DISC JUST IN for 9/29/09

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Here’s a look at the hottest new DVD and Blu-ray Disc releases for the week of September 29, 2009:

BLU-RAY MOVIES
Away We Go (Universal)
Billy Jack (Image)
The Dark Crystal (Sony)
Facing the Giants (Sony)
Fireproof (sony)
The Girlfriend Experience (Magnolia)
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (MPI)
Labyrinth (Sony)
Management (Image)
Monsters vs. Aliens (Dreamworks/Paramount)
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (Warner)
The Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary (Warner)

DVD MOVIES
Away We Go (Universal)
Filth and Wisdom (MPI)
The Girlfriend Experience (Magnolia)
The Hills Run Red (Warner)
Management (Image)
Monsters vs. Aliens (Dreamworks/Paramount)
The Shortcut (Anchor Bay)
Shrink (Lionsgate)
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (Warner)
The Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary: Ultimate CE (Warner)
The Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary: 2-disc SE (Warner)

TV-on-DISC
Cobra: Complete Series (Mill Creek)
C.S.I. NY: Season 5 (Paramount)
Day BReak: Complete Series (Mill Creek)
The Guild: Seasons 1 & 2 (New Video NYC)
Kings: Complete Series (Universal)
Midsomer Murders: Set 13 (Acorn)
How I Met Your Mother: Season 4 (Fox) (BD)
Life on Mars: Complete Series (Disney)
National Geographic: High Def Collection (Warner) (BD)
The Patty Duke Show: Season 1 (Shout!)
Traffik: 20th Anniversary Edition (Acorn)
Ultraman: Complete Series (Mill Creek)
The Unit: Season 4 (Fox) (BD)
The Universe: Season 3 (A&E) (BD)

HIGHLIGHTS

Away We Go – What a great little movie. Directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty) and starring John Krasinski ("The Office") and Maya Rudolph (Idiocracy), Away We Go follows a pair of 30-somethings as they travel the country in hopes of finding a new home – and more importantly, a suitable place to raise their soon-to-arrive baby. Krasinski and Rudolph have wonderful chemistry and the the two create a wholly believable and beautiful couple in Burt and Verona. Universal’s Blu-ray looks great and does a wonderful job of handling the film’s varied locations. The film’s understated DTS-HD soundtrack is subtle and spacious, but also perfectly in keeping with what you’d expect from a film like this. Extras are on the thin side, but you do get a Sam Mendes commentary and BD LIVE capability for future possibilities.

Dark Crystal – Sony hits a homerun with the Blu-ray edition of this Jim Henson/Frank Oz fantasy classic. With its wonderfully imaginitive puppet design and superb voice acting, The Dark Crystal is required viewing for young and old alike. Everything has been rendered beautifully on this Blu-ray, which sports vivid colors and inky, deep blacks when appropriate. A slew of extras (many of which are 480p) plus BD LIVE capabilities make this Blu-ray a must own.

Girlfriend Experience – One could call Director Steven Soderbergh many things, but predictable is not one of them. Put simply, there’s just no telling what he’ll do next: popcorn fare such as the Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen films, a gritty drama such as Traffic, a quirky comedy such as his latest, The Informant – or a left field curiousity such as The Girlfriend Experience. "Adult film star" Sasha Grey stars as a high-end call girl who provides not only sex, but also listening, companionship – the complete "girlfriend experience" for clients who can afford her company. The film is definitely worth seeing but it’s doubtful you’ll return to it often. Magnolia’s Blu-ray does an excellent job rendering the film’s varied cinematography. The DTS-HD 5.1 track is perfectly adequate but in truth it doesn’t have much to tackle beyond the dialogue, which it handles with ease.  Extras include a slightly-modified alternate cut and a commentary with Soderbergh and Grey. Rent this one first but it may surprise you.

Labyrinth - Another fantasy 80′s classic comes to Blu-ray and again we have the folks at Sony to thank for it. Starring the great David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly (Blood Diamond), Labyrinth is another feast for the senses and the imagination. And like The Dark Crystal, Sony has done a bang-up job bringing the film to Blu-ray. The 1080p video conveys a wonderful sense of texture while maintaining sufficiently deep blacks and the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack is a solid improvement over the sound on my aging DVD. A compelling suite of extras and BD LIVE help to make this an easy recommendation for fans of this cult classic.

Management - I didn’t receive a copy of this, but based on what little I’ve seen of the film I can tell you this: this isn’t your typical romantic comedy. That’s not to say this one’s better than the rest, it’s just different – as in, it’s not quite a comedy and its romanticism is debateable. Rent it first and see if Jennifer Aniston being stalked by a creepy/sweet Steve Zahn suits your tastes.

Monsters vs. Aliens – I missed this one in theaters and didn’t receive a copy, so I can’t really comment on the film. However, if Shrek the Third and Kung Fu Panda are any indication of its technical prowess, this Dreamworks Blu-ray edition from the folks at Paramount is sure to be a treat.

Superman/Batman – I can’t say I much enjoyed this on-screen pairing of The Man of Steel and Gotham’s Dark Knight, but Warner gets credit for a great-looking and sounding Blu-ray. Fans of the film shouldn’t hesitate to pick this one up.

GREG’S PICK OF THE WEEK

The Wizard of Oz (Blu-ray)
Warner Home Video | Rated G | 1939 | 102 mins | $84.99

With my daughter just having turned four and my son about to turn six, I recently decided that now was the perfect time to expose them to the incomprable Wizard of Oz. And as luck would have it, Warner has just created the ultimate version of this peerless Hollywood classic. Put simply, there has never been a better way to experience Oz than with this new Ultimate Collector’s Edition on Blu-ray Disc. The proof was on my kids’ faces – they loved it!

Thanks to Warner’s meticulous restoration, the moment Dorothy opens that door to a world of newfound color is absolutely breathtaking – even if you’ve seen the film 100 times before. Scratches and blemishes are gone, the background matte paintings look simply beautiful, the Emerald City glows greener than ever before – and those red, ruby slippers? Oh my. This 1080p presentation of Oz truly is a sight to behold.

Warner’s Ultimate Collector’s Edition is precisely that. From its commemorative production book to the promotional campaign reproductions to the limited edition wrist watch – this is a must have box set for fans of the film. And these glorious goodies are of course in addition to the second Blu-ray Disc which is chock full of wonderfully-produced featurettes and documentaries on the film, author L. Frank Baum and so much more. Highly recommended!

EVALUATION SYSTEM
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080 projector
Carada Masquerade screen system (92")
Panasonic DMP-BD35 Blu-ray Disc player
Oppo DV-983H DVD player
Onkyo TX-SR805 A/V receiver
Noble Fidelity L-55 LCRS speakers
Datacolor SpyderTV PRO 2007 video calibration
Monster Power HTS5100 power center
BetterCables HDMI interconnects
UltraLink speaker wire