Coming Up This Week: March 3rd-9th

Spartans will rise and island secrets will be revealed in March's first full week!
In the (paraphrased) words of Guardians of the Galaxy's mysterious Collector, "two months down, ten to go". Yes, we've entered March, and it promises to be a pretty substantial month in terms of entertainment news and releases alike. As ever, we'll endeavour to round-up everything that you need to know and look out for from the industry in the coming weeks.

The journey begins right now, as we take a look at the next seven days and precisely what we can expect on the big- and small-screens and when we can expect them to land. Read on, then, to discover the treasures in store between now and Sunday March 9th...

• GRAVITY DVD & BLU-RAY- ICYMI when it first emerged onto the cinematic scene in November 2013, Alfonso Cuaron's stunning science-fiction thriller Gravity is back with a bite on DVD and Blu-Ray. Essentially comprising a two-man (or rather one-woman, one-man) cast, it's a tour de force in visionary film-making, whether you analyse its aesthetics, its simple-yet-emotionally rigorous and relevant narrative or its unparalleled sound-work. In other words, it's time to "crank up those sub-woofers" (as Batman so adequately put it in The LEGO Movie) and ready your optical receivers for a visually enthralling experience which simply begs repeat viewings. (Monday 3rd)
• MARVEL'S AGENTS OF SHIELD: T.A.H.I.T.I.- Last time we checked in on Agent Coulson's intrepid band of S.H.I.E.L.D. recruits, one of their central members had been seemingly fatally wounded by a bullet to the abdomen. Fast-forward a few weeks, and it's a race against time, as Coulson must call upon the aid of his mentor- Agent John Garrett- to assist in a mission to recover a long-hidden artefact which holds the key to Skye's survival. Agents is in sore need of a game-changer if its producers hope to match Arrow with Season One's final episodes, so here's hoping that T.A.H.I.T.I. (the title of which implies that more revelations are in store on the resurrection front for Coulson himself) serves just that purpose...(Tuesday 4th- ABC)
• ARROW: THE PROMISE- And speaking of Arrow, it's time for what Stephen Amell is currently calling "the best episode that [the production team] have ever made". Considering the recent quality of Season Two's output, that's a tall claim to say the least, but the show's lead star tends to be pretty reliable with his teasers, and Time of Death's tantalising cliffhanger has certainly left us eager to discover what's next for the Green Arrow. Like Season One's The Odyssey, approximately 75% of Episode 15's running time will be based around Oliver's island flashbacks, while the remaining 25% will focus on the long-awaited first confrontation between Olly and Slade in present-day Starling City! (Wednesday 5th- The CW)
• STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS- THE LOST MISSIONS- A long time ago in an era of cinema that now seems far, far away, the Star Wars franchise was pretty much the most lucrative property known to man. Thankfully, although the atrocious prequel instalments threatened to destabilise the series altogether in the early noughties, Lucasfilm's animated division did themselves proud with Star Wars: The Clone Wars over the course of its five-season run. Not only have Netflix gotten ahold of every episode from Season One-Five, they're also premièring a bonus thirteen-episode run of the show which wraps up a number of key story arcs and provides closure for long-term fans. Episode VII may still be twenty-one months off, but for now, The Lost Missions is surely the next best thing for Lucas diehards. (Thursday 6th- Netflix)
• SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH- Let's get the bad news out of the way first: yes, here in the UK Ubisoft's much-anticipated South Park RPG has been subject to a bit of censorship for marketing purposes. Nevertheless, The Stick of Truth has every right to claim a spot in the Game of the Year 2014 race, boasting perhaps the most authentic video game rendition of Matt Stone and Trey Parker's iconic snow-capped town yet and a competent turn-based combat system to boot. It certainly won't be for the faint of heart, yet it wouldn't come as a huge surprise if Stick ends up scooping our Best Release award for this month! (Friday 7th- Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
• 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE- "This...Is...MILKING IT!" Cynicism aside, 300: Rise of an Empire marks one of the first major action films of 2014, and to its credit, its cast list contains a number of formidable established stars including Game of Thrones' Lena Headey and Casino Royale's Eva Green. Go in anticipating Rise to rank up with the Academy Awards nominees for Best Picture and you'll doubtless come away disappointed, but level those expectations and you just may exit the auditorium with a look of pleasant surprise upon your battle-scarred face...(Friday 7th)
• AND THERE'S MORE- As if last week's eBook Tales of Trenzalore wasn't enough, Doctor Who fans have got another treat on their way tomorrow, Monday 2nd, as Murray Gold's superb Original Television Soundtrack for last November's stellar 50th Anniversary docudrama An Adventure in Space and Time lands in all good music retailers. Film fans seeking a motion picture which packs a little more depth than Rise would be advised to check out The Grand Budapest Hotel, a shoo-in for the 2015 Oscars starring Ralph Fiennes, Adrien Brody, William Dafoe, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Saiorse Ronan, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson and Owen Wilson (we'd frankly be surprised if you weren't sold by that extensive roster's halfway point!) which lands in cinemas nationwide on Friday March 7th.
• AND NEXT WEEK...Asgard and Earth collide once more as Sif of Thor's Warrior Three crosses path with Agent Coulson in Marvel's Agents of SHIELD: Yes Man, plus the Xbox One's biggest first-party exclusive of 2014 lands in stores- brace yourselves, because Titanfall is about to drop...

For all the latest news, reviews and features on March's entertainment line-up, keep it On-Screen in the days ahead!