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.
Invictus (Blu-ray)
Release Date:May 18
What it is: Based on real events, Invictus is about newly-freed-from-prison Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) and his efforts to rally the South African people around their embattled rugby team captained by Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon).
Why you need it: At this point, the words "A film by Clint Eastwood" should be reason enough. This guy defies every commonly held belief that old people need to rest and quality cannot co-exist with quantity. Invictus is a finely-crafted film, and even its few rough patches (usually taking the form of cliche sports movie moments) are smoothed over by the top notch cast and real world heft. This is a detailed and warm video transfer, capturing all the fine details on display in the African setting. For bonus features, you can't top "Mandela Meets Morgan," where the real deal meets the only actor in existence who could ever play him.
Carlito's Way (Blu-ray)
Release Date:May 18
What it is: The 1993 film comes to Blu-ray for the first time, starring Al Pacino as a former gangster trying to set himself up for the retirement good life. Things, naturally, do not go so smoothly.
Why you need it: There's really only one question to ask here: Does the nearly twenty year-old movie benefit or suffer from a high-def transfer? Well, we are happy to report that it wholeheartedly benefits. The potentially eye-offending 70s setting actually comes across looking great - with sharp neon and deep shadows. All of the special features on the Blu-ray are merely imports from the HD-DVD release (remember those?) Overall, a nice pick-up for Pacino devotees.