Every week we dive into the cream of the crop when it comes to home releases, including Blu-ray and DVD, as well recommended deals of the week. Check out our rundown below and return every Tuesday for the best films one can take home. Note that every purchase you make through the links below helps support the site and is greatly appreciated.
The Kentucky Fried Movie (John Landis)
Before John Landis crafted a comedy classic with Animal House and before Jim Abrahams and David & Jerry Zucker did the same with Airplane!, they came together for The Kentucky Fried Movie. A collection of shorts that push things to the extreme (for 1977), it’s an often hilarious benchmark for the spoof genre. If you were rightfully turned off by the horrendous Movie 43, this one should redeem your funny bone. This Blu-ray update also includes one-hour conversation with the Zuckers and commentary from the main players.
The Producers (Mel Brooks)
It’s difficult to believe it took this long for Mel Brooks‘ musical-in-the-making comedy The Producers to arrive here on Blu-ray in the United States, but today is the day. Tracking a fading Broadway producer (Zero Mostel) and his accountant (Gene Wilder) finding a financially successfully loophole by crafting the worst musical of all-time, Brooks’ directorial debut is one of his best. Coming from Shout! Factory, the 1080p transfer is sure to look glorious, but the big catch for fans is likely hearing “Springtime for Hitler” in full DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio. Also featuring a one-hour making of documentary, this one is a must-buy for fans — especially if you’ve only seen the remake.
The Trouble With Harry (Alfred Hitchcock)
In between To Catch a Thief and The Man Who Knew Too Much, Alfred Hitchock made this funny farce, following a handful of small-town folks who happen upon a dead body and react in ways one might not expect. Considering it seems to be one of the Master of Suspense’s most overlooked features, the dark comedy is well worth catching up with (or revisiting) now that it’s on Blu-ray. Included in the release is a 32-minute documentary on the production, including its many woes, culminating in a failed U.S. theatrical release.
Up Series (Directed by Paul Almond and Michael Apted)
Few cinematic projects are as expansive and ambitious as Michael Apted and Paul Almond’s Up series. Kicking off in 1964, the project has followed fourteen British males from seven to present-day, with the latest iteration revisiting them at age 56. Following the release of the latest edition this year, the entire set is now available on DVD with the best feature easily being an interview conducted by the late Roger Ebert with Apted. If you have a spare 848 minutes, give this collection a watch.
Recommended Deals of the Weeks
The American (Blu-ray) – $4.85
Annie Hall (Blu-ray) – $10.49
Battle Royale (Blu-ray) – $7.99
Baraka (Blu-ray) – $12.99
Beasts of the Southern Wild (Blu-ray) – $8.99
Best of Warners Bros 50-Film Collection (Blu-ray) – $184.99
Black Swan (Blu-ray) – $9.99
Blue Velvet (Blu-ray) – $8.99
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Blu-ray) – $7.99
The Cabin in the Woods (Blu-ray) – $9.99
Casino Royale (Blu-ray) – $10.00
Cool Hand Luke (Blu-ray) – $7.99
Collateral (Blu-ray) – $9.97
Die Hard (Blu-ray) – $9.99
The Departed (Blu-ray) – $9.49
The Descendants (Blu-ray) – $9.99
Drive (Blu-ray) – $9.49
Fight Club (Blu-ray) – $9.99
The French Connection (Blu-ray) – $11.99
Goodfellas (Blu-ray) – $9.49
Haywire (Blu-ray) – $9.99
Heat (Blu-ray) – $9.99
The Illusionist (Blu-ray) – $9.99
Inception (Blu-ray) – $9.04
In the Mood For Love (Criterion Blu-ray) – $16.99
Jaws (Blu-ray) – $10.99
Magic Mike (Blu-ray) – $11.49
The Man with No Name Trilogy (Blu-ray) – $19.79
Martha Marcy May Marlene (Blu-ray) – $9.99
Memento (Blu-ray) – $7.99
Miller’s Crossing (Blu-ray) – $8.77
Michael Clayton (Blu-ray) – $8.49
Network (Blu-ray) – $6.99
Patton (Blu-ray) – $9.99
Pulp Fiction (Blu-ray) – $9.92
The Raid: Redemption (Blu-ray) – $9.99
Seven (Blu-ray) – $9.99
Somewhere (Blu-ray) – $8.49
Smashed (Blu-ray) – $9.99
Sound of My Voice (Blu-ray) – $9.99
There Will Be Blood (Blu-ray) – $7.99
The Thing (Blu-ray) – $8.99
Trainspotting (Blu-ray) – $7.79
The Truman Show (Blu-ray) – $7.99
The Untouchables (Blu-ray) – $8.99
Young Frankenstein (Blu-ray) – $9.49
Zodiac (Blu-ray) – $7.99
What are you picking up this week?