Disc Deals and Steals: Inception Dreams Big on Blu-ray

Columns, Top Story

Here at Inside Pulse Movies, we compile all the best deals on new DVD and Blu-ray releases, as well as report on some that are so good they’re criminal. Brick-and-mortar stores include Target, Best Buy, etc. Amazon deals are also in the mix.

“Mindblowing.” “Amazing.” “Astounding.” “Masterpiece.” If you go to the official movie website for Christopher Nolan’s Inception, these are some of the one-word summaries you’ll see describing his magnum summer blockbuster. With such adjectives staring back at you in big, bold lettering, it’s hard to argue.

Inception, in certain circles, has been described as a thinking man’s film in a summer where escapism is in high demand. It’s not as complex as people make it out to be, but I can see where certain audiences would be lost at times. At the time of its theatrical release, the film demanded that you actually remember to bring your thinking cap into the auditorium and wear it when Nolan’s writing and direction almost led you astray.

When I reviewed the film back in July, I wrote that “Inception ups the ante in size and scope and makes Nolan’s breakout film from 2001 [Memento] look like a college thesis.”

Watching it again on Blu-ray I am even more amazed. This is a passion project that delivered in every conceivable way. Nolan had worked ten years on fleshing out his idea on paper and through storyboards, and that devotion toward such an idea shows in the end result. Inception is simply the best James Bond adventure that isn’t a James Bond adventure. It’s got intrigue, espionage and picturesque locales (Tokyo, L.A., London, Paris, Calgary and Morocco), a star-studded cast, and action sequences that make you go Michael Who? rather than Michael Bay.

There have been complaints levied that the film lacks an emotional core, to which I disagree. Even with jaw-dropping special effects – the zero gravity fight sequence is Nolan’s tribute of Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey – and the numerous dreamscapes there remains an emotional undercurrent through it all. The tragic romance that plays out in flashbacks and dreams gives the film weight, but most likely will be overlooked in terms of the action and special effects.

Still, of all the films released in 2010, Inception is probably the one that gives you the most bang for your buck in terms of overall look – the art direction and Wally Pfister’s cinematography are sublime – and feel – is it too early to give Christopher Nolan genius status?

With each film Nolan has made he’s been able to top himself. From making a crime epic in the world of a caped crusader (The Dark Knight) to have us buy into Robin Williams as a killer (Insomnia), the director has separated himself from the rest of the young directors and is in a league all unto himself.

Arriving on home video this week, Inception looks to be a runaway bestseller, making Shrek more green with envy. Warner Bros. is releasing it on DVD, BD and as a BD+DVD+Digital Copy combo pack. Those looking to go further into the dreamworld of Inception should probably go with the combo pack. The DVD itself has four featurettes on the making-of the film. Three are specific to action sequences (“The Japanese Castle: The Dream is Collapsing,” “Constructing Paradoxical Architecture,” and “The Freight Train“) while the other is about Nolan’s ideas behind the film (“The Inception of Inception“).

The Blu-ray is where the fun really begins. Nolan, never shy to share how he was able to achieve a shot or special effect, allows viewers in Extraction Mode to learn how he, Leonardo DiCaprio and the rest of the cast and crew designed and achieved the movies signature moments.

In “Dreams: Cinema of the Subconscious” the subject of dreams is discussed by top scientists, some of whom believe that the dream world is not based around a state of consciousness, but is actually a parallel reality. (Cue Twilight Zone music.)

In addition to BD-Live (where you can gain access to confidential files to dream-sharing technology) and the art galleries and promotional materials (art, trailers, TV spots), the Blu-ray also has the comic prologue, Inception: The Cobol Job, that shows the events leading up to and the performing of the idea extraction that opens the film.

Finally, for those that enjoyed Hans Zimmer’s robust soundtrack, you can watch a feature on its creation in full 5.1 surround sound.

BEST DVD PRICE
Target – $17.99
Best Buy – $17.99
Amazon – $16.99

BEST BLU-RAY PRICE (BD+DVD+Digtal Copy Combo Ver.)
Target – $17.99
Best Buy – $24.99
Amazon – $17.99


Other noteworthy DVD (and Blu-ray) releases this week…

Shrek Forever After – [DVD / BD]
Shrek: The Whole Story – [DVD / BD]
Restrepo – [DVD / BD]
Micmacs – [DVD / BD]
Barry Munday – [DVD / BD]
The Year of Getting to Know Us – [DVD / BD]
Cronos: The Criterion Collection – [DVD / BD]
2010 San Francisco Giants: The Official World Series Film – [DVD / BD]
ESPN Films 30 for 30 Gift Set Collection, Volume 1 – [DVD]
Boy Meets World: The Complete Fourth Season – [DVD]


Noteworthy Blu-ray-specific releases this week…

Half Past Dead
Closer
About Last Night…
The Deep
Rush Hour
Lost in Translation
Videodrome: The Criterion Collection
Attack on Pearl Harbor (70th Commemorative Edition)


Retailer Specials

The Man with No Name Trilogy – (BD, $24.49)
The Hannibal Lecter Collection – (BD, $24.99)
The Road – (BD, $13.99)
JFK – (BD, $13.99)
Moon – (BD, $13.99
Road to Perdition – (BD, $13.99)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – (BD, $13.49)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – (BD, $13.49)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – (BD, $13.49)
The Notebook – (BD, $10.49)
The Adventures of Robin Hood – (BD, $9.99)
This is Spinal Tap – (BD, $9.99)
District 9 – (BD, $8.99)
Gattaca – (BD, $8.99)
The Human Centipede – (BD, $8.99)
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang – (BD, $8.99)
An American Werewolf in London – (BD, $8.99)
Shoot ‘Em Up – (BD, $8.99)
Friday – (BD, $6.99)



Exclusives:
Inception BD+DVD+Digital Copy Combo Pack, Plus Inception: The Shooting Script – ($29.99)

Shrek: The Whole Story in Talking Package – (BD, $49.99 – DVD, $34.99)

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse:
1-Disc BD – $19.99
1-Disc DVD – $15.99

Grown Ups:
1-Disc BD – $19.99
DVD – $13.99
BD+DVD+Digital Copy – $21.99

Shrek:
Shrek Forever After – (DVD, $16.99)
Shrek Forever After – (BD+DVD, $25.99)
Shrek Forever After – (1-Disc BD, $22.99)
Shrek: The Whole Story [All 4 Shrek Movies] – (BD, $49.99)
Shrek: The Whole Story [All 4 Shrek Movies] – (DVD, $34.99)
Shrek Forever After/Donkey’s Christmas Shrektacular – (2-Pack DVD, $19.99)

Blu-ray 3D:
Alice in Wonderland – $34.99
My Bloody Valentine – $29.99
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs – $29.99
Monster House – $29.99
The Last Airbender – $29.99
Open Season – $29.99
Disney’s A Christmas Carol – $29.99
The Universe – $24.99

$19.99 BDs:
Predators
Toy Story
The Last Airbender
Killers
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief
The Princess and the Frog
Robin Hood
Eat Pray Love
WALL-E
Get Him to the Greek

$14.99 BDs:
Sherlock Holmes
The Hangover
The Blind Side
2012
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day
Ninja Assassin
Zombieland
I Love You, Man
Where the Wild Things Are
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

$9.99 BDs:
The Departed
The Ugly Truth
The Wrestler
The Human Centipede
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
American History X
Slumdog Millionaire
Hancock
Gran Torino
Watchmen: Director’s Cut

$4.99 DVDs:
The Notebook
Seven
The Box
I Am Legend
Borat
Batman Begins
Grandma’s Boy
300
Dodgeball

$19.99 TV on DVD:
Flight of the Conchords: The Complete Second Season
Scrubs: The Complete Ninth Season
Six Feet Under: The Complete Fifth Season
NCIS: The Sixth Season
Castle: The Complete First Season
Mad Men: Season Two
Californication: The Second Season
Entourage: The Complete Fifth Season
Dexter: The Second Season



The Twilight Saga:
Twilight – (Deluxe DVD, $19.99 – BD, $24.99)
New Moon – (Deluxe DVD, $19.99 – BD, $24.99)
Eclipse – (2-Disc DVD, $19.99 – BD+DVD, $24.99)
Eclipse – (1-Disc DVD, $15.99 – 1-Disc BD, $19.99)
Destination Forks – (DVD, $9.99)
The Twilight Saga Soundtracks Vol. 1 [Music Videos] – (DVD, $19.99)

Shrek:
Shrek Forever After – (DVD, $17.99)
Shrek Forever After – (BD+DVD, $17.99)
Shrek: The Whole Story [All 4 Shrek Movies] – (DVD, $32.99 – BD, $42.99)
Shrek Forever After/Donkey’s Christmas Shrektacular – (2-Pack DVD, $22.99)

TV on DVD:
How I Met Your Mother Seasons 1 & 2 – $24.99
Bones Seasons 1 & 2 – $19.99
M*A*S*H Seasons 3 & 4 – $16.99
M*A*S*H Seasons 5 & 6 – $16.99
Tales from the Crypt Seasons 1 & 2 – $16.99
Tales from the Crypt Seasons 3 & 4 – $16.99
Everybody Loves Raymond Seasons 1 & 2 – $16.99
Everybody Loves Raymond Seasons 5 & 6 – $16.99
Everybody Loves Raymond Seasons 8 & 9 – $16.99
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 1 & 2 – $19.99
The Big Bang Theory Season 1 – $16.99
The Big Bang Theory Season 2 – $16.99

Gift-Wrapped Movies
Shrek: Forever After – (DVD, $17.99 – BD+DVD, $17.99)
How to Train Your Dragon – (DVD, $14.99 – BD, $19.99)
The Last Airbender – (DVD, $14.99 – BD, $19.99)
Iron Man 2 – (DVD, $14.99 – BD, $19.99)



Shrek:
Shrek Forever After – (DVD, $19.99)
Shrek Forever After – (BD+DVD, $34.99)
Shrek: The Whole Story [All 4 Shrek Movies] – (DVD, $39.99)
Shrek Forever After/Donkey’s Christmas Shrektacular – (DVD, $27.99)

*Save $10 when you buy BOTH Shrek 4 and ANY other DreamWorks movie

How to Train Your Dragon – (DVD, $19.99)
Monsters vs. Aliens – (DVD, $16.99)
Kung Fu Panda – (DVD, $16.99)
Madagascar – (DVD, $16.99)
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa – (DVD, $16.99)

The Twilight Saga:
Twilight – (DVD, $19.99)
New Moon – (DVD, $24.99)

*Save $5 when you Buy BOTH Twilight and New Moon

Eclipse – (BD+DVD, $29.99)
Eclipse – (2-Disc DVD, $19.99)
Eclipse – (1-Disc DVD, $16.99)

Disney DVDs – Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off (Limited to ALL Disney Movies):
TinkerBell
TinkerBell and the Lost Treasure
TinkerBell and the Great Fairy Rescue
The Princess and the Frog
Alice in Wonderland (Burton, Depp)
Alice in Wonderland (original, Animated release)
Prince of Persia
Toy Story
Toy Story 2
Toy Story 3
Beauty and the Beast
Fantasia Collection
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Nickelodeon DVDs – Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off (Choose from 40 titles!)

Sesame Street DVDs – Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off (Choose from 50 titles!)

Sony $9.99 DVDs – Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off (Choose from 60 titles!)

Travis Leamons is one of the Inside Pulse Originals and currently holds the position of Managing Editor at Inside Pulse Movies. He's told that the position is his until he's dead or if "The Boss" can find somebody better. I expect the best and I give the best. Here's the beer. Here's the entertainment. Now have fun. That's an order!