07/05/11 Recommended New Releases

Surprisingly enough, considering it is a holiday week, there are a handful of new releases worth checking out. That $5 Best Buy coupon I keep mentioning is still valid throughout the entire month of July, so be sure to put it to good use. Here's what we have hitting shelves today:

13 Assassins (Takashi Miike, 2010) - This jidaigeki epic from the renowned Takashi Miike, which had been receiving widespread critical acclaim while traversing the festival circuit, is actually a remake of the 1963 Eiich Kudo film about a group of thirteen samurai who band together to assassinate the corrupt Lord Naritsugu. It is the first of two jidaigeki remakes by Miike, the second being Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai, which is a remake of the 1962 Masaki Kobayashi film Harakiri (a personal favorite of mine). There has been some discontent due to the Magnet release only containing the international cut of the film, which runs 15 minutes shorter. While it would have been nice to have the original cut, all of the deleted scenes are included as a supplemental feature.

Format: Blu-ray - Normally I would not recommended the Blu-ray version of a Magnet release (which generally means identical supplements across both formats), but it is on sale at Best Buy this week for $17.99. Throw a $5 coupon into the mix and you can snag it for $12.99.

Hobo with a Shotgun (Jason Eisener, 2011) - At the end of my review for The Rite back in January, I mentioned that I would love to see Rutger Hauer in a more prominent role again, as lately the talented actor has been popping up in many minor supporting roles. It would seem that Jason Eisener knew about this wish, and brought it to fruition with this throwback to low-budget exploitation films of the 1970s and 80s. Hauer stars as the titular homeless vigilante armed with a shotgun.

Format: Blu-ray - Once again, it is a Magnet release, but given that the Collector's Edition DVD is on sale for the same price as the Collector's Edition Blu-ray at Best Buy ($17.99), I opt for the superior format - especially when there's a $5 coupon at my disposal to make it only $12.99.

Of Gods and Men (Xavier Beauvois, 2010) - I had the opportunity to see this film in a theatrical setting near the end of May, as the trailer - along with an overwhelming amount of critical acclaim - piqued my interest. After the screening, I decided that it was a meditative film experience; one that will leave the viewer wrapped in thought long after the credits role. The film is based on the true story of a group of Trappist monks stationed in a poverty-stricken Algerian village who must decide whether to stay or leave when a hostile Islamic terrorist group grips the region in fear. What I admired most about Of Gods and Men was that it was a not heavy-handed film in a political sense, but instead an engaging drama largely void of such unnecessary bias.

Format: Blu-ray/DVD Combo - Sony Pictures Classics is at it again with their expensive combo pack as the only option. Best Buy is not carrying the title in stores, so using a $5 coupon on the $26.99 sale price is out of the question. Amazon, however, is offering it for the same price (tax free and with free shipping, to boot).

Gettysburg / Gods and Generals Limited Collector's Edition (Ronald F. Maxwell, 1993 & 2003) - Maxwell's Civil War epics were released on Blu-ray last month, but Independence Day was just around the corner, so a boxed set of  the two films was held off until this week. Along with the Director's Cut of Gettysburg (17 minutes longer) that had previously been available on DVD, the beefy Director's Cut of Gods and Generals (61 minutes longer) that made its debut (only on Blu-ray) in June is also present. Furthermore, the boxed set also includes additional supplements such as 24" X 36" Civil War map created by National Geographic, a 40-page photo book of Civil War artifacts, a 150th Anniversary commemorative coin, and a 32-page extract from the TIME illustrated history book.

Format: Blu-ray - Though you can buy the individual films separately, it does not cost much extra to opt instead for this impressive boxed set. Amazon has it on sale for $55.99. However, if you were wanting these re-releases on DVD, there is a DVD version of the boxed set as well, on sale for $47.99 at Amazon (which, to clarify, is the only way to obtain a DVD version of the Gods and Generals Director's Cut).

Transformers Japanese Collection: The Headmasters (1987) - In the U.S., the original Transformers animated series (commonly referred to as "Generation 1," or "G1") was canceled in the beginning of its fourth season, right after the initial three-part episode titled "The Rebirth," which introduced several new characters - including the Headmasters. Takara, the Japanese producers of the Transformers toyline, picked up the show and kept "G1" running across three more series. The first of these was subtitled The Headmasters. Taking place one year after the two-part "The Return of Optimus Prime" episode (which concluded season three), Takara ditched the premise for the Headmasters set up in "The Rebirth," taking the concept - along with the series as a whole - in a radically different direction. Now, for the first time, Shout! Factory, the company behind the recent re-release of the U.S. Transformers "G1" seasons, is bringing Takara's continuation of the series stateside. The other two series, Transformers: Super-God Masterforce and Transformers: Victory, are slated for release in the near future.

Format: DVD - Only available on DVD. Shout! Factory had intended to release a boxed set of all three Japanese series today as well, available only via their website until after all three individual releases have hit store shelves. However, last week they sent an e-mail to all those who had pre-ordered, informing them that they had to cancel all pre-orders due to a production delay that is anticipated to last eight to ten weeks. The listing for the boxed set has also been removed from their website for the time being. Best Buy is selling The Headmasters series for $24.99 this week, but you should be able to have them match the Wal-mart.com price of $19.86. Depending on the mindset of the Customer Service Rep. you deal with, you may be able to combine a $5 coupon with the price match (I was successful with this, personally), making it just under $15 before tax.


I should note that starting July 12th, all Criterion Collection titles will be 50% off at Barnes & Noble (60% in-store if you have a membership with them). In addition to my regular update, next week I will provide a list of recommended titles for this sale.


Finally, the new DLC for Mortal Kombat hits Xbox Live and Playstation Network today. You can download Kenshi for $4.99 (or 400 Microsoft Points; if you purchased the season pass on Xbox Live, you can download him at no additional charge), and the required Compatibility Pack update includes the Klassic Costumes for Smoke and Noob Saibot. Here is another piece on Kenshi, from the MKast Series, along with the series entry for Skarlet below it.