DVD, Blu-ray Releases: 'Justice League,' 'Lion King,' 'The Big Lebowski' and One Bad Movie

Each Tuesday, we're bombarded by legions of Blu-ray and DVDs -- the new, the old, the TV, the straight-to-home.



We're here to help you keep track of the notable ones.

 

-- The second season of Justice League gets the Blu-ray
treatment and will hit stores July 26, right after the end of Comic-Con
(you've got your tickets and room, right?).



Now, Warners has had several Batman animated TV shows, a Superman cartoon,
Young Justice, Teen Titans, Legion of Super Heroes and Justice League, so
it's hard to keep track of what's what so here's the quick skinny:



Justice League ran on the Cartoon Network from 2001-04. After its
second season, the name changed to Justice League Unlimited. For the first
two seasons, the lineup included Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash,
Green Lantern in the form of John Stewart, the Martian Manhunter and
Hawkgirl (yes, gender and race were taken into consideration when making the
series).



Season 1 is already on DVD and Blu-ray, but this second season has been
only available on DVD.



On the Blu-ray, there's an all new featurette (The Justice Lords and Beyond,
which explores DC's penchant for stories revolving around alternate Earths)
and a never-before-seen deleted scene (Not Too Savage) plus the DVD's
behind-the-scenes and commentary extras.



The show was good and well-liked (some have compared it to the classic
Batman animated series of the early 1990s, meaning it had complex story lines
and edgier themes) so here's your chance to catch up.


 

-- We all knew The Lion King was coming for the first time on Blu-ray and
Blu-ray 3D this fall, but now we have the date: Oct. 4. The release will
preceded by a two-week run of the movie in theaters and in 3D starting
Sept. 16.



Disney keeps its most important animated movies in the vault, meaning they
aren't available all the time. In Lion King's case, it'll be the first time
it's available since 2004.



Disney isn't revealing what'll be included in terms of bonus at this stage
other than a new set of "hilarious animated bloopers."



You'll have a prideful of choices in term of how you'll be able to get the
story of Simba, too. There will be the four-disc combo pack (Blu-ray 3D,
Blu-ray 2d, DVD, Digital Copy), the two-disc pack (Blu-ray 2D, DVD), and the
whopping eight-disc trilogy set which will have The Lion King (Blu-ray 3D,
Blu-ray 2d, DVD, Digital Copy), The Lion King 1 1/2 (Blu-ray 2D, DVD) and The
Lion King II: Simba's Pride (Blu-ray 2D, DVD).



That last set, by the way, will go for $100 U.S. (It'll be $115 in Canada,
which is a total hosing since the Canadian loonie is kicking the pants off
the American greenback.)



-- Some people live and die by The Big Lebowski. Those people will no doubt
be lining up Aug. 16 for The Big Lebowski Limited Edition.



It'll be the first time the Coen brothers' cult classic, starring Jeff
 Bridges as the Dude, will be seen in Blu-ray form, and Universal Studios
Home Entertainment is giving this the special treatment, remastering it
packaging it with a all-new 28-page book that's got a new interview with
real-life inspiration for the Dude, Jeff Dowd, as well as other goodies.



It'll come with all the bonus features of the comprehensive 10th anniversary
DVD from a few years back but with a bunch of Blu-ray toys as well. The real
draw will be the movie on Blu-ray.



-- And from the bottom of the bargain basement bin: Death Hunter: Werewolves
vs. Vampires. We're not saying anything about this movie, which hit shelves
 last week, except here's the trailer: