Blu Ray Releases for 12/09 Previewed Briefly by Blue

* The Dark Knight (Limited Edition) (Warner) - I'm not a big fan of limited edition versions of DVDs anymore. Usually it's just some cheap junk I'll never look at again. That said I'm always tempted to get the limited edition of a movie I really like, and I was tempted by this. Ultimately passed for the regular edition, previewed below.

* The Dark Knight (Warner) - This for me is the Big One. Favorite Movie Of The Year. Yeah. Liked it more than Doomsday. I saw Dark Knight 5 times in the theater, and despite not having seen the other major awards contenders such as Slumdog Millionaire, Benjamin Button, Milk, etc I feel confident this will end up on top of the heap for me. Benjamin Button's the only one I'm sort of thinking even has a shot at beating Bats. But, Batman Begins was my favorite movie the year that came out, Prestige was #2 the year it came out, Memento was pretty damned close to the top the year it came out. I'm just a huge Christopher Nolan fan, though I still can't love Insomnia after seeing the superior original. The Dark Knight met my high expectations and surpassed them. I just didn't believe it'd be *this* good.

* Dodgeball (Fox) - More entertaining than it had a right to be considering how much this is similar to the IMO superior Basketball. Vince Vaughn is kind of coasting in this movie, he needs to do a Made-style motormouth jackass again soon.

* Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (Fox) - This Dr Suess adaptation looked curiously antiseptic in the trailers. Can't say I'm too interested.

* Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb - Every movie Kubrick made after Killer's Kiss is an honest to god classic, and still this movie makes it to the top ranks. Maybe the best satire ever filmed, if only because if you read a bit about the subject, so much of it is REAL. It comes off as ridiculous exaggeration but most of the facts are accurate! That's the biggest joke of all.

* Dumb & Dumber (Warner) - Jim Carrey's best and funniest movie. Don't really need this in blu ray but still recommended if you don't already own it.

* I Am Legend (Ultimate Collector's Edition) (Warner) - I thought this movie was okay when I saw it but now - eh. It's just unimaginative Akiva Goldsman-ish schlock.

* Jet Li's Fearless (Universal) - Which one is the one where he has a dog collar? Is it this one? It's a racist stereotype to say all asian people look like(not to mention inaccurate) but it's just plain truth to say all Jet Li-starring American movies look alike.

* Lost: The Complete Fourth Season (Buena Vista) - I'm sure it looks great but I don't need to revisit this series on blu ray. I don't find the show has much rewatch value at all.

* The Mask (New Line) - Is it Jim Carrey week? Is Yes Man coming out in theaters on Friday(actually, let me check -- nope, week after. Guess they want a little extra time? Who knows). Anyway this movie is fairly good, Carrey's first movie after breaking out in Ace Ventura. And it has the first appearance of Cameron Diaz, and she's never been as hot as she is here. She's insanely hot in this movie.

* Ray Charles: Live At Montreux 1997 (Eagle Rock) - Respect for Ray Charles, but eh music blu ray.

* The Strat Pack Live in Concert (Eagle Rock) - Multiple hours of over the hill rock guitarists playing solo. The only way this could be more boring is if it were bass players.

* Super Troopers (Fox) - Funny movie, but I still prefer Club Dread. Yes, I realize that preference may one day cost me the Presidency but dammit, I must take a stand on principle!

* Tori Amos: Live At Montreux 1991/1992 (Eagle Vision) - Actually a Tori Amos concert might be blu ray worthy, just because this is probably her best period musically, also it's when she was hot.