DVD and Blu-ray Releases for July 1st, 2014
June 30, 2014
It is a terrible week on the home market. The biggest new release according to Amazon.com is Legend of Korra: Book Two, Spirits, which is coming out on DVD and DVD or Blu-ray. However, according to the people sending me a screener, it doesn't come out till the first week of August. The best release on this week's list is The Grand Budapest Hotel, but it came out last month and the Blu-ray arrived late. The best new release on this week's list, that I know is coming out this week, is The Lunchbox and the Blu-ray Combo Pack is the Pick of the Week.
Afflicted - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Bring it On, Cry-Baby, The Final Terror, Good Sam, The Little Rascals, Operation Petticoat, Shakugan No Shana: Season 2, So This Is New York, and Vinyl
3 Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Appetite For Democracy 3D: Live at the Hard Rock Casino- Las Vegas
Cannibal Holocaust - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
Elton John: The Million Dollar Piano - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Grand Budapest Hotel - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Helix: Season 1 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Hidden Colors 3:The Rules Of Racism - Buy from Amazon
Hinterland: Series 1 - Buy from Amazon
Kindergarten Cop - Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon
Legend of Korra: Book Two, Spirits - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Like Father, Like Son - Buy from Amazon
Lucky Bastard - Buy from Amazon
The Lunchbox - Blu-ray Combo Pack - Buy from Amazon
Monster High: Clawesome Double Feature - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
No Clue - Buy from Amazon
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Good, The Bad and Casey Jones - Buy from Amazon
The Unknown Known - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A Young Doctor's Notebook - Buy from Amazon
A found footage film about two guys going on vacation, but one of them gets involved in a one-night stand and comes down with ... something. The reviews were great, but it couldn't find an audience in theaters. Extras include 8 minutes of deleted scenes and 6 minutes of behind-the-scene. That's not enough to be worth picking up, but it is worth a rental.
It is a slow week overall, so it is not surprising that there's not a lot of secondary Blu-ray releases. The one I'm most interested in is Bring it On, but it appears to be shovelware.
There's only one 3D release this week, but it is selling well compared to the vast majority of new releases.
Arguably the first found footage film ever made. It is also one of the goriest movies ever made. Fans of the subgenre will likely love it, but it will turn off more people than it entertains. This edition of the Blu-ray comes loaded with extras, including two audio commentary tracks, interviews, and a lot more. Worth picking up if you like the movie.
Normally I don't mention concert releases on this list, because you either like the musical artist enough to buy the DVD and / or Blu-ray or you don't and my opinion doesn't matter. However, it is a really slow week and I need to pad out the list and this release is on the front page of the new releases for the week.
As with practically every Wes Anderson film made, this one had a lot of pre-release buzz. However, it didn't just live up to the buzz, it became his biggest hit of all time earning over $150 million worldwide. Is it also his best film? A lot of critics seem to think so. And is the Blu-ray worth picking up? Read our review for my opinion.
A Syfy TV series about a group of scientists researching what could be the beginnings of a new plague. The reviews are excellent; however, I fear the network has done fatal damage to its reputation and a few good shows like this won't save it so I don't know if it will last. Extras on the DVD include a couple of audio commentary tracks, deleted scenes, outtakes, and more. There are a couple of exclusive featurettes on the Blu-ray, so if you are interested in buying that's the way to go.
A documentary about systemic racism and how that negatively impacts everyone. Unfortunately, there are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, so it is impossible to tell if this movie is better or worse than others that tackle the same topic. Since it is the third film in the franchise, I think it is safe to say they are good enough that people want to see more of what the filmmakers were offering.
A British murder mystery series set in Wales. Like most such shows, the price-per-minute is really high for TV on DVD. Even calling it four TV movies is a stretch.
This is not the best comedy Schwarzenegger made, but I think it is better than its Tomatometer Score. On the other hand, the Blu-ray is a featureless disc, so I really can't recommend it.
The second release from the volume up to Avatar, The Last of the Airbenders. I liked the first season, which I reviewed for our gift guide last year. I hope this season is just as good, but I will have to wait for the screener to tell. On a side note, Amazon says the DVD / Blu-ray is coming out this week, but the people sending me the screener say it is coming out next month.
A Japanese film about two families who learn their respective babies were switched at birth. The reviews are excellent and it did relatively well in limited release for a foreign-language film. If you are a fan of Japanese cinema, then it is certainly worth checking out. Even if you are not, it is at least worth a rental for fans of family dramas.
A horror movie about a guy who won a contest to film a sex scene with a porn star. I don't have much to say other than it earned mixed reviews. However, I would like to point out that this horror movie has the same basic premises as an upcoming Reality TV show.
One of the biggest limited release hits of the year earning $4 million, which is impressive for a foreign film. The reviews are outstanding, so it is definitely worth picking up. On the other hand, the extras are limited to an audio commentary track, so I'm not sure if it is Pick of the Week material.
A franchise about a high school populated by various monsters. I've never seen the show and I'm outside of the target demographic, but it is selling well, so clearly it has fans.
A Canadian film written by and starring Brent Butt as a specialty advertising salesman who is mistaken by Kyra by a private eye. Brent Butt is very popular up here in Canada, but will this film work for those who don't know who he is? Check out our review to find out.
Apparently the latest incarnation of the TMNT is doing really well with fans, which could be good news for the upcoming movie. Although the buzz for that movie is so bad I'm not sure anything can help it.
A documentary about Donald Rumsfeld, who is arguably the worst Secretary of Defense ever, not that he would ever admit to that. The reviews are excellent, as are the extras, and fans of documentaries will want to pick it up A.S.A.P.
Jon Hamm stars as a doctor who is sent to jail for writing morphine prescriptions for himself. He reads his old journal about his time in his first hospital and projects himself into the past to help his younger self, Daniel Radcliffe, from making the same mistakes he did the first time around. The reviews have been strong and if you like the two actors, it is worth checking out. On the other hand, it is a British import, so the price-per-minute is really high compared to most TV on DVD releases.
Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Kindergarten Cop, Bring it On, Lucky Bastard, The Lunchbox, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Unknown Known, Soshite chichi ni naru, Afflicted, No Clue, Wes Anderson, Brent Butt, Jon Hamm, Daniel Radcliffe, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Amy Smart