 This week the highs of the prior Blu-Ray/DVD output are met with a real slide in quality, if not in quantity. It’s not a wasteland by any stretch, but when 2 of my 10 worst films of the year so far are coming out and only one movie actually is recommendation worthy for me, well…it’s not a good day for me. Still, there have been worse, even recently, so I’m not going to get too up in arms. I was just getting used to the uptick in quality again, that’s all. Anyway, we like to make the best of things here at The Awards Circuit, and that’s certainly the case with this column as well. With that said, let’s look at the top pick from today’s slate, which I know had its fans. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I went with a flick I didn’t like quite as much as some did but still found entertaining enough to put in this spot. Which movie is it? Well, it’s:
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
There’s enjoyment to be found in this Aardman Animations endeavor, but not quite as much as usual…at least in my eyes. That being said, the voice cast is real good (which includes Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Jeremy Piven, and David Tennant) and the animation is as appealing as you’d expect from the well regarded studio. It’s not a Pixar film, but it’s fun enough to recommend in a weak grouping like this one. Give you’re a fan of Aardman, animation in general, or just like pirates…this is a flick to check out. I’d expect you to enjoy it as much as I did, if not more.
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (8/28/2012)…
 This week we can gloriously celebrate one of the best slates of Blu-Ray/DVD titles hitting shelves in a very long time. Last week was a welcome reprieve from the hard times during the past month or so, but this haul of high quality titles really is something special. In fact, I’d say this is one of the very best slates this year, and among the best last year as well! Any week that features one of my 10 favorites of the current year and one of my top 20 from last year is one to truly be reckoned with, and today we have just that sort of situation, with a few other strong choices to boot. It certainly makes my top pick a bit harder than usual, but I always welcome that kind of a challenge. In terms of my PICK OF THE WEEK, I was choosing between an Oscar winner from last year and a long shot Oscar hopeful for this one. Which one did I wind up choosing? Well, I went with the slightly more low profile title. It’s: Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (8/21/2012)…
 For the first time ever, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will be releasing Bond 50 – the Definitive James Bond Collection. The box set will have all 22 films together on Blu-ray for the first time September 25th.
Read the Full Press Release from May:
LOS ANGELES, CA (May 21, 2012) – All the Bonds. All the girls. All the action. All in high-definition. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment mark James Bond’s monumental golden anniversary with the release of BOND 50, the complete Bond experience showcasing all 22 classic films on Blu-ray together for the first time ever, neatly packaged into one cool, sleek collectable box-set. The collection will be available beginning September 24 in the United Kingdom and September 25 in North America with additional international markets to follow that week. BOND 50 marks the debut of nine James Bond films previously unavailable in high definition Blu-ray and comes with a dossier of more than 122 hours of bonus features. Read more on Bond 50 Blu-Ray Collection Available in September!…
Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom, the witty-comedy that has received some of the best reviews of the year so far, now has a release date on Blu-Ray/DVD and and On-Demand. The film will be released on Blu-Ray/DVD October 16, 2012. By releasing the DVD in the middle of October, its positive reviews it received will possibility reignite the passion and excitement it received in early 2012.
The film is one of the favorites in the Original Screenplay category and a dark horse in Best Picture and Director for Wes Anderson. With a nice transition and placement for Academy members, the film has can realign itself to be a Best Picture hopeful.
The press release is listed below: Read more on “Moonrise Kingdom” comes to Blu-Ray in October!…
Categories: Blu-Ray/DVD, News Tags: Bill Murray, Bob Balaban, Bruce Willis, edward norton, Entertainment/Culture, jared gilman, kara hayward, Moonrise Kingdom, Tilda Swinton, universal studios
 This week, after what felt like an endless and repetitive tradition of reporting on subpar Blu-Ray and DVD slates, I can gleefully declare that we’re back in the swing of things, at least for now. There will be rough weeks ahead, but this week more than makes up for the lacking prior ones. There are 3 legitimately strong contenders for my top slot, something I haven’t been able to say in what feels like forever, so I’m relishing it. For my PICK OF THE WEEK I had to choose between two highly regarded action flicks (one a blockbuster and one a foreign film) as well as an Oscar nominated documentary. Which one did I pick? Well, I went with the artier of the action titles. The honoree this week? It’s none other than:
The Raid: Redemption
This Indonesian action tale is pound for pound among the most fun films to come out in 2012. It may have the best plot in the world (or really much of one), but it’s about as well staged as any film in the genre during the past few years. If this winds up just being more or less a calling card for Gareth Evans, I’m fine with that, as he’s quite the directorial discovery. If you like action flicks that actually deliver with more than just a few bland fights, then this is going to be a real treat for you, as the fights are kinetic and relentless in all of the right ways. I had a blast with it and highly recommend you pick it up and enjoy like I did!
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (8/14/2012)…
 This week we’re beginning to get back into the swing of quality Blu-Ray and DVD releases here in the column. It’s still not the most amazing assortment of titles (a true return to form comes next week), but it’s far better than we’ve gotten these past few weeks, so I’m very pleased, as I’m sure you all are too. For this week’s top choice, I’ll admit to not really having too much of a choice in what to make my PICK OF THE WEEK due to only one flick really speaking to me in any real way, but I’m very pleased with my selection nonetheless. The film in question is actually one of the few documentaries that I’ve cited this highly so far in the column during 2012. Curious what it is this time around? Well, it’s: Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (8/7/2012)…
 This week, it’s again a light slate of releases hitting Blu-Ray/DVD. I prepped everyone last week for this, but we’re right in the middle of it now, so just take a deep breath and make the best of it until things brighten up in a few weeks. Once the summer ends, we’ll be back to top notch (or at least mostly high end) releases, so it’s not the end of the world. I’ll try and make up for it in the Vintage section later on in the column, but for now let’s just take a look at what there is to actually choose from today. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I really had no choice but to go with the only flick that I particularly enjoyed of the group. Clayton happened to tease it a bit yesterday, but I’ll get into it more now. I bet you all know what it is, but in case any of you don’t, I’ll let you in on the (not so) secret. It’s: Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (7/31/2012)…
 Mario Van Peebles is not a synonymous name that goes with awards, Oscars, or even groundbreaking acting and/or directing. Believe it or not, Peebles has been in the game for some time. He’s been acting for over forty years and directing for almost twenty-five. Coming from a strong acting family including his father, Melvin Van Peebles, he has featured his way through Hollywood as “hey, that guy looks familiar.” Maybe not a household name, per se.
Read more on The Secrets of Mario Van Peebles…
 This week, we quite frankly are headed back to a dry season here at the column. There won’t be too many films being released on Blu-Ray and DVD (the studios are encouraging you to go see their summer blockbusters), so the pickings will be a bit slimmer than normal. In fact, the titles most would actually select this week as the top picks are ones I’ve yet to see, so I’m working with even less than most here. I’ll do my best regardless though, and in a few weeks when things pick up again, we’ll be that much more appreciative. In the meantime, movies did come out today, so let’s sift through them. For my PICK OF THE WEEK I was more or less reduced to going with a default choice. That being said, it’s hardly a bad flick, and in fact one that I liked more the second time around. Curious what it is? Well, the movie in question is:
Silent House
The first time I saw this horror movie, I was impressed with its unique filmmaking choice of presenting the film as one long take but let down by its ending. The second time though, I ignored the directorial choices and just watched it for entertainment and had a better time with it, so I feel comfortable giving it a recommendation this week. Elizabeth Olsen is a great horror movie heroine, the tension is nicely ratcheted up, and especially in a week like this, an interesting yet flawed film (and a remake at that, for what it’s worth) like this looks all the better for it. This fright flick is worth checking out, but just keep your expectations slightly in check here…
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (7/24/2012)…
 This week we have a nice mix of films hitting Blu-Ray and DVD for your purchasing and viewing pleasure, though none are quite on the level of my top pick last week (but that’s a real special case, and one I’ll actually be writing more about later this week or early next week, depending on how much Batman overshadows everything else). I will say that this is one of those release slates that pretty much offers something for everyone, so that’s never anything to complain about. Between all of these flicks, you’ll laugh…you’ll cry…you’ll smile…you’ll be disappointed (perhaps in some cases)…etc. Anyway, there are more films in contention for my PICK OF THE WEEK than usual, but I was able to figure out my pick after some careful thought. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that one of the more satisfying indie romantic comedies of the year was my choice. Curious what it is? Of course you are, so I won’t keep it from you. It’s: Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (7/17/2012)…
 American Reunion hit Blu-Ray and DVD last Tuesday and as always I’m late on catching up on some of the summer DVD releases. However, the film brought me down memory lane through a franchise I’ve enjoyed and possibly loathed at the same time during my adolescence and young adult hood. In the newest film, directors Jim Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg capture much of the first charm that the original American Pie once had. As we move thirteen years after the “pact” that changed the end of high school, the thirty-somethings are all on different wave lengths in terms of their ambitions, love interests, and social statuses. The film bookmarks the series on a positive note and let’s the story evolve into something pleasurable and not forced with sexual innuendos and slapstick humor.
The film is most worth the watch and a pick up at your local video store but as I think back on the careers of this seemingly great ensemble of decent performers. I’m reminded that some of these actors have all had either strong successes or obvious struggles following their respective roles. Read more on A Look at the Careers of the “American Reuntion” Cast…
Categories: Article, Blu-Ray/DVD, Editor Tags: Alyson Hannigan, American Reunion, blu ray, Chris Klein, DVD, Eugene Levy, Jason Biggs, John Cho, Mena Suvari
With Kenneth Lonergan’s Margaret finally hitting Blu-Ray/DVD shelves today, the wonderful PR team has unveiled a cool link that connects all the great actors attached to the film.
This 8 Degrees of Margaret chart reflects the many connections among the characters in the movie and the overlapping film projects they have worked on, and is a fun brain teaser for any film buff. Also, hover your mouse over the chart to see star pop-ups highlighting extra facts about those starring in Margaret.
Take a look after the jump and make sure to purchase Margaret today! You can click on our DVD store on the sidebar and order it directly.
Read more on 8 Degrees of Margaret connects its actors…
 This week we have one of the better Blu-Ray/DVD release slates in a while, anchored by a modern classic at the top. There are only 5 releases today to talk about, but I’m actually going to be recommending 4 of them (with the 5th excluded solely because I haven’t seen it), so take note of that. The top pick this week should be of special note to a lot of you, but the rest of the flicks are hardly slouches. For my PICK OF THE WEEK this time around, I didn’t have a particularly hard choice, since it’s a film I’ve been championing since I saw it in the fall of last year. The movie has a behind the scenes story almost as fascinating as the film itself, but only focusing on that is a disservice. Many of you know the film I’m referring to, but for those who are drawing a blank, let me enlighten you. It’s: Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (7/10/2012)…
 I was twenty-one years old when I saw the three-and-a-half hour cut of Kenneth Lonergan’s Margaret. The late and great Sydney Pollack was in attendance in the New York theater. I was writing for The Oscar Igloo then, probably within my first year of employment. I didn’t even understand the concept or potential of film criticism yet. I was in my senior year of college and was just hired as a teacher for a little catholic high school in the area. I still had the obsession of becoming an actor and didn’t realize that my passion was in critiquing. I loved film but I didn’t know how I could be “with” it for all eternity.
Read more on “Margaret” Revisited — Seven Years Later…
 This week, we’re pretty light in terms of DVD and Blu-Ray releases (ahead of a very good slate next week), but those that are hitting are in fact a group of small independent flicks that could use the extra attention. One of these films even had a few mentions in my annual Best and Worst of the First Half of the Year list yesterday (found here). Is that my top choice today? Or is it one of the other small scale contenders? Well, for my PICK OF THE WEEK, I opted to go with a movie I’m still convinced only a handful of people know exists. It’s impeccably acted, well shot, and sneaks up on you emotionally. What movie am I referencing? Attentive readers should already know, but for those in the dark, I won’t keep you wondering. It’s:
The Hunter
Up until a few days ago, this was one of my 10 favorite films of the year so far (now it’s #12, but that’s due to embargoes and release dates keeping me from including those movies in my First Half Awards). Willem Dafoe turns in one of his best performances (the Academy won’t notice it, but they should) as a mercenary on a hunt for a type of tiger believed to be extinct. As interesting as that is, what I really responded to was his interactions with the family he’s staying with. The movie never quite goes where you expect it to, and I always appreciate that. It barely had a theatrical release, but now that you can pick it up on DVD, I urge you to do so. This is quite a flick.
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (7/3/2012)…
One of the great things about the advances in film technology is that it enables old classics to be improved quality wise and be presented to new audiences on DVD. Universal is making the most of the restoration processes available to re-release its classic monster tales in time for Halloween. Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection set will include all of the classic creatures: Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Phantom of the Opera, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. The collection hits shelves on October 2nd,with restored versions of the eight films, over 12 hours of bonus features, and a 48-page collectible booklet. Check out the special features and a video about the Dracula restoration after the jump!
Read more on Universal to unleash its classic monsters on Blu-Ray this October!…
 This week, we have a very interesting group of films hitting Blu-Ray/DVD for your purchasing pleasure. Especially in terms of my top two selections, there’s an intriguing relationship, since they share the same genre but couldn’t be any further apart from each other otherwise. The other flicks out as well don’t really have that much to offer, but it’s hardly a wasteland (though one release I teased in the most recent podcast is not actually out this week, and rather is hitting in late July). Still, it’s a two horse race this week for my top spot. My choice for the PICK OF THE WEEK frankly came down to last year’s Best Picture winner and one of this year’s surprise successes. Which one did I choose? Well, it may not be the one that you expect (though maybe it is if you’ve been paying attention over the last 9 months or so). It’s:
21 Jump Street
I’ll never argue that this action comedy remake of the television series of the same name is necessary, but man was it ever funny. Besides being a terrific vehicle for Jonah Hill, it’s also the rare flick that finds a good use for Channing Tatum. The movie’s tongue is firmly planted in its cheek, and rightly so. This film deserved all of the success that it received, and now that it’s out on DVD there’s no reason not to add this to your comedy collection. It’s one of the dozen best films of the year so far, if you can believe it…
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (6/26/2012)…
 This week, one of the more unjustly ignored films of 2012 to date is hitting Blu-Ray/DVD, along with a few other decent titles. This makes for an uptick in quality from last week, though the weeks ahead are still going to be stronger. That being said, one of my 10 favorites of the year so far is out today, so that’s a real plus in my book and something not to take lightly. Of course, that also makes my PICK OF THE WEEK selection rather easy as well. My choice is a light dramedy that showcases some comedic actors in a whole new light and suggests a further evolution for the filmmakers behind it. Can’t guess what movie I’m talking about? Well, I won’t leave you hanging. It’s:
Jeff, Who Lives at Home
A heartwarming comedy with dramatic elements and more to say about life than you initially realize, this is also the best film to date from the Duplass Brothers. Jay and Mark (the latter of which is becoming a staple in this column, now isn’t he) have upped both their writing and directorial games, which results in a good looking, good sounding, and good feeling flick. Ed Helms, Judy Greer, and Susan Sarandon all do fine work, but Jason Segel gives a career best performance and turns in a nomination worthy job here…though sadly he’ll likely be ignored. Not simply a stoner searching for the meaning of life, this is a movie about connections, brotherhood, and love. I adored it, and now that it’s out on home video, you can fall for it too!
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (6/19/2012)…
 This week, we again have a light week in terms of Blu-Ray/DVD releases, but it’s the last one of its kind before we have a strong summer run of quality films hitting stores in the coming weeks. As for the current crop, there’s certainly plenty of quantity to sift through, I’ll say that. None of them really wowed me, but a few of them were enjoyable, and they made up the contenders for my PICK OF THE WEEK. In the end, I went small, and came up with a crime film that I was a little mixed on earlier this year but have since warmed up to. What movie is it that I’m speaking of? Well, it’s:
Thin Ice
I loved the acting in this caper flick (led by Greg Kinnear and including the likes of Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup, who steals every single one of his scenes), but I originally took issue with the twist ending. I felt that it didn’t earn the admittedly clever ending, but a little more thought has led me to forgive that flaw to some degree. This is kind of a poor man’s Coen Brothers movie, so if you like something that’s a cross between ‘Fargo’ and ‘Burn After Reading’ but with its own flavor, then this con man movie could be up your alley. It’s the best thing out in a weak release week, so give it a shot and see what you think of it…
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (6/12/2012)…
 This week, a good half dozen titles of note are hitting stores on Blu-Ray and DVD, but oddly enough they’re all of a similar ilk and only one is any good to me. I wouldn’t call this is a terrible slate of titles, but they seem to mostly be catering to similar audiences and would have benefited from coming out separately. I have no control over that though, so I can only judge what they give me, and today I’m only looking at one flick that I gave a recommendation to. That film will be my PICK OF THE WEEK pretty much by default, but the other titles aren’t trash or anything. What film got my top honor though this week? Well, it’s a failure in most people’s eyes, but I looked beyond the budget and enjoyed what I saw. The movie in question? It’s:
John Carter
The massively bloated budget for this film marks it as an historic failure, but I maintain that this was an enjoyable science fiction adventure that works well enough as escapist entertainment (along with showing where everything from ‘Avatar’ to ‘Dune’ to ‘Star Wars’ got its inspiration from). There’s little to rave about, but I have a feeling that in a few years people will re-approach this flick and wonder why it received so little attention currently. Anyone who enjoyed it the first time around will easily do so again, and now that it’s available for home viewing, everyone else should give it a shot as well. I think a good chunk of you will be pleasantly surprised by it!
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (6/5/2012)…
 This week, there’s a decent enough crop of films available on Blu-Ray and DVD for your viewing pleasure. I wouldn’t call it an especially good slate, but that’s more because of a few popular flicks didn’t affect me like they did for others (especially in one case to be seen shortly). There’s quantity though, if not an incredibly amount of quality, so that’s certainly something. My top pick is one I didn’t love, but honestly liked better on a second viewing, so it boosted itself over the rest of the competition. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I went with a sports related film, one in fact that I just described above. Curious what I went with? Well, scratch your head no further. It’s:
Goon
On my initial viewing, I found this hockey dramedy to be a bit too disjointed for my tastes, but on my second viewing I found more to like…mainly the touching lead performance of Seann William Scott. He’s surprisingly good here (and coupled with his shockingly poignant reprisal of the Stifler character in ‘American Reunion’), which makes it easier to go with the mild lack of a plot. Hockey is hot at the moment (with my New Jersey Devils again in the Stanley Cup Finals!), so this is also a pick that makes a bit of prudent sense. In a better week this wouldn’t be my top choice, but I’d be recommending it regardless. Give it a shot, you might like it more than I did…
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (5/29/2012)…
 I’ve always been fascinated by the original 3 hour cut of ‘Margaret’, even going back to when Clayton first told me about how much he hated it after seeing an early cut about 3 or 4 years ago. After seeing the trimmed version last year and falling in love with it, my curiosity was only piqued more. Now, it seems that I’ll finally be able to see something close to what Clay did (and he can presumably see the shorter version that I did…I wonder if he’ll like it any more?), as news came out today from The New Yorker here that an extended 3 hour cut of the film is headed to Blu-Ray and DVD in July. After the jump I’ll speculate a bit about what we might see more of (and then go ask the boss man what he remembers), but for now, members of Team Margaret like myself are positively jumping for joy right now (I would have included it in my DVD Column here at the site earlier yesterday but I wanted it to get its own post) and counting the days until we can own this new cut…
Read more on A 3 hour cut of Margaret is going to be coming to DVD in July!…
 This week, along with my 9 month anniversary (yes, my girlfriend has put up with me for that long), we have a very good slate of Blu-Ray/DVD releases to share with you. I always love doing this column, but the past few weeks have been a bit on the rough side, so this is a welcome change of pace at the moment. No less than 3 titles are fighting it out for my top honors today (with more to recommend), and I love when there’s competition for the slot. Speaking of which, let’s get down to the nitty gritty. For the coveted honor of being my PICK OF THE WEEK, I had to narrow it down from a top 3, though in all honesty it wasn’t that hard of a choice. The two runners-up are fine selections, but my top pick is a cut above. Curious what I picked? Well, it’s: Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (5/15/2012)…
 I knew this day was coming, but I tried to block it out of my mind and hope that one of the titles from the upcoming more crowded weeks would switch back to today, but alas…it wasn’t to be. This week is quite possibly the worst DVD release slate in all of my time writing this column. I’ve never given thought to skipping a week, but if ever there was a prime candidate for that, it’d be this particular week as the one to just forget that Blu-Ray and DVD releases occur each Tuesday. Still, I’ve got a job to do and I take pride in my work, so let’s press ahead and actually talk about the film I…gulp…chose as my top choice. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I was essentially forced to choose the only film of this week’s group that I saw and didn’t overtly hate. That may be the shallowest praise I’ve ever heaped on a movie in this particular column, but it’s more or less apt here. My choice? Well, you asked for it ladies and gents. It’s: Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (5/8/2012)…
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This week the highs of the prior Blu-Ray/DVD output are met with a real slide in quality, if not in quantity. It’s not a wasteland by any stretch, but when 2 of my 10 worst films of the year so far are coming out and only one movie actually is recommendation worthy for me, well…it’s not a good day for me. Still, there have been worse, even recently, so I’m not going to get too up in arms. I was just getting used to the uptick in quality again, that’s all. Anyway, we like to make the best of things here at The Awards Circuit, and that’s certainly the case with this column as well. With that said, let’s look at the top pick from today’s slate, which I know had its fans. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I went with a flick I didn’t like quite as much as some did but still found entertaining enough to put in this spot. Which movie is it? Well, it’s:
