It's been a while since we've posted a Blu-ray roundup, but this seems like the type of week that's worth a comeback.
The highlight of the week isn't one film, but an entire genre. It's horror, people! With Halloween creeping up fast, it's no surprise that this week is filled with heebie-jeebies. Ethan Hawke tries to survive through The Purge, American Horror Story heads into the Asylum, and there's a new installment of Chucky. Although it's not technically horror, we could even add After Earth to that list!
Don't feel like sleeping with the lights on for the next month? There are plenty of other high-profile releases, including the finale for The Hangover franchise, Joss Whedon's take on William Shakespeare, a Monty Python milestone, and a sci-fi-enhanced Raquel Welch.
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 October 8, 2013, except where noted. Enjoy!
American Horror Story: Asylum
It's time for another installment of FX's creepy series, American Horror Story. However, this season provides a peek inside a different house of horrors with a slightly different cast. Set in 1964, this season invites viewers to spend 13 episodes with the patients, doctors and nuns inside the Briarcliff Mental Institution. Jessica Lange returns and brings Zachary Quinto, James Cromwell and Sarah Paulson with her.
This 4-disc set includes all 13 episodes from this season, with a 1.78:1 image and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The set's biggest disappointment is its crop of extras. Across the three discs, there are just a small crop of deleted scenes and shorts that cover the sets, the special effects and the overall season. [Fox]
The Hangover Part III
Was this trip really necessary? Well, it was certainly hard to resist, given the first two films' $1 billion box-office haul. That said, the trilogy ends with a much darker, less funny outing for The Wolfpack. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis all return, Justin Bartha gets bumped again, and Ken Jeong is upgraded to a main character. Oh, and John Goodman gets added in as the bad guy.
It may not be a pretty ending for this bromance, but the 2.40:1 image is pretty gorgeous. Also, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track adds to the insanity as well. As far as the extras are concerned, don't expect a big tearful goodbye to this franchise. Instead, there are extended scenes and outtakes, two Galifianakis-centered featurettes, a short on Jeong, and two pieces on the action in the film. The 2-disc set also has the standard-def DVD, a Digital Copy, and the UltraViolet Digital Copy. [Warner Bros.]
After Earth
Will Smith and Jaden Smith made movie magic in The Pursuit of Happyness. However, the father/son acting duo's second outing was one of the biggest flops of the year. Feel free to blame director M. Night Shyamalan -- everyone else does. That said, this story of a father and son stuck on a futuristic Earth will have you looking for the first ticket off this planet.
Sony's 2-disc set includes a 2.40:1 image, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, a standard-def DVD, a Digital Copy and the UltraViolet Digital Copy. The studio appears to be sticking by the film, throwing in a ton of extras. That lineup includes a look at the film's location and creatures, something on the film's leads, and a "never-before-seen" version of the After Earth's opening sequence. [Sony]
Much Ado About Nothing
What happens when Avengers director Joss Whedon crosses paths with William Shakespeare? Seriously -- anyone? We're not sure, since this movie didn't really get a widespread release. However, we do know that his take on the tale of Beatrice and Benedick does have a modern twist. It also has a ton of Whedon regulars, including Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Reed Diamond, Nathan Fillion and Clark Gregg.
Like the film, this Blu-ray is getting a pretty low-key release, with a 1.78:1 image and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Otherwise, there's a 22-minute making-of featurette, a music video, 6 minutes with the cast, and a pair of audio commentaries -- both of which have Whedon sitting in. The single-disc release also comes packing an UltraViolet Digital Copy of the film. [Lionsgate]
Chucky: The Complete Collection / Curse of Chucky
Chucky just keeps coming back -- with a vengeance! That's sort of the whole plot behind the Chucky movies, isn't it? We're more interested in a movie that explains how the heck kids keep picking up this creepy-ass doll. Unfortunately, that won't be found here. There's plenty of Chucky though, including a new 6-disc collection and the killer doll's latest direct-to-video release.
There's no AV curse for Curse of Chucky. The 1.85:1 image is paired nicely with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Surprisingly, this low-budget release has a nice selection of extras, including an unrated version, a commentary track, a 16-minute making-of short, storyboard comparisons, deleted scenes, and a few other tidbits. And if you're the type of person that needs Chucky on the go, this 2-disc set comes with a standard-def DVD, a Digital Copy and an UltraViolet Digital Copy.
If one Chucky just won't do, there's a new Collection to be had. It features all six Child's Play movies, including the latest. However, Universal should be cursed for this one -- there are absolutely no new perks for buying the set! Instead, the studio is recycling each release and packing them up as a Halloween treat. [Universal]
The Purge
It's 2022 and both unemployment and crime are at an all-time low. Well, crime is low except for one day of the year. That day is The Purge and it's basically Thunderdome. Rape, looting and murder are all perfectly legal for a period of 12 hours. James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) seems like he's ready to keep his family safe, but a stranger throws a wrench (and other tools of destruction) into his plans.
The Purge has a dark 2.40:1 image, but it's pretty sharp overall. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is decent, but could be more immersive. Other Universal has given this surprise hit just one featurette, as well as a standard-def DVD, a Digital Copy and the UltraViolet Digital Copy. [Universal]
Fantastic Voyage
Back when this film was first released, a lot of viewers had Raquel Welch on the brain. The subject of this movie actually gets to have her in his brain. Well, sort of. The cult classic stars Welch, Stephen Boyd, William Redfield, Donald Pleasance and Arthur Kennedy as a surgical team that gets shrunk down and implanted inside a comatose scientist. Can the crew remove a blood clot before all of the sci-fi magic wears off?
Fox has given this film a single-disc release, with a 2.35:1 image, as well as DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio Mono tracks. As far as the extras, expect the option for an isolated score, trailers and tidbits, and a commentary with film historian Jeff Bond. There are also three different versions of the "Whirlpool Scene" and 18 minutes on the film's special effects. [Fox]
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life 30th Anniversary Edition
It may be wafer thin, but Monty Python's latest Blu-ray is absolutely worth the (low) purchase price. It's also a piece of comedy history, being the group's last film and all. It's also one that's most true to the troupe's TV antics, with viewers being treated to a series of hilarious (and sometimes nauseating) sketches that cover birth through death.
As we've seen in other Blu-ray releases, there's really only so much you can do with a Python movie. The 1.78:1 image is decent, but certainly not demo-worthy. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track, on the other hand, is slightly more enjoyable. For the film's 30th anniversary, Universal has picked up all of the DVD's extras, but there are two tidbits, including a roundtable with Eric Idle, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones. The single-disc also comes with the Digital Copy and an UltraViolet Digital Copy of the film. [Universal]
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