Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. Once again, it’s a remarkably busy edition with a number of interesting films in a wide variety of genres. So, if you can’t get out to the movies this week or need to stay indoors, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
BUDDY GAMES: SPRING AWAKENING – Buddy Games was a raunchy 2019 comedy that was released during the pandemic to less-than-enthusiastic response. I guess it did well on DVD, because a reality TV-show based on the film is now set to premiere along with this official sequel. After one of the pals from the first film passes away unexpectedly, the gang decide to celebrate his life by going on a trip. They arrive at a favorite spot of the deceased, only to learn that Spring Break is in full swing and that grander-scale versions of their own bizarre sporting games are now being played by students. This follow-up hasn’t been seen by many, but reviews thus far are slightly more favorable than they were for the original (although more were negative than positive). Those who liked it called the movie a rude and crude throwback to 1980s comedies. But more commented that it was equally atrocious to the first film with lame jokes and an uninteresting narrative. For now, this is a DVD-only release. It stars Josh Duhamel, Dan Bakkedahl, Kevin Dillon, James Roday Rodriguez, Nick Swardson, Lochlyn Munro and Ginnifer Goodwin.
DARK NATURE – A woman escapes from an abusive relationship and joins a therapy group. She agrees to go on a retreat with them to an isolated location in the mountains. As one might expect, things soon get uncomfortable. The doctor in charge uses strange and experimental methods to encourage the group and then a monstrous entity appears, forcing the leads to use every skill in their arsenal to survive. Response was reasonably upbeat towards this independent horror film. Almost one-third complained that the movie didn’t handle the themes of trauma well or frighten viewers in an effective manner. Still, the majority described the picture as intriguing, liked the work of the cast and called it an atmospheric effort that had plenty to say about post-traumatic stress disorder. The cast includes Madison Walsh, Hannah Emily Anderson, Helen Belay, Rosanne Supernault and Griffin Cork.
FULL TIME – A Parisian single mother has to juggle numerous issues in this French drama/thriller. Working as a head chambermaid in a hotel, the financially strapped lead is forced to commute great distances, pay for childcare and then make it back home in time to pick them up. While attempting to find a better job for herself, she sneaks away for interviews but runs into further trouble when a transit strike prevents her from traveling. This film earned raves from reviewers. The film only received one pan, complaining that the story should have focused more on the labor movement and issues specific to the cause. All other notices called this movie authentic and pulse-pounding, perfectly depicting the stress that parents are under during financially troubling times. They also wrote that it provided excitement as the protagonist rushed around to meet her many responsibilities. Laure Calamy, Anne Suarez Genevieve Mnich and Cyril Guei headline the picture.
THE HARBINGER – A seemingly evil child is the focus of this story. Hoping to escape their past, a couple move out to a small town with a daughter who exhibits odd behavior. Sure enough, locals start turning up dead in a variety of nasty manners and police suspicion falls upon the kid. The parents turn to a Native American seer for help, who informs them that an ancient demonic evil may actually be responsible for the murders. The press was split right down the middle on this independent horror film. Half-complained that it was trying to do so much that it became confusing and that the dialogue felt like bluntly delivered exposition. However, just as many believed that despite the overstuffed narrative, the movie was interesting and that certain story elements worked well. They also thought the picture benefitted from a powerful finale. It features Irene Bedard, Madeliene McGraw, Steve Monroe and Amanda MacDonald.
HOLLYWOOD DREAMS & NIGHTMARES: THE ROBERT ENGLUND STORY – Horror fans will likely be familiar with the name Robert Englund, who played the villainous Freddy Krueger in eight Nightmare on Elm Street pictures. This documentary details his life story, how the classically trained actor was cast in the famous role, as well as how he handled super-stardom. It also includes interviews with Englund, as well as his wife Nancy and horror luminaries Lin Shaye, Eli Roth, Tony Todd, Heather Langenkamp, Adam Green, Lance Henricksen, Bill Moseley and Kane Hodder. Most write-ups were upbeat. One or two felt that the movie was simply a chronological history that should have been put together in a more dynamic manner. Still, the vast majority loved learning more about the star’s life and appreciated hearing several fun and fascinating tales about his career and incredible experiences.
IT AIN’T OVER – Baseball catcher and team manager Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra is the subject of this documentary. The film details his 19-year stint as a player with the New York Yankees, as well as his long coaching and managerial terms with the Yankees, Mets and Houston Astros. Using archival footage and interviews with those who knew him, the movie also examines some of his controversial statements. This is another non-fiction title that earned almost universally positive notices. One critic suggested that the movie was too distracted from important details while defending the figure from a few forgotten criticisms. Everyone else thought this film was a great reminder of how important a player and manager his was, also showing how the media would sometimes only focus only on his public persona. Billy Crystal, Bob Costas, Willie Randolph, Derek Jeter, Vin Scully and many more share their memories of Berra in the film.
JUSTICE LEAGUE: WARWORLD – The latest chapter in the DC animated direct-to-disc series of superhero films takes place in multiple worlds. When a new threat emerges from an alternate gladiatorial universe called Warworld, Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman all must travel from different lands to fight the threat. They must also stop these villains from escaping Warworld and invading our universe. There aren’t many reviews available for the title yet, but a couple that have popped up online suggest that it’s a decent effort. They comment that it’s a simple story and note that the three leads don’t come together until late in the picture, yet still maintain that the animation is impressive and that it will entertain fans of the series. The voice cast includes Jeremy Adams, Ike Amadi, Troy Baker, Darren Criss, Stana Katic, John DiMaggio and Frank Grillo.
MAD HEIDI – This action/horror/comedy takes place in a dystopian Switzerland under the rule of a fascist cheese tyrant. A teenage villager named Heidi (based loosely on the famous fictional children’s character) yearns for freedom and her grandpa tries to dissuade her from raising a fuss. But after a confrontation with the dictator’s henchmen, Heidi transforms into a rebel, liberating the nation from its cruel rulers. This foreign-language title put a smile on the face of most reviewers. A handful didn’t think the finished product lived up to its crazy concept and thought the confrontations were repetitive. Still, the vast majority called it a future cult film, describing it as wild and over-the-top in every way imaginable. They couldn’t help but enjoy watching the popular character emphatically do away with fascist forces. It stars Alice Lucy, Max Rudlinger, Casper Van Dien, David Schofield and Kel Matsena.
NUCLEAR NOW – Writer/director Oliver Stone (Platoon, Wall Street, JFK) is the figure behind this documentary. He discusses the threat that the world is facing from climate change, caused by the ever-increasing use of fossil fuels in order to create energy. After discussing the matter with several experts, the filmmaker comes to the conclusion that reinstating nuclear power plants could significantly reduce emissions and ultimately save the planet. The non-fiction feature earned more positive notices than negative ones. About one-quarter stated that while the Stone made some interesting points, he presented his findings in a flat and unexciting manner. Still, most thought the director made a convincing argument and appreciated his hopeful and positive approach to dark subject matter.
THE OUTWATERS – A group of individuals decide to take a camping trip to a remote location in the Mojave Desert. While one would think the heat alone would be unpleasant, the leads end up experiencing worse trouble, including some threatening hallucinations. The vacationers are forced to determine whether or not what they’re seeing is real and, if it is actually occurring, how to survive. This independent horror flick got decent write-ups from the press. One-quarter of reviewers did complain that it was overlong and that for all its visual panache the story didn’t deliver much tension or drama. However, the consensus was that the film was atmospheric and presented a trippy visual nightmare that delivered plenty of chills. It features Robbie Banfitch, Angela Basolis, Scott Schamell and Michelle May.
PAINT – Inspired by popular painter Bob Ross, this comedy introduces a fictional artist who hosts a popular public access television program in Vermont. Overly self-assured as a result of his personal success and the shouts of adoring fans, the lead doesn’t take notice of a new competitor. When this younger and more charismatic painter begins derailing the protagonist’s career, he goes through a crisis of confidence. Reaction to this comedy wasn’t particularly strong. Nearly one-third of critics admired the work of the lead and suggested that once they got onto the eccentric wavelength of the film, it was all very amusing. Unfortunately, more complained that the central character was too passive, the gags too broad and the end result simply not funny enough. Owen Wilson, Michaela Watkins, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ciara Renee, Stephen Root and Denny Dillon headline the picture.
RESIDENT EVIL: DEATH ISLAND – This animated title based on the Resident Evil video game series features familiar heroes Leon S. Kennedy, Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine and Claire Redfield facing off against a new but familiar threat. When a strange virus begins turning humans into zombies, the trail leads the characters to aquatic lifeforms and a sinister lab on Alcatraz Island. Once there, they must stop a mad scientist from infecting the entire population. The movie received a limited release in Asia a few weeks ago and is premiering on disc in this part of the world. There aren’t many reviews available, but the ones that have appeared online have been upbeat. They suggest that while the dialogue is occasionally stiff, the visuals are great and that there is enough action and excitement to please those who enjoy the series. The voice cast includes Bill Butts, Erin Cahill and Kevin Dorman.
THERAPY DOGS – A pair of senior high school students question their future and try to get a sense of self-understanding by making a student film about their lives. They run around the suburbs of Toronto with their friends, pushing boundaries and experiencing all the city has to offer in order to figure themselves out. Naturally, they get themselves into trouble in the process. This title won the Grand Prize at the 2022 Slamdance Film Festival. It also received a strongly buoyant reaction from the press. A small number did assert that the characters acted in infantile ways and that the film didn’t offer much of a final point or message. However, everyone else thought it was a realistic look at teenagers today, showing both positive and negative personality traits and what life is really like in the suburbs. It stars Ethan Eng, Justin Morrice, Kevin Tseng and Kyle Peacock.
THE VENTURE BROS.: RADIANT IS THE BLOOD OF THE BABOON HEART – The Venture Bros. was an animated action/comedy series that ran on the Cartoon Network from 2003 to 2018. This direct-to-disc feature is a finale, wrapping up some of the loose ends left hanging as the show was canceled. When Hank Venture disappears, all of the characters come out to try and find him. As the search continues, past secrets are revealed about the Venture Family that must be addressed. This title hasn’t been seen by many critics, but so far notices have been more positive than negative. The consensus is that this feature won’t convert new viewers, but that it is funny and does serve as a fitting close to the popular program. The voice cast includes James Urbaniak, Patrick Warburton, Michael Sinterniklaas, Chris McCulloch, Doc Hammer, Nina Arianda, Clancy Brown, John Hodgman, Jane Lynch, Jay Pharoah and J.K. Simmons.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
There’s a ton of older titles arriving as well. First, I’d like to draw attention to BayView Entertainment’s Blu-ray of the science-fiction cult classic, Robot Monster 3D (1953). This cheesy independent effort involves a monster called Ro-Man (whose features include a gorilla’s body and a diver’s helmet). After this villain wipes out most of the Earth’s population, a little boy and other survivors set out to stop the creature from finishing the job. It’s one of those so-bad-it’s-good titles with plenty of unintentional laughs that have earned it a devoted following. Remarkably, the film was shot and shown in 3D at theaters during its initial release. Unfortunately, the distributor lost these stereoscopic prints and the 3D version of the film was long unavailable.
This new Blu-ray presents a new restoration of two rare 3D prints that were discovered in 1990 and painstakingly cleaned up over the following decades. Some 70 years later, viewers can now see the movie as it was originally presented with a sharp image. You can watch it either in stereoscopic 3D (a set of red and cyan glasses are included) or in the BD3D process on high end televisions. There are also over two hours of 3D bonus features. Besides a film historian commentary, a featurette on a lost prologue to the movie (that features a comedian), an interview with the actor who played the child in the film, a vintage slide presentation of 3D photographs from the era, trailers, vintage short films and a restoration demo, as well as 3D comic books that used the same technology featured in the movie. You’ll also get a 2D extras including a documentary on the film’s prologue, a reissue trailer with commentary from filmmaker Joe Dante, a special on the innovating use of “double-film”, a documentary on the discovery of the 3D prints, a song written for the movie, a memorabilia gallery and a newly restored Bela Lugosi television appearance with reference to 3D projects in development at the time. Read a full review of the Blu-ray here!
88 Films is presenting a Blu-ray of the Hong Kong action picture, Magic Cop (1990). It follows a police man tracking a drug-dealing gang of ghosts and vampires. This special edition comes with a film expert commentary, as well as other secret bonuses that have yet to be announced.
Effects (1980) is arriving as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set from AGRA. The independent chiller involves a movie crew who begin to believe that the horror film they’re shooting is actually a snuff picture. Extras include an audio commentary track, featurettes, bonus shorts and an image gallery. It’s limited to 2000 copies, so be sure to pick it up quickly if you are interested.
Arrow is delivering the Blood Money: Four Classic Westerns Vol. 2 Blu-ray box set. It includes the Italian pictures $10,000 Blood Money (1967), Vengeance is Mine (1967), Find a Place to Die (1968) and Mátalo (Kill Him) (1970). All of the movies come with 2K restorations and feature film historian commentaries, dozens of featurettes on the movies including cast and crew interviews, as well as plenty of publicity materials.
A Douglas Fairbanks Double Feature is arriving on Blu-ray from Cohen Media Group. It contains the award-winning Robin Hood (1922) restored in 4K, as well as a new restoration of The Black Pirate (1926). You’ll get a film historian commentary on the second feature as well as outtakes (with commentary).
The excellent neo-noir Bill Paxton/Billy Bob Thornton/Cynda Williams thriller One False Move (1992) is coming from Criterion in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set or as a standalone Blu-ray. This edition comes with a director-approved 4K restoration, a 1999 filmmaker commentary, a new conversation between the director and co-writer/actor Thornton, and a trailer.
The teen sex comedies Virgin High (1991) and Hot Under the Collar (1992) are arriving as a double–feature Blu-ray courtesy of Culture Shock Releasing. The cast members of these titles include Linnea Quigley, Melinda Clarke and the titles have been restored from new 2K transfers from 35mm prints. Apparently, the set comes with numerous bonuses like a commentary, publicity material, behind-the-scenes footage and a music video.
Speaking of releases from independent outlets, you can pick up Blu-rays of Prague Nights (1969) from Deaf Crocodile Films, the Japanese genre flick Terrifying Girls’ High School: Animal Classmates (1973) from Discotek Media, and ETR Media’s Graveyard Alive (2003). Funny Ha Ha (2002) is appearing on Blu-ray from Factory25 as well. Several of the titles listed contain extras, so be sure to look them up.
Fans of classic comedy may be interested in the new Flicker Alley called Laurel & Hardy: Year One Blu-ray. A collection of 15 silent shorts featuring the pair made between 1921 and 1928 were recovered and transferred for this presentation. It comes with film historian commentaries for every film, as well as a documentary on the restoration, a slideshow of images from a lost title, press materials, multiple scores for the pictures and a souvenir booklet.
Spacked Out (2000) is a Hong Kong drama about a gang of female teenage delinquents who deal with issues like an unwanted pregnancy. Kani is presenting a Blu-ray of the film that comes with featurettes on the title.
Kino is releasing several Blu-ray titles this week. You can now purchase the Sean Connery heist thriller The Anderson Tapes (1971). Extras include a film historian commentary, a TV spot and a trailer. A Dandy in Aspic (1968) stars Laurence Harvey as a Russian double-agent working for British Intelligence ends up being assigned to kill… himself! It arrives with crew interviews, a talk with the designer of the title sequence, a critical appreciation of the film and a trailer. James Coburn takes the lead in Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round (1966), which follows a convict who uses the power of seduction to get himself freed from prison and attempt to rob the Los Angeles International Airport bank.
Needful Things (1993) is an adaptation of a Stephen King story that is also getting a Special Edition. The film featured a town of characters meeting a sinister shop owner who offers customers their deepest desires at a heavy price. It starred Max von Sydow, Ed Harris, Bonnie Bedelia, Amanda Plummer and J.T. Walsh. The two-hour theatrical cut was criticized by some during its initial release for feeling truncated. This release includes a 4K Ultra HD disc containing the theatrical cut, as well as a more developed 3-hour TV cut on Blu-ray (you can also pick up a 2-disc Blu-ray set containing both cuts). It also features a director commentary and an interview with the screenwriter.
Lionsgate is known for giving several 1980s cult classics an upgrade through their Vestron line. Their latest Collector’s Edition Blu-ray is My Best Friend is a Vampire (1987), a tale of a teenager (played by Robert Sean Leonard) who is turned into a vampire. He decides to live exclusively on pig blood, but trouble arises when a vampire hunter arrives to kill him. The disc arrives with a director commentary, an interview with co-star Paul Willson and plenty of publicity materials.
Paramount is rereleasing the musical Dreamgirls (2006) on Blu-ray. With a new TMNT movie arriving in theaters next week, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) is receiving a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray upgrade. And classic science-fiction fans can also pick up a 70th anniversary 4K Ultra HD edition of War of the Worlds (1953). Alas, this release does not include a Blu-ray.
At Dawn They Sleep (2000) is a very low-budget, shot-on-video vampire title that is arriving on Blu-ray from Satan’s Core Audio & Video. It comes with two commentary tracks, a lengthy making-of, an archival making-of, outtakes, as well as a bonus movie from the same filmmaker made in 1994, which includes similar extras.
And there’s more! Severin is putting out a Blu-ray of the documentary, Inferno Rosso: Joe D’Amato on the Road of Excess (2021), chronicling the career of B-moviemaker Joe D’Amato (Anthropophagus: The Grim Reaper, Ator, the Fighting Eagle, 2020 Texas Gladiators, Endgame – Bronx Lotta Finale). Bonuses include a film festival introduction to the movie with Nicolas Winding Refn, a critic discussing the figure, outtakes and a period drama from the filmmaker called Scandalous Emanuelle (1986) with cast interviews.
Shout! Factory (now newly rebranded as Shout! Studios) is presenting several new Blu-ray as well. The first three are exclusives that can only be purchased through their site. Pictured above and to the right, Lords of the Deep (1989) is a low-budget undersea monster movie produced by Roger Corman that was made to capitalize on the attention surrounding the release of The Abyss (1989) and Deepstar Six (1989). The movie is presented with a new 2K scan of the original negative. There is also a Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode with the film that is included and a trailer.
Sawbones (1995) features Adam Baldwin as a psychotic surgeon. This Blu-ray includes a 2K scan of the film and a trailer. School Spirit (1985) is a teen sex-comedy about a student who dies in a crash, becomes a ghost and uses his new gift in some very politically incorrect ways. Specs for this disc are the same as for the previous title.
Shout! is giving a wide release to their Blu-ray of the entertaining Trey Parker/Matt Stone satire Team America: World Police (2004). This movie features marionettes as the title characters, who are an overzealous American counter-terrorism force who try to stop a villainous plot. The two-disc set features the theatrical edition and an unrated cut and includes tons of making-of featurettes, deleted/extended scenes and outtakes and much more.
The distributor is also putting out a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray upgrade of the hit Brad Pitt zombie flick, World War Z (2013). The 4K UHD and Blu-ray present a new master of the film with all previously released extras. There’s also a second Blu-ray that contains an extended, unrated cut of the movie.
Sony is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the underrated Mike Myers comedy So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) with a 4K Ultra HD release. The comic plays a poet who performs in coffee houses. He ends up falling for a woman who may, in fact, be a serial killer. Alas, no Blu-ray is included in this release, but at least there has been work to restore and improve the image quality of this very funny feature.
Shame (1988) is arriving on Blu-ray from Umbrella Entertainment. This is a well-regarded Australian B-movie about a woman whose motorcycle breaks down in a backwoods town. When she encounters the hostile male popular and befriends a woman who was assaulted by them, she decides to seek justice. The disc comes with a director, screenwriter and co-lead actress commentary, a 77-minute video conference with cast and crew members, a TV interview with the actress who plays the biker, an oral history of the movie, footage from the premiere and a trailer.
Universal is rereleasing The Book of Henry (2017), The Express (2008), Love Happens (2009) and the racing biopic Rush (2013) on Blu-ray. You can also pick up the Doris Day and Rock Hudson Romantic Comedy Collection Blu-ray that contains the classics Pillow Talk (1959), Lover Come Back (1961) and Send Me No Flowers (1964).
Vinegar Syndrome is distributing elaborate 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray editions of a few titles. They include The Boogeyman (1980), Night Screams (1987) 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray and Undefeatable (1993). The final film listed is a notable one for B-movie fans. Undefeatable stars Cynthia Rothrock as a woman seeking revenge for the death of her sister on a martial arts expert/serial killer. Rothrock is a charismatic star and the movie features some excellent fight scenes, alongside amusingly clunky dialogue and over-the-top supporting performances. The odd mix ends up making the flick a surreal delight.
Additionally, Villages of the Damned: Three Horrors from Spain is being released on Blu-ray. It contains The Forest of the Wolf (1970), The Sky is Falling (1975) and Beatriz (1976) three genre films made during the Franco era that subtly comment on important issues like class, religion and government. Dennis Hopper appears in the second title. The set features 4K scans of the movies, interviews with film historians on the titles, cast and crew discussions and a 40-page book with essays on the flicks.
The distributor is also delivering a number of Blu-ray exclusives that will only be available on their website until August 29th (when they will be available at other retailers). The discs include the Canadian film Dirty Money (1972). It’s an early genre effort from Oscar-nominated French-Canadian writer/director Denys Arcand. Other titles include Fake It So Real (2012), Falcon Lake (2022) Midnite Spares (1983), Once a Moth (1976) and Uranian Dreams: Two Homosexual Films by Eloy de la Iglesia (made in 1977 – 1978).
Finally, Warner Archive is making some made-to-order Blu-rays available for The Broadway Melody (1929), Cimarron (1931), Du Barry Was a Lady (1943), The Fastest Gun Alive (1956), Helen of Troy (1956) and The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954).
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
Titles listed below may be of interest to kids.
PBS Kids-Get Up and Dance! (PBS Kids) DVD
Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go! Back on Track (nCircle Entertainment) DVD
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Complete Collection (2000s TV series and TV-movies) (Nickelodeon/Paramount) DVD
ON THE TUBE!
And this week’s TV-show releases can be found below.
Ancient Aliens: Season 17 (History) DVD
Dalgliesh: Series 2 (Acorn) DVD
D.I. Ray: Season 1 (PBS) DVD
Gangs of London: Season 2 (RLJ Entertainment) Blu-ray
Masterpiece Mystery – Grantchester: Season 8 (PBS) DVD
The Neighborhood: Season 5 (CBS) DVD
NOVA: Saving the Right Whale (PBS) DVD
PBS Kids-Get Up and Dance! (PBS Kids) DVD
Superstore: The Complete Series (Shout! Factory) DVD
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Complete Collection (2000s TV series and TV-movies) (Nickelodeon/Paramount) DVD
Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go! Back on Track (nCircle Entertainment) DVD