Home Market Releases for January 7th, 2020

January 8, 2020

The home market returns to normal after two of the worst weeks I’ve ever seen. Keep in mind, I said normal, not good. There’s only one big release of the week, Joker, and not much else that is selling well enough to make the main list. In fact, not everything in the main list is selling well enough to get there on just an average week. The contenders for Pick of the Week include Brick, The Lighthouse, and Zombie Land Saga: Season One. It was a really close call and it came down to the roll of the dice, with Zombie Land Saga winning out.

Bad Boys: Double-Feature - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The latest film in the franchise comes out next weekend, so it makes sense to release both films on a set like this to take advantage / help build the hype. It’s not selling super well, not well enough to make the main list on a normal week, but the competition is really low.

Brick - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This is one of my favorite movies of all time. It is a super-stylish Neo Noir from Rian Johnson and I put in a request for a screener. Unfortunately, the solicitation came over Christmas break, so it is not surprising that the screener is late. I do hope it gets here soon. It is a Pick of the Week contender, even if it had no extras, the movie itself is that good. The extras include an audio commentary track, deleted scenes, and audition tapes. That’s not a lot for a special release, but enough to keep it in contention for Pick of the Week.

Joker - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
It’s like this film was custom made to annoy me. It is not nearly as deep as it likes to think it is, which is something that gets under my skin. It is also an origin story for a villain that doesn’t need an origin story. In fact, the Joker as a character works better if he’s treated as an unknowable force of nature rather than a person with an origin or motivations. As for the DVD / Blu-ray, there are almost no extras, just four featurettes with a total running time of about 30 minutes, which is deeply disappointing for a $1 billion hit. I would call it a solid rental, but I would wait for a Special Edition before buying it.

The Lighthouse - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
One of the stranger movies on this week’s list, it is also one of the best. It’s an art house horror film featuring two incredible performances from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. The extras include an audio commentary track, making of featurette and deleted scenes. That’s not bad for a limited release. It’s better than the main wide release on this week’s list. It is easily worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.

Love and Sunshine - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
A Hallmark Channel original movie that has no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Also coming out this week is a 4-Film DVD.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil - Reviews - Video on Demand (Movie Only) or Video on Demand (With Extras)
The screener arrived early, so I got to the review early. That’s a nice change of pace, as most screeners just haven’t arrived. Is it worth waiting to get the DVD / Blu-ray? Or should you just stick with a VOD rental? Read our review for my opinion.

Zombie Land Saga: Season One - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
This Anime series starts with our protagonist, Sakura Minamoto going out into the world to become the biggest idol star only to be hit by a truck and killed. However, since the word zombie is in the title of the show, it isn’t a spoiler to say she doesn’t stay dead for long. She is recruited by an “evil” music promoter, who puts her with a group of other zombie girls and forces them to become an idol group in order to boost the tourism of the local prefecture. ... That’s a strange plan, but it’s on par for a lot of Anime. (On a side note, I put “evil” in scare quotes, because while he treats the girls like they are not people and just tools for his plan, that actually means he’s just average for a music executive, especially in the idol industry.) The setup doesn’t really matter, what matters is the cast of girls we get to know over the course of the season and they are so charming and engaging that one will get drawn in, even if you have no interest in idol culture. Extras include an audio commentary track on one episode, as well as the usual clean opening and closing credit animations. That’s not a lot, but it is better than most Anime releases get. It is worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.

Christmas Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Christmas Wishes & Mistletoe Kisses - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Merry & Bright - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Pride, Prejudice and Mistletoe - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A Shoe Addict's Christmas - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Why are there Christmas releases in January?

TV on DVD Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Big Little Lies: The Complete Second Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Big Little Lies: Season One and Two - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The Cry - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Pokemon the Series: Diamond and Pearl - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Vera: Series 9 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Big Little Lies is the biggest TV on DVD release this week and arguably the best.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Berserk: The Complete Series (2016) - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Black Clover: Season 2 - Part 2 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
A Certain Magical Index III: Season Three - Part Two - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Chained for Life - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Cobra Woman - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Dr. Cyclops - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
ENDRO! The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Final Programme - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Girl on the Third Floor - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Hellbenders - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Holiday - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Kill Them All and Come Back Alone - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Shed - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Specialists - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Yu Yu Hakusho: The Complete Third Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This week’s list of secondary Blu-ray titles include lots of Anime, like ENDRO!; B-movies, like Cobra Woman; and spaghetti westerns, like The Specialists

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
No 3D releases this week.

4K Ultra HD Releases - Buy from Amazon:
And no secondary 4K releases this week. This is no surprise, given the short main list this week.

Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
Genndy Tartakovsky’s ‘Primal’ – Tales of Savagery - Reviews - Video on Demand
Sequence Break - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Video on Demand
Snatchers - Reviews - Video on Demand
Vortex - Reviews - Video on Demand
Both Primal and Snatchers are earning 100% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, so both are worth checking out. They are also both probably instances of “try before you buy”, because they might have more limited target audiences.

C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Joker, Girl on the Third Floor, Snatchers, The Lighthouse, The Shed, Christmas Wishes & Mistletoe Kisses, Merry & Bright, Love and Sunshine, Pride, Prejudice and Mistletoe, Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas, The Final Programme, Gli specialisti, Bad Boys, Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson, Rian Johnson