Hello and welcome to another look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. Like the previous week, there are a great deal of new flicks arriving on store shelves in a variety of genres. 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!
After She Wakes – This psychological horror film involves a narcoleptic mother who has lost her infant in a tragic accident. Following the death, she attempts to deal with her grief. However, she starts having strange visions of someone watching her in the night and begins suffering from sleep paralysis begin. The condition has adverse effects on the woman and her family and they try to find out if the strange figure watching her might be real. This independent title hasn’t played at film festivals and appears to be debuting on disc, so there aren’t any reviews available as of yet. Those curious to find out what is going on will have to take a chance on the picture. Nicola Lambo, Conrad Goode and Micah Joe Parker headline the flick.
Blowing Up Right Now – Set in Los Angeles during the onset of a nuclear missile crisis, this low-budget, independent comedy follows a young couple going through a tense and unfriendly separation. Things get worse when they’re forced to board themselves in together while waiting for a potential strike to occur in their neighborhood. There isn’t a whole lot of information about the picture, other than that the director’s credits include episodes of the TV mini-series, Empty Spaces. Sounds like an interesting enough idea, so let’s hope the team involved can make the most of it. The movie features Danny Jolles and Sujata Day.
Cruel Hearts – Here’s another indie feature arriving on disc for those looking to enjoy some homemade cinema. This one is a thriller about a guy who discovers that the woman he’s been having an intimate relationship with is married. Not only that, but her husband is a mobster being targeted by federal agents. In order to try and mend fences, the lead comes clean to the crime figure and the two begin to form an uneasy friendship. This title has played at a few film festivals and is now arriving on disc. There has only been a single write-up so far, but it is a positive one, calling it an entertaining little feature with an unusual concept. The cast includes Melora Hardin, Eddie Jemison, Bonnie Root and Marion Kerr.
First Love – The early part of this week’s edition is chock-full of smaller titles. This low-budget drama involves a famous actress who suffers a nervous breakdown and goes into hiding at a Venice Beach property. Her estranged twin brother works as a writer and is suddenly forced into making a big decision. He can either sell a tell-all book about his sister’s life or turn down the cash and focus on trying to help with her rehabilitation. There haven’t been too many notices yet, and the most notable response is a middling one. It states that the film is nice, but that the dialogue and screenplay feel like a first draft in need of some fine tuning. Annie Heise, Aaron Costa Ganis and Arye Gross take on the lead roles.
Ford v Ferrari – This Oscar-nominated biopic details the intense rivalry between car manufacturers Ford and Ferrari. Ford hires car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles to update and create the fastest car on the road to beat their competition at Le Mans. The two eccentrics end up shaking things up and frustrating their bosses as they attempt to get the job done. The press enjoyed this feature. A very small group complained about the length and didn’t find the story behind the events all that thrilling. However, the vast majority were very impressed with the technical skills on display and thought the cast effectively brought the story to life. It stars Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal, Caitriona Balfe, Tracy Letts and Josh Lucas. To read this site’s review of the film, click here.
The Great War – The final days of WWI are the backdrop for this tale, which follows a regimen of African-American “Buffalo Soldiers” trapped behind enemy lines. One of them manages to break free and is teamed with a group of white soldiers to locate and rescue his troop. Critics didn’t have many positive comments about this action drama. One or two thought that while some of the elements were anachronistic, the movie made the most of its small budget. Unfortunately, the consensus was that the limited resources, historical inaccuracies and inability to stage the action effectively hurt the film and made it feel cliched. The cast includes Hiram A. Murray, Aaron Courteau, Bates Wilder, Billy Zane and Ron Perlman.
Greener Grass – Set in a bizarre, surreal and brightly-colored suburbia, this tale follows the lives of two oddly competitive soccer moms. When one of the leads welcomes a new child into the family, her best friend begins to systematically try to take control of her life. While this is going on, a “psycho yoga teacher killer” causes terror throughout the neighborhood. The press was very amused by what they saw in this dark comedy. A few simply couldn’t get on its wavelength and found it too odd to appreciate. Yet most called the film very funny, suggesting it was a unique, mesmerizingly strange and a fun satire of the suburbs sure to become a cult favorite. It features Jocelyn DeBoer, Dawn Luebbe, Beck Bennett and Neil Casey.
Hell on the Border – This western is based on the true story of Bass Reeves, the first black marshal appointed in Arkansas. Newly hired and out to prove himself in the position, he is asked to hunt down a vicious and threatening outlaw. As he and another lawman head into the wilderness, they are forced to dodge bullets and the deal with racist elements in the region. Reaction towards this picture was mixed. There was a group who liked the leads and thought that the movie was a fun, if not entirely accurate, western biopic. Just as many stated that the movie resorted to the standard genre tropes and noted that the strong cast deserved a whole lot better. It stars David Gyasi, Frank Grillo, Randy Wayne, Ron Perlman and Zahn McClarnon.
In Fabric – Watch out for cursed dresses! This British horror flick starts off at a department store that happens to carry one. The movie follows the clothing as it is passed on to a new owner, a recently divorced woman struggling to make ends meet. It isn’t long before the article seems to cause death and violence upon whomever it comes into contact with. Reviews were really strong for the picture. Only a few reviewers disliked it, stating that the concept was over-extended and that the plot ultimately went in the wrong direction. Still, the overwhelming majority wrote that this was an extremely stylish, gruesome and darkly funny horror picture that also poked fun at fashion and consumerism. Manianne Jean-Baptiste, Hayley Squires, Leo Bill, Julian Baratt and Steve Cram headline the film.
Line of Descent – A Delhi crime family is at the center of this drama. Three brothers fight over the future of their organization, with one member making arrangements with arms dealers and maneuvering within the clan to take control from his siblings. As this occurs, an undercover police officer infiltrates the family and attempts to thwart all of their plans. There aren’t a lot of reviews for this one in North America yet, but a couple have popped up online. One thought it was a misfire that suffered from strange pacing and the insertion of seemingly random elements. Another liked how the film focused on the sibling rivalry and thought that the addition of the cop later in the film was an enjoyable surprise. It stars Prem Chopra, Abhay Deol, Ronit Roy, Neeraj Kabi and Brendan Fraser.
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sounds – Ever watch the Academy Awards and wonder what the difference is between Sound Editing and Sound Mixing? This documentary deals with the world of film sound and hopefully will answer the above question. Using interviews, movie clips and footage taken in the recording studio, it shows how sound designers work to help create a specific audio landscape for every movie. Overall, the press really enjoyed this piece. Only one or two complained, saying the presentation of material was lacking. Every other review called it unexpectedly exciting and informative, helping to give any viewer a detailed look at the audio technicians and the amazing skill that goes into their craft. Some of the filmmakers interviewed include Sofia Coppola, Ang Lee, David Lynch, George Lucas, Walter Murch, Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg.
Roma – If you don’t happen to have Netflix and have been looking to catch up with some of their big awards winners, a deal has been reached between the streaming service and Criterion for the release of several titles on disc. This week, they’re putting out Roma, the winner of last year’s Oscars for Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Foreign-language Film. Set in Mexico City during the early 1970s, it follows the life struggles of a domestic worker and the family who employs her. As you might have already guessed, the film earned nothing but raves. A few did critique its use of long takes and its slow pace, but literally everyone called it a gorgeously shot and compelling display of the era. It stars Yalitza Aparicio and Marina de Tavira.
Suburban Birds – After a fracture in a suburban community opens up from the ground and the neighborhood is cleared out, a team of engineers are sent in to investigate. After wandering into abandoned primary school, one of the crew finds the diary of a student and reads the sad child’s written account of a splintering within his social group. The lead begins to find connections between his experiences and that of the youngsters in the text. This foreign-language co-production between China and Taiwan earned a positive response from critics. A few thought it was too leisurely in its storytelling and could have been 30 minutes shorter. However, most complimented the film for creating a quiet, low-key and curious mystery that fascinates throughout. It features Lu Huang, Mason Lee and Gong Zihan.
The Wave – An insurance lawyer gets word of an imminent promotion and decides to celebrate by taking a trip with his co-worker. However, after being dosed with a psychotropic drug, he experiences bizarre and surreal visions that fuse his past and present. The protagonist attempts to make sense of it all and determine what around him is actually happening. This independent feature earned more positive write-ups than it did negative ones. The pans said that the movie got bogged down in it surrealness and couldn’t pull everything together in a satisfying way. However, the majority called it distinctive and enjoyed its weirdness its sci-fi weirdness. Justin Long, Donald Faison, Tommy Flanagan, Sheila Vand and Katia Winter headline the film.
West No More – This little documentary follows the trail of two young men who set out to learn about life in Colorado during the 1860s. They decide to do it by hiking the 500-mile Colorado trail, in order to get a sense of the challenges people would have experienced during this era. Apparently, the story starts with the early part of their trek, which initially goes well but begins to go terribly wrong about one-third of the way through. Freezing, beaten up by the elements and argumentative, the men stop their massive endeavor. The pair return a few years later to make amends and come to a conclusion about what the trip taught them. There are no reviews right now for this title and it appears to be debuting on disc, so interested parties will have to take on the journey without much preparation.
Blasts from the Past!
It’s a very busy week for older films receiving high definition upgrades. VCI are releasing a Blu-ray of the Mexican horror picture, Even the Wind is Afraid (1977). It’s about a college student who has recurring dreams about a death in the school’s bell tower. As she learns more about the history of the site, she begins to wonder if these visions are actually premonitions. This hard-to-find thriller is well-regarded and was remade in 2007. The disc appears to carry English subtitles for the Spanish-language feature.
Shout! have a really fun title this week with the Blu-ray Collector’s Edition of My Bloody Valentine (1981). This slasher is about a bunch of kids in a small town who get targeted by a psychopathic killer dressed in full mining gear. Could it be one of six miners who were killed in an explosion some decades earlier, or is the responsible party just using the legend as cover?
This independent film from Canada was an attempt to cash-in on the horror craze following the success of Friday the 13th (1980). In order to stand out, they strove to make the murders more exaggerated and over-the-top than their competition, but the MPAA chopped much of the onscreen violence out. Over the following decades the movie has developed a cult following, with many fans hoping that the uncut footage would eventually be found reinstated. About a decade ago, LionsGate attempted to do this and add in rough elements from the cutting room floor, although the product looked pretty rough.
Shout! have finally done the impossible and are releasing a 2-disc set which includes 4K scans of the theatrical version and the uncut original camera negative – which means everything now looks perfect. You’ll get a new director commentary on the unrated cut, as well as interviews with the filmmaker, cast members, the make-up department and a look at the differences between the two versions (apparently, more than two full minutes of eye-popping gore footage was excised from the original release). You’ll also get a panel discussion on the film featuring everyone involved in the production, a performance of the film’s folk tune about the killer and all of the publicity materials. Sounds like an amazing disc!
Kino have some great stuff as well. First is the Rudolph Valentino romance, Blood and Sand (1922), about a bullfighter who falls in love with two women. The Blu-ray includes a film historian commentary track, a filmed introduction with Orson Welles, a parody film starring Will Rogers, a trailer, an audio recording of the love theme and footage of the star’s funeral procession (he passed away in 1926 at age 31).
They are also putting out a DVD of the well-regarded TV-movie, Leave Yesterday Behind (1978). It stars John Ritter as a polo player who is paralyzed from the waist down after being thrown from his horse. Carrie Fisher and Robert Urich co-star.
Back on the Blu-ray front, you can now pick up the Ivan Reitman comedy, Legal Eagles (1986). This was the filmmaker’s follow-up to Ghostbusters and starred Robert Redford as a district attorney who gets involved with a defense attorney (Debra Winger) and her client (Daryl Hannah), who is on trial for murder. The movie was a modest success, but the production was said to be difficult and apparently there were reshoots including numerous different endings. Alas, that missing footage has not been found and included in this edition, but the disc does come with a trailer and making-of featurette.
They also have a sequel in The Sting II (1983). This follow-up to the 1973 classic featured neither of the original stars, but tells another boxing-themed con job. Jackie Gleeson, Mac Davis, Teri Garr and Oliver Reed appear. The Blu-ray comes with a new director commentary and a trailer.
Nobody… and I mean nobody… is going to mistake the New World Pictures comedy, Transylvania 6-5000 (1985), for being a classic. It’s a slapstick flick about two tabloid reporters who travel to the title locale and meet up with comic versions of various monsters. However, those who grew up with the movie may have a soft spot for it and will likely be impressed with all of the famous faces featured in the cast, including Jeff Goldblum, Ed Begley Jr., Geena Davis, Carol Kane, Michael Richards, John Byner and many others. The Blu-ray features a new 4K restoration of the film (presumably so that it can be permanently preserved), a filmmaker commentary, three TV spots and two trailers. That means the movie can finally be enjoyed, “…as you Americans say, until the cows come home.”
Mill Creek, known for putting out bare-bones but inexpensive Blu-rays, have found themselves a nifty little selling point by releasing titles with slipcase packaging that looks exactly like old VHS rental copies. I must admit, it’s a clever idea and the artwork featured looks perfect. This week, they’re putting out several more of their retro-boxed titles, including the underrated Bruce Willis comedy, Hudson Hawk (1991) and the Richard Gere/Kim Basinger thriller, No Mercy (1986).
They also have the Jeff Goldblum/Cyndi Lauper rom-com, Vibes (1988) on Blu-ray but with its original VHS cover packaging. I completely missed this one during its original run and those old covers certainly make me want to hand over $10 bucks just to see what I missed. One thing that horror fans certainly won’t want to pass over is their rerelease with slipcover of When a Stranger Calls (1979). Not only does it have a great retro art, but the movie features one of the most chilling opening scenes in horror film history.
Altered Innocence is putting out a Blu-ray of a more recent release, You’ll Never Be Alone (2016). It’s a Spanish-language feature made in Chile about a wax-mannequin store owner who tries to help his cross-dressing teenage son after the boy suffers a violent attack. The disc includes trailers of the company’s other releases.
Scorpion have the independent crime thriller, The Killing Time (1987). This one stars Kiefer Sutherland as a psychopath who murders a cop who is on his way to start a new job as sheriff in a seaside town. The killer takes up his position in the community while plotting his next move. The movie has been given a brand-new remaster for its Blu-ray debut.
Some independent horror-themed releases are also arriving on Blu-ray. Massacre Video has the Hong Kong horror picture, The Devil (1981) which features a hideously ugly witch tormenting victims using her magical powers. It is arriving uncut with a 4K restoration and includes a video version of the film and a collection of stills as bonuses. Troma fans can pick up a 20th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray of Terror Firmer (1999). It is a 2-disc set with an updated picture that comes loaded with extras, so fans should be pleased with the release.
If you’re interested in B-movie fodder, you can also pick up a DVD of Destroyer (1988) from Cheezy Flicks. This movie stars ex-football player Lyle Alzado as a serial killer who is given the electric chair but survive in order to hunt co-stars Anthony Perkins and Deborah Foreman.
Luck be a lady! Warner Archive are finally offering up a few of their catalog titles as made-to-order Blu-rays. They include the famous musical, Guys and Dolls (1955) as well as A Little Romance (1979) and the period music-drama, Sparkle (1976).
You Know, For Kids!
Here are a few new titles that may appeal to young children.
Let’s Go Luna! Friendship Around the World (PBS)
PBS Kids: 15 Frozen Tales (PBS)
On the Tube!
And these are the week’s TV-related releases.
American Experience: McCarthy (PBS)
Game of Thrones: Season 8 (New Box Art)
Gunsmoke: Season 18
Gunsmoke: Season 19
Let’s Go Luna! Friendship Around the World (PBS)
Love Unleashed (Hallmark TV-movie)
NOVA: The Violence Paradox (PBS)
Preacher: The Final Season
Swamp Thing: The Complete Series