TweakTown Blu-ray Import Buying Guide Update

Since August, when we last took a look at the 'Guide to Buying Blu-rays from Overseas' the Australian dollar has continued its meteoric rise against both U.S. currency and Britain's pound to levels not seen for a few years. Coupled with the slashed prices of many online sellers, Christmas has come slightly early for Australian Blu-ray fans.

So, let's jump into the latest instalment of this epic series, covering some of the best import titles to be released in the last few months. Pending some other financial meltdown, I'll endeavour to do another as the release schedule pours out some more gold during the final quarter of 2009.

Deep Impact

Studio: Paramount
Country of Origin: United States
Purchase: DVDPacific.com
Region: A, B, C

Back in 1998, two asteroid disaster movies hit it out for box office supremacy. The latter, the testosterone fuelled Armageddon made more moolah, but the former; Deep Impact became known as the thinking man's science fiction drama. The special effects may have aged a little (remember CG was just coming of age), but the performances and story hasn't lost any of its intensity. And didn't the notion of a black president, as portrayed by Morgan Freeman, seem slightly less possible back then?

Whilst Paramount has failed to include any new extra features, they have ported over the not insignificant DVD features. The new video transfer is a decided improvement over the DVD, as is the lossless audio track.

As far as disaster movies go, this one has more heart than most.

Wallace and Gromit: The Complete Collection

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Studio: LionsGate Home Entertainment
Country of Origin: United States
Purchase: DVDPacific.com
Region: A, B, C

I've always had a soft spot for Aardman animations plasticine duo, from the original TV broadcasts on Australian TV, to the VHS and DVD releases and now this Blu-ray collection of all four shorts; A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave and A Matter of Loaf and Death.

Any fears that this would be no better than previous releases is fast blown out of the water - the picture quality is well and truly an upgrade, having originally been photographed on 35mm film. Audio too is upgraded to a lossless audio track, but for such a restrained mix, this is a little less improved. LionsGate have also classily added some nice extras, including featurettes and making of documentaries. Highly recommended.

Note that despite the rather definitive moniker, the collection does not include the 2005 feature film The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, whose rights are held by Paramount Pictures.