Home Market Releases for June 2nd, 2015

June 3, 2015

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

Welcome to the column formerly known as the DVD and Blu-ray release report! In response to the changing home market landscape, we have renamed it the Home Market Release Report, and will now be including Video-on-Demand releases. It was a bad week to try and change the format, as there were a ton of great releases contending for Pick of the Week. Most of these contenders are TV on DVD releases, including Parks & Recreation: Season 7. There is also one limited release, Spring on Blu-ray, and one first-run releases, The SpongeBob Movie: A Sponge Out of Water on 3D Combo Pack. It was a close race, but I choose SpongeBob in the end.

BABYMETAL: World Tour 2014 - Live in London - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I want it. I can afford it. ... But I can't justify it. I know it is a Japanese import, but $90 is too much to ask.

Beetle Bailey: 65th Anniversary Collector's Edition - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This DVD includes about five hours of shorts, a TV special, as well as a book and memorabilia. If you just want the cartoons, that DVD comes out in August.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: 1776, Apollo 13, Cahill: U.S. Marshall, Fairy Tail: Collection Four, Haikyu: Collection 1, John Wayne Westerns Film Collection, Nobunagun: Complete Series, Rio Bravo, Scarecrows, The Train Robbers, Wanna Be Strongest in World: Comp Series, Wolfcop, Wolfen, and WWE: Daniel Bryan: Just Say Yes! Yes! Yes!
There's not a lot of secondary Blu-ray releases. Of them WolfCop is the one I'm most interested in, but I'm sure it already came out. We have home market numbers for the film, but Amazon says it comes out this week. Confusing.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Jupiter Ascending and The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water
There are two 3D movies on this week's release, including the Pick of the Week.

Bonanza: Season 8 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Great show, but I don't like how the network is releasing both volumes and complete seasons.

Camp X-Ray - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Kristen Stewart is a great actress. She recently won an award at the Cannes for her performance in Clouds of Sils Maria. This film isn't as good, but it is still worth checking out. The only extra is a making-of featurette, so call it a solid rental, leaning towards purchase.

Falling Skies: Season Four - Buy from Amazon: DVD
I was surprised to learn this show was still on the air. Then I checked Wikipedia and learned its final season begins in a few weeks. The reviews are excellent, but the reviews were never strong enough to truly justify its budget, while they were getting lower each season. There are plenty of extras on the DVD and the Blu-ray, enough to make it a Pick of the Week contender.

Focus - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
A conman movie starring Will Smith. Its reviews are under the overall positive level. If you like the genre, it is still worth checking out. Extras on the DVD are limited to some deleted scenes, so it is only worth a rental. The Blu-ray has an alternative opening, plus featurettes on the two leads, and a featurette on the consultant in the movie. That's worth picking up, again, if you are a fan of the genre.

Jupiter Ascending - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack or 3D Combo Pack
This film earned terrible reviews and barely matched its production budget worldwide. However, after it came out, there was a backlash of sorts against the negative reviews. There are many who have said the movie is energetic and earnest enough that even though there are flaws, it is a really fun ride. For those people, they will want to grab the 3D set.

Justified: The Final Season - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The sixth and final season of this show comes out this week. Its reviews remained really strong. However, the reviews took a big hit at the start of season six and never recovered. The extras on the DVD are weak, but the Blu-ray has a few exclusive extras making it the much better deal and a contender for Pick of the Week.

The L Word: The Complete Collection - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This is a TV Megaset that is a re-release. So the question is not is the show worth picking up, but whether or not this new set is worth the upgrade? If not, is it at least worth picking up if you skipped the Megaset the first time around? So what are the answers to these questions? Read our review for my opinion.

Leslie Sansone: The Tone Every Zone Walk - Buy from Amazon: DVD
There's an exercise DVD in the top ten best selling new releases, at least according to Amazon.com. It is a sure sign of a slow week.

McFarland, USA - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
An inspirational sports story based on real life events. There are a ton of movies like this that have been made over the years. This one earned great reviews, but it was only a middling hit at the box office. It earned more than it cost to make, but not enough to break even so far. If I were to guess why it struggled it would be the sport in question, as long-distance running isn't popular and these movies tend to do better when based on a more popular sport. Also, Kevin Costner has struggled at the box office for a long time now. There are only about 20 minutes of extras on the DVD / Blu-ray, including a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, music video, etc. That's enough to be worth picking up, but not enough to be a contender for Pick of the Week.

Nickelodeon Various Releases - Buy from Amazon
Bubble Guppies:
The Puppy & The Ring
Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves Fairytale Land
Dora the Explorer: Whirl & Twirl Collection
Dora's Explorer Girls: Our First Concert
SpongeBob SquarePants: Triple Pack
Team Umizoomi: Umi Space Heroes
There's a big stack of Nickelodeon releases that are coming out this week and are featured in our current box office prediction contest. I've previously reviewed some of the specific DVDs and I've reviewed several DVDs from all of the franchises. Bubble Guppies has the best music, while Team Umizoomi is also a step above most TV shows aimed at the same age group. Finally, SpongeBob is the show I'm most likely to watch without having to do so for a review.


Parks & Recreation: Season 7 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
One of the best shows on TV, but its ratings were criminally low throughout its run. If you have the previous six seasons, by this one. If not, buy the Complete Series Megaset instead.

Pretty Little Liars: Season 5 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
For a summer show, this film's reviews are really good. Extras on the DVD include five featurettes (including one of the 100th episode) and deleted scenes. That's enough to be worth picking up, but not enough to be a contender for Pick of the Week.

Rizzoli & Isles: Season 5 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The sixth season begins in just two weeks so fans will want to snap up this DVD ASAP to catch up. It's a summer show, which usually means it isn't great. It's not bad, but there are a large number of shows in the same genre (police procedurals) so it doesn't truly stand out.

The SpongeBob Movie: A Sponge Out of Water - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack or 3D Combo Pack
A Sponge Out of Water is the second SpongeBob SquarePants movie to hit theaters. The first movie was goofy fun, which is what you expect. Is this movie also a goofy fun movie? Or is has this cartoon grown tired with age? While these questions are important, by far, the most important question is... Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? (If you now have the theme song stuck in your head, you're welcome.) Check out our review to find out.


Spring - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film had one of the worse-timed releases of all time. It has amazing reviews, but it opened a week after It Follows, which many people called the best American horror film to come out in years. Spring couldn't compete, and it was crowded out at the box office. Also, it debuted on Video on Demand, which further hurt its box office numbers. Fortunately, despite the weak theatrical performance, the extras are excellent (a feature-length making-of featurette, "alternate ending", etc.) and it is easily a Pick of the Week contender.

TV on DVD Full Series Megasets - Buy from Amazon: The L Word, Parks and Recreation, and The Wire
All three shows are award-worthy, but The Wire is considered one of the best shows ever made.

Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon: Adventure Time: Season 8, American Dad: Season 10, Asmodexia, Blindsided, Dixie Chicks: Top of the World Tour Live, Camp X-Ray, Ender's Game, Escape Plan, The Frozen Ground, Jupiter Ascending, McFarland, USA, McFarland, USA (plus bonuses), Much Ado About Nothing, Ned Rifle, Nick Swardson: Taste It, Police Story - Lockdown, Run All Night, Southern Charm: Season 2, Waiting..., Where Was God?, Wish You Well, and World War Z
The first list of Video on Demand releases includes some first-run releases, limited releases, classics, TV on DVD releases, and even one that's still in theaters. Of the films on this week's list, I think Jupiter Ascending would make the best rental. Enough people love it that it is worth checking out, but enough people hate it that it is better renting rather than buying.

Where Was God? - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A faith-based documentary about the aftermath of a disaster. There are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but from what I can tell, it is a well-done documentary that is mostly preaching to the choir.


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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, Jupiter Ascending, McFarland, USA, Focus, Where Was God, Spring, Camp X-Ray, WolfCop, SpongeBob SquarePants, Will Smith, Kevin Costner, Kristen Stewart