New to Blu: December 1-6 (Movies)

Can ‘toon titan Shrek eclipse the latest in The Twilight Saga?

Shrek Forever After: The Final Chapter and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse go on sale Wednesday, along with another standout title, Animal Kingdom.

In an unusual departure, Kiwis will be among the first in the world to buy Shrek Forever After and Eclipse on Blu-ray – the latter won’t be released in the US until Saturday and the former not until next week (when both will bow in the UK).

Eclipse looks light on extras compared to its predecessors: two audio commentaries, making-of doco, deleted/extended scenes, photo gallery; Shrek Forever After has deleted scenes, a commentary, making-of shorts, a Shrek, Rattle & Roll music video, and Donkey’s Caroling Christmas Shrektacular.

Meanwhile, the Aussie crime drama sensation, Animal Kingdom, has been acclaimed as much for its extras as its video.

Michaeldvd.com.au hailed the 1080p transfer as “outstanding, with no artefacts to speak of” and described the two commentaries, 70-minute making-of doco and half-hour interview with veteran crime reporter Tom Noble as “first-class”.

Also new this week are Killers and The Human Centipede while debuting on Blu-ray without theatrical exposure are Home of the Brave, Assassination of a High School President, The Code, Coffin Rock and The Gift.

There also are more back-catalogue newcomers than you can shake a spear at, including Shakespeare in Love, Hamlet (1948), Henry V (1945) and The Red Shoes.

Less collectible are The Break-Up, Bridget Jones – The Edge of Reason, The Holiday, Notting Hill, Evan Almighty, Scent of a Woman, Smokey and the Bandit, Backdraft and the 1979 re-make of All Quiet on the Western Front.

Getting the double-feature treatment are the Night at the Museum movies, Poltergeist 2 and 3, and the Indiana Jones-lite gems, Romancing the Stone and Jewel of the Nile.

Anime fans can choose from Tekken, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Dragon Ball Z – Kai Collection 2 and Full Metal Panic! Series 1 Collection while new in the Marvel Knights franchise are Astonishing X-Men: Gifted, Black Panther, Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D and The Invincible Iron Man: Extremis.

The only Blu-ray music release is Yusuf (Cat Stevens): Live in Australia.