What's new on DVD and CD this week - 12/23/08

Considering that things were released on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday of last week, it's not surprising that there's almost nothing to speak of in new releases this week.

My pick on DVD this week:

• When They Cry: Vol. 6

Also available on DVD this week:

Savage Grace

WWE Edge - A Decade of Decadence

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Director’s Cut)

Pulse 3

En Tu Ausencia

Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman: Vols. 5-8

Berserk: Complete

Xenosaga: The Animation - Complete Box Set

Nighthead Genesis: Vol. 2

The Violent Kid

Available on CD this week:

“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Soundtrack”

What's new on DVD and CD this week - 12/16/08 thru 12/21/08

This week's release list is a little confusing, as there are DVDs being released today, Friday and Sunday.  But I think you'll be able to figure it out.

My picks for DVD:

• Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
• Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Volume 6
• The House Bunny (12/19/08)
• Burn After Reading (12/21/08)
• Death Race (12/21/08)
• Hamlet 2 (12/21/08)

Also released on DVD:

Traitor (12/19/08)

Mamma Mia!: The Movie

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Generation Kill

The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea

Naruto Uncut Box Set 11

The Little Mermaid Trilogy

Ice Road Truckers: Season 2

The Rape of Europa

Louis C.K.: Chewed Up

Mr. Bean: The Ultimate Collection

Gangland: Season 2

Claymore: The Point of No Return, Vol. 2

Mushi-shi: The Complete Series

Darklight

The Wedding Director

Crashing

My picks for CD:

• Fall Out Boy - "Folie a Deux"
• "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog - Soundtrack"

Also released on CD:

Plies - “Da Realist”

Pavement - “Brighten the Corners (Nicene Creedence Edition)”

The All-American Rejects - “When the World Comes Down”

Keyshia Cole - “A Different Me”

“Slumdog Millionaire - Soundtrack”

Dave Matthews Band - “DMB Live Trax Vol. 13”

Dave Matthews Band - “Live At Miles High Music Festival”

Saliva - “Cinco Diablo”

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Soundtrack”

Led Zeppelin - “The Complete Studio Recordings”

Lil Wayne - “Dedication, Vol. 3”

The Delfonics - “The Delfonics / Tell Me This Is A Dream”

Heavy D - “Vibes”

Killah Priest - “The Best of and A Prelude to the Offering”

Mott the Hoople - “The Hoople”

What's new on DVD and CD this week - 12/09/08

We've got some heavily anticipated releases coming out this week...

My picks for DVD:

• The Dark Knight
• Lost: Season 4
• The Wire: The Complete Series
• Deadwood: The Complete Series
• Flow (aka Flow: For Love of Water)
• Man on Wire

Also available on DVD this week:

Horton Hears a Who

Happy Days: Season 4

Peter and the Wolf

Dragon Ball GT: Season 1

Europa (Criterion Collection)

Resident Evil Trilogy

Code Geas Leouch of the Rebellion: Season 1, Parts 1-4

Irma Vep

Quemar Las Naves (Burn the Bridges)

Three Short Films By Werner Herzog

Swingtown: Season 1

Zentropa

Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman: 5-8

My picks for CD:

• Thrice - "Live at the House of Blues"
• Justice - "A Cross the Universe - Live" (CD/DVD)
• Carter Burwell - "Twilight: The Score"
• Common - "Universal Mind Control"
• "The Dark Knight - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2-disc special edition)
• Devil's Gift - "Devil's Gift"
• Stereophonics - "Decade in the Sun: The Best of the Stereophonics"

Also available on CD this week:

Maroon 5 - “Call and Response: The Remix Album”

Pavement - “Brighten the Corners: Nicene Creedence Edition”

Cat Power - “Dark End of the Street”

Alice Russell - “Pot of Gold”

Collective Soul - “Afterwords”

Welcome Wagon - “Welcome to the Welcome Wagon”

Ken Block - “Drift”

Loop - “Fade Out” and “Heaven’s End”

Jeffree Star - “Cupcakes Taste Like Violence”

EPMD - “We Mean Business”

The Damned - “So, Who’s Paranoid?”

Flipper - “Gone Fishin’” and “Sex Bomb Baby”

Theocracy - “Mirror of Souls”

City Boy - “The Day the Earth Caught Fire”

Distance - “Repercussions”

“Music from Degrassi: The Next Generation”

“Motown - The Complete No. 1s”

What's new on DVD and CD this week - 11/02/08

Here are this week's new DVD and CD releases for this week.

My picks for DVD:

• The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
• Wanted
• Step Brothers
• The X-Files: I Want to Believe
• The Longshots
• Metalocalypse: Season 2
• Bam Margera Presents: Where the #$&% is Santa?
• La Femme Nikita (Blu-ray)

Also released on DVD:

Frost/Nixon: The Original Watergate Interviews

Perry Mason: Season 3, Vol. 2

Saturday Night Live: Season 4

Law and Order: Season 6

Inuyasha: Season 6

The Day the Earth Stood Still (Special Edition)

White Dog (Criterion)

Mythbusters: Big Blasts Collection

Casablanca (Ultimate Collector’s Edition)

Wiegal

My Father My Lord

Shadow Company

Maria Watches Over Us: Season 2

Le Chevalier d’Eon: Complete Box Set

My picks for CD:

• Panic at the Disco - "Live In Chicago" (CD/DVD)

Also released on CD:

Britney Spears - “Circus”

Akon - “Freedom”

“Cadillac Records - Music From the Motion Picture”

Kylie Minogue - “X” (2008 Tour Edition)

“Halo Trilogy - The Complete Original Soundtracks”

Scarface - “Emeritus”

Bob Marley and the Wailers - “Deluxe Edition Box Set”

Darude - “Label This”

Burl Ives - “Favorites for Children”

What's new on DVD and CD this week - 11/25/08

There are a number of good releases this week, giving you all plenty of things to spend your money on when Black Friday hits.

And btw, I'll be posting my review of "Quantum of Solace," the newest James Bond movie, later today.  So be sure to look for that.

My picks for DVD:

• Chungking Express: Criterion Collection (note: this is one of my favorite movies, so if you haven't seen it yet I urge you to do so immediately)
• A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All
• Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series (special "Yearbook" edition)

Also available on DVD:

Hancock

24: Redemption

Fred Claus

Space Chimps

Meet Dave

Beautiful Ohio

A Man Named Pearl

Still Life

Bottle Rocket: Criterion Collection

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold: Criterion Collection

The Atomic Cafe

Madhouse

Shadow Company

Superman: Doomsday

Tales of Phantasia

Beverly Hills 90210: Season 6

George Carlin: It’s Bad For Ya

David Lynch: The Lime Green Set

Voltron Beast King Golion: Volume 3

Dark Than Black: Volume 1

Ah! My Goddess: Season 2

Karin: Volume 6 - Ceremony of Blood

My picks for CD (note: some of these were released earlier in the week):

• Guns N' Roses - "Chinese Democracy" (only available at Best Buy and iTunes)
• Kanye West - "808s and Heartbreak"
• Linkin Park - "Road to Revolution: Live at Milton Keynes"
• Coldplay - "Prospekt's March EP"
• Ludacris - "Theater of the Mind"
• The Killers - "Day and Age"
• Death Cab For Cutie - "Something About Airplanes" (deluxe edition)
• Katie Melua - "Katie Melua Collection" (w/ DVD) (import)

Also available on CD:

Fireman - “Electric Arguments”

David Byrne - “Everything That Happens Will Happen Today”

“Fable II - Original Soundtrack”

“Gears of War 2 - Original Soundtrack”

Scott Weiland - “Happy in Galoshes”

Supersuckers - “Get It Together!”

Sheryl Crow - “Home for Christmas”

Jimmy Page & Black Crows - “Live at the Greek”

Good Charlotte - “The Greatest Remixes”

ABK - “Mudface”

Port O’Brien - “All We Could Do Was Sing”

Hope for the Dying - “Hope for the Dying”

What's new on DVD and CD this week - 11/18/08

Today's a great day for DVD releases, but not so much for CDs.

My picks for DVD:

• WALL-E
• Tropic Thunder
• Garden Party
• The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
• Bones: Season 3
• Doctor Who: Season 4

Also released on DVD:

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2

Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas Special

Priceless

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

Doctor Who: The Infinite Quest

300: Limited Collector’s Edition

Night Gallery: Season 2

The Last Emperor

Charmed: The Complete Series

Star Trek: Original Series: Season 3

Monty Python’s Flying Circus: The Complete Series

Spongebob Squarepants: Season 5, Vol. 2

The Universe: Season 1

Death Note: Box Set 1

Monty Python Holy Trinity Collection (The Holy Grail, The Meaning of Life and The Life of Brian)

Encounters at the End of the World

Gene Simmons Family Jewels: Season 3

The Zombie Diaries

Bleach 13: The Rescue

Ghost Hunt: Season 1, Part 2

Mister Lonely

David Lynch: The Lime Green Set

Up the Yangtze

Wu: The Story of the Wu-Tang Clan

The Odd Couple: The Complete Series

Cannibal! The Musical: 13th Anniversary Edition

Black Belt

My picks for CD:

• Dido - "Safe Trip Home"

Also released on CD:

Beyonce - “I Am... Sasha Fierce”

Nickelback - “Dark Horse”

The Priests - “The Priests”

David Cook - “David Cook”

Mudvayne - “The New Game”

Belle & Sebastian - “The BBC Sessions”

The Who - “The Who At Kilburn: 1977”

Lucinda Williams - “Little Honey”

What's new on DVD and CD this week - 11/11/08

Here's what's new on DVD and CD.

My picks for DVD:

• Hellboy II: The Golden Army
• The General (1926)
• Sukiyaki Western Django
• Mister Foe
• The Sopranos: The Complete Series
• Shogun Assassins: 5-Film Collector's Edition
• When They Cry: Vol. 5 (anime)

Also released on DVD:

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

This Christmas

JFK: Ultimate Collector’s Edition

Love Songs

Scrubs: Season 7

Dragon Ball Z: Season 7

Seventh Heaven: Season 7

Night Gallery: Season 2

The Roundhouse Tapes: Opeth Live

Smashing Pumpkins: It All Goes Wrong

Clutch: Full Fathom Five: Video Field Recordings 2007-2008

Pink Floyd: Meddle

The Boys in the Band

Katt Williams: It’s Pimpin’ Pimpin’

Walt Disney Treasures: Dr. Syn: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh

Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald, Vol. 4 - 1951-1961

Walt Disney Treasures: The Mickey Mouse Club Presents Annette - 1957-1958 Season

The Cosby Show: 25th Anniversary Commemorative Edition

The Lone Ranger: Seasons 1 & 2

Little House on the Prairie The Complete Television Series

Planet B-Boy

I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Series

Mind of Mencia: Season 4

Live from Abbey Road: The Best of Season 1

Studio One Anthology

My picks for CD:

• The Postmarks - "By-The-Numbers" (seriously, this is really good)
• The Smiths - "The Sound of the Smiths: The Very Best of the Smiths"
• Taylor Swift - "Fearless"
• Dir en Grey - "Uroboros" (Japanese Goth rock!!!)
• Jedi Mind Tricks - "A History of Violence"
• Clutch - "Full Fathom Five: Video Field Recordings 2007-2008
• Various Artists - "Zack and Miri Make A Porno (Music From the Motion Picture)"

Also released on CD:

“Indiana Jones - The Soundtracks Collection”

T-Pain - “Thr33 Ringz”

Various Artists - “Yes We Can: Voices of a Grassroots Movement”

The Flaming Lips - “Christmas on Mars” (CD/DVD)

Butch Walker - “Sycamore Meadows”

New Order - “Power, Corruption & Lies,” “Movement,” “Technique,” “Brotherhood” and “Low-Life” (2-disc collector’s editions)

Live - “Live at the Paradiso Amsterdam”

Six Feet Under - “Death Rituals”

The Answer - “Never Too Late” (EP/DVD)

The Bronx - “The Bronx III”

The Nerves - “One Way Ticket”

Science Faxtion - “Living on Another Frequency”

Satyricon - “The Age of Nero”

Behemoth - “Ezkaton”

Shpongle - “Are You Shpongled?” and “Nothing Lasts... But Nothing is Lost”

What's new on DVD and CD this week - 11/4/08

Hey everybody; I hope you all cast your vote today.  Anyway, here are today's new releases:

My picks on DVD:

• Transsiberian
• Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
• The Bourne Trilogy
• Get Smart
  

Also released on DVD:

Kung Fu Panda (available 11/9)

Shrek the Halls

Star Wars Trilogy

Star Wars Prequel Trilogy

When Did You Last See Your Father?

JAG: Season 7

A Woman Under the Influence

What We Do Is Secret

Flashbacks of a Fool

Fraulein

Almost Famous: Extended Edition

Waterworld: Extended Edition

Futurama: Bender’s Game

Vexille

Batman: The Complete Animated Series

Spin City: Season 1

Reaper: Season 1

National Geographic: Extreme

A Christmas Story: Gift Edition

Project Runway: Season 4

The Familiar of Zero: Box Set

Lucky Star: Vol. 4

Popeye the Sailor: 1941-1943 Vol. 3

Get Smart: The Complete Series

Home Movies: 10th Anniversary Set

Little House on the Prairie: The Complete Series

Primeval: Complete Series 1 & 2

Chowder: Vol. 1

Fraggle Rock: Complete Series Collection

Planet of the Apes: 40th Anniversary Collection

Rihanna: Good Girl Gone Bad Live

Blue Man Group: How to Be a Megastar Live!

My picks on CD:

• "Twilight - The Movie Soundtrack"
• Shiny Toy Guns - "Season of Poison"

Also released on CD:

Dido - “Safe Trip Home”

The Smiths - “Hang the DJ: The Very Best of the Smiths”

Switchfoot - “The Best Yet (Greatest Hits)”

Led Zepplin - “Definitive Collection Mini LP Replica CD Box Set”

Jeff Dunham - “Don’t Come Home for Christmas”

Hinder - “Take It to the Limit”

OhGr - “Devils In My Details”

Lou Reed - “Berlin: Live at St. Ann’s Warehouse”

Travis - “Ode to J. Smith”

Q-Tip - “The Renaissance”

Deadmau5 - “Random Album Title”

The Last Shadow Puppets - “My Mistakes Were Made for You”

Girlschool - “Legacy”

Little Joy - “Little Joy”

Royce Da 5’9” - “Tha Album”

Doro - “Celibrate: Night of the Warlock”

Honey Honey - “First Rodeo”

What's new on DVD and CD this week - 10/28/08

My picks for DVD:

• Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series (special "Yearbook" edition)
• Mystery Science Theater 3000: 20th Anniversary Edition
• The L Word: Season 5
• The Polar Express: 3D
• Jesus Christ: Vampire Hunter (on Blu-ray)

Also released on DVD:

Tinker Bell

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl

Baraka

Christmas on Mars: Fantastical Film Freakout Featuring the Flaming Lips

The Little Rascals: The Complete Collection

Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead

Dead Space: Downfall

The Flintstones: The Complete Series

Hell Ride

Zombie Strippers

Death Defying Acts

Death Note: Volume 7

National Lampoon’s Animal House: 30th Anniversary Edition

The 4400: The Complete Series

Newsradio: The Complete Series

Body of War - The True Story of an Anti-War Hero

Witchblade Box Set

Carlos Mencia: Performance Enhanced

Red

7 Virgins

Billy the Kid

My picks for CD:

• Pink - "Funhouse"
• The Cure - "4:13 Dream"
• Cradle of Filth - "Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder"
• Snow Patrol - "A Hundred Million Suns"
• School of Seven Bells - "Alpinisms"
• Rodrigo y Gabriela - "Live in Japan"
• Katie Melua - "The Katie Melua Collection" (import)

Also released on CD:

John Legend - “Evolver”

Hunter S. Thompson - “The Gonzo Tapes”

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - “Cardinology”

Kaiser Chiefs - “Off With Their Heads”

Bloc Party - “Intimacy”

Cynic - “Traced In Air”

Queen & Paul Rodgers - “The Cosmos Rocks”

Straight No Chaser - “Holiday Spirits”

Eagles of Death Metal - “Heart On”

Lady Gaga - “The Fame”

Exodus - “Let There Be Blood”

Bloodbath - “The Fathomless Mastery”

Deerhunter - “Microcastle”

Lordi - “Deadache”

The Rasmus - “Black Roses”

Enslaved - “Vertebrae”

Kottonmouth Kings - “The Green Album”

Mushroomhead - “Volume 2”

Darkthrone - “Dark Thrones & Black Flags”

Beneath the Massacre - “Dystopia”

The 88 - “Not Only... But Also”

What's on DVD and CD this week - 10/21/08

Here are today's new DVD and CD releases.

My picks for DVD:

• The Strangers - Looking for a really scary movie to watch this Halloween?  Well, this movie might be what you're looking for.  A couple spends a night at a cabin in the woods, where they are terrorized by three masked teens.  Harkens back to the old-school horror classics like "Halloween" and "Black Christmas."
• Sold Out: A Threevening With Kevin Smith - This is the third "Evening With Kevin Smith" DVD, in which the well-known director of movies like "Clerks," "Dogma," and the upcoming "Zach and Miri Make a Porno" goes out to various colleges and public forums and talks to the fans.  These DVDs are hilarious; Kevin Smith ranks with the best stand-up comedians in terms of humor and storytelling.
• The Incredible Hulk - Okay, I wasn't the biggest fan of this movie (sorry, but I just don't think the Hulk makes a very good hero... he's much better as a villain), but it definitely has some pretty great moments.  Edward Norton is always great whenever he's onscreen.  Plus, if you're already a big Hulk fan then you'll probably dig the film a lot more than me.  No "Iron Man" or "Dark Knight," but still worth seeing.
• L.A. Ink: Season 1, Part 2 - Why am I recommending this?  Come on, you know why... it's because Kat Von D is super-hot; that's why.

Other releases on DVD:

Casino Royale (3-Disc Edition)

Casino Royale (the original Woody Allen version; it’s a spoof of Bond movies; kind of like Austin Powers)

Kiss of the Spider Woman

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

Looney Tunes: Golden Collection 6

Family Guy: Volume 6

Eclipse Series Kenji Mizoguchi’s Fallen Women (Osaka Elegy/Sisters of the Gion/Women of the Night/Street of Shame)

The Lazarus Project

Missing

Flight of the Red Balloon

The Stone Angel

South of Nowhere: Season 1

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season 2, Part 2

Knight Rider: The Complete Series

My Picks on CD:

• Skillet - "Comatose Comes Alive" (CD/DVD) - These guys and girls rank alongside Anberlin as the best "Christian" rock band currently out there.  This is a live album, and it's chock full of some of their best songs.  If you've never heard of them, pick up their most recent album "Comatose" and be blown away, and then go pick this album up and get blown again.
• Gang Gang Dance - "Saint Dymphna" - I heard a cut from this album on a Pop Candy podcast and thought it sounded intriguing, so I checked out more stuff from this album and I'm impressed.  It's very different; kind of a techno/alternative/dance/world music mix.  But it's also a lot of fun.  Definitely check this album out for yourself, but I think a lot you will really like it.

Other releases on CD:

Escape the Fate - The War is Ours

Disciple - Southern Hospitality

The Dears - Missiles

The Sea and Cake - Car Alarm

Electric Six - Flashy

Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping

OhGr - Devils in My Details

Lou Reed - Berlin: Live at St. Ann’s Warehouse

Hank Williams III - Damn Right, Rebel Proud

What's new on DVD and CD this week - 10/14/08

Here are this week's new releases.

My picks for DVD:

• Mongol
• War, Inc.
• 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
• Alfred Hitchcock Premiere Collection (Lifeboat/Spellbound/Notorious/The Paradine Case/Sabotage/Young and Innocent/Rebecca/The Lodger)
• Ghost House Underground Collection (Dance of the Dead/No Man's Land: Rise of Reeker/The Substitute/Dark Floors/Trackman/Room 205/Last House in the Woods/Brotherhood of Blood)

Also released on DVD:

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Chaplin

Still Life

The Edge of Heaven

Stuck

CSI - Season 8

The Partridge Family - Season 3

Standard Operating Procedure

Long Way Down

Icons of Horror - Hammer Films

The Universe - Season 2

Naruto Uncut Box Set - Volume 10

The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A Veggie Tales Movie

My picks on CD:

• Dimmu Borgir - "Invaluable Darkness" (note: turns out this is actually just a music DVD; sorry about that)
• Static X - "Cannibal Killers Live" (DVD/CD set)
• Sonic Syndicate - "Love and other Disasters"

Also released on CD:

Monica Naranjo - Tarantula

Lucinda Williams - Little Honey

Nikka Costa - Pebble to a Pearl

Kate Ryan - Free

Keane - Perfect Symmetry

Ingrid Michaelson - Be OK

The Music - Strength in Numbers

Gojira - The Way of All Flesh

The Foreign Exchange - Leave It All Behind

Unearth - The March

Copeland - You Are My Sunshine

Nox Arcana - Phantoms of the High Seas

Secret Machines - Secret Machines

The Haunted - Versus

Sixpence None the Richer - The Dawn of Grace

Torchwood - The Soundtrack

Various Artists - We Wish You a Metal X-Mas, and a Headbanging New Year

What's new on DVD and CD this week - 10/7/08

Here are the new releases on DVD and CD this week.

My picks for DVD:

"The Visitor" - Richard Jenkins ("Six Feet Under," "Burn After Reading") stars in this film about a recently widowed college professor who discovers a couple of illegal aliens living in his New York apartment.  This film was a sleeper hit earlier this year, and there has been talk of an Oscar nomination for Jenkins.  Worth seeing.

"Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty" - It's another classic Walt Disney movie finally being released on DVD.  And you better buy it now, because eventually Disney will throw it back into the "vault."

"30 Rock: Season 2" - Admit it, you've loved watching Tina Fey portraying Sarah Palin on "Saturday Night Live" recently.  Now it's time to see just how funny she is when starring in this beloved yet ratings-challenged series.  The new season starts October 30th, so now is a great time to get caught up?

"Robot Chicken: Season 3" - This strange, weird and brilliant series from Seth Green ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Family Guy") is some of the funniest stuff you'll see on TV now.  Check this out and then, if you haven't already, check out their awesome "Star Wars" spoof.

Also available on DVD:

The Simpsons: Season 11

The Happening

You Don’t Mess With the Zohan

How I Met Your Mother: Season 3

Doctor Who: Trial of a Time Lord

Doctor Who: Brain of Morbius

The Munsters: The Complete Series

My picks for CD:

Rise Against: "Appeal to Reason" - If I were to compile a list of my favorite musicians, this Chicago-based punk band would easily make the top ten.  They do punchy, energetic, melodic punk with a message better than anybody else.  This may be their best album yet, so you owe it to yourself to pick it up.

The Streets: "Everything is Borrowed" - The Streets is a white, British rapper named Mike Skinner, but in saying that I've told you nothing about his music.  This is because British hip-hop is different from American; it's actually more of a melting pot of rap, punk, techno, R&B, and most other musical genres.  Skinner's rhymes detail hard-living working class daily life and everything goes along with it.  This is music worth checking out whether you consider yourself a hip-hop fan or not.

Also available on CD:

Various Artists - Nightmare Revisited (another collection of bands covering songs from "The Nightmare Before Christmas")

Sarah McLachlan - Closer: The Best of Sarah McLachlan

Bob Dylan - The Bootleg Series Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs: Rare & Unreleased 1989-2006

Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul

The Pretenders - Break Up the Concrete

Rachael Yamagata - Elephants

The Clash - Live at Shea Stadium

What's new on DVD and CD - 9/30/08

Here are this week's DVD and CD releases.

My picks for DVD:

• Iron Man - The biggest (and most pleasant) surprise of the summer.  No one really expected this film to be as good or as successful as it was.  The credit goes to director John Favreau and star Robert Downey Jr. for making a film that is truly a big, fun and NOT dumb action flick.
  
• Forgetting Sarah Marshall - This Judd Apatow-produced film is the funniest I've seen all year.  Jason Segel, who both wrote the film and stars in it, creates a character that you can both laugh at and sympathize with.  Add a terrific supporting cast (Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell) and a beautiful Hawaiian setting, and you've got a truly excellent romantic comedy anyone can enjoy... provided you can handle a WHOLE lotta Segel.

Also new to DVD:

Taxi to the Dark Side

Bigger, Stronger, Faster

An Autumn Afternoon

Pulse 2: Afterlife

Possession

Chapter 27

Kenny

Aria - The Animation: Season 1

My Name Is Earl: Season 3

Numb3rs: Season 4

Deadliest Catch: Season 4

Sports Night: 10th Anniversary Collection

Beauty and the Beast: The Complete Series

Popeye the Sailor: 1941-1943, Vol. 3

Voltron: Volume 6

When We Left Earth - The NASA Missions

Lewis Black’s Root of All Evil

A Haunting In Connecticut

A Haunting In Georgia

My picks for CD:

Jack's Mannequin: "The Glass Passenger" - The very long-awaited follow-up to JM's first album, "Everything in Transit," JM mastermind Andrew McMahon has crafted an album filled with beautiful indie-pop-rock songs sure to please both old and new fans alike.  While much of the album deals with McMahon's very public battle with leukemia, the prevalent attitude is one of hope and faith; this an upbeat album about very dark things.

Also new on CD:

Ben Folds - “Way to Normal”

Jennifer Hudson - “Jennifer Hudson”

T.I. - “Paper Trail”

Bleeding Through - “Declaration”

What's new on DVD and CD this week: 9/23/08

Here are this week's DVD and CD releases for this week... along with my personal picks.

My DVD picks:

• "L.A. Confidential" - This modern-day classic hasn't been available on DVD for a while, so now is a great chance for all of you who've never seen it.  Kevin Spacey, Guy Pierce, Kim Basinger (who won an Oscar for this film) and a pre-"Gladiator" Russell Crowe star in a sordid tale of sex, scandal, betrayal and corruption in old-school Hollywood.
• "The Mother of Tears" - The newest film by Italian horror legend Dario Argento ("Suspiria") stars his daughter Asia ("XXX" - the film with Vin Diesel, not a skin flick) as a young archeologist who finds an ancient urn that, as it turns out, houses the spirit of an evil witch.  When they accidentally let it out, lots of really bad stuff starts happening.  This is the last film in Argento's loose Three Mothers trilogy involving witches (the others are "Suspiria" and "Inferno"), and as the rest of his films go, it's chock full of shockingly extreme violence (and probably a fair amount of sex/nudity as well; just a warning).  Not for the faint of heart, but fans of extreme horror should enjoy it.
• "Run, Fat Boy, Run" - A loser who left his pregnant wife at the altar years ago tries to win her love back by competing in a city-wide marathon.  I'm not honestly not sure how good this film is, but I'm still recommending it because it stars Simon Pegg ("Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz"), and he'll be funny no matter how good or bad the rest of the film is.  Also, this film was directed by former "Friends" star David Schwimmer.

also released on DVD this week:

The Foot Fist Way

Sex and the City: The Movie

Leatherheads

The Godfather - The Copolla Restoration Gift Set

Pathology

Beaufort

Deception

The Singing Detective

Far North

Oppenheimer: The Father of the Atom Bomb

Aki Kaurismaki’s Proletariat Trilogy (Shadows In Paradise/Ariel/The Match Factory Girl)

Samantha Who? - Season One

Friday the 13th, The Series - Season One

This American Life - Season One

Yu Yu Hakusho - Season Two

Hellsing Ultimate - Volume Four

CSI: NY - The Fourth Season

Bleach - Volume 12: The Rescue

Schoolhouse Rock - The Election Collection

Peanuts Holiday Collection

Beijing 2008 Olympics - The Complete Opening Ceremony

Beijing 2008 Olympics - Michael Phelps: Inside Story of the Beijing Games

My CD/music picks:

• The Action Design: "Never Say"  - I love this band because one half of it (including frontwoman Emily Whitehearst/"Agent M") were originally part of Tsunami Bomb, one of my favorite punk bands.  TAD take TB's melody-heavy punk and mix it with new wave/techno elements to create a new, very enjoyable sound.  Great music for hanging out with friends and/or crazy dance parties.
• Jenny Lewis: "Acid Tongue" - The second solo album from the Rilo Kiley frontwoman isn't much different from her first album, "Rabbit Fur Coat."  Lewis' music is a mix of rock, blues and alt-country that provides a relaxing experience, while her lyrics explore everything from love, bad relationships and spirituality.  A great album to kick back and relax with.
• The Pussycat Dolls: "Doll Domination" - Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails once compared pop music to birthday cake, saying "everyone likes birthday cake.  But you can't only eat birthday cake; otherwise you'll get a stomach ache."  If that's true, then this is my helping of birthday cake this week.  I like the Pussycat Dolls because they're so goofy and over the top that it's impossible to take them seriously (and I'm fairly confident that's their intention).  On their sophomore album, the Dolls team up with the right producers to give them plenty of pumped up dance tracks (and a few decent slower songs).  And if you pick up the deluxe edition, you'll get five extra tracks, each one featuring lead vocals by a different member of the group (this is the first time all the girls are singing on the record; PCD lead Nicole Scherzinger sang everything on the first album).  The perfect record for people who like birthday cake and don't take themselves too seriously.

also released on CD this week:

David Gilmour - Live in Gdansk

Fannypack - Ghetto Bootleg

Everlast - Love, War, and the Ghost of Whitey Ford

Thievery Corporation - Radio Retaliation

TV on the Radio - Dear Science

Demi Lovato - Don’t Forget

Within Temptation (w/ the Metropolis Orchestra) - Black Symphony: Live

All In - Team U.S.A.

Mammifer - Hirror Enniffer

Brightblack Morning Light - Motion to Rejoin

Koufax - Strugglers

Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling

Sing It Loud - Come Around

Astronautalis - Pomegranite

Blitzen Trapper - Furr

Cold War Kids - Loyalty to Loyalty

The Gay Blades - Ghosts

High Places - High Places

Johnny Foreigner - Waited Up ‘Til It Was Light

Lenka - Lenka

Pink Spiders - Sweat It Out

Plain White T’s - Big Bad World

Ten Kens - Ten Kens

Movies on DVD: "Rogue" and "The Wizard of Gore (2008)"

Today's post is a review of two horror films recently released on DVD.

"Rogue" is based on the true story of a tour group in the Australian Outback that found themselves trapped and attacked by a large and extremely pissed-off crocodile.  I'm not usually big on these kind of man-vs-animal films, but this one is the best of its kind since "Jaws."  Much of the credit goes to writer-director Greg McLean, who wisely follows the "Jaws" model and keeps the killer croc offscreen for most of the first half of the film.  He uses this time to develop each of the characters on the boat, allowing them to both gain our sympathy and act like real people rather than stock characters when the action finally kicks in.  There are no good and bad guys in this film, just a bunch of scared yet smart people who try to help each other survive.  The acting is top-notch, especially from leads Michael Vartan ("Alias") and Radha Mitchell ("Silent Hill").  The special effects are surprisingly good as well.  Despite a final showdown between man and beast near the end that is beyond plausibility, most of the events in the film are portrayed realistically enough for us to go along with them.  "Rogue" provides the same suspense and beautiful Australian scenery as McLean's last picture, the slasher film "Wolf Creek," but without that movie's overly sadistic violence.  The result is a surprisingly excellent film from a genre usually known for producing crap-tastic movies.  Ignore the terrible DVD artwork, which makes it look like one of those terrible Z-grade Sci-Fi Channel movies; "Rogue" is seriously worth checking out.  I give it a 4 out of 5.

"The Wizard of Gore" is a remake of the 1970 blood-and-guts-filled cult classic.  If the title sounds familiar to you, it was mentioned in last year's hit "Juno" (Jason Bateman and Ellen Page even watch a scene from it).  This new version revolves around Montag the Magnificent, a magician who intrigues audiences by seemingly performing bloody disgusting acts of dismemberment on willing participants (played in this film by members of the punk-rock burlesque troupe the Suicide Girls, which of course means that they strip naked before being sliced/burned/etc).  Afterwards, however, the participant reappears, alive and in one piece.  But there's a problem: the following day, that same person is found dead, with wounds identical to what Montag inflicted on them.  So what's going on?  That's what Edmund, the protagonist, wants to know.  As he drags his girlfriend Maggie along to each of Montag's performances, he becomes increasingly obsessed with finding out how Montag performs his tricks.  It doesn't help that Edmund starts having nightmares in which he sees himself killing the victims.  Interesting set-up, right?  Well, unfortunately the film is far from perfect.  For one thing, despite its name and lineage, "The Wizard of Gore" isn't really all that gory.  Oh, there's blood and guts all right, but most audiences will probably be expecting a lot more than what the movie provides.  Another problem is that the story starts getting really confusing as it goes on.  With the many plot twist and turns, by the end of the film I wasn't really sure what exactly what happened (or, more importantly, why things turned out the way it did).  However, the biggest problem is that the new plot twists don't really make much sense.  In the original film, the trick was that the magician made the audience think they were seeing a blood-free illusion when in reality he was gruesomely killing the victims.  In this version it's the other way around: Montage makes the audience think they're seeing the victims murdered when he's actually not doing anything to them.  So then why are the victims murdered afterwards?  It would seem like it's unnecessary and only attracts a lot of unwanted attention.  The movie doesn't have a real clear reason for that (and I haven't spoiled the end the film, by the way).  Yet despite the problems, the film gradually won me over.  I liked the dreamlike, David Lynch-vibe of it.  Crispin Glover ("Back to the Future" trilogy) gives a crazy-good performance as Montag.  And, depending on your personal tastes, the abundant nudity of the Suicide Girls will be either a good reason to see this movie or another reason to avoid it.  "The Wizard of Gore" definitely isn't for everyone, but fans of this kind of film should enjoy it.  It gets a 3 out of 5.

What's new on DVD and CD this week: 9/16/08

Here are this week's DVD and CD releases.  And I've brought back my personal picks; aka what I think you should absolutely check out.

My picks for DVD:

• "Torchwood: The Complete Second Season" - I've already explained how much I enjoy this Doctor Who-spinoff; now you can find out too!  Season one was excellent, and from what I've heard the second season is even better.
• "Snow Angels" - This film centers on tragedy in a small town and how seemingly little things can grow to become life-changing events.  I really wanted to see this movie when it came out in April, and now that it's on DVD you should check it out as well.
• "Dirty Sexy Money: Season One" and "Pushing Daisies: The Complete First Season" - If you haven't seen either of these television series, well, you're not alone.  Both DSM and PD were cut really short by the writer's strike and, as such, didn't get a chance to really find an audience.  But now that they are both coming back with brand-new seasons in October, now is the perfect time to catch up on them.  Trust me, both of these series are worth checking out.

What else is new on DVD:

Blood Simple

The Rape of Europa

Another Cinderella Story

Beetlejuice (Special Edition)

Deception 

Made of Honor 

Speed Racer 

Young@Heart 

88 Minutes

Sixteen Candles (Special Edition)

Death Note 

Gigi (Special Edition)

An American in Paris (Special Edition)

The Love Guru 

Will & Grace: Season Eight & The Complete Series

Avatar the Last Airbender: The Complete Book Three Collection

Chuck: The Complete First Season

Private Practice: The Complete First Season

South of Nowhere: Seasons One and Two (separate releases)

Duckman: Seasons One and Two (together)

My picks for CD:

• Amanda Palmer: "Who Killed Amanda Palmer?" - The debut solo album by one-half of punk/cabaret act the Dresden Dolls.  Palmer brings the same passion and craft as she does to DD, but she also experiments with different styles and instruments to come up with a sound all her own.  I've gotten to listen to most of this album already, and it's amazing.  Whether you're a Dresden Dolls fan or have never heard of Amanda Palmer before, you owe it to yourself to pick this up.
• Taproot: "Our Long Road Home" - I've been following this band for years, and I love them for two reasons: 1) they do an excellent job of mixing hard-driving-rock with some downright beautiful musical compositions, and 2) because these boys hail from nearby (to me) Ann Arbor, MI.  In fact, on Thursday they'll be performing and signing autographs at Borders in Ann Arbor. 
  

What else is new on CD:

Metallica: Death Magnetic (released 9/12)

Nelly: Brass Knuckles

Jem: Down to Earth

Amanda Palmer: Who Killed Amanda Palmer?

Ne-Yo: Year of the Gentleman

Buckcherry: Black Butterfly

Darius Rucker: Learn to Live

James: Hey Ma

All That Remains: Overcome

Breathe Carolina: It’s Classy, Not Classic

Burst: Lazarus Bird

Dead Confederate: Wrecking Ball

Jonezetta: Cruel to be Young

Light Yourself on Fire: Intimacy

Portugal, The Man: Censored Colors

Punchline: Just Say Yes

This or the Apocalypse: Monuments

Talkdemonic: Eyes at Half Mast