Welcome back to another look at highlights coming your way on Blu-ray and DVD. This editions sees one of the biggest films of the year arriving on disc, as well as an interesting variety of smaller features (as always, click on any links you see to read full length reviews). 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!
Beuys – Artist Joseph Beuys is the subject of this documentary. As part of the Fluxus movement in New York during the 60s and 70s, his unique art continues to inspire modern day virtuosos. The film chronicles his personal life, thoughts and professional achievements across various forms that include sculpture, installation and graphics. Write-ups were positive towards this effort, although not exemplary. Most thought it was interesting and appealing and liked the unusual, creative approach taken by the filmmakers. However, some wanted it to go deeper and get more perspective on the mind of the artist.
Black Panther – One of the biggest flicks of the year thus far is this Marvel comic book adaptation about an African prince who inherits the mantle of superhero from his father. When a villain emerges that threatens to take control of Wakanda, the new hero is forced into action to protect his nation. Response to this feature was very strong. There were a few minor critiques about the lengthy running time and the fact that the antagonist may have been more relatable than the movie’s hero, but almost all admired the charm of the cast as well as the skill and storytelling on display. It features Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Letita Wright, Anglea Basset, Forest Whitaker and Andy Serkis. To read this site’s review of the movie, click here.
The Forgiven – Based on a true story, this tale is set in South Africa just after the end of Apartheid. An Archbishop is asked to head a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and is summoned to a penitentiary. Once there, he meets with a hardened convict requesting clemency for his actions. The lead finds himself in a tense situation within the prison as he attempts to determine just how truthful this man might be. Reaction was split for this drama. Half thought that it was too talky and didn’t feel that the material was handled very effectively. The others enjoyed the strong performances and thought the themes were timely. It stars Forest Whitaker, Eric Bana and Jeff Gum.
The Monkey King 3 – The next chapter in this colorful series from Hong Kong involves a traveling monk and his unusual pals arriving in a foreign land. They soon discover that the area is populated exclusively by women and discover that they can’t leave. The group must confront an evil force in order to escape. This sequel didn’t earn many raves from critics in this part of the world. While a small percentage admired the over-the-top visuals, most stated that the movie was not as effective as its predecessors. They claimed the dialogue was poor and described the romantic elements as being cheesy. The cast includes Aaron Kwok, William Feng and Zanilia Zhao.
The Other Side of Hope – Also known as Toivon Tuolla Puolen, Criterion are releasing this recent foreign-language art house film to disc. It is the story of a refugee attempting to immigrate to Finland. When his application is denied, he’s taken in by a middle-aged restaurateur who allows him to hide and work at his newly acquired restaurant. This drama received excellent notices from the press. One or two didn’t care for the deadpan sense of humor on display, but almost all wrote that while being small in scale, the movie was incredibly likable and displayed a strong humanistic tone and message. It garnered plenty of a award nominations last year with critic groups as well (and I really enjoyed it too, for whatever that’s worth). The movie features Ville Vertanen, Sherwan Haji and Kati Outinen.
Samson – The story of this strong-man is retold in this biblical epic. With superhuman strength, Samson is chosen to defend and deliver his people’s land from the Philistine Empire. Of course, they plot to take away his remarkable powers. After being blinded, the figure must find the strength to rise up against his enemies. Reviews for this title were quite poor. A few thought it would work for its intended audience. However, the vast majority called attention to the low-production values on display and complained that it was slow-moving and overly graphic to boot. The cast includes Jackson Rathbone, Billy Zane, Taylor James, Rutger Hauer and Lindsay Wagner.
Submergence – This romance/drama follows a British secret agent working under cover and playing the role of a water engineer. While in Normandy, he falls for a deep sea diving bio-mathematician studying the origins of life in the universe. Unfortunately, their extremely dangerous and life-threatening jobs eventually separates them. The two struggle to find a way back into each other’s arms. Critics didn’t particularly care for this effort from director Wim Wenders (Paris, Texas, Wings of Desire, Buena Vista Social Club). They liked the leads but commented that the screenplay was ponderous and that the movie never came to life. It stars James McAvoy, Alicia Vikander, Celyn Jones and Alexander Siddig.
Blasts From the Past!
Lots of interesting older titles are arriving this week on Blu-ray. Arrow Video have The Bloodthirsty Trilogy Blu-ray box set, containing Japanese vampire flicks, The Vampire Doll (1970), Lake of Dracula (1971) and Evil of Dracula (1974). These movies came about after the success of British and American gothic horror movies of the previous decade and have since become cult movies in their own right. The movies have been given high definition transfers from the original negatives as well as new subtitles. This set also includes a video critic analysis of the series as an extra.
They also have a Special Edition Blu-ray of the Herschell Gordon Lewis cult film, Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964). The movie follows a group of unfortunate visitors to a town of murderous psychopaths. It comes with a director’s introduction, commentary track, an appreciation piece from a genre film critic, a visual essay on the American South in horror cinema, a featurette on the producer, a detailed look at promotional materials for the filmmaker’s movies, outtakes, trailers and a bonus movie from the director.
Shout! Factory have a wide assortment of releases as well. First up is the It’s Alive Trilogy box set. It contains It’s Alive (1974), It Lives Again (1978) and It’s Alive III: Island of the Alive (1987). These movies all deal with a malevolent, murderous baby and the attempts by parents to deal with and process the threat. They’ve all been given new 2K scans of the original film elements and more extras than can possibly be listed here (including commentary tracks, a documentary on the series, interview with crew members and publicity materials). If you’re a fan of this series, it’s a must-buy.
They also have the comedy, Carbon Copy (1981). It stars George Segal and features the first onscreen appearance of Denzel Washington. Washington plays a 17-year-old who learns that he is the son of a white corporate executive and introduces himself into his newfound father’s life. Dad tries to include his son in his personal life, leading to high jinks.
Doctor Blood’s Coffin (1961) is a goofy little horror flick from the UK about a scientist and his experiments on raising the dead. Naturally, the madman’s success causes complications as a newly created monster heads out on a rampage through the community. This movie has been given a new high-definition transfer from the best available elements (which should be at least a little better than previously released versions), along with a trailer and still gallery. Finally, Shout! are re-releasing some of their titles as Special Steelbook editions. This week, it’s The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989).
Kino are releasing a variety of different titles on Blu-ray too. They include a Special Edition of the Richard Dreyfuss/Burt Reynolds comedy, The Crew (2000). This release includes a director’s commentary track. Additionally, the distributor have the Jackie Gleason comedy/drama, How Do I Love Thee? (1970) and the comedy/romance, A Lady Takes a Chance (1943). The latter has been given a new 4K transfer.
Additionally, they have Charlie Chan spoof, Mastermind (1976). It’s probably more than a little dated, but now interested parties can pick it up and decide for themselves. Finally, Kino have a Special Edition Blu-ray of A Pyromaniac’s Love Story (1995). This romantic comedy comes with a director audio commentary and theatrical trailer.
You Know, For Kids!
Here are some titles that youngsters may take a liking to.
LEGO DC Super Hero Girls: Super-Villain High
Pinkalicious & Peterrific: Pinkamagine It!
Yona Yona Penguin (2009)
On the Tube!
And these are the week’s TV-themed releases.
The Jackie Gleason Show (in Color): Unreleased Episodes
Little Woman (PBS/BBC)
Masterpiece Mystery!: Unforgotten: Season 2 (PBS)
Nova: Prediction by the Numbers (PBS)
Rick and Morty: Season 3
The Shannara Chronicles: Season 2
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Impossible Dream (Hallmark TV-movie)
Silent Witness: Season 5 (BBC)