Wow! It’s another busy with all kinds of interesting releases both big and small – the highlights are all listed below. As always, you can click on any links you see to read more about the films. 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!
All Through the House – A deranged Santa goes on a killing spree in this low-budget horror feature modeled after 80s slashers flicks. Fifteen years later, St. Nick returns to a sorority in the town he once terrorized and causes more violence and mayhem. This one hasn’t gotten any reviews at all so you’re on your own if you decide to check it out. Ashley Mary Nunes, Jessica Cameron and Melynda Kiring are the cast members likely to be terrorized.
Being Charlie – In this drama from director Rob Reiner (Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, The Bucket List), an 18-year old with substance abuse problems resists when his family send him to an adult treatment facility. However, a romantic relationship with a patient there may see him turn a corner. Reviews were not strong, complaining that while the film was capably made, the story wasn’t fresh and felt too predictable and by-the-numbers to stand out. It stars Nick Robinson, Common, Cary Elwes, Devon Bostwick and Morgan Saylor.
The Demolisher – An unstable man with a disabled wife begins to crack under pressure in this small and gritty independent action/suspense flick. He soon heads out on the streets and becomes a paranoid and rage-filled vigilante. This little flick actually played quite well at horror film festivals. Many complimented its unusual approach to the revenge picture, focusing on the psychological torment of its lead character over action scenes. The cast includes Ry Barrett, Tianna Nori and Jessica Vano.
Into the Forest – A power outage leaves two sisters alone at a remote house in the woods. As time passes and conditions worsen, they worry about how widespread the situation is… as well as how to survive without electricity. The majority of press members appreciated this indie effort, complimenting the performances. They also found the examinations of societal norms collapsing under pressure interesting, if somewhat grim. The movie stars Ellen Page, Evan Rachel Wood, Max Minghella, Callum Keith Rennie and Wendy Crewson. If you’re okay with a dark tale, it seems like it might be worth a try.
Joshy – This independent comedy follows a sad guy whose engagement has fallen apart. He and his buddies go on their planned bachelor party anyway. This leads to a series of drunken, drug-induced misadventures as the lead attempts to deal with the end of his relationship. Notices were good for this feature as well; some had problems with the final act, but most found the impressive cast engaging and felt the “mumblecore” approach to a lost weekend worked well enough to recommend. It features Thomas Middleditch, Adam Pally, Alex Ross Perry, Nick Kroll, Brett Gelman, Jenny Slate, Lauren Graham, Aubrey Plaza, Joe Swanberg and Alison Brie.
The Last King – Known as Birkebeinerne in its homeland, this Norwegian epic depicts a brutal civil war that occurred in 1206. It all revolves around a small group attempting to save the King’s illegitimate son, whom many in the realm want killed. More critics ended up liking it than disliking it, though those who didn’t care for the film had plenty of issues. Several complained that the storytelling was unexciting and the story was predictable. However, just as many thought that the epic scale photography was undeniably impressive and that acting and production quality (including some skiing sequences) was strong enough to warrant a viewing. The cast includes Anders Dahlberg, Jacob Oftebro and Kristofer Hivju.
Microbe & Gasoline – Note: This title is being released on DVD only today, a Blu-ray will be announced at a later date. The new picture from French director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Mood Indigo) is a coming-of-age tale about two misfit teens who build their own mode of transportation to help them escape their humdrum lives. Critics enjoyed the foreign-language feature, calling it a sweet, charming and melancholy effort that marks an interesting change of pace for the director. Ange Dargent, Théophile Baquet and Audrey Tautou appear. To read a detailed review of the movie, click here.
The Mind’s Eye – A mad scientist kidnaps two teens with psychokinetic abilities in this low-budget horror offering. They attempt to plot an escape from the lab before he can extract their powers for himself. A few members of the press stated that the practical make-up effects were a nice touch, but the majority felt that the movie was a silly pastiche of 80s horror movie stylistic references with little story and no substance or subtext backing it up. It features Garham Skipper, Lauren Ashley Carter, John Speredakos and Larry Fessenden.
The Purge: Election Year – This second sequel in the action/horror film series was a summer box office hit. For those unfamiliar, the stories are set in a dystopia where for one night every year, murder is legal. This time out, a security guard must protect a Presidential candidate targeted by the public because of her pledge to outlaw the night of legalized killings. It split reviewers. Some found it to be a pedestrian action flick that marked one sequel too many in the series. The rest believed that it was pulpy and interesting enough to help them overlook its flaws. It stars Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell and Mykelti Williamson. To read a review of the film, click here.
Satanic – College students get more than they bargained for in this independent horror film. While on their way to Coachella, they decide to tour sites of strange and satanic events. Of course, they find an actual cult and try to help a young woman from being sacrificed. Critics were not exactly enraptured by the flick. It has been described as a completely ineffective effort filled with dim-witted characters whom you will not care one iota for. Maybe they should have just made sure they got to the festival – those tickets are really expensive. The cast includes Sarah Hyland and Steven Krueger.
Sharknado: The 4th Awakens – While technically its a SyFy TV-movie, these flicks have enough fans to warrant a mention in this section. Some 5 years after the last attack, the characters believe that the worst is over. But while vacationing in Las Vegas, they find storm clouds forming and sharks ready to invade the gambling strip. Reviews were pretty terrible for this one, suggesting that the novelty factor has long since worn off and that the gags are retreads of already familiar material. Sounds like they should just subtitle the next installment Beating a Dead Shark. Joining in the nonsense this time are Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, David Hasselhoff, Tommy Davidson, Cheryl Tiegs and Gary Busey.
Swiss Army Man – This dark comedy was certainly an odd one. A man stranded on a desert island finds a dead body that washes ashore. He begins befriending the corpse, talking to it in order to help him deal with his loneliness. It received a variety of responses from the press, although most appeared to like what they saw. Some stated that the flatulence gags lost their humor and that there wasn’t much going on intellectually, but a lot of reviewers found it so unique that they couldn’t help but endorse it. It stars Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. To read the site’s review, click here.
The Wailing – The arrival of an unknown stranger in a small village ties in with a strange sickness that befalls locals. A policeman takes on the case, with the job becoming more urgent after his daughter becomes ill with the same symptoms. This foreign-language thriller from South Korea (where it was released under the title Goksung) earned many raves from critics. While they called it a lengthy exercise at two and a half hours, they also found it to be completely engaging, intriguing and ultimately unsettling. I’m certainly curious about this one. It features Jun Kunimura and Jung-min Hwang.
Wild Oats – Here’s another title that’s initially arriving on DVD to be followed by a Blu-ray release at a later date. The plot is about a retired widow who receives a life insurance check incorrectly made out for the sum of $5 million dollars. She sets out with her friends on a wild adventure in Vegas and becomes a fugitive in the process. The movie aired on Lifetime in a cut TV version, then received a very limited release a couple of weeks ago at theaters and is now headed for a quick turnaround to DVD. What a weird release strategy… Reviews were muted, calling it a sweet but forgettable bit a fluff. At least it has a great cast that includes Shirley MacLaine, Jessica Lange, Demi Moore, Judd Hirsh, Billy Connelly, Adam Arkin and Santiago Segura.
X-Men: Apocalypse – The latest superhero opus features the title characters facing off against a devastating villain who can absorb and take on any mutant’s abilities. All of the central figures, both good and bad must join together to thwart the villain. Overall, reviews were mixed for the latest installment. Half stated that there were just enough bits that worked (namely the Quicksilver sequence) to earn it a pass. The other side complained that it was overstuffed and didn’t feature a worthwhile story; it was just a group of superheroes battling each another. Now viewers can decide for themselves. It stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicolas Hoult, Oscar Isaac and Rose Byrne. To read the site’s review, click here.
Blasts From the Past!
Warner Bros. has an interesting Blu-ray set arriving. It’s called the Prince Movie Collection and it contains the musician’s three pictures – that includes the iconic Purple Rain (1984), as well as the not-so-iconic Under the Cherry Moon (1986) with Kristin Scott Thomas and the Purple Rain sequel, Graffiti Bridge (1990). All of the films have been given new, high definition transfers, so they’re going to look and sound fantastic.
The first movie also comes with a commentary track, numerous featurettes, documentaries, trailing and most impressively, 8 music videos (for Let’s Go Crazy, Take Me With U, When Doves Cry, I Would Die 4 U/Baby I’m a Star, Purple Rain, Jungle Love, The Bird and Sex Shooter). The other discs come with trailers. Even though the latter two films aren’t nearly as strong, they still provide several amusing moments. And appropriately, the Blu-ray cases are purple. Fans will definitely want to pick this up.
The very same studio are also releasing the miniseries It (1990). This is an adaptation of the Stephen King book that features a group of kids tormented by a very creepy and murderous clown (played by Tim Curry). As adults, the survivors return to their hometown to face the monster once again. It definitely has its problems (the rubber spider finale is a real let down) but the production has its fans and it now available in high def just in time for Halloween.
Much like Warner Archives, Sony is getting into the habit of producing titles on demand through special orders. This week you can purchase a Sony Pictures Blu-ray for the Brain De Palma thriller, Body Double (1984). It stars Craig Wasson and Melanie Griffith. This is not one of the director’s finest, but it is an enjoyably eccentric, over-the-top and well, trashy spin on Rear Window that features plenty of the filmmaker’s wild camera moves.
Kino have a couple of B-movie genre pictures arriving on Blu-ray too. Chosen Survivors (1974) involves a group of persons trapped in a bomb shelter after a nuclear blast. Unfortunately, they soon discover they’re sharing the place with thousands of vampire bats, who don’t hesitate to attack. The movie features Jackie Cooper and Alex Cord. They also have The Earth Dies Screaming (1964), a British sci-fi film in which a village is invaded by alien robots who turn their victims into an army of mindless zombies. The few stragglers in town struggle to stop the threat.
Finally and just in time for the upcoming election, Criterion are putting out a Blu-ray of the Robert Altman epic, Nashville (1975). This drama stars Keith Carradine and Karen Black and details the interconnected stories of musicians, journalists and elected officials at an elaborate political convention. The disc includes a new restoration, feature commentary with the late director Altman, archival interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and other bonuses.
You Know, For Kids!
Here are some titles that might be of interest to children.
Dinotrux: Reptool Rescue
Wild Kratts: A Creature Christmas
We Bare Bears – Viral Video (Cartoon Network)
On the Tube!
And you’ll find all of the week’s TV-themed releases below! And of course, you can enjoy some clips while you’re at it!
American Horror Story: Hotel
Banshee: Season 4
Dexter: The Complete Series
Eastbound & Down: The Complete Series
Knight Rider: The Complete Series
Miami Vice: The Complete Series
A Murdoch Mysteries Christmas
Penny Dreadful: The Final Season
Perry Mason: The Complete Series
Preacher: Season 1
Sharknado: The 4th Awakens (Syfy Cable movie)
Sliders: The Complete Series
It (1990 TV miniseries)
The Venture Bros.: Season 6
Vikings: Season 4, Vol. 1
We Bare Bears – Viral Video (Cartoon Network)