Hello, folks! It’s a big week on home video with some very important releases on the horizon. There’s no time to waste, so let’s get right to it. Remember to click on the links to read full reviews of some of the flicks 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!
Drive Hard – A driving instructor is held at gunpoint and forced to partake in a million dollar heist in this Australian action B-movie throwback helmed by 80s Ozploitation director Brian Trenchard-Smith (BMX Bandits, Dead End Drive-In). The press were unimpressed with the end result and mostly panned it. They wrote that it was too low-key and didn’t reach its over-the-top potential that the concept promised. Still, with John Cusack and Thomas Jane as the leads, it may make for an interesting cheesy movie rental.
Happy Christmas – This independent comedy/drama revolves around two sisters. When a wild and crazy twenty-something moves in with the family of her reserved sibling, the holiday becomes far more stressful than anticipated. Reviews were generally strong for this outing, praising the cast for their naturalistic performances (apparently, much of the dialogue was improvised) and the film for dealing with relatable issues. It stars Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Mark Webber, Lena Dunham and Joe Swanberg.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 – Children should be excited to see this follow-up that features the heroic teenage Viking Hiccup discovering a new breed of dragons and eventual threat to his village. It wasn’t quite as big a box-office hit as Dreamworks had hoped for this summer, but it was still successful enough overseas to move production ahead on a third film. And critics loved it. The majority raved, calling it a beautifully animated, exciting and emotionally powerful sequel. It features the voices of Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill and Kristen Wiig among numerous others. Read the website’s full-length review of the film right here.
I Am Santa Claus – This documentary/comedy/drama follows the lives of five Santa Claus mall employees in their work and off-season, exploring how they seriously they take the role of this unusual profession in work and life. It’s a straight-to-DVD title, so no reviews are available as of yet. It also features a few professional wrestlers in the credit list, making it difficult to determine whether or not they all used to be department store Santas or if the film is more fiction than it initially appears. It features Mick Foley, Sid Haig, Artie Lange, Roddy Piper, Dee Snider and Jim Lawler.
Iceman – This Chinese action/comedy/fantasy flick is a remake of a 1989 flick called The Iceman Cometh (which was a fun and goofy Hong Kong take on Highlander). Once again, two opposing warriors from the Ming Dynasty are frozen in battle and thawed out in modern day Hong Kong. Naturally they continue their battle and use wild magical powers to do so. Unfortunately, reviews have been very poor for this effort. It’s been called silly, overblown and a waste of the lead Donny Yen’s excellent martial arts skills. Another word of warning: early reports suggest the film ends abruptly and without closure (the story is to be continued in an upcoming sequel).
Jersey Boys – Clint Eastwood’s musical adaptation of the Broadway hit details the rise of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Along the way, this biography attempts to present how much trouble can arise from success. Critics were split on the final product. While most appeared to enjoy the songs, about half felt that Eastwood’s low-key direction and the moody diversions between musical numbers hampered the overall film. Viewers can now make up their own minds. It stars John Lloyd Young, Vincent Piazza, Erich Bergen, Michael Lomenda and Christopher Walken. Read a full and detailed review of the title here.
Let’s Be Cops – This comedy about a pair of down-on-their-luck losers who are mistaken for police officers and decide to enjoy the spoils of the position was a surprise hit at the box office in August. While it may have enjoyed financial success, it did not fare at all well with the press. Notices were terrible, saying that while the two stars had talent and made an amusing team, the material given to them was terrible, unfunny pap. They also felt that the movie dragged considerably with a running time that approaches two hours. Jake Johnson, Damon Wayans Jr., Nina Dobrev, Rob Riggle, Keegan-Michael Key and Andy Garcia headline the cast.
Mood Indigo – A wealthy bachelor falls for a young woman in a surrealist version of Paris. When she contacts a potentially fatal disease that involves a flower growing in her lung, he attempts all sorts of bizarre remedies. This French-language feature from Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) received more positive reviews than negative. All admitted it was a brilliant visual spectacle, although some found that the style overwhelmed the emotion. It all depends on the viewer’s perspective, one assumes. The movie stars Audrey Tautou and Romain Duris. Read the site’s full-length review of the film here.
Summer of Blood (S.O.B.) – This independent flick follows an aloof oddball who rejects his girlfriend’s marriage proposal. On his own and looking for a new mate, he is suddenly turned into vampire and attempts to use his newfound skills on the ladies. Critics were slightly more positive than negative about this low-key comedy. Some found the film too tonally disjointed and the lead unlikable. However, more suggested that the film improves as it progresses and appreciated its hipster sense of humor. It stars writer/director Onur Tukel.
Tammy – After discovering her husband cheating on her, a woman decides to hit the road and travel to Niagara Falls with her opinionated and brash grandmother. Reportedly, chaos ensues. The press felt that it wasted the talents of its likable star and impressive supporting cast with obvious, low-brow humor and a forced, overly sentimental finale. While it wasn’t well liked by the press, but the public turned it into a minor box office hit this past summer. It features Melissa McCarthy, Susan Sarandon, Kathy Bates, Allison Janney, Dan Aykroyd, Mark Duplass, Toni Collette, Sandra Oh, Gary Cole and Ben Falcone.
Blasts From the Past!
There are plenty of noteworthy cult films coming your way on Tuesday. As always, the fine people at Shout! Factory are delivering a couple of impressive, extra-filled Blu-rays. The first is Dolls, a horror movie from 1987 that plays like a grotesque fairy tale. A group of travelers get stuck in the country and discover the toymaker couple who have allowed them all to stay are the creators of some malevolent wooden creatures. It’s a fun little B-movie from director Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator). The disc features multiple audio commentaries, a trailer, photo gallery and a lengthy new retrospective about the production.
My personal favorite is the Weird Al Yankovic parody flick UHF. This came and went from theaters in the summer of 1989 without much hoopla, but its deservedly built a huge following. It tells the tale of a young man who takes over a low-ranked television station and decides to create his own bizarre content. Naturally, it starts giving the local networks a run for their money. This is a quickly-paced and entertainingly goofy satire of all that was popular in the 80s. The movie not only stars Yankovic, but also Fran Dresher, Michael Richards, Kevin McCarthy and Emo Phillips (among others). Shout! are distributing a 25th Anniversary Edition with many extras including audio commentary, deleted scenes and a panel about the movie from this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.
Not to be outdone, Criterion are pulling out all the stops for their latest, a western double bill of 1966’s The Shooting and Ride in the Whirlwind. Both were directed by low-budget auteur Monte Hellman with Jack Nicholson in the lead roles. The Blu-ray includes digital restorations of both films, commentaries by the director, new interviews with many cast members and a whole lot more.
Back in the 80s, horror movies were all the rage and many needed to amplify their gross out make-up efforts to get noticed and sell their distribution rights. Synapse is delivering the crazed 1985 Italian horror flick Demons to Blu-ray. In this effort (produced by Dario Argento), a group of movie theater patrons find themselves locked in and being graphically turned into flesh-tearing demons. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense and the acting is pretty terrible, but the practical effects are fantastic. For genre fans, this high energy cheese-ball effort sure is a lot of fun. The distributor are also unveiling the 1986 follow-up, Demons 2. It’s a lesser sequel that follows the template of the first film, moving the setting to a high rise condo.
Don’t have enough Burt Reynolds on your Blu-ray shelf? Well, Kino Lorber is here to help rectify the problem with three titles. The 1969 western Sam Whiskey is an early title from the actor about a rogue hired to salvage gold from sunken riverboat. In the 1973 hit White Lightning, Reynolds plays an ex-con named Gator, who is hired by the Feds to catch the crooked sheriff who killed his brother. Check out the um… politically incorrect anonymous quote from the poster art for that title, promising plenty of “booze” and “broads.” Those who want more can pick up Gator, the 1976 sequel to White Lightning that is also arriving on Blu-ray. features the mustached title character being recruited by the government to take down a nasty politician. The film is perhaps most notable for its lengthy and elaborate high-speed chase through a swamp.
Also arriving from Kino are Blu-rays for the 1969 western More Dead Than Alive, starring Clint Walker and, believe it or not, Vincent Price(!). Finally, the company are bringing the 1976 action drama Drum, a “blaxploitation” picture featuring Ken Norton and Warren Oates.
Warner Archive are bringing a suspense classic to hi-def. The Picture of Dorian Gray is the first (and frankly, best) adaptation of the Oscar Wilde novel. It tells the tale of a wealthy aristocrat who never seems to age. Characters eventually learn that it may have something to do with a portrait of the man hidden away at his estate. This very effective 1945 feature nabbed an Academy Award for its striking black and white cinematography. Viewers do eventually get a few brief shocks of color, but that may be giving away a bit too much.
And finally, Olive are delivering a Blu-ray of the 1949 John Wayne WWII flick Sands of Iwo Jima.
You Know, For Kids!
Beyond the big dragon-centric title mentioned earlier, there are a few additional kid friendly releases. This includes one title that seemingly promises to let us discover what is really going on in Barney the Dinosaur’s head (or more likely is just another Barney DVD – but one can always hope).
Barney: This Is How I Feel
Caillou’s Holiday Movie
Hey Arnold! The Complete Series
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Phineas & Ferb: Star Wars
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Lost Missions
On the Tube!
Holy caped crusaders! While many never thought it would happen, this week marks the first official release of the famed 60s Batman TV series. Long lost in a quagmire of rights issues (airing long before the home video era, the show and characters were owned in part by Warner Bros., Fox, and the family of the production company), it seems that an agreement has finally been reached.
For those interested, The Complete TV Series Blu-ray features all 120 episodes of the 1966-68 show cleaned and in pristine condition. There are more than 3 hours of extras included, many of which featuring Adam West and Burt Ward. It’s a thrill that this campy classic is finally being made available. To help celebrate, here’s an old clip from the series (featuring Batman being forced by police to speak with alter ego Bruce Wayne) as well as an appropriate musical interlude further below.
The Avengers: Season 5
Batman: The Complete TV Series (Limited Edition Blu-ray)
Batman: Season 1
Beauty & the Beast: The Complete Series
Charmed: The Complete Series
Dads: The Complete Series
Deadliest Catch: Season 9
Duck Dynasty: Duck the Halls
Family Ties: The Complete Series
Getting On: Season 1
Highway to Heaven: The Complete Series
The Incredible Dr. Pol: Season 5 (National Geographic)
Last of the Summer Wine: Vintage 2002 (BBC)
Quincy, M.E.: Season 7
Sons of Anarchy: Seasons 1 – 6 Box Set
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Lost Missions
Starsky & Hutch: The Complete Series
Taxi: The Complete Series
True Blood: The Complete Series (Set)
True Blood: The Complete 7th Season
The Tudors: The Complete Series
Twilight Zone: The 5th Dimension Box
Wings: The Complete Series
See you next week, same time, same intrepid site!