Blu-ray

As far as movie taglines go ‘Inner city vs outer space’ is pretty damn snappy. Incredibly comedian-turned-filmmaker Joe Cornish has delivered a debut movie that more than lives up to it. 

Avatar is a frustrating film in so many ways, not least the fact that while Cameron has clearly spent years creating an engrossing and entirely believable new cinematic world, he then uses it as the backdrop for a fairly ordinary tale packed with wooden acting and leaden dialogue.

While Joss Whedon's 2012 smash Avengers Assemble remains one of the crown jewels (or should that be Infinity Stones?) of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, his blockbuster sequel is unlikely to be so fondly remembered by fans.

The Back to the Future Trilogy should play an integral part in every home cinema fan’s collection, standing proudly alongside the like of the Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park and Alien boxsets.

A group of tsunami survivors find they've more to worry about than just keeping dry in this high-concept 3D b-movie; trapped inside a submerged supermarket, they also have to contend with a killer shark swimming up and down the aisles. Much better than the lamentable Shark Night 3D, this Australian flick is a fun watch and boasts some effective stereoscopy thanks to the Blu-ray's crisply-rendered MVC 1.78:1 picture. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix also has real bite, with strong dynamics and good bass presence. Extras take the form of a 44-minute Making of… and the trailer.

Now here's a strong contender for 2013's biggest guilty pleasure. This testosterone-laden tale of a former criminal masquerading as a small-town sheriff is the kind of pulp TV series that pulls you in with its lurid mix of violence and sex, but keeps you hooked with its colourful cast of characters and unpredictable storylines. As you'd expect from an HBO release (even one for a Cinemax series such as this), Banshee has been given exemplary treatment on Blu-ray. The AVC 1.78:1 1080p visuals and DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio are both excellent – and there's no shortage of quality bonus features.

Roger Vadim’s 1968 star vehicle for then wife Jane Fonda is an extremely odd movie. Based on a French comic book series, Barbarella wastes no time on such niceties as plot or characterisation. Instead, it’s all about a sultry babe playing dress-up and having a series of erotic encounters in outer space. It should, therefore, be absolute rubbish, but the tongue-in-cheek nature of the whole endeavour, coupled with Fonda’s brilliant central performance, lifts Barbarella to a higher plateau. Not necessarily a ‘good’ film in the traditional sense, but still a lot of fun.