Welcome to another look at some of the new Blu-rays and DVDs coming your way. This edition features plenty of interesting titles both old and new to keep viewers entertained. 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!
Comfort Farms – In this documentary, an Army Ranger war veteran sets out to create a new form of therapy. He starts his own farm to keep those at high risk for suicide busy and working in a calm environment. Helped by a unique group of veterans, farmers and animal-loving butchers, the film captures their efforts and development of the project. So far reviews for this feature have been decent. A couple of write-ups thought that the movie was a surface-level examination of trauma and its subject and wasn’t particularly enlightening. They also didn’t care for some of the practices the group were employing as therapy. However, more commented that while aspects of the film were tough to watch, it was an intriguing and unique picture.
Faith Based – This independent comedy takes aim at some of the faith-based films productions that have been made over the past few years. The story involves a couple of aspiring moviemakers who learn how financially successful these pictures are and decide to get rich producing their own feature in the very same mold. They decide to make a movie about an astronaut trying to be the first man to pray in space and the story details the crazy production. Critics were very amused by this feature. One or two couldn’t didn’t appreciate the humor and disliked the film. However, most stated that the lead characters were fun to watch. They also said that this parody was very clever but never cruel towards its targets. It stars Luke Barnett, Tanner Thomason, Lance Reddick, Jason Alexander, Margaret Cho and David Koechner.
Faith Under Fire – Speaking of faith-based films, this title actually qualifies as one of those features that the previous title is poking fun at. It follows a heroic fireman. After many years rescuing people and saving lives on the job, his wife tragically passes away from cancer, leaving him feeling despondent and helpless. When his daughter is also diagnosed with the disease, he becomes even more fearful and frustrated. However, one of his friends challenges him to face grief and aversity with faith. This picture debuted on streaming platforms a couple of weeks ago and is now arriving on disc. There aren’t been many reviews for it available, but one can imagine exactly what they’re in for if they check the flick out. The cast includes Dean Cain, Kevin Sorbo, Nick Vlassopoulos and Tenley.
Girl with No Mouth – This foreign-language feature from Turkey is set in a war-torn, post-apocalyptic world. A young girl with a mutation caused by a nearby toxic explosion lives in a remote region of the forest. After she is discovered and her guardian is killed, she decides to head out on the road and meets a group of kids with other physical anomalies. Together, the children attempt to reach a safe zone. This picture played at various film festivals in Europe over the past year where it picked up a few awards and generated some controversy due to its subject matter. However, there haven’t been more than a few write-ups in these parts for the film. One or two of them didn’t think it offered much insight into its characters, but others called it unique picture that addresses society’s treatment of outsiders. Denizhan Akbaba, Elif Sevinç and Sermet Yesil headline the picture.
Possessor – A covert organization uses a very unusual method of carrying out assassinations. The minds of killers are briefly implanted into unaware strangers for a day or two, allowing agents to carry out their orders and then return to their proper bodies without being caught. However, the situation becomes complicated for one assassin after she’s beset by strange symptoms after numerous body swapping missions. This grim effort from Brandon Cronenberg (the son of body-horror director David Cronenberg) received plenty of praise from critics. A small portion of them couldn’t relate to the characters and found the movie difficult to endure. Still, the overwhelming majority called the feature remarkably effective and disturbing, addressing fears of modern technology and leaving viewers with plenty to think about between the shocks. It stars Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Sean Bean. To read a full review of the movie, click here.
Proxima – A French astronaut trains diligently with the European Space Agency while also attempting to juggle being a single mother raising her 8-year-old child. Tensions arise between the two as she spends more and more time at work and away from her daughter. When the protagonist is chosen to take part in a year-long space mission, these issues and troubles end up coming to a boil. The press responded very positively towards this drama. A minor contingent thought it was slowly paced and didn’t take many dramatic risks, leaving them less than overwhelmed. Still, almost everyone else admired its focus on character and the internal strife of the characters and thought it did well in detailing the personal cost of the lead’s unique line of work. The cast includes Eva Green, Zélie Boulant and Matt Dillon.
She Dies Tomorrow – In this eccentric thriller, a young woman becomes convinced that she will die tomorrow, which naturally puts her into a panicked state. After confiding in friends, the protagonist actually finds them beginning to believe her claims and also think their own lives are about to end as well. As this psychological contagion goes through the whole town, the lead must first find out if she is correct and what she can do to prevent everyone’s demise. Response towards this independent feature was upbeat. There was a small group who found it all overblown and thought the movie didn’t do much of interest with its central conceit. The majority wrote that it was a unique and entertaining existentialist drama that established a strong mood. It features Kate Lyn Sheil, Jane Adams, Kentucker Audley, Chris Messina, Tunde Adebimpe, Josh Lucas, Adam Wingard and Michelle Rodriguez.
Smiley Face Killers – Speaking of the bizarre and oddball, this little thriller is another feature that may fall under the category of unconventional. This tale follows a soccer player who begins to believe that he is being followed by a menacing force. He ponders whether or not his is going insane, only to learn that his frightening pursuers are a group of serial killers with a dark and disturbing plan. This picture is directed by Tim Hunter (River’s Edge) and written by Bret Easton Ellis (author of the novel, American Psycho). Despite the notable pedigree behind the camera, little is known at this point about the finished product. Curious viewers will have to go in cold and hope that the picture delivers the creepy and darkly humorous goods. The movie stars Ronen Rubinstein, Mia Serafino, Crispin Glover and Amadeus Serafini.
Blasts from the Past!
Back in 1990, Francis Ford Coppola released the third and presumably final chapter in his Godfather series. It followed an older Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) trying to legitimize the family business and get loved ones out of the mafia. As one might expect, he discovers the simply leaving the world of crime behind is far more difficult than initially anticipated. Reaction towards the movie wasn’t as strong as it had been for the previous two chapters, but it was positive enough to warrant plenty of Academy Award nominations back in the day. Even Coppola admitted at the time that he had been rushed to finish editing the movie and get it into theaters by studio heads and that he would have liked to have worked on it for a longer period before its release.
Thirty years later, Paramount has been given Coppola his opportunity. The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone (1990) is the director’s final word on the film, a reedit of the third picture with some alternate and never-before-seen footage taken from the cutting room floor that the director believes addresses the issues that he had with the original theatrical cut. Naturally, the Blu-ray picture has also been cleaned up too. If you’re a fan of this classic series, then you no doubt have to see this revision and compare it to the 1990 cut.
The Blu-ray doesn’t come with a lot of bonuses, but does include a new introduction to the film in which Coppola personally explains his intent and reasoning behind the new edit. Early reviews of the movie itself have also been overwhelmingly positive, suggesting that this may be the definitive version of the picture. Sounds like one of the most exciting Blu-ray releases of the year.
Arrow are delivering a 2-disc Special Edition Blu-ray of the Japanese action/horror flick, Versus (2000). This wild and crazy movie pits sword-wielding convicts and the Yakuza against an army of zombies. The feature arrives with a director-approved 2K restoration from its original elements of two different cuts of the movie. It comes with a filmmaker commentary and a second track featuring him with the cast, a video essay on his career, a lengthy behind-the-scenes documentary of the flick and a featurette on the movie’s origins. You’ll also get footage from the film’s premiere and archived interview materials, as well as deleted scenes, 2 side-story mini-movies, publicity materials and much more.
If you’re looking for more Japanese cinema, Arrow also have the Blu-ray box set, Survivor Ballads: Three Films by Shohei Imamura. It contains three flicks from the Japanese New Wave movement of the 80s by Imamura, including The Ballad of Narayama (1983), Zegen (1987) and Black Rain (1989). The discs include film historian audio commentaries on all of the titles, in-depth appreciations of the features, an alternate color ending to Black Rain, archival interviews with crew members, multiple trailers and image galleries, press kits for the titles and a lengthy booklet giving more background information about these movies.
Kino are also delivering several noteworthy new Blu-rays. The first is Fellini’s Casanova (1976) in which Federico Fellini (La Dolce Vita, 8½) tells the story of the life of the famous womanizer. Disc features include a 4K restoration of the movie, both the feature’s English and Italian audio tracks, a film critic commentary and a movie scholar essay. If you’re looking for something a little goofier and more recent, you can now pick up My Science Project (1985) on Blu-ray. It’s about a teen whose high school class assignment accidentally opens portals to different eras, taking his friends on a bizarre adventure within the school walls. Bonuses include a film historian audio commentary, a new interview with co-star Fisher Stevens and a trailer.
Another title from the era was the period adventure and sequel, The Return of the Musketeers (1989). This all-star production includes the likes of Michael York, Oliver Reed, Frank Finlay, Richard Chamberlain, C. Thomas Howell, Kim Cattrall, Geraldine Chaplin and Christopher Lee. This release comes with a film historian commentary image gallery and trailer. And if you’re a fan of Rock Hudson, the distributor is releasing the Rock Hudson Collection, which includes Blu-rays of the movies Seminole (1953), The Golden Blade (1953) and Bengal Brigade (1954).
Sony are also putting out a great many made-to-order Blu-rays of some of their catalog titles. This week, they include Good Neighbor Sam (1964), The Notorious Landlady (1962), Operation Mad Ball (1967), Phffft (1954) and Under the Yum-Yum Tree (1963). If you’re looking for a theme here, it appears that several of these flicks are comedies starring Jack Lemmon.
Those looking for B-movie kicks will find The Greek Tycoon (1978) on Blu-ray courtesy of Scorpion, Code Red’s release of Henry Silva in Cry of a Prostitute (1974), as well as Sins of the Flesh (1974) on Blu-ray from Mondo Macabro. All of these come have either new scans or 2K upgrades and arrive with various extras that give more insight and background details about the flicks.
Paramount are delivering a 4K Blu-ray upgrade of the popular thriller Collateral (2004) with Tom Hanks and Jamie Foxx. Action movie fans should be excited about a new tin containing a 30th Anniversary 4K upgrade of Total Recall (1990). LionsGate are releasing the Blu-ray and apparently the picture quality is outstanding, as are all of the many bonuses that have also been upconverted. This picture is one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s best and enthusiasts will be pleased.
Those looking for artier fare can pick up a Blu-ray of the French drama Mouchette (1967) from Criterion. This well-regarded arthouse classic from Robert Bresson (Diary of a Country Priest, The Trial of Joan of Arc) arrives with a 2006 film scholar commentary, a 1967 documentary on the making of the movie, a 1967 French TV program detailing the shoot, a trailer and, of course, the movie itself restored in 4K.
The distributor also has Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Two Takes by William Greaves on Blu-ray, which contains the movies Symbiopsychotaxiplasm Take One (1968) and Symbiopsychotaxiplasm Take 2½ (2005). These are documentary/fiction hybrid films in which the director gathers a crew and assigns them to make a movie on the spot, then captures their artistic process as they try to create something on the fly. Both films are given high-definition digital transfers and come with a documentary on the director, interviews with participants in the projects and other extras.
Film Movement are releasing the Japanese action picture, Raining in the Mountain (1979) on Blu-ray. Cohen Media Group have a double-feature disc called The Buster Keaton Collection Volume 4, which contains the comedies Go West (1925) and College (1927).
Finally, Warner Archive have a few made-to-order releases that one can pick up via their site or on Amazon. Their latest additions are the Henry Fonda, James Cagney and Jack Lemmon feature, Mister Roberts (1955). They are also making the very funny comedy Defending Your Life (1991) available for order on DVD. This effort stars Albert Brooks as a man who dies and must prove that he has lived a full and fearless life to a group of jurors in order to proceed to Heaven. It’s a more challenging proposition for the nervous and anxious man than expected. Meryl Streep co-stars as another soul going through the same process.
You Know, For Kids!
Here are some new titles that might appeal to youngsters.
Bobbleheads: The Movie
Curious George: Fun with Animals / Great Outdoors
Little Penguin Pororo’s Dinosaur Island Adventure
On the Tube!
And if you’re looking to catch up some TV programs, here are the latest releases.
American Masters: Keith Haring – Street Art Boy (PBS)
Death in Paradise: Season 9
Father Brown: Season 8
Hallmark 2-Movie Collection: Winter Weekend & One Winter Proposal
Hawaii Five-O: The Complete Series
Instinct: Season 2
NOVA: Secret Mind of Slime (PBS)
The Other One: Series 1
Ransom: The Complete Series
Secrets of Royal Travel (PBS
The Secrets She Keeps (Sundance Series)
The Sommerdahl Murders: Series 1
True Detective: The Complete Seasons 1 – 3
Winter Castle (Hallmark Movie)
Yellowstone: Season 3