Home Market Releases for September 6th, 2016

September 6, 2016

The Iron Giant

It is a big week with a ton of home market releases, including several that were contenders for Pick of the Week. There were two limited releases in that group, Love and Friendship and Tale of Tales. Love and Friendship got better reviews, but Tale of TalesBlu-ray is more interesting in my mind. Star Trek 50th Anniversary TV and Movie Collection is a great Blu-ray box set and would make an amazing gift. As for the Pick of the Week, that was an easy choice: The Iron Giant: Signature Edition on Blu-ray. Although if you are a hardcore fan, then the Ultimate Collector’s Edition might be worth the $75.

All the Way - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This is an HBO TV movie about the passing of the Civil Rights Act with Bryan Cranston as LJB and Anthony Mackie as MLK. The reviews are amazing and the film picked up 8 Emmy nominations. Unfortunately, there are only two short featurettes, so while it is worth picking up, it isn’t Pick of the Week material.


American Crime Story: The People v. O.j. Simpson - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This is one of the best-reviewed TV mini-series of last year. It even earned 22 Emmy nominations, putting it one behind Game of Thrones for the most nominations this year. Extras include an interactive timeline and a interview featurette looking at the real-life case. That’s not a lot, but it is still a contender for Pick of the Week.

A Bigger Splash - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
I put in a request for this title, but the screener is late. It’s a holiday, so I’m not surprised some screeners would arrive late. I’ll review it ASAP when it arrives.

CSI: Cyber: Season 2 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
There are too many police procedurals on TV at the moment and too many CSI shows in particular.

The Darkness - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
One of the worst movies of the summer and one of the biggest bombs as well. Moving on.


The Flash: Season 2 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
There are a lot of DC TV shows right now, but I’m not a fan of most of them. The Flash is probably the best at the moment, while Super Girl is close behind. On the other hand, Gotham is just bad. (I am looking forward to Powerless, despite the trouble behind-the-scenes. (The showrunner left.)) Extras include a ton of behind-the-scenes featurettes, a handful of other featurettes, a couple of panels, deleted scenes and outtakes. Easily worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.

Gene Wilder Double-Shot:
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Haunted Honeymoon - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Gene Wilder passed away very recently, so one might think these Blu-rays are coming out in some ghoulish attempt to take advantage of that. However, they were already scheduled to come out this month, so it is not as bad as it looks. I’ve seen both films, but not recently enough to be confident in my opinions. (I did put in a request for a screener.) From what I remember, The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother is a good film, but not a great one. On the other hand, Haunted Honeymoon is one of the actor’s worst films. Strangely, according to Amazon, Haunted Honeymoon is selling a lot better.

Genius - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
You know it is a slow week on the home market, because this film didn’t do well enough to warrant a Blu-ray release, but it still earned a spot in the top ten. The film has a great cast, but only earned mixed reviews, so I would wait till you can rent it on VOD.

Hammer Film Double Feature Double-Shot:
Revenge of Frankenstein - Reviews / The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll - Reviews / The Gorgon - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
A pair of Hammer Film double-shots hit the home market this week. Fans of the British studio will be very happy to pay just $9 for two movies or $18 for the two packs.

High School DxD BorN: Season Three - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
According to Amazon, this is the sixth best-selling new release of the week. Its rare for Anime titles to make the top ten, except for a select few franchises. This is not one of the usual franchises. This is “fan service” heavy title, and if you don’t know what that means, then you are very likely not in the target audience.


The Iron Giant: Signature Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This is one of the greatest animated movies ever made, but it bombed in theaters. It has earned a cult following on the home market, but despite this, it had never been released on Blu-ray. ... That is until this week. Additionally, it isn’t a bare disc and the Blu-ray includes extras like an extended version with newly animated deleted scene, an audio commentary track on the original version, a new making of documentary and a lot more. This is a great deal for only $10 and easily the Pick of the Week. ... Or you could spend $75 for the Ultimate Collector’s Edition, which includes an art book, figurine, and more. $75 is a lot, so it is really only worth it for the ultimate fan.

Limitless: Season 1 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
This wasn’t a bad show, but there’s a reason it only lasted one season.


Love and Friendship - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This is an interesting film. It came out in limited release in May and it was supposed to hid Video on Demand just a couple of weeks later. However, it did so well its VOD premiere was pushed back three months. The reason it did so well is simple, the film is fantastic. Unfortunately, the extras are weak. There’s only a single behind-the-scene featurette. Still, its reviews are nearly 100% positive and it is a slow week, so it is a contender for Pick of the Week.

The Meddler - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
Susan Sarandon stars as a meddling mother and Rose Byrne plays her unfortunate daughter. The film earned excellent reviews and started out well in limited release. However, it struggled to maintain its audience as it expanded. Extras include an audio commentary track, a couple of featurettes, and outtakes. This is good for a limited release, but not Pick of the Week good.

Money Monster - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
The latest film directed by Jodie Foster. The film is mostly good, but drops the ball on the ending. The extras are weak with just three featurettes, deleted scenes, and a music video. Call it a solid rental.

Night of the Living Deb - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
Maria Thayer stars as the titular Deb. After a girls’ night out, she has a one-night stand with a man but in the morning she learns the zombie apocalypse had started the night before. There are not a lot of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but so far 75% of them are positive. If you are fan of horror / comedy hybrids, then this is worth checking out.

Now You See Me 2 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, of 4K Combo Pack
Video on Demand
One of many sequels that came out this summer that were significantly weaker than the original. The DVD only has an audio commentary track and a featurette, while the Blu-ray has a couple of exclusive featurettes. If you liked the original, then maybe this one is worth a rental. That’s as far as I’m willing to go when it comes to a recommendation.

The Real Ghostbusters - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD Volume 6, Volume 7, Volume 8, Volume 9, and Volume 10
Great show, but wait for a full-series Megaset. It will be cheaper than buying these volumes individually.

South Park: Season 19 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
In my opinion, there hasn’t been a truly classic South Park episode since Make Love, not Warcraft and the last few seasons I reviewed felt like mostly filler episodes. However, season after season still managed to get great reviews. Perhaps I’ve just grown out of the show.


Star Trek 50th Anniversary TV and Movie Collection - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
I think we can safely say the Christmas Shopping Season has begun. This massive box set costs just over $200, but it includes the original TV show, the animated TV show, the first six movies in the franchise, new documentaries, physical extras, etc. There’s a lot here for a relatively low price. However, nearly all of it is from previous releases, so I’m not sure the upgrade is worth it for hardcore fans who have collected all of it previously. That said, it would be an amazing Christmas gift.


Supernatural: Season 11 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I used to watch this show every week. However, I stopped watching about five seasons in. This means the show has lasted longer since I stopped watching than I watched it for. The show continues to earn excellent reviews, while the extras are impressive with a few audio commentary tracks, making of featurettes, behind-the-scene featurettes, outtakes, deleted scenes, and more. It’s another Pick of the Week contender.


Tale of Tales - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
An anthology movie set in three magic kingdoms. The reviews are great, but anthology films rarely do well in theaters and are a much better fit for the home market. Speaking which, the DVD and Blu-ray only hasve one featurette, which sounds really bad at first. However, it is nearly an hour long and very in-depth. The overall package is worth picking up. In fact, it is a contender for Pick of the Week.

Therapy for a Vampire - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
A vampire film set in 1930s Vienna. The lead vampire’s marriage is falling apart after 500 years of marriage, so he goes to Sigmund Freud for advice. The reviews are good, but this is not a film for a mass audience, so check it out on VOD. It is only $5 for a rental.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Daddy Long Legs - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Equals - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Fairy Tail: Part 21 - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Grandview, U.S.A. - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Gundam Build Fighters: Try - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Hard Target 2 - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Honey 3 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
The Hunt - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
My Bodyguard - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Night Train to Munich: Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Nina - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Project Itoh: Harmony - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Road House - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
WWE: The History of the WWE Hardcore Championship: 24/7 - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Night Train to Munich is the best of the secondary Blu-ray releases, but My Bodyguard is also worth checking out.

4K Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Now You See Me 2 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, of 4K Combo Pack
The biggest 4K release this week is Now You See Me 2, which does have some good visuals.

TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
Charlie's Angels - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Dennis the Menace - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Friday the 13th: The Series - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Necessary Roughness - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Tales from the Darkside - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
I put in a request for a screener for Friday the 13th: The Series. It is the best of the TV on DVD Megasets on this week’s list.

Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
Bridal Wave - Reviews - Video on Demand
Equal Means Equal - Reviews - Video on Demand
Equals - Reviews - Video on Demand
Free State of Jones - Reviews - Video on Demand
Honey 3 - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Model - Reviews - Video on Demand
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising - Reviews - Video on Demand
Nightmare Nurse - Reviews - Video on Demand
Restore Me - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Seventh Fire - Reviews - Video on Demand
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows - Reviews - Video on Demand
X-Men: Apocalypse - Reviews - Video on Demand
There are a few smaller films on this week’s list that are worth checking out, like The Seventh Fire. However, the larger films are mostly dud. Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising is the best of the wide release and worth checking out on Video on Demand.

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Haunted Honeymoon, Free State of Jones, X-Men: Apocalypse, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, Now You See Me 2, A Bigger Splash, Love & Friendship, The Darkness, Money Monster, Genius, Il racconto dei racconti, Equals, The Meddler, Hard Target 2, Honey 3, The Seventh Fire, Der Vampir auf der Couch, Restored Me, All the Way, Night of the Living Deb, Equal Means Equal, Rose Byrne, Bryan Cranston, Jodie Foster, Anthony Mackie, Susan Sarandon, Maria Thayer, Gene Wilder