Time for another look at all of the highlights headed your way on Blu-ray and DVD. This edition includes Academy Award winners, Hollywood blockbusters and independent fare in a variety of genres. So, if you can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try.
Big New Releases!
21 Bridges – A Manhattan detective finds himself on a citywide hunt for a pair of cop-killers. Things get even more complicated after a massive conspiracy behind the assassination is uncovered. Soon escape from the city via the numerous bridges are cut-off, and the protagonist discovers that he is in as much danger as those being pursued. This action picture split reviewers. About half said that the story had no surprises and everything that occurred was entirely predictable, minimizing its dramatic impact. The same number were impressed by the technical elements and liked the lead performance. It stars Chadwick Boseman, Sienna Miller, Stephen James, Keith David, Taylor Kitsch and J.K. Simmons.
Another Day of Life – This multi-national, multi-language animated film for adults is based on a true story. In fact, it was adapted from a book written by a Polish war correspondent stationed in Angola during its fight for independence in 1975. The film follows the reporter’s various experiences at the front line and how witnessing brutalities up-close shattered his idealism and perspective on military conflicts. The press generally liked the feature. One or two thought that the artistic and stylized approach was ineffective and took them out of the proceedings. Most complimented the film for taking a disturbing and downbeat approach to war and noted its effective use of interviews from actual participants in the skirmishes.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood – Fred Rogers aka Mr. Rogers is the subject of this biopic, which tells the story of a troubled journalist assigned to interview the children’s television star. While initially skeptical of his assignment, the jaded reporter is taken aback by a man who exudes decency. As their talks continue, the writer slowly begins to come around to Mr. Rogers’ way of thinking. Critics really liked the movie, although they stopped short of raving about it. A small contingent thought that a recent documentary on the man’s life was far more effective and called this adaptation overly earnest and emotionally flat. Everyone else referred to the movie as an odd and eccentric, but strangely sweet biography with a positive message. It features Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson and Chris Cooper.
Disturbing the Peace – An ex-Texas Marshall puts down his gun for good after a tragic shooting and decides take on a new position as the marshal of a small town. His quiet life changes with the arrival of a dangerous biker gang. The protagonist is forced to pick up his gun once again and protect his community from ruffians as they head out to commit a violent crime. Notices were poor for this low-budget action picture. A few enjoyed the work of the stars and thought that the film’s fast pace helped provide some pulpy entertainment for genre fans. However, most thought that the story was lacking and noted that a few good moments couldn’t salvage the entire production. Guy Pearce, Devon Sawa and Kelly Greyson headline the film.
Frankie – This arthouse drama involves a European clan who come together in Sintra, Portugal at the behest of their family matriarch, a movie star with a terminal illness. Over a single day, she discusses the future with them and tries to subtly manipulate visitors into doing her bidding. She finds some unanticipated resistance from others as she attempts to control their actions. Response was generally mixed and muted. Many found it too low-key for their liking and thought that the film didn’t make the most of its exceptional cast. Still, a slightly higher number liked the performers so much that they didn’t mind the exercise’s dramatic shortcomings. It stars Isabelle Huppert, Brendan Gleeson, Marisa Tomei, Jérémie Renier, Vinette Robinson, Ariyon Bakare and Greg Kinnear. To read this site’s review of the feature, click here.
Jojo Rabbit – Set in Germany during World War II, this dark satire involves a lonely young boy whose imaginary friend is Adolf Hitler. The horrible ideologies and propaganda being pumped into his head are suddenly challenged after the child leads that his mother has been hiding a young Jewish girl in their home. The events that follow force the youngster to confront his nationalistic tendencies. Reviews were generally excellent for this feature which recently won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. A small element couldn’t get on its comedic wavelength and didn’t appreciate its unusual approach to dealing with racial hate. However, those who did recommend the movie said that they could easily overlook its awkward elements and stated that it made and emotional and powerful imprint on viewers. It stars Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson, Taika Waititi, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson and Stephen Merchant. Read all about the movie here.
Midway – The latest film adaptation detailing the Battle of Midway focuses on the conflict between American and Japanese forces in the Pacific during WWII. Inspired by the members of the heroic fleet, it uses the latest advancements in visual effects technology to show how they eventually overcame the odds to triumph against enemy forces. Critics were not overwhelmed by the bombast on display. Admittedly, a small group did write that they liked the movie’s impressive digital effects and old-fashioned approach to the story. However, the majority thought that it was all presented in a blunt and ineffective manner that paled to other recent war films. The cast includes Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Luke Evans, Mandy Moore, Dennis Quaid, Arron Eckhart, Nick Jonas and Etsushi Toyokawa.
Snatchers – This unusual amalgamation of comedy/horror and science-fiction is said to follow a teenager who loses her virginity and wakes up the following day to learn that she is nine-months pregnant… and about to give birth to an alien fetus. Apparently, things get considerably stranger and gorier from there, events escalate and friends as well as enemies get involved in the young woman’s plight. Reviews were unexpectedly excellent for this low-budget independent feature. They all called it a fun, good-natured and wild little flick that succeeds thanks to a likable cast and snappy approach. Many thought that it was certain to become a cult film. It features Mary Nepi, Gabrielle Elyse, Nick Gomez and Rich Fulcher.
Sunday Girl – This low-budget indie comedy follows a carefree young woman who “accidentally” finds herself dating five men at the same time. Realizing that the situation is untenable, she decides that she has to break up with four of them and tries to go about determining who should be axed and why. According to the synopsis, she sets out to do this all in a single day. Notices were good for the feature. A small group thought that the movie followed the routine romantic-comedy playbook and added nothing new to the formula. Yet most said that despite the flaws and shortcomings of the protagonist, the character was amusing to watch and the film itself entertaining. Dasha Nekrasova has the lead tole.
The Truth About Marriage – This documentary from the filmmaker behind Trekkies has little to do with science-fiction and instead focuses on marriage as a whole. Specifically, he finds professors and experts in the field and interviews them along with several couples in a committed relationship. The movie strives to use science and psychology to determine what makes a happy partnership work and what we can do to increase the chances of finding a soulmate. Alas, this picture is debuting on disc, so there aren’t many reviews available (one that was posted online said it was decent, but that the information presented wasn’t anything surprising). Interested parties will have to throw caution to the wind and give it a chance.
Warriors of the Nation – This foreign-language action effort from China is another period film about legendary figure Huang Fei-hung. In this tale, a top Chinese military officer is kidnapped by a sinister organization known as the White Lotus Society, who wish to take over the country. Knowing that he is the only one who can stop them, Fei-hung and his students head out to rescue the official and stop the plot. Apparently, this movie is also known as The Unity of Heroes II and it is a direct-to-disc sequel said to be inspired by martial arts films of the 90s. There aren’t many write-ups available and the few that have appeared aren’t exactly complimentary, so one might want to approach this effort with caution. It stars Vincent Zhao as the hero.
Blasts from the Past!
Wow, it’s another busy week for those interested in picking up classic titles in high definition. Arrow Video have a Blu-ray of the Spanish slasher, Deadly Manor (1990). It’s about some teens who decide to party in a creepy old abandoned manor. And guess what? There’s also a killer in there who begins violently picking them off one by one. The movie has been given a new 2K restoration from its original film elements. It also comes with a new film expert audio commentary, an interview with one of the stars, the producer and an archival talk with the director. You’ll also get lots of publicity materials, including a trailer.
MVD are releasing Mind Games (1989) as a Special Edition Blu-ray. The story involves a family terrorized by a psychotic hitchhiker (played by Maxwell Caulfield). This disc arrives with a 2K image remaster, new discussions with stars Caulfield and actress Shawn Weatherly, as well as the director and producer. It also comes with a trailer and a collectable mini-poster.
They also have a 50th anniversary Ultimate Edition Blu-ray of the animated film, The Point (1971). Narrated by Ringo Star, this tale is about a round-headed boy born into a pointy-headed world and his attempts to fit in. It includes songs written and performed by Harry Nilsson. You’ll get new 2K high definition transfer of the film along with interviews with voice cast member Mike Lookinlad (The Brady Bunch), screenwriter, a short on adapting the idea to animated film, a talk with Nilsson biographer and a 30-minute making-of. This release also includes a collectable mini-poster.
Shout! Factory always have some interesting fare, and this week is no exception. The first title is a Blu-ray of Gerry (2002). This film from Gus Van Sant (To Die For, Good Will Hunting) follows two friends (Casey Affleck and Matt Damon) who hike across the desert and run into trouble when they get lost. It comes with a behind-the-scenes featurette and a trailer.
They also have the Hammer flick, Rasputin: The Mad Monk (1966). Christopher Lee plays the title character, who begins to exert his influence over the Russian czar and causes bloodshed and terror. This Blu-ray presents the film in two aspect ratios (including the crazy-wide 2.55:1) along with a new film historian commentary, a making-of featurette, a look at novelizations of Hammer movies, a World of Hammer costume on costumes, an older commentary with Lee and the film’s other stars, as well as all sorts of publicity materials.
You can also pick up a Blu-ray of the monster movie, X: The Unknown (1956), about a blob terrorizing the UK. This release includes a new 2K scan of a fine grain film element of the movie, a film historian commentary, and a featurette on the producer. You’ll also get a World of Hammer episode about the studio’s Sci-fi flicks and a trailer.
Kino have a stack of Blu-rays too. The first two British films star actor Stanley Baker. Accident (1967) is a melodrama, while The Criminal (1960) is a gritty prison flick. Both arrive with film historian audio commentaries and trailers. The second title listed has also been given a new 4K restoration, so it should look pretty sharp. The also have the George C. Scott flick, Day of the Dolphin (1973) about a man who creates a voice box for sea mammals. Danger arises when they all get caught up in a government plot. Besides a new 4K restoration, the Blu-ray has a new film historian commentary, interviews with the screenwriter and select cast members, a radio spot and a trailer.
And there’s more. Kino also have a Blu-ray of the French romance, Je t’aime moi non plus (1976), which also comes with an audio commentary and other extras. If adventure is more to your liking, they are releasing The Light at the Edge of the World (1971) with Kirk Douglas, Yul Brynner and Samantha Eggar. It’s based on Jules Verne story. This disc also includes a film historian commentary to give viewers more information about the history of the production.
They also are putting out The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes (1937) and the German feature, Munchhausen (1943), which is as much a propaganda film as it is an adventure flick. The latter release comes with plenty of bonuses detailing the production and analyzing it.
While director Robert Altman made a name for himself with 70s classics like MASH, McCabe & Mrs. Miller and Nashville and found success later in his career with The Player and Gosford Park. However, the 80s weren’t as productive or creative a period for the filmmaker. In fact, by the end of the decade he was reduced to making teen comedies like O.C. and Stiggs. Scorpion are putting out one of his comedies from this era, Beyond Therapy (1987). This was a romantic comedy about therapists dealing with their own psychological issues. While it wasn’t a box office hit, it features a great cast including Julie Hagerty, Jeff Goldblum, Glenda Jackson, Tom Conti and Christopher Guest. It’s now arriving on Blu-ray with a new 2019 HD Master and a trailer. So, if you’re a Robert Altman enthusiast, at least you can now revisit one of the filmmaker’s long out-of-print works.
Sony are delivering a couple of noteworthy Blu-rays as well. The first is for the Jon Lovitz comedy, High School High (1996). The second is for The Ugly Duckling (1959), a UK comedy using the Jekyll & Hyde story for laughs. It follows a timid scientist who discovers a formula that makes him into a suave charmer. However, his new alter ego ends up getting him into all sorts of trouble.
Criterion have a Blu-ray of Antonio Gaudi (1984), a visually striking documentary about the work of the Catalan architect. The movie has been given a high definition digital restoration and the Blu-ray includes an hour-long 2003 documentary on Gaudi, a 1961 BBC program on the designer and many films by the director, interviews with other architect and bonus footage.
They also have the Pasolini feature, Teorema (1968). This one arrives with a 4K transfer, a 1969 introduction from the director, an alternate English soundtrack, a commentary track from a Pasolini expert, an interview with star Terence Stamp and other extras.
And if you like classic cartoons, Warner Archive are presenting a made-to-order Blu-ray called Tex Avery Screwball Classics: Volume 1 (1943 – 1951), which contains many shorts from the famous animator.
You Know, For Kids!
Here are some items that may appeal to kids.
Tex Avery Screwball Classics: Volume 1 (1943 – 1951) Warner Archive
The Point
On the Tube!
And these are the week’s TV-themed releases.
A Feeling of Home (Hallmark TV-movie)
The Good Karma Hospital: Series 3
NOVA: Animal Espionage (PBS)
The Twilight Zone: Season 1
The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: The Complete Series