New releases, 18 Oct 2005
These lists come from DVDJournal.com and TVShowsonDVD.com
We’ll start with the TV shows:
C.S.I.: NY: The Complete 1st Season
Watch it back in the days before it looked like everything else on television.
Garfield and Friends: Garfield Prime Time set
Collects a few of those prime time specials.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Season 1 Vol. 1
I never got into it, but judging by the turnout for He-Man stuff at the summer conventions, I’m betting a few of you did.
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!: The Legend of Zelda: The Complete Series
Really — who wants to admit to buying this?
The Twilight Zone: Season 4: Definitive Edition
Love the idea. Glad they’re releasing all this classic television in decent boxed sets. I just don’t have the time or energy to watch it all.
World [Card Game With Two Hole Cards and Five Community Cards] Tour Season Three (8-disc set)
Love the series. Might rent one or two discs at some point just for the commentaries. Otherwise, I’ve seen them all before, and the Travel Channel repeats the sprockets off them.
Over to the movies, where it’s “Batmanapalooza” this week:
Batman: The 1943 Serial Collection (2-disc set)
The Batman vs. Dracula
Batman: Special Edition (2-disc set) (1989)
Batman Returns: Special Edition (2-disc set) (1992)
Batman Forever: Special Edition (2-disc set) (1995)
Batman & Robin: Special Edition (2-disc set) (1997)
Batman: The Motion Picture Anthology 1989-1997 (8-disc set)
Batman Begins: Deluxe Edition (widescreen) (2-disc set) (2005)
Batman Begins (widescreen) (2005)
Batman Begins (pan-and-scan) (2005)
See what I mean?
Care Bears: Big Wish Movie (2005)
My Little Pony: A Very Minty Christmas
Strawberry Shortcake Gift Set
Strawberry Shortcake: Dress Up Days
I fell all warm and fuzzy now. I also feel like a six year old girl, circa 1984. This is disturbing.
Elektra: Unrated (2-discs set) (2005)
Why? Dear God, Why?!?
Ferngully: The Last Rainforest (1992)
See above.
The Jazz Singer: 25th Anniversary Edition (1980)
Neil Diamond is hip again. He has a new album coming out with help from Dr. Dre. Life is weird, ain’t it?
Mad Hot Ballroom (2005)
Very cute movie about NYC school children competing in an after school ballroom dance competition.
The Mask of Zorro: Deluxe Edition (1998)
As popular as it was, it’s still one of the overlooked gems of the 1990s. Great fun, great action. It also has one of my favorite movie soundtracks of all time.
This list came directly from my show notes for this week’s DVD podcast. I’ll have that up tonight or tomorrow, but it might sound very familiar, after you’ve read this. Sorry about that.
October 18th, 2005 at 2:50 pm
Might have to catch Batman 1943 just to see if it got edited at all… I’m surprised a Japanese company (Sony) is releasing this one because of its controversial WWII content.
I’m skipping The Batman vs. Dracula since it’s supporting this piece-of-fluff/-crap show that replaced the superior Bruce Timm version. You just know the words “dude” and “kewl” are going to pop up several times during the film!
Fergully is one of the most overrated, politically-correct pieces of tripe that’s ever been animated. I guess some members of the animated community fandom can’t pay attention past the imagery to see what mind-numbing brainwashing exercise the film is. Seriously, it’s not very good at all.
As far as Elektra is concerned — if The Hulk and Daredevil weren’t enough proof that Marvel’s slide into cinematic mediocrity was officially on, then there shouldn’t be any doubt that THIS film confirmed that! Can we say add X3 to the count next year? Thank God for Sam Raimi and Spidey, though!
October 18th, 2005 at 3:45 pm
I picked up Batman at Best Buy this morning. Got the deluxe edition with the comic book. For buying Batman, I got two free 20oz bottled sodas from Best Buy. While I was there, I picked up the new 10th Anniversary Edition of Toy Story and the new release of Tarzan. Those two are for my son. Well, it’s nice to be able to put them on him, but I got them as much for me as for him.
I was really tempted to get the Burton-helmed Batman flicks, but the truth is they aren’t as good as I would like. They were very good at the time, but they are afflicted with the same campy melodrama that is attached to all his films. I enjoy his other films in spite of that, but some of it seems misplaced on Batman.
All in all, a great haul for the household this week. I can’t wait to watch all three DVDs!
October 18th, 2005 at 6:30 pm
Who really wants to pay money for an Unrated version of a lame-o movie AKA Elektra. I was excited about watching the movie when it came out real quick on DVD. And then….I saw it and realized why it went from big screen to small in such a small amount of time. I’d rather watch my fingernails grow than to see that movie again.
October 19th, 2005 at 5:36 am
What–? You guys thought Elektra was gonna be good after they cast Jen Garner in it?!?!?? LOL
Seriously, everything about that film WAS WRONG.
First, choosing a character that obscure to introduce to the mainstream public was the start of the problems with that film;
Second, going with Garner as the lead was some of the worst recent casting in memory because she just can’t ACT TOUGH ENOUGH to be convincing! You need an actress that CAN BE BITCHY, SEXY and MEAN at the same time to be Elektra… Garner just can’t do that — she looks like a little girl!
Thirdly, this film suffers from recent Marvel malaise. I mean Avi Arad is just selling all these character rights to collect as much money as he can in as short a period of time and a bunch of hacks are writing and directing these films! Seriously, we got lucky that Sam Raimi was tapped to do the Spider-Man films… Judging by the track record of the other Marvel films, Spider-Man IS/WAS the odd-man out as far as quality goes.
October 19th, 2005 at 4:33 pm
DEFINITELY get “Batman Begins” at Best Buy. The special edition slipcase kicks ass and the free drinks are tasty.
October 20th, 2005 at 10:09 pm
To GeorgeC.
I don’t really think it’s fair to throw venom at The Batman for “replacing” Batman TAS. Batman TAS went off the air in 1995 and the last episode of The New Batman Adventures aired in 1999. The last taste of Batman TAS we had was the mediocre DTV Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman in 2003 and I heard that didn’t really sell all that well. TAS was pretty well dead for all intents and purposes when The Batman started airing. That doesn’t mean I don’t think that The Batman should be criticized on its own merits. I’ve heard the first season ranged from mediocre to plain bad in its writing (and apparently there are a few contrivances that simply reek of TOY PLACEMENT). But I’ve also heard that it’s picked up considerably in the second season and all the reviews I’ve read of this DTV are so favorable that I’m tempted to watch it even though I’ve never seen an episode of the series.
Alright, argument over. What I’m planning on eventually picking up from this week.
Super Mario Bros Super Show: The Legend of Zelda the Complete Series
Yes it’s very bad. But I find it quite amusing in its cheese. I also like the game sound effects. I would be more happy, however, to have Captain N released. That, at least, had an imaginative premise.
Garfield and Friends PrimeTime Gift Set
He-man and the Masters of the Universe Season 1 Volume 1
Almost more for the interviews with guys like Straczynski and Dini than for the material itself. I don’t really remember the show all that well so I’m curious as to whether it will live up to my impressions (a badly animated show with little to no story) or surpass them. I bought the first Thundercats set and that show actually turned out to be a better show than I remembered (with some very nice designwork).
Batman Begins
Absolutely adored this movie in theater. I think I may go for the regular widescreen. The Deluxe Edition just doesn’t look to me to have a significant advantage over the regular edition.
I may rent Elektra unrated just to see if any of the train wreck was salvage by adding material (I thought the DD Director’s cut was a much better film.). May also rent a few of the other Batman releases. I’ve only seen the first one and I wasn’t too fond of it.
October 21st, 2005 at 1:55 pm
Yes, it’s definitely time to let go of the Dini/Timm BATMAN series. Yes, it’s pretty much the best and most faithful interpretation/addition to the mythos that’s ever been produced. We’ll never strike that gold twice. But, in the end, this is a children’s format that will be revamped every so many years to blatantly attempt to appeal to a new generation. The Dini/Timm collaboration will live on forever on DVD, and I’m grateful to own them. Today’s kids are stuck with an inferior product, but that’s life. Someday, they’ll understand.