New to Home Video: 'The Dark Knight,' 'Man on Wire,' Tons of TV

By now, there have already been thousands upon thousands of copies of The Dark Knight sold on DVD. Stores were open at midnight this morning to accommodate the rush and, let's face it, to help a cash-strapped retail sector fight off a lousy fourth quarter. Did anything else anywhere profit the way The Dark Knight did this year? Besides oil companies, of course.There are other movies out this week, which is a bit like saying there are other movies out this month. I mean, obviously it's not the only new release, but they aren't putting lines around the Best Buy store for Man on Wire. But maybe you'll see something else on this week's list and get it for yourself or for someone else to celebrate Jesus' birthday.The Dark KnightObviously, this one is going to set all kinds of records. The only question that remains is how quickly will it become the biggest selling DVD ever? The Blu-Ray record should fall within a week or two, as The Dark Knight will be the hottest stocking stuffer of the month. You can find all sorts of store-specific special editions of this movie, so that will probably be a determining factor for you, but if you're reading this website, somebody you know is either buying this DVD this week or it's being purchased for them.(Read our fanboy-free review)
Man on WireLast year, the documentary King of Kong did what most documentaries don't: It entertained. That's still part of the equation, even for non-fiction films. And this year, Man on Wire is not only the most entertaining documentary, it's also the best: A look back at ne man's quest to walk between the two towers of the World Trade Centers back in the 1970s.Don't just take our word for it, however. The critics whose reviews are culled at Rotten Tomatoes indicate that this is the best-reviewed movie. Ever. I wouldn't go that far, but when you start talking about the top of the class for 2008, it's got to be in the discussion. (Here's our review)
Horton Hears a WhoAs Dr. Seuss adaptations go, well, this is the best. That sounds like hyperbole, especially on the heels of what we had to say about Man on Wire, but really, it's an indication that Dr. Seuss hasn't translated to film very well in the past. I'm not saying we need 20 more Dr. Seuss movies, but they did get it right here.This is the right format, animated, slightly touched up so it's not a literal adaptation, and it's got a great voice cast, led by Steve Carell and Jim Carrey. Also, Carol Burnett is really good, which should come as no surprise.(Our review is here)
Lost: Season FourThe survivors of Oceanic flight 815 are tough. Hell, they made it through season three. And season four was an incredibly ambitious 20-plus hours of television, the most original since the middle point of the first season. There's an earlier release date this year relative to the new season, meaning you can catch up completely before January.Lost is a step slower than it used to be, and there are certainly shows that are hipper at this point. But unlike Heroes, it has managed to wend its way back to being compelling television again, and that's what you get in season four. If it had been a failure, there'd be no point to keep the show going. But outside of a couple of episodes late in the year that were essentially housecleaning duty, this is really good stuff.
Deadwood: The Complete Series You know it's the holidays when... This set will cost you a pretty penny ($180 list price). But the beauty of the TV box sets is you know you're going to get so many hours of enjoyment out of it that it's easy to justify a higher price if you're a major fan. And Deadwood has a lot of major fans.Here at The Big Picture, we've discussed a recent resurgence in the Western genre. It's not just limited to film, and you could sufficiently argue that Deadwood is as important to the new wave of Westerns than anything else, if not more so. The box set is 2160 minutes, and I don't even know what that is in hours without looking. But I looked. It's a day-and-a-half.
The Wire: The Complete Series You remember what I said about Deadwood? Take that stuff about the Western genre out and maybe replace it with gritty procedural cop drama and we could be talking about The Wire, a show many people already believe is one of the greatest ever. Oh, and if you thought 2160 minutes at $180 was a dizzying set of number, try The Wire on for size. The list price is $249, although you can always find these sets for much, much cheaper, and the total running time is 3600 minutes. That's two-and-a-half days of viewing.That's a great way to get a relative out of your hair for a weekend this holiday season, don't you agree?