Home Market Releases for December 4th, 2018

December 4, 2018

It’s not a bad week when it comes to the home market. The biggest release is Mission: Impossible—Fallout and while I didn’t like it as much as most critics, the Blu-ray / 4K Ultra HD Combo Packs are still worth picking up. There were also a trio of releases that were contenders for Pick of the Week, all of which were TV on DVD release: The Handmaid’s Tale: Season Two, Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions: Take On Me, and Westworld: Season Two: The Door. In the end, it came down to a roll of the dice, with The Handmaid’s Tale coming out on top.

2018 World Series Champions: Boston Red Sox: Regular Edition - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
2018 World Series Champions: Boston Red Sox: Box Set - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Real fans will want the 8-disc box set. They want full games and not just a couple of hours of highlights.

Castlevania: Season One - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This is not really season one, but a TV movie split into four episodes. The reviews are very strong and fans of the video game series will likely want to check it out. Like most Netflix releases, there are almost no extras on DVD / Blu-ray.

Doctor Who: Peter Davison: The Complete First Season - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The first season of the fifth doctor hits Blu-ray this week. There are plenty of extras, including a new interview with Peter Davison.

Family Guy: Season 16 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
It has been too long since I’ve seen this show to tell you if it is still worth watching. I gave up when the hit to miss ratio dropped too far to bother with, but maybe it got better.

The Handmaid’s Tale: Season Two - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
If you look at the reviews and the show’s Awards Season success rate, then it is safe to say this season isn’t quite as good as the first season, but still one of the best shows on TV... except it’s on Hulu, so is it really on TV? There are only two featurettes, which is disappointing, but still enough to be a contender for Pick of the Week.

The Happytime Murders - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This screener barely arrived in time to get a review done. Was it worth the rush? Or were moviegoers right to stay away? Read our review for my opinion.

Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions: Take On Me - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Three short films from the Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions series. In the show, kids having delusions that have special powers is so common that it has its own name, Chunibyo. Yuuta Togashi is one such kid and it was such an embarrassing part of his life that he changed schools to put it behind him. However, one of his new classmates, Rikka Takanashi, is currently going through her own Chunibyo delusion and despite his best efforts, he gets wrapped up in her life. The show has earned amazing reviews over the years and has lasted a lot longer than most Anime titles do.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
Chloë Grace Moretz stars as the titular Cameron Post, a high school student who is caught with another high school girl and forced into gay conversion therapy. The film earned good reviews and nearly got to $1 million in theaters. Unfortunately, there appears to be no extras on the Blu-ray. It is still worth picking up, but it is not a Pick of the Week contender.

Mobile Fighter G-Gundam: Volume One - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This is one of the longest running Anime franchises around and there’s a reason for this longevity. It is worth picking up, but the lack of extras hurt its overall value.

Naruto Shippuden Uncut: Set 36 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This is one of the last few DVDs from the Naruto series. Unless they immediately start putting out the show on Blu-ray.

The Nun - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
The latest installment in the The Conjuring franchise earned terrible reviews, but still became a $100 million hit. The extras include a trio of featurettes and some deleted scenes. If you liked the movie, then it is worth picking up. If you are just a fan of the franchise, then stick with the other installments.

Operation Finale - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This film is based on the real life mission to capture Adolf Eichmann after World War II. The cast is great, but the reviews are mixed. Extras include an audio commentary track and a making of featurette. It’s worth checking out, but not picking up.

Pick of the Litter - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
A documentary about puppies being trained to be guide dogs for the blind. The reviews are 100% positive and if you are a dog person or know a dog person then it is a must buy.

Vera: Set 8 - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
A British crime drama coming out on DVD. There are only four episodes, so it is better to think of it as four TV movies rather than a normal TV on DVD release.

Westworld: Season Two: The Door - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
One of the best TV shows currently airing. It is a remake of the movie / readaptation of the book. The show’s reviews are amazing and it has been nominated for tons of awards, winning several of them. There are no audio commentary tracks, which is disappointing, but there are six featurettes, which is better than most TV on DVD releases have. Also, it one of the rare 4K TV on DVD releases. It is easily worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.

Yellowstone: Season One - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This show has an amazing cast, but the reviews are mixed with the critics complaining that it is too melodramatic.

Christmas Releases - Buy from Amazon:

All the Creatures Were Stirring - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
All the Creatures Were Stirring - Reviews - Video on Demand
Christmas At Rosemont - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Christmas Blood - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Elliot: The Littlest Reindeer - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Elves - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Holly Star - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
I’ll Be Next Door for Christmas - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Royal New Year's Eve - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Royal New Year's Eve - Reviews - Video on Demand
A Royal Winter - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A Royal Winter - Reviews - Video on Demand
The horror anthology film, All the Creatures Were Stirring, is earning some of the best reviews of any of the Christmas releases on this week’s list. It is also one of three Christmas horror films on this week’s list.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Akame Ga Kill: Complete Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Atomic Cafe - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Attraction - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Corpse Prison: Part 2 - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Digimon Adventure tri.: Future - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Elizabeth Harvest - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
God Bless the Broken Road - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
In Harm's Way - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Kuma Miko: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Puppet Masters - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Ride - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Support The Girls - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
What Keeps You Alive - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
There are some intriguing secondary Blu-ray releases this week, including Support The Girls and What Keeps You Alive.

4K Ultra HD Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Mission: Impossible—Fallout - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
The Nun - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Westworld: Season Two: The Door - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
There are three 4K releases and all of them are quite big. Westworld is one of the rare 4K TV on DVD releases, so that’s intriguing.

TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
No Megasets this week. Perhaps it is too late to take advantage of Christmas gift giving at this point.

Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
Colette - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Dawn Wall - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Hollywouldn’ts - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Lizzie - Reviews - Video on Demand
Moto 10: The Movie - Reviews - Video on Demand
Ode to Muir: The High Sierra - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Robot Planet - Reviews - Video on Demand
Smallfoot - Reviews - Video on Demand
Straight Up: Kentucky Bourbon - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Until They’re Gone - No Reviews - Video on Demand
It’s a rather busy week for secondary VOD releases with several that are worth watching: Colette, The Dawn Wall, Smallfoot, and more.

C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Smallfoot, The Happytime Murders, Mission: Impossible—Fallout, God Bless the Broken Road, Prityazhenie, The Nun, Lizzie, Operation Finale, Colette, What Keeps You Alive, Elizabeth Harvest, Support The Girls, The Dawn Wall, Pick of the Litter, Ride, Holly Star, A Royal Winter, Elves, Robot Planet, Straight Up: Kentucky Bourbon, The Hollywouldn’ts, Until They’re Gone, Moto 10: The Movie, Ode to Muir: The High Sierra, I’ll Be Next Door for Christmas, All the Creatures Were Stirring, Mission: Impossible, The Conjuring, Chloë Grace Moretz