It’s time for another look at new releases arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. Once again, it’s a busy edition with plenty of flicks that should appeal to just about any age group. So, if you can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure and give one of these titles a try!
Big New Releases!
The Addams Family – This CGI-animated take on the famous clan finds them moving into the suburbs. When the Addams’ daughter Wednesday befriends a local whose father happens to be a traditional and conservative reality show host, it creates conflict and discord within the entire neighborhood. Most critics were not amused with the latest take on the characters. While a small contingent thought kids would still get a kick out of the material, more complained that the gags fell flat and that it was neither kooky nor spooky enough to recommend. The voice cast includes Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Snoop Dog, Bette Midler, Allison Janney, Martin Short and Catherine O’Hara.
Age Out – After being released from a Waco, Texas foster care facility, a young man is forced into a life of petty crime. When authorities suspect him of being part of a botched robbery, he’s forced to hide out and keep a low profile. However, the lead meets and falls for a young woman in town. This independent feature has been shown at a few film festivals where word of mouth did seem reasonably positive. It has been described as an atmospheric and impressionistic feature that may appeal to those who enjoy the work of Terrence Malick. Little else is known about the movie, but it does feature some familiar faces including Tye Sheridan, Caleb Laundry Jones. Jeffrey Wright and Imogen Poots.
Anthropocene: The Human Epoch – This documentary follows a group of filmmakers as they travel across six continents and twenty countries, chronicling the environmental changes in the world over the past four years. This includes photographic evidence of ice caps melting, ever-growing garbage heaps in dumps around the world, bizarre weather patterns and other wasteful human actions that are altering the planet as well know it. Notices were generally excellent. One or two wanted more than just images and felt like the picture would have benefitted from arguments and specific facts. Still, the overwhelming majority stated that the striking images on display made its point perfectly clear. Alicia Vikander provides the narration.
Black and Blue – A young officer heads out with her partner on their daily rounds and witnesses a murder involving her partner and members of an organized crime ring. Now on the run and blamed for the killing, the protagonist must clear her name and avoid both the crooks involved and her fellow cops. The press was split on this action/thriller. Those who panned it said that they found the lead compelling, but thought the story was cliched and played out like an exaggerated B-movie. The other half thought it was fast-paced and enjoy the star so much that they didn’t mind some of the sillier aspects. It stars Naomie Harris, Tyrese Gibson, Frank Grillo and Reid Scott. To read this site’s review of the picture, click here.
Countdown – In this horror picture, a nurse downloads an app onto her phone that claims to accurately predict when a person will die. After setting it up, she discovers that she only has three days left to live. Panicked and suspicious, the cell owner notes a suspicious figure following her and must do all she can to avoid getting killed. This picture did not get many good reviews. Those who enjoyed it claimed that although it wasn’t particularly scary, they like the lead actress and did find the ridiculousness on display entertaining. Still, about two-thirds of write-ups commented that it was an endless series of ineffective jump scares that didn’t make sense and would ultimately annoy viewers. The cast includes Elizabeth Lail, Anne Winters, Jordan Calloway and Tom Segura.
The Courier – The plot of this action feature involves a mob boss who wants a witness in his criminal trial eliminated. He hires a motorcycle courier to unwittingly deliver a poison gas-bomb to the target. When she figures out what she has really been asked to do, she decides to help the victim and the two try their best to evade shadowy figures sent to kill them. Notices were absolutely terrible for this effort. Only one professional review appeared to like it, stating that they enjoyed seeing an action flick with a strong female lead. The others critiqued the film for following all the ordinary beats and stating the filming and editing didn’t create any excitement. It features Olga Kurylenko, Gary Oldman, Amit Shah and Dermot Mulroney.
In Search of the Last Action Heroes – 80s action films are the subject of this documentary. In it, the filmmaker dissects and pays tribute to the entire genre, examining how they exploded on the scene, why they were so appealing as well as the legacy and influence they’ve had on today’s features. The film includes interviews with writers, producers and directors like Shane Black, Boaz Davidson, Steven de Souza, San Firstenberg, Mark Goldblatt, Mario Kassar, Mark L. Lester, Paul Verhoeven and actors like Bill Duke, Eric Roberts, Cynthia Rothrock, Michaek Jai White and Alex Winter. There aren’t any notices for this flick yet, but it sounds like a lot of fun for those who remember and enjoy 80s action cinema.
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot – The latest from Kevin Smith is a comedy set 25 years after the release of Clerks, the writer/director’s first movie. When Jay and Silent Bob (two characters from the aforementioned feature) learn that Hollywood creating a new reboot featuring them, they decide to travel across the country to put a stop to it. The movie garnered more positive press than negative response. About a third of write-ups complained that the feature was nothing more than a series of cameos and events geared only for hardcore fans. Still, many more thought that more of it worked than didn’t and appreciated how genuine and earnest it was. Besides Smith himself, it features Jason Mewes, Christ Hemsworth, Matt Damon, Melissa Benoist, Ben Affleck, Rosario Dawson, Joe Manganiello, Val Kilmer, Justin Long and Jason Lee.
Museo – This arthouse picture from Mexico tells the story of the circumstances surrounding the theft of several artifacts from the National Museum of Anthropology in 1985. While authorities initially believe that criminal masterminds were responsible, they are eventually shocked to learn that two young people from the suburbs are responsible for the act. Critics really liked this foreign-language title. One or two did critique the film for failing to commit to a specific genre like a thriller or heist movie. The overwhelming majority liked the focus on the characters and thought it was a wild and unpredictable drama. Gael Garcia Bernal, Lynn Gilmartin, Leonardo Ortizgris, Alfredo Castro and Simon Russell Beale headline the feature.
The Night of Shadows – The latest from Hong Kong superstar Jackie Chan is a period feature about a demon hunter given the dangerous assignment of investigating the disappearances of young girls from a remote village. He discovers that the perpetrators are supernatural forces out to devour the souls of their victims. To stop them, he must use all of his skills and travel through dimensional portals to save them. Also known as The Night of Shadows: Between Yin and Yang, reviewers in the far east stated that while this action/comedy isn’t among the lead’s best, it is fun and will still charm families with its mix of thrills and laughs. The cast also includes Elane Zhong, Lin Peng and Ethan Juan.
Pain and Glory – This drama from Spain is introduces viewers to an aging film director suffering from health problems and a creative block. When he’s asked to attend a screening of an older feature with an actor whom he fought with during the production, he ultimately agrees. The experience raises old feelings and memories about his life and career and reintroduces him to people from his past. This picture has received raves from the press, who have called it one of the best foreign-language films of the year. They thought the lead performance was exceptional and the movie was effective in its melancholy and self-examination (which they believed was in part inspired by the film director’s own experiences). The movie has been nominated for a couple of Academy Awards and stars Antonio Banderas, Asier Etxeandia and Penelope Cruz. To read this site’s review, click here.
Zombieland: Double Tap – Picking up 10 years after the original, this sequel to the 2009 horror/comedy hit finds its lead characters continuing to survive in a post-apocalyptic landscape. After traveling to the American heartland, they discover new, evolved zombies as well as a group of human survivors, adding more tensions within the group. Reaction was positive overall towards the follow-up. A percentage of reviews did suggest that there wasn’t much story and that the film merely repeated the same gags, which made it feel inessential. However, the majority suggested that it was funny and did provide enough entertainment to earn it a recommendation. It features Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Rosario Dawson and Luke Wilson.
Blasts from the Past!
Lucio Fulci is a name most horror fans will be familiar with, thanks to his work on the cult classics Zombie (1979), City of the Living Dead (1980) and The Beyond (1981). During this period, he also made The House by the Cemetery (1981), about a family who move into an estate that also serves as home to a murderous and disfigured resident. Blue Underground are presenting a 3-disc Limited Edition Blu-ray of the film with a gorgeous 4K restoration.
It’s a crazy little horror picture that has never looked so good as it does with this latest edition. The release includes a new film historian commentary, a deleted scene, as well as publicity materials. It also contains multiple hours of interviews with the cast and crew and even provides brand new pieces with the participants and other horror film experts on this outrageous shocker. Furthermore, it includes the full score on a third disc. If you enjoy Italian genre pictures from the era, there’s no way you wouldn’t want to pick this up. Don’t believe me? Check out a detailed review of the Blu-ray set here.
Shout! have some interesting new Blu-rays as well. The first is a Collector’s Edition of the Gwyneth Paltrow drama, Sliding Doors (1998). It follows a character between parallel storylines as she tries to catch a morning train. The well-regarded flick arrives on disc with plenty of new features. They include a commentary with writer/director Peter Howitt, a feature-length documentary on the production which features recently recorded interviews with Howitt, Paltrow and co-star John Hannah among many others. There’s also a third new bit with the director and plenty of trailers included.
The distributor also has the Japanese animated effort, Summer Days with Coo (2007), which is said to be a heartwarming summer adventure film about a young boy who finds a mythical creature and tries to take care of it. Bonuses include deleted scenes and footage from the movie’s premiere, as well as trailers and TV spots.
Kino have plenty of fun stuff as well. It all starts with a Blu-ray of High-Ballin’ (1978), about a motorcyclist with befriends some friendly truckers and tries to help them fight off a group of hijackers. It stars Peter Fonda, Jerry Reed and Helen Shaver and sounds like a lot of fun. The disc includes a new 2K master of the feature and plenty of publicity materials.
The same features are included in the Blu-ray for the football comedy, Semi-Tough (1977). This one features Burt Reynolds and Kris Kristofferson as pro players whose team falls under the influence of a new-age self-help program and leader.
The distributor also has some Special Edition Blu-rays arriving on store shelves. The first is for the WII blockbuster, Tobruk (1967). The movie features Rock Hudson and George Peppard as commandos and arrives with a film historian audio commentary track and trailer. Ulzana’s Raid (1972) is a gritty western with Burt Lancaster. This release includes a film critic commentary, a new interview with co-star Bruce Davison and a Trailers from Hell segment with director John Landis. The War Lord (1965) is a 11th century adventure film with Charlton Heston. The disc also comes with a bonus film expert track and trailer.
Universal have the Anne Margaret juvenile-delinquent cult classic, Kitten with a Whip (1964) coming your way on Blu-ray. The star plays a psychotic sexpot on the run from the law who targets a Senatorial candidate looking to help those in need. She ends up trying to spiral his life down the drain.
VCI has several titles arriving this week as well. They include the western movie serial, Gordon of Ghost City (1933). The company are also presenting a 25th Anniversary Double-feature Blu-ray of the horror flicks, Mommy (1995) and the sequel, Mommy’s Day (1997), about an extremely over-protective parent who will stop at nothing to take down anyone who gives her family trouble. They are also putting out a 2K restoration Blu-ray of the Bela Lugosi horror serial, The Phantom Creeps (1939).
Film Movement usually put out restorations of silent classics, but this week they’re doing it a more recent feature. Gregory’s Girl (1981) is a really sweet Scottish coming-of-age film about an awkward teenager yearning for the affections of a classmate and struggling to find his way in the world. The distributor has given the film a sharp 2K restoration and provided a director commentary and an interview with the filmmaker, as well as discussions with other cast members and other bonuses.
Criterion are delivering Le Petit Soldat (1963), an early effort from French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard. The movie has been given a high definition digital restoration approved by the cinematographer and also includes interviews with Godard and the cast recorded in the early 60s.
Finally, Warner Archive are making made-to-order Blu-rays available of the epic Glenn Ford western, Cimarron (1960).
You Know, For Kids!
Here is a selection of releases that may appeal to younger audiences.
Berenstain Bears: Tales from the Tree House, Volume 2 (PBS)
Shimmer and Shine: Splash into Zahramay Oceanea! (Nickelodeon)
Summer Days with Coo (2007)
On the Tube!
And these are the week’s TV-themed releases.
All of My Heart 3-Movie Collection: All of My Heart/ Inn Love/ The Wedding (Hallmark Channel)
Berenstain Bears: Tales from the Tree House, Volume 2 (PBS)
Matlock: The Complete Series
NOVA: Rise of the Mammals (PBS)