Well, it’s not really the strongest week of new Blu-ray releases but given that it’s the end of summer and nobody wants to launch a film at the lowest sales-point of the year, I’m not terribly surprised. That said, we’re beginning to see boxed sets of last years TV seasons crop up in anticipation of their upcoming 2010 network debuts which will lead us into the veritable explosion of titles through September and October.

As always, we appreciate any purchases you make on Amazon through our links. Your clicks help keep The Blu-ray Blog alive! Happy Tuesday!

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1. THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON

I never in a million years thought I would put a show called The Vampire Diaries in the number one slot. Not being a Twilight fan (I’m more of a Bela Lugosi/Christopher Lee kind of vampire lover!) I kept my distance from the CW series this past year, avoiding what I perceived to be another network television dud. I couldn’t have been more wrong!

This is one hell of a show! I only got my review copy in a few days ago and have been trying to burn through the episodes as quickly as possible but sadly wasn’t able to make it to the end before having to talk about it. But let me tell you, I’m past the halfway point and I’m having a blast with the series! It starts off with a thud – another CW-tween clunker from the mind of Kevin Williamson, the creator of Dawson’s Creek. Those first few episodes are really clunkers, playing more like a rancid mixture of the worst parts of Gossip Girl and Twilight than quality horror/drama. Thankfully, the series takes a quick 180, and busts out an intriguing plot-line with enough gory twists and turns to satisfy even the most discriminating soap-operatic TV viewer. With it’s central human-girl and vampire-boy love story, coupled with more supernatural supporting characters and sub-plots than you can shake a stick at, the first season of The Vampire Diaries ends up playing more like a satisfying True Blood-lite than Twilight knock-off.

The image on the Blu-ray is pretty but also pretty inconsistent, with detail waxing and waning, colours running hot then cold and black crushing the crap out of everything. Not technically the picture of a reference release but very appropriate for the style of the series. As such, I’ve got to believe that the show was shot this way and not a product of a bad transfer. Audio is sadly only offered in a compressed Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix, WHV standard for TV releases.

Despite a weaker-than-expected A/V polish for the Blu-ray release of The Vampire Diaries, the special features on the discs really shine. Along with a pretty compelling collection of featurettes and a commentary track from the series creators, the discs feature a downloadable audiobook of the first novel in the L.J. Smith series that the TV show is based on. Check out the full list of extras below.

Special Features:

• Pilot commentary
• Into Mystic Falls: bringing vampire lore and the high school experience from page to screen
• When Vampires Don’t Suck!: the popularity of vampires and the fans who love them
• The Vampire Diaries: A New Breed of Vampires — Casting the Series
• The Vampire Diaries: Vampires 101 – The Rules of the Vampire
• Unaired scenes
• The Vampire Diaries: A Darker Truth webisodes
• Second Bite: gag reel
• Downloadable audiobook of the bestselling novel The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L.J. Smith

Amazon: $44.99

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2. THE EVIL DEAD

Completing the famous tongue-in-cheek horror trilogy in high-def, the original Evil Dead is now on Blu-ray and from what I’ve seen the transfer is out of this world! Sam Raimi fans shouldn’t hesitate to pick up this first-ever 1080p presentation of the film, as it appears to be the absolute best the film will ever look. Most of the extras are relegated to an unfortunate SD presentation, stuck on the bonus DVD in the package but the Blu-ray itself features a brand-spanking-new commentary track from the director and star Bruce Campbell. Highly recommended!

Amazon: $17.49

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3. RED RIDING

I’m pretty bummed out that IFC crammed all three films of the Red Riding trilogy onto one disc. Based on David Peace‘s books about serial murder and police corruption in Britain over a period of time between the 70s and 80s, these made-for-TV efforts are so well done that they actually saw a limited theatrical release here in North America! After such critical acclaim, I’m really surprised they weren’t afforded more pomp and circumstance in their Blu-ray release.

Amazon: $24.99

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4. SONS OF ANARCHY: SEASON TWO

I know very little about this show aside from the fact that it’s about guys on bikes. And that people love the crap out of it! Reviews have been fairly positive and seeing as how there isn’t a whole heck of a lot out on BD this week, I thought it was probably the most deserving of the number four slot this week. Am I wrong? Should I run out and grab this second season set when I’m through with my Vampire stories?

Amazon: $41.99

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5. HARRY BROWN

Michael Caine packing heat, out for revenge in Get Carter mode, cracking the skulls of those who have wronged him — That’s all you need to know about Harry Brown. I haven’t seen it yet, though I’ve heard that it doesn’t quite live up to it’s Gran-Torino-UK premise. But negative reviews aside, this is exactly the sort of film that I’m a sucker for.

Amazon: $21.49

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ANIME OF THE WEEK: Black Blood Brothers: The Complete Series

We must be inching closer to Halloween because all the vampire fliks are crawling out of the crypt! This weeks big anime release from our pals at FUNimation is the complete Black Blood Brothers series on Blu-ray and, while it’s a much different beast from its fanged high-def companion, it’s equally as entertaining.

The story is a deeply textured affair, following an ancient, powerful vampire named Jiro who is traveling with his young brother to the secret “Special Zone” where humans and vampires live together in peace. Caught up in the struggle to stop bloodthirsty creatures from the Kowloon Bloodline, Jiro uncovers a conspiracy to resurrect their dead king and infect both vampires and humans in the Zone.

The plotline sounds like adolescent trash but plays out to a fairly satisfying conclusion. Combined with a reasonable up-ressed transfer, booming Dolby TrueHD 2.0 English and Japanese audio and a lengthy collection of special features, this Blu-ray set is bound to be a hit with anyone who enjoys anime, battling vampires or battling anime vampires.

Special Features:

• Episodes 1 – 8 Commentary
• Episodes 9 – 12 Commentary
• Original TV Spots (1.33:1, 480i/60; 0:02.27)
• Original Commercials (1.78:1; 480i/60; 0:04.29)
• Sneak Peeks (1.33:1; 480i/60; 0:05.16)
• Textless Opening Song — Ashita no Kioku
• Textless Closing Song — Shinkirou
• Trailers:
  • Corpse Princess/Shikabane Hime
  • Dragon Ball Z Kai
  • Nabari no Ou
  • My Bride is a Mermaid
  • Full Metal Panic!

Amazon: $33.99

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ALSO AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY THIS WEEK
Clicking an image will take you to Amazon.com where you can learn more about and purchase the Blu-ray disc:

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At long last, Fox has officially unveiled the details of their epic The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray disc sets, due on store shelves this November! You’ll have your choice of a reasonably priced 3-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack or a gargantuan gift set, packed to the living-hills with commemorative stuff like a 100-Page “My Favorite Things” scrapbook and a copy of the films soundtrack.

From the press release:

Meticulously Restored and Re-mastered, The Sound Of Music 45th Anniversary Edition is presented with new 7.1 audio and offers BD-LIVE: Live Lookup Powered by IMDb; Your Favorite Things: An Interactive Celebration featuring a Sing-A-Long, behind-the-scenes images, trivia and a location quiz; A City of Song with a virtual map of filming locations and interactive tour of the movie’s locale of Salzburg, Austria; vintage programs including a hilarious send-up of The Sound of Music from Carol Burnett and Julie Andrews herself; an enchanting interview with the real Maria von Trapp on The Julie Andrews Hour; and, for the very first time in home entertainment format, a spectacular full-length documentary, Rodgers & Hammerstein: The Sound of American Music, hosted by Mary Martin; and much more.

We’re still waiting on the final package art to come in from Fox. In the meantime, here’s a look at some early UK Blu-ray packaging.

UPDATE: PACKAGE ART!!!

THE SOUND OF MUSIC: 45TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

(November 2, 2010 – Blu-ray/DVD combo pack MSRP $37.99, Limited Collector’s Set $99.99)
Video: 2:20:1 1080p
Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio

Special Features:

Limited Edition Collector’s Set

• 2-Disc Blu-ray with all extras as detailed below
• Standard Definition DVD
• 45th Anniversary Soundtrack
• 100-Page “My Favorite Things” scrapbook
• Snapshots from Salzburg
• Reproduction of the original 1965 Souvenir program
• Exclusive “My Favorite Things” Music Box with letter of authenticity

Blu-ray Details: Blu-ray Disc 1:

• Feature Film Remastered in 1080p Hi-Def with 7.1 DTS-HD Sound
• Your Favorite Things: An Interactive Celebration — All-New Immersive Viewing Experience with Behind-the-Scenes Images, On-Screen Lyrics, Trivia Track and Location Quiz
• Music Machine Sing-Along
• Audio Commentaries with Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer and Director Robert Wise
• BD-LIVE**: Live Lookup™ Powered by IMDb®

Blu-ray Disc 2:

• Musical Stages: Creating The Sound of Music — All-New Interactive “Backlot Tour” with In-Depth Featurettes on the Songs, the Stage Show & Movie, the Film and Sound Restoration and the Real-Life von Trapp Family
• A City of Song — Virtual Map of Filming Locations in Salzburg, Austria
• Vintage Rodgers & Hammerstein and The Sound of Music Programs
• Screen Tests, Rare Treasures, Interviews, Photo Galleries & More!

DVD Disc:

• Feature Film In Standard Definition
  • Newly Remastered Picture and Sound
  • Optional Sing-Along Track
• Music Machine Sing-Along
• The Sound of Music Tour – A Living Story

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STARGATE SG-U: 1.5 (2010, Blu-ray released July 27, 2010 – MSRP $39.99)

I’ve never been a huge fan of studios releasing a season one half at a time, but this time, it worked out nicely. Watching the first half of Stargate Universe on Blu-ray during the mid-season break turned out great for me. I was able to catch up and then continue along with the show as the new episodes aired (Yes, I still watch TV shows as they air). Even after watching the episodes on TV, I was super glad when the Stargate Universe 1.5 Blu-ray set was released. I am now a fan.

What can I say?–More of the same goodness. In the second half of this first season of SGU, we travel and explore a little more with the crew of the star-ship Destiny… Perhaps this is a good time for a “Previously on Stargate Universe” moment (Don’t worry, Disc 1 let’s you know where you left off). Our cast is made up of unfortunate military and civilian personnel, trapped on a mysterious ship traveling through space, millions of light-years from Earth. When the ships drops out of faster-than-light speed, the crew can visit planets and collect supplies and samples using the Stargate on board. They can also get into a air amount of trouble.

The first half of the season ends with a cliffhanger of sorts: The commanding officer, Col. Young (Justin Louis), strands his main rival, Dr. Rush (the ever-incredible Robert Carlyle), on a planet, after his attempt to frame the Colonel for murder. As you watch, the feeling of being on the ship is still present. The hand-held style of filming keeps you in the action, with a front seat view as the crew interact; either discussing the realities of their predicament, sneakily sharing secrets, and recounting stories unfolding back home, on Earth (thickening plots discovered with the use of the “communication stones”). There is plotting both among the crew and how best for them to deal with the new alien race obsessed with the ship.

Since the beginning of the season, the crew has started finding ways to deal with their situation. They have been forced to contend with the usual stuff, sources of food, replacement medical supplies, in addition to the unexpected, like wrestling back control of the ships navigation. Clearly, some of the crew are better at adapting to their situation than others. Some allegiances have proved surprising, and with new discoveries come new obstacles to overcome.

Picture and sound on the Blu-ray disc are impeccable…near perfect, once again. With every changing scene location, set décor and new extraterrestrial vista, you see that the transfer is crisp, that colors are convincing and the contrasts maintain mood beautifully with deep blacks and sharp detail. The lossless soundtrack keeps dialogue clear and skirmishes thrilling as all channels fully fire, creating an audible experience not felt with many films.

As a second-half of a complete season, SGU 1.5 has new material assembled as the same features: The in-character, personal KNO Diaries and the Destiny Star Map & Logs (SML) are expanded and, similar to the SGU 1.0 Blu-ray disc set, there is plenty of commentary where cast and crew participate. What is completely new this time is an interactive game called “Survival Instinct“, which, using actual footage from the show, tests your survival skills based on the decision you make in situations where there is a perceived threat. Another added bonus is the extra packaging provided to keep both SGU 1.0 and 1.5 together as a set. It’s a handy sleeve that will ensure that they are never far apart.

I, for one, am looking forward to start of Season 2 of Stargate Universe. It has had a strong start; standing out from the other Stargate shows in the franchise, while upholding the serious, story-oriented history behind them.

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This is some damn-hot news! I don’t have a lot of time on my hands to wax rhapsodic about it today, but I’ve got to let you know that Amazon has just listed Sofia Coppola‘s brilliant Lost in Translation for release on Blu-ray this December 7th!! I’m so stoked! That’s right – I just wrote the word “stoked.” That’s how out-of-my-mind this news makes me.

This is honestly on of my all time favourite films and while I don’t believe it’s going to be the picture of a perfect Blu-ray disc (not as crisp and detailed as we’d hope, due to the low-budget manner in which it was produced) I’m still excited to have a copy of it in high-def. No details or package art are available yet, outside of the MSRP of $26.98. Pre-order on Amazon now for only $18.99.

I have!

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LOST: THE COMPLETE SIXTH AND FINAL SEASON (2010, Blu-ray released August 24, 2010 – MSRP $79.99)

Count me among the legion of viewers and fans who were left empty by the Lost series finale. What a disappointment. It was a lackluster conclusion to an imperfect season of television. The same can’t be said for the Lost: The Complete Sixth and Final Season Blu-ray disc set. Aside from the show itself, there’s very little to take issue with here.

I think my frustration with the final season of Lost is due to the myriad of story opportunities the show passed by in favour of extolling a collection of ideas and themes that the producers felt a strong connection to. This wasn’t always the case. Over the initial five seasons the show was most concerned with the careful balance of character moments and plot movement. It came out of the gates firing on all cylinders six years ago but quickly ‘lost’ itself in an endless mess of dull subplots and seemingly random threads of story that lead nowhere. Into the fifth season of the show, which I reviewed on Blu-ray last year, it had clearly become a television series that had once again found its way, presenting some of the most well crafted stories I’ve seen on TV. Leading into the final season, this past year, Lost felt to me like it was finally going somewhere. Like we were on the precipice of experiencing the most well thought out and satisfying conclusion of any series in television history. Sadly, that wasn’t to be.

After watching this final collection of episodes again on Blu-ray, it seems like the season actually had very few plot points to hit before drawing to its grand conclusion. A lot of the screen time is actually eaten up either attempting to hastily tie up dangling plot threads from previous seasons or pushing the series toward its overwrought and only loosely relevant finale. Which brings me to the now infamous “flash-sideways” elements of the story.

Previous seasons have used flashbacks to reveal character and flash-forwards to escalate the plot. I was certain that the “flash-sideways” device, which presents the characters off of the island, living their lives in an alternate universe, would amount to something of a revelation in the plot. Instead, this device which easily takes up half of every episode, ultimately adds nothing to the show, aside from the heavy-handed punctuation of some major themes that would have been better addressed within the main story threads. Watching the season over again hammers home what a wasted exercise this was for the show. One that detracts from the finer points of the entire series, if you ask me.

But enough grousing. Lost is still a fantastic show. Still one of the best things ever to air on network television. Season 6 might not hold a candle to season 5 in my eyes, but it’s got a whole lot going for it – adventure and intrigue, incredible action and mystery, touching, even tear-jerking moments with your favourite characters and, most importantly, some answers to long-burning questions. After these episodes, you’ll finally know who Jacob is, what the island is all about and why Jack, Sawyer, Kate and their fellow passengers of the doomed Oceanic flight 815 are so important to keeping it secret and safe.

Along with being a cracking good series, Lost: The Complete Sixth and Final Season is also one of the best looking and sounding TV shows ever! This Blu-ray disc presentation is as close to perfection as it gets, providing crisp, detailed and clean HD transfers for all 16 episodes. Colour fidelity is pitch perfect and blacks are deep and deliciously inky. Along with an aggresive, robust and dynamic DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless track, you’ll feel satisfied making the discs in this boxed set your new demo material. Seriously, television has never looked or sounded this good!

Much like previous seasons of Lost on Blu-ray, this newest disc set offers up a stunning collection of bonus features, with a couple of caveats. Let’s get those out of the way first – there’s a whole other disc full of content not present here (you’ll have to pick up The Complete Series boxed set to get your hands on that bad boy) and you’ll have to struggle through Disney‘s “Season Play” feature on all the Blu-ray discs. What’s this “Season Play“, you ask? It’s supposed to be a feature that makes keeping track of your viewing progress an easier process. But for me, it simply involved too many clicks, too much setup to enjoy using. And, in fact, before you can even use it, you have to sit through a commercial touting the feature you’ve already chosen from the menu! I would have much preferred to have a “Play All” feature on each disc than to have to click into my “account”, then choose the disc (despite the fact that there’s only a single disc in my player) and then choose the episode I want to watch. Much too labourious a process to play a single episode.

But those are small quibbles with an otherwise incredible set of extras. Along with four of the best commentary tracks you’re ever bound to hear on disc, featuring members of the cast and the creators of the show revealing more behind the scenes info than you can shake a stick at, you’ll be treated to a veritable ton of featurettes, deleted scenes and bloopers. In addition, the hit of the season 5 Blu-ray set, “Lost University” returns with another BD-Live Master’s Program, accessed through your players’ network connection. But wait, there’s more! The feature all Lost fans have been waiting for has got to be “The New Man in Charge” – the 12-minute denouement to the series, exclusively presented in this season set and the in the Complete Series collection. It’s a lot of fun and answers more questions in its brief runtime than the first four seasons combined! Well worth the wait and well worth the $48 on Amazon!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Plus: A Lost Blu-ray & DVD exclusive – Go deeper into the world of LOST with a much-anticipated new chapter of the island’s story from Executive Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse… and starring some very familiar faces
• The End: Crafting A Final Season – Join the LOST team along with other producers of some of television’s longest running shows as they examine the challenges of ending a landmark series
• A Hero’s Journey – What makes a hero? Which survivors of Oceanic 815 are true heroes? These questions and more are explored
• See You In Another Life, Brotha – Unlock the mysteries of this season’s intriguing flash sideways
• Bloopers
• Deleted Scenes
• Audio Commentaries

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