Home Market Releases for September 1st, 2015

September 1, 2015

Mad Max: Fury Road

Summer is officially over, both in theaters and on the home market. This week, the new releases are led by Mad Max: Fury Road, which was not only one of the biggest hits of the summer, it was also one of the best. Nearly everything else of note is TV on DVD, so if you are a fan of those releases, it will be an expensive week. There were several contenders for Pick of the Week, including two TV on DVD releases (Castle: Season 7 and New Girl: The Complete Fourth Season), a documentary (Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me on DVD), but the winner is Mad Max: Fury Road on 3D Combo Pack.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Backcountry, Bessie, The Curse of Downers Grove, The D-Train, Face of an Angel, Gemma Bovery, Good Kill, The Harvest, K-On: Season 1, Lost After Dark, My Teen Romantic Comedy Snafu, Peter Pan Starring Mary Martin, and Redeemer
It feels like a particularly slow week for secondary Blu-ray releases.

Boulevard - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
One of Robin Williams' final films. Unfortunately, it is not one of his best. Its Tomatometer Score is exactly 50% postive, which isn't that bad. It is worth checking out, but I think a rental will be enough. On the other hand, the Blu-ray costs just $10, so it is hard to beat that price.


Castle: Season 7 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
This is one of only two police procedurals that I still watch on a regular basis. (The other is iZombie, which has a more supernatural angle to it.) The reviews for the show are still good, but I get the feeling it is running out of steam and it can't last too much longer without going downhill in quality.

Chicago Fire: Season 3 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
A TV drama that takes place in Chicago and focuses on their fire department. The reviews for the first three seasons have been mixed, but its ratings are great, at least they are great compared to most NBC shows.

Chicago P.D.: Season 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The spin-off of Chicago Fire. It's a police procedural that focuses more on the characters than the crimes. It doesn't do enough to stand out in a crowded field.


Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
A documentary about Glen Campbell, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's before the filming begun. It is incredibly moving. It is easily Pick of the Week material.

Hawaii Five-0: Season 5 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
I previously reviewed season one of the show and couldn't get into it. It is too generic for a police procedural and I didn't find the two main cast members to be charismatic enough to carry the show.

I'll See You in My Dreams - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This film opened in limited release, but did so well that it pulled in more than $7 million by the end of its theatrical run. It also earned stellar reviews, making it even more impressive. However, the DVD and Blu-ray only have a single featurette as extras. It is still worth picking up, but it is not a contender for Pick of the Week.

The League: Season 6 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A TV series about a group of friends that are way too into fantasy football. I understand having hobbies that can be a little intensive, I've pre-ordered three boxes of the upcoming Magic the Gathering set, but even I can't get into fantasy football. ... On a side note, I would watch an animated series based on the Magic the Gathering lore.


Mad Max: Fury Road - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 3D Combo Pack
Video on Demand
A rebooting of a franchise that was last in theaters 30 years ago. That's an acceptable time frame between an original franchise and a reboot. Also, the film is amazing. Extras on the DVD and Blu-ray include more than 90 minutes of behind-the-scenes / interview featurettes. There's no audio commentary track, which is a shame, but it is still Pick of the Week material.

Madam Secretary: Season 1 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand

Tea Leoni stars as the new Secretary of State. The reviews are good, but not great. The extras are better than most TV on DVD releases with audio commentary tracks, featurettes, outtakes, deleted scenes, etc. It is worth picking up, but not a contender for Pick of the Week.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume One - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A re-release of the first volume of the DVD releases. Its price is lower than the usual releases, so if you held off before, now is a great time to grab it.

Nashville: Season 3 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This is a soap opera set in the country music scene in Nashville. I usually don't like soap operas, but I previously reviewed the first season and actually liked it. The ratings haven't been great, so it likely won't last beyond its fourth season, so fans should buy the show while it lasts.


New Girl: The Complete Fourth Season - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This show earns amazing reviews, but has always struggled to find an audience. Its audience is so small, that they are releasing this season on DVD-R. It is still worth picking up, but if it had a fully-loaded release, it could have been the Pick of the Week.

The Originals: Season 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A spin-off of The Vampire Diaries. The reviews are mixed, but it has found an audience on the CW. Extras include a couple of featurettes, a webseries, outtakes, and deleted scenes. If you are a fan of the show, it is worth picking up.

Paw Patrol: Meet Everest! - Buy from Amazon: DVD
According to Amazon.com, this kids show is selling better than most. It might just be a hiccup in the way Amazon.com tracks sales ranks.

Scorpion: Season 1 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
One of the weaker TV on DVD releases on this week's list. It is a police procedural, sort of. Instead of following the actual police, it focuses on the exploits of a genius and his team, who are trying to help the world. It is a crowded field and there are too many better options out there. There's a better option on this week's list, Castle.

Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season 1 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The latest incarnation of the animated Star Wars Universe. There are not many reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but all five of them are positive. Additionally, there's a lot of extras on the DVD and some bonus extras exclusive to the Blu-ray, so if you are a fan of Star Wars, it is worth picking up.

Texas Rising - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A TV mini-series from History that earned terrible reviews. Skip it.

The Vampire Diaries: Season 6 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
One of the biggest hits on the CW, although its reviews for the past season were low enough that I'm not sure how much longer that will last. (A lot of it will depend on how well the show handles the loss of Nina Dobrev.) There are plenty of extras on the DVD and Blu-ray, including an audio commentary track on two episodes, featurettes, deleted scenes, outtakes, and more. It is definitely worth picking up if you are a fan of the series.

Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon: Addicted to Fresno, Backcountry, Barbie: The Princess & The Popstar, Bread and Butter, Broken Horses, Chloe and Theo, Dark Star: H.R. Giger's World, Day and Night, Exeter, Francesco, Gemma Bovery, Ghost Squad, Hanger 10, The Harvest, Imminent Threat, In Google We Trust, Into Dangerous Territory, Lawless Kingdom, Living the Fantasy, Lords of London, Para Elisa, Paranormal Island, Pitch Perfect 2, Poltergeist, Poltergeist: Extended Cut, Run Hide Die, Spy, Spy (Unrated), Summer Forever, and The Young Kieslowski
It's a big list of VOD releases this week, but two jump out. Spy is the best, but it is so good that you should wait and buy it on Blu-ray. Meanwhile, Pitch Perfect 2 feels like an excellent VOD rental.


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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Boulevard, Mad Max: Fury Road, Spy!, Pitch Perfect 2, Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me, I'll See You in My Dreams, Mad Max, Robin Williams, Nina Dobrev, Téa Leoni