It’s time for another look at highlights arriving on store shelves. There are a lot of summer releases arriving, so many will already be familiar to readers. Of course, there are some intriguing little films arriving too. As always, be sure to click on any links to read more about them. 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!
Cell – This adaptation of the Stephen King horror novel didn’t get much of a release earlier in the year. It reunites John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson (who appeared together in horror flick 1401). The story is a spin on the zombie genre and it involves an electrical signal that turns cell phone users into mindless maniacs. Reaction was very, very poor for the thriller. While several though the concept was good, they felt it was ham-fisted and preposterous in execution, wasting the talents its stars. Isabelle Fuhrman and Stacy Keach also appear.
Central Intelligence – Just before their high school reunion, a mild-mannered accountant agrees to meet up with a kid he helped from being bullied. Turns out that the awkward teen is now a secret agent… or perhaps just a deranged individual. This comedy was a hit at the box office and earned respectable reviews too. Not all loved it, but many believed that the camaraderie between its two leads helped the movie overcome the moments that didn’t work. It stars Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Amy Ryan, Danielle Nicolet, Jason Bateman and Aaron Paul. To read a full review of the movie, click here.
Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words – Musician Frank Zappa is the subject of this documentary, which chronicles his entire career using archival clips and interviews. Apparently, there’s plenty of unseen concert footage as well. Reviews were very strong for the picture, saying it broadened our knowledge of the performer. They stated that there’s enough material compiled to make a great introduction for those unfamiliar with his work, as well as enough new material to please longtime fans.
Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom – This direct-to-DVD effort is an animated children’s film that follows the adventures of a youthful version of the real life horror author. The writer is sent on a quest to destroy the Necronomicon and in his travels encounters many strange creatures (which presumably inspire his work as an adult). There haven’t been any write-ups yet for this project, so interested parties will have to investigate it alone. The voice cast includes Ron Perlman, Christopher Plummer, Jane Curtin and Doug Bradley.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople – To clarify, this title is being released exclusively on DVD (the Blu-ray will be arriving next month). It’s a comedy/drama from New Zealand about an orphan who is adopted by a family in the bush. After a series of miscommunications, the boy and his foster father end up on the run from authorities. The movie was a surprise success on the independent film circuit and earned raves from the press. In fact, you’ll have to look long and hard to find any negative reactions. Critics have described it as a near perfect coming-of-age comedy, with as much heart as it has humor. It stars Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rima Te Wiata, Rachel House and Rhys Darby. To read a full review, click here.
The Innocents – Based on a true story, this French/Polish period drama is set at the end of WWII. While stationed in Poland, an intern for the French Red Cross comes across several nuns who are pregnant after being raped by a group of Red Army soldiers. As she treats them, her patients attempt to deal with their attack and the possibility of being ostracized by their community. Praise was nearly unanimous for the feature; it was complimented as being a moving and sensitive portrait of a truly harrowing event. The lead roles are played by Lou de Laâge, Agata Buzek and Agata Kulesza.
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates – On a decidedly lighter note, this comedy involves two wild and crazy brothers who must find perfect dates for their sister’s Hawaiian-set wedding. After going public with their search, they think they’ve found the perfect match. Unfortunately, they’ve been duped by woman just as dopey and crude as they are. Reviews were poor; while there were a few who were amused by the energy level of the cast, but most found the hi-jinx quickly stale and unfunny. The cast includes Zac Efron, Adam Devine, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Stephen Root, Stephanie Faracy, Sugar Lyn Beard and Sam Richardson. You can read a more detailed review of the movie here.
The Neon Demon – Here’s a weird one. The latest from director Nicolas Winding-Refn (Bronson, Drive, Only God Forgives) is about a young model who arrives in Los Angeles searching for fame and fortune. Unfortunately, her cruel, beauty-obsessed competition is also willing to do anything stay relevant in the fashion world. Reaction to this effort was polarized and its easy to see why. It’s bizarre beyond words and is most certainly an acquired taste. Half couldn’t get behind the characters and found the film pretentious, while the other half found the photography mesmerizing and the story strangely compelling. It stars Elle Fanning, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves and Jenna Malone. You can read all about it here.
The Shallows – In this thriller, a surfer decides to ride some waves in a remote area of Mexico. After being attacked by a great white shark, she finds herself stranded on a rock formation some distance from the shore. As days pass, she attempts to find a way to safety. The movie did quite well at the box office and garnered generally positive reaction from reviewers. Some complained that the movie became more and more ridiculous as it progressed and ended on a silly note, but many believed that enough of the thrills and chills worked to earn a recommendations. Blake Lively plays the lone surfer. To read a full review, just click here.
Warcraft – The hugely popular computer game gets the big screen treatment in this sci-fi fantasy. It depicts a war between humans and an army of invading orcs from a parallel world. The movie flopped at the North American box office and with critics, although it seems to perform well in other parts of the world. Notices criticized the movie for being overstuffed with too many plotlines and confusing to those unfamiliar with the game, although a few forgave its flaws and appreciated the elaborate world created. It features Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Forster, Dominic Cooper and Clancy Brown. You can check out a detailed review of the movie here.
Who Gets the Dog? – An estranged couple in the process of getting a divorce can only agree on one thing – that their dog is wonderful. A custody battle ensues, as the pair pull increasingly devious and mean stunts to win their case and take sole guardianship of the animal. I wonder what the dog thinks? This title earned a limited release just last week, but there aren’t any reviews of it online. That doesn’t bode well for this comedy, but romantic souls can at least check it out for themselves. It stars Alicia Silverstone, Ryan Kwanten and Randall Batinkoff.
Blasts From the Past!
Fall is often my favorite season for older titles coming to high definition because there are so many genre films being released in high definition. And this week is no exception.
Back in the day, Vestron used to distribute many low-budget horror and action pictures on VHS. They’ve long since gone under, but Lionsgate has picked up their catalog and is now releasing several titles from them as part of a new, limited edition Collector’s Series Vestron Video Blu-ray line.
The first two titles are long out-of-print flicks making their Blu-ray debuts. One is the cheesy horror/comedy Blood Diner (1987) about a roadside establishment run by two cannibals who put a little something extra in their dishes. The second is Chopping Mall (1986) aka Killbots, which will definitely be a guilty pleasure of many readers out there. This one features a group of teens who decides to sneak in and spend the night in a high tech shopping mall. Little do they know that the plaza’s security robots have gone haywire and are on a killing rampage. There are plenty of familiar faces adding to the B-movie fun, including Barbara Crampton, Paul Bartel, Mary Woronov, Dick Miller and Gerrit Graham.
Also from Lionsgate is the 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray of the cult flick Highlander (1986). This one involves a battle of many centuries between immortal sword fighters. Well, they’re immortal until they are decapitated, anyway. By the modern setting of this story, there are only a few left, leading to some elaborately choreographed fencing duels in New York City scored to the music of Queen. Yeah, it’s pretty silly and nonsensical, but it impressed many kids (myself included) during its original release. It stars Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery and Clancy Brown. One assumes the disc is the same that was released in Europe over the summer, which features a great, updated 4K transfer of the film, new interviews with Lambert and director Russell Mulcahy, an audio commentary, deleted scenes, a making-of documentary and publicity materials. If, “There can be only one!” then this might be the version to pick up.
Shout! Factory have some childhood classics coming your way in a new Blu-ray set. Bill & Ted’s Most Excellent Collection contains Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) along with Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991). If you were a kid in the 80s, you likely found these adventures with the likable, lunk-headed teenagers hilarious. The first features them traveling through time to help prepare for a History final presentation, and the second sees them traversing the afterworld with the likes of The Grim Reaper. It’s funny, most are fanatical about the first film and less enthused with the follow-up. Sure the bits from the original with Napoleon are still great, but as an adult I think I prefer the second movie (sacrilege, I know!). The way-out-there-for-a-kid’s-movie Bergman references and amusing trip through Hell just appeal to me more these days. Regardless of how you feel, you’ll be pleased with what you get. There are so many extras on this disc that there just isn’t enough space to list them all, but they include many new retrospective pieces with the participation of co-star Alex Winter and the film’s writers. This looks like an incredible set for Bill & Ted enthusiasts.
They have another great Blu-ray arriving as well. Lady in White (1988) is a spooky ghost story that earned a lot of praise when it was first released. The story is about a boy who encounters a ghost and finds himself targeted by the person responsible for the death. It’s been out-of-print and impossible to find for a long, long time. Now there’s a new Blu-ray that includes the theatrical cut, director’s cut and extended director’s cut. All versions are contained, as well as a director’s audio commentary, deleted scenes and just about every promotional spot that was created for the film. It looks like a great package and it’s a movie that many have been meaning to revisit. Now it’s possible to do so.
Also celebrating an anniversary is the brilliant horror/comedy, An American Werewolf in London (1981). The title pretty much explains the story and the sense of humor. It features some witty banter, characters you can emphasize with and landmark make-up effects (which won an Academy Award). It has been 35 years since its original release and Universeal is celebrating it with a Restored Edition of the film on Blu-ray. There have been numerous extras produced for the feature in the past and they’ve all been upgraded and ported over to this release. What’s new is an updated HD transfer with a vastly improved picture. Can’t wait to see it.
Not to be outdone, Warner Archive have some great made-to-order titles that are now available. On Blu-ray, there’s Clint Eastwood’s Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997). It’s an underrated movie based on the real life murder of a millionaire in Savannah, Georgia and features an reporter investigating the crime and the numerous, eccentric suspects. John Cusack, Kevin Spacey and Jude Law star.
On DVD, there’s plenty of horror and sci-fi features from the Warner Archive as well. Mark Hamill stars with Michael Berryman and Jimmy Walker in The Guyver (1991). It’s about a man who fights monsters after discovering a suit that fuses with his body and turns him into a strange cyborg warrior. If you like what you see, you can also order The Guyver 2 (1994) aka Guyver: Dark Hero. It features more of the same, but with a completely different cast of actors.
You can now also request the well regarded made-for-TV animated feature, The Halloween Tree (1993), adapted from the story by Ray Bradbury. Bradbury and Leonard Nimoy provide some of the voices. And here’s an very strange flick. The Mangler (1995) is an eccentric horror picture based on the Stephen King short story that was directed by Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Salem’s Lot). It’s about a killer industrial ironing machine taking out workers at a local factory. I’m not kidding.
Warner Brothers are also willing to repressed some Val Lewton Double Features if you order them online. The first one is a pairing of The Leopard Man (1943) and The Ghost Ship (1943), the second includes Isle of the Dead (1945) and Bedlam (1946), and the third teams The Seventh Victim (1943) with documentary Shadows in the Dark – The Val Lewton Legacy.
I missed this last week, but Warner Brothers have also added a couple of great titles on Blu-ray. Salem’s Lot (1979) is flat out one of the creepiest miniseries ever produced. It involves a vampire invading a small country town and the efforts of some locals to stop it. Directed by Tobe Hooper from the Stephen King book, it’s one of the freakiest and most effective adaptations of the author’s work. The disc comes with a new commentary track with Hooper. The production stars David Soul, James Mason and Bonnie Bedelia. Trust me when I say that it’s superior to The Mangler. Horror fans should definitely check it out.
Cat’s Eye (1985) was an anthology film written by Stephen King. It’s not a straight-up horror picture and is more of a thriller with a few supernatural elements. There are three tales linked by a roaming cat – two of them are exceptional. One involves a man who puts himself in great danger to quit smoking, while another involves a down-on-his-luck athlete who takes on a desperate bet. There’s also a cat-centric wrap up involving a nasty intruder in a suburban home. The movie stars James Woods, Robert Hays and Drew Barrymore and is an awful lot of fun. The Blu-ray includes a director commentary.
Criterion also have some notable films debuting in high definition. Dekalog (1989) is an acclaimed Polish TV-miniseries from Krzysztof Kieślowski (the Three Colors Trilogy) about the residents of a housing complex who deal with a variety of existential and everyday issues. It’s essentially 10 hour-long movies (the disc also includes longer, feature film cuts of two episodes that were created for international release). It includes archival materials on the productions, new featurettes on the series and its importance, as well as other bonuses.
Russ Meyer is also getting the special edition treatment with his film, Valley of the Dolls (1967). It’s about a group of woman trying to survive the seedy underside of show business, often through the use of illicit substances. This Blu-ray comes with a new transfer and hours of extras like a audio commentary, interviews, promotional films and a 2008 gala tribute to the film’s star, Patty Duke.
Criterion also have the sequel coming your way. The original was a success, so Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) followed a few years later. Written by film critic Roger Ebert, the plot involves a group of female rockers who go Hollywood and get themselves into all sorts of trouble. The reception to it was pretty negative at the time of release and it is now described as a campy midnight movie with studio backing. As with the other, there are loads of bonus materials including documentaries on its production and interviews with the cast and crew.
Arrow Films have an elaborate Blu-ray of the horror flick Slugs (1988), which involves, well, slugs causing horrific problems in a small town. It’s a slimy and graphic B-movie with some very impressive creature effects – over the years, it also has built up a fan base. So the package includes a brand new restoration from original film elements, audio commentary by writer and filmmaker Chris Alexander, an interview with actor Emilio Linder, special effects artist Carlo De Marchis, art director Gonzalo Gonzalo, and production manager Larry Ann Evans as well as Original Theatrical Trailer.
Here’s an interesting one. Before his work on The Twilight Zone TV series (1959-64) and Planet of the Apes (1968), Rod Serling wrote Patterns (1956), a very well-reviewed drama about a businessman struggling with his ambition and ethics. The Film Detective are delivering a Blu-ray of the film, restored in high definition. Looks interesting.
If 80s teen sex comedies are of interest, Cinema Epoch have put more effort than expected on the Blu-ray debut of Private Lessons (1981). This one’s about a teenager who romances his housekeeper. The cast includes Sylvia Kristel, as well as Howard Hesseman as a chauffer out to blackmail the lead for all he’s worth. The Blu-ray image is transferred from the original 35mm negative.
Kino also have an interesting Blu-ray title. Cabo Blanco (1980) aka Caboblanco is an action/crime movie about a group of unsavory types attempting to find Nazi gold lost off of the coast of Peru. It stars Charles Bronson, Jason Robards and Fernando Ray as a few of the tough guys out to find it.
And there’s still more. The Cohen Film Collection are bringing a double feature of films by Douglas Sirk. The Blu-ray contains A Scandal in Paris (1945) and Lured (1947). On a less stellar note, Blue Underground have the less-than-stellar low-budget remake of the 1936 sci-fi epic Things to Come. This one’s called The Shape of Things to Come (1979) and it stars Jack Palance. The poster looks cool, but the movie isn’t. In fact, it’s pretty terrible but may provide a few laughs for bad movie fans. Finally, Vinegar Syndrome are releasing the cheeseball Paul Naschy title, Count Dracula’s Great Love (1973) in high definition.
You Know, For Kids!
Here are some titles that youngsters may enjoy.
Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season 4
The Halloween Tree (1993 animated, made-for-TV movie)
Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom
Power Rangers Dino Charge: Rise (Spooktacular Halloween Ediiton)
On the Tube!
Below are some noteworthy TV programs arriving this week. White you’re at it, you can also enjoy some old trailers for some of the titles listed above.
Barbarians Rising (History Channel Miniseries)
The Catch: Season 1
Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season 4
Grimm: Season 5
Indian Summers: Season 2 (PBS)
Jericho: Season 1
Mike Tyson Mysteries: Season 2
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Vol. 3 (The Sidetrackers, The Unearthly, The Atomic Brain, Shorts Vol. 2)
Power Rangers Dino Charge: Rise (Spooktacular Halloween Ediiton)
Reign: Season 3
Ripper Street: Season 4 (BBC)
Salem’s Lot (1979 miniseries)
The Wonder Years: Season 6