But fans of this John Cleese classic risk calling themselves stupid if they rush out to upgrade their two-disc special edition DVD expecting a pr-pr-pr-pristine image from a budget (sub-$20) release.

“A Fish Called Wanda looks tired and drab at least some of the time, with a really appalling number of dots, splotches, scratches and other blemishes cropping up with fair regularity … A pretty shoddy looking transfer of a less than stellar print.”

“Some other reviewers have criticised the transfer, but in my opinion the faults lie squarely with the poorly lit — albeit well-staged — cinematography.

“The film has never looked particularly great in any format, but this Blu-ray represents the film as accurately as it can.”

“After sampling most of the chapters, I’m happy with the results. Is it reference quality? Nope.

“However, there’s also very little tampering present and a nicely detailed image that retains a film-like appearance.

“There is some print damage, grain, and dirt present, but I don’t realistically expect every film I like to receive a complete restoration or digital clean-up prior to a Blu-ray transfer. That’s not realistic based on the likely sales volume of titles like Wanda.”

Three Days of the Condor is being re-released on Blu-ray but without the book-like packaging of the original.

While it has been “respectfully transferred” to Blu-ray – “make no mistake, the disc looks very much like a movie shot in the 1970s” — it is the same Studio Canal transfer as the original, and not Paramount’s, which is said to be “superior” (albeit without the comprehensive extras).

Studio Canal’s The Elephant Man, which is also being re-issued in a standard keepcase, looks “absolutely stunning.

“Detail is crisp, blacks are inky, whites are clean with no noticeable clipping, and there is only some slight black crush on occasion, but not enough to damage overall detail.”

Also ripe for collecting on Blu-ray are Blue Velvet, Lost in Translation and Lady and the Tramp.

So new to Blu-ray are Footloose, Johnny English Reborn and Spy Kids 4 — they’ve yet to go on sale outside Australasia — that online reviews of have yet to be posted.

Of the direct-to-disc releases, Texas Killing Fields is the standout, if only to see how Michael Mann’s daughter, Ami Canaan Mann, shapes up as a director.

“While the film’s intentional look is rather drab and at times unappealing, the transfer itself is solid and the style suits the content well.”

“Strong blacks are critical to the movie’s visual structure, and often the Blu-ray does not disappoint.”

Also new are The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption and Love Never Dies.

It’s looking for a regular TV columnist for easily the country’s best TV/tech lift-out, The Box (full disclosure: I’m among its contributors).

Box editor Will Harvie is inviting freelance opinion writers to watch part one of Downton Abbey and file 500 words on it, by 9am Friday, along with CVs and story clips, to: will.harvie@press.co.nz

“The ideal candidate will be zealous watcher and vivacious writer who is keen to develop a national profile through Fairfax syndication,” he says.

“There may be occasional celebrity and feature writing opportunities. Proven deadline beaters preferred but I often work with inexperienced writers.

“Familiarity with Canterbury and the South Island sensibilities is helpful, but home location doesn’t matter (indeed Auckland may be an advantage).”

The good news about the Christmas special, which out-rated perennial festive crowdpleaser EastEnders in the UK, is it’s said to be much better than the second season.

Even better news is Universal Pictures NZ plans to release it on Blu-ray, for $35, on February 9, the day after Prime’s SD broadcast of part two (in the UK it aired as a movie).

The latest Jane Eyre adaptation “arrives on Blu-ray with a terrifically detailed 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer with only a couple of very minor flaws”.

“The level of detail is sublime throughout, save for a few moments that are presented with intentional softness.

“A couple of darker scenes suffer from excessive noise, but these are also brief.”

And on the aural front, “we get a thoroughly immersive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that will likely exceed all your expectations in terms of soundtrack for a drama of this kind.”

Win Win’s “image is a very natural and appealing one, with fine sharpness that offers many facial and object details in close-ups and excellent colour reproduction that is never overstated or diluted”.

Indeed, “with more and more indie dramas going for all-digital productions, it’s always good to see one that’s shot beautifully on film …

“Looks wonderful, with a print that’s impeccable and untouched by edge enhancement or excessive noise reduction techniques.”

Abduction’s transfer is “pretty effective, replicating the film’s naturalistic palette and occasionally grainy look. The encode boasts a spot of motion blur here and there, but is otherwise clean and defined, with inky blacks and fine shadows.”

“Detail is impressive throughout. Shot using Panavision Primo Lenses according to IMDb, this transfer rarely falters.”

From the back-catalogue come Ned Kelly, Videodrome and Johnny English (ahead of next week’s Johnny English Reborn).

Following Wednesday’s season-seven finale, Sky’s SoHo channel will screen the series about a family that goes to pot from the first episode of the first season (starting February 6 in In Treatment’s 11.30pm weeknight slot).

And Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release not only season six on Blu-ray but also seasons 2-5.

Originally, they could be bought in NZ only on DVD and those on Blu-ray in the US were through a different distributor and locked to Region A.

Sony released the first season here on Blu-ray but the rest languished on DVD until SoHo picked up Weeds in HD from season six.

Soon after, Sony launched seasons 2-5 on Blu-ray exclusively through JB Hi-Fi.

But with season six’s Blu-ray release on February 22 (initially as a JB Hi-Fi exclusive), Sony at last is making the earlier seasons available for all retailers to sell at a bargain back-catalogue price of under $35 each.

Weeds’ eighth season is expected to be its last and will go to air mid-year in the US.

“This is a very disappointing presentation of material that should have been HD eye candy,” argued High-Def Digest.

“The only area in which Friends With Benefits exceeds is within its colour scheme.”

But Blu-ray.com found it more user-friendly: “Friends With Benefits scores a nice looking 1080p Blu-ray transfer from Sony.

“The digital photography doesn’t yield as much character as do film transfers, but this is nevertheless a steady, accurate, and pleasant image.

“It’s noticeably glossy, but not troublesomely or distractingly so.”

Other critics also liked Sony’s transfer of The Zookeeper: “many scenes take place in brightly lit spaces and the zoo practically pops off the screen” (DVD Verdict); “while a tad flat and lifeless, the actual image is excellent” (DVD Talk); “there’s very little wrong with the transfer” (DVD Authority).

But, again, High-Def Digest wasn’t as effusive: “The transfer also comes with strong definition and fine object detailing, but it’s not as sharp as one would expect from a movie shot in HD.”

The rest of the week’s releases largely are divided between back-catalogue westerns (Barquero, Gunfight at Dodge City, Man of the East, Navajo Joe) and direct-to-disc thrillers (Mother’s Day, Born to Race, The Veteran).

The pick of the latter, Mother’s Day, is “immaculate for the most part”.

There’s also a re-issue of Halloween as well as the documentary, The Doors — Mr Mojo Risin’: The Story of LA Woman.

The latter lands here only weeks after its broadcast while the former’s taken more than a year to arrive.

Indeed, season one of Boardwalk Empire is being released on the eve of SoHo’s season-two finale (Sky 10, 8.30pm Sunday).

I thought its 2009 Sky Movies HD presentation was so soft that it could have been mistaken for SD.

But the Blu-ray couldn’t look less like a bootleg.

“Boardwalk Empire features some drop-dead gorgeous visuals that will have you gawking at the TV screen during almost every scene …

“I know you expected it, but I’m here to simply report what you’d already been hoping for. Boardwalk Empire comes to Blu-ray with a flawless presentation.”

“Decadent when decadence is called for, submersed in endless shadow when something more sinister is required, every episode stands apart in one way or another.

“Martin Scorsese, Terence Winter, Jonathan Freeman and Kramer Morgenthau’s Prohibition palette is overflowing with sumptuous period colours, evocative sepia tones and cloudy hues, lavish Atlantic City reds and golds, earthy browns and Depression-era grays, and rich blacks.”

The Blu-ray also is blessed with outstanding extras, including 12 picture-in-picture tracks and six audio commentaries.

As is typical of BBC Blu-rays, broadcast news drama The Hour has been given a 1080i transfer – but the news is not all bad.

“Often the 1080i designation is a bad thing, as artifacts will crop up, but The Hour is surprisingly free of flaws.

“The show’s exquisite sets are rendered with crisp detail, and the show’s reduced colour scheme is perfectly saturated.”

However, “you’ll notice certain problems when it comes to the blacks of the picture. They seem to blend into each other.

“Different shades of black and gray create a sort of dark blob that doesn’t add much depth or dimensionality to the screen.

“Many nighttime scenes are thick with dancing noise. With that said, the nighttime scenes look much better than they did in Going Postal.”

Coincidentially, Terry Pratchett’s Going Postal also is out this week. It aired on Prime, so unlike Boardwalk Empire and The Hour, this is your first chance to see it in HD.

“Originally photographed in HD with Arri D-21 cameras, the film has a definite British mini-series look to it, with deep browns and blacks.

“Contrast is very good, as is detail. The textures of the buildings and fabrics used in the costumes (especially the wings of the Postmaster’s cap) are well-rendered, and the CGI rarely, if ever, stands out.”

Also new are Last Flight of the Space Shuttle, WWE Best Pay Per View Matches 2012, WWE Best of King of the Ring, Robot Chicken: Season 5 and the anime titles Gantz 1, Darker Than Black Collection: Season 2, Space Battleship Yamata, Bala and Test: Series One Collection and Redline.

“It’s simply one of the best looking Blu-rays I’ve ever seen,” albeit with the minor caveat of “slight banding” in the creation/space scenes.

“Tree of Life was shot in a combination of 35mm, 65mm, and HD, and the end results are pure magic … The image is consistent across the board; everything is clean, sharp and detailed with richly saturated colours, deep blacks, spot on flesh tones and wide contrast.”

Similarly, “the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 sound mix is one of the most active you’ll ever experience from a film that isn’t an action picture”.

Final Destination 5 is out in both standard and Blu-ray 3D editions.

“For a film shot in native 3D, and a 3D horror movie at that, Final Destination 5 doesn’t have many reach-out-of-the-screen-and-rip-your-throat-out moments.

“And the few its 3D presentation does offer are fairly gimmicky and over-the-top, making for a spotty but occasionally engaging 3D experience.

“3D aside, the image itself is quite impressive, going in for the kill with a slick (but slightly superficial) 1080p/MVC-encoded video transfer that slices and dices with relative ease, glossy CG brain matter and extremely minor compression mishaps notwithstanding.”

Raunchy body-switch romp The Change-Up also scored highly for its HD specs: “This clean transfer features a small amount of grain and a great amount of detail”; “considering how grimy the film is, this transfer is a shiny, near-perfect contrast”.

Indie comedy Cedar Rapids was shot digitally “but you could easily mistake the footage for having been shot on film. I mean that, of course, in a good way.

“The 1080p/AVC-encoded image is rich and warm, almost looking like a very fine-grained 35mm picture.”

Also new is The Smurfs (3D) while going direct-to-disc are: Troll Hunter, Bunraku, Super, Big Mamma’s Boy, Carjacked, Meet Monica Velour, Father of Invention, Wake Wood and Dylan Dog: Dead of Night.

“The only nagging issue worth mentioning is some limited crush, which doesn’t really result in any major mishaps. All in all, Horrible Bosses’ high definition presentation pulls ahead of the comedy pack.”

It’a been released as a combo pack with the theatrical and extended versions on Blu-ray disc and the theatrical cut only on DVD.

This week’s only other major new release is the direct-to-disc hitwoman thriller, Colombiana.

“The 1080p rendition looks terrific with exceptional contrast exhibiting healthy, rich black levels …

“This Blu-ray probably looks exactly like the film Colombiana did theatrically. There are no image quality flaws at all.”

Delayed from last week are Michael Flatley Returns as Lord of the Dance, The Hills Run Red, The Honey Pot, Hour of the Gun, Electra Glide in Blue and King and Four Queens.

Due on December 29 are Hanna, The Guard, Chatroom and Hobo With a Shotgun.

“Hanna has received a gorgeous hi-def transfer …This is one of the best-looking action films of recent years; there’s rarely a scene which doesn’t contain some wonderful camera angle or memorable visual flourish.”

“On the aural front we get an equally impressive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack that provides a thoroughly engaging and all-encompassing accompaniment for the movie.”

The direct-to-disc exploitation thriller, Hobo With a Shotgun, “splatters the screen with a highly-stylised and dated 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode” that’s “insanely saturated at times, with a palette of intentionally garish primary and neon colors that burst off the screen”.

The 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode is near-reference quality, “filling the entire screen with tons of beautiful panoramic shots of New Mexico.

“Part of this rich, distinct clarity comes from a pitch-perfect contrast balance, extending visibility into the far distance … Taken as a whole, Jon Favreau’s sci-fi western is spectacular on Blu-ray.”

Indeed, “colours are rich and accurately saturated, skintones are gorgeous (or grizzled when called on), contrast is dark but perfectly suited to the genre-mashing action that unfurls, and black levels are dead on”.

There’s also a “terrific audio track [that] nears perfection. It is technically sound, but it falls just short of giving that awe feeling all the way through.

“There is some great surround usage during the alien/cowboy battles. The effects are precise and nicely prioritised. The music score is subtle but remains clear. Dialogue is intelligible throughout, but can be a bit spotty here or there. The directionality and panning is spot on. The soundfield is coherent. The LFE channel is full and powerful, though not quite as much so as the recent Conan the Barbarian release.”

Conan’s also out this week, on a 2D/3D disc that’s “full of vivid, gory excitement and tons of blood-soaked eye candy”, while Priest was crucified for its 3D conversion but hailed for its 2D presentation.

“The best sequence of the film is the opening credits montage; this was a three dimensional comic book brought to life to tell the back-story of this particular world, and it works really well – but this just highlights how flat the rest of the film is in 3D. Which is devastating because the rest of the picture is absolutely stunning.”

Meanwhile, “shot using the Arri Alexa digital motion picture camera — Arri’s new answer to the popular Red One — Mr Popper’s Penguins glides effortlessly onto Blu-ray with a 1080p/AVC encode that’s sharp, clean, and vibrant”.

In fact, “detail is amazing in just about every scene, with eye-popping clarity and strong edge delineation”.

Underbelly: Razor bows on Blu-ray with exclusive extras — a Creating the Past short, deleted scenes and photo gallery — while Renny Harlin’s 5 Days of War “looks solid, especially for a comparatively low-budget action film” and “captures an insane amount of detail, made possible particularly thanks to the image’s unbeatable clarity”.

Also new are the romcom, Something Borrowed, the direct-to-disc Catch .44 and Daydream Nation, and the back-catalogue classics and curiosities Charge of the Light Brigade, The Hills Run Red, Hour of the Gun, King and Four Queens, The Honey Pot, Electra Glide in Blue, Wizards, Tales From the Crypt, Ned Kelly and Videodrome.

Glee – The 3D Concert and Phantom of the Opera 25^th Anniversary Edition are the key music releases while on the ‘toon front are Oakie’s Outback Adventure and Angel Beats! Complete Series.