Home Market Releases for December 29th, 2015

December 29, 2015

Bone Tomahawk

Another slow week on the home market, but not one without some top-notch releases. Blood And Black Lace on Blu-ray, I Believe in Unicorns on DVD, Shameless: Season 5 are all excellent. However, Bone Tomahawk on Blu-ray is the clear choice for Pick of the Week.

Blood And Black Lace - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A teenage slasher from the 1960s. Some consider this film to be the first teenage slasher. If you are a fan of the genre and want to see its roots, then it is worth checking out. However... $40 for the Blu-ray. That's too much to ask.


Bone Tomahawk - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A horror western movie. That's not the rarest genre out there, but it certainly isn't common. It is even rarer for films like this to earn Awards Season buzz, but Bone Tomahawk earned two Independent Spirit Awards nominations. The reviews are fantastic and the extras are good, for a limited release. There is also not much competition, so it is easily the Pick of the Week.

Heist - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
I like heist movies, but not enough to bother with a film that earned 24% positive reviews. Extras are good for a VOD release, but that's not enough to lift it to a rental.

Hitman: Agent 47 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
One of a handful of movies released this year that felt like they were made to prevent the studio from losing the film rights rather than because the filmmakers had some story they thought was worth telling. The movie is awful and even better than expected extras doesn't lift it to the rental level. Skip it.

I Believe in Unicorns - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
A coming of age tale about a young girl, Natalia Dyer, who falls in love for the first time. Her relationship sours when her boyfriend's volatile side comes out. The film earned near-perfect reviews, but made no noise at the box office. Hopefully it will do a lot better on the home market.

Jenny's Wedding - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
Katherine Heigl's career is in a major slump and a movie like this isn't going to help.

The Perfect Guy - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
A thriller aimed at an African-American audience. Like most releases on this week's list, the reviews are awful. Unlike most releases on this week's list, this one did well at the box office. The only extra is a making of featurette, which further hurts the value. Maybe it is worth the rental, if you are a fan of the genre and you are in the target audience.

Ray Donovan: Season 3 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I reviewed the first season of this show and while most critics like it, I hated it. It is just another, "strong, male anti-hero's journey to redemption." and I have no interest in seeing another one of these stories.

Sailor Moon R: Season 2 Part 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
The Blu-ray Combo Pack came out in October, but the DVD comes out this week. Buy the Blu-ray Combo Pack.

Shameless: Season 5 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This is the second best new release of the week, although I admit I stopped following the show a few seasons ago. Extras are better than most Showtime releases with an audio commentary track, featurettes, and deleted scenes.

Some Kind of Hate - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A bullied kid is sent to a special school, where he is picked on by more bullies. However, this time he is seen by the ghost of a girl who killed herself after she was bullied. When the boy accidentally raises the ghost, she takes vengeance on the new bullies. It is a typical supernatural revenge film, one that I would normally skip. It is a slow week.

Tracy Anderson - Buy from Amazon: Targeted Training Boot Camp (DVD) and Cardio Dance Express (DVD)
There are two exercise DVDs on the front page of Amazon's list of new releases. If that doesn't emphasize how slow this week is, nothing will.

Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon: The Perfect Guy and A Walk in the Woods
According to Amazon, there are just two VOD releases this week and both are for first-run releases. Normally we just include those with the regular entry. However, if we didn't include them here as well, this entry would be empty.

A Walk in the Woods - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This film had a bad release date, earned mixed reviews and did middling business at the box office. According to Amazon, this is the best-selling new release of the week. It's worth a rental, but that's it.

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, A Walk in the Woods, Hitman: Agent 47, Jenny’s Wedding, Bone Tomahawk, Heist, The Perfect Guy, Some Kind of Hate, Sei donne per l'assassino, Katherine Heigl, Natalia Dyer