Welcome to the latest look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. This week isn’t as populated with big Hollywood fare, but there are plenty of interesting documentaries and smaller titles coming your way. So, if you can’t make it to the movies or should be staying indoors this week, be sure to check out one of these titles!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
THE BEATLES: GET BACK – While this is technically a 3-episode docuseries (that began streaming on Disney+ at the end of 2021), it is one of the week’s most noteworthy releases. Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings series) has located and cleaned up hours upon hours of footage of The Beatles shot by documentarians in 1969 and 1970. It was captured for the film Let it Be and showed the group recording the album of the same name. Apparently, the resulting film from 1970 didn’t display all that occurred over the session and this feature presents a more accurate behind-the-scenes picture of the sessions. Reviews were excellent for the project. A tiny number actually complained that it was too exhaustive and contained so much detail that the best material was almost lost. Everyone else appreciated the dedication on display, saying that the series was expertly put together and presented George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in a new light.
BIGFOOT OR BUST – Low-budget B-movie enthusiasts may be interested in this monster movie from Jim Wynorski (Chopping Mall, Munchie, Ghoulies IV, The Return of the Swamp Thing, Cobragator). It involves a group of celebrities who head out on a quest to a remote area in the hopes of finding Bigfoot. They meet up with another group of time-traveling women who are also looking for the creature. Naturally, they discover and try to catch the beast (one of them even falls for the hairy figure). There currently aren’t many reviews available for the movie, which has been described by some as intentionally bad. A couple notices have popped up online simply stating that there isn’t much of a story here, just a bunch of cheesy gags involving the busty figures of lead characters. It features Melissa Brasselle, Becky LeBeau, Lisa London, Gail Thackray and Christine Nguyen.
BLACK SITE – A CIA Agent runs an underground black site facility holding the world’s most dangerous criminals. One day, she receives word that the vicious killer who murdered her husband is being transferred over. After arriving, the lead grapples with feelings of revenge. However, the psychopath soon escapes his cell and begins moving through the prison, slaughtering everyone he encounters. The protagonist must square off against the villain and deal with potential moles within her group who may have helped to free him. Critics generally slammed this action/thriller. A small contingent liked the performers and thought they helped make up for its screenplay deficiencies. However, the consensus was that the film was surprisingly bland and that the characters needed more development. It stars Michelle Monaghan, Jason Clarke, Jai Courtney, Uli Latukefu and Lucy Barrett.
HUDA’S SALON – A salon doesn’t necessarily seem like a place to set a tense thriller, but this foreign-language feature attempts to prove otherwise. A Palestinian woman in the West Bank goes with her newborn child to visit her hairdresser. The old friends talk and the lead complains about her husband, sharing life details. At the end of the appointment, the salon employee threatens to reveal the information and blackmails the woman into spying for the Israel Secret Service. Apparently, the film is based on a true story, earned solid notices and won awards at various film festivals over the past year. A few did complain that the movie was too talky and didn’t deliver the required thrills. However, most thought it had some tense moments and presented an unnerving and complicated story about an individual being forced to do things against their will in order to survive. Maisa Abd Elhadi, Ali Suliman and Samer Bisharat headline the film.
MONDOCANE – This Italian science-fiction picture is set in a dystopian world where citizens will do whatever it takes in order to persevere. The government locks down a town and places barbed wire around it. This causes two thirteen-year-old orphans and best friends to try and get recruited by one of the vicious gangs fighting for control of the territory. Naturally, it puts their lives in danger and potentially threatens to pit them against each other. This foreign-language effort earned slightly more positive write-ups than negative ones. A number of reviews thought it borrowed too heavily from movies like Mad Max and The Hunger Games without offering anything new or original. Slightly more commented that while the story was familiar, the acting was above-average and the characters were memorable. It features Dennis Protopapa, Giuliano Soprano, Alessandro Borghi and Barbara Ronchi.
MONTANA STORY – Two estranged siblings return to the ranch of their father after learning that he will soon pass away from a deadly illness. It is revealed that horrible events occurred there years earlier, leaving one of the man’s offspring feeling angry and the other deeply guilt-ridden. As the pair take care of the will and attempt to resolve what to do with the property, one of them becomes determined to prevent a horse from being put down. The press was very moved by this independent drama. There was a small group who critiqued the film for being slow-moving, overly ponderous and ultimately tiresome. Still, the vast majority called it a beautifully shot and deeply felt personal family drama that featured impressive and moving work by its leads. Haley Lu Richardson, Owen Teague, Gilbert Owour, Kimberly Guerrero and Eugene Brave Rock headline the picture.
POMPO THE CINEPHILE – Those with an appreciation of Japanese animated fare may enjoy this effort. It’s a comedy about a successful movie producer with grand designs to move from making cheesy action movies to award-winning dramas. Her young assistant gets a shock after she not only tells him that she has written a powerful script, but that he will be directing the movie. The shy filmmaker is thrown into the middle of a troubled production with screenplay issues and egotistical stars. Will his new career implode or will he manage to cut together an effective drama? So far, those in this part of the world who have seen the movie have appreciated it. Most write that while it’s not a classic, it is a fun comedy with bright visuals that accurately details how trying and difficult it can be to make a movie and keep producers, cast and the crew happy. The disc contains the original Japanese language track with English subtitles and an English-language dub.
THE TWIN – After a tragic accident causes the death of one of their twin boys, a husband and wife leave the country with their surviving youngster and decide to start fresh in Finland. While the big move to the beautiful Scandinavian countryside initially allows the family a chance to heal, things turn decidedly grimmer after their child begins acting strangely. He announces that he has been possessed by his deceased twin, who wants answers about what really happened to him. Unfortunately, critics were unimpressed by this horror picture. A small number did suggest that the film was atmospheric and would send a few chills down the spine. However, the majority suggested that the script didn’t take advantage of the interesting concept and thought it was a pastiche of several other, more effective genre pictures. It stars Teresa Palmer, Steven Cree, Barbara Marten, Tristan Ruggeri and Taneli Mustonen.
WOLF HOUND – During World War II, there was a special Nazi air unit that would down, repair and fly enemy aircraft in order to sneak up and destroy targets. This drama is “inspired by” a true story about an American pilot who was fired upon by this German outfit. After crashing behind enemy lines, he must evade capture, fight back against the squadron who took him down and stop a plot that could alter the outcome of the war. Reviews for this picture were uniformly bad. Just about everyone said that the aerial battle footage was excellent and thrilling to watch. And that was all… they noted that everything else about the picture was terrible, citing bad dialogue and an increasingly ridiculous story. Apparently, it exaggerates so many elements that the final film is impossible to take seriously. The cast includes James Maslow, Trevor Donovan, John Turk and Michael Wayne Foster.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
Plenty of interesting older features will be receiving high-definition upgrades this week. Terror Circus (1973) is arriving on Blu-ray courtesy of Code Red. It’s a horror movie about a group of showgirls driving to Las Vegas. When their vehicle breaks down, they are kidnapped by a maniac planning an elaborate circus act. The movie has been remastered from the original camera negative and comes with numerous interviews with crew members.
Criterion is putting out a much-heralded title with the boxing drama, Raging Bull (1980). Directed by Martin Scorsese (Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, The Departed, The Irishman), the movie tells the story of real-life pugilist Jake LaMotta, whose violent temper led to great success in the ring but destroyed all of his personal relationships. The movie won star Robert De Niro an Academy Award for Best Actor and also earned another Oscar for Best Editing. You can pick up the film in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo pack or purchase it as a Blu-ray only release. Extras include critic video essays on the movie, three audio commentaries featuring Scorsese, as well as the cast and crew, a making including most who were involved in the movie, short programs, archival interview and much more.
The distributor is also putting out the rom-com Summertime (1955) from director David Lean (The Bridge of the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago). It stars Katharine Hepburn as an American who travels to Italy searching for love. Unfortunately, she falls for a married man. The Blu-ray includes a new 4K restoration of the movie, as well as a film historian interview, a 1963 discussion with director Lean, audio excerpts with the cinematographer and plenty more bonuses.
Kino has a very amusing Blu-ray coming your way. It’s a Special Edition of the action flick, Steele Justice (1987). Made at the height of the patriotic Rambo movie craze, this story features Martin Kove (The Karate Kid, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Cobra Kai) as a VietNam veteran struggling to adapt to life after the war. When his war buddy is killed by drug dealers, the protagonist decides to find out who is responsible and enact revenge. If memory serves, his movie is over-the-top and absurdly ridiculous in just about every way imaginable. There are amusing moments early on as the drunken, sorry hero is taken in and cleaned up by the victim’s family, as well as some truly crazy action scenes including a public and very cartoonish gunfight that occurs in the middle of a music video shoot. It’s one of those so-cheesy-it’s-fun kind of action titles. The Blu-ray features a new audio commentary featuring Kove and the film’s director, as well as a trailer.
Mill Creek is debuting the comedy BASEketball (1998) on Blu-ray. This is a guilty-pleasure featuring South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker as a pair of buddies who essentially create a professional sports league around the basketball game H-O-R-S-E. It was directed by David Zucker (Airplane!, Top Secret!) and while the movie wasn’t well-received during its original release, this reviewer recalls it being an amusing collection of zany gags that should raise a smile among anyone who appreciates exaggerated and silly comedies.
The distributor is also making Safe Men (1998) available on Blu-ray. It’s about two aspiring singers who are mistaken for safe crackers and forced to take part in a heist. The movie stars Sam Rockwell, Steve Zahn, Michael Learner, Mark Ruffalo and Paul Giamatti.
Paramount is delivering a number of Blu-rays debuts as well. You can pick up the animated comedy Bebe’s Kids (1992) about a man recounting a terrible first date at an amusement park with the woman of his dreams. The main problem for the hero is that the lady has three very badly behaved children to contend with. You can also pick up the Samuel L. Jackson/Ben Affleck drama, Changing Lanes (2002) about a driving altercation that leads to an escalating conflict between the two drivers.
Domestic Disturbance (2001) is a fun little thriller about an evil stepfather featuring John Travolta and Vince Vaughn, along with a memorable supporting turn from Steve Buscemi. You can also pick up the Chris Rock comedy Down to Earth (2001), in which he plays a deceased black comedian who returns to Earth in the body of a white businessman.
One of the best science-fiction comedies of the past 25 years is Galaxy Quest (1999) and this picture is being rereleased on Blu-ray by Paramount. It involves the crew of a Star Trek-esque television show who end up actually being sent into the far reaches of space to fight a reptilian warlord. The cast includes Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell and Daryl Mitchell.
In addition, Last Holiday (2006) with Queen Latifah and LL Cool J is arriving on Blu-ray, along with the Steve Martin drama, Leap of Faith (1992), about a conman who witnesses a real miracle.
And the studio is presenting Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) as a standalone 4K Ultra HD only Steelbook release. You must have a 4K Ultra HD player to watch the disc.
Rough Cut (1980) is arriving on Blu-ray through the Paramount Presents line. This is an unusual selection, as it isn’t as well-known as other classic titles in the series, but the studio has chosen to include it anyway. The comedy stars Burt Reynolds as a diamond thief attempting to pull off one big final heist. Lesley Anne-Down plays his love interest and David Niven is the Scotland Yard investigator determined to stop him. The film has been remastered for its Blu-ray debut and arrives with a featurette with critic Leonard Maltin delivering facts about the production.
Shout! Factory is unveiling the Jane Fonda and Lindsay Lohan comedy/drama Georgia Rule (2007) on Blu-ray. The disc comes with an archived director commentary, a making-of featurette, deleted scenes (with commentary), on-set footage, a gag reel and a trailer.
And again, this is a TV release, but one that I couldn’t help but mention. You can now pick up The Six Million Dollar Man: The Complete Series on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory. Lee Majors plays a test pilot who ends up in a deadly explosion, only to be transformed into a technically advanced bionic man. The protagonist ends up participating in secret missions and, in later seasons, squares off against Bigfoot. The discs come with loads of extras, including TV-expert commentaries, as well as crossover episodes from The Bionic Woman and the six… Six Million Dollar Man TV-movies that followed the series over the following two decades. There’s even an interview with actor Bryan Cranston in which he describes his guest appearances on a couple of episodes.
And finally, Warner Archive are making The Frisco Kid (1979) available as a made-to-order Blu-ray on the Amazon website. Pictured above and to the life, this western/comedy stars Gene Wilder as a Polish rabbi. He gets into all sorts of trouble and becomes an outlaw while passing through the Old West on his way to San Francisco. A young Harrison Ford co-stars in the film as the lead’s sidekick.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
Here are a couple of releases that might appeal to kids.
Pokemon Journeys: The Series: Season 23 (Warner Bros.) DVD
Rugrats: Season 1, Volume 1 (Nickelodeon) DVD
ON THE TUBE!
And all of the TV-themed releases coming your way this week are listed below.
Batwoman: The Third and Final Season (Warner Bros.) Blu-ray
The Beatles: Get Back (Disney) Blu-ray
Conviction: The Case of Stephen Lawrence: Season 1 (Acorn) DVD
Endeavour: Season 8 (PBS) Blu-ray
FRONTLINE: The Power of Big Oil (PBS) DVD
Hotel Portofino: Season 1 (PBS) DVD
Killing Eve: Season 4 (RLJ Entertainment) Blu-ray
Matchmaker Mysteries 3-Movie Collection: A Killer Engagement, A Fatal Romance & The Art of the Kill (Hallmark) DVD
Pokemon Journeys: The Series: Season 23 (Warner Bros.) DVD
Rugrats: Season 1, Volume 1 (Nickelodeon) DVD
The Six Million Dollar Man: The Complete Series (Shout! Factory) Blu-ray
Star Trek: Lower Decks: Season 2 (Paramount) Blu-ray