Home Market Releases for May 21st, 2019

May 21, 2019

It is a very strange week on the home market. There are two $100 million hits, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World and The Upside, a midlevel hit, Isn’t it Romantic, and then practically nothing. The week’s releases are more top-heavy than any other week I can remember. Fortunately, the biggest release of the week, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, is also one of the best wide releases of the year so far and it is easily the Pick of the Week. In fact, it would likely have won that title even if it was a busier than average week.

Call the Midwife: Season Eight - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This season has the weakest ratings in the U.K. for the series so far, as well as some of the weaker reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. That said, 80% positive reviews are still great, while its ratings were high enough to get the show renewed till season 11. If you liked the show enough to buy the previous seasons, then there’s no reason to stop now.

Her Smell - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This may or may not be coming out this Friday. It has so many different release dates that I no longer know for sure. It is worth picking up, if it is out.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
It’s the pick of the week. I was hoping to get a screener for this film, but it hasn’t arrived yet. Granted, it was a holiday in Canada this past weekend, so that could explain the delay. Hopefully it will get here soon, as I am nearly done with all of the late screeners. I usually don’t like to award Pick of the Week to a film if the screener is late, but its reviews are over 90% positive and the DVD and Blu-ray are loaded with extras, while there is no real competition for this title, so it is Pick of the Week.

Also coming out this week is the Franchise Box Set. It is worth picking up, if you don’t own any of the previous movies. If you own the previous ones, then buying the third movie separately is a better deal.

Last minute update: The screener arrived just as I was finishing this story. However, I already started watching a different late screener that had previously arrived, so this one will have to wait a couple of days more.

Isn’t it Romantic? - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
A fun deconstruction of Romantic Comedies. It’s not award-worthy, but this genre rarely is. There are not a lot of extras on the DVD / Blu-ray, just a single featurette and some deleted scenes. Even so, it is worth picking up for fans of the genre and / or the cast, but it is not a contender for Pick of the Week.

Les Miserables - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A six-part mini-series from PBS based on the famous novel by Victor Hugo. There are no extras on the two-disc set, but the quality is high enough that it is still worth picking up.

The Upside - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
The film earned mixed reviews, because it relies too heavily on clichés. That said, the performances from the two lead actors are charming enough that it is still worth checking out. Furthermore, there are lots of extras, so it is worth picking up for fans of the cast.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Big Brother - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Bitter Moon: Special Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Black Moon Rising: Special Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Dead Hooker In A Trunk - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Earthquake - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Hunted - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Image Book - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Katana Maidens: Toji No Miko - Part Two - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Let the Sunshine In: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Nixon: Special Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
RKO Classic: Adventures - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
RKO Classic: Romances - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Robbery - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Sagrada Reset: The Complete Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
She-Devils On Wheels - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Von Richthofen and Brown - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
White Chambers - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Let the Sunshine In is arguably the best of the secondary Blu-ray releases. Unless you want something really old school, then grab the RKO Classic: Adventures and Romances instead.

4K Ultra HD Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Crank - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is the biggest and best release of the week and it likely looks amazing in 4K.

TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
Another week without TV on DVD Megasets.

Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
Five Feet Apart - Reviews - Video on Demand
Gloria Bell - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Ruben Brandt, Collector - Reviews - Video on Demand
Tyler Perry's a Madea Family Funeral - Reviews - Video on Demand
Gloria Bell is the best VOD release of the week and I hope the screener arrives here soon.

C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Bitter Moon, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Isn’t it Romantic, The Upside, Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral, Un beau soleil intérieur, Her Smell, Le Livre D’Image, Five Feet Apart, Da Shi Xiong, Gloria Bell, Ruben Brandt, a gyujto, White Chamber, Robbery, How to Train Your Dragon, Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart