Welcome to another look at some of the latest Blu-rays and DVD arriving on store shelves. There are plenty of familiar titles arriving on disc both new and old in a wide variety of genres. So, since you can’t or likely shouldn’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
Big New Releases!
Cagefighter – The title alone of this feature may give you some idea of what you’re in for. A mixed martial arts champion who has successfully defended his title several times begins to hear word that he may be an all-time great… as long as he can keep his winning streak going. However, the lead’s promoter decides to book him for a high-profile cross promotional event in which he must square off against his toughest challenger yet… a fast-talking, professional wrestling superstar. There aren’t a great many reviews for this title so far, but the ones that have appeared online have been reasonable. One write-up complained that the acting wasn’t up to snuff, but the others commented that the film was an interesting and enjoyable B-movie. It stars Gina Gershon, Alex Montagnani, Jonathan Good, Brenna Coates and Jay Reso.
Do Not Reply – This independent horror film follows an introverted teen looking to make new friends. Unfortunately, after using a social media app and making a contact, she is kidnapped. She is taken to the psychopath’s lair where he is keeping other young women captive and forcing them to dress up in a particular way. The protagonist tries to encourage the group of prisoners to fight back and escape before they become murder victims. This title is available for streaming and is now premiering on disc, but there isn’t much buzz about it. A couple of negative notices have popped up, complaining that the concept wasn’t well thought out or executed and that this flick felt too nasty and cruel for its own good. The cast includes Amanda Arcuri, Jackson Rathbone, Kerri Medders, Elise Luthman and Ashlee Füss.
Fatman – Those looking for more eccentric holiday entertainment may be intrigued by this dark tale about Saint Nicholas. Still living in the North Pole but struggling to keep his operation going, Santa faces new challenges after a wealthy young sociopath decides to punish the gift-given for leaving a lump of coal under the tree. The boy sends a hired killer out to assassinate the holiday icon, leading to a showdown between good and evil. Reaction from the press was split for this feature. Nearly half commented that the cast were strong and that this exaggerated and gruesome movie was an odd but intriguingly unique little fable. Slightly more said it took too long to find the right tone and didn’t make the most of its exciting concept. It features Mel Gibson, Walton Goggins, Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Chance Hurstfield. To read a full review of the movie, click here. – NOTE: THE BLU-RAY/DVD RELEASE DATE FOR FATMAN HAS BEEN MOVED TO JANUARY.
Made in Italy – A London art gallery owner and his estranged bohemian artist father are forced back into each other’s company when they are asked to sell an old family property in the Italian countryside. The two men are forced to head to the home in Tuscany and clean it up together, where they must ultimately address their various issues with one another. Can the two men work things out and will they ultimately sell the home? The press had divided opinions about the picture. Those who disliked the film said that the beautiful locations couldn’t make up for a very routine and predictable story. Those who recommended the feature described it as pleasant and enjoyed the watching the cast. Liam Neeson, Micheál Richardson, Valeria Bilello and Lindsay Duncan headline the film. To read this site’s review of the picture, click here.
The Rental – Two brothers decide to rent a fancy home on the Northwestern coast for the weekend and take their significant others for a vacation there. When they arrive, they find the caretaker to be a bit off-putting, but decide to move ahead with their plans. Interpersonal issues begin to arise, but that problem is nothing compared to a strange and malevolent figure who appears to be watching them over their stay. Critics generally liked this independent thriller. About a quarter of them suggested that while the characters and set-up were interesting, the movie didn’t deliver many surprises and ultimately went down the same road as other horror films. Still, the majority thought that director Dave Franco did a good job of establishing a foreboding mood and that the performances carried it through any rough spots. It stars Dan Stevens, Alison Brie, Sheila Vand and Jeremy Allen White. To read more about the movie, click here.
The Rising Hawk: Battle for the Carpathians – Also known simply as The Rising Hawk, this period drama is set in Eastern Europe during the 13th century. As Mongol invaders move across the land raiding and pillaging villages, a small community in the mountains prepare themselves for the inevitable onslaught. Local leaders try to come up with a specific plan to stop these forces and save themselves from death and destruction. This tale did not win its battle with reviewers, who generally panned the flick. One or two admired the attempts to develop individuals and deal with their emotional struggles. However, most complained that it came across as cheesy instead of exciting and had a sluggish pace. The cast includes Alison Doody, Robert Patrick, Tommy Flanagan, Poppy Drayton and Alex MacNicoll.
The Unbelievable Plight of Mrs. Wright – This documentary tells the story an American nurse and entrepreneur named Diana Wright. To be frank, there isn’t a lot of information available about the title. The press synopsis states that overcoming poverty and abuse, Wright built a massive business devoted to improving the quality of life for nurses, only to be given a terminal cancer death sentence by the very industry she dedicated her life to. Failed by the American medical system with only eight months to live, Diana takes her health into her own hands, spending her allotted time in search of the cure for cancer. As mentioned, there aren’t many write-ups for the feature, but it has won awards at various film festivals across North America. So, if it sounds interesting, then you might want to give it a shot.
Werewolf – Released under the title Wilkolak in its homeland, this Polish/German production uses monsters to deal with the fallout of WWII. Set in 1945, it follows a group of kids who are liberated from an SS war camp and placed at a remote and dilapidated orphanage. Worried about Soviet soldiers arriving to harm them, the youths must deal not only with psychological trauma, but also fend off a pack of hungry wolves who have surrounded the rickety complex. This foreign-language feature received excellent reviews from the press. While one or two couldn’t get a handle on the mixing of war, horror tropes and coming-of-age observations, the rest called the cast excellent, the camerawork striking and described the movie as a powerful, unsettling and disturbing drama about the effects of war. Kamil Polnisiak, Nicolas Przygoda, Sonia Mietielica and Danuta Stenka.
Blasts from the Past!
This week, Kino gets the ball rolling with some intriguing Blu-rays. Apache (1954) stars Burt Lancaster as a warrior who escapes from his captors in the hopes of returning to his homeland. Attack! (1956) is a war movie with Jack Palance and Eddie Albert. It is about a commander who feels forced into taking the life of an ineffective captain. Both of these films were directed by Robert Aldrich (The Dirty Dozen, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?) and each disc includes a trailer for the film.
It may come as a surprise to some, but Blues Brothers star John Belushi headlined a romantic comedy during the height of his popularity. Continental Divide (1981) stars the comedian as a gruff and unhealthy reporter who does a story on an ornithologist (played by Blair Brown) studying the Bald Eagle. The two unexpectedly fall for each other. The movie is premiering on Blu-ray with a film historian commentary track and a trailer.
D.C. Cab (1983) is also making its debut on Blu-ray. This wild and wacky comedy from Joel Schumacher (The Lost Boys, Flatliners, Falling Down) follows a group of taxi drivers struggling to survive and keep their employer’s business afloat. It features a notable cast that includes Mr. T, Adam Baldwin, Gary Busey, Gloria Gifford, Marsha Warfield, Paul Rodriguez, Bill Maher and Irene Cara. The disc also comes with a film expert commentary, 8 radio spots and a trailer.
Those who appreciate B-movies can now pick up the Italian sword-and-sorcery flick, The Barbarians (1987) courtesy of Scorpion. It stars, well, the Barbarian Brothers as the title characters and the disc includes a trailer and a commentary track featuring information about the production. Code Red have the Italian horror flick Panic (1982) on Blu-ray. This film is about a bacterial experiment gone awry that ends up infecting an English village. The release comes with a 2016 HD scan and a selection of trailers.
Criterion have released plenty of filmmaker David Cronenberg’s works over the years on Blu-ray, including The Brood, Videodrome and Naked Lunch. This week, they’re adding Crash (1996) to their slate. This tale involves a group of very eccentric people living with a fetish for car-crashes. The movie has received a new 4K digital restoration for its Blu-ray debut and includes a 1997 commentary with the director, a press conference from the 1996 Cannes Film Festival featuring the cast and filmmaker, a 1996 Q&A with Cronenberg in London, behind-the-scenes footage and other promo material. One can only hope that someday Criterion will finally license the director’s underrated 1999 sci-fi opus eXistenZ.
Many distributors are also upgrading their catalog with new 4K transfers. Those with high-end TVs can now experience better picture quality on several Paramount Blu-ray titles, including Arrival (2016), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Coming to America (1988) and Top Gun (1986).
Speaking of Eddie Murphy films, Paramount are also putting out The Golden Child (1986) and Trading Places (1983) as part of their fancy Paramount Presents Blu-ray line with a gatefold cover. These flicks featuring the star also come with 4K restorations. The Golden Child Blu-ray has a making-of and a trailer, but Trading Places comes jam-packed with extras like deleted scenes, a making-of, a costume featurette, a short on stock trading, stories from the shoot, an industry promotional piece and a trailer. Great bonuses for a very funny movie!
And the studio is also releasing a 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray of the Robin Williams box-office bomb, Popeye (1980). This lavish comic adaptation came from an unlikely source in director Robert Altman (MASH, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, The Player, Gosford Park) but didn’t make a good impression upon its original release. Time has passed and the movie has gained some admirers for its impressive sets and elaborate production value. Extras include an archived look back at the feature with the cast and crew, a short on the actors, footage from the premiere and a medley of songs from the movie.
Sony are also updating their titles in 4K Blu-ray. You can now pick up Baby Driver (2017), Bad Boys for Life (2020), Bloodshot (2020), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), a double-feature of The Equalizer (2014) and The Equalizer 2 (2018) as well as The Fifth Element (1997). They are also releasing Hellboy (2004) in 4K (containing both the theatrical and unrated cuts of the film), the Jumanji 3-Film Collection (1995 – 2019), the amazing action flick Leon (1994) aka The Professional and the entertaining comedy, Pineapple Express (2008). Additionally, Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019), Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Underworld (2003) with the 4K theatrical cut plus an unrated version on standard Blu-ray, as well as Venom (2018) and Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) in 4K.
Warner Brothers are upgrading the fun Wesley Snipes comic book adaptation Blade (1998) in 4K Blu-ray. The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy Gift Set (2001 – 2003) features the extended and theatrical cuts of the Oscar winning titles on Blu-ray in 4K, and the same is true for their release of The Hobbit: The Motion Picture Trilogy (2014 – 2016).
They also have the Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection (1930 – 1969), which contains many classic cartoons featuring the famous animated character.
Finally, Warner Archive are making a made-to-order 2-disc Blu-ray available of Hammer’s The Curse of Frankenstein (1957). It presents new 4K restorations of two cuts of the movie, a recently recorded film historian commentary and numerous other special features about the production. They are also presenting a restoration of the romantic comedy Holiday Affair (1949), starring Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh. This release includes a radio performance of the story and a trailer.
You Know, For Kids!
If you want to introduce youngsters to Bugs Bunny, this is your week!
Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection (1930 – 1969) Blu-ray
On the Tube!
And here are the latest TV-themed releases coming your way.
Chernobyl (2020) 4K TV mini-series
Great Performances – Now Hear This: Season 2 (PBS)
Mission: Impossible: The Original TV Series (1966 – 1973)
Love in Winterland (Hallmark TV Movie)
NOVA: Human Nature (PBS)
Perry Mason: Season 1
Tudors: Season 3
Walker: Texas Ranger: Season 5
Winter in Vail (Hallmark TV-movie)