Home Market Releases for September 10th, 2019

September 11, 2019

Echo in the Canyon

There are two monster hits coming out this week, Aladdin and John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, and this has scared away almost all of the competition. Fortunately, John Wick is amazing and a clear Pick of the Week contender. There was only one other film in contention for that title, Echo in the Canyon. Granted, I like Parabellum more, but it was already awarded the Pick of the Week when it hit VOD, so Echo in the Canyon gets the honor this week.


Aladdin

Aladdin (Live Action) - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand, Video on Demand (with Extras), Video on Demand (4K Ultra HD)
Aladdin (Animated) - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand or Video on Demand (With Extras)
Both the original animated film and this year’s live-action remake hit the home market. Are they worth picking up? Read our review for my opinion.

Also coming out this week are about a dozen other animated films released by Disney. Some of these are coming out on 4K for the first time. These include:

Brave - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Cars - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Cars 2 - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Finding Nemo - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
The Good Dinosaur - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Inside Out - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Ratatouille - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
There are even more animated films from the studio getting Blu-ray re-releases, too many to list.


The Alienist

The Alienist - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A TV mini-series based on a novel by the same name. It stars Daniel Brühl as a psychologist, or Alienist as the profession was called back then. He enlists the help of his friend from college, John Moore, and the first woman to work for the NYPD, Sara Howard, to investigate the murder of a very young male prostitute. At first he does so merely because the circumstances remind him of an unsolved case he was connected to. However, he then learns there have been many such murders and the cops have been covering it up, because having a serial killer on the loose is bad for them and since the victims are street kids, covering it up is easier than solving the case.

The Alienist earned six Primetime Emmys, but they were all in technical categories and none of the prestige categories. To be fair, Dakota Fanning did earn a couple of nominations in more specialized awards ceremonies. This greatly sums up the quality of the TV show. It is technically amazing and if you are a fan of period dramas, especially darker and more macabre genres, it is certainly worth checking out. However, it isn’t truly award-worthy. I did like the acting, not just from Dakota Fanning, while the story is engaging. Granted, I am burnt out on police procedurals, but the setting and the early use of psychology and newer forensic sciences helps it stand out.

Extras include Inside the Episode, which are three to four minute behind-the-scene featurettes for all ten episodes. Disc two also has Pixel by Pixel, a 24-minute long featurette on what it took to make the show accurate to the period setting. Inside The Alienist is a three-part, ten-minute look at some of the themes explored in the show, including the class differences, new sciences, etc. The third disc has another three-parts to Inside The Alienist.

Overall, The Alienist is certainly worth picking up, especially for fans of period piece mysteries, but it is not a contender for Pick of the Week.


Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This British horror movie isn’t among the biggest or the best in that genre, but it is worth checking out for fans of the genre.

The Dead Don’t Die - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This film has an outstanding cast, a great writer / director, and a premise I was instantly sold on. ... It also only managed mixed reviews and it might be the biggest critical disappointment of the year. There are only three featurettes for extras, which is also disappointing, so it is worth no more than a rental.


Echo in the Canyon

Echo in the Canyon - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A documentary about the music scene that came out of Laurel Canyon in the 1960s. It is one of the best documentaries of the year and a must have for fans of rockumentaries. Sadly there are no extras on the DVD / Blu-ray, but it is still a Pick of the Week contender.


John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum

John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
The John Wick franchise has seen some of the most impressive growth in a movie franchise I’ve ever seen. Has the quality also risen with the film’s box office? Or is the franchise just growing into a bloated mess? Read our review for my opinion.


Scars of Dracula - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The second British horror film on this week’s list. This is the weaker of the two and only for fans of Christopher Lee.


Christmas Releases - Buy from Amazon:
A Charlie Brown Christmas - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Dasher - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The Santa Clause - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Santa Clause 2 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Santa Clause Trilogy - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
It’s too early for Christmas releases. The two Charlie Brown releases are worth owning, as is the first Santa Clause film.


TV on DVD Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Chicago P.D.: Season Six - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Flower Shop Mystery: Complete Movie Collection - No Review - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Halloweentown 3 & 4 2-Movie Collection - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Harvest Love - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Hawaii Five-O: The Ninth Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The Jetsons: The Complete Original Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
RWBY - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
SEAL Team: Season Two - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Serengeti - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Supernatural: Season 14 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This Is Us: Season 3 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Twitches - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
It’s a big week for TV on DVD releases with several TV movies, full seasons, and even a Megaset to pick from.


Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Armstrong - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Blindfold - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Book Of Bantorra - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Circus of Horrors - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Cloud Capped Star: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Infini-T Force: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Kiss Me Kate - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Mirage - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Paranormal Activity - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Pittsburgh - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
My First Girlfriend Is a Gal: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Reap the Wild Wind - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Spoilers - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Stella - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A Touch Of Class - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This week’s selection of secondary Blu-ray releases has a several John Wayne movies, but none of his biggest titles.


3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Dial M for Murder - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 3D Blu-ray
A 3D film by Alfred Hitchcock. If that doesn’t get you excited, then I don’t know what else to say.


4K Ultra HD Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Casino - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Daybreakers - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Jurassic World: Five-Film Collection - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Lock Up - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
The Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy is the best 4K release this week, but Jurassic World is the release that will benefit the most from the leap to 4K.


Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
Anna - Reviews - Video on Demand
Anna - Reviews - Video on Demand
D-Day - Reviews - Video on Demand
Shaft - Reviews - Video on Demand
Yesterday - Reviews - Video on Demand
Yesterday is the best of the secondary VOD releases, but I kind of want to watch Shaft more.


C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Shaft, Aladdin, Anna, John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, Yesterday, The Dead Don’t Die, Echo in the Canyon, Armstrong, Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb, Scars of Dracula, Jurassic Park, Santa Clause, Paranormal Activity, Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy, John Wick, John Wayne, Daniel Brühl, Dakota Fanning, Alfred Hitchcock, Christopher Lee, Luke Evans