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'Top Gear: The Complete Season 17' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The complete seventeenth season of the long-running BBC series will be racing to high-definition in February. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Warner Brothers/BBC has just revealed 'Top Gear: The Complete Season 17' for a Blu-ray release on February 28. The set includes episodes 1 through 6, the Middle East Special, USA Road Trip, and Middle East Road Trip. Specs and yet to be revealed, but supplements include: outtakes, extended and deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes featurette, and a studio tour. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Top Gear: The Complete 17' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under February 28.Posted Tue Nov 29, 2011 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
Black Friday Sales Reach an All Time Record[teaser]Electronics are up across the board, with Blu-ray players and Blu-ray discs accounting for a good chunk of business. [/teaser] Black Friday is always a big shopping day, but this year's post-Thanksgiving sale day was particularly good to the electronics industry if estimates are any indicator. According to the National Polling Data Group (NPD) over 226 million shoppers converged on stores, up significantly from the 212 million last year. The estimate for money spent by these consumers exceeds $52 billion. Of those that braved the lines and the cold, 40 percent bought electronics items - up from 37 percent last year. Those items include Blu-ray players and Blu-ray/DVD movies which were in the top three for home entertainment purchases. Cyber Monday looks like it was good for the industry too, with 123 million Americans making purchases. Last year's number was just 107 million. Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Tue Nov 29, 2011 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
'Beavis & Butt-Head: Volume 4' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]All twelve episodes of the brand-new season of Mike Judge's iconic animated series are coming to high-definition in February. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Paramount Home Entertainment and MTV have revealed 'Beavis & Butt-Head: Volume 4' will be released on Blu-ray on February 14. Beavis and Butt-Head, America's favorite culture critics, are back. They now have more than just music videos to make fun of: Reality TV, the Internet, and Ultimate Fighting will all be crossing their TV screen! Brought back by creator Mike Judge, Beavis and Butt-Head are dumber than ever! Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but suggested list price is $26.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Beavis & Butt-Head: Volume 4' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under February 14.Posted Tue Nov 29, 2011 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
HDD Study Hall: George Clooneyby Luke Hickman Actors who begin in television don't always make it big in film, but George Clooney has proven that if one has real talent and star power, the transition isn't impossible. If Clooney is the best example of this scenario, then, at the other end of the spectrum, rest David Caruso. Being the son of Nick Clooney and the nephew of Rosemary Clooney, George's involvement in the entertainment industry was almost guaranteed. He began with bit parts on television before landing a regular role on the sitcom 'E/R' which ran for one season between 1984 and 1985. Over the next ten years he would land reoccurring roles on 'The Facts of Life,' 'Roseanne,' and the series that would launch him into the big leagues, oddly enough, also titled 'ER.' Throughout his five full seasons as Dr. Doug Ross on 'ER,' he would simultaneously make the successful jump to the big screen. One truly impressive aspect of George Clooney's career is that he's not only become an Oscar-winning actor, but also an Oscar-nominated writer and director. In 2006, Clooney won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 'Syriana', as well as nominations for co-writing and directing 'Good Night, and Good Luck.' He earned Best Lead Actor nominations in 2008 for 'Michael Clayton' and in 2010 for 'Up in the Air.' Having given two solid performances this year in 'The Ides of March,' which he also co-wrote and directed, and in Alexander Payne's 'The Descendants,' it's almost guaranteed that he will receive at least one more nomination this year. [teaser]In this edition of the HDD Study Hall, we're going to look back at five of George Clooney's very best performances. Instead of sticking solely to roles that earned him critical praise, we'll also take a peek at the fan favorites.[/teaser] 'Three Kings' Prior to 'Three Kings,' I'd liked Clooney from his roles in 'ER,' 'From Dusk Til Dawn' and 'Out of Sight,' but I hadn't fallen in love with his acting abilities yet. 'Three Kings' was the film that made me a full-on George Clooney fan. Prior to leaving the U.S. for two years in late '99, knowing that I wouldn't get to see new movies for quite some time, I watched 'Three Kings' in theaters three times because I loved it so much. Written and directed by David O. Russell, 'Three Kings' is a wild and unique film – both on camera and off. This is the film where Clooney allegedly punched Russell in the face between takes. It begins as a comedy showing the lazy shenanigans of U.S. troops during the cease-fire after Desert Storm, turns into an intense drama, and ends as an action movie with a major moral at its core. In 'Three Kings, Clooney plays a disgruntled military leader who goes AWOL with three other military misfits (Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube and Spike Jonze) in an attempt to steal a load of Iraqi gold before being shipped home. Along the way, Wahlberg is taken by Iraqi soldiers and the other three meet-up with and fight along side a group of Iraqi civilians trying to obtain their freedom while trying to rescue Wahlberg. 'Three Kings' is well balanced. Some of the content is extremely heavy, so it's balanced with action and humor. In the end, it even has the balls to get very emotional. It's not common for a Hollywood film to slug you in the gut with a bold moral, but 'Three Kings' does it – and it does with entertaining grace. 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' There are two things that frequently come to mind when I think of 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' - the first, Dapper Dan pomade. Honestly, is there any other brand? The reccurring joke of Clooney's character searching for Dapper Dan is a classic Coen Brothers joke. The second is a line repeatedly uttered by Clooney when he and his company are backed into a corner. “Damn! We're in a tight spot!” Over 11 years after its release, I still quote this line whenever I'm parking my compact car between two big trucks. 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' is the Coen Brothers' "adaptation" of Homer's 'The Odyssey.' George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson play three escaped convicts on a trek to dig up a buried bank heist treasure on their way home. Of course, Homer's obstacles stand in their way – like a “cyclops,” tempting sirens, et cetera. Like almost all Coen Brothers movies, you either get the humor and love them or you don't. Personally, I find them hilarious, intelligent, and witty. Homer's 'The Odyssey' isn't exactly the best-paced and most entertaining story, but the Coen's took a classic piece of literature and turned it into an enjoyable film. The musical plot interwoven with the treasure-hunting journey is unexpected, the music itself being creative and original. 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' earned cinematography and adapted screenplay Oscar nominations, but proved to be a winner by taking home the Best Soundtrack award at the Grammys. 'Ocean's Eleven' Where most filmmakers wouldn't consider remaking a classic film, let alone one by the Rat Pack, Steven Soderbergh did - and it turned out to be even better than the original. It's a shame the two sequels were almost pure garbage. Even though 'Ocean's Twelve' and 'Thirteen' tarnished the franchise's name, they didn't damage it enough to the point of making 'Eleven' a miserable experience (unlike the 'Pirates' series). Much like his character in 'Three Kings,' in 'Ocean's Eleven' Clooney plays a ringleader who assembles a team for a heist. Their target – three major casinos on the Vegas strip. Although he says it has nothing do with revenge, his crew believes that he's targeting the owner (Andy Garcia) of these three casinos for stealing away his ex (Julia Roberts). What makes 'Ocean's Eleven' better than the original is it's genius script and original characters. Brad Pitt makes for a great sidekick – especially when he's eating in almost every scene. Casey Affleck and Scott Caan play two obnoxious Mormon brother constantly trying to annoy one another. Don Cheadle is the pack's explosives expert and Bernie Mac is the cherry on top. Combined with all of the other solid actors in leading, supporting and cameo roles, 'Ocean's Eleven' is jam-packed with great performances. What really works in 'Ocean's Eleven' is how the plan is never revealed to the audience prior to the heist. The first time you watch it, you're so entertained by the film that you never realize that the plan hasn't been detailed for you. As the heist comes about, you're just as clueless as to what's going on as is Garcia's character. 'Ocean's Eleven' is one of those rare films that you wish you could go back and watch again for the first time. 'Burn After Reading' Coming off the success of four-time Oscar winner 'No Country for Old Men,' most audiences expected so much more from the Coen Brothers' follow-up. But in reality, 'Burn After Reading' is exactly what it was advertised as – a wacky, unpredictable Coen Brothers comedy. 'Burn After Reading' is the ensemble story of several different people whose lives become intertwined in the most odd of ways. It's a farce about a handful of bad people, all idiots, who get make assumptions, act upon them and get what they deserve in the end – nothing good. John Malkovich plays the man who starts the ball rolling, an ex-CIA agent who decides to write his memoirs after being “let go.” A disc holding his memoirs mistakenly ends up in the hands of two gym workers (Francis McDormand and Brad Pitt) who believe the stories are government secrets and try selling it to the highest bidder. What Malkovich doesn't know is that his wife (Tilda Swinton) has been cheating on him with a dim-witted State Department Marshall (Clooney). When all the stories become connected, things get quirky and crazy. While Pitt receives a lot of praise for his role as a physically fit dummy, Clooney also deserves the same amount of love for his role. He plays a creepy, dirty, sexual deviant unlike anyone else – something we've never really seen him do before. The picturesque last look on his face is priceless, reminiscent of the films of the '40s and '50s. 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' Most movie actors aren't capable of properly lending their voices to animation. See: 'Rio.' Better yet, don't see 'Rio.' It's awful. Just take my word on it. Not only is the movie itself flavorless, but the majority of the “stars” who lend the voices to the main characters are dreadful. No other actor could have phoned-in a more boring voice-over than Jesse Eisenberg as the lead blue macaw, Blu. If 'Rio' is a perfect example of how casting movie actors doesn't work, then 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' is brilliant example of how it can. George Clooney voices the titular character, Mr. Fox, in this Wes Anderson stop motion family flick. When Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep) became pregnant, she made Mr. Fox promise to stop stealing hens from the local farmers' coups. Several fox-years later, he's back at it and the three ruthless farmers will stop at nothing to kill Mr. Fox and his family. Based on the book by Roald Dahl, 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' is not only entertaining for children, but for adults as well. It's full of the elements that keep kids entertained: mild peril, kid characters who need to learn lessons, silly action, et cetera. The elements that will entertain the adults are the Wes Anderson-isms: the playful directing, the witty dialog, the use of music and moving pictures, and so on. Perhaps the most entertaining of the elements that compose 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' is that fact the Anderson wrote a kids' screenplay full of swearing and profanity, but changed every foul word to “cuss” in order to not have an R-rated family flick. “Don't cussing point at me!” “If you're gonna cuss with somebody, you're not gonna cuss with me, you little cuss!” And my personal favorite, “What a cluster cuss.”Posted Mon Nov 28, 2011 at 01:00 PM PST by: -
High-Def Digest-Digest : November 28, 2011by Dick Ward [teaser]It's been a big month so far in the world of everything high def. It's also been a big month for High-Def Digest as we've expanded our scope to include videogame coverage. There's a crazy amount of news coming out and it's nigh impossible to keep on top of it. That's why the High-Def Digest-Digest exists - to keep you up to date on must-read stories and the things you may have missed.[/teaser] Blu-ray News High-Def Digest Holiday Gift Guide 2011: The Best Blu-rays of the Year If you've somehow missed our holiday gift guides, it's about time you got around to them. Start here, with the best Blu-rays of 2011. 'Lady and the Tramp: Diamond Edition' Blu-ray Announced and Detailed Disney Blu-ray releases are always exciting, and this one is no different. 'Lady and the Tramp' comes out February 7th so you'll be able to enjoy some Valentine's Day viewing followed by a peek at special features like "Inside Walt's Story Meetings." 'Straw Dogs (2011)' Blu-ray Dated and Detailed The remake of Pekinpah's thriller starring James Mardsen and Kate Bosworth will be hitting shelves December 20th, just in time for a last minute Christmas gift. You'll get director commentary and a few other features at a list price of $35.99. Digital Playground Brings Porn to Blu-ray 3D 'Jailhouse Heat,' the first 3D Blu-ray from Digital Playground, is available now and includes trailers and a behind-the-scenes featurette. It's a comedy apparently, but we're guessing no one's going to buy it for the jokes. Gear and Industry News 'Arrested Development' is Coming Back in 2013 - Exclusive to Netflix Boy did Netflix win out on this one. The cult comedy 'Arrested Development' will have 10 new episodes in 2013, all of which are going straight to Netflix. Should be interesting to see what this does for Netflix and for the streaming industry. Class Action Lawsuit Against Walmart and Netflix Could Get You a Gift Card The amount hasn't been disclosed yet, but you can get a Walmart gift card if you subscribed to Netflix during a certain time period. You can also get cash if you're willing to put in the effort. Vizio's Passive 3D TVs are Available Now It will certainly be interesting to see how Vizio's passive tech does on the market. The sets are out just in time for the holidays and the amount sold will be telling in regards to the future of 3D. Boxee Live TV OTA Dongle Priced at $49, Coming in January If you've cut cable in favor of streaming and over-the-air programming, the Boxee Live TV dongle will let you combine the two. There's no DVR support yet, but not having to leave the Boxee Box to watch TV is a nice feature to have. Game News Xbox 360 Update December 6th Includes Cloud Save Storage No longer will you have to transfer all your saves to a USB stick when you head to a friend's house or worry about losing everything when you get a new Xbox. 1,600 Cheaters Banned from 'Modern Warfare 3' On the plus side, cheaters and hackers are gone. On the downside, now you'll have to accept that you lost because your opponent was better. PS3 Users Get a Free Copy of 'Saint's Row 2' with 'Saint's Row: The Third' If you're on the PS3 and you pick up 'Saint's Row: The Third' you can get yourself a copy of 'Saint's Row 2' absolutely free. You have until February 13th to redeem your code. The Simpsons Arcade Game May Finally Come to Consoles Why on earth was this never released on a home console before? Well because licensing is complicated. Still, it looks like 'The Simpsons Arcade Game' is finally on the way and that has us all very excited.Posted Mon Nov 28, 2011 at 12:10 PM PST by: -
'The Doors 'Mr. Mojo Risin' - The Story of L.A. Woman' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]Celebrate "The Year of The Doors" with a 40th anniversary Blu-ray coming in January. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Eagle Rock is prepping 'The Doors 'Mr. Mojo Risin' - The Story of L.A. Woman' for a Blu-ray release on January 24. "Mr. Mojo Risin': The Story of L.A. Woman" is told through new interviews with Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore as well as Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman, original manager Bill Siddons, engineer/co-producer Bruce Botnick and others. The high-definition video also features live and studio performances as well as rare archival photos. This fascinating documentary contains rare footage of The Doors in the studio and on stage. The documentary was made with the full involvement, approval and cooperation of The Doors. L.A. Woman marked The Doors' swan song, as Morrison would pass away a few months after its release. At the time, Rolling Stone's Robert Meltzer called it "The Doors' greatest album...A landmark worthy of dancing in the streets (5/27/71)." The first band to release eight consecutive platinum albums, The Doors were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but a full track listing can be viewed here. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $19.98. You can find the latest specs for 'The Doors 'Mr. Mojo Risin' - The Story of L.A. Woman' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under January 24.Posted Mon Nov 28, 2011 at 11:45 AM PST by: -
'Killer Nun' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]Giulio Berruti's cult nunsploitation classic will be saying a prayer on Blu-ray in April. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Blue Underground will bring 'Killer Nun' to Blu-ray on April 24. Legendary Swedish sex bomb Anita Ekberg ('La Dolce Vita') stars as Sister Gertrude, a cruel nun who discovers depraved pleasure in a frenzy of drug addiction, sexual degradation and sadistic murder. Joe Dallesandro ('Andy Warhols Frankenstein'), Lou Castel ('A Bullet for the General'), Alida Valli ('Suspiria') and the luscious Paola Morra ('Behind Convent Walls') co-star in this notorious Nunsploitation sickie based on actual events that took place in a Central European country not many years ago! Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, and suggested list price for the Blu-ray will likely be $34.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Killer Nun' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 24.Posted Mon Nov 28, 2011 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
HDD Spotlight Bargain: 'Spider-Man: The High-Definition Trilogy' Blu-ray $24.99 at Amazon[teaser]Sam Raimi's trilogy featuring your friendly neighborhood web slinger is now over sixty percent off at Amazon! [/teaser] The online retailer has just reduced the price of 'Spider-Man: The High-Definition Trilogy' to just $24.99 (62% off suggested list price). Click here to swing down to Amazon and cash in on this deal!Posted Mon Nov 28, 2011 at 09:08 AM PST by: -
'The Dead' Blu-ray Announced and Detailed[teaser]Zombies will be going on an African safari on Blu-ray in February. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Starz/Anchor Bay is working on 'The Dead' for Blu-ray on February 14. You can read M. Enois Duarte's review of the Region B import here. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: Audio commentary by Howard J. Ford and Jon Ford, Unearthing The Dead, and a deleted scene. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'The Dead' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under February 14.Posted Mon Nov 28, 2011 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
High-Def Digest Holiday Gift Guide 2011: Our DEFINITIVE List for the Entire Familyby Aaron Peck Here it comes! Black Friday. The day when rational, sensible people turn into groups of deranged lunatics frothing at the mouths. Trampling each other to get to the ten doorbuster deals that the store has out. Climbing over each other, trying to reach for that last copy of 'Lord of the Rings' at an insanely low price. It's mayhem out there. I went shopping at the stroke of midnight on Black Friday last year to hopefully pick up a few cheap Blu-rays. Let me say right now that it wasn't worth it, not at all. The scene played out like this: groups of deal-hungry consumers surged toward the cheaply priced movies like fire ants descending on a dropped fedora. People shoved, pulled, and pushed their way through the crowds hoping to grab $4.99 copies of 'The Scorpion King.' There were a few moments where I honestly feared real bodily injury. What a mess! Why go through the pain and trouble of waking up at midnight and braving the madcap crowds, when you can do all your shopping from the comfort of your own home? [teaser]In an effort to make your holiday purchasing even more enjoyable please take a gander at our massive-oh-my-heavens-it's-so-big-holiday-gift-guide for all the movie lovers in your family. We hereby present our mega-mondo "DEFINITIVE List for the Entire Family."[/teaser] Family-Friendly Get some movies that your whole family will enjoy watching together. Movies that are timeless in nature, but appeal to each new generation as they grow up, and older generations who remember them fondly. Disney animated titles are perfect for this, but Disney isn't the only studio releasing fun family-friendly fare that can be enjoyed by everyone in the household. There have been a lot of family-friendly releases this year, but these are two of my favorites. 'Hook' is a family classic. Some people love it, some people really dislike it, and that's fine, but as far as movies for the whole family go, it's one of the best. 'Rango' may be a tad too scary for younger viewers, but I watched my 2 year-old nephew light up when he watched it, so I could be wrong. 'Rango' isn't just one of the best animated movies to come out this year, it's one of the best movies period. You really can't go wrong with 'Rango.' Plus, the video presentation of the lush animation is stunningly brilliant. Some of the best CGI animation ever put on screen. Other releases you may want to check out are any of the Disney releases that found their way to stores this year. How could you go wrong with 'The Lion King,' 'Fox and the Hound,' 'Dumbo,' and 'Beauty and the Beast'? Not to mention the brand new 'Winnie the Pooh' film that came out this year which now sits atop my list of favorite animated films. 'Star Wars' is always a great way to go too. Yes, there's quite a bit of violence, but it's much tamer than many of today's action movies. 'Star Wars' is a great way for fathers to bond with their young sons and in case the kids are looking for something extra kid-tastic they should definitely check out the surprisingly good 'LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace,' a Wal-Mart exclusive. That's definitely not all of the family fun fare out there. Other movies your family can enjoy together include 'Rio,' 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules,' and the brand new 'Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1.' Just for the Kids Sometimes parents need an electronic babysitter. That's just fine. Here you'll find movies that parents may get bored watching, but kids will happily replay again and again, so parents can do more important things like drink wassail and worry about how big a bite Christmas will take out of their wallets this year. These are all movies that came out this year on home video that may be too kiddie for parents to get involved in, but may provide that much needed 90 minutes of rest. 'Cars 2,' 'Gnomeo & Juliet,' 'Mars Needs Moms,' 'Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil,' 'Spy Kids Collection,' and 'The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl' are all choice that parents have. No, they aren't the best movies, but when you're dealing with kid-only movies, they rarely are. The good ones usually take a step up to the family-friendly department. These movies are designed to keep kids' attention with bright colors and middling stories. Get a couple and thank them for a few hours of peace and quiet from your rambunctious youngsters. Film Lover The film lover is a tough one to please. They're always on the lookout for lesser-known but great titles. They're not satisfied with the same old action movies from Hollywood. Their cinematic taste buds are much more refined. If a movie hasn't been to numerous film festivals then it isn't worthy. I saw 'Another Earth' and 'Win Win' at Sundance 2010 and loved them both. They've made the rounds on the film festival circuit and have now found their way to home video. These are movies that the staunch art house film lovers will no doubt enjoy. Other movies came out this year like 'Submarine,' 'Another Year,' 'Bellflower,' and 'Tree of Life,' which provide odd and inventive ways of storytelling. These aren't movies that the casual movie goer is going to love, but they're made for a different audience. A more discernible, thinking audience. Also check out some oldies but goodies like 'Gone With the Wind,' 'Chocolat,' and all five seasons of the original 'Twilight Zone.' 3D Enthusiast This year 3D home video has really taken off. Disney and the other studios have released dozens of titles for the 3D consumer. Many of the releases this year got top marks from our eagle-eyed reviewers. Take note of these and remember them when you're trying to buy for the 3D fanatic on your list. Brand new Disney 3D releases include: 'Bolt,' 'Chicken Little,' 'Meet the Robinsons,' 'The Nightmare Before Christmas,' 'Toy Story: 1, 2,& 3,' 'Tron: Legacy,' 'Cars 2' 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'The Lion King' and 'Tangled.' You're not really complaining about that release slate if you're a 3D TV owner. Right there is a top-notch bunch of movies that look stunning in 3D according to our resident reviewers. It isn't just Disney getting into the action either. Almost all of the huge summer blockbusters have come to Blu-ray with 3D releases. You can pick up 'The Green Lantern,' or 'Captain America: The First Avenger' for your 3D home entertainment system. The best 3D I saw for a live-action movie this year in the theaters was 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.' Good thing you can also get 'Part 1' in 3D. These two form a great one-two punch when it comes to a detailed, interactive 3D experience. Don't forget to check out the other 3D releases we've seen this year like 'Sea Rex: Journey to a Prehistoric World,' 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ,' 'Megamind,' 'How to Train Your Dragon,' 'Monsters vs. Aliens,' and 'Thor.' Action Junkie Wham-bam! Shoot'em up, beat'em up. That's all this group of movie goer cares about. Plenty of action-packed movies were released in 201, so many, that you shouldn't be at a loss when your action-fueled father asks you to get him a good action movie for Christmas. You could argue that 'Super 8' really isn't an action movie. Although the train wreck scene alone was more action-packed than many action movies saw this year. Plus it makes for excellent demo material at home. Another surprise was a movie that easily squeezed into my top ten: 'Hanna.' The action is infrequent, but when it happens it's ferocious, and expertly choreographed. A great Blu-ray to bring home if you're a fan of deliberate, well-crafted action. Don't forget the big dumb fun of 'Fast Five' though. Who could forget the demo audio mix on that sucker as they dragged that giant vault through the streets of Rio? We also finally got 'Jurassic Park' on Blu-ray, which was a long time coming. Now it's here and it's never sounded better. Turn the bass up loud on this one. Other action movies to keep an eye out for this holiday season include 'X-Men: First Class,' 'Sucker Punch,' 'The Green Hornet,' 'The Mechanic,' 'Drive Angry,' 'Battle: Los Angeles,' 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes,' and 'Conan the Barbarian.' Any of these titles will have your sound system rocking and your sub-woofer pumping out the low-end rumblings that tend to shake pictures off of walls and get neighbors mad. Have A Laugh Comedies will always be a big reason why we all collectively love the movies. Great comedies, the ones that make us laugh during every scene, are fairly plentiful. There are a lot of terrible comedies out there, but with the list below you can't go wrong. My two favorite comedies this year couldn't be more opposite of each other. That's okay though since they're both hilarious. Coincidentally, they also happen to be two movies I saw at Sundance. 'Tucker and Dale vs. Evil' is a movie everyone should watch. Why it got such a terrible, lackluster release is a mystery. If marketed right this movie could've had the same comedic influence as 'Shaun of the Dead.' The other Sundance alum that you should look for on Blu-ray is 'Our Idiot Brother' starring Paul Rudd as the world's most optimistic and trusting man. There's some great comedic television on Blu-ray too. Fox is releasing another 'Simpsons' season, this time it's the 14th season. (Very) slowly, but surely we're starting to fill out our 'Simpsons' seasons on Blu-ray. 'Futurama: Volume 6' along with 'Archer: The Complete Season Two' will create a great line of comedic animated television for you to watch at your leisure. For football fans, don't forget to check out 'The League: The Complete Season Two.' Season one was okay, but season two really brought the show to new heights. Also, make sure you check out Showtime's 'Shameless' coming to Blu-ray in December. Funny and touching (and a whole lotta naked Emmy Rossum). We saw a lot of raunchy R-rated comedies get released in 2011. So if the adults of the family are really jonesing for something funny to watch you should check out 'Horrible Bosses,' 'The Hangover: Part II,' 'Crazy Stupid Love,' 'Hall Pass,' 'Your Highness,' 'Bridesmaids,' 'Bad Teacher,' and 'Friends with Benefits.' For those of you that still love 80s screwball comedies 'Airplane!' and 'The Cannonball Run' are now both in high definition. Documentaries They seem to always get put on the back burner, but 2011 also saw some great documentaries come to home video. Make sure you pick these up if you're interested in finding out more about the world around you, whether that means an intimate discussion on the newspaper business, or an amazing look at how life flourishes on earth over the course of one day. I'm really contemplating putting 'Life in a Day' atop my list of best movies of 2011. Why? It's truly one of the most moving films I've ever seen. A simple subject, filming life all around the world in one day. Thousands of people took up the challenge and filmed their lives July 24, 2010. At Sundance, in 2011, we saw the finished product which was produced by Ridley Scott and directed by Kevin MacDonald. It's a beautiful, heart-wrenching study of how we as humans survive day to day. How we're all deeply connected without even knowing it. You owe it to yourself to see it. Other great documentaries to keep your eye out for are 'Page One: Inside the New York Times' for all those who would love to know how the world's most popular newspaper is run; Ken Burns' 'Prohibition;' Morgan Spurlock's look at product placement in movies and television with 'The Greatest Movie Ever Sold;' Music fans will love 'Beats, Rhymes, & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest;' and comedy fans will thoroughly enjoy 'Conan O'Brien Can't Stop.' Collector's Editions Ah, the special collectors' editions. Huge boxes, trinkets, special director's cuts, they have it all. This year was full of specially packaged editions that will enthrall Blu-ray collectors the world over. Every year we get new sets that we must display for everyone to see. Finally getting 'Citizen Kane' on Blu-ray was great, getting it in the packed 70th Anniversary release was fantastic. Collectors who love the look of these giant boxes displayed proudly atop their collections will want to get their hands on some of these. 'Ben-Hur: 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition,' 'Gettysburg / Gods and Generals: Limited Collector's Edition,' 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition,' 'Harry Potter: 5 & 6 Ultimate Editions,' 'It's a Wonderful Life: Collector's Edition Gift Set ,' and 'Band of Brothers / The Pacific: Special Edition Gift Set.' The Christmas Spirit No holiday shopping list is complete without pointing out the ever increasing plethora of holiday-themed movies that are widely available. Largely a list of perennial classics, Christmas movies will always hold a special place in our heart. They're the movies, no matter how old, that we revisit again and again. Year after year. There's nothing better for me than sitting down and watching 'A Christmas Story' at least five times before December 25th. It's just something I love to do, and if you still don't own this movie on Blu-ray there's just no excuse. One of the best catalog releases of the year came when we got Bill Murray's 'Scrooged' on Blu-ray. A Christmas movie for adults, but one of the funniest Christmas movies ever made. Other fun holiday traditions of mine include watching the 'Peanuts Holiday Collection,' 'Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas,' ''Twas the Night Before Christmas,' 'Frosty the Snowman,' 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation,' and 'Home Alone: 1 & 2.' If for any reason you haven't found the gifts you're looking for here, please check out our 2011 Gift Guides for: The Top 10 Classic Titles on Blu-ray HD Gear & Demo Material The Best Blu-rays of 2011 and The Essential Holiday Blu-rays We here at High-Def Digest would like to wish our readers a happy holiday season, and implore you to not get trampled during a Black Friday sale. If we can prevent even one holiday-related shopping injury, then we've done our job.Posted Wed Nov 23, 2011 at 10:40 AM PST by:
