This Week on HD DVD and Blu-ray: October 16, 2007

Posted by Johnny Mercedes Categories: Buena Vista, DreamWorks, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Animation, Documentary, Drama, Family, Horror, Independent, Music, Political, Romance, Sequels, Thrillers, Home Entertainment, Lists, New Releases, Upcoming Releases,

As the autumn season pulls the coats from our closets, warms our chocolate beverages, and turns our leaves from a verdant green to a rusty orange, the movie studios give us another reason to spend a comfy evening at home: summer blockbusters on DVD. And what better way to view these visual—if not always plausible—delights than in high definition?

The coveted two-disc special edition of Transformers releases this week on HD DVD, much to the chagrin of Blu-ray loyalists; without a major exclusive release, they’ll simply have to make do with some mediocre thrillers.

But aside from the inferior cinematic fare, the first and second volumes of Showtime’s Masters of Horror series is out just in time for Halloween. The anthology show gives modern horror directors a full hour to play without the restrictions of an MPAA rating or television censorship. Although it failed to garner much critical acclaim, the show ended up being quite successful and achieved what some could perceive to be cult status.

Check out the full list of high-def releases after the jump.

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This Week on HD DVD and Blu-ray: October 9, 2007

Posted by Johnny Mercedes Categories: 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks, MGM, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Animation, Classics, Drama, Family, Horror, Independent, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Home Entertainment, Lists, New Releases, Upcoming Releases,

The war between Blu-ray and HD DVD rages on, but this week the battle looks particularly one-sided.

HD DVD has only one exclusive release this Tuesday (and not even a very good one), which can’t counter-balance the nine exclusive Blu-ray titles.  Now, one could see this as merely a slow week for the format’s proponents—Universal has the one title, and Paramount has zilch—or maybe Fox, Sony and MGM have simply realized that the holidays are fast approaching, and that … well, this is a war! Whatever the case, HD DVD loyalists will find little to drool over this week. As for the Blu-ray fans, they’ll find three day-and-date releases plus a high-def 28 Days Later to supplement its impressive new-release sequel.

Have a look at this week’s HD releases after the jump.

Check out this week’s standard-definition releases,
or take a look at the TV-on-DVD titles.

Click to continue reading This Week on HD DVD and Blu-ray: October 9, 2007

This Week on DVD: October 9, 2007

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, IFC Films, Sony, Universal, Action, Animation, Drama, Family, Independent, Science Fiction, Comedy, Home Entertainment, Lists, New Releases,

• 28 Weeks Later:  starring Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne
• Evan Almighty:  starring Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman
• Poltergeist (25th Anniversary Edition):  starring Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams
• Reign Over Me:  starring Don Cheadle, Adam Sandler
• Rise: Blood Hunter:  starring Lucy Liu, Robert Forster
• Surf’s Up:  starring Shia LeBeouf, Jeff Bridges
• Twilight Zone: The Movie:  starring Dan Aykroyd, John Lithgow
• You Kill Me:  starring Ben Kingsley, Tea Leoni

Click here to see the TV-On-DVD options for this week.
Click here to see the new titles released on HD DVD and Blu-Ray.

DVD REVIEW:  Trading Places: Special Collector’s Edition

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Paramount, Classics, Comedy, New Releases, DVD Reviews,

Last week, I was faced with a very difficult decision:  Could I find a new DVD to review other than Norbit?  The pickings were very slim, so I ultimately chose to make a compromise.  Rather than endure a painful Eddie Murphy exhibition, I elected to watch him at his best—- in the new Trading Places (Special Collector’s Edition).

Not only did I reacquaint myself with a comedy that has remained fresh since its 1983 debut, I had the chance to see extras that were not included in the movie’s initial DVD offering.  In fact, most of the footage had not even been seen since the movie was originally released.

A quick synopsis for those who haven’t had the opportunity to see the film even once:  Two rich, old businessmen (Mortimer and Randolph Duke) decide to make a bet while testing out the Nature vs. Nurture theory.  Could they force their trust-worthy assistant (Dan Akyroyd) into a life of crime by taking away his livelihood….or would his good breeding and skills carry him through?  And could they make a street criminal (Eddie Murphy) into a valued employee by giving him a good home and clothes….or would he eventually resort back to his old ways?

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