Hello once again! Here are the week’s Blu-ray and DVD highlights. As always, there are plenty of opportunities to click on links and read several full-length, detailed reviews of many new releases. There are a lot of options, 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 Calling – A detective hunts down a serial killer inspired by Bible verses in this Canadian-set independent thriller. Reviewers were equally divided on the quality of the film. They called the material clichéd, predictable and slowly paced, but some suggested that the impressive cast and individual character quirks helped elevate the production. Susan Surandon, Gil Bellows, Ellen Burstyn, Topher Grace and Donald Sutherland star.
Come Morning – This very low-budget independent thriller that made the rounds at film festivals in 2012. A group of backwoods hunters in Arkansas think they’re collecting dinner after shooting a shape in the distance, but soon realize that they have killed their neighbor. Whoops! It’s taken a couple of years for this to hit home video, but those who did see it had good things to say. They called it a dark, grim and effectively told character-based story that manages to raise a few hairs on the back of the neck.
Game of Assassins – Originally shown at festivals under the title The Gauntlet, this independent action/martial arts/horror tale follows a group of five strangers who find themselves trapped in an elaborate maze beneath a castle. They must face numerous challenges and fight their way to safety. There aren’t any reviews up, but frankly, it looks pretty darn silly. It features Bai Ling, Warren Kole, Dustin Nguyen, Jamie Ray Newman and Nick Lane. Enter at your own risk.
Ida – This tragedy-filled black and white Polish-language drama received notable praise upon its release in arthouse cinemas. Set in the 60’s, the story follows an orphaned woman who decides to visit a relative before she takes her vows to become a nun. She’s shocked when she discovers horrific family secrets that tie her family to the Nazi occupation. Director Pawel Pawlikowski is an independent filmmaker who has a lot of fans in critical circles – many called this film a masterpiece that effectively makes viewers empathize on a personal level with the horrific traumas faced by its protagonist.
Firestorm – Known as Fung Bou in its native Hong Kong, this foreign-language action flick follows a hard boiled cop willing to do whatever it takes to take down a sinister group of armed thieves. It stars Andy Lau and marks the directorial debut of screenwriter and frequent Jackie Chan collaborator Alan Yuen (New Police Story, Robin-B-Hood). No one has reviewed it in this part of the world, but domestic press called it a decent flick with a couple of impressive action scenes.
Jake’s Road – This very low-budget thriller/horror flick follows a man who wakes up in a hospital bed and attempts to piece together exactly how and why he ended up there. Apparently, as information is revealed it all involves a serial killer. Eric Roberts headlines the cast of this straight-to-video flick. It hasn’t been seen or reviewed yet, so there is no advance word. Still, renters would be very unwise to expect too much beyond the typical B-movie pulp.
The Last of the Unjust – Those interested in serious fare may want to check out this French/Austrian holocaust documentary that runs nearly four hours. It painstakingly details life in the Theresienstadt ghetto of Czechoslavakia and features an extensive portrait of controversial figure Benjamin Murmelstein. In spite of its length, it received raves. Most critics called it a stunning, complex and revealing piece that adds new impressions and details about this tragic period in history.
Neighbors – One of the biggest hits of the summer wasn’t a mega-budgeted blockbuster, but a goofy comedy starring Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne and Dave Franco. It follows a young couple with a newborn who get into an escalating series of confrontations with some college fraternity members living next door. The press were generally positive about the film. While they criticized some of the gross out gags as being ineffective, many admitted that there were enough effective moments to make it worthwhile. Read the site’s original, full length review here.
Postman Pat: The Movie – The British animated TV character gets his own film in this effort aimed at preschool kids. It follows the titular Postman as he enters a talent competition and attempts to stop a group of robotic impostors from taking over the world. Critics were evenly split on the effort. Half thought it was an amusingly sweet update of the children’s TV staple, while others found the animation substandard and the jokes forced. It features the voice talents of Jim Broadbent, Jane Carr, Rupert Grint, Stephen Mangan and David Tennant.
The Rover – This independent, post-apocalyptic, drama/thriller from Australia follows a loner who has his car stolen by a thieves. Determined to retrieve his vehicle at any cost, he takes the gang leader’s brother hostage and pursues the thugs on a vengeance-filled quest. The effort got divided responses, although overall notices were more positive than negative. Reviewers called it everything from artful to pretentious, and tension-filled to dull and pointless. Viewer reaction should vary wildly. Guy Pierce and Robert Pattinson headline the cast. Read the site’s original review right here.
The Signal – A group of computer experts become captives at a desert research facility in this trippy, low-budget sci-fi thriller. One of the young men attempts to break free and discover the truth behind what is really going on. There was a mixed reaction to this film as well, although overall it received more picks than pans. Critics responded to the ambition and style of the film, but some found the story holes to numerous to ignore. It stars Brendan Thwaites, Olivia Cooke and Lawrence Fishburne. Read a full-length review of the film here.
We Are the Best! – Music fans may get a kick out of this foreign film effort from Sweden. It follows three school kids in the early 80’s who decide to start up their own punk band, despite possessing no musical talent whatsoever. It received raves from the press, who complimented the convincing performances of the young stars. In the end, they called it a bittersweet but effective coming-of-age story guaranteed to leave every viewer with a smile on their face.
Blasts From the Past!
Holy cow! This is an absurdly busy week, with so much material coming that it may bankrupt serious Blu-ray and DVD film collectors.
One of many highlights is Shout!Factory’s Blu-ray release of Halloween: The Complete Collection from their Scream line. Yes, this set contains every official Halloween film ever made (including the Rob Zombie reboot and sequel). The discs are filled with commentaries, documentaries, deleted scenes as well as bits added for TV airings, alternate versions and too many other extras to go through right here. Most exciting for fans is the inclusion of the Producer’s Cut of Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (starring Paul Rudd in his first major film role!). The 1995 feature released to theaters and home video was significantly different from the original version turned in to the distributor. Buyers will finally be able to see it properly as intended by the filmmakers before it was chopped up and re-shot by the studio. While the only undisputed classic in the set is the original 1978 version, several of the sequels have memorably chilling moments and fans will be thrilled with this box set.
As if that wasn’t enough, Warner Bros. is bringing another Blu-ray box set to horror fans. The Exorcist: The Complete Anthology contains all of the films in the series (including both of the significantly different versions of the fourth and final movie). Of course, it contains both the original theatrical cut and director’s cut of the original classic from 1973, The Exorcist. Frankly, the quality of movies range from great to (in the case of Exorcist II: The Heretic) enjoyably terrible. Overall, it’s an inexpensive set that features some decent extras and high quality version of the films. This is definitely worth picking up.
Not enough horror for you? Well, shoppers can also pick up Saw: The Complete Movie Collection on Blu-ray. It includes unrated cuts of all 7 films. It appears as if these are all of the previous Blu-ray releases of the film repackaged in a small box, but the price is great and it’ll save shelf space for those who enjoy the series.
Criterion also has the creepy 1961 black and white flick The Innocents set for Blu-ray release. It follows the governess of two odd children who becomes convinced that the large estate is haunted. Many scholars and filmmakers (including director Martin Scorcese) are big fans of the supernatural psychological horror opus. Besides an impressive transfer, it features a commentary from a film historian and a few brief documentaries about the production.
Those who prefer their scare films a little less refined may want to pick up the Blu-ray of StageFright from Blue Underground. This 1987 production (also known as StageFright: Aquarius, Deliria and Bloody Bird) is an Italian slasher film about a stage company locked up in a theater with an axe-wielding maniac in a giant owl mask. The dubbing and acting may leave something to be desired, but it’s a very stylish and unusually well shot slasher with a couple of creative murder set pieces. This movie marked the directorial debut of Dario Argento protege Michele Soavi, who would later helm the cult zombie flick Dellamorte Dellamore (aka Cemetery Man). No word yet on whether this is the uncut version or what extras are included, so interested parties should do more research before picking it up.
Animae fans will be happy to see one the genre’s most notable flicks coming to Blu-ray. Anchor Bay’s Ghost in the Shell: 25th Anniversary celebrates the year the original book was created and not the film release, but it’ll be welcome to fans all the same. It reportedly contains a new high definition transfer of the original theatrical cut of the 1995 (and not the 2.0 version released to Blu-ray several years back)
Classic film aficionados can now pick up the 1949 western South of St. Louis on Blu-ray from Olive. Also from Olive on the same format is the Gary Cooper Florida-set western Distant Drums. The 1954 effort features the star as a soldier attempting to escape forces by crossing the Everglades.
As usual, there are several interesting Blu-rays coming from Kino as well. They include the 1970 Shelly Winters crime flick Bloody Mama, which features the star playing a real life Tommy-gun-toting bank robber from the 30’s. They’ve also got a few Burt Lancaster titles hitting store shelves. These include the 1960 drama Elmer Gantry, the 1958 WWII submarine flick Run Silent, Run Deep (co-starring Clark Gable) and the 1961 John Frankenheimer-directed crime film The Young Savages. That’s a lot of Burt! Finally, fans of Tony Curtis, Yul Brenner and Christine Kaufmann should enjoy the 1962 adventure epic Taras Bulba, which transplants Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to 16th Century Ukraine.
With the home video release of the Seth Rogen flick Neighbors this week, Mill Creek have seized the opportunity to release the 1981 John Belushi/Dan Aykroyd comedy of the same name. While a press sheet for this title states that the recent Rogen flick is a remake, that’s simply not true. This Neighbors is based on a Thomas Berger novel and follows a mild-mannered suburbanite and his wife whose lives are turned upside down by the arrival of a free spirited couple next door. If memory serves, it’s a very strange flick that satirizes the social customs and expectations of every one of its oddball characters. Reportedly, director John G. Avildsen (Rocky, The Karate Kid) and star Belushi didn’t get on, and the result was a troubled production filled with friction and re-shoots. While it was successful at its time of release, it is largely forgotten and hasn’t been widely available on video. It’s great to see this curiosity finally some exposure and this writer looks forward to revisiting it.
You Know, For Kids!
Here are some titles coming available for smaller persons in the family.
Guess How Much I Love You: Autumn’s Here
Mummy, I’m a Zombie
Pokemon: Black and White Adventures in Unova: Set 1
Postman Pat: The Movie
Transformers Prime: Ultimate Autobots
On the Tube!
Once again, it’s a crazy time. Plenty of current shows are attempting to get previous seasons out before new episodes begin broadcasting on TV, so there’s a wealth of new material being made available. One of the best new shows is the Andy Samberg comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine. If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth checking out. Here’s a promo reel for the show – despite it being a highlight clip, the show itself is much funnier.
The 100: Season 1
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 1
China Beach: Season 4
Daniel Boone: The Complete Series
Defiance: Season 2
How I Met Your Mother: Season 9
How I Met Your Mother: The Complete Series
John Falk: Season 1
Key & Peele: Season 3
LA Law: Season 3
Law & Order SVU: The Fifteenth Year
Mama’s Family: Season 5
Mama’s Family: The Complete Collection
Modern Family: Season 5
Mom: Pilot & Season 1
Nashville: Season 2
Necessary Roughness: Season 3
Reign: Season 1
Royal Pains: Season 5
Scandal: Season 3
State Trooper: The Complete Series
And of course, a new season of Law & Order SUV can’t be listed with comments from comedian John Mulaney (who has a TV show of his own premiering in October) on why the cop series is so entertaining. Enjoy!