It wasn't a busy week on the home market with only a few first run releases of note. Both War Horse on Four-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack and We Bought a Zoo on Blu-ray Combo Pack are worth picking, but not Pick of the Week material. For that we have to look to Chinatown on Blu-ray. It is shovelware, but it is such a great movie that I'm willing to overlook this.

3rd Rock from the Sun - Buy from Amazon: Season Three and Season Four
One of the best selling new releases of the week is a bargain re-release of a TV show from the 1990s. It's a great show, but this just emphasizes what a slow week it is.

Alien Opponent - Buy from Amazon
A low-budget alien invasion movie starring, amongst others, Roddy Piper. I might get a screener for this film, but it is currently late.

Angels Crest - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A film that deals with poverty, addiction and the accidental death of a young child. I might get a screener for this film and there are a few actors I like so I'm looking forward to seeing it, despite the weak reviews.

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey - Buy from Amazon
A biography about Kevin Clash, the puppeteer being Elmo. The film earned excellent reviews and did quite well at the box office, for a documentary. It should perform even better on the home market.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Black Butler: Complete First Season (Blu-ray/DVD Combo), Black Butler II: Complete Collection (Limited Edition, Blu-ray/DVD Combo), Cleopatra 50th Anniversary Edition, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Miramax Double Feature: Equilibrium / Renaissance, Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures, and Okami-san and Her Seven Companions: Complete Collection (Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
It's a soft week for secondary Blu-ray releases. The biggest release is Cleopatra, but the story of the film's troubled production is more interesting than the movie itself. Then there's Girls Just Want to Have Fun, which I previously reviewed and I would like to never have to think about again. One last note, I misfiled the Miramax Double Feature: Equilibrium / Renaissance and I thought it was coming out next week. I will get to the review today.

Bob: The Complete Series - Buy from Amazon
A short-lived series starring Bob Newhart I am a fan of his first two shows, but I don't actually remember this one, so I will have to wait for the screener to comment.

Chasing Madoff - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A documentary about the Bernie Madoff scandal and how it should have been stopped many, many years before it finally collapsed. It's an important story, but the reviews were mixed. Still, it is worth checking out, but stick with a rental.

Designing Women: Season Six - Buy from Amazon
By this point in the show's run, the behind-the-scenes drama was getting more press than the end product.

Great Expectations - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A three-episode mini-series from PBS based on the Charles Dickens novel. The series has an impressive cast and has earned mostly positive reviews. On the other hand, it has been done many, many times before, so I don't know how many people there are who really like the novel but haven't found a definitive adaptation already.

Jake & the Never Land Pirates: Peter Pan Returns - Buy from Amazon
I got a chance to review the first DVD release for this preschool show, so I might get a screener for this release as well. If so, it is running late. If not, it is a good show for its target demographic, while the two-disc set is better value for the money than most such releases.

Madonna: Truth Or Dare - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
One of Madonna's best films, although given her track record, that's not saying much. To be fair, it did earn overwhelmingly positive reviews and if you are a fan of the singer, then it is worth checking out. Meanwhile, the Blu-ray is cheap, so it is worth picking up.

The Prince and the Showgirl - Buy from Amazon
This is the movie Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier were filming during the time period covered in My Week with Marilyn. It's a good movie and I'm glad it's out this week.

Regular Show: The Slack Pack - Buy from Amazon
This cartoon has a lot of fans, but most of them want full season sets.

Titanic: 100 Years Below - Buy from Amazon
Titanic: The 100th Anniversary Collection - Buy from Amazon
Be prepared for a flood of Titanic related releases due to the 100th Anniversary of the disaster.

Torchwood: Miracle Day - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The fourth season of the Doctor Who spin-off. This TV series is earning great reviews and a number of awards and nominations from both sides of the pond. If you are a fan of the series or of Doctor Who, it is worth checking out.

Tyrannosaur - Buy from Amazon
This film earned excellent reviews and even picked up an Independent Spirit Award nomination. However, it wasn't able to find an audience in theaters. Hopefully it will have better luck on the home market.

We Bought a Zoo - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
I'm still waiting for the screener for this film. The film earned very good reviews, but struggled to stand out in a very, very busy Christmas week at the box office. Granted, $75 million isn't a bad run, but it never managed to place in the top five. Maybe it will do better on the home market.

Yoga for the Rest of Us: Easy Yoga for Easing Pai - Buy from Amazon
Number nine on this week's list of best-selling new releases according to Amazon.com. Like I've said many, many times in the past, seeing a fitness DVD in the top ten is a sure sign it's a slow week.

- C.S.Strowbridge

Date posted: 2012-04-03