DVD Due Date: New Releases for May 1, 2012

This week is full of another huge list of releases but oddly enough it is the classics making all the noise and not the more recent theatrical releases this week—like the disappointing “Haywire,” “Joyful Noise,” “New Year’s Eve,” or Madonna’s “W.E.”

“Casablanca” gets the big-box “Ben-Hur” treatment this week with a 70th Anniversary Limited Edition Collector’s Blu-ray combo set. In almost every scene there’s an iconic movie image or quotable line. It’s one of the films you need to see in order to be culturally literate. The 1942 classic romantic drama features Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid in one of the big screen’s most famous triangles.

A must on this list for this week is “Men in Black,” the Steven Spielberg executive produced sci-fi/action/comedy starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. The 1997 film blows the gills and tentacles off of the 2002 sequel, which is also new to Blu this week.

You can't go wrong with Alicia Silverstone playing a Valley Girl in “Clueless,” that also stars Stacey Dash and Brittany Murphy. If you a big fan of westerns and Robert Redford then pick up “Jeremiah Johnson,” the 1972 Western about a mountain man who gets involved in a Sydney Pollack-directed vengeance plot. There are also a few Triple Features that look interesting especially the ones with John Wayne, Denzel Washington, Sly Stallone, and Steve McQueen.

Here are select new releases for the week of May 1, 2012:

BLU-RAY

• About a Boy (2002 dramedy)
• Believe in Me (2006 sport drama)
• Bird of Paradise (Kino Classics) (1932 adventure-romance)
• Blood-Drenched Double Feature: Wizard of Gore / The Gore Gore Girls
• Casablanca (70th Anniversary) (1942 classic)
• Clueless (1995 romantic comedy)
• Definitely, Maybe (2008 romantic dramedy)
• George Harrison: Living in the Material World (2011 documentary)
• Haywire (2011 action-thriller)
• Jeremiah Johnson (1972 Western)
• Joyful Noise (+ UV Digital Copy) (2012 musical comedy)
• Meet Joe Black (1998 fantasy-drama)
• Men in Black (+ UV Digital Copy) 1997 action-sci-fi-comedy)
• Men in Black II (+ UV Digital Copy) (2002 action-sci-fi-comedy)
• Mimic 3 Film Set (Mimic / Mimic 2 / Mimic 3)
• Mystery of Edwin Drood, The (Masterpiece Classics)
• New Year’s Eve (+ DVD + UV Digital Copy) (2011 romantic comedy)
• New Year’s Eve (+ UV Digital Copy)
• Pillow Talk (Blu-ray Book + DVD + Digital Copy) (1959 romantic comedy)
• Tim Burton Collection, The (with Book) (2006 – Amazon exclusive) (Pee Wee’s Big Adventure / Beetlejuice / Batman / Batman Returns / Mars Attacks! / Corpse Bride / Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
• Triple Feature (Beetlejuice / Charlie & the Chocolate Factory / Corpse Bride)
• Triple Feature (Blazing Saddles / Caddyshack / National Lampoon’s European Vacation)
• Triple Feature (Body Heat / L.A. Confidential / Player)
• Triple Feature (Body of Lies / Edge of Dark / Pride & Glo)
• Triple Feature (Deep Blue Sea / Long Kiss Goodnight / Snakes on a Plane)
• Triple Feature: Denzel Washington (John Q / Pelican Brief / Training Day)
• Triple Feature (Executive Decision / Point Break / Swordfish)
• Triple Feature: John Wayne (The Cowboys / The Green Berets / The Searchers)
• Triple Feature (Rest Stop: Dead Ahead / Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back / Otis)
• Triple Feature: Sylvester Stallone (Assassins / Cobra / Specialist)
• Triple Feature: Steve McQueen (Bullitt / Cincinnati Kid / Getaway)
• W.E. (2011 drama-romance)
• W.E. (+ DVD + Digital Copy) (2011 drama-romance)

RECENT RELEASES

• Haywire (2011 action-thriller)
• Joyful Noise (2012 musical comedy)
• New Year’s Eve (+ UV Digital Copy) (2011 romantic comedy)

CATALOG TITLES

• Beat the Band (1947 musical-drama) (May 3 release)
• Big City (1948 drama)
• Bird of Paradise (Kino Classics) (1932 adventure-romance)
• Case of the Black Parrot, The (1941 crime drama)
• Close Call for Boston Blackie, A (1946 crime drama)
• Mimic 3 Film Set (Mimic / Mimic 2 / Mimic 3)
• One Mysterious Night (1944 crime drama)

FAMILY/CHILDREN

• Bubble Guppies
• Happiness Is Peanuts: Team Snoopy
• Sesame Street: Singing with the Stars
• Tom and Jerry: Around the World

TV-ON-DVD

• American Experience: Jesse Owens (PBS)
• Art 21, Art in the 21st Century: Season 6
• Benson: Season 2
• Covert Affairs: Season 2
• Curiosity with Stephen Hawking (Discovery)
• Dirty Sexy Money: Season 1
• Dirty Sexy Money: Season 2
• Felicity: Season 1
• Felicity: Season 2
• Ghost Story aka Circle of Fear: Complete Series
• Invisible Man: Complete Series (1975-76)
• Kate’s Secret (1986 TV drama)
• Kojak: Season 4
• Level Up (2011 movie)
• Mystery of Edwin Drood, The (Masterpiece Classics)
• Nova: Secrets of the Sun
• Shazzan: Complete Series
• She’s Not Our Sister (2011 drama)
• Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997 movie)
• Suits: Season 1
• 10 Items of Less: Season 3
• Virginian, The: Season 6
• Wagon Train: Season 5
• Woman of Substance Trilogy, A (Complete Miniseries)

INDIE/ART-HOUSE/FOREIGN

• Drive-In (1976 comedy)
• George Harrison: Living in the Material World (2011 documentary)
• Rise of the Animals (2011 adventure-comedy-horror)

ANIME/MANGA

• Pokemon DP: Sinnoh League Victors, Set 2
• Psychic Squad: Collection 1
• Transformers Japanese Collection: Super-God Masterforce