DVD Release Calendar: October 2012

October 2

All movies are 2012 releases unless otherwise noted. Availability: DVD | Blu-ray | Both Blu-ray and DVD

Dark Shadows 55 Add to Netflix Queue

The latest collaboration between Tim Burton and Johnny Depp is a re-imagining of Dark Shadows, the cult TV show from the late 60s and early 70s. In this version of the story, Barnabas Collins (Depp), who two centuries earlier was turned into a vampire and buried alive, wakes up in 1972 to find his beloved home and family in a poor state. As he adapts to this new world and attempts to help his floundering family (including Michelle Pfeiffer, Johnny Lee Miller, and Chloe Moretz), Barnabas must resist the advances of the witch (Eva Green) who originally cursed him. Burton and screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith (also the author behind Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) aimed for more of a comedic tone (not unlike Beetlejuice) that wasn't necessarily present in the original gothic melodrama, but some critics found the results too messy, and neither scary nor funny enough.

More movie releases on October 2, 2012
	Annie (1982) 30th anniversary Blu-ray edition
	Dark Star (1974) Low-budget campy sci-fi classic made as student film by John Carpenter
	Double Impact (1991) Jean-Claude Van Damme
57	Flying Swords of Dragon Gate Jet Li	Add to Queue
41	Grassroots Cobie Smulders, Jason Biggs, Joel Moore, Lauren Ambrose	Add to Queue
	The Hole dir. by Joe Dante	Add to Queue
85	In the Mood for Love (2000) Criterion Collection
	Iron Sky Udo Kier	Add to Queue
43	The Lady Michelle Yeoh, David Thewlis; dir. by Luc Besson	Add to Queue
	Masters of the Universe (1987)25th anniversary Blu-ray edition
45	Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding Catherine Keener, Elizabeth Olsen, Jane Fonda	Add to Queue
49	People Like Us Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Michelle Pfeiffer, Olivia Wilde	Add to Queue
	Pet Sematary (1989) Fred Gwynne
	The Princess Bride (1987) 25th anniversary Blu-ray edition
36	Red Lights Cillian Murphy, Elizabeth Olsen, Robert De Niro, Sigourney Weaver	Add to Queue
67	Sound of My Voice Brit Marling, Christopher Denham, Nicole Vicius	Add to Queue
TV on DVD/Blu-ray
	90210 Season 4
	The Abbott and Costello Show Season 1
	Adventure Time Vol. 3
	Bonanza Season 4
	Downton Abbey Seasons 1 & 2 box set
	Hart of Dixie Season 1
	House Complete series box set
	How I Met Your Mother Season 7
	It Takes a Thief Season 1
	Kingdom [UK] Season 1
56	Magic City Season 1
66	New Girl Season 1
	Nikita Season 2
	The Six Million Dollar Man Season 2

October 9

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Some of you may only know it from its amazing videogame spin-off, so you may be surprised to learn that E.T. was actually a movie first. Making its debut on Blu-ray in honor of its 30th anniversary (there's a new DVD release as well), Steven Spielberg's all-time classic has been digitally remastered and given a bunch of new bonus features, including a new interview with the director himself. Note that this is the original version of the film, and not the much-derided 2002 "special edition" that digitally substituted walkie-talkies for weapons, added new CGI effects, and had Greedo shoot first. (Well, maybe not that last item.) The newly remastered film will also screen in theaters nationwide the night of October 3rd.

Prometheus 65 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

The first sci-fi movie in decades from director Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) had fans excited headed into the summer, especially given the rumors (basically true) that Prometheus would be a prequel to the Alien franchise. Unfortunately, the results didn't quite live up to expectations, though many critics did enjoy it (especially on a visual, if not cerebral, level), and it performed well enough at the box office to earn a sequel, which could arrive in 2014. Guy Pearce stars as Peter Weyland, the owner of the Prometheus, the spaceship from which the film gets its name (and the namesake of the mega-corporation Weyland-Yutani that owned the Nostromo), while Michael Fassbender plays the android David. They are joined by Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace, and Idris Elba on a mission to an alien planet after evidence is uncovered on Earth that the aliens once visited us.

The Raven 44 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

At some point, it might be time to say "nevermore" to the idea of John Cusack taking serious roles. Then again, you may find it funny (as some critics did) to see Cusack portraying writer Edgar Allan Poe as a Holmesian crime fighter who assists a Baltimore detective (Luke Evans) when a serial killer begins turning Poe's stories into gruesome reality. (That didn't actually happen in real life, in case you were wondering.) Alice Eve and Brendan Gleeson also star for director James McTeigue (V for Vendetta 62).

Rock of Ages 47 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

If you like big hair, bad wigs, leather pants, fishnet stockings, and the music of Twisted Sister, Joan Jett, Def Leppard, Journey, Foreigner, Bon Jovi and more, then you might be ready to embrace Tom Cruise as rock god Stacee Jaxx in Adam Shankman’s film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical. Shankman’s successful 2007 adaptation of Hairspray 81 no doubt helped to convince Alec Baldwin, Malin Akerman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Paul Giamatti, Russell Brand, and Bryan Cranston to lend their comedic chops, dancing feet and singing voices to his latest production, though the presence of all those stars failed to prevent the film from becoming a box office dud.

Shut Up and Play the Hits 72 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

James Murphy may have pulled the plug on indie dance-rock hitmakers LCD Soundsystem, but at least they went out with a bang. And anyone who didn't get a chance to see Murphy's band play one final hometown concert in front of a sold-out Madison Square Garden audience in 2011 can do so now in the new documentary Shut Up and Play the Hits, which arrives on home video in an expanded edition (which includes the nearly four-hour concert in its entirety, including appearances by Arcade Fire and Reggie Watts) after a one-night-only theatrical screening earlier this year. In addition to performance footage, the documentary chronicles the 48 hours in Murphy's life before and after the show.

More movie releases on October 9, 2012
20	30 Beats Justin Kirk	Add to Queue
63	A Cat in Paris Animated family film	Add to Queue
31	Crazy Eyes Jake Busey, Lukas Haas, Madeline Zima, Tania Raymonde	Add to Queue
	Dead Ringer (1964) Bette Davis, Karl Malden, Peter Lawford
	Dial M for Murder (1954) dir. by Alfred Hitchcock; 3D Blu-ray release
	Ice Station Zebra (1968) Ernest Borgnine, Patrick McGoohan, Rock Hudson
	Little Shop of Horrors (1986) Rick Moranis, Steve Martin
	Magical Mystery Tour (1967) Newly restored version of Beatles film
	Red Dawn (1984) Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen
59	Restless City Sy Alassane, Sky Grey, Tony Okungbowa, Danai Gurira	Add to Queue
	Strangers on a Train (1951) dir. by Alfred Hitchcock
	What Ever Happened to Baby Jane (1962) Bette Davis; 50th anniversary edition
TV on DVD/Blu-ray
	Bones Season 7
	It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 7
	The League Season 3
	The Lucy Show Season 6
49	Whitney Season 1

October 16

Chernobyl Diaries 32 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

The latest pseudo-documentary-style chiller from Oren Peli (though he only co-writes and produces here, and avoids the "found footage" gimmick he so loves) finds six young tourists stuck in an abandoned city near the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, which, naturally, turns out to be not quite as abandoned as originally thought. Critics dismissed the film as generic.

Mad Men: Season 5 88

It may have set a record for futility at this year's Emmys by failing to win in any of the 17 categories in which it was nominated, but the fifth season of AMC's period drama was still an accomplished season of television, though many TV critics admitted that it wasn't exactly Mad Men's best season. Season 5 centered a bit less on the office and more on the new marriage between Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and Megan (Jessica Paré), which means you see a bit less of characters like Joan and Peggy (Christina Hendricks and Elisabeth Moss, both nominated for Emmys along with Hamm) than you might like. Still, any season that includes a Roger Sterling (John Slattery) acid trip and Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) getting punched in the face is worth a look or two.

Moonrise Kingdom 84 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

Wes Anderson's latest comedy was co-written by Roman Coppola (who previously teamed with the director on The Darjeeling Limited 67) and stars Anderson regulars like Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman alongside newcomers Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton, and Edward Norton, though the real stars are the terrific young leads (Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman) who play a pair of teen runaways in love on a small New England island in the 1960s. Wes Anderson's second-highest-grossing film to date (after The Royal Tenenbaums 75) also earned the auteur some of the best reviews of his career, though its extreme Wes Anderson-ness (save for a font change or two) might be off-putting to anyone on the fence about his prior films.

More movie releases on October 16, 2012
40	2016: Obama's America	Add to Queue
83	Avatar (2009) New 3D Blu-ray release
73	The Forgiveness of Blood Criterion Collection	Add to Queue
	The Funhouse (1981) Kevin Conway
68	Last Ride Hugo Weaving	Add to Queue
	A League of Their Own (1992)20th anniversary Blu-ray edition
59	Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted Ben Stiller, Chris Rock	Add to Queue
75	Marina Abramovic The Artist is Present Documentary	Add to Queue
	Neil Young Journeys Tour documentary directed by Jonathan Demme
	Pete's Dragon (1977) 35th anniversary Blu-ray edition
	Sterile Cuckoo (1969) Liza Minnelli
	Terror Train (1980) Jamie Lee Curtis
31	That's My Boy Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg	Add to Queue
70	Turn Me On, Dammit! Norwegian comedy	Add to Queue
TV on DVD/Blu-ray
63	Alcatraz Complete series
	Chappelle's Show Complete series box set
	Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule Seasons 1 & 2 box set
	Columbo Complete series box set
	Degrassi: The Next Generation Season 11 Part 2
52	The Firm Season 1
	Flashpoint Season 4
	Gunsmoke Season 6 Vol. 2
	Psych Season 6
	That '70s Show Season 2
	Touch Season 1

October 23

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter 42 + Queue Watch Trailer

Not to be confused with Steven Spielberg's upcoming—and slightly more historically accurate—Lincoln, this rewriting of history (based on the hit mash-up novel) finds Mr Lincoln battling vampires on his path to the presidency after they murder his mother. Benjamin Walker stars in his first feature, having earned the role in part due to his Broadway performance as another American president in the musical Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson, while Mary Elizabeth Winstead co-stars as Mary Todd Lincoln and Dominic Cooper plays Henry Sturgess, Lincoln’s vampire pal. Also starring for director Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted 64) are Rufus Sewell, Anthony Mackie, and Alan Tudyk. Is it ridiculous enough to be entertaining? The majority of critics thought not.

Magic Mike 72 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

The second of three consecutive films pairing director Steven Soderbergh with star Channing Tatum (following January's Haywire 67 and preceding next year's psychological thriller The Bitter Pill with Rooney Mara), summer hit Magic Mike finds Tatum playing a stripper who mentors a younger colleague played by Alex Pettyfer (a role based on Tatum's real-life experience as a teen stripper in Florida). Cody Horn plays Pettyfer’s sister and a love interest for Tatum; Matthew McConaughey (in a role he was born to play) is the proprietor of the strip club, and his dancers include Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, and Adam Rodriguez. Unlike the director's most recent films, Magic Mike achieves something closer to the light, comedic tone of the Ocean’s movies, and critics almost universally praised the result. Thanks to surprisingly strong box office results, a sequel is in the planning stages.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World 59 + Queue

Though end-of-the-world films are seemingly ubiquitous these days, this is the only one so far to treat the apocalypse as a romantic comedy. With an asteroid due to obliterate life on Earth in a matter of days and society starting to crumble, Steve Carell is dumped by his wife, and so he goes on a quest to find his high school sweetheart and spend his remaining hours with her. Along for the ride is his neighbor, played by Keira Knightley. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World marks the directorial debut for Lorene Scafaria, who previously wrote Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist 64 (and also penned the screenplay here). Critics found it sweet and surprisingly emotional, though many also noted a lack of chemistry between the two leads.

Take This Waltz 68 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

Actress Sarah Polley made her directorial debut in 2007 with the impressive Away from Her 88, and her belated sophomore effort Take This Waltz doesn't quite reach those heights, though it's far from a failure. The new film's biggest highlight is star Michelle Williams, who plays Margo, a married woman whose eyes begin to wander, landing on her neighbor Daniel, whom she happens to meet while on a work trip. Seth Rogen, Luke Kirby, and Sarah Silverman also star in a film that walks a fine line between humor and drama, and though some critics felt it too quirky for its own good, many admired Polley's insightful observational skills.

More movie releases on October 23, 2012
66	The Ambassador Documentary	Add to Queue
42	Crooked Arrows Brandon Routh	Add to Queue
	Fear and Desire (1953) First DVD/Blu-ray release of Stanley Kubrick's 1953 debut	Add to Queue
75	The Invisible War Documentary	Add to Queue
42	Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection Tyler Perry	Add to Queue
	Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) Criterion Collection
TV on DVD/Blu-ray
	The Ernie Kovacs Collection, Vol. 2 Collection of various Kovacs TV appearances
	Fantasy Island Season 3
	Happy Endings Season 2
	In Search of... Complete series box set
	Law & Order: Criminal Intent Season 8
67	Lost Girl Season 1
	McMillan and Wife Complete series box set
	Meet the Browns Season 7, Episodes 121-140
	Perry Mason Season 7 Vol. 2
	Peter Gunn Complete series box set
	Sanctuary Complete series box set
	Shazam! Complete series box set
	Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 4
	Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman Season 3
	Upstairs Downstairs Season 2

October 30

Ruby Sparks 66 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

Six years ago, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris had a surprise critical and commercial hit with their debut feature Little Miss Sunshine 80. They finally returned this summer with a second project, a quirky romantic comedy from first-time screenwriter Zoe Kazan. Ruby Sparks stars Paul Dano as a novelist suffering from writer's block who wills the woman of his dreams (played by Kazan, Dano's real-life girlfriend) into existence. The excellent cast also includes Antonio Banderas, Alia Shawkat, Steve Coogan, Annette Bening, and Elliott Gould. Critics found the film surprising (in a good way), though some felt it didn't quite come together.

Safety Not Guaranteed 72 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

This quirky indie romantic comedy (yes, that makes two this week) was a hit at Sundance with audiences and critics alike and won an award for its screenplay (the debut from Derek Connolly). Mark Duplass stars as a man who places a personal ad in a local newspaper seeking a companion for time travel; three misfit magazine employees, including Aubrey Plaza, investigate. Critics found the film charming and endearing (if a bit ridiculous), with plenty of praise going to Plaza's breakout performance. Even if it isn't a true sci-fi-heavy time travel flick like the new Looper, Safety's ending alone makes it worth at least a rental.

More movie releases on October 30, 2012
50	Americano Salma Hayek	Add to Queue
72	First Position Documentary	Add to Queue
74	Polisse French drama	Add to Queue
	Rosemary's Baby (1968) Criterion Collection
	Twilight's Last Gleaming (1977) Burt Lancaster
TV on DVD/Blu-ray
	All in the Family Complete series box set
56	Coma Miniseries
66	Copper Season 1
	Metalocalypse Season 4
	My Favorite Martian Season 3
	The Streets of San Francisco Season 5

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