Welcome to the latest edition of highlights coming your way on Blu-ray. There are a couple of big summer titles arriving and a few smaller efforts as well. As always, be sure to click on the links to read in-depth reviews about the films listed. 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!
The Battery – This low-budget, independent horror film has received decent press online. It’s about two former baseball players attempting to survive a zombie apocalypse. Their radically different personalities cause a rift as they make their way towards a potential safety zone. Festival reaction has been upbeat. Horror sites have complemented the movie for its character-based focus, creating an interesting and tense dynamic between the actors.
The Dead 2: India – The Dead (a little indie horror flick from 2010) surprised many with its moody and minimalist depiction of a slow-moving zombie outbreak in African desert. In this follow-up, the virus has spread all the way to India. The story follows a stranded American engineer trying to reach his wife in Mumbai. Reaction was mixed to this effort. Almost every review complimented the Rajasthan locations and striking photography, but some called it a “more of the same” sequel and found the deliberately slow pace off-putting. It stars Joseph Millson.
The Fault in Our Stars – This weepy teen drama and summer hit tells the tragic story of a young woman suffering with terminal cancer. As she attempts to deal with health complications, an unlikely romance flourishes between the lead and another student in remission. Reviewers were mostly positive about this teen-lit adaptation, saying that the strong performances helped keep it grounded enough to be effective overall. It features Shailene Woodley, Ansel Egort, Laura Dern and Willem Dafoe. Read a longer review of the film here.
The German Doctor – Foreign film fans may appreciate this dramatic thriller from Argentina. Set in 1960, it follows a small family in a village who take in a new arrival, unaware that he is a notorious war criminal on the run. Critics were generally positive about the film. While they wrote that the movie was more of a drama than a thriller, they also called it quietly chilling.
Godzilla – For the past few weeks there have been plenty of re-releases of older films starring the giant monster. This new summer blockbuster follows an American soldier attempting to get back to his family after Godzilla rises from the depths and causes plenty of chaos. Critics were generally favorable towards the movie and the return of the big green lizard. However, this came with plenty of caveats, claiming that the human lead is far less interesting than both the title creature and supporting characters. The movie stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Eilzabeth Olson, Bryan Cranston, Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins and Juliette Binoche. Read the site’s full-length review right here.
House of Bodies – Terrence Howard, Peter Fonda and Queen Latifah star in this low-budget crime thriller about a cop investigating a series of copycat killings that resemble the work of a locked up maniac. In spite of the intriguing cast, this is a direct-to-video effort that has been called slow-moving by the few who have seen it.
Petals on the Wind – This Lifetime TV movie is the sequel to V.C. Andrews’ Flowers in the Attic and catches up with the very messed-up family some ten years after the original story. After trying to put the past behind them, a tragic event forces the family to reunite with their nasty grandmother. Surprisingly, the reviews for this chapter were much improved. It’s been described by the majority of reviewers as a pulpy and twisty guilty pleasure. Heather Graham and Ellen Burstyn return in their roles from the first TV movie.
Think Like a Man Too – While the original comedy was a big hit, this follow-up didn’t make as much of a splash at the box office. The story follows the couples from the original film as they all travel to Vegas for a wedding. With all of the temptations around, the attendees struggle to maintain their relationships. Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good, Adam Brody, Regina Hall, Dennis Haysbert, Taraji P. Henson and Jennifer Lewis headline. Unfortunately, the press were not kind to this follow-up. They suggested that the good cast were wasted in a tired, run-of-the-mill plot that featured only the occasional chuckle.
Blasts From the Past!
It’s another absolutely crazy week with loads of classic and not-so-classic titles coming to Blu-ray.
For those with an interest in horror, you can’t go wrong with the new Blu-ray from Dark Sky Films of the 1974 classic, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This flick remains one of the most iconic horror films of all time, following a group of youths who find themselves the target of a backwoods family. Everything about it is unsettling and as it builds one can truly believe the terrified expressions of cast – especially during the climactic moments. It’s a truly frightening flick that (according to some critics) seemed to mirror the Viet Nam conflict.
The new transfer and sound mix from the 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray is something to behold. Additionally, it features three commentary tracks. The first is with writer-producer-director Tobe Hooper, actor Gunnar Hansen and cinematographer Daniel Pearl. The second features actors Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, and Paul A. Partain and production designer Robert Burns. The third is a lone track with writer-producer-director Tobe Hooper. The disc also includes the documentaries The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth and Flesh Wounds: Seven Stories of the Saw. Among the myriad of other extras, there are brand new deleted scenes & outtakes, a new interview with actor John Dugan (Grandpa) and a new interview with editor J. Larry Carroll. There’s simply too much to go into right here. It’s a must own for any horror film fanatic, historian or anyone interesting in seeing a scare classic.
Another incredible release comes from Sony, who are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the supernatural comedy Ghostbusters. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis play three university professors who are forced into starting their own commercial ghost extermination business just as a supernatural force begins to wreak havoc on Manhattan. As anyone will tell you, it’s hilarious and features too many quotable lines to count. It also stars Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis. The movie has always suffered from grainy, mediocre transfers to home video. However, this release is said to be the best the best-looking yet and the disc includes old features from previous editions as well as all new extras. The amusing but far lesser sequel, Ghostbusters II, is also being released to Blu-ray on the same day. The 1989 follow-up is included in the digibook version of Ghostbusters or it can be bought separately (although there really isn’t any point in buying it on its own).
Criterion are unveiling the bizarre David Lynch art house flick Eraserhead to Blu-ray. The 1977 production stars Jack Nance as the central character, a man who experiences many… surreal… sights and sounds as he enters the challenging world of fatherhood. Shot in black and white, it’s a very dark comedy that barely qualifies as a narrative feature. It certainly is an acquired taste. Still, it’s one that fans of the director’s work won’t want to miss. Besides the new restoration, the Blu-ray features a retrospective on the making of the film and six memorably unique shorts from the director.
Kino are also no slouches when it comes to releasing classic titles on Blu-ray. These discs won’t have extras, but just getting the movie in high definition will be reason enough for many to pick them up. This week’s selections include the so-cheesy-it’s-good 1978 disaster movie Avalanche. This one was produced by Roger Corman and features Rock Hudson, Mia Farrow and Robert Forster attempting to survive an avalanche at a ski lodge. For whatever reason, the image from the film that stick most in my memory (and makes me laugh) is a shot of a cook being thrown across the resort kitchen into giant bags of popcorn when the climactic rush of snow hits the resort.
Flesh & Blood is a medieval action picture from 1985 starring Rutger Hauer and Jennifer Jason Leigh. It marked the first US film of Danish director Paul Verhoeven (Robocop, Total Recall, Basic Instinct), and it wasn’t much of a success at the time. However, it has found a following over the years. It’s a slow build, but once it gets going it’s a graphic, gritty, shocking and ultimately exciting and effective film. The disc contains the unrated director’s cut.
A couple of Sean Connery films are also arriving from Kino. The Scottish actor co-stars with Donald Sutherland in the 1978 period thriller The Great Train Robbery, and takes on a falling space rock with Natalie Wood in the slow-moving, better-left-forgotten disaster flick Meteor.
The distributor is also bring the 1968 Peter Sellers film The Party to Blu-ray. This classic comedy from Blake Edwards (The Pink Panther, The Great Race) finds the actor playing an accident prone but good-natured Indian actor trying to make his big break in Hollywood. When he’s unintentionally invited to the exclusive party of a film executive, he shows up. Of course, this leads to all kinds of slapstick mayhem as the story progresses and movie-moguls types are enjoyably skewered.
Olive is bringing the 1959 Mickey Rooney gangster flick The Big Operator to home video, while Paramount is also releasing a 50th Anniversary edition of the Jerry Lewis comedy The Nutty Professor. Scorpion Releasing are putting out the 1977 Bruce Davidson prison drama Short Eyes (to DVD only) 1977, and Anchor Bay are offering a 30th Anniversary Blu-ray of the not-so-great horror flick Silent Night, Deadly Night. The disc provides the original, unrated version of the Santa Claus slasher.
It was already released on DVD years ago, but Entertainment One are finally giving fans a Blu-ray of the 2011 Cuban horror comedy, Juan of the Dead. It’s a fantastic little foreign flick that should on the shelf of every self-respecting zombie movie fan.
You Know, For Kids!
It’s a busier than normal week here as well, with plenty of new and old kid’s programming coming your way.
Barbie and the Secret Door
Ben 10 Omniverse – Galactic Monsters
Denver, the Last Dinosaur: The Complete Series
Ella the Elephant: Season 1, Volume 1
Marvel Knights: Eternals
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures – A Berry Scary Night
Slugterra: Return of the Elementals
Thomas & Friends: Tales of the Brave – The Movie
On the Tube!
There’s an overwhelming list of titles this week and some real winners among them. Reportedly, the period Czech miniseries Burning Bush is a very effective drama and the recent comedy series Burning Love is always great for a laugh.
Cartoon buffs may also get a kick out of the 1988 series Denver, the Last Dinosaur. It was a ridiculously corny animated program about a present day dinosaur that hatches from an egg and is taken in by a group of neighborhood kids. The smart dino can skateboard and play the guitar – apparently, that was enough material for the show to run a whopping 50 episodes. Based on the intro, it looks like the main character dropped a lot of acid as well. Anyway, the entire series is now available in a DVD box set from VCI Entertainment. Enjoy!
37 Days (BBC Miniseries)
About a Boy: Season 1
Alpha House: Season 1
Arrow: Season 2
Awkward: Season 3
The Big Band Theory: Season 7
Bones: Season 9
Burning Bush (Complete Czech Miniseries)
Burning Love: Seasons 2 & 3
Castle: Season 6
CSI – Crime Scene Investigation: Season 14
Death in Paradise: Season 2
Denver, the Last Dinosaur: The Complete Series
Father Brown: Season 1
From Dusk Til Dawn: The Complete Season 1
Grimm: Season 3
Hannibal: Season 2 (Blu-ray only)
Hawaii Five-O: Season 4
Miss Marple: Volume 1
Petals on the Wind (Lifetime TV movie)
Prisoners of War: Season 2
The Rosevelts: An Intimate History (PBS)
Royal Cousins at War (PBS)
Secrets of Her Majesty’s Secret Service (PBS)
Sleepy Hollow: Season 1
South Park: Season 17
Spartacus: The Complete Series
Through the Wormhole With Morgan Freeman: Season 4
Tour of Duty: Season 3
Yukon Men: Season 2
Xiii The Series: Season 1