This week on DVD and Blu-ray - July 22nd 2008

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Maybe someone can explain to me why Universal's "Mummy" tie-in extravaganza a week or two back didn't include the Blu-Ray versions? Wouldn't it have made more sense for the studio to flood the market with every conceivable permutation of the franchise on the same day? There may be a logic to the madness, now that I think about it. By breaking up the releases, Universal gets maximum advertising bang for the buck. With one major DVD release date, Universal would have had to pick the date very carefully to avoid the bonanza from "The Dark Knight." If they erred, the promotion would be overshadowed.

But by spreading the wealth, so to speak, they are assured of not one, but two different advertising hits with consumers, in effect creating a "Mummy" month. (Warner did the same thing with the various Bat-titles...)

In any event, the very first Uni BD content streets today, with "The Mummy," "The Mummy Returns" and "The Scorpion King." Certain retailers are even offering movie cash for "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" meaning you can get two movies for the price of one. (Just be careful: Warner's movie cash for "The Dark Knight" is not accepted at AMC Theaters, a cruel reality I was confronted with this past weekend.)

The last in Warner's Batman-palooza hits today, too. The fifth season of "The Batman" animated series streets, along with the fifth season of Cartoon Network's now-defunct "Teen Titans" series.

Elsewhere on shiny disc is this spring's $81 million grossing "21" in dueling regular, deluxe and BD incarnations. (The deluxe edition includes-surprise-a digital copy of the film.)

This week also gives us a plethora of new high def releases, among them "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "The Exorcism of Emily Rose," "The BBC High Definition Natural History Collection" (featuring "Ganges," "Wild China," "Galapagos" and the uncut United Kingdom version of "Planet Earth"), "Earth: The Biography" (also on standard DVD), another Warner make-up title in "The Perfect Storm" and the first "Urban Legend" flick.

By the way, my theory has been confirmed. There was an article in last week Home Media Magazine explaining Hollywood doesn't cannibalize itself by releasing a major theatrical release along with major DVD's releases. That would explain the glut of anything...well, good...the last couple of weeks (not to mention this one). Which means we're going to be scraping the bottom of the proverbial barrel for another couple of weeks-at least until September rolls around the the releases of "The Godfather" and "Iron Man," among others.

The sadist in me wants to mention the third volume of "The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin." Not because I want the set for myself, but because I remember the frenzy to get the overpriced, undermanufactured and quite honestly, hideous, robot with a cassette player in his back. The lips never synched with the words, batteries always died...blah. My sister used to have one. Come to think of it, the thing might still be sitting around the house somewhere. While we're on old school cartoons, "The Super Mario Brothers Supershow: Mario of the Deep" hits, too. You remember the show...swing your arms, and back again. COME ON! Do the Mario!

And now for our recap: Blu-Ray editions of "21" (also as single and double disc regular DVD's), "The BBC High Definition Natural History Collection," "Earth: The Biography," "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "The Exorcism of Emily Rose," "The Mummy," "The Mummy Returns," "The Perfect Storm," "The Scoprion King" and "Urban Legend." Standard DVD only offerings include "The Batman" and "Teen Titans"-both Season Five's-"The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin" and "The Super Mario Brothers Supershow: Mario of the Deep."

PS-Sunday at 10 pm "Mad Men" premieres its second season on AMC. Now didn't I say I'd throw a reminder out there?

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Be sure to check out the full details under related releases.

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