DVD and Blu-ray Releases for January 8, 2013

It was a massive week for new titles released on DVD and Blu-ray. As a result I’ll be playing a little bit of catch up over the next couple weeks as things slow down just a bit. This week’s reviews include Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie,” the Blu-ray debut for 1927’s “The Jazz Singer,” the visual feast “Samsara,” Chow Yung-Fat as Cao Cao in the Chinese epic “The Assassins,” HBO’s Sarah Palin drama “Game Change,” the third volume of “Tiny Toon Adventures” and the BBC’s “Red Dwarf X.”

Other titles released this week include the second season of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s “An Idiot Abroad,” the second series of the BBC’s excellent drama “The Hour,” the first season of NBC’s “Smash,” the first season of HBO’s “Enlightened,” the horror films “Sleep Tight” and “House at the End of the Street” and a pair of action titles from Universal in the form of “Guns, Girls and Gambling” and “Hit & Run.”  

Links to Reviews

Documentary: Samsara

Drama: The Assassins, Game Change

Family: Frankenweenie, Tiny Toon Adventures

Musical: The Jazz Singer (1927)

Television: Red Dwarf X, Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama Bin Laden

Briefly on Blu-ray: Red Dwarf X

Red Dwarf X
Rated: NR
Genre: Television, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Street Date: January 8, 2013
Available On: DVD and Blu-ray
The Film: The popular British television series “Red Dwarf” returns for its tenth series following a three-year break.  Where series 9 “Back To Earth” found the show embarking on a new sort of adventure, Series X returns to the confines of the “giant trashcan” spaceship Red Dwarf.
The Extras: "We're Smegged" feature-length documentary, deleted scenes and outtakes
Recommendation: Recorded in front of a live audience Series X is the sort of campy, lowbrow experience that you’d expect from the show. It’s a little too goofy for my taste redundant for my tastes, but longtime fans of the show will no doubt be pleased with the opportunity to reunite with Lister, Rimmer, the Cat and Kryten.

Briefly on Blu-ray: Seal Team Six - The Raid on Osama Bin Laden

Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama Bin Laden

Rated: NR

Genre: Television, Action, War

Street Date: January 8, 2013

Available On: DVD and Blu-ray

The Film:The story of the raid on Osama Bin Laden’s is likely to be the subject of many films. “Seal Team Six” was one of the first and was broadcast on the National Geographic Channel. It’s not terrible, but its not very good either. The film is presented in a faux documentary style that could be misleading as it mixes real footage with staged reenactments.

The Extras: Making-of featurette
Recommendation: The performances are fine, but never rise above the made-for-television standard. Director John Stockwell doesn’t give the film any sort of personality; it feels more like a low-budget action film than a piece of history. You’d be better off seeing “Zero Dark Thirty,” which may not be the absolute truth, but it at least feels like it is striving for honesty without an obvious left-wing political agenda.

 

Briefly on Blu-ray: The Jazz Singer (1927)

The Jazz Singer (1927)

Rated: NR

Genre: Musical

Street Date: January 8, 2013

Available On: Blu-ray Digibook

The Film:Released in 1927 “The Jazz Singer” was the first “talkie” (film with synchronized dialogue). The story follows Jakie Rabinowitz (Al Jolson), a young Jewish boy who would rather sing popular tunes than the traditional religious songs, which runs away from home to pursue his dreams of stardom.

The Extras: Feature-length documentary "The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk," 3 1/2 hours of vintage music shorts, an 88-page book and much more.

Recommendation: This is the first time that I’ve seen more than a few clips from the film. I’m surprised by how clean the film looks. Warner Bros. has clearly invested a lot of time and care in the restoration. The bonus features are carried over from the previously released 3-disc DVD collection that was released in 2007 (only the film is presented in high definition). 

Briefly on Blu-ray: Frankenweenie

Frankenweenie

Rated: PG

Genre: Animation, Family

Street Date: January 8, 2013

Available On: DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo and 3D Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo

The Film: “Frankenweenie” expands upon one of Tim Burton’s early short films and does so brilliantly. The story finds Victor, an extremely intelligent young boy, who brings his dog Sparky back to life using Dr. Frankenstein’s lightning method. Unfortunately Victor’s innocent approach to science leads to unexpected consequences.

 The Extras: "Captain Sparky vs The Flying Saucers" short, "Miniatures in Motion" featurette, original live-action short, "Frankenweenie Touring Exhibit" featurette and Plain White T's "Pet Sematary" video.

Recommendation: “Frankenweenie” was my favorite animated film of 2012. It is beautiful, smart and a tribute to old Universal horror films and classic monster films like “Godzilla.”

 

Briefly on Blu-ray: The Assassins

The Assassins

Rated: NR

Genre: Foreign, Drama, Action

Street Date: January 8, 2013

Available On: DVD and Blu-ray

The Film: “The Assassins” is a Chinese epic set during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms (220 -280 AD). The film stars Chow Yun-Fat as Han Dynasty warlord and chancellor Cao Cao. The story is built around a young woman who from birth has been raised to be an assassin to kill Cao Cao. When the opportunity to kill Cao Cao comes she finds that all her training didn’t properly prepare her for the task. Not because of Cao Cao’s talents with the sword, but because of his unexpected kindness.

The Extras: Behind the Scenes and Trailer

Recommendation: “The Assassins” is more of a drama than an action film and there are times when it leaves gaps in the story, the sort of gaps that those familiar with Chinese history would easily be able to fill in, but those unfamiliar with the events might see as plot holes. I still like the film quite a bit, particularly because of Chow Yun-Fat’s performance and the beautiful cinematography.

Briefly on Blu-ray: Game Change

Game Change

Rated: TV-MA

Genre: Tevision, Drama

Street Date: January 8, 2013

Available On: DVD and Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo

The Film: A behind-the-scenes drama based on John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign and the impact of his decision to select Sarah Palin as his running mate.

The Extras: Creating a Candidate and Game Change - The Phenomenon Featurettes

Recommendation: HBO’s behind-the-scenes look at John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign is well made, there’s no question about that. Ed Harris makes a wonderful McCain, Julianne Moore feels authentic as Sarah Palin and Woody Harrelson is perfectly cast as the over-stressed campaign strategist Steve Schmidt. But is it accurate? Schmidt, the real Schmidt, has gone on the record as saying that it is.