DVD and Blu-ray Releases for January 6th, 2015

January 5, 2015

It is a strange week on the home market, as there are five contenders for Pick of the Week, including three of them that start with the letter G. However, this isn't because the week is loaded with simply amazing titles. It's because none of the contenders were simply amazing in both quality and extras. Archer: Season 5 on DVD or Blu-ray, Boyhood on DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack, Get on Up on DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack, Girls: Season 3 on DVD or Blu-ray, and The Guest on DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack were the five contenders. Boyhood is the best in the Award-worthy meaning of the word, Archer is the show I would get the most entertainment from. In the end, it was down to a coin toss, a literal coin toss, and Archer: Season 5 on DVD or Blu-ray won.

Archer: Season 5 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I didn't get a chance to watch this season of the show and I won't get a screener. I do know it went off the rails this season, but the reviews are amazing. So I guess "even stranger than usual" is what works for Archer. There are not a lot of extras, but the Blu-ray is still worth picking up and perhaps a contender for Pick of the Week.

Atlas Shrugged: Who Is John Galt? - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I reviewed the first two movies in this franchise. I won't be getting a copy of this movie to review, but the reviews suggest it is even worse. How is that medically possible? The movie bombed in theaters and I've seen no information on extras on the Blu-ray, so there might not be any. It's just garbage and should be avoided at all costs.

Black Sails: Season 1 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A TV series about pirates that handles the technical and action scenes, but the characters and the stories are a letdown. It still earned overall positive reviews, plus the extras are good, so if you like the genre, it is worth picking up.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: The Boys from Brazil, Candyman: Farewell To The Flesh, Charlie Wilson's War, Dog & Scissors: Complete Collection, The Good Shepherd, Heartbreak Hotel, The Longest Week, The Manners of Downton Abbey, Non Non Biyori, Qwaser of Stigmata: Complete Collection, Sherlock Holmes: Double-Feature, The Sword of Doom, and Working Girl
There are not a lot of great secondary Blu-ray releases on this week's list. There's also not a lot of dreck either.

Boyhood - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
One of the biggest limited releases of the year and one of the best. The film was shot over 12 years and used the same actors as they grew up. That's impressive dedication. Unfortunately, despite the box office success, the extras are light with just two featurettes. Still, it is worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.

The Bridge Season 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
An excellent show, but the ratings were not strong enough and it was canceled at the end of this season.

Dinosaur 13 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A documentary about the most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton ever found and the legal battle that resulted. The reviews were not strong enough to thrive in limited release, but they are good enough for the home market. Additionally, the extras on the DVD and Blu-ray are much better than most documentaries have, so it is worth picking up.

Fairy Tail: Collection Three - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
An Anime series that is on the first page of the new releases on Amazon.com. It is not a common occurrence, but this isn't the first time this franchise has managed that feat.

Get on Up - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
One of the best wide releases of the summer. Unfortunately, it still wasn't able to find an audience in theaters. The extras on the DVD and Blu-ray are better than expected, given its box office run, with commentary track, deleted scenes, featurettes, full music performances, and more. It is worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.

Girls: Season 3 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This show continues to please critics. I keep putting in requests for a screener for this show, but it never seems to arrive, so I can't confirm if the critics are correct. The DVD and Blu-ray combo pack is loaded with extras, which is good for fans of the show. It is worth picking up and even a contender for Pick of the Week.

Glee: Season 5 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
I forgot this show was still on the air. The first couple of seasons were good, but it really, really went downhill fast. The sixth and final season starts soon, so I guess if you are still a fan, it is worth picking up. However, all but the most diehard fans have given up at this point.

The Guest - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
A thriller that opened in limited release. This is the wrong genre for limited release, which explains why it failed to find an audience in theaters despite the outstanding reviews. The extras include an audio commentary track, deleted scenes, and a short interview. That's not a lot, but the reviews are good enough that it is a Pick of the Week contender.

Horns - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Daniel Radcliffe plays a man whose girlfriend is killed and he's the prime suspect, although there's no evidence to arrest him. He wishes he could find out who killed her... and as a result horns grow out of his head. This causes anyone he's around to reveal secrets and act out their darkest impulses. This is a great setup and there is a lot of talent in the movie; however, something went wrong. The combination of horror and comedy is really hard to get right. The only extra is a making of featurette, so it is only worth a rental, and that's if you are a fan of the genre and / or cast.

Jake & The Neverland Pirates: Battle for the Book - Buy from Amazon: DVD
I've reviewed a couple of previous releases from this series and it is certainly better than most similar shows.

Jane Fonda Workout DVDs - Buy from Amazon: Complete Workout, Easy Going Workout, Low Impact Workout, New Workout, and Original Workout
A bunch of Jane Fonda Workout DVDs come out this week. This series is one of the most famous workout DVDs series ever made, so I don't think there's anything more I need to say here.

Left Behind - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
One of the worst movies of the year. ... There's nothing more that needs to be said.

Looking: Season 1 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A TV series about a trio of gay men living in San Francisco. The reviews are excellent and the extras are good, but the target audience is small.

No Good Deed - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film was released in September, so it should come as no surprise that its reviews are awful. The extras on the Blu-ray are better than expected, but that's not enough to compensate for the reviews. Skip it.

One Piece Collection: Box One - Episodes 1-103 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This should have been released a few weeks ago, because it would have made an excellent gift.

- C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, UHF, No Good Deed, Get on Up, Boyhood, Left Behind, Dinosaur 13, The Guest, Atlas Shrugged: Who Is John Galt?, Horns, The Compleat Al, Atlas Shrugged, Jane Fonda, Daniel Radcliffe, Weird Al Yankovic