September 9th, 2019
This week, the live action Aladdin comes out on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD for the first time, while the original animated Aladdin gets a Blu-ray re-release and debuts on 4K Ultra HD. I’ve previously reviewed the 1992 animated film and I consider it a classic. How does the new remake live up to the original? And is the re-release of the original worth picking up?
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December 5th, 2018
The first installment of our Holiday Gift Guide dealt with First Run wide releases, which was dominated by super heroes, again. This week, we look at TV on DVD releases, specifically first seasons and Megasets. I limited this list to two types, because you don’t need me to tell you if someone will want the sixth season of a show. If they liked the first five, then season six is likely a good gift. However, like last year, I’m going to start this list with an exception. Sort of. On a side note, originally, I was going to lead with K-On: Limited Edition Box Set, but that got pushed back till February. You can still buy it and give them a print-out of the receipt at Christmas. “Merry Christmas. You’re gift will arrive in two months.” ... Yes, I’ve done that in the past. No, it's not tacky.
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April 2nd, 2018
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is arguably the biggest surprise hit of 2017 earning over $400 million domestically and nearly $1 billion worldwide. Most people were expecting the film to be a box office hit, but almost no one thought this would happen. Did it deserve this success? Or was it a success, because it was the last big hit of 2017 and 2018 got off to such a slow start?
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December 13th, 2015
The third installment of the Holiday Gift Guide focuses on smaller releases, movies that opened in limited release, foreign films, classics getting new releases, and a few Canadian films. This year the list looks different to the previous guides for a simple reason. While there were only eight releases on the TV on DVD installment of the holiday gift guide, the first pass had more than 30 films on this list. I tried trimming the list, but that resulted in me remembering more films I wanted to add to it. Even after getting rid of the ones that won't be released until after Christmas, like Bone Tomahawk, there are still way too many releases to deal with. So let's not delay anymore and get to the list, starting with the biggest release...
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October 12th, 2015
Aladdin first hit theaters in 1992 and was a smash hit with critics and with moviegoers. Because it is so well-known, I don't think I need to concentrate too much on the plot or the quality of the movie. What is more important is the technical presentation and any additionally extras new to this release. Does the Blu-ray shine in that regard?
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September 1st, 2015
Summer is officially over, both in theaters and on the home market. This week, the new releases are led by Mad Max: Fury Road, which was not only one of the biggest hits of the summer, it was also one of the best. Nearly everything else of note is TV on DVD, so if you are a fan of those releases, it will be an expensive week. There were several contenders for Pick of the Week, including two TV on DVD releases (Castle: Season 7 and New Girl: The Complete Fourth Season), a documentary (Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me on DVD), but the winner is Mad Max: Fury Road on 3D Combo Pack.
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July 10th, 2015
Very few movies on this week's list have a real shot at box office success. Stations of the Cross and Tangerine are both earning amazing reviews, but both are niche market releases. Many movies are also earning good reviews, like What We Did on Our Holiday, but are playing on VOD, so they likely won't find audiences in theaters.
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April 5th, 2015
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb is the third film, and likely final film, in the Night at the Museum franchise. The previous two films were very profitable, but the films have never really won over critics. This film had the weakest run at the box office, but is it also the weakest in terms of quality?
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December 1st, 2014
November is over and there are not a lot of positive things to say about what happened during the month. There were a couple of films that matched expectations, but there were no breakout hits and a few that missed expectations by wide margins. Granted, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 will top $300 million with relative ease, but that's still nearly $100 million lower than some people were predicting. The month ends with 2014 about $300 million behind 2013's pace and there's really no chance to catch up in December. That doesn't mean there are no films that will be worth watching in December. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies should at least earn $200 million, while $300 million is not out of the question. Additionally, there are several films that at least have a shot at $100 million at the box office, but not all will get there. At least this December and last December are on par with each other. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug topped $250 million while there were three others that topped $100 million. I think we will get the same result this month. Last year there were a lot more wide releases, but many of them bombed. I think this year the lack of competition will help more films reach their potential.
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November 25th, 2014
It is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, which means there are only a few days before Black Friday, which is one of the busiest shopping days of the season. At first glance, this might seem like a great day to release a DVD or Blu-ray; however, the massive sales will instead overshadow anything that comes out this week. This explains why there are so few interesting releases. The biggest release of the week is The Expendables 3 on DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack, but it might be so bad it killed the franchise. The best release is Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Turkey Day Collection (XXXI), which is the Pick of the Week. We also have a Puck of the Week for Rhymes for Young Ghouls on DVD, a Canadian film that deserves a wider audience.
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November 7th, 2014
There are a ton of limited releases coming out this week, including
The Theory of Everything, which many people think will be an Awards Season contender. There are also a couple of foreign-language films worth checking out,
Why Don't You Play in Hell and
The Way He Looks. And finally, there are a trio of documentaries,
Actress,
Death Metal Angola, and
National Gallery. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of films earning mixed or weaker reviews, so hopefully the good films don't get squeezed out.
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May 23rd, 2014
It is not a particularly strong week for limited releases. There are a few that are earning good reviews, but almost none are earning good reviews and any buzz. Cold in July is one of the exceptions and its reviews and star power could have resulted in a fast start, but it is also playing on Video on Demand.
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July 5th, 2013
Wilfred is a high concept show, which is both good and bad. On the positive side, it makes the show more interesting than 90% of the shows on TV. On the negative side, a high concept usually means a really short shelf life. These shows tend to run out of things to do with the concept and have to either end early, or live long enough to become just a standard TV show. Are there any signs that the show is suffering from this problem? Or will fans be eager to check out season two, and season three?
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