It seems that distributors have decided to atone for not releasing much interesting last week by releasing a boatload of interesting stuff this week. Seriously, fellas, spread it out a little! I’d like to enjoy putting this column together EVERY week, not just sporadically. But this week could definitely drive me broke if I let it, both with solid new releases and tempting catalog titles.
New Release Picks of the Week
Winnie the Pooh
Still one of my favorite movies of the year so far, a simple and perfect throwback to Disney’s classic Winnie the Pooh cartoons, with a wonderful balance of cleverness and whimsy. 2011 USA. Director: Don Hall, Stephen J. Anderson. Starring: Jim Cummings, Craig Ferguson. Amazon DVD | Amazon Blu-ray | Netflix
Attack the Block
I was afraid this little British genre film couldn’t live up to the incredible hype it’s been getting from the geek bloggers, but it certainly did – great creature design and solid plotting all built around some really strong character arcs. Everything I want in a genre film. 2011 UK. Director: Joe Cornish. Starring: John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Nick Frost. Amazon DVD | Amazon Blu-ray | Netflix
Captain America: The First Avenger
Comic book movies don’t always do a whole lot for me, though I often find them nice throwaway entertainment. I really liked Captain America. Like, a lot. It’s a solid adventure film, comic book tie-in or not. 2011 USA. Director: Joe Johnston. Starring: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving. Amazon DVD | Amazon Blu-ray | Netflix
OTHER NEW RELEASES
City of Life and Death (2011 China, dir Chuan Lu, stars Hideo Nakaizumi, Ye Liu; Blu-ray/Netflix)
The Countess (2009 France, dir Julie Delpy, stars William Hurt, Julie Delpy; Netflix)
Father of Invention (2010 USA, dir Trent Cooper, stars Kevin Spacey, Camilla Belle; Blu/Netflix)
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010 Finland, dir Jalmari Helander, stars Jorma Tommila; Blu-ray/Netflix)
A Serbian Film (2010 Serbia, dir Srdjan Spasojevic, stars Srdjan Todorovic; Blu-ray)
Shaolin (2011 Hong Kong, dir Benny Chan, ,stars Andy Lau, Jackie Chan; Blu-ray/Netflix)
Faces in the Crowd (2011 USA, dir Julien Magnat, stars Milla Jovovich; Blu-ray/Netflix)
A Little Help (2010 USA, dir Michael J. Weithron, stars Jenna Fischer, Chris O’Donnell; Blu-ray/Netflix)
The People vs. George Lucas (2010 USA, dir Alexandre O. Philippe, stars John Barger; Netflix)
Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings (2011 USA, dir Declan O’Brien, stars Terra Vnesa; Blu-ray/Netflix)
Classic Picks of the Week
Island of Lost Souls Criterion
I haven’t seen this early version of the Island of Dr. Moreau story, with its mad doctor experimenting on animals and men, but the more I read about it, the more I’m dying to. Check out Criterion’s Three Reasons for yourself. 1932 USA. Director: Erle C. Kenton. Starring: Charles Laughton, Richard Arlen. Amazon DVD | Amazon Blu-ray | Netflix
Laurel & Hardy: The Essential Collection
Based on my brief perusal of the reviews of this set, sounds like it’s a really solid one, containing most of Laurel & Hardy’s best shorts from throughout the 1930s. 1929-1940 USA. Director: various. Starring: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy. Amazon DVD
Tom & Jerry Golden Collection: Volume One
Tom and Jerry aren’t quite as high in my cartoon echelon as Looney Tunes, but there are some mighty solid entries in the series, and looks like MGM is doing right by them in this set, hopefully the first of several. 1940s-1950s USA. Director: various. Starring: Lillian Randolph. DVD | Blu-ray
OTHER CLASSIC RELEASES
Identification of a Woman (1982 Italy, dir Michaelangelo Antonioni, stars Tomas Milian, Daniela Silverio; Blu/Netflix)
Blu-Ray Picks of the Week
Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy
This is coming out on DVD, too, but really, Jurassic Park on Blu-ray is the big news here. I’d be content with just the first one, but that doesn’t seem to be an option right now. 1993-2001 USA. Director: Steven Spielberg, Joe Johnston. Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern. Amazon Blu-ray | Amazon DVD
The Conversation
One of Coppola’s finest films, wrestling with still-prescient issues of surveillance and morality, is hitting Blu-ray. It’s a great film, so it’s definitely worth a purchase if you don’t have it, if not an upgrade. 1974 USA. Director: Francis Ford Coppola. Starring: Gene Hackman, Harrison Ford. Amazon Blu-ray
OTHER BLU-RAY RELEASES
Dazed and Confused Criterion (1993 USA, dir Richard Linklater, stars Jason London)
Television Picks of the Week
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
This British miniseries version of the John le Carre novel is extremely highly regarded (check out Marina’s review), and with a new feature film version due to hit the States in a few weeks, I’m definitely curious to see this one as well. 1979 UK. Director: John Irvin. Starring: Alec Guinness, Ian Richardson. Amazon DVD | Netflix
Smiley’s People
Guinness returns to the role of George Smiley for another miniseries based on a le Carre novel. 1982 UK. Director: Simon Langton. Starring: Alec Guinness, Ian Richardson. Amazon DVD | Netflix
OTHER TELEVISION RELEASES
Luther: Season 2 (2011 UK, creator Neil Cross, stars Warren Brown, Idris Elba; Netflix)
Robot Chicken: Season 5 (2011 USA, creators Seth Green, Matthew Senrich, stars Seth Green; Netflix)
Survivor Season 5: Thailand (2002 USA, creator Charlie Parsons; Netflix)
Barney Miller: The Complete Series (1974-1982 USA, creator Danny Arnold, stars Hal Linden; Netflix)
Dennis the Menace: Season 3 (1962 USA, starring Jay North, Herbert Anderson; Netflix)
Wagon Train: Season 4 (1961 USA, stars Frank McGrath, Terry Wilson; Netflix)
The Virginian: Season 5 (1967 USA, stars James Drury, Doug McClure; Netflix)
Instant Watch Pick of the Week
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid
I love me some westerns, and Sam Peckinpah is one of the masters. I’ve had this on my list for a while (even had a DVR’d copy that sadly got deleted before I had a chance to watch it), so I’m glad to see it pop on Instant. 1973 USA. Director: Sam Peckinpah. Starring: James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson.
OTHER INSTANT WATCHES
The Bill Cosby Show (1969-70 USA, creator Bill Cosby, stars Bill Cosby)
Faces in the Crowd (2011 USA, dir Julien Magnat, stars Milla Jovovich, Julian McMahon)
The Funeral (1996 USA, dir Abel Ferrara, stars Christopher Walken, Chris Penn)
Hopalong Cassidy Collection (1952 USA, stars William Boyd)
A Little Help (2010 USA, dir Michael J. Weithron, stars Jenna Fischer, Chris O’Donnell)
The Next Three Days (2010 USA, dir Paul Haggis, stars Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks)
Radio (2003 USA, dir Michael Tollin, stars Ed Harris, Cuba Gooding Jr)
Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991 USA, dir Mark Lester, stars Dolph Lundgren, Brandon Lee)
Winnebago Man (2009 USA, dir Ben Steinbauer, stars Jack Rebney)
See all new and upcoming titles.
Instant Watch Expiring Picks
Harry and the Hendersons (1987 USA, dir William Dear, stars John Lithgow, Melinda Dillon) [10/26]
Mo’ Better Blues (1990 USA, dir Spike Lee, stars Denzel Washington, Spike Lee) [10/26]
Someone Like You (2001 USA, dir Tony Goldwyn, stars Ashley Judd, Hugh Jackman) [10/27]
When in Rome (2010 USA, dir Mark Steven Johnson, stars Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel) [10/27]
The Education of Charlie Banks (2007 USA, dir Fred Durst, stars Jesse Eisenberg) [10/28]
Going My Way (1944 USA, dir Leo McCarey, stars Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald) [10/30]
Let’s Make Love (1960 USA, dir George Cukor, stars Yves Montand, Marilyn Monroe) [10/31]
8 Mile (2002 USA, dir Curtis Hanson, stars Eminem, Brittany Murphy) [11/1]
Aelita, Queen of Mars (1924 USSR, dir Yakov Protazanov, stars Yuliya Solntseva) [11/1]
The Affairs of Anatol (1921 USA, dir Cecil B. DeMille, stars Wallace Reid, Gloria Swanson) [11/1]
Alexander Nevsky (1938 USSR, dir Sergei Eisenstein, stars Nikolai Cherkasov) [11/1]
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976 USA, dir John Carpenter, stars Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston) [11/1]
Benny and Joon (1993 USA, dir Jeremiah S. Checkik, stars Johnny Depp) [11/1]
Berlin: Symphony of a Great City (1927 Germany, dir Walter Ruttmann) [11/1]
The Birth of a Nation (1915 USA, dir D.W. Griffith, stars Lillian Gish, Mae Marsh) [11/1]
Blackmail is My Life (1968 Japan, dir Kinji Fukasaku, stars Hiroki Matsukata, Tomomi Sato) [11/1]
Cabiria (1914 Italy, dir Giovanni Pastrone, stars Lidia Quararita, Gina Marangoni) [11/1]
The Cat and the Canary (1927 USA, dir Paul Leni, stars Forrest Stanley) [11/1]
Destiny (1921 Germany, dir Fritz Lang, stars Bernhard Goetzke, Lil Dagover) [11/1]
Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler (1922 Germany, dir Fritz Lang, stars Rudolf Klein-Rogge) [11/1]
Earth (1930 USSR, dir Aleksandr Dovzhenko, stars Stepan Shkurat, Semyon Svashenko) [11/1]
For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943 USA, dir Sam Wood, stars Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergman) [11/1]
The Glass Menagerie (1973 USA, dir Anthony Harvey, stars Katharine Hepburn) [11/1]
The Good German (2006 USA, dir Steven Soderbergh, stars George Clooney) [11/1]
Henri Langlois: Phantom of the Cinematheque (2005 France, dir Jacques Richard) [11/1]
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923 USA, dir Wallace Worsley, stars Lon Chaney) [11/1]
Ivan the Terrible (1944 USSR, dir Sergei Eisenstein, stars Nikolai Cherkasov) [11/1]
Leaves from Satan’s Book (1921 Denmark, dir Carl Theodor Dreyer, stars Helge Nissen) [11/1]
Look Both Ways (2005 Australia, dir Sarah Watt, stars Justine Clarke, William McInnes) [11/1]
The Lost World (1925 USA, dir Harry O. Hoyt, stars Wallace Beery, Alma Bennett) [11/1]
The Mark of Zorro (1920 USA, dir Fred Niblo, stars Douglas Fairbanks, Robert McKim) [11/1]
Meet Joe Black (1998 USA, dir Martin Brest, stars Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins) [11/1]
My Cousin Vinny (1992 USA, dir Jonathan Lynn, stars Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei) [11/1]
October (1927 USSR, dir Sergei Eisenstein) [11/1]
An Officer and a Gentlemen (1982 USA, dir Taylor Hackford, stars Richard Gere) [11/1]
One Fine Day (1996 USA, dir Michael Hoffman, stars George Clooney, Michelle Pfeiffer) [11/1]
Orphans of the Storm (1921 USA, dir D.W. Griffith, stars Lillian Gish, Dorothy Gish) [11/1]
Pale Flower (1964 Japan, dir Mashiro Shinoda, stars Ryo Ikebe, Mariko Kaga) [11/1]
The Phantom of the Opera (1925 USA, dir Rupert Julian, stars Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin) [11/1]
Scream (1996 USA, dir Wes Craven, stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox) [11/1]
The Sheik (1921 USA, dir George Melford, stars Rudolph Valentino, Agnes Ayres) [11/1]
Spaceballs (1987 USA, dir Mel Brooks, stars Bill Pullman, John Candy) [11/1]
Tattooed Life (1965 Japan, dir Seijun Suzuki, stars Hideki Takahashi, Akira Yamauchi) [11/1]
True Lies (1994 USA, dir James Cameron, stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis) [11/1]
Way Down East (1920 USA, dir D.W. Griffith, stars Lillian Gish, Lowell Sherman) [11/1]
Vampire’s Kiss (1989 USA, dir Robert Bierman, stars Nicolas Cage, Jennifer Beals) [11/2]
Gangs of New York (2002 USA, dir Martin Scorsese, stars Leonardo diCaprio) [11/3]
The Money Pit (1986 USA, dir Richard Benjamin, stars Tom Hanks, Shelley Long) [11/3]
Tetro (2009 USA, dir Francis Ford Coppola, stars Vincent Gallo, Alden Ehrenreich) [11/4]
Badman’s Country (1958 USA, dir Fred F. Sears, stars George Montgomery, Neville Brand) [11/6]
Pandorum (2009 USA, dir Christian Alvart, stars Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster) [11/6]
The Red Badge of Courage (1951 USA, dir John Huston, stars Audie Murphy, Bill Mauldin) [11/6]
Thunder Over the Plains (1953 USA, dir André De Toth, stars Randolph Scott, Lex Barker) [11/6]
Strange Days (1995 USA, dir Kathryn Bigelow, stars Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett) [11/7]
See all expiring titles.
Disclaimers
- Amazon links use my affiliate account, and will kick a small percentage of your purchase back to me. You pay the same price you would anyway.
- Not all new releases are available on Netflix immediately. Some studio films have a 30-day release window before Netflix can rent them, and some smaller releases are not picked up by Netflix immediately. Add them to your “saved” queue if you’re interested; that tells Netflix there is demand for the disc.
- Not all new Blu-ray releases are available on Netflix – Netflix usually buys both DVD and Blu-ray editions of new releases, but if a DVD has already been released, they don’t always get the Blu-ray when it comes out later.
- Instant Watch releases are not always 100% accurate – often the data from the API is not fully accurate until the actual day of release. I always check on release day to make sure things actually do hit Instant Watch, but for things that come out later than Tuesday when I publish this post, I won’t be able to tell.
- Instant Watch expirations are not always 100% accurate – sometimes they don’t expire after all, sometimes things expire with little advance warning. I always check to make sure the data is accurate to the best of my knowledge when I publish the post, but things could still change, especially since I’m giving expiration warnings up to two weeks in advance.
- I rely on Box Office Mojo and InstantWatcher for the majority of the data for these posts, so thank you to them for the work they do.
