Welcome to another look at what is coming your way on Blu-ray and DVD. It’s another busy week with plenty of well-known titles and interesting feature films in a variety of genres. So, if you can’t or shouldn’t be heading out to the movies just yet, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
COPPELIA – This unique feature combines live actors with an animated backdrop. A mysterious plastic surgeon arrives in a small, picturesque town and quickly charms residents. It isn’t long before a young woman discovers that the doctor has a robot-woman and is taking advantage of clients whom he performs procedures on. In fact, he uses them to help bring his own strange creation to life. The movie is a co-production between Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands and primarily uses dancers to tell its colorful story. There aren’t a lot of reviews for the picture in this part of the world, but those that have appeared in print and online have been complementary. These notices called it a zippy feature with impressive dance numbers. It features Michaela DePrince, Daniel Camargo, Vito Mazzeo and Darcey Bussell.
INJUSTICE – Set on an alternate Earth, this DC animated feature for adults details an evil plot by the Joker. He decides to trick Superman into accidentally killing Lois Lane. The strange plan works, enraging the superhero. Determined to prevent any further deaths, he decides to take over the world and enforce his own brand of authority. Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Cyborg, Harley Quinn and others are forced to step in and stop the legendary hero. This title is premiering on disc and there have only been a couple of write-ups so far. They aren’t as positive about this feature as others in the animated franchise. Reviews state that the premise is interesting, but there are too many characters and that the final product doesn’t gel effectively. The voice cast includes Justin Hartley, Anson Mount, Laura Bailey, Brandon Michael Hall and Gillian Jacobs.
JOE BELL – A working-class father decides to walk across America to garner attention for an issue close to his heart. The man talks to those whom met meets, telling them about his son, a gay high school student who was relentlessly bullied by other kids. He helps those understand the importance of treating every person with respect and honor. This drama is based on a true story. While the press thought that the film was sincere, the majority didn’t care for the final product. Some did call the movie powerful and moving, wearing its heart on its sleeve and making its point effectively. However, more said that while they appreciated the message, the film was formulaic, preachy and obvious in its emotional manipulations. It stars Mark Wahlberg, Reid Miller, Connie Britton, Maxwell Jenkins and Gary Sinise.
LAST MAN DOWN – After a pandemic ravages the world, a special forces soldier and widower decides to live as a hermit in the wilds of Northern Europe. One day, a wounded woman appears on the man’s doorstep. As it turns out, her blood is believed to contain a cure for the virus and she has recently escaped from a nearby scientific lab. The man is initially hesitant to get involved, but that changes when he learns that her pursuer is the man responsible for the death of his spouse. This action film is a Sweden/UK co-production that is making its debut on disc in this part of the world. Only a few people have seen the flick and they haven’t exactly raved about it. They suggested that the script and dialogue was poor and the action was shot and edited in a lackluster fashion. Daniel Stisen, Olga Kent and Daniel Nehme headline the feature.
NEEDLE IN A TIMESTACK – In the movies, some people use time travel to save a loved one or avert a terrible disaster. In this feature, a character uses this ability for sinister purposes. A woman is torn apart from the love of her life when her ex-husband discovers how to move through time and sabotage her new relationship. As the two victim’s memories of each other begin to fade, they decide to take extreme actions and stop their manipulator. This science-fiction feature split the press down the middle. About half wrote that the story focused on the wrong elements and commented that it didn’t handle its themes in an interesting or intelligent manner. However, just as many stated that the movie was clever, heartfelt and offered an interesting twist on the time travel movie formula. It stars Leslie Odom Jr., Cynthia Erivo, Orlando Bloom and Freida Pinto.
THE NIGHT HOUSE – This independent chiller follows a widow still living on the estate where her husband recently passed away. She begins experiencing eerie and unsettling paranormal events. These visions inspire her to take a detailed look into her spouse’s death. The protagonist begins uncovering deep and unsettling secrets as the house begins taking on a more threatening form. Critics raved about this little creeper. There was a very small contingent who complained that the movie was too low-key and slow-moving for its own good, ultimately leaving them disappointed. However, almost everyone else found it extremely effective and said they were captivated by the lead performance. They called it moody and stated that they were on the edge of their seats for the entirety of the running time. Rebecca Hall, Sarah Goldberg and Vondie Curtis-Hall headline the feature.
NO MAN OF GOD – Ted Bundy was one of the most notorious serial killers in America. He was finally caught in 1980 and sentenced to death. This indie drama is based on the true story and follows an FBI analyst who was allowed to converse with the murderer before his execution. Hoping to understand the psychology of serial killers, Bill Hagmaier travels to a prison to interview the figure. As time passes, a strange and complicated relationship forms between the two men. Reviews for this film were generally good. About one fifth of notices said that the narrative didn’t offer any new insight about the killer or have much of a point to make about its subject. Still, the overall consensus was that while minimalistic, the performances were strong and the movie provided an interesting character study of Bundy. The cast includes Elijah Wood, Luke Kirby, Aleksa Palladino and Robert Patrick.
OLD – A family head out on a tropical vacation looking for some fun. After the hotel staff take them to a secluded beach, they and others find themselves unable to leave. If that wasn’t enough, everyone begins aging at a rapid pace. The tourists try to figure out what is going on and how to escape before they all grow old and die. This is the latest twisty effort from writer/director M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, The Village, The Visit, Split). Reaction towards the movie was all over the place, with an equal number of positive and negative reviews. Half suggested that this effort tried to cram too much into its running time and came across as silly and preposterous rather than smart and scary. The same number noted that while flawed, they were some great ideas and interesting elements in this unique feature. It features Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell, Alex Wolff and Thomasin McKenzie. Read this site’s review of the film here.
ONCE I WAS ENGAGED – This romantic-comedy follows a young woman attending Brigham-Young University in Hawaii. When she gets engaged, her over-the-top mother arrives to help with the wedding planning. Naturally, chaos ensues as the two women struggle over decisions involving the big event. According to the plot synopsis, they must overcome to pressure of perfection to create a fabulous wedding. Although it isn’t explicitly stated, this title appears to be sponsored by the Church of Mormon. There aren’t many reviews available for the title at present. There is one out there that enjoyed the cast’s performances, calling it a cute movie. However, others have noted that the screenplay pushed its religious angle in an obvious manner and called the characters irritating and unfunny. Clare Niederpruem, Bart Johnson and Paris Warner headline the feature.
OUIJA JAPAN – There have been several horror films recently based on the Ouija board game. The latest follows an American housewife who moves to Japan. In order to fit in with others in the neighborhood, she decides to play it with some presumably odd locals. Naturally, the group unwittingly raise an evil spirit. It seems to be technically savvy malevolent force, as a strange app soon appears on all of their cell phones that forces them to battle each other to the death. Who will survive? Reaction towards this film has been terrible. Online reviews have called the story silly and illogical. They also complain that the action scenes aren’t well shot or dynamically put together. For those still curious, the film is also available on a few streaming services like Amazon. The film stars Ariel Sekiya, Miharu Chiba, Eigi Kodaka and Takeaki Abe.
THE PROTÉGÉ – After being rescued from death by an assassin, a child is raised and trained in the business. Now an adult, she has become a highly regarded killer in her own right. When her guardian is set up for a crime and murdered, the protagonist decides to find out who is responsible and make them pay. Along the way, the lead also finds herself entangled with another deadly assassin. This action picture earned more upbeat notices than negative ones. Those who didn’t care for the feature said that they didn’t appreciate the story or find it distinctive enough. However, more commented that the cast were entertaining, the action was exceptionally handled and that the story had some unusual and unexpected beats. It features Maggie Q, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, David Rintoul, Patrick Malahide and Robert Patrick. Read a review of the feature right here.
SNAKE EYES: G.I. JOE ORIGINS – A tenacious loner from the US ends up moving to Japan. When he saves the leader of an ancient group of warriors known as the Arashikage, he is taken into their fold and taught the ways of the ninja. After becoming their fiercest disciple, the man learns some shocking truths about the organization that puts him at odds with his own kind. This feature is based on the popular toy line and was not well-received. There was a contingent that called it fun and complimented the lead as being charismatic enough to keep them watching. However, the consensus was that this feature didn’t do anything exciting with the characters, nor were they well developed. They said that in the end the film felt like a routine and ineffective action picture. It stars Henry Golding, Andrew Koji, Haruka Abe, Takehiro Hira and Samara Weaving.
SUMMERTIME – This independent feature follows a group of 25 Los Angeles-area poets. Over the course of a day, a narrative brings them this large group together and along the way the filmmakers create dynamic and experimental visuals around their own experiences and poetry. The press was generally taken by what they saw. There was a group who thought that with so many characters, the movie had a lot of trouble staying focused and the segments were jumbled and of varying quality. However, the majority wrote that those behind the camera took a big risk with this project and thought it paid off. They commented that the feature reminded them of modern classics like Slacker and that there were some great individual material and fascinating moments. Austin Antoine, Marquesha Babers and Bryce Banks are just a few of many cast members.
THE SURVIVALIST – A year and a half after a viral outbreak decimates the world, a former FBI agent comes into contact with a woman who is immune to the disease. He sets out to protect the lady from a violent gang who are hunting her down for their own nefarious purposes. It seems as if direct-to-disc pandemic action movies are coming fast and furious from producers. Unfortunately, this title has yet to earn any praise from critics. They remarked that the cast were talented, but that they were stranded in a terrible story with a heavy tone and awkward dialogue that soon became tiring and difficult to endure. Reviewers also noted that the editing between flashbacks came across as a little clunky. The cast includes Jonathan Rhys Meyers, John Malkovich, Jenna Leigh Green and Ruby Modine.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
Anyone who grew up in the 1980s knows how popular horror films were during this era. As a youth, I enjoyed them tremendously. But after watching most of the North American genre flicks, I began looking for more and ended up taking in more and more genre films from Europe. While the stories didn’t always have the same narrative logic as their North American counterparts, many international filmmakers showed incredible style and technical skill that matched and occasionally surpassed their counterparts. And even some over-the-top genre films were entertainingly crazy, like the Italian monster movies Demons (1985) and Demons 2 (1986).
The original featured a varied group of characters at a movie theater attending a special movie preview. They are forced to fight for their lives after the demons featured in the movie start infecting audience members. Much like a zombie virus, whenever an individual was attacked and hurt, they became a grotesque creature. The movie was an outrageous, action-packed gorefest that won over a cult of fans very quickly. A sequel came the following year, featuring the residents of an apartment complex coming under siege from more demons.
Now, Synapse are delivering a spectacular “Limited Edition” release of these two films with incredible new transfers. You can purchase it either in 4K Ultra HD or as a regular Blu-ray and the discs contain an outstanding array of bonuses. You’ll get the full-length original cut of the first movie with their Italian and English audio and an edited US version with different dubbing. There’s a new critic commentary, a second track with director Lamberto Bava alongside several crew members. Additionally, it comes with a visual essay on the flick, an interview with writer/producer Dario Argento, a discussion with composer Claudio Simonetti and, frankly, so much more material that it can’t all be covered here.
You’ll also get a film critic commentary on the second movie, a piece about the history of Italian horror, an interview with the make-up effects creator, discussions about the score and the soundtrack, visual several more essays and talks about these movies, publicity materials and more. This looks like an absolutely phenomenal 4K Ultra HD or regular Blu-ray package and any fan of 80s European horror features should pick it up before it’s gone for good. If you want to know more, a full-length review of the set will be posted in a day or two!
Speaking of monsters, Arrow Video also have a fantastic new Blu-ray set. The Yokai Monsters Collection contains four films that bring ancient Japanese monster myths and legends to cinematic life. All these flicks include an amazing array of wild creatures and their interactions with terrified humans. The first three films, 100 Monsters, Spook Warfare and Along with Ghosts, were all released in 1965. A 2005 reboot of the series directed by Takashi Miike (Audition) called The Great Yokai War is also included. You’ll get high-definition restorations of all the titles, a lengthy documentary on these films and their cultural significance, domestic and international trailers and image galleries. The most recent title in the set comes with a commentary track with a Japanese film expert, interviews with the cast and crew, shorts featuring the monsters, a press conference for the movies and more. I’m excited about catching up with these titles and other genre fans will likely be just as enthused to see this exciting new Blu-ray set.
Kino have plenty of interesting Blu-rays as well. Change of Habit (1969) marked the last starring role for Elvis Presley in a narrative feature. In it, he plays a doctor volunteering his time in a low-income district. He hires three women to help him out and falls for one of them, not realizing that they are all nuns. This disc comes with a film historian commentary and a trailer. You can also pick up the Rock Hudson/Gina Lollobrigida romance, Come September (1961), in high definition. The extras on this title are identical to the previous disc.
The distributor is also putting out a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray of The Silence of the Lambs (1991), an incredible thriller that won numerous Oscars during its release, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay. It stars Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins and the story follows a rookie FBI agent tasked with tracking down a dangerous serial killer. Besides the improved image quality, the disc comes with all of the bonuses from previously released version and a new critic commentary.
If you’re looking for some B-movie fun, VCI have a Blu-ray and DVD combo double feature of Night of the Bloody Apes (1969) and Doctor of Doom (1969). Neither of these films are classics, but they are entertainingly bad movies that friends can watch together and crack jokes at. This release comes with a movie expert commentary track, video essay on the first title, as well as publicity materials and liner notes.
This week, Criterion are presenting the Blu-ray debut of a science-fiction classic from Universal Studios. The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) involves a man who is contaminated by radioactive gas and becomes smaller and smaller as time passes. He’s forced to deal with various issues like household pets, as well as issues like emasculation and find a new purpose in life as he starts to fade into oblivion. Despite its incredible visual effects and box office success during its original run, the studio has never really supported it. Certainly, there are some aspects of the story that wouldn’t play today, but the feature is compelling from beginning to end and is technically accomplished. The Blu-ray includes a 4K restoration of the film, a movie historian commentary, a program on the special effects, a conversation on the flick with Joe Dante (Gremlins, Innerspace), an interview with the son of the screenwriter, a talk with director Jack Arnold that was recorded in 1983, a trailer and teaser and plenty more!
They also have a Blu-ray of Ratcatcher (1999), a gritty coming-of-age drama from director Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin) that is set in Glasgow, Scotland. The 4K restoration of the movie was supervised by the filmmaker and the director of photography. It includes a recently recorded interview with Ramsay, as well as a 2002 talk with her, an audio interview with the cinematographer, three award-winning shorts from Ramsay and a trailer.
Mill Creek have some inexpensive Blu-rays arriving this week in nifty packaging styled to look like old VHS tapes. You can pick up the comedy Casual Sex? (1988) with Lea Thompson, as well as the Kevin Sorbo barbarian flick, Kull the Conqueror (1997). They also have the buddy cop film Renegades (1989), starring Kiefer Sutherland and Lou Diamond Phillips. And you can now purchase the wacky, UK-set comedy, Splitting Heirs (1993), which features Rick Moranis, Eric Idle, Barbara Hershey, Catherine Zeta-Jones, John Cleese and Sadie Frost.
Looking for another cheesy horror B-movie? The Film Detective has a Blu-ray of the really, really terrible Frankenstein’s Daughter (1958) for your perusal. It has been newly restored and comes with a film historian commentary, a retrospective on the director and motion picture studio who produced the feature, an illustrated booklet and other extras.
If you enjoy action, you can’t go wrong with the IP Man: 4-Movie Collection from Well Go USA. It contains Blu-rays of all four films in the martial arts series made between 2008 and 2019.
Cohen Media Group are putting out Corridor of Mirrors (1948), a unique British film that combines elements of thrillers, gothic horror, film noir, fantasy and melodrama. It’s about a disturbed man obsessed with everything relating to the Renaissance era. The movie has been digitally remastered and comes with some trailers.
And there’s more! Flicker Alley have a Blu-ray called In the Shadow of Hollywood: Highlights from Poverty Row. It contains four effective titles from Hollywood’s low-budget studios, including Midnight (1934) aka Call It Murder, Back Page (1934), Woman in the Dark (1934) and The Crime of Dr. Crespi (1935).
If you remember watching The Little Rascals as a child then you may be intrigued by the new Blu-ray, The Little Rascals – The Classicflix Restorations, Volume 3, which contains another assortment of comedic shorts starring the popular child stars of the early 1930s getting into all sorts of shenanigans.
Finally, Warner Archive are releasing a made-to-order Blu-ray of the genre film, Mad Love (1935). Peter Lorre stars as a mad doctor who performs surgery on the hands of a man who is married to a woman whom he designs on. Of course, the sneaky villain uses a killer’s hands on the patient that cause the spouse to behave like a maniac.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
There isn’t much for the kids this week, but here is what will be available.
The Little Rascals – The Classicflix Restorations, Volume 3
ON THE TUBE!
And here are all of the TV-themed releases coming your way.
Smallville: The Complete Series
Superman & Lois: The Complete Series