ANNIE HALL [BLU-RAY]: (1977) "After 35 years, Annie Hall remains arguably Woody Allen’s finest achievement. I might prefer a couple of other films, but it’s still a strong enterprise with few flaws. The Blu-ray provides good picture and acceptable audio but skimps of supplements. I wish Allen would open up to bonus materials, but I don’t blame the Blu-ray’s producers for this issue. This becomes a nice representation of an effective film." Starring Woody Allen, Diane Keaton. MGM, $24.98, 1/24/2012.

THE RUM DIARY [BLU-RAY]: (2011) "Based on a “long lost” novel from Hunter S.Thompson, The Rum Diary seems unlikely to dazzle the author’s fans. Actually, I’m not sure what audience will dive into this film, as it’s too thin to really succeed; while it can be moderately entertaining, it just never goes anywhere and it lacks the energy to give us a fun ride. The Blu-ray delivers good picture and audio along with a couple of moderately useful supplements. Hunter S. Thompson fans might like this flick, but I don’t think it delivers a lot of interest." Starring Johnny Depp, Aaron Eckhart. Sony, $35.99, 2/14/2012.

DIRTY GIRL: (2010) "Expect a pretty standard “coming of age” movie from Dirty Girl. On the positive side, it boasts a great supporting cast, but it seems too awkward and disjointed to turn into a strong movie overall. The DVD provides pretty good picture, decent audio and an enjoyable commentary. I think this DVD treats the film fairly well, but it’s an erratic flick." Starring Jeremy Dozier, Juno Temple. Anchor Bay, $29.98, 1/10/2012.

NUDE NUNS WITH BIG GUNS [BLU-RAY]: (2010) "How could a movie called Nude Nuns With Big Guns be so incredibly boring? I don’t know, but it constantly remains dull, cheap, tacky and unpleasant. The Blu-ray provides decent picture but suffers from muddy, messy audio and a lack of supplements. Even fans of B-movie exploitation should stay away from this misbegotten stinker." Starring Asun Ortega, David Castro. Image Entertainment, $29.97, 2/14/2012.

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS: (2011) "Though it doesn’t compare with Woody Allen’s stronger work, Midnight in Paris at least gives us a minor comeback after a string of duds. Owen Wilson helps sell the silly story and it turns into a moderately enjoyable affair. The DVD comes with acceptably good picture, mediocre audio and skimpy supplements. This is a spotty but generally likable film." Written & Directed by Woody Allen. Sony, $30.99, 12/20/2011.

THE DOUBLE [BLU-RAY]: (2011) "A good plot twist can be fun, but bad ones – or too many of them – can kill a movie. That occurs with The Double, a film so focused on these surprises that it forgets to craft an effective story to surround them. The Blu-ray provides erratic but acceptable visuals, good audio and a strong commentary. I wanted to like this thriller but thought it came with too many flaws to succeed." Starring Richard Gere, Topher Grace. Image Entertainment, $29.97, 1/31/2012.

FRIDA [BLU-RAY]: (2002) "I respect that Frida tries to let us know more about a moderately obscure – but increasingly prominent – artist, and the movie does give us a basic feel for her life. However, it suffers from a number of flaws that make it seem insubstantial and problematic. The Blu-ray presents good picture quality along with decent but fairly average audio and a reasonably informative set of supplements. The Blu-ray doesn’t offer a great replication of the movie, but it’s an improvement over the DVD." Starring Salma Hayek, Alfred Molina. Miramax, $19.99, 1/31/2012.

Colin Jacobson (Publisher and Senior Reviewer): colinjacobson@dvdmg.com

David Williams (Webmaster and Reviewer): dwilliams@dvdmg.com