Home Market Releases for November 14th, 2017

November 13, 2017

Kedi

It’s a bad week for screeners, as the screeners for both Atomic Blonde and Wind River are late. Both look like they are worth picking up, but not quite Pick of the Week material. There are a trio of contenders for this award: In This Corner of the World, Kedi, and Whose Streets? It was a close call, but in the end, Kedi came out on top.

24: Legacy - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The follow-up to the long-running TV show, 24. The reviews were okay, but nothing special. I guess if you loved the original, this is worth checking out, but if not, there’s no reason to even continue reading this entry.

Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This is an “episode” of the TV show, Agatha Christie’s Poirot. I put episode in quotes, because while it is technically an episode, it is more accurately a 90-minute TV movie. If you are a fan of the story, then this episode is worth watching over the new movie. On the other hand, if you are a fan of the show, you likely already own Series 12, which has this episode and three others.

Amityville: The Awakening - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This DVD / Blu-ray is selling really well. It’s fighting for a spot in the top five new releases for the week. This is strange for two reasons. Firstly, it was sitting on a studio shelf for two years and it was beginning to look like it would never get a release. Secondly, it was a free VOD rental for a month on Google Play. The only extra is a making of featurette, so I can’t recommend buying it, or even renting.

Atomic Blonde - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
Our current contest is giving away a copy of this film. I was also hoping to get a screener for this film, but it has not yet arrived. Its reviews are good and it is at least worth checking out, especially if you like the John Wick films, which have a similar appeal. Extras include audio commentary track, making of featurette, deleted scenes, and storyboards. Without having seen it, I think it is a solid purchase, but not quite a Pick of the Week contender. Perhaps I will like it more than the average critic and I will change my mind about the latter part.

Black Sabbath: The End Deluxe - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
If you are a fan of Black Sabbath, there’s a lot to love about this, but it costs $85. Granted, that’s $85 for a Blu-ray, DVD, and 3 CDs, but that’s still a lot.

Brigsby Bear - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This movie is about a young man raised in a bunker with his parents. He grew up watching his favorite TV show, Brigsby Bear. He learns it’s not a real TV show, nor are his parents really his parents, but are in fact the people who kidnapped him as an infant. The film begins with the police rescuing him and the film is about him adjusting to his new life and his desire to film the final episode of Brigsby Bear. It’s too out there for mainstream success, but it did okay as a limited release. The DVD has good extras (audio commentary track, outtakes, etc.) while the Blu-ray has some exclusives (deleted scenes, etc.). While the film’s reviews are 80% positive, the average is just 6.6 out of 10, so while most critics like the movie, few loved the movie. That said, I would still call it a solid rental, leaning towards a purchase.

Doctor Who: The Complete Tenth Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This show has lasted far too long for me to start watching each week at this point. That said, I might start with the upcoming season and the new doctor, Jodie Whittaker.

George A. Romero Between Night and Dawn - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Three films from George A. Romero’s early career. None of the films earned great reviews, but fans of the director will likely want to check them out. However, only hardcore fans will be willing to spend $80 for this three-movie collection.



Kedi - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
A documentary about the city of Istanbul, with the local wild cat population as our guide. The reviews are fantastic, but the lack of extras hurt. It is still a contender for Pick of the week.


Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Season One, Part One, Season One, Part Two, or Season One: Limited Edition
This show is earning amazing reviews on My Anime List, just shy of 8 out of 10, but the price is a lot to ask. If you are going to buy, I would go with the limited edition. It costs less than $15 more and includes physical extras that are worth a lot more than that.

The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This film earned some of the worst reviews of the year and had the worst opening weekend for a film that opened in more than 4,000 theaters. Extras include an audio commentary track, a couple of featurettes on the animation process, and some deleted scenes. This is a good selection of extras, but the movie is just not worth it.

Pearl Jam: Let's Play Two - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Normally, music DVDs / Blu-rays rarely sell well enough to make this list, but this week we have two of them.

Pokemon: Indigo League: Season 1: Champion’s Edition - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
One of the longest running Anime franchises of all time. “Indigo League” is the name of the first 80 or so episodes of the show, so there’s a serious nostalgia hit here. On the other hand, it was released on DVD not too long ago, so the double-dip hurts the overall value.

Preacher: Season 2 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Season two is the hardest season to judge when it comes to the Tomatometer Score. Its reviews rose by one point to 90% positive, but two thirds of the critics who reviewed the first season didn’t bother to review the second one. That said, this decline is better than most, so I’m comfortable in saying the show’s second season is at least comparable to the first season. Extras are limited to a single featurette on the action scenes and some outtakes.

Rosario & Vampire: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
A Harem Ecchi Anime about a boy who transfers to a school filled with Monster Girls and if anyone finds out he’s human, he will be killed. The reviews are good, but the genre will limit its appeal, especially outside Anime’s core audience. The only extras on the DVD / Blu-ray are clean openings and closings, but this level of extras is common for an Anime title.

Le samouraï: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This is a French film about a hitman whose last assignment ends with him being chased by the police and his former boss. The reviews are 100% positive, and enthusiastically positive, but there doesn’t appear to be any new extras from the previous Criterion Collection DVD. That said, the DVD came out in 2005, so a lot people reading this likely didn’t grab it back then and will want the Blu-ray upgrade.

Unlocked - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The film has a great cast, but the reviews are terrible. Skip it.


Whose Streets? - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
A documentary about the Black Lives Matter movement and its origins. The reviews are nearly 100% positive and the average score is over 8 out of 10, so this is one of the best releases on this week’s list. There appears to be no extras, but it is still a Pick of the Week contender.


Wind River - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This might be the last big Weinstein Co. release. The company was struggling financially since 2014, but after Harvey Weinstein was revealed, it might actually kill the studio for good. That said, punishing the people who made this movie for what one of the studio heads did isn’t fair. I was hoping to get a screener, but it hasn’t yet arrived. I can say the reviews are very good, but not quite award-worthy, while the only extras are a trio of behind-the-scene featurettes and two deleted scenes. That’s enough to be worth picking up, but not enough to be a Pick of the Week contender.


Christmas Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Albert: A Small Tree with a Big Dream - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Christmas in the Air - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Firehouse Christmas - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You is the biggest Christmas release of the week, but it is still a second-tier release, at best.


Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
91 Days: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Attack Of The Puppet People - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Battle Cry - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Desert Hearts: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Fallen - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Funeral Parade of Roses - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Gilbert - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Hellraiser: Limited Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Incredible Shrinking Woman - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
J.D.’s Revenge - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
The Last Laugh - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Nightkill - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Paul Naschy Collection II - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Psycho - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Time to Die - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
There are some really good older movies on this week’s list, including Funeral Parade of Roses, The Last Laugh, and Time to Die. As for the Psycho franchise, I would just stick with the original.


3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
No 3D releases this week, but there is one next week.


4K Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Atomic Blonde - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
There is only one 4K release this week, but it is the biggest release of the week.


TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
7th Heaven - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
CSI: Miami - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
D.C. Follies - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Dragon Ball Z - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Dukes Of Hazzard - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Kung Fu - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The West Wing - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
I keep meaning to buy The West Wing, but I don’t know when I would have time to watch it all.


Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary - Reviews - Video on Demand
Crown Heights - Reviews - Video on Demand
Logan Lucky - Reviews - Video on Demand
No Beast So Fierce - Reviews - Video on Demand
Spreading Darkness - Reviews - Video on Demand
Tulip Fever - Reviews - Video on Demand
Logan Lucky is the biggest secondary VOD release on this week’s list, but I think most people will want to wait and buy it on Blu-ray.


Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Desert Hearts, Amityville: The Awakening, The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature, Unlocked, Tulip Fever, Atomic Blonde, KEDi, Wind River, Brigsby Bear, Logan Lucky, Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary, Whose Streets?, Kono sekai no katasumi ni, Crown Heights, Tiempo de morir, Nightkill, Christmas in the Air, Spreading Darkness, No Beast So Fierce, Psycho, John Wick, George A. Romero, Harvey Weinstein, Jodie Whittaker