DVD & Blu-ray out this week

World On A Wire Second Sight It's always something of a treat when a visionary director tackles science fiction. Kubrick's 2001, Godard's Alphaville, Verhoeven's Robocop are all fine examples; even flops such as David Lynch's Dune are often very interesting failures. Rainer Werner Fassbinder's adaptation of Daniel F Galouye's 1964 proto-virtual reality thriller Simulcron Three, is an unmitigated success. Unavailable almost since its first broadcast on German TV in 1973, the film has built up a strong reputation, which it more than lives up to. Dr Stiller (Klaus Löwitsch) takes over command of a breakthrough computer program after the mysterious death of the previous boss. The project has created a large, virtual world inhabited by over 10,000 "identity units" – simulated human characters with artificial intelligence, oblivious to their true nature. We've had a lot of films dealing with similar concepts since (The Matrix being the most obvious), but few have truly engaged with the subject with such philosophical weight. Also, particularly for a TV movie, it looks amazing. Cinematographer Michael Ballhaus oversaw the remastering of his original 16mm footage, giving it a grainy, colourful look that seems very contemporary. As do the settings, adopting anything even vaguely futuristic looking in 1970s Germany from buildings to cups and saucers. The future used to be a much more stylish and interesting place. The Road Viggo Mortensen struggles for survival in post-apocalypse America. DVD & Blu-Ray, Icon Valhalla Rising Moody Viking testosterone-fest. DVD & Blu-Ray, Momentum Fellini's Casanova Donald Sutherland stars as the fading playboy in Federico Fellini's epic. DVD, Mr Bongo True Blood Seasons 1 And 2 Double box set for Alan Ball's moreish Louisiana vampires. DVD & Blu-Ray, Warner Home Video/HBO Kim Newman's Guide To The Flipside Of British Cinema Documentary introduction to the BFI's selection of cult Brit flicks. DVD, BFI