For reasons that are pretty obvious at this point, this week Warner Brothers rereleases Batman Begins on DVD and gives the film its first Blu-ray treatment, with options of a single-disc edition and a Limited Edition Gift Set. We'll have details later this week in a special roundup of recent and forthcoming Batman-related titles on DVD and Blu-ray.

Already posted for your pleasure are our up-close and personal looks at some of this week's DVDs such as Batman: Gotham Knight, The X-Files: Revelations (Chris Carter's clever primer for the upcoming movie), and Superhero Movie. More DVD reviews of The Ruins, Stop-Loss, and others are on their way from our crack super-squad.

Among the other new DVDs hitting shelves this week, look for:

• Flakes


• Jet Li's Fearless (Director's Cut)


• Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten


• Mon Oncle Antoine -- The latest from the exquisite folks at The Criterion Collection


• The Mummy -- The original 1932 version with Boris Karloff under wraps.


• The Mummy -- A re-release of the 1999 remake with Brendan Fraser. He's having a good summer, isn't he?


• The Mummy Returns -- And so does Brendan.


• Bill Maher's Sleepwalking


• The Tracey Fragments


• Van Helsing -- A "Collector's Edition" because there just wasn't enough there the first time.

What is The Tracey Fragments, you ask? Says Greencine Guru reviewer Maria Komodore:

Even though The Tracey Fragments, an offbeat Canadian film starring Ellen Page, was made before the wildly successful Juno, it was only after viewers and critics were left dumbfounded by the actress's spot-on, deadpan performance in the latter film that Tracey could get a theatrical (and a subsequent DVD) release in the US.... Both cinematically and emotionally daring, watching Tracey is an intense experience.

This just in from Video ETA, one of our favorite Release Calendar resources: Warner Bros. has announced a 25th Anniversary "Ultimate Collector's Edition" of the perennially shown holiday classic A Christmas Story. What makes it Ultimate? Check out the reported goodies that'll come with the movie:

• Two-disc special edition in collectible o-sleeve with both full-screen and widescreen versions of the movie plus stars/director commentary, "magical making-of," Jean Shepherd audio recordings, Red Ryder rifle and leg lamp featurettes, and much more.


• A 50+ page recipe book with festive film photos.


• Five cookie cutters inspired by the film: leg lamp, bunny suit, house, turkey, and star.


• A custom chef's apron designed especially for this collection.


• All inside a charming cookie tin canister.

The DVD tin will go for $39.99 SRP. Plus, the Blu-ray edition ($49.99 SRP) will add a string of leg lamp holiday lights. Both releases are coming November 4.

It'll put someone's eye out.

Over at The Digital Bits' "Rumor Mill," we learn that "industry sources have checked in" on a number of upcoming DVD and Blu-ray releases. Among the titles are:

• Iron Man (DVD and Blu-ray) -- 9/30


• Paramount's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will get its first DVD release on October 14, "but it's still not confirmed whether or not a Blu-ray version is coming (although a few international retailers have started taking pre-orders for one)."


• Kung Fu Panda (DVD and Blu-ray) -- 11/18


• The Planet of the Apes Collection (Blu-ray) -- "studio sources say this will be announced (or at least discussed) at Comic-Con down in San Diego later this month."

Oh, speaking of the new Batman franchise, Cinema Retro has a DVD review of the 1969 Michael Caine commando-raid movie Play Dirty. "From minute one, the uppercrust Caine finds himself in charge of a motley crew that makes the Dirty Dozen look like a boy's choir." Now we know how Alfred got so badass.

Film.com's resident historian Glenn was in full squee! mode with his article on the discovery of an almost completely intact 16mm print of the original full-length premiere version of Fritz Lang's science-fiction masterpiece Metropolis. It's big, big news in fan circles around the web. Our friends at Greencine Daily (a daily destination indeed) have been doing a fine job keeping us updated with info and opinions.

Meanwhile Greencine Daily's latest DVD report points to a number of recommended discs you aren't likely to find face-out at the nearest Target.

Speaking of Glenn, at his DVD Savant site he reports that

...for Angelenos and those who can get here, the Cinematheque at the Egyptian will be having an all-Toho Giant Monster night on Sunday, August 3. Besides showing 35mm 'Scope prints of War of the Gargantuas and Mothra in American, English-dubbed versions, the evening will premiere a new docu about Kaiju Eiga, Bringing Godzilla Down to Size. It's narrated by Alex Cox and Savant correspondent Steve Ryfle had a big hand in its production. Classic Media will be releasing a DVD boxed set of War of the Gargantuas, Rodan, and Bringing Godzilla Down to Size on September 9.

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