Welcome back to another look at new films arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. This is another busy edition filled with all types of features in just about every genre imaginable. So, since you can’t or likely shouldn’t go out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
Big New Releases!
Centigrade – Purported to be based on a true story, this literal chiller tells the story of a pregnant author and her significant other driving through Scandinavia on a book tour. When a winter storm hits the open road, they find themselves buried under ice and snow inside their vehicle. Tensions rise as the pair try to attract attention and find a way out in order to save themselves. This effort received slightly more negative reviews than positive ones. Those who enjoyed it called the movie claustrophobic and the increasingly nasty behavior from the lead characters unsettling to watch. However, more complained that the protagonists were too unlikable and said that they had difficulty buying in to the general concept. It stars Genesis Rodriguez and Vincent Piazza. To read this site’s review of the film, click here.
Collective – In this documentary, team of investigators at the Romanian newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor follow a story lead and uncover a conspiracy. They look into a 2015 tragedy and discover a health-care fraud scam involving local political figures and moguls stealing money, resulting in the unnecessary deaths of numerous citizens. The film crew follows these journalists as they get to the bottom of it all and present their findings. Critics were extremely impressed by this feature, so much so that it received only one mixed review. Everyone else was blown away by the story they had witnessed. They called the movie a shocking expose of horrible people in positions of power, whose crimes wouldn’t have been uncovered were it not for the great work of the writers. This title is making its debut exclusively on DVD.
The Croods: A New Age – This sequel to the animated 2013 feature The Croods continues the story of a prehistoric family. The adventure begins with the protagonists locating a walled-in paradise that provides them with everything and more they would need to survive. However, they soon meet another family squatting on the site. But when a new and dangerous threat appears, the groups must overcome their differences and team up to save the day. The press generally liked this feature. A small group didn’t think the follow-up was unique or funny enough to win them over. Yet the majority felt that it was colorful, well-animated and that there were plenty of laughs and enjoyable moments that would entertain the entire family. The voice cast includes Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Cloris Leachman, Clark Duke, Leslie Mann, Peter Dinklage and Kelly Marie Tran.
Donna – Also known as Donna, Stronger Than Pretty, this independent drama follows three decades in the life of a sweet but downtrodden woman. The lead character finds it difficult to live up the expectations of her traditional Italian family. After enduring years of torment from her conservative husband, she finally finds the courage to stand up for herself and make a new start in her life. Over last year, this low-budget movie managed to earn a few awards at film festivals. There haven’t been many notices written about the picture, but the ones that have appeared have been decent. While one or two found the lead’s character early behavior frustrating, they still complimented the cast and called the movie an empowering ode to women suffering from abuse. If features Kate Amundsen, James Aronson and Sandy Bainum.
Last Call – Here’s another indie drama that has earned some good press. This film involves a misdial that brings together two completely different individuals. When a depressed man about to kill himself calls a suicide hotline, he accidentally ends up speaking to the building’s late-night janitor after she answers the phone. With little knowledge of how to handle the situation, she tries to keep the man engaged in order to convince him to spare his own life. This movie played at a few festivals in 2019 and received awards for its cast and narrative. One or two critics said that the conversation depicted simply couldn’t justify the feature’s running time. Still, the majority appreciated the work of the actors and called the film a personal and compelling depiction of depression. Sarah Booth and Daved Wilkins headline the movie.
The Last Vermeer – This period drama is based on a true story that occurred at the close of World War II. A solider arrives in the Netherlands to investigate eccentric the Dutch artist Han Van Meegeren, who is accused of collaborating with the Nazis and providing them with priceless Vermeer masterpieces. The investigator finds the oddball difficult, but begins to suspect that he may be innocent of the crimes he has been charged with and decides to defend him in court. The majority of write-ups for the movie were positive. A small number found the story fascinating but the execution of the story a little too ordinary, saying that the courtroom drama became tiring. Still, many asserted that Van Meegeren was an engaging character and the details of his scheme were compelling to watch. It stars Guy Pearce, Claes Bang, Vicky Krieps, Roland Møller, August Diehl and Adrian Scarborough.
Mallory – The subject of this documentary is Mallory Grossman, a seemingly happy 12-year-old who loved gymnastics and cheerleading. After suffering endless abuse from bullies both at school and online, this youngster ultimately ended up committing suicide. The feature tells her story and investigates the various parties who participated in the taunting and allowed the behavior to continue (including the school’s staff). The victim’s parents discuss the frustration they felt because of the lack of accountability by those running the institute. It can be assumed that the movie also deals with ways in which these series issues can be addressed. This non-fiction effort is premiering on disc, so as of right now there are no reviews available for it.
Our Quinceañera – Here’s another noteworthy documentary arriving on disc. A film crew travel to a small town in Texas where a high school principal hosts a yearly Quinceañera for students who can’t afford one (for those unfamiliar with such an event, it is a young woman’s 15th birthday celebration). The entire town decides to get involved and the community does its best to inspire students to make their dreams come true and work together to accomplish their goals. This title had screenings at numerous film festivals over the past year and won an audience favorite award at one showing. The film has been available to stream for a few weeks, but it hasn’t been reviewed by the press yet, so interested parties will have to join in without any more details about the party.
Rage – This Australian thriller begins with a violent home invasion that leaves a husband in a coma and a wife in trauma. The man does reawaken and recover, but his significant other is shattered by the ordeal and the couple are told that one of the perpetrators evaded arrest. After going out in public for the day, the wife thinks she recognizes the attacker. This spurs the leads on a journey of revenge, although things may not be as they initially appear. The film hasn’t been seen by many reviewers outside of its home country. However, the write-ups it did receive were solid and the feature also earned faves in its homeland. It has been described as a gripping and tense little feature that includes excellent performances from the leads. The cast includes Matt Theo, Hayley Beveridge, Richard Norton and Tottie Goldsmith.
Redemption Day – A war veteran and hero returns home one day to discover that his wife has been kidnapped by mysterious and sinister forces. Naturally, the protagonist decides to find out why this occurred and retrieve her using any means necessary. The hero wipes out each and every villain he encounters along the way. Alas, the press largely panned this effort. A couple of reviewers admired the actors and the film’s attempts to give the protagonist and his spouse a little more character development than other action pictures. Still, almost everyone else said that the plot was bland and predictable and the fight scenes generic and forgettable. For the time being, this title is being released only on DVD. It features Gary Dourdan, Serinda Swan, Andy Garcia, Ernie Hudson and Martin Donovan.
Red Woods – Some explorers get themselves into trouble after heading out to the Appalachian backwoods to record video of themselves searching abandoned properties. Not long after they arrive, the group begin to suspect that they’ve actually become the stars of someone else’s production… specifically, a psychopath who wants to make a very different kind of movie. It appears as though this found-footage horror effort is debuting on disc, so thus far only a few reviews have appeared on genre sites. These notices state that the movie isn’t half-bad, saying that while the plot was predictable and the movie suffered from a very low-budget, it did have an interesting premise and a well-executed finale. Michael Barnett, Brian E. Stead, Jacquelynn Ware and Justin Rose headline the title.
Sacrifice – This UK horror flick involves a New York man whose Norwegian mother passes away. He and his pregnant wife travel to his birthplace across the Atlantic to sort out legal matters including his inheritance. But while they’re at the old home, dark family secrets are revealed. In fact, the two find themselves being pursued by a sea-monster worshipping cult who want to use them in a bizarre ritual. Response was generally upbeat towards this genre picture. A small group of reviewers called the movie tame and complained that the end results didn’t stand out enough from other titles of its ilk. Still, most countered that the feature was well-photographed, atmospheric, tense and had some creepy moments. This feature is currently a DVD only release. It stars Barbara Crampton, Sophie Stevens, Ludovic Hughes and Lukas Loughran.
Silk Road – Stay off of the “Dark Web”, everyone. This thriller claims to be inspired by real events, detailing the rise of Silk Road, one of these aforementioned websites. When a programmer creates a free online marketplace, he initially believes that he’s going make incredibly sums of money. But it isn’t long before sellers begin using the service to make multimillion-dollar drug deals. This puts the lead’s life in danger from both criminals and a potentially corrupt DEA agent. Critics were split on this film. Half thought that it rushed through proceedings and didn’t ultimately know what it was trying to say about its subject. The same number suggested that there were some thrills and elements that were intriguing enough to earn the flick a recommendation. Jason Clarke, Nick Robinson, Kate Aselton and Jimmi Simpson headline the feature.
Wrong Turn – Based on genre movies, the Appalachian Mountains may be the most dangerous region to visit in the entire world. This remake of the 2003 horror hit sends a new group of youths to the area. While hiking, they encounter a group of maniacs living the mountains ready to rob, murder and eat them. As they’re being attacked, one of their dads attempts to locate and rescue them. This creeper earned slightly more positive reviews than it did negative ones. Some were critical of the movie’s tonal shifts and stated that it didn’t properly resolve several of its plot threads. However, the majority suggested that while it was uneven, there were some effective jolts and eerie scenes that would please horror enthusiasts. It features Charlotte Vega, Adain Bradley, Bill Sage, Emma Dumont and Matthew Modine.
Blasts from the Past!
While there are plenty of new titles this week, there are just as many classic features receiving new Blu-ray releases. Arrow are presenting a new Steelbook edition of the classic, An American Werewolf in London (1981). Those who remember the earlier disc release from last year will know that this incredible movie came with an assortment of new documentaries and incredible bonuses features. If you didn’t pick it up the earlier version, you can now get the same release packaged in a Steelbook with brand new art.
The distributor is also releasing a Special Edition Blu-ray of the Japanese grindhouse feature, Shogun’s Joy of Torture (1968). It’s a horror anthology from cult director Teruo Ishii (perhaps better known at the time for his Yakuza crime features) involving several disturbing tales that ultimately involve extreme forms of punishment and abuse. The disc includes a commentary from a Japanese cinema authority, a discussion with another expert on the genre, a segment with a critic detailing the history of this subgenre, as well as publicity materials for the film.
Kino are debuting some Blu-ray titles that have never been released in high definition. The first is for the beach-party comedy, The Allnighter (1987). This one starred Suzanna Hoffs (lead singer of the rock band, The Bangles) and follows her character as she searches for “Mr. Right” at the biggest celebration of the year. You’ll get a commentary with star Hoffs and her mother (who directed the feature), a film historian audio track, a music video for the film and a trailer.
Speaking of musicians taking on acting roles, Hard to Hold (1984) is also arriving on Blu-ray. This drama features performer Rick Springfield (of “Jessie’s Girl” fame) as a rock star who finds himself falling for a child psychologist and intellectual. The flick featured several original songs from the performer, including the top 40 hit, “Love Somebody” as well as tunes by Peter Gabriel and Graham Parker. The Blu-ray arrives with a commentary with director Larry Peerce, a second track with an entertainment journalist, a trailer and 11 radio spots.
The same distributor is putting out a double-feature Blu-ray of dramas The Other Side of the Mountain (1975) and The Other Side of the Mountain: Part II (1978), which follow a young ski champion who is paralyzed in an accident, but manages to make a new start in life after falling in love. Director Larry Peerce (who also helmed Hard to Hold) appears in a bonus interview on the release. Trailers are also included on the disc.
They also have a Blu-ray of the German feature Port of Freedom (1944), a melancholy drama set in Europe. The narrative was shot during WWII and reportedly is a great example of how filmmakers were able to get around rules imposed by the Third Reich in order to create humanist dramas with anti-Nazi undertones. The movie has been given a 4K color restoration and arrives with a film historian commentary.
Criterion are releasing a Blu-ray of the award-winning independent drama, Chop Shop (2007). The story follows a struggling orphan who finds work at an auto-body garage in Queens. This disc includes a director-approved high-definition digital transfer of the feature. Filmmaker Ramin Bahrani also provides a commentary track and a new conversation about the movie with most of the cast and crew. In addition, there’s a special that includes the director and writer in conversation, and rehearsal footage of the cast just before the shoot.
They also have an earlier feature from writer/director Bahrani called, Man Push Cart (2005). It’s a well-received drama about a famous Pakistani rock star who moves to the US and ends up selling coffee from a cart in Manhattan. This Blu-ray also includes a director-approved transfer, an audio commentary, a new conversation featuring Bahrani with the cast and crew, a conversation featuring the moviemaker and a movie scholar, as well as an early short film by the director.
Film Movement are presenting a Blu-ray of the UK comedy, The Belles of St. Trinian’s (1954), starring Alastair Sim. Performing in drag, he plays a headmistress trying to stop his female students from betting on horses. The situation is complicated when the kids find a surprising amount of success at the racetrack. This disc comes with a featurette on the production, a movie historian interview, a discussion of the film with a film studies lecturer, a talk with Alastair Sim’s daughter and another analysis featuring a professor of British cinema.
This week, Paramount are rereleasing some titles on Blu-ray at discounted prices. They’re mostly Miramax titles that were acquired when the studio was shut down and will likely be identical to previous editions. The titles arriving this week are Chasing Amy (1997), Doubt (2008), a double-feature disc including Ella Enchanted (2004) and Finding Neverland (2004), as well as dramas The English Patient (1996), Frida (2002), Gone Baby Gone (2007) and the Bruce Willis action picture, Hostage (2005).
The studio is also putting out the John Hughes: 5-Movie Collection Blu-ray box-set. You’ll get most of Paramount’s selections that were produced with Hughes, including Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), Pretty in Pink (1986), She’s Having a Baby (1988) and Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) Not bad for those looking to pick up a bunch of the filmmaker’s titles in one jam-packed release.
And there’s more. Paramount have Blu-rays of Lady Sings the Blues (1972) with Diana Ross and Richard Pryor, Like Water for Chocolate (1992), Paid in Full (2002), The Queen (2006), Rounders (1998), Shakespeare in Love (1998), Sling Blade (1996) and Danny Boyle’s exceptional comedy/drama, Trainspotting (1996).
B-movie fans can pick up some horror pictures in high-definition courtesy of Severin. This week, they are distributing a Blu-ray of The Attic Expeditions (2001), a genre picture with a great cast that includes Seth Green, Jeffrey Combs, Ted Raimi, Wendy Robie and Alice Cooper. The movie has been newly scanned in 2K from the original negative and the disc is said to contain some fun extras.
They also have a new Blu-ray of the German mad-scientist flick, Castle of the Creeping Flesh (1968). This release comes with archival interviews with the cast, a locations featurette, alternate opening sequences, a Q&A from an Austrian film festival and trailers. And the distributor is releasing a Blu-ray of Plague Town (2008), about a tourist family lost in the Irish countryside who get attacked in a remote village. This disc includes the uncensored version of the film, a director and producer commentary, a making-of documentary, a behind-the-scenes featurette, a look at the sound design, a trailer and shorts from the filmmaker.
Troma are presenting one of their catalog titles on Blu-ray as well. Nightbeast (1982) is a monster movie that features one of the first credits of future writer/producer/director J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Star Trek and the TV-series Alias and Lost). He did the score and sound design for this independent horror flick. And Media Blasters are releasing the horror/comedy Late Fee (2009) on Blu-ray.
Discotek are presenting the Japanese animated feature 5 Centimeters per Second (2007) in high definition. The director of this feature went on to make the recent anime successes Your Name. and Weathering with You. They also have Lupin III: The Columbus Files (1999), another animated film from Japan based on the manga series about the famous thief.
Finally, Warner Archive are making some notable titles available as made-to-order Blu-rays. My Dream is Yours (1949) is a musical/comedy with Doris Day that incorporates animated characters. It’s about a single mother with a great voice who finds herself replacing a popular singer on a TV show. They also have a reimagining of a popular children’s book character with the Swedish/US coproduction of The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (1988). I vaguely remember this movie playing at theaters back in the day, but had completely forgotten that it had even existed. It’s great to see the film find the light of day once again. On Moonlight Bay (1951) is another Doris Day musical getting the high-definition treatment.
One Blu-ray title that will be of serious interest to readers of a certain age is Pump Up the Volume (1990). This drama starred Christian Slater as a high-school pirate radio broadcaster who causes a stir around town with his confessional monologues about teenage life. It had a popular soundtrack that included tunes by Sonic Youth, The Pixies, The Beastie Boys, Ice-T, Soundgarden, Concrete Blonde and Leonard Cohen. The movie became a big success on cable and home video and has steadily grown a cult following since its original release. And director Allan Moyle, who was also responsible for the music-themed Times Square, would shoot another cult flick in a similar vein called Empire Records just five years later. This release includes a trailer for the film.
And the final Blu-ray release of the week is the musical and Oscar-nominee Show Boat (1951) with Kathryn Grayson and Ava Gardner.
You Know, For Kids!
Here are some new releases that may appeal to children.
Banana and the Curious Bunch: Season 2 (Japanese)
The Croods: 2-Movie Collection (2013 and 2020)
The Croods: A New Age
On the Tube!
And these are the week’s TV-themed releases.
American Experience: The Codebreaker (PBS)
Betty White’s Pet Set: The Complete 1971 Series DVD (PBS)
Robert Kirkman’s Secret History of Comics: Season 1 (2017 AMC series)
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season 1 (1987 – 1988) Blu-ray