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Here’s what you’ll find new in stores this week:
NEW BLU
Awake (Genius/Weinstein)
Blue Streak (Sony)
Encounters at the End of the World (Image)
Heathers (Starz)
Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas (Image)
Lucky # Slevin (Genius/Weinstein)
Mad Money (Starz)
Mirrormask (Sony)
National Security (Sony)
Paris, je t’aime (First Look)
Priceless (First Look)
Revolver (Sony)
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (Warner)
Southland Tales (Sony)
The Stendhal Syndrome (Blue Underground)
Tropic Thunder (Paramount)
The Universe: Season 1 (A&E)
Wall-E (Disney)
DVD
Fanfan la Tulipe (Criterion)
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Bandai)
Gonzo (Magnolia)
Mister Lonely (Ifc)
Monty Python’s Holy Trinity (Sony)
Paris, je t’aime: Steelbook Edition (First Look)
Priceless (First Look)
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (Warner)
Tropic Thunder (Paramount)
Wall-E (Disney)
Zombie Diaries (Genius/Weinstein)
TV-on-DVD
Bones: Season 3 (Fox)
Doctor Who: Series 4 (BBC)
Doctor Who: The Infinite Quest (BBC)
Hannah Montana: DVD Game (Disney)
Hannah Montana: Season 1 (Disney)
Hawaii 5-0: Season 5 (Paramount)
McHale’s Navy: Season 4 (Shout! Factory)
Monthy Python’s Flying Circus: Complete Megaset (A&E)
The Odd Couple: The Final Season (Paramount)
Star Trek: The Original Series: Season 3 (Paramount)
Greg’s Pick of the Week
Tropic Thunder: Director’s Cut (Blu-ray)
Paramount Home Entertainment | 120 minutes | Unrated | $39.99
Before getting to the top shelf new releases, there’s a handful of lesser known titles that are worthy of mention this week. First up is the Genius/Weinstein title Lucky # Slevin, starring Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman. I reviewed this when it was released on HD DVD, but now that it’s on Blu-ray you should definitely seek out this dark but entertaining dramedy.
And if dark comedy is your thing, look no further than the “20th High School Reunion Edition” of Heathers, which is now on Blu-ray from the folks at Starz. This Christian Slater and Winona Ryder flick has earned its cult status over the years and it looks better than ever thanks to its high definition overhaul. Although it’s hard to call Heathers an outright romance, Paris je t’aime definitely fits that bill. Now on Blu-ray (and steelbook DVD) from First Look Home Entertainment, this love fest set in the City of Lights is highly recommended. Featuring a diverse assortment of first rate actors, this collection of shorts features the directorial work of the Coen Brothers, Gus Van Sant and Wes Craven to name but a few.
As for my pick of the week, Wall-E and Tropic Thunder were the two obvious contenders. Wall-E is absolutely wonderful and does a fine job of maintaining Pixar’s spotless track record. The film is surprising in its scope and scale and it’s remarkably funny considering the fact that no one speaks for the first thirty minutes of the film. Disney brings Wall-E to Blu-ray in two flavors: a 2-disc edition and a 3-disc edition. The sets are identical but the 3-disc edition adds a Digital Copy version of the film. Like Cars and Ratatouille, Wall-E looks absolutely stunning in high definition. Its vast range of color and palpable sense of image depth make Wall-E the most impressive animated title to hit Blu-ray thus far. And be sure to seek out “The Story of Pixar” which is buried amongst the bevy of extras on Disc Two. It’s a great documentary.
In the end, I sided with Tropic Thunder for one reason – and I never thought I’d say it. Two words: Tom Cruise. I won’t spoil the fun by talking about his performance in Tropic Thunder, but rest assured his fearless turn here is worth the price admission all by itself. Like too many other unrated “Director’s Cuts,” this version of the film takes a few jokes too far and gets a little nasty at times. But those offenses are easily forgiven five minutes later when you’re laughing uncontrollably at something else. Tropic Thunder is energetic, highly-rewatchable and this Blu-ray edition from Paramount gives it as good a presentation as one could hope for. Jungle greens are lush, skin tones look natural (with the notable exception of Robert Downey Jr.) and the Dolby TrueHD soundtrack packs plenty of punch –thanks in part to Danny McBride’s hilarious turn as a pyromaniac FX coordinator. Highly recommended.
EVALUATION SYSTEM
Sanyo PLV-Z700 1080p Projector
Philips BDP7200 Blu-ray Disc Player
Oppo DV-983H DVD player
Onkyo TX-SR805 A/V receiver
Definitive Technology ProCinema 1000 speakers
Datacolor SpyderTV PRO 2007 video calibration
Monster Power HTS5100 power center
BetterCables interconnects
UltraLink speaker wire
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