DVD and Blu-ray Releases for December 23rd, 2014

December 22, 2014

Like every other week, new releases on the home market come out on Tuesday. Unlikely every other week, Christmas Eve is on Wednesday. Christmas Eve is the busiest shopping day of the year, but it is mostly last minute food purchases and almost no one is paying attention to new DVD and Blu-ray releases. This explains why there are so few new releases of note. That's not to say there are no releases worth checking out; in fact, there are four contenders for Pick of the Week. Continuum: Season 3 (DVD or Blu-ray); The Good Lie (Blu-ray Combo Pack); and The Trip to Italy (DVD or Blu-ray) were all in the running. However, in the end, I went with Pride (DVD or Blu-ray).

1,000 Times Goodnight - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This film earned good reviews, but not overwhelmingly positive reviews. I wasn't expecting it to be a hit, but I also wasn't expecting it to bomb like it did. If you like the cast, it is at least worth a rental.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Appointment with Danger, Dark City, Hurry Sundown, Jake Bugg: Live at the Royal Albert Hall, Rope of Sand, Skidoo, Such Good Friends, Traffickers, and Union Station
There are almost as many secondary Blu-ray releases are there are primary releases on this week's list.

Canada Cup 1984 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A six-disc, nine-hour box set of the 1984 Canada Cup, where Canada put together one of the best hockey teams ever assembled to challenge the rest of the world. If you are a fan of hockey, this is certainly worth the price.

Continuum: Season 3 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A Canadian Sci-fi series starring Rachel Nichols as a time-traveling cop. The reviews are excellent, but it isn't a well-known show, so there are not a lot of them on Rotten Tomatoes. Extras include audio commentary tracks on two episodes, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and webisodes.

Dominion: Season 1 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
A TV series based on Legion. Legion wasn't a hit in theaters, nor did it win over a lot of critics, so I'm not sure why it was made into a TV show. However, I'm not surprised its reviews are so weak. Extras include an extended version of the season finale, deleted scenes, outtakes, etc. That's not bad, but it is not enough to compensate for the quality.

The Good Lie - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Reese Witherspoon stars in this movie about a humanitarian effort to help war orphans in Sudan. The film's reviews were excellent, but the studio opened the movie in more than 400 theaters, which spelled disaster. Extras include a featurette and deleted scenes, which is not a lot. It is still worth checking out for most, picking up for many.

Mazinger Z TV Series Part 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
An Anime series from more than 40 years ago. It has built up a lot of nostalgia in those years and it is good, but dated.

Pride - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A real-life story about a LGBT group in the 1980s that raised money to help striking miners in Thatcher's Britain. However, it was the 1980s and gay rights wasn't as popular as it is now, so the group had trouble finding a small town of miners who would accept their money. The film's reviews are amazing and it has even picked up a Golden Globe nomination. Extras include a featurette and some deleted scenes, which is acceptable for a limited release.

The Trip to Italy - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This is the sequel to The Trip, which I previously reviewed. The two films have very little plot and they are just Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon having conversations and doing impressions. I liked it the first time around, but is the second course just as good? Read our review to find out.

Two-Bit Waltz - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Clara Mamet wrote, directed, and stars in this film. She plays a high-school senior whose life falls apart. She just inherited some money, but can only collect if she goes to college. There are not a lot of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but they are mostly positive.


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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, The Trip to Italy, The Good Lie, Pride, Tusen ganger god natt, Rob Brydon, Steve Coogan, Rachel Nichols, Reese Witherspoon, Clara Mamet