Best in Blu-ray: 'The Black Pirate,' 'True Grit,' 'Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work'

'Best in Blu-ray' is a weekly column that runs on Tuesday; from the week's new Blu-ray releases, we recommend titles for both the Blu-ray veteran and newbie, as well as the coolest special feature (unique to the format) and most intriguing rental.

For Blu-ray Vets:
'The Black Pirate'
Twitter Tag Line: Douglas Fairbanks stars as a pre-Johnny Depp swashbuckler in this innovative silent film from 1926 -- in color!
New Features Unique to Blu-ray: Organ score, 30 minutes of previously unreleased outtakes, photo gallery. Other features are carried over from the DVD edition.
Transfer/Audio: "Kino's restoration-and this Blu-ray's 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer-is a wonder to behold. There's something completely surreal about watching color footage from 1926. ... The music sounds exactly as it ought to-clear, dynamically solid, and unobtrusive." (Blu-ray.com)
Replay Value: "The first great pirate movie and one of the best early uses of Technicolor, 'The Black Pirate' (1926) features Douglas Fairbanks in a role that's equal parts 'The Count of Monte Cristo' and 'A Fistful of Dollars,' one that arguably flaunts his skills as a silent-era action hero as no other" (Baltimore City Paper)

For the Newbies:
'True Grit' (1969)
Twitter Tag Line: John Wayne won an Academy Award for his portrayal of a rip-snortin' marshal teamed with a teen to catch her daddy's killer.

Why See It (Again): The most obvious reason is to compare it with the new version by the Coen Brothers (see Erik Davis' positive review). Another good reason is to see how well the 1969 film, directed by Henry Hathaway, holds up on its own. Is John Wayne's performance hammy and over-the-top, or seasoned with the right proportion of bluff and bluster for the over-the-hill character? Does the movie sustain interest beyond Wayne's charming personality?

What to Look For: Key supporting roles are played by Robert Duvall, Jeff Corey, Dennis Hopper and Strother Martin. Filmed on location in Colorado and California, the landscape is lovingly photograped by the great Lucien Ballard, who also shot 'The Wild Bunch' and 'Ride the High Country.' The extra features are carried over from the 2007 DVD "Special Collector's Edition."

Further Reading: 'True Grit,' the 1968 novel by Charles Portis, tells the story from the point of view of an aged Mattie Ross, remembering events that occurred when she was 14 years old. It's a very good story with a singular, authentic voice.

Coolest Special Feature:
'Despicable Me'
Twitter Tag Line: The Minions are coming, the Minions are coming!
Details: Exclusive to Blu-ray, the "Gru-Control" feature shows behind-the-scenes footage and filmmaker interviews utilizing picture-in-picture technology. That sounds pretty straightforward, but DVD File describes it as an interactive feature "that has the Minions pop up and switch things around as the movie plays."

That sounds like a lot more fun for your kids, especially when they want to play the movie for the 9th time in a row. Is it like hitting "shuffle" on the play button? We don't have a copy on hand here at Cinematical headquarters to try it out for ourselves, so we're not sure what, exactly, the Minions switch around as the movie plays, but this definitely sounds like the coolest special feature of the week.

Most Intriguing Rental:
'Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work'
Twitter Tag Line: Cameras follow Joan Rivers at home and on the road as she travels ceaselessly to perform and promote.

Why Seek It Out on Blu-ray: Say what you will about the comedienne, she's carved out a remarkably long-lasting career, transforming herself from a more genteel housewife humorist into a caustic critic with barbed wit and thin skin. The documentary by Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern provides a degree of context, but mostly just allows Rivers to speak for herself, a steady stream of wisecracks, joking asides, and occasional tears accompany her shopping trips, interactions with family and business associates, and club appearances.

Why Rent and Not Buy: The movie is worth watching once, but replay value is quite limited. The Blu-ray includes an audio commentary, deleted scenes, and Q&A session from its debut at Sundance, which is about the right amount of content for a normal rental period.

Further Reading: "This rather fine documentary reminds us that, yep, even those 'old' celebrities we don't have much use for anymore are actual people. In this case, it's a very smart person." (Review by Scott Weinberg, Cinematical)

Also consider: 'Hard Boiled,' John Woo's spare-no-bullets police drama stars Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai. This is the movie for which the phrase "jaw-dropping action" was invented; the teahouse scene alone is worth the price of admission. For reviews of the Blu-ray, check Big Picture Big Sound, DVD Beaver and DVD Town. (Our conclusion: A rental, at best.)

More New December 14 Releases on Blu-ray:
'The Other Guys'
'The Town'
'The A-Team'
'Nanny McPhee Returns'
'Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole'
'Cyrus'
'Mother and Child'
'Micmacs'

Further reading on titles listed above: New on DVD & Blu-ray, Week of December 14 (Moviefone)

Also out:
'Vampire Circus.' A horror flick from British film studio Hammer, 'Vampire Circus' features a traveling troupe of shape-shifting vampires visits a cursed village and children begin to disappear. Directed by Robert Young. Details on the extras at the official Synapse Films website.

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New on DVD & Blu-ray, Week of January 4: 'Dinner for Schmucks,' 'Machete,' 'The Last Exorcism,' 'Catfish'

There's something for everyone as we enter the first week of a new decade. If you love lowbrow comedies, then 'Dinner for Schmucks,' starring Paul Rudd and Steve Carell in a tale about a rising corporate star who has to prove himself by bringing a bumbling fool to his boss' dinner party, is for you. If you love revenge action flicks that exist only to kill off the bad guys -- and want to see perennial sideman Danny Trejo come to the fore as a hero -- pick up 'Machete.' Horror aficionados will appreciate 'The Last Exorcism,' which puts a new twist on demonic possession. And, finally, for anyone who reveals their self on social networks, 'Catfish' is a cautionary tale about virtual relationships. Happy New Year.

'Dinner for Schmucks'
What It's About: Jay Roach (the 'Austin Powers' and 'Meet the Parents' franchises) directed this off-the wall tale about an up-and-coming executive (Paul Rudd) whose career advancement hinges on attending his boss' Dinner for Extraordinary People, an event where the winner of the evening brings the biggest loser as his guest. For Rudd, that loser is Steve Carell, an IRS employee who devotes his spare time to building elaborate taxidermy mouse dioramas. Unfortunately for Rudd, Carell finagles his way into his life, making a catastrophic mess of things.

It's Kinda Like: 'You, Me and Dupree' meets 'Dumb & Dumber'

What We Say: Roach's flair for low-brow comedy hits its peak here, with more stupid situations, more inane bathroom humor and more wild bouts of misunderstanding and miscommunication than any film has a right to have. It has the kind of misadventures that make you grimace and flinch and smack yourself in the head for not hitting the "stop" button -- but, like a horrible car crash, you just have to keep looking to see how bad it is. Based on a Francis Veber French comedy that plays better than this version.
• Extras: Deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Rotten Tomatoes Reviews | Buy DVD | Save DVD to your Netflix queue
10 Most Awkward Dinner Scenes in Movies
'Dinner for Schmucks' Deleted Scene

'Machete'
What It's About: Danny Trejo plays Machete, a no-nonsense, ass-kicking ex-Mexican Federale who's betrayed by his bosses and left for dead after being ambushed by the minions of drug lord Torrez (Steven Seagal). Now living as an illegal in Texas, Machete gets involved with a political spin doctor (Jeff Fahey) to make a fake assassination attempt on a rabid anti-immigrant senator (Robert De Niro), and again gets double crossed, forcing him to go on the run and track down the bad guys with his weapon of choice: a machete. And the heads go flying.

It's Kinda Like: 'Desperado' meets 'Monty Python'

What We Say: 'Machete' has no pretensions to be other than it is: a silly, overblown comic strip of a movie that harks back to '60s and '70s exploitation films. Machete just wants to get even with the villains and he'll stop at nothing to succeed. The outrageous situations and bloody dismemberments have no shock value -- it's all in fun. There's no message -- accept that bad guys are really bad and that the good guys are really good -- and there's absolutely no semblance of reality. It's straight-ahead action and fun with bigger-than-life characters and dialogue (our favorite, when Machete is handed a cell phone: "Machete don't text"). Co-directed by Robert Rodriguez.
• Extras: Deleted scenes that reveal never-before-seen characters, twisting plot lines, and more bloody good action.
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Exclusive 'Machete' Deleted Scene: Robert De Niro Teases Jessica Alba
Watch 'Machete' trailers

'The Last Exorcism'
What It's About: Another horror film revolving around a mock documentary, this time about a preacher who develops a conscience after many years of performing fake exorcisms. When he's called upon to perform just another routine "exorcism" on a young girl, he brings along a crew to film a confessionary documentary of this, his last exorcism. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the young girl is really possessed by evil, and the reverend and his crew have to figure out how to beat the devil to save the girl -- and themselves -- before it's too late.

It's Kinda Like: 'Elmer Gantry' meets 'The Exorcist'

What We Say: This low-tech thriller takes viewers on a bumpy, scare-filled road that actually fleshes out its characters and makes you invest some time in their world before slamming you with horror not based on gore but things that go bump in the night. And we mean bump. Unfortunately, the story begins to fall about after the half-way point, leading up to a pretty unsatisfying ending.
• Extras: Commentary, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and a scary 'Real Stories of Exorcism' featurette.
Rotten Tomatoes Reviews | Buy DVD | Save DVD to your Netflix queue
Watch 'The Last Exorcism' trailers

'Catfish'
What It's About: Here's a documentary about the world of online social relationships that starts out as a love story and ends up as a detective mystery. Nev, a 24-year-old New York-based photographer (and brother to the film's co-director), meets online an 8-year-old girl from rural Michigan who sends him a painting she made of one of his photos. Nev begins a friendship and correspondence with the girl's family and even develops a cyber-romance with her attractive older sister, a musician and model. But some things about the family don't ring true, and Nev, his brother (Ariel Schulman) and co-director Henry Joost hit the road in search of the truth.

It's Kinda Like: 'Grey Gardens' meets 'Sherman's March'

What We Say: Doubts have arisen as to how much of 'Catfish' was planned from the outset (it does look like there were staged scenes along the way), but truth be told, there's really no such thing as a true, observational documentary cinema (unless you're Fredrick Wiseman, and even then the master has to chose and edit his subjects). And this film has enough reality behind it to make any questions as to its veracity moot -- these things happened and these people are real. It's a terrific cautionary tale about "connectedness" in the 21st century -- and it's a terrifically involving and well-made film. It's a shame that its theatrical run was so weak. If you're on Facebook, use Craigslist or Twitter, rent or buy 'Catfish' right now!
• Extras: An illuminating interview with the filmmakers.
Rotten Tomatoes Reviews | Buy DVD | Save DVD to your Netflix queue
Watch 'Catfish' trailers

Best in Blu-ray: 'Ishtar,' 'Backdraft,' 'The Last Exorcism,' 'Case 39'

Other New January 4 DVD Releases:
'Bitter Feast': A celebrity chef exacts revenge on a food blogger who torpedoed his career.
'Case 39': A devoted family services specialist (Renee Zellweger) takes on the case of an abused child only to uncover horrific supernaturally-tinged secrets.
'Gun': Thriller follows Detroit cops as they mount a full-scale war against gun runners.
'Howl': 1950s-era story focusing on the famous obscenity trial launched to censor Allen Ginsberg's ground-breaking book-length poem 'Howl,' with James Franco as a terrific Ginsberg.
'The Lena Baker Story': The story of an impoverished and uneducated black woman's struggles in rural 1940s Georgia; Baker was the only woman to be sentenced to death by electric chair in the state.
'Ticking Clock': An investigative crime reporter stumbles upon the journal of a murderer and investigates on his own, finding that the trail leads to a 9-year-old orphan living in a group home.

Check out other new January 4 DVD releases at OnVideo.

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'Star Wars' Blu-ray Dates and Details Unveiled

Just the other day, Scott Weinberg warned us that today would finally bring concrete news on the release of the 'Star Wars' saga on Blu-ray. Well, today is the day and the news is steaming hot, so let's just cut to the chase. The September 2011 release will come in three different flavors:

Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray (9-disc Set includes all six films) - $139.99Star Wars: Prequel Blu-ray Trilogy (3-disc set includes Episodes I-III) - $69.99Star Wars: Original Blu-ray Trilogy (3-disc set includes Episodes IV-VI) - $69.99
The specific details of every disc haven't been available yet, but the official press release on the matter at StarWars.com points out that if you pick up the 9-disc set, you'll be getting, " three additional discs and more than 30 hours of extensive special features including never-before-seen deleted and alternate scenes, an exploration of the exclusive Star Wars archives, and much more."

Unfortunately that's really all the detail we have at this point. Naturally the one question everyone will have has been intentionally unanswered in the press release: Does the "Original Blu-ray Trilogy" mean the original theatrical cuts of the films or the 1990's re-release cuts? Given that the answer isn't presented on a headline-creating silver platter, it's sadly a safe bet that fans are not being offered the theatrical cuts, but we will update you as soon as that info is known.

Update: As reader Jay pointed out below, only the special editions of the original trilogy will be available.

[Note: $139.99 is just the suggested retail price. If you head to Amazon now, you can lock in the Complete Saga for $89.99.]

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