Home Market Releases for May 1st, 2018

May 2, 2018

It is a really shallow week. There are releases that are fighting for a spot in the top five that normally would be so far down the list that we wouldn’t even cover them. That doesn’t mean there are no releases that are worth picking up. In Between was a limited release that earned near perfect reviews. The 1970s film, Legend of the Mountain, got a recent release and its reviews are even better. I reviewed Mary and the Witch’s Flower last week and it nearly won Pick of the Week then. I reviewed Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: The Complete Series this week and it is one of my favorite recent Anime comedies. It was a really close race between these four films and in the end, it came down to a coin-toss with Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid coming out ahead.

12 Strong - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
A decent action film based on a real life war story. The only extras are a couple of featurettes, so I would call it a rental.

Darrow and Darrow - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
A Hallmark Channel original movie about a daughter and mother who are both lawyers, but who treat their profession differently. Like most Hallmark Channel original movies, this one has no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

In Between - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Three Muslim women living in Israel have widely different personalities and clash, until an event brings them closer together. This film earned nearly 100% positive reviews and the DVD has a behind-the-scenes featurette and a short film, but didn’t do well enough in theaters to get a Blu-ray release. That said, it is still a Pick of the Week contender.

Legend of the Mountain - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A movie based on Chinese mythology about a monk who goes into the mountains to copy a sacred text. He is warned evil spirits will try and steal it from him. The film originally came out in the 1970s, but recently got a re-release here. It’s reviews are 100% positive and the DVD / Blu-ray includes an interview, a video essay, and a pamphlet with a printed essay. It is easily worth picking up and a contender for Pick of the Week.

Naruto Shippuden Uncut: Set 34 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Imagine if this show started coming out on Blu-ray? People who spent about $1,000 on the DVDs so far would be asked to upgrade.

PAW Patrol: Summer Rescues - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Normally we don’t mention this type of release on this list, but this week, this preschool show is the fifth biggest new release of the week. It’s a really slow week.

Peter Rabbit - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This movie is better than I thought it would be, but still not great. If you have kids of the right age range, then it is worth picking up. If you are an adult and a fan of the Peter Rabbit books, then the “modernization” of the story will likely just annoy you.

Royal Wedding Collection - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A box set of three Hallmark Channel original movies. If you are a fan of these movies, then the price is hard to beat. Three movies for $10 is cheaper than renting them.

The Son of Bigfoot - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
This film is selling surprisingly well, considering it is a low-budget animated film from France. It’s reviews are rather good, so I think most kids who do see it will like it.

Thank God It’s Friday - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A disco film from the late 1970s. It hasn’t aged well and it wasn’t that good to begin with. That said, it is selling surprisingly well, so maybe there’s still an audience out there for disco.

Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This franchise has lasted a long time, especially since the first film didn’t find an audience until it reached the home market. There are only two reviews so far and only one of them is positive, so it is only really worth picking up if you are a fan of the franchise. Also coming out this week is a Franchise box set, but it is only coming out on DVD.

Wait For Your Laugh - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A biographic documentary about Rose Marie, who passed away at the age of 94 shortly after this film was released. Extras include an audio commentary track, making of featurette, deleted scenes, and a Q&A session. That’s a lot for a documentary. Fans of the entertainer, or even fans of the history of the entertainment industry in general, will really want to get this DVD.

Winchester - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
A horror film based on the real life story of Sarah Winchester, heir to the Winchester fortune, who was convinced she was haunted by the ghosts of all of the people Winchester guns had killed. It is an interesting premise, but most critics agree the filmmakers did nothing with such a promising premise.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Blaze - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
In the Fade - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Insult - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Jane Austen’s Mafia - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Mobile Suit Gundam: AGE - Collection 1 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Maya the Bee: The Honey Games - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Nostalgia - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Once Upon a Time - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Space Warrior Baldios: The Movie - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Terror - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Violent Professionals - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The only secondary Blu-ray I’m interested in is Blaze.

4K Ultra HD Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Mamma Mia! - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Peter Rabbit - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Neither of these movies are worth spending extra to see them on 4K.

TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
There were almost no TV on DVD releases on this week’s list and none of them were full-season Megasets.

Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
The 15:17 to Paris - Reviews - Video on Demand
Ballerina - Reviews - Video on Demand
Flower - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Good Nanny - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Insult - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Jade Pendant - Reviews - Video on Demand
Josie - Reviews - Video on Demand
Most Likely to Murder - Reviews - Video on Demand
My Daughter is Missing - Reviews - Video on Demand
Nanny Nightmare - Reviews - Video on Demand
The Next Big Thing - Reviews - Video on Demand
Royal Hearts - Reviews - Video on Demand
Samson - Reviews - Video on Demand
Wow. There are a lot of secondary VOD releases this week. Unfortunately, it is a case of quantity over quality.

C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Please Stand By, Peter Rabbit, Winchester, Bar Bahar, Samson, 12 Strong, The Jade Pendant, The 15:17 to Paris, Most Likely to Murder, The Son of Bigfoot, Meari to majo no hana, Nostalgia, L’insulte, Wait For Your Laugh, Aus dem Nichts, Flower, Shan zhong zhuan qi, Maya the Bee: The Honey Games, Josie, Darrow & Darrow, Royal Hearts, The Ballerina, Nanny Nightmare, My Daughter is Missing, Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell, The Next Big Thing, Tremors, Dakota Fanning, Wendie Malick, Rose Marie, Helen Mirren, Kimberly Williams-Paisley