It’s time for another look at some highlights that are arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. There are plenty of high profile hit titles in this edition, as well as a great selection of independent features. So, since you can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
Big New Releases!
Bad Boys for Life – The third film in this action/comedy series reunites the original stars for another adventure after a 17-year hiatus. When a Miami drug-running outfit run by a mother and son create chaos in the city, two familiar police detectives are assigned to a special task force tasked with putting a stop to the criminal empire. The two bicker and shoot their way through town as they take down the villains. Response towards this follow-up was generally positive. A small group said that while it was nice to see the two leads reunited, there wasn’t much about the latest story that was unique or original, and noted that the action scenes didn’t quite measure up. However, most thought that the script focused on the entertaining onscreen chemistry between the leads, resulting in an enjoyable thrill ride. It stars Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig and Joe Pantoliano.
Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson – Al Adamson was a low-budget genre filmmaker known among cult movie aficionados for his incredibly cheesy flicks that include Psycho a Go-Go, Blood of Ghastly Horror, Dracula vs. Frankenstein, some nudie films, and even a bizarre kid’s feature about a talking chimp called Carnival Magic. Eerily enough, Adamson was brutally murdered by an associate in 1995, who then tried to hide his body from authorities. This documentary examines his career and the famous persons whose careers he helped launch, as well as his untimely end. Notices were excellent for the feature. Reviewers stated that the movie was fascinating as it detailed the man’s life and career, telling one wild and outrageous story after another in an enlightening way. They also mentioned that the doc makes his sudden end seem like even more of a tragedy.
Budapest Noir – Using the film noir genre as inspiration, this Hungarian picture is set in Budapest in 1936 during the rise of Adolph Hitler. According the plot synopsis, a young beautiful girl is found dead and no one wants to investigate the crime, except for a reporter who has a gut feeling that things are not what they seem. He soon discovers that his instincts are correct, ultimately putting his own life at risk in the process. The movie played at several film festivals a couple of years ago and received a few awards for its musical score. However, it didn’t get a very wide release in this part of the world, and is now making its debut on disc. The only review around here that it received was from a Variety reporter, who wrote that while it was a watchable thriller, it could have used a few more original story elements or twists to make a bigger impact. The movie features Krisztián Kolovratnik, Réka Tenki and Franciska Törőcsik.
The Gentlemen – In between his various big studio features, writer/director Guy Ritchie has an inclination to make dark comedies set in the UK about the criminal underworld. Such titles have included Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. His latest is the story of an American expat in London who runs a highly profitable marijuana business. After deciding to sell his shares and retire, the lead finds himself under attack by all sides as various parties attempt to take his empire. The majority of press members gave this movie a recommendation. There was a minor group who found it crass, ugly and couldn’t relate to any of the characters. However, everyone else found the feature clever and amusing, building momentum with its eccentric characters and eventually winning viewers over. The cast includes Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Colin Farrell and Hugh Grant. To read this site’s review, click here.
Ip Man 4: The Finale – The legend of famous martial artist Ip Man has been the subject of many a movie over the years. This sequel is part of a recent series starring Donnie Yen as the famous hero. Following the death of his wife, Ip Man learns that he has throat cancer. Hoping to provide a future for his rebellious child, he travels to San Francisco to one of his training studios in order to try and make plans for the youngster’s future. He also attempts to ease deep tensions between his instructors and their brightest pupil, Bruce Lee. Critics were very upbeat about this chapter in the franchise. They wrote that while a bit overcrowded character and story-wise, the drama still worked. And of course, they also raved that it was an incredible action film featuring some of the best fight choreography in the entire series. In addition to Yen, Wu Yue, Vanness Wu, Scott Adkins and Kent Cheng headline the film.
The Last Full Measure – Vietnam War hero William H. Pitsenbarger is the subject of this biopic that is set during two different time periods. When a Pentagon staff member receives a request to award Pararescue team member Pitsenbarger a medal, he finds out about the medic’s selfless efforts in the war, staying in the line of fire and rescuing 60 men from certain death. The official also learns of a nasty cover-up by officials preventing the serviceman from receiving public recognition. Write-ups were generally good for this effort. A percentage did think that jumping back and forth between eras minimized some of the suspense and felt the movie was a little predicable. Still, the majority stated that the cast was incredible and were pleased that the feature avoided jingoism. It stars Jeremy Irvine, Sebastian Stan, Christopher Plummer, William Hurt, Ed Harris, Samuel L. Jackson, Peter Fonda, Diane Ladd, Amy Madigan and Bradley Whitford.
Like a Boss – Two best friends running a homegrown cosmetics line begin to find themselves overwhelmed by the job and developing different priorities. One is a practical, hard-worker, while the other wants to live a lavish lifestyle. When the head of a big cosmetics company comes in and offers a buyout payment for their business, the two begin to disagree over whether to keep their brand or lose control of the business they’ve built from the ground up. The comedy didn’t elicit a positive reception from the press. A small number of reviewers thought that onscreen talent made up for the familiarity of the material, finding the flick sweet and pleasing. Unfortunately, the overwhelming consensus was that the script was forgettable and formulaic, and that the movie simply wasn’t funny enough to earn a pass. It features Tiffany Haddish, Rose Byrne, Selma Hayek, Billy Porter and Jennifer Coolidge.
The Long Shadow – This suspense film follows a new police detective in a rural Louisiana town. When the woman she loves, a local lawyer, dies under very strange and mysterious circumstances, the cop takes it upon herself to determine who is responsible. Her investigation eventually undercovers seedy and nefarious activities by the wealthy and most affluent residents, including a railroad conglomerate’s attempts to buy up all of the local property in the area. As of right now, there has only been one article written about the film, calling it a reasonably effective little thriller. Unfortunately, little else is known about the movie at this point in time, so those curious will have to step into this mystery cold. The cast includes Aasha Davis, Teri Wyble, Tess Harper, Yetide Badaki and Jim Klock.
Track: Search for Australia’s Bigfoot – Even Australia has its own bigfoot, at least according to this documentary. The creature is reported to live in the Blue Mountains and this feature follows a cyptozoologist determined to prove that the legendary sasquatch is real. He also claims that he has had his own strange encounter with what must be the beast and shows what he captured with his camera. A team of cameramen move with the expert as he travels into the wild, looking for more evidence. Along the way, he talks to other researchers who suggest that the creature may have also been sighted across the countryside. As you might have imagined, this little Aussie non-fiction feature has played a few film festivals in its homeland, but hasn’t yet garnered a lot of attention in this part of the world. As a result, no one can say just yet what exactly the feature manages to uncover.
The Turning – This horror flick uses the famous Henry James novella, The Turn of the Screw, as inspiration. It follows a young teacher who is offered a position as a governess to a young girl on a lavish estate. While initially excited to be making more money, the job becomes considerably tougher after the unexpected arrival of the child’s “degenerate” brother. As the guardian tries to continue with her duties, she becomes certain that something within the household is not right. Critics also suggested that there was plenty going here that was, well, just wrong. While a small number commented that the cast was good and the themes presented were intriguing, the overwhelming consensus was that this film was plodding and the jolts didn’t work, making it a poor reworking of its source material. It stars Mackenzie Davis, Finn Wolfhard, Brooklynn Prince and Joely Richardson.
Why Don’t You Just Die! – A Russian detective with some personality issues and whom his own family claim is abusive decides to open his doors and allow visitors to drop by and say hello. Numerous unsavory attendees arrive, including his daughter, various violent criminals, and a very nasty co-worker. It seems that everyone wants revenge on the cop for one reason or another, but as the confrontations escalate, it becomes clear that all may not be as it initially appears. Known as Papa, Sdokhni in its homeland, this foreign-language thriller received high marks from the press. In fact, only one reviewer found the material not to their liking, stating that the film was too repetitive for their tastes. Everyone else called it an amusingly crazy and cutting black comedy with plenty of style that would surprise and shock genre fans. The cast includes Aleksandr Kuznetsov, Vitaliy Khaev and Elena Shevchenko.
Blasts from the Past!
There are also a great many older titles that are being given impressive Blu-ray upgrades. Shout! are releasing a Collector’s Edition of the Hammer flick, The Curse of the Werewolf (1961). This period flick stars the incomparable Oliver Reed as a Spanish man cursed with the condition. He begins to control his violent wolfman transformations, but when he is prevented from being with the woman he loves, it causes the disorder to resurface. This movie has been given a brand new 4K scan from the inter-positive, presenting a sharper and clearer image than ever before. You’ll also get an audio commentary with actress Yvonne Romain, makeup effects artist Mike Hill, and composer Leslie Bricusse. A second track features two film historians discussing the movie and its lasting impact. Additionally, there are new spots about the behind-the-scenes talent who helped create the flick, and a lengthy making-of which includes actors, the film’s art director, and other members of the crew. There is also a featurette on werewolf movies, a segment about how the movie was censored during its original release, and a ton of publicity materials. Looks like a great disc!
Kino are also putting out a number of intriguing Blu-rays. The first disc is for the Bette Davis/Michael Redgrave drama, Connecting Rooms (1970), about two down-on-their-luck seniors who find friendship and compassion while in a London boarding house. Additionally, they have the made-for-TV Victorian period drama, Love Among the Ruins (1975). This one stars Katherine Hepburn and Lawrence Oliver about a barrister defending his ex in court. The latter film has been transferred to Blu-ray with a new 2K master. Both titles include cinema historian commentary tracks.
And the company is making the German romance The Love of Jeanne Ney (1927) available on Blu-ray too. The disc includes the original, recently restored German cut and the American release versions of the feature (each with a separate orchestral soundtrack), and it also comes with a film historian commentary.
Secret Ceremony (1968), a psychodrama starring Elizabeth Taylor and Mia Farrow, has been given an HD upgrade and is debuting on Blu-ray. The release arrives with a movie historian audio commentary and trailer. Additionally, Kino has the comic anthology Woman Times Seven (1967), which features seven tales of infidelity from director Vittorio De Sica (Bicycle Thieves, Umberto D.). This movie has an incredible cast that includes Shirley MacLaine (in multiple roles), Michael Caine, Alan Arkin and Peter Sellers. It also comes with a film expert commentary and trailer.
The new release section of this article drew attention to a documentary on low-budget, B-movie maverick Al Adamson. This week, Severin are releasing a Blu-ray/DVD combo of the filmmaker’s strange foray into family films, Carnival Magic (1981). The bizarre feature details a friendship between a magician with real powers and his pal, a talking chimp. When one of their envious co-workers at a carnival decides to get rid of his competition by selling the primate to a lab for experimentation, the protagonist decides to fight back. The trailer calls it, “The most amazing thing you’ll ever see!” but one imagines that by today’s standards almost everything about it will be politically incorrect.
Despite this being a kid’s flick, it is said to be pretty odd and features a number of inappropriate references to alcoholism, domestic violence, vivisection and suicide. Of course, these surreal bits are exactly what will make it fascinating to older viewers who enjoy what might be described as not-so-great film entertainment. The disc includes an audio commentary with the producer, a couple of movie critics and fans who analyze of the picture’s weirder elements. It also includes the director’s second foray into kid’s flicks, another eccentric feature called Lost (1989) about a little girl and her dog trudging endlessly through the desert (sounds like an earlier, family-friendly version of the Gus Van Sant movie Gerry). If that and the various promotional materials included wasn’t interesting enough, you’ll also get rushes from an unfinished Adamson family movie called The Happy Hobo. Sounds like demented fun.
Speaking of disturbing entertainment, The Cremator (1969) is an intentionally creepy foreign-language title from Czechoslovakia. It’s about the manager of a crematorium in 1930s Prague who enjoys his job and position a bit too much. The movie skewers totalitarian regimes and the horrors they inspire. Despite being incredibly effective and chilling, this movie has been hard to locate for many decades. Thankfully, its elements have been restored and the picture is arriving on Blu-ray with 4K image quality, a 2011 documentary on the production, an interview with a film programmer about the stylistic devices on display, a piece about the score composer, a trailer, and an interview with one of the film’s cast members. It’s a disturbing but remarkable feature and this reviewer is pleased to see it finally getting a release.
Paramount also have a few curious high definition releases which they are putting out under a banner called Paramount Presents. They all feature new transfers, fancy packaging and other bonuses. Their first Blu-ray of the week is a 4K remastered version of the popular thriller, Fatal Attraction (1987). This hit is about a psychotic woman who pursues and targets the family of a man whom she has an affair with. The new disc includes an audio commentary, rehearsal footage, and the original ending that was altered to pack more of punch with audiences.
The second movie arriving on Blu-ray is the Elvis Presley classic, King Creole (1958). Remastered in 4K, this effort from Michael Curtiz (Casablanca, White Christmas) features Presley as a performer singing his way through Louisiana and stopping a mobster (played by Walter Matthau) from ensnaring him in a life of crime. Besides the famous title track, the soundtrack also features the hit, “Hard Headed Woman”. There’s a filmmaker focus featurette on the film and it comes with a trailer. You will able be able to pick out and watch specific songs from the feature.
Additionally, they are also putting out the Alfred Hitchcock classic, To Catch a Thief (1955), starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. In addition to the new 4K remaster, the Blu-ray also comes with a Hitchcock expert commentary track, a Leonard Maltin discussion on the film, and a look at the careers of the film’s two leads. The trailer is also included.
Cohen Media Group are presenting a 4K restoration of Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951), a romance picture with Ava Gardiner and James Mason. The disc also includes a second feature from the director called The Living Idol (1957). You’ll also receive original trailers, a restoration comparison and trailer, as well as other bonuses.
Finally, Warner Archive are presenting a made-to-order Blu-ray of the western, Rachel and the Stranger (1948). They’ve also got a 2-disc Special Edition of the romantic thriller, Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967). This title was directed by John Huston (Key Largo, The African Queen) and features Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando. Two discs featuring different versions of the movie are included in this package. One includes its original, full-color presentation at theaters, while the other displays the feature with a gold-color tint as originally intended (filmmaker Huston had lobbied for the feature to be released with this hue, but the studio rejected the idea).
You Know, For Kids!
Only one title for youngsters this week and it comes with a big word of warning. The movie is likely more than a bit disturbing and inappropriate for little kids. The young-at-heart may be more amused by the weirdness on display.
Carnival Magic (1981)
On the Tube!
And here are this edition’s TV-themed releases.
30 Rock: The Complete Series
Blood Sugar Rising: America’s Hidden Diabetic Epidemic (PBS)
China Beach: The Complete Collection
Nature: Wild Florida (PBS)
World on Fire: Season 1