Welcome back to another look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. It’s a busy week with plenty of great stuff (and a few misfires) coming your way. As always, you can click on any links you see to read in-depth reviews of the films listed. 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 15:17 to Paris – Director Clint Eastwood retells this true story about a group of US servicemen vacationing through Europe who happen upon and thwart a terrorist attempt aboard a train. The movie casts the actual heroes, who play themselves and recreate the events that took place. Critics weren’t very impressed by the effort. While they all found the actions of the men valiant, the majority found that they didn’t have the necessary onscreen gravitas to maintain tension. Reviews also complained about the film’s meandering, very slow pacing. It stars Alek Skarlatos, Anthony Sadler, Spencer Stone, Jenna Fischer and Judy Greer. To read this site’s review of the movie, click here.
Daphne & Velma – This origin story follows the heroines from the Scooby-Doo cartoon and movie series. When Daphne arrives at a new high school, she’s greeted by another student named Velma. The pair befriend one another and team up to solve some strange disappearances in the building that result in students being turned into mindless drones. This live-action feature is receiving a straight-to-video release so there aren’t many reviews currently available. There have been some critical notices online that suggest the entire endeavor struggles to find a proper tone doesn’t offer much that’s new to the franchise. It features Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Gilman and Vanessa Marano.
Early Man – The latest from UK-based animator Nick Park (Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run) is a prehistoric tale of cave people who have their home invaded by a technically advanced, Bronze Age kingdom. In order to win their home back, they challenge the King and his subjects to a game of soccer. The press were generally pleased by this stop-motion feature. A small percentage commented that this title wasn’t as memorable as some of the filmmaker’s earlier works. However, the vast majority were impressed with the animation and enjoyed the soccer-based puns and visual gags. The voice cast includes Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, Maisie Williams, Timothy Spall and Richard Ayoade. To read a full review, just click here.
A Fantastic Woman – A transgender nightclub singer goes through a horrible ordeal after her wealthy partner suffers a fatal heart attack. Prejudiced police and family members immediately cast doubt and suspicion on the character, forcing her to endure many indignities in order to clear her name and pay her respects. This Chilean drama earned excellent reviews and ended up winning an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. While a few found it all a bit too minimalist for their liking, almost all complimented the exceptional lead performance and felt the movie helped viewers understand the trails and tribulations of its lead character. Daniela Vega headlines the film. To read this site’s review of the film, click here.
Game Night – In this comedy, a couple in a suburban neighborhood get together each week with their friends for a game night. Events take a bizarre turn during a murder-mystery party when a member of the ground is kidnapped. The players head out to retrieve the person, unsure of whether they’re actually still playing the game. Reaction to this feature was very positive. A scant few didn’t find the comic set pieces effective. However, significantly more thought the movie had a great concept and found the cast extremely winning as they were put into extreme situations. It stars Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler, Sharon Horgan, Billy Magnussen, Larmorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, Jesse Plemons, Michael C. Hall, Danny Huston and Chelsea Peretti.
Graduation – Released under the title of Bacalaureat in its homeland, this Romanian art house drama is about a physician whose daughter is about to graduate from high school. She’s set to travel abroad thanks to a scholarship from a post-secondary education. The plan hits a horrific snag when the student is attacked on her way to final exams, putting her education and future in jeopardy. It forces the dad into taking extreme measures to rectify the situation. This title earned raves from critics. They were impressed by the almost documentary-like feel and found the father’s difficult choices and fallout from his actions fascinating to witness. It features Adrian Titieni, Maria Dragus and Lia Bugnar.
I Kill Giants – An eccentric middle-school girl develops an unusual way of handling the various problems in her personal life. The outcast escapes into a fantasy world filled with creatures and magic. However, these two realities begins to twist together, forcing the girl to deal with her real world issues. This small, independent feature from the UK earned surprisingly excellent reviews. While one or two found it dreary, almost all others were incredibly impressed with the feature. They called it unique, well acted and an extremely moving portrait of the mind of a young girl. The cast includes Madison Wolfe, Zoe Saldana, Imogen Poots, Sydney Wade and Rory Jackson.
Red Sparrow – After a Russian ballerina is seriously injured on the job, she is recruited by the government and joins a top secret spy ring called Sparrow School. It involves agents using appearance and powers of persuasion to obtain information from targets. After her training is complete, she begins to question her actions and struggles with her growing feelings for a CIA agent. The press were split on this effort, with a few more negative reviews than positive. Half called it an effective, old-fashioned spy thriller, while slightly more found it silly and felt that the script wasn’t as engaging or clever as it thought it was. The movie stars Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Charlotte Rampling and Jeremy Irons. Read a full review right here.
Wonderstruck – This independent drama follows two children in different time periods who both embark on a quest to reach New York City. A young girl attempts to locate a Hollywood star, while a boy follows clues he hopes will lead him to learn more about his late father. The press generally liked the movie, although there were a wide range of reactions. Some found it ponderous, slow-moving and didn’t see it as more than a technical exercise. However, more were impressed by the visuals, sound design and uniqueness on display, finding the resolution sweet and emotionally resonant. It features Oakes Fegley, Millicent Simmons, Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams. To read a full review of the film, click here.
Blasts from the Past!
There plenty of interesting cult films and older titles arriving on high definition as well. Arrow Video have the Italian giallo, Death Smiles on a Murderer (1973). It follows a madman (played by Klaus Kinski) who discovers a formula for raising the dead and uses it on his late sister. Unfortunately for him, she’s out for revenge and he is included on her list of targets. This Blu-ray arrives with a 2K transfer, an audio commentary from a genre film critic, an archival interview with the director and video essay on his work, a new interview with the female star and loads of publicity materials.
They also are releasing a 2-disc limited edition Blu-ray of the first film from director Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream and many others). The Last House on the Left (1972) is a gritty, disturbing film about a pair of teens who are assaulted and murdered by a gang. They soon end up and the parents of victims, who turn the tables and brutally avenge their family members. This edition comes with three different cuts of the film restored in 2K, multiple archival audio commentaries, new interviews with cast and crew, never-before-seen talks with the stars, numerous archival documentaries on the making-of the movie and tons more. There’s simply too much to go into here, but if you’re a fan of the film, this is the definitive edition.
Arrow Academy, the company’s line for art house titles, is also putting out Black Venus (2010). This well-regarded, harrowing French/Belgian independent biopic tells the true story of a South African woman with unusual features who was taken by Dutch settlers and sold as a circus exhibit. The movie arrives on Blu-ray with a critic appreciation of the film along with a written analysis of its themes and publicity materials.
MVD are bringing the family-friendly Savannah Smiles (1982) to audiences as a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. The story involves the young daughter of a politician who breaks into the car of a pair of nitwit crooks who have just broken out of prison. She joins the escapees on the road. Of course, they’re soon blamed for kidnapping her. The movie features Peter Graves and Michael Parks in supporting roles. Apparently, reviews suggest that it’s a sweet and well-liked little independent film. The feature has been given a 2K restoration, a brand new documentary about the movie, as well as interviews with cast and crew members. It also comes with a trailer and mini-poster.
And there’s more! Shout! Factory are bringing Of Unknown Origin (1983) to Blu-ray. It’s an interesting thriller starring Peter Weller as a New York businessman whose wife and daughter go away to visit family. He soon learns that his place is housing another tenant in the form of a large rat. The obsessive man and animal square off against each other, with attacks slowly escalating. If memory serves, it’s a creepy little flick. The disc includes a new 2K scan from the interpositive, trailers, a still gallery, new interviews with the writer, executive producer and a cast member, as well as a pre-existing commentary track with star Weller and director George P. Cosmatos (Cobra, Leviathan, Tombstone).
The also have some drive-in fare with the Blu-ray of the Italian horror picture, The Vampire and the Ballerina (1960). This one arrives with a high-definition transfer of the film sourced from the last surviving elements. It also includes a 8mm short containing highlights from the feature. For those who don’t know, before the days of video those with a projector could buy and use these short reels to watch and remind themselves of the movie.
Criterion are delivering the Romanian drama, Beyond the Hills (2012), on Blu-ray. This tale, set at a monastery and based on real life events, arrives with a director approved 2K transfer. It comes with a making of and new interview with filmmaker, as well as some deleted scenes and a trailer. Interested parties will also be able to pick up Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) in high definition. This is a fictionalized portrait from Paul Schrader of the famous Japanese author and playwright. The Blu-ray includes a 4K version of the director’s cut, along with commentaries, interviews and so many other bonuses that it’s impossible to list them all here.
Finally, Warner Archive are making a few titles available as part of their made-to-order DVD service. This week, they are the classics Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941) and Ivanhoe (1952).
You Know, For Kids!
Here are a few titles kids may be interested in.
Camp Camp: Seasons 1 and 2
Justice League: Action: Season 1, Part 2
The Loud House: It Gets Louder: Season 1, Vol. 2 (Nickelodeon)
Savannah Smiles (1982)
Sunny Day (Nickelodeon)
Transformers Rescue Bots: Team Rescue Bots!
On the Tube!
And here are the week’s TV-themed releases.
America’s Wild Frontier (National Geographic)
Call the Midwife: Season 7
Camp Camp: Seasons 1 and 2
Famous in Love: Season 1 (Warner Archive)
Gunsmoke: Season 13, Vol. 1
Gunsmoke: Season 13, Vol. 2
Justice League: Action: Season 1, Part 2
The Loud House: It Gets Louder: Season 1, Vol. 2 (Nickelodeon)
Masterpiece: Little Women (PBS)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Singles Collection
Sunny Day (Nickelodeon)