Home Market Releases for January 31st, 2017

January 31, 2017

Queen of Katwe

It’s a slow week at the top, as there are no new releases that were hits in theaters. That doesn’t mean we have no contenders for Pick of the Week, just that they are smaller films or ones that struggled in theaters. Queen of Katwe is the best of this list and the Blu-ray is the Pick of the Week.

Barbie Video Game Hero - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray
Video on Demand
I’m outside of this franchise’s fanbase, but considering its longevity and its sales numbers, it clearly has a lot of fans.

Danny Says - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
One of two rockumentaries on this week’s list. Gimme Danger is the better option.


Doctor Who: The Power of the Daleks - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
The Power of the Daleks is one of the many lost episodes from this series. It has been recreated in animated form from found audio tracks and the result is actually really good. Granted, most fans would rather have the original episodes, but it would take a minor miracle for them to be found now. The DVD has both the black and white version and a color version of the show. The story from Doctor Who was originally shot in Black and White, but I’m glad they are giving fans an option. Extras include audio commentary tracks on all six episodes, plus a making of featurette, and galleries. It is easily a must have for fans of the show. Even if you are only a casual fan of the show, it is worth picking up.


Gimme Danger - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
A documentary about Iggy Pop and his punk rock band, The Stooges. The film’s reviews are 95% positive, but it isn’t getting a Blu-ray release. That’s a shame. Even so, it is worth picking up.

Harry and Snowman - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
A documentary about an immigrant, Harry, who rescues a horse, Snowman, who was on its way to the glue factory. Together, they become championship show jumpers. The film’s reviews are stunning and the film is politically relevant, so it is certainly worth checking out. It’s just $5 to rent on VOD, so it is hard to top that.

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This franchise takes itself way too seriously and that really hurt it at the box office. Extras include six making of / behind-the-scenes featurettes with a total running time of 80 minutes. That’s a lot, even though it is missing an audio commentary track. If you really liked the first movie, then give iths one a rental. If you were lukewarm about the first film, you can give this one a pass.

Masterminds - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray
Video on Demand
Great cast, bad reviews, bombed in theaters. The only extra on the DVD or Blu-ray is a single featurette, so it is barely worth renting, and that’s only if you really like this cast. Even then, there are better options out there.

Masterpiece: Victoria: The Complete First Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Jenna Coleman stars as the young Queen Victoria. Many people are saying this is the next Downton Abbey, which is high praise. The reviews are not as good, but still worth checking out.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: IV - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This is a re-release of a previous set, but there are some great movies on this set and the price has been reduced to just under $30. If you balked at the price before, now is the perfect time to get it. On a side note, I actually like Overdrawn At The Memory Bank. It is low budget, very low budget, but Raul Julia is great in everything he does.


Pinocchio: The Signature Collection - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
The review was published last week, but it remains a Pick of the Week contender this week.


Queen of Katwe - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
An Oscar-bait movie that wasn’t able to win over Awards Season voters or many moviegoers. Did it deserve to earn Oscar nominations? If not, does it at least deserve a larger audience? Read our review to find out.


Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The latest from Tyler Perry was his biggest box office hit since Madea Goes To Jail. Its reviews, on the other hand... Then again, the Madea films have never done well with critics, but the target audience seems to love them. The only extras are a making of featurette and a Boo montage. Also coming out this week is Tyler Perry’s Madea on the Run (Play) on DVD.


The Watermelon Woman - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This is an amazing movie, as well as an historical one. It is the first feature-length film made by an African-American lesbian. It is about a woman trying to make a documentary about an actress from the 1930s who was famous for playing Mammy characters. The film earned 100% positive reviews and was recently re-released for its 20th anniversary and it is certainly worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.


Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Ballers: Season Two - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Bells are Ringing - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Black Dragon's Revenge - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Blood Mania - Reviews / Point of Terror - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Don't Answer the Phone! - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Fate / Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya 2wei Herz - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Lair of the White Worm - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Magic Knight Rayearth: Complete Collection - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Parents - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Poltergeist II: The Other Side - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Poltergeist III - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Shomin Sample: The Complete Series - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Taboo 4 - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Wax Mask - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
There are a lot of horror films on this week’s list of secondary Blu-ray releases. Of these, I can only really recommend The Lair of the White Worm and Parents. The latter recommendation is based on seeing it once on VHS when it first came out on the home market nearly 30 years ago.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
No 3D releases this week, again. I’m going to keep mentioning this, because I know the week I stop, there will be 3D releases that I will miss as a result.

4K Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is the only 4K release of the week and it is just a bad movie.

TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
There are no Megasets this week, but that changes in February.


Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk - Reviews - Video on Demand
Bleed for This - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Edge of Seventeen - Reviews - Video on Demand
Marriage of Lies - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Priceless - Reviews - Video on Demand
Thomas & Friends: Extraordinary Engines - No Reviews - Video on Demand
The Edge of Seventeen is easily the best Video on Demand release of the week. It is so good, it is a pick of the week contender, but I would wait for the Blu-ray release on the 14th of February.


Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Pinocchio, The Lair of the White Worm, Parents, Masterminds, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, The Edge of Seventeen, Bleed for This, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween, Queen of Katwe, Harry & Snowman, Priceless, Danny Says, The Watermelon Woman, Barbie: Video Game Hero, Madea, Jack Reacher, Raul Julia, Tyler Perry, Iggy Pop, Jenna Coleman