Hello once again. It’s another busy time in the world of DVD and Blu-ray releases and there’s little time to waste in getting to the highlights. As always, many of the films listed were reviewed in full upon their theatrical release – please click on the links to read more about them. So if you can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to check out one of these titles!
Big New Releases!
Aftermath – Known as Poklosie in Poland, this grim foreign-language drama/thriller follows two men who return to the village they left after WWII. While there, they unearth the dark secrets of its residents, who for better or worse did anything it took to survive the war. It never got a wide release in North America but it did get raves from the New York Times as well as the LA Times. The movie also made a big impression in its home country, where the movie was nominated for Best Picture and ended up taking home a Polish Best Actor award.
Autumn Blood – Peter Stormare is featured prominently as an evil mayor in this Austria-shot independent drama about two children who become orphaned after their mother dies. They must endure horrific hardships from brutally violent neighbors and reportedly end up relying on each other to survive. Reviews were mixed – while the cinematography was complimented, some found the nastiness displayed on screen and slow pace difficult to endure. It also stars Sophie Lowe and Maximilian Harnisch.
Earth to Echo – In this “found footage” style family effort, a group of tweens about to move away from their neighborhood find a stranded alien. They attempt to help it find a way home, capturing their journey on smart phones and GoPro cameras. Critics were generally split on the title. While almost all called it a direct knock-off of the classic family film E.T., some felt that small children unfamiliar with the Spielberg film would enjoy it. Read the site’s original review right here.
The Fluffy Movie – Stand-up comedian Gabriel Iglesias stars in this feature-length concert film that gives viewers a taste his “Unity Through Laughter” tour. Storytelling subjects include his familial relationships and dieting. As one would expect, reviews for the film were mixed depending upon how amusing a particular critic thought the performer’s routine was. The same should hold true for renters.
For A Woman – This French effort tells the story of a woman tracing back her heritage. Along the way, she uncovers a dark secret and come to an understanding with an uncle shunned by her immediate family. Notices were positive for this foreign language effort, with many writers suggesting that it was an intriguing and unpredictable drama with a central mystery that manages to maintain interest throughout.
Kundo: Age of the Rampant – Here’s a foreign-language effort cut from an entirely different cloth. This South Korean period epic follows a gang of soldiers who turn against the nobility who have wronged them, resulting in action-packed confrontations. For the most part, critics liked the movie, calling it an overlong but beautifully shot effort. The suggested that the final film not be a classic, but it will entertain in the moment. Viewers who can handle the lengthy breaks between martial arts scenes may want to check it out.
A Letter to Momo – Those with an interest in Japanese Anime will be intrigued by this effort from an animator who worked on Ghost in the Shell. A child moves to a remote island and discovers a mysterious creature who may help her find her estranged father in this effort. The hand drawn images were described as beautiful by reviewers. They were largely positive, but they also suggested it was overlong and unlikely to hold a child’s attention for the entirety of its two hour running time. Its appeal is likely limited to adults with a taste for this particular animation style.
Life After Beth – A teenager’s girlfriend dies and returns to life as a zombie – can their relationship survive? Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan, John C. Reilly and Molly Shannon star in his independent black comedy that many have dubbed a zom-rom-com. The end result split critics. Many appreciated the work of the able cast, but some found that it ran out of steam quickly and didn’t deliver the laughs that it should. They warn that while it may provide a chuckle or two, it isn’t quite up to the standards of Warm Bodies or Shaun of the Dead.
The Purge: Anarchy – Horror fans may be interested in this late summer sequel hit. Set during a single night of the year when all crime is legal, it follows a group of citizens trying to survive after getting caught up in the fracas. The press were split on the effort, although a few more landed on the positive end. All seemed to agree that the story had an intriguing concept, but reaction over the execution was widely varied. Frank Grillo stars as the grizzled leader of the terrified party. It was reviewed in full on the site – curious parties can read the piece here.
The Search for Simon – Very little is known in North America about this small and offbeat independent sci-fi comedy (it’s listed as a Danish/UK/US production). What is known is that it has received a fair amount of praise at festivals and some impressive testimonials from Monty Python’s Terry Jones and Michael Palin. It follows a man who has been obsessed with alien abductions since the disappearance of his brother 30 years earlier. The few reviews online suggest that it’s a very small and off-kilter but effective low-key piece with more depth than one would initially expect.
See No Evil 2 – WWE wrestler Kane (otherwise known as Glenn Jacobs) returns as a nasty killer in this follow-up to the 2006 slasher. Surprisingly, the horror press have responded more positively to this effort than the original. Instead of universal pans, reviews have been split with some suggesting that the movie effectively deconstructs the genre. Interestingly, it was directed by the Soska Sisters, who are well regarded in the horror field for their earlier independent film American Mary. The movie also stars Katherine Isabelle and Danielle Harris.
Sex Tape – A married couple in a rut decide to make a sex video for themselves and find it leaked to the world in this comedy. They attempt to track it down, although the chore becomes much more difficult than anticipated in this new media age. Unfortunately, the movie wasn’t a hit with critics or even the public – it bombed at the box office. It was panned as being too generic and bland despite the potentially racy subject matter. Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Rod Corddry, Ellie Kemper and Rob Lowe star. Read the site’s full-length review here.
Snowpiercer – This international action film follows a group of survivors living on a train that travels in perpetual motion across a snow-capped world. When the lower class citizens decide to make a move into the compartments of the aristocracy, chaos ensues. The press largely enjoyed this effort, saying the energy level and unexpected twists made it an enticing thrill-ride that topped many of its bigger Hollywood counterparts. Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Kang-ho Song, Octavia Spencer and Ed Harris star. The site covered this title as well – read a detailed write-up here.
The Squad – Shout! Factory are known for their classic horror reissues but occasionally they distribute more recent films as well, and this title is one of them. It’s a 2011 Spanish-language low-budget effort that follows a team of soldiers investigating a deserted military base in a remote part of Columbia. They find one mute person and soon begin to turn on one another after supernatural events begin to occur. There aren’t any reviews as of yet, but it may be of interest to genre aficionados.
Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort – Frankly, this writer kind of tuned out from the Wrong Turn series after the first follow-up. So it comes as something of a surprise that a fifth sequel is arriving this week. A young man inherits a resort hotel and takes his friends out for a visit. While there, his friends start dying, and the lead discovers that cannibals who may also be family relation are residing in the vicinity. There are no reviews available for this straight-to-DVD title, so don’t expect a classic.
Blasts From the Past!
Once again, its a great week for classic titles. Shout! Factory are bringing a second set of Vincent Price 60’s horror favorites. The Vincent Price Collection II Blu-ray contains a couple of great titles as well as a few underrated ones. The set includes House on Haunted Hill, Return of the Fly, Comedy of Terrors, The Raven, The Last Man on Earth, Tomb of Ligeia and Dr. Phibes Rises Again. The Last Man on Earth arguably remains the best film adaptation of Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend novel. And although it’s nowhere near the masterpiece of its predecessor, Return of the Fly is an entertaining B-movie that’s a lot more goofy fun than it has any right to be. As always, Shout! will no doubt present these films with great care in hi-def with plenty of extras, including audio commentaries from film historians, trailers and a few film intros featuring Price himself. This should be a great time for any old school monster movie fans.
Kino have been releasing some really interesting stuff over the past few months. This week they continue the trend with even more exciting Blu-ray titles. Thrillers seem to be the common theme. The Girl Hunters is an interesting curiosity from 1963 that features writer Mickey Spillane starring as his own literary creation Mike Hammer. The 1983 film Gorky Park was a well regarded effort about a Russian cop investigating a triple homicide in the title location. It stars a lot of familiar faces, including William Hurt and Lee Marvin.
Speaking of recognizable people, Roger Moore stars with Rod Steiger, Elliott Gould and Anne Archer in the 1984 flick The Naked Face. It’s about a psychiatrist falsely accused of killing one of his own patients. And horror enthusiasts may want to give To All a Goodnight a try. It’s an independent slasher flick from 1980 helmed by actor David Hess (Last House on the Left). Reviews aren’t great, but it’s an obscurity that has been completely out-of-print since its release on VHS in the early 80s.
Criterion is also distributing the final proper cinematic work of famed auteur Orson Welles. F For Fake is an effort from 1973 that is part documentary, part satire. It details the work of art forger Elmyr De Hory, Howard Hughes and Welles himself. Along the way, he examines the complex connections between art and artifice as well as how difficult it is to separate the two. It’s isn’t as well known as some of his other works, but it’s extremely well regarded. The Criterion Blu-ray features a new restoration and comes loaded with extras that include documentaries on various aspects of the movie. Note to those interested: if you want to check the film out before making a purchase, Turner Classic Movies is airing it this weekend.
Finally, the Warner Archive Collection are releasing the Oscar nominated 1947 film noir, Possessed. It stars Joan Crawford as an asylum patient trying to tell her side of the story after a bizarre murder. The disc features a commentary track from a film historian, a featurette on the movie, as well as a theatrical trailer.
You Know, For Kids!
Sorry kids, it isn’t your week. Still, the releases that are available are reasonably high profile.
Care Bears 3-Pack FUNdle
Earth to Echo
Pee Wee’s Playhouse: The Complete Series
On the Tube!
There are some big TV-related titles coming your way, including the first half of the last season of Mad Men. If you haven’t caught up with the show, it’s a great period piece, featuring introspective and interpretive touches that give viewers a little extra something to chew on. It’ll be interesting to see how events play out in the final episodes (that are scheduled to air sometime in 2015). Can’t wait… but it looks like we’ll have to, at least for a little while.
Those yearning for a bit of nostalgia may want to pick up Pee Wee’s Playhouse in its entirety, or see every episode of the 1982 CBS sitcom Square Pegs. This low-priced DVD reissue of the series starred a very young Sarah Jessica Parker as a teenager struggling to make her way through high school. It also featured a few guest stars of note, including a famous face who shows up in one episode as a substitute teacher. Be sure to check some clips from it way down below.
American Masters: America and the Holocaust (PBS)
American Masters: Dorothea Range: Grab a Hunk of Lightning (PBS)
David Suchet: In the Footsteps of St. Peter
Duck Dynasty: Seasons 4-6
Egypt Unwrapped (National Geographic)
The Equalizer: Season 3
Ghost Hunters: Season 9, Part 2
Mad Men: The Final Season, Part 1
Pee Wee’s Playhouse: The Complete Series
Pee Wee’s Playhouse: Seasons 1 & 2
River Monsters: Season 5
Seed: The Complete 1st Season
Silent Witness: Season 1
Silent Witness: Season 17
Square Pegs: The Complete Series