Written and compiled by The Film Nest guest contributor “FightinIrish” (peep him in the Comments section)
It seems like the inundation of holiday-themed Blu-ray releases has subsided, at least for this week. There aren’t many new BD releases this week, but as the saying goes, it’s quality, not quantity and there are some high-quality releases this week, starting with two new Pixars. There’s a Michael Mann crime-genre classic without which The Dark Knight wouldn’t exist in its final form. There’s an ultimate cut of one of this year’s most anticipated comic films and plenty more.
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By far one of my favorite films of the year and one of my most anticipated Blu-ray releases as well. It would have been nice to have a true 3D version for home viewing that matched the theaterical experience, but that’s not to be the case. However, this movie works without the 3D add-on. The story is, in my opinion, one of Disney/Pixar’s most emotional stories, as well as something that probably works better with adults than children. As with all Pixar and Disney Blu-rays, expect this to have top-notch video, crystal clear and booming audio, and be loaded with special features. I must say, I love Disney for offering a DVD and Digital Copy with their Blu-rays. That’s how you’ll get more people to buy Blu. Bravo!
Read our review of the film here.
Supplements: Cinexplore with Pete Docter and Bob Peterson, Adventure is Out There!, Dug’s Special Mission, Documentaries, The Many Endings of Muntz, DVD of film, Digital Copy, The Egg, Russell: Wilderness Explorer, Geriatric Hero, Canine Companions, Alternate Scene: Married Life, Homemakers of Pixar, Our Giant, Flightless Friend Kevin, Balloons and Flight, Composing for Characters, Worldwide Trailers, Up Promo Montage, Global Guardian Board Game, Partly Cloudy animated short, Theatrical trailer #2, Theatrical trailer #3
This might be my favorite Pixar film, or at least tied with The Incredibles. This film, with the previously mentioned film and Cars, are the “boys” Pixar films, ones that appeal to the Dennis the Menace in all us males, dealing with superheroes, racing, cars, monsters, and the like. I am also a huge fan of the voice talents in this film: John Goodman, Billy Crytal, Jennifer Tilly, and Steve Buscemi.
Supplements: Filmmakers’ Audio Commentary, Short Films: “Mike’s Car,” “For The Birds”, Hilarious Outtakes and The Monsters, Inc. Company Play Enter The “Monster World” and Become an Employee at the Monsters, Inc. Factory, “Human World” Tour at Pixar Animation Studios, Digital Copy, Featurettes: “Filmmakers’ Roundtable,” “Go Seek: Building Monstropolis in Tokyo”, Original Story Treatment, BD-Live
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Here’s your chance to get the kitchen sink version of this film. I currently own the director’s cut which came out earlier this year and I’m a big fan of that film in its current form, so I find it hard to quantify purchasing this version. This seems to me like the version that the most die-hard fans will want to own. Make sure you get it quickly, as it’s limited to only 70,000 copies!
Read our review of the film here.
Supplements: Audio commentaries with Zack Snyder and Dave Gibbons, The Phenomenon: The Comic that Changed the World, Real Super Heroes, Real Vigilantes, Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World, Watchmen: Video Journals, My Chemical Romance Music Video, BD-Live, 4-Disc Set, Watchmen: Director’s Cut (w/Tales of the Black Freighter woven in), Under The Hood, Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic, Digital copy, Limited edition of 70,000
As we have seen recently, Gerard Butler has a very big and vocal following and we all know you’ll be picking up this film on disc. I appreciate this film trying to take the traditional rom-com formula and making it a bit more adult-orientated. Still, Gerard Butler needs to work on that American accent. He must be going to the same school as Gov. Schwarzenegger and Ewan McGregor.
Supplements: Select scenes filmmaker commentary, Deleted and extended scenes, Alternate endings, Gag reel, The Truth Is Ugly: Capturing the Male & Female Point of View, The Art of Laughter: A Making of Hilarious Proportions, MovieIQ, BD-Live
Matthew Brodrick, Jean Reno, and two of “The Simpsons” best vocal artists (Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer), combine with the world-class direction of Roland Emmerich and CGI monsters. What else could you expect but this “masterpiece?”
Supplements: Featurette: “Behind the Scenes of Godzilla with Charles Caiman”, Montage: “All Time Best Of Godzilla Fight Scenes”, Music Video: “Heroes” by The Wallflowers, Visual Effects Commentary, MovieIQ, The Ultimate Godzilla Trivia Game
The first time an audience gets to see Al Pacino and Robert De Niro share the screen together and what a film, courtesy of director Michael Mann. The shootouts are what we all remember, but this is a quality film all around. If you haven’t seen it, do so, and if you have, get it on Blu-ray and enjoy it even more.
Supplements: Commentary by writer/producer/director Michael Mann, 11 additional scenes, True Crime: Recalling the real-life Chicago Cop and criminal whose exploits inspired the movie, Crime Stories: The screenplay’s 20-year history and how the movie finally got greenlit, Into the Fire: Filming in L.A., cast training, shooting the climactic downtown heist and post-production, Pacino and De Niro: The Conversation: anatomy of this historic on-screen showdown, Return to the Scene of the Crime: revisiting the film’s real-life L.A. locations years later, Theatrical trailer
Considered a classic in the 70s era of Sci-Fi films, pre-Star Wars, where everything in the future is oddly bland, everyone wears the same clothes and we all live in giant communal dwellings. A future where everyone has a time limit on their life and once it’s up, you best report. The hunter turns into the hunted in this film and “Basil Exposition” now must survive until he can get to his paradise outside the dome.
Supplements: Commentary by Michael Anderson, Michael York & Bill Thomas,
A Look Into the 23rd Century, Theatrical Trailer
So you thought Jingle All the Way was the first time that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Belushi worked together on a film? Wrong. You forgot all about Red Heat, one of the many forgotten 1980s-era Schwarzenegger action films. Yet, this is surprisingly enjoyable, even if you have to believe that Arnie is now a Russian and Jim Belushi is a serious action actor.
Supplements: Three featurettes, Making-of TV special, Original trailer, TV spots
Who wants to see Sam Jackson and Kevin Spacey in a gritty, hostage film? Anyone? Well, if you don’t remember this film or haven’t seen it in a good while, then buy it on Blu-ray and watch it again. Directed by F. Gary Gray, the follow up to his ever-great Set It Off, and one doesn’t have to wonder why he didn’t direct a film between 1998 and 2003. Again, I have to ask Warner, why do we need audio tracks in not only English, but French, Spanish, and Italian, as well as subtitles in those languages as well as Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish? If this is a US only release? How about saving some space on the disc and giving the fans of this film some more features?
Supplements: Featurettes, Theatrical Trailer
