Home Market Releases for October 3rd, 2017

October 3, 2017

It is not a great week for home market releases. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is the biggest release of the week, but it is far from the best. As for the Pick of the Week contenders, they are all horror themed. Cult of Chucky is surprisingly good, especially for a franchise that’s lasted seven installments. Don't Torture A Duckling is a giallo film, and an important one in its director’s career. Up next is iZombie: Season Three, which is amazing, but it is always on the edge of being canceled. Finally, there's Vampyr: Criterion Collection Blu-ray. In the end, I went with the Don't Torture A Duckling: Special Edition as the Pick of the Week. Meanwhile, Goon: Last of the Enforcers Blu-ray Combo Pack earned Puck of the Week, for the best Canadian release.

2 Broke Girls: Season Six - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This show ended after six seasons, not because the ratings were bad (they were better than average for the network) but because of behind-the-scenes contract issues. This is the same reason Last Man Standing was also canceled last season. Fans of the show will want to complete their DVD collection. Personally, I really liked the chemistry between Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs, I just wish the rest of the show lived up to the two leads.

976-Evil - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Robert Englund made his directorial with this movie. The reviews are terrible, but it is selling well this week. Then again, it is close to Halloween, so all horror films are selling better than usual. To be fair, it did develop a bit of a cult following on the home market and it is not as bad as the film’s Tomatometer Score. Extras include both versions of the movie, plus a new audio commentary track with the director and his wife, Nancy Booth, who was the set designer on this film.

American Horror Story: Season 6 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
I reviewed this show and liked it, but not enough to keep up with future seasons. The only real extra is a Q&A session at PaleyFest.

The Book of Henry - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This film might be remembered best as the film that cost Colin Trevorrow his chance to direct a Star Wars film. That’s not fair. This movie is baffling in how bad it is, but he lost the job due to his inability to work with Kathleen Kennedy. There are very few people who have a better Hollywood resume than Kathleen Kennedy. As for this movie, it is bizarre in how bad it is, but wait till you can watch it for free on Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. It might be worth your time to yell, “Who thought this was a good idea?!”, but it is not worth your money.

Children of the Corn: Special Edition - Reviews Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
A Stephen King adaptation from the 1980s. The reviews are weak, but it has a cult following and the Special Edition Blu-ray is loaded with extras. There are two audio commentary tracks, making of featurettes, interviews, etc. It is a must have for fans of the movie. It is worth the money for fans of Stephen King in general.

Cult of Chucky - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The latest in the Child’s Play franchise and it is earning 100% positive reviews. Granted, there are only eight on Rotten Tomatoes (There’s one more here.) Extras include an audio commentary track and a pair of making of featurettes. That’s not a lot compared to a first-run release, but it’s good for a Direct-to-DVD release. It’s a great time for grab a horror movie and you would be hard pressed to find one better than this on this week’s list. Also coming out this week is the Complete Movie Collection.

Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School - Despair Arc - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This Anime is based on a video game and I’ve been warned by some that you really need to have played the video game to understand the Anime. That said, the video games are earning incredible reviews on Steam, so I might add them to my wish list.

The Divergent Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The series started out weak and got much weaker very quickly. The final film is being turned into a TV movie and perhaps a TV series, but I really think they should quit now.

Don't Torture A Duckling: Special Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
A giallo film directed by Lucio Fulci. It is one of his best-known and most liked. Extras include an audio commentary track, two video essays, and an interview featurette. It is worth picking up if you are a fan of horror movies in general. It is a must have if you are a fan of giallo.

Dragon Ball Super: Part Two - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This is one of the longest running shows of all time and I have long since run out of things to talk about. It does have slightly better extras than the average Anime release.

A Fish Called Wanda - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
There are a lot of extras on the Blu-ray, but not a lot of new extras. That said, it is one of the best comedies of the 1980s and it is a must have. On the other hand, it was released on Blu-ray about five years ago and I’m not 100% convinced it is worth the double-dip. If you don’t already own it, then buy it. Absolutely buy it.

A Ghost Story - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Casey Affleck stars as an unnamed ghost who is stuck in the home he used to live in, but unstuck in time. The reviews were amazing, but it never really found a mainstream audience. Extras include an audio commentary track, two featurettes, and a deleted scene.

Goon: Last of the Enforcers - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
I loved the first Goon movie, but this film’s reviews are mixed. It is a sequel, which is part of the problem. The first movie surprised people, while this one can’t come out of nowhere like the original did. Extras include an audio commentary and a making of featurette. It is worth checking out for fans of sports comedies, worth picking up for fans of hockey movies.

House Of Cards: Season Five - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I think it is safe to say this show has jumped the shark. It is still worth checking out, but I’m not sure it is worth picking up.

iZombie: Season Three - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I love this show, but its ratings are barely enough to keep it alive on the CW. I lost three shows last season, so I don’t want to lose another. Extras are light with just the 2016 Comic-Con Panel and deleted scenes. Even so, it is worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.

LEGO NINJAGO: Masters of Spinjitzu: The Complete Seventh Season - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This is one of the best-selling new releases of the week, so it is not that surprising Warner Bros. thought The Lego Ninjago Movie would be a big hit.

Little Shop of Horrors: The Director's Cut - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This Blu-ray includes the director’s cut, but the director’s cut is also getting a special engagement theatrical release at the end of the month, a.k.a. Halloween. I haven’t seen the director’s cut, nor are there any reviews specifically for that version on Rotten Tomatoes. Extras include both versions of the movie, audio commentary track, featurette, and deleted / extended / alternate scenes.

Lost Horizon - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
This is the 1937 original film and not the 1973 disaster. It was the most expensive film made at the time and struggled to find an audience in theaters. (Multiple cuts to bring its running time down didn’t help.) Now it is considered a classic and has 100% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Extras include an audio commentary track, a featurette on the restoration process, and an alternate ending. It is certainly worth picking up for fans of movies from the era.

Murder, She Baked: 3-Movie Collection - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Three movies from the Murder, She Baked series from Hallmark. None of these movies have any reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but they sell well on the home market, so they clearly have a target audience that loves them.

Night of the Living Dead - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Skip it. This horror classic underwent a 4K restoration last year, but its Blu-ray debut does not use that new print and there are no extras. Just wait till a 4K restoration is available on Blu-ray.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand (Movie Only) or Video on Demand (With Bonus Features)
I had a chance to review this title, but I’m tired of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The first one was good, the rest have been suffering from the law of diminishing returns and they are no longer worth my time.

Popcorn - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A group hold a movie marathon featuring horror films from the 1950s and 1960s. Unknown to them, the projectionist is a killer and begins killing members of the audience. The reviews are bad and it struggled in theaters when it was first released in the 1980s, but it does have a cult following on the home market. Yeah, I’m saying that a lot this week. Extras include an audio commentary track, a nearly hour-long making of featurette, and an interview featurette. If you like the movie, then it is worth picking up. If you like similar films, at least give it a rental.

Vampyr: Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
I own the DVD Criterion Collection release and I’m serious considering upgrading to the Blu-ray, even though there appears to be no new extras. That said, if you don’t have it, then it is a must buy.

Vikings: Season 4, Volume 2 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
I’ve seen a couple of seasons of this show and I liked it, but there are only so many hours in a week and I can’t watch everything I like. Extras on the DVD include extended cuts for the episodes, a featurette on the women on the show, a behind-the-scenes featurette on one of the stuntmen, and deleted scenes. The Blu-ray also has the international versions of the episodes. It is worth picking up.

When Calls The Heart: Year Four - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
These faith-based period dramas sell well on the home market, but there are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, so it likely has low crossover appeal.

The Wizard of Lies - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A biopic about Bernie Madoff starring Robert De Niro as Bernie Madoff, while Michelle Pfeiffer stars as his wife, Ruth. The actors both earned Emmy nominations for their performances, while it also earned Emmy nominations for best TV movie and best casting. It didn’t win any of them. That sums up its quality nicely. It is really good, but not great. Extras are limited to some cast interviews, which is enough to be worth picking up, but not enough to be a Pick of Week contender.

Christmas Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Broadcasting Christmas - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Video on Demand
The Carol Burnett Show: Carol's Lost Christmas - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Christmas for a Dollar - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The Christmas Note - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Video on Demand
Debbie Macomber's Mr. Miracle - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Video on Demand
A December Bride - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD - Video on Demand
Finding Father Christmas - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Video on Demand
A Heavenly Christmas - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Video on Demand
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: Holiday Hearts - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Operation Christmas - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD - Video on Demand
Prancer - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
There were a lot of Christmas releases this week, so many I actually had to trim the list, which I normally don’t do. (I trimmed all of the “Four Movie Sets”, where were just four TV specials.) Most of the remaining releases are part of Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas event, none of which have any reviews. Then again, you are either a fan of Hallmark Channel’s original movies or you are not. You don’t need critics telling you what you will think.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Atomica - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Churchill - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
City of Ghosts - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Drifters: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
The Game Changer - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Golden Time: Complete Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Loch Ness: Series 1 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Original Gangstas - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Student Council Saga Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Not a lot of secondary Blu-ray releases this week. There are a few Anime titles that are intriguing. Revolutionary Girl Utena is about 20 years old, but it has held up in terms of quality. The animation style is clearly from the 1990s, but the story has aged well and it is worth checking out.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
After a couple of weeks of 3D Blu-ray releases, there are none this week.

4K Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Bram Stoker's Dracula - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
The Bridge on the River Kwai - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Puccini: Tosca - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
The biggest 4K release of the week is Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, but it is just not worth it.

TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Only one TV on DVD Megaset this week and really is is just a single season of Hanna-Barbera cartoon hour, which ran for many, many seasons in the 1960s and the 1970s.

C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Children of the Corn, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, The Book of Henry, Goon: Last of the Enforcers, Elser, Overdrive, Girls Trip, Lady Macbeth, Churchill, A Ghost Story, Super Dark Times, City of Ghosts, Landline, The Wizard of Lies, Cult of Chucky, Sharknado 5: Global Swarming, A December Bride, Finding Father Christmas, Operation Christmas, The Scopia Effect, The Christmas Note, Broadcasting Christmas, A Heavenly Christmas, Haunters: The Art of the Scare, Stop at Nothing: The Lance Armstrong Story, The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille, The Motion: Gooch’s Journey, Child's Play, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Divergent Series, Robert De Niro, Casey Affleck, Kat Dennings, Robert Englund, Stephen King, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Trevorrow, Beth Behrs, Lucio Fulci

Home Market Releases for October 3rd, 2017

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