Blu-ray

There was clearly something in the water in Hollywood last year, with several of the US TV networks launching new shows based around fairy tales. NBC's Grimm takes the police procedural route with a cop finding out that he comes from a long line of monster killers, but comes a cropper with its appalling CGI and uneven tone. And while this four-disc set's 1080p encodes (a mix of VC-1 and AVC) only serve to highlight the show's abysmal visual effects, they also make the most of the crisp and detailed digital photography. Deleted scenes and an interactive bestiary are among the many extras on offer.

Until this year Marvel Studios had played it relatively safe, choosing relatively well-known superheroes to bring to the multiplex. Guardians of the Galaxy is different. It leaves Earth far behind and jets off into the far reaches of the Marvel Universe for a space opera based on an obscure team of misfit heroes. A far bigger risk for the studio than Iron Man et al, but one that pays off handsomely.

Just like a fine wine or actress/model Monica Bellucci, John Carpenter's 1978 slasher just keeps getting better with age. Pared back to the absolute essentials, but shot through with Carpenter's widescreen artistry, Halloween eschews the gross-out gore that would become the hallmark of its countless imitators (and sequels) in favour of the far more basic – and rewarding – fun that comes from scaring the bejeezus out of its audience. It's a film that's both brilliant in its simplicity and quite simply brilliant.

Following a lengthy gap with no new UK releases, fans of Hammer Studios' classic output are currently enjoying a Blu-ray bonanza. First came four solo titles from Studiocanal (Blood from the Mummy's Tomb, Demons of the Mind, Fear in the Night and Scars of Dracula), and now we have the first in a series of four volumes of Hammer boxsets planned by indie label Indicator.

Roles are reversed in this spellbinding second season of the crime drama based on Thomas Harris' novels, as FBI profiler Will Graham is the lunatic locked away behind bars and Hannibal Lecter is on the loose and aiding the law. As if that wasn't a compelling enough reason to pick up this set, Hannibal continues to be one of the best-looking shows available on Blu-ray thanks to its stunning AVC 1.78:1 1080p encodes. Best of all, unlike the previous boxset, this time around UK fans get the full complement of extra featuress, including eight episode commentaries.

Following in the footsteps of Snow White and the Huntsman and Red Riding Hood, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters offers a more action-packed update of a classic fairy tale. Thankfully, as you might expect from the young director who gave us 2009's gonzo Nazi zombie flick Dead Snow, this retooling of The Brothers Grimm's story is far less po-faced than its forgettable predecessors.

That’s it then. The Harry Potter saga has finally come to an end. And while it’s been an uneven ride, it’s hard to deny that this last film sends the franchise off in style in a way that, say, Police Academy VII never quite managed.