Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. There’s a major blockbuster arriving, as well as some intriguing independents and international fare. So, if you can’t make it out to the movies this week or need to stay indoors, give one of these titles a try!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
97 MINUTES – A group of hijackers take control of a commercial passenger aircraft flying from London to Los Angeles. Little do they know that an undercover Interpol agent has infiltrated the group onboard. After learning of another unexpected complication (a nuclear device has been hidden on the plane), the protagonist also discovers that their fuel supply has dwindled and that the airliner will crash in 97 minutes unless he does something about it. This independent thriller popped up on streaming services a month ago and hasn’t received many reviews. A few online critics have posted articles that aren’t very complementary. Most complained that the plot was full of holes, the fight scenes weren’t well edited together and that the entire film felt lackluster. It stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Alec Baldwin, MyAnna Buring, Jo Martin and Michael Snow.
THE ANGRY BLACK GIRL AND HER MONSTER – Inspired by Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, this modern-day take on the story follows a teenager with a brilliant scientific mind. When the youngster’s brother is killed in a shooting, her family is grief-stricken and she becomes obsessed with recovering his body and curing his condition. Of course, these experiments cause trouble for the lead and her family. The press was generally upbeat about this chiller. A small number thought that despite some good moments and themes, the film just didn’t come together effectively. They also complained that it was hampered by a weak finale. However, the vast majority thought that the movie was a fresh and interesting take on the literary classic. They stated that it contained clever satirical elements, disturbing shocks and relatable characters. The cast includes Laya DeLeon Hayes, Denzel Whitaker, Chad L. Coleman and Reilly Brooke Smith.
FAST X – The big release of the week is the latest Fast and Furious franchise title, which has been reported as the first movie of a two-part series finale (there is also talk of yet another spin-off film). Former criminal turned government agent Dominic Toretto is visited by an old foe out for revenge. When this figure targets all of those whom the protagonist cares about, Toretto sets out to protect his extended family and eliminate the threat. Reaction wasn’t quite as strong for this effort as for previous titles, although it was slightly more positive than negative. Those who disliked the movie wrote that the film was too long and overstuffed. They called the plot nonsensical and thought everything was so absurd and over-the-top that the human drama fell flat. However, slightly more called the feature an improvement over its immediate predecessor and suggested it delivered epic car chases that would please fans of the franchise. Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jason Statham, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Nathalie Emmanuel, Charlize Theron, John Cena, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren, Brie Larson and Jason Momoa headline the film.
NIGHT OF THE ASSASSIN – Also known simply as The Assassin, this period effort from South Korea follows an extraordinarily talented assassin who leaves his master and hides after learning that he has a serious heart condition. He travels to find treatment and rents modest lodging with a peasant family in a remote village. When the killer learns that the household is being tormented by a local gang, he decides to do something about it. Of course, there are further complications when figures from the lead’s past show up in town. There haven’t been many reviews for this picture so far, but thus far the ones that have appeared are decent. They comment that there isn’t anything particularly unique about the story, but admit that it is visually impressive, well-acted and features a likable lead. It features Shin Hyun-joon, Lee Moon-sik and Kim Min-kyung.
OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN – This French comedy/drama involves a 40-year-old single woman. Having never been a parent, the lead spends her free time enjoying hobbies and life in general. Out of the blue, she unexpectedly meets and falls for a single father with a 4-year-old daughter. The woman takes a shine to the little girl, but finds the relationship increasingly complicated as she tries to impress and win approval from both the boyfriend and the child. The press wrote very highly about this picture. A few naysayers griped that the protagonist was whiny and that the second half of the movie became overly melodramatic. Everyone else admired the film and its personal touch, noting that the situation presented was relatable and that the characters were both clever and honestly written. It stars Virginie Efira, Roschdy Zem and Chiara Mastroianni.
SCARLET – Here’s another foreign-language effort from France. This period film features a World War I veteran who returns home to find himself a widower and new father to a baby girl. He moves to a remote part of Normandy, but as the youngster grows up, she becomes lonely and wishes to leave her home. A witch casts a cryptic prophecy and she tries to decipher what it means while meeting new suitors and searching for opportunities elsewhere. Overall, critics enjoyed this picture. Almost one-quarter of them groused that the movie had trouble deciding if it was a fantasy or a drama and did neither successfully. Still, the majority remarked that the film looked gorgeous and that the unusual, low-key tone actually helped create uncertainty about where the characters would all end up. The cast includes Raphaël Thiery, Juliette Jouan and Louis Garrel.
SUN MOON – A young American woman is stood up at the altar in this faith-based feature. Stunned and embarrassed, she isn’t sure what to do next. A couple at her church offer the main character a position teaching English in Taiwan. She accepts the terms and leaves the country for the first time. Now completely out of her element, the woman does her best to make a new start abroad. This picture premiered on a Christian streaming service and is now arriving on disc as a DVD-only title. There aren’t any reviews currently available for this title that don’t come from religious websites. The ones that appear on those sites seem to like the film, saying it gently attempts to showcase a person dealing with a shocking and unexpected change in their life. The film features Mackenzie Mauzy, Justin Chien, Jason Burkey, Madison McLaughlin and Yuhan Hei.
THE WRATH OF BECKY – This sequel to the 2020 genre film Becky features the teenage, orphaned lead character trying to live a quiet life after fighting off a group of neo-Nazis. Now staying with a senior, the lead’s peace doesn’t last long when members of a right-wing terrorist cell roll into town. They kidnap the protagonist’s dog and she responds as only she knows how… by hunting them down mercilessly and wiping them out. Members of the press were generally amused by this sequel. A handful of them did dislike the picture, stating that the mix of laughs and gruesome shocks didn’t make for a tense or exciting show. All others called it enjoyably silly and appreciated the outrageously creative ways in which the teenager enacted revenge on her tormentors. For the time being this is a DVD-only release. Lulu Wilson, Seann William Scott, Denise Burse, Jill Larson, Michael Sirow and Courtney Gains headline the picture.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
As usual, this week is filled with plenty of older titles receiving upgrades. Arbelos is putting out a Blu-ray of Chameleon Street (1989). This well-received comedy/drama about a black, put-upon husband who decides to alter his public persona in order to get ahead in life. The movie has been given a 4K restoration and comes with two audio commentaries, an examination of one notable scene and how it evolved during the writing and shooting process, a discussion with the director as well as an archival interview with the filmmaker. Additionally, there’s an archival documentary on the production, pre-production character exploration footage, an award-winning short from the director and trailers.
Criterion is releasing Dreams (1990) from Akira Kurosawa (Seven Samurai, The Hidden Fortress, Ran) in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray package. It’s essentially eight tales based upon the dreams of the filmmaker. The visually impressive movie earned plenty of accolades and award nominations during its original release and continues to find new fans. Besides upgraded picture quality, this edition includes a film scholar commentary, a feature-length making of documentary from 1990, interviews with the production manager and translator, the 2011 documentary Kurosawa’s Way and a trailer.
It’s a slightly quieter week for Kino, but they are still putting out a couple of titles. You can pick up a Blu-ray of the Mala Powers drama Outrage (1950). It follows a rape victim trying to deal with trauma caused by the attack. The disc includes a restored picture and a film historian commentary. Strangers in the House (1942) is a well-regarded French murder/mystery from Henri-Georges Clouzot (The Wages of Fear, Diabolique). In addition to a 2K scan of the picture, it arrives with a movie critic commentary track.
If you happen to shop at Best Buy, the retailer is making a Limited Edition Steelbook available of the Lionsgate science-fiction film Ender’s Game (2013). It contains the movie in 4K Ultra HD disc and a Blu-ray. Looks like extras are all the same, it’s just the packaging and the 4K Ultra HD disc that is new.
Plan Sexenal (2014) aka Sexennial Plan is a Mexican title arriving on Blu-ray from Massacre Video. The plot involves a sinister figure appearing at the new home of a woman and her husband. He literally begins taking over and replacing the man. The disc boasts a 2K scan of the movie and bonuses include a behind-the-scenes featurette, a short film from the director and plenty of publicity materials.
MGM is releasing the Jack Palance film-noir The Big Knife (1955) on Blu-ray. The story follows a Hollywood actor who is forced by a studio boss to take part in a criminal cover-up scheme.
The studio is also putting out the family drama Crooked Hearts (1991) on Blu-ray. It stars Peter Berg, Vincent D’Onofrio, Noah Wyle, Peter Coyote, Juliette Lewis, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Joshua Jackson.
Mondo Macabro is putting out The Fear (1966) on Blu-ray. This Greek effort involves a young woman who suspects that her half-brother is guilty of kidnapping, or perhaps even murdering, another local. The disc contains a 2K restoration of the film, a documentary about the movie and its director, as well as publicity materials.
Paul Naschy’s The Night of the Executioner (1992) is also arriving on Blu-ray from the distributor. It involves a doctor who seeks revenge on the crooks who wiped out his family. The disc comes with a 4K restoration of the camera negative, a film expert audio commentary and cast and crew interviews.
Additionally, you can pick up a double-feature Blu-ray containing the French sex-comedy Ravishing Dany (1972) and the similarly-toned French/Greek effort, The Girl Can’t Stop (1965). Besides 2K restorations of the titles, extras include interviews, publicity materials and more.
Swamp Thing (1982) is something of a cult-classic and MVD Visual is giving the title a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray upgrade (you can also purchase a standalone Blu-ray). This adaptation of the DC comic book character was directed by Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream) and stars Adrienne Barbeau, Louis Jordan and Ray Wise. Wise plays a scientist in the Florida everglades who is doused with chemicals during an attack on his lab. He sets out for revenge on those responsible and tries to protect a government agent who survived the assault. Besides the big picture upgrade, it looks like this edition includes all previously released bonuses, including commentary tracks, interviews, etc. Looks like a great disc for fans of the feature.
Adam Sandler enthusiasts can now pick up the comedy Little Nicky (2000) on Blu-ray courtesy of Shout! He plays the title character, a kindly son of Satan who is told by his father to return his two brothers to Hell and prevent them from causing havoc on Earth. It also starred Patricia Arquette, Harvey Keitel, Rhys Ifans, Tommy “Tiny” Lister Jr., Rodney Dangerfield, Reese Witherspoon, Dana Carvey, Jon Lovitz, Kevin Nealon, Henry Winkler, Ozzy Ozbourne, Rob Schneider, Quentin Tarantino and many more. The expensive film was a box-office and critical bomb during its initial release, but appears to have found a following and is now debuting on the format. This release features a 2K scan of the movie, multiple audio commentaries, production featurettes, deleted and extended scenes, alternate takes and more.
In order to tie in with their big release this week, Universal is putting out the Fast & Furious: 10-Movie Collection in two formats. One is a Blu-ray edition and the other package contains a 4K Ultra HD set. As one might expect, it contains the first 10 films in the series (the 2019 spin-off Hobbs & Shaw is strangely absent) for those who can’t wait a few years for a bigger box set that will no doubt contain the entire franchise.
Finally, Warner Bros. is putting out the Bruce Lee martial arts classic Enter the Dragon (1973) on 4K Ultra HD (a Blu-ray will not be included). It arrives with the upgraded versions of the theatrical cut and special edition, an introduction to the title and a film expert commentary. A Steelbook edition is also available for those who enjoy the packaging.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
This week sees the release of a couple of titles that may appeal to kids.
5 Fun Family Films – Barnyard, Charlotte’s Web, Dreamer, Hotel for Dogs, Rango (Paramount) DVD
PBS Kids: Grandparents are Great! (PBS) DVD
ON THE TUBE!
And you can find all of the week’s TV-releases listed below.
1923: Season 1 (A Yellowstone Origin Story) (Paramount) Blu-ray
All Creatures Great & Small: Complete Seasons 1, 2 & 3 (PBS) DVD
The Brokenwood Mysteries: Season 9 (Acorn) Blu-ray
Father Brown: Season 10 (BBC) DVD
NOVA: Your Brain (PBS) DVD
PBS KIDS: Grandparents are Great! (a compilation of animated shows with the same theme) (PBS) DVD