DVD of the Week: Ten Commandments. Well, it’s not like you don’t know this story. I’ll take the Mel Brooks version, myself, but for sheer spectacle you can’t beat DeMille with a bigass stone tablet, that’s for sure. Paramount delivers an impressive update for the 50th anniversary of the film, because this time around you get not only the Charlton Heston/Yul Brynner version, but DeMille’s original 1923 version as well, with a historian’s commentary on both versions this time around. You also get newsreel footage of the premiere, plus the previous making-of docu. (Buy it)
TV DVD of the Week: Full House: The Complete Third Season. Lots of people grew up with the kids of the Tanner household. And lots of people frown on the “happy” sitcoms of yesteryear, but hey, if that’s your thing, go for it. Just, you know, don’t watch Saget do standup. It might blow the top of your head off. Here all twenty-two episodes of the show’s third year hit thanks to Warner Brothers, and they’re spread across four discs. The only extra is a montage of Coulier’s impersonations, but the fact this is on DVD at all will be very pleasing to fans, who should definitely grab it so the seasons keep coming. (Buy it)
Horror DVD of the Week: Dreams in the Witch House. As part of the horror renaissance (read: Hollywood remembering, hey, horror’s cheap and usually has a pretty good ROI), somebody had the good sense to go and grab some of the “Masters” of the genre and have them create some TV movies. Here, Anchor Bay delivers the Stuart Gordon-adapted Lovecraft story with more extras than a shoggoth could carry: commentary by Gordon and the lead actor, five featurettes, and some decent DVD-ROM content as well. It’s a shame when a student’s budget leads him to madness, isn’t it? Ah, well–we’ve all been there. (Buy it)
Cult DVD of the Week: The Fifth Cord. Fans of Italian giallo should be very happy with the folks at Blue Underground, since they continue to release these titles with more extras than any other company could muster. We love companies that understand their audience. This flick pits a journalist against a killer in a thriller that doesn’t exactly light the genre on fire, but is so well shot and setup that it will draw you in regardless. Fans should definitely check it out. Extras include interviews with the lead actor and the cinematographer. (Buy it)
Anime DVD of the Week: Animation Runner Kuromi 2. This sequel to the original OVA tells the continuing story of Kuromi and the cast of characters that work in the animation studio with her. This time around they’re handling three shows at once, and having to deal with a new manager who…doesn’t manage well, let’s say. This Central Park Media release comes with a creator interview, the storyboards (which can be brought up in an alternate angle–nice), a gallery of production sketches and more. (Buy it)
Brit DVD of the Week: The Camomile Lawn. An excellent drama that uses a funeral in the story’s present to explore a family’s past, it spans more than half a century and tells the story of five cousins and the effect World War II and the events after had on their lives. This Acorn Media release is based on the novel by Mary Wesley and spans two discs. Extras include a Wesley bio and cast filmographies. It pulls no punches, but it’s worth at least a rental. (Buy it)
DVD Boxed Set of the Week: Mission: Impossible Collector’s Set. For those fans of the franchise who haven’t already picked up the two original collector’s edition releases, Paramount is making it easier for you to do so. This is all three discs of those two, in one handy box. And, really, the price isn’t bad all things considered. This set comes with a slew of extras, including several featurettes on the first film, plus a John Woo commentary on the second, interviews, a stunt featurette and more. If you’re still with them for the third movie, then more power to you. (Buy it)
Docu DVD of the Week: Deep Blue. I suppose this release from Miramax is a compromise at best. It’s essentially Blue Planet, the mind-blowing BBC miniseries, condensed down to a feature film length. Personally, I’d pay good money to see the original series on the big screen, but I suppose if you have to settle, this will do. If you’re looking at a quick refresher or just aren’t sure if you could sit through the entire six-plus hours of the original (if so, you’re foolish), then this will suffice. I would say to use this to rope in friends so they’ll go grab the whole thing. Comes with a making-of featurette. (Buy it)
