Home Market Releases for September 12th, 2017

September 13, 2017

Apparently it is Halloween, because there are a lot of horror titles on this week’s list. Some of them are good, some are not. As for Pick of the Week contenders, there are a few of them. If you have kids, then Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie on DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra Combo Pack is your best bet. If you are a fan of Sci-fi, then go with the final season for Orphan Black. However, in the end I went with Phenomena on Blu-ray. You can also buy the movie from the Official Site in a Steelbox with soundtrack and pamphlet.

Beatriz at Dinner - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
Salma Hayek stars in this indie film as a working poor person, who accidentally gets invited to a rich business dinner. Does the film make the most of this premise? Do the actors rise to the challenge? Check out our review to find out.

The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Tenth Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I’ve never been a fan of this show and the more I see of it, the less I like it. I don’t buy the “Nerd Black Face” argument, but I don’t find the jokes funny and I really dislike most of the cast. I wouldn’t be friends with these characters, so why would I spend 30 minutes a week watching them?

Blue Hawaii - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Not one of Elvis’ best movies, but fans of the singer do have a nostalgic feel for his films.

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This film earned better reviews than just about every other family film to come out this year, but it missed expectations at the box office. On the other hand, the film only cost $38 million to make and the studio’s share of its worldwide box office is over $50 million. It will still need help on the home market to break even, but it could get there. Extras include featurettes, Q&A with the cast, deleted scenes, music videos, etc. If you have kids in the right age range, then it is a must have. I don’t know if there’s enough crossover appeal for adult fans of animation.

Chicago Justice: Season One - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
No more. No more Chicago shows.

Chicago P.D.: Season Four - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Nope. Too many police procedural shows.

E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
One of the best movies ever made, but I’m not convinced it is worth the upgrade to 4K. The upgrade from 1080p to 4K isn’t as big as the upgrade from standard definition to 1080p. That said, it is one of the best-selling new releases of the week, so obviously there are others that have already made a leap to 4K.

Empire: Season 3 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
This TV show was in the top five highest rated network shows the first two seasons, but it dropped to 23rd place during its third season. It is still a major hit, but clearly a lot of fans gave up on the show since it peaked during its first season finale.

The Goldbergs - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Season Three DVD and Season Four DVD
I was really hoping to get screeners for these releases. I became addicted to the show during the second half of the most recent season. The show it a sitcom and it doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it does have a lighthearted charm to it.

It Comes at Night - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This film earned 89% positive reviews, but only earned a D from CinemaScore. Clearly this film was made to win over critics, but horror fans are not as enamored with horror films that rely on a slow burn rise in tension. The film bombed in theaters and the only extras are an audio commentary track and a making of featurette. If you like psychological horror, then it is worth checking out. The weak selection of extras limits its to value to a rental.

The Mummy - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4k Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This movie was supposed to launch the Dark Universe, but did it do its job? Will moviegoers who see this movie look forward to the next installment in the franchise? Or is the franchise already mortally wounded? Read our review for my opinion.

Orphan Black: Season Five - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
The fifth and final season of this award-winning show hits the home market this week. On the one hand, fans will be very happy to complete their collection of the show, as it went out on a high note and many think the series finale was among the best the show had to offer. There are five featurettes on the DVD and Blu-ray, which is enough to be a contender for Pick of the Week. I would have liked an audio commentary track or two, but this is still great.

Phantasm: 5 Movie DVD Collection - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This is one of the longest running franchises in movie history, with 37 years between the first and most recent installments. It was never a real critical darling, but it has cult appeal and a lot of dedicated fans. I’m sure most of these fans would want the collection on Blu-ray and not DVD, so this budget option is disappointing. It is selling really well compared to most other new releases on this week’s list, so I guess most are not willing to wait.

Phenomena - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Jennifer Connelly stars as a girl who is living in a boarding school and having a tough time. Fortunately, she has a psychic connection to insects and her arthropod pals come in handy. Meanwhile, a serial killer is stalking the school. It is one of Dario Argento best films he directed and fans should snap it up. The Blu-ray is loaded with extras, including all three versions of the film, as well as audio commentary track on the “Integral cut”, interviews, documentary, and more. It is certainly worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.

Night Gallery: The Complete Series - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This show is essentially a follow-up to The Twilight Zone. That alone should be enough to get people to buy it. It is also a ten-disc, 34-hour program for under $40.

The Resurrected - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This film is based on a Lovecraft novella, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. It was made in the early 1990s, but never found a theatrical distributor, eventually coming out direct-to-DVD. Like most Lovecraft stories, it’s hard to adapt this one to film, but the few reviews we have suggest it is better than most. It’s not Pick of the Week material, but it is worth checking out for horror fans in general and especially for fans of Lovecraft. The extras are impressive, including two new featurettes, plus a lot of archival extras, like an audio commentary track, interviews, deleted scenes, etc.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered: One in a Million - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
The Signed, Sealed, Delivered franchise is very popular on the home market, but they never have reviews before their release. It is a Hallmark Channel original movie, so you know if you are part of the target audience or not.

Silicon Valley: Season Four - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
I previously reviewed a season of this show and I liked it. However, by the time I got a request to review this season, as well as VEEP: Season Six, this weekend was too busy, so I had to pass. The screeners arrived anyway. They technically arrived on time, but not early enough to get the review done for Tuesday. My initial plan was to wait till Thursday and if no screeners for next week showed up, review them over the weekend. That plan changed when three screeners arrived while I was working on this column. Because of that, I will be passing this over to the prize pool and giving it away on this week’s Box Office Prediction Contest.

Suspect: 30th Anniversary Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This film’s reviews are good, but not great, while it struggled in theaters. I’m a little surprised it is getting a 30th anniversary edition, although the Blu-ray is a bargain release, not a special release. Even so, it is worth picking up for fans of crime thrillers in general, or of the cast in particular.

Swallows and Amazons - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
This film earned stunning reviews, but like most live action family films, it went nowhere at the box office. It did so poorly, that it is not even getting a Blu-ray release. That said, if you have children in the right age range, it is certainly worth picking up.

Veep: The Complete Sixth Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
As with Silicon Valley above, I’ve previously reviewed this TV show and enjoyed it, but didn’t have time to take on a review. As much as I want to keep this one and review it, I’m forced to include it in this week’s Box Office Prediction Contest.

Christmas Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Christmas Is Here Again - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Happy Holidays, Garfield! - Reviews - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Mouse and Mole at Christmas Time - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Mrs. Santa Claus - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Four Christmas releases this week, but none of them are must haves.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Chihayafuru: Season One - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray, and Premium Box Set
The Creep Behind The Camera / The Creeping Terror - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Custer of the West - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Dead Again in Tombstone - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
El Dorado - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Event Horizon - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Evil Dead: One and Two - Reviews: One and Two - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Festival: The Criterion Collection - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
The Fox With A Velvet Tail - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Friday the 13th - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Fun Mom Dinner - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
The Ghoul - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Hatred - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Krakatoa, East of Java - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Law and Jake Wade - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Once Upon a Time in the West - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Seven Beauties - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Spider - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Stardust - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Tamako Love Story - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Tobor the Great - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
There are also a lot of horror movies getting “special releases”, which are just the previous releases, but with new cover art. They don’t appear to be on Amazon.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
No 3D releases this week. If there are not a lot of 3D releases between now and Christmas, then I will remove 3D films from the weekly list.

TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
Friday Night Lights - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This show earned amazing reviews every season it ran and even picked up a couple of Primetime Emmys for its final season.

Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
47 Meters Down - Reviews - Video on Demand
Baby Driver - Reviews - Video on Demand
Deadly Detention - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Remote Paradise - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Transformers: The Last Knight - Reviews - Video on Demand
Transformers: The Last Knight is the biggest secondary VOD release of the week, but it is far from the best. Baby Driver is clearly the best.

C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Evil Dead, Phantasm, The Purge, Dark Universe, Jennifer Connelly, Dario Argento, Salma Hayek, Elvis Presley, H.P. Lovecraft

Home Market Releases for September 12th, 2017

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