Well, the bad news is that this is a very slow week for new movies debuting on Blu-ray and DVD. The good news is there is a plethora of great older films coming in high definition that you should definitely consider checking out. Read ahead to find out more. 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!
37: A Final Promise – This independent drama involves a suicidal rocker who reconsiders his gloomy future plans after meeting a mysterious woman with an equally dark secret in her past. It hasn’t gotten much press, and the few who have seen it have referred to the film as a tonally strange effort that feels more like a TV movie than a theatrical release. It stars Tricia Helfer, Scott Wolf, Leon and Bruce Davison.
The Color Out of Space – This German period effort is an adaptation of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft’s story about a young boy who searches a forest for his missing father. Reportedly, this small, indie effort doesn’t follow a traditional narrative and is more concerned with creating a menacing mood in a period setting. There aren’t a lot of reviews available, but it was screened to plenty of arthouse festival audiences.
Horsehead – A woman suffering from night terrors returns to her family home in this English-language French production. Once there, the visions get even more intense as she attempts to figure out what is happening and why. There aren’t any write-ups for this science-fiction/horror film, but it does feature Catriona MacColl (famous for starring in Italian director Lucio Fulci’s 80s gore flicks City of the Living Dead, The Beyond and The House By the Cemetery) and “One Night in Bangkok” singer Murray Head in supporting roles. Weird…
Pound of Flesh – Ummm, the highest profile release of the week appears to be this low-budget Jean-Claude Van Damme action picture. While visiting China in order to donate a kidney to his niece, an ex-black ops agent becomes the victim of organ theft. Leaping from his hospital bed, he races to get it back for her life-saving operation and takes down a lot of thugs with roundhouse kicks along the way. Reviews were tepid, claiming that the movie was a disappointingly lackluster affair that didn’t provide the over-the-top thrills that the outrageous concept promised.
Silent Retreat – This very modestly-financed independent horror/thriller involves a young woman who is taken to a rehabilitation facility deep in the woods (always a bad idea), only to learn that it is run by nasty guys who actually want to weaken their patients and make them submissive. The ladies decide to fight back. It got very mixed notices on the festival circuit, with many suggesting that it started well and had a good message, but ultimately featured inconsistent performances and a supernatural element that just didn’t work.
A Talking Cat!?! – A house cat receives a magical collar and begins to voice wacky opinions to his owners. Eric Roberts provides the voice of the feline in this low-budget family flick. There haven’t been many reviews, but the few that have popped up call it a lazy and dull effort that doesn’t even provide enough strangeness to entertain in a so-bad-it’s-good kind of way. Sounds like it’s only for the bravest of souls.
Trophy Heads – Here’s another indie horror B-flick from Charles Band, the man who created both the Puppetmaster and Gingerdead Man movie series. This one’s about a psychotic fan out to kidnap his favorite “Scream Queens” of the 80s and force them to reenact their roles (with deadly results). There’s been absolutely zero buzz and no write-ups, which is a big warning sign. For those interested, it does feature plenty of cameos that include Linnea Quigley, Brinke Stevens and director David DeCoteau (who, coincidentally, directed A Talking Cat!?! under a pseudonym).
Blasts From the Past!
Once again, Olive Films have a great line up of Blu-rays coming your way, including the very goofy Brian Bosworth action picture, Stone Cold (1991). Please, read a full review of the disc right here.
Also coming your way is the science-fiction satire The Thing With Two Heads (1972), starring Ray Milland and ex-gridiron pro Rosey Grier. Those in the mood for a thriller can give The Mean Season (1985) a try. It stars Kurt Russell as a reported on the trial of a serial killer. Thashin’ (1986) is a silly but well-liked movie revolving around the world of skateboarders. It features a Romeo & Juliet style romance between two warring gangs. It features Josh Brolin, Sherilyn Fenn and features Tony Hawk. Johnny Be Good (1988) is a comedy about a high school quarterback trying to pick a college. Anthony Michael Hall, Robert Downey Jr. and Uma Thurman play the title teens.
“Who fled?” is the question raised in the action/thriller Fled (1996). The answer a pair of chain gang convicts, one of whom holds the key to retrieving a computer disc that will implicate numerous members of a mafia crime ring. Lawrence Fishburne and Stephen Baldwin star with Will Patton and Salma Hayek. Olive Film’s last Blu-ray of the week is the Soul Plane – Collector’s Edition (2004) disc. The comedy about an unorthodox airline has a cast that includes Snoop Dogg, Kevin Hart, Method Man, D.L. Hughley, Sofia Vergara and Tom Arnold.
One of the most impressive little films of the previous decade was the UK action/horror effort Dog Soldiers (2002). The story involves a military exercise out in the Scottish wilderness that goes haywire when the unit are attacked by werewolves. It’s great genre film filled with tension and produced on a modest budget. Shout! Factory are releasing a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray of the disc. It contains a 2K transfer of the film (which was shot on Super 16mm) and well as loads of new-fangled extras that include an audio commentary, documentary, interviews and even an extra short film from director Neil Marshall (who would later go on to helm The Descent and Centurion). If you haven’t seen it and are a horror fan, it’s definitely worth your while. A word of warning however: there have been a few complaints about the transfer, calling the picture overly blown out and with the colors washed. You may want to rent it first.
Criterion also have a couple of incredible films arriving on Blu-ray. The Fisher King (1991) has been out-of-print for quite a while so it’s fantastic to see a new disc with loads of extras. Director Terry Gilliam (Time Bandits, Brazil, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) tells this Oscar-winning story of a suicidal radio host who finds new hope after partaking in a quest to find the Holy Grail with a crazed homeless man (a nod to Don Quixote). Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams and Mercedes Ruehl star. The Blu-ray includes a restored transfer, commentary track, deleted scenes, costume tests, as well as new interviews with several cast and crew members.
Also from Criterion is the German WWII film The Bridge (1959). This Oscar nominated antiwar statement follows a group of young teens as they are enlisted and trained for a brutal battle. Besides the new transfer, extras include new interviews with various participants and an except of a documentary showing behind-the-scenes footage from the production.
Kino Lorber also has a fair number of interesting releases coming to Blu-ray and there seems to be a theme to many of the titles. Cops and Robbers (1973) is a comedy featuring two underpaid employees of the NYPD who decide to pull of a heist of their own to disastrous results. Harry in Your Pocket (1973) is another light-hearted romp about an aspiring pickpocket learning the ropes from an old pro (played by James Coburn). Bank Shot (1974) is a caper starring George C. Scott as a man who attempts to steal an entire bank when renovations force it to temporarily move to a mobile home.
On a different tact, Sugar Hill (1974) is a cult film that combines the zombie and Blaxploitation picture together. In it, a recently widowed woman raises the dead to help her get revenge on the mobsters who killer her man. If memory serves, female lead Marki Bey is every bit as charismatic in this effort as her contemporary Pam Grier. In a similar vein is The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977), an adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel starring Burt Lancaster. Kino are also delivering a Blu-ray of Needful Things (1993), based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. It features a great cast, including Ed Harris, Max von Sydow, Bonnie Bedelia and Amanda Plummer. The story involves a small town shop owner with supernatural abilities who sells residents special items at an unexpected personal cost. A word of warning to buyers – the disc only contains the theatrical cut (the TV version runs an extra hour and is reportedly a more developed and stronger version).
Smaller outfit Arrow have a Blu-ray of the cheesy Italian sci-fi/horror film Contamination (1980), about dangerous extraterrestrial pods (much like those seen in the film Alien) being grown on Earth. The disc also contains a documentary on the making of the movie.
MGM are also releasing more made-to-order titles. The latest additions include the adventure/comedy flick The Adventures of Gerard (1970), based on the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as the heist picture Down the Drain (1990), and the Barbarian Brothers action/comedy Double Trouble (1992).
Finally, Flicker Alley have a Blu-ray coming called 3D Rarities, which features over 2 hours of shorts shot in the format between the 20s and the 60s digitally remastered to play on your HDTV. Some of the spots haven’t been seen in decades, making it all the more interesting.
You Know, For Kids!
The list below shows what kids might enjoy.
An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success (straight-to-DVD movie)
Curious George 3: Back to the Jungle
Tom and Jerry: Spy Quest
Wild Kratts: Super Sprinters (PBS Kids)
On the Tube!
Apparently, the success of the Hercules and Xena TV shows in the 90s spawned a short-lived program called Young Hercules (1998-1999). The complete series is coming to DVD this week. In truth, I’ve never seen it and had no idea it even existed, but it seems to carry the same tone as the other shows. Even more surprisingly, it starred a young Ryan Gosling in the title role. Below you can catch a clip from an episode.
Also coming from Shout! Factory is a period drama series called The Campbells (1986-1990), about a family struggling to survive in Upper Canada during the 1800s. It appears like the show was heavily influenced by the likes of Little House on the Prairie. Further down, you can watch the opening credits. Wow, I’ve never seen someone so happy to be chopping wood. Enjoy!
Aloha Vet (National Geographic)
The Campbells: The Complete Series
Caring for Mom & Dad (PBS)
Graceland: Season 2
Joan Rivers – That Show With Joan Rivers (29 Color Episodes)
Mythbusters: Collection 12
Nova: The Great Math Mystery
The Raft (National Geographic)
Ripper Street: Season 3
Ultimate Survivor Alaska: Season 3
When Calls the Heart: Heart and Soul
Workaholics: Season 5
Young Hercules: The Complete Series