Home Market Releases for March 24th, 2020

March 23, 2020

The COVID-19 outbreak had basically ended the theatrical market with most theaters closed. Only drive-ins are showing any signs of life. Unfortunately, this is having an effect on the home market as well, some of it positive, some of it very negative. There is a rush to get movies from theaters to the home market and that’s helping improve the list this week. On the other hand, uncertainty with supply chains and stores being open means we could have a very short list next weekend, and next month. There are some big releases this week, including 1917, while Birds of Prey leads the VOD list. However, for Pick of the Week, I went with a much older film, Leave Her to Heaven, which is getting a Criterion Collection release this week.

1917 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This film didn’t earn the best reviews of 2019, but it was one of the major players during Awards Season and many thought it was the favorite to win the Best Picture Oscar. Extras include two audio commentary tracks and five making-of featurettes. This is easily enough to be a Pick of the Week contender.

Clemency - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
Busted Oscar-bait. There’s nothing wrong with its reviews, but it failed to make an impact at the box office and it is only getting a DVD release this week.

The Grudge - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A flood of low-budget horror films came out at the start of the year and nearly all of them bombed, including this one. Extras include a trio of featurettes and alternative openings / endings, but the reviews prevent it from being a rental.

Leave Her to Heaven: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This is a Film Noir released by Criterion Collection. I’m sold. There are not a lot of extras on this DVD / Blu-ray, but a remastered edition is enough to be worth picking up. The interview and the essay lift it to a Pick of the Week contender.

Little Women - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This is the 1994 version of this film and not the one from last year. This is a great movie, but one has to assume it is being released now to capitalize on consumer confusion over the two films.

Top Secret! - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This Blu-ray can’t be played on North American Blu-ray players, not unless it is region-free. I’m only mentioning it because, if it were playable here, it would be a Pick of the Week contender. I love this movie.

The Wizard: Collector’s Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
I think this film is better than its Tomatometer Score, but a lot of its value comes from nostalgia for Nintendo. … And if you care to keep this warm nostalgic feeling, don’t look up what happened to the child actor who played the villain. Yikes. The two-disc set is loaded with extras, including an audio commentary track, deleted scenes, and hours of making-of / interview featurettes. It is easily worth picking up if you are a fan of the movie, but the movie itself isn’t good enough to be a Pick of the Week contender.

TV on DVD Releases - Buy from Amazon:
The Detectorists: Series 1 - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Doctor Who: Sylvester McCoy: Complete Season Three - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Treadstone: Season One - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Vindication: Season One - Buy from Amazon: DVD
It’s a really slow week for TV on DVD releases and none of the four here jump out. It’s a good week to save your money for something else.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
April Fool’s Day: Collector’s Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Cranes are Flying: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Dodsworth - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Endless Night - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Frankenstein: The True Story - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Godspell - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Maria Watches Over Us: Complete Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Passion of Darkly Noon - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Song of Names - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
There are not many secondary Blu-ray releases that look like hidden gems.

C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Leave Her to Heaven, Dolittle, Just Mercy, Bloodshot, The Grudge, 1917, Little Women, Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), The Song of Names, I Still Believe, Clemency, Letyat zhuravli, The Way Back

Home Market Releases for March 24th, 2020

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