Home Market Releases for January 28th, 2020

January 30, 2020

The big winter releases are starting to come out, but the overall quantity of releases is still rather soft. Terminator: Dark Fate is the biggest release of the week, but it isn’t the best. As for the best, it was a close two-way race between Fail Safe and Parasite, with the latter winning by the tiniest of margins.

Fail Safe: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This movie is an absolute classic; however, it was mostly ignored because it came out at the same time as Dr. Strangelove, which had a strikingly similar premise. They were both released by the same studio and the studio gave preferential treatment to Dr. Strangelove. Extras include the audio commentary track and an interview from the 2000 release, plus a new interview about Cold War films. That’s not a lot of new extras, but the remastered Blu-ray is enough to lift the release to a Pick of the Week contender.

Harriet - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This film is busted Oscar-bait. It’s still a good movie, but it follows the biopic formula too rigidly to win over Awards Season voters. The only extras are an audio commentary track, two short featurettes, and some deleted scenes. It’s worth picking up for fans of the genre and / or cast, but it is not Pick of the Week material.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Set 5: Diamond Is Unbreakable, Part 2 - Limited Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This is one of the most popular Anime franchises of recent years. It is also a show you can’t really jump into partway through an arc. That said, if you are a fan, you have likely pre-ordered this release weeks ago, if not sooner.

Motherless Brooklyn - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This movie bombed in theaters, but it isn’t as bad as its box office numbers would indicate. In fact, it is worth checking out. Extras include an audio commentary track, a making of featurette, and some deleted scenes. That’s nothing special, but better than expected, given the film’s box office troubles. Call it a solid rental, leaning towards a purchase, if you are a fan of the cast.

Parasite - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The latest film from Joon-ho Bong could be the big winner on Oscar night. It earned six nominations, which is a huge number for a foreign-language film. Not only that, the buzz is growing and it could win several awards. The only extra on the Blu-ray is a Q&A with the director. That’s disappointing, but the film is still good enough to be a Pick of the Week contender.

SSSS.GRIDMAN: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
This is an Anime version of a live-action Japanese TV show that got the Power Rangers treatment becoming Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad. The star of the American version was one of the Lawrence brothers, Matthew Lawrence. Sadly, I didn’t have to look up any of that information. Tim Curry provided the voice for the main villain in the show and I watched it for that reason. As for this Anime, if you are a fan of Mecha Anime, then it is worth picking up. That genre isn’t as popular as it once was and it might seem outdated for that reason.

Terminator: Dark Fate - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
The latest installment of the Terminator franchise and likely last, given its box office performance. Is it as bad as its box office numbers? Or did it suffer because the previous sequels were so weak? Read our review for my opinion.

TV on DVD Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Ballers: The Complete Fifth and Final Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Ballers: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Crossword Mysteries: Proposing Murder - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Duck Dodgers: The Complete Third Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The Mindy Project: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
My Life is Murder - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Roswell, New Mexico: The Complete First Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Duck Dodgers is the only TV on DVD release this week I’m even remotely interested in.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
All About My Mother: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Battle Of Jangsari - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Bell, Book, and Candle - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Black Angel - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Standard Definition on Blu-ray
Body Parts - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Edge of the Axe: Limited Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Galaxy Express 999: Eternal Fantasy - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Let’s Scare Jessica to Death - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Slumber Party Massacre: Limited Edition Steelbook - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Tammy and the T-Rex - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Two on a Guillotine - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Underwater! - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Very Bad Things - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Wild America - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
All About My Mother is the secondary Blu-ray release that stands out the most.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
At this point, the drought in 3D releases...

4K Ultra HD Releases - Buy from Amazon:
And secondary 4K releases has been so long that I might drop these sections until there are actual releases to talk about.

Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
Arctic Dogs - Reviews - Video on Demand
Ford v Ferrari - Reviews - Video on Demand
There are only two secondary VOD releases this week, but Ford v Ferrari means the week has quality, even though it doesn’t have quantity.

C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Motherless Brooklyn, Arctic Dogs, Terminator: Dark Fate, Ford v. Ferrari, Harriet, Parasite (기생충), Jangsa-ri 9.15, Al filo del hacha, Crossword Mysteries: Proposing Murder, Underwater!, Terminator, Tim Curry, Matthew Lawrence, Joon-ho Bong