New on Blu: 'Singin' in the Rain', 'Blade II' and 'Down By Law'

After Comic-Con, it feels a little bit like the nerds won: theres nothing more highly-anticipated than The Dark Knight Rises, even from the likes of Rush Limbaugh. But the Blu-ray market is making its case for classic cinema this week with the release of a remastered masterpiece, while offering up a few titles from different eras to demonstrate that theres plenty of entertainment to choose from that doesnt feature a cape, cowl and bat-signal.

PHOTOS: 'The Dark Knight Rises' Premiere: Bale, Hathaway, Gordon-Levitt, Hardy Celebrate Nolan's Final Batman Film

Check out a collection of the weeks new releases:

4:44 Last Day on Earth (IFC Films)

The Rundown: Abel Ferrara returns to the fray with this apocalyptic containment drama about a man and woman who seclude themselves in a Manhattan high-rise and wait for the world to end.

How It Looks: Ferrara and director of photography Ken Kelsch do a great job of making the films central location one apartment looks pretty beautiful, offering a consistent and impressive clarity without sacrificing substantive and vivid imagery.

Best Extra: The films theatrical trailer is its only bonus feature, but that trippy clip is more than enough to convince you this is a film that must be watched, and immediately.

Buy, Rent or Avoid: Rent

Blade II (Warner Home Video)

The Rundown: Director Guillermo Del Toro turns up the fun in this second installment in the Blade series, which transforms vampire-killing into remarkably brutal business.

How It Looks: The HD transfer unobtrusively preserves Del Toros visuals, which are peppy and bright even when Blade is rummaging around in darkness for his next victim.

Best Extra: A Directors Notebook offers additional insights and in-depth portraits of the process Del Toro underwent to bring the film to life, adding to an existing slate of extras that were released on its initial DVD.

Buy, Rent or Avoid: As our favorite in the franchise, Buy

Brainstorm (Warner Home Video)

The Rundown: Douglas Trumbulls brain-busting science-fiction film was the last one in which actress Natalie Wood appeared before she died, but looking back at it 30 years later its a reminder that technophiles were fighting for the advancements we take for granted today, even then.

How It Looks: Because Trumbull shot the flashback sequences in widescreen 70mm, the aspect ratio changes often in the film, but its more of a marvel than a distraction, especially since it fits in with the films visceral, vividly clear idea of what dreams should or could look like.

Best Extra: Theres only a theatrical trailer, which is disappointing since Trumbull is an endlessly fascinating filmmaker.

Buy, Rent or Avoid: Rent, then Buy

Down By Law (Criterion)

The Rundown: Jim Jarmuschs sophomore effort introduced American to Roberto Benigni, and unleashed one of the great dry comedies of the last few decades.

How It Looks: Thanks in no small part to Robby Mullers exception black and white cinematography, its a gorgeous film, and the Jarmusch-approved transfer retains all of the film grain without sacrificing clarity.

Best Extra: Most of the bonus content comes from the 2002 DVD release of the film, but a q&a session with the filmmaker is some of the funniest and most informing stuff that youll ever hear about Jarmusch, while his screed on dubbing his films into other languages ends with an impersonation of a dubbed voice in a martial arts movie that is side-splittingly hilarious.

Buy, Rent or Avoid: Buy

Singin in the Rain (Warner Home Video)

The Rundown: The iconic musical comes to Blu-ray in a deluxe new set that celebrates and fully examines its enormous influence, not to mention entertainment value.

How It Looks: Maintaining the films 1.33:1 aspect ratio, the high-definition transfer looks amazing, thanks to a careful restoration that sharpens up the clarity of the images and restores the color of the film to a hypnotizing luster.

Best Extra: Raining on a New Generation features a cross-section of contemporary choreographers and performers who offer their comments and insights on why the film remains so engaging today, and explain how it inspired or influenced their work.

Buy Rent or Avoid: Its an absolute buy for any fan of the film, but if you cant swing the deluxe-set price, at least rent it until they come out with a more affordable edition.

Title Post: New on Blu: 'Singin' in the Rain', 'Blade II' and 'Down By Law'
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