Latest UK DVD, Blu-Ray and HD DVD releases week commencing - 1st December 2008

Also see - release schedules w/c 8th Dec, 15th Dec, 22nd Dec, 26th Dec, 29th Dec

The top 3 DVD releases 1st December 2008 will be announced soon

1. The Memory Keeper's Daughter A great cast (especially Emily Watson) does a sterling job in this deeply involved tale of human dilemmas and misdemeanors. The film is a superb adaptation from the hugely successful novel of the same name by Kim Edwards.

2. Lotte Reiniger: Fairy Tale Films Thankfully released by The BFI, are legendary director Lotte Reiniger's wonderful fairy tales in her signature style black and white silhouette animation. This collection contains films from 1922 (Cinderella) up to 1961 The Frog Prince. Truly charming.

3. Hancock (2 Disc Edition) A big budget Will Smith superhero flick is not everyone's idea of a film to seek out (certainly not ours usually). But this one is a truly entertaining film with great CGI, a decent cast (including Charlize Theron) and plenty of laughs.

The other DVD releases 1st December 2008 (very few DVD releases this week as the industry push Blu-ray for all its worth in the run up to Christmas)
Elegy	Camp Rock	Space Chimps

The top 3 Blu-ray releases 1st December 2008
1. Austin Powers Collection This is groovy (baby). Whilst being light on extras, we are very partial to the work of Mike Myers, and these 3 films contained within are truly very funny and also stand up to repeated viewing. Yeah baby.	2. French Connection 1 & 2 Gene Hackman stars in these legendary films as Popeye Doyle, surely one of cinema's strongest characters. The original won an Oscar, the second was somewhat overlooked but is probably even better.	3. Joan of Arc - The Messenger Milla Jovovich stars in the title role in Luc Beeson's superb take on the legend. A film that is as entertaining as it is brutal, and it certainly ranks comfortably alongside Beeson's very best work.
The best of the rest Blu-Ray releases 1st December 2008
Hancock A big budget Will Smith superhero flick is not eveyone's idea of a film to seek out (certainly not ours usually). But this one is a truly entertaining film with great CGI, a decent cast (including Charlize Theron) and plenty of laughs.	Planet Of The Apes Collection Superb features packed 5 disc edition (much of the content in HD), that makes this one of the very best of Blu-ray issues so far. Also includes the films Planet of The Apes, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Escape From the Planet of the Apes, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Battle for the Planet of the Apes. Hefty price tag but for all those features it is a real bargain. Link to be updated	Bad Santa The perfect antidote to Christmas. Alcoholism, dis-function, heists and lots of dark humour only marginally tinsel related. Also see our full review of Bad Santa. The film also features in our Christmas film guide.
The Thing	Knocked Up	The Mummy 1, 2 & 3 Box Set
Also released this week on Blu-ray: The Day the Earth Stood Still, Wanted, Dirty Dancing (Ultimate Girl's Night In Collector's Edition), The Scorpion King and Space Chimps. For full details of these releases go to our December 2008 new Blu-ray releases store.

The top 3 TV releases (all formats) 1st December 2008
1. Auf Wiedersehen Pet - 25 Years Ultimate Box Set All 4 series of the superb Clement and Frenais' classic comedy drama. Following the intrepid hero's from Britain to Germany, back to Britain, to Spain (via The Falklands) to Middlesborough, Nevada, Cuba and Africa and Laos.	2. The Lost Prince (Blu-ray) Stephen Poliakoff's highly regarded drama about the little boy shamefully abandoned by his parents Queen Mary and George V. They knew no better.	3. 24 - Redemption Feature length special to herald in the new season. The specially extended release includes scenes that were not Included included in the television broadcast plus a whole host of superb extra features.
The best of the rest TV releases (all formats) 1st December 2008
Steve Coogan - The Complete Collection 14 discs including the series Coogans Run, Knowing Me Knowing You, I'm Alan Partridge, Saxondale, Dr Terrible's House of Horrible plus specials featuring Paul and Pauline Calf and Tony Ferrino.	Einstein and Eddington Superb TV drama highlighting the relationship and correspondence between Albert Einstein (Andy Serkis), and British astronomer Arthur Eddington (David Tenant) in the lead up to World War 1.	Night Mail & Lines For All Seasons This beautiful and iconic documentary that features the magical music of Britten allied to the poetry of W H Auden. Also includes 3 other rail related documentaries.
Other TV releases (all formats) this week: The Armstrong and Miller Show - Series 1, Jake And The Fatman: Season One Vol 2 and The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. For full details of these releases go to our December 2008 new TV releases store.