Empty your wallets and check your bank accounts, it’s time to see what’s Now Available To Own for the week of February 18, 2014. Each week we run down new releases in movies, television series, and video games that you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home. Not only that, we provide insights on some of the best deals on the Internets to keep your credit card from crying. On shelves this week, you can find titles such as Game of Thrones: The Complete Third Season, Fantastic Mr. Fox Criterion Collection Edition, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, and more. Check out the complete list of new releases and see if you should buy, rent, Netflix, or pass ’em after the jump.
Blu-Ray Movies
Fantastic Mr. Fox (Criterion Collection) (Wes Anderson) An urbane fox cannot resist returning to his farm raiding ways and then must help his community survive the farmers’ retaliation. Starring George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray
For those who are unfamiliar with The Criterion Collection, they are a home video-distribution company that chooses movies they deem important and brand it under their trademark name. Some would call this a bit snooty or pretentious, but what they lack in modesty they make up for with a butt load of special features and super high quality transfers. This works out well for fans of old movies. There are not many newer films as part of the Criterion Collection, but Fantastic Mr. Fox is a good choice. For someone who isn’t the biggest fan of Wes Anderson, Fantastic Mr. Fox is simply delightful. And of course the butt load of special features included are:
- Digital master, approved by director Wes Anderson, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
- Audio commentary featuring Anderson
- Storyboard animatic for the entire film
- Footage of the actors recording their characters, puppet construction, stop-motion setups, and the recording of the score
- Interviews with the cast and crew
- Puppet animation tests
- Photo gallery of puppets, props, and sets
- Animated awards acceptance speeches
- Audio recording of author Roald Dahl reading the book on which the film is based
- “Fantastic Mr. Dahl,” an hour-long 2005 documentary about the author
- Gallery of Dahl’s original manuscripts
- Discussion and analysis of the film
- Stop-motion Sony robot commercial by Anderson
- One Blu-ray and two DVDs, with all content available in both formats
- PLUS: a booklet featuring an essay by critic Erica Wagner; a 2002 article on Dahl’s Gipsy House by Anderson; “White Cape,” a comic book used as a prop in the film; and drawings, original paintings, and other ephemera
Afternoon Delight (Jill Soloway ) Rachel is a quick-witted and lovable stay-at-home mom. Frustrated with the realities of preschool auctions, a lackluster sex life and career that’s gone kaput, Rachel visits a strip club to spice up her marriage and meets McKenna, a stripper she adopts as her live-in nanny. Starring Kathryn Hahn, Juno Temple, Josh Radnor, and Jane Lynch
Speaking of delightful, ironically enough Afternoon Delight is not. The film has an interesting concept with the promise of something bold and hard hitting, but the end comes crashing down on itself as the messages get all tangled up in the hazy direction by Jill Soloway. The film meanders quite a bit, and there really is nothing that interesting to latch on to in hopes that this couple is resolved by the stripper with a heart of gold. Special features included are:
- Audio commentary with director Jull Soloway and Kathryn Hahn
- Deleted scenes
- Behind-the-scenes featurettes
Television on Blu-Ray
Game of Thrones: The Complete Third Season (David Benioff and D.B. Weiss) Seven noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros. Starring Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Maisie Williams, and Emilia Clarke
I will get to this series this year I promise. And from what I know, Season 3 of Game of Thrones is spectacular, and so are the special features from what I can tell:
- In-feature resource that provides background information about on-screen characters, locations, and relevent histories
- “The Rains of Castamere” unveiled
- Get an in-depth look at the creation of the most pivotal episode of season 3 in this comprehensive exposé featuring cast and crew
- Histories and Lore
- Learn about the mythology of Westeros as told from the varying perspectives of the characters themselves
- A Gathering Storm
- Look back at the stormy events of season 2 in this 14-minute recap with cast and crew
- The Politics of Marriage
- The concept of matrimony in Westeros is all about making power plays and political alliances. Cast and crew examine this ancient institution and its place in Game of Thrones
- Inside The Wildlings
- Go beyond the Wall with this introduction to the wildlings to gain a better understanding of their backstory
- Audio Commentaries
- 12 Audio Commentaries with cast and crew including David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, George R.R. Martin, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Michelle Fairley, Kit Harington, Richard Madden
- New Characters
- Meet the new faces in season 3: Olenna Tyrell, Missandei, Mance Rayder,, Tormund Giantsbane, Orell, Jojen & Meera Reed, Blackfish & Edmure Tully, Thoros of Myr, and Beric Dondarrion
- Deleted scenes/Extended Scenes
- Five deleted and extended scenes
Nurse Jackie: The Complete Fifth Season (Liz Brixius, Evan Dunsky, Linda Wallem) A drug-addicted nurse struggles to find a balance between the demands of her frenetic job at a New York City hospital and an array of personal dramas. Starring Edie Falco, Merritt Wever, Paul Schulze, and Peter Facinelli
I have never partaken in this show. It doesn’t seem that intriguing, but at least it’s good enough to get five seasons, right? Well Dexter had eight and look how bad that turned out to be… Special features for Nurse Jackie season 5 includes:
- Cast and crew commentaries
- “A Sober Jackie” featurette
- “New To The Floor” featurette
- Gag reel
- Deleted scenes
Video Games
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Available for Wii U) Get pumped for more ground-pounding, barrel-blasting, banana-hording action in the next installment of the Donkey Kong Country series. A gang of marauding Vikings are after the banana hoard and you must join Donkey Kong and his friends Dixie and Diddy to save their home. A bushel of new gameplay elements and features await as you join gaming’s greatest ape in an action-packed adventure through palm-tree dotted tropics and ice-cold frozen environments. Are you ready to take on intimidating foes and defend the banana stash with the most legendary primate of them all?
Familiar and new gameplay elements combine to introduce DK into the Wii U family. You will be playing as Dixie and Diddy alongside the big man Donkey Kong as players journey through five different islands with to reclaim Donkey Kong Island. Nintendo has dreamed up all new moves and level obstacles to keep fans of this franchise on their toes. It looks fun, I suppose. I loved the ones for SNES.
Rayman Legends (Available for Xbox One and PS4 now) Get ready for a thrilling adventure with your favorite characters, Rayman, Murfy and Globox. That little 100-year nap they took allowed hoards of creepy, crawly, nightmarish creatures to take over the Glade of Dreams. It’s up to you to defeat these evil villains, dragons, giant toads, sea monsters, luchadores and more and save the Teensies from an awful fate. These monsters are the stuff of legends — do you have what it takes to be the hero who defeats them?
This came out last year for every console but next generation as it was released before their launch, but now here is your chance to own it. The only difference here is that you can use the PS4’s controller’s touch pad to have whole different experience.
Blu-Ray Deals and Steals
- Game of Thrones (Season 1-3) – $29.99-$34.99
- Each Up in the Air – $5
- How to Train Your Dragon – $10.49
- Batman (4-Film Collection Edition) – $14.96
- The Kings of Summer – $14.99
- Bond 50 (24 Disc Collection w/Skyfall) – $119.99
- Jaws – $9.99
- The Wizard of Oz – $9.99
- Breakfast at Tiffany’s – $7.99
What will you be taking home this week, tell us in the comments section below? Check out previous installments of Now Available To Own to see what you’ve been missing.
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Find me on the Twitter @TyRawrrnosaurus
All plot synopses courtesy of IMDb.com