This Week on DVD and Blu-ray - August 19, 2008

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As summer winds its way to an end, I'm reminded of the Kenny Chesney song "Anyone But Mine."  Maybe not the entire song, but a certain line. 

"There's a summer drawing to an end tonight." 

Indeed, we're only halfway through August, yet summer seems to have taken its toll.  Blockbuster theatrical releases have dried up.  Home video schedules are bare.  Last week's slate was remarkably unremarkable.  This week's is similarly uninspiring.  I guess the only solace we can really have is next week's plethora of catalogue content alongside a show everyone but me loves.  However, in order to get to August 26, we have to slog through August 19. 

The marquee titles hitting shelves all have numbers in their titles. We might as well call it a theme for the week.  A completely unnecessary (IMHO, of course) follow-up to "The Scorpion King" entitled-get this-"The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior" drops in for some fun with both standard DVD (widescreen and fullscreen, to boot!) and high def offerings.  Confession time: I picked up all three of "The Mummy" flicks a couple weeks back.  That being said, I won't be getting "Rise of a Warrior."  It just feels icky to me. 

Just in time for the fall television season to ramp up, "Dexter" Season Two, "Gossip Girl" Season One, "House, M.D." Season Four, "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season One and "Justice League" Season One all arrive on our favorite media format.  "Sarah Connor" does both regular and Blu-Ray versions while "Justice League" makes its high def debut; the regular edition has been out for quite some time.

Continuing our numbers theme-no, "Num3ers" isn't out this week, sadly-a surprisingly bare Criterion version of "Twenty-Four Eyes" deserves a mention according to Chris Long.  What's not worth mentioning is the HBO movie "Recount." (Get it…count…numbers…)  Lots of stars, a stray idea or two but a Democratic wet dream. "Street Kings" gets three variations this week: single and double disc DVD editions and a 1080p option.  The double disc and BD feature digital copy.  Shocking.  Also on the three SKU map is the remake of "Prom Night" (standard unrated and theatrical, unrated Blu-ray). 

To stretch this weeks theme, Oliver Stone' s "Nixon" gets spruced up.  How're we stretching numbers to cover a movie about a president?  Well, said president is elected by the people through the voting process.  And in that process, votes are counted (See?  Numbers!) by machines or people.  Anyway, extended director's cuts on both DVD and Blu-ray.  Next up, and an honest to goodness number, is "A Four Letter Word."  No good reason to mention it except for the "four."

"Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds 3-D Concert" shows up in the expected configurations (BD and DVD) for the legions of fans who couldn't get to IMAX theaters to see the show earlier this year.  $65 million domestically for a Disney Channel character.  Unbelievable.  I can't wait to see what "High School Musical 3" makes when it debuts in October.

And now the part of the show I can't fit into this week's theme.  Please try to hold back the tears.  More Criterion goodness in the form of "The Small Back Room;" the cringe-worthy "Freshman Orientation" (also known as "Home of Phobia"...get it?); "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" (maybe "one day"...); and "The Life Before Her Eyes" in both SD and BD editions.
Blu-ray Recap: "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds 3-D Concert," "Justice League" Season One, "The Life Before Her Eyes," "Nixon," "Prom Night" (remake), "The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior," "Street Kings," "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season One.
DVD Recap: "Dexter" Season Two, "A Four Letter Word," "Freshman Orientation," "Gossip Girl" Season One, "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds 3-D Concert," "House, M.D." Season Four, "The Life Before Her Eyes," "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day," "Nixon," "Prom Night" (remake), "Recount," "The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior," "The Small Back Room," "Street Kings," "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season One, "Twenty-Four Eyes."

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