Home Market Releases for May 23rd, 2017

May 24, 2017

It is a great week on the home market with two monster hits coming out: Logan and Get Out. However, both have previously been named Pick of the Week. Fortunately there was one other release in competition for Pick of the Week, My Life as a Zucchini on Blu-ray. Thank goodness this film comes out this week. Otherwise, John Wick: Chapter Two would have become the third Video on Demand release in a row to win Pick of the Week.

Call the Midwife: Season Six - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A British drama about midwives in 1950s London. There are not a lot of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but the vast majority of the ones there are positive. It is a British import and like most such shows, the price-per-minute is higher than most TV on DVD releases. Even so, it is worth picking up for fans of the show.

DC Super Hero Girls: Intergalactic Games - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
There are no reviews for this DVD, but previous releases earned praise. Speaking of praise, there is still a review embargo, but early word is Wonder Woman is amazing.

Dragon Ball Z Kai: The Final Chapters, Part Two - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
One of a handful of Anime titles that are popular enough here to reach the top ten or so even during a busier week on the home market.

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The Great Wall - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This film got an unfair reputation for being an example of whitewashing. The plot of the movie doesn’t make sense if the character Matt Damon is playing was Asian instead. It is also not a White Savior movie, although it was advertised like that. It is, in fact, pro-Chinese propaganda. In the movie, a group of Europeans try to steal the formula for black powder, and one of them, Matt Damon, spends the rest of the movie being amazed at how advanced the Chinese civilization is. So it isn’t whitewashing nor is it an example of the White Savior trope. ... It is also not very good. It does have a bit of a B-movie / monster movie charm to it, so if you like that particular type of movie, it is worth checking out. I would stick with a rental, on the other hand.

I am Heath Ledger - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A documentary about Heath Ledger, featuring a lot of footage he shot himself. The reviews are 90% positive and the Blu-ray costs less than the DVD or VOD release, so it is worth picking up for fans of the actor.

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Logan - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This is one of the best-reviewed wide releases of the year and one of the best-reviewed comic book movies in a long time. Extras on the DVD / Blu-ray include an audio commentary, making of featurette, deleted scenes, and a black and white version of the movie. It is easily worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.

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Masterpiece: Dark Angel - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A PBS series about England’s first female serial killer. There’s only one review on Rotten Tomatoes and it is negative. Even so, the DVD is selling better than expected.

Max 2: White House Hero - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A direct-to-video sequel to Max. This film appears to be aimed at a younger audience, so if your kids like the first film, give it a try. Speaking of the first film, you can buy it as part of a double-pack on DVD.

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My Life as a Zucchini - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This film earned an Oscar nomination for Best Feature-Length Animated Film. On the downside, the only extras are a short film and an 18-minute making of featurette.

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One Piece: Collection 19 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
One of the longest running shows of all time. There have been 789 episodes. ... Really? I knew there were a lot, but that’s more than I thought it would be.

Outsiders: Season Two - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A TV show about a mountain family in a Appalachians. It was canceled after the second season, but it is being shopped around for another network. In the meantime, if you really like the show and want a third season, buying this DVD, or the two-season box set, could help that happen.

Rock Dog - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A Chinese animated film about a dog who wants to be a rock star. It bombed in its native market. It bombed here. It can be safely skipped.

Static Shock: Season Two - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A super hero cartoon starring a 14-year old African-American boy who is exposed to a mutagen gas and gains the power to control electromagnetism. It wasn’t the first animated show to feature an African-American super hero, but it was still considered a groundbreaking show.

XX - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD and Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A horror anthology film written and directed by women. The reviews are good and anthology films are simply better on the home market, as you can skip a weak segment. It is worth picking up for fans of the genre.

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Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Cops vs Thugs: 2-Disc Special Edition - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Dheepan: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Dimension W: Season One - Reviews - Reviews
Hack-O-Lantern - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Jacques Rivette Collection - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Jonny's Sweet Revenge - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Momokuri - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Rolling Stones: Olé Olé Olé! A Trip Across Latin America - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
The Vagrant - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Wolf Guy - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
There are not a lot of secondary Blu-ray releases this week. Dheepan: The Criterion Collection is the best of a limited list.

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3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Kraftwerks: The Catalogue - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack
Those Redheads from Seattle - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or 3D Blu-ray
I put in a request for a screener for Those Redheads from Seattle, but it didn’t arrive. It could be late, but that’s unlikely. There are very few screeners handed out for 3D releases.

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4K Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Logan - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Logan is a great movie, but I’m not sold on 4k.

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TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
Power Rangers: Mystic Force - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
The Megaset on this week’s list is kind of a cheat, because Power Rangers’ series only last two seasons, before starting a new “series”.

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Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
Bambi - Reviews - Video on Demand: Theatrical Release or With Bonus Content
Bambi II - Reviews - Video on Demand: Theatrical Release or With Bonus Content
Disney’s Newsies: The Broadway Musical - No Reviews - Video on Demand: Theatrical Release or With Bonus Content
Feel Rich: Health is the new Wealth - No Reviews - Video on Demand
John Wick: Chapter Two - Reviews - Video on Demand
Raw - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Sense of an Ending - Reviews - Video on Demand
A United Kingdom - Reviews - Video on Demand
Unwanted Guest - No Reviews - Video on Demand
The list of secondary VOD releases has several that could be Pick of the Week contenders when they come out on DVD / Blu-ray. This includes John Wick: Chapter Two, which is the one I’m most interested in seeing. I think a Blu-ray screener is on its way.

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C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, The Vagrant, Logan, Dheepan, The Great Wall, The Sense of an Ending, A United Kingdom, Get Out, Rock Dog, Ma vie de Courgette, Raw, Max 2: White House Hero, XX, Disney’s Newsies: The Broadway Musical, DC Super Hero Girls: Intergalactic Games, Unwanted Guest, I am Heath Ledger, Urufu gai: Moero ôkami-otoko, Those Redheads from Seattle, Matt Damon, Heath Ledger