Blu-ray Today: Much Ado About Vader, Batman, Whedon, Chucky, Shyamalan

Star Wars Episodes IV-VI – Did you bite the bullet and buy the six Blu-ray set even though you hate the prequels? HA-ha! Here are the three “originals” – in quotes because Ewoks still blink and Vader says “No.” Basically, Fox saw a way to make a little more money while they still can. If you did hold out, good for you! It’s reward day. EDIT: Wow, these were out before in three packs? This is even more pointless, then.

After Earth – I was a fan when it came out; those championing Gravity who haven’t seen this might want to give it another look if you’re in the mood for another two-person tale of survival in a hostile environment – this one with a fear-sniffing monster and mutant hybrid animals. Weirdly attacked because of Will Smith’s connection to a Scientology school – and not so weirdly attacked because M. Night Shyamalan hasn’t been good in a while – this is a solid piece of world-building that deserves better than the irrelevant external baggage brought to it. No commentaries, because why give people even more ammo?

Much Ado About Nothing – Nathan Fillion and Clark Gregg are among the talent roster called upon by Joss Whedon to perform Shakespeare. Let’s just be honest and say it’s nerd porn.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Deluxe Edition – Watch the entire animated movie as it was originally meant to be seen, in one two-and-a-half-hour movie, with an all-new commentary track and Frank Miller documentary. As long as you can get it out of the shrink-wrap – you THINK there’s nothing wrong with it that you can’t solve with your own two bare hands, but you never know…

The Hangover Part III – A strange trilogy capper that functions as its own self-critique, daring you to laugh as it goes darker and darker toward rock bottom, like some screwed up intervention, implicating you the audience as the enabler. I’m not saying you’ll like it, or even that it was a good idea, but it’s weirdly fascinating.

The Purge – Once a year, most crime is made legal for one night, so of course people gang up to beat the shit out of Ethan Hawke. They probably just saw Reality Bites and want a refund.

Chucky: The Complete Collection – The first Child’s Play is quite good indeed, with one of the all-time great shock reveals when Chucky the possessed doll first comes to life and starts swearing. That was something you could only do once, though – parts 2 and 3 had diminishing returns, but Bride of Chucky went perversely campy in a good way. The latest, Curse, supposedly takes it back to horror, while moving “forward” with a CG Chuck. I’m wary, but friends say good things.

Fantastic Voyage – Pioneering sci-fi classic in which a nuclear submarine, containing Donald Pleasance and Raquel Welch among others, is miniaturized and injected into a diplomat’s bloodstream to take out a blood clot in his brain. Even if you haven’t seen it, you’ve seen it spoofed in just about every cartoon there is.

Robot Chicken Season Six – I can’t keep track. Which skits are on this one again?

That’s not everything this week – among other things, there’s another version of The Exorcist that doesn’t appear substantially different – but those are my top picks. What are yours?