Oh god. ...Oh... Oh GOD. No! PLEASE NO!

    Somebody who goes by the name "fartsmcgee" doesn't like my contributions to the site, and is displeased by my reaction to his rude & inane feedback. Clearly, there's only one option.

    *blows brains out*
  • plagueoftruth
    Unfortunately, the fact remains that you are a douchebag. It's not superfluous, it is fact.

    When you could have simply stretched your mouse hand a bit and scrolled past the TV section and let the people that DO care about TV releases read it, you decided to share your eloquent opinion: "Why does Quigly always talk about fucking TV shows?? Is this fucking /TV all of a fucking sudden?"(I like the three 'fuckings.' Nice wordplay.)

    There are certainly more constructive and less sociopathic ways to give feedback however you acted like a douchebag because my guess is, you are one.

    Happy trails, sir. I do not speak for slashfilm, but I for one will be happy to have one less garbage spewing anus on these message boards.
  • LordOfDarkness
    DAMN!
  • Solution: don't read about the TV shows.

    It's a crazy concept, I know, but with a little bit of willpower, I think you can do it. I'll be rooting for you!
  • plagueoftruth
    lol
  • plagueoftruth
    Yeah dude, lay off. Slashfilm is one of the best put-together entertainment sites on the web. I'm happy to hear them talk about tv. Hell, I'd be happy to have them cover video games and books as well. Personally, I prefer to get all my info in one place if possible.

    But no, I suppose Adam should just leave the TV DVDs out so you'd have to go to a whole different website of you wanted to know everything that was released.

    Douchebag.
  • Joe
    Last time I checked, this article's title is "This Week In DVD & Blu-Ray". I'm pretty sure TV shows come out on DVD, and often.
  • ezgoo
    I know it's sad I don't already own Memento and Master and Commander but now I have no excuse at $3.99. Thanks!!
  • Pussy Galore
    Wait....They canceled FOTC? Unreal man.
  • MarkoP
    No, they just ended it. It's not considered canceled if the creators only planned on making 2 seasons.
  • INS
    5 minute fight scene between Beyonce and Larter? I'll watch it high and enjoy the C movie qualities while I wait for the highlight of the movie
  • Since when is Jamie Foxx a terrific actor?
  • Birch
    Since Ali, Collateral, Ray, Jarhead, and The Soloist (even though the movie was kind of blah). I would definitely say he's one of the better actors working today.
  • INS
    Ali??????????? I guess all black people look alike to you
  • Name
    yeah...he was the manager...
  • INS
    stand corrected
  • Psssh somebody didn't see Stealth.
  • Ahaha, I stand corrected. Who could forget lines like:

    "If I have to, I will blast your aero-elastic ass right out of the sky. "
  • kip_mooney
    Obsessed actual is an enjoyable, trashy, exploitative B-movie thriller. Beyoncé is terrible in it, though. I'd put it on the same level as Lakeview Terrace.
  • wrongturn687
    How can you compare that carppy movie to Lakeview. Atleast LT had some redeming qualaties and solid acting from the three leads especially S.l.J. Sure his character is a bit far fetched and over the top, but I thought he handeled the role well and I really ended up hating his character because of how sleezey and unremorseful he is which is how I was suppose to feel. With Obsessed it just another blatant rip off of Fatal Attraction only MUCH worse and with no pay off whatsoever.
  • kip_mooney
    If you'll remember the /Filmcast episode in which they reviewed LT, the guest critic called it "Guess Who's Coming to Do the Right Unlawful Entry." I'd hardly say that movie is original. I thought both movies did an adequate job of showing how seemingly harmless incidents can escalate into something dangerous to all parties involved and their loved ones. Neither were outstanding, but worth a rental at least.
  • DonaldDuck
    A movie with blacks where the white is the villain? lol.
  • wrongturn687
    Wow pretty bad week for dvd releases overall. I still can't believe so many people got excited about Obsessed and actually liked it back when it came out. There was way to much underserved hype around that flick and how can anybody honestly watch the trailer and say that was going to be a good movie is beyond me.
  • sma
    I heard absolutely no hype for this movie at all, beyond seeing the trailer maybe twice. The first time I saw a poster for it, my group of friends agreed that it looked pretty laughable. The fact that it was also critically panned and vanished from theaters as quick as it arrived leaves me to wonder what bizzaro world you've been living in.
  • wrongturn687
    Well sma maybe we live in very different neighborhoods or we are around different people, but I'm not lieing when I say there was a ridicoulous amount of teens and adults that I know that really wanted to see that flick. At school people would not shut up at all about that movie and even a week before it came out they wouldn't stop talking about it. Everyone basically just wanted to see Beyonce beat the crap out of some white chick which really doesn't make any sense to me when you can probably see a 100 videos like that on youtube for free.
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