Welcome back to another busy week running through all of the highlights coming out on Blu-ray and DVD. This edition includes several big studio pictures and independent features. So, since you can’t or likely shouldn’t be going out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
Big New Releases!
400 Bullets – This independently-produced war movie involves a Gurkha soldier guarding a remote British outpost in Afghanistan. When a panicked official arrives claiming he is being hunted by a group of rogue special ops and the Taliban, the protagonist decides to take him in. The two find themselves under attack from outside forces and must do all they can to survive the onslaught. This film was picked up for distribution by Shout! Factory and appears to be debuting on disc. There aren’t many reviews available just yet, but those that have appeared online have been reasonable. They suggest that while the characters may be a little underdeveloped, the action and hand-to-hand fight scenes are well-handled and impressive. The movie stars Jean-Paul Ly, Andrew Lee Potts and James Warren.
After the Reign – A social media prankster is the protagonist of this dark comedy. The narrative follows the character’s rise to prominence pulling increasingly edgy stunts and hoaxes that eventually land him in legal trouble. After being arrested and incarcerated for his gags, his online following explodes. The protagonist becomes a popular hardcore rapper upon his release, taking on the stage name, Lil Tito. Unfortunately, his obsession with maintaining the attention of the public leads him down a dark path when his fans turn on him. This feature is premiering on disc, so as of right now there are no notices available for it. Viewers curious about the movie will have to go in cold. It features Rene Rosado, Lisa Roumain, Tiffany Daniels and Scotty Tovar.
All My Life – The lives of a happy young engaged couple are upended when the groom is diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. Upset at the prognosis and the fact they likely won’t have enough time to celebrate their upcoming marriage, friends and family decide to team up and help the couple realize their dream wedding. Response from the press was split, although the movie received a few more positive write-ups than negative ones. Those who disliked it said that the story contained little in the way of dramatic tension and said it resorted to mushy hokum to elicit empathy on the part of the viewer. Slightly more admitted that it less-than-subtle, but still liked the characters enough to recommend the film. The cast includes Jessica Rothe, Harry Shum Jr., Marielle Scott, Chrissie Fit and Jay Pharoah.
Aragne: Sign of Vermillion – Anime enthusiasts may be curious about this 2018 effort from Japan that is finally being released in North America. The story involves a young woman living in an apartment frightened by news of a series of murders occurring in her neighborhood. She begins seeing disturbing visions of worms, moths and beetles and tries to figure out how these images and the crimes she’s hearing about are intertwined. Despite its limited release, the movie has received a few screenings at places like the Fantasia International Film Festival. Most of those who have saw it described the film as visually interesting and intriguing, although they did warn that the story eventually runs out of gas and that the ending was a little disappointing.
Crazy Samurai: 410 vs. 1 – A master samurai at odds with a disgraced dojo is told to visit the establishment for a duel with the institute’s leader. Unfortunately, the protagonist walks into a deadly trap, as the entire membership attacks the surprised visitor. Completely alone, he must fend them off and survive the ordeal. The entire story and battle are photographed using a single 77-minute take. Alas, critics weren’t as taken by this Japanese foreign-language feature as they wanted to be. A small group of them were so impressed by the physical feats on display that they forgave the film’s storytelling issues. However, most thought that in spite of the original concept and impressive choreography, the experiment didn’t work and the action ultimately became dull and exhausting. It stars Tak Sakaguchi and Kento Yamazaki.
Fatale – In this thriller, a successful sports agent makes the mistake of cheating on his wife with a woman he meets in a bar. After their one-night stand, he learns that she is a police detective working a case and that he has now embroiled himself in. As he tries to salvage his personal relationships and figure out what’s going on, he begins to suspect that he is actually being used and manipulated by the sinister cop. Reviewers were lukewarm on this feature, with the majority of write-ups being negative. Those who gave it a pass called the movie cheesy fun and a guilty pleasure. Yet the overall consensus was that the picture was a tedious, eye-rolling effort that didn’t even provide the B-movie thrills it promised. The cast includes Hilary Swank, Michael Ealy, Mike Colter, Danny Pino and Tyrin Turner.
From Liberty to Captivity – Pennsylvania’s sex trafficking criminal underworld is the subject of this feature, which details the many problems the region is dealing with in regards to this horrible crime. The filmmakers contrast how the state once represented the fight for freedom and now is one of the worst and hardest hit areas with many terrible cases being reported. The filmmakers share the stories of victims and survivors and what needs to be done in order to reverse these trends. The movie began making the rounds on the festival circuit with some screenings in 2019, but the pandemic appears to have slowed down its release. It is now arriving on disc for those who want to catch up with the movie. At this time, there aren’t any write-ups available for the feature.
Half Brothers – This comedy/drama begins with a Mexican aviation executive being told by his ailing dad that he has a half-brother living in America. Not only that, but his relation is a free spirit living a completely different lifestyle than the buttoned-down protagonist. Wanting to know how this could have happened, the lead and his newfound relation head out on a comedic road trip, getting to know each other while tracing the path their father took from Mexico to the US. Reviewers weren’t overly positive about the movie. A small percentage commented that its heart was in the right place and that the flick offered a few chuckles. However, the majority thought that many of the gags didn’t land and that the broad comedic bits resorted to using too many stereotypes. It features José Zúñiga, Hayes Hargrove, Vincent Spano and Luis Gerardo Méndez.
Liberté – A group of extreme libertines in France are expelled from their country. Concerned about their own safety, they travel to Germany and try to convince a free-thinking Duke to take them in and allow them to continue their debauched interests. In order to impress him, they conduct a graphic, sadomasochistic orgy in the forest. This foreign-language international coproduction won awards over the past couple of years at various film festivals, including Cannes, where it earned a special Jury Prize. It has taken a little longer finding a distributor in North America, but is now arriving on disc. Critics had had a wide variety of reactions to it, although most responses have been positive. These reviews tell viewers to expect something like a modern-day Salò (a notorious 1975 production). They say it’s an impeccably-produced, explicit and disturbing feature that will have just as many viewers storming away from the film as being impressed by it. The cast includes Helmut Berger, Marc Susini and Iliana Zabeth.
Monster Hunter – Based on the Capcom game series, this film adaptation comes from the filmmaker and star of the Resident Evil franchise. The plot involves a lieutenant and her team of soldiers. When the group is transported to a new and strange world, they find it populated by large monsters with bizarre powers. In order to survive various attacks, they must square off against the creatures. The press was split on the end results with the movie receiving slightly more negative reviews than positive ones. Upbeat write-ups said the film had solid action, great visual effects and impressive monsters. Those who panned it said that the beasts were all that was good about the feature, calling the characters thinly written and the story bland and repetitive. The film stars Milla Jovovich, Tony Jaa, Ron Perlman, T.I., Diego Doneta and Meagan Good.
Pinocchio – The tale of a wooden puppet that comes to life is retold in this Italian production. The protagonist, who wants to be a real boy, travels and gets mixed up with bandits and other nefarious types as he attempts to turn his dreams into reality. In 2002, Roberto Benigni starred in another Italian adaptation as the title character. The movie was well regarded in its homeland, but its North American release suffered from atrocious English dubbing and flopped. This time out, the actor plays puppeteer Geppetto and the distributor has avoided trying to rerecord the dialogue into English. Notices were quite strong for the film. A few couldn’t connect with the wooden protagonist. However, all others said that despite a few bumps in the road, the movie was compelling, beautifully shot and managed to tell the familiar story in an original manner. It also features Federico Ielapi, Rocco Papaleo, Massimo Ceccherini and Marine Vacth.
Scare Me – Two strangers in the Catskills take refuge in a cabin during a power outage. To pass the time, they each begin telling scary stories and attempt to out-frighten one another. However, as the various tales are relayed, the line between reality and fantasy become blurred and the characters soon face their own darkest fears. This little independent horror/comedy earned a lot of good press. The few reviewers who didn’t like it wrote suggested that this anthology eventually ran out of gas, suggesting that the running time was far too long for its own good. However, the vast majority were impressed with the performances and the mood generated, calling the picture a small gem that would impress indie horror enthusiasts. The cast includes Josh Ruben, Aya Cash, Chris Redd, Rebecca Drysdale and Lauren Sick.
The War and Peace of Tim O’Brien – This documentary examines the life of Tim O’Brien, a literary figure whom several have named the best writer of his generation for his compositions about war. According The press synopsis for this film states that the Library of Congress recently named his novel The Things They Carried one of the 65 most influential books in US history. Interestingly enough, O’Brien hasn’t written anything in decades. At the age of 70, he decides to begin composing a new work about mortality, fatherhood and its connection to those who have experienced war trauma. The filmmakers converse with him and discuss his thoughts on the subject and the reasons why he has decided to begin writing again. This film appears to be debuting on disc and streaming platforms, so as of right now there aren’t any reviews available for the picture.
Warmed-Over Krautrock – An indie record store owner in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles is the lead in this little comedy. While operating the establishment, the protagonist begins to think that his youthful days are behind him and that his is falling out of touch with his young employees. As he grapples with aging issues, his staff deal with their own personal troubles, including one musician struggling to break into the business. This feature, which sounds as though it may have been influenced in part by the movie and TV series High Fidelity (based on the Nick Hornby book), has played at a few independent film festivals over the past year and is now making its debut on disc and through streaming platforms. Jim Tavare, Kate Dalton, Derek James Elstro and Adam Weber headline the feature.
Zappa – The late Frank Zappa was a legendary singer/songwriter and musician who created incredible experimental works and satirized American culture. Filmmaker Alex Winter (perhaps best known as Bill from the Bill & Ted movies) has gained complete access to Zappa’s family, as well as the artist’s personal vault filled with unseen footage and new works. He uses new interviews and the recently uncovered material to present a fuller and more complete picture of the man. The press was very taken with the movie. There were only one or two reviewers who did not care for the film. It seems that those who weren’t big fans of the artist said that the movie couldn’t pull them in to Zappa’s world. Everyone else was impressed by this character study and appreciated seeing the wide range of surreal art and ideas presented in the movie.
Blasts from the Past!
If you’re looking for some older flicks, there are plenty of titles hitting high-definition as well. Kino have a trio of Bob Hope pictures arriving on Blu-ray. The first is the Bob Hope/Dorothy Lamour comedy, Caught in the Draft (1941). Hope plays a movie star with a phobia of loud noises who accidentally joins the army in the hopes of wooing a lady. The movie has been given a 4K restoration and includes a film historian commentary, a special with the comedian entertaining troops, some performances from 1944 and 1945, a Hollywood newsreel about the picture and a trailer.
The second feature being released on Blu-ray is My Favorite Blonde (1942). This one is about a performer meeting a spy on a train and getting wrapped up in adventure. This feature has been restored in 2K and arrives with a critic commentary. Nothing but the Truth (1941) teams Hope with Paulette Goddard. He plays a man who bets that he can tell the truth for 24 hours, leading him into uncomfortable situations as other wagerers attempt to force him into a lie. This picture has also received a 2K restoration and similar extras as the previously mentioned title.
If low-budget horror is more to your liking, Vinegar Syndrome have you covered with some Spanish genre films. Cthulhu Mansion (1992) is a horror picture from Juan Piquer Simón (Slugs) inspired by the work of H.P. Lovecraft. The movie is known for its gore and creature effects and has never been officially released in the US. This Blu-ray contains a 2K restoration of the feature, a feature-length documentary about the director and an interview with the make-up effects artist.
Dark Tower (1989) follows a woman who witnesses a worker fall from a Barcelona high-rise and becomes convinced that a monster is responsible for the death. It stars Jenny Agutter and Michael Moriarty. This movie has also been restored in 2K for its worldwide Blu-ray debut and includes an interview with the man who created the special effects and a promotional stills gallery. Satan’s Blood (1978) follows the horrific acts on a sinister cult. The movie has been newly scanned and restored in 4K for its Blu-ray release. This disc includes the English and Spanish language tracks, a documentary on the production, a film historian commentary and a still gallery.
Families will be happy to see Disney are releasing a series of double feature Blu-rays containing some of their most successful titles. Many of the discs include the animated and live-action versions of these hits. You can now purchase the Aladdin: 2-Movie Collection (1992 and 2019) and Beauty and the Beast: 2-Movie Collection (1991 and 2017), as well as the Cinderella: 2-Movie Collection (1950 and 2015). They also have The Incredibles: 2-Movie Collection (2004 and 2018) and The Lion King: 2-Movie Collection (1994 and 2019). Additionally, you can pick up a Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent 2-Movie Collection (1959 and 2014). As if that wasn’t enough, Disney are presenting the Toy Story: 4-Movie Collection, which contains every single movie in the series.
There are other big studios putting together Blu-ray combo packages as well. Universal has the Everyday Heroes 4-Movie Collection, which contains Apollo 13 (1995), Backdraft (1991), Erin Brockovich (2000) and Lone Survivor (2013). Personally, I’m not sure how the astronauts from the first movie fall under this category, but those are the titles being included. You can also purchase the Fearless Females 4-Movie Collection. This Blu-ray set includes Elizabeth (1998), Harriet (2019), Mary Queen of Scots (2018) and On the Basis of Sex (2018). The studio’s Inspirational 4-Movie Collection Blu-ray has a bunch of excellent sports related titles like Cinderella Man (2005), Field of Dreams (1989), Friday Night Lights (2006) and Seabiscuit (2003).
And Paramount is also getting in on the act. This week, they’re releasing a Blu-ray set called the Girls Rule Collection. It contains Clueless (1995), Mean Girls (2004) and She’s the Man (2006).
If you’re only a fan of She’s the Man (2006), you can also pick-up the 15th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray of the title. It includes two different cast and crew commentary tracks, a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, a gag reel, a music video and other bonuses. It looks like this is the identical disc that will be featured in the previous set, so you still might want to consider picking up the entire collection if you enjoy all of the movies included. Curiously enough, the movie features an early appearance from actor Channing Tatum.
Finally, Paramount is presenting a 15th Anniversary 4K Steelbook edition of Steven Spielberg’s update of the H.G. Welles science-fiction classic, War of the Worlds (2005). This version stars Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning and Tim Robbins.
You Know, For Kids!
It looks like Disney is taking the lead this week with their various animated/live-action double feature Blu-ray sets.
44 Cats: Meet the Cats
Aladdin: 2-Movie Collection (1992 and 2019) Disney
Beauty and the Beast: 2-Movie Collection (1991 and 2017) Disney
Cinderella: 2-Movie Collection (1950 and 2015) Disney
The Incredibles: 2-Movie Collection (2004 and 2018) Disney
The Lion King: 2-Movie Collection (1994 and 2019) Disney
Rainbow Rangers: Wild for Wildlife (Nick Jr.)
Sleeping Beauty / Maleficent 2-Movie Collection (1959 and 2014) Disney
Toy Story: 4-Movie Collection (1995, 1999, 2010, 2019) Disney
Victor and Valentino: Folk Art Foes (Cartoon Network)
On the Tube!
And here are all of the TV-themed releases.
44 Cats: Meet the Cats
The Best of Cher – 5-Disc Collection (Timelife release featuring Cher TV appearances, etc.)
Christmas Under the Stars (Hallmark Channel)
Crossword Mysteries: 3-Movie Collection (Hallmark Channel)
Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks (aka Season 12) (BBC)
Imma Tataranni: Season 1 (MHz Choice Channel)
The Mallorca Files (BBC)
The Reagans (Showtime)
Rick and Morty: The Complete Seasons 1 – 4
Victor and Valentino: Folk Art Foes (Cartoon Network)