This Week on DVD/Blu-ray: 17 October 2011

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Blu-ray)

What a week! If you’ve managed to survive the last few installments of this column without spending all of your money, then there will be no escape this week. Some escape, but not much escape. A little escape. The tiniest escape. Rest assured, that the escaping will be at a price, and that price will either be a retail price or the kind that is discounted or massively inflated.

Speaking of prices, if you really want to do us a favour, all of the links in the US section take you through to our Amazon Associates stuff, so you’d be supporting our site if you decide to purchase through any of the Amazon links on our page. Thanks in advance!

Region 1 (DVD) and Region A (Blu-ray) – US

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - Blu-ray coverThe flagship title this week, all puns intended, is Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (DVD/Blu-ray/3D, Disney, 18 October). Having earned over $1 billion at the global box office, the triple format combo packs are sure to bring in some more bucks from the franchise that just won’t quit. Containing an audio commentary, some bloopers and a LEGO Pirates short, you can buy it as a (deep breath) Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Two-Disc Blu-ray / DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging)Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Two-Disc Blu-ray / DVD Combo in DVD Packaging), or a good old-fashioned DVD. For serious fans there is also the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Five-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy), and the collected editions of all four films in the Pirates of the Caribbean Four-Movie Collection (Blu-ray + Digital Copy). Arr! Avast ye! Etc!

Next up we have a trio of films from the “You Might Have Missed Them But You Really Shouldn’t” files. Monte Carlo (DVD/Blu-ray, Fox, 18 October) is a bit of harmless fun that actually makes Selena Gomez watchable and brings the rom back to rom com, and is available in two formats: Monte Carlo (+ Digital Copy) [Blu-ray] and Monte Carlo (DVD). The latter comes with a pink cover, so choose accordingly. The Last Circus (DVD/Blu-ray, Magnolia, 18 October) is an insane Spanish film that includes a machete wielding clown in full make-up. It’s available as The Last Circus [Blu-ray] or The Last Circus (DVD). Last, but certainly not least, is the must-see documentary of the year Page One: Inside the New York Times (DVD/Blu-ray, Magnolia, 18 October), out this week on both Blu-ray and DVD. Oh, there’s also Kevin Smith’s Red State (DVD/Blu-ray, 18 October), which was only released in Australian cinemas this week.

Every week, we seem to highlight a big box set coming out, and this week is no different. It’s the Willy Wonka & Chocolate Factory (Three-Disc 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Willy Wonka & Chocolate Factory (Three-Disc 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Region 2 (DVD) and Region B (Blu-ray) – UK

Green Lantern (DVD/Blu-ray, Warner, 17 October) leads the race in the UK this week, while Werner Herzog asks if we are all just crocodiles in the abyss of time in Cave of Forgotten Dreams (DVD/Blu-ray, Revolver Entertainment, 17 October). We really didn’t put much effort into the UK section this week, being pressed for time and all. Should we just head back to Australian then? Kay? Kay.

Region 4 (DVD) and Region B (Blu-ray) – Australia

X-Men: First Class Blu-rayBack at home we also get a series of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (DVD/Blu-ray/3D, Disney, 19 October) discs, but its a X-Men: First Class (DVD/Blu-ray, Fox, 19 October) kind of week as well. If you are a X-Men fan, then there’s the X-Men: The Ultimate Collection (Blu-ray, Fox, 19 October) that also includes X-MenX-Men 2X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. On the First Class disc you’ll find X-Men Digital Comics, Cerebro Mutant Tracker, Children of the Atom, X Marks the Spot, Deleted and extended scenes, Composer’s isolated score, Trailer and BD-Live.

Still on the superhero theme Batman: Year One (DVD/Blu-ray, Warner, 19 October), an animated adaptation of the Frank Miller Batman origin story. Bonus features will also include a sneak Peek at Justice League: Doom, the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie, the DC Showcase Animated Original Short – “Catwoman”, Heart of Vengeance: Returning Batman to His Roots, Conversations with DC Comics, Audio Commentary with Alan Burnett, Sam Liu, Mike Carlin and Andrea Romano, “Batman: Year One, Chapter 1” Digital Comic Book and Two bonus episodes from the excellent Batman: The Animated Series, handpicked by Bruce W. Timm.