Home Market Releases for November 22nd, 2016

November 21, 2016

MST3k

This is the Tuesday before Black Friday / Cyber Monday. It is the last chance for a home market release to come out before one of the most important shopping weekends of the year. However, it also means the new releases coming out have to compete with massive sales and they will tend to get lost in the crowd. Overall, this is a negative for the new releases, which explains why there are not many big titles. The biggest release of the week is Kubo and the Two Strings, which is also one of the best. If you don’t have any of the Laika films, then the Box Set is easily worth picking up. However, I’m giving the Pick of the Week title to Mystery Science Theater 3000: XXXVII, because I’m a huge fanboy.

The Childhood of a Leader - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
A great limited release that looks at the rise of fascism as seen through the eyes of a child of a leader who learns how to manipulate others through fear. It is a great film and sadly a very timely one. It isn’t getting a Blu-ray release, which is a shame.

Hands of Stone - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This film has a great cast and is based on a real life inspirational sports story. However, it doesn’t do enough to stand out. Wait until you can rent it on VOD.

Harry and Snowman - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
A documentary about a Dutch immigrant, Harry, the horse he rescued, Snowman, and how they went on to become championship show jumpers. The reviews are great, but the lack of extras hold it back in terms of value. If you like documentaries, then it is worth picking up, but it is not Pick of the Week material.

Hell or High Water - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
One of the biggest limited release hits of the week and it has the reviews to go with it. Extras on the DVD / Blu-ray include a trio of featurettes, a look at the red carpet premiere and filmmaker Q&A. There’s no audio commentary, but this is still great for a limited release. It is easily a Pick of the Week contender.

I.T. - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This film earned terrible reviews. It isn’t even worth renting it on VOD. Just skip it.

Kubo and the Two Strings - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 3D Combo Pack
Video on Demand
Stop-Motion animated films rarely do well at the box office and this film was no different. Should it be seen by more? Or is there a reason why so few people saw this film in theaters? Read our review for my opinion.

Also coming out this week is the Laika Box Set.

Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
Werner Herzog looks at the internet and how it has transformed so many aspects of our daily lives. The reviews are great and it is certainly worth picking up, especially if you are a fan of Werner Herzog’s previous films.

Lou Grant: Season Three - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
One of the strangest TV spin-offs. The original show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, was a 30-minute sitcom, but this show was a serious hour-long drama that dealt with a lot of political topics. In fact, it is widely thought the show was canceled because it dealt with so many political topics.

Mechanic: Resurrection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Combo Pack
Video on Demand
If they make another installment in this franchise, it will be purely because of its international numbers. It certainly won’t be because of its reviews. I guess if you are a big fan of Jason Statham, then it is worth a rental.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: XXXVII - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The price for these releases has gone down. It is still high on a price-per-minute basis compared to most TV on DVD releases; however, if you look at them as four-TV movies, then it is a better deal. I can’t wait for the revival to start airing.

Poldark: Season Two - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray
A British drama set just after the American Revolution and about a British soldier returning home after the war. The reviews are amazing and the third season is on its way, so it is worth grabbing for fans of this genre.

War Dogs - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and 4K Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This film earned good reviews, but not great reviews. On the other hand, its extras are a little weak with just three featurettes. Call it a rental.

Yoga Hosers - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
A stoner comedy that might be too bizarre for even that target demographic. I think Kevin Smith needs to hire someone who has never been stoned to go over his script to make sure they have more structure.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
100 Rifles - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Aquarion Logos: Season Three, Part One - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
C.H.U.D II: Bud The Chud - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Depatie / Freleng Collection 1 - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Gatchaman Crowds Insight - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I Drink Your Blood - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Intruder - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
It's Always Fair Weather - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
One-Eyed Jacks - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Prison School: The Complete Series - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Rabid - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Return Of The Living Dead 3 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Squid and the Whale (The Criterion Collection) - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
To Live and Die in L.A. - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Undying Monster - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
There are several horror films on this week’s list. However, Rabid is the best and it is only good and not great.

4K Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Mechanic: Resurrection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Combo Pack
War Dogs - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and 4K Combo Pack
I can’t recommend buying either of these movies, so I really can’t recommend spending extra for the 4K Blu-ray.

Christmas Releases - Buy from Amazon
A Christmas Carol - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Christmas in the Smokies - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A Frozen Christmas - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A Doggone Christmas! is also coming out this week, but there are two different movies that use that name and the picture is of one movie and the actors / director listed are from the other. I wouldn’t buy it, because I’m not sure which movie you are going to get.

TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
Sam Benedict - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
There’s only one TV on DVD Complete Series Megaset this week and it feels like a cheat. The show only ran one season and “complete” implies more than one.

Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
Don’t Think Twice - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Hollywood Shorties - Reviews - Video on Demand
Intruder - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Secret Life of Pets - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Wild Life - Reviews - Video on Demand
Don’t Think Twice is clearly the best Video on Demand release this week. I think it is worth buying the Blu-ray.

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, The Secret Life of Pets, Yoga Hosers, War Dogs, Mechanic: Resurrection, Kubo and the Two Strings, Hell or High Water, Hands of Stone, Robinson Crusoe, Don’t Think Twice, Harry & Snowman, Intruder, The Childhood of a Leader, I.T., The Hollywood Shorties, Werner Herzog, Kevin Smith, Jason Statham