Out now on 4K Blu-ray are the first four Transformers films, each in a 3-disc combo pack which includes a digital copy and a host of extras. Transformers (2007) features audio commentary from director Michael Bay, a Transformers Heads Up Display, and featurette compilations “Our World” (exploring the world of Transformers), “Their World” (examining the Autobots and Decepticons), and “More than Meets the Eye” (a look inside the desert attack scene, including concept boards), along with some Easter eggs. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) boasts an audio commentary by Michael Bay, Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman along with deleted and alternate scenes, Easter eggs, and multiple featurettes (including “Deconstructing Visual Bayhem” with commentary by pre-vis supervisor Steve Yamamoto, “25 Years of Transformers”, and “The Matrix of Marketing”, among many others. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) doesn’t have the audio commentary or Easter eggs featured in the previous two sets but does include multiple featurettes— notable among them are “Above and Beyond: Exploring Dark of the Moon”, “Uncharted Territory: NASA’s Future Then and Now”, and “The Art of Cybertron.” Rounding out the release is Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), which (like Transformers: Dark of the Moon) doesn’t have audio commentary, Easter eggs, or alternate and deleted scenes. Extras on this one include the behind-the-scenes special “Evolution with Extinction: The Making of Transformers: Age of Extinction” along with some featurettes about the design of the film and the action sequences. You can find the Blu-ray 4K Combo sets of Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and Transformers: Age of Extinction on Amazon for $19.99 each.
Also out this week are two releases from Shout! Factory and Major League Baseball chronicling and celebrating the 2017 World Series — the MLB official documentary The 2017 World Series and the complete video coverage of Houston’s entire World Series run 2017 World Series Collector’s Edition: Houston Astros. This year the Houston Astros claimed victory in the World Series Championship for the first time in team history, bringing honor and excitement to their hometown as it fought to recover from Hurricane Harvey’s devastation. The 2017 World Series documentary includes high-def video from game broadcasts and footage from the MLB Film & Video Archive. Also included are comprehensive game highlights, exclusive access and interviews, and coverage of the World Series Parade— total run time is around ninety minutes. The 2017 World Series Collector’s Edition: Houston Astros lets fans re-live every moment of the 2017 Fall Classic (around twenty hours total), including all seven complete World Series games and featuring the climactic ALCS Game Seven at Minute Maid Park. Each of the eight discs features a SleeveStats insert with game trivia, official stats, and more. Fans will also appreciate that there are four different audio options, including the (English) television broadcast, the Astros or Dodgers Radio Network announcers, or a Spanish-language version of the broadcasts. Both titles are available on Amazon: The 2017 World Series is currently priced at $22.99 for the Blu-ray and $19.99 for the DVD, with 2017 World Series Collector’s Edition: Houston Astros going for $44.70 on Blu-ray and $44.77 (yes, higher) on DVD.
Looking over to next week is the release of the third season of Zoo. The season starts in the year 2027, where the world is in crisis mode as a sterility problem has caused the human population to continuously drop. The remaining humans must also deal with the threat of “the hybrids,” an army of creatures spawned from laboratory science whose sole focus is to destroy mankind. Even with the team having gone their separate ways, Jackson, Abraham, Jamie, Logan, and Daniela must look beyond past problems and join together again once they learn that Mitch is not dead. Together, they race to halt the progress of the hybrids and the mysterious enemy who created them. Out on DVD on December 12th is Zoo: Season Three, available on DVD on Amazon for $29.99, which includes all thirteen episodes of the third season along with deleted scenes and a gag reel. The series is also available as a streaming option on both Amazon Video and iTunes for $19.99— no bonus features on either of those, but considering they cost $10 less, this one looks like a good time to go digital.
