Every week we take a brief look at the biggest and best new releases on DVD and Blu-Ray. Unless otherwise stated, everything listed below is due for release next Monday – so in this case, Monday 24th September – and each title is now available for pre-order on zavvi.com. This week: the second series of hit US sitcom Community arrives on DVD, the Desperate Housewives bid farewell and Sacha Baron Cohen is back in full wind-up mode as the Dictator…
Community: Season 2 [DVD]
Welcome back for a wild new year at Greendale Community College, as the study group faces their toughest tests yet… Why would bachelor-for-life Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) pop the big question to Britta (Gillian Jacobs)? What incites innocent Annie (Alison Brie) to chloroform a janitor? Hey, Pierce (Chevy Chase)! Is your mum really still alive in a lava lamp? Will Abed (Danny Pudi) miss his Pulp Fiction birthday for a chance to give Jeff his own version of My Dinner With Andre? What makes Troy (Donald Glover) boldly go for LeVar Burton? Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) is expecting – but who’s the daddy? Is it her ex-hubby (guest star Malcolm-Jamal Warner)? Or ex-Spanish teacher, Senior Chang (Ken Jeong)? Finally, is that really Betty White rapping with Troy and Abed? All these answers (and much more) are found in the hilarious, guest star-filled sophomore season of the breakthrough comedy hit.
Resident Evil: Damnation [DVD] [Blu-Ray]
United States special agent Leon S. Kennedy sneaks into a small Eastern Europe country to verify rumors that Bio Organic Weapons (B.O.W.s) are being used in war. Right after his infiltration, the US government orders him to leave immediately. Determined to uncover the truth, Leon ignores the order and enters the battlefield to end the chain of tragedies caused by the B.O.W.s.
The Angels’ Share [DVD] [Blu-Ray]
From award-winning director Ken Loach and writer Paul Laverty comes a bitter sweet comedy caper which proves that sometimes all you need in life is a little spirit. Escaping a prison sentence by the skin of his teeth, the wayward and disillusioned Robbie is given one last chance to turn his life around. Together the four friends he embarks on an adventure and discovers that turning to drink might just change their lives – not cheap fortified wine, but the best malt whiskies in the world.
Fringe: Season 4 [DVD] [Blu-Ray]
Wrapping up another mind-bending season, the critically acclaimed Fringe continues to explore otherworldly cases with endless impossibilities. Set in two parallel universes, the FBI’s Fringe Division focuses around Special Agent Olivia Dunham, eccentric “fringe” scientist Walter Bishop and his jack-of-all-trades son, Peter — the trio is supervised by Special Agent Phillip Broyles and assisted by Agent Astrid Farnsworth. Simultaneously, the universe “over there” is populated by alternate doppelgangers including a scheming “Walternate,” seductive “Fauxlivia” and a parallel Fringe team armed with advanced high-technology. In both universes, the teams investigate unusual incidents that defy human logic and unimaginable events that threaten our very existence on a universal scale. Irrevocably linked to the “other” universe by the machinations of a younger Walter Bishop trying to save the life of his son, Olivia and alternate-born Peter must heal the rifts between two warring universes while wrestling with questions of identity and destiny … and an unstoppable, ancient doomsday device!
The Cabin In The Woods [DVD] [Blu-Ray]
Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen.
If you think you know this story, think again. From fan favourites Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard comes The Cabin In The Woods, a mind blowing horror film that turns the genre inside out.
Produced by Whedon and directed by Goddard from a script by both, the film stars Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford.
Deep in the heart of one of Jakarta’s most deprived slums stands an impenetrable high-rise apartment block. To most it is 30 floors of Hell to be avoided at all costs and is considered a no-go area by even the bravest and most experienced police officers.
In a desperate bid to flush these violent criminals and their leader from their haven once and for all, an elite SWAT team is tasked with infiltrating the building and raiding the apartments floor by floor, taking out anyone who stands in their way. Once inside, it soon becomes terrifyingly apparent that the real problem at hand is surviving long enough to be able to get out again.
The Dictator: The Extended Cut [DVD] [Blu-Ray]
It will be your honour to view exclusive footage that you couldn’t see in cinemas untouched by filthy western censorship propaganda in The Dictator – The Extended Cut. The creators and star of Borat bring you the jaw-dropping comedy about what happens when the world’s worst dictator comes to America. Stuck in New York and stripped of his power, Aladeen (Sacha Baron Cohen) is finally forced to live his ultimate nightmare…the American dream. Get ready to laugh till it hurts with the extended cut, featuring never-before-seen footage, that’s outrageous and shamefully funny!
Russell Howard’s Good News: Best Of Series 2 [DVD]
Russell Howard’s Good News is BBC Three’s most successful entertainment show. This feature-length DVD brings you the best bits from Series Two together with previously unseen extras.
Following the success of the bestselling ‘Best of Series One’, this DVD brings you Russell’s unique take on the world, as he gives the big and the bizarre news topics of the day a refreshingly positive and hilarious spin.
Desperate Housewives: Season 8 [DVD]
It’s the final, climactic season of the iconic series that redefined life in the suburbs – ABC’s Desperate Housewives!
The stakes are higher than ever as the world’s most celebrated housewives are united by their involvement in the slaying of Gaby’s loathsome stepfather. The desperation mounts when Bree receives an anonymous “I know what you did” message worded identically to Mary Alice’s fateful note. Meanwhile, Renée tries to spark up some romance with hot new Aussie neighbor Ben, Lynette and Tom navigate the rough waters of their separation and Susan jumps headfirst into a “relationship” with a volatile art professor who is determined to draw out her wilder side. Ultimately, the suspense builds to a fever pitch when Bree is arrested and tried for murder!
Mysteries will be solved, and loyalties are tested as the excitement soars to all-time heights. Kiss the ladies of Wisteria Lane goodbye and complete your collection with this thrilling 5-disc set, featuring all 23 wickedly entertaining episodes and exclusive, never-before-seen bonus features!
The Increasingly Poor Decisions Of Todd Margaret [DVD]
American Todd Margaret bluffs his way into an apparently great job opportunity, heading up the sales team in his employer’s London office.
All he has to do is sell several thousand energy drinks before his boss arrives. Simple. Apart from the fact that he knows nothing about British culture and nothing about sales. Matters are further complicated when he ends up lying continuously to cover his ignorance and spectacularly fails to impress Alice, the first beautiful girl he meets, while Dave, his British co-worker, takes full advantage of Todd’s situation. Todd’s increasingly poor decisions soon land him in big trouble, offending the majority of the British population and a great sporting institution along the way.
Good time girls Annie (Jennifer Blanc) and Mary (Danielle Harris) find themselves in a life and death situation. Annie’s life is put in jeopardy when she is witness to a violent act at the hands of two Sheriff’s Deputies. Fleeing from attackers (Ryan Honey, Denny Kirkwood) she stumbles across Kyle (Michael Biehn), a recluse living in the middle of the woods.
The ruggedly handsome loner stays far from civilization – that is – until a single knock on his door throws his solitary life into chaos. Two worlds collide in this psychological thriller that will make you question your trust in mankind. Who is the victim?
Harold’s Going Stiff [DVD]
Lonely pensioner, Harold Gimble, has become the first man to suffer from a new neurological disease that is slowly turning him into a zombie-like state. Harold’s hermit-like existence is shaken up when a vivacious nurse, Penny Rudge, is sent along to alleviate his stiffness. Her ‘special’ massage techniques work a treat on Harold and they become close friends.
Harold agrees to trial a possible cure for the disease at a private institute, and the initial results are excellent. But the following day he’s in an even worse state than before, and after Penny accidentally overhears the doctor’s dire prognosis for Harold she decides to sneak him away the next morning.
Word soon gets out, and before long a small group of bloodthirsty thugs are pursuing Harold and Penny across dramatic moorlands in the hope of a kill.
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Watch the trailer for The Dictator below:
