The original 1954 Gojira, the first of three New to Blu "Release of the Week"-worthy titles
New to Blu-ray Release of the Week (A)
Gojira (Godzilla)
Audio Commentary with Gojira experts Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski, Original Theatrical Trailer
Featurettes: Story Development, Making of the Suit
After a great deal of comparison watching, the new Blu-ray offers a great deal more clarity than what is to be assumed going from DVD to Blu-ray. The image is not particularly grainy, not so much due to DNR, but the fact that the existing elements are far from perfect. Some may instinctively leap to complain about picture quality as they did on the DVD, but this is about as good (if not better) than release prints came out thanks to scratches and dirt that were on the original soft-emulsion negative before and after adding optical effects. Cutting rooms were notoriously difficult to keep clean, and when you mix the wear and tear adding "analog" effects can add, this is really what the best restoration prints of Gojira look like. The only thing missing in the jump from the Classic Media's prior DVD release is the U.S. version, Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Amazon has it for $12.99 at the time of this writing, and it carries my highest recommendation.
New to Blu-ray Release of the Week (B)
Hot Fuzz
Every last feature from the 3-disc Ultimate Edition DVD is ported over with upgraded picture and sound. This is one of my very favorite action films, without qualification. I'd shoot a gun straight up in the air for it. Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead (below) were available about a month in advance exclusively from Best Buy, and I know plenty of people who gladly paid $20 apiece for them.
New to Blu-ray Release of the Week (C)
Shaun of the Dead
New to US Blu-ray: Lucy Davis' video diary, Joe Cornish's video diary, TV Bits (Remembering Z-Day), Audio Commentary w/ Bill Nighy & Penelope Wilton, Audio Commentary w/ actors who played Zombies
The thing I miss most in the move to Blu-ray for Shaun is the original DVD menus, which were replaced with the now-standard "Universal Blu-ray menus" that feature unified navigation on all Universal titles. I didn't find the above-listed extras on my original US DVD, and may have missed a couple.
New Release of the Week
Observe and Report (Blu-ray & DVD)
Blu-ray exclusive (all extras): Gag Reel, Seth Rogen & Anna Faris: Unscripted, Basically Training, Forest Ridge Mall Security Recruitment Video, Picture-in-Picture Commentary with director Jody Hill and actors Rogen and Faris
My review from a couple weeks ago can be found here.
New Release
O'Horten (DVD only)
A delightful Norwegian movie about a train engineer's adaptation to forced retirement, O'Horten is yet another Sony Pictures Classics title that not enough people saw in theaters (as is so often the case with arthouse fare). The audience is given a protagonist whose life has been anything but spontaneous for over four decades, and the beauty of the movie is that it never allows you feel like you know what will happen next in Odd Horten's journey. This is a movie it won't take long for Netflix to get to you, but will stick with you for a while. It's as much about the human condition in general as it is having a good time.
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (Blu-ray & DVD)
Matthew McConaughey plays Connor Mead, a self-centered womanizing photographer and Jennifer Garner is the nice girl he never had the sense to settle down with. Breckin Meyer plays Connor's younger brother, who's getting married to a bridezilla played by Lacey Chabert. I got so tremendously bored watching this that it was difficult to not take a nap. I woke up each time Robert Forster showed up to play the bride's caricature-drawn military dad. My god do I love Robert Forster. The movie begins, middles, and ends exactly the way you'd expect.
Battle for Terra (Blu-ray & DVD)
I never hated this movie, preachy though it may have been. Unlike many animated movies aimed at children, it isn't selling toys, just do-gooder ideology. I never got to see it in 3D, but I wish I'd had the chance.
Adam Resurrected (DVD only)
This would be on more people's radar had Goldblum been nominated for Best Actor as many thought that he would.
Catalog New to Blu
Star Trek: TNG Motion Picture Collection (also on DVD)
(Star Trek: Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, Star Trek: Nemesis)
On a cursory inspection, the DVD transfers on all of these are improved from the previous DVD versions. I haven't touched to Blu-rays, but I've read a couple reviews and forums posts that point to DNR issues, but I'm not seeing nearly as much complaining as many did on the previous 6-movie set. The fact these are all relatively new masters compared to the TOS movies makes a big difference all on its own. All four TNG movies carry over previous DVD extras with the exception of Michael Okuda's text commentaries (oh well).
In terms of new extras, there's a new commentary on each disc and four installments of an interview with Brent Spiner. There are a pile of new featurettes, most of which seemed interesting from the few minutes each I gave them. The one I did watch the whole way through, Reunion With the Rikers, was excellent for anyone who loves Frakes-Sirtis banter. I grew up with TNG, so things like this really make me smile.
Complete Monterrey Pop Collection (Criterion)
As with Warner Bros.' Woodstock release earlier this year, the top reason to get this set must be the lossless audio. I'm sure the picture is improved, but my supposition is that it can't be a staggering improvement. I'll allow, of course, that Criterion being Criterion, they could have pulled off a coup with this one.
Reissue
The Paul Newman Collection
None of the titles included here are new to DVD, so the only exclusive is the book. The price is reasonable for what's included if you're going gift-buying, but I'd hope for a Blu-ray version. I haven't gotten my hands on the book, so I don't know how good it is, but frankly I'd be amazed if it's better than Shawn Levy's biography Paul Newman: A Life.
Direct to Video
Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Dark Side
I fell asleep watching the original Family Guy Star Wars parody. I don't expect this one is much better.
Ghost Cat
Ellen Page stars in this 6-year-old made for TV movie, and let me assure you, it is definitive when it comes to "made for TV". First off, it's readily apparent that it was scripted with commercial breaks built-in. It appears Animal Planet aired it sometime in 2007. Natalie (Page) and her widower father move into the home of an older lady with a 15-year-old cat. The sweet old lady and the cat both pass away. There's an attractive lady neighbor with two sons, one of whom is age-appropriate for Natalie. The Attractive Lady Neighbor runs an animal rescue, and the Greedy Nephew of The Old Lady wants his inheritance and also wants to push the Attractive Lady Neighbor off her land in exchange for a payoff from the Evil Land Developer. The movie is actually better than most of the stuff I flip past on cable, and it's kid-appropriate, with not a hint of sexuality or real scares to be found. [Note: it's on IMDb as Mrs. Ashboro's Cat]
Disc Roundup (Movies) is posted each week at some point, depending on how many discs there are to get through. Unless otherwise noted, screener copies of titles reviewed were provided by the respective studio.
If you think I've missed something, feel free to send me an email.