I love these DCU animated films to bits. I also love Batman to bits. But I have to admit I’m always a little disappointed when Warner announces that their next DCU flick will be starring the Dark Knight. Haven’t we seen enough of his adventures on film? What about another Wonder Woman film? Or how about giving Green Arrow a chance to prove he’s more than a CW pretty boy? Or hell, how cool would a New Gods movie be? Man, I’d pay top dollar for that.

Sigh.

In the meantime, I’ll watch the shit outta Son of Batman film when it comes out on Blu-ray May 6 and I’ll no doubt love it!

This might just be the first big home video horror-nerd announcement of 2014! And one that I’ve been waiting for for years. Flicker Alley let loose an email blast last week letting the world know that they intend to release the 1923 version of Hunchback of Notre Dame – yes, the iconic silent one starring Lon Chaney – on Blu-ray sometime this coming year. But details were slim. Now the company has updated their site with a preorder for the disc and a bunch of details, including package art and a list of special features. Fans will note that this release appears to mirror the 2007 Image DVD in a lot of ways, which makes sense as David Shepard, owner of the Blackhawk Films library, is once again involved. Both Shepard and Flicker Alley have a history of taking great care with their projects. I’ve got high hopes for this one!

Another great line up of titles from the world’s finest home video studio, headlined by Lars von Trier‘s breakout hit, Breaking the Waves. Note that the 400 Blows is a dual-format re-release title that will now include both Blu-ray and DVD in the same package.

I’M SO EXCITED
(2013, Blu-ray released January 7, 2014 – MSRP $40.99)

THE FILM:

“All aboard for non-stop hilarity from Academy Award(R) winner Pedro Almodovar (Best Original Screenplay, “Talk to Her”, 2002). Shortly after liftoff from Madrid, the flight crew discovers something is wrong with the landing gear and their journey to Mexico City may be imperiled. Desperate to divert attention from the rapidly spreading news, a trio of campy flight attendants launches into fits of lip-synching, boozing, drugging and matchmaking with the colorful assortment of passengers.“

Shout! Factory‘s exceptional Scream Factory line of horror films rolls on through February with three more cult classic releases, all with new interviews and a couple of new commentary tracks. Of the three, Sam Raimi‘s Darkman is the real surprise, as it’s only recently been released in a bare-bones Blu-ray edition from Universal. Adding these titles to their growing library hammers home that Shout! is turning out to be a fearless label, with its finger on the pulse of movie nerddom.

Thor: The Dark World is one of the best movies Marvel has yet produced, hands down. And that’s saying something with superhero greats like The Avengers and Iron Man under their belt. Disney has announced the February 25 release of both a 2-disc version of the film – complete with both 3D and 2D versions as well as a digital copy – and a single disc Blu-ray. The street date comes just eleven days too late to be your hunky thunder-god Valentine gift. Ah nuts.

GREY GARDENS
(1976, Blu-ray released December 10, 2013 – MSRP $39.95)

THE FILM:

“Meet Big and Little Edie Beale: mother and daughter, high-society dropouts, and reclusive cousins of Jackie Onassis. The two manage to thrive together amid the decay and disorder of their East Hampton, New York, mansion, making for an eerily ramshackle echo of the American Camelot. An impossibly intimate portrait, this 1976 documentary by Albert and David Maysles, codirected by Ellen Hovde and Muffie Meyer, quickly became a cult classic and established Little Edie as a fashion icon and philosopher queen. The Blu-ray edition features the 2006 follow-up to the film, The Beales of Grey Gardens, constructed from hours of extra footage in the filmmakers’ vaults.“

MARTIN SCORSESE’S WORLD CINEMA PROJECT
(1936-1981, Blu-ray released December 10, 2013 – MSRP $124.95)

THE FILMS:

“Established by Martin Scorsese in 2007, the World Cinema Project expands the horizons of moviegoers everywhere. The mission of the WCP is to preserve and present marginalized and infrequently screened films from regions generally ill equipped to preserve their own cinema history. This collector’s set brings together six superb films from countries around the globe, including Senegal (Touki bouki), Mexico (Redes), India and Bangladesh (A River Called Titas), Turkey (Dry Summer), Morocco (Trances), and South Korea (The Housemaid). Each is a cinematic revelation, depicting a culture not often seen by outsiders on-screen.“