Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. This is another great week, with some high-profile titles and some interesting smaller films arriving. So, if you can’t or shouldn’t be heading out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
AILEY – This documentary explores the life of Alvin Ailey, an American dancer, director, choreographer and activist who founded his own performance company. He also created a school famed for nurturing black artists that detailed African-American experiences. Using archival footage and interviews with those who knew the man, the movie attempts to give a detailed portrait of the private figure and his many accomplishments. Critics found this non-fiction feature to be interesting and illuminating. A small handful complained that the filmmakers were too much in awe of their subject and that the film could have delved deeper into his personality. Still, the overwhelming majority called it an impressive portrait that contained incredible dancing footage and some enlightening, never-before-heard audio from the man himself. For the time being, this is a DVD only release.
CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG – Based on the famous children’s book series, this tale follows the adventures of a giant red pooch. The story involves a young girl who lives in New York City. After visiting an animal rescue tent and being told by the owner that a puppy there will grow based on how much love he receives, the dog stows away in her bag and expands to massive proportions. Naturally, this causes plenty of problems for the girl, especially when a biotech company decides to kidnap the dog for study. The press was split on this title, although it earned slightly more recommendations than pans. Those who disliked it wrote that the CGI effects weren’t convincing and that the story was bland and predictable. Slightly more called it an effective and straight-forward family flick that was well-paced and offered a few laughs. It stars Darby Camp, Jack Whitehall, Tony Hale, Izaac Wang, John Cleese and Sienna Guillory.
DEADLOCK – The latest low-budget, direct-to-disc (and streaming sites) action feature involves a group of mercenaries out for vengeance against the government. They decide to accomplish their goal by breaking into a power plant, taking the entire staff hostage and threatening to cause a disaster. Little do they know that a retired, elite army ranger is nearby to stop them and save the day. There aren’t a great many write-ups for this title yet, but the one that do appear online haven’t been favorable. Some of them simply call it a weak rip-off of Die Hard. Other articles note that while the movie may feature the star of the previously mentioned action classic picture in a major role (as the villain), this was a flat and unmemorable thriller that isn’t worth anyone’s time. It is being made available exclusively on DVD. The cast includes Patrick Muldoon, Bruce Willis, Matthew Marsden, Michael DeVorzon and Ava Paloma.
GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE – Serving as a sequel to the 1984 and 1989 films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II and directed by the son of original filmmaker Ivan Reitman, this feature begins with a single mother arriving in a small town with her two teenage children. After some strange supernatural events are witnessed, the kids discover that they have a connection to a member of the original team of paranormal researchers and end up hunting down a malevolent spirit. Reaction was upbeat towards this follow-up, although it did have its detractors. About a third of reviews called it overly sentimental and too reverent of the original films. Still, the majority thought that the film was an enjoyable and heartwarming sequel that paid proper tribute to the original cast while introducing some fun new elements. It seems as if those who were especially fond of the first movie appreciated more of what this title delivered. Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Logan Kim, Celeste O’Connor, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts and Sigourney Weaver headline the film.
HIVE – Based on a true story, this drama follows a woman whose husband is declared dead after serving in the war in Kosovo. Struggling to get by, she decides to unite a community of widows in her hometown and launch their own business together. They are successful, but are met with open hostility from a group of nasty men in the village. Tensions rise as the widows attempt to empower themselves and fight back. Reaction was very positive towards this foreign-language drama. At present it is hard to find any negative reviews for the picture. They have all praised the lead performance and described the movie as a stark and powerfully made feature about the mistreatment and struggles of women. For the time being, this picture is only being released on DVD. It features Yllka Gashi, Çun Lajçi, Aurita Agushi and Kumrije Hoxha.
MAINSTREAM – A young woman looking to make her mark in the world decides to start creating videos for the internet. She soon meets a charismatic stranger and begins producing content with him that quickly builds a following. However, the more she gets to know her co-star, the more she realizes that her new friend may not be as friendly and helpful as originally thought. This picture from Gia Coppola (granddaughter of Francis Ford Coppola) wasn’t particularly well-received by the press. About a third of the reviews stated that the movie took a while to get going, but that once it found its focus it was an enjoyable takedown of internet culture. Unfortunately, far more thought that the movie tried too hard to make its point and found some of the stylistic choices at odds with the story. The film stars Andrew Garfield, Maya Hawke, Nat Wolff, Jason Schwartzman and Johnny Knoxville.
SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE – This horror/comedy remake of the 1982 slasher film about a maniac with a power drill follows a very similar storyline to the original, albeit set in a slightly different locale. A group of female friends decide to have some fun and throw a slumber party, but car trouble leaves them stranded at a cabin in the woods. Soon, they are target by a power-tool wielding psychopath and must fight for their lives. Reaction from genre film critics was actually upbeat for this redo. While a few felt that a large percentage of the jokes didn’t land and fell flat, the general consensus was that this feature delivered the goods for horror fans. They called it fun and were impressed by some of the twists and satirical elements introduced, saying it was an effective update. The cast includes Hannah Gonera, Frances Sholto-Douglas, Mila Rayne and Alex McGregor.
THE SPINE OF NIGHT – An ancient, dark and powerful magic falls on a mystical land and winds up in the hands of a sinister and dangerous individual. When word spreads that the planet is in great danger, a group of heroes from different eras and cultures are forced to come together in order to stop the threat. This animated feature for adults harkens back to early 80s movies like Heavy Metal and it received decent reviews from critics. A small percentage didn’t appreciate the old-fashioned animation techniques, thought the movie had story problems and complained that it didn’t improve on the movies that inspired it. However, most thought it was an impressive homage that was wild, unpredictable and visually striking from beginning to end. The voice cast includes Richard E. Grant, Lucy Lawless, Patton Oswalt, Betty Gabriel and Joe Manganiello.
SUPERHOST – This independent horror flick involves a pair of travel vloggers (presumably, bloggers who post videos about themselves). After their follower count and number of views begins dropping, the two come up with a scheme to entice more subscribers. After discovering that the owner of a rental property will do anything to receive good reviews, they check in and proceed to give their host a hard time. Alas, their plan backfires as the individual becomes more and more unhinged during the stay. Reaction was positive towards this little feature. A small contingent thought there was a clash of tones between horror and comedy, hated the main characters and thought that it was slowly paced. Still, most reviewers stated that the movie was entertaining enough to impress horror fans and had an exciting finale. Sara Canning, Osric Chau, Gracie Gillam and Barbara Crampton headline the movie.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
If you’re looking for something a bit older, there are plenty of options as well. Criterion are presenting Written on the Wind (1956) on Blu-ray. This drama stars Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall and Robert Stack. The story involves a geologist who arrives at the estate of an oil-rich Texas family and falls for the matriarch of the household. It leads to tension and threats from others within the family.
The movie won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and received nominations in a few other categories too. This disc contains a 2K restoration of the film, a 2008 documentary on the production and its director, Douglas Sirk (All That Heaven Allows), a discussion with a film scholar about the movie and other melodramas, as well as some trailers.
F/X (1986) and F/X 2 (1991) are arriving together from Kino as a double feature Blu-ray. The first title is a fun thriller about a movie make-up effects man who is hired by the FBI to help fake a murder of a trial witness. Things go wrong and he has to use his special talents to save himself after being pursued by various bad guys. The sequel finds the technician being asked to use his skills to help hunt down a killer. It isn’t nearly as strong as the first movie, but has a couple of fun moments. The Blu-ray comes with featurettes and trailers for both movies, as well as an interview with the director of the first feature.
You can also pick up The Great Moment (1944) on Blu-ray. It’s a biography and comedy about the 19th century dentist who first administered anesthesia to patients. This title arrives with a film historian introduction, a celebration of director Preston Sturges (Sullivan’s Travels, Unfaithfully Yours) and a trailer.
Kino recently put out Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) in a 4K Ultra HD / Blu-ray package. In this remake of the 1950s feature, Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum and Veronica Cartwright square off against the sinister alien pod-people. The distributor is now also making a regular Blu-ray of the title available for those who don’t want the set with the 4K version. This Blu-ray disc comes with director and film historian commentaries. If you haven’t seen the feature, it is a great science-fiction/horror flick well worth seeking out.
And if you enjoy Bob Hope comedies, the company is releasing Monsieur Beaucaire (1946) and Where There’s Life (1947) on Blu-ray. Both discs come with trailers for other titles featuring the comedian.
Paramount are delivering a Wayne’s World (1992) and Wayne’s World 2 (1993) Party On! 2-Movie Blu-ray Pack. These feature films were based on the popular Saturday Night Live Wayne and Garth characters (pictured above and to the right) and the first movie is one of the better comedies that has emerged from the TV series. No word on whether or not extras are included in this set, but it you remember and liked the original Wayne’s World sketches, you’ll definitely appreciate these movies.
Sandpiper Pictures have a Blu-ray of The Cutting Edge 3: Chasing the Dream (2008). It’s a romance film set in the figure skating world. This writer vaguely remembers the 1992 original (which was a box office hit), but has no memory of this or any other follow-up. So, those interested will have to take their chances and hope this follow-up measures up.
You’ll likely have better luck with Under Fire (1983), another title that the distributor is making available on Blu-ray. Nick Nolte stars as a photographer trying to stay alive in Nicaragua while covering a civil war. The title earned excellent reviews and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Score.
One of the biggest releases this week is the latest Ghostbusters film. Naturally, Sony are putting out a three-film box set containing Ghostbusters (1984), Ghostbusters 2 (1989) and Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) for those who want all of the titles in one set. It comes in various packages and the Blu-rays contain numerous extras.
Undercrank Productions have a restored edition of Zander the Great (1925) on Blu-ray. It’s a comedy/drama/romance with Marion Davies and follows a woman trying to keep a sweet young boy named Zander out of a cruel orphanage that she once attended.
And finally, if you have an elaborate 4L Ultra HD set-up at home, Warner Brothers are releasing the Mad Max Anthology 4K Ultra HD + Digital box set. It includes upgraded picture quality on all the film and loads of extras. If you simply want to stick with Blu-ray, they are also putting out The Road Warrior (1981) aka Mad Max 2 on its own in an 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray package.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
If you’re looking for entertainment for small tykes, there’s plenty to choose from this week.
Baby Shark’s Big Show! Super Shark (Nickelodeon) DVD
Blaze and the Monster Machines: Dino Derby (Nickelodeon) DVD
Clifford the Big Red Dog
Gabby’s Dollhouse: Cat-Tastic Dance Along DVD
Peek Zoo DVD
Sesame Street: Elmo’s World – All Around the Neighborhood DVD
ON THE TUBE!
And you’ll find all of the latest TV-themed releases listed below.
The 27-Hour Day (Hallmark Channel Movie) DVD
The Baker’s Son (Hallmark Channel Movie) DVD
Doctor Who: The Web of Fear (BBC) DVD
Midsomer Murders: Series 22 Blu-ray
Peek Zoo DVD
Power Book III: Raising Kanan: Season 1 DVD
Vienna Blood: Season 2 DVD