Home Market Releases for April 24th, 2018

April 25, 2018

Paddington 2 is the biggest release of the week and clearly at least one of the best. However, it isn’t the only film that’s a Pick of the Week contender. Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, and others were all in contention for that honor. In the end, the Paddington 2 Blu-ray Combo Pack earned that title.

Cyborg - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
One of Jean-Claude Van Damme's earliest films, but certainly not one of his best. On a side note, we are getting a lot of older Jean-Claude Van Damme films on the home market at the moment, and there are some more coming in the next few weeks.

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
Hedy Lamarr was both a sex symbol and a scientist. She was never given the credit she deserved for the latter, but this documentary hopes to change that. There doesn’t appear to be any extras on the DVD / Blu-ray, but it is still a Pick of the Week contender.

Dead Man: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
One of Jim Jarmusch’s earliest films and still my favorite from the director. The Criterion Collection release is loaded with extras, including an audio commentary track, 75 minutes of interviews, a featurette on the score, deleted scenes, and more. I like the movie a lot more than the average critic, or average moviegoer given its box office numbers.

Deadpool: 2 Year Anniversary - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This is a cute way of promoting the sequel, but if you already have the movie on Blu-ray, there’s no reason to buy it again.

Den of Thieves - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A generic action film that didn’t do much at the box office, but the extras are better than expected. If you liked the movie, then it is worth picking up. If you never bothered to watch it in theaters, but like action films, then give it a rental.

Digimon Adventure tri: Loss - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
One of the few Anime titles that is popular here. In fact, it is one of the most popular Anime titles here. It is so popular that the franchise had a theatrical release. This one didn’t get a wide theatrical release, but it is still one of the best-selling new releases of the week.

Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
This film was made to win awards, but while its reviews are good, they are not good enough to win awards. Furthermore, it didn’t do well enough in limited release to get a Blu-ray release, so it is limited to DVD. It is still worth picking up, but it is not a Pick of the Week contender.

Forever My Girl - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A romantic film about a country music star who left his fiancée at the alter only to return and find out he’s a father. The reviews are terrible, it struggled in theaters, and the only extra is a photo gallery. Perhaps if you are a hardcore fan of the genre, it is worth a rental, but it is skippable for everyone else.

Grease - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
I hate this movie, but I will admit I’m in the minority here, as it is one of the best-selling new releases of the week. Not a lot of people have 4K home theater systems, so this is even more impressive. Also coming out this week is a Grease Collection, but only on Blu-ray.

Hostiles - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
I don’t think it is unfair to call this movie busted Oscar bait. It was clearly made to win awards, but never became an Awards Season player. It did do relatively well at the box office and the DVD / Blu-ray includes includes a three-part making of documentary. It is worth picking up, but not a contender for Pick of the Week.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This film is better than it has any right to be. That said, it’s a B-movie and that will limit its target audience. If you are a fan, then there’s more than enough extras on the Blu-ray to make it worth picking up.

Liquid Sky - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
One of several films on this week’s list that is a cult classic, but would normally be too small to be featured here and would be a secondary release. However, it’s a slow week, so it’s important enough to talk about individually. Unfortunately, it is a cult Sci-fi film about aliens and orgasms. Like I said, it is a cult film.

The Maze 3-D - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I really wanted to get a screener for this film, because I haven’t been able to get enough 3D screeners to review. It is selling surprisingly well for a film made in the 1950s. On the other hand, it is only really for fans of 1950s B-movies.

Maze Runner: The Death Cure - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
The final film of the franchise struggled with critics and missed expectations at the box office. If you are a fan of these films, it is worth completing your collection. If you haven’t bothered to watch the films so far, you can safely skip the final installment. Also coming out this week is a franchise box set.

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
This Anime is about a woman who works as a programmer who is walking home drunk one night when she gets lost and wanders into the woods. There she meets a dragon and drunkenly offers to allow her to stay with her. When she sobers up in the morning, she immediately regrets making the offer. It is one of the best Anime titles I’ve seen in the past few years and a screener is on its way, so I’m planning on getting the review done over the coming weekend.

Paddington 2 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This film has 100% positive reviews, but it sadly underperformed at the box office. The extras are still good with an audio commentary track, a trio of featurettes, music video, and more. It is easily worth picking up and a clear contender for Pick of the Week.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Concert - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction concerts from from 2014 through 2017. There are a lot of really good musical acts over this two-disc set.

Sailor Moon SuperS Part One: Season Four - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
There’s a lot of Anime on this week’s list. Sailor Moon is the oldest of these, having first aired just over 25 years ago. The show has had several incarnations over the years and has kept up a solid fanbase and remains arguably the most iconic Magic Girl Anime of all time.

Shameless: The Complete Eighth Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The original British TV show lasted 11 seasons, while this one has been renewed for a ninth. Furthermore, the ratings and the reviews have been very steady for past seasons, so the show is maintaining its quality. On the downside, there are not a lot of extras on the DVD / Blu-ray, just a couple of featurettes and some deleted scenes. I would have liked an audio commentary track or two.

Unforgotten: Season 1 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A British murder mystery show. There are only six episodes for $18, so the price-per-episode is really high, but that’s common for this type of show.

The Virgin Suicides: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Sofia Coppola’s directorial debut. It’s great film, especially for a directorial debut, while the latest home market release includes new interviews, as well as archival extras like the original making of featurette and a short film also by Sofia Coppola. It is worth picking up, but not quite a Pick of the Week contender.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
7 Guardians of the Tomb - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Backstabbing For Beginners - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Bill Nye: Science Guy - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Boneyard - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Charles Bronson: 4-Movie Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Doctor Detroit - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
The Dogfather - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Hope and Glory - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
KADO: The Right Answer: Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Koro Sensei Quest: Shorts - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Meet Me in St. Louis - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Mermaids - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A Pistol for Ringo & The Return of Ringo: Two Films by Duccio Tessari - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Puppet Master - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Ruby Gentry - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A Woman's Devotion - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
There are a few secondary Blu-ray releases that are quite interesting, including Bill Nye: Science Guy, Mermaids, and Puppet Master.

4K Ultra HD Releases - Buy from Amazon:
A Few Good Men - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Grease - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Maze Runner: The Death Cure - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Paddington 2 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Paddington 2 is the only 4K Ultra HD release I’m interested in, and you really don’t need to see it in 4K to enjoy the movie.

TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
Power Rangers: KyuuKyuu Sentai GoGoFive - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Fans of the Power Rangers should probably enjoy the latest installment of the original Japanese series to be released by Shout! Factory.

Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
Batman Ninja - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Depths - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Fast Romance - Reviews - Video on Demand
Hobbyhorse Revolution - Reviews - Video on Demand
Home By Now - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Peter Rabbit - Reviews - Video on Demand
A Violent Life - Reviews - Video on Demand
Who’s Jenna - Reviews - Video on Demand
Peter Rabbit is by far the biggest secondary VOD release of the week. It is also better than I thought it would be, so it is at least worth a rental, if you have kids in the right age range.

C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, Backstabbing For Beginners, Peter Rabbit, Den of Thieves, Forever My Girl, Paddington 2, Meari to majo no hana, Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, Hostiles, Batman Ninja, Une Vie Violente, Hobbyhorse Revolution, Who’s Jenna?, Fast Romance, Home By Now, The Depths, The Maze Runner, Charles Bronson, Sofia Coppola, Jim Jarmusch, Hedy Lamarr, Jean-Claude Van Damme