Welcome to another look at some of the highlights that are arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. It’s a busy edition once again, with a few big titles and some interesting smaller fare in a wide variety of genres. 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!
80 FOR BRADY – A group of senior women bond while watching the New England Patriots and become obsessive fans of the team and quarterback Tom Brady. When the Patriots make it to another Super Bowl and one of the friends fears that she may have terminal cancer, the protagonists decide to find a way to get tickets and attend the game. While at the celebrations, they meet celebrities and get into all kinds of misadventures. This comedy earned slightly more positive notices than it did negative ones. Those who disliked the movie said the stars deserved a better screenplay, the humor was hackneyed and that the attempts at drama were ineffective. Still, slightly more enjoyed seeing four screen legends together and thought seniors would get a chuckle or two out of it. The movie stars Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, Sally Field, Tom Brady, Billy Porter, Rob Corddry, Alex Moffat, Guy Fieri, Bob Balaban, Glynn Turman, Sara Gilbert and Jimmy O. Yang. Read a full review of the film here.
BABY RUBY – A vlogger and influencer is thrilled to welcome a baby into her life. But after returning home from the hospital, she starts getting a very strange feeling. The protagonist wonders if she isn’t adjusting well to the change, or if perhaps there is something odd about the newborn. When neighbors begin showing up and aggressively trying to make friends, she becomes more and more paranoid about what might be going on. More critics enjoyed this drama than disliked it. About one-third of them called the film overly melodramatic and exaggerated, suggesting the over-the-top approach hurt the movie and its attempt to deliver an effective message. The rest were intrigued, finding the fears of the protagonist relatable and calling it an interesting examination of a family falling apart under the pressure of being new parents. The cast includes Noémie Merlant, Kit Harington, Meredith Hagner and Reed Birney.
CHAMPIONS – After getting into trouble with the law, a mean-spirited minor-league basketball coach is forced to help out a local team made of intellectually disabled players. Initially, he does everything he can to get out of the assignment. However, after getting to know the group personally and changing his training methods, the team begins to win and the protagonist finds himself changing in a positive way. Slightly more reviewers appreciated the film than critiqued it. Close to half of notices called the feature well-intentioned but formulaic and didn’t think the mix of broad humor and drama worked particularly well. But the majority wrote that the movie was a warm-hearted, wholesome and inspirational crowd-pleaser that would play well for the entire family. It features Woody Harrelson, Kaitlin Olson, Ernie Hudson, Cheech Marin, Matt Cook, Madison Tevlin and Kevin Iannucci. A full review of the film is available here.
FOREST OF DEATH – Those who enjoy low-budget, DIY horror pictures may appreciate this effort. It follows a group of friends who want to party and travel to the remote countryside for the weekend to do so. Unfortunately, they are targeted by a “skinwalker,” a creature that can take the form of a human and mimic them in order to get close to its victims. The pals begin to turn on each other as they try to survive the onslaught. Genre critics who have seen the movie have reacted favorably towards it. In fact, all of them commented that while the filmmakers didn’t have a big budget, they did create plenty of atmosphere and delivered a sharp creeper with plenty of jolts and eerie moments. Dylan DeVane, Howard Hawkins, Reggie Johnson, Stephanie Kirves, Tyler Miller, Benjamin L. Newmark and Chloë Marie Rhoades headline the film.
THE FORGER – Released in its home country as Der Passfälscher, this foreign-language period drama from Germany is based on a true story. Set during WWII, it details a work of a young Jewish man in Berlin who possesses incredible forging abilities. In order to survive the Nazi occupation, he creates a fake identification for himself. It works, and so he then tries to save others with his unique skills. But to succeed, he must avoid suspicion and hope that the woman he loves doesn’t turn him in to authorities. This drama was generally well-received. About one-third of notices thought the tone was too light and that the movie needed to be more somber and downbeat. Those who enjoyed it also noted the odd and upbeat mood, but found the protagonist clever and his scams fascinating to witness. For the time being, this is a DVD-only release. It stars Louis Hoffmann, Jonathan Berlin, Luna Wedler and Nina Gummich.
OF AN AGE – This coming-of-age story involves a 17-year-old amateur ballroom dancer. Before he must leave town, he spends 24-hours hanging out with a friend’s older brother. What starts as a simple day out intensifies over a very brief period of time when the two immediately connect and fall in love. They talk about what each of them wants out of life and if there is any way that they can reconnect in the future. Most write-ups for this title were complimentary. A small number thought the tale became more and more sorrowful and weepy as it progressed, ultimately becoming a slog to endure. Regardless, most commented that the leads were extraordinary and that the film was a sweet, sensitive and humanistic story about two young men trying to find their way in the world. Elias Anton and Thom Green headline the movie.
ON THE EDGE – Also released under the title Entre la vie et la mort, this foreign-language thriller involves a subway driver working in Brussels, Belgium. One night, his estranged son jumps in front of his train and dies on the tracks. The tormented driver becomes determined to find out why this occurred and who was responsible. As the story progresses, viewers discover that the lead is originally from Spain and that he has a dark and storied past. The movie hasn’t been seen by many in this part of the world, but response towards the film in Europe was generally favorable. Reviewers there stated that the story wasn’t particularly original and that the tone taken by the filmmakers was cool and icy, but also praised the lead performance and thought the Brussels backdrop was visually striking. It features Antonio de la Torre, Marine Vacth, Olivier Gourmet and Fabrice Adde.
THE RITUAL KILLER – At the beginning of this thriller, a psychopath who travels the world and murders victims in order to use their parts and summon occult powers arrives in Mississippi. After starting to kill and perform sacrifices on locals, the detective assigned with the cast finds himself in over his head. He contacts a professor of African Studies at a university in order to learn more about the figure. The pair try to stop the murderer and save the day before he strikes again. Overall, the press hated this feature. So far, there has been only one positive notice, claiming the story offered a new and different twist on the serial killer flick. Everyone else thought it was a mess, writing that the plot didn’t make much sense and that the ending was completely baffling. They also noted that it lacked thrills or any kind of excitement. The cast includes Morgan Freeman, Cole Hauser, Vernon Davis, Peter Stormare and Julie Lott.
SUPERCELL – A teenager feels like he has big shoes to fill a few years after the tragic death of his father, a legendary storm chaser. He leaves home to follow in his pop’s footsteps and try to understand why some find these dangerous weather systems so alluring. When a massive and deadly superstorm approaches, the youngster encounters a team of seasoned, quirky professional chasers who take him under their wing. This disaster flick split the critics, with one or two more disliking the final result than appreciating it. Almost half thought it was a decent effort, stating the storm effects were good and that the script worked hard to help viewers understand the characters and the reasons for their unusual pursuit. Slightly more appreciated the cast, but thought the picture needed more thrills, excitement. They also found the dramatic elements overplayed. It features Alec Baldwin, Anne Heche, Skeet Ulrich, Daniel Diemer and Jordan Kristine Seamón.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
It’s a slightly slower week for older films earning high-definition upgrades, but notable titles are hitting store shelves. Last week, this writer spent time detailing the Paramount adventure/comedy The Assassination Bureau (1969) from Arrow Video, even putting up a full review of the disc. Unfortunately, its release was delayed by a week. Thankfully, the title is now appearing on shelves. For those who missed the write-up, the movie stars Oliver Reed, Diana Rigg and Telly Savalas and details what happens when the leader of the most famous organization of assassins has a contract put out on his own life. In this film, it leads to comedy and excitement as the figure travels across Europe and squaring off against the nastiest members of his own team. Extras include a lengthy discussion about the strange history of the production, as well as a film historian commentary track and publicity materials.
Criterion is releasing a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set of the moody German drama, Wings of Desire (1987). Shot in glorious black and white, the story follows a guardian angel in West Berlin who watches over the sad everyday lives of citizens. When he falls in love with a mortal woman, he must decide whether or not to give up being an angel and experience the joy and pain of human existence. This much-adored feature from Wim Wenders (The American Friend, Until the End of the World, Buena Vista Social Club) is evocative and beautifully shot. Extras include a commentary with Wenders and co-star Peter Falk that was recorded back in the late 1990s. It also comes with a 2003 documentary on the movie, an episode from a French film television program examining the title, excerpted conversations with the cinematographer, deleted scenes and outtakes, trailers, still and a 30-page booklet on the movie.
While most films in the Star Wars series have been released in 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray, Disney is presenting a few titles in new Steelbook packaging that will be available only at Best Buy stores. You can pick up the original trilogy, specifically Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) with these fancy cases. They all presumably arrive with the same bonus features, but in a hard metallic cover with new art.
Kino is presenting the Anna May Wong Collection boxset on Blu-ray. It contains Dangerous to Know (1938), Island of Lost Men (1939) and King of Chinatown (1939). All three titles feature the iconic actress, known as the first Chinese-American film star in Hollywood. The set comes with 4K or 2K masters of the films, movie historian commentary tracks and a theatrical trailer for the third feature in the set.
Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XIII is also arriving on Blu-ray from the distributor. It contains the lesser-known but still effective crime thrillers Spy Hunt (1950), The Night Runner (1957) and Step Down to Terror (1958). These titles have been given 2K transfers for the set and bonuses include film expert commentary tracks on the movies and trailers.
You can also pick up a Blu-ray of the rom-com The Treatment (2006) starring Chris Eigeman, Famke Janssen and Ian Holm. It’s about a neurotic prep school teacher who seeks therapy after being dumped. As he does so, he meets and attempts to romance a wealthy widow. Bonuses include deleted scenes, a featurette with psychotherapists providing an analysis of the movie, as well as a trailer.
Paramount is giving the popular disaster film Deep Impact (1998) the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray treatment in celebration of the title’s 25th anniversary. This effort follows a wide variety of characters (including scientists, government officials, a teenage astronomer and more) who learn that a comet will soon crash into the Earth and potentially wipe the human race out. They all try to figure out how to save the planet and/or survive the impending collision. This feature came out the same year as the action-spectacle Armageddon, but took a more serious and (according to some) melodramatic approach to the subject matter. The cast includes Téa Leoni, Robert Duvall, Morgan Freeman, Elijah Wood and Jon Favreau. Besides the 4K picture restoration, it arrives with archived features from previous editions including a director commentary, featurettes and publicity materials.
Radiances is making The Sunday Woman (1975) available on Blu-ray. This title is a dark crime comedy from Italy with Marcello Mastroianni as a policeman forced to investigate a series of murders among the city of Turin’s high society. The film has been given a 2K restoration and the disc comes with a discussion featuring an Italian movie authority. You’ll also get an archival with the cinematographer, a newly filmed talk with the son of the co-screenwriter, a French TV-interview with co-star Jean-Louis Trintignant, a trailer, a limited edition 24-page booklet on the movie and a reversible sleeve with designs based on posters for the title.
Shout! Factory is releasing a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray edition of the alien-invasion flick, Skyline (2010). It follows a group of friends and acquaintances taking refuge from the attack in a Los Angeles condo. The release contains an upgraded picture with previously released extras including a director commentary track, a co-writer/producer commentary, deleted and extended scenes and much more.
Finally, the Warner Archive Collection is presenting Border Incident (1949) on Blu-ray through Amazon. Ricardo Montalban and George Murphy play agents from both sides of the Mexican and American borders who team up to stop a vicious gang from exploiting illegal farm workers. You can also pick up Clash by Night (1952) with Barbara Stanwyck and Marilyn Monroe on Blu-ray. It’s a drama set around workers at a fish cannery from director Fritz Lang (Metropolis, M, The Big Heat).
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
It’s a slow week for small kids, but things will pick up in the near future.
ON THE TUBE!
And here are the latest titles originating from TV that are now arriving on Blu-ray and DVD.
Hallmark 3-Movie Collection: Hidden Gems, Two Tickets to Paradise & Caribbean Summer (Hallmark) DVD
The King Who Fooled Hitler (PBS) DVD
NATURE: Dogs in the Wild (PBS) DVD
NOVA: Star Chasers of Senegal (PBS) DVD
Under the Vines: Series 2 (Acorn) DVD
The Wedding Veil: Expectations (2023) (Hallmark TV-movie) Blu-ray