Home Market Releases for October 13th, 2015
October 13, 2015
There are two $100 million movies on this week's list of Home Market Releases: Spy, which earned more than $100 million domestically, and Tomorrowland, which merely cost more than $100 million to make. Spy is arguably the best release on this week's list, but the Blu-ray was already named Pick of the Week, so that honor is going to Aladdin's Blu-ray debut this week.
The 100: Season 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
8 Films to Die For - VOD - Buy from Amazon: Bastard, Lumberjack Man, Murder in the Dark, Re-Kill, Suspension, Unnatural, The Wicked Within, and Wind Walkers
Christmas Releases - Buy from Amazon: 4 Kid Favorites: Merry Masterpieces, Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas - Grinchmas Edition, Festive Follies Collection, Keep Christmas With You, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Cowabunga Christmas, and Thomas & Friends: Thomas' Christmas Carol (VOD)
The Civil War 25th Anniversary Edition - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza Collection - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Dope - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
The Gallows - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Borders 3 & 4 - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Good Witch: Season 1 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Hart of Dixie: The Fourth and Final Season - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Indian Summers - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Jean-Claude Van Damme - Blu-ray Double Shot - Buy from Amazon: Hard Target or Sudden Death
The Land Before Time - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This is a CW show, which means most people reading this have never watched it. I'll let you in on a little secret, I've never seen it either. The reviews are good, but the show was barely renewed and it is only coming back as a midseason replacement. If you are a fan of the show, buy the season on Blu-ray. Home market sales might be the deciding factor for its next renewal.
The 8 Films to Die For label has eight horror releases coming out on VOD this week. This is big enough that it warrants a entry all to itself.
Aladdin - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This film was a massive hit in 1992, earning more than $200 million domestically. It also earned stunning reviews and even earned two Oscars. This is the first time the film is coming out on Blu-ray here. Has the film aged well? How does it look and sound on high definition? And are there new extras? Read our review to find out.
Video on Demand
The prequel to the movies has earned excellent reviews, but the extras on the DVD and Blu-ray are limited to a single featurette and some deleted scenes. That's not enough to be a contender for Pick of the Week, but enough to be worth picking up.
The Brood - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
One of the earliest films from David Cronenberg and one of the best Body Horror films. Extras on the Blu-ray include a documentary, an earlier film from David Cronenberg, interviews, and more. It is definitely worth picking up if you are a fan of the genre. Although this is a genre that tends to alienate the average moviegoer.
Video on Demand
A documentary about comic / political satirist Barry Crimmins directed by Bobcat Goldthwait, who is turning into a multi-talented filmmaker. The reviews were excellent, but it never found an audience in theaters. Hopefully that will change on the home market.
The Merry Masterpieces actually has some classic TV specials and the nostalgia might be worth it.
I previously reviewed this documentary series when it came out on Blu-ray back in 2011. It is an excellent series, but the re-mastered Blu-ray is pricey.
This looks cool, but $105 for five films, only three of which earned overall positive reviews... I can't say that's a good deal.
Video on Demand
One of the best wide releases of the summer. Sadly it couldn't live up to its reviews at the box office. It is definitely worth picking up, but the weak box office numbers resulted in weak extras, so it is not a Pick of the Week contender.
Video on Demand
This film earned terrible reviews and it is a Found Footage film, so it should come as no surprise that it bombed in theaters. Additionally, the extras are weak, so even if you like the subgenre, it isn't worth picking up.
This Anime series has lasted a long, long time. The original movie turns 20 years old today. Unfortunately, there are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes for these two films, but even if they are only half as good as the first film was, they are worth picking up.
The Hallmark series based on the TV movies. Catherine Bell reprises her role as the titular witch, while Bailee Madison plays her teenage daughter. Reviews have been generally positive, so if you like the TV movies, then the TV series is worth picking up.
This show barely earned a renewal each season, but lasted long enough to get into syndication, so that's something. Also, the showrunners knew it was the end, so they had time to wrap up storylines so fans should be happy and not left dangling.
A British soap opera set in India during the 1930s. The reviews are excellent, but this is not my preferred genre. Costume dramas are fine, but soap operas tend to bore me. [Copy ed: Not sure who said it was a soap opera, it was a British drama series].
A pair of Jean-Claude Van Damme movies from his peak. Both Hard Target and Sudden Death earned mixed reviews, but that still puts them among the best for the actor.
Video on Demand
Inarguably Don Bluth's most popular creation, as it spawned a direct-to-video empire that lasted more than a dozen sequels and had millions of dollars worth of merchandise. On the other hand, it is not his best film.
Mad Men: The Final Season, Part 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The screener arrived on Saturday. That's not enough time to get a TV on DVD review done, but I will try to get it done before the weekend. The show remained award-worthy right till the end and the extras appear strong. I did have to take away a point for the suit Pete Campbell is wearing on the back cover. (A suit that ugly needs to be nuked from orbit.) Even so, it is still a Pick of the Week contender. Also coming out this week is the Complete Series Megaset.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
I previously reviewed this movie when it came out on DVD a few years back. It is a classic and worth owning, even if you are not a fan of Westerns.
This movie was made on a bet and is arguably the best bad movie of all time. It is worth owning you are a fan of bad movies, but I think getting the MST3k or RiffTrax versions is the better deal.
Mountain Men - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This is a good movie, but $40 for a DVD? That's unacceptable. You can import it from Amazon.ca and even with the added shipping cost, it would still be half as much.
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Friendship Games - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The spin-off to the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic cartoon. It is selling surprisingly well compared to the average kids show, but the show does have a very active fan base.
The Phantom of the Opera - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Video on Demand
The 1925 classic starring Lon Chaney. The Blu-ray includes three versions of the movie, the cut version from 1929 in either 18 frames per second or 24 frames per second, or the complete original 1925 edition, which is based on a 16 mm print, so it doesn't look great. Easily worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.
Video on Demand
I've got the Tenth Anniversary Box Set and it is worth checking out, although I prefer the goofier humor focused storylines and not the more action orientated storylines.
San Andreas - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
One of only three hits for Warner Bros. this year. Its reviews were only 50% positive, but this is fine for this kind of film. Extras include audio commentary tracks, making of featurettes, deleted scenes, outtakes, etc. If you are a fan of the genre, it is certainly worth a rental, while fans of the genre will want to pick it up.
Soul Showcase Triple Feature - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Normally I wouldn't talk about a release this small, but I previously reviewed them a long, long time ago.
Spy - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Note: This Blu-ray made its home market debut on the 29th on September.
Video on Demand
This was the third $100 million hit in a row for the collaboration between Melissa McCarthy and Paul Feig. Is it also as good as their previous two films? And is the Blu-ray worth picking up? Check out our review for my opinion?
Don't bother. There's nothing new here and there are rumors that the original editions of the films will come out on Blu-ray sooner rather than later.
Tomorrowland - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This is one of the biggest bombs of the summer. It cost $170 million to make, meaning it would have had to have made about $500 million worldwide to break even any time soon. It didn't even get halfway there. The extras are fine with half a dozen featurettes, outtakes, and Easter Eggs. Call it a solid rental, leaning towards rental.
TV on DVD Full Series Megasets - Buy from Amazon: Beyond the Boundary Collector's Edition, The Bionic Woman, Dexter, The Following, Heroes, Jem And The Holograms, Justified, Justified (Special Edition), Mad Men, Six Million Dollar Man
Justified and Mad Men are Pick of the Week contenders, but most of the rest are not worth it. The Jem And The Holograms is actually weaker than the previous Megaset. The Following only lasted till Season Three, which is hardly enough to be considered a Megaset.
Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon: Faith of our Fathers, Inside Out, Inside Out (Theatrical), Scream Queens, Thomas & Friends: Thomas' Christmas Carol, and Twinsters
Inside Out is by far the biggest release on this week's list, but it is so good that you should just pre-order the Blu-ray. Twinsters feels like a better film for VOD.
When Calls The Heart: Year Two - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A series of Hallmark Channel TV movies based on the novel of the same name. You kind of know if you are in the target audience for this show or if you are not.
Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Tomorrowland, Inside Out, Spy!, San Andreas, Dope, The Gallows, Call Me Lucky, The Brood, Star Wars, Die Hard, Catherine Bell, Don Bluth, David Cronenberg, Bobcat Goldthwait, Vincent Kartheiser, Melissa McCarthy, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bailee Madison, Paul Feig, Lon Chaney, Barry Crimmins