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Top 5 New on Blu

Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of March 8

There aren’t a many new Blu-ray discs on the shelves this week but you’re really going to enjoy the few that are. In fact, I think I could’ve almost managed a Top 10 list this week, what with strong contenders like Four Lions, The Man From Nowhere and The Next Three Days hitting shelves today as well as those titles I’ve selected to spotlight. Oh yeah, there’s also a Jackass film out on Blu today. Hmm.

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1. NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (1984)


    After a global war, the seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind remains one of the last strongholds on Earth, untouched by a poisonous jungle and the powerful insects that guard it. Led by the courageous Princess Nausicaa, the people of the Valley engage in an epic struggle to restore the bond between humanity and Earth.

It’s no secret that the films of Hayao Miyazaki run as close to perfection as possible in my eyes. And Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was my first exposure to the brilliant filmmaker’s work. So, as you can imagine, this film holds a pretty special place in my cinephile-heart.

This new Blu-ray edition of the film is quite a sight to behold. Simply stunning. Those of you who’re familiar with the film will look on the transfer as something of a revelation, revealing bold colours and details on the linework not apparent until now. This hi-def presentation is true to the film, still exhibiting grain, soft-shots as well as the occasional flaw, dirt and jumped animation cel but it’s absolutely beautiful. Both the original Japanese soundtrack as well as the excellent English dub are available here in faithful, full DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 tracks.

Supplements are par for the course where Disney‘s Studio Ghibli releases are concerned. They’re fine, well-produced, short, digestible featurettes that seem to perpetually suffer from the notion that the viewer is completely ignorant of Ghibli, Miyazaki and quite often, the film included on the disc. Sigh… As much as I appreciate the interview clips with Miyazaki himself in these supplements, I’d kill for the subtitled commentary track and 44-minute producer interview included on the UK and Australian releases of the film.

At the end of the day, though, I’m just thrilled that Nausicaä is available here on Blu, looking and sounding fantastic. This is, without question, the release of the week. I hope you all rush out and grab yourself up a copy and support the domestic release of Ghibli’s films. There are a lot more where this one came from!

Highly Recommended!!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

  • The World of Ghibli: Visit Nausicaa’s world in this enchanted interactive experience
  • Behind the Studio: Discover the film’s fantastic origins in this fascinating documentary, including an interview with Hayao Miyazaki
  • Creating Nausicaa
  • Enter the Lands: Explore the many worlds of Studio Ghibl
  • Studio Ghibli Trivia Challenge: Test your Knowledge
  • Original Japanese storyboards
  • DVD of the film including:
    • Behind the Microphone: with A-list voice talent
    • The Birth Story of Studio Ghibli
    • Original TV trailers

AMAZON: $24.99

ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK FROM STUDIO GHIBLI (ON DVD ONLY) : TALES FROM EARTHSEA

Tales From Earthsea (2006)

Based on the classic Earthsea fantasy book series by Ursula Le Guin, Tales from Earthsea is set in a mythical world filled with magic and bewitchment. Journey with Lord Archmage Sparrowhawk, a master wizard and Arren, a troubled young prince on a tale of redemption and self discovery as they search for the force behind a mysterious imbalance in the land of Earthsea; crops are dwindling, dragons have reappeared, and humanity is giving way to chaos.

Goro Miyazaki is the son of the Master and this is his first film. It’s far from perfect but he’s tackling a well-loved, complex novel here and does an admirable job, in my eyes. It’s unfortunate that the film isn’t being released on Blu-ray yet but this DVD edition could use your support nonetheless. It’s a beautiful, if flawed film from an animator destined for greatness.

AMAZON: $17.99


2. THE WALKING DEAD: SEASON ONE

The Walking Dead: Season One [Blu-ray]

After waking from a coma in an abandoned hospital, police officer Rick Grimes finds the world he knew gone – ravaged by a zombie epidemic of apocalyptic proportions. Nearby, on the outskirts of Atlanta, a small encampment struggles to survive as ‘the dead’ stalk them at every turn. Can Rick and the others hold onto their humanity as they fight to live in this terrifying new world? And, amidst dire conditions and personal rivalries, will they ultimately survive one another? AMC’s The Walking Dead is an epic, survival adventure series from the director of The Shawshank Redemption and the producer of The Terminator and Aliens.

I’ve been avoiding watching The Walking Dead, in anticipation of this Blu-ray release. The comic book from which it’s adapted is probably the best-selling indie title out there at the moment, closing in on it’s hundredth popular issue. The show, the brainchild of filmmaker Frank Darabont, is quite well done, and will debut it’s second season in the coming months. The Blu-ray disc set features fantastic, episode accurate transfers and ton of special features. I’m working my way through it now and will hopefully have a full review later this week!

READ MORE: [VIDEO] The Walking Dead: Season One Blu-ray Trailer

AMAZON: $22.99


3. EXCALIBUR

Excalibur [Blu-ray] (1981)

The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table receives its most impressive screen treatment in Excalibur, from visionary director John Boorman (Deliverance, Hope and Glory). All the elements of Sir Thomas Malory’s classic Le Morte Darthur are here: Arthur (Nigel Terry) removing the sword Excalibur from the stone; the Round Table’s noble birth and tragic decline; the heroic attempts to recover the Holy Grail; and the shifting balance of power between wily wizard Merlin (Nicol Williamson) and evil sorceress Morgana (Helen Mirren). With Patrick Stewart, Gabriel Byrne and Liam Neeson in notable early screen roles.

I’ve been watching Excalibur since I was way too young to be watching Excalibur. There’s a lot of bloody, limb-rending violence and graphic, filthy sex in John Boorman’s epic re-telling of Le Morte d’Arthur. Thank goodness for my liberal upbringing! The film is a classic and is well represented on Blu-ray, looking better than it ever has. It’s still dark and grainy, but exhibits far more detail and truer colours than I’ve ever seen. The director’s commentary track is ported over from the previously available DVD and is excellent, as always but could really benefit from being supplemented by a documentary, some deleted scenes or any additional video content, for that matter on this, the 30th Anniversary of the film’s release.

AMAZON: $13.99


4. MORNING GLORY

Morning Glory [Blu-ray] (2010)

“For Becky (Rachel McAdams, “The Notebook”), running a TV show in New York City was the big break she dreamed of…until star co-anchors Mike (Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones) and Colleen (Diane Keaton, “Something’s Gotta Give”) declare an all-out, on-air war. Making the show work with its cast of eccentric characters and outrageous story angles will take a major miracle, but Becky is ready to rise and outshine. ”

I really enjoyed Morning Glory. It’s like Broadcast News-lite, played as a modern Hollywood fare. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. Rachel McAdams is lovely and sweet throughout, providing the film a solid, likable base from which to pile on it’s comedy. A good deal of said comedy is provided by a very grumpy, cantankerous Harrison Ford, in what is likely his finest performance in years. I can see this leading to a lot more “get off my lawn” roles for the former galactic scoundrel. The Blu-ray disc looks and sounds better than you’d expect a modern comedy to, with a dazzling, vivid transfer and dynamic, playful DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack. Extras are slim here, with only a single deleted scene and a commentary track with director Roger Michell and writer Aline Brosh McKenna.

AMAZON: $22.99


5. INSIDE JOB and EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP

Inside Job [Blu-ray] (2010)Exit Through the Gift Shop [Blu-ray] (2011)


Inside Job may have scooped the Best Documentary Oscar from Exit Through the Gift Shop but both films have to share the same release date for their Blu-ray discs! They’re both fantastic films but don’t go looking for pristine, demo quality presentations on their Blu-ray disc releases. While both discs are faithful to their source material, the films use a lot of footage that isn’t very pretty to begin with, resulting in a fair amount of aliasing, compression artifacts and banding, Gift Shop being the least attractive of the two. But don’t be put off. See them for their content, not the image quality of the footage they use to tell the stories. Both discs are recommended!

AMAZON: $17.99 and $29.99


ANIME OF THE WEEK: DRAGONBALL Z KAI: PART FOUR

Dragon Ball Z Kai: Part Four [Blu-ray]

“After learning that Frieza murdered his father and destroyed his home planet, Goku takes aim at the putrid purple monster in the greatest grudge match the galaxy has ever seen! The bruises multiply at a furious rate as the two warriors trade blows in a battle that literally destroys planet Namek. As the slugfest approaches a standstill, Frieza forever silences Goku’s closest friend – sending Earth’s hero into a Super Saiyan rage that threatens to obliterate them both! ”

It feels a bit odd to include the ‘Anime of the Week’ section here, when my top pick of the week is anime. But I’ve been following this Dragonball Z Kai Blu-ray series since its inception and would be remiss if I allowed this newest edition to pass you by. This is the first set that I haven’t laid eyes on, so I can’t speak to the quality of its presentation or content directly, but I’ve little doubt that it matches up to the previous three releases in every regard.

AMAZON: $29.99


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:

Jackass 3 (Two-Disc 3D DVD / Blu-ray Combo + Digital Copy (2010)The Next Three Days (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (2010)The Man from Nowhere [Blu-ray]Four Lions [Blu-ray] (2010)



Every Day [Blu-ray] (2010)The Reef [Blu-ray/ DVD Combo] (2006)Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)Nature: Birds of the Gods [Blu-ray]



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One comment for “Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of March 8”

  1. [...] November 16th. Hayao Miyazaki‘s Howl’s Moving Castle and his son, Goro Miyazaki‘s Tales From Earthsea will debut on Blu with package art that matches the style of the previous Japanese Ghibli Blu-ray [...]

    Posted by Studio Ghibli films Howl’s Moving Castle and Tales from Earthsea bound for Blu-ray in Japan | August 15, 2011, 2:38 am

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Howl's Moving Castle (Blu-ray) (Multi Audio & Subtitled) (Region Free) (Japan Version)

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