The Good, the Bad and the Blu-rays

Among this week's new releases we have vampires, a Knight, a Cruise, a Zombie and a Lion/Dogg.

I know that a lot of people don't like Tom Cruise and to be honest, I would never describe myself as a fan; but I thought that Jack Reacher was quite a good thriller and rated it highly during its theatrical release. I also thought it was waaaay too violent to pass for a 12A certificate, so maybe it's for the best that they've reinstated the two seconds of footage that was taken out to gain the lower rating.

I've always found Rob Zombie's style far too overbearing, like some sort of quasi-gothic Oliver Stone, and I know it has its fans out there, but House of 1000 Corpses is a terrible movie. Not even good/bad-bad/good, just plain terrible. But, from the look of the trailer for his most recent effort, he looks to have toned down the colour pallette quite a bit whilst ramping up the gothic imagery.

A TV series that I wasn't aware of during its original run in the late '90s, Ultraviolet is notable now for featuring a young Idris Elba before he became the star he is now. Also featuring This Life's Jack Davenport and True Blood's Stephen Moyer as a vampire, Ultraviolet is a modern take on vampire hunters that is at its core a detective show in a similar vein to Angel. The music and hairstyles may have dated, but strangely it appears that Idris Elba has not.

If there's one thing Snoop Dogg knows about, it's weed. The man likes a smoke. This documentary follows Snoop's journey to Jamaica where he reflects on his gangster past and decides to broaden his musical outlook. Who knows whether his soul searching and rebirth as Snoop Lion is something genuine, or merely a Joaquin Phoenix/I'm Still Here style ruse to sell more albums? Either way, it's probably best to take this back slapping documentary with a pinch of salt. Or weed.

 You've gotta love George A. Romero. He has come up with some of the strangest stories ever, and this tale of gallant knights riding motorcycles has to be one of his craziest. Starring a young Ed Harris, this 1981 departure from horror has been re-released in a new Arrow Home Video Blu-ray/DVD double pack.