10/18/11 Recommended New Releases

Before I begin, I would like to mention that Barnes & Noble will be having another 50% off sale on Criterion Collection titles (60% in stores if you have a membership), beginning on November 1st and lasting through the 21st. So, if there are any titles you have been holding out on, this sale might be a prime opportunity to nab them at stellar prices. Now, here are my recommendations for what's new this week:

The Last Circus (Álex de la Iglesia, 2010) - The official synopsis, via RottenTomatoes: "1937, Spain is in the midst of the brutal Spanish Civil War. A "Happy" circus clown is interrupted mid-performance and forcibly recruited by a militia. Still in his costume, he is handed a machete and led into battle against National soldiers, where he single handedly massacres an entire platoon. Fast forward to 1973, the tail end of the Franco regime. Javier, the son of the clown, dreams of following in his father's career footsteps, but has seen too much tragedy in his life - he's simply not funny and is only equipped to play the role of the Sad Clown. He finds work in a circus where he befriends an outlandish cast of characters, but as the Sad Clown he must take the abuse of the brutish Happy Clown Sergio, who humiliates Javier daily in the name of entertainment."

Format: DVD or Blu-ray - Though the supplemental content (which is identical on both formats) for this Magnet release is lacking, the pricing between the two formats makes it a matter of personal preference; Amazon has either format available for $22.99. 

Grave Encounters (The Vicious Brothers, 2011) - The official synopsis, via RottenTomatoes: "Lance Preston and the crew of "Grave Encounters", a ghost-hunting reality television show, are shooting an episode inside the abandoned Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital, where unexplained phenomena has been reported for years. All in the name of good television, they voluntarily lock themselves inside the building for the night and begin a paranormal investigation, capturing everything on camera. They quickly realize that the building is more than just haunted - it is alive - and it has no intention of ever letting them leave. They find themselves lost in a labyrinth maze of endless hallways and corridors, terrorized by the ghosts of the former patients."

Format: DVD - Only available on DVD; Amazon has it for $12.99. 

The Robber (Benjamin Heisenberg, 2011) - The official synopsis, via Rotten Tomatoes (edited for relevance): "Directed by Benjamin Heisenberg (Sleeper) and starring established actor Andreas Lust (Revanche). ...Based on a novel by the Austrian author Martin Prinz, and shot on location in Vienna, The Robber was one of the most critically acclaimed films featured at last year's New York Film Festival. The film was also an official selection at the 2010 Berlin and Toronto Film Festivals. The film's main character, Johann Rettenberger, was inspired by the life of Austrian bank-robber and runner Johann Kastenberger, a man who set records in long-distance races while - in the rest of his free time - secretly knocked over bank after bank. Widely referred to as "Pump-gun Ronnie," after the Ronald Reagan mask he wore and the shotgun used on the assaults, Rettenberger still holds the record time in the Bergmarathon, a famous race held in the Austrian Alps. Deprived of by-the-books psychological motivations and character development, The Robber paints a visceral picture of pathological compulsion and it is the rare character portrait that also excels as an action film."

Format: DVD or Blu-ray - As with The Last Circus, the two formats sport identical supplemental features and are priced such that it boils down to which format you prefer. Amazon has the DVD available for $19.99, and the Blu-ray for $20.99. 

Kuroneko (Kaneto Shindo, 1968) - The synopsis from the Criterion webpage for the film reads: "In this poetic and atmospheric horror fable, set in a village in war-torn medieval Japan, a malevolent spirit has been ripping out the throats of itinerant samurai. When a military hero is sent to dispatch the unseen force, he finds that he must struggle with his own personal demons as well. From Kaneto Shindo, director of the terror classic Onibaba, Kuroneko (Black Cat) is a spectacularly eerie twilight tale with a shocking feminist angle, evoked through ghostly special effects and exquisite cinematography."

Format: DVD - Amazon has the DVD available for $20.99, but I would recommend waiting until the Barnes & Noble 50% off sale begins in just two weeks.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Mel Stuart, 1971) - The classic starring Gene Wilder celebrates its 40th anniversary and with a commemorative boxed set.

Format: Blu-ray/DVD Combo - Unlike most similarly-conceived boxed set releases that consist of a separate DVD and Blu-ray version, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory arrives in the form of a 3-disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo (the two formats make up the first two discs while the third contains a few all-new special features). In addition to the film itself, a few items of memorabilia are included: 14 pieces of production correspondence, a retro tin with four scratch-and-sniff pencils and a scented eraser, and a 144-page behind-the-scenes book from director Mel Stuart. Amazon has it available for $43.99.

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Finally, another of the most anticipated video games of the year is out today:

Batman: Arkham City (developed by Rocksteady Studious; published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment) - After the phenomenal success of Batman: Arkham Asylum - which entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the "Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever," expectations were set astronomically high when Rocksteady debuted the teaser trailer for this sequel on December 12th, 2009 during the opening of the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards. Over the past year and a half, they have relentlessly hyped Arkham City, and the consensus appears to be that the folks at Rocksteady have delivered. The game is available for Playstation 3 ($59.99), Xbox 360 ($59.99), and PC ($49.99; PC version releases on November 15th). Also, there is a collector's edition available for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 that retails at $99.99.

In addition to the game itself, the collector's edition includes: a custom Batman statue produced by Kotobukiya, a digital copy of the Batman: Arkham City album (which includes a bonus track), a copy of the DC Universe animated movie Batman: Gotham Knight (DVD for Xbox 360, Blu-ray for PS3), a collectible artbook (which houses the game disc), and early access to the Iceberg Lounge challenge map and The Dark Knight Returns skin for Batman (via DLC vouchers). Worth noting, too, is that all new copies of Batman: Arkham City - regular or collector's - come with DLC vouchers for a batch of Catwomen missions that are interwoven into the storyline.

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Here's the scoop on what deals/incentives each retailer has for Batman: Arkham City (be sure to make note of Buy 2 Get 1 Free @ Toys R Us!):

Walmart - A free copy of Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition is included with purchase.

K-Mart - A $30 Gaming Coupon* for Shop Your Way Rewards Members (which is free to join) and a $10 coupon towards Lord of the Rings: War in the North are included with purchase.

Target - A copy of The Dark Knight on Blu-ray or DVD is included with purchase.

Best Buy - Early access to Robin and two bonus challenge maps are included with purchase; save $20 on the Power-A Batarang Controller ($49.99; for Playstation 3 [Wireless] or Xbox 360 [Wired]) with purchase; 40% bonus on all video game traded in towards purchase.

Toys R Us - 1970s Batsuit Batman Figure included with purchase; Buy 2 Get 1 Free on all video games, video game accessories, video game guides, and video game-themed t-shirts.








*K-Mart Gaming Coupons are issued with your receipt; those issued this week are valid from October 23rd to December 3rd. Also, as the name implies, they are only valid on gaming products.