This Week on DVD and Blu-ray - October 27th, 2009

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Welcome, welcome, one and all to another edition of DVD Town's This Week in DVD and Blu-Ray. I am your party host and I hope some of you have gotten over that hangover from the sensory overload of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." I admit to buying the Walmart exclusive IMAX edition and the presentation is absolutely phenomenal even if the movie is a stinky turd. Sorry, but it is.

No explosions or giant robots this week, but we do have some decent horror flicks for you and a few family friendly releases. We'll start with the latter of the two. If your little ones are all hopped up on Halloween candy, you might be able to get them out of your hair for about an hour and a half with "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs." The latest in the "Ice Age" series from Blue Sky Studios, "Dawn of the Dinosaurs" isn't quite as strong as the first film, but is a step up from the sequel, "Ice Age: The Meltdown." Ray Romano, Denis Leary, and John Leguizamo return as main characters Manny, Diego, and Sid along with Queen Latifah as Manny the Mammoth's love interest, Ellie. Trapped in a subterranean world inhabited by long-lost dinosaurs, our heroes are guided through the dangers by a somewhat unhinged weasel named Buck (voiced by the always entertaining Simon Pegg). "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" will be available this week on DVD as well as a Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack with Digital Copy.

Another CG animated film coming out this Tuesday is "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure," Disney's direct-to-video sequel of a direct-to-video spin-off of the classic "Peter Pan." "Lost Treasure" features the voice work of Mae Whitman, Anjelica Huston, Kristin Chenoweth, Lucy Liu, and Raven-Symone, among others. Learn a little bit more about Tink and company by reading James Plath's review of the Blu-Ray.

If family friendly entertainment isn't your idea of a spooky Halloween, then try these horror flicks on for size. First, there's "Orphan" starring Peter Sarsgaard, Vera Farmiga, and Isabelle Fuhrman as the titular character. Following in the tradition of films such as "The Omen," "The Bad Seed," and "The Good Son," "Orphan" centers on a murderous child. John J. Puccio has written up reviews for the DVD and Blu-Ray.

The cult classic "Night of the Creeps" debuts on DVD and Blu-Ray this week. It was written and directed by Fred Dekker who most know for another cult favorite, "The Monster Squad." Fans that've been clamoring to see Jill Whitlow in her evening gown and armed with a flamethrower should be extremely excited for this release. For more, read Professor Plath's review of the Blu-Ray.

Also hitting shelves this week is Woody Allen's "Whatever Works" with Larry David taking over the lead role as nebbish old Jewish guy. David plays Boris Yelnikoff, a chess teacher, who rants at everybody and is essentially an extension of his character on "Curb Your Enthusiasm." You can read James Plath's review of the Blu-Ray here.

Lionsgate re-releases "Stargate" on Blu-Ray with a new 15th Anniversary Edition. Originally released on Blu-Ray back in 2006, that previous edition was practically barebones (with only a commentary track) and a transfer that has been chided by many a videophile. The "Stargate: 15th Anniversary Edition" features plenty of extras and an all-new transfer.

Rounding out the new releases for this week are: Z: The Criterion Collection, the Latino-themed X-mas flick "Nothing Like the Holidays," the animated anthology "Fear(s) of the Dark," and "Battlestar Galactica: The Plan."

The biggest TV on DVD release has to be A&E's "The Prisoner: The Complete Series" on both standard DVD and Blu-Ray. Catch Number 6's trials and tribulations in the surreal Village on high definition for the first time. Also out this week are "The Fugive: Season 3, Volume 1" and "The Guardian: The Complete 1st Season," starring Simon Baker who can currently be seen on CBS's "The Mentalist."

Next week we'll be back with a look at several "G.I. Joe" releases (including the live-action blockbuster "Rise of Cobra"), the Tony Scott-directed "Taking of Pelham 123," and the "Watchmen: Ultimate Collector's Edition."

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