Welcome back to another look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. There’s plenty of great stuff coming your way that should have every member of the family covered. 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!
Can’t Kill This - This comedy/horror co-production between Italy and France has an alternate title that cannot be typed in full on this page (for those who are curious, it’s called, F**k You Immortality). The story is about a pair of aging hippies who are searching for a reclusive old friend who has been cursed with a very strange condition. He hasn’t been able to age a day since the early ‘70s and now wants to meet his end. His friends go through every violent and bizarre means possible to help fulfill their pal’s wish.
Sources on the web state that the movie was shot with an English-speaking cast. Alas, beyond a couple of festivals, no one has seen this film yet, so it’s impossible to say how successful the end product might be. Bill Hutchens, Josephine Scandi and Matthew T. Reynolds headline the film.
Code 8 - Set in a world where those born with special abilities are discriminated against and live in poverty, a young man struggles to survive. After learning that his mother desperately needs an operation, the mutant turns to a criminal organization to try to make a quick buck. This causes all sorts of complications as events quickly spiral out of control. Apparently, this little independent production was largely crowdfunded on Kickstarter.
It did earn decent reviews. A few commented that its ambitions exceeded its budget. Regardless, most enjoyed the performances and appreciated the focus on characters over special effects. It features Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell, Sung Kang, Kari Matchett and Greg Bryk.
End of the Century - This tale involves an Argentinian man who casually hooks up with another man while visiting Barcelona. Despite not wanting to form a deeper connection, the two soon come to realize that they met each other some 20 years earlier. As they spend more time together, they consider the different paths both of their lives could have taken if they had acted on their original impulses. Write-ups were excellent for this foreign-language drama.
Most reviewers commented that this was a compelling and intimate drama that shows how seemingly unimportant interactions can radically alter one’s life. Juan Barberini, Ramon Pujol and Mia Maestro headline the film.
Knives Out - One of the year’s biggest surprise hits was this murder/mystery with a comedic bent. When a famous crime novelist and patriarch of a wealthy family dies under suspicious circumstances, a private detective is asked to assist with the case. He interviews various eccentrics within the family, who are all more than willing to throw each other under the bus. The press was just as taken by this picture as audiences seemed to be.
A few lone voices complained that the movie wasn’t as clever as it thought itself to be. However, almost all other write-ups said this was a fast, funny, sharply-written mystery with great characters that delivered an effective message. The movie also ended up earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. It stars Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, LaKeith Stanfield and Christopher Plummer.
Synonyms - A young Israeli man looking for change in both his personal and professional life sets off for Paris to make a new start. He abandons Hebrew and walks around with a French dictionary, determined to leave all traces of his past behind. The man meets struggles and finds it difficult to fit in with some of the less-than-welcoming locals, but eventually forms a bond with a privileged neighbor who decides to help him out. This foreign-language film is actually based on the real experiences of the director, who moved to France some years before.
Notices have been very good. One or two commented that the movie felt pretentious and that its message was too bluntly delivered. Still, the majority called it a fascinating and unpredictable examination of identity in the modern world. It features Tom Mercier, Quentin Dolmaire and Louise Chevillotte.
Blasts from the Past!
Criterion is releasing a Blu-ray of Paris is Burning (1990) a well-regarded documentary about rival fashion houses among New York City’s African American and Latino Harlem drag-ball scene. The feature has been given a 2K restoration by the UCLA Film & Television archive, a new conversation with the director and participants, a 2005 commentary track with the moviemaker, ball community members and editor, an interview with an LGBT film historian and an episode of The Joan Rivers Show about the movie that was taped during its initial release.
The distributor has an interesting Blu-ray box set called Three Fantastic Journeys by Karel Zeman. It includes three Czechoslovakian sci-fi films with astounding visuals that were made in the Eastern Bloc. The films include Journey to the Beginning of Time (1955), Invention for Destruction (1958) and The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1961). The trio films loosely adapt famous tales and the writings of Jules Verne in a unique manner.
Apparently, all three feature eye-popping images and are considered landmarks in their field. Looks like it should be a lot of fun to catch up with these pictures.
You Know, For Kids!
Here are some releases that may appeal to kids.
Frozen II
The Return of Ultraman (1971 - 1972)
On the Tube!
And here are the week’s TV releases.
The Return of Ultraman (1971 - 1972)
By Glenn Kay
For the Sun
