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Top 5 New on Blu

Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of February 22

I probably could’ve finished this Top 5 list on time yesterday, but for some reason I had a hell of a time deciding which disc should end up in the number one slot this week! I know, that’s a ridiculous reason to hold an article but… well, you’re right. That wasn’t the only hold up. I also had a long day in the office that kept me from it. Never a dull moment in the world of journalism.

So, here it is now, this week’s Top 5 list, a day late but hopefully still useful to you in deciding which Blu-ray discs to pick up this week. As always, clicking the Blu-ray package art will zip you over to Amazon where every purchase make through our links helps this site stay on its feet. We appreciate every single click and thank you again for continuing to read The Blu-ray Blog.


1. GET LOW

Get Low [Blu-ray] (2010)


Academy Award winner Robert Duvall (1983, Best Actor, Tender Mercies) is Felix Bush, the “Hermit of Caleb County,” a man so haunted by his secrets that he has lived in quiet desolation in the Tennessee backwoods for over 40 years. Realizing that he is near his own mortality, Bush decides to have a “living funeral party,” inviting people to tell their stories about him. Enlisting the help of Frank Quinn (Golden Globe winner Bill Murray, 2004, Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Lost in Translation) and Buddy Robinson (Lucas Black, Legion), Bush goes through a process of self-discovery, allowing him to deal with his past secrets, including ones involving old flame (and new widow) Mattie (Academy Award® winner Sissy Spacek, 1980, Best Actress, Coal Miner’s Daughter).

Get Low really came out of nowhere for me. Until seeing a trailer for the film on an earlier Sony Blu-ray disc, I had no idea it existed. It’s the feature film debut of director Aaron Schneider, who previously won an Academy Award for his 2003 short film Two Soldiers, and it’s one hell of an effort. For starters, this thing looks gorgeous. And I guess it should, seeing as how Schneider comes from a background of cinematography. Add to that a brilliant, nuanced script (apparently based on a true story) and a cast that’s beyond reproach and you’ve got a real winner on your hands. One of the best films I’ve seen in ages. And a film that will probably float under the radar, eclipsed by more high-profile releases. What a shame.

Sony affords Get Low a damn-near perfect Blu-ray presentation with rich colours, deep blacks and tons of detail. I can’t get over how beautiful this Blu-ray is. And it sounds just as nice, with a clean, crisp DTS- HD Master Audio 5.1 track that won’t rattle the china but provide a pleasant, well-defined sound stage.

Highly recommended!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

  • Commentary with Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Director Aaron Schneider & Producer Dean Zanuck
  • The Deep South: Buried Secrets
  • Getting Low: Getting Into Character
  • A Screenwriter’s Point of View
  • Cast & Crew Q&A
  • On the Red Carpet

AMAZON: $24.99


2. 3 from Criterion: FISH TANK, SENSO, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS

Fish Tank: The Criterion Collection [Blu-ray] (2009)Senso: The Criterion Collection [Blu-ray] (1954)Sweet Smell of Success (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1957)


Yeah. Three new Criterion Blu-ray discs in one day. What more is there to say? You’re about to break your bank account.

Fish Tank is a modern masterpiece by British director Andrea Arnold (contender for the number one slot this week) and one of the finer films to be released on Blu-ray so far this year. Senso is far from Visconti‘s best film but you’ll want to take in the luscious visuals via this lush Blu-ray transfer. And Sweet Smell of Success is awash in neon-noir city landscapes, painted with biting, smart dialogue from Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis, looking better than ever on Blu.

All three are highly recommended.

READ MORE: Criterion announces February Blu-ray titles: Senso, Sweet Smell of Success, Fish Tank, Still Walking, Amarcord, The Double Life of Véronique

AMAZON: $24.99 each


3. ALL -TAR SUPERMAN

All-Star Superman (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)

Fueled by hatred and jealousy, Lex Luthor masterminds an elaborate plot to kill the Man of Steel – and it works. Poisoned by solar radiation, Superman is dying. With weeks to live, he fulfills his life’s dreams – especially revealing his true identity to Lois Lane – until Luthor proclaims his ultimate plan to control the world with no alien hero to stop him. Powers fading, Superman engages in a spectacular deadly battle with Luthor that could truly trigger the end of Earth’s Greatest Protector. This startling and gripping DC Universe Animated Original Movie stars the voice talents of James Denton, Anthony LaPaglia, Christina Hendricks and Ed Asner.

I’ll have a full review of this disc up shortly. In short, if you’re a fan of Superman or DC Comics superheroes or animation in general you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of All-Star Superman. Not only is it a brilliant story that gets to the heart of the character but the disc is packed with some of the best features WHV and DC have conjured up for their line of straight-to-video animated specials thus far.

AMAZON: $17.49


4. MEGAMIND

Megamind (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2010)

“A smart, funny and original treat,” Michael O’Sullivan, The Washington Post, Megamind puts a whole new hilarious twist on the superhero movie. Packed with high-flying action and non-stop laughs, the smash hit starring Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, David Cross and Tina Fey will debut in DreamWorks Animation’s Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack which includes the all-new comedy-adventure MEGAMIND: THE BUTTON OF DOOM, plus hours of bonus features and exclusive interactive Blu-ray features including picture-in-picture storyboards, behind the scenes footage, interviews, music videos, the lost scene, a comic book creator, an insider tour of Megamind’s Lair, interactive games, and so much more.

Megamind actually doesn’t hit the shops until this Friday, February 25th. We’ll be giving away a copy of the Blu-ray disc in the next couple of days so keep your eyes open!!

AMAZON: $19.99


5. BIRDEMIC: SHOCK AND TERROR

Birdemic: Shock and Terror (Blu-ray) (2008)

It is a tender love story. A graphic horror shocker. An urgent ecological warning. And around the world, it became the must-see midnight movie sensation of the year: From writer/producer/director/visionary James Nguyen The Master Of The Romantic ThrillerTM comes the story of a sexy lingerie model (Whitney Moore) and a successful software salesman (Alan Bagh) on a weekend getaway to a quaint Northern California town. But when the entire region is attacked by millions of homicidal birds, their picturesque paradise becomes a winged hell on earth. Can mankind now survive the avian onslaught of BIRDEMIC? Hollywood legend Tippi Hedren of Hitchcock’s THE BIRDS co-stars in the global cult movie phenomenon that Videogum says might end up being the greatest film of all time!

I haven’t seen Birdemic for myself but it looks like a barrel of fun. The perfect modern late-night film to share, intoxicated with your best pals. I can’t wait to check this one out!

AMAZON: $16.49


ANIME OF THE WEEK: FLCL: COMPLETE COLLECTION

FLCL: Complete Collection [Blu-ray]

When the three powerhouse creators of Eden of the East, Gurren Lagann and Neon Genesis Evangelion bumped heads, they spawned the series that broke all the rules – then broke the mold. Naota is a detached sixth-grader afflicted by the pangs of puberty. He’s fooling around with his brother’s ex-girlfriend when a crazed girl on a motor scooter runs him over, brains him with a bass guitar, and moves into his house. This pink-haired girl, Haruko – who claims she’s an alien – hurls Naota into the middle of a mega-corporation’s secret agenda. Oh, and now giant battling robots shoot from his skull. Mix in mind-bending animation and tunes that echo through your cerebellum to top off the trip that will have you falling hard for FLCL.

Outside of Macross and the animation of Studio Ghibli, FLCL is the absolute best that Japanese animation has to offer. It’s wild, imaginative and always stunning to look at. There’s more heart and more creativity in each frame of this short 6-episode series than any other I’ve seen in my last twenty-five years of anime viewing. Sadly, I understand this Blu-ray presentation is another up-conversion from FUNimation and far from the most impressive high-def image we’ve seen on Blu. I’d like to see the results for myself before making on the call on the discs but I’ll stand behind the series itself as one of the best ever.

AMAZON: $24.99


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:

Due Date (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (2010)Memento (10th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray] (2000)The Stieg Larsson Trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo / The Girl Who Played with Fire / The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest) [Blu-ray] (2010)The Last Unicorn (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)



48 Hrs. [Blu-ray] (1982)Weeds: Season Six [Blu-ray] (2010)Mesrine: Killer Instinct: Part 1 [Blu-ray] (2010)Nurse Jackie: Season Two [Blu-ray] (2010)



Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son of a Bitch [Blu-ray]Killshot [Blu-ray]Alien Vs Ninja [Blu-ray]Embodiment Of Evil (DVD & Blu-ray Combo) (2008)



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  1. [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by theblurayblog, theblurayblog and Brian Ruh – ブライアン・ルー, Humberto Saabedra. Humberto Saabedra said: RT @theblurayblog: FYI – As I mentioned in this weeks TOP 5 column (http://bit.ly/eV5dbs) 'FLCL' is the absolute best anime ever, outsid … [...]

    Posted by Tweets that mention Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of February 22 -- Topsy.com | February 25, 2011, 8:35 pm

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