It's summer movie season. However, those theaters usually have long lines, high-ticket prices, and the lovely sounds of popcorn munching to drown out millions of dollars' worth of special effects. Why deal with all of that when you can have the ultimate sci-fi marathon at home?
This week's spotlight belongs to Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season Four, the latest Blu-ray release for the sci-fi franchise. As the series treks along, so does the storyline. There are some really good moments in this season, as well as some really good AV. CBS and Paramount have done wonders with this series, as evidenced by another stellar set.
In case you get really into the season, there's a single-disc Blu-ray that includes the Season Four cliffhanger and its conclusion. Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption puts both episodes on one disc. If you're not into the sci-fi classic, this week has all sorts of superheroes, including the Justice League, G.I. Joe, cowboys, and The Fog. Okay, that last one isn't really a superhero, but it is super-scary -- and so very worthy of a Blu-ray release.
Did we miss one of your favorites for the week? Have something to say about one of this week's new releases? Sound off in the comments below. Otherwise, all of these titles are out as of July 30, 2013, except where noted. Enjoy!
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season Four
If you have yet to boldly go where no man has ever gone before, well... this probably isn't going to be the best place to start. See, Season Three had this killer cliffhanger and you're only getting the second half here. That said, the fourth season is certainly a good one. Besides picking up where the last stellar season left off, this season certainly has a little bit of everything -- including some pretty hilarious moments. Even better, it delves into some of the characters, which isn't always easy with such a massive cast.
This six-disc set continues the Star Trek tradition, with an excellent 1.33:1 image and a wonderful DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. It's also important to note that every episode has its original promo and every disc has a little something extra to extend the journey.
As mentioned above, you don't need to wait to see what happens next. Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption is a separate, single-disc release with Season Four's cliffhanger and the Season Five continuation. [Paramount]
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
Channing Tatum returns for the high-octane sequel and brings a lot of starpower (and firepower!) with him. Does that make the movie watchable? Not according to our own Mark Grady. Still, it is an impressive lineup, which includes Bruce Willis, Dwayne Johnson (that's "The Rock" to you!), Jonathan Pryce, RZA, Ray Park, Ray Stevenson, and Adrianne Palicki.
This movie is really about the eye (and ear) candy, so you can expect a nice 2.40:1 image and a matching Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track. The 2-disc set is exploding with super-short featurettes, too. Look for blips on the fight scenes, director Jon M. Chu, locations, the cast and more. There's also an audio commentary with Chu and producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, as well as deleted scenes, a standard-def DVD, a Digital Copy and the UltraViolet Digital Copy. [Paramount]
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
Forget The Avengers for just a minute. We're all about the Justice League this week, because they're kicking ass the old-fashioned way -- in animation! The bulk of the release's 75 minutes mainly focuses on The Flash, who's not feeling himself lately and needs Batman's help to get back on track. Also, Wonder Woman and Aquaman are leading up opposing sides of a bitter war! C. Thomas Howell, Kevin Conroy, Nathan Fillion, Michael B. Jordan, Cary Elwes and Vanessa Marshall all lend voices to this all-star superhero flick.
The release has a colorful 1.78:1 image and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, plus a supersized collection of extras. That lineup includes an audio commentary, two shorts on The Flash, a digital comic excerpt, four DCU animated TV series episodes, and a "Sneak Peak at Justice League: War." The 2-disc set also includes a standard-def DVD, a Digital Copy and the UltraViolet Digital Copy. [Warner Bros.]
The Fog: Collector's Edition
Director John Carpenter followed up the 1978 horror classic Halloween with this creepy tale of The Fog. Yes, it's a fog, which doesn't sound all that scary when you say it out loud. However, on film, it's downright creepy. This isn't the 2005 remake. It's the original, which stars Tom Atkins, Adrienne Barbeau and Hal Holbrook, as well as Halloween's Jamie Lee Curtis and her real-life mom Janet Leigh. Can all of these famous faces escape The Fog? Um, what do you think?
The Fog rolls into Blu-ray with a 2.35:1 image, as well as options for DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 tracks. It also has a surprising amount of extras for a single-disc release, including a short with Curtis, a piece on the cinematography, two separate audio commentaries, outtakes, trailers, spots, storyboards, and several other shorts. [Shout! Factory]
Angel and the Badman
The John Wayne classic is finally getting a Blu-ray release. As you can imagine, Wayne is the "Badman" here. The angel is Gail Russell, who needs to tame this wild man -- if he expects to be accepted by her Quaker family, anyway.
Olive Films is giving this 1947 classic a single-disc release. Not too much is known about what's going to be packed on that disc. Viewers can expect a 1.37:1 aspect ratio. Otherwise, the audio track and extras are a complete mystery. [Olive Films]
Also New This Week:
