This week on home video, we’ve got a number of fairly decent smaller films and a handful of popular TV shows, but we kick things off with a sports drama directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Kevin Costner. Then, for all of you horror buffs getting ready for Halloween, Universal is releasing a number of collections dedicated to their iconic monster lineup, including a 30-film set that gathers some of the best stuff in one place. Read on for details:
The only major new release we’ve got out this week is the Kevin Costner-powered sports drama Draft Day, which critics found pleasant enough, even if it covered a lot of the familiar elements of its genre. Kostner plays Sonny Weaver, the GM for the Cleveland Browns, who finds himself in a pickle when the Seattle Seahawks offer to trade him the number one pick in the upcoming NFL draft. When Sonny accepts the offer, he must deal with the unexpected consequences — including unhappy fans, a disappointed front office, and stunned players — before deciding who to draft. At 62 percent on the Tomatometer, Draft Day is a solid choice for football fans, but those unfamiliar with or indifferent to the sport may find it a bit dry. The Blu-ray comes with a making-of featurette, a spotlight on the draft process, and deleted scenes.
Now that September is officially upon us, the studios have decided to start rolling out their Halloween rereleases in earnest. The biggest of these this week is a hefty 30-movie collection on DVD from Universal, highlighting their most iconic monster movies dating from 1931-1956. The set includes classics from the 1930s like Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Mummy, and it continues through the years with titles like Phantom of the Opera, House of Frankenstein, and even Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy. The collection also comes with a number of extras: a 48-page collectible book, behind-the-scenes documentaries, 13 commentary tracks, archival footage, and more (click the title link to see the full details). In addition, Universal is also releasing separate “Complete Legacy” collections dedicated to each monster, including the three mentioned above and the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Invisible Man, and the Wolf Man. It’s not the first time they’ve done this, but it’s worth checking out if you missed out on it before.
