Welcome to another look at some of the highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. It’s another busy week with some interesting and unique options in a wide variety of genres. So, if you can’t make it out to the movies this week or need to stay indoors, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
BLOOD RELATIVES – This independent comedy/chiller is a Shudder original that premiered on the streaming service. The story follows a Yiddish vampire and loner who gets a big surprise when a girl shows up at his door claiming to be his daughter. As it turns out, she is his relation, suffering from the same malady as he and has no one to care for her. The two embark on a road trip to see if they can form a familial bond. Response towards this picture was strong. One individual didn’t think that it made the most of its premise and was ultimately unmemorable. Everyone else was amused by what they witnessed. They called the movie unique, enjoyed the focus on the characters and thought it was entertaining. For the time being, this is a DVD-only release. It stars Noah Segan, Victoria Moroles, Akasha Villalobos and C.L. Simpson.
THE CIVIL DEAD – A misanthropic photographer finds himself out of work and in a personal rut. While his wife is out of town, he bumps into an old friend. The two hang out and the lead invites his pal over to stay. It is then when the guest reveals that he has recently died and is actually a ghost. The spirit insists on helping the protagonist get the bottom of his problems, but tensions arise as the undead figure persists in his efforts. This independent comedy earned plenty of praise and even some awards at film festivals like Slamdance. All critics who saw the feature called it a really pleasant surprise, stating that it was melancholy, funny and even managed to involve viewers on an emotional level. They also admired the work of the two leads (who are friends in real life), saying they paired well together onscreen. The cast includes Clay Tatum, Whitmer Thomas and DeMonge Brown.
INVITATION TO A MURDER – Set in 1934, this tale involves a woman who is invited to the mansion of a reclusive billionaire on an island off the coast of England with five other strangers. The guests attempt to figure out what is happening and why, only to discover a body. The lead becomes determined to find out who is responsible and why, putting her own life in jeopardy as she questions others and searches for answers. There haven’t been many reviews so far, but press reaction among those who have seen it has been weak. That might explain why this mystery is arriving only on the DVD format. One article suggested that the screenplay was heavy on exposition and hokey. They didn’t find the final product dynamic or intriguing. Mischa Barton, Chris Browning, Seamus Dover, Bianca A. Santos, Giles Matthey and Grace Lynn Kung headline the film.
JESUS REVOLUTION – This faith-based picture is inspired by a true story that occurred in the 1970s. It follows a teenage hippie looking for peace, love and rock and roll in Southern California. After arriving, he finds himself dissatisfied with the movement and encounters a charismatic hippie-street-preacher. The lead and others like him find a spiritual awakening in the words of the figure and start their own religious revival. Notices were slightly more positive than negative for this feature. Almost half of them complained that while the movie wasn’t overt in its preaching, it didn’t feel particularly realistic either and was dry and flat in execution. Slightly more complemented its light approach, as well as addressing issues within the church and delivering a few effective moments. It features Joel Courtney, Jonathan Roumie, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Anna Grace Barlow and Kelsey Grammer.
JUSTICE LEAGUE X RWBY: SUPER HEROES & HUNTSMEN PART ONE – Here’s yet another animated feature based on characters from DC comics. This time out, superheroes Batman, Cyborg, Flash, Green Lantern, Superman, Vixen and Wonder Woman are transported to another world called Remnant where they are all transformed into teenagers. The group befriend local youngsters with special abilities and they all try to save this strange world before it is destroyed by an evil supervillain. Few have seen this effort so far and it appears to be premiering on disc. It so happens that the story has a connection to a RWBY animated TV-series and was produced by the same team who worked on that show. One assumes if you enjoy the program, you might like the feature. The voice cast includes Natalie Alyn Lind, Chandler Riggs, Nat Wolff, Tru Valentino, Aaron Dismuke and Jason Douglas.
KOMPROMAT – Inspired by a true story, this espionage thriller follows an honest French public servant and diplomat who is given a posting in Siberia. He is soon targeted by the Russian FSB (Federal Security Board), who make false claims that he is a pederast and arrest him. Realizing that his government can do nothing and that he will be made an example of, he endeavors to escape his cell and reach freedom himself. Response was generally positive towards this foreign-language feature. About one-quarter of notices thought the movie focused too much on the diplomats instead of the lead trying to escape and thought it lacked thrills. However, the majority did find it suspenseful. They commented that it was thrilling, focused on characters and served as a powerful warning about the dangers of authoritarianism. It stars Gilles Lellouche, Joanna Kulig, Mikhail Gorevoy, Alexsey Gorbunov and Elisa Lasowski.
MY HAPPY ENDING – A famous actress checks into a London chemotherapy clinic to receive treatment for stage four colon cancer after her comeback West End play is canceled. Initially, she tries to hide her condition from those who recognize her, but eventually befriends three very different women going through the same process. They try to help her deal with the challenge and form a close bond in the process. This effort was largely panned by reviewers. About one-third of them did think that the subject itself was important and that the film was well-intentioned and benefited from strong performances. Unfortunately, most thought that everything felt fake. They didn’t think that it managed to find the right tone or make a strong impression. For the time being, this is a DVD-only release. The cast includes Andie MacDowell, Miriam Margolyes, Sally Phillips, Rakhee Thakrar and Tamsin Greig.
NEW GODS: YANG JIAN – This animated feature from Japan is a prequel to the 2022 film New Gods: Nezha Reborn and is based on a famous 16th century novel. The story involves a virtuous god who possesses an all-seeing third eye that he uses to protect the world. After imprisoning his evil sister, he takes a job as a bounty hunter. A woman sends him out to prevent his nephew from stealing a magical lantern with incredible power. The film earned more upbeat write-ups than negative ones. A small number critiqued the movie for failing to fully develop its protagonists. They believed that most North American viewers would be confused with the nearly incoherent story. Still, the majority found the movie visually stunning and noted that doing a bit of research on the characters beforehand would help viewers understand and enjoy it. The English-language voice cast includes Nicholas Andrew Louie and Christine Lin.
RETURN TO SEOUL – A 25-year-old French woman returns to the country she was born in before her adoption as an infant. She impulsively arrives in the city of Seoul, South Korea in order to find her biological parents. However, as the investigation into her own past progresses, the situation becomes more complicated and she must make a decision as to whether or not to make contact with them. Critics adored this picture and it won several awards at film festivals and in Asia. There were only a couple of individuals who gave the movie a negative review, saying that the ending was unsatisfying and that it didn’t deliver a strong punch. All others thought it was a fascinating study of a character searching for their identity. They also described it as unpredictable and felt that the climax was poignant and powerful. Park Ji-min, Oh Kwang-rok, Guka Han and Kim Sun-young headline the film.
SOMETHING IN THE DIRT – Two neighbors living in Los Angeles lament their lack of success in their careers. When strange, supernatural events occur in their apartment building, the pair aren’t afraid… Instead, they see it as an opportunity. The pals decide that documenting the occurrences might bring them fame and fortune. Of course, it becomes clear that they have put themselves in great danger and their relationship soon begins to crumble. This very low-budget, independent science-fiction/comedy was well-received. A small contingent had difficulty relating to the protagonists and wrote that the feature was overlong and lacked tension. Still, the majority really liked the cast and the twisty story, stating that it was compelling and that there were plenty of sharp and intriguing moments. It features Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead and Sarah Adina Smith
TAMING THE GARDEN – A powerful man who was once the Prime Minister of the country Georgia (the former Soviet Republic) is the subject of this documentary. The movie chronicles his bizarre and fascinating hobby. He collects century old trees (some over 700 feet tall), uprooting them from the country’s coast to plant in his personal and remote garden. Cameras follow the foliage through its strange journey to a new home as the crew tries to get a sense of what the man is doing and why. This picture was released late last year at cinemas and on streaming platforms but is now arriving on disc. The press gave it high marks. Only one complained and noted that the film’s subject matter was dull. All others called the movie gorgeously photographed and hypnotic to watch, stating that it offered an upsetting and powerful message about man altering the beautiful, natural landscape of the world.
TRIANGLE OF SADNESS – This dark satire follows a pair of young and popular media influencers who are invited to cover a fancy cruise. The two are having difficulties in their relationship and decide to work on it while on the trip. After boarding, they encounter and spend time with both wealthy passengers and the put-upon crew. After an accident shipwrecks the vessel, the survivors find the social system uprooted. Those working on the boat are suddenly in a position of power and become prone to abusive behavior themselves. This film received a wide variety of responses and seemed to be a love-it-or-hate-it type of experience. However, it did earn several Academy Award nominations, including nods for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. About one-quarter of critics disliked the characters and what they were witnessing so much that they couldn’t appreciate the satire. However, the others (myself included) thought it was devilishly witty and completely wild. They admired the work of the performers and complimented it as being grimly twisted, nerve-jangling and impossible to forget.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
There’s a ton of interesting and excellent older titles arriving on disc this week. Arrow Video is releasing The Assassination Bureau (1969) on Blu-ray. This eccentric feature is based on a posthumously released Jack London story about a journalist in the Victorian era who discovers an organization that assassinates evildoers. Shocked by their acts, she gets her publisher to provide funding as she approaches the leader and hires him to put a contract out on himself. Surprised but amused, he agrees with her that some of the team members have become less-than-noble in their motivations and approves the order. She follows him as his own organization tries to hunt him down, learning that the newspaper owner is a member who wants to head the bureau himself. The adventure takes the characters across Europe and the cast includes Oliver Reed, Diana Rigg and Telly Savalas. This movie wasn’t a success during its original run and is a very odd exercise, but it is intriguing and has some fun moments. It comes with upgraded picture quality, a film expert commentary, a 30-minute critical appreciation of the movie and publicity materials. Read a review of the disc here!
You can also pick up Lovers Lane (1999) from the distributor. This independent slasher is based on the urban legend of “The Hook” and involves a group of teens pursued by the weapon-wielding figure. The disc delivers a 2K picture restoration, a commentary with the writers and producers, a featurette on the legend, as well as an image gallery and trailers.
If you enjoy Hong Kong cinema, 88 Films is delivering Police Story III: Supercop (1992) in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Special Edition package. It presents the Hong Kong and US cuts of this Jackie Chan sequel. His character goes undercover to infiltrate a drug ring and teams with a female officer played by recent Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh. The film is a lot of fun and features amazing stunts throughout, including a great finale involving helicopters and a train. It comes with a commentary by a Hong Kong cinema expert, cast and crew interviews, tons of promotional material (including a 1984 commercial featuring Chan and Yeoh) and more.
A few years back, director Steve McQueen made five TV-movies for the BBC based on London’s West Indian Community and set between 1969 and 1982. The collection, known as Small Axe (2020), is now being released on Blu-ray by Criterion. The set contains new masters of the titles Mangrove (2020), Lovers Rock (2020), Red, White and Blue (2020), Alex Wheatle (2020) and Education (2020), a conversation with the director, behind-the-scenes featurettes, a documentary on the series, an audio conversation with McQueen and trailers.
Dark Force is putting out several Blu-rays this week as well. If He Hollers, Let Him Go! (1968) involves an escaped convict going to clear his name and becoming part of a murder plot to pull off his plan. The movie has been scanned in 2K for this release. Moonlighting Wives (1966) is about a stenographer who starts her own prostitution ring. This disc presents the uncensored version of the film with a movie historian commentary, a deleted scene and a discussion about the director.
You can also purchase a pair of double-feature Blu-ray. The first one contains Smokey and the Judge (1980) and Alien Thunder (1974). The second includes Whose Child Am I (1976) and Weekend Murders (1976).
Discotek Media is putting out the suspense film Suicide Club (2001) on Blu-ray. The Japanese feature involves a suicide epidemic sweeping through the country’s youth and the police’s attempts to find out what is causing it. It has been remastered for this release.
Powerhouse Films is presenting a “Limited Edition” Blu-ray of Jean Rollin’s The Shiver of the Vampires (1971), a European effort about a honeymooning couple targetable by vampires. It comes with a ton of bonuses including a director commentary, film historian audio track, an appreciation of the title, an updated documentary on the making of the movie, an introduction to the movie by Rollin, deleted scenes, promotional materials and much more.
Kino is presenting the Dennis Hopper/Jodie Foster thriller Backtrack (1990) on Blu-ray. It’s about a murder witness who is followed by a hit man, only to have him fall for her. Hopper helmed the movie and the disc contains a theatrical and director’s cut, a film expert commentary with the screenwriter and a trailer.
You can also purchase the disaster-movie parody, The Big Bus (1976). It features a massive, nuclear-powered luxury bus that is targeted by villains who want to blow it up. The driver does his best to prevent this from happening. It features Joseph Bologna, Stockard Channing, Rene Auberjonois, Ned Beatty, Jose Ferrer, Larry Hagman, Sally Kellerman, Richard Mulligan, Howard Hesseman and more. For its Blu-ray debut, the original camera negative has been given a 4K scan and transferred to disc. It also comes with a film historian commentary and publicity materials.
Heat (1986) is a Burt Reynolds action film written by William Goldman (who also penned Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Marathon Man, All the President’s Men and The Princess Bride) about a soft-hearted bodyguard. It comes with a critic commentary, an alternate ending and a trailer.
Bruce Campbell fans can pick up the science-fiction TV-movie, Terminal Invasion (2002). Set at an airport, the star must thwart an alien invasion in which the creatures have disguised themselves as humans. Extras include a director commentary and an alien custom test.
The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) is a cult feature with David Bowie as an alien becoming fascinated with life on Earth. This Steelbook 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray edition is from Lionsgate and is a Best Buy exclusive. It also comes with cast and crew interviews, as well as a Bowie interview about the movie from 1977 and a trailer.
The New Godfathers (1979) is an Italian action movie about the mafia that is being issued by RaroVideo U.S. on Blu-ray. This disc includes the Italian and US versions of the film and a critic discussing the picture.
Sandpiper Pictures is putting out The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course (2002), The Fantasticks (1995), as well as the Elvis Presley picture Kid Galahad (1962) and the Robert De Niro/Jane Fonda drama Stanley & Iris (1990) on Blu-ray. These releases don’t include any extras, but at least you can now own these hard-to-find discs.
Severin is releasing the bizarre genre mash-up Accion Mutante (1992) in 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray package. This Spanish feature from Alex de la Iglesia (Day of the Beast, Perdita Durango, The Last Circus) is set in a future ruled by good-looking, beauty-obsessed people. A group of terrorists with physical and psychological abnormalities set out to cause trouble, though they end up battling among themselves during their mission. It’s a wild one. The feature has been given a 4K restoration from the original camera negative and bonuses include a director commentary, cast and crew interviews, an archival making-of, behind-the-scenes footage, a music video, storyboards and a trailer.
Shout! Factory is making The Jackie Chan Collection: Volume 2 Blu-ray box set available. It contains some great titles. You’ll get Winners and Sinners (1983), the fantastic Wheels on Meals (1984), The Protector (1985) and Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985). You’ll also receive the phenomenal Armour of God (1986) and its impressive sequel Armour of God II: Operation Condor (1991), Crime Story (1993) and City Hunter (1993). You’ll get multiple cuts of many of the titles, as well as interviews, film historian audio commentaries, publicity materials and more on all of the movies included. It looks like an amazing set.
VCI is presenting The Green Hornet (1940) on Blu-ray, a collection of serials about the famous crime-fighter. The disc also features radio episodes from the era, a trivia and photo gallery, as well as an audio discussion about the character and serial.
Vinegar Syndrome is presenting several new Blu-rays as exclusives available on their website (at some point they will be made available through other retailers). All of the titles come with numerous extras and feature top notch specs. They include Bullets Over Summer (1999), The Cat Creeps (1946), Curse of the Blue Lights (1988), Five Women for the Killer (1974), The Hourglass Sanatorium (1973) and Justice Ninja Style (1985). You can also pick up the wild Estonian chiller Kratt (2020), Lady Street Fighter (1981), which is being released with the AGFA, Speaking Parts (1989), Time of Roses (1969), a double-bill of Vacation of Terror (1988) and Vacation of Terror II (1990) and The Zodiac Killer (1971), which is another AGFA title.
Finally, Warner Archive is making A Lion Is in the Streets (1953), One Way Passage (1932), Safe in Hell (1931), Storm Warning (1951) and The Strawberry Blonde (1941) available as made-to-order Blu-rays that can be purchased through Amazon.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
Unfortunately, it’s a slow week for kid’s entertainment.
ON THE TUBE!
Here are all the TV releases coming your way!
The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek (TV documentary series) (Nacelle Company) DVD
Cheers: The Complete Series (Paramount) Blu-ray
Doctor Who: The Jodie Whitaker Collection (BBC) DVD
His Dark Materials: The Complete Series (Warner Bros.) Blu-ray
His Dark Materials: Season 3 (Warner Bros.) Blu-ray
One Lane Bridge: Series 3 (Sundance) DVD
Small Axe (BBC TV-movies) (Criterion) Blu-ray
Star Trek: The Lower Decks: Season 3 (Paramount) Blu-ray
Terminal Invasion (2002 TV-movie) (Kino) Blu-ray