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

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

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 ItVALKYRIE(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 ItPAUL 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