Home Market Releases for January 15th, 2019

January 16, 2019

The big fall releases are starting to come out on the home market. This week we get Halloween, which was a $100 million domestic hit. However, it is not among the best films on this week’s list. There are three Pick of the Week contenders on the week’s list. There’s the award-nominated Indie film, Madeline’s Madeline, the classic Notorious, and Bad Times at the El Royale, for which I finally got the review done. It was a coin-toss, but in the end, Madeline’s Madeline on Blu-ray won.

The Birthday Wish - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
It’s a Hallmark Channel original movie. I’m not sure what more I need to say.

Black Clover: Season One, Part Three - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
One of the weaker Anime series to come out in the past few years. Not too long ago, I would have called it one of the worst, but some really, truly bad Anime series have been released. There have also been some all-time classics, but the extremes have been more extreme.

The Bookshop - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
This film only managed mixed reviews, but still earned more than $1 million during its limited release run, so perhaps audiences liked it more than critics. I would still start with a rental.

Crimson Peak: 2-Disc Limited Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
I put in a request for a screener for this limited edition release. They are usually good at getting me screeners, but for some reason, the screener always disappears into a black hole when it hits the border and takes a few weeks longer to get here.

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Point, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
The film earned mixed reviews, but it’s fine for a kids movie.

Halloween - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, or Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This is the best film in the franchise, since the first film. It’s not a great film, but it is certainly a welcome addition to the franchise and worth checking out for fans of horror in general. There are five featurettes, but most are less than five minutes long, as well as 13 minutes of deleted scenes.

Hunter x Hunter: Volume 5 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
One of the best Shounen Anime titles of all time. If you are interested in the genre, it is worth picking up. However, it would be weird to start this far into the franchise. The Blu-ray does have interviews with the voice cast, which is better than most Anime titles get.

LEGO Jurassic World: The Secret Exhibit - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Normally we don’t mention these LEGO DVD releases, because there’s really nothing to say, but this one is selling really well.

Madeline’s Madeline - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
Helena Howard stars as the titular Madeline, an African-American teenager whose home life isn’t great and who joins a theater troupe as a way to cope. The reviews are great and the movie even picked up a couple of Independent Spirit Awards nominations. The lack of extras hurts, but it is still one of the best releases on this week’s list.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume IX - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This is a re-release of the previous set with a more reasonable price. If you already own Volume IX, then there’s no reason to buy again, but if you liked the show but don’t own this volume, then it is worth buying now.

Notorious: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Alfred Hitchcock is one of the best directors of all time and Notorious is one of his best films. Furthermore, the Blu-ray has plenty of in-depth extras, including two audio commentary tracks. It is absolutely worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.

The Old Man and the Gun - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
I put in a request for a screener for this film, but it hasn’t arrived yet. I really hope it gets here soon. The reviews are easily good enough to recommend watching this film, while there are plenty of extras, so it is worth buying over just renting.

Once Upon a Deadpool - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
I’m still waiting for a screener for this release.

Overlord: Season II - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack or Blu-ray Limited Edition
There is a genre of video you can watch on YouTube where people log into a dying MMO the day it is about to be shut down and explore the world until the server shuts down and they are forcibly logged out. That’s the premise of this Anime series. However, instead of being forcibly logged out when the server shuts down, the lead character is trapped in the world of the MMO. Yes, it is an Isekai Anime, but it is one of the better ones out there. The extras are better than most Anime releases get and it is worth picking up for fans of the genre.

Retro VHS Look
Hardbodies - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Krull - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Last Action Hero - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Silent Rage - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Who's Harry Crumb? - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This group of Blu-ray are low-budget releases, most of which are bad. (I happen to really like Krull, but I’m in the minority.) The cases are actual Blu-ray cases, but the slip cover make them look like a VHS tape. It’s a goofy hook, but you can’t complain about the price.

Saturday The 14th - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Video on Demand
My mom used to love this movie, but I don’t think she’s seen it in a couple of decades. I bought the film so she could see it again.

Tea with the Dames - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
Four British actresses, all of whom are lifelong friends and all of whom were knighted, sit down for conversations about their lives and careers. The reviews are amazing, but the subject matter limits its appeal.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Forbidden Photos Of A Lady Above Suspicion - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Four Times That Night - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Glass Key - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Howling III - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Jack the Ripper - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Knives of the Avenger - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Les Miserables - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Obsession - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Pink Panther Cartoon Collection: Volume Four - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The Plague Dogs - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Plague of the Zombies - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Rocket Girls: SD on Blu-ray - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Speed Kills - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
As usual, there’s an eclectic mix of secondary Blu-ray releases this week, including a couple of screeners that might arrive late. I think I’m most interested in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.

4K Ultra HD Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Cliffhanger - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Halloween - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Halloween is easily the biggest 4K release of the week, but Cliffhanger is selling surprisingly well.