DVD and Blu-ray Releases for May 26th, 2020

May 26, 2020

The main list of DVD and Blu-ray releases is much shorter than usual, but the hit-to-miss ratio is amazing as there are no real duds. Solid Metal Nightmares has the smallest target audience, but even then, it will be loved by fans. As for Pick of the Week contenders, The Invisible Man and Konosuba were the two best bets. I went with The Invisible Man, as you need to be a fan of isekai anime to really get Konosuba. You also need a higher tolerance of pervvy humor. Although that might be a selling point for some.

The Invisible Man - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand
There were many, many low-budget horror movies released in theaters this year, including many that earned wide releases. However, all but two earned terrible reviews and only one of them was a box office hit. This film was that one box office hit and it was also the best-reviewed of these films. The extras on the DVD and Blu-ray are also solid with an audio commentary track, a quartet of featurettes, and some deleted scenes. It is easily worth picking up and my Pick of the Week.

Konosuba: The Complete First Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
This is an example of the isekai genre of anime, which are shows in which an average person from our world is sucked into another world to become a hero. The genre is second only to harem anime when it comes to pathetic wish fulfillment. However, there are some real gems in the genre as well, like Re:Zero, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, and this one, Konosuba. The show stars Kazuma, who is a NEET. (That stands for Not in Employment, Education, or Training. In other words, someone who is unemployed and will likely stay that way for a long time.) After an embarrassing death, he is greeted by a goddess, Aqua, and told he will be reincarnated as a hero in a new world, and will defeat the Demon Lord. He is also told he can bring one object with him to help on this quest. He can’t decide what to take, so he decides to bring the goddess with him. That turns out to be a mistake, as she’s completely useless. Not too long after arriving, they add two more members to their adventuring party, Darkness, a masochistic paladin who only became a paladin because she enjoys getting hit in combat, and Megumin, an archemage who can only cast explosion magic, which is completely useless in dungeons and even then, she can only cast one spell a day. As you can tell, Konosuba is a parody of the isekai genre and it is one of the best of that category. Fans of the show having been waiting a while for a Blu-ray release, so it is no surprise that it is selling as well as it is. I’m disappointed with the lack of extras, but that is common for anime releases and it is still a Pick of the Week contender.

Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray
A documentary about the band, The Band, who have been around since the 1950s in one form or another. They’ve been around for so long that you forget how confusing the band’s name would be to people who discover them today. The reviews are solid, but not among the best on this week’s list. The lack of extras also hurts is overall value, but it is still worth picking up.

Onward - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Video on Demand, Video on Demand (With Extras), or Video on Demand (4K Ultra HD)
This film actually came out on DVD / Blu-ray / 4K, as well as VOD rental last week. We missed it, because Amazon and Disney are still in that pissing contest over pricing, so it wasn’t on the list I compiled in advance and the movie is already out on Disney+, so I wasn’t keeping track of its other releases. The only extra on the DVD is an audio commentary track, but the Blu-ray / 4K has several making-of featurettes, deleted scenes, and more. It is a Pick of the Week contender, but doesn’t quite hit the mark as a film, or based on its extra features.

The Rising of the Shield Hero: Season One - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Part One and Part Two
The second isekai anime release of the week. They are both excellent, but this one is a more serious take on the genre and I prefer the humor of Konosuba. Also, splitting the season into two parts makes it more expensive than it should be.

Solid Metal Nightmares: The Films of Shinya Tsukamoto - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
A four-disc, ten-film box set from Shinya Tsukamoto. His films are a little too extreme for most people, but his fans will want to pick up this fully-loaded box set right away.

Christmas Releases
A Christmas Detour - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Video on Demand
Why is there a Christmas release in May?

TV on DVD Releases
Agatha Raisin: Series 3 - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A Beautiful Place To Die: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Video on Demand
The Deuce: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
From Friend To Fiance - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Video on Demand
Queen of the South: The Complete Fourth Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Silicon Valley: The Complete Sixth Season - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Silicon Valley: The Complete Series - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD
Ultraman Ace - The Complete Series Steelbook Edition - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray

Silicon Valley is the biggest TV on DVD release of the week and also arguably the best, although many people in its target audience will already have seen it on HBO.

Library Blu-ray Releases
All Night Long - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Atlantic City - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Ator: The Fighting Eagle: Special Edition - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Black Clover: Season 1 - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Blood Tide - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Chicken Chronicles - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Def Leppard: London to Vegas - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Escape from L.A.: Collector’s Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Funeral in Berlin - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Husbands: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
An Ideal Place to Kill - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
In Search of Dracula - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
A Midnight Clear - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Pale Blood - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Satanico Pandemonium - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Scorsese Shorts: The Criterion Collection - No Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
She and Her Cat: Everything Flows - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
White Fire: Special Edition - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Why the Hell are You Here, Teacher!? Complete Collection - - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Wildlife: The Criterion Collection - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
The Woman - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray

There are a lot of secondary Blu-ray releases on this week’s list, but most of them are filler.

3D Blu-ray Releases
Taza, Son of Cochise - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack

We have a 3D movie this week! It’s not a good movie, but it does have some historical novelty.

4K Ultra HD Releases
The Deer Hunter - Reviews - Buy from Amazon: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack

This is one of the best movies of the 1970s and it still holds up today. However, I’m not sure it needs to be seen in 4K to be appreciated.

C.S.Strowbridge

Filed under: DVD and Blu-ray Releases, Home Market Releases, Onward, The Invisible Man, Wildlife, City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes, Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band, Lo strano vizio della signora Wardh, Un posto ideale per uccidere, Vem var Dracula?, Pale Blood, The Chicken Chronicles, Shinya Tsukamoto