Home Market Releases for January 9th, 2018

January 9, 2018

Usually this is a terrible time of year on the home market, because it is too late for the summer blockbusters, but too early for the holiday hits. However, the home market is terrible this week, because It comes out and it destroyed records at the box office and is scaring away nearly all of the competition. Fortunately, its reviews were very good, so it is a contender for Pick of the Week. Its main competition are two classics, Inherit the Wind and Young Mr. Lincoln. All three are worth picking up, but I’m giving the title to It, because of its wider appeal.

The Foreigner - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This film earned good reviews, but not great reviews, and while it struggled at the box office here, it did well enough internationally to cover its entire production budget and then some. Unfortunately, its extras are just a making of featurette and some interviews. It is still a solid rental, leaning towards a purchase, if you like the cast and genre.

Friend Request - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
One of the worst movies of the year. Even if you are a fan of horror movies, you can safely skip this one.

Girlfriends: The Complete Series - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This is the longest-running sitcom aimed at African-American women. It is getting a Megaset re-release that is almost two thirds less than the original Megaset. Does it have anything else going for it? Is the lowered price enough to make it worth picking up? Read our review for my opinion.

Inherit the Wind - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
A courtroom drama about the Scopes Monkey trial, the case in which evolution vs. creationism was debated. It wasn’t a commercial hit when it first came out, but it is widely considered a classic today. The only extra on the Blu-ray is an audio commentary track, but it is still a Pick of the Week contender. Granted, on a busy week, this film might be relegated to the secondary Blu-ray list, but this week, it is one of the best.

It - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This film is based on a novel by Stephen King that was previously made into a mini-series. It was widely expected to be a hit, but no one expected it to be this big a hit. It is by far the biggest September hit of all time. It also earned great reviews and I was sure it would easily be a Pick of the Week contender. Sadly, the extras don’t live up to its box office numbers with just a trio of featurettes and some deleted scenes. This is still enough to be a Pick of the Week contender, because there isn’t a lot of competition, but it is below expectations.

Marshall - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
Busted Oscar-Bait. The film’s Tomatometer Score is 83% positive, but the average score given by individual critics is just 6.8 out of 10. This isn’t Award-worthy and without any serious Oscar buzz, it bombed in theaters. Furthermore, since in bombed in theaters, it is being released on the home market on a featureless DVD / Blu-ray. It is still worth at least rental, leaning towards a purchase, but it could have been a Pick of the Week contender.

Murder on the Orient Express - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This is a great movie and it deserves a Blu-ray release.

My Little Pony: The Movie - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
This film came out at least a few years after the TV show it’s based on, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, peaked with its target audience. It only managed mixed reviews and struggled at the box office. Extras include a few featurettes, a short film, and a music video. If you are a fan of the show, it is worth a rental, but that’s as enthusiastic as I can get.

Naruto Shippuden: Uncut Set 33 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
One of the longest-running Anime shows of all time and we are nearing the end of its 500-episode run. Frankly, I’m a little surprised there are so few episodes left to reach DVD.

Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
This is one of the best-selling new releases of the week and that’s not a serious surprise, if you look at the longevity of the two series here. The DVD includes a couple of bonus cartoons and if you are a fan of Scooby Doo or Batman, then it is worth picking up.

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
An Anime about two high school students who discover they can switch bodies when they kiss. Then the school’s supernatural club discovers they have this power and invites them to join. The show’s ratings on My Anime List are very close to 8 out of 10, but the only extras are the textless openings and closings. Worth picking up, especially if you are a fan of this subgenre of Anime.

Young Mr. Lincoln: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A film from 1939 starring Henry Fonda in this biopic. Extras include a new audio commentary track, as well as archival interviews and more. The film’s reviews are 100% positive, but I fear it is not very well known today. It is a Pick of the Week contender, so maybe more will discover it.

Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
68 Kill - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Bitch - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Bullet Head - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Emmanuelle and the Deadly Black Cobra aka Black Cobra Woman - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Garden of Allah - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Intermezzo aka Intermezzo: A Love Story - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Judgment at Nuremberg - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
My-HiME: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
My Otome: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
My-Otome: The OVA Collection - No Reviews and - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Not as a Stranger - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
November Criminals - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Witches - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Young in Heart - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
It is a slow week on the home market and that’s doubly true for secondary Blu-ray releases. Judgment at Nuremberg is the best on this list.

4K Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
Across the Universe - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This movie is visually inventive, but otherwise its a rather dull love story.

TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
Girlfriends - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
I mentioned this release above. In fact, I reviewed it.

C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, November Criminals, Friend Request, Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House, 68 Kill, My Little Pony: The Movie, Marshall, It, Jigsaw, Dina, Human Flow, Thank You for Your Service, The Foreigner, Bullet Head, Take My Nose…Please!, 30-Love, Bitch, The Garden of Allah, Le Streghe, CODumentary, Somebody’s Mother, Henry Fonda, Stephen King

Home Market Releases for January 9th, 2018

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