Latest UK DVD and Blu-Ray releases week commencing - 17th November 2008

Also see - release schedules w/c 3rd Nov, 10th Nov, 24th Nov

The top 3 DVD releases 17th November 2008

1. Free Zone Simply wonderful film from 2005 that was nominated for the Palm d 'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Featuring a superb performance from Natalie Portman in a tale set in the 'free zone' of the Iraq-Saudi-Jordan borders.

2. Cinema 16: World Short Films A superb collection of shorts by some of cinemas current great directors including: Guillermo del Toro, Jane Campion and Park Chan-Wook.

3. The Rutles: All You Need is Cash (30th Anniversary Edition) Yet another release for Eric Idle's hilarious post Monty Python pre-fab classic Beatles spoof. The songs of Neil Innes and Eric Idle contained in the film are both superb parodies, and superb in their own right (Ouch! and Double Back Alley are particularly splendid).

The best of the rest of other DVD releases 17th November 2008
Gunnin' For That #1 Spot Directed MCA of the Beastie Boys this innovative documentary follows a group of Basketball players in their attempts to break straight into the professional game.	Mondo Cane A re-release of the classic 1962 original shockumentary were you're never quite sure which parts of the bizarre displays are true and which are fakes.	Tigrero Filmmaker Sam Fuller (accompanied by Jim Jarmusch and director Mika Kaurismaki) revisits the Amazon where, in 1954, he shot footage in the rain forest for a John Wayne film that was never made.
Other DVD releases this week: Sordid Lives, The Fan & Take.

The top 3 Blu-ray releases 17th November 2008
1. Third Man One can perhaps make an argument about that necessity of releasing Black and White films on the HD formats, but taking the cinematography on this film justifies its position alone. Also the improved soundtrack, containing the wonderful and instantly recognisable Harry Lime Theme is an absolute joy.	2. The Matrix / Matrix Reloaded / Matrix Revolutions All the usual nonsense of all the very cutting edge and innovative Matrix films collected in one bundle - and looking nothing short of amazing with the clarity of the Blu-ray format.	3. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco Alt-country band Wilco, feature in this story of how they attempt break out of their pigeon hole into experimental artistes. It also shows them as a band in meltdown with their bitterness pushing them ever closer into Spinal Tap territory. Hugely entertaining.
The best of the rest Blu-Ray / HD DVD releases 17th November 2008
Kung Fu Panda The larger than life cartoonish character of Jack Black transplanted to a larger than life cartoonish panda character. Simple. Kung Fu Panda 2 and 3 are already in production - clever.	Chronicles Of Narnia - The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe / Prince Caspian In all the glory that The Lord Of The Rings and Harry Potter has garnered, these two adaptations have had to take a back seat, despite being incredibly well made.	Hulk Great cast. Only let down is with some truly very poorly realised CGI. Some absolutely superb extra features though.
Man Who Fell to Earth The genius director Nicolas Roeg's other-worldly strange tale starring David Bowie at his other-worldly strangest.	The Last Emperor Bernardo Bertolucci's epic from 1987 is one of modern cinemas most visually stunning pieces. Tailor made for the digitally restored Blu-ray generation.	Revolver Guy Richie is a one trick pony (undoubtedly), but he can make a decent Brit gangster flick - this one is his third best and its still pretty good.

The top 3 TV releases (all formats) 17th November 2008
1. The Sopranos - Complete HBO Series - Deluxe Edition All 6 series of this landmark drama series contained on 30 discs. Also contains 3 and a half hours on all new extras features including commentaries, deleted and lost scenes.	2. Doctor Who : Complete BBC Series 4 Tom Baker may have been the best Doctor ever, but David Tennant is a close second. Sure the new shows can sometimes be low thought and high on chase sequences, but there is a real craft that has gone into the sub-plots that run through the series.	3. Stephen Fry: In America The wonderful (and fragrantly fluffy) Mr Fry, drives his cab through every state in the US in this fascinating series. Here he digs up all you ever wanted to know (and more) about the worlds most powerful country.
The best of the rest TV releases (all formats) 17th November 2008
Bones - Series 1-3 It seems like in TV you can never have enough medical crime series, this is one of the very best and is collected here is a 3 series volume. Series 3 is also available on its own and is the best series so far.	Benidorm - Series 1-2 The series that makes you want to paint yourself orange, buy a crate of duty free and sun bathe in a mobility scooter - the power of television hey. A great cast including Johnny Vegas and that bloke out of The League Of Gentleman.	The Mighty Boosh - Series 1-3 Weird and wonderful. All three series of the strange worlds of Vince, Howard, Naboo the enigma, Bollo the Gorilla and Bob Fossil. Never underestimate the power of the crimp.
Mr Bean Vol.1-5 Ok the movies were awful (and that is being kind). But the first 3 or 4 of these were actually really good and truly tatiesque in their inventiveness. Of course the series should have ended there before it became horribly predictable and uninventive.	Outnumbered Series 1 Starring the wonderful Clare Skinner (one of our very favourite actresses), and created by the writer of Drop The Dead Donkey, this improvisationally based family comedy is a real treasure.	Star Stories Series 1 & 2 The both series of the spoof documentary show shown on Channel 4. Just like Lucas and Walliams Rock Profiles only never quite as funny.