Well, it’s a very busy week with a large and varied assortment of oddball titles for your amusement. Here are the highlights. As always, click on any links to find full-length reviews of movies. So if you can’t make it out to the movies tonight, be sure and check one of these films out!
Big New Releases!
Borgman – A vagrant with mental issues is taken in by a wealthy and arrogant suburban family in this foreign-language effort. From this point forward, incredibly strange events begin to occur as a psychological battle forms between the two parties. The darkly comic thriller from the Netherlands received a great amount of praise upon its limited release earlier in the year. Critics called the movie bizarre and baffling, but also stated that it was compelling, beautifully shot and completely unpredictable.
Brick Mansions – This remake of the French action hit District 13 retells a futuristic story about a threat within a walled-in prison region of the city. An undercover cop is sent in to investigate the disappearance of a missile and teams with a local to find the truth. While the original is well regarded, this English-language version didn’t appeal to the press. They called it a muted version of the first film, lacking the expected big thrills and stunts. The movie stars Paul Walker, David Belle and RZA. Read the site’s original full-length review here.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier – The week’s biggest release is this Marvel sequel, that sees the idealist superhero take on a sinister conspiracy within the US government. Not only was it a big hit, but it also scored with reviewers. Almost all of them called it a significant improvement over the original, featuring great action and a more grounded plot with a few surprises too. It stars Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Redford, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Colbie Smulders, Toby Jones and Gary Shandling. For a more detailed review, click here.
Fed Up – Michelle Obama and Katie Couric are featured in this documentary that comes to some chilling conclusions about the childhood obesity epidemic in America. It reportedly takes a critical look at the food industry and their influence on government practices. Critics were all very positive about the effort, saying that even if it doesn’t quite his all of its targets, this is a strong and thought-provoking doc about an important issue.
God’s Pocket – Actor John Slattery (Mad Men) makes his directorial debut in this very dark comedy/drama about a man in a blur-collar neighborhood forced to deal with the sudden death of a family member and a crippling mob debt. It boasts a great cast including the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, as well as Richard Jenkins, Christina Hendricks and John Turturro. The press were lukewarm about the movie, criticizing it for being too gloomy and featuring nasty characters. Of course, this may have been the point – watching flawed characters make bad decisions. Viewers can now make up their own minds.
The Hornet’s Nest – A war correspondent goes into Afghanistan with his son in this documentary. The film reportedly captures incredible real footage behind enemy lines of US troops on a dangerous mission. Most reviews were positive, citing the events captured as both frightening and powerful. However, some suggested that it felt like a military recruitment film, while some on the other spectrum of opinions thought that more focus should have been paid to the soldiers and not exclusively on the father and son.
The Hunted – This week’s low-budget found-footage horror effort follows a pair of hunters in the backwoods of West Virginia who are trying to film their own TV pilot. Of course, they end up finding more than just venison. The movie appears to be a straight-to-video release with no early reviews, so watch out!
Killer Mermaid – Just like the previous title, there are no reviews available for this low, low-budget horror flick about a pair of American tourists in Montenegro. Not only must the leads deal with a serial killer on land, but also a creature living in the waters below. It’s from the director of the so-bad-it’s-kinda-funny 2011 zombie flick Zone of the Dead, so it might provide a couple of bad movie night yuks. All others would be wise to stay away.
Last Passenger – B-movie action/thriller aficionados may be interested in this low-budget UK production. It follows a group of commuters stuck on a train being driven by a maniacal conductor. A doctor attempts to lead the charge and prevent disaster from occurring. Dougray Scott, Kara Tointon, Iddo Goldbert and David Schofield star. It’s received a few good notices from the media. While many admitted the script has a few holes and the story is occasionally outrageous, most found it to be an enjoyably tense little potboiler.
A Long Way Down – This comedy/drama from Britain has strong source material – it’s based on the well-received novel by Nick Hornby (of High Fidelity and About A Boy fame). Unfortunately, critics and audiences abroad didn’t respond to the film and now it’s being unceremoniously dumped in North America. The plot follows a varied group of suicidal individuals who meet while attempting to end it all – they decide to form their own support group and experience some notoriety as a result. While it did receive a few positive write-ups, most felt that the cutesy approach was at odds with the subject matter. It has a great cast though, which includes Pierce Brosnan, Toni Colette, Imogen Poots, Aaron Paul, Rosamund Pike and Sam Neill.
Louder than Words – David Duchovny, Hope Davis and Timothy Hutton star in this independent drama based on a true story. It’s about a couple who tragically lose their young daughter. Following the wishes of the young girl, they struggle to build a state-of-the-art children’s hospital. Reviewers all thought that the cast were strong and the message positive, but found the presentation too sugary and unrealistic to recommend.
Palo Alto – Gia Coppola (granddaughter of Francis Ford Coppola and niece of Sophia and Roman Coppola) directs this coming-of-age drama featuring a teen on the cusp of starting a relationship – will she choose her high-school stoner friend or her soccer coach? The press were generally positive about the filmmaker’s first effort. They called it a bit muddled and unfocused, but felt that it accurately captured the teenage mind and featured some excellent performances. It stars Emma Roberts, James Franco, Nat Wolff, Zoe Levin and Val Kilmer.
Willow Creek – This Bigfoot found-footage horror movie follows a group of documentary filmmakers in a National Park out to capture the elusive creature on camera. The situation ultimately becomes very… hairy. The plot may sound clichéd, but apparently that’s the point – the Bobcat Goldthwait-directed flick is part satire and it got a lot of praise. In fact, it’s one of the best reviewed movies of the week. Reviewers called the acting better than expected, the winks and nods to genre flicks fun and claimed that it featured a few good scares too.
Words and Pictures – Romantic sparks fly between two prep school teachers when they get involved in a debate about which art form is more important – the written word or the visual image. It’s a nifty concept but the end result split the press, with a few more taking a negative stance than a positive one. Most admired the ambition and work of the performers but many didn’t care for the austere characters or the romantic subplot. The cast includes Clive Owen, Juliette Binoche, Bruce Davidson and Amy Brenneman.
Blasts From the Past!
Fall is here and that means that the barrage of horror and sci-fi titles isn’t about to let up. I’m certainly not complaining – there are some incredible Blu-ray titles genre fans will definitely want to check out.
First up is the 1988 cult flick Pumpkinhead from Shout!Factory’s Scream Factory division. For those who aren’t familiar with this flick, this horror effort is an effective and very moody chiller about a bereaved parent (Lance Henricksen) determined to get revenge after the accidental death of his son. But after the titular creature is raised, the father finds himself strangely connected to the beast. It’s a well-acted and beautifully shot creeper from Stan Winston (known for his effects creations). And the monster itself is an incredible looking creation, one that makes a definite impression on first time viewers. The Blu-ray features an all new tribute to the late Stan Winston. It also contains interviews, an audio commentary by the FX creators, a documentary and plenty of other extras. Trivia buffs may be interested to note that this effort marks the first big screen role for The Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik. For those who enjoy Pumpkinhead or anyone looking for an interesting little 80’s scare flick, it’s a good purchase.
There’s more giant lizard entertainment coming on Blu-ray as well. The 1999 release Godzilla 2000 is no masterpiece, but it’s good for some B-movie laughs. Sony is giving interested parties a spiffy new Blu-ray that contains both the US and Japanese versions of the film (which run 99 and 107 minutes respectively). The extra footage includes a few extra moments of Godzilla on the rampage, which should please buyers.
Fans will also get a kick out of the Synapse Films Blu-ray release of the 1980 Canadian slasher Prom Night. It stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Leslie Nielsen and follows the exploits of a killer seeking revenge on a group of teens for an accidental death many years earlier. As expected, this Blu-ray arrives with loads of extras, including a high-definition transfer from the original camera negative, a new surround sound mix (along with the original mono track), an audio commentary with the director and screenwriter, additional scenes as well as exclusive never-before-seen outtakes.
Graduation Day is another slasher about a killer in a tracksuit and fencing mask taking down teens on the school athletic team. The 1981 release is probably most famous for featuring future Wheel of Fortune letter-turner Vanna White in a supporting role. It stars Christopher George, Michael Pataki and Linnea Quigley. Vinegar Syndrome is releasing a transfer restored from the camera negative. The disc also features some crew member interviews.
Image are releasing a Blu-ray of the 1987 film version V.C. Andrews’ novel Flowers in the Attic. The disc doesn’t appear to come with any features, but at least those interested can finally own the movie in high definition.
And there’s still more. Oliver Stone may be a high profile filmmaker, but long ago he was just a struggling filmmaker shooting low-budget horror. The 1974 film Seizure! was his first effort and Scorpion Releasing is releasing the title on Blu-ray. It’s about a novelist who begins to suffer from hallucinations while vacationing in the countryside. If memory serves, it’s not a particularly good movie, but obsessive Stone fans can finally grab it in high def and make up their own minds. It features Jonathan Frid and Herve Villichaize.
Those who like their horror with a much heavier accent of laughs will be excited by the 1974 Mel Brooks classic Young Frankenstein. It’s a brilliant parody of the Universal monster movies of the 30’s featuring loads of hilarious moments courtesy of stars Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman, Teri Garr and Peter Boyle (not to mention Gene Hackman!). Fox’s 40th Anniversary Edition carries over the extras from previous releases, including a commentary by Mel Brooks, interviews, documentaries, deleted scenes and outtakes as well as a few new surprises.
Kino has some interesting titles coming to Blu-ray as well. First, there’s the 1972 crime flick Across 110th Street starring Anthony Quinn and Yaphet Koto. It is generally considered one of best “blaxploitation” movies of the era. They’re also bringing another well-regarded effort from the same genre – the 1970 release, Cotton Goes to Harlem.
Next up are a couple of films from director Richard Lester. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum was a successful, big-budget all-star musical comedy set in ancient Rome. This 1966 release featuring Phil Silvers and Buster Keaton arrives this week on Blu-ray.
Even better is the Kino Blu-ray for the 1974 ship-in-peril disaster thriller Juggernaut. It’s a UK production about a mad bomber threatening to blow up a luxury liner if he doesn’t receive his ransom. It may be inspired in part by The Poseidon Adventure, but the movie is a lot of fun and features an amazing cast of posturing old school favorites that include the likes of Richard Harris, David Hemmings, Omar Sharif, Ian Holm and Anthony Hopkins. Heck, even this writer is looking forward to catching up with it – I haven’t seen it since I was a kid. None of the discs feature much in the way of extras, but at least fans will have high quality versions of these titles.
And Warner Brothers is putting out Blu-rays of a few older movies too. This includes a very bare-bones version of the 1991 comedy The Addams Family as well as a 15th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray of Oliver Stone’s NFL drama Any Given Sunday. The Al Pacino flick features a theatrical and director’s cut with loads of extras including a new retrospective documentary.
Finally, Warner Archive are bringing the 1965 epic period comedy The Great Race to Blu-ray. It’s an overlong but fun slice of wackiness from Blake Edwards (The Pink Panther) about an around-the-world car race that features tons of cameos, exotic locales, pie fights and just about everything else you could jam into two hours and forty minutes.
You Know, For Kids!
Here are the week’s highlights for younger viewers.
Doc McStuffins: School of Medicine
My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Spooktacular Pony Tales
Peg & Cat: Chickens on the Loose & Other Really Big Problems (PBS Kids)
On the Tube!
There aren’t as many titles on TV at this point in the month, but there are a couple of new shows and few old ones as well. If you like horror, Hannibal is as effective and disturbing as TV can get. For some reason, Amazon lists the DVD set as being available today and the Blu-ray next week. Not sure what to make of that, so keep checking the site and maybe it’ll all get cleared up.
If you like more family-oriented material, there are a few options as well. In honor of its third season release, here’s the German opening credits of beloved 70’s staple Little House of the Prairie… or as it was known over there, Unsere kleine Farm. You know, that happy opening theme never really suggested some of the horrific maladies those family members would end up enduring, did it? For those unfamiliar with the show, subjects included alcoholism, leukemia, drug addiction, blindness and rape (to name but a few). Here it is!
Blue Bloods: Season 4
The Curse of Oak Island: Season 1
Doctor Who: Deep Breath
The Goldbergs: Season 1
Hannibal: Season 2 (DVD)
Homeland: Season 3
Little House on the Prairie: Season 3
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 1
Secret of Westminster (PBS)
Supernatural: Season 9
Vampire Diaries: Season 5
The World Wars (History Network)