Hello once again and welcome to another look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. It’s another busy week with some big movies and interesting independent fare to check out. Readers should also note links which will lead to full reviews of some of the releases in question. 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 Beach Bum – This stoner comedy follows a strange man living a nomadic and hedonistic lifestyle in the Florida Keys. After a car accident leaves him a widower, the family estate falls into the hands of his estranged daughter, who forces her dad to try and complete his novel before allowing the funds to be released back to him. This project split critics. About half of them complained that the film was repetitive and that the characters and situations were less than ingratiating. Yet more commented that while they didn’t necessarily want to follow in the character’s footsteps, they found the film funny and thought it did a good job of taking aim the American way of life. It stars Matthew McConaughey, Snoop Dogg, Isla Fisher, Martin Lawrence, Zak Efron and Jonah Hill.
The Crest – Two cousins decide to head to their ancestral home in this documentary, only to discover that the past holds surprising ties to their current lives. The two men share a love of surfing and sea, and when they arrive at an island off of the western coast of Ireland, they learn more about their family history. Most notably, the subjects discover that they are direct descendants of an Irish King known for surfing the waves around his Irish home. The information both surprises and forms a connection between their own lives and those of their ancestors. This feature has played at film festivals to decent response, but seems to be making its debut on disc, so there aren’t any detailed reviews available for it as of yet.
Crypto – A ex-Wall Street banker moves back to his hometown, takes a job in law enforcement and is recruited to help investigate a crytocurrency ring. Unfortunately, the case ends up causing both professional and very personal complications as drama unfolds in his own household and acquaintances become suspects. Alas, very few members of the press liked what they saw. While a small percentage thought that it was an interesting little thriller and one big critic even remarked that he enjoyed it because of its enormous and baffling plotholes, the consensus was that the story was generic and that it failed to generate any tension. The movie features Luke Hemsworth, Beau Knapp, Alexis Bledel, Vincent Kartheiser and Kurt Russell.
Disappearance – A writer looking for a new concept for a thriller sails with his wife on their yacht and agrees when his spouse suggests that they allow an attractive young waitress to stay with them. He begins flirting with the guest and the wife becomes frustrated. When the author disappears, a police investigator arrives to interview the two women and the crew in the hopes of discovering exactly what happened. This picture is debuting on disc and through streaming platforms and has not been shown to anyone as of yet. As such, curious parties may want to exercise caution before proceeding. The cast includes Brian Thompson, Reggie Lee, Courtney Palm, Matthew Marsden and Jemma Dallender.
Hale County This Morning, This Evening – This documentary follows the lives of two young African-American men in rural Alabama over the course of five years. Over this period of time, viewers see the two different paths these men take. One heads off to college in the hopes of starting a career, while the other becomes a father and attempts to raise his boy in a supportive and encouraging environment. Viewers see the many highs and lows experienced by both figures. Reviews for the film were excellent. A couple of articles stated that the movie needed to be more assertive and make its points in a more direct fashion. All others called it moving and lyrical, showing a great deal of beauty in the normally mundane facets of life.
Hotel Mumbai – In 2008, a group of heavily-armed terrorists descended on the famous Taj Hotel in Mumbai, India. This drama recreates the harrowing event. The story follows specific members of the staff who decide to stay during the ordeal and protect their guests and those who have taken refuge at the location, all at the risk of losing their own lives. Write-ups for this film were generally strong. A small group found the events depicted too disturbing and a few even described the feature as exploitative. However, the majority suggested that the movie expertly created a palpable sense of unease and tension that was equal parts distressing and heartbreaking. They also wrote that the feature was difficult to forget. It features Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Jason Isaacs and Angus McLaren.
The Nightmare Gallery – An anthropology professor is shocked to discover that her best student has disappeared as this horror flick opens. Some three years later and with the mystery still unsolved, a package from the vanished person arrives in the mail. The lead finds paranormal artifacts within the parcel, which lead her to try and learn what happened. Apparently, her journey takes her through dimensional portals to a strange and nightmarish new environment. So far there aren’t any reviews for this title, so interested horror fans will have to the take the journey without any sort of details as to what they might be in for. Amber Benson, Kevin Chamberlin, and Mat Devine headline the film.
Public Figure – This little documentary takes a close look at social media and the influence (both good and bad) that the technology may be having on our daily lives. Not only does it follow cases of persons who are addicted to various programs and platforms, but also speaks with social media influencers and details their impact on various social causes currently in the spotlight. The film also claims to explore the ways in which those in the public eye deal with their fame and various attacks from those who dislike their postings. Once again, this picture is making its premiere on disc, so those curious will just have to take a chance on it without knowing any specifics.
Run the Race – Two athletic brothers in high school have to deal with a series of unfortunate events over the course of their school year. First, their mother passes away and then their father abandons them. They both focus on sports in the hopes of finding success. When one of them suffers a devastating injury, the other sibling tries to succeed in order to earn them both a better future. This faith-based film got a mixed reception from the press. Those who liked it thought it was sweet, sincere and not as overbearing as some other titles of its ilk. Slightly more wrote that while it was tolerable, the script and dialogue still could have done with a lot of polishing. The cast includes Mykelti Williamson, Frances Fisher, Kristoffer Polaha, Tanner Stone and Mario Van Peebles.
Swing Kids – Set in the early 1950s against the backdrop of the Korean War, this foreign-language musical drama is a biopic follows a North Korean soldier and professional tap dancer held captive in a prison camp. To try and survive the ordeal, the captive decides to join a dancing group and try to bridge the conflicts between various countries. Critics appear to have liked what they saw overall. While a percentage did complain that the tonal shifts between dance numbers and horrors of war didn’t gel, more complimented the attempts to merge anachronistic elements as appropriate given the subject matter, and thought that viewers were effectively pulled between happiness and tears as the film progressed. Kyungo-soo Do, Hye-soo Park and Jared Grimes take on the lead roles.
Under the Silver Lake – A Los Angeles man obsessed with conspiracy theories encounters a young woman swimming in the pool of his apartment complex. When she vanishes and news reports suggest that a killer is on the loose, the lead takes it upon himself to try and save her. He soon begins to suspect that he may be uncovering a grand conspiracy that will shock the world. Reaction towards this indie neo-noir feature was all over the place. Those who were less-than-impressed found that while there contained some striking imagery, the overextended story meandered and disappointed. Others who recommended the movie said that while the ending didn’t quite work, this was a stylish and original effort that consistently intrigued them. It stars Andrew Garfield, Riley Keough, Topher Grace and Patrick Fischler.
Us – The latest from writer/director Jordan Peele (Get Out) tells the story of a family who head out to their vacation home in Santa Cruz. They endure a series of terrifying events after psychotic dopplegangers appear and attempt to take their places. While the clan fight them off and protect themselves, the mother recalls events in her past that may have some connection to the attacks. The press were very positive about this horror picture. A small amount of reviews suggested that while chilling, not all of the story made sense and suggested that it wasn’t quite as effective as the filmmaker’s previous work. However, most called it unsettling and thought that there were plenty of jolts and allegory to process. The movie feature Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Shahadi Wright-Joseph and Even Alax. To read this site’s review, click here.
WonderPark – This animated family film follows a young girl who loves amusement parks. When she’s forced to deal with her mother’s sudden illness, the child runs away into the forest and discovers her imaginary world of rides and attractions. Unfortunately, it has fallen into disrepair and so the protagonist decides to help the many mascots restore the theme park to its former glory. Reviewers didn’t take well to this effort. A small contingent called the movie’s visuals impressive and admired the message of facing your fears. Still, the consensus was that the title lacked a sense of magic and didn’t deliver on its interesting premise. The voice-cast includes Jennifer Garner, Matthew Broderick, John Oliver, Mila Kunis, Kenan Thompson, Ken Jeong and Brianna Denski. To read a full review of the film, click here.
Blasts from the Past!
It’s a very, very busy week for classic titles getting Blu-ray upgrades. The first Blu-ray of note is from Arrow Academy, and it’s for the Carol Reed (The Third Man) thriller, The Running Man (1963). Not to be confused with the Arnold Schwarzenegger flick of the same name, this effort is about a wife who helps her husband fake his own death to collect insurance money. But when they vacation to Spain, the leads encounter the very insurance agent that they duped. It’s an interesting little flick, and the Blu-ray arrives with a 2K restoration of the picture and several bonuses, including a film historian commentary, a series of interviews with crew members about the production, a 45-minute audio interview with co-star Lee Remick about her career, an image gallery and plenty of written material detailing various aspects of the feature. If you want to know more about the disc, just click here for a full review.
Shout! Factory have some equally intriguing Blu-rays. They include the fun sci-fi horror picture, The Monolith Monsters (1957). This one boasts an unusually memorable concept of a rock-like substance that falls from space. When water hits it, grows tall spires and falls over, spreading across the landscape. The townspeople are then forced to try and deal with this mysterious threat. It’s a good and unique movie, and besides the cleaned up picture, the Blu-ray also includes several extras. There’s a new film historian audio commentary, a second track with Professor of Film Studies Mark Jancovich, as well as publicity materials.
They also have the box set Universal Horror Collection: Volume 1 – The Black Cat (1934), The Raven (1935), The Invisible Ray (1936) and Black Friday (1940). As you might have imagined, the release contains four classic flicks from Universal’s horror vaults starring the likes of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. The bonuses on the set are too lengthy to divulge here, but most of the titles have been given new 2K scans, all of the films come with at least one audio commentary, documentaries on the productions, audio interviews, still galleries and trailers.
Kino have a giant selection of titles hitting Blu-ray as well. They include the Jack Nicholson drama, The Border (1982), which includes a film critic commentary and trailer. You can also pick up the William Friedkin heist caper, The Brink’s Job (1978). This well regarded effort stars Peter Falk, Peter Boyle, Paul Sorvino and Gena Rowlands and includes the very same extras as described in the previous title.
The same company are also releasing the highbrow arthouse effort, Détective (1985) from filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard. It has been described as a deconstruction of film noir and arrives with a selected scene commentary from a programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival. Also from the director is First Name: Carmen (1983), a reinvention of the famous opera. This release includes another short film from Godard called Changer D’image (1982), as well as movie historian commentaries for both programs, trailers and a booklet essay on the production. And there’s another French film, Hélas Pour Moi (1993) aka Oh, Woe Is Me, which star Gerard Depardieu and includes similar additional features.
The civil rights drama Mississippi Burning (1988) is also getting some attention from Kino. They’re presenting a Special Edition Blu-ray of the Best Cinematography Oscar-winner which includes a new 4K scan from the original camera negative. Bonuses include an audio commentary with director Alan Parker (Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, Pink Floyd: The Wall, Angel Heart, The Commitments) and the theatrical trailer.
If mysteries are more to your liking, then you may enjoy the Blu-ray of Agatha Christie’s Ordeal by Innocence (1984). It follows a man who sets out to visit his friend in England and return a notebook left behind. When he discovers that his pal has been framed for murder and killed, he sets out to uncover the truth. It stars Donald Sutherland, Christopher Plummer, Ian McShane and Faye Dunaway.
The next Blu-ray may be my most anticipated release of the week. The Canadian thriller The Silent Partner (1978) stars Christopher Plummer as a psychotic criminal who attempts to rob a bank in downtown Toronto over the Christmas holidays. Elliott Gould plays a teller who impulsively takes advantage of the hold-up situation, pulling a fast one and taking a significant portion of money for himself, which Plummer’s character is ultimately blamed for.
It all results in a battle of wits between the two men as the crook attempts to ransom the cashier for the rest of the proceeds. The movie was written by Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential) and cleverly delves into how, under the right circumstances, anyone has the capacity to be a criminal. For its Blu-ray debut, this release contains an interview with co-star Elliott Gould (who is a big fan of the movie), a film historian audio commentary, and a radio spot. Can’t wait to pick it up!
Additionally, Kino are also releasing a Blu-ray of the crime/thriller, Slayground (1983). This disc comes with an interview with star Peter Coyote and a trailer. So yes, there are a lot of excellent choices from this particular distributor in this edition.
But that’s not all. Also coming your way is a Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection. This one is for the coming-of-age drama, Corvette Summer (1978), which has developed something of a cult following over the years. It stars Mark Hamill (fresh off of his stint in the original Star Wars) as a high school student whose car is stolen. He hitches a ride and teams up with a prostitute, played by Annie Potts; together, they head for Las Vegas and try to recover the stolen goods.
Cohen Media have picked up the rights to the Boston newspaper drama, Between the Lines (1977) and are releasing it on Blu-ray. This one stars John Heard, Lindsay Crouse and Jeff Goldblum, and the disc itself includes a new interview with director Joan Micklin Silver (Hester Street, Crossing Delancey), the original trailer and a 2018 re-release trailer.
On a slightly classier note, Criterion have a pair of French films hitting Blu-ray. The first is La vie de Jesus (1997), a look at an aimless young man with epilepsy trying to make ends meet. This film has been given a 4K digital restoration approved by director Bruno Dumont, includes an interview with the filmmaker, a conversion with him about the movie recorded in 2014 and excepts from two 1997 episodes of a French TV-program dealing with the movie. They’re also putting out a Blu-ray of L’humanite (1999), another feature from Dumont. This movie has also been given a 4K digital remaster and comes with a new director interview, a conversation between the figure and a film critic, a segment about the movie from a 2000 French program, a news interview dating back to 1999 and a trailer.
You Know, For Kids!
Here are some titles that may appeal to younger audiences.
Father’s Day (Direct-to-disc animated film)
Popeye the Sailer: The 1940s, Volume 2 (Warner Archive)
On the Tube!
And these are the week’s TV-themed releases.
Eat, Pray, Love (Hallmark TV-movie)
Killing Eve: Season 2
Last of the Summer Wine: Vintage 2010
Legendary Catch (National Geographic)
Loud Krazy Love (Cable-documentary about band KoRn)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Vol. XI (Ring of Terror, Indestructible Man, Tormented, Horrors of SpiderIsland)
NATURE: The Egg: Life’s Perfect Invention (PBS)
Ozone Hole: How We Saved the Planet (PBS)
Patrick Melrose (Showtime Mini-series)
Suits: Season 8
Swingtown: Season 1
Will & Grace – The Revival: Season 2