This Week on Blu-ray and DVD - August 21, 2012

As far as the eye can see, it's a Disney-dominated release week.

James

Plath

First online:

Sunday, August 19, 2012 - 11:55pm

It’s hard to figure Disney out. Some of the things they do—like the Fastpass to avoid long theme park lines and their strategy of marketing titles for a short period of time, then putting them back in the vault (thereby manipulating supply and demand)—are pure genius. Maybe it’s also genius releasing five animated new-to-Blu titles in a single week, though you have to wonder about the strain it might put on some families’ finances.

It’s a kidfight waiting to happen, especially if parents say something like, “Okay, we can only buy ONE of the films this week.”

“‘The Aristocats’!”
“The Aristocats’ is a dumb movie.”
“You’re dumb.”
“You are.”
“Na-uhhhhh.”
“Mo-om, he called me dumb!”

Many parents’ solution would be to let each kid pick one, and maybe that’s what Disney’s counting on. Maybe that’s why they’re releasing “Pocahontas” and Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World” on Blu-ray for the first time in a combo pack the same week as they’re releasing “The Rescuers” and “The Rescuers Down Under” in another combo pack, along with single movie new-to-Blu combo pack releases of “The Aristocats,” “Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure,” and “The Tigger Movie.” No matter what your favorite, it looks terrific on Blu-ray and will give you a whole new appreciation for the artwork. But that’s just the animation. Disney is also releasing their latest entry in the Disneynature series, the acclaimed “Chimpanzee,” which returns them to their True-Life Adventures storytelling roots.

So it’s a Disney-dominated week, much to the dismay of Sacha Baron Cohen and his big-screen alter ego Admiral-General Aladeen, who both live for the limelight. John J. Puccio’s review offered more in the way of lemons, calling “The Dictator”—out on Blu-ray and DVD this week—“Cohen in a lightweight mood, taking very few chances, instead relying on only mildly irreverent humor.” And of course mildly irreverent humor is often akin to irrelevant humor. Too bad. The trailer looked so promising.

Better to focus on old titles new to Blu-ray. Like the Coen brothers’ black comedy “Barton Fink,” starring John Turturro as a New York playwright who “sells out” by going to Hollywood and agreeing to write the screenplay for a Wallace Beery wrestling film. The Chump? For some Coen brothers fans, this is the movie of all movies—one that appealed to critics as well, winning the Palm d’Or at Cannes (trailer).

Meanwhile, Kevin Smith fans can go to the mall this week to pick up the Blu-ray of “Mallrats,” Smith’s 1995 comedy starring Jason Lee, Jeremy London, Ben Affleck, Jason Mewes, Ethan Suplee, and Shannen Doherty. It’s out on HD for the first time (trailer).

There’s more dark comedy to be found in “Bernie,” a true-crime mockumentary starring Jack Black as an assistant funeral director who curries the favor of a widow (Shirley MacLaine) but offs her when she becomes too annoying and controlling.

For serious film lovers there are two worth noting: “A Separation,” the Iranian Oscar entry that won the 2012 Best Foreign Language Film statue (trailer), and the Criterion release of “Weekend” (trailer). I know. I thought of it too. “Weekend” [at] “Bernie['s].” But this 2011 romantic drama from Andrew Haigh charts what happens when a man goes to a gay club and picks up what he thought was just a one-night stand. Which reminds me, why do they call it a “stand”? They may as well call it a “sit,” it makes so little sense. Which is about how Matthew Broderick’s and Ally Sheedy’s charcters felt in “WarGames,” about a hacker who finds so much confusion that it could possibly lead to WWIII. The 1983 sci-fi thriller also comes out on Blu-ray for the first time this week (trailer).

So many titles, so little money. Even adults may have to make tough choices . . . or throw a tantrum.

Here are select new releases for the week of August 21, 2012:

BLU-RAY

Aristocats, The (+ DVD) (1970 Disney animation)
Barton Fink (1991 Coen brothers drama)
Bernie (2011 dark comedy)
Black Magic Rites (aka Riti, magie nere e segrete orge nel trecento) (1973 horror)
Captain Carey U.S.A. (1950 investigative drama)
Dictator, The (Banned & Unrated Version) (+ DVD + Digital Copy) (2012 comedy)
Dictator, The (Banned & Unrated Version) (+ DVD in Amazon exclusive Limited Edition General Aladeen Packaging)
Disneynature: Chimpanzee (+ DVD) (2012 documentary)
Fortress (2012 direct-to-video war action)
Freelancers (2012 crime action)
Good Will Hunting (15th Anniv. Ed.)
Halloween 4 (1988 horror/thriller)
Halloween 5 (1989 horror/thriller)
Hell (2011 horror/sci-fi) (+ DVD)
House, M.D.: Season 8
Lady and the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure (+ DVD) (2001 Disney animation)
One in the Chamber (2012 crime action)
Mallrats (1995 comedy-romance)
My Son John (1952 drama)
No. 6 (Complete Collection) (anime)
Pocahontas (+ Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World + DVDs) (1995, 1998 Disney animation)
Post Mortem (2010 drama)
Private Hell 36 (1954 crime/film noir)
Rescuers, The (35th Anniv. Ed. + The Rescuers Down Under + DVDs) (1977, 1990 Disney animation)
Santa Fe Trail (1940 Western)
Separation, A (2012 drama)
Shakugan no Shana: Season 1 Box Set (anime)
Stephen King’s Thinner (1996 horror-thriller)
Tigger Movie, The (Bounce-A-Rrrific Special Ed.) (+ DVD) (2000 Disney animation)
WarGames (1983 sci-fi thriller)
Weekend (Criterion) (2011 gay-themed drama)

RECENT RELEASES

Dictator, The (Banned & Unrated Version) (2012 comedy)
Disneynature: Chimpanzee (2012 documentary)
NFL: Complete History of the New York Giants

CATALOG TITLES

Aristocats, The (1970 Disney animation)
Captain Carey U.S.A. (1950 investigative drama)
Lady and the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure (+ DVD)
My Son John (1952 drama)
Pocahontas (2-Movie Special Ed. - + Pocahontas II) (1995, 1998 Disney animation)
Private Hell 36 (1954 crime/film noir)
Rescuers, The (2-Movie Collection + The Rescuers Down Under) (1977, 1990 Disney animation)

FAMILY/CHILDREN