Home Market Releases for December 18th, 2018

December 18, 2018

It’s an odd week on the home market, as there are four major first run releases coming out this week, but almost nothing else. Fun fact, I got screeners for all four of these films, although one of them arrived too late to review. Of these four, A Simple Favor is clearly the best and the DVD / Blu-ray / 4K is a contender for Pick of the Week. Its only competition is the 4K release for 2001: A Space Odyssey.

2001: A Space Odyssey - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
This is one of the best Sci-fi movies of all time. In fact, it is one of the best movies of all time. The re-release earned more than $1 million, so it clearly still has an audience. The Blu-ray and 4K release both have a ton of extras and it is easily worth picking up. In fact, it is a clear contender for Pick of the Week.

Assassination Nation - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This film earned good reviews, but it completely bombed in theaters, opened well below the Mendoza Line, and finished with barely more than $2 million. The only extras on the DVD / Blu-ray are some deleted scenes and outtakes. It is still worth checking out and it has real cult market potential, so many will want to buy it.

Christopher Lee Dracula Double-Shot
Dracula: Prince of Darkness - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Horror of Dracula - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Two different Christopher Lee Dracula movies coming out from two different distributors. Horror of Dracula is arguably the better movie, but Prince of Darkness is still a great movie and the Blu-ray is loaded with extras.

Fahrenheit 11/9 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This is a good movie, but what would have been its target audience is mostly tired of Michael Moore at this point.

Little Women - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This isn’t as bad as some of the faith-based films that have come out recently, but that’s not the same as being good.

Murder by Death - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
I love this movie more than the average critic. I think I might pick this up, once the Christmas rush at work is done. (At this point, I don’t even know when I would be able to watch it.) It is worth owning, but there are only two extras: a new audio commentary track and an archival interview.

The Predator - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, or Blu-ray Combo, 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
One of four first-run releases coming out this week. It is the only one I didn’t review this week, but that’s because the screener didn’t arrive until Monday. I’ll get the review done over the weekend. Also coming out this week is the Predator: 4 Movie Collection.

Christmas Releases - Buy from Amazon:

A Frozen New Year’s - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I assume this will be the last Christmas release of the year.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Air Strike - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Bloody Birthday - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Blue Seed: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: SD on BD
Dark of the Sun - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Elemental Gelade: Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: SD on BD
The Jerk: The 40th Anniversary - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
k.d. lang - Ingenue Redux: Live from The Majestic Theater - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Marwencol: Special Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Méliès: Fairy Tales in Color - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Not Without My Daughter - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Panique - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Sea Hawk - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Snowflake - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Starman: Collector's Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Tales of Zestiria the X: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Xabungle - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: SD on BD
The Jerk is 40 years old? I’m going to lie down. Also, I really like the new trend with older Anime being released in standard definition on Blu-ray. If the show is old enough and the source material can’t be converted into high definition, Blu-ray still offers a lot of storage.

4K Ultra HD Releases - Buy from Amazon:
2001: A Space Odyssey - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
The House with a Clock in its Walls - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
The Predator - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Predator: 4-Movie Collection - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Schindler’s List - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
A Simple Favor - Review - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Venom - review - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
2001: A Space Odyssey is the best 4K release on this week’s list. Hands down. It’s not even close.

TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
Power Rangers: Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The Shield - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
There are two TV on DVD Megasets this week and they have vastly different target audiences.

Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
1985 - Reviews - Video on Demand
Bad Times at the El Royale - Reviews - Video on Demand
Bob Lazar: Area 51 and Flying Saucers - Reviews - Video on Demand
Life Itself - Reviews - Video on Demand
Bad Times at the El Royale is the only secondary VOD release on this week’s list that I’m interested in. I might get a screener for the film.

C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Venom, Little Women, The Predator, Panique, Fahrenheit 11/9, The House with a Clock in its Walls, Life Itself, A Simple Favor, Assassination Nation, Air Strike, Dracula: Prince of Darkness, Bob Lazar: Area 51 & Flying Saucers, Schneeflöckchen, Predator, Jack Black, Christopher Lee, Michael Moore