Home Market Releases for April 4th, 2017

April 3, 2017

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

This is a terrible week on the home market, mostly. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story comes out on DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack and the competition has clearly scared away any other top-level releases. The only other first-run release is Office Christmas Party, which is worth a rental, if you like anti-Christmas movies. As far as Pick of the Week contenders are concerned, there’s Rogue One... and really that’s it. There are a couple of other releases I highlighted, but they wouldn't be contenders during an average week. Don’t Kill It looks good for a low-budget horror movie, while Paterson is coming out on a featureless DVD / Blu-ray. They are worth picking up if you are a fan of their respective genres.

The Book of Love - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
Maisie Williams has made a couple of good movies since getting her big break on Game of Thrones. This is not one of them.

The Bounce Back - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A rom com that completely bombed in theaters. Normally, this release would be too small to talk about, but it is a really shallow week and I wanted at least a dozen releases. The reviews are not bad, so if you like the genre, it is worth checking out.

DCI Banks: Season 5 - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A British murder mystery TV on DVD release. The price-per-minute is high, unless you look at it as three two-hour TV movies. Then the price is much better.

Diff'rent Strokes: Season Five - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Normally I wouldn’t talk about a TV on DVD release that’s in the middle of the show’s run. Either you know about the show and have already formed an opinion, or you don’t care enough. However, as I will say about a dozen times on this list, it is a really shallow week.


Don’t Kill It - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
Originally I was just going to include this release in the secondary Blu-ray releases, then I saw its Tomatometer Score. Granted, there are only 9 reviews and the average score is only 6.5/10, but its Tomatometer Score is 100% positive and since it is a really slow week, I thought I should highlight it.


Martian Successor Nadesico: Complete Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
An Anime series from the late 1990s in the Space Opera / Giant Mechs subgenre. Unlike Robotech, the show didn’t make a big impact outside of Anime circles, but it earned good reviews and still has a relatively large fanbase today. The 4-disc set includes all 26 episodes and the movie, plus a lot of extras. If you are a fan of the genre, it is worth picking up.

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Speaking of the Giant Mech subgenre of Anime. This series began in the late 1970s and is one of the seminal installments in the subgenre. If you like the genre but haven’t seen some of the older shows, then this is certainly worth checking out. However, start at the beginning.

Naruto Shippuden: Set 30 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Three. There are three Anime titles in the top 12 best-selling new releases of the week.

Office Christmas Party - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
Video on Demand (Unrated)
This film has a shot at becoming a Christmas classic for a certain subset of the population. It’s the same group who watch Bad Santa and The Ref every year. Extras on the DVD / Blu-ray include an audio commentary track, making-of featurette, deleted scenes, and outtakes. If you like Christmas movies that are a little less jolly, then it is worth checking out.


Paterson - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
Adam Driver plays a poet named Paterson living in a town called Paterson. The film is the best-reviewed new release on this week’s list, but there are absolutely no extras on the DVD or Blu-ray. Normally this would prevent it from being a Pick of the Week contender, but it is a really slow week.


Peppa Pig: Around The World - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
We talk about releases aimed at preschoolers less than we talk about Anime titles. It’s a really slow week.

Psycho Circus: 3 Rings of Terror Triple Feature - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Three horror films from the late 1960s to early 1970s on one disc. None of them are classics, but two of them are worth checking out. Let’s face it, you are getting three movies for $7, so even if just one of them was worth buying and one other was worth renting, then the overall package is a deal.



Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
The latest installment in the Star Wars franchise is the first in the spin-off series. The film was expected to be one of the biggest hits of the year, but did the high expectations hurt? Read my review to find out.



Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Behind the Door - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Girls Beyond the Wasteland - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Hyperdimension Neptunia: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Invasion of the Bee Girls - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Little Nikita - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Miss Annie Rooney - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town: 80th Anniversary Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Night's Tightrope - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Punchline - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Ride the High Country - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Tank 432 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Three - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
We Go On - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
There are not a lot of secondary Blu-ray releases that stand out, but I might be forced to buy Hyperdimension Neptunia: The Complete Series, as I’ve played far too many of the games.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
There are no 3D releases on this list; however, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is being released on 3D, but not on Amazon, at least not as I’m writing this. Disney and Amazon have a … contentious relationship. They’ve been fighting over prices for two-and-a-half years and neither side looks like they are going to back down.


4K Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
No 4K releases on this week’s list either.


TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
The Good Wife - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Medium - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Two long running recent TV series are coming out on Megasets this week. Neither were monster hits, but both had a dedicated fanbase.


Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
Carrie Pilby - Reviews - Video on Demand
Generation Found - Reviews - Video on Demand
Hidden Truth - Reviews - Video on Demand
Mine - Reviews - Video on Demand
Silver Skies - Reviews - Video on Demand
Teen Titans: The Judas Contract - Reviews - Video on Demand
Carrie Pilby hit theaters on Friday and comes out on VOD on Tuesday. It is better suited for VOD, but I would rent it.


Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Punchline, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Carrie Pilby, The Book of Love, The Bounce Back, Paterson, Three, Mine, Office Christmas Party, Generation Found, Belly of the Bulldog, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, Don’t Kill It, Star Wars, Adam Driver, Maisie Williams