Welcome to another look at Blu-ray and DVD highlights. Hope the holiday season is treating all readers well and that they are looking forward to the New Year. While this isn’t an overly busy edition, there are few notable flicks to watch out for. So, since you can’t or likely shouldn’t head out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
Big New Releases!
Blackjack: The Jackie Ryan Story – This independently-produced biopic tells the story of Jackie Ryan, who is considered by some to be a street basketball legend. The plot depicts the young man growing up in Brooklyn, learning to play at his dad’s construction site and then his attempts to be recruited by the NBA’s New Jersey Nets (who are now known as the Brooklyn Nets). Unfortunately, the young man’s vices end up threatening to ruin his big opportunity. This picture has been available on streaming platforms and is now arriving on disc. There aren’t many reviews available for it and the few that have appeared have been critical. They state that the lead character comes across as irritating and suggest that audiences will have a hard time feeling empathy for him. It features Greg Finley, David Arquette, Ashley Greene and Robert Davi.
Dating Amber – A teen living in Ireland during the 1990s comes to the conclusion that he is gay. When he meets a neighborhood girl who happens to be a lesbian, the two form a plan in order to avoid scorn from their families and the community. It involves dating each other and carrying on a phony romance for the sake of those around them. However, the two realize that they can only keep their ruse going for so long and must decide if they should come clean. Response was very positive towards this Irish coming-of-age comedy/drama. One or two thought that the story got too heavy handed by the close, but almost all of the write-ups suggested that this was a sweet and charming little picture with great performances. For the time being, this title is arriving exclusively on DVD. Fionn O’Shea, Lola Petticrew, Sharon Horgan and Barry Ward headline the film.
Honest Thief – The big release of the week is this action picture that follows a very successful criminal who has stolen over $9 million from small town banks without being caught or having given away his identity. After falling for an honest woman, he decides to turn himself in to the FBI in the hopes of returning the money and cutting an acceptable probation deal. Unfortunately, the two agents he approaches decide to double-cross and steal from him, leading to a showdown. The press had a mixed-negative response towards this effort. A percentage did appreciate the cast and the film’s sense of humor, suggesting it was an effective action feature. However, many complained that this wasn’t as strong as some of the star’s other vehicles and that the story was predictable and unexciting. It stars Liam Neeson, Kate Walsh, Jai Courtney, Jeffrey Donovan and Robert Patrick.
The Last Shift – Two employees at a fast-food restaurant spend a graveyard shift together in this dramedy. One is an old white man serving out his final shift before retirement, while the other is a young African-American hoping to quickly move on to bigger and better things. As they go about their duties, these two men from very different backgrounds share their experiences, discussing and arguing their different takes on the world. Critics were more positive than negative about the feature. Those who didn’t like it said the performances were strong but the story didn’t delve deep enough into the topics being discussed and that the drama fell flat. However, slightly more enjoyed the cast and said that even if it didn’t all work, there were some small but interesting thoughts being addressed. Richard Jenkins, Shane Paul McGhie, Ed O’Neill and Da’Vine Joy Randolph headline the film.
The Last Warriors – Also known as The Northlander, this adventure picture was actually produced a few years back north of the border in Canada, but was never released on disc in the US – it’s finally hitting the market this week. The movie is set nearly 1000 years in the future, when the modern world has eroded away and groups of survivors have reverted back into tribes living off the land. When his people come under attack from violent heretics, a heroic hunter must protect them and fend off their enemies. This film boasts a mostly First-Nations cast and is said to be more of a personal story about finding one’s identity than it is a futuristic action picture. There aren’t many reviews available at present, so those interested will just have to take a chance on it. It features Corey Sevier, Roseanne Supernault, Michelle Thrush and Julian Black Antelope.
The One You Feed – In this thriller, a stranger finds himself injured in the middle of nowhere. Lost and in trouble, he’s rescued by a mysterious man and woman who live in a secluded house that looks like it might be from another era. While the protagonist is happy to be taken in and treated, things become more threatening as the couple begin to play strange games on the new arrival that ultimately push him to the brink of madness. It appears that this independent feature is premiering on all platforms this week and has yet to be previewed for the press or any other audience. As such, it’s a complete enigma as to how effective the movie may be or what exactly it is setting out to accomplish. The cast includes Gareth Koorzen, Rebecca Fraiser, Drew Harwood and Richard Watson.
Triggered – A large group of high school friends decide to reunite for a fun weekend reunion… but choose to do this by taking a trip to a remote forest and camping in the woods. After a crazy party they fall asleep, only to wake up with bombs strapped to their chests and varying times on a countdown clock. It seems that their resentful and psychotic high school science teacher is behind the plot. The ex-students learn that they can extend their time by killing one another, making their reunion all the more awkward. The opinions were divided on this South African indie horror flick. Half said that it wasn’t dull and that the wildness on display made for a fun B-movie. Still, just as many complained were poorly written and bland, leaving no one for audiences to care about. For the time being, this feature will not be available on Blu-ray and only be released on DVD. It stars Reine Swart, Liesl Ahlers and Cameron Scott.
Two Ways Home – A woman with bipolar disorder is released from prison. Wanting to fulfil the wishes of a beloved grandparent, she heads back to attempt to reconcile with her estranged daughter and restart her life. However, the rest of the family still resents her for her previous acts. The stressful return causes more issues and forces her to come to terms with her diagnosis. It appears as if this independent feature is making its debut on disc and so there aren’t any write ups available, so interested viewers don’t have much to go on right now. However, it looks like the movie has received an endorsement from the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The cast includes Tanna Frederick, Tom Bower, Joel West and Shanda Lee Munson.
Blasts from the Past!
It appears that distributors are taking a break from releasing new Blu-rays of older titles this week. However, rest assured that they’ll be making up for it next week.
You Know, For Kids!
It’s also a quiet edition for kid’s releases, but the New Year will be bringing plenty of new family-friendly discs.
On the Tube!
And there is only one TV-themed disc hitting shelves this week.
No Country for Old Men: Cornwall, Carmarthenshire and Herefordshire (History)
Since there aren’t many clips available, here are some holiday spots and ads for flicks set during New Years Eve. Happy holidays!