DVD Releases

Transformers

It’s a “more-than-meets-the-eye” October, as no less than 3 DVD releases come out for the famed Hasbro franchise. Firstly, Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen is coming out in a special 2-DVD set. There’s also a Transformers 2-movie set (which obviously includes the part 1 of the series), and they’re both coming out in Oct. 20. Lastly, there’s a Transformers 25th Anniversary DVD called “The Matrix of Leadership” edition which contains the complete animated series, also coming out on the same date. This just oozes with geekiness, but we love the franchise, so yeah we’re definitely getting these DVDs.

Year One

If you love Jack Black then we’re sure you’re gonna love this one. Year One: The Unrated edition came out October 6th, and is already available for you to purchase.

Drag Me To Hell

This DVD freak (yours truly) did not like this movie much, but I’m sure some of you are prepping up for the scary DVD marathons you’re gonna have this Halloween. Drag Me To Hell: The Unrated Director’s Cut came out this week, go and get it. I’ll stick to my cartoons this Halloween, thank you very much. And yeah, who are you calling a scaredy cat?

Blu-ray Releases

Natural Born Killers

Finally, this Oliver Stone classic (and written by a young but already excellent Quentin Tarantino) makes its way to high-def goodness. Experience again, the movie that started Woody Harrelson‘s rise to stardom — proof that with pure acting talent, you can make it in Hollywood. Doesn’t change the fact that he’s still fugly in my book, but hey, that’s just me.  Natural Born Killers debuted in Blu-ray this week. Be sure to get it.

Horton Hears a Who

All you Dr. Seuss lovers out there (read: kids who never grew up), time for you to go and get Horton Hears a Who, as it came out in Blu-Ray last October 6th. No scary crap for me this Halloween. This is what I’m talkin’ ’bout, yo.

The Proposal

Sandra Bullock looked particularly old in this movie, especially when you notice that she’s partnered with a star on the rise — Ryan Reynolds. But no matter, they pull it off, Bullock helped by her experience and Reynolds by his innate knack for comedy. The Proposal is a good chick flick for your chick flick collection, especially in Blu-ray. And no, I DO NOT have a chick flick collection. (I maintain that they’re called “date movies”.)

Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead

Here’s another scream-a-thon for your Halloween purposes (no, Sean John will NOT be watching this one as well) — Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead Unrated version. I bet this just comes alive in high definition, Blu-ray is really good (or bad, depending) for scary and suspense movies like this one. You might like the way they seem so real, yeah, but I’ll leave you to your opinions. In any case, this comes out on October 20th.

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So that’s that for October DVD and Blu-ray releases. Remember that even if you live the fast-paced live that we all have these days, it doesn’t give you an excuse not to stop and relax. What better than to enjoy these DVD releases on the go, using a USB DVD drive for you netbook or laptop. As for Blu-ray, well yeah, you need the full setup to fully enjoy these Blu-ray discs. But an external Blu-Ray drive would still do the job, provided that your laptop can hack the specs.

All things said, there is just NO excuse for you not to enjoy these movies, take it from us here at BestFlick.

(Blu-Ray players are starting to become affordable, and so are Blu-Ray discs — but not at the pace that most consumers would like. And there is still that hardware boundary – HD-capable TVs, Blu-Ray players, 5.1 surround sound systems – that most people have yet to cross. And so most people, albeit maybe by circumstance only and not by choice, still stick with the DVD format. For now.)

Let’s take a look at what movies most people are adding into their DVD collections this year:

#10 Fast & Furious (4)

DVD release date: 07/28/2009

The fourth installation of the F&F franchise is touted by many to be the best of the lot.

#9 Coraline

DVD release date: 07/21/2009

A young (animated) girl finds a door in her house that leads to a parallel world. She initially finds this world nicer, but there is something sinister hiding there and the movie chronicles her quest to get back home.

#8 Gran Torino

DVD release date: 06/09/2009

Vintage Clint Eastwood — meaning, yeah he’s old, but he still kicks serious butt. Probably one of his best (among many wonderful) performances ever.

#7 17 Again

DVD release date: 08/11/2009

Zac Efron lights up the screen with this one, as most people discovered that hey, the boy can actually act.

#6 Star Trek

DVD release date: 11/17/2009

One of the most hyped movies of the year, but unlike the others, this actually delivers the goods. The pace is breakneck from start to finish (unlike the TV series), and more people actually appreciate Star Trek now because of this (not just the Trekkies).

#5 Race to Witch Mountain

DVD release date: 08/04/2009

It has to be said that a whole lot of kids liked this one — I personally didn’t. But the kids get Mommy’s consent to buy this one, probably by screaming, crying and throwing tantrums. Dwayne Johnson (he’s still The Rock to me) gives a high-tech, effects-riddled, alien-induced adventure ride that gave kids all over the world their annual adventure movie fix.

#4 Watchmen

DVD release date: 07/21/2009

Seriously, what wouldn’t you like about this one? Masked heroes, intrigue, superpowers, errr… penises — it’s got ‘em all. This graphic novel adaptation by 300 director Zack Snyder gave a new meaning to the term superhero — and not in a particularly nice way. All things said, I would love to have this well-made movie in my collection as well.

#3 I Love You, Man

DVD release date: 08/11/2009

The “bro-mance” theme has been out there for a couple of years now and was just waiting for someone to cash in on it. This was actually a very nice and funny movie, and Paul Rudd seemed to me, perfect for this role. I wonder how the buyer statistics would show — more male or female?

#2 Hannah Montana: The Movie

DVD release date: 08/18/2009

Three words: Miley. Cyrus. Sells.

#1 Twilight

DVD release date: 03/21/2009

Twilight. Need I say more? (For the people who don’t get it, this is not necessarily a good comment.)

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This is BestFlick’s top-selling DVD releases list, year-to-date.

Do you have these releases in your DVD collection? Maybe it’s about time you hit the video store again if you lack some of these. Maybe you want to enjoy this on an external DVD drive for netbooks. Since most of us live life on the go now, it doesn’t necessarily mean we get to miss all these great DVDs. Go out and get ‘em!

The Oscar-winning foreign film, Pan’s Labyrinth, now comes to DVD. The story of a child Ofelia, drawn to books about fairies, ogres, and other fantastical creatures. She will soon be drawn into a magical place that will challenge her imagination.

A film by Guillermo del Toro, who in 2004 did such an effective job bringing Hellboy to the big screen, has fashioned a film deeply rooted in misogyny, myths, and mysticism. The story is constructed as two parallel tales. One is in the real world: the brutal world of Fascist Spain in 1944. The other exists in a magical kingdom that exists far below our feet.

Starring Maribel Verdu, Sergi Lopez, Ariadna Gil, Alex Angulo, Doug Jones.

The Fountain

Three parallel stories–about love, death, spirituality, and the fragility of existence–as told through the odyssey taken on by one man in his thousand-year struggle to save the woman he loves. His epic journey begins in 16th-century Spain, where, as conquistador Tomas Creo, he commences his search for the ‘Tree of Life’, the legendary entity believed to grant eternal life to those who drink of its sap.

As modern-day scientist Tommy Creo, he desperately struggles to find a cure for the cancer that is killing his beloved wife Isabel. Traveling through deep space as a 26th-century astronaut, Tom begins to grasp the mysteries of life that have consumed him for more than a century.

Starring Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Ellen Burstyn, Sean Patrick Thomas, and Donna Murphy. Directed by Darren Aronofsky.

Arthur and The Invisibles

Ten-year-old Arthur has a lot on his plate: a real estate developer is about to snap up his grandma’s home–and there’s no way Arthur’s going to hang around for his parents or grandparents to sort out the problem. Maybe the solution lies in his grandpa’s treasure, which is hidden somewhere on the “other side” in the land of the Minimoys.

The creatures that inhabit this world are just a tenth of an inch tall and live in perfect harmony with their environment. Arthur ventures into this world of the Minimoys, where he meets Princess Selenia and her brother Betameche. Together they set off to look for the treasure that will save his grandma.

Featuring the voices of Freddie Highmore, Mia Farrow, Calvin ‘Snoop Dogg’ , David Bowie, and Penny Balfour. Directed by Luc Besson.

Tags: Pan’s Labyrinth, The Fountain, Hugh Jackman, New DVDs

Starring Helen Mirren in a role that earned her an Academy Award, Gloden Globes, and BAFTA best actress honors. The Queen is a revealing, witty portrait of the British royal family in crisis immediately following the death of Princess Diana in August 1997.

The setting for this fictional account of real events is no less than the private chambers of the Royal Family and the British government in the wake of the sudden death of Princess Diana. In the immediate aftermath of the Princess’s passing, the tightly contained, tradition-bound world of the Queen of England clashes with the slick modernity of the country’s brand new, image-conscious Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

The result is an intimate, yet thematically epic, battle between private and public, responsibility and emotion, custom and action – as a grieving nation waits to see what its leaders will do.

Also stars Michael Sheen, James Cromwell, Sylvia Syms, Helen McCrory and directed by Oscar nominee Stephen Frears.

Night at the Museum

The comedy Night at the Museum stars Ben Stiller as the good-hearted dreamer Larry Daley who, despite being perpetually down on his luck, thinks he’s destined for something big. But even he could never have imagined how big, when he accepts what appears to be a menial job as a graveyard-shift security guard at a museum of natural history.

During Larry’s watch, extraordinary things begin to occur: Mayans, Roman Gladiators, and cowboys emerge from their diorama to wage epic battles; in his quest for fire, a Neanderthal burns down his own display; Attila the Hun pillages his neighboring exhibits, and a T-Rex reminds everyone why he’s history’s fiercest predator.

Casts include Carla Gugino, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Bill Cobbs. Shawn Levy is director.

Dreamgirls

The highly-acclaimed and Academy Award nominated movie, Dreamgirls, finally comes to DVD. This musical-drama tells the tale of Effie White, Deena Jones, and Lorrell Robinson – three friends from Chicago – a promising singing trio called The Dreamettes. They travel to New York to compete in a talent show at the Apollo Theatre. Although the girls lose this first bid for fame, their talent attracts an ambitious manager by the name of Curtis Taylor, Jr., who uses unscrupulous tactics to move the girls from backup singers of superstar James “Thunder” Early to superstars of their own.

Curtis reshapes the group to “crossover” from R & B to the lucrative pop music scene. Lead singer Effie gets replaced by the more attractive Deena and is eventually dropped from the trio. The group evolves into a more sophisticated group, The Dreams, with a lighter sound and chic look. They successfully attract a “whiter” audience and The Dreams rise to international stardom. The money, fame, and adulation, however, doesn’t bring them happiness.

With poweful perfomances by Oscar best supporting actress winner Jennifer Hudson, Grammy winner Beyonce Knowles, Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, and Golden Globe winner Eddie Murphy. Directed by Bill Condon.
Tags: New Movie DVD, The Queen DVD, Dreamgirl DVD, Ben Stiller DVD

Borat Sagdiyev, Kazakhstan’s sixth most famous man and a leading journalist from the State run TV network, travels from his home in Kazakhstan to the U.S. to make a documentary. On his cross-country road-trip, Borat meets real people in real situations with hysterical consequences.

Critically acclaimed starring Golden Globe winner Sacha Baron Cohen.

Fast Food Nation (2006)

A fictionalized thriller inspired by Eric Schlosser’s bestselling nonfiction expose of junk food companies. The story of fast food is the story of postwar America. Though created by a handful of mavericks, the fast food industry has triggered the homogenization of our society. Fast food has hastened the malling of our landscape, widened the chasm between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and propelled the juggernaut of American cultural imperialism abroad.

Stars Catalina Sandino Moreno, Wilmer Valderrama, Ana Claudia Talancon, Greg Kinnear, Bobby Cannavale with Richard Linklater at the helm.

Peter Pan (1953)

Join mischievous Peter Pan, the young boy who refuses to grow up, his hot-tempered pixie pal, Tinker Bell and the Darling children as they soar away to the mysterious Never-Never land where childhood lasts forever in this magical, musical adventure. Based on J.M. Barrie’s 1904 book.

Starring the voices of Tom Conway, Robert Driscoll, Kathryn Beaumont, Hans Conried, and Bill Thompson.