Home Market Releases for April 25th, 2017

April 25, 2017

We are entering the worst time of year for the home market. The number of Oscar contenders have nearly dried up and there are more bombs than box office hits. As for the best of the new releases, The Criterion Collection release for Tampopo is the best and the only real choice for Pick of the Week. Meanwhile, the Mean Dreams DVD earns Puck of the Week, for the best Canadian release of the week.

The Affair: Season Three - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The series took a pretty serious hit in both its reviews and its ratings, but it is still a good show. It is not an award-worthy show anymore. The DVD has a trio of featurettes, which isn’t bad for a TV on DVD release, so it is worth picking up, but it is not a Pick of the Week contender.

The Bridge: Season Three - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This is the Scandinavian series and not the U.S. remake. Both versions earned good reviews, the original even won the Best European Drama series. The fourth, and final season comes out next year, so now is a good time to grab the third season. Be aware, the DVD costs $28 for just four episodes.

Caltiki - The Immortal Monster - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
A 1950s Italian monster movie about a blob that destroyed the Maya civilization and returns to wreck havoc in the modern day. If you like B-movies, then it is worth checking out. If you write for MST3K and the revival gets a second season, look into this film.

Dark Waters - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A 1990s Italian horror film with a Lovecraftian theme. It’s been really hard to find for a long time, so fans of the genre will be happy it is getting a Blu-ray release this week. Extras include an audio commentary track, interviews, making of featurette, deleted scenes and more. If you are a fan of the genre, then this is a must have.

Dragon Ball Z Kai: The Final Chapters, Part One - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A condensed version of Dragon Ball Z, which means they only spend three episodes watching characters yelling while building up their power levels instead of the usual nine episodes.

From Hell It Came - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
An island Prince is condemned to death by a witchdoctor only to come back to life as a tree bent on revenge. Pure MST3K-bait. This is the second film on this week’s list that needs to be included in the second season of the MST3K revival.

The Girl with all the Gifts - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
An adaptation of a young adult novel set in a post-apocalypse world overrun by zombies. There is a good twist to that seemingly overdone setup and the novel earned a lot of praise when it came out. The film itself earned some good pre-release buzz and the reviews were great, but it went nowhere at the box office. Sadly, this means there’s very little in the way of extras, just one featurette. It is still worth picking up, but it is not a Pick of the Week contender.

The Levelling - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A British movie starring Ellie Kendrick. The film earned 100% positive reviews, but it bombed in theaters and it is only getting a DVD release. The DVD is selling poorly, so poorly that I would normally not talk about it, but again, 100% positive reviews.

Mean Dreams - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
A Canadian film about a young girl, Sophie Nelisse, with an abusive father, Bill Paxton. She and the boy next door, Josh Wiggins, steal some money from her father and go on the run. The film’s reviews are great, but it was a VOD premiere, so it went nowhere in theaters and it is only getting a DVD release.

One-Punch Man: Season One - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This is one of the best Anime titles to have come out in the past several years. It messes with the usual tropes of the super hero subgenre by cranking them up ten... well past ten really. If you are giddy about the next season being announced, then this is a must have.

The Other Hell - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A nunsploitation movie about a group of nuns possessed by the devil who then lust after their Abbot. Nunsploitation films are an acquired taste and if you are not part of the target audience, this movie won’t change your mind. If you do like these films, then it is worth picking up.

Rumble Fish: Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film is a psuedo-sequel to The Outsiders. They are both based on novels by S.E. Hinton, both are directed by Francis Ford Coppola, and both share some key cast members. This film was not as beloved by critics, nor did it find as large an audience in theaters, but it is still worth checking out.

Snow White With The Red Hair: Season Two - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
This is the third Anime title on this week’s list. It is by far the least well known, but the user reviews on MyAnimeList.net are excellent. The extras are better than most imports (audio commentary tracks on two episodes, promotional material, clean openings / closings) and it is worth checking out.

Tampopo: Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film was remastered and re-released at the end of 2016. It earned more than $200,000 in theaters, which is more that a lot of limited releases earn. It is certainly more than most foreign-language films or re-releases manage. This is not too surprising, given its 100% positive reviews, but it is impressive. The Criterion Collection release includes a mix of old and new extras. There’s the original 90-minute making of documentary and an early short film from the director . New extras include a number of interviews, as well as a featurette on the film’s themes. It is easily worth picking up and a clear contender for Pick of the Week.

Underworld: Blood Wars - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray, or 4K Combo Pack
This is the fifth, and likely last installment in the Underworld franchise. The film’s reviews are terrible and it bombed in theaters, so it is no surprise that there’s very little in the way of extras on the DVD or Blu-ray. Also coming out this week is a franchise box set.

We are X - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A documentary about the Japanese rock band X. The band is practically unknown here, but the reviews for the movie are strong enough that fans of rockumentaries will want to check it out. Extras include additional interviews and an audio commentary track, which is excellent for a documentary and enough to lift the overall package to the solid purchase level.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
24x36: A Movie About Movie Posters - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Agatha Christie’s: The Witness for the Prosecution - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Anatahan - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Catfight - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Daredevils of the Red Circle - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Daughter - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Detour - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Django: Prepare a Coffin - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Double Exposure - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Exterminator 2 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
I Bury the Living - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Is Genesis History? - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Man of La Mancha - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Marine: 5 Battleground The - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Microcosmos - Reviews - Video on Demand
My Love Story: Special Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Pied Piper - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Psycho Cop Returns - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
The Screaming Skull - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Those Daring Young Men in their Jaunty Jalopies - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Utawarerumono: False Faces - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Vampire Bat - Special Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Wheeler Dealers - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
I would pick Anatahan as the best secondary Blu-ray release of the week. On a side note, The screenwriter of Psycho Cop Returns co-created Phineas and Ferb. That’s a strange career path.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
No 3D releases this week.

4K Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Underworld: Blood Wars - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Combo Pack
The only 4K release this week is a box office and critical dud. Skip it.

TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
Power Rangers: Gekisou Sentai Carranger - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
One of the reasons the Power Rangers movie struggled is because there are so many options for fans of the franchise. Hardcore fans have the original Japanese versions and the American version and not enough time and / or money to buy and watch all of them.

Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
After the Reality - Reviews - Video on Demand
Camp Camp: Season 1 - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Fifty Shades Darker - Reviews - Video on Demand
A Mother’s Escape - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Rings - Reviews - Video on Demand
The two biggest VOD releases of the week are Fifty Shades Darker and Rings. They are also two of the worst films on this week’s list.

C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Microcosmos, The Daughter, Rings, Fifty Shades Darker, La La Land, Underworld: Blood Wars, We are X, The Girl with all the Gifts, Tanpopo, Detour, The Levelling, The Marine 5: Battleground, Mean Dreams, After the Reality, Great Plains, Preparati la bara!, Underworld, Francis Ford Coppola, S.E. Hinton, Bill Paxton, Sophie Nelisse, Ellie Kendrick, Josh Wiggins, Juzo Itami