DVD Release Calendar: October 2013

October 1

All movies are 2012/13 releases unless otherwise noted. Availability: DVD | Blu-ray | Both Blu-ray and DVD

This Is the End 67 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

One of the better examples of the end-of-the-world comedy genre that has achieved sudden ubiquity in 2013, this End marks the directorial debut of Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, who previously wrote the screenplays for Superbad, Pineapple Express, The Green Hornet , and The Watch . Rogen stars alongside James Franco, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson, and they (as well as other celebrities in smaller roles) all play fictionalized versions of themselves as a global apocalypse intrudes on a Hollywood party they're attending. Critics found a lot to laugh at in the gross-out humor, even though it was a "one-joke premise."

More movie releases on October 1, 2013
63	100 Bloody Acres Horror/comedy	Add to Queue
	Abandoned Mine Thriller	Add to Queue
55	The Croods Animated	Add to Queue
	Dead Before Dawn Horror/comedy	Add to Queue
37	Frozen Ground Nicolas Cage, John Cusack	Add to Queue
	Morning Jeanne Tripplehorn	Add to Queue
76	An Oversimplification of Her Beauty Live action/animation	Add to Queue
	The Wizard of Oz (1939) 75th Anniversary Edition
TV on DVD/Blu-ray
	Awkward. Seasons 1-2
34	Beauty & The Beast (2012) Season 1
	The Big Bang Theory Season 1 / Season 2 (new Blu-ray release; separate sets)
	Cagney & Lacey Vol. 4, Vol. 5 Part 1, Vol. 5 Part 2 (separate sets)
	China Beach Season 1
	Diagnosis Murder Season 5
	Downton Abbey Seasons 1-3 limited edition box set
73	Glee Season 4
	Happy Endings Season 3
	Hell's Kitchen Season 10
	Highway to Heaven Season 2
	How I Met Your Mother Season 8
77	Latino Americans PBS documentary miniseries
	Magnum, P.I. Complete series
	The Mod Squad Season 4, Vols. 1 & 2 (separate sets)
	Murder, She Wrote Complete series
	New Girl Season 2
71	North America Documentary miniseries
	Party of Five Season 6
	Wings Seasons 1 & 2

October 8

After Earth 33 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

For director M. Night Shyamalan, that Metascore counts as an improvement after a decade of rapidly declining Metascores, but don't mistake After Earth for a good movie. This summer flop is a sci-fi adventure set on a human-free Earth a thousand years in the future, where a father and son (played with surprisingly little charisma by real-life father and son Will and Jaden Smith) must survive among native (and alien) life forms after crashing their spaceship. The film is actually based on an idea by the elder Smith, who enlisted another screenwriter (The Book of Eli's Gary Whitta) before Shyamalan got his turn at crafting the story.

Europa Report 68 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

For a much better summer sci-fi thriller—albeit one with fewer big names attached—head for this under the radar "found footage"-style tale about an international crew of astronauts on an exploratory mission to find signs of life on Europa, Jupiter’s fourth moon. Sharlto Copley (District 9) and Michael Nyqvist (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol) star for director Sebastián Cordero (Chronicles). Despite a somewhat unoriginal story, critics admired the director's slower-paced, visually rich style and embrace of a more realistic approach.

The Hangover Part III 30 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

Mercifully the concluding chapter in the Hangover trilogy, this summer comedy underwhelmed critics even more than the disappointing middle installment. Reuniting its stars and director, the third film breaks from the established formula—there's no wedding, and no morning-after storyline—though it does return to the Vegas strip, while also taking place partially in Tijuana. Returning stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, and Heather Graham are joined by newcomers John Goodman and Melissa McCarthy.

The Look of Love 57 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

A lower-profile disappointment, this British biopic reunited director Michael Winterbottom with his frequent star, Steve Coogan (24 Hour Party People, Tristram Shandy, The Trip), but it could not replicate their past magic. Coogan plays the infamous British pornographer, club-owner, real estate developer, multi-millionaire, and so-called "King of Soho" Paul Raymond in a dramedy that spans decades and includes scenes shot in black-and-white and color, constantly changing to match the film styles of each period. Critics found the film shallow and perfunctory, though not without its moments.

Much Ado About Nothing 78 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

In between heavily hyped projects for Marvel (The Avengers, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Joss Whedon gathered a few of his friends and took a couple of weeks to film this Shakespeare adaptation in his own Santa Monica home. The no-budget, black-and-white comedy retains the original play's language while transporting the setting to the present day, and critics had a good time with the result. You'll spot plenty of Whedon regulars in the ensemble, including Nathan Fillion, Amy Acker, Clark Gregg, Fran Kranz, Alexis Denisof, Tom Lenk, and Reed Diamond.

The Purge 41 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

A surprise (albeit minor) hit this summer, this no-budget horror tale features a high-concept plot that asks what would happen if the government sanctioned a 12-hour period during which all criminal activity was legal. Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey star as a husband and wife who allow a desperate man (Edwin Hodge) into their home on that special night. The critics found the story fairly stupid, but it earned enough money that a sequel is in development.

More movie releases on October 8, 2013
	Home Run	Add to Queue
	I Married a Witch (1942) Criterion Collection
73	Laurence Anyways French-Canadian drama from Xavier Dolan	Add to Queue
34	The Lifeguard Kristen Bell	Add to Queue
	Nothing Left to Fear Anne Heche	Add to Queue
78	Resolution Horror	Add to Queue
49	Stuck in Love Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Connelly	Add to Queue
TV on DVD/Blu-ray
	90210 Season 5
	Adventure Time Volume 3: Jake vs Me-Mow
64	American Horror Story: Asylum
	Bomb Girls Season 2
	Bones Season 8
	Centennial Miniseries
	The Guild Complete Megaset
	Marvel's Avengers Assemble Vol. 1
	The Middle Season 3
	Psych Season 7
	Robot Chicken Season 6
	The Six Million Dollar Man Season 4
	White Collar Season 4

October 15

The Heat 60 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

The rare buddy-cop action-comedy to feature female leads (for that, you'll likely have to thank the female-centered summer comedy hit Bridesmaids, which Paul Feig also directed), The Heat stars Sandra Bullock as a no-nonsense FBI agent and Melissa McCarthy as her industry-standard "loose cannon" partner. Feig also wrote the script—though he allowed his stars to improvise as well—while his cast also includes Michael Rapaport, Tony Hale, and Kaitlin Olson. Critics generally found the "bawdy" summer film to be funny, even if it was a bit of "a mess."

Pacific Rim 64 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

Guillermo del Toro’s first film as director in five years is a robots vs monsters extravaganza designed for 3D and IMAX screens (you have one of those at home, right?). Sons of Anarchy’s Charlie Hunnam stars as a washed-up pilot who is paired up with a trainee (Rinko Kikuchi) to drive an outdated robot known as a Jaeger in a war against gigantic monsters known as Kaiju. Also starring are Idris Elba, Charlie Day, and del Toro regular Ron Perlman. The film wasn't a huge hit in the U.S. (despite unexpectedly solid reviews), but it performed very well elsewhere in the world—so much so that it became summer's highest-grossing live-action non-sequel.

More movie releases on October 15, 2013
	Birdemic 2: The Resurrection No Metascore, but we can verify that it's still terrible
26	The Colony Laurence Fishburne, Bill Paxton	Add to Queue
78	Dirty Wars Documentary	Add to Queue
88	Drug War Hong Kong actioner from Johnnie To	Add to Queue
82	A Hijacking Danish thriller	Add to Queue
58	Jug Face Horror	Add to Queue
53	Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain Stand-up concert film	Add to Queue
47	Maniac Elijah Wood	Add to Queue
	Plush Directed by Catherine Hardwicke	Add to Queue
TV on DVD/Blu-ray
	Bewitched Complete series
57	Defiance Season 1
	Degrassi: The Next Generation Season 12
83	The Fall Series 1
	Gentle Ben Season 1
	Hart of Dixie Season 2
	Hey Arnold! Season 5
	In Cold Blood Miniseries
	The IT Crowd Complete series
	The Partridge Family Complete series
	Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 5
70	Vikings Season 1

October 22

Before Midnight 94 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

The best-reviewed film released so far this year brings back the characters of Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke)—last seen in Before Sunset—for the third film in Richard Linklater's trilogy (which isn't necessarily over). This time the pair visit Greece, after first meeting in Vienna in Before Sunrise and crossing paths again in Paris nine years later. Critics found the film intelligent and thought-provoking, while also being darker and riskier than the first two in the series.

The Conjuring 68 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

One of the best-reviewed horror films of the year so far, The Conjuring comes from James Wan, creator of the Saw series and director of 2011’s Insidious. Based on the files of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, this 1971-set haunted house tale stars Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Patrick Wilson, and Vera Farmiga.

The Internship 42 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

Here's one to watch on your Google Goggles (or perhaps with beer goggles). Shawn Levy (still looking for his first good film) directs Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in a comedy about two unemployed salesmen who get into the Google internship program despite being just a wee bit older than the average intern. Once inside the Googleplex, it's old school vs. new school as they match wits with the brilliant and much more tech-savvy generation represented by Max Minghella, Dylan O'Brien, Josh Gad, and B.J. Novak. John Goodman plays their former employer, and Aasif Mandvi plays their new boss. Don't expect another Wedding Crashers; critics found the film a waste of a good cast.

Only God Forgives 37 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

One of 2013's most disappointing films so far, Only God Forgives reunites the director and star of 2011's terrific Drive—Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling—for another similarly brooding, stylish action-thriller, only one that proved to be a complete misfire in the eyes of many reviewers. Gosling trained in the art of Muay Thai for his role as an American criminal living in Bangkok on a mission to avenge the death of his brother. Giving him those orders is the true leader of the crime organization: his mother, played by Kristin Scott Thomas. Most critics deemed the film shockingly dull (despite also being shockingly gory), though a few loved it.

The Way, Way Back 67 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

You may know Nat Faxon and Jim Rash from their starring roles on TV sitcoms Ben & Kate and Community, respectively, or perhaps from their Oscar win (along with Alexander Payne) for writing the adapted screenplay for The Descendants. For The Way, Way Back, in addition to writing the script, they step behind the camera for the first time with an Adventureland-esque coming-of-age dramedy set at a water park. The 14-year-old protagonist, played by Liam James (The Killing), gets a job at the park to escape a terrible summer vacation with his mother, her boyfriend, and his daughter. Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Amanda Peet, Maya Rudolph, and Rob Corddry also star. While it was dinged a few points for a lack of originality and for being a "minor" work, most critics found it entertaining, funny, relatable, and filled with strong performances.

More movie releases on October 22, 2013
28	As Cool As I Am Claire Danes, James Marsden	Add to Queue
50	I Give It a Year Rose Byrne, Anna Faris	Add to Queue
39	Just Like a Woman Sienna Miller	Add to Queue
40	Molly's Theory of Relativity Indie dramedy	Add to Queue
61	Paradise: Faith Second film in Ulrich Seidl's Paradise trilogy	Add to Queue
66	Shepard & Dark Documentary	Add to Queue
	The Uninvited (1944) Criterion Collection
TV on DVD/Blu-ray
	Call the Midwife Seasons 1 & 2
	Kindred: The Embraced Complete series
	Nikita Season 3
39	Primeval: New World Season 1 (complete series)

October 29

Byzantium 66 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

Director Neil Jordan is no stranger to the vampire film, having directed 1994's Interview with the Vampire, but his return to genre lacks bite, according to some reviewers, who found the result a bit lifeless. (Still, most critics preferred it to Hollywood's recent vampire output). Adapted from a play called A Vampire Story, Byzantium stars Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan as a mother-daughter vampire duo who pissed off the wrong vampires a few centuries ago, and those leads both earned praise from multiple critics, as did the film's visuals.

Monsters University 65 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

This prequel to 2001’s Monsters, Inc. 78 checks in with John Goodman’s Sulley and Billy Crystal’s Mike Wazowski in college as they train to become professional scarers. Even though their nemesis Randall Boggs (voiced by Steve Buscemi) is back, they spend most of their time fighting each other. As they prepare to try out for the scare program, the pair’s toughest opponent turns out to be Dean Hardscrabble, voiced by Helen Mirren. The story nods to many of the college classics familiar to older viewers while providing plenty of laughs for the kids and more than a few new monsters for their parents to buy. (Look for fraternity initiations and the monster version of the Greek Games from Revenge of the Nerds). Fortunately, it will be the last Pixar sequel for a while, as both this film and the recent Cars 2 were the worst-reviewed Pixar releases to date.

R.I.P.D. 25 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer

R.I.P.D. was D.O.A. at the box office this summer, earning back just under $34 million (in the U.S.) of its reported $130 million production budget. Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds star as mismatched members of an undead police force in this action-comedy adaptation of the Dark Horse comic Rest In Peace Department by director Robert Schwentke (RED). Aside from Bridges' performance, critics enjoyed nothing about the film.

More movie releases on October 29, 2013
42	Bounty Killer Matthew Marsden, Kristanna Loken	Add to Queue
53	Free Samples Indie dramedy	Add to Queue
	La Notte (1961) Criterion Collection
67	Out in the Dark Palestinian/Israeli drama	Add to Queue
TV on DVD/Blu-ray
	Burning Love Season 1
	Damages Complete series
74	Family Tree Season 1

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