Home Market Releases for August 13th, 2019

August 12, 2019

Avengers: Endgame comes out on DVD / Blu-ray / 4K this week and it should come as no surprise that it is the biggest release of the week. It is so big that there are practically no other releases to talk about and I had to include some films that would be relegated to the Secondary Blu-ray releases list most weeks. (Conversely, there were a lot of secondary Blu-ray releases this week.) That's not to say there are no other releases worth owning. The only real competition for Pick of the Week is Shadow on DVD / Blu-ray / 4K Ultra HD, but there are several others worth picking up.

Avengers: Endgame - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This is the biggest hit of all-time on the worldwide chart. Is it also one of the best? Or did the Infinity Stones saga end on a sour note? Read our review to find out.

Several of the early films in the M.C.U. are also coming out this week on 4K. These include Iron Man (Buy from Amazon); Iron Man 2 (Buy from Amazon); Iron Man 3 (Buy from Amazon); Thor (Buy from Amazon); and Thor: The Dark World (Buy from Amazon).

The Blacklist: Season 06 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This show’s reviews are as good as ever, but its ratings are another story. Not only did the show fall out of the top 50 last season, its average viewership is half of what it once was. That said, if you are a fan of the show, it is still worth picking up. However, if the ratings drop too much more, season eight will be its last.

Forbidden World: Limited Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Galaxy of Terror: Limited Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
I previously reviewed both of these movies and while I will admit they are B-movie Sci-fi horror films and nothing more, I found both of them enjoyable in their own ways.

Hidden Colors 5: The Art of Black Warfare - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The fifth documentary in the series, which looked at African-American culture and their place in the world. The films were crowdfunded, which usually means weaker box office numbers / sales. However, this release is easily in the top five for this week according to Amazon’s sales rankings. This puts it ahead of a couple of the theatrical releases and major TV on DVD releases on this week’s list.

Homeland: Season 7 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This show’s ratings are off its peak, but it is still compelling enough to be worth checking out. The lack of a Blu-ray release does further hurt its value, on the other hand.

Hunter X Hunter: Volume 6 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
One of the most popular Anime titles on My Anime List. It’s the third highest ranked show and only other shows have more total votes, so it is not just a niche show with a small, but dedicated fanbase. It is arguably the best action adventure Shounen series of all time. On the other hand, jumping into the show at Volume Six would be a mistake, because this volume starts in the middle of an arc and doesn’t finish the arc by the end. Start with Volume One.

I Love Lucy: Colorized Collection - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The colorization process has come a long time since it was first introduced many, many years ago. Additionally, Lucille Ball was forward thinking enough to pay extra to film the first season of The Lucy Show in color, even though the network had decided to air it in black and white, so I think she would appreciate the new technology. That said, I don’t know if it is worth paying money for this DVD if you already own the show on DVD or Blu-ray.

Mr. Mercedes: Season 2 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This is a hard show to judge by its reviews. I haven’t had a chance to watch it myself, but at first glance, its Tomatometer Score is impressive. However, its score from the average critic is just 6.4 out of 10 the first season, so while most critics liked it, few loved it. The show’s average score did improve in season two, but the number of critics dropped from 28 to 10, so this is likely a case of critics who gave the show a low scoring the first season not bothering to review the show the second season.

Shadow - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD / Blu-ray Combo Pack / 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
I really want to get this screener. It’s a martial arts action movie with 95% positive reviews. Additionally, its hook is the weapons. The main good guy force uses bladed umbrellas as weapons... and transport. It looks stylish and amazing. The extras on the Blu-ray are limited to a making of featurette and a behind-the-scenes featurette, but that’s still good for a foreign-language import and enough to make it a Pick of the Week contender.

The Spanish Princess - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
A TV mini-series about Princess Catherine of Spain, who travels to England to get married to the English prince for political reasons. The reviews are good, but not great. That said, it did well enough in the ratings to get a second season to finish up the story, so that says something about its appeal.

Unplanned - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
This is the second best selling new release of the week, behind only Avengers: Endgame. Its reviews are mixed and it struggled at the box office, but to be fair, it did better than most faith-based films do in that regard. Extras are on par with most first-run releases, but there’s not enough crossover appeal to recommend for those not in the target audience.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
All is True - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Blackmail: Special Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Django the Bastard - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Endless Love - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
HINAMATSURI: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Inland Sea: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Moonfleet - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Murder!: Special Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The New Kids: Retro VHS Style - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Radioland Murders - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Riverdale: The Complete Third Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Roxanne: Retro VHS Style - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Sakura Wars: The Complete TV Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Touchez Pas au Grisbi - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
True Believer: Retro VHS Style - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Undercover Brother - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Vice Squad - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Wagon Master - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
White Line Fever: Retro VHS Style - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
There are a lot of secondary Blu-ray releases this week, including some amazing titles. Blackmail and Murder! are both early Hitchcock movies and are both great films on their own merits and historically important. Meanwhile, HINAMATSURI is one of the best Anime movies to come out last year.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
There are no 3D releases this week.

4K Ultra HD Releases - Buy from Amazon:
There are also no secondary Blu-ray releases this week.

TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Double Dragon: The Animated Series - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Amazingly, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog is the better of the two options on this list.

Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
Awake - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Last Black Man in San Francisco - Reviews - Video on Demand
Love Struck Café - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Secret Life of Pets 2 - Reviews - Video on Demand
Woodstock Or Bust - No Reviews - Video on Demand
The Last Black Man in San Francisco is easily the best secondary VOD release on this week’s list.

C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Cinematic Universe