He has a Ph.D. in horribleness!

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Continuing this week's new releases, we have several films making their first debut on Blu-ray. First we have the Emmy-winning Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008) starring Neil Patrick Harris as a supervillain who wants to be recognized for his horribleness. He is secretly in love with the endearing Penny, who helps the homeless. Constantly, he is thrusted against his arch-nemesis Captain Hammer, who is an obnoxious superhero and threatens to destroy everything for him. Next we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Stanley Kubrick's phenomenal Spartacus (1960). A slave in Roman times dreams of freedom and leads an army of slaves against the Roman Empire, unafraid of its consequences. Finally, we have Flashbacks of a Fool (2008) where a stale Hollywood actor is forced to face the demons of his past in order to forge ahead.

Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008) is a musical tragicomedy about a wannabe supervillain Billy a.k.a. Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris), the narcissistic arch-nemesis Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion) and the idealistic homeless-helping girl they both want, Penny (Felicia Day). Dr. Horrible loves to video-blog about joining the ranks of other evil geniuses in the exclusive Evil League of Evil and how he will win Penny's heart by stopping the world with a freeze ray gun. When his evil powerfully sweaty buddy, Moist (Simon Helberg), brings a letter informing Dr. Horrible that Dark Horse, leader of E.L.E., is evaluating him, it is time to show everyone what he's got.

Just as when Dr. Horrible is about to steal a case of wonderflonium to power his freeze ray gun, both his archnemesis Captain Hammer and Penny appear. In a struggle between supervillain and superhero, Penny nearly becomes a victim. At the last minute when Penny is saved, she believes Captain Hammer is the hero and falls in love with him. Dr. Horrible is mortified by the turn of events. As if his luck could not get any worse, the freeze ray gun fails and Dark Horse ups the ante. Dr. Horrible must now kill someone if he ever wants to be accepted into the E.L.E. Fueled by the deep love he has for Penny and the callousness of Captain Hammer, Dr. Horrible chooses the bullying Captain Hammer as his target. Will Dr. Horrible succeed and finally be recognized for his evil genius? Or will he be pummeled by Captain Hammer again? And what of Penny, will she see through Captain Hammer and realize he does not love her the way Dr. Horrible does? Or will she be brokenhearted once Captain Hammer is done with her, just like poor Dr. Horrible?

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog was created by Joss Whedon, his brothers Zack and Jed and Jed's fiancée, Maurissa Tancharoen, during the WGA writers' strike. It was a low-budget short film that was originally released only on the Internet in three webisodes. Several of Joss Whedon's colleagues from Buffy the Vampire Slayer make cameo appearances: Marti Noxon, David Fury, Doug Petrie and Drew Goddard. It was #15 in Time magazine's Top 50 Inventions of 2008. It won the People's Choice Award for "Favorite Online Sensation", the 2009 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form and the 2009 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class - Short-format Live-Action Entertainment Programs.

A sequel may be in the works, perhaps as another set of webisodes or even as a full-length feature film!

Special Features:

All the DVD special features are included in the Blu-ray.

• Commentary! The Musical: 42 Minutes Of New Music Featuring The Cast And Creators
• Commentary By The Cast And Creators
• The Making Of Dr. Horrible Features
• Evil League Of Evil Application Videos
• Outtakes
• Behind-the-Scenes
• Evil League of Evil Interview
• Teaser Trailers

Exclusives:

Best Buy - Includes Captain Hammer: Be Like Me 16-page mini comic book from Dark Horse Comics

Best Prices:

Blu-ray - $10.96 at Walmart.com, $10.99 at Amazon.com, $14.69 at Target, $14.99 at Best Buy

Best Buy exclusive - $14.99 for Blu-ray

One man and his dream of freedom inspires
an army of slaves to fight beside him until
death.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick, Oscar-winning Spartacus (1960) tells the heroic tale of the Thracian slave Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) and his commitment to freedom. It is 73 B.C. in Rome and Spartacus has been released from a death sentence, only to endure another form of death. Lentulus Batiatus (Peter Ustinov) has recruited him to become a gladiator for his games and sends him off to train in Capua. There he befriends an ally Crixus (John Ireland) and falls in love with the beautiful Varinia (Jean Simmons), a slave from Britain.

When Roman general, Marcus Licinius Crassus (Laurence Olivier), his protege Marcus Glabrus (John Dall) and several others arrive seeking entertainment, Spartacus and Crixus are selected to fight two other gladiators, Galeno (Bob Morgan) and Draba (Woody Strode). Crixus successfully kills Galeno, but Spartacus is defeated by Draba. Refusing to kill Spartacus, Draba attacks Crassus and his entourage instead. Draba is killed and Crassus departs, taking Varinia with him. Heartbroken at the lost of Varinia, Spartacus starts an uprising with other gladiators to fight for their freedom. Together they take over Capua and the surrounding areas. Spartacus devises a plan to escape by sea from the port of Brundisium, with the help of Cilician pirates. As they traverse towards the port, more slaves join their cause including Antoninus (Tony Curtis).

Meanwhile, the competing Roman factions see the uprising as an opportunity to seize power. Plebeian senator Sempronius Gracchus (Charles Laughton) successfully machinates Crassus' resignation and forces Glabrus' banishment, with the help of Julius Caesar (John Gavin). However, Crassus is far from done and waits for his chance to regain control. As both try to manipulate the outcome of the uprising to their own advantage, will Spartacus succeed?  Will he lead the slaves to freedom and rejoin with his love Varinia? Or will they die as pawns in a Roman power struggle?

Special Features:

• Deleted Scenes
• Behind-the-Scenes Footage
• Interviews
• Art Gallery
• Photo Gallery
• Storyboard Comparisons
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• 5 Vintage Newsreels
• BD-Live *new to Blu-ray*

Coupons: Use the $5 off any Universal Studios Home Entertainment Blu-ray movie title coupon

Best Prices:

Blu-ray - $17.86 at Walmart.com, $19.99 at Amazon.com, $20.59 at Target, $24.99 at Best Buy

Will a man find redemption when he faces
the haunting past of his childhood?

In Flashbacks of a Fool (2008), Joe Scot (young: Emile Robert; teenager: Harry Eden; adult: Daniel Craig) is a lonely has-been Hollywood actor who passes his days addicted to booze, drugs and sex. Everyone finds him tiresome, even his personal assistant Ophelia Franklin (Eve). When his childhood best friend Boots passes away back home in Britain, he indulges in a drunken swim. He flashes back to his teens and remembers the summer he had with his best friend in a small English seaside village.

Joe is 16-years-old and Boots McKay (Max Deacon) suffers from epileptic seizures. They both like a girl named Ruth (young: Felicity Jones; adult: Claire Forlani). Ruth likes Joe, but his sexual affairs with his next-door neighbor's wife, Evelyn Adams (Jodhi May), nip any chance of a budding romance. When tragedy strikes, Joe blames himself and leaves behind Boots, Evelyn and Ruth.

Now Joe must return to Britain and attend Boots' funeral. Will he find the courage to face everyone and everything he's been running away from since 25 years ago?

Best Prices:

Blu-ray - $6.99 at Best Buy, $13.49 at Target, $15.86 at Walmart.com, $15.99 at Amazon.com

Go to May 25, 2010 DVD & Blu-ray: Dear John, The Road, True Blood: The Complete Second Season and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Part 1

Stores:

Best Buy: New York City locations or use the store locator for other areas.

Blockbuster: New York City locations or use the store locator for other areas.

FYE: New York City locations or use the store locator for other areas.

Toys 'R' Us: New York City locations or use the store locator for other areas.

Target: New York City locations or use the store locator for other areas.

Walmart: Long Island locations or use the store locator for other areas.

Amazon.com charges sales tax for all New York shipping addresses.

Trailers: