New to Blu: June 15-21

Jane Campion and George Clooney are the only bright stars on this week’s Blu-ray horizon.

The NZ-born filmmaker’s first feature since 2003’s In the Cut, Bright Star dramatises the relationship between poet John Keats and next-door neighbour Fanny Brawne, and should look sumptuous in HD.

The only Blu-ray review that’s been published online so far awards the video and audio 4.5 out of five: “a very strong presentation of a breathtakingly beautiful film”.

Extras include two deleted scenes, a making-of short and the half-hour doco, Working With Jane; missing are the Campion short films and photo gallery on the UK release.

In his latest film, Up in the Air, Clooney plays a “terminator facilitator” who loves firing people for a living because of the travel perks – until he has to confront what he does to save his own job.

It, too, scored high marks for its HD specs but the only substantial extra is a commentary by director Jason Reitman, his director of photography Eric Steelburg and his first assistant director Jason Blumenfeld.

Last, and definitely least, is Monday’s Blu-ray release of Sylvester Stallone’s Over the Top, the Rocky of arm-wrestling movies. Save your money and wait for next month’s Blu-rays of the five Rocky movies.

Bright Star goes on sale on Wednesday, Up in the Air on Thursday and Over the Top on Monday.