On Blu-ray This Week: February 4 to February 10, 2008

Look up all the synonyms of the word varied and you’ve got the perfect adjectives to describe to this week’s big batch of Blu-ray releases. With The Assassination of Jesse James, Crimson Tide, and others sharing the spotlight this week, there’s bound to be something for everybody. Check out the motley crew of titles in the full article.

It looks like the Blu-ray releases are beginning to pick up again, with this week’s batch breaking the more-than-ten barrier. If you’re worried about the quality of the flicks, don’t be. We’ve got variety and then some with Blu-ray titles from different genres and subgenres: comedy, action, drama/romance, drama, courtroom drama, romantic comedy, and a Western drama.

Throw in a documentary and a concert and you’ve got something for everybody’s Blu-ray home entertainment systems. Oh and note that a couple titles from Image Entertainment are back on the list this week, we’re not sure as to why Breaker Morant and Suburban Girl’s release dates got pushed back but we know some people are glad that they are only a couple of weeks late.

Anyway, let’s take a closer look at some of the titles that are going to grace the shelves this week.

Who doesn’t know the legend, Jesse James? He probably could be equated to a rock star back in the 1870s – a soldier turned outlaw. The 2007 film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, based on Rob Hansen’s novel, tells the story of the legend (played by Brad Pitt) and the man who killed him, Robert Ford (played by Casey Affleck).

Next on the list is the very claustrophobic Crimson Tide. It’s a film set in a submarine deployed to prevent a Russian extremist from firing nuclear weapons which could eventually lead to World War III. The film stars excellent actors, Denzel Washington (as the Executive officer Ron Hunter) and Gene Hackman (as the sub’s commander Frank Ramsey). Tensions are bound to run high when weighing the consequences of certain decisions.

Since the first two are a bit drama heavy, let’s move to something lighter. Me, Myself and Irene stars the ever elastic Jim Carrey as a state trooper suffering from split personality disorder and Renee Zellweger as Irene Waters who has hitmen going after her. Crazy things will surely happen if you and your other personality challenge each other for the girl.

That’s it for this week. For now, we’ll leave you with the full list of Blu-ray releases in bulleted form:

• The Assassination of Jesse James (Warner Bros.)
• Across the Universe (Sony Pictures)
• The Brave One (Warner Bros.)
• Celine Dion: A New DayÂ… Live in Las Vegas (Sony Music)
• Crimson Tide (Disney / Buena Vista)
• Wall Street (20th Century Fox)
• The Jane Austen Book Club (Sony Pictures)
• Me, Myself & Irene (20th Century Fox)
• Breaker Morant (Image Entertainment)
• Suburban Girl (Image Entertainment)
• Deadliest Catch: Season 3 (Discovery Channel)