New DVD and Blu-Ray Releases to Crave: Trollhunting with The Beaver? It's a Win Win

By Chris Kavan - 08/23/11 at 11:48 AM CT

Hopefully you're in the mood for something off the beaten path this week, because you won't find any big-game films making their debut this time around. That's not so say you won't find something good - it's just maybe you haven't heard about them yet.

1) With a witty and sharp story, plus Paul Giamatti, I have to give the edge this week to Win Win. Plus, it helps that it looks the the disc comes with a treasure-trove of special features - a surprise for an indie hit. It didn't get a huge release, but I think this is one I would watch when it becomes available.

2) Just on the name alone, Trollhunter sounds like it will be interesting. Be careful - it's one of those hand-held (ala Blair Witch or Cloverfield) type of films that is shot in a documentary-style and also contains plenty of Norwegian humor and folklore references. Sounds strange but then sometimes you need something a little strange to shake things up.

3) Another films that had barely any time in theaters was the Mel Gibson / Jodie Foster joint effort The Beaver. It didn't help that it came out shortly after Mel's meltdown or that the idea sounds patently ludicrous. Quirky doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about this comedy. It looks a touch too bizarre even for me.

4) If you aren't afraid to test the waters of the straight-to-video market, and are in need of a little more action in your life, you could do worse than Jason Statham's Blitz. It does pretty much fall in line with the whole "vigilante cop" motif - but Statham is usually entertaining enough to make things worthwhile.

On the Blu-Ray front, Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau are still money but not in high def with the release of Swingers. While I don't swoon over this film like some people, it's a solid comedy, plus there are plenty of extras to keep you entertained after the film is over. If you still fancy yourself a poker star, you can probably still quote a variety of lines from Rounders. With Matt Damon teaming up with Edward Norton (not to mention excellent scene-chewing by John Malkovich) this is a nice, fun little drama, whether you play poker or not.

For a complete list of all the movies coming out this week, please visit the FilmCrave New DVD Releases and FilmCrave New Blu-Ray Releases pages today.