Welcome back to another look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. Lots of quirky and interesting flicks arriving including one which may become a cult film. So, since you likely can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
Big New Releases!
1BR – A young LA woman on the lookout for a new place to live thinks she’s discovered the apartment of her dreams on a quiet street with friendly neighbors. Unfortunately, that soon changes after she moves in. Strange noises wake her in the middle of the night, her cat disappears, and the mannerisms of those around her begin to seem threatening. Frightened, the protagonist much figure out exactly what is happening and try to save herself. Response towards this independent horror picture was quite positive. There were a couple of reviewers who didn’t like where the story ended up and called it a missed opportunity. However, the consensus was that the film was tense, disturbing, and generally sent chills down the spine. It features Nicole Brydon Bloom, Giles Matthey and Taylor Nichols.
Agony – This indie feature was made back in 2017, but has taken a long time to reach this part of the world. It was made available for online streaming a few weeks back and is now being released on disc. The plot involves a New York woman who is called away to Tuscany after her mother dies. As she tries to get her family affairs in order, she uncovers visions of a forgotten childhood. The protagonist also finds herself being tormented by a spectral woman dressed in red. Due to the fact that this title has been hard to come by, there aren’t a lot of write-ups available for the movie. One that did appear online called it a creepy and atmospheric psychological horror film. However, there are also notices out there stating that the movie is flat and uninvolving… so who knows what to expect? The cast includes Asia Argento, Jonathan Caouette and Franco Nero.
And Then We Danced – In the city of Tbilisi, a young and talented dancer works hard to impress his instructors and make it into the National Georgian Ensemble. He’s suddenly put off his game by the arrival of a new and rebellious student. The two not only become competitive, but develop an attraction to one another, which also causes conflict between the lead and his own dance partner. This foreign-language coming-of-age tale was well-received by the press. A small contingent found it overly melodramatic. Still, almost all others stated that it was an effective feature with excellent dancing sequences and great performances, perfectly capturing the confusion and awkwardness many feel during their formative years. Levan Gelbakhiani and Bachi Valishvili headline the feature.
Beanpole – Set in Leningrad, Russia after the close of WWII, this foreign-language effort tells the story of two women living amid the city ruins and trying to rebuild their lives. One of the leads is a nurse suffering from PTSD from the events of the preceding years that results in bouts of paralysis, while the other has a condition that causes her to act out against others in a cruel manner. When a new family tragedy strikes one of the protagonists, the two are brought together and try to overcome the issues in their lives. Critics raved about this effort. A few did call it tough to watch and suggested that the filmmakers tried a bit too hard to add one complication after another. The rest described the movie as gorgeous to look at and said the characters were unusual and unique. Viktoria Miroshnichenko and Vasilisa Perelygina take on the lead roles.
The Blackout: Invasion Earth – If you’d rather watch a Russian flick with a less dramatic bent, you could also try this sci-fi picture. A strange force causes a blackout and all communication between cities around the world is completely shut down. One small region in Eastern Europe somehow manages to maintain power. When a group of soldiers decide to venture outside of their bubble, they discover corpses everywhere. The protagonists try to determine if they’re the world’s only survivors and what strange entity is wiping out all of humanity. It appears as though this foreign-language title (which is also known simply as The Blackout) is debuting on disc in this part of the world, and so very little is known about it at this time. After scouring the internet, there are some online write-ups that call the flick a reasonable if overlong sci-fi effort with some solid action. It stars Aleksey Chadov, Pyotr Fyodorov and Svetlana Ivanova.
Closeness (Tesnota) – Here’s yet another Russian production arriving on disc. Set in the 1990s, the story involves a Jewish couple in a small town who are kidnapped for ransom by thugs. The situation brings up deeply rooted preexisting issues between the couple. Even worse, as parents and officials come together to negotiate for the release of the hostages, various prejudices and disagreements erupt between them, causing even more tension. The foreign-language title was well-received by the press. A couple of them were very bothered by some of the decisions made over the course of the film and found the characters difficult to like. Yet the overwhelming majority felt the grim approach was part of the point and thought that this was a tough and blunt but effective feature. The cast includes Atrem Cipin, Olga Dragunova and Veniamin Kac.
Doom: Annihilation – The video game Doom was previously made into a live-action film back in 2005, and reaction towards that adaptation was tepid. The latest adaptation tells a similar story of marines who receive a distress signal and are sent to a secret base in outer space. When they arrive, they quickly determine that the site has been overrun by slimy alien monsters. They must fight off the onslaught in order to survive. Reaction was split among critics. Half thought that it was an improvement over the previous movie version that would please fans of the first-person shooter game. Yet just as many called it a dull slog to sit through, with uninteresting characters and few surprises. The cast includes Amy Manson, Dominic Mafham, Luke Allen-Gale and James Weber Brown.
Everfall – In this independent horror film, a young figure skater with a bright future suffers a tragedy that sidelines her career. Even worse, the accident causes her relationship with a TV reality show host to falter. When the athlete receives an invitation to return to the ice and compete at a mysterious tournament, she decides to attend. The lead takes her estranged beau and a camera crew to document the experience. They soon find that things aren’t quite right at the site. Could the rink be haunted? This picture was made back in 2017 and is now finally arriving on disc (it has been available to watch on a couple of streaming services for a few months). There aren’t any critic reviews available, but online views have been very negative, calling the story incredibly silly and the final result ineffective. It features Jessica McLeod, Joe Perry, Kristian Wang and Colm Feore.
Extra Ordinary – A lonely Irish driving instructor with supernatural abilities finds her gifts a burden rather than a gift. She spends her days fending off the comments and strange requests of locals in her home town. One day, an upset father arrives and begs the lead for her assistance. It seems his daughter has hooked up with a rock star who has made a pact with the devil. Knowing that the girl’s life is in jeopardy, the protagonist decides to help out and try to save the day. This Ireland/UK horror/comedy earned raves from critics. It only received one or two write-ups that were mixed and even those weren’t terrible, merely mentioning that the movie could have done a bit more with its conceit. The consensus was that this feature was hilarious and featured enjoyably quirky and likable characters. Sounds like this could be a potential cult film. It stars Maeve Higgins, Barry Ward, Will Forte and Claudia O’Doherty.
Juice: How Electricity Explains the World – This documentary isn’t so much about electricity itself as how availability and access to a power grid can alter a country and the way it operates. The filmmakers travel 60,000 miles to various locations around the world and interview people from seven countries on five continents. According to the press synopsis, these discussions details how electricity can alter people’s attitudes towards women’s rights, climate change, cryptocurrency and other issues. The doc also details how adding a power grid can give citizens access to new information and make their lives better. This picture is debuting on disc, so interested parties will have to give it a try without knowing the specifics in order to see just how enlightening it is.
Rewind – Here’s another non-fiction feature attempting to shed more light onto its subject… in this case, filmmaker Sasha Joseph Neulinger. As a child, his father recorded just about everything that he ever did. This included attending birthday parties, social events and even time spent hanging around the house. Some time ago, Nuelinger decided to go through all of this old footage and uncovered a dark and hidden secret that resulted in a shocking revelation. He tells his story in this documentary and revisits the footage in the hopes of finding some sense of healing. This title earned plenty of praise and positive notices. Almost all of the write-ups stated that the movie was powerful and upsetting, detailing a history of abuse and showing how one individual can heal and recover from a series of horrific experiences.
Robert the Bruce – This biopic relays the story of historical figure Robert the Bruce. After the death of William Wallace at the beginning of the 14th century, Bruce takes the title of Scottish King and continues to lead his people in the fight against English rule. After a series of crippling losses, the wounded protagonist is cast adrift by his supporters and ends up on the run. Still, he continues to try and find a way to earn the country its freedom. Alas, the press wasn’t quite as enamored with this tale as they were with Braveheart. Close to half of reviewers thought it was an overstuffed but interesting feature with exceptional cinematography. Unfortunately, slightly more thought that the film focused far too much on secondary characters, leaving its protagonist in the background of the proceedings. It stars Angus Macfadyen, Jared Harris, Anna Hutchinson, Patrick Fugit, Emma Kenney and Zach McGowan.
Witches in the Woods – A university freshman decides to take a break from her educational pursuits to go on a snowboarding trip. In a horror film, these kinds of decisions always result in death and despair. She and her friends drive out into the wilderness in her SUV and become lost. Even worse, the vehicle runs out of gas. Soon, they realize that they are stuck in an area once home to witches. The vacationers begin to turn on one another and panic, thinking they may soon come under attack. Reaction wasn’t overly enthusiastic towards this creeper. While a few wrote that the movie was capably made and offered a scenic and creepy backdrop, most complained that the story and interest level dipped considerably once the characters started acting out and following their worst impulses. It features Hannah Kasuka, Craig Arnold, Sasha Clements and Corbin Bleu.
Blasts from the Past!
There are plenty of older titles also getting spiffy new upgrades. Shout! Factory have a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray of the all-star drama, Glengarry Glen Ross (1992). Written by famous playwright David Mamet, it involves a panicked series of real estate agents whose jobs are on the line while they try to close a group of sales as quickly as they can. The cast includes Al Pacino (who was nominated for an Oscar for his part), Alec Baldwin, Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Jonathan Pryce and Kevin Spacey. The movie has been given a new 4K transfer of the original camera negative, a conversation with director James Foley, a talk with Joe Mantegna who recounts his own experiences working with David Mamet, an archived commentary track with director Foley, a second with co-star Lemmon, and a third featuring snippets from the entire cast, as well as a documentary on the feature.
They also have the Japanese animated film Tokyo Godfathers (2003). This movie tells the story of three homeless people who find a baby in the trash on Christmas Eve and set out to locate the infant’s parents. It was nominated for several awards and arrives on disc newly mastered in 4K. You’ll also get a newly recorded English language dub, a making of, several featurettes on the production, an animated short from the director and other bonuses.
Kino are delivering several Blu-rays as well. Let’s Kill Uncle (1966) is a horror/comedy from William Castle (House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler, 13 Ghosts, Homicidal) about a 12-year orphan who inherits a massive estate and must fight for survival when his uncle, next in line to the family fortune, plots to have the boy killed. When the boy and his new friend discover his relative’s plans, they start to use his own tricks against him. You’ll get a new 2K master of the film and interview with the movie’s lead actor, a film historian commentary and two theatrical trailers. It should be interesting to catch up with this lesser-known effort from the filmmaker on Blu-ray.
They also have The Queen (1968), one of the first documentaries about competitive drag competitions. It was shot during the 1967 competition, which featured artist Andy Warhol and writer Terry Southern as judges. This Blu-ray includes a producer audio commentary, outtake footage, trailers, an interview with the producer, a featurette with more outtakes, another short film on the subject, two additional short documentaries on the competition and drag culture, along with a Q&A with the producer and moviemaker from its time of release.
You can also pick up They Came from Beyond Space (1967) on Blu-ray. This British sci-fi flick is about a government agent who attempts to stop an alien invasion who are attempting to use mind control on their human prey, turning them into sinister soldiers. However, they can’t get into the protagonist’s brain due to an injury that has left him with a metal plate in his head. The hero ends up doing his best to take them down (and perhaps even using their own weapons against them). You’ll get a new 4K master of the movie, a film historian audio commentary and a trail as extras.
Scorpion are putting out a couple of interesting genre Blu-rays as well. The first is for the Lucio Fulci horror flick, The Gates of Hell (1980) aka City of the Living Dead. As you might have guessed, this is about a portal opening from Hell into our world. Various zombies and undead beings cross over and tear apart unfortunate victims. This limited edition disc comes loaded with new features, including a new 2020 4K restoration from the original camera negative (with new color grading), a film historian audio commentary, an audio Commentary with director of photography Sergio Salvati and camera operator Roberto Forges Davanzati, You’ll also get an interview with writer Dardano Sacchetti, a discussion with actress Catriona MacColl, talks with the camera operator, production designer, the cinematographer, the special effects head, father and son actors Venantino and Luca Venantini. There’s also a video appreciation of the film, a Fulci career retrospective, a video essay on Fulci and the Italian zombie cycle, alternate title sequences, trailers, TV spots and radio spots.
If action titles are more to your liking, then Scorpion also have a Blu-ray of the well-regarded Charles Bronson action flick, The Mechanic (1972) aka Killer of Killers. It’s about an aging hit man who teaches the tricks of the trade to a young yet cruel pupil. Soon, the two are forced into deadly conflict with one another. The disc includes a new 2K scan from the inter-positive, a new interview with writer Lewis John Carlino, a new audio commentary with author Paul Talbot (Bronson’s Loose book series) and a theatrical trailer. If either of the Scorpion titles are of interest to readers, your best bet is to order them directly through the roninflix.com website.
On a completely different note, rustlers and wranglers might be amused to hear that Paramount are releasing a 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray of the John Travolta/Debra Winger drama, Urban Cowboy (1980). This effort is about a small-town cowboy who moves to Houston, falls in love and quickly marries a young lady. However, life in the big city is more complicated than he expected. He soon finds his wife’s attentions been drawn towards others at a local bar. The lead enters an electrical bull riding rodeo in order to try and win her heart back. Special features include a digital copy of the movie, a look back at the feature, new deleted scenes, outtakes and rehearsal footage.
And for those who enjoy B-movies and have the cast to spare, Severin are releasing a massive Blu-ray box set called Al Adamson: The Masterpiece Collection (1960 – 2019). It contains 32 of his films (including Psycho A Go-Go, Horror of the Blood Monsters, Dracula vs. Frankenstein and others) on 14 discs and comes with a book about the man and his career. One assumes it also comes loaded with extras.
You Know, For Kids!
Here are some titles that may appeal to children.
PAW Patrol: Mighty Pups Charged Up (Nickelodeon)
Wild Kratts: Around the World Adventures (PBS Kids)
On the Tube!
And here are this edition’s TV-themed releases. For those unfamiliar with the show, Detectorists comes highly recommended is one of the best British comedies of recent years. Seasons 2 and 3 of the low-key, quirky gem have just been made available on Blu-ray, which means you can now own the complete series on disc.
Blood: Series 2
Creepshow: Season 1
Detectorists: Series 2
Detectorists: Series 3
Expedition with Steve Backshall: Season 1 (PBS)
PAW Patrol: Mighty Pups Charged Up (Nickelodeon)
Star Trek: Short Treks
A Summer Romance (Hallmark TV-movie)
The Watchmen: An HBO Limited Series
Wild Kratts: Around the World Adventures (PBS Kids)