Home Market Releases for September 5th, 2017

September 5, 2017

Rebecca

There are a few first-run releases coming out this week, but none of them did well enough in theaters and / or with critics to bother with above the fold, so to speak. There is one exception, The Big Sick, but it is only coming out on VOD this week. I’m hoping a Blu-ray screener is on its way. As for the Pick of the Week contenders, they are, in alphabetical order, Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas on DVD, Mr. Mom on Blu-ray, and Rebecca: Criterion Collection on Blu-ray. In the end, I went with the Alfred Hitchcock classic as the Pick of the Week.

All Eyez on Me - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This film earned some of the worst reviews of the summer. It did better at the box office, but that’s damning it with faint praise and it will lose money in the end. Extras include a couple of making of featurettes, interviews, deleted scenes, and more. That’s not bad for a first-run release, but not nearly enough to make up for the quality.

Better Things: The Complete First Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Pamela Adlon stars as a woman trying to balance being a single mother to three girls while trying to be an actress as well. The reviews are amazing, but it is a DVD-R and has no extras. That said, if you like Pamela Adlon’s style of comedy, then it is certainly worth picking up.

Blade Runner - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
This is selling really well, so either 4K is becoming mainstream, or maybe Blade Runner 2049 is generating more buzz than I thought it would generate. Either way, I’m still not sold on 4K.

Criminal Minds: The Twelfth Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A police procedural show that I reviewed a couple of times. It was too predictable and I only liked a couple of the cast members, so I moved on.


Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
It is still two months too early for Christmas releases... However, this is a classic and I can’t complain too much about it coming out this week. It’s one of Jim Henson’s best works, and that’s saying a lot. Extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted / alternative scenes, a lost song, and outtakes. It is easily worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week. That’s high praise considering how much I hate it when Christmas releases come out before Halloween.


Fairy Tail: Collection Nine - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
One of the few Anime titles to regularly appear on this list and if you look at the reviews on My Anime List, it’s not hard to see why.

The Flash: The Complete Third Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The show’s reviews took a hit this season, but that just means it fell from 97% during season one to 88% during season three. It is still a great show and the series demonstrates that comic book properties can be fun. I hope the folks in charge of the DCEU are getting this.

Hawaii Five-O: The Seventh Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
A police procedural where the two “leading” characters are the worst part of the show. (I put leading in quotations, because it is more of a four-character ensemble.) They have no chemistry and now the two main “supporting” characters, who were the only interesting part of the show, have been fired for demanding pay equality. Hopefully they will find work on a much better show.

The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This is an HBO TV movie about the life and legacy of Henrietta Lacks, who due to some fluke of genetics, had immortal cells. These cells, called the HeLa line, have been invaluable for cancer research, while there is a real personal story here as well. The reviews are good, but not great, while there appears to be no extras on the DVD or Blu-ray. It is worth checking out, but I’m not sure it is worth buying over renting.

Karen Kingbury’s A Time to Dance - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
A married couple decide to get a divorce, but when their daughter announces she’s getting married, they decide to keep that news secret in the meantime. There are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but it is a Hallmark Channel original movie, so you can guess if you are part of the target audience.

Kevin Can Wait - Season 1 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
Kevin James returned to TV with this show. It is a sitcom, with all of the negative connotations that come with that label. The reviews were weak and the show lost half of its ratings from its premiere to the season finale. Unless you really like Kevin James as an actor, you can skip this one.

LEGO NINJAGO: Masters of Spinjitzu - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
This show is selling really well and that’s a good omen for the upcoming The Lego Ninjago Movie movie. On the other hand, I’ve never seen the show and there are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

Masterpiece Mystery!: Endeavour - Season 4 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A prequel to Inspector Morse. Stick with the original.

Megan Leavey - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This is one of the best-reviewed wide releases of the summer, but sadly it bombed in theaters. As a result, the only extra on the DVD / Blu-ray is a single featurette. It is still worth picking up, but it could have been a Pick of the Week contender, if it had a full selection of extras.


Mr. Mom - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
A classic comedy from the 1980s about a family where the husband loses his job and the wife becomes the breadwinner. We follow the husband as he struggles to learn to do basic housework. The only extras on the Blu-ray is a half-hour retrospective, which is sadly missing the two leads. Even so, it’s a shallow week and this film is a Pick of the Week contender, partially due to nostalgia.


This Blu-ray doesn’t come out until the 12th, but I got the screener early and the VOD is already out, so I decided to review it this week.

The Mummy - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4k Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This movie was supposed to launch the Dark Universe, but did it do its job? Will moviegoers who see this movie look forward to the next installment in the franchise? Or is the franchise already mortally wounded? Read our review for my opinon.


Paris Can Wait - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
For a while, this was one of the biggest limited release hits of the year. $5 million is still impressive for a limited release, especially one that earned mixed reviews. The mixed reviews means it is only worth a rental.


Rebecca: Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
An early Alfred Hitchcock classic starring Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier. It is widely considered a classic, while the Criterion Collection release includes a ton of extras, including some new interviews. It is easily worth picking up and a clear Pick of the Week contender.

Rough Night - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
One of several films greenlit as a result of the box office success of Bad Moms. This one earned mixed reviews and bombed in theaters. However, there are a lot of extras on the DVD and even some Blu-ray exclusives. If you like the movie, then the Blu-ray is worth buying. If you like the cast, give it a rental first.

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This sketch TV show ran from the late 1960s to the early 1970s and it is considered one of the best of the genre. The list of guest stars is impressive, beyond impressive, and if you like the genre, then the DVD is worth picking up.

South Park: The Complete Twentieth Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The last classic South Park episode was Make Love Not Warcraft. That was from season ten. It has been ten years since the show put out a classic episode. Ten years. One decade. Yes, the show did earn 100% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but that’s cause only the hardcore fans are still posting reviews there. The extras are good, but I’ve long since given up on this show.

Supernatural: The Complete Twelfth Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
See above. This is a show that jumped the shark six years ago, but it just keeps going. The reviews for the most recent season are 100% positive, but only because there are just six reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Wedding Plan - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
An orthodox Jewish woman is preparing for her wedding day when her fiancé leaves her. However, instead of canceling the wedding, she goes forward assuming God will provide her with a new husband in time for the wedding. The reviews are excellent and it is selling well, for a limited release. It is not quite Pick of the Week material, but it is worth picking up.

WWE: Unreleased: 1986-1995 - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A collection of previously unreleased matches from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s. I was never really a fan of the WWE, but I do actually recognize a few of the wrestlers on the cover. There is no Blu-ray release, but the DVD is selling well.


Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
American Psycho 2 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Band Aid - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Crime of Passion - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A Dark Song - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
First Kill - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Good Witch of the West: Complete Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Gosick: The Complete Series Part Two - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
The Heroic Legend of Arslan: Dust Storm Dance Season Two - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Iron Protector - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Last Face - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Lowriders - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Maurice - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Narcos: Season 2 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Score: A Film Music Documentary - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Security - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Spell - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
There are quite a few secondary Blu-ray releases coming out this week, including some that have earned amazing reviews, like Gosick: The Complete Series Part Two, Score: A Film Music Documentary, and others.


3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
No 3D releases this week. I might actually remove 3D films from the weekly list if this keeps up. I would have done it already, but I was worried if I didn’t remind myself that 3D films exist, I would forget to even look for them.


4K Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Blade Runner - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Cabin in the Woods - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Minions - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Red - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
RED 2 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Rough Night - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Blade Runner is an amazing movie as seeing it on 4k is probably just awesome. However, most people won’t be able to tell the difference between 4k and 1080p without sitting too close to the TV.


TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
Just Shoot Me! - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This show earned a lot of praise and was nominated for several Golden Globes and Emmys and was a huge hit for a number of years. (It was majorly screwed over by the network during its final season.) Only the first two seasons were ever released on DVD, so if you were waiting for season three to come out, wait no more and just buy all seven seasons for under $50. That’s a great deal for a great show.


Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
8 Assassins - No Reviews - Video on Demand
The Big Sick - Reviews - Video on Demand
Boomtown - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Loves’ Last Resort - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Under an Arctic Sky - No Reviews - Video on Demand
The Big Sick is the only secondary VOD release coming out this week to earn good reviews. In fact, it is the only such release to earn any reviews. It is absolutely worth picking up, but I would wait for the Blu-ray.


Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, Rebecca, Maurice, All Eyez on Me, The Mummy, The Last Face, Megan Leavey, Rough Night, Lowriders, Security, Laavor et hakir, A Dark Song, First Kill, Paris Can Wait, The Big Sick, Band Aid, Score: A Film Music Documentary, DC Extended Universe, Dark Universe, Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, Teri Garr, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Jim Henson, Alfred Hitchcock, Kevin James, Michael Keaton, Pamela Adlon