DVD Pick of the Week: Diary of the Dead

Welcome back! Well, to some of you, anyway. To the rest of you, glad you decided to stop by and I hope that this humble column helps you navigate the stacks of new releases each week. My goal is to point you toward titles of interest and warn you away from those films that seek to do nothing but leech away your time and give you nothing in return.

This week brings an eclectic selection of films ranging from unrated horror films to classic horror and modern adventure films. On top of that we get a new edition of a what is becoming a classic television show and some classic Saturday morning cartoons. I know there are a few here that I am looking forward to checking out, as well as some that I am eager to see for the first time. Read on and see if any strike your fancy.

Diary of the Dead. George A. Romero's latest entry in his zombie series was only seen briefly on the big screen, where it was met with a wildly varied range of reactions. Some loved it, many hated it, I am looking forward to making up my own mind. If there is one man alive who knows how to do zombies, it's Romero. This one brings in the first person perspective to the mix. I love me some zombie goodness (potentially). (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

Night of the Living Dead. As if we need another edition of this classic film, how many is this now? Anyway, it has been remastered and approved by Romero himself. The disk has a number of extras on it, however I am not sure if any are new or if they were compiled from previous versions. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets. This is not a great movie, but it is a lot of fun for the family. This outing follows Nicolas Cage as Ben Gates as he searches for the lost City of Gold in an effort to clear his ancestor's name after being accused of being a conspirator in the Lincoln assassination. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

Vexille. From the creators of Appleseed comes another animated tale of robots in the future. It concerns a future where Japan has cut themselves off from the rest of the world and the mission force sent in to find out what is going on. It looks pretty good. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

The Air I Breathe. I scarcely recall this hitting the big screen. It is a tale of interlocking stories featuring a strong cast that includes Andy Garcia, Brendan Fraser, Julie Delpy, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kevin Bacon, Emile Hirsch, Forest Whitaker, and Kelly Hu. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

24: Season One (Special Edition). I guess this is to help tide us over until we get a new season. The set will contain new features, deleted scenes, and such. I am not sure it will be worth it for those of us who already have the original release. Perhaps it would be best to rent it and watch the new stuff that way. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

The Richie Rich/Scooby Doo Show: Volume One. I remember watching this as a kid. I was always a bit partial to Scooby, but Richie and his large bank account was kind of fun too. This release only has seven episodes, that kind of stinks. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

Strange Wilderness. From Happy Madison Productions, this comedic search for Big Foot is DOA. It is seriously bad, not funny, and will actively destroy your brain cells. Avoid this one at all cost. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

Lost Colony. Do you want to know what a great sign of quality is? "As Seen on Sci-Fi." I kid, I kid, they occasionally have good movies. Is this one of the good ones? I'll let you know. It is centered on the Roanoke mystery and stars Adrian Paul. For know, this should probably only be a rental. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

Love Me Deadly. This one comes all the way from the 1970's and apparently has had some controversy around it. It concerns a young woman with a fascination with the dead, a sexual fascination. Sounds interesting, no? (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

Stone. This billed as the precursor to Mad Max, an Australian motorcycle film that has its hero going undercover in a biker gang. I cannot say I expect much out of this, but it could still prove fun. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

Lucker the Necrophagus. I think I am more intrigued by the title more than anything. Apparently, it was made on no budget in Germany where it has gained a level of infamy. It is about Lucker, a rapist and murderer who keeps some of the bodies for his own use after the murder takes place. He sets off for the city, in search of his lone survivor, killing everyone along the way. Again, could be interesting. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)

Grapes of Death. I remember seeing a prior release of this on store shelves some years ago and being slightly curious, but never really looking into it. After reading up a bit on it and Jean Rollin, I am now eager check out this zombie outing. It is now back in print and ready for viewing. (BUY, RENT, SKIP)