Home Market Releases for July 9th, 2019

July 11, 2019

Alphaville

It’s a very shallow week on the home market. There are two wide releases, but neither are worth picking up. There were several that are worth owning: Dead of Night, Mothra: SteelBook Edition, Silent Hill: Collectors Edition, and This Island Earth: Blu-ray. However, there was only one true contender for Pick of the Week, Alphaville: Special Edition.

After - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
A Young Adult Adaptation that was based on a book that was originally a One Direction fanfic. Not surprisingly, the reviews are terrible. That said, it did well enough to get a sequel in the works, so clearly it has a fanbase out there.


Alphaville

Alphaville: Special Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
A Sci-fi film from Jean-Luc Godard about a private eye, Lemmy, sent to destroy the computer AI that controls a neighboring city. The reviews are fantastic and it is a Sci-fi film that has more in common with Film Noir of the day than modern blockbusters, so it is doubly interesting to me. Extras include an audio commentary track and an interview with co-star Anna Karina. That’s not a lot, but it is better than most 50-year old films would get and it is enough to be a Pick of the Week contender.


The BRD Trilogy: The Criterion Collection - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Three films from Rainer Werner Fassbinder, who had a prolific, but tragically short career as part of the New German Cinema movement. It is a Criterion Collection release, so you know it’s good. There was a DVD of this box set released in 2003, but it has since gone out of print and its $300 on the secondary market, or $75 used. Yikes! I bet there are a lot of fans of this director who are happy to see this box set get a Blu-ray release this week.

Dead of Night - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A horror anthology from 1945. The reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are amazing and this film is very influential on the genre, so it is worth checking out. There are only two extras; however, those extras are an audio commentary track and a feature-length retrospective documentary, so it is a case of quality over quantity. It is definitely worth picking up.

Gotham: Season Five - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This was a divisive show with some people loving it and others hating it. I just couldn’t get into the show. Also coming out this week is the complete series Megaset.

High Life - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This film earned more than $1 million in limited release, which is very rare, especially for a film that was described as too art house by some. There are only two making of featurettes on the Blu-ray, which does limit its value. Given the subject of the film, I would start with a rental.

Little - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
Regina Hall stars as an aggressive business mogul who gets trapped in her younger self, played by Marsai Martin. It’s one of those movies that you will watch on a streaming service and go, “That was okay.”

The Magicians: Season Four - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
I only watched the first two seasons of this show, but did enjoy it. I hear there was a controversial death in season four, so controversial that many people were thinking about dropping the show entirely. When something like this happens, I think it is smart to wait a season to see if the show recovers before buying the current season on DVD or Blu-ray.

Mothra: SteelBook Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
I’m not a fan of SteelBook Editions, because they are a pain to store. That said, this is Mothra, so I might make an exception. The only extra is an audio commentary track, so while it is worth picking up, it isn’t a Pick of the Week contender.

Pet Sematary - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This remake was an improvement on the original, but not by enough to be worth more than a rental. You can also buy this movie with the original in a Blu-ray or 4K Boxset.

Silent Hill: Collectors Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
I like this movie more than the average critic did, but even I think it was flawed. The atmosphere was enough to be engaging, but the replay value is limited. There are lots of extras, including a new audio commentary track, interviews, etc. If you are a fan, then it is worth picking up.


Captain Marvel

Terra Formars - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This is a Sci-fi film based on a Manga adapted previously as an Anime. It is directed by Takashi Miike and I was curious to see how he would tackle the source material. Is the movie more than just a curiousity? Read our review for my opinion.


This Island Earth - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Most people know this movie as the one featured in MST3K: The Movie, but it is actually a good movie. Not a great movie, but one worth watching without the jokes. There are a ton of extras on the Blu-ray, including two new audio commentary tracks. It is certainly worth picking up, but it is not quite a Pick of the Week contender.


Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
American Experience: Chasing the Moon - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Bronco Billy - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Buster Keaton Collection: Volume 2 - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Endeavour: Season 6 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Extraordinary World of Charley Bowers - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Europa Europa: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Lonesome Dove: SteelBook Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Loveless - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Mojin: The Worm Valley - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Peter Pan - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Picasso Trigger - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Pretenders - With Friends - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Professor - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Savage Beach - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Thunder Bay - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Transit - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Tuff Turf - Reviews - Buy from Amazon:Blu-ray
The Tough Ones: Deluxe Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
It’s a good week if you like classics from the silent film era, with The Buster Keaton Collection: Volume 2, The Extraordinary World of Charley Bowers, and Peter Pan coming out. Or if you like movies that promise Bullets, Bombs, and Babes, there are two more Andy Sidaris films coming out.


4K Ultra HD Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Hulk - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Space Station - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Waterworld - Reviews Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Space Station is easily the best secondary 4K releases this week. On a side note, looking at Hulk, I think they are hoping people won’t realize what version of that property it is.


TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
Broad City - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Forever Knight - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Strangers with Candy - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Broad City: Season Five is also coming out this week. On a side note, I remember enjoying Forever Knight, but it has been so long since I’ve seen it I can’t fully recommend it. It has been over two decades since the show ended and my memory might not be accurate.


Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
Alita: Battle Angel - Reviews - Video on Demand
Hellboy - Reviews - Video on Demand
Hellboy - Reviews - Video on Demand (4K UHD)
Sun, Sand & Romance - Reviews - Video on Demand
I put in a request to review Alita: Battle Angel and I really hope it gets here soon. I think I will enjoy it more than the average critic, because it seems tailor made for me.


C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Europa Europa, Alita: Battle Angel, Pet Sematary, Little, Transit, After, High Life, Yun Nan Chong Gu Yunnan Valley, The Professor, Mosura, Jean-Luc Godard, Regina Hall, Anna Karina, Eddie Constantine, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Andy Sidaris, Marsai Martin