DVD and Blu-ray Releases for March 31st, 2020

April 2, 2020

This week Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker comes out on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD and if you think that will scare away most of the competition, you will be correct. This isn’t the worst week I’ve see on the home market, but it is close. Unfortunately, not only is the list rather short, there’s nothing here that jumps out as a Pick of the Week contender. On a side note, Amazon is having... issues, which not only delayed this column, but it means if you want to buy most new releases here right away, you will have to deal with third-party sellers or go somewhere else.

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Angel Trilogy
Angel - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Avenging Angel - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Angel III: The Final Chapter - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The first three films of the Angel franchise come out on Blu-ray this week. The first film was much better than the average 1980s sexploitation film; it wasn’t truly good, but merely better than you would have expected. The immediate sequel was about as good as you would expect, while the less said about the other two the better. The fourth film isn’t coming out this week. I assume that’s a rights issue. If you are a fan of the franchise, then there are more than enough extras to be worth picking up. If you’ve never seen the films, then give the first one a rental.

The Current War: Director’s Cut - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This film had a troubled production, as it had to deal with interference from someone I would rather not talk about, because I want their name forgotten by history. … Moving on. The director was given control of the edit to salvage the film, but the end result is still just mixed. The film struggled in theaters, so it should come as no surprise that there are not many extras, just an audio commentary track and some deleted scenes. Still, it is worth a rental.

Fire Force: Season 1 - Part 1 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
An anime series set in a world where spontaneous human combustion turns some people into rampaging monsters. Another group of people can also transform into fire, but they remain in control. These people fight the rampaging monsters in the Fire Force. This is one of the better anime to come out last year and the action is phenomenal. The extras are better than most anime releases with an interview, a speed-drawing featurette, and an “inside the episode” featurette. If you are a fan of the genre, then it is worth picking up.

Lupin the IIIrd: Fujiko’s Lie - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This is one of the longest running anime franchises of all time, starting way back in 1971. It has lasted this long, because it has a consistently high quality. This movie isn’t among the absolute best, but it is still a fun ride and worth checking out.

Munster, Go Home! - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
A movie spin-off of the popular TV show. It was made right after the show’s original run and it is fun for fans of the show. It’s not high quality, but sometimes fun is all you need.

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Wise Man’s Grandchild: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
This is a below average isekai anime and since there are so many of these shows made each year, there’s no need to settle for below average.

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TV on DVD Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Mr. Robot: Season Four - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Mr. Robot: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Purge: Season Two - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete Eleventh Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The Transformers: The Complete Original Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Mr. Robot is the best release on this week’s list. That said, I would buy The Transformers, if I didn’t already own it.

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Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Anti-Magic Academy: The 35th Test Platoon - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Captain - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Coda - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Their Finest Hour: 5 British WWII Classics - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Indiscretion of an American Wife: Special Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Mad Magician - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Mystify: Michael Hutchence - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Prince of Tides: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Show Boat: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Song of Songs - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Streetlight Harmonies - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Trailer Trauma V: 70s Action Attack - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Show Boat is the secondary Blu-ray release I’m most interested in. The Song of Songs and The Mad Magician are the other two that have me interested.

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C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Angel, Avenging Angel, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, The Current War: Director’s Cut, Mystify: Michael Hutchence, Zhongguo jizhang, Coda, Streetlight Harmonies, Show Boat, Star Wars, Angel