DVD and Blu-ray Releases for April 7th, 2015
April 6, 2015
It is a slow week on the home market, because it is the Tuesday after Easter. Easter tends to be a busy weekend for DVDs and Blu-rays, mostly family-friendly films. It is also post-Christmas on the home market. The final big releases from the holiday season have mostly come out and there are only a few limited release stragglers to deal with, but for the most part we are entering the summer dead zone on the home market. That doesn't mean there are no releases worth picking up. In fact, there are a few contenders for Pick of the Week, led by A Most Violent Year (Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack). Meanwhile, we have a Puck of the Week, The Book of Negroes on DVD, for the best Canadian release of the week.
Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: After the Sunset, Black Butler: Complete First Season: Classic, Breathless, The Corruptor, Detroit Rock City, Empire Records, For the Boys, Hooper, Imitation of Life: 2-Movie Collection, Invaders from Mars, Journey to the Far Side of the Sun, Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, Killers, Mad as Hell, Massacre Gun, Sharky's Machine, Silent Running, Singles, Thunder Road, and Tokyo Ravens: Season 1, Part 1
3D Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon: Planet Dinosaur, Tiny Giants, and Wings
The Book of Negroes - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Drop Dead Diva - Sixth Season - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Home Sweet Hell - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Immigrant - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Inside Amy Schumer: Seasons One & Two - Buy from Amazon: DVD
King of the Hill - Buy from Amazon: Season Nine and Season Ten
Liars, Fires, and Bears - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Manhattan: Season 1 - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Masterpiece Mystery: Grantchester - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A Most Violent Year - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
One Piece: Season 6 - Voyage Four - Buy from Amazon: DVD
[REC] 4: Apocalypse - Buy from Amazon: DVD
TableTop - Buy from Amazon: Season One and Season Two
TV on DVD Full Series Megasets - Buy from Amazon: The Brady Bunch, Frasier, Macgyver, and Matlock
The Voices - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Wilfred: The Complete Season 4 - Buy from Amazon: DVD
We have the usual eclectic mix of secondary Blu-ray releases. None of them really jump out as must haves.
Just three 3D releases this week and all of them are nature documentaries.
A TV mini-series from Canada that some are calling this generation's Roots. That's high praise, but the reviews suggest it isn't overstating the quality too much. I'm hoping to get a screener for this release before the end of the week. If it is as good as some say it is, it would be Pick of the Week material.
The sixth and final season of this show hits the home market this week. The show's reviews were good, but not great. It didn't escape sitcom clichés enough to really wow the critics.
A ten-hour documentary series that follows the Foo Fighters on a tour of the country where they talk to other artists from different studios. According to Amazon, this is the best-selling new release of the week. Either this release is surprisingly popular, or Amazon isn't quite right here.
It is really hard to get black comedy done right, but this one doesn't even come close. Skip it.
This film earned great reviews, but never really generated any buzz during Awards Season. The DVD and Blu-ray have an audio commentary track and a making of featurette, which is enough to be worth picking up, but not quite enough to be Pick of the Week.
I reviewed Amy Schumer and I enjoyed her performance. Unfortunately, I put in my request for a screener late, so I think it won't arrive. That's too bad.
This show lasted 13 seasons. Thank goodness they are putting them out two season at a time, or this would take far too long for fans to handle.
A micro-budget film made for less than $100,000. It was made in 2012, but failed to find an theatrical distributor. Now that it is out on the home market, is it worth checking out? Or was there a reason it failed to get a theatrical release? Read our review to find out.
A double-dip of a TV on DVD Megaset. Is the show worth picking up? Yes. Is this Megaset a better deal over the previous version? Check out our review to find out.
A look at the creation of the nuclear bomb. This show earned fantastic reviews during its first season of release. I'm hoping to get a screener, but I put in the request late. When something is released the first week of the month, I tend to wait to see how much time the monthly preview will suck up and occasionally that means I have to pass up things until after the rush has passed.
A British murder mystery series. It is only six hours long, but it costs close to what a film TV on DVD release here costs. That's the price of importing TV. The reviews are amazing, so if you like the genre, it is worth checking out. If you like the genre and are not turned off by the price, then it is worth picking up.
This film earned a lot of pre-release buzz, mostly of the Awards Season variety. However, while its reviews were fantastic, that never translated into awards, or even many nominations. The DVD and Blu-ray are loaded with extras, so it is easily worth picking up and a serious contender for Pick of the Week.
The third and likely final installment in the franchise. None of these movies really won over critics, but does the franchise end on a high note? Read our review to find out.
One of the few Anime titles that regularly shows up near the top of the best-selling new releases on Amazon.com.
You would think that after four installments, this franchise would have jumped the shark, but the reviews are excellent.
One of the most expensive releases on this week's list. I'm not talking about the price of the DVDs; I'm talking about the price of the all of the board games you will want to buy after watching this show. For me, this show has cost at least $500.
There's a quartet of TV on DVD Megasets coming out this week, including one I got to review.
Ryan Reynolds stars as a man who envisions an angel and a devil telling him what to do. However, these aren't a literal angel and devil, but his talking dog and cat respectively. The reviews were very good, but not good enough to thrive in limited release. The screener is on its way, so hopefully it is as good as its reviews and not as bad as its box office numbers.
The fourth and final season of this show is coming out on DVD-R. It's a fun show, so it is too bad that it is ending.
Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, The Immigrant, Home Sweet Hell, [REC] 4: Apocalypse, The Voices, A Most Violent Year, Liars, Fires, and Bears, Night at the Museum, [REC], Ryan Reynolds, Amy Schumer