Home Market Releases for February 11th, 2020

February 12, 2020

It’s another slow week on the home market, but that doesn’t mean there are no first run releases of note. Ford v. Ferrari is the biggest and the best of these releases, but you might have trouble getting it on Amazon. There are some impressive foreign imports on this list, including First Love, Fruits Basket, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, and Roma. That last one is also the Pick of the Week.

First Love - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This film opened well in two theaters, but was just too extreme to maintain that average as it tried to expand. Then again, it is a Takashi Miike, so being too extreme is expected. The Blu-ray lacks any extras, which is a shame, but it is still worth picking up. In fact, since it is a slow week, it is a Pick of the Week contender.

Ford v. Ferrari - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
This is coming out this week, but maybe not on Amazon, as Disney and Amazon are still having a pissing contest that has lasted years. I would look up the year it started, but the whole thing is so stupid that the more you know about it, the dumber you get.

Fruits Basket: Season One, Part Two - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
The original anime adaptation for this manga started out well, but had a very weak ending. This time around, it is going a lot better, which is why it was one of the highest rated animes released in 2019. On the other hand, the season was split into two parts and the price-per-minute is high, even for anime. It does have better extras than most anime releases have, so it is still worth picking up. That said, if you are a more casual fan of anime, wait a year or two until the “Essentials” release, which will likely be cheaper.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable - Chapter 1 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is one of the most consistantly entertaining animes of the last decade. The live-action only have four reviews on Rotten Tomtatoes, but all four are positive. However, each review is only moderately positive. In other words, it is flawed, but still worth checking out.

My Bloody Valentine: Collector’s Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This is the 1980s original, which is considered a classic by fans of teenage slashers, even though the average critic is not as kind in their appraisal. I liked it more than the average critic, but not as much as the hardcore fans of the genre. This two-disc collector’s set includes both versions of the movie and nearly three hours of extras. Good lord! If you are a fan of the genre, then it is 100% worth picking up.

Retro VHS releases:
Hudson Hawk - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
No Mercy - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Vibes - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
When a Stranger Calls - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
When a Stranger Calls is the only one on this list that I’m actually interested in buying, as I think it is a lot better than its Tomatometer Score. It is also a budget title, which means buying the Blu-ray doesn’t cost much more than renting something on VOD, so you are not risking a lot of cash if you only watch it once.

Roma: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
On the positive side, this is one of the best movies of 2018 and the Criterion Collection release has a ton of extras. On the downside... there really is no downside. I thought this was a double-dip, but it’s not. It just took a long time to come out on Blu-ray, because it is a Netflix produced movie.

Wild Nights With Emily - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This film earned excellent reviews and it opened well, but collapsed as soon as it tried to expand. Now it is coming on the home market, but only on DVD and not Blu-ray. It is still worth picking up, but this is a disappointment.

TV on DVD Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Enchanted Royal Collection - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
I Got You Babe: The Best of Sonny and Cher - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Love Unleashed - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
PBS KIDS: 15 Frozen Tales - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Preacher: The Final Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Swamp Thing: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Preacher is arguably the best TV on DVD release of the week, but even then it arguably lasted one season too many.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
The Beast and the Magic Sword - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Blood and Sand - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Grave of the Fireflies - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Greener Grass - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Guys and Dolls - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
In Fabric - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
John Wick - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A Little Romance - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Mysterious Mr. M - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Rambo - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
RoboCop: Director's Cut - Special Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Transylvania 6-5000 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
I put in a request for Transylvania 6-5000 and I really hope it arrives. It has been at least two decades since I’ve seen it, but I remember liking it as a child. As for a release that I can guarantee is still good, go with Grave of the Fireflies. The latter film is emotionally devastating to watch, on the other hand.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
There are no 3D releases this week, but...

4K Ultra HD Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Shutter Island - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
There’s a 4K Ultra HD release two weeks in a row. I like this movie a lot more than the average critic, as the atmosphere drew me in right away. It is arguably more style than substance, but still worth picking up, if you are interested in the genre.

Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
After She Wakes - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Love Unleashed - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Spy Intervention - Reviews - Video on Demand
Yikes. It’s a slow week for secondary VOD releases.

C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, In Fabric, JoJo no kimyô na bôken: Daiyamondo wa kudakenai, Wild Nights With Emily, Ford v. Ferrari, After She Wakes, Hatsukoi, Spy Intervention, Love Unleashed, Rambo, John Wick, Takashi Miike