Hello once again to this edition of the highlights coming on DVD and Blu-ray! While it may be a little slow for new releases today, the ones that are arriving are major titles. Additionally, there are a massive collection of older flicks coming your way. As always, click on any links to read extended reviews if you’d like to know more. So if you can’t make it out to the movies this week, but sure and give one of these titles a try!
Big New Releases!
Beyond the Lights – This independent romance/drama follows a musician under intense pressure who falls for a member of her security detail. It may sound like the plot to The Bodyguard (1992), but critics gave the effort higher marks than one would expect (and it was even nominated for Best Song at last night’s Academy Awards). While many called the story predictable, they suggested that it worked thanks to the exceptional actors and the strong chemistry between the two young leads. It stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nate Parker, Minnie Driver and Danny Glover.
Big Hero 6 – Disney scored another hit (and an Oscar) with this animated adventure flick about a brilliant child who forms a superhero cadre with his late brother’s post-doc friends. Reviews were very positive, praising the flashy animation. Although some took issue with the human characters, every review drew attention to the movie’s scene-stealing standout – an inflatable robot who helps the group out. It features the voices of Scott Adsit, Damon Wayans Jr., Maya Rudolph and Alan Tudyk. Read the site’s full review right here.
Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer’s Curse – It has been nearly 20 years since the original (and 15 since the last installment), but that hasn’t stopped producers from creating a second sequel in this series for the direct-to-video market. This fantasy teams a human with a talking dragon to stop a marauding horde and evil sorcerer from destroying a village. No reviews are available for this, so proceed at your own risk. Julian Morris takes on the lead role, while Ben Kingsley provides verbalization for the dragon.
Horrible Bosses 2 – The protagonists from the first film return in this comedy follow-up to the 2011 hit. This time out, they decide to kidnap an investor who has tried to take their business out from under them. The cast include great performers like Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Chistoph Waltz, Chris Pine, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Spacey, but write-ups were tepid. They wrote that while the actors do their best, the end result was a sloppy and dim-witted follow up that didn’t do justice to the enjoyably crass original.
VANish – This week’s horror release is a low-budget picture about a woman who finds herself kidnapped and stowed in the back of a van. She must use her wits and strength to find a way out. Again, this is a straight-to-video efforts that had no advance screenings, so don’t expect too much from it. At least it features genre vets Tony Todd and Danny Trejo in supporting roles.
Whiplash – This critical darling (it was on many best-of-the-year lists) and Best Picture nominee involves a drummer at a music conservatory who meets his match in the meanest, nastiest instructor ever to be employed at a scholastic institution. Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons play the student and teacher, respectively. Raves came for Simmons Oscar-winning performance – they stated that while the character is unlikable in the extreme, the actor brings a level of intensity to the role that fascinates and compels throughout. Sounds like a film worth checking out.
Blasts From the Past!
Alright, get ready for a massive deluge of releases. It’s a couple of months late, but fans will happy that Shout! Factory has brought New Year’s Evil (1980) to Blu-ray regardless. This low-budget slasher follows a killer who calls a live countdown show and vows to murder a woman in each time zone at the clock strikes midnight. The plan may seem to involve a lot of traveling, but the explanation is much simpler. Despite having seen it many years ago, I have no memory of it. Still, the flick has a sizable following. This Blu-ray features a director commentary and new making-of.
Grindhouse Releasing is delivering a couple of big cult film releases as well. Fans of Italian director Lucio Fulci will be pleased to see one of his most famous titles hitting home video. The Beyond (1981) is a bizarre horror effort about a couple who inherit a hotel in Louisiana. The only hang up is that it happens to contain one of seven gates to hell. It’s earned fans over the years for its stylish photography and gonzo gore sequences (including a memorable tarantula attack and graphic hospital zombie shoot-out). NOTE: Once again, these titles have been delayed… this time to mid-March… sorry for the confusion!
A couple of weeks ago the bizarre flick Massacre Mafia Style aka The Executioner (1978) was also scheduled by Grindhouse for Blu-ray release. However, it ended up being delayed (I didn’t get the memo on that one) and is now arriving this week. It’s an ultra low-budget crime flick that gained a share of fans for the deadpan acting of its mobster leads and preposterous situations. It all results in plenty of chuckles for viewers in the right frame of mind.
Blue Underground frequently puts out interesting titles on Blu-ray. This week they’ve got director Larry Cohen’s God Told Me To (1976) while follows a New York City detective investigating a series of random murders. The only connection are the claims of the various guilty persons as to why they did it, stated in the film’s title. It’s an interesting B-movie for those with a taste for 70s horror.
Criterion has a couple of big releases as well. First is the animated film, Watership Down (1978). The tale involves a warren of rabbits struggling to survive after one little bunny has an apocalyptic vision of the future. It’s an excellent movie, but is more intense than your average animated fare (there are numerous deaths) and its story is most definitely more suited to adults and older children. In fact, it’ll probably terrify any sensitive youngsters. Among the numerous extras, the Blu-ray contains a new digital restoration of the film, as well as numerous interviews from the director and filmmaker fans on its importance.
Also from Criterion is Fellini – Satyricon (1969). It’s a controversial but much admired adaptation of the Roman satire written during the reign of Nero and contains numerous tales. Director Frederico Fellini was obviously confident enough in it to make his name part of the title. The Blu-ray’s special features are too numerous to mention, but include numerous documentaries and interviews.
Olive is rapidly becoming one of my favorite distributors and they’re got a wide range of titles in various genres arriving as well. There’s the early William Friedkin film The Night They Raided Minsky’s. It’s a musical comedy about a Amish girl who joins a burlesque show in the 20s that stars Britt Ekland and Jason Robards.
Also coming from Olive is the cheesy 80s action flick Dangerously Close (1986), about a neighborhood that employs a militant group to protect themselves from the punks attending high school. Of course, the overzealous security are far worse than the students. Another title that wasn’t loved by critics but should provide B-movie thrills to a specific audience is the erotic thriller Wild Orchid (1989). This Zalman King (9 1/2 Weeks) effort featured Carre Otis and Mickey Rourke as two strangers who “get it on” in a variety of crazy ways while in Rio De Janeiro. It bears more than a passing resemblance to the current box office hit, Fifty Shades of Grey.
From the same year is Blood Red (1989). This set-in-California Western involves a violent conflict between wine-growers and a rail company. It stars Dennis Hopper, Eric Roberts and Giancarlo Giannini. Finally from Olive is the critically-acclaimed Ang Lee family drama, Eat Drink Man Woman (1994).
Not to be outdone, there are a few titles from Kino Lorber as well. This includes the Jack Palance WWII action flick Ten Seconds to Hell (1959) and the American cut of the Mario Bava horror classic Black Sunday (1960) (between you and me, you’d be better off finding the European version). And there’s the John Frankenheimer thriller 52 Pick-Up (1986). It’s one of, if not the first Elmore Leonard book adaptations and stars Roy Scheider and Ann-Margaret. Reviews were poor for this attempt way back upon its original release, but it may be a fun title to revisit.
Finally, Warner Brothers are releasing American Gigolo (1980) and The Majestic (2001) on Blu-ray, while Lions Gate are re-releasing First Blood (1982) and the goofy but fun Universal Soldier (1992).
You Know, For Kids!
The latest Disney is obviously the most notable DVD for kids, but there are a few other curiosities (including a straight-to-video Lego Batman flick) that may be worth your while.
Big Hero 6
The Lego Movie/Lego Batman: The Movie – Super Sweet 2 Movie Collection
My Little Pony – Friendship is Magic: Adventures of the Cutie Mark Crusaders
Sofia the First: The Curse of Princess Ivy
The Wiggles: Wiggle House
On the Tube!
The big release is likely the final season of the hit biker show Sons of Anarchy. Additionally, there’s a large set of The Carol Burnett Show being made available. For younger readers, it was a very successful variety show featuring music and sketch comedy that ran for a whopping 11 seasons (from 1967-1978). Now you can own every single episode on DVD. Included below is the opening from 1973. Further down is an infamous outtake in which cast member Tim Conway began to improvise about an elephant during a sketch, causing the others onstage to laugh and break character. It seems to happen every week on Saturday Night Live, but it was a very unusual occurrence at the time.
American Masters: August Wilson (PBS)
The Carol Burnett Show: The Complete Series
The Game (BBC 6 part series)
Italian Americans (PBS)
Lillies (BBC series)
Midsomer Murders: Set 25
Mountain Men: Season 3
Return to the Wild: The Chris McCandless Story (PBS)
Shakespeare Uncovered: Series 2
Sons of Anarchy: The Complete Series
Sons of Anarchy: Season 7
The Whale (BBC TV movie)