Since we know time is money, here's a quick handy reference guide to recent DVD releases that should be on your radar and, in many cases, on your shelf. Immediately.

HANDS DOWN MUST HAVE OF THE WEEK:

 


Star Trek (Blu-Ray)
Release Date: November 17
What it is: Ubiquitous sci-fi presence J.J. Abrams tempted Trekkie ire and re-imagined the galactic voyages of the starship Enterprise. Starting from the beginning, Star Trek is about how a ragtag crew of young upstarts named Kirk, Spock, Bones, Uhura, Scotty, Sulu, and Chekov started on their paths to becoming icons named Kirk, Spock, Bones, Uhura, Scotty, Sulu, and Chekov.
Why you need it: Because your Blu-Ray player and surround sound system have been screaming for this. Seriously, this is one of the most beautiful Blu-Ray tranfers we have ever seen, and Abrams' mix of classic Trek sound effects with updated booms and zooms hits your ears even more effectively than they did in theaters (and you know how much we enjoyed it there). The special features are voluminous, too, and while the commentary track (featuring Abrams, executive producer Bryan Burk, writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, and producer Damon Lindelof) is one of those rare ones that is funny and engaging, we particularly enjoyed seeing Abrams' Klingons (who were cut out of the theatrical version) appearing among the deleted scenes. Boldly go. Now.

ALSO REALLY WORTH YOUR TIME AND MONEY:



Fight Club: 10th Anniversary Edition (Blu-Ray)
Release Date: November 17
What it is: Yet another box office "flop" that eventually revealed itself to be a modern classic once people, you know, actually saw it, Fight Club arrives on Blu-Ray for the first time on its 10th birthday. What else do you need to know, bitch tits?
Why you need it: Director David Fincher himself took part in the HD transfer process, painstakingly going over every detail from color to sound to make sure this was a Blu-Ray that lives up to the movie's considerable stature. And it does. New special features that push the boundaries of the Blu-Ray experience and make this a beautiful and unique snowflake amongst countless anniversary re-issues—especially "A Hit in the Ear: Ren Klyce and the Sound Design of Fight Club" which allows you to actually remix the sound of several scenes.



Brüno (Blu-Ray)
Release Date: November 17
What it is: Sasha Baron Cohen's follow-up to Borat, Brüno was unfairly maligned when it came out because apparently funny foreigners are safer to enjoy than funny homosexuals. It's not like frat boys were going to start lisping "FAB-ulous" the way they so readily adopted "I like!"
Why you need it: Because, all "controversy" aside, this is a funny fucking movie. Cohen once again gets into situations you can't believe he walked out of with all his limbs intact (and because of the subject matter, the hornets' nests he pokes become 100 times more dangerous than any in Borat) and, again, he gets normal people to reveal things that will have your jaw on the floor. The commentary is cracking, too—find out which stunts actually caused Cohen to break character and run for his life.

 


Leon: The Professional (Blu-Ray)
Release Date: November 17
What it is: A career highlight for all involved (director Luc Besson, and actors Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, and Natalie Portman), The Professional tells the story of a hitman who befriends a young girl after her family is slaughtered by a crooked DEA agent.
Why you need it: While Blu-Ray is kind to the movie, there have been so many versions of The Professional (and Leon, as the longer, and better, international cut is known) on DVD—there's even a Superbit version, for crying out loud—that you probably own multiple copies already. It's nice that the Blu-Ray features both cuts of the movie (again, we recommend opting for Leon), but the special features are a let down. Why even include the "10 Year Retrospective" when the movie's already 15 years old? A great movie, but this is for completists only.