Stooges and Captivity: New DVD Releases for October 30

As Halloween breathes down our necks, the horror releases seem to be letting up, the only notable one this week being Captivity. This exercise in torture porn sure isn't anything I'd want to see, but my colleague Chris Beaumont managed to find its redeeming qualities, so read what he has to say and make up your own mind. It certainly isn't finding its way into my Netflix queue, but here are a few things that might.

Spider-Man 3, Sam Raimi's last entry into the series, makes its way to store shelves today. We missed this one in theatrical release but enjoyed the first two very much, so this will definitely be a rental at our house. Sorry I can't say the same for License to Wed, a credibility-straining comedy that wasn't well-reviewed when it was released. The funny Robin Williams seems to have worn out his welcome — personally, I've come to appreciate his dramatic roles more, at least when he chooses darker ones (One Hour Photo, The Final Cut) over sappy ones (What Dreams May Come).

My next choice outs me as a Stooges fan. Not the Iggy Pop kind, although I like them, too. No, I mean Moe, Larry, and Curly. And sometimes Shemp. Sony is releasing the Stooges in sets organized for the first time by chronological order, and this first volume is The Three Stooges Collection, Volume I: 1934-1936. There's something about the eye-gouging, nose-crunching, head-banging slapstick of the Stooges that I've found funny since I was a kid, so I'm happy to see an effort made to present these in this fashion.

Angel: The Complete Series releases today, and damned if that box wouldn't look perfect sitting next to my 40-disc Buffy collector's set. I have another confession to make — I didn't start watching Angel until Buffy ended and Spike showed up at Wolfram & Hart (because Spike, well… you know… I have a thing for vampires, okay?). And just as it was getting interesting, it was over. If you can't get enough of the Buffy-verse, this should probably be on your Amazon wish list. I'm going to put it on mine right now.

The action's probably going to continue to heat up as we enter the holiday shopping season. I'm going to keep scouring the list for the highlights and the obscurities, so check back every week to see what you ought to buy, or at least rent, from the week's new releases. And if you don't like my suggestions and want to come up with some of your own, here's the list:

20 to Life: Life and Times of John Sinclair – (2007)
2103: The Deadly Wake – (1997)
9/11: The Myth and The Reality – 2 DVD Set
Abortion (Sub), The – (2006)
Adventures of Kit Carson – Volumes 1-11 (11-DVD) – (2007)
Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet – Volumes 1-5 (5-DVD) – (2007)
Adventures of Robin Hood – Volumes 1-15 (15-DVD) – (2007)
Agent Steel: Mad Locust Rising – (2007)
All That Remains: Live – (2007)
Amazing Mrs. Pritchard, The – (2006)
American Assassin – (2007)
Amicus Collection (Asylum / And Now Screaming Starts / Beast Must Die), The
Angel – Complete Series Collector's Set – (1999)
Angel Feather – (2005)
Annie Oakley – (1935)
Antarctica Dreaming [Blu-ray] – (2005)
Art Show Down – (2007)
As Smart As They Are-The Author Project – (2005)
Avatar The Last Airbender Book 3 Fire, Vol. 1
Baby Einstein – Lullaby Time
Ballets: Nutcracker / Swan Lake / Sleeping Beauty – (2004)
Barbara Stanwyck – The Signature Collection (Annie Oakley / East Side, West Side / My Reputation / Executive Suite / Jeopardy / To Please a Lady) – (1993)
Basilisk – Spoils of War v.2
Basilisk: Vol. 1
Basket Case 2 – (1990)
Beastie Boys: The Complete Story Unauthorized – (2007)
Benny Hill – Complete & Unadulterated Megaset (1969-1989) – (1989)
Best of Checkmate: Season 1 (3pc) (B&W Box)
Best of Laredo: Season 1 (3pc)
Beverly Hillbillies – Volume 3 – (2007)
Bizarre Cartoons Of The Past – (2007)
Black Night – (2005)
Blade in the Dark, A – (1983)
Bleach – Season One Box Set – (2007)
Blood Shed, The – (2006)
Blues, The – (2007)
Brain Damage – (1988)
Captivity – (2007)
Carver's Gate – (1995)
Cavalier Of The West – (2007)
Choose Your Own Adventure: The Abominable Snowman – (2006)
Christmas Carol/Old Scrooge, A – (2007)
Church, The – (1989)
Cinema of Peter Watkins, The
Cities of the Underworld – The Complete Season 1 (History Channel) – (2007)
Closet Friend – (2007)
Come On Tarzan – (2007)
Coppelia – (2007)
Crossover: A Worldwide Basketball Odyssey – (2007)
CSI Miami – The Fifth Season
Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood – (2007)
Dark Shadows: The Beginning Collection 2
David Gilmour: Remember That Night – Live At The Royal Albert Hall [Blu-ray] – (2007)
Day Watch – (2006)
Dear Jesse (Col Dol) – (1997)
Desert Gold – (2007)
Designated Mourner, The – (2007)
Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics [Blu-ray] – (2005)
Doll That Took The Town, The – (2007)
Drumwars – (2007)
East Side, West Side – (1949)
Edvard Munch-Special Edition 2-DVD Set – (1974)
Edwin Starr Story, The – (2007)
Elvis' Memphis – A Magical History Tour – (2005)
Face Off [HD DVD] – (1997)
Family Affair – Season 4
Fireplace: Visions of Tranquility [Blu-ray]Five Bloody Graves/Nurse Sherri 2-DVD Grindhouse Edition – (1970)
Frankenstein – (1973)
Freethinker, The – (1994)
Goldberg Variations – (2006)
Golden Age Classics: Of Human Bondage (1949) / Treasure Island (1952) – (2007)
Gospels & Acts, The – (2005)
Grey Wolves, The – (2005)
Grindhouse Double Shock Show: Wars Of The Robots (1978) / It's Alive (1968) – (2007)
Guns N' Roses: Destructive Appetite Interviews (Unauthorized) – (2007)
Hardrock – (2006)
Harlem Double Feature: Moon Over Harlem (1939) / Swing (1938) – (2007)
Heavy Metal Parking Lot – (1986)
Hell of the Living Dead – (1984)
Hideout in the Sun 2-DVD Collector's Edition – (1960)
Hillbilly Double Feature: Private Snuffy Smith (1942) / I'm From Arkansas (1944) – (2007)
History of Mr Polly, The – (1949)
Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen – (2007)
Hooked on You – (2007)
House of the Invisibles – (2007)
I Married Joan – Volumes 1-3 (3-DVD) – (2007)
In Goth Daze, Vol. 2 – (2007)
In the Land of Women – (2007)
Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant, The – (2005)
Initiation of Sarah, The – (2006)
It's Not Fun, Don't Do It! – (2006)
Jackie Chan – The Myth (2007) – (2007)
Jeremiah Johnson
John Waters: This Filthy World – (2007)
Journey from the Fall – (2005)
King Solomon's Treasure – (2007)
Kingdom of the Vampire (Double Feature) – (1991)
Knights of the South Bronx – (2005)
Knowing and Growing: Magical Nature Journey – (2004)
Knuffle Bunny… and More Great Childhood Adventure Stories (Scholastic Storybook Treasures) – (2007)
Legendary Warrior – Complete Series – (2006)
License to Wed – (2007)
Little Magician
Little Rock Central High: 50 Years Later – (2007)
Lone Ranger – Volumes 1-3 (3-DVD) – (2007)
Looney Tunes – Golden Collection, Volume Five
Looney Tunes: Golden Collection, Vol. 1-5
Looney Tunes: Spotlight Collection, Vol. 1-5
Looney Tunes: Spotlight Collection, Vol. 5
Love on the Dole – (2007)
Lupin the 3rd: the Fuma Conspiracy – (1987)
Magical Winter Tales/A Christmas Carol
Magnum P.I. – The Complete Seventh Season
Manhattan Baby – (1984)
Married in America 2 – (2007)
Martinu – The Greek Passion – (2007)
Master Touch, The – (2007)
McCoy, Tim Double Feature: Code Of The Cactus / Outlaw's Paradise – (2007)
Meet Corliss Archier – Volumes 1-3 (3-DVD) – (2007)
Miami Ink – Season 1
Mills Brothers Story – (1999)
Monarchy / Queen Elizabeth II, The
Monarchy With David Starkey, Set 2 – (2007)
Mr. & Mrs. North – Volumes 1-8 (8-DVD) – (2007)
My Boys Are Good Boys – (2007)
My Reputation – (1946)
My So-Called Life – The Complete Series – (1994)
Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 12
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Newsreel History of the Third Reich – Vol. 11 – (2005)
Night Watch / Day Watch (Two-Movie Collection)
No End in Sight – (2007)
No Request – (2007)
October Road – The Complete First Season
Outer Limits (Original Series) – Volume 3, The – (1963)
Outing Riley – (2004)
Phoenix, Vol. 1: Persistance of Time – (2004)
Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman – (2006)
Pigs, The – (2007)
Prince: Purple Doves Interviews (Unauthorized) – (2007)
Princess Diana Collection, The
Psychic, The – (1978)
Public Defender – Volumes 1-3 (3-DVD) – (2007)
Queen Rock Montreal & Live Aid – (2007)
Queen: Behind the Mask by Andrew Morton / Queen Elizabeth II, The
Quest for Dragons, The – (2007)
Quiet One, The – (2007)
Racket Squad – Volumes 1-3 (3-DVD) – (2007)
Range Busters: Range Busters (1940) / Thunder River Feud (1942) – (2007)
Rap Life: Uncut, Vol. 2: The Movie – (2007)
Rats: Night of Terror – (1983)
Real McCoys – Season 2, The
Redrum – (2007)
Replikator: Cloned to Kill – (1994)
Research…Finding The "Heart Of The Story"
Restless Gun (3pc) (B&W Box)
Restricted Government Films of WWII
Rica 2: Lonely Wanderer – (1973)
Riverboat (3pc) (B&W Box)
Safe Harbour – (2007)
Sandokan the Great – (1963)
Scrooge – (1935)
Scrubs – The Complete Sixth Season – (2001)
Secret Garden, The – (2005)
Secrets of the Golden Compass, The – (2005)
Secrets Of World War I – (2007)
Serenity: Southern Seas [Blu-ray] – (2005)
Sergeant Preston Complete Collection
Shaggy and Scooby-Doo, Vol. 1: Get a Clue
Shaolin Legend – (2006)
Sheena Queen Of The Jungle – Volume 3 – (2007)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight – (1973)
Slit-Mouthed Woman, The – (2004)
Spider-Man – The Trilogy – (2007)
Spider-Man 3 – (2007)
Spike Jones: The Legend
Stagefright – (1989)
Stained Glass Christmas with Heavenly Carols [Blu-ray], A – (2006)
Starrbooty – (2007)
Streets: NYC – (2005)
Study Hell – (2005)
Superfly: The True, Untold Story of Frank Lucas, American Gangster
Suspense: The Lost Episodes – Collection 2
Talk to Me – (2007)
Tall Man (3pc) (B&W Box)
Tate (3pc) (B&W Box)
Templar Code Part 1 & 2, The – (2007)
Think Tank – (2004)
This Is Tom Jones Christmas – (2007)
Three Stooges Collection, Volume One: 1934-1936, The
Tigers of the Sea
To Please A Lady / Jeopardy
Trantasia – (2006)
Twin Peaks – The Definitive Gold Box Edition – (1990)
Ultimate Dragon Collection – (2007)
Villavicio – (2007)
Visions of the Sea: Explorations [Blu-ray] – (2005)
Voluptuous Life – (2007)
Waiting for the Man – (1997)
Wannabes – (2007)
We Are the Strange – (2007)
Wendell Baker Story, The – (2005)
Which Way Is East: Notebooks from Vietnam – (1994)
Whiskey School – (2005)
Whispers and Moans – (2007)
White Orchid – (2007)
Witching Hour, The – (1985)
World at Waste, A – (2007)
WWII – Nazi Concentration Camps (1945) / Nuremburg Trials (1947) – (2007)
WWII – War In The Pacific – Volume 1 – (2007)
WWII – War In The Pacific – Volume 2 – (2007)
WWII – World at War Double Feature: The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress (1944) / Thunderbolt (1947) – (2007)
Zig-A-Zig-Ahhh Unauthorized – (2007)