Welcome to another look at some of the highlights arriving this week on Blu-ray and DVD. This edition is filled with several big releases that fared well with critics. 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!
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER – Some 13 years after the original Avatar, writer/director James Cameron returns with the first of several planned follow-ups to his science-fiction epic. Sixteen years after the events of the first movie, the lead has started a family on his new alien home world of Pandora. His peace comes to a quick end when a new team of human soldiers arrive to colonize the planet. The protagonist tries to keep them safe by moving everyone to a distant water-based community. However, the villains continue their pursuit and the family must square off against them. The movie earned generally solid reviews and broke box office records, becoming the all-time third-highest grossing film worldwide (the first Avatar still stands at number one). Those who disliked the film complained about the story and called the movie overlong and draining. However, more than three-quarters were wowed by the spectacle and visual effects (which won an Academy Award), stating that it would impress anyone who enjoyed the original. There are all sorts of different editions, including 4K Ultra HD, 3D and Blu-ray, so be sure to check the specs on each version to make sure you get the one that is right for you. The film stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement and Kate Winslet. Read a full review right here.
GUY RITCHIE’S THE COVENANT – Also known as The Covenant, this drama involves a US Army Sergeant serving in Afghanistan. While on assignment, his squad is attacked by Taliban forces. The military man is saved by his Afghan interpreter, who goes to extreme lengths to get them both to safety. When the lead discovers that the government is not honoring their word to give Afghan helpers safe passage to the US, he sets out to find and extract the man himself. Critics gave this picture high marks. A small contingent found it melodramatic and called its critical view of the government heavy-handed. Everyone else was impressed by the performances, called the film extremely tense and appreciated its attempts to bring important issues to light. The cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Dar Salim, Antony Starr, Alexander Ludwig, Emily Beecham and Jonny Lee Miller. Here’s a full review of the feature.
I AM T-REX – This animated feature from China is set in the age of dinosaurs. A young T-Rex lives with his father who is the leader of their valley community. When a nasty foe decides to fight for control of the region, the violent battle results in a tragic end for the dad. The young T-Rex son runs away for good, traumatized by what he has witnessed. Later, he meets other dinosaurs and asks them to train him so that he can vanquish his enemy and bring peace back to the valley. No one has seen the movie in this part of the world, so there are currently no reviews available for it. Parents should probably be warned that it appears that several characters may meet a violent end over the course of the running time. The disc appears to contain an English-language dub of the original Cantonese. As of this writing, no English voice cast has been listed.
POLITE SOCIETY – A London teenager of Pakistani descent spends her days dreaming about being a stunt woman and practicing martial arts with her supportive older sister. When her elder sibling quits her studies and quickly announces that she is getting married, the teen becomes upset and suspicious. Despite the initial friendliness of her potential in-laws, the youth is determined to sabotage the relationship and stop the pair from getting married. This comedy earned lots of praise from the press. A tiny number couldn’t get on the film’s wavelength, calling it strange and commenting that it misses its opportunities to delve into serious drama about its subject matter. However, the vast majority thought the movie was hilarious. They stated that this high-energy, witty effort surprised them with some over-the-top moments and a warm-hearted sense of sisterly love. It features Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya, Nimra Bucha and Akshay Khanna. Read all about the film here.
RODEO – In this French drama, a teenage misfit finds solace in the world of motorcycles. When she sets out to join a community of dirt bikers who perform stunts, she is surprised to find that the gang is completely male-dominated. The protagonist attempts to fit in and win them over, but a painful injury puts her on the sidelines and causes her further struggles. Reaction towards this foreign-language feature was very positive. A small contingent found the icy characters hard to relate to and couldn’t get emotionally involved in the proceedings. Still, the general consensus was that despite some minor issues with the story, the movie was interesting, gritty and tense enough to ultimately draw them in. Julie Ledru, Yannis Lafki, Louis Sotton and Junior Correia headline the feature.
SKINAMARINK – Two children wake up in the middle of the night to find that their parents have disappeared and their home is completely empty. Even worse, all of the doors and windows leading out have disappeared. The kids decide to move to the living room and watch TV in order to pass the time until someone arrives to help them. Unfortunately, they soon hear a frightening, disembodied voice urging them to come upstairs. This independent horror picture earned more upbeat reviews than negative ones. Close to one-third thought that after an unsettling opening, the story ground to a halt and events became tedious and dull instead of scary. But most complimented the film as stylish and creepy. They believed it effectively tapped into childhood fears and made a lasting impression. It stars Lucas Paul, Dali Rose Tetreault and Ross Paul.
A SNOWY DAY IN OAKLAND – In this independently-produced comedy, a San Francisco psychologist decides to end a romantic relationship with her business partner and move across the bay to Oakland. Once there, the lead opens her own practice. The move raises eyebrows among neighbors, who don’t believe that she’ll be able to find anyone willing to pay to talk about their personal problems. But when a developer arrives planning to turn the street into a parking lot, locals want therapy and even ask for help in saving their businesses. This title is a streaming and direct-to-disc DVD-only release. Thus far, there have only been a handful of reviews. Half thought the tone was off and that the message wasn’t sharply delivered, while the same number called it corny but fun and stated that it benefitted from a talented cast. The movie features Keith David, Nicole Ari Parker, Sean Maguire, Michael Jai White, Loretta Devine, Marla Gibbs and Tony Plana.
SURVIVE – A woman with suicidal tendencies completes treatment at a facility and heads home, only for the plane she is traveling on to crash in the snowy mountain wilderness. There is one other survivor, who informs the lead that they will have to trek a great distance to find help and safety. Despite some reluctance, she realizes that the two of them must look out for each other to survive and tries her best to assist him. This independent disaster film/drama was released at theaters in some international territories, but is debuting on disc and through streaming sites in North America. Notices from Europe were not ideal. Write-ups noted that the movie was nicely shot, but that story elements focused too much on one character, were too exaggerated and that the film lacked believability. Sophie Turner and Corey Hawkins headline the feature.
WHISPER OF THE HEART – Also known as Mimi wo sumaseba, this live-action Japanese feature is based on a popular manga (comic book or graphic novel) series of the same name. It’s a coming-of-age tale about two adults looking back on the forgotten dreams of their teenage years. One currently works for a successful publisher, but has given up on her own writing. The other is a professional cello player who has become a difficult perfectionist. The two cross paths once again in Italy, remember their teenage years and try to reignite their creative spark. Very few members of the press have seen this title at this time, but those who did gave it a recommendation. While the articles all call the film overly sentimental and predictable, they also admitted that the cast is likable and the end result was sweet and amiable. The cast includes Nana Seino, Tôri Matsuzaka and Towa Araki.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
It’s also an excellent week for older releases. Arrow Video always puts out quality products and this time out their primary release is The Game Trilogy limited edition Blu-ray box set. It contains the Japanese pictures The Most Dangerous Game (1978), The Killing Game (1978) and The Execution Game (1979), all part of a stylish action series starring Yusaku Matsuda. This release marks the debut of these films in North America. The plots involve an anti-hero taking on corporate corruption, the Yakuza and other sinister forces. These discs include film historian audio commentaries on all three features, as well as interviews with the director, the screenwriter and critics with detailed analysis of the series. The set also comes with publicity materials for the movies.
Criterion is having a busy week with a couple of interesting titles arriving on Blu-ray. Medicine for Melancholy (2008) is an early effort from Barry Jenkins (Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk) about two young San Franciscans dealing with being minorities in a gentrifying city. A new master of the movie has been approved by the director and it also comes with a recently recorded filmmaker commentary and a 2008 commentary track, a new making-of program, test footage, a blooper reel, and a trailer as well.
The Servant (1963) is a British drama about an aristocrat who hires a clever butler that begins to turn the tables on the household. The well-reviewed movie won several BAFTA awards during its original release. Extras include a lengthy critical analysis of the picture, a series of audio discussions with the director, an interview with the screenwriter, a series of talks with cast members, a trailer and a booklet featuring an essay on the movie.
If you belong to the Disney Movie Club, you can also pick up an exclusive Blu-ray and DVD combo of the original Avatar (2009). Naturally, this appears to be timed to coincide with the release of the follow-up.
Kino is presenting several Blu-rays as well. The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954) is a movie about the Korean War that stars William Holden and Grace Kelly. This disc comes with a 4K picture restoration, as well as a movie expert commentary track, a trailer and a slipcase cover.
If you have a 4K Ultra HD set up, you can purchase the classic thriller The Manchurian Candidate (1962) on the format. Pictured above and to the left, this film from director John Frankenheimer (Birdman of Alcatraz, Grand Prix, Seconds, French Connection II, Black Sunday, Ronin) involves a soldier who has been programmed to kill a presidential nominee. It comes with an extra Special Features Blu-ray disc that contains the film with a Frankenheimer commentary, as well as interviews with the director, screenwriter and star Frank Sinatra. You also get a discussion with co-star Angela Lansbury, outtakes, trailers and much more.
The distributor is also making the Mr. Wong Collection available on Blu-ray. It contains the films Mr. Wong, Detective (1938), The Mystery of Mr. Wong (1939), Mr. Wong in Chinatown (1939), The Fatal Hour (1940) and Doomed to Die (1940). Boris Karloff plays the title character in these five murder mystery titles.
You can also pick up a Blu-ray double-feature featuring a famous canine performer. It’s called Rin Tin Tin: Clash of the Wolves / Where the North Begins and contains two movies from 1923 and 1925 starring the German shepherd. One has been restored in 4K and the other 2K. The disc contains film expert commentaries on both titles.
Additionally, the excellent Robert De Niro action picture Ronin (1998) is arriving as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set or on Blu-ray only. This Paris-set heist picture has plenty of thrills and a wonderful car chase. Besides the upgraded picture quality, it comes with every previously released extra from older releases, including an alternate ending and a Frankenheimer commentary track.
Media Blasters is presenting the Japanese feature Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead (2011) on Blu-ray. It features camping teens who are attacked by parasite-laden, feces-covered zombies.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is getting on the bandwagon and releasing Blu-rays of some of their catalog titles. They look to be bare bones discs, but at least these movies are finally seeing the light of day on the format. Best Seller (1987) is a thriller with James Woods and John Dennehy about a writer doing research on a hitman who ends up caught in the middle of an assassination plot. City of Ghosts (2002) stars and was directed by Matt Dillon and it features a con man in Cambodia.
In Diary of a Hitman (1991) Forest Whitaker plays a hired killer on his final assignment who runs into trouble when he can’t quite bring himself to finish the job. It also stars Sherilyn Fenn and Sharon Stone. Golden Gate (1993) is a drama with Matt Dillon and Joan Chen about a young lawyer working for the FBI. He falls in love with the daughter of a man he is supposed to prosecute. The film is directed by future Oscar-nominee John Madden (Shakespeare in Love, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Miss Sloane).
And Stormy Monday (1988) is an effective neo-noir from the UK about an Irishman who takes on work at a Newcastle jazz club, only to find himself unexpectedly embroiled in a plot by shady American investors to take control of the city. It stars Sean Bean, Melanie Griffith, Tommy Lee Jones and Sting. This final title was previously released on Blu-ray by Arrow Video, but it has since gone out-of-print.
In anticipation of the upcoming Mission: Impossible sequel, Paramount is shining a light on a couple of other Tom Cruise pictures. The thriller The Firm (1993) is being put out exclusively on 4K Ultra HD (no Blu-ray is included in the package), while Vanilla Sky (2001) is coming out in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo set. Both are decent films that should appeal to fans of the actor.
New distributor Radiance Films is delivering the Blu-ray set Cosa Nostra: Franco Nero in Three Mafia Tales by Damiano Damiani, which presents The Day of the Owl (1968), The Case is Closed, Forget It (1971)and How to Kill a Judge (1975) in high definition. These are three well-regarded Italian mafia films that happen to star Franco Nero. The set contains 2K restorations of all three titles, multiple interviews with Nero, a ton of featurettes from film experts on the titles, as well as an examination of the life of the man who directed the movies. There are so many bonuses that they can’t all be listed here. The set even comes with a 120-page book on the mafia genre with new and archival essays from experts.
Red Sun (1970) is also arriving from Radiance Films on Blu-ray. It’s a German movie about a man who meets a trio of women and agrees to stay with them, only to learn that they’re planning on murdering him in five days. The film’s director supervised the digital transfer and has provided select scene commentary with another cast member. Extras also include a couple of visual essays on the project and a 52-page booklet on the title with written contributions from critics and fellow filmmaker Wim Wenders.
Sandpiper is releasing some interesting Blu-rays as well. The Barefoot Contessa (1954) stars Humphrey Bogart as a struggling filmmaker hired to travel abroad and work on an unusual project. Romeo is Bleeding (1993) is a wild and crazy neo-noir about a crooked cop who gets in over his head with a devious woman from a Moscow crime family. The cast includes Gary Oldman, Lena Olin, Annabella Sciorra and Juliette Lewis. And The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969) features Anthony Quinn as an Italian winemaker hiding his goods from German forces during World War II.
Finally, Zeitgeist Films is presenting Guy Maddin’s Tales from the Gimli Hospital Redux (1988) on Blu-ray. The story involves two men trapped in a hospital during a smallpox epidemic. Apparently, this edition has been remastered in 4K and includes a scene cut from the original version (which is why the word Redux has been added to the title). It also comes with a director commentary, a 2000 short from the filmmaker and a trailer.
You can also pick up a double-feature of A Zed & Two Noughts and The Falls: Two Films by Peter Greenaway, which includes a pair of projects from 1985 and 1980 made by the famed British director.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
These titles may be of interest to children.
I Am T-Rex (animated movie from China) (Well Go USA) Blu-ray
Reboot: The Complete Series – The Definitive Mainframe Edition (Shout! Factory) DVD
Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten: Super K Time Trippers (Ncircle) DVD
ON THE TUBE!
And you’ll find the week’s TV-themed releases listed below.
Criminal Minds: Evolution: Season 16 (Paramount) Blu-ray
Great Performances: Now Hear This: Season 4 (PBS) DVD
The Larkins: Series 2 (Acorn) DVD
The Mistletoe Secret (Hallmark) DVD
NATURE: The Hummingbird Effect (PBS) DVD
Reboot: The Complete Series – The Definitive Mainframe Edition (Shout! Factory) DVD
Wartime Girls: Season 2 (Menemsha Films) DVD