Home Market Releases for February 20th, 2018

February 19, 2018

The Florida Project

It’s another slow week; however, I prefer to think of it as the calm before the storm, as there are several blockbusters and Oscar contenders coming out over the next few weeks. That’s not to say there are no big hits or Oscar contenders on this week’s list. The Florida Project and Loving Vincent are both up for an Oscar, while there are some massive hits coming out on VOD, like Thor: Ragnarok. As for the Pick of the Week, it was an easy choice: The Florida Project on Blu-ray.

American Satan - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Video on Demand
On a normal week, this film might not even be included in the secondary Blu-ray releases. This week, there are so few new releases it is in the top ten best-selling new releases of the week.

Daddy’s Home 2 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
This film made over $100 million domestically, but it is also one of the worst reviewed wide releases of 2017. Skip it. Also coming out this week is the two-movie Double-Shot, which can also be skipped.

Dragon Ball Super: Part Three - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This is one of the longest-running Anime franchises of all time. Additionally, its reviews on My Anime List are impressive. Extras include an interview from Anime Expo 2017, as well as the usual textless opening and closing credits. If you are a fan of Anime, you don’t need me to tell you to pick up this show. Even if you are not a fan, you likely know enough about this show to judge it


The Florida Project - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
One of the best movies of the year and one of the Awards Season contenders. Granted, it hasn’t been able to turn many of its nominations into awards, but that’s hardly a serious complaint. Extras include a making of featurette, an interview featurette, and some outtakes. That’s reasonably good for a limited release and more than enough to be a Pick of the Week contender.


Hunter x Hunter: Phantom Rouge - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
An Anime movie based on the TV show, which is in turn based on the best-selling Manga. This franchise is not as well known here as the various Dragon Ball incarnations are, but there are very few Anime franchises that are. Extras include interviews with both the American and Japanese casts, as well as promotional material. It is worth picking up.


Lady and the Tramp - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand (Movie Only)
Video on Demand (with Bonus Content)
The Blu-ray doesn’t come out until next week, but the film hits VOD this week and I got the screener early, so I figured I would get the review done early as well.


Loving Vincent - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This animated film is entirely painted. Each frame is hand-painted and this is the first feature-length film ever produced this way. The film’s Tomatometer Score is excellent, but a lot of critics do admit their reviews are positive in part due to the admiration of the effort it took to make the movie, so the average review isn’t as positive as its Tomatometer Score would indicate. Extras include making of featurettes, interviews, and more. It even includes four postcards featuring Vincent Van Gogh’s art. It is easily worth picking up, and even a Pick of the Week contender.


Mom & Dad - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Video on Demand
Selma Blair and Nicolas Cage star as the titular Mom and Dad. In the movie, something causes parents to become murderously violent towards their kids. This is one of the best Nicolas Cage movies in the past few years, which sounds like a back-handed compliment, but it is worth checking out. There are no extras, so I would start with a rental.

The Perfect Bride - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
It’s a Hallmark Channel Original Movie. Enough said.

Same Kind of Different as Me - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A faith-based film with a better cast than most, but the end result is the same. It just isn’t good enough to have any crossover appeal.

The Star - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray
Video on Demand
A Christmas movie that is thoroughly mediocre. It’s something you only want to watch if you have younger kids, and even then I would suggest only a rental.

Steve McQueen: American Icon - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Video on Demand
This film only has two reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and it is only coming out on DVD. Normally, I wouldn’t even mention it, but this is a really slow week.


Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
A PBS documentary about historical Black colleges and their importance to the country as a whole. There are only five reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but all five reviews are positive, enthusiastically positive. So not only is it worth picking up, it is a contender for Pick of the Week.


Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
An Actor's Revenge: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
ALL OUT!!: Part One - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray Combo Pack
The Covered Wagon - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Eaten Alive! - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Farewell, My Lovely / The Big Sleep - Reviews / Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Girl Without Hands - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Hero: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Midnight, Texas: Season One - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Night Walker - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Non Non Biyori: Complete Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Underground - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Van Morrison In Concert - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Whenever you see a Criterion Collection release on this list, it is almost always worth checking out. However, those two are not the only releases worth picking up, as The Girl Without Hands, Non Non Biyori, and Underground are also worth the price.


4K Blu-ray Releases - Buy from Amazon:
There are a couple of 4K releases on this week’s list, but they are both from the Daddy’s Home franchise, both are mentioned above, and neither are worth picking up.


TV on DVD Megasets - Buy from Amazon:
The Master: Complete TV Series - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Calling this a Megaset is a bit of a cheat, as the show only lasted 13 episodes.


Video on Demand - Buy from Amazon:
The Disaster Artist - Reviews - Video on Demand
Lady and the Tramp - Reviews - Video on Demand (Movie Only)
Lady and the Tramp - Reviews - Video on Demand (Plus Bonus Content)
Lady and the Tramp 2 - Scamp's Adventure - Reviews - Video on Demand (Movie Only)
Lady and the Tramp 2 - Scamp's Adventure - Reviews - Video on Demand
Murder on the Orient Express - Reviews - Video on Demand
Novitiate - Reviews - Video on Demand
Sunstroke - No Reviews - Video on Demand
Thor: Ragnarok - Reviews - Video on Demand (Movie Only)
Thor: Ragnarok - Reviews - Video on Demand (Plus Bonus Content)
ZOMBIES - No Reviews - Video on Demand
This is a deceptively busy week, in both definitions of “deceptively”. There are fewer releases that it looks at first glance, because three of the films have two releases each. However, it is also busier than it looks, because while there are only eight different releases, four of them are major hits. In fact, Thor: Ragnarok is the release from last year I’m most interest in seeing.


Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, The Covered Wagon, The Star, Thor: Ragnarok, Same Kind of Different as Me, Loving Vincent, Murder on the Orient Express, The Disaster Artist, Mom & Dad, Novitiate, Daddy’s Home 2, The Florida Project, La jeune fille sans mains, American Satan, Steve McQueen: American Icon, Solnechnyy udar, The Perfect Bride, Daddy’s Home, Nicolas Cage, Selma Blair