Home Market Releases for May 2nd, 2017

May 2, 2017

We are officially in the worst time of year on the home market. The last of the major Awards Season players have already come out, but it is still too early for the Spring hits to be released. The competition from May Sweeps and the start of the Summer Blockbuster Season means there’s not a lot here that’s going to do well in DVD / Blu-ray sales. Ironically, the lack of a major release means there are a lot of smaller releases that are competing for Pick of the Week, many of which would be lost in the crowd during a busier time of year. This includes I Am Not Your Negro, The Salesman, Real Genius, and Seven Days in May. In the end, I went with The Red Turtle on DVD or Blu-ray as the Pick of the Week. In the meanwhile, Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone on Blu-ray gets the Puck of the Week honor, as the “best” Canadian release of the week. I just wish it were coming out in 3D.

3 Games to Glory V - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Long time readers know what I’m about to say. Real sports fans want full games, not an hour or two of highlights. This DVD / Blu-ray delivers.

Beyond the Gates - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A horror film about a group of people trapped in a VCR board game. ... VCR board games were a thing that existed in the 1980s. ... Ask your parents. The reviews for the film are excellent for the genre at 80% positive, while the extras are equally good, for a limited release. (Audio commentary track, behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes, etc.) It is definitely worth picking up for fans of the genre. It is also a slow week, so it is a Pick of the Week contender.

The Comedian - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
This was apparently a passion project for Robert De Niro, who worked for years to get it made. It wasn’t worth the wait.

A Dog’s Purpose - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This is the biggest first-run release of the week, but it is not the best. It aims for emotionally moving, but lands squarely on emotionally manipulative. Extras include a couple of making of featurettes, deleted scenes, and outtakes. If you love dog movies, then maybe rent it.

Fear Inc. - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
A horror film about a group of friends who hire a company, Fear Inc., which promises a personalized horror experience. The reviews are not good and it is only coming out on DVD, but according to Amazon, it is selling really well. Maybe it is worth a $5 rental for fans of the genre.

Gold - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
Busted Oscar-bait. The film had an Oscar-qualifying run in December before opening in January. It earned mixed reviews and bombed in theaters. The extras are not bad, at least compared to its box office run, with an audio commentary track, a trio of behind-the-scenes featurettes, and deleted scene. Call it a rental, if you like the cast.

Grimgar: Ashes & Illusions: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
An Anime set in an RPG-like world focusing on a group of leftover heroes, those who are not strong enough to be picked by better groups. This is not an uncommon starting point for an Anime series, but this one is executed better than most. Extras include audio commentary tracks on four episodes, as well as the OVA, a.k.a, a direct-to-video movie for the series. The limited edition also has some art cards and a poster.

I Am Not Your Negro - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A documentary about James Baldwin’s unfinished book about race relations in the United States. The film has earned stunning reviews and earned $7 million at the box office, which is incredible for a documentary. Extras include an interview with the director, Raoul Peck, as well as a Q&A session with the director and another Q&A session with the narrator, Samuel L. Jackson. It is easily worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
As I’ve said before, Mobile Suit Gundam is one of the seminal franchises in the Giant Fighting Robots genre of Anime. There are not a lot of extras on the DVD or Blu-ray, which hurts the overall value. It is still worth picking up, if you are a fan of the genre.

One Piece: Heart of Gold - TV Special - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
One Piece Film: Gold - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
One of the few Anime titles with a large enough audience here to warrant a theatrical release and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. The My Anime List reviews are a lot more positive than the Rotten Tomato reviews, so clearly it is aimed at fans rather than critics. This makes sense, as you would have to be a true fan to watch even 10% of One Piece's total output.

Real Genius - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
One of my favorite comedies from the 1980s. Val Kilmer leads the cast of goofball university students who are trying to work on a government research project involving high-power lasers, although he spends most of his time slacking off and pranking Kent, a fellow student. The film has really high replay value and is nearly infinitely quotable. On the downside, the only extra is an audio commentary track. Still, it is worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.

The Red Turtle - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Feature-length Animated Film. It didn’t win, but this did raise its visibility. Unfortunately, it didn’t make much of an impact at the box office and the only extras are an interview with the director, and two behind-the-scenes featurettes. It is still a contender for Pick of the Week, on the other hand.

Rings - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
One of the worst movies of the year. Avoid at all costs.

The Resurrection of Gavin Stone - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A faith-based film about a former child actor finding redemption. The reviews are not as bad as a lot of faith-based films get, but it bombed in select cities, so I’m not surprised there are not a lot of extras.

The Salesman - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This Iranian film won the Oscar for Best Foreign-language Film. Unfortunately, it is a foreign-language film and those rarely have a lot of extras. In this case, there’s just an interview with the director. Even so, it is worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.

Saturday Night Fever: Director’s Cut - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
I reviewed this movie when it first came out on Blu-ray. I didn’t like it then, I doubt I will like the Director’s Cut.

Seven Days in May - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
A movie about a former general who plans a military coup in the United States and the president who tries to find the proof before it is too late. The film’s reviews are 100% positive, but it is not as well-remembered today. This explains why there is only one extra on the Blu-ray, an audio commentary track. It is still worth picking up and one of the contenders for Pick of the Week.

Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A highly underrated Sci-fi classic from Canada. And I’m not just saying that because I’m Canadian. I’m saying that because as a child, I watched this movie close to a dozen times and if it isn’t a classic, then my childhood self wasted a lot of time. It was originally shot in 3D, but it is only coming out on 2D now, which is a shame. Also, there doesn’t appear to be any extras.

Unleashing Mr. Darcy - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
This is a Hallmark original TV movie. Usually this would be filler during the shallowest of weeks. However, this DVD is actually in the top ten best-selling new releases on Amazon.com.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
The Age of Shadows - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Black Butler: The Movie - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Blood of the Tribades - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Brewster’s Millions - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Camino - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Curse of Sleeping Beauty - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
GARO: Crimson Moon - Season Two, Part Two - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
The Hindenburg - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Mindgamers - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Naked Cage - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Nurse Witch Komugi R - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Right Now, Wrong Then - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Rio: Rainbow Gate Reshuffled - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Virus - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Windmill - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
There are a couple of Korean movies, The Age of Shadows and Right Now, Wrong Then, that are arguably the best of the secondary Blu-ray releases.

3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
No 3D releases this week, which is unfortunate, as Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone is coming out this week and it was originally a 3D movie.

4K Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
3:10 to Yuma - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
The Expendables - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
The Expendables 2 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Only 3:10 to Yuma is really worth owning and you really don’t need to see it in 4K to enjoy it.

TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
The 4400 - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Vega$ - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
I watched Vega$ a while ago. It’s not a bad show, but there are a lot of other shows in that genre that are better.

C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, The Hindenburg, Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone, Real Genius, xXx: Return of Xander Cage, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, Rings, Gold, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Growing up Smith, The Space Between Us, Fist Fight, A Dog’s Purpose, Forushande, La Tortue Rouge, The Resurrection of Gavin Stone, The Age of Shadows (밀정), The Comedian, Fear, Inc., Ozzy, One Piece Film: Gold, Beyond the Gates, Take Me, Unleashing Mr. Darcy, MindGamers, Sweet Home Carolina, Seven Days in May, Robert De Niro, Samuel L. Jackson, Val Kilmer, Robert Prescott, Raoul Peck

Home Market Releases for May 2nd, 2017

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