Home Market Releases for February 26th, 2019

February 26, 2019

Ralph Breaks the Internet

This week’s list includes a number of releases that are worth picking up, mostly of the smaller variety. There’s a foreign-language import, Border; a mostly forgotten comedy from the 1980s, Used Cars; a good movie that is busted Oscar-bait, Mary Queen of Scots; and an Anime slice of life, Love Live! Sunshine!!: Season Two. However, for most people, it’s the two biggest releases that are also the best: The Little Mermaid and Ralph Breaks the Internet. For me, Ralph Breaks the Internet on Blu-ray or 4K Ultra HD is the clear Pick of the Week.

Between Worlds - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
Nicolas Cage has made some bad movies recently. This is one of them. I hoping his career will turn around after films like Mom and Dad and Mandy, but this was a misstep.

Border - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This film earned nearly 100% positive reviews and even scored an Oscar nomination, albeit for Best Hair and Make-Up. There are no reviews on the Blu-ray, but it is still worth picking up. It is not a contender for Pick of the Week, on the other hand.


The Little Mermaid - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand (Movie Only)
Video on Demand (With Bonuses)
I previously reviewed this movie and my opinion hasn’t really changed. It’s a good movie, but I don’t consider it among the best from Disney’s Renaissance. This is the first time the film is out on 4K, but I haven’t made the leap to 4K yet, so I’m reviewing the new extras. (The old extras are on the digital version, so you download them.)

The new extras start with Alan Menken & the Leading Ladies Song, a 16-minute featurette with composer Alan Menken chatting with five of the actresses who appeared in movies he wrote the scores for. “What I want from you is... Your Voice” is a six-minute behind-the-scenes featurette that looks at the voice actors in the recording booth. Stories from Walt’s Office: Gadgets and Gizmos looks at some of the paraphernalia that Walt Disney collected, some of which inspired their movies and more. #TreasuresUntold is a six-minute trivia featurette. There is a new music video for “Part of Your World”.

Then there are older extras that were ported over from the previous set, including an audio commentary track, a featurette about a deleted character, etc.

Then there are the extras on the digital copy only. Some are new, like the 30-minute retrospective, but most are from the previous releases. There are three hours of them.

Overall, the Blu-ray / 4K Ultra HD release is certainly worth picking up. It is not quite a Pick of the Week contender, but it is close.

Also coming out this week are the two sequels on VOD, Return to the Sea and Ariel’s Beginning. Neither are great, but neither are that bad. They are solidly average.


Love Live! Sunshine!!: Season Two - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
An Anime series about a group of high school girls who are part of an Idol Club, but when their school is going to be shut down, they have to band together to save it. This is a very common plot in Anime shows, so much so that I wonder if a lot of schools are shutting down in Japan. It could be the result of an aging population. This show is earning better reviews than most and if you are a fan of Moe, then it is certainly worth checking out. That said, if you are not a fan of the series already, then you might want to wait for the regular edition to come out. It should take a year or two and it will be half price compared to the Limited Edition.

Mary Queen of Scots - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand, Video on Demand
Busted Oscar-bait. The film is good and worth checking out, but it was clearly made to win awards and that didn’t happen. Extras include an audio commentary track and three short featurettes. That’s not a lot, but it is better than a lot of limited releases get.

The Mole People - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This movie was featured on MST3K. That’s probably all you need to know to decide if this film is for you or not.

Mystery Road: Series One - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or
An Australian crime drama series. The show’s reviews are 100% positive and it won several major awards in Australia. The price is high, as it only ran for six episodes, so keep that in mind. There are 50 minutes of interviews on the DVD / Blu-ray, which is enough to make it worth picking up.

The Possession of Hannah Grace - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A low-budget horror movie that left critics unimpressed and that failed to find an audience in theaters.


Ralph Breaks the Internet - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand (Movie Only)
Video on Demand (With Extras)
Can this film live up to the original? If not, is there such a drop in quality that fans will want to stay away? Read our review for my opinion.


Rampant - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This film is selling surprisingly well, considering it barely earned overall positive reviews and failed to find an audience in limited release. It does have a couple of behind-the-scenes / making of featurettes, which is better than most foreign-language import have.

Used Cars - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
It has been a long time since I’ve seen this movie, at least two decades. However, I still remember that ending. The reviews are good and the Blu-ray has a new interview featurette, as well as audio commentary, outtakes, etc. It is worth picking up.


Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Adieu Galaxy Express 999: The Movie - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Desert Fury - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Galaxy Express 999: The Movie - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Hina Logic: From Luck & Logic - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Invasion of the Blood Farmers - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Just Because - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Kino's Journey - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Standard Definition on Blu-ray
Mausoleum - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Midnight Man - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
My Fair Lady - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Next of Kin - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
To Sleep With Anger: Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Spun: Unrated Director’s Cut - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Stand-In - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Vengeance Of She - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Wild Rovers - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Willard - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
There’s a good mix of secondary Blu-ray releases this week, ranging from classics and low-budget horror to Anime titles. The Criterion release of To Sleep With Anger is probably the best bet, but there’s something for everyone.


4K Ultra HD Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Dynasties: The Greatest of Their Kind - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
The Little Mermaid - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Mary Queen of Scots - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Ralph Breaks the Internet - Review - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
In my opinion, Ralph Breaks the Internet is the best 4K release of the week. On the other hand, The Little Mermaid is considered a classic by many, just not me.


TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
Andromeda - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Beastmaster - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Beyblade V-Force - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Standard Definition on Blu-ray
Damages - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Dead Zone - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The first two titles on this list are classic early 2000s cheese, not good, but can be entertaining at times. The last two are actually high quality and worth picking up. The middle one is mediocre, even for the genre average.


Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
The Hole in the Ground - Reviews - Video on Demand
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - Reviews - Video on Demand (Movie Only)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - Reviews - Video on Demand (With Extras)
I just put in my request for a Blu-ray screener for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. I can’t wait till it arrives.


C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, To Sleep With Anger, Mary Queen of Scots, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse 3D, Between Worlds, Gräns, Changgwol, The Possession of Hannah Grace, The Hole in the Ground, Next of Kin, Desert Fury, Nicolas Cage, Walt Disney, Alan Menken