DVD and Blu-ray Releases for April 9th, 2013

April 8, 2013

It's another bad week on the home market. According to Amazon.com, the biggest release of the week is the fifth season of Merlin, which is a British TV show. Gabriel Iglesias' latest Stand-Up Concert DVD is right behind. The rest of the top five is filled with a canceled cable show and a poorly reviewed limited release. The best release of the week is Naked Lunch Criterion Collection Blu-ray, which is great, but not quite Pick of the Week material. (It is just too bizarre for most people.) Fortunately, Lincoln on Four-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack finally arrived and I was able to review it. Despite it not coming out this week, or this month, it is still the Pick of the Week material. It towers that high above this week's releases. I do hope more people check out Sexy Evil Genius on DVD than its sales ranking indicates.

Bad Kids Go to Hell - Buy from Amazon
I was hoping to get a screener for this film, but that appears not to be the case now. Its reviews were mixed, but that's good for the genre, so if you are a fan of teenage slashers, then this humorous take on the genre is worth checking out.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Blue Planet: Seas of Life, Gate of Hell (Criterion Collection), Great Barrier Reef, Massage Parlor Murders, One Life, and Planet Ocean
The list of secondary Blu-ray releases is dominated by nature documentaries.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: PAPUA 3D - The secret island of the cannibals
The only 3D release of the week is a nature documentary. These can be very well done, but unless they are high profile, they don't tend to sell in significant numbers.

Boss: Season 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A copy of the Blu-ray arrived unannounced. Unfortunately, I haven't seen season one and I don't have time to squeeze in this review, so I'll have to push it to the prize pool. Kelsey Grammer did earn praise for his performance, although not as much as he thinks he deserves. It also didn't earn the ratings Starz was hoping it would, so they canceled it after the second season.

Family Ties: The Sixth Season - Buy from Amazon
Great show, but the studio is really dragging its feet on the last two seasons. At least there's hope season seven will come out before DVDs are obsolete.

Gabriel Iglesias: Aloha Fluffy - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Gabriel Iglesias is quite a popular stand-up comic and he's released a number of DVDs recently. They tend to sell well, so he clearly has a lot of fans. However, I'm not well-versed enough with his work to judge.

Glenn Beck Presents: For The Record, Episode 1: Surveillance State - Buy from Amazon
Glenn Beck is a crack-pot, but he's not wrong about privacy being eroded by the government in the aftermath of 9/11. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if I were on a government watch list. When I write about international box office numbers, I will sometime use the phrase, "homegrown hit" to describe a foreign film that does well in its native market. Both, "homegrown" and "hit" are keywords used to flag communication as possibly having a terrorist connection. Also, I've reviewed a couple of Naked Brothers Band DVDs, which means I've used the terms, "Naked" and "Preteen" in close proximity, so I might be on some child porn watch list as well. However, despite the blind squirrel principle coming into effect here, it would be better to save your money and donate it to a cause that will protect liberties. The ACLU is probably your best bet.

Hyde Park on the Hudson - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film was clearly meant to win awards, but that didn't happen. Its reviews were way too weak to be a contender for Oscars, but it did surprisingly well at the box office all things considered.

The Kitchen - Buy from Amazon
I was hoping to get a copy of this film to review, but that doesn't appear to be the case now. Since there are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, it is nearly impossible to judge the film without seeing it for myself.

Note: This Blu-ray made its home market debut on the 26th of March.

Lincoln - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or Four-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack
This film was clearly made to win Oscars, and indeed it took home two awards. Does it live up to its Awards Season performance? Or did its pedigree cloud Awards Season voters' judgment? Read our review to find out.

Merlin: Season Five - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This show took a look at the younger years of the future King Arthur. It had potential, but never quite reached it during its five-year run. Those who have been following along since the beginning will be happy to finish their collection, but if you missed out thus far, it isn't essential viewing.

Naked Lunch - Criterion Collection - Blu-ray: Buy from Amazon
David Cronenberg directs this bizarre adaptation of William S. Burroughs' novel. The film has earned good reviews, but not great reviews, and it is just too bizarre for most people. If you are a fan, it is worth grabbing on Blu-ray.

Orchestra of Exiles - Buy from Amazon
A documentary about the founding of the Israeli Philharmonic. The film earned great reviews, but failed to find an audience in theaters. Hopefully it will perform better on the home market.

Note: This DVD made its home market debut on the 26th of February.

Phineas and Ferb: The Perry Files: Animal Agents - Buy from Amazon
One of my favorite cartoons on TV. So what episodes are on this DVD and is the total value worth picking up? Read our review to find out.

Ring the Bell - Buy from Amazon
A faith-based film aimed at the Churchgoing set with little crossover appeal.

Sexy Evil Genius - Buy from Amazon
This film is landing on DVD with no fanfare. In fact, it has fallen to 21,170th place on Amazon.com's list of best sellers. Does it deserve this fate? Or should more people discover it? Check out our review for my opinion.

The Sorcerer and the White Snake - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Despite being a sizable hit internationally, here this film failed to live up to expectations, either with critics or at the box office. Even if you like the cast and the genre, there are better options out there.


-

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Naked Lunch, Lincoln, Sexy Evil Genius, Hyde Park on Hudson, Orchestra of Exiles, Bai she chuan shuo, Bad Kids Go to Hell, The Kitchen, Ring the Bell, David Cronenberg, Kelsey Grammer, Gabriel Iglesias