There are few items of serious interest for geek viewers coming out on disc this week, though the fourth film in the Insidious horror film franchise should be of interest to horror film fans, and the live-action adaptation of the Tokyo Ghoul manga should also please fans of the macabre, while the anime series My Hero Academia: Season 2 continues the construction of an interesting fantasy world in which super-powered individuals are common.

Theatrical Movies

There are just two major theatrical releases this week.  The more successful of the two is the horror movie Insidious: The Last Key (Sony, “PG-13,” 103 min., $30.99, BD $34.99), the fourth and supposedly the last movie in the Insidious franchise, though, since The Last Key earned $166 million against a cost of just ten million, a fifth film is in the works.  The critics didn’t like The Last Key, giving it just a 31% positive rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, but what do critics know about horror movies? 

Insidious: The Last Key may not exactly be an achievement on the level of Jordan Peele’s Get Out, but it is a lot better than the comedy Father Figures (Warnre Bros., “R,” 112 min., $29.98, BD $35.99), one of 2017’s many R-rated comedies that flopped at the box office.  Owen Wilson and Ed Helms, who have demonstrated great comedy skills in other films, play an unlikely brotherly duo, whose search for their biological father provides the fodder for this film’s attempts at humor.  Critics, who gave Father Figures just a 20% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and audiences, who stayed away in droves, agreed on this one.

TV on DVD

This week’s releases include the controversial Netflix teen suicide drama 13 Reasons Why: Season 1 (Paramount, 717 min., $33.99); and the increasingly trenchant, behind-the-scenes look at the world of NFL players, agents, and ex-players Ballers: The Complete Third Season (HBO, $19.98, BD $24.98) that stars Dwayne Johnson; the Hallmark Channel family drama Chesapeake Shores: Season 2 (Hallmark, 420 min., BD $24.95); and the latest season of the long-running Canadian slice-of-life comedy series Trailer Park Boys: Season 11 (E-One Entertainment, 275 min., $32.98).

Previously released in 2010, but long out of print, the animated series Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century: The Complete Series (Mill creek, 557 min., $19.98) is available once again.  A co-production of DIC and Scottish Television, this 26-episode animated series originally aired from 1999-2001.

Releases from overseas include the excellent U.K. series The Governor: The Complete Series (Acorn Media, 663 min., $59.99), which contains all 10 episodes of the gritty prison drama written by Lynda La Plante (Prime Suspect) that stars 2-time Academy Award nominee Janet McTear.

Also of interest is the Australian historical saga A Place to Call Home: Season 5 (Acorn Media, 619 min., $59.99), a sweeping saga that has in Season 5 reached 1958.

Anime

April is off to a great start in the anime category, though ironically, it begins with the release of the live action Tokyo Ghoul: The Movie (Funimation, “TV-MA,” 120 min., $29.98,  BD/DVD Combo $34.98), an adaptation of Sui Ishida’s dark fantasy manga that has previously inspired an excellent anime series that is currently in its third season.  The live-action adaptation follows the origin arc of Ishida’s manga and features plenty of over-the-top gore, but it does have a solid rating of 83% positive on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes (though that score is based on just 12 reviews). 

While horror fans (whether they enjoy anime or not) should check out Tokyo Ghoul, those who enjoy superhero adventures should take a look at My Hero Academia: Season 2 (Funimation, “TV-14,” 300 min., BD/DVD Combo $64.98. Ltd. Ed. $84.98), which presents episodes 13-24 of the ongoing (since 2016) anime series from Bones based on the manga by Kohei Horikoshi that is set in a world where super-powered individuals are common.  The Limited Edition comes with a UA Tournament headband, 2 sports pennants, an acrylic keychain, 10 holographic trading cards, plus a 40-page artbook and tournament guide.

Also due on Tuesday is the Utano Princesama: Legend Star Complete Collection (Sentai Filmworks, “TV-14,” 325 min., BD $59.98), the fourth 13-episode series from A-Pictures that is based on a visual novel and mashes together the “harem comedy” and “idol” genres.