DVD News

Looking for something good and geeky to watch? Check out this week's new sci-fi DVD releases:

The Fourth Kind (DVD and Blu-ray)
Milla Jovovich stars in this sci-fi flick that, sadly, doesn't involve her firing two machine guns at once or kicking zombies in the face. But The Fourth Kind makes up for its lack of Resident Evil-style action with some decent chills and genuinely creepy moments. Jovovich plays a psychologist investigating a string of alien abductions in Nome, Alaska. But despite the fun scares, the film mostly falls apart when trying to balance its grainy "actual" footage of alien abduction craziness with its overstylized "reenactments."

Astro Boy (DVD and Blu-ray)
I don't know much about Astro Boy, the mega popular Japanese manga series first published in the 1950s. But I do know that Astro Boy fans were mixed over this derivative if ultimately good-hearted CGI kid's flick.

Also new this week: Mystery Science Theater 3000: XVII and Clash of the Gods: The Complete Season One.

Looking for something good and geeky to watch? Check out this week's new sci-fi home video releases:

2012 (DVD and Blu-ray)
Watch Roland Emmerich destroy the world with some spectacular CG magic in this fun and bloated schlockbuster starring John Cusack, Amanda Peet and a whacked-out Woody Harrelson.

Where The Wild Things Are (DVD and Blu-ray)
Director Spike Jonze and novelist Dave Eggers cook up a raw, spirited and innovative flick about a rowdy kid and his imaginary monsters, based on Maurice Sendack's beloved kid's book.

Alice (DVD and Blu-ray)
Syfy's hit-and-miss quasi-sequel to Lewis Carrol's classic tale is worth a rental, if only for Primeval's Andre Lee Potts' charming performance as the clever Hatter. Banking on this week's theatrical release of Tim Burton's Alice, the 1966 Alice in Wonderland starring Peter Sellers as the King of Hearts also hits stores today, along with the 1933 version with Cary Grant, Gary Cooper and W.C. Fields.

Cold Souls (DVD)
Paul Giamatti is great (no surprise there) and David Strathairn is hilarious in this dark, twisted and meandering indie that sees Giamatti (playing himself) putting his heavy soul in deep-freeze storage.

Clash of the Titans (Blu-ray)
The campy '80s stop-motion classic gets the high-def treatment, just before the slick new CG version hits theaters.

Looking for something good and geeky to watch? Check out this week's sci-fi DVD releases:

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (DVD and Blu-ray)
You can always count on DC's animated DVD flicks to deliver solid superhero action, but early word says Crisis packs brains and brawn. A superstar cast (James Woods, Mark Harmon, Gary Cole, Firefly's Gina Torres) voices the classic comic characters as they battle with their evil doppelgangers in a parallel dimension.

The Box (DVD and Blu-ray)
Director Richard Kelly's latest mindfrak isn't quite as ambitious or as messy as Southland Tales, nor is it as compelling or as charming as Donnie Darko. Instead, The Box offers a tense genre tale that spirals out of control as Kelly packs on his trademark mix of dark wit, absurd moments and outlandish surprises.

Flash Forward: Season One Pt.1 (DVD)
It looks like this ambitious ABC drama didn't turn out to be the next Lost after all. Still, the first half of Flash Forward's season one offers a compelling mystery, some genuinely thrilling moments, and even some dark humor in almost every episode. Catch up in time for its return to TV on March 18.

The Crazies (Blu-ray)
Catch George Romero's original '70s pandemic creepshow before the remake hits the big screen. The director does commentary on the Blu-ray.

It's been known that Avatar would be hitting home theaters on both DVD and Blu-ray at some point in time before June (the fiscal year for Fox parent company News Corp.), but the date was up in the air. Well now James Cameron has revealed to the world said date and, in retrospect, we all should have seen it coming. But before outing the date, let's think about it for a second.

One of the more talked about points about Avatar is how the harmonious relationship between the Na'vi and every aspect of their home world has reminded people on Earth that they have a planet worth protecting as well. To many, Pandora's biggest accomplishment was holding up a mirror to the day to day lives of people on Earth, reflecting back at them all the wrong that goes on around them. If only we had a day here on Earth intended for such reflection...

Yes, yes, Avatar will be coming out on DVD and Blu-ray on Earth Day (that would be April 22nd for those of us who don't have the date memorized). So the good news is that's a lot closer than June. The bad news? It looks like it'll be a rather bare bones release on both the standard and high definition fronts. The even badder news? Don't expect that 3D Blu-ray this November, presumably with more special features than you can shake a Na'vi home tree at, as previously rumored. The tech behind that is still too "conceptual" at this stage.

Looking for something good and geeky to watch? Check out this week's new sci-fi home video releases:

Halo Legends (DVD and Blu-ray)
Fans of the popular game franchise won't want to miss this set of anime shorts set in the world of Halo and produced by Japanese animation studios. The rest of us? I think its OK to skip it (and maybe pop in that copy of Batman: Gotham Knight for old times sake). There's a ton of new anime hitting stores today, including Claymore: The Complete Series on Blu-ray, the second half of Bleach Uncut: Season 4, and the Heroic Age complete series set, also on Blu-ray.

Small Wonder: The Complete First Season (DVD)
A scientist creates a creepy little Cylon girl and brings it home to live with his family. Instead of killing it with fire, they're charmed by her monotone computer voice and her ability to shoot sparks out of her ears. Hey, it was the '80s. How were they supposed to know that she'd grow up to start a war and wipe out humanity in the name of the one true god?

I couldn't bring myself to call most of these classics, and, in fact, one is a docudrama, not science fiction, but it's about the space program, so it's an honorable mention. Now, all of these titles are out on DVD, but if you are converting as much of your collection to Blu, or want to keep abreast of titles you might not have in your film library, many are already available for pre-order.

February 23, 2010
The Crazies (1973) -- Just three days before the theatrical release of Breck Eisner's adaptation of George Romero's creeper about an attempt to quarantine a town.

March 09, 2010
Tremors (1990) -- Kevin Bacon versus mutant worms It's a cult classic.

April 06, 2010
Cocoon (1985) -- Wild and crazy senior citizens break into a pool, and end up feeling like they discovered the fountain of youth. Don Ameche, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy and more star in the Ron Howard hit.

Dreamscape (1984) -- Government project, psychics, and conspiracies; sounds like a Stephen King plot, but it isn't. Starring Dennis Quaid, Max von Sydow and Christopher Plummer.

April 13, 2010
Apollo 13 (1995) -- You think the release date is a coincidence?

April 20, 2010
Minority Report (2002) Steven Spielberg at the helm of an adaptation of a Philip K. Dick story, with Tom Cruise headlining.

April 27, 2010
Armageddon (1998) -- It's fun enough that I enthusiastically suspended my disbelief while a bunch of crusty drillers go into space to save the world. And J.J. Abrams worked on the screenplay

Class of Nuke 'Em High (1986) -- Troma's nuclear waste infested high school is quite ridiculous, I know, but it is a sci-fi premise.

Dune (1984) -- David Lynch and 80's style sensibilities take on the first book in Frank Herbert's Dune Series.

Looking for something good and geeky to watch? Check out this week's notable sci-fi home video releases.

Stargate Universe: 1.0 (DVD and Blu-ray)
Relive or catch up with the first ten hours of Syfy's latest Stargate series with this three-disc set (two disc on Blu-ray), featuring commentaries from the cast and crew and behind-the-scenes video diaries.

Running Man (Blu-ray)
Watch Ahnold crush the competition as a contestant in a brutal futuristic game show in this late '80s favorite, remastered and updated with a 7.1 DTS-HD soundtrack.

The Phantom [Blu-ray]
Every flop has its fans, as proven buy this new high-def release of 1996's The Phantom, starring Billy Zane as the purple-clad do-gooder and a pre-Zorro Catherine Zeta-Jones.

One of the most frustrating things for film fans of any genre is waiting for older films to get released on DVD or Blu-ray. The fans of the film adaptation of Stephen King's The Running Man only have to wait until tomorrow.

While The Running Man is not exactly the height of substantial science fiction, it's interesting to see King's interpretation of a celebrity obsessed world in 2019 twenty-three years after the film was released. The story surrounds Arnold Schwarzenegger as a wrongly convicted man trying to survive a public education via a game show. Arnie is pictured above with game show legend Richard Dawson. You know, the original Family Feud?

It looks like it only has one annoying trailer at the beginning, unlike the usual 5 or more that every DVD and Blu-ray seem to have these days. Extras include two commentary tracks, one with director Paul Michael Glaser and producer Tim Zinneman and another with executive producer Rob Cohen, as well as two featurettes and a theatrical trailer. Sorry, no special Ahnold track.

Other sci-fi Blu-ray releases tomorrow include Halo Legends, Stargate Universe - SGU: Season 1.0, and The Time Traveler's Wife.

Looking for something good and geeky to watch? Check out this week's notable sci-fi home video releases.

Zombieland (DVD and Blu-ray)
From its witty opening scene to its bloody final act, Zombieland packs plenty of fun, surprises and enough gory lunacy to satisfy even the most jaded zombie movie addict. Pick it up tonight, have a blast, and start anticipating the sequel along with the rest of us.

Doctor Who: The Complete Specials (DVD and Blu-ray)
Relive David Tennant's last act as The Doctor with the final four specials bundled together in one package. They're sold separately too, so you can pick up your favorites and leave the stinkers on the shelf.

Planet Hulk (DVD and Blu-ray)
I'm not convinced that this release – or any of Marvel's recent animated DVD movies – is worth a buy. Still, watching cartoon Hulk smash up a bunch of giant space monsters sounds like a mighty good time, doesn't it? Plus the special features (available on the two-disc edition) include some cool-looking comic-to-screen docs and Marvel motion comics.

Universal Soldier: Regeneration (DVD & Blu-ray)
And speaking of a mighty good time ... Jean-Claude Vane Damme and Dolph Lundgren strap on the ol' cyborg armor for ninety minutes of frontal lobe-numbing action. The latest Universal Soldier flick is sure to be a straight-to-DVD favorite.

Looking for something good and geeky to watch? Check out this week's notable sci-fi home video releases.

Surrogates (DVD and Blu-ray)
Bruce Willis and Terminator 3 director Jonathan Mostow team up for this serviceable but ultimately disappointing futuristic action flick based on the Top Shelf comic. Willis plays a cop investigating a murder in a world where everyone uses super-powered robot avatars. Bruno is badass as usual, but despite the cool setting and fun effects, the story plays out like a stock crime procedural.

Highlander: Immortal Edition (Blu-ray)
Who says there can be only one? After dropping on DVD in 2002, Anchor Bay is finally releasing Highlander: The Immortal Edition on Blu-ray. The HD disc repeats some of the special features from the old DVD release – commentary, trailer, deleted scenes – and boasts an interview with star Christopher Lambert and a three-part "making of" doc.

Sherlock Holmes (DVD)
The latest Asylum mockbuster pits Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved detective against dinosaurs, sea creatures and a steam-powered robot! Call it a "loose" adaptation. Torchwood's Gareth David-Lloyd somehow got roped into playing Dr. Watson, and Star Trek: Enterprise's Dominic Keating hams it up as baddie Spring Heeled Jack.

InAlienable (DVD)
Star Trek: TOS's Chekov, Walter Koenig, wrote and produced this low-budget sf-tinged drama about a dude who's impregnated by an outer space "rock thing." Koenig recruited a long list of veteran sci-fi actors for the project, including Richard Hatch (Battlestar Galactica), Marina Sirtis (Star Trek: TNG), Erick Avari (Stargate), Alan Ruck (Star Trek: Generations), and J.G. Hertzler (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine). It's produced by Renegade Studios, the same folks that gave us the ultimate Trek fan flick Star Trek: Of Gods and Men.

The Real Ghostbusters, Vol. 2 (DVD)
The Real Ghostbusters is my favorite animated series of all time. It has everything – intelligent scripts, compelling drama, mystery, wit, slime, Arsenio Hall. Everything! This set collects 31 episodes of the '80s feature film spinoff plus some great bonus material, including visual commentary tracks and a documentary.