Another week, another slew of new releases in a wide variety of genres. There are so many, even detailing the highlights takes some time. And there are just as many exciting older features making their high-definition debuts as well. Remember to click on any links you may see to read full-length reviews. 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!
Aftermath – This small, limited release effort is a black comedy starring Anthony Michael Hall as a real estate developer whose contractor goes missing under strange circumstances. Panic sets in on the part of the protagonist as he attempts to protect himself from prosecution. There are only a couple of reviews currently up on the title, and they’re split. Both state that it’s a decidedly offbeat patchwork of hit and miss moments. It also stars Chris Penn, Tony Danza and Frank Whaley.
Avenged – Horror/exploitation aficionados may be interested in this low-budget effort in which a young deaf woman is brutalized, only to take revenge after being possessed by the spirit of an Apache warrior. While some may question whether or not this is in good taste, the title has received decent notices on the festival circuit. Those who have seen it call it a nasty, bloody but efficient revenge picture. Amanda Adrienne plays the lead.
Cake – A troubled member of a chronic pain support group becomes captivated by the suicide of one in the group and attempts to understand what happened and why. There was a lot of buzz surrounding this film for star Jennifer Aniston’s dramatic performance and many thought an Oscar nomination was in the cards. It didn’t happen, but the press were impressed with her work. They were split on the film overall, suggesting that it was slow-paced and founds it difficult to relate to the characters. The movie also features Anna Kendrick, Sam Worthington, Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy.
The Coven – This low-budget shocker from the UK tells the tale of five young teenagers out to witness some Pagan activity in the woods outside London. Online reviews have been pretty abysmal for this effort, so renters will likely find themselves chuckling rather than shrieking. Along with its unknown young stars, Dexter Fletcher is said to make an appearance.
Deep in the Darkness – Shout! Factory may be better known for their classic cult film reissues, but they do distribute the new production as well. A doctor moves to the country only to discover that vicious creatures like in the woods behind his home. There aren’t many reviews available yet for this horror flick, but the cast includes Dean Stockwell, Sean Patrick Thomas and Blanche Baker.
Everly – In this low-budget action flick, a woman breaks up with her mob boss and must survive a series of assassins he sends to rub her out. Thankfully, she’s just as terrifying a force to be reckoned with. Sadly, the movie was lambasted by critics, who called it crass, trashy and tonally confused. Some even seemed shocked that lead Salma Hayek agreed to appear in it at all. Now viewers can make up their own minds. It also stars Hiroyuki Watanabe.
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night – This independent, Persian-language black and white effort garnered a lot of positive attention at film festivals. It follows a vampire in Iran who stalks victims in a local ghost town. Reviews were absolutely fantastic for this little feature. They suggested that it blends elements of Spaghetti Westerns, vampire films, comic books and other pop culture icons to create something totally original. It’s also been described with terms like “captivating” and “engaging.” Sounds like a movie worth checking out. It stars Sheila Vand.
Living is Easy With Eyes Closed – Set in the 1960s, this road movie follows a teacher befriends two runaways while driving to try and meet famous musician John Lennon. This Spanish effort not only garnered many festival awards, but also a Best Picture nod in its homeland. North American reviewers have been equally positive about the film, describing it as a warm-hearted and moving comedy/drama that will remind people just how important and influential the music of The Beatles was to its generation.
The Marine 4: Moving Target – Yep, apparently there have been three Marine sequels, including this effort that follows the title character as he escorts a whistleblower attempting to expose an evil military contractor. Naturally, the well-armed adversary sends some goons to shoot/blow-up the pair, but they have a much tougher time completing the job than anticipated. This straight-to-video release from the WWE features Mike ‘The Miz’ Mizanin and Melissa Roxburgh. It hasn’t been reviewed, so don’t expect much from it.
Motivational Growth – The voice of horror film veteran Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator) is prominently featured in this low-budget creeper comedy about a suicidal shut-in whose only friend, a television set, has stopped working. A life coach (or growth known as The Mold) suddenly appears and attempts to help, but the lead begins to fear that this fungus may have sinister motives. It got decent notices from the festival circuit, several of whom called it intriguingly bizarre. To read a full review, click here.
One Million Dubliners – This Irish documentary examines the country’s biggest necropolis, Glasnevin Cemetery. It covers the people who work there and some of the stories behind its 1.5 million permanent residents. Again, it fared well at festivals, with many calling it a touching and beautifully filmed non-fiction work.
Supremacy – In this independent drama, a white supremacist cop killer on the run breaks into a house and takes an African American family hostage. However, little does he know that one of the persons knows exactly how to turn the tables on him. The press didn’t care for this effort at all, writing that it wasted the significant talents of its cast with terrible writing and an unrelentingly nasty approach to the already unpleasant subject matter. It features Danny Glover, Joe Anderson, Dawn Olivieri, Lela Rochon, Julie Benz and Anson Mount.
Taken 3 – Liam Neeson returns once again to one of his most popular roles in this action sequel. This time out, the ex-government operative is out for revenge after his wife is murdered and he is framed for the killing. In response, he takes down a lot of bad guys. The third time was not the charm for critics. They suggested that the plot holes were abundant, the cast seemed to be simply going through the motions. The action was also called overly chaotic and hard to follow. It also stars Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Forest Whitaker and Dougray Scott.
The Virginian – This low-budget straight-to-video remake about a tough ranch enforcer in the old west who begins to question his tactics after being grilled by a visiting news reporter. It hasn’t been screened, so interested parties will have to go it alone. It features Victoria Pratt, Trace Adkins and Ron Perlman.
Walter – Here’s a unique concept… a ticket-taker at a movie theater believe himself able to judge the fate of those who come into contact with him. Things get even stranger when he meets a ghost trapped in purgatory. Reviews were mixed for this comedy/drama. Some felt the strong cast helped sell the bizarre story, while others found it too tonally inconsistent to recommend. The cast includes Andrew J. West, Milo Ventimiglia, William H. Macy, Neve Campbell, Virginia Madsen and Jim Gaffigan.
Blasts From the Past!
As always, Olive Films are bringing a great many films to Blu-ray (and occasionally both DVD and Blu-ray) for the very first time. This week features the cheesy Pauly Shore and Stephen Baldwin comedy Bio-Done (1996). The plot involves two stoner dimwits who think they’re walking into a mall, but accidentally get themselves trapped in an experimental ecological dome. Wackiness ensues. It was critically reviled at time of release, but it certainly has its share of fans who will no doubt view it today with a tinge of nostalgia. Ah, who doesn’t miss the good old days of Pauly Shore?
On a more dramatic note, there’s the well-received drama, Blue Sky (1994). The plot involves a family who move to the desert to help in the development of nuclear weapons. However, there’s more than a little stress between the husband and his alcoholic, free-spirited wife. Tommy Lee Jones stars with Jessica Lange. Co-star Lange won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance.
Cooley High (1975) is a well-respected comedy that featured its share of dramatic moments between the laughs. Set in the 60s, about two inner city teenagers who are falsely accused of stealing a Cadillac. Many consider it a blueprint for the majority of African-American themed films and television series that followed. The cast includes Glynn Turman, Lawrence Hilton Jacobs and Garrett Morris.
Dance With Me, Henry (1956) marks the final onscreen pairing between comedy stars Bud Abbott & Lou Costello and involves the two men balancing the operation of a kid’s amusement park while avoiding mob enforcers out to get them for their gambling debts. It isn’t as well known as some of their Universal monster team-ups, but the film is well regarded by Abbott & Costello enthusiasts.
Finally from Olive is the Chuck Norris action cheese-fest Firewalker (1986). This Cannon Films production teams the hero with Lou Gossett Jr.. They play a pair of fortune seekers out to nab a lost treasure, in between numerous dust ups with bad guys. It attempts to invoke a Raiders of the Lost Ark vibe, but if memory serves, it comes across as more of a musty knock-off. Regardless, its dated charms and awkwardness will definitely hold some interest for 80s era action fans. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the film, and even I will admit to being intrigued at the prospect of revisiting it. The flick also stars Melody Anderson and Jonathan Rhys-Davies (from, you guessed it, Raiders of the Lost Ark).
Not to be outdone, Shout! Factory have some notable Blu-rays coming as well. It’s been out a few times before on various formats, but they have decided to re-release the futuristic favorite, Escape From New York (1981). For those unfamiliar with the title, the science-fiction/action pic from John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing) follows anti-hero Snake Plissken. He’s a convict who must make a deal with the US Government. His task is to sneak into the high security prison of Manhattan and retrieve the President from a violent gang leader. It’s a blast and an example of how to make a modestly budgeted action picture work. It also features an iconic performance from star Kurt Russell. The latest Blu-ray includes a crisp new transfer from the original negative, a brand new commentary and all kinds of new featurettes as well as extras carried over from previous releases (which includes two older commentaries).
The next Blu-ray will definitely be of interest to many. The films that introduced the Break-dancing crazed to the masses will be included in the Shout! double-feature of Breakin’ (1984) and Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo (1985). The first flick features a trio of kids who join forces to take on rivals in a dancing competition – and includes some great moves. The more outrageous (and notorious) sequel followed only seven months later and involved the characters trying to halt the demolition of a community center. The Blu-ray extras include a new director commentary on 2 as well as short pieces on the history of Hip Hop and the cultural influence of these films.
But that’s not all. Shout! Factory also have a double-feature of the B-movie horror flicks Ghoulies (1984) and Ghoulies II (1988). These low-budget flicks came in the wake of the success of Gremlins (1984), giving horror fans a more adult knock-off based on a very similar premise. The poster image of a “Ghoulie” rising from a toilet pretty much said everything there was to about the film itself. Despite displaying the cheap looking puppet on the one-sheet and being crude and shoddy in comparison to its inspiration, it made a sizable amount of money. The inevitable sequel is actually a little more polished. It takes place at an amusement park which adds some production value, although it still has all the earmarks of a horror cheapie. At least fans will be happy to see a surprising number of bonuses on the Blu-ray that include a commentary on the first film as well as interviews, featurettes and deleted scenes on the second.
Finally coming from Shout! on DVD only is the long out-of-print western Doc (1971). It’s a retelling of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral legend from the point of view of Doc Holliday. It stars Stacy Keach and Faye Dunaway.
Warner Bros. have a classic arriving on Blu-ray for the first time via the Warner Archive Collection. For those unaware, the site features loads of out-of-print titles burned on demand and shipped directly from the retailer. This week, they have 42nd Street (1933), a musical/drama/comedy set behind-the-scenes of a Broadway production. In it, an unknown understudy finds herself promoted to star of the show. The movie was nominated for Best Picture was back in 1934.
Kino Lorber have a much more infamous title (from Cannon Films) hitting Blu-ray. The Wicked Lady (1983) is a period film about a female highway robber, but it reveals itself to viewing in the most exploitative manner possible. Directed by Michael Winner (Death Wish) and starring Faye Dunaway, John Gielgud, Denholm Elliott and Marina Sirtis, it was blasted as tasteless by critics (and by many cast members in the documentary Electric Boogaloo: The Untold Story of Cannon Films). This one is exclusively for those seeking exceptionally trashy B-movies.
On the other end of the spectrum, Criterion have the French drama The River (1951) from director Jean Renoir (The Rules of the Game). It’s a romance about three sister living in India who fall for the same man. The Blu-ray includes a high-definition digital transfer of the film, an introduction to the film from the director and a documentary among other highlights.
Classic slapstick comedy enthusiasts will be happy with Mill Creeks two new budget priced Blu-rays, each containing several out-of-print films starring The Three Stooges. The Three Stooges Collection: Vol. 1 – Triple Feature contains Time Out For Rhythm (1941), Rockin’ in the Rockies (1945), and their first feature length effort, Have Rocket — Will Travel (1959).
The Three Stooges Collection: Vol. 2 – Triple Feature contains three more movies, including The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962), The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze (1963), The Outlaws is Coming (1965). Sounds like a head-slapping and eye-gouging good time for all.
Finally Full moon are bringing the low-budget sequel/studio mash-up Dollman Vs. Demonic Toys (1993) to Blu-ray. And Redemption are releasing a second collection of English filmmaker Peter Walker’s horror B-movie titles. The set is called The Pete Walker Collection 2.
You Know, For Kids!
Here’s what is being made available this week for kids!
Dinosaur Train: Explore Outdoors (PBS Kids)
Franklin and Friends: Super Hero Pack
The Three Stooges Collection: Vol. 1 – Triple Feature
The Three Stooges Collection: Vol. 2 – Triple Feature
On the Tube!
There isn’t quite as much volume on the TV front. However, viewers hoping to catch up on the adventures of “Rerun” (Fred Berry) and his pals can now do so with What’s Happening!!: The Complete Series. Inspired by the film Cooley High (listed earlier as debuting on Blu-ray this week), the popular sit-com ran on ABC from 1976-1979. Below is the opening credits to the show. Further down is the intro to What’s Happening Now!!, a syndicated follow-up to the original show that ran from 1985-1988. You can also find that program on DVD if you’re interested in knowing what happened to your favorite characters.
Arachnoquake (SyFy TV Movie)
Fortitude
Frontline: Being Mortal (PBS)
Getting On: Season 2
The Musketeers: Season 2 (BBC)
Naked & Afraid: Season 1
Nature: The Last Orangutan Eden (PBS)
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Complete Series
Tour of Duty: The Complete Series
What’s Happening!!: The Complete Series
Yukon Men: Season 3