Welcome back to another edition of highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. Plenty of interesting features both new and old are arriving on shelves in this edition; you’ll know what’s coming your way by reading below. 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 27 Club – Based around the idea that a great many popular celebrities have met untimely ends at the age of 27, this independent horror feature follows a student investigating the phenomenon. When the protagonist meets and befriends as singer-songwriter searching for their big break, the two team up to find the title location and become fully engaged in a strange underground society. The movie has played at a few small film festivals, but is making its debut primarily on disc. As such, there aren’t many reviews of the flick that have been posted as of yet, so interested parties will have to go in cold. The cast includes Maddisyn Carter, Hailey Allen and Bryan Angel.
American Warfighter – A Special Ops soldier wakes nightly from horrific dreams while in the field serving alongside fellow soldiers. Despite clearly suffering from PTSD, he continues with his duties, attempting to control the trauma and not make any mistakes that will result in the deaths of his buddies. This is another independent effort that has yet to be screened at cinemas. Once again, there aren’t many reviews available and those that have popped up online offer a varied response. Some appear to like it, but others call it clumsily made and overly jingoistic at times. They also comment that many of the maneuvers and actions depicted aren’t authentic. The movie features Jerry G. Angelo, Paul Logan and Isaac C. Singleton Jr.
Captain Marvel – This recent smash hit from Marvel Studios introduces the world to a Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel, a new superhero who may originally be from another planet. When a devastating war between two alien species seems imminent, the superhero must travel to Earth to prevent complete destruction. Arriving in the 1990s, she encounters and strikes up a friendship with Nick Fury while attempting to complete her mission. Reviews for this effort were good, although they didn’t match some of the other franchise titles. A good portion felt that this flick wasn’t as sharp as it could have been and that some of the humor missed the mark. Still, more found the action and thrills exciting enough to earn it a modest recommendation. It stars Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackosn, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Jude Law and Annette Benning. To read this site’s review, click here.
Captive State – A Chicago neighborhood is occupied by an incredibly powerful alien force in this science-fiction picture. Ten years after their arrival, the story details a human resistance movement and otherworldly forces cohabitating in the area and details the struggles experienced as conflicts arise in the community. Reaction towards this dark thriller was decidedly mixed. A percentage commented that the actors were very good and the feature provided a unique and twisty spin on the alien invasion formula. Alas, there was a slightly larger group who complained that this film had difficulty focusing on its central characters, didn’t really delve deeply enough into the issues it raised, and failed as a suspense picture. John Goodman, Ashton Sanders, Jonathan Majors, Vera Farmiga and D.B. Sweeney headline the movie.
Five Feet Apart – This teen romance follows a young woman forced to endure a rigid program to deal with her cystic fibrosis. When she meets a teenager suffering from the same condition, the two form a bond and begin to feel a strong attraction. However, their treatment method stipulates that they must keep a safe distance from one another. When the young man considers rebelling against medical advisors, the lead worries for him and also wonders if their love for one another could result in tragedy. This flick spilt reviewers. About half suggested that while the cast were good, the story was routine, generic and corny, ultimately leaving them cold. Others stated that despite its flaws, they liked the performers enough to recommend it to teens. The cast includes Haley Lu Richardson, Cole Sprouse and Claire Forlani.
From Core to Sun – There are plenty of people who dream of being entered in the Guinness Book of World Records. This documentary details the exploits of Ecuadorian Millán Ludeña and his attempts to break a specific record. Despite having no training as a professional athlete, the man traveled to South Africa, went to the Mponeng coal mine and ran a half-marathon at the deepest point in the Earth. He followed that up by trying to jog his way across the Chimborazo volcano, which is considered closest to the sun. The movie recently received a theatrical release in its home country and is premiering in the rest of the world on Blu-ray and DVD. There aren’t any reviews as of yet, but it looks to be an interesting tale.
Kill Order – In this action film, armed soldiers arrive at a high school and grasp a young student. The teen, who suffers from terrible visions and nightmares, soon discovers that he also has extraordinary physical powers. He decides to learn what skills he possesses and what these armed guards want from him so that he can free himself from their control and return to a normal life. Very little is known about this feature so far, other than it has science-fiction elements and bears some resemblance in its basic concept to the Maze Runner film series. Again, this one seems to be premiering through disc and streaming formats, so you’ll just have to dive in without any more info if it appeals to you. It features Chris Mark, Jessica Clement and Denis Akiyama.
Leprechaun Returns – The latest chapter in the Leprechaun series finds a group of North Dakota college students awakening the monster when they demolish a nearby cabin in order to build a new sorority house. The Leprechaun doesn’t like being disturbed or having his gold taken and sets out to punish the youngsters for their actions. This follow-up to the original 1993 film actually premiered on SyFy, where it was generally panned by the press. A small contingent stated that it delivered the B-movie goods and provided a few laughs amidst the gruesomeness. However, slightly more called it another (the eighth, specifically) in a long line of unnecessary movies from a franchise well past its due date. Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, Sai Bennett and Linden Porco take on the lead roles.
The Mustang – Horses have been a popular subject in films lately, including titles like The Rider and Lean on Pete. In this effort, a Nevada convict with a dark past gets involved in an outdoor maintenance prison program and captures the attention of one of the organizers. After being assigned to care for horses, the man begins to work with a mustang. He soon feels the positive and healing effect of the animal has and uses his experiences to deal with personal issues. Critics were very enthused about this independent drama. Only one or two wrote that it didn’t grab them and felt flavorless. Everyone else described the lead performance as stellar and called the movie a powerful tale of redemption through unusual means. It stars Matthew Schoenaerts, Jason Mitchell, Connie Britton and Bruce Dern.
Norm of the North: King Sized Adventure – While the original Norm of the North film from 2016 was no big success, it has somehow earned enough attention to warrant the creation of several straight-to-disc sequels. This title marks the third in the series and follows the title character as he attempts to deliver a priceless artifact to China while fending off a sinister archeologist. To complete the journey, he is forced to travel around the globe. No reviews currently exist for this title, but the previous ventures were panned, so there’s no reason to expect anything stellar this time out. And if you do like it, you’ll be pleased to know that additional sequels are already in production/development. The voice talent includes Andrew Toth, Cole Howard, Alan Marriott and Lisa Durupt.
Sinatra in Palm Springs: The Place He Called Home – This documentary details entertainer Frank Sinatra and the many years he spent living in Palm Springs, California. Apparently, the artist considered the town an oasis of sorts, owning a property there for 50 years that he named Rancho Mirage. Using archived footage and interviews with locals, various aspects of Sinatra’s life are dissected, including the house itself, his tumultuous marriage to Ava Gardiner, as well as the celebrity’s favorite hangouts and excursions around town. This little picture is also making its debut on disc, so there aren’t any reviews to go on as of yet, but fans of the singer may find the material to be of interest.
Wrestle – As one might have guessed from the title, the subject of this non-fiction feature is the sport of wrestling. In particular, a team of students from an Alabama high school. Viewers watch them not only as they prepare for tournaments, but also deal with the various complications in their lives. This includes run ins with the law as well as some of the issues of their tough coach which begin to rise to the surface as events progress. Critics responded very positively towards the feature. In fact, there hasn’t been much reported about the movie that is in any way negative. The film has been called a gripping and compelling look a group of athletes as well as a condemnation of problems within the public school system.
Blasts from the Past!
There are numerous older titles receiving high definition upgrades this week. Shout! Factory have several noteworthy ones arriving. The first is the feature Can’t Stop the Music (1980). Starring The Village People and Steve Guttenberg, this musical was something of a bomb when it was first released and missed the peak of disco music, but still has a following thanks to its over-the-top goofiness. In addition to the film itself, the Blu-ray contains an interview with “Cowboy” Randy Jones, who shares his memories of making the movie and more than an hour’s worth of stories about the production. The release also includes a new audio commentary with the writer/director, producer and comedy writer Bruce Vilanch, as well as plenty of trailers and commercials for the title.
Shout! also have a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray of the horror flick, The Entity (1982). This one is about a single woman who finds herself being assaulted by a vengeful spirit. She enlists the help of parapsychologists to help stop the threat. The release includes numerous bonuses. You’ll receive new interviews with actress Barbara Hershey, actor David Labiosa, composer Charles Bernstein and editor Frank J. Urioste, as well as a new film historian audio commentary. Additionally, the disc comes with a featurette on the movie, a trailer with commentary by director Luca Guadagnino (Suspiria) and other publicity materials.
And there’s more. You can now pick up Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) as a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray. This Peter Cushing Hammer monster movie has been given a new 2K transfer from the original film elements. It also comes with a bevy of extras like a new film historian commentary, interviews with actor Robert Morris, camera assistant/clapper loader Eddie Collins, 2nd assistant director Joe Marks, along with an audio track featuring actors Derek Fowlds, Robert Morris, And Film Historian Jonathan Rigby. You’ll also get the World Of Hammer episode, The Curse Of Frankenstein and the World Of Hammer episode Hammer Stars: Peter Cushing. But that’s not all. It also comes with a Hammer Glamour featurette, trailers, TV and radio spots and still galleries.
The Shout Select series is presenting the LGBTQ comedy Jeffrey (1995) on Blu-ray. This effort, starring Steven Weber and Patrick Stewart, arrives on disc with a Weber commentary, and interview with the actor, an interview with the producer and publicity materials.
Finally, the company are releasing a Steelbook edition of the entertaining killer fish flick, Piranha (1978). This edition comes with all of the previously released extras in a shell case featuring brand new cover art.
Some time ago, this site announced that the AFGA had released a set called the Wakaliwood Supa Action Volume 1: Who Killed Captain Alex? + Bad Black Blu-ray. As you might have guessed, it was delayed and missed its release date, but it now arriving this week.
Kino fans will be excited to see some new Blu-rays headed their way too. They have a new 2K master of The Girl Most Likely To… (1973), starring Stockard Channing. The release includes a new film historian audio commentary. They also have a 2K presentation of the Michael Caine adventure flick, Kidnapped (1971). Furthermore, the distributor are also giving the same specs for their release of the thriller, Pursuit (1972). And they have a Special Edition of the George C. Scott romantic comedy, They Might Be Giants (1971). The disc includes an expanded cut of the film with never-before-seen footage, a director commentary, a featurette on the production and a trailer.
Criterion are delivering Swing Time (1936) on Blu-ray. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers star in this musical, which has been given a new 2K restoration. You’ll also get an Astaire authority commentary, archival interviews with the stars and choreographer, a talk with the director, a new program on the elaborate dance numbers, a discussion with a film scholar and an essay on the picture.
Synapse are releasing a Special Edition Blu-ray of the thriller, Slaughter of the Innocents (1993). This made-for-video title came right on the heels of The Silence of the Lambs and even starred Scott Glenn (one of the cast members of the previous film) as an agent hunting down a serial killer. The disc comes with a director commentary, interviews with the cast and filmmaker, featurettes with the make-up designer and cinematographer, deleted scenes, an alternate assault sequence and other extras.
Sony are giving Ghostbusters fans a 35th Anniversary Blu-ray Steelbook Edition of the first two films in the franchise, Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II (1989). Both films have been remastered in 4K and the special features disc includes more than two hours of long-requested and rare archival elements—including never-before-seen deleted scenes from the first film—along with returning interviews, effects breakdowns, multi-angle explorations and much more! Both films also feature brand new commentaries, featuring the filmmakers on Ghostbusters II and passionate fans with deep-cut insights on Ghostbusters.
Speaking of anniversaries, Paramount are presenting a 15th Anniversary edition Blu-ray of the popular comedy, Mean Girls (2004). And speaking of Steelbooks, you can also get the excellent action picture The Warriors (1979). This release includes the Director’s Cut on Blu-ray and the original version on a second DVD. As much as I am a fan, until they give us the original version on Blu too, I frankly advise holding off on picking this edition up… because nothing beats that first, theatrical cut. Can you dig it?
Finally, Warner Archive are making None But the Brave (1965) available on Blu-ray, Redemption are delivering the cult flick, Devil’s Kiss (1976) and My Nights with Susan, Sandra, Olga & Julie (1975) is arriving in high definition courtesy of Cult Epics.
You Know, For Kids!
This time out it looks like there’s only one release for youngsters and you’ll have to order it through Warner Archive.
Jonny Quest: The Complete Series (1964 – 1965) (Warner Archive Blu-ray)
On the Tube!
And here are the week’s TV-themed releases.
I Am the Night (TV Mini-Series)
Jonny Quest: The Complete Series (1964 – 1965) (Warner Archive Blu-ray)
Orange is the New Black: Seasons 1 – 5
Orange is the New Black: Season 6