Welcome back to another look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. This is a quieter week than usual, but it does contain a couple of big and notable titles that many will be excited to check out. So, if you can’t or shouldn’t be heading out to the movies just yet, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
CASANOVA, LAST LOVE – The historical figure Casanova is famous for his many romantic affairs. This French drama offers an updated take on the man and his exploits. It begins with the aging but famous figure meeting an upper-class prostitute. He finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her, eventually falling helplessly in love. However, she knows his past and keeps Casanova at a distance, trying to exert her own power and control over the man. The press was not particularly overwhelmed by this reimagining of the well-known man. A fair number did call the period movie a well-produced and intriguing new take on a familiar character. However, the majority claimed that there was no heat or passion on display and that the final product fell flat on a dramatic level. It features Vincent Lindon, Stacy Martin, Valeria Golino and Julia Roy.
FREE GUY – A man living a humdrum, ordinary and repetitive life finally decides to break his routine and approach a woman on the street whom he has a crush on. His newfound behavior surprises everyone and soon the man discovers shocking secrets about the world around him. Mainly, that he is a digital creation living in an online game who has developed the ability to think and reason for himself. He meets new people who are actually avatars of people in the real world and attempts to help them stop a tech guru from deleting the game. Critics were generally amused by this comedy. Some of them did criticize the feature as being unfocused and leaving its lead character on the sidelines for far too long. However, most called it amusing fun and thought that the work of the cast elevated the story’s familiar elements. It stars Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, Taika Waititi, Lil Rel Howery and Utkarsh Ambudkar. You can also read a full review of the film right here.
THE GREEN KNIGHT – This updated take on the Knights of the Round Table legend follows the adventures of Sir Gawain, nephew of King Arthur. After a mysterious and powerful knight appears in Camelot and challenges the proud youngster, Gawain decides to find the figure deep in the forest and prove his worth. Along the way, he meets various unusual people. Through a series of chapters, the lead slowly learns about the moral code and what it takes to be a leader. Response towards the film was generally upbeat. A small number of critics did find this take on the myth too arty and episodic. They stated that the characters were hard to connect with and the various elements did not come together to their satisfaction. Still, the majority called it a beautifully shot, challenging and eccentric existential tale that had them hooked from beginning to end. It features Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Sarita Choudhury, Ralph Ineson and Barry Keoghan.
THE LONELIEST WHALE: THE SEARCH FOR 52 – Apparently, for years those fascinated with the sea have been seeking out an unusual mammal known as the 52 Hertz Whale. This animal has been repeatedly picked up on sonar, calling out on a frequency that no other whale can hear or respond to. A team of researchers set out to learn everything they can about the solitary creature and try to figure out if it can be located in the deep recesses of the ocean. This documentary received far more positive reviews than it did negative ones. Those who didn’t care for the feature commented the moviemakers became too involved in the proceedings and the story ended up being more about their journey than it was about the story of the whale. Still, more said that while the previous criticism was a minor issue, the movie was beautifully shot, intriguing and left them thinking about the importance of undersea mammals and the art of communication.
SURVIVE THE GAME – This week’s direct-to-disc action picture tells the tale of a cop who is injured during a drug bust. The wounded figure’s angry partner decides to get revenge on the gang responsible, tracking them to an isolated farm in the country. He then drags his maimed friend with him for retribution. However, it soon becomes clear that the crooks are sharper than anticipated. The two officers soon find themselves being hunted down on the property and fighting for survival. As of right now, very few have seen this feature and so there is no consensus as to its quality. A couple of online reviews have called it a character-centered and respectable low-budget action picture, so perhaps it will be better than anticipated. It stars Chad Michael Murray, Bruce Willis, Swen Temmel, Michael Sirow and Kate Katzman.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
As always, there are plenty of nifty and notable older titles receiving high-definition upgrades on Blu-ray.
While director Wes Craven is known to horror fans for titles like A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Hills Have Eyes and the Scream series, not all of his movies over the years have been as fondly received. Back in the day, he made a film called Deadly Friend (1986). This one was about a teenage robotics genius who uses a computer chip to bring a neighbor (and girl whom he has a crush on) back from the dead. She goes on the warpath, moving around like a robot and seeking revenge on her abusive father and other nasty people on the street. The film didn’t sit well with critics or audiences at the time, but its frequent airings on TV slowly developed a cult following. This title is now debuting on Blu-ray with a 2K scan from Shout! Factory. The “Collector’s Edition” includes an interview with star Kirsty Swanson, a discussion with the screenwriter, a talk with the make-up effects team, an interview with the film’s composer, a trailer and several TV spots.
They also have a Blu-ray of Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014), a comic-book adaptation and sequel to the stylish 2005 hit, Sin City. This follow-up presents another series of tales set in an exaggerated, crime-filled underworld. The film wasn’t nearly as well received as the original, but it does feature a great cast that includes Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosario Dawson, Bruce Willis, Eva Green, Powers Boothe, Dennis Haysbert, Ray Liotta and Jeremy Piven. It doesn’t appear that this particular disc will contain any bonus features.
Kino have the Rock Hudson/Kirk Douglas western, The Last Sunset (1961). This disc comes with a 2K restoration of the film, a movie critic commentary audio track and a trailer. They also have another western in the form of Vera Cruz (1954). Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster star in this feature about mercenary gunslingers. The disc boasts a 2K restoration of the film, a film expert commentary, a trailer (which includes a bonus “Trailers from Hell” commentary from John Landis and some fancy cardboard sleeve packaging.
The distributor and this writer are perhaps most excited for their 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray of the Stephen King horror adaptation, Misery (1990). This famous, Oscar-winning horror feature follows a romance novelist who gets into a car accident and ends up being found by a psychotic fan. The injured lead ends up as her prisoner, forced to write for her while immobile in bed. In addition to the updated picture quality, this disc will also include all of the previously released extras for the film from earlier Blu-ray editions.
Criterion are presenting High Sierra (1941) on Blu-ray. It’s about a bank robber who is released from prison. Instead of quitting his line of business, he sets out to mastermind one last heist at a California resort. Unfortunately, his compatriots on this job aren’t nearly as skilled as he is, leading to danger and conflict. This crime picture starring Humphrey Bogart was well-received and won a couple of awards during its original release from the National Board of Review. The disc features a 4K restoration of the film, Colorado Territory (a western remake of the movie from the same director), a conversation between critics on the feature, a documentary about the director, a 2003 featurette on the production, a 1997 documentary on Bogart, an interview with a film expert on the picture, a 1976 interview with the author of the novel the movie is based on, a radio adaptation, trailers and more.
Code Red have a Blu-ray of The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978), a comedic and satirical take on the Sherlock Holmes story starring Dudley Moore and Peter Cook. The disc comes with a theatrical trailer.
Sony is releasing an elaborate 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray box set called Columbia Classics Collection Volume 2. It contains six excellent, award-winning films including Anatomy of a Murder (1959), Oliver! (1968), Taxi Driver (1976), Stripes (1981), Sense and Sensibility (1995) and The Social Network (2010). Besides the upgraded picture quality, the set also contains all previously released special features and at least one new bonus for each title (sometimes a new film historian commentary, interviews or deleted scenes depending on the feature).
Universal is also excited to presented some titles with upgraded image quality. This week, they have a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray/Digital Copy of the exceptional crime film, Carlito’s Way (1993). It stars Al Pacino as a reformed mobster trying to go straight, but finding unreliable old contacts pushing him back into danger. It’s a visually striking film from Brian De Palma (Scarface, The Untouchables, Mission: Impossible) that will definitely benefit from the tune up. Additionally, the studio is putting out Quentin Tarantino’s WWII opus Inglourious Basterds (2009) as an 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray/Digital Copy package.
Lionsgate have plenty of Blu-rays as well. First, they are putting out the Escape Plan: 3-Film Collection Blu-ray. It contains all three movies in the Sylvester Stallone action series made between 2013 and 2019. Those looking for something bleaker can pick up a Blu-ray of Viggo Mortensen in the effective post-apocalyptic drama, The Road (2009). The studio is also presenting A Single Man (2009) and Youth in Revolt (2009) on Blu-ray.
A while back, Shout! Factory packaged a very elaborate and expensive box set containing all of the films in the Friday the 13th series. This week, Paramount are putting out a more affordable collection of all the titles in the franchise that they produced and released. The Friday the 13th: 8-Movie Collection appears to be a “Limited Edition Steelbook” that contains the first eight movies made from 1980 until 1989. Reportedly, this version also contains hours of previously released special features contained in the other sets, including deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, commentaries and more. So, if you’re looking for a more cost-effective option to pick up most of the flicks in the famous franchise, this looks like a ideal opportunity.
Disney also has some new double-feature Blu-rays of animated classics coming your way. Unfortunately, those interested will have to sign up for the “Disney Movie Club” online to get them. The outlet’s workings are very similar to the old “Columbia House Record” system, where you sign up, get a few free discs, but must promise to buy several more titles from the studio at full price. This week they are making the Atlantis: 2-Movie Collection an exclusive on their site. It includes the original animated film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and its straight-to-video sequel, Atlantis: Milo’s Return (2003).
You can also order the Brother Bear: 2-Movie Collection. It contains Brother Bear (2003) and the made-for-video follow-up, Brother Bear 2 (2006). And, as you might have already guessed, The Hunchback of Notre Dame: 2 Movie Collection contains the original 1996 Disney animated feature and the made-for-video sequel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2: The Secrete of the Bell (2002). As mentioned previously, these are all “Disney Movie Club” Blu-ray exclusives.
The Harry Potter franchise is a massive property for Warner Bros. and the studio has decided to combine all of the films from the original series with the Fantastic Beasts movies together in one big collection. It’s called the Wizarding World: 10-Film Collection and contains every title from both series made between 2001 and 2018 will be contained on this Blu-ray set.
Finally, the Warner Archive line are putting out a double-feature made-to-order Blu-ray of the classic Val Lewton horror pictures, The Ghost Ship (1943) and Bedlam (1946). You can order this disc through Amazon.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
All of this edition’s kid-friendly releases are listed below.
Atlantis: 2 Movie Collection (2001 – 2003) Disney Movie Club Exclusive
Brother Bear: 2 Movie Collection (2003 and 2006) Disney Movie Club Exclusive
The Hunchback of Notre Dame: 2 Movie Collection (1996 – 2002) Disney Movie Club Exclusive
ON THE TUBE!
And here are the week’s TV-themed titles.
Black Lightning: Season 4
Charmed: Season 6
The Flash: Season 7
The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV miniseries)
Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974 – 1975)