I’m out of town for the week, on vacation and visiting my folks in the country where internet access is as rare a thing as social interaction. As I’m a day late getting you this Top 5 New Release list and my time online is sadly quite brief, let’s just bust into it. It’s an exciting week on Blu, with a lot of kick-ass catalogue titles being released alongside Kick-Ass the movie…Sorry. Bad pun.

1. THE GHOST WRITER

Roman Polanski‘s The Ghost Writer is one of the best films I’ve seen all year. It might not be the most high-profile Blu-ray release of the week, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s the best thing going. It’s a great script by Robert Harris (adapting his novel of the same name) with some incredible performances by some of my favourite actors (I’ll watch pretty much anything starring Ewan McGregor.) Highly Recommended.

From the Blu-ray:

“When a gifted ghostwriter (Ewan McGregor) is hired to write the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan), he quickly finds himself trapped in a web of political and sexual intrigue. Lang is implicated in a scandal over his administration’s harsh tactics, and as the ghostwriter digs into the politician’s past, he discovers secrets that threaten to jeopardize international relations forever. Co-starring Olivia Williams and Kim Cattrall, it is a taut and shocking thriller from acclaimed director Roman Polanski (The Pianist).“

Special Features:

• An Interview with Roman Polanski
• The Ghost Writer: Fiction or Reality?
• The Cast of The Ghost Writer

Amazon: $26.99

2. KICK-ASS

I enjoyed Kick-Ass well enough when I saw it in the theatre but thought it well beneath the hype that was surrounding it. I could happily go without seeing the film again but I’m curious to see how the image turned out in the Blu-ray disc transfer seeing as how the visuals were notoriously drenched in DNR from the get-go – a stylistic choice by DOP Ben Davis and director Matthew Vaughn. Kick-Ass grabs the number two position this week by heat-factor alone. It’s the disc that most people want to get their hands on right now (it’s still the #1 Blu-ray on Amazon as I type this!)

Amazon: $22.99

3. ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK

Escape from New York on Blu-ray. ‘Nuff said. If you’re not down with classic John Carpenter and classic Kurt Russell I’m not sure there’s any hope for you. This is one of their finest collaborations ever – the first and best outing of the tough-as-nails, gruff Snake Plissken character. I pray that this new Blu-ray edition lives up to the quality of the film itself but I fear the original elements might not have given MGM much to work with.

Amazon: $18.49

4. JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH

Henry Selick hasn’t really been grinding out a million films since his big breakout animated extravaganza The Nightmare Before Christmas. But the few movies he has managed to produce in that time are true gems. James and Giant Peach might not be a picture perfect Blu-ray disc but it’s a welcome addition to my animation collection. Full review coming this week.

Amazon: $24.99

5. A PROPHET

Combine the HBO prison drama OZ with a touch of the Godfather and you’ve got a glimpse of where Jacques Audiard‘s A Prophet will lead you. It feels epic at its monster 149-minute run-time but honestly doesn’t waste a minute of screen time. This is two-and-a-half very tense hours that will fly right by. One of the best films of 2009 and highly recommended on Blu-ray!

Amazon: $28.99

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:

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Oh geez. I’m all confused here. There are just too many titles hitting shelves again this week but no obvious “must-buy” disc, as far as I’m concerned. The new Hollywood blockbuster remakes all stumble in the storytelling department, the catalogue titles feature far-from-perfect presentations and there are just no damn Criterion titles as far as the eye can see! But don’t fear, if none of the brand spanking new titles do it for you this week, I’m sure you can find something in the massive batch of Eastwood newly released or re-released, as the case may be, on Blu-ray! Seriously, how many movies did has that guy made?!

1. THE WOLFMAN

Yeah. Crucify me. Shoot me with a silver bullet. This movie doesn’t work where it should – some would even go so far as to say it sucks – but I’m a die-hard Universal Monsters fan and, like it or not, this is the title that I’m most excited about this week. I wasn’t sent a review copy of this Blu-ray (c’mon Universal, what have I ever done to you!) so I can’t tell you for certain whether it’s worth your dime or not, but I’ll be the first in line to pick up The Wolfman today. I’m really hoping that the extended “Director’s Cut” will help the film out but I fear the worst.

The biggest disappointment with this Blu-ray, however, has nothing to do with the new 2010 remake but the 1941 original Lon Chaney Jr. film – while the original film is included in the package, it’s only available as a stream and not on the disc. I’d gladly be bitten by a whole pack of werewolves if Universal would put the original black-and-white films on Blu!

Amazon: $26.99

2. ALICE IN WONDERLAND

So, here’s the second of two big-budget Hollywood remakes new on Blu-ray this week, both with big problems in the story department. But you already knew that, didn’t you? You’ve either already seen Tim Burton‘s Alice in Wonderland and were dissapointed by its outcome or you found the overuse of CGI too offensive to even get you as far as buying a ticket to see the film. Look, here’s the thing. It’s Tim Burton. The CGI is just another tool in his garish visual arsenal. Story will always take a back seat in a Burton film (unless you’re talking the brilliant, nearly-perfect Ed Wood or strikingly original Pee Wee’s Big Adventure) as design takes control of the ride. Luckily, that makes this Blu-ray as sweet as candy for the eyeballs! It looks and sounds great. Too bad about that script…

Full review coming this week!

Amazon: $19.99

3. LIFE

Did you love the BBC series Planet Earth? Do you use the Blu-ray discs on a regular basis to show off your HD system? Well, you’re in luck! The BBC and noted naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough are bringing us a brand new look at life on our planet, aptly titled Life! Sadly, Warner is making you choose between a couple of slightly different versions of this new Blu-ray set – one narrated by the man himself, Sir David, or the other, the version that aired on the Discovery network in the US narrated by Oprah Winfrey. Both feature the exact same footage in the exact same show. Only difference here is the voice that tells you whats what. Me? I’ll stick with the original, Sir David track. But seriously, you’re not going to pick this up for the audio. Life is another visual treat that you’ll be happy to enjoy in any language, or with the sound turned right down.

Amazon: $48.99

4. WAR OF THE WORLDS

Here’s big-budget remake number three this week. And man, is War of the Worlds a disappointment. Perhaps even more so than Wolfman or Alice, simply because it just starts out so damn strong! This film tricked me into believing it would deliver the goods Close Encounters-style until around the halfway mark when it just completely goes off the rails with ridiculous character choices and over-the-top silly CGI nonsense. I realize that Spielberg is trying to offer a sort of homage to the old b-movies during the second and third acts but it just misses the mark. And it’s really a shame because the Blu-ray edition of the film completely shines in every other department! It looks amazing, damn-near perfect I’d say, sounds incredible and is packed with enough special features to keep this reviewer happy. I just wish the last half of the film was as well put together and thought out as the Blu-ray itself.

Amazon: $19.99

5. THE MAN WITH NO NAME TRILOGY

I haven’t had a chance to get a look at this set of films on Blu-ray yet but I doubt that I’ll be terribly dissapointed in any new editions of these three brilliant Sergio Leone films. Of the three “spaghetti western” films in the box, all starring Clint Eastwood at his most brilliant, only The Good, The Bad and The Ugly has been previously available on Blu in a much maligned edition with an uneven, sometimes DNR scrubbed image. But you know what, it’s still the best the film has ever looked. And if A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More look anywhere near as decent as the third part of the trilogy of films, I’ll be more than happy with this new Blu-ray set.

Amazon: $54.99

MORE CLINT ON BLU THIS WEEK:

Just in case the Man With No Name Trilogy Blu-ray set doesn’t offer you enough high-def Eastwood this week, Warner has got your back with a couple of new boxed sets, single and double-feature releases and re-releases on Blu. Check it out:

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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Once upon a time, I used to own a copy of Sergio Leone‘s brilliant The Good, The Bad and The Ugly on Blu-ray. That was before some ass broke into our house in January and stole a crapload of my films, that one included. I’ve been on the verge of replacing it for ages but seeing as how MGM has announced the imminent arrival of The Man With No Name Blu-ray boxed set, which includes my missing disc, I’m glad I held off. I dearly love these spaghetti westerns. They’re unquestionable classics, single-handedly responsible for making Clint Eastwood a superstar. I’m hoping that the first two films in the trilogy look as good on Blu as The Good, The Bad and The Ugly does. Details below:

Special Features:

• TBA

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