Home Market Releases for April 18th, 2017
April 18, 2017
We are entering the worst time of the year on the home market. There’s only a trickle of last year’s Awards Season contenders left to deal with, while it is way too early for the major spring releases to come out on DVD / Blu-ray. There are some classic titles that are on this list, like Donnie Darko: 15th Anniversary Limited Edition or Ocean Waves Blu-ray Combo Pack. However, the Pick of the Week isn’t either of these titles, but MST3K: Season 11, which you can watch on Netflix right now.
Before The Flood - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Bigger Fatter Liar - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Donnie Darko: 15th Anniversary Limited Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Founder - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Killjoys: Season Two - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Update on the review: I’ve watched a few more episodes and... Starcrash! I actually reviewed Starcrash when it first came out on Blu-ray and mentioned it would be perfect for MST3K. Oh boy, was I right. It is the best episode of the new season so far.
My Hero Academia: Season One - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Ocean Waves - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Sleepless - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Split - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Tales from the Hood - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Woman of the Year: Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
4K Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
Video on Demand
A documentary about global warming featuring Leonardo DiCaprio. The reviews are good, but not great, as many critics say it doesn’t do enough to stand out from other documentaries in this sub-genre, while the advice for individuals isn’t enough. It is worth checking out, but I would rent it.
Video on Demand
A sequel to Big Fat Liar. I own the original movie, because Paul Giamatti is awesome in everything. I do like Jodelle Ferland and the film was filmed in my home town. Still not enough for me to buy it, but it is enough for me to mention it.
This movie bombed when it first came out, but quickly became a cult classic. If you don’t own the previous 10th anniversary limited edition release, then this is a must have and a Pick of the Week contender. If you do own it, it might still be worth the upgrade. It depends on how often you still watch the movie.
Video on Demand
Busted Oscar-bait. The reviews are excellent, but it never went anywhere during Awards Season and bombed at the box office. The extras on the DVD / Blu-ray are better than expected, given its box office results. There’s no audio commentary track, but there are a number of making of / behind-the-scene productions. Definitely worth picking up, but not quite a Pick of the Week contender.
A SyFy show about a group of space bounty hunters that serve warrants. It is not ground-breaking, but it is fun and that matters. The first season had no extras, so I expect this one will be the same. It is worth checking out, but not a Pick of the Week contender.
MST3K: Season 11 - Watch on Netflix: Video on Demand
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is back. Is it as good as fans remembered? Are the new hosts up to the challenge? Are the movies worth riffing? Read our review to find out.
An Anime in the superhero shounen subgenre. Basically that means it is heavy on action and light on plot, although this show was made by people aware of the Anime tropes and had fun with them and that really helps the quality of the show. The Blu-ray combo pack is loaded with extras, while there is also a special edition with some physical extras, like an art book and a keychain.
An Anime title that was originally a TV movie released in Japan in 1993. The reviews are fantastic, but I’m having trouble tracking down information on the extras. It is only the subbed version. I do prefer subs over dubs, most of the time, but having the option is optimal.
Video on Demand
This film earned terrible reviews and bombed in theaters. That explains why the DVD / Blu-ray only has a making of featurette and some deleted scenes as extras. That’s too bad, as it has a strong cast and real potential.
Video on Demand
This was the first $100 million hit of the year. It is also a certified fresh movie on Rotten Tomatoes, so it should do well on the home market. Extras include a trio of making of featurettes, with a total running time of less than 20 minutes, and less than 30 minutes of deleted scenes, including an alternative ending. That’s not a lot. It’s worth picking up, but it is not a contender for Pick of the Week. On a side note, there were some who complained about the message in this movie, namely that it ... spoiler warning... implied having a severe mental illness can somehow result in superpowers. This is silly, to say the least, and frankly offensive to many. It trivializes mental illness and further stigmatizes it. This is a shame, because reversing this relationship, i.e. having superpowers could trigger mental illnesses, is a far more interesting subject for a film to explore. That said, the overall movie is still very effective and at least worth checking out.
A horror anthology movie from 1995 with an African-American cast. The reviews were mixed and it bombed in theaters, but it has developed a cult following on the home market. The extras on the Blu-ray include an audio commentary track, a nearly hour-long making of featurette, and the original short EPK featurette. If you are a fan of the genre, it is worth checking out.
Normally I simply include the Criterion Collection with the secondary Blu-ray releases, but it is a slow week. This is the first film Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy starred in together and it is inarguably a classic. Add in the usual high level of extras and it is easily worth picking up. The lack of competition means it is a Pick of the Week contender.
Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Aria the Scarlet Ammo AA: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Broken Arrow - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Buena Vista Social Club: Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Contamination .7 - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Dagashi Kashi: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
A Farewell To Arms - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Handmaid’s Tale - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon: Limited Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
A League of Their Own: 25th Anniversary Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Masterpiece: Home Fires: Season 2 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Mephisto Waltz - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Red Queen Kills Seven Times - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Scar - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Spencer’s Mountain - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Sunset in the West - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Teen Titans: The Judas Contract - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Undefeated Bahamut Chronicles - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
There are a lot of niche market releases on this week’s list of secondary Blu-ray titles. If you like Giallo, then there are a couple of choices this week. Fans of Anime have a lot to choose from. On that note, Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid might be the most “Anime” Anime I’ve heard of. If you don’t watch the genre because of some of the weirder tropes you’ve heard about, then this will confirm a lot of them. In the show, two woman have to passionately kiss in order for one of the women to turn into a sword the other uses in battle. ... Anime. There are some really good shows out there, but too much of it is pandering crap like this, which results in a lot of people never trying it in the first place.
No 3D releases this week.
Also no 4K releases this week.
Hawaii Five-O - No reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The iconic police procedural from the 1960s / 1970s at less than $10 a season.
The Babushkas of Chernobyl - Reviews - Video on Demand
Behind the Mirror - Reviews - Video on Demand
Cowgirls Story - Reviews - Video on Demand
A Dog’s Purpose - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Follower - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Gold - Reviews - Video on Demand
Nervous Laughter - No Reviews
A Dog’s Purpose is the biggest secondary VOD release on this week’s list, but that’s not saying much.
Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Buena Vista Social Club, The Founder, Gold, Split, A Dog’s Purpose, Sleepless, Umi ga kikoeru, Bigger, Fatter Liar, A Cowgirl’s Story, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, The Follower, Behind the Mirror, Nervous Laughter, The Babushkas of Chernobyl, Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jodelle Ferland, Paul Giamatti