Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of November 16

What a week! If not for the lack of 3D version of Avatar, I think we could officially claim this as the most massive outing for the new three-dimensional format do date. Even still, with eight films new on 3D Blu, James Cameron‘s Pandoran epic, with its multiple cuts, bevy of extras and near perfect presentation, still reigns supreme.

1. AVATAR EXTENDED COLLECTOR’S EDITION

Nothing beats the heavyweight champ. The biggest film of the year or possibly even of all time. James Cameron’s Avatar makes its triumphant return to Blu-ray this week in a 3-disc set that’s bound to find its way under damn near every Blu-ray fan’s Christmas tree this year.

Not only is this Extended Collector’s Edition packed to the gills with the deleted scenes and extras you’ve been waiting the year to see but it also features three cuts of the award winning film, all demo-disc worthy. With the technical quality of the video and audio presentation off the charts (and surprisingly equal to the stand alone disc available earlier this year) this Blu-ray set has claimed the crown of high-def title to beat! Bring on the challengers!!

Special Features:

Disc One

Original Theatrical Version
Special Edition Re-Release
Collector’s Extended Cut
- 16 more minutes and exclusive alternate opening)

Family Audio Track (All Objectionable Language Removed)

Original Theatrical Release
Special Edition Re-release

Disc Two

Capturing Avatar: An in-depth feature length documentary with James Cameron, Jon Landau and cast and crew
Deleted scenes: including over 45 minutes of new never-before-seen deleted scenes
Production materials (BD-exclusive)

Disc Three (BD-exclusive)

Open “Pandora’s Box” and go deeper into the filmmaker process
Interactive Scene Deconstruction: Explore the various stages of production through three different viewing modes
Production shorts: 17 featurettes covering performance capture, scoring the film, 3D Fusion camera, stunts and much more
Avatar Archives, including original scriptment, 300 page screenplay and the extensive Pandorapedia
BD-live Portal with additional bonus materials

Amazon: $24.99

2. THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER

On any other week, Charles Laughton‘s Night of the Hunter would have easily been in the number one slot. This nightmarish Mother Goose tale is sadly the only film the famous actor ever directed and it’s a damn shame. Because it’s a masterwork. Robert Mitchum has never been better or more creepy.

Criterion finally does the film justice, presenting it in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1 as opposed to the 1.33 of previous presentations. Couple that with Criterion’s exceptional package of special features and this is clearly one of the finest releases of the year.

Special Features:

New, restored high-definition digital transfer with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
Audio commentary featuring assistant director Terry Sanders, film critic F. X. Feeney, archivist Robert Gitt, and author Preston Neal Jones
Charles Laughton Directs “The Night of the Hunter,” a two-and-a-half-hour archival treasure trove of outtakes from the film
New documentary featuring interviews with producer Paul Gregory, Sanders, Jones, and author Jeffrey Couchman
New video interview with Simon Callow, author of Charles Laughton: A Difficult Actor
Clip from the The Ed Sullivan Show, in which cast members perform live a scene that was deleted from the film
Fifteen-minute episode of the BBC show Moving Pictures about the film
Archival interview with cinematographer Stanley Cortez
Gallery of sketches by author Davis Grubb
New video conversation between Gitt and film critic Leonard Maltin about Charles Laughton Directs “The Night of the Hunter”
Original theatrical trailer
PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by critics Terrence Rafferty and Michael Sragow

Amazon: $36.49

3. MODERN TIMES

Criterion does the Little Tramp justice as well this week. Charlie Chaplin‘s final outing as his most famous character has never looked better in this restored 2K-resolution digital transfer. Gone are the rounded corners and frayed edges of precious transfers, replaced with a rich, detailed image. There have been some nice editions of this film in the recent past but nothing bests this new one from Criterion. Recommended!

Special Features:

New, restored high-definition digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
New audio commentary by Chaplin biographer David Robinson
Two new visual essays, by Chaplin historians John Bengtson and Jeffrey Vance
New program on the film’s visual and sound effects, with experts Craig Barron and Ben Burtt
Interview from 1992 with Modern Times music arranger David Raksin
Chaplin Today: “Modern Times” (2004), a half-hour program with filmmakers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Two segments removed from the film
Three theatrical trailers
All at Sea (1933), a home movie by Alistair Cooke featuring Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, and Cooke, plus a new score by Donald Sosin and a new interview with Cooke’s daughter, Susan Cooke Kittredge
The Rink (1916), a Chaplin two-reeler highlighting his skill on wheels
For the First Time (1967), a Cuban documentary short about a projectionist who shows Modern Times to first-time moviegoers
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Saul Austerlitz and a piece by film scholar Lisa Stein that includes excerpts from Chaplin’s writing about his travels in 1931 and 1932

Amazon: $29.49

4. MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1935)

Speaking of Charles Laughton, his turn as the cruel Captain William Bligh in the 1935 edition of Mutiny on the Bounty with Clark Gable is new on Blu this week. Warner‘s new restoration looks mostly fantastic (there is some damage on the print that has not been restored yet…but nevermind, this looks great!) on Blu-ray. Certainly the best its ever looked on home video. The disc is packaged in a nice hardcover digibook but includes sadly few special features.

Amazon: $25.99

5. SHERLOCK JR./THREE AGES

Kino‘s new Blu-ray with both the short films Sherlock Jr. and Three Ages is a welcome addition to the studios Buster Keaton collection. While the visuals are nowhere near as reference quality as The General or even Steamboat Bill Jr., Sherlock Jr is certainly impressive. Three Ages doesn’t fare quiet as well but is still a treat in high-def. The disc has a host of extra features such as multiple music tracks, a commentary track, documentary and more!

Amazon: $25.99

6. ROBO-GEISHA

Another week, another sixth entry in the Top 5 list. I haven’t seen FUNimation‘s new Robo-Geisha film yet but based on the sheer entertainment value and disc quality of the studio’s recent Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl I thought this release was probably worth a mention. I’ve seen the trailer and I haven’t been the same since. I haven’t been able to get the image of geisha girls shooting ninja stars from their butts out of my head since…

Amazon: $21.99

NEW THIS WEEK ON 3D BLU-RAY: