Welcome to yet another look at highlights coming your way on Blu-ray and DVD. It’s another busy edition with plenty of big box office hits in many different genres as well as critical favorites. And if you aren’t certain whether or not a film is for you, just click on any links you see to read more about them. 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!
The 5th Dementia – The press release states that The 5th Dementia is a diverse band made up of former musicians with severe Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia and Parkinson’s Disease. This documentary shows how the group was formed, details the lives of the participants and how little social interaction they have as their health issues take their toll (in some cases, members have little notion of where they even are). However, we then witness the group as they sit down and play songs without so much as a sheet of written music, playing completely by instinct and memory. The film was released very recently and is now making its debut on disc. There aren’t any reviews available right now, but the picture may be of interest to music aficionados.
47 Meters Down: Uncaged – This sequel to the 2017 horror picture follows a different group of young women who decide to go diving and end up in big trouble. While searching the underwater ruins of a Mayan city, four teenagers come upon a group of hungry Great White Sharks. They attempt to avoid being eaten and try to find a way to the surface before their oxygen supply runs out. The picture garnered mixed reviews, with more negative write-ups than positive. Those who enjoyed the movie thought it was silly fun and called it a definite improvement over its predecessor. However, most complained that the underwater events were difficult to see and found the scenes repetitive and ineffective. Sophie Nelisse, Corinne Foxx, Brianne Tju and Sistine Rose Stallone headline the feature.
After the Wedding – A woman who has devoted her life to running an orphanage in Kolkata, India, struggles to keep the institute open. When she receives a sizable and mysterious donation offer, she heads to New York to meet with her potential benefactor, who turns out to be a multimillionaire heading a media company. Together, they get a sense of each other’s motivations and orphanage manager attempts to process the meaning behind the gesture. Critics generally disliked this drama. While about a third liked the cast and thought there was plenty of tension generated by the two leads meeting, most called it melodramatic twaddle with largely unsympathetic characters that unsuccessfully attempts to wring tears out of viewers. It stars Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore and Billy Crudup.
The Angry Birds Movie 2 – Based on the game, this follow-up to the 2016 Angry Birds movie finds the title characters and their green piggy enemies still at odds. However, the two groups are forced to team up when a tyrannical eagle and his team of birds arrive and threaten all parties. Together, the flightless birds and pigs work together to save both species and their island homes. The press actually preferred this feature to the original and gave it decent marks. While a few commented that even the improvements didn’t make the movie worth a recommendation, the consensus was that this sequel was better animated, moved at a much faster clip, and provided enough light entertainment to recommend it to families. The voice cast includes Jason Sukeikis, Josh Gad, Leslie Jones, Bill Hader, Rachel Bloom, Awkwafina, Sterling K. Brown, Eugenio Derbez and many others.
Aquarela – Water is the subject of this documentary, which uses incredible and powerful photography shot at a very high frame rate to capture the natural beauty and wonder of the element. This includes Russia’s Lake Baikal to footage of Miami being hit by Hurricane Ima, as well as Venezuela’s remarkable Angel Falls. The press raved about this feature. One or two wanted the movie to do more than simply present the visual awe of its subject. However, just about everyone were blown away by the cinematography and found the footage hypnotizing and even frightening at times. They stated that this picture clearly displays incredible marvels that most will have never seen quite like this. Planet Earth fans will likely be impressed by what they see.
Bliss – This independently produced horror flick involves a young artist suffering from a lack of inspiration. To try and inspire some creativity, the protagonist indulges in drugs, alcohol and ventures out into the city at night. After recovering, she finds herself able to paint again, but also feel a strange new desire for blood. As a person who frequently binges on illegal substances, this new desire becomes difficult to control. Reaction was generally positive towards this effort as well. A group did find the picture shallow and stated that the constant partying and loudness made it difficult to sit through. Still, most thought the chaos on display worked and eventually made the viewer feel like they were spinning out of control. It features Dora Madison, Tru Collins, Rhys Wakefield and George Wendt.
Brian Banks – Based on a true story, this drama depicts an All-American high school football star who was wrongly convicted of a crime that he didn’t commit. After being sentenced to ten years of prison and probation, he finds some assistance from lawyers at the California Innocence Project, who investigate the case and attempt to get him released. Write-ups for this feature were mixed-positive. A percentage did critique the presentation as being well-intentioned but routine and thought a documentary might have served the story better. Slightly more complimented the work of the lead actor and thought the cast helped raise the material and turn it into an inspirational tale. It stars Aldis Hodge, Greg Kinnear and Sherri Shepherd. To read a full review from this site, click here.
Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles – Animated but intended more for adults than children, this foreign-language co-production of Spain, the Netherlands and Germany details the life of artist Luis Buñuel. Specifically, a period of great strife for the filmmaker after creating two surrealist masterpieces. Out of cash and envious of the success of his contemporaries, Buñuel wanders with his camera in search of inspiration that ultimately lead him into creating his next feature. The movie earned raves upon its release earlier in the year. There were no negative pieces written about it, and all stated that the movie presents beautiful dreamlike imagery, offers a bit of the motivations and rationale of the artist while still leaving an element of mystery about the figure.
The Bygone – A young rancher happens upon a Lakota girl from a nearby reservation. Not long after, the girl disappears and the lead decides to help in the search for the youth. He eventually uncovers all sorts of nastiness lurking under the surface of his community, including sex-trafficking and underworld crime. This independent mystery/drama played at a film festival or two very recently before being picked up for release on disc. At this time there is little word about the movie. The only review that has popped up wasn’t very complimentary, suggesting that it was a downcast and routine effort that didn’t veer far from genre formula. Graham Phillips, Jacob Ming-Trent and Shawn Hatosy headline the feature.
The Farewell – When a Chinese family learn that their matriarch is terminally ill, they decide not to tell her about her deteriorating condition. Instead, they follow old tradition and set up a fake wedding celebration in order for them to all visit her one last time. One family member doesn’t like the idea of a phony event and considers telling her grandmother the truth, leading to friction between herself her parents and relations. The movie received raves upon its theatrical release earlier in the year. One or two reviewers critiqued it for being too reserved and low-key in its approach. However, everyone else described the movie as lovely, combining laughs and drama perfectly and allowing each of the participants an opportunity to shine. The cast includes Awkwafina, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, Shuzhen Zhou, Lu Hong and Yongbo Jiang.
Good Boys – This wild comedy involves three friends on the verge of becoming teenagers. When one of them is invited to a kissing party, the group decide to try and do some research for the event. A series of mishaps follow in which one of the kids loses his father’s drone, sending them all out on a crazy quest to retrieve and/or replace it. Critics liked this comedy and most reviews were quite positive towards it. There were some complaints that the script featured too many repetitive gross-out jokes and didn’t do enough with the characters. Still, more found themselves laughing consistently and appreciated that the film dealt with the issue of how friendships can change as one grows up. It stars Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, Brady Noon, Will Forte, Lil Rel Howery and Retta. To read this site’s review, click here.
Love and Other Stunts – Being a stunt man is often a dangerous and thankless profession, and this documentary (also known in some markets as Danger God) tells the story of Gary Kent, a man who spent the 60s and 70s crashing cars for the movies. According to sources, he is one of the inspirations for Brad Pitt’s character in Once Upon a Time…. In Hollywood. Viewers will witness interviews with the subject as well as those he worked and see some of his greatest onscreen stunts. You’ll also learn about what happened after he retired from the business. This film is debuting on disc so there aren’t many reviews for it, but it should be of interest to any action movie fan out there. It features interviews with filmmakers like Richard Rush, John ‘Bud’ Cardos as well as actors like Marc Singer.
The Mountain – Set in the 1950s, this drama follows the son of a woman confined to an institution. When a family friend, Dr. Wallace Fiennes, employs the young man as a photographer to help document a new lobotomy procedure, the lead begins to feel more empathy towards those being operated upon than the actual doctor. As he meets more and more patients, the protagonist must decide who he truly supports. Notices for the picture were decent overall. A group did comment that while the performances were good, the film lost its momentum by close and fizzled out. Still, more stated that the cold, stern approach was appropriately unsettling and thought it would leave viewers thinking after the credits rolled. Tye Sheridan, Jeff Goldblum, Denis Lavant, Udo Kier and Hannah Gross headline the film.
The Peanut Butter Falcon – A man with Down Syndrome living at a nursing home wants desperately to be a wrestler. In order to make his dream come true and join a wrestling school, he runs away. The lead encounters an outlaw on the run and they become fast friends, sailing along rivers, snatching food and attempting to help each other accomplish their goals. This comedy/drama also garnered excellent response from those who reviewed it. There were a few complaints about the final act not delivering as a big a finale as promised. Still, the overwhelming majority called it a sweet, sincere and charming little film about some eccentric but very likable characters trying to make their mark in the world. The cast includes Shia LeBeouf, Dakota Johnson, Zack Gottsagen, John Hawkes, Bruce Dern and Jon Bernthal.
Philophobia: or the Fear of Falling in Love – Here’s another independent comedy/drama. This one involves a podcaster whose latest relationship has hit a crossroads. His girlfriend tells him that her mother is visiting, and that if he doesn’t show up for a brunch date with them, she’ll know he isn’t serious and will end things. The confused man attempts to figure out how he truly feels about the woman and what to do next. Most viewers will be introduced to this title on disc or through streaming platforms. There aren’t a lot of write-ups for it, but the ones that have appeared have been upbeat. They write that the movie is cute, well-written and has interesting characters. The lead roles are played by Aaron Burt, Emily Pearse and David Lengel.
Return to Return to Nuke ‘em High (2017) aka Volume 2 – Troma is known to many as a low-budget producer of horror pictures with an odd sense of humor (and often, a lack of taste). This latest release is this sequel that is part of their Nuke ‘Em High franchise. It involves a couple and the students of the local school who must face off against a sinister and corrupt government agency that threatens the entire town. This follow-up has been sitting on the shelf a little while and has played a couple of film festivals, but hasn’t been seen by many. Still, Troma fans should already know what they’re in – lots of jokes parodying other movies that involve radioactivity and bodily functions. The cast includes Asta Paredes, Catherine Corcoran and Troma President, Lloyd Kaufman.
Shooting in Vain – Suffering from guilt years after the passing of his sweetheart, a young man decides to return to his hometown and find some closure. Instead, he begins having visions of the teen and re-experiences vivid memories of them falling in love with each other. The longer he spends at home, the more clues about what actually happened are revealed. This independent drama received a limited release last year but didn’t play for long and is now premiering on Blu-ray and DVD. There aren’t a lot of write-ups for it, but the ones that have appeared didn’t fawn over it. One was quite negative and found the story preposterous. Now viewers can make up their own minds. It features Sebastian Gregory, Diana Hopper, Alexandra Park and Isabel Lucas.
Tel Aviv on Fire – This foreign-language comedy/drama involves a Palestinian man who ends up meeting an Israeli soldier and is offered a position on a popular soap opera. The job opens doors for the lead and he is happy for the experience, but an internal struggle begins when the show’s backers start to make demands to the filmmakers as to where the storyline is going and how it should all end, leaving the protagonist stuck in the middle. The press was very positive about this production. A few dissenting voices thought the movie adopted many of the soap opera clichés it was poking fun at, but many more stated this was a funny and sensitively handled examination of many issues plaguing the Middle East. The cast includes Kais Nashif, Lubna Azabal and Yaniv Biton.
The Weekend – A stand-up comedienne attempts to stay friendly with her ex by inviting him on a weekend trip with her to reconnect with her mother. When he brings along a new girlfriend, the situation becomes awkward and relationships are further complicated with the arrival of more single friends and unexpected sparks between them. Notices for this independent picture combining romance and comedy were quite good. A small contingent wrote that they found the tone too downcast for their liking and thought the previous work from writer/director Stella Meghie was stronger. Still, most complemented the time it spent on its characters and suggested this title made some interesting observations on couples. It stars Sasheer Zamata, Tone Bell, DeWanda Wise and Y’lam Noel.
Blasts from the Past!
It’s another busy week with numerous titles arriving from Arrow Video. The first group are some Blu-ray reissues of previous releases from the distributor that have gone out of print. They include Children of the Corn (1984), which has also been given a picture remaster, as well as the enetertaining C.H.U.D. (1984), Creepshow 2 (1987),Dead-End Drive-In (1986), House (1985) , House II: The Second Story (1987), Slugs (1988) and the killer yogurt flick, The Stuff (1985).
Their big new title arriving from the distributor is a Special Edition Blu-ray of Flowers in the Attic (1987). Based on the bestselling novel by V.C. Andrews, it’s about a group of children whose father dies in an accident. Their mother decides to take them to live with their grandmother, who is as nasty as they come and may be trying to kill the children. This adaptation took a bit of heat when it was originally released due to the feelings that the brother and sister locked away in the estate appear to be stifling. Still, the movie has retained a following and fan will be happy with this release. It includes a horror expert audio commentary, new interviews with the cinematographer, production designer, composer and actor Jeb Stuart Addams. You will also get the film’s original ending as an extra, which was excised and reshot by the studio (this bonus also comes with commentary from the man who reworked the finale). Want to know more? Read all about the disc here.
The Arrow Academy line is also providing Blu-ray fun in the form of a 2-disc Limited Edition Blu-ray of the Jimmy Stewart Klondike Gold-rush western, The Far Country (1954). This release includes a new 4K restoration of the movie in two different aspect ratios (1.85:1 and 2.00:1). You’ll also get a film scholar audio track, a feature-length documentary on director/producer Anthony Mann, an appreciation of the movie featuring film critic Kim Newman and publicity materials.
AGFA have a2-disc Blu-ray and DVD Special Edition of Wicked World (1991), a cheesy Canadian B-movie from the man who made the cheesy homemade cult horror flick, Things (1989). It’s about a cop who wants revenge on the escaped lunatic who murdered his girlfriend. The previously movie has been given a new transfer from the ¾ master tapes (it was shot on 16 mm film and edited on video). You’ll also get the previously unseen 2019 director’s cut, a documentary on the production, a music video and much more.
VCI are delivering a pair of serials in high definition to enthusiasts. These were stories chopped up into little segments and placed before the main feature back in the day at theaters. They’re putting out 2K Special Editions of The Mysterious Mr. M (1946) and The Phantom Creeps (1939). The latter title, about an evil scientist trying to take over the world. features one of the coolest-looking robot monsters of its era.
RLJ has a 30th Anniversary Edition Steelbook of a great cult flick. Heathers (1988) is a darkly comic take about two high school students to decide to upend the social hierarchy at their high school and start murdering the school leaders. It stars Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. One hopes that this edition presents an updated transfer of the feature. It definitely arrives with a commentary featuring the director and writer, as well as interviews with the pair, some of the cast and the film’s composer. Sounds like a definitely buy for fans of 80s cinema.
Shout! Factory has a number of fascinating Blu-rays as well. They include the box set, The Nutty Professor Collection (1996 – 2000) which presents The Nutty Professor (1996) and Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), both starring Eddie Murphy. The set includes a director’s cut and commentary on the second feature, as well as promo spots and featurettes on the film, a deleted scene, an extended restaurant scene, outtakes, music videos trailers and other extras.
The distributor also has a Limited Edition Steelbook edition of the Andy Samberg comedy, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016). This one arrives with a Samberg and crew audio commentary, deleted scenes, music video, gag reel, interview outtakes and bonus footage.
They are also releasing a Collector’s Edition of the effective Australian thriller, Road Games (1981) with Jamie Lee Curtis and Stacy Keach as a hitchhiker and trucker being pursued through the outbake by a psychopath. This disc comes with a n audio track featuring the cinematographer, production designer and production coordinator, a new interview with co-star Keach, a 1980 script read, score demos, a second feature commentary with the director, a making-of special, extended interviews with the cast and crew recorded for the documentary Not Quite Hollywood, a lecture on the film, more audio interviews with participants and all sorts of stills, trailers and ads for the feature.
Kino have a variety of titles from the US and around the world coming this week on Blu-ray They include Buffet Froid aka Cold Cuts (1979) with Gerard Depardieu, the Walter Matthau crime flick, Charley Varrick (1973), as well as the Joe Pesci/Danny Glover comedy, Gone Fishin’ (1997). You can also pick up Blu-rays of The Gun Runners (1958) and the French title, Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1959) and the cop thriller, Madigan (1968). Nick Nolte and Don Johnson star in Return to Macon County (1975), while Street People (1976) features Roger Moore and Stacy Keach in a film about a mob deal gone bad. Jeff Bridges and Clint Eastwood are the leads in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974). This gem has been given a Special Edition Blu-ray with a new 4K master and comes with a film critic commentary, a featurette with director Michael Cimino (The Deer Hunter, Heaven’s Gate) as well as publicity materials.
If you’re in the mood for a great 70s thriller, you could do plenty worse than Winter Kills (1979) with Jeff Bridges, John Huston, Anthony Perkins and an uncredited appearance by Elizabeth Taylor. It’s about the brother of an assassinated US president who uncovers a web of government conspiracy after investigating the crime. This Special Edition comes with a writer/director commentary, a documentary on the film featuring the cast and crew, reunion between the filmmaker and star Bridges and other extras.
Criterion are releasing the comedy/drama The Daytrippers (1996) on Blu-ray. It’s about a married woman who finds a note written by her husband to another woman and becomes obsessed with finding out the reason for it, enlisting her quirky family members to uncover the truth.
Finally, Warner Archive has made-to-order Blu-rays arriving of the spy thriller Operation Crossbow (1965), as well as the Harry Belafonte doomsday picture, The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959).
You Know, For Kids!
Here are some kid-friendly releases coming your way.
The Angry Birds Movie 2
Highlights: Manners, Please!
Jurassic Genius: Great Big Sharks!
Steven Universe: The Movie (Cartoon Network)
On the Tube!
And you’ll find plenty of TV-themed highlights below.
The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Series
The Big Bang Theory: Season 12
Doctor Who: The Macra Terror
Doctor Who: Sil & the Devil Seeds of Arodor
Line of Duty: Series 5
Poldark: Complete Collection Seasons 1 – 5
Poldark: Season 5
A Snow White Christmas (Ion TV)
Star Trek: Discovery: Season 2
Steven Universe: The Movie (Cartoon Network)