DVD and Blu-ray Releases for January 13th, 2015

January 13, 2015

This week on the home market is about as busy as last week was, but there are far fewer contenders for Pick of the Week, as Gone Girl just crushes the competition and the Blu-ray is the Pick of the Week. The next best picks are Empire: Season Five and Love is Strange on Blu-ray.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Amagami: Complete Collection, Ancient Aliens: Season 6, Volume 2, Art of War, At the Earth's Core, The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, Capricorn One, A Certain Magical Index: The Movie - The Miracle of Endymion, Chaos Head: The Complete Series, The Falcon and the Snowman, Foxes, My Left Foot, Racing Hearts, The Razor's Edge, Revenge of the Green Dragons, River's Edge, The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power, Supernova, and Twilight Trilogy
Not a lot of interesting titles among the secondary Blu-ray releases.

Boardwalk Empire: Season 5 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The fifth and final season in this show's run. Season five earned 88% positive reviews, which is actually lower than the show's average. Extras include audio commentary tracks on four episodes and an eight-part behind-the-scenes featurette. It is easily worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.

The Bridge: Season 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The second season of this show was also its last. The reviews are great, but do you really want to watch a show knowing it ends way before its time? I find that experience more than a little frustrating.

Dallas: Season 3 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The third season reviews were weaker than the second season, while the ratings dropped enough that it was canceled. If you purchased the previous two seasons, you might as well complete your collection.

The Disney Afternoon - Buy from Amazon: Ducktales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp, Gargoyles: Season 2, Volume 2, Goof Troop: Volume One, Goof Troop: Volume Two, Have Yourself a Goofy Little Christmas, and TaleSpin: Volume 3
Half a dozen DVDs from Disney Afternoon shows come out this week. Gargoyles is the most mature and still has a sizable adult fanbase, while I think Ducktales was the most popular during its original airing.

Episodes: The Third Season - Buy from Amazon: DVD
I previously reviewed the first two seasons and I liked the show. I'm trying to get a screener for this show, but there are some technical difficulties getting in the way.

The Facts Of Life: The Complete Series - Buy from Amazon: DVD
According to Amazon.com, this is the fourth-best selling new release of the week. That seems odd. Even for a shallow week, that seems odd.

Gone Girl - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
One of the best films of the year. Not only did it earn amazing reviews, but it is also picking up a major Awards Season nomination or two. Extras include an audio commentary track and something called 'Amazing Amy Tattle Tale' Book. I'm not sure what that is, but I might be getting a screener for this title, so if I do, I'll go into that feature in more detail.

Honeymoon - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This horror film earned good reviews, but not great reviews, and that killed its chances at the box office. I'm hoping to get a screener to review. The extras include a couple of featurettes, which is enough to make it a solid rental, just based on the reviews only.

A Horseman Riding By - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A BBC mini-series from 1978, so it is closing in on 40 years old at this point. I'm not sure how many people remember it. I certainly don't. It is selling quite well on Amazon.com, so that could be a good sign.[Copy Ed: I remember it and thought it was so good I read all the books, but don't know how well it will have aged].

House of Lies: Season Three - Buy from Amazon: DVD
I reviewed the first season of this show and didn't like it, so I didn't bother getting this season. On the other hand, season four begins soon, so clearly it has an audience.

The Identical - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
One of the worst movies of the year and one of the biggest bombs of all time. (Had it opened in more than 2,000 theaters, it would have had the third worst per theater average for a truly wide release.) There are more extras than I expected on the DVD and Blu-ray, but that's not enough to compensate for its reviews. Skip it.

Jessabelle - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I put in my request for this review a little late, but hopefully it will still arrive. Also, hopefully it is better than its reviews would indicate.

The Jewel in the Crown - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
A 30-year old landmark TV mini-series. This show earned amazing reviews and even picked up a number of Golden Globes, Emmys, and BAFTA Awards. It is definitely worth checking out. Additionally, it had an 25th anniversary edition, but they really upped the technical presentation and actually included some extras this time around, so it is worth the double-dip.

Jimi: All is By My Side - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This biopic has a great lead performance, but the rest of the film is just average. The only extra is a short featurette on the music, which is almost worse than no extras. They couldn't use the music in the movie, because they didn't get the rights, which is one of the reasons the biopic is only average.

Love is Strange - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
One of the best movies of the year and a smaller player during this year's Awards Season. Extras include an audio commentary track, making of featurette, and a film festival Q&A. Definitely worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.

Men, Women, and Children - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film has a lot of talent on both sides of the camera, but its reviews are really weak. The extras are not bad, so perhaps if you really like the people involved, it is worth a rental. However, that's not a strong recommendation.

Mythbusters: 10th Anniversary Collection - Buy from Amazon: DVD
When it comes to TV on DVD releases like this, there are two questions you need to ask. Is the show good? And is the DVD worth picking up for those who own the previous DVDs releases? To find out the answers to those questions, check out our review.

NYPD Blue: Season 8 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Great show, but its first foray into TV on DVD didn't sell well, so Shout!Factory took over. They do good work, but their releases tend to be pretty barebones.

One Piece - Buy from Amazon: Collection Eleven DVD and Season 6 - Voyage Three
Two releases from the same Anime franchise are on the front page of the new releases for Amazon.com. That's impressive.

Ribald Tales Of Canterbury / Tasty - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Softcore porn that when I first checked was on the second page of the best-selling new releases on Amazon.com. What?

The Strange Little Cat - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A Germany movie about a dysfunctional family. Its reviews are good, but not great, which explains why it went nowhere in limited release. Hopefully it will do better on the home market.

The Two Faces of January - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I put in a request to get a screener for this review. I really hope it arrives, because the reviews are great. The extras are short, so that's not a good sign.

A Walk Among the Tombstones - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
The latest Liam Neeson film doesn't have nearly has much action as some of his more recent films. But is it still worth checking out? Or is there a reason is struggled at the box office? Read our review to find out.

Wetlands - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
This film earned amazing reviews, but its subject matter is too NC-17 to draw in many moviegoers in theaters. It will likely do better on the home market, but without any real extras, it is not a contender for Pick of the Week.

Young Ones - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
This film has four great actors, but the script isn't where it should be and the overall reviews are mixed. Maybe if you like the cast, then it is worth a rental.


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Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Jessabelle, A Walk Among the Tombstones, Gone Girl, Jimi: All is By My Side, The Two Faces of January, Love is Strange, The Identical, Honeymoon, Das merkwürdige Kätzchen, Men, Women and Children, Feuchtgebiete, Liam Neeson