DISCussion: New on DVD and Blu-ray (5.5.15)

With the Collector's Edition of Mad Max and the 25th Anniversary Edition of Goodfellas getting a release this week, the new on Blu-ray features had some major competition. A pair of Oscar-nominated films headline our new releases for the week, and the opportunity to trump the poor decision making of the Academy lead to our choice of Selma as Recommendation of the Week. New Release: Selma – (Blu-ray, DVD, and Instant) Mr. Turner – (Blu-ray, DVD, and Instant) Black or White – (Blu-ray, DVD, and Instant) The Pyramid – (Blu-ray, DVD, and Instant) Re-Release Mad Max (1979) – (Collector’s Edition Blu-ray) Goodfellas (1990) – (25th Anniversary Blu-ray)   Selma – (Blu-ray, DVD, and Instant) *Recommendation of the Week* Directed by Ava DuVernay Written by Paul Webb Starring: David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo, Tim Roth Ava DuVernay's powerful vision brings Rev. Martin Luther King's historic march from Selma to Montgomery to vivid life. With an incredible, Oscar winning original song from Common and John Legend, and breakthrough performances from Oyelowo and Ejogo, Selma is undoubtedly one of the best films of 2014. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 99% (Superb) Metacritic: 87 (Excellent) IMDB: 7.6 (Very Good) Entertainment Fuse: 9.5/10 (Read our Review) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $19.99 (Blu-ray); $16.99 (DVD); $3.99/$12.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   Mr. Turner – (Blu-ray, DVD, and Instant) Directed and written by Mike Leigh Starring: Timothy Spall, Paul Jesson, Dorothy Atkinson With Mr. Turner writer/director Mike Leigh bucks the standard protocols of the biopic in favor of a more intimate framework. Floating from moment to moment throughout prolific landscape painter, J.M.W. Turner's (Spall) life, Leigh highlights the beauty and pain inherent in each delicate and profound vignette. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 98% (Superb) Metacritic: 94 (Superb) IMDB: 7.0 (Very Good) Entertainment Fuse: 9/10 (Read our Review) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $24.99 (Blu-ray); $19.99 (DVD); $3.99/$14.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   Black or White – (Blu-ray, DVD, and Instant) Directed and written by Mike Binder Starring: Kevin Costner, Octavia Spencer, Gillian Jacobs Black or White is the story of Elliott Anderson's (Costner) fight to retain custody of his granddaughter. Having helped raise her, Costner's world is rocked when the girl's paternal grandmother (Spencer) sues for custody. The opposing sides must come together to break down the barriers of race, ethnicity, and other heartwarming stuff to make everyone feel nice before their two-hour timeframe is up. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 37% (Very Bad) Metacritic: 45 (Bad) IMDB: 6.4 (Good) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $19.90 (Blu-ray); $14.89 (DVD); $4.99/$12.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   The Pyramid – (Blu-ray, DVD, and Instant) Directed by Grégory Levasseur Written by Daniel Meersand, James Buckley, Denis O'Hare Do you like shaky-cam horror movies? No? You'll hate this one. The Pyramid profiles a ridiculous group of archeologists as they uncover a three-sided pyramid buried beneath the Egyptian sand. Complete with killer zombie cats, a robotic camera, the Arab Spring, and the Illuminati (kind of just the Free Masons), The Pyramid has got it all...except for a tripod. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 9% (Superbly Bad) Metacritic: 24 (Only 40 points shy of 'Good') IMDB: 4.7 (Bad) Entertainment Fuse: 2.5/10 (Read our Review) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $19.99 (Blu-ray); $14.93 (DVD); $4.99/$14.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   Mad Max (1979) – (Collector’s Edition Blu-ray) Directed by George Miller Written by James McCausland (screenplay), George Miller (screenplay and story), and Byron Kennedy (story, uncredited) Starring: Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays-Byrne After the death of his wife and baby, an Australian highway patrol officer goes rogue to get revenge on a deranged bike gang. Spawning a franchise that will continue this month with Fury Road, Mad Max is one of the ultimate schlock-turned-cult-hits. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 91% (Excellent) IMDB: 7.0 (Very Good) Entertainment Fuse: 8/10 DISC DETAILS Amazon: $12.96 (Collector’s Edition Blu-ray)   Goodfellas (1990) – (25th Anniversary Blu-ray) Directed by Martin Scorsese Written by Nicholas Pileggi (novel and screenplay) and Martin Scorsese (screenplay) Starring: Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro Martin Scorsese's ultimate gangster film, and possibly one of his personal bests, profiles the rise of mobster-turned-informant Henry Hill. Under Scorsese's capable oversight, Goodfellas follows an intrepid trio of mobsters as they climb the dangerous rungs of a mafia family. Scorsese sets a tone in each scene, perfectly capturing mood and period, truly transporting his audience into the seedy underbelly of organized crime. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 96% (Superb) Metacritic: 89 (Superb) IMDB: 8.7 (Superb) Entertainment Fuse: 9.5/10 DISC DETAILS Amazon: $26.49 (25th Anniversary Blu-ray)