DVD and Blu-ray Releases for September 16th, 2014
September 16, 2014
The Christmas Shopping Season is kicking into high gear with a great mix of first-run releases, as well as TV on DVD releases. The biggest release of the week is Godzilla and while it is worth picking up on DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 3D Combo Pack, it isn't quite Pick of the Week material. For that, we turn to The Fault in Our Stars on DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack and Eraserhead on Blu-ray (Criterion Collection). It was a close call, but in the end, I went with The Fault in Our Stars.
About a Boy: Season 1 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Alpha House: Season 1 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Arrow: Season 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Barbie and The Secret Door - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
The Big Bang Theory: Season 7 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Avalanche, The Big Operator, Burt's Buzz, Congo, The Dead 2, Dragon Ball Z: Season 7, Dreamcatcher, Eraserhead (Criterion Collection), Flesh & Blood, Majestic Prince: Collection 2, The Great Train Robbery, Meteor, Nutty Professor: 50th Anniversary, The Party, and Silent Night Deadly Night 30th Anniversary
Bones: Season 9 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Castle: Season 6 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season 14 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Death in Paradise: Season 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Father Brown: Season 1 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The Fault in Our Stars - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
From Dusk Till Dawn: Complete Season One - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Ghostbusters - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Godzilla - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 3D Combo Pack
Grimm: Season 3 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Hannibal: Season 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Hawaii Five-0: Season 4 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Highway to Heaven: Season 5 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Marvel Knights: Eternals - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Petals on the Wind - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The Roosevelts: An Intimate History - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Sleepy Hollow: Season 1 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Best Friends - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Think Like a Man Too - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Thomas & Friends: Tale of the Brave - The Movie - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
TV on DVD Full Series Megasets - Buy from Amazon: Carol Burnett Show: Ultimate Collection, Spartacus: The Complete Series, and Spartacus: Complete Series Limited Edition
A TV adaptation of the Nick Hornby novel, which was previously turned into a movie. The TV show isn't as good as the movie was, but it is still better than most TV shows are.
An Amazon original series starring John Goodman as a D.C. politician. The reviews are good, but not great. If you are interested in politics and what makes a good comedy, check it out, but it might not appeal past those.
One of the CW's biggest hits and it is spawning a spin-off this fall. Of course, being a hit on the CW would mean it would be canceled on any other network. The reviews are excellent, so fans of the genre should check it out. Extras on the DVD and Blu-ray include deleted scenes spread throughout the set, plus ComicCon panel, making of featurettes, outtakes, and more. It is easily worth picking up for fans of the show.
The third season release comes out this week. It has already come out in two parts, while the fourth season is halfway done with its TV run. Is it worth picking up if you waited? Read our review for my opinion.
Clearly I am not in the target demographic for this show, but the sales numbers for other releases in the franchise are good, it is clear there are a lot of fans out there.
This season, the show climbed into second place on the ratings and earned the best ratings of its seven-year run so far. That's very impressive. Not only that, but the reviews are just as strong. On the other hand, there are some who think this show is almost bigoted by using unfair stereotypes of nerds. I don't watch the show, so I can't comment either one way or the other.
There are quite a few secondary Blu-ray releases on this week's list, including some that are worth picking up. Number one on that list is Eraserhead, which is a cult classic, but The Party is lots of fun.
I've reviewed a number of seasons of this show in the past, but I won't get a chance to review this season. I have liked the episodes I've seen and the reviews for this season are strong. That said, there is a lot of competition in this genre.
A TV mini-series about the resistance to Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. Is it good enough to draw in those who don't have a connection to the historical events depicted? Or is the appeal limited to those who have such a connection? Check out our review for my opinion.
I'm still waiting for the screener for this show. It is one of the few shows I watch every week and I thought this season was excellent, even if the cliffhanger ending was a little cruel. As long as there are good extras, it is a Pick of the Week contender.
This show ran out of steam years ago. In fact, this genre has run out of steam, for the most part.
A British police procedural, with a comedic edge. Like most similar shows that get released here, it is a good show, but the price-per-minute is high.
This cartoon came out at the tail end of the Dinosaur craze of the 1980s, but as Dinosaurs lost popularity, its ratings dropped and it was canceled. That said, it still has nostalgia appeal for a lot of people. Is it worth picking up for those who grew up on the show? Is it worth picking up for those who missed it the first time around, but who have kids in the right age group? Check out our review to find out.
A British murder mystery series. As I say nearly every time, the reviews are good, but the price-per-minute is too high.
This film cost just $12 million to make, but earned ten times that domestically and 25 times that worldwide. Its reviews are almost as good as its box office run was. Extras on the DVD include deleted scenes, featurettes on the cast, adaptation process, etc. The Blu-ray also has an audio commentary track on the extended edition of the movie. I put in a request for this title, but between the time I put in the request and it came out, Fox has switched to streaming screeners only. (On a side note, shortly after they did that, How to Train Your Dragon 2 was leaked onto pirate sites. I don't think that was a coincidence.) I'll see if I can get this system to work, but since I'm in Canada, it might be a no go.
A movie adaptation of the Faust legend. It came out on DVD earlier this summer, but it is making its Blu-ray debut this week. If you are a fan of this story, is it worth checking out? Read our review to find out.
A TV show based on the Robert Rodriguez film, From Dusk Till Dawn. Turning a movie into a TV show is a risk, but the reviews are actually better than the movie's reviews are. The extras are also excellent, so it is clearly worth picking up.
You can buy both movies in the franchise on Blu-ray for just $20, or get them individually for $17 each. This is the better deal. You can also buy a Limited Edition Giftset for $80, which is too much to ask for.
One of the biggest hits of the summer, this film opened with very good reviews and finished its domestic run with just over $200 million. The film definitely has some problems. Firstly, it focuses too much on the humans and not enough on Godzilla. Secondly, it focuses too much on the boring humans and not on the interesting characters. There are no extras on the DVD, but the Blu-ray has nearly an hour of featurettes, which is enough to be worth picking up. It is also coming out on a Limited Edition Metalbook, but it costs $10 more than the Blu-ray, so I don't think it is worth the price.
One of two TV shows that deal with fairy tales in the real world. This one takes a darker approach and after a rough start, it has earned the better reviews. Extras are not great with just some outtakes, deleted scenes, quartet of featurettes. The lack of audio commentary tracks is disappointing. The Blu-ray does have an interactive guide, which helps, but I'm not 100% sure it is worth picking up.
One of the best reviewed network TV shows of the past couple of years. It also feels more like a cable show than the typical network drama. On the downside, it is barely surviving in the ratings and this upcoming season will likely be its last.
One of too many police procedurals on TV at the moment. I reviewed the first two seasons and found the show too generic to bother keeping up with.
The final season of this show comes out this week. The show struggled in the ratings the last season, but it has a fanbase within the faith-based community.
Marvel puts out some great Motion Comics and I don't think there was a single one I've reviewed that I didn't like. I haven't seen this one, so I can't comment directly, but given their track-record, it is probably worth picking up.
I previously reviewed Flowers in the Attic and found it dull enough that when given the chance to review this film, I gave it a pass. The reviews are better, but only because it does go in the more campy direction.
A seven-disc, twelve-hour documentary of the The Roosevelts, made by Ken Burns. If you know his work, you won't be surprised at the amazing reviews. On the downside, the price-per-minute is high.
This TV series is jumping on the Fairy Tale bandwagon, but it isn't as good as the other two are. It also likely won't last as long. Keep that in mind before getting invested in a new series.
It has been a long time since we've had a truly classic episode of South Park. The Cthulhu Trilogy came close, but can they finally get there this season? If so, is the rest of the season strong enough to be worth picking up? Check out our review for my opinion.
A fun show for young girls. There are three episodes on this DVD, so the price-per-minute is a little high for this type of release.
One of the first of its genre and still one of the best. The two-disc set includes a ton of extras, starting with three audio commentary tracks, interviews, outtakes, making of featurette, and more. If you are a fan of the film, you likely already own it, but I think for many this will be worth the upgrade.
One of the weaker films of the summer and it earned significantly less than its predecessor did at the box office. Extras on the DVD include deleted scenes and some featurettes, while the Blu-ray has a few exclusive extras. Still not worth renting, however.
The latest in a long line of DVD releases for the Thomas the Tank Engine franchise. I'm not in the target demographic and there are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, so I no clue if this is worth picking up.
All three TV on DVD Megasets coming out this week are rather expensive. The Carol Burnett Show Megaset is more than 60 hours long, so it is not an insignificant release.
One of the most expensive films shot in Mongolia. Does it have the epic feel needed to draw in North American audiences? Or do you really need to have some connection to the real history of the story being told? Read our review for my opinion.
Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Eraserhead, Godzilla, Think Like a Man Too, The Fault in Our Stars, Faust, The Party, Ghostbusters, Barbie, John Goodman, Robert Rodriguez, Nick Hornby, Ken Burns