New Release of the Week
A Christmas Tale The Criterion Collection
I haven't been able to see this disc yet (though I have watched the movie). I probably won't have a chance until months down the road. I'm handing it release of the week honors due to the extraordinary treatment of a current arthouse film by Criterion.
Blu-ray Upgrade of the Week
Gimme Shelter The Criterion Collection
From my review:
"One of the unsung successes of Criterion's catalog Blu-grades has been the startling clarity of the new lossless audio tracks. Even on a substandard audio system (like mine, I must admit), you can effortlessly detect the difference between the "good for a DVD" track full of hiss and the lossless pool of pure sound."
New Release
Terminator Salvation (Blu-ray & DVD)
Blu exclusives: Maximum Movie Mode, Director's Cut & Theatrical versions
Featurettes: The Moto-Terminator, Re-forging the future
This movie relies so much on prior knowledge of the franchise that it's a severely mixed bag. I'll get more into it next week. They already did the live director "watch-along" in which McG proclaimed his intent to make two more Terminator movies. He also expounded on the theory of the cinema, saying that in movies, "first there's the sound, and then there's the picture".
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (Blu-ray & DVD)
Feature Commentary, 12 Deleted Scenes (including Alternate Ending), 6 Featurettes, Gag Reel, 3 "Monkey" featurettes, DVD version, Digital Copy
I was bored out of my mind the first time I watched this. I've come around only slightly due to the "maybe kids will like being literate" hope that also came after watching the first one. Erudition is an endangered species.
The Deleted Scenes feature a lot of cut stuff involving Christopher Guest's Ivan the Terrible that I liked a lot more than most of the movie. The Alternate Ending puts in a tag with (not-a-spoiler alert) Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, and Bill Cobbs that one would assume leads into the all-but-certain third movie. The Monkey featurettes are the most worthy of one's time, in that they take a look at the life of the monkeys in the movie. The in-character featurettes are worthless. I might put the commentary on while cleaning the house at some point.
Flame and Citron (DVD only)
Ride Around the World (Blu-ray & DVD)
This was an IMAX feature. The time crunch of the week and weekend is also pushing a writeup of this to next week.
Paper Heart (Blu-ray & DVD)
Catalog New to Blu
The Mask of Zorro
I unapologetically enjoy this movie very, very much. I've still yet to watch the sequel, because I expect to be let down. The picture and audio quality here are top notch, as can be expected from Sony.
Gremlins
This was a Target exclusive until now.
Secondhand Lions
The Green Mile
Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels
Snatch
Catalog
The Jazz Singer
Disc Roundup (Movies) is posted each week at some point, depending on how many discs there are to get through. Unless otherwise noted, assume that screener copies of titles reviewed were provided by the respective studio.