April 23rd, 2013
This time of year tends to be really bad on the home market. By this late in spring, there are only a few late winter releases still finding their way on the home market. Last weekend it was Django Unchained and next weekend it will be Silver Linings Playbook. This week, there are no such releases. The best selling release according to Amazon.com is Jurassic Park, which makes its home market 3D debut. (It is still in the top ten at the box office, so that might be helping the sales.) I hope to get a screener to review but so far it is late, so I'm not sure if the 3D upgrade is worth the triple-dip. As far as Pick of the Week Contenders, there are not many. The Impossible is probably the best bet, but I'm still waiting for the screener. The week is so bad, that I took the time to review Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season Three on Blu-ray a week in advance, just so I would have something to choose as Pick of the Week this week. It is expensive, but there are several classic episodes that aired this season and there is a ton of new extras on the six-disc set.
More...
April 18th, 2013
Hello, Dolly! was one of the biggest films that came out in 1969, both in terms of box office numbers and Oscar glory. Unfortunately, it was also one of the biggest films in terms of production budget, so it was not a financial success at the time. In fact, it helped kill the major movie musical and nearly killed the studio. Did it fail to live up to expectations because of when it was released? (Not only was the Broadway show still a major hit, movie musicals were waning in popularity.) Or would it have struggled no matter what? Does it work today?
More...
April 1st, 2013
It's a bad week on the home market. The biggest release of the week is a mini-series, The Bible, but it is earning just about as much criticism as praise. (And not just for the Obama / Satan fiasco.) After that release, the quality quickly drops, so much so that there's a 1950s TV on DVD release on the front page of the new releases. As far as Pick of the Week contenders are concerned, there are not many. The Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One - Avengers Assembled is awesome, but it has a high price and if you are a fan, then you likely have all or nearly all of the movies it contains. The only other major contender is John Dies at the End. It's too bizarre for most moviegoers, but if you are into these types of films, then the DVD or the Blu-ray are worth it.
More...
