Home Market Releases for December 12th, 2017
December 12, 2017
Christmas is rapidly approaching, so most of the big releases have already hit the home market. The biggest box office release on this week’s list is Kingsman: The Golden Circle, but its reviews were only mixed. The biggest release overall is Game of Thrones: Season Seven, while the only other competition for Pick of the Week is Election: The Criterion Collection. I’m going to award the title to Game of Thrones, even though the screener didn’t arrive until Monday afternoon.
All Saints - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Detroit - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
D.Gray-man: Season Three, Part Two - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Doc Martin: Series 8 - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Election: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Fuller House: The Complete Second Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Game of Thrones: Season Seven - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Home Again - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
House - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Kingsman: The Golden Circle - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Revolutionary Girl Utena: 20th Anniversary Ultra Edition Complete Series Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
The Strain: Season Four - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
The Trip of Spain - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Viceroy’s House - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Wolf Warrior 2 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Zoo: The Third Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Christmas Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
4K Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
Video on Demand
This film earned much better reviews than most faith-based films do, but it still bombed at the box office. The extras are not bad for a film that didn’t open truly wide and if you are in the target demographic, it is worth picking up. If you are not, it should still be worth at least a rental.
Given this film’s pedigree, it was widely expected to be a box office hit and perhaps even an Awards Season contender. Its reviews are good, but not Award-worthy, while it barely avoided the Mendoza Line during its first week in wide release. The extras are good, but not great. Call it a solid rental, leaning towards a purchase.
The final release in this Anime series. The reviews are great and the DVD has much better extras compared to most Anime titles, with audio commentary tracks on two episodes, a featurette, as well as the usual clean opening and closing titles.
Martin Clunes stars as the titular Doc Martin, a gifted surgeon who develops a fear of blood. He then becomes a GP in a small fishing town, but he has really bad bedside manners. The show has earned good reviews, even if there are none on Rotten Tomatoes, while the DVD / Blu-ray has nine featurettes in terms of extras. That’s good, especially since there are only 8 episodes.
This is one of those films that I think a lot of people misinterpret. I see a lot of people who think Tracy Flick is the bad guy. Matthew Broderick plays one of her teachers, Jim McAllister, and he points out early in the movie that she had an affair with another teacher and this caused him to lose his job. He blames Tracy Flick for this and a lot of people in the audience seem to agree with him. However, a high school teacher having an affair with a student is almost certainly statutory rape and, if not, there’s no rational way to call the teacher the victim here. The only other “fault” Tracy Flick has that Jim dislikes is her ambition and now that comes across as a red flag for Jim, not Tracy. As for the Criterion Collection, there are a lot of extras, including a couple of interviews new to this set. If you don’t own it on Blu-ray, now’s the perfect time to pick it up.
The first season earned bad reviews and there are no reviews for season two on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s a really bad sign. On the other hand, it is getting a third season, so clearly the fans like it.
Video on Demand
I’m still waiting for the screener for this release. I did watch the episodes as they came out and I would say it was the weakest season since season two, but it ended on a really strong note. For those who don’t know, originally this was supposed to be the final season, but HBO wanted to stretch it out some more, so the writers came up with two shortened seasons instead of a final season. However, the first half felt compressed with too many big events happening too quickly. (Way too quickly, if you look at what the travel time between locations should be.) I’m still very excited to see the final season, in 2019, but season seven would have been better with more breathing room. I haven’t seen the extras yet, but there are a lot of them, including a bonus disc. It is clearly a Pick of the Week contender. Also coming out this week is the Box Set, which is worth it, if you just got into the show and want to catch up before the final season.
Video on Demand
Weak reviews, box office bomb, and the only extra is an audio commentary track. There’s not a lot here to sell the film.
House II: The Second Story - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
I like these movies more than the average critic and it is now cheaper to buy the two films individually than buy the two-movie box set.
Video on Demand
I liked the first movie, but didn’t love it. On the other hand, I was looking forward to the sequel, because with a few fixes, it could have been great. Unfortunately, the reviews are even weaker and it looks like the film went in the wrong direction. If you loved the first one, then this one is still worth picking up. If you liked the first one, maybe give this one a rental. Anything lower than that and you can give this one a pass. Also coming out this week is a Two-Movie Box Set.
An Anime title from the 1990s. Its reviews are stunning and there are tons of extras, both physical and on the Blu-rays. On the other hand, this is nearly $200, which is a lot, even for Anime fans, who are used to paying high prices.
Video on Demand
This TV show started with great reviews and solid ratings. However, both quickly dropped and by the third season the show was a mere shadow of the first season. Season four was better, but it was too late and there will be no season five. At least the writers knew this was the end and were able to give the fans closure. Also coming out this week is a Complete Series Megaset.
Video on Demand
The third film in The Trip franchise. In this installment, Steve and Rob travel across Spain eating amazing food, doing impressions, and generally annoying each other. Most critics agree it isn’t quite as good as the first two films, but it is still worth picking up. There are no special features, so it isn’t a Pick of the Week contender as a result.
Video on Demand
A period piece that earned good reviews, but not great reviews, and did okay at the box office, for a limited release. It is only getting a DVD release, which hurts its overall value. That said, it is at least worth a $6 rental, while if you are a fan of the genre and the cast, it is worth picking up.
Video on Demand
This is not only the biggest Chinese film ever made, it is one of the biggest box office hits ever. Only one movie earned more in one market than this film earned in China. On the other hand, the film made just $2 million here, so its only extras are some behind-the-scene featurettes. It is still worth checking out, because of its historical significance, but it won’t find an audience on the home market.
This TV show started out with mixed reviews. Then in season two all but five critics stopped reviewing the show. By season three, the ratings were so low that it was canceled. If you liked the show enough to buy the first two seasons, you might as well complete your collection. If you haven’t seen the show, you can keep ignoring it.
Once Upon a Time at Christmas - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Pottersville - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Tangled: The Series: Queen For A Day - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
There are only three Christmas releases this week, and not a single positive review between them.
Chaika the Coffin Princess - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Code of Silence - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Complete Monterey Pop Festival: The Criterion Collection - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
D.O.A.: A Right of Passage - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
George Gently: Series 8 - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Legend of the Lost - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Pulp - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
When They Cry: Complete Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Complete Monterey Pop Festival is the best secondary Blu-ray on this week’s list. On the other hand, if you are into Anime, then get When They Cry right away. The reviews are amazing, but it is cursed. The first distributor went bankrupt before releasing the whole series. The second one dropped it due to low sales, so grab it from the new distributor, sentai, before something goes wrong again.
No 3D releases this week.
Leon - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Moonlight - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Both films are great movies, but neither need to been seen in 4K to be enjoyed.
George Gently - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Power Rangers: Jungle Fury - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Strain - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Power Rangers: Jungle Fury is the series before RPM, which is the only series I enjoyed enough to spend money on. I will be buying it when it comes out.
Apache Warrior - Reviews - Video on Demand
Emily - Reviews - Video on Demand
Flatliners - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Lego Ninjago Movie - Reviews - Video on Demand
Love by Chance - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Ms. Matched - No Reviews - Video on Demand
School Life - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Lego Ninjago Movie is the biggest secondary VOD release on this week’s list, while School Life is best.
Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Election, The Lego Ninjago Movie, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Flatliners, Home Again, Emily, In Loco Parentis, Viceroy’s House, Detroit, All Saints, The Trip to Spain, Zhan Lang 2, Once Upon a Time at Christmas, Apache Warrior, Pottersville, Ms. Matched, Love by Chance, The Trip, Matthew Broderick, Rob Brydon, Martin Clunes, Steve Coogan, Reese Witherspoon