It’s time for another look at highlights hitting store shelves on Blu-ray and DVD. This is an interesting edition with plenty of wild and wonderful features coming your way. So, since you likely can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
Big New Releases!
16 Sunrises – Those looking for a little adventure can’t travel much further than the setting for this French documentary, which takes viewers into space. Also known as 16 Levers de Soleil, the movie follows French astronaut Thomas Pesquet and his mission aboard the International Space Station, orbiting the Earth at a height of roughly 400 kilometers (or about 250 miles). He spent six months up there at the end of 2016 and the film includes some of his thoughts and experiences, along with hundreds of hours of incredible 6K footage taken by the subject and his crew. The movie played at various French film festivals and was released in cinemas there at the end of 2018. It’s debuting on disc in this part of the world. While viewers here won’t get to see it on the big screen, at least they will get to check it out on their TVs.
Almost Love – This romantic comedy/drama is focused on personal relationships and how they change after spending several years together. It involves a large group of intersecting couples. The main plot follows a pair who have been together 5 years and are struggling maintain their romantic spark. Other couples and acquaintances must deal with issues like inappropriate personal messaging via text on smartphones and other issues. This independent film earns decent reviews from critics. A third of them did complain that it was all a bit too cutesy and believed that several characters weren’t relatable. However, two-thirds liked the cast and thought it brought up interesting and modern problems that modern partners must deal with today. The movie is premiering on DVD only, so Blu-ray collectors will have to wait. It features Scott Evans, Augustus Prew, Michelle Buteau, Colin Donnell, Zoe Chao, Patricia Clarkson, John Doman and Kate Walsh.
Beyond Driven – Formula One driver Lella Lombardi is the subject of this documentary. She was the first female driver in the history of the sport, finishing in the top six of the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix and being the only woman to ever to awarded points in the Formula One league. Using archival footage and interviews with those who knew her, the film tries to deliver a clearer picture of this very private person. Additionally, viewers will learn about her life and accomplishments, as well as see and hear from those whom she inspired to take up the sport. As of right now, very little is known about this picture. The North American distribution rights were acquired recently and the film is making its debut on disc. One assumes that it will be of interest to racing enthusiasts and those who want to learn more about the woman.
Bull – A troubled young teen from the wrong side of the tracks gets herself into trouble after breaking into her neighbor’s home and causing damage. As it turns out, the man living nearby turns out to be a bull rider. She begins fixing his place and earning some extra cash by helping him out at his work. The protagonist is introduced to the world of black rodeos and begins to develop an interest in the sport. The press gave this drama high marks. One or two found the film too slow-moving for their liking. However, the vast majority thought that the performances were excellent and the film was a remarkable character study that accurately depicted the trials that similar people are faced with on a daily basis. It is arriving exclusively on DVD only right now, although hopefully a Blu-ray will soon follow. The movie stars Rob Morgan, Amber Heard and Yolonda Ross. To read this site’s review of the picture, click here.
Deerskin – This dark horror/comedy from France follows a divorcee experiencing a mid-life crisis. While on the road, the man stops in at a gas station and comes across a very eccentric and unusual deerskin jacket with fringes. He decides to pick it up and soon begins to believe that the clothing item has special powers. When the lead visits the French Alps, he makes an impression and is quickly mistaken for an indie filmmaker, leading to series of increasingly strange events. Reaction was very upbeat towards this title. One or two reviewers here didn’t like the concept or the tone. Yet most suggested that while it takes a while to get going, it is a bizarrely fascinating feature that veers between funny and creepy and features an incredible lead performance. It’s being made available on DVD only at this point, but hopefully a Blu-ray will follow. Jean Dujardin, Adele Haenel and Albert Delpy headline the film.
Force of Nature – If you enjoy action and disaster films, there’s a brand new one premiering this week on Blu-ray, DVD and steaming platforms courtesy of distributor LionsGate. It’s a about a gang of thieves in Puerto Rico who learn that tens of millions of dollars are stashed away in a vault within a building downtown. They decide to steal it during a hurricane when the safe will be unguarded. However, the plan hits a snag when a cop arrives attempting to provide safe shelter for people stuck in the intense storm. Sounds like it might be some sort of combination of movies like Hurricane Heist and Hard Rain. As mentioned, this feature is going straight to disc, so that means that there aren’t any write-ups of the movie as of yet. If you are interested in the movie, you’ll just have to brave it without knowing exactly what is headed your way. The cast includes Mel Gibson, Emile Hirsch, Kate Bosworth and David Zayas.
Four Kids and It – Based on the Jacqueline Wilson children’s book, this family flick from the UK involves a couple who decide to go on vacation and introduce their kids from previous marriages to one another. After some awkward introductions, the youngsters visit the beach and discover a little supernatural creature called a Psammead who grants wishes. They find themselves teaming up to fight a sinister figure out to capture the Psammead and use it for his own nefarious ends. The UK press were generally split on the end results, although there were a few more recommendations than pans. Those who disliked what they saw said it wasn’t as clever as the book and had less-than-stellar visual effects. The more positive voices stated that it was enjoyably silly, quickly paced and benefitted from a great cast. Matthew Goode, Paula Patton and Russell Brand headline the picture, while Michael Caine provides the voice of the Psammead.
The Ghost of Peter Sellers – We’ve all heard stories about troubled film productions. This documentary from Peter Medak (The Changeling, The Krays, Romeo is Bleeding) tells the story of a failed project that he was directly involved in. In 1973, Columbia Pictures gave young filmmaker Medak the funding to make a big pirate movie called Ghost of the Noonday Sun with a cast that included Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Liza Minelli. Unhappy with his director, Sellers began to sabotage the shoot, leading to legendary conflicts. The completed film was never released in theaters and the director’s career stagnated for years as a result. Medak admits to still being hurt by the experience. Treating this feature as a therapeutic experience to get over these events, he revisits the feature, showing footage and sharing memories of the shoot and what went wrong. The movie won awards at film festivals in 2019 and earned raves from critics. They called it a heartbreaking and incredibly detailed depiction of a disastrous film production. For the time being, it is only being released on DVD and on streaming platforms.
James vs. His Future Self – A brilliant scientist works tirelessly and finds himself on the verge of creating a way of traveling through time. Unfortunately, he’s immediately visited by an older version of himself who begs him not to continue his work. Instead, he suggests focusing on having a normal life and family. The present-day version of the scientist resists and decides to square off against himself. It’s a tough battle, as both men are very equally matched. This independent science-fiction comedy from Canada received excellent notices at film festivals and received high marks from the press. There were a few who merely enjoyed it and thought it dragged a little in spots, but the consensus was that the movie had a great lead actor and milked its unusual scenario for all it was worth, with some amusing highbrow and lowbrow gags. It features Jonas Chernick and Daniel Stern.
Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears – Some readers may be familiar with the popular Australian TV-series, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. It features the title character, a wealthy socialite, solving a variety of murders and crimes in the city of Melbourne. The successful show has been turned into a movie that has played in cinemas in its home country and is now being made available to stream and purchase on disc (the pandemic may have caused it to skip theaters in this part of the world). This adventure takes the character to various locales (including Jerusalem and London) as she attempts to solve a murder involving jewels and a hidden tomb. Response was reasonable towards this follow up project. A small group of reviewers critiqued the film as lacking the energy and verbal zingers that the show possessed. Still, more described it as an entertainingly over-the-top adventure that would please fans of the series. It stars Essie Davis, Nathan Page, Miriam Margolyes, Rupert Penry-Jones and Khaled Abol Naga.
Promise at Dawn – This multi-national biographical film tells the story of famous French novelist Romain Gary. In particular, it focuses on what the writer suggested was the most important and influential relationship in his life… the one he had with his mother. The feature details their powerful bond as well as the intense dependency and burdens it may have caused the protagonist. The movie was nominated for several Cesare Awards (the French equivalent of the Oscars) in 2018, but is only finding its way to North America now. Critics were mixed-positive about what they saw. A good portion thought it was beautifully shot, but slow-moving and overblown. A slightly higher number gave it a pass, stating that it was odd but interesting and had excellent performances. The cast includes Charlotte Gainsbourg, Pierre Niney, Didier Bourdon and Jean-Pierre Darroussin.
Ski Bum: The Warren Miller Story – Warren Miller was a man who loved to ski… and make movies about skiing. Initially shooting himself and friends skiing and snowboarding as a way to improve their technique, the man began making documentary flicks in 1950 to promote the industry and continued to do so for his entire life. This documentary honors the trailblazer. The filmmakers managed to interview the figure only months before his passing, going over his life and telling his story (as well as showing some of the most impressive bits from his features). He also details the challenges involved in creating a very specific industry all by himself. There aren’t a lot of reviews for this title yet, but a couple that have appeared online are upbeat. They call the picutre a sweet and effective tribute to a remarkable and unique talent.
Street Survivors: The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash – Those who know classic rock will likely be familiar with the music of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the tragedy that befell them when, in 1977, a chartered jet flying them to a concert ran out of gas and crashed. The pilots and numerous members of the band and their management team perished in the ordeal. Using stories told by drummer and survivor Artimus Pyle, this independent dramatic biopic details the events leading up to the fateful day and its aftermath. The picture has had a troubled history, with a few other group members and survivors attempting to block its production. There aren’t many reviews for the title, but those that have popped up haven’t been the most complimentary. They suggest that the movie feels exaggerated and goes out of its way to lionize Pyle (he even provides all the narration for the film). Now audiences can decide for themselves if what’s onscreen is accurate. It features Ian Shultis, Taylor Clift and Jon Briddell.
Blasts from the Past!
It’s another week jam-packed with new Blu-rays of great older films. Olive Signature are delivering a Blu-ray of the musical, Hair (1979), from director Milos Forman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest). Based on the Broadway play, the story follows a young man from the Midwest who arrives in New York to join the Army. On the city streets, he encounters a group of hippies who try to show him a good time over the course of the weekend and change his mind about his future. The flick has some famous musical numbers in it and has gained a larger following over the past few decades. The Blu-ray includes a new restoration of the film, a commentary track with star Treat Williams and the assistance director, a making-of documentary with most of the cast and many behind-the-scenes crew, individual discussions with the choreographer, the editors and the production designer, and a conversation with director James Mangold (Walk the Line, Ford v Ferrari) about his time as a student working with Forman. The disc also comes with an essay explaining the picture’s significance and how it influenced the feature film musicals that followed. You can read all about the disc in detail here.
Arrow Video also have a noteworthy release. It’s a “Limited Edition” Blu-ray containing a spaghetti western double feature of the classic Django (1966) and Texas Adios (1966). Both starred Franco Nero and were released the same year. Of course, this release comes backed with bonuses. You’ll get a new restoration from a 4K scan of Django, which also comes with a film historian audio commentary, new interviews with star Nero, the assistant director, each co-writer, a stuntman on the movie, and a talk with the wife of late director Sergio Corbucci. Additionally, there’s a critic appreciation and analysis of the film, an introduction from director and western film enthusiast Alex Cox (Repo Man, Sid & Nancy), and plenty of publicity stills and materials. The other flick has been given a new restoration from a 2K scan and also comes with a movie expert commentary, interviews and other bonuses.
If you’re looking for other unique gunslinging flicks, you can also pick up a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray of Sukiyaki Western Django (2007) from MVD Visual. Directed by Takashi Miike (Audition, 13 Assassins, Terra Formars), this is a very stylized Japanese take on the spaghetti western and features two clans going to war over a treasure hidden in the hills. The movie stars Hideaki Ito and even includes an appearance by Quentin Tarantino. The disc includes the original cut and an extended version of the film, a nearly hour-long making-of special, deleted scenes, a sizzle reel, promotional clips, as well as US and Japanese trailers.
Shout! are bringing you a real Blu-ray rarity in the form of Orca: The Killer Whale (1977). Produced by Dino De Laurentiis after the success of Jaws and his own update on King Kong, this picture involves a fisherman who slaughters a giant whale’s pregnant mate while on the sea. The two get into a seemingly personal battle as they hold grudges and come to blows against each other in the water over the following weeks. It’s a wild and over-the-top movie that stars Richard Harris as the obsessive fisher, along with Charlotte Rampling and Bo Derek (in her feature film debut). You will root for the whale, and you will see the giant mammal take down a great many victims. The flick has been out-of-print for many years, so it’ll be a blast to finally see it arrive on Blu-ray. The disc comes with a film historian audio commentary and a theatrical trailer.
Kino also have some noteworthy Blu-ray releases coming your way. The first is a Special Edition of the Gene Hackman/Anne Archer thriller, Narrow Margin (1990). This movie is about a woman who witnesses a murder. She decides to testify at the trail and finds herself being hunted by the mob while crossing the country via train. The image comes from a new 4K master and the disc includes an archived commentary featuring action film veteran director Peter Hyams (Outland, 2010, Running Scared, Timecop, Sudden Death, The Relic), a new film critic audio track, a making-of, B-roll footage (probably from the feature’s many action scenes) and a trailer. An interesting note about Hyams is that he also acted as director of photography on most of his movies.
The studio is also releasing a Blu-ray of the comedy, Not for Publication (1984). This one is from Paul Bartel (Death Race 2000, Eating Raoul) and stars Nancy Allen and David Naughton as two tabloid reporters who getting themselves reporting on and getting in the middle of a sex scandal and political conspiracy. This release also comes from a new 4K master and includes a commentary with filmmaker Allan Arkush (Rock ‘n’ Roll High School) and a film historian. If you enjoy Bartel’s work, you’ll also be interested in the Blu-ray release of his Hollywood satire, Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills (1989). The movie features an impressive cast that includes Jacqueline Bisset, Ed Begley Jr., Robert Beltram and Wallace Shawn. Kino are presenting the flick from a new 2K master. The disc also includes an interview with co-star Beltram and a trailer.
The 1980s update of the old Agatha Christie thriller Ten Little Indians (1989) is also arriving on Blu-ray this week. A series of murders while on safari leave participants in fear and suspicious of those around them. This title has a bizarre cast that includes Donald Pleasance, Brenda Vaccaro, Herbert Lom and Frank Stallone. The source material for this transfer is a new 2K master and the disc comes with a trailer.
The Kino Classics line is also presenting the German picture, Paracelsus (1943). This film is about a scientist trying to prevent a plague from sweeping through the country. It comes with a movie expert track who describes ways in which the filmmaker was attempting to subtly tell a humanistic and subversive story while working under the Nazi regime.
Vinegar Syndrome are offering the horror picture The Immortalizer (1989), about a mad scientist and his henchman kidnapping beautiful young people so that they can swap out their brains with those of wealthy, elderly donors. The flick has been newly scanned and restored in 2K from the original negative. The Blu-ray also comes with an interview with the director and the cinematographer, as well as a promotional still gallery. You can also pick up Patty Hearst (1988) in high definition. This drama tells the true and unusual story of the Hearth Publications heiress and her kidnapping. Directed by Paul Schrader (Affliction, First Reformed), it stars Natasha Richardson, William Forsythe and Ving Rhames. This disc arrives with another audio track with a movie expert, who discusses the feature in detail.
Severin have a Blu-ray box set of features called The Complete Lenzi/Baker Giallo Collection. It includes the thrillers Orgasmo (1969), So Sweet… So Perverse (1969), A Quiet Place to Kill (1970), Knife of Ice (1972). This is another set that comes packed with extras including the director’s cuts of many titles, multiple commentaries and interviews with cast and crew. You’ll also get CD soundtracks for two of the titles includes. And if you’re a fan of one particular film, you should note that each movie will be available individually on Blu-ray as well as together in a set.
A week almost never goes by with Criterion delivering another impressive disc. This time out, they have the powerful Russian anti-war film, Come and See (1985). It’s about a teenager who joins a resistance movement to fight the Nazis during WWII. His idealistic visions of being a soldier are torn apart as he endures bloody horrors and unimaginable carnage. The distributor states that the Blu-ray includes a 2K digital restoration of the film, a new interview with legendary cinematographer and fan Roger Deakins (Skyfall, Sicario, Blade Runner 2049, 1917) on the movie’s photography, a documentary series from the late 1970s about survivors from the war and the genocide they witnesses, and 2001 interviews with the film’s director, star, and production designer. You’ll also get a making-of, a new interview with the director’s brother and a trailer.
Classic comedy fans can also pick up Laurel & Hardy: The Definitive Restorations on Blu-ray. This 4-disc package comes from Kit Parker Films and contains two feature films and 17 shorts made from 1933 to 1937 that star the comedy duo. All have been given either 2K or 4K restorations from the original 35mm elements. Apparently, the material looks and sounds brand new and some of the bits being released hasn’t been seen for 90 years. You’ll also get interviews and all sorts of publicity materials related to the figures. Sounds fantastic for classic comedy fans!
Finally, Japanese anime fans can pick up the sci-fi picture Crusher Joe – The Movie (1983) on Blu-ray from Discotek Media. Apparently, this title is considered one of the best animated features of its era.
You Know, For Kids!
Here are all of this edition’s kid-friendly titles.
Four Kids and It
On the Tube!
And these are the west TV-themed releases.
Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears
Wild Palms (Blu-ray of 1993 TV-miniseries)