Hello! Just a heads up that I’ve had some personal business come up, so there won’t be as many images and clips in this week’s column.
It’s time for another look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. There are a few big titles, as well as some interesting independent fare and plenty of old movies that are receiving high-definition upgrades. 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!
The Amityville Moon – A private detective is hired to find two runaway girls. The trail leads him to a boarding home run by a church. As it turns out, staff at the locale aren’t particularly friendly. Not only that, but the girls are trapped there and are plotting an escape. As things progress, it becomes clear that the reason why they are imprisoned may have something to do with the fact that one of them has been turned into a werewolf. This horror flick is debuting on DVD only and via streaming services. The film does not appear to have any connection to the famous horror franchise of the same name. No one has seen this movie as of yet, so there is no word as to whether or not the feature is an effective chiller. The cast includes Cody Renee Cameron, Augie Duke, Sheri Davis, Tuesday Knight and Vincent M. Ward.
Another Girl – In this mystery, a college student battling depression manages to distract herself by reading novels. She becomes obsessed with one particular book character, so much so that she begins to believe the fictional heroine that she has been reading about is real. Scouring the internet and seeking out this imaginary character leads the disturbed protagonist on a dangerous journey. Critics liked this independent effort. One reviewer did state that the events being depicted felt repetitive and that the movie felt too long. However, all others complimented the picture as a suspenseful and unpredictable tale that effectively mixed humor with some dark subject matter. It features Sammi Hanratty, Peter Gadiot, Paul Rush and Peggy Goss.
Broken Diamonds – When his father dies, a young writer with dreams of leaving the US for Paris is forced to return to his hometown to care for his mentally ill sister. Naturally, her unpredictable behavior makes it an extremely difficult task. However, the lead tries to find a way to fulfil his family obligations and making some of his goals come true. Overall response towards this drama was slightly more positive than negative. Those who didn’t care for the film complained that it was too sentimental and offered nothing new or revelatory about families dealing with illness. Still, a few more found the performances engaging, thought the story avoided cliches and appreciated it being told from the perspective of a caregiver. Ben Platt, Yvette Nicole Brown, Lola Kirke and Lynda Boyd headline the film.
Escape Room: Tournament of Champions – This sequel to the 2019 horror flick follows six new people who find themselves in a deadly series of escape rooms. They team up in order to survive and also come into contact with survivors from the previous instalment. Before long, everyone realizes this new group of challenges has something to do with their own personal histories. This picture received split notices from the press with a few more negative write-ups than positive ones. Those who gave the movie a recommendation stated that it raised the stakes and was a more diabolically creative entry than the original was. However, more complained that besides the impressive visuals, this was a predictable and blandly formulaic horror flick. It stars Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Deborah Ann Woll, Thomas Cocquerel, Holland Roden and Indya Moore.
Fried Barry – In this South African sci-fi/comedy, a nasty alcoholic is abducted by an alien. This otherworldly force decides to take control of the man’s body and use him to learn about humanity… and go on a crazy rampage in Cape Town. They indulge in every dark and violent human behavior that one can imagine. Can Barry regain control of his body, or will the alien possessor get both of them killed? Critics had a good time discovering the answer to this question. A small group criticized the film for indulging in too many shocking gags and not having much else to say. However, the general consensus was that while the movie certainly wasn’t for the faint of heart, it took plenty of crazy risks and was bizarrely entertaining. The cast includes Gary Green, Chanelle de Jager, Brett Williams and Joey Cramer.
The Inheritance – This independent narrative is inspired in part by actual events. The story follows a collective of black artists and activists in West Philadelphia. We see their efforts to find consensus and common ground for their various activities. As mentioned, the movie is largely based on the filmmaker’s actual experiences with a liberation group in the area whose headquarters was bombed in 1985. Overall, reviewers were very taken with the movie. A small number didn’t think that its many experimental elements came together cohesively. Still, the consensus was that this interesting debut feature was completely unique and told a fascinating and deeply moving story in a new and original way. This picture is being released exclusively on DVD. It features Chris Jarell, Aurielle Akerele, Shirley Chisholm and Eric Lockley.
Little Vampire – A lonely orphaned schoolboy befriends a 10-year-old vampire in this French animated feature. The vampire introduces the lead to a fantastic group of strange but friendly creatures. The youngster decides to help the group team up square off against a moon-headed monster who has been tormenting all of the beast for centuries. This picture was nominated for a few awards in its homeland and is now arriving in this part of the world. There aren’t a great many reviews available for it yet, but most of the ones that have appeared have been upbeat. One write-up didn’t find the story particularly original or engaging, but all the others called it a sweet and likable flick for the whole family. They also stated that it had a nice message. The disc includes the original French-language track and an English dub.
Naked Singularity – An idealistic public defender in New York sets out to help his clients, but becomes increasingly disillusioned by the injustices he sees within the justice system. It isn’t long before he finds himself being pulled into a high stakes drug heist by a former client. The protagonist decides that beating the system at its own game may be the only way to prove flaws in the justice system to the outside world. Reaction towards this picture wasn’t particularly good. A small percentage of reviewers called it a fast-pacing and interesting little thriller. Unfortunately, the majority stated that there were too many tropes and familiar crime picture elements being cooked up, but none of it worked very well together. The movie stars John Boyega, Olivia Cooke, Bill Skarsgård, Ed Skrein, Linda Lavin and Tim Blake Nelson.
Night of the Animated Dead – This horror flick for adult is a remake and reimagining of Night of the Living Dead as an animated feature. A brother and sister head out to the cemetery to pay tribute a family member, only see the dead rise from their graves and seek the flesh of living humans. The sister runs off and takes refuge in a house with a group of survivors who don’t see eye to eye on what to do next. Currently, not many have seen this feature. Those who have reported watching it don’t appear to have found it scary or effective. In fact, they said that while the movie was true to the source material, it felt like a less interesting copy of the original film and the animation wasn’t overly striking. The voice cast includes Josh Duhamel, Dulé Hill, Katharine Isabelle, Stefan Marks and Katee Sackhoff.
Not Going Quietly – This documentary tells the story of Ady Barkan, a rising star and progressive in the political world who was diagnosed with ALS. After getting into a confrontation with a powerful senator on a flight, a recording of the event goes public and his name becomes known across the nation. Barkan immediately becomes a sensation and decides to take advantage of his newfound celebrity by starting the inspiring “Be a Hero” movement. It seems that critics liked this feature. In fact, this title has yet to receive a negative write-up. All of the reviews stated that the subject was inspiring and that the filmmakers managed to give an informative and enlightening overview of the man and his personal mission. This non-fiction feature is being released exclusively on DVD.
Six Minutes to Midnight – This drama takes place on the cusp of WWII and follows a group of influential Nazi families who have sent their daughters to a very specific boarding school in England. A concerned teacher who begins working at the educational institute witnesses several students admit that they are essentially learning about the country to take on positions there after Germany takes over the world. The teacher attempts to alert authorities of what is going on, but one appears to take him seriously. This picture received more negative notices than positive ones. A small group thought the concept was interesting and liked the work of the film’s stars, stating that their charm helped the movie succeed. However, more suggested that the story wasn’t fully developed and lacked tension or thrills. The cast includes Judi Dench, James D’Arcy, Jim Broadbent and Eddie Izzard.
Space Jam: A New Legacy – The 1996 hit film Space Jam was about Looney Tunes characters teaming up with Michael Jordan to play basketball against monsters. This sequel/reboot moves the action directly to the Warner Bros. motion picture backlot. When an A.I. computer program decides that NBA star LeBron James should work for the company, the player refuses. Angry, it decides to trap the player and some of his family members within the Warner Bros. online server. James must team up with animated favorites like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck to save the day. Response was pretty tepid towards this feature. A few said it was fun, had some amusing pop culture references and was just as good as the original. Still, the vast majority thought it was a pure cash-in on the 1996 feature and thought it felt like nothing more than a commercial for the movie studio and its properties. Besides LeBron James, it also stars Don Cheadle, Cedric Jones, Khris Davis and Sonequa Martin-Green. Check out a full review of the movie here.
Blasts from the Past!
There are plenty of older features arriving in high definition. MVD Rewind are releasing the comedy Dirty Laundry (1967) on Blu-ray. It’s about a couple who find a laundry bag full of cash and begin living the high life. Troubles arise when they discover that the stolen loot came is the property of some mobsters. The flick stars Leigh McCloskey, Jeanne O’Brien, Robbie Rist, Sonny Bono, Frankie Valli and Nicholas Worth. This disc includes a fan commentary track, interviews with two of the cast members, a theatrical trailer and a collectable mini-poster for the movie.
Enjoy the work of comedian Don Knotts? If so, then Shout! Factory have you covered with the Don Knotts: 5-Film Collection. Alphabetically, it contains the features The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966), How to Frame a Figg (1971), The Love God? (1969), The Reluctant Astronaut (1967) and The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968), which are some the star’s most famous comedic outings. The discs come with publicity materials for all the flicks and an episode of The Red Skelton Show that features Knotts as a gunslinger.
And the distributor is presenting Elvira’s Haunted Hills (2001) on Blu-ray. This is the second feature that horror movie hostess Elvira starred in. It follows the performer as she heads off on a trip to Europe. After arriving at a strange European castle, amusing supernatural events begin occurring. The “Collector’s Edition” disc comes with a 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative, as well as a cast and director audio commentary, a making-of, several featurettes on the production, an interview with co-star Richard O’Brien, outtakes and a photo gallery.
Their big release of the week is their Halloween 4K Set which contains the first five movies in the famous horror franchise remastered in 4K. You’ll get 4K Ultra HD and Blu-rays of Halloween (1978), Halloween II (1981), Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989), all with crystal clarity unlike anything you have ever seen before. There also a new Dolby Atmos audio track included for the various movies. The set also comes with all of the same extras that appeared on previous releases of the films.
And if you’re looking for some action, they also have a Liam Neeson Double Feature Blu-ray that contains A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014) and Non-Stop (2014), which features the star saving the day while aboard a transatlantic flight. And you can pick up the Martial Arts Double Feature which includes Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993) starring Jason Scott Lee, alongside Unleashed (2005) with Jet Li.
Kino have decided to present some intriguing thrillers on Blu-ray. Three are actually TV-movies about woman dealing with mad killers and psychological horrors. They are called The Screaming Woman (1972), Scream, Pretty Peggy (1973) and The Victim (1972). All of these titles feature 2K restorations, as well as film expert commentary tracks and some extra promotional ads. On the dramatic side, they are releasing Songs My Brothers Taught Me (2015), an early directing effort from Oscar-winner Chloe Zhao (Nomadland). This disc has an interview with the filmmaker, as well as bloopers and deleted scenes.
Criterion have a Blu-ray of the Japanese classic, Onibaba (1964), about an impoverished older woman and her daughter-in-law. They murder lost samurai and sell victim’s belongings for the most meager of sustenance. A strange demon mask plays a part in the proceedings and ends up playing a part in the finale. This disc includes a new transfer of the film, a 2003 audio commentary with the director and an interview with him as well from that era. You’ll also get on-location footage from the shoot, a statement from the moviemaker and a trailer.
There are plenty of independent distributors out there releasing great product and it seems like all of them are putting something out this week. Well Go USA have a double-feature Blu-ray of Phantasm I & II (1979 – 1988) packed with extras, Code Red are debuting a Blu-ray the little slasher flick Trick or Treats (1982) and Ronin Flix have the more recent, I Spit on Your Grave: Déjà Vu (2019), which is a sequel to the notorious 1978 shocker.
Severin are putting out an exclusive DVD of The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak (1984) starring Tawny Kitaen. This disc contains the US version that many in these parts grew up with and not the longer, more explicit French cut of the film. Unearthed Films have a Blu-ray of the indie science-fiction feature, Star Vehicle (2010), while Cohen Media Group are presenting The Awakening (2011) in high definition.
The Film Detective are releasing a Blu-ray of The Amazing Dr. X (1948) and Film Rise are presenting the documentary Tab Hunter Confidential (2015), which tells the life story of the noted actor. Most of these movies will have bonus features and interested parties are encouraged to look them up online.
Additionally, discount Blu-ray company Mill Creek Entertainment are delivering another release with the Vince Vaughn Double Feature. This Blu-ray contains the comedies The Break Up (2006) and The Dilemma (2011) at a lower-than-average price point.
There are also some new titles arriving from various Hollywood studios. Lionsgate have an Exclusive Steelbook of American Psycho (2000), the noted satire about an 80s serial killer that stars Christian Bale. This release contains a 4K HD disc, along with a Blu-ray and a digital copy of the film. This will be a Best Buy Exclusive, so if you’re interested you can only pick it up or order it from them.
Paramount have the Audrey Hepburn 7-Movie Collection, a set that contains several of her most famous titles on Blu-ray. In alphabetical order, you’ll receive Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), Funny Face (1957), My Fair Lady (1964), Paris When It Sizzles (1964), Roman Holiday (1953), Sabrina (1954) and War and Peace (1956), all with plenty of bonuses for fans of the movie.
The studio is also re-releasing Blu-rays of Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016), the period thriller Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), and the museum-set monster movie, The Relic (1997), which is amusing fun for horror fans. You can also pick up Roman Holiday (1953) from the Audrey Hepburn set on its own, as well as the science-fiction remake of The Time Machine (2002) and the effective Harrison Ford/Michelle Pfeiffer thriller, What Lies Beneath (2000).
Universal are pleased to present a new and impressive 4K HD and Blu-ray set. The Universal Classic Monsters Icons of Horror 4K box set includes the original Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Invisible Man (1933) and The Wolf Man (1941), all with improved picture quality and tons of bonus material. They are also making Dracula (1931) and The Wolf Man (1941) available for purchase individually in special Steelbook packaging. The studio is also putting out the Kenneth Branagh thriller Dead Again (1991) in high definition. And they also have a swanky new 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray of the popular submarine thriller The Hunt for Red October (1990) featuring Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin.
Finally, Warner Archive are debuting the wild and bizarre Michael Keaton/Henry Winkler comedy, Night Shift (1982), about morgue workers who somehow manage to turn their place of business into a popular brothel. This made-to-order Blu-ray will be available exclusively through Amazon. Additionally, animation fans will be thrilled to see the Tex Avery Screwball Classics (1942 – 1957) Blu-ray arriving on the market. This release contains some eye-popping, incredible animated shorts from the noted filmmaker.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
Here are a few titles that might appeal to youngsters looking for new material to watch.
Heidi (1993 miniseries) DVD FilmRise
Peppa Pig: Peppa Visits America DVD
Space Jam: A New Legacy
Tex Avery Screwball Classics (1942 – 1957)
ON THE TUBE!
There’s plenty of TV-themed releases to pick from as well. Here’s a list of new material arriving online and on store shelves.
America’s Funniest Videos: Animal Edition (National Geographic) DVD
Castle Rock: The Complete Series
Chateau Christmas (Hallmark Channel) DVD
The Christmas House (Hallmark Channel) DVD
Christmas in Vienna (Hallmark Channel) DVD
Dark Shadows and Beyond: The Jonathan Frid Story (TV-documentary)
Drain in the Oceans: Season 4 (National Geographic) DVD
Heidi (1993 miniseries) DVD FilmRise
Holly & Ivy (Hallmark Channel) DVD
Midsomer Murders: Halloween Pop-Up Collectible (Acorn) DVD
Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries: Series 2
Murdoch Mysteries: Halloween Pop-Up Collectible (Acorn) DVD
Love, Lights, Hanukkah! (Hallmark Channel) DVD
The Nevers: Season 1, Part 1
On the 12th Date of Christmas (Hallmark Channel) DVD
Right in Front of Me (Hallmark Channel) DVD
The Screaming Woman (TV-movie) Kino
Scream, Peggy, Scream (TV-movie) Kino
Sharkfest 2021 (National Geographic) DVD
The Stand: The Definitive 2 Series Collection (1994 miniseries and 2020 – 2021 miniseries)
The Stand (2020 – 2021 miniseries)
UFO (Showtime Special) DVD
The Victim (TV-movie) Kino
When Sharks Attack: Season 7 (National Geographic) DVD