Home Market Releases for May 3rd, 2016
May 2, 2016
This week the biggest releases are busted Oscar-bait, Joy; a post-apocalyptic young adult adaptation, The 5th Wave; and the latest from Nicholas Sparks, The Choice. Joy is worth at least a rental. The other two are not. There are no major releases that are contenders for Pick of the Week, so that title will go to a smaller release, East Side Sushi on DVD. It has earned unanimously positive reviews, but no buzz.
The 5th Wave - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray, or 4k
Airwolf: The Complete Series - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Choice - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Coat of Many Colors - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Independence Day: 20th Anniversary Edition - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Joy - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray, of 4k
Lexx: The Complete Series - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Mad About You: The Complete Series - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Remember - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A Royal Night Out - Buy from Amazon: DVD
RWBY: Volume 3 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Top Gun: 30th Anniversary Steelbook Edition - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon: American Side, Anesthesia, Babysitter, The Carrier, The Club, Guns for Hire, Hope for Steve, How to be Single, Jack of the Red Hearts, Ladies Book Club, Mojin: The Lost Legend, A Mother Betrayed, Scherzo Diabolico, Submerged, Touch the Wall, The Witch, and Zoolander No. 2: The Magnum Edition
Video on Demand
Chloe Grace Moretz stars as one of the few human survivors after aliens invaded Earth with four waves of attacks. Now she and the other survivors are waiting for the 5th wave. It's not the worst first-run release on this week's list, but that's hardly a compliment. The DVD and the Blu-ray have the usual selection of extras (audio commentary track, making of featurettes, deleted scenes, and outtakes). I guess if you are a hardcore fan of the genre and the cost, it might be worth renting. That's as enthusiastic as I can get.
I reviewed the first season of this show over a decade ago. I didn't like it. Unless they remastered the prints, there is no way it will look acceptable on Blu-ray.
Video on Demand
The latest film from Nicholas Sparks. It earned terrible reviews and bombed at the box office. It might be the last Nicholas Sparks' adaptation for a while. The extras are better than expected, given its box office troubles, but that's not enough to overcome the quality of the movie.
This is 3-hour TV mini-series that is based on real life events from Dolly Parton. The reviews are very good, but it is only coming out on DVD. I guess that's a good indication of what its target audience is.
East Side Sushi - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Diana Elizabeth Torres plays Juana, a single mother who has to give up her fruit cart for a more reliable job as a kitchen assistant in a Japanese restaurant. There she learns to appreciate sushi and even learns to incorporate Mexican cuisine into the dishes. However, when she wants to become a full sushi chef, she is told she is the wrong race and wrong gender. This is one of the smaller releases on this week's list and it will likely slip between the cracks. That's a shame, as it its reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are unanimously positive.
Emelie - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
Sarah Bolger plays a babysitter with a dark secret. The film failed to find an audience in theaters, but that's because it was a VOD release. Given its reviews, it would be worth a purchase, even if there were no extras on the DVD or Blu-ray. Unfortunately, that's almost the case, as the only extra is a making of featurette.
I put in a request to review this release, but if it is on the way, it will be late. Fox used to be reliable, in that all of their screeners arrived one week late. However, the last three screeners arrived a month late, which is too late. I am a little concerned, as Deadpool comes out on Blu-ray next week. Worse case scenario, I have a download code and I'll at least be able to review the movie, even if I can't look at the special features.
Video on Demand
This movie was Oscar-bait, but it only earned mixed reviews. Jennifer Lawrence did earn a Golden Globe for her performance. While the film wasn't Oscar-worthy, it is certainly worth watching and likely worth picking up over just renting.
Great show, but this is the old Echo Bridge release in new packaging. The video quality is bad, worse than syndication at some points. Unfortunately, the better releases have been out of print for years and finding them will be nearly impossible.
This show ran for seven years picking up a ton of critical praise and 10 Emmys along the way. The first five seasons were released on DVD very sporadically starting in 2002, but finally the full series is coming out on DVD. Even if you have the first five seasons, paying $35 for the final two is a no-brainer. Paying $35 for the whole series is a great deal.
Christopher Plummer plays a retirement home resident and Holocaust survivor. Fellow resident and fellow Holocaust survivor, Martin Landau, says he's discovered the SS guard who killed both of their families. Martin Landau's character is wheelchair bound while Christopher Plummer's character is losing his memory, so it will take both of them to track down this guard. The two leads give impressive performances, but the overall reviews were merely good and not great. Extras include an audio commentary track and two featurettes. That's not bad for a limited release. Call it a solid rental, leaning towards a purchase.
Video on Demand
On V.E. Day in 1945, the two royal princesses, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, joined in with the public celebration, which was considered a risk for someone of their royal standing. The reviews are good, but not great, while it is not even coming out on Blu-ray. Still worth a rental.
I included the first two volumes of this show on our Holiday Gift Guide and I did enjoy the show. Unfortunately, I didn't get a screener to do a full review this time around.
I got a chance to review this release, but I turned it down. I have reviewed this movie five times in the past, including twice in one week. The film is considered a classic by many, but I think it is loud and silly.
Of all of the VOD releases this week, The Witch is by far the best, but I would wait and buy it on Blu-ray.
Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Deadpool, Joy, The 5th Wave, The Choice, The Witch, A Royal Night Out, Remember, Emelie, East Side Sushi, Sarah Bolger, Martin Landau, Jennifer Lawrence, Chloë Grace Moretz, Dolly Parton, Christopher Plummer, Sarah Gadon, Nicholas Sparks, Bel Powley, Diana Elizabeth Torres