Action

What it is: Chuck (Zachary Levi) is a mild-mannered nerd working at Buy More (a barely veiled Best Buy) when he downloads a virus that implants the entire U.S. intelligence network into his brain.  Obviously that makes him a prime target, so he falls under the protection of two agents, Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski) and John Casey (Adam Baldwin), who become his only hope of leading a normal nerdy life.  But is his relationship with Sarah strictly professional?

Why it's Significant: Combining action and comedy, Chuck was my favorite new show of the 2007-08 season.  In fact, Chuck's sister's boyfriend would say it's "Awesome!"  Levi is charming in the title role, Baldwin is not too far off from his Firefly character of Jayne (that's a good thing), and the tough-yet-tender Strahovski was a breakout star.  Much like The X-Files' Gillian Anderson became the thinking man's crush, Strahovski became a fantasy for nerds everywhere, especially after appearing in the famous Princess Leia slavegirl outfit.  And for those of you used to watching your TV in high definition, there's a Blu-ray version as well. New to Chuck?  Watch the full NBC promo below.  --David

What it is: Iron Man on Blu-ray and DVD. For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past year Iron Man, a Marvel Comics adaption, is about Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), an extremely rich weapons developer, who after being captured by terrorists, finds that his weapons aren't exactly being used for just causes. Putting his weapon building experience to good use, he develops a metal suit, escapes, then devotes his life to righting the wrongs his weapons have caused. Also featuring Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard and directed by Jon Favreau.    

Why it's significant: If there is one movie release on DVD in September (more like all of 2008) which warrants an excuse to buy that Blu-ray player you’ve been putting off, it is Iron Man . Girlfriends, Wives,and Fiancés will forgive you once they see Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark tearing up the skies, his garage, and terrorists. If you’ve already upgraded to Hi Def heaven, then owning this movie is a no-brainer. What better way is there to show off your home entertainment system’s capabilities than the incredible action sequences of a driven and not-so-humble super hero?  Of Course, for those of you who have a mortgage, are still waiting to win the state lottery, or aren’t trust fund babies, Iron Man is also available on Standard Def DVD. It just won’t impress your neighbors… as much.  --Mike

What it is: What do we have here? A four-disc high definition set with pristine surround sound and HD audio. Also, we get a slew of commentary, special features (many in HD), and easter eggs.

Why it's significant: I know what I'm getting my dad for Christmas..."I'm gonna make him and offer he can't refuse."  Perhaps the most iconic movie series of all time...one of the most widely imitated, quoted, and lampooned movies of all time--and on Blu-ray, too? Get outta here! Just think. This movie series garnered a combined 24 Academy Award nominations, and now you can watch it in crystal-clear 1080P and listen to it in 5.1 Dolby TrueHD...breathtaking. I know you Blu-ray lovers are thinking "Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in!" but this is one Blu-ray boxed set that everyone with an HD TV should own. Kapeesh?

Watch the preview:

--Jordan Thompson

Remember way back when, when there was a little sci-fi action flick called Starship Troopers? Well there are now two sequels. And if you didn't know there was a first installment, well then you are in trouble, because actor Casper Van Dien (Johnny Rico) is very enthusiastic about Starship Troopers 3: Marauders on Blu-ray.

Check out the Amazon interview (David Horiuchi interviewing):

So the question is where has Casper Van Dien been? There was that Tarzan movie I saw the trailers for, shortly after the first Starship troopers came out. Checking out his imdb profile, it looks like he's been busy with niche titles like Dracula 3000 and surprisingly, Sleepy Hallow - I do not remember seeing him in that film at all.

Despite his ghostlike presence in the movie business, he comes across as a genuine human being in the featured interview. And as soon as he gets his PS3, he'll be watching the new Marauders in Blu-ray. Which reminds me, I need to get on this Hi-Def bandwagon.

--Rich

Vexing news for Harry Potter fans!  Just arrived in my inbox is a press release that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is going to hit theaters on July 17, 2009, not November 21, 2008 as originally scheduled.  In the press release, Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros., says, "Our reasons for shifting Half-Blood Prince to summer are twofold: we know the summer season is an ideal window for a family tent pole release, as proven by the success of our last Harry Potter film, which is the second-highest grossing film in the franchise, behind only the first installment.  Additionally, like every other studio, we are still feeling the repercussions of the writers’ strike, which impacted the readiness of scripts for other films—changing the competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of.  We agreed the best strategy was to move Half-Blood Prince to July, where it perfectly fills the gap for a major tent pole release for mid-summer."  There's no announcement yet on the Harry Potter site, but their trailer page does show "In Theaters July 17, 2009."  --David

When my brother-in-law came to visit last week, it didn't take more than a few minutes of watching Blade Runner (one of his all-time-favorite movies) to convince him that he needed a Blu-ray player.  If one of your friends or relatives decided to go Blu, what would you recommend as a starter collection?  And not just things that make your home theater look and sound great, but movies or TV shows that you won't mind watching more than once.  Here are a few that jump to mind.  

• Planet Earth: The combination of stunning images and fascinating creatures is what convinced many people to go high-def.

• Blade Runner: Not only a top movie that looks great, but a lot of bonus material and a very reasonable price for five discs.

• Ratatouille: Something for the kids (and grown-ups) to watch, and looks spectacular. (I wouldn't mind swapping in Enchanted--part kids' movie, part romantic comedy, all fun.)

• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl: All the POTC movies look great.  I'd go with the first one, unless you really want the trilogy.

• Batman Begins: I figure this selection will eventually be replaced by The Dark Knight, but it's a good watch in the meantime.

• 2001:  A Space Odyssey: Maybe not a universally loved film, but who knew something 40 years old could look like this?

• I'll toss in Casino Royale and Spider-Man: The High Definition Trilogy to fill things out.

And even though they don't come out till later this year, I suspect The Godfather Collection, The Ultimate Matrix Collection, and Band of Brothers may also work themselves onto this list.  --David

Continuing our series of Essentials*, here's our Essential Sequels. Here's what our writer said:

Hollywood loves sequels. They are easier films to market and have an already built-in audience. The downside: One can go to the well once too often (Leprechaun 5: Leprechaun in the Hood). But the upside is when art and commerce are both gloriously served. These Essential Sequels took great movies to the next level. Primal sagas were expanded, and iconic characters more fully explored. In some cases, thrill rides were upgraded to extreme entertainments. This genre often gets a bad rap by critics who bemoan Hollywood's seeming lack of original ideas. These classics give sequels a good name.

* "Essential" is not the same as "best," so these are not top 10 lists, but more a library-building guide that samples the significant DVDs from a genre, a decade, or a career.

Essentials by Genre: Sequels (in no ranked order)

 Toy Story 2 (Two-Disc Special Edition)  

 Terminator 2 - Judgment Day (Extreme DVD) 

 Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980 & 2004 Versions, 2-Disc Widescreen Edition) 

 The Road Warrior  

 Spider-Man 2 (Widescreen Special Edition) 

 The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers 

 Aliens (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) 

 Dawn of the Dead (Ultimate Edition)  

 The Bride of Frankenstein 

 The Godfather Part II - The Coppola Restoration  

More essentials by Genre

See how the Dragon Emperor was brought (back) to life in China with this behind-the-scenes footage.

Continuing our series of Essentials*, here's our Essentials list for the 1990s. Here's what our writer said:

We can already hear the outrage: "How can you leave out The Shawshank Redemption? What about Schindler's List? Where is Titanic?!?" In 50 years, those great films may be considered the true classics of the 1990s. But the movies on this list--some widely acclaimed, some beloved by a passionate few--had an influence more significant than popularity alone can indicate. Some had dozens of imitators; others spawned entire genres.

* "Essential" is not the same as "best," so these are not top 10 lists, but more a library-building guide that samples the significant DVDs from a genre, a decade, or a career.

Essentials by Decade: The 1990s (in no ranked order)

Toy Story (10th Anniversary Edition)  

Pulp Fiction (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) 

Rushmore 

The Silence of the Lambs (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)  

Fargo (Special Edition)

My Own Private Idaho - Criterion Collection 

Before Sunrise 

Out of Sight (Collector's Edition)