 This week, headlining the titles coming to Blu-Ray and DVD is perhaps the final theatrical release ever by a noted auteur, and while it’s not alone in terms of being at least somewhat of a quality offering, this is hardly a week to wild about. There’s not really anything else worth mentioning today in any notable way, though it’s not a completely barren slate. It’s simply just the nature of a week when most of the titles are early year releases…the quality of January through March dictates what hits home video as Spring begins to turn into Summer. Considering what some of the past weeks have been like, this is a much better group than that and I’m really just trying not to focus on the dearth that I know exists next week. There’s really only one film in any real contention for top honors today, but it’s one I have no problem recommending to you all. For my PICK OF THE WEEK I opted to go with one of the first few months of 2013′s more high anticipated titles, as you’d probably expect that I would here. You’ll see which movie I’m speaking of at the end of the column as per the usual (though I’m sure you can guess), but right now it’s time for us to dive head on into another edition of Vintage selections. Here we go folks!
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (05/21/2013)…
 This week, one of the big Oscar players of last year headlines the titles coming to Blu-Ray and DVD, but it’s thankfully not alone in terms of quality offerings. There’s one other film worth mentioning today, along with a few others that are more mixed in their worthiness, though it’s a light week in terms of quantity. This isn’t particularly a top notch slate of releases ladies and gents, but it’s another continued step in the right direction for the column and continues an upward spike in quality. Considering what many of the past weeks have been like, this is a trend I’m really enjoying and hoping continues indefinitely, even though I know that’s rather unlikely. There were two movies contending for that top honor but only one flick could emerge victorious. For my PICK OF THE WEEK I opted to go with the film that cracked my 2012 Top Ten list, as you’d expect that I would. You’ll see which movie I’m speaking of at the end of the column as per the usual, but right now it’s time for us to dive head on into another Vintage selection. Here we go folks!
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (04/30/2013)…
 This week, we have a pair easy to recommend titles coming to Blu-Ray and DVD, but for a change they’re not coming to the party alone. There are some other films worth mentioning today, even if they’re not especially of the highest quality and I won’t be recommending many of them. In no way is this a top notch slate of releases, but it’s a real step in the right direction when held up against where we’ve been at with the column during the past few weeks. Even having a decision of what to make my top choice is a welcome return to form here. Both of the flicks contending for that honor are underrated and deserving of more attention than they received, but for my PICK OF THE WEEK I opted to go for the even smaller scale of the two. You’ll see what I’m talking about towards the end of the column, but right now it’s time for us to dive into a Vintage selection, so that’s where we’ll begin as usual!
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (04/23/2013)…
 Once again this week, we’re faced with the fact that it’s a very light slate of new releases ladies and gentlemen. On the plus side though, today features one terrific film hitting shelves, and it’s a real saving grace. In fact, it’s one of my Top Ten from 2012, so that certainly says something. Sadly, it’s really the only thing worthwhile this week, something I’m getting just a bit tired of saying more than once a month, but at least the top pick is high quality, which is more than I could say just seven days ago in this very column. That certainly saves this week’s grouping somewhat. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I was delighted to be able to cite one of my favorite flicks of last year (though it’s actually towards the bottom of Ten, if that works as a hint for you), and I support this choice wholeheartedly. We’ll get to that top notch film in a bit (especially with the dearth of other new releases to talk about at any length), but for now…it’s that time again folks. Yes, it’s time for my Vintage pick!
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (04/16/2013)…
 This week, there’s one real good quality title among the group coming to Blu-Ray/DVD, and that’s simply about it. It’s one of those release dates that just lacks any studio releases for one reason or another. I’ve never quite seen the logic in not trying to take advantage of light days like this one and making a real push for certain films to get a second life, but that’s me and I’m not a studio head. I do really like the movie that’s getting top honors from me this week though, so the day is hardly a wash or anything of that sort (it also ties into something else going on this week, but I won’t say what it is for fear of spoiling it for a few of you). It’s just one of those columns where it pays to make use of my Vintage pick, or at least more so than usual. I do have lots of good things to say about my PICK OF THE WEEK, so all is not lost folks, not by a long shot. It’s just a more mellow week than usual, all in all. You’ll understand what I’m getting at shortly, but first, why don’t we get to that aforementioned Vintage pick? Off we go into the land of home video!
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (4/02/2013)…
 This week, there’s two heavy hitters coming to Blu-Ray/DVD, and then…well…there’s everything else. I actually had a first here in the column in regard to my top pick, and that’s something I always enjoy having happen. Essentially, I actually changed my planned selection. As a bit of background information, let me start by saying I normally plan out the releases I want to recommend at least a few weeks in advance. The dates that these movies hit shelves are out there pretty early on, so I try to sort out what the upcoming month would look like. This time around, I had planned to talk a lot about one particular film, but I found that I was already doing so a lot in the days prior (which should be a hint about the identity of one of the two titles in contention), so I opted to give that one second place and go with what would have been my runner up. I feel almost the same about them in terms of how much I like them, though they’re as different as can be. So, for my PICK OF THE WEEK, I went with a flick I haven’t written much about instead of one that I’ve written tons about. You’ll see what I mean in a moment, but first…a Vintage pick!
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (3/26/2013)…
 This week, we have one of those interesting situations where some of my favorite 2012 titles are coming to Blu-Ray and DVD along with some of my least favorite. Neither of those films that I don’t care for made my Bottom Ten, but they were both incredibly undeserving of the acclaim that they received. As for those two top tier flicks, one received some Oscar attention and a spot on my Top Ten list, while the other is an incredibly underrated work in my eyes. This didn’t set up too hard of a fight for top honors, since one is clearly the best offering today, but I do want to mention that there’s definitely a high level second choice this week. You’ll see that soon enough though, so for now lets focus on the PICK OF THE WEEK. My choice is one of the most recent Best Picture bridesmaids, and one that perhaps deserved even more love than it got. What title am I referring to? You’ll see soon enough, but for now, it’s time for a Vintage pick folks!
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (3/19/2013)…
 This week brings the second go around for the new version of the column. You all chimed in with your thoughts on the revamp, and I’m pleased to say that it was an overwhelming success. The one thing I noticed was that the Vintage picks were missed, so they’re back this week folks, and they won’t be going anywhere! As for the films coming out today, it’s one of the more crowded fields this year, complete with a few Oscar cited flicks in the bunch. They’re not going to be my top choice, but they certainly have their fans. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I’m actually opting to go with a rather underrated movie, one that I believe very few even saw. I was so over the moon about this piece of cinema that it very nearly made my Top Ten of 2012 list and I was even quoted in the film’s marketing. What movie is this, you ask? Well, you’ll find out a little later on in the column, but for now we’re going to start with many of you asked for…the return of the Vintage pick!
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (3/12/2013)…
 This week, I’m trying something a bit different for the column folks. Just about everything you know and (hopefully) love about my DVD Picks are still here, but the packaging is getting a bit of switch. I’m also adding a few details and contemplating dropping my Vintage picks. That one I’m pretty much leaving up to you all, so if you don’t want me to have that section of the column go, let me know. Today I’m going to not have it as a test run, but it may very well be back. As for the new things, I’m going to be giving you a little bit more information about the titles hitting Blu-Ray and DVD each week, along with highlighting a more diverse slate of flicks. Yes, I’ll even be listing the TV releases along with certain Blu-Ray debuts/re-releases (which when apt will be filed as a special “Double Dip of the Week”), so there’s truly something for everyone. As for the PICK OF THE WEEK, that’s still going to be here of course, it’s just going to be at the bottom of the article now, which allows for a little more suspense as well as space to talk more about it. It should be good stuff all around, but for now, why don’t we just dive right in and see how the 2.0 version of the column works for everyone! Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (3/05/2013)…
 When deciding on which of this week’s releases to give the top citation to, I had one of the hardest decisions in a long time folks. A pair of movies coming to Blu-Ray/DVD today are among my favorites of 2012, and while both just missed my Top Ten list, one came in literally at #11 and the other is right there in the Top 15, so I really racked my brain on which to choose. It’s a great thing when I struggle into the night with my top choice, so I’m definitely not complaining, just stating it right there at the top of the column so you all know. Overall, it’s a really strong week, with those two flicks joining another high quality title to form one of the better trios I’ve recommended in some time. For my PICK OF THE WEEK though, I had to make a decision about what film I wanted to get the slight nod. One contender was for my money the best foreign film of the year, while the other was an endlessly fascinating acting clinic by one of the best filmmakers of his generation, and both of the movies had lead performances that were among my five favorites of the year. Which did I wind up choosing? Well, I opted to take the simplest way out in the end and go strictly by what I ranked four spots higher in my complete rankings of the 290 films I saw last year (found here). The movie that got that ever so slight nod is the following: Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (2/26/2013)…
 This week, we have a very unique situation. The column features not only my favorite film of 2012 (which also happens to be the frontrunner for Best Picture at the Academy Awards this weekend), but also a movie coming to Blu-Ray/DVD that was presumably so bad that I actually avoided it. Fans of the site know that I almost go out of my way to make sure that bad movies get their just desserts at The Awards Circuit just like good ones, so for me to tap out os seeing something really means a lot. I want to focus on the quality that’s hitting shelves today though, so lets focus our energy there. It’s obviously not going to be a secret what my top pick is, but I’m still thrilled to write more about it. No use delaying it…my PICK OF THE WEEK is the best film I saw last year. You all know what it is, so lets not beat around the bush. It’s: Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (2/19/2013)…
 This week we have a very diverse and high quality slate of films coming to DVD and Blu-Ray. There’s also one of 2012′s poorest features, but the good far outweighs the bad here ladies and gentlemen. Go figure, both the best and worst choices today are sequels, which doesn’t happen too often around here. There’s also one of the most beloved movies among the readers (and some staff members) of The Awards Circuit, so take note of that too. As for my top choice here, it really was a no contest. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I opted to go with one of the most satisfying films of last year. It’s a franchise flick, but a top notch one. The flick I’m teasing? It’s: Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (2/12/12013)…
 This week, we have some of the dichotomy that makes this column so much fun. Yes, some of the better 2012 releases are hitting Blu-Ray/DVD today, but there’s also one of the very worst coming out as well. It’s no secret that I despise terrible films, and all the more so when they’re among the only titles available, but luckily that’s not the case this time around. The crappy flick can safely be ignored due to the relatively strong quality of the rest of the slate. I have a quartet of enjoyable movies that I had to bandy about for my top choice today. I’m always a fan of competition for the #1 slot, so this was a fun week to write up. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I was able to narrow it down to do films…a slightly dark romantic comedy and a documentary. Most of you are well aware that I had a soft spot for rom-coms and rom-drams as it were, but I wound up going with the doc here. Which one is it? Well, it’s the criminally under-appreciated: Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (2/05/2013)…
 This week, we have one superior title coming to Blu-Ray and DVD alongside a host of other titles of middling quality overall. I know for a fact that the top choice today is a fan favorite here at The Awards Circuit, so I’m expecting this to be a popular choice of mine. It’s not the only thing worthwhile hitting shelves, but it is easily the best bet for a good time. This doesn’t exactly make my PICK OF THE WEEK much of a secret, but this time around I won’t be around the bush and will get right to it. The film in question is the latest from an up and coming director, one that satirizes the Hollywood screenwriting process in a very unique way. The flick I’m about to fete? Well, it’s: Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (1/29/2013)…
 Greetings from Sundance everyone! Yes, despite seeing up to 5 movies in a given day, I’m still committed to bringing this column to you all. This week, we have a ton of Blu-Ray and DVD titles hitting shelves, many of them are among the most interesting of 2012. Of course, one of my very favorite films of last year is out as well, so that’s just the icing on the cake from me. It really doesn’t leave much of a secret as to my top choice today, but I do want to make sure people know that it’s not a slate that’s top heavy. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I had no trouble deciding to highlight one of the most underrated films of last year. It really deserved not to have been shut out with the Oscars, but that’s just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. What movie is this? Well, it’s: Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (1/22/2013)…
 This week, we have a fair number of titles hitting Blu-Ray and DVD, but not a whole lot of quality features. In fact, things are pretty mediocre, and it’s the first release slate in a while where I can say that it’s mostly about the documentaries coming out today. A bunch of the other flicks out were actually really disappointing, which isn’t unusual to see in general, but is here just in terms of them all coming out at the same time. My top pick this week quickly came down to a choice between docs, and ironically none of them are among my favorites of the year either. I eventually decided, and my PICK OF THE WEEK is going to be a movie that I never spoke about during 2012. It’s still a very entertaining film and one I thought might have been an awards dark horse if things had broken a little bit differently for it. The documentary I speak of? It’s: Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (1/15/2013)…
 This week, a pair of potential Oscar nominees hit Blu-Ray and DVD, along with a bunch of other varied titles. It’s not an extraordinarily good day of releases, but it’s hardly a bad one either, which is a victory early on in any year. There’s also a few TV movies worth mentioning…a rarity in this column, but it makes sense this time around, trust me. My top pick isn’t an amazingly hard choice, but I did contemplate going in another direction. In the end, my PICK OF THE WEEK is one of the more divisive flicks of 2012, and one that is hoping to score an acting nomination on Thursday. Many of you know the title already, but for those not on to it yet, here is what it is: Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (1/08/2013)…
 This week, we launch 2013 with a small group of Blu-Ray/DVD releases, but among them is one of the best films of last year. There’s also one of the biggest disappointments of 2012, plus one or two other things. It’s obviously not a big week, since it’s the time of year when studios want audiences in theaters more so than at home, but it’s hardly a terrible one either. There is one interesting note about release dates to make mention of before diving into the column. My top pick this week is actually out already, having come out yesterday on the 31st, while everything else is out tomorrow on the 2nd. Go figure, nothing is hitting shelves today. Still, we march on like normal. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, not only was it a no brainer, but I happened to have the opportunity to cite one of my favorite films of the year. It’ll be showing up on my Top 10 list soon, and could be a dark horse Oscar contender. The film I’m speaking of? Well, it’s:
Looper
Rian Johnson’s third outing as a filmmaker also might very well be his best one yet. A thoroughly entertaining and smart sci-fi action/thriller, this flick features strong acting from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt, as well as some of Johnson’s best directing to date. It’s one of the better films about time travel to date, and I’m just as into it as I was when I wrote my initial rave review (found here) a few months ago. Now that you can add it to your movie collection, I encourage you to do so without delay!
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (1/01/2013)…
 Merry Christmas to all of you Awards Circuit readers! This week, the column is going to function slightly differently, as frankly…there’s not much new to talk about in terms of Blu-Ray/DVD releases. Only two flicks with any theatrical run are hitting shelves, so after a somewhat unenthusiastic top pick, I’ll be recommending some of the best films of the year that are available to own today. It’s a rather unorthodox way of doing this column, but I’ll make a one week exception. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I literally had to make a choice by default. I’m going with the only new release that I’ve seen, and while it’s not a terrible movie, it’s hardly one that I’d normally be putting in this spot. It’s:
The Words
I found this Bradley Cooper romantic drama thoroughly average, but I appreciated him making the effort with this admittedly high concept work. It certainly helped pave the way for Silver Linings Playbook, and for that I’m willing to use slightly rose colored lenses to look at this film. It’s got a strong concept and decent enough acting all around, but the execution of it all leaves a little bit to be desired. You can certainly do worse than this one, but I’d advise more discerning shoppers to look a little bit lower in this column to find more palatable options…
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (12/25/2012)…
 This week, there’s literally about as many films coming out on Blu-Ray and DVD as I’ve ever seen in one shot to date. Luckily for all of us, it’s also a really good slate in terms of quality, besides the exceptional quantity. I have a half dozen movies that I’m recommending, and two flicks fighting it out for top honors today. There’s something for everyone, and that’s always a plus for the column. The film that’s my PICK OF THE WEEK is an incredibly underrated little movie, but still an exceptional one. It’s also a movie strongly in contention for my year end Top 10 list. The flick I’m so high on? Well, it’s: Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (12/18/2012)…
 This week, some of the bigger summer releases of the year are hitting Blu-Ray/DVD, and each is a unique representative of the 2012 summer slate. One is that rare bit of original material, one is a franchise reboot/sequel/spinoff, and another is a straight up sequel. There’s certainly other films on shelves today, but those are the biggest ones. My top pick this week wasn’t a hard choice, but it’s hardly a bad group of movies overall. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I opted to cite what might be my favorite comfy of the year. There weren’t too many strong comedies this year to choose from (most top tier ones are more dramedies than anything else), but I’m very fond of this flick. Which one is it? Well, it’s:
Ted
Seth MacFarlane’s first big screen endeavor was a suitably raunchy comedy that also managed to be surprisingly sweet as well at its core. Voicing the talking teddy bear that gives the film its title, he teams with Marky Wahlberg and Mila Kunis to form a comedy team I’d love to see continue to make me laugh in sequels. MacFarlane managed to make one of the best bromance/buddy movies of the year, in my humble opinion (as I first talked about in my review here). It’s hardly high entertainment, but it’s downright hilarious and well worth picking up. On a pure entertainment level, it’s a real winner!
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (12/11/2012)…
 This week, there’s literally a ton of films hitting Blu-Ray/DVD, among them one of the year’s most gargantuan flicks. It’s release slates like this that make me love the column as much as I do. Hey, whenever I can wholeheartedly recommend a half dozen titles, that’s a top notch group in my book, and that’s not including other cinematic offerings that will have an appeal to many of you. There may be only one film really that ever got consideration for my top pick, but that’s more about its outstanding quality than because any of the other main contenders weren’t worthy. In another week, 2 or 3 of the other recommended flicks could have claimed that spot. As it stands though, it’s an easy choice for my PICK OF THE WEEK today. Besides being perhaps the most anticipated film of 2012, it’s also one of the best to many, including myself. Whether it’s an actually Oscar player or not remains to be seen, but it’s getting a solid honor from me right now. The choice should be obvious, but if you’re still in the dark (no pun intended this time around), I’ll clue you in. It’s:
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (12/04/2012)…
 This week, it almost seems like studios are racing to get some of their films from August out onto Blu-Ray and DVD in time for the holiday shopping season. 4 major releases from that month are hitting shelves today, and one of them will be my top choice. One is also damn near the worst film I’ve seen all year, so we have quite the dichotomy here in the column. Overall it’s a slightly above average week, but nothing to write home about in any major way. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I lacked one movie to really get excited about, so I went with the one I simply felt most comfortable choosing. It’s a would be Oscar contender that wound up being positioned more as popcorn entertainment than anything else (something I’ll be bringing up again in the Vintage section later with my selection there). The flick in question? Well, it’s none other than: Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (11/27/2012)…
 This week, the volume of titles coming out on Blu-Ray/DVD hits a real low, though obviously a lot of that has to do with the large amounts of movies out in theaters as well as Thanksgiving (have a good one later this week folks, by the way), so it’s not exactly unexpected. Still, there’s at least one film hitting shelves that’s worth your while, so the column is in no danger today. I’ll be sure to supplement things with a few more Vintage picks than usual later on, so stay tuned for that. As for new releases, the one getting top honors from me is one that you’d have likely never expected a few months ago. Yes, for my PICK OF THE WEEK I’m going with a shamelessly silly action sequel. That’s rarely that case with my top choice here, but this one stands out, both in terms of this being a week crop of flicks, but also because it’s just a ridiculous amount of fun. What movie am I talking about? Well, in case you didn’t know already, it’s:
The Expendables 2
Yes, the sequel to Sylvester Stallone’s ludicrous action flick is back, and the insanity is up a notch, making for an even more enjoyable experience this time around. By stepping away from the director’s chair, Stallone wound up making the film better overall, though still very much a B movie. You see this for the silliness and overload of 80′s action heroes, and in both regards the film is a rousing success and delivers in spades. I may have preferred more of Chuck Norris, for example, but his cameo is still amazing. If you’re in the mood to just turn off your brain and have a good time, it’s hard to go wrong with this title, hence my recommendation today…
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (11/20/2012)…
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