Welcome back to another look at Blu-ray and DVD highlights arriving on shelves. Yes, it’s another jam-packed week with all kinds of interesting features in a variety of genres. Plus, there are plenty of fascinating older films getting upgrades as well. So if you can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
Big New Releases!
The Aftermath – This period effort is set in postwar Germany and follows the wife of an British colonel who is sent to Hamburg to join him as he oversees rebuilding efforts. After arriving, she’s surprised to learn from her husband that she will be sharing a home with its German owners, a local widower and his distressed daughter. The press didn’t take very kindly to this drama. A few described it as a reasonably mounted production that gets the job done. Unfortunately, far more described it as uneventful and criticized the illicit romance plotline as being corny. It stars Keira Knightley, Alexanders Skarsgard, Jason Clarke and Alexander Scheer.
Bittersweet Symphony – A musician is thrilled to finally finish a score for a big Hollywood motion picture, but finds her personal life coming apart in the process. She’s forced to deal with complications that include a dying mother and conflict with her difficult ex-boyfriend. Apparently, this UK production is described as being partially scripted and often improvised, based on the issues facing the lead character. In an interesting release strategy, the film is premiering June 24th at the Edinburgh Film Festival and hitting disc and streaming services today. That means that there aren’t any reviews available as of yet. The cast includes Suki Waterhouse, Jennifer Grey, Poppy Delevingne and Griffin Dunne.
Call Us Ishmael – The Herman Melville novel Moby-Dick is the subject of this documentary. It was made by a university professor who did not appreciate the book as a youth, but came around to adoring it many years later after a second read. He travels around talking to literary majors, artists, philosophers and fanatics to get their impressions of the work and the effect it has had on their lives. Additionally, the film features passages from the book and diaries from the author read out loud. This project was backed through Kickstarter and has had a nice run at film festivals, but the first opportunity for most of us to see it will be on disc. David Schaerf, Laurie Anderson and Frank Stella all share their thoughts.
CTRL – This low-budget horror/thriller from the UK involves a reclusive computer programmer who appears to enjoy coming up with metaphors revolving around his work and personal life. After his sister and her estranged boyfriend arrive for a visit to work out their personal problem, a strange computer virus designed by the lead begins to take control of the apartment. Its name is Daisy, it traps them inside and begins to cause horrific events. This production played at a few small festivals like the Arrow Video FrightFest, but otherwise hasn’t been seen or reviewed. Curious parties will just have to take a chance. It features Hainsley Lloyd Bennett, Julian Mack and Saabeah Theos.
Dumbo – Here’s another in Disney’s line of animated classic adapted into feature films. The story follows members of a circus troupe taking care of a large female elephant. When she gives birth to a pachyderm with enormous ears, the owners are disappointed, but their fortunes and attitudes change after witnessing it fly. Critics were split on this effort from director Tim Burton (Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Frankenweenie). Roughly half thought that it was a bland cash-grab and didn’t feel any sort of Disney magic. Almost as many wrote that it was gorgeously-lensed and states that while it had weak elements, the film provided enough delights to earn a recommendation. It features Colin Farrell, Danny DeVito, Eva Green, Michael Keaton, Deoboia Oparei and Alan Arkin. To read this site’s review, click here.
Furie – Action enthusiasts may be interested in this foreign-language Vietnamese picture. It tells the story of a criminal outfit in the country involved in human trafficking who discover and kidnap a young girl. They soon realize they’ve made a huge mistake when they learn that the kid’s mother is an ex-gang leader who will do anything to wipe them out and get her child back. Notices for this picture were very strong. A couple of individuals described it as a rehash of Taken that merely swaps the protagonist’s gender, but the vast majority called the fights and chases stunning and had a great time watching the protagonist mow down the villains with reckless abandon. Veronica Ngo plays the lead, with Pham Anh Khoa and Thanh Nhien in supporting roles.
The Hummingbird Project – Two cousins and trading brokers from New York come up with an elaborate plan to connect fiber optic cables between Kansas and New Jersey, allowing the pair to take part in High Frequency Trading and making them and other locals millions in the process. However, their old boss sets her sights on their project, trying to stop its progress and steal the idea for herself. Reviews were mixed-positive for this techno-thriller. While a portion did criticize the premise as being a bit silly and less-than-exciting, slightly more liked the cast and called the movie eccentric and unique enough to hold their interest. It stars Jesse Eisenberg, Alexander Skarsgard, Salma Hayek and Michael Mando.
In This Gray Place – This little independent thriller involves a pawnshop hold up that goes very, very wrong. A man from the wrong side of the tracks attempts the heist with his girlfriend’s brother, but finds himself taking refuge in a rest stop bathroom. Barricaded in, the police arrive, leading to a lengthy stand-off. As tensions mount, the robber begins to have hallucinations and visions that threaten not only his own safety, but the well-being of those around him. The low-budget title is debuting on disc, so there haven’t been any write-ups posted… viewers should keep expectations in check. The cast includes Aleksander Ristic, Marcus Johns, Angela Nordeng and Phil LaMarr.
Maze – The title of this drama refers to the HMS Prison Maze, a high security penitentiary in Northern Ireland. It tells the true story of a daring escape attempted by several inmates in 1983. After being locked up, a member of the IRA plots and rallies 37 other prisoners to take part in a high stakes scheme. Along the way, he befriends one of the prison wardens, paving the way to some form of reconciliation between the groups. Critics were complimentary towards his Ireland/UK/Germany/Sweden co-production. They called it a small, low-key and nuanced effort that still managed to provide some anxious moments during the big climax. It features Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Barry Ward, Martin McCann and Eileen Walsh.
The Poison Rose – An ex-football player turned private detective finds himself handed a missing persons case from a fetching lady in distress. However, as the lead investigates, what started as a simple job soon unravels into a conspiracy involving the important local citizens and numerous murders. While this neo-noir thriller boasts a great cast, the press were not enthused by what they witnessed. They said that despite the best intentions of the able performers, the script was full of holes and noted that the movie did little to excite viewers. One reviewer even stated that the screenplay didn’t even explain the reason for the movie’s title. John Travolta, Morgan Freeman, Brendan Frasier, Famke Janssen, Peter Stormare and Robert Patrick headline the film.
Transit – This drama from German director Christian Petzold (Phoenix) involves a man trying to get out of Nazi-occupied France. To do so, he takes on the identity of a deceased writer. Things get very complicated when the protagonist encounters the wife of the man whose identity he has stolen, and begins to fall for her. Based on a 1944 novel, this foreign-language effort earned raves from film reviewers. A very small contingent were confused by the filmmaker setting the story a more modern environment and thus couldn’t get on its wavelength. Everyone else called it an incredible accomplishment, filled with tension and despair, while noting that the tale itself still seemed to be very relevant in today’s world. It stars Franz Rogowski, Paula Beer and Godehard Giese.
Blasts from the Past!
Hold on, because this edition is jam-packed with new releases of classic titles. Olive Films have a couple of interesting ones. The first Blu-ray is for The Believers (1987), a thriller from director John Schlesinger (Midnight Cowboy, Marathon Man) starring Martin Sheen about a widowed police psychologist dealing with being a single parent and a disturbing case involving a cult who are sacrificing children. If memory serves, it a decent horror/thriller that genre fans may appreciate.
Also arriving is the sixth film in the Beach Party series, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965). This one focuses on Annette Funicello’s character, who is forced to deal with the absence of her boyfriend Frankie Avalon (he still makes an appearance or two, though). When Avalon uses a magical being in swimwear and a pelican to keep tabs on her, she gets caught up in a series of strange events involving ad executives (played by Mickey Rooney), musical numbers and motorcycle races. The movie looks really sharp in high definition and the disc includes a goofy theatrical trailer. You can read all about it here.
By the late 80s and early 90s director John Woo was the preeminent action filmmaker. His fast-paced, exceptionally shot and edited action movies like 1989’s The Killer and 1992’s Hard Boiled changed the way fights and shoot-outs were shot and put together. This week, Film Movement are releasing one of his earliest action films on Blu-ray. It’s called Heroes Shed No Tears (1986) and is about Chinese mercenaries hunting down a drug lord. The movie is also said to possess many of the over-the-top techniques that would become commonplace in his titles. This is the first North American Blu-ray release ever for the feature. It has been given a 2K restoration and bonuses include a new interview with the star, trailers, and an essay from an Asian film expert. We have a review copy, so look for a write-up on the site shortly. In fact, here it is.
Arrow are always good for some cult movies and they have plenty this week as well. Their first title is a Blu-ray box set called American Horror Project Volume 2, which contains the low-budget genre picture Dream No Evil (1970), Dark August (1976) and The Child (1977), a movie about a child with supernatural powers who raises a zombie to take down enemies. All of the titles should come with some bonuses as well, so fans of the set are sure to be pleased.
Arrow also have a Blu-ray of the Klaus Kinski effort, Double Face (1969). The plot involves a businessman whose wife dies in a suspicious car accident. He begins to receive messages and even begins seeing her in town, forcing him to questions his own sanity. The disc presents a 2K restoration of the 35mm original negative of the extended Italian version, a critic commentary, an interview with composer Nora Orlandi, a lengthy overview of the Orlandi’s career, a video essay on the film from a Giallo authority, an extensive collection of stills and posters, as well as other publicity materials.
MVD Visual are adding noteworthy Blu-rays to their catalog. This week, they’ve got the fascinating 24 Hour Party People (2002), a biopic about the rise and fall of independent music label Factory Records (who signed the likes of Joy Division/New Order and The Happy Mondays). Steve Coogan plays the lead and the movie follows all of the trial and tribulations dealing with assorted musical acts… according to the filmmakers, The Happy Mondays were a real mess whose behavior ultimately caused an incredible amount of problems for the label. The Blu-ray includes a director commentary and a producer/Coogan commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes and other bonuses. It should be a lot of fun for Manchester music enthusiasts.
The period drama The Illusionist (2006) kind of got lost in the shuffle after being released around the same time as Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige, but it’s is a well-regarded title that has gained plenty of fans over the years (not to mention an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography). It features Ed Norton as a magician and Paul Giamatti as a cop investigating his strange techniques. The Blu-ray disc includes a director commentary, making of featurettes and a trailer.
Additionally, Resurrecting the Champ (2007) with Samuel L. Jackson and Josh Hartnett is arriving on Blu-ray. It’s about a journalist who discovers that a homeless man used to be a boxing champ; the reporter then tries to connect with the pugilist. This release includes a director commentary, featurette and an interview. Finally, MVD are delivering the Will Ferrell indie film Winter Passing (2005) on Blu-ray. The title arrives on disc with a couple of brief production clips as well.
And Shout! Factory has a lot to promote this week. First, they have a Blu-ray of the Dom DeLuise comedy, Fatso (1980). This tale of a put-upon man who tries a series of crash diets arrives with an interview with producers Stuart Cornfeld and Mel Brooks, a film historian interview and publicity materials.
On the horror front, they are releasing a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray of The Green Inferno (2013). This cannibalism take about a group of student who are attacked in the South American rainforest comes with a CD copy of the original score, a new interview with writer/producer/director Eli Roth (Cabin Fever, Hostel), a talk with various members of the cast, nearly an hour of behind-the-scenes footage, a director/producer/cast commentary, featurettes and all kinds of publicity materials.
You can also pick up a Blu-ray of the classic creature feature, Monster on the Campus (1958). At a university, a local comes into contact with a prehistoric, contaminated fish and well, the plot is pretty self explanatory from there. This release comes with two audio commentaries. One features a biographer of the director Jack Arnold (who also helmed It Came from Outer Space, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Tarantula, The Incredible Shrinking Man and High School Confidential) and the second is from a professor of film studies who specializes in monster movies. The release also includes a trailer and a still gallery. Looks like a lot of fun for fans of these types of movies.
My personal favorite from Shout! this week is a Blu-ray Collector’s Edition of the extremely entertaining zombie flick, Night of the Creeps (1986). This titles is about a university overrun by alien slugs who enter victims both living and dead, and end up controlling them like zombies. It’s a hoot with a lot of creativity on display and plenty of laughs in between the jolts. Two discs are included. The first one contains the theatrical cut, along with a lengthy five-part documentary on the making of the movie, a talk with co-star Tom Atkins, as well as deleted scenes and a trailer. Disc two includes the director’s cut (with the superior ending that was changed by the studio during its original release), a director audio commentary and a cast audio track, a new segment featuring the various shooting locations, new interviews with most of the cast and another with the editor. An even more elaborate version include a figure of Detective Ray “Thrill Me!” Cameron.
Kino have several fascinating Blu-rays as well. Their American Film Theatre line is putting out Galileo (1975), a biopic of the 17th century physicist. The disc includes an interview with star Topol, as well as a discussion Edie Landau. There is also a promotional film for the American Film Theatre titled Ely Landau: In Front of the Camera, and a gallery of trailers for the this line’s features.
David Lynch fans (like myself) will be happy to know that they can finally pick up Lost Highway (1997) on Blu-ray. This one follows a jealous man who begins to receive strange messages from an odd figure as well as threatening videos. Strange things occur and he transforms and escapes into the body of a young mechanic, only to eventually see the same sorts or problems arise. What isn’t so great is that director Lynch is having some kind of disagreement with Kino over the title. The filmmaker has announced that he doesn’t approve of the transfer, and Kino have suggested that they’ve been forced into making some changes to the release due to the friction between the groups. It’s all too bad since Kino is generally a very reputable distributor. Let’s hope everything gets cleared up in the near future. This is a great movie, so those interested in purchasing it may want to read some reviews when it comes out and then make their final decision; currently, this is the only way to get the movie in high-definition in North America, so there aren’t many options otherwise.
You can also pick up a Blu-ray of Lost in the Stars (1974), another in the American Film Theatre line, meaning that it includes many of the same extras. Additionally, they have the Doris Day thriller, Midnight Lace (1960), which comes with a film historian commentary and a trailer. And Kino are releasing The Wild Heart (1952), about a woman in England who shares a close relationship to the wild animals around her property. This Blu-ray comes with both the original 1950 version of the movie and the 1952 re-cut for American audiences. You’ll also get two separate film historian audio commentaries and the theatrical trailer.
And there’s a whole lot more! MPI Media Group are putting out a Blu-ray of Incendiary (2008), a UK drama starring Michelle Williams and Ewan McGregor about a terrorist attack in London and its lasting effects on a family. The movie didn’t really get much of a release in this part of the world, but now interested parties in North America can finally catch up with it and see if it was worth the wait.
Criterion are readying their release of Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) on Blu-ray. This cult film about a transgender pop-punk star emigrating from Berlin to the US has a big following and the distributor is doing everything they can to give fans all of the bonuses they want. The release includes a 4K digital restoration of the movie supervised by the director and cinematographer, a 2001 commentary from the pair, a new conversation among members of the cast and crew, a talk between the movie’s composer and lyricist with a rock critic, a 2003 documentary on the flick, a study of the film’s Adam and Eve sequence, new programs exploring Hedwig’s creation, look, and legacy through memorabilia, deleted scenes with commentary, a trailer and an essay by critic Stephanie Zacharek with images and portraits.
They also have an epic Russian-made production of War and Peace (1966) on Blu-ray. This Tolstoy adaptation won the Oscar for Best Foreign-Language Film back in the day. Besides a 2K restoration of the film, the disc includes new interviews with cinematographer Anatoly Petritsky and filmmaker Fedor Bondarchuk (son of director Sergei Bondarchuk, two documentaries from 1966 and 1969 about the making of the film, a 1967 television program on one of the cast members, a new program with historian detailing the cultural and historical contexts for the film and Janus Films re-release trailer.
Not to be outdone, Sony Pictures have found a couple of interesting catalog titles they’ve decided to release on Blu-ray. The first is the drama, Birdy (1984). It’s one of those movies that has kind of fallen between the cracks since its release, but it now being given a chance to be revisited. The movie is about a traumatized, institutionalized war veteran who believes himself to be a bird, and his brother’s attempts to help find him some form of happiness in life. It is from director Alan Parker (Pink Floyd: The Wall, The Commitments) and stars Nicolas Cage and Matthew Modine. The studio also have a Blu-ray of the family comedy, The Trouble with Angels (1966).
Scorpion is not normally associated with big romances or dramatic features, but they do have the rights to the Julie Andrews/Omar Shariff effort, The Tamarind Seed (1974), and so they are releasing it on Blu-ray. This one arrives with interviews with the stars that were recorded in the 70s, along with a talk with the film’s director, Blake Edwards (The Pink Panther series) and several trailers.
Some smaller companies also have plenty of B-movies arriving on Blu-ray. Severin are presenting The Beast in Heat (1977), Night Killer (1990) and Robowar (1988) for your viewing pleasure. Blue Underground always do a stellar job with their discs, and this week they have an extras-packed, 3-disc Special Edition Blu-ray of Lucio Fulci’s slasher, The New York Ripper (1982). It comes with a 4K restoration from the original camera negative and more bonuses than I can possible list here. If you’re a fan of the filmmaker, you’ll want to check it out.
Disney are also delivering an Anniversary Special Edition Blu-ray of one of their most famous titles, Cinderella (1950). Right now technically it’s only the 49th anniversary, but I think they’re just releasing it slightly ahead of official 50th birthday. It is sure to include all sorts of extra features as well.
Finally, Warner Archive have a Blu-ray of the Ingrid Bergman film-noir, Gaslight (1944). You’ll get a 4K remaster of the film, the original 1940 British version in standard definition, a radio theater version of the movie broadcast in 1946, reflections on the film from Angela Lansbury and Bergman’s daughter, an Academy Awards ceremony newsreel and trailer.
You Know, For Kids!
Here are some releases that may be of interest to kids.
Cinderella (1950) Disney
Wally Gator: The Complete Series (Warner Archives)
The Wonderful World of Oz: The Complete Series (80s animated show – Original Japanese with English Subtitles)
On the Tube!
And here are the week’s TV-themed titles.
Agatha Christie’s Criminal Games: Season 2
Agatha Christie’s Criminal Games: Season 3
Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa (Hallmark TV-movie)
Divorced Dad: Season 1
Francis Drake Mysteries: Season 2 (PBS)
FRONTLINE: Marcos Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (PBS)
Manhunt: Season 1
Marcella: Season 2
Poldark: The Compete Collection (70s series)
Survivor: Pearl Island: Season 7
The Wonderful World of Oz: The Complete Series (80s animated show – Original Japanese with English Subtitles)