Welcome back to another look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. It’s an embarrassment of riches this week, with an enormous selection of classic titles making their way to disc along with some well regarded new flicks. 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!
Gloria Bell – A recent divorcee decides to let loose with a new hobby and take up dancing. She finds the experience joyous and heartening. The woman then encounters another dancer and begins a relationship with him. As things progress, she must deal with a wide variety of feelings and complications that arise. While this romantic comedy is actually a remake of the 2013 Chilean/Spanish film, Gloria, the press were very enthusiastic about it. Only one or two didn’t fall for its charms or find the story intriguing. Everyone else commented that the characters were well developed and their relationships both believable and engaging. It stars Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Michael Cera, Caren Pistorius, Brad Garrett and Jeanne Tripplehorn.
The Haunting of Sharon Tate – This horrific thriller chronicles the final days of actress Sharon Tate (who was brutally murdered by the Manson family in 1969). It picks up with the pregnant woman residing in Hollywood waiting for her husband, Roman Polanski, to return from a trip to Europe. She begins to experience premonitions of her own death and then struggles to deal with these visions. Critics generally hated this independent feature. This writer only found one upbeat notice that admired the lead performance. All others called it an exploitative and tasteless misfire, also suggesting the filmmakers took pleasure in tormenting the protagonist. The cast includes Hilary Duff, Jonathan Bennett and Lydia Hearst.
I’ll Take Your Dead – A man who lives in the country with his daughter finds that his property is being used as a dumping ground for bodies by criminal gangs from the city. Of course, the lead can’t really do anything about it except take care of the problem for them by cleaning the messes up. That all changes when a victim arrives and is discovered to still be functioning. This small horror film with a dark comedic streak earned spilt notices. About half thought that while the concept was interesting, the script had tonal issues and didn’t quite come together. The rest felt that the leads were solid and that it was creepy and unique enough to recommend. It features Aidan Devine, Ava Preston and Jess Salgueiro.
J.T. Leroy – A female author finds great success in her field, receiving both accolades and press attention for more than six years. However, it soon becomes evident that something of a scam is occurring – in fact, the writer’s sister is making public appearances as a grandiose and fictional made-up persona of the real writer. This drama is based on a true story and earned a slightly more positive reception than it did a negative response. Those who didn’t care for it found the concept intriguing, but believed that the story was told in a traditional manner that came across in a flat manner. Still, a few extra voices enjoyed the characters and thought it gave some inseresting insight to this unusual hoax. Laura Dern, Kristen Stewart, Diane Kruger, Jim Sturgess and Courtney Love headline the film.
The Kid – In this Western, a boy decides to cross a great distance in order to rescue his kidnapped sister from a very nasty relative. Along the way, he encounters Sheriff Pat Garrett and famous outlaw Billy the Kid, who are in the middle of their own game of cat and mouse. After spending time with both individuals, the youngster must decide what type of action he will take when he arrives at his destination. Notices were divided on this picture. A large group called it well-photographed and nicely acted little picture. However, just as many complained that it was slow-moving and didn’t spark much excitement. The movie stars Jake Schur, Leila George, Chris Pratt, Dane DeHaan and Ethan Hawke.
Knife + Heart – Set in Paris during the summer of 1979, this foreign-language suspense picture follows a woman who produces of gay pornography. After her girlfriend leaves her, the protagonist decides to mount an ambitious production in order to try and win her ex back. However, events take a nasty turn when one of the performers is murdered… and suspicions falls on everyone involved in the film. Reviews were quite good for this French feature. While one or two found it leisurely paced and didn’t think the movie gelled until its final act, all others complimented it as being low-key, moody and surprisingly memorable. They were also impressed by the cast that includes Vanessa Paradis, Kate Moran and Nicolas Maury.
A Madea Family Funeral – The latest and supposedly final entry in the Madea film series (which now includes more than 10 titles) finds the family matriarch accidentally walking in a relative in the middle of a sex act. When he dies of a heart attack, Madea and other clan members must help arrange the funeral. Of course, this leads to awkward questions from attendees about his passing and bizarre situations. Critics weren’t all that impressed with this comedy finale. A small group thought that some of the performers were funny and called the sentiment well-intentioned. However, the majority critiqued the movie for being schlocky and commented that the numerous slapstick gags just didn’t land. It features Tyler Perry, Cassi Davis, Patrice Lovely and Mike Tyson.
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote – Director Terry Gilliam (Brazil, The Fisher King, Twelve Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) has had numerous issues getting his dream Don Quixote project financed and filmed – one aborted attempt was even chronicled in the 2002 documentary, Lost in La Mancha. Recently, he was able to secure funding… only to have the finished movie pulled from release in North America due to a lawsuit involving the producer. This week, the feature is finally arriving on disc in this part of the world. The plot involves a successful director assigned to shoot a commercial near the location where he made a student film about Quixote. When he encounters his lead from the old short, he’s shocked to learn that the local actually still believes himself to be the famous figure. The director is unwillingly dragged away on an unhinged and dangerous adventure. Overall, members of the press liked the final results. A percentage did call it overstuffed and exhausting. However, the majority remarked that it was a blast and also carried the familiar themes found in the director’s previous works. If you’d like my opinion, the movie rambles a bit and does runs out of gas towards its close, but also features plenty of laughs and some fantastic Gilliam-esque moments. I liked it and believe it marks a notable improvement over his last picture, The Zero Theorem. It stars Adam Driver, Jonathan Pryce, Stellan Skarsgard and Olga Kurylenko.
Blasts from the Past!
As mentioned, this is a remarkably busy time for older titles getting a high definition upgrade. Arrow Video have a Special Edition Blu-ray of The Andromeda Strain (1971). This Oscar-nominated movie, about scientists attempting to stop the spread of a killer virus, is very well regarded. The original camera negative has been given a 4K scan and extra features include a film historian audio commentary, a newly filmed critic appreciation, a 2001 documentary on the production, a 2001 examination of the career of writer Michael Crichton (The Great Train Robbery, Jurassic Park), a script gallery featuring highlights from the illustrated screenplay and publicity materials.
The same company have a Special Edition Blu-ray of the long out-of-print Michigan-shot horror flick, Trapped Alive (1988). This one is about a group of crooks who kidnap some partygoers and crash their car into an abandoned mine, which turns out to be the home of a psychotic cannibal. The movie’s original camera negative has been given a 2K scan, and the disc includes three audio commentaries (one with the director, one with the make-up team and a third featuring members of the podcast The Hysteria Continues). It also has a making-of documentary, a separate interview with the director, and a 1988 TV program produced and shown in Michigan about the movie.
Flicker Alley are a great little distributor focusing on bringing some early classics to audiences. This week they’re putting out a Blu-ray/DVD combo of the classic silent film, The Last Warning (1928). It’s a thriller about a murder at a Broadway Play. Besides presenting a new 4K restoration of the title, the release comes with a visual essay, a collection of marketing materials, a section of the book the movie is adapted from and notes about the musical accompaniment written for the feature.
The second Blu-ray/DVD combo title is a personal favorite that should appeal to horror fans. The Man Who Laughs (1928) is a masterpiece adapted from the work of Victor Hugo about a kind-hearted but facially disfigured performer, whose face has been scarred to give him a permanent grin. He struggles to survive mistreatment from those around him and win the heart of a blind female troupe member. Complications arise when he learns he may actually have noble blood. It’s a winning little picture with a memorable lead (the character so impressed Batman creator Bob Kane that The Joker was based largely upon his appearance). As with the other release, the movie has been given a 4K restoration and comes with visual and written essays on the film’s significance, two different audio scores (the original and a new composition) and a slide show of vintage marketing materials.
Criterion have the Blu-ray box set, A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman (1961 – 1963), which includes three titles: Through a Glass Darkly, Winter Light and The Silence. All of the movies from the famous Swedish filmmaker have been given 2K restorations and come with introductions from the director himself (recorded in 2003), as well as numerous features and interviews and discussions with film scholars about their importance. Seems like a must-buy for any fan of the moviemaker.
And there’s more. Kino are releasing the drama Bright Angel (1990) on Blu-ray from a brand new 2K master. The disc also includes a director commentary, written essay on the picture and a trailer. And that’s now all. They’re also putting out a Blu-ray of the John Cusack comedy, Money for Nothing (1993), which features a supporting cast that includes the likes of Benicio Del Toro, James Gandolfini, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Michael Rapaport.
Additionally, you can now pick up a Special Edition Blu-ray of the thriller, Veronica Guerin (2003). Based on a true story, this Dublin-set crime picture, starring Cate Blanchett, comes with a director commentary track, a writer’s commentary, a making-of, an interview with the producer, deleted scenes, a talk with the real Guerin, and publicity materials.
Mill Creek Entertainment are also good for some Blu-rays at a low price point. Their latest selection of features all come from the 90s. The first four listed feature Blu-rays in VHS-style packaging to help recreate covers from the flick’s original video debuts. The disc themselves are pretty bare bones, but the artwork is impressive. This week, the titles include the silly Jean-Claude Van Damme/Dennis Rodman action flick, Double Team (1997) and the Alicia Silverstone/Benicio Del Toro comedy, Excess Baggage (1997). Speaking of comedy, you can add to your Pauly Shore collection with Jury Duty (1995) and the Dana Carvey feature, Opportunity Knocks (1990).
The same distributor are also putting out a collection of Double Feature Blu-rays. This includes the horror double bill of Mindwarp (1992) and Brainscan (1994), a comedy pairing of Mo’ Money (1992) and High School High (1996), two dramas in the form of Stepmom (1998) and The Deep End of the Ocean (1999), and finally, the thrillers The Trigger Effect (1996) and Body Count (1998).
And there’s more. Timed to coincide with the latest sequel, Paramount are re-releasing a Blu-ray of Samuel L. Jackson’s entertaining take on Shaft (2000). Honestly, it looks like the same disc with new cover art. Given that the third act of the film was heavily altered and reworked, it’d be nice if they eventually put out a disc with all of the alternate material that was shot and left on the cutting room floor. Oh well.
Universal are debuting the Gregory Peck/Sofia Lauren action-adventure, Arabesque (1966), on Blu-ray, along with the Paul Newman racing drama, Winning (1969). They are also re-releasing several out-of-print titles on Blu-ray, so now viewers can easily obtain a few discs that they may have missed out on the first time around. The Blu-rays include The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000), Flushed Away (2006), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), Mr. Baseball (1992), Over the Hedge (2006), Shark Tale (2004) and the very entertaining, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005).
Warner Bros are giving 4K upgrade to several of their big hits so that they’ll look extra sharp on any big screen TVs. This week, those titles include Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992), Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997). They are also making a new 4K version of The Matrix Trilogy (1999 – 2003) available to interested parties. Lastly (and on a completely different note) the studio are giving a Blu-ray upgrade to Scooby-Doo in the form of the box set, The New Scooby-Doo Movies: The (Almost) Complete Collection (1972 – 1973).
Sony are providing fans of the Robert Redford baseball fable, The Natural (1984) with a new 4K Blu-ray edition. This one even includes 2 different cuts of movie. Directed by Barry Levinson (Good Morning, Vietnam, Rain Man, Avalon, Bugsy), this beautifully shot effort should look absolutely phenomenal in its updated condition.
Fox are giving children the opportunity to pick up Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995) on Blu-ray. And head of the release of the latest film in the series, Disney are giving consumers the opportunity to pick up new 4K editions of three of the animated Pixar classics, Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999) and Toy Story 3 (2010).
You Know, For Kids!
When it rains, it pours. This is the busiest week in some time for family friendly entertainment. Below are some of the releases coming your way
Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Best of the New Scooby-Doo Movies: The Lost Episodes
The Brady-est Brady Bunch TV & Movie Collection (50th Anniversary set)
Doctor Who: The Animation Collection (BBC)
Dora the Explorer: The Epic Adventures Collection (Nickelodeon)
Flushed Away (2006)
Jackie Chan Adventures – The Demon Portals Saga (39 episode animated series)
LEGO: The Adventures of Clutch Powers (2010 Animated Direct-to-Disc Film)
Llama Llama – BEST Summer Ever!
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995) Fox
The New Scooby-Doo Movies: The (Almost) Complete Collection (1972 – 1973)
Nick Jr.: Big Birthday Bash (Nickelodeon)
Over the Hedge (2006)
Paw Patrol: Jungle Rescues (Nickelodeon)
Peanuts: Lucy & Friends (16 All-new Shorts)
Shark Tale (2004)
Sonic Boom: Go Team Sonic!
SpongeBob SquarePants:The Next 100 Episodes (Nickelodeon)
Thundercats: Season 1, Volume 1
Thundercats: Season 1, Volume 2
Thundercats: Season 2, Volume 1
Thundercats: Season 2, Volume 2
Toy Story (1995) 4K (Disney)
Toy Story 2 (1999) 4K
Toy Story 3 (2010) 4K
What’s New Scooby-Doo?: The Complete Series
On the Tube!
And you’ll find plenty of TV-shows to choose from below. Enjoy the selection!
The Best of the New Scooby-Doo Movies: The Lost Episodes
The Brady-est Brady Bunch TV & Movie Collection (50th Anniversary set)
Delicious: Season 3 (Acorn)
Doctor Who: The Animation Collection (BBC)
Dora the Explorer: The Epic Adventures Collection (Nickelodeon)
Drop Dead Diva: The Complete Series
The Flash: Season 5
FRONTLINE: The Mueller Investigation (PBS)
The Incredible Dr. Pol: Season 14
Jackie Chan Adventures – The Demon Portals Saga (39 episode animated series)
Jack Ryan: Season 1
Llama Llama – BEST Summer Ever!
London Kills: Series 1
Lost in Space: Season 1
Lost Treasures of Egypt (National Geographic)
Love at the Short (Hallmark Channel TV-movie)
Love, Romance & Chocolate (Hallmark Channel TV-movie)
The New Scooby-Doo Movies: The (Almost) Complete Collection (1972 – 1973)
Nick Jr.: Big Birthday Bash (Nickelodeon)
Paw Patrol: Jungle Rescues (Nickelodeon)
Royal Romance Triple Feature: Royal Hearts, Royal Matchmaker and Once Upon a Prince (Hallmark Channel TV-movies)
Secrets of the Dead: King Arthur’s Lost Kingdom (PBS)
Sonic Boom: Go Team Sonic!
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Next 100 Episodes (Nickelodeon)
Summer Nights Triple Feature: Summer of Dreams, Summer Love and Summer Vineyard
Thundercats: Season 1, Volume 1
Thundercats: Season 1, Volume 2
Thundercats: Season 2, Volume 1
Thundercats: Season 2, Volume 2
Vineyard (Hallmark Channel TV-movies)
The Venture Bros: Season 7
What’s New Scooby-Doo?: The Complete Series