Welcome to another look at some of the highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. This edition features several notable independents and one of the biggest box office hits of the year (thus far). So, if you can’t make it out to the movies this week or need to stay indoors for a while, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
ABOUT MY FATHER: Using his own life as inspiration, comic Sebastian Maniscalco writes, directs and stars in this comedy. After he and his significant other decide to get married, the lead’s fiancée convinces him to bring his immigrant, hairdresser father to her family celebration. Despite being wary, the protagonist agrees and introduces his quirky father to his extremely wealthy and eccentric future in-laws. It leads to plenty of awkward interactions.
More critics disliked this effort than gave it a recommendation. About one-third of write-ups complimented the cast, thought the movie improved as it progressed and ultimately delivered some memorably funny moments. Unfortunately, the rest complained that the story was predictable and the humor was too broad. They also found themselves irritated by most of the characters.
It stars Maniscalco, Robert De Niro, Leslie Bibb, Kim Cattrall, David Rasche and Anders Holm.
ASSAULT ON HILL 400: Set during World War II, this tale features a pair of American generals who are tasked with leading a raid on a Nazi stronghold in Belgium. It’s an almost impossible assignment, but the heroes recruit a team of brave soldiers to try and take back the territory from their enemy. Oddly enough, this war drama is from B-movie production company The Asylum (Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus, Mega Python vs. Gatoroid, the Sharknado series).
It appears to be premiering on disc and there haven’t been many reviews so far, but a few have popped up online. These articles report that the movie is being earnest in trying to tell an important story about WWII, but state that the very limited budget results in failings on several levels. They suggest that the movie simply doesn’t work effectively.
The cast includes Collin Arend, William Baldwin, Johnny Barden, Michael Madsen and Eric Roberts.
DURAN DURAN - A HOLLYWOOD HIGH: Enjoy the music of Duran Duran? This documentary/concert film chronicles the band’s 40+ year career, including the recording of their most recent album. The group are captured performing several classics in Los Angeles on a rooftop next to the Capitol Records building. It also provides exclusive new interviews, behind-the-scenes videos and unseen archival footage capturing their rise to the top of the music world.
There aren’t many reviews available for this title yet, but one has appeared online. It admits that while the film doesn’t present any shocking new details about the group, the concert footage is dynamic.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3: The big release of the week is the latest Marvel superhero film that is considered to be a finale of sorts for the title group of characters. Still reeling from the fallout while helping battle Thanos, the group are unexpectedly attacked by a new and powerful foe. When one heroic member is badly wounded, the rest of the team rush to save this individual (and the universe in the process).
Overall, the response was upbeat. About one-fifth of reviewers commented that this follow-up was too dark and serious, overlong and ultimately uninvolving. However, everyone else believed that this episode effectively carried on the unique tone of previous films in the series. They wrote that it was visually striking and had a great deal of heart.
It stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji and Will Poulter. It also features the voices of Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper and Maria Bakalova.
MAGGIE MOORE(S): Loosely based on a true story, this dark comedy and crime picture involves a small town sheriff who is called to investigate the murder of a woman. Strangely enough, the victim shares her name with another person who died under suspicious circumstances only a week earlier. The officer talks to neighbors of the deceased and becomes friendly with one of them – they eventually work together to figure out who the intended target really was.
This effort split critics, with one or two more giving it a recommendation than a pan. Those who disliked the film suggested that it tried to juggle too many elements (murder/mystery, comedy and romance) and never established a consistent tone. Slightly more were entertained by the unique approach, thought the dialogue was witty and greatly enjoyed the work of the cast.
It features Jon Hamm, Tina Fey, Micah Stock, Nick Mohammed, Happy Anderson and Mary Holland.
MONTREAL GIRLS: An introverted, aspiring poet from the Middle East decides to attend a medical school in Montreal and moves in with his cousin. After arriving, he discovers that his relation is a wild child. She introduces him to the city’s underground subculture and nightlife. The experience is thrilling and eye-opening, but also causes the lead difficulty in focusing on his studies and poetry. Things become even more complicated when he meets two intriguing women while out on the town.
This picture won an award for Best Micro-Budget Feature at the Los Angeles Film Festival. Reviewers also gave it high marks and uniformly positive notices. They all commented that the movie was charming, funny and slickly-produced, even if the story didn’t offer a lot of surprises.
For the time being, this is a DVD-only release. The cast includes Hakim Brahimi, Jasmina Parent, Sana Asad and Jade Hassoune.
RIVER WILD: This recent effort has been described as a “standalone” follow-up to the 1994 Meryl Streep/Kevin Bacon thriller The River Wild (which essentially means that, beyond having a similar premise, the two films are unconnected). It involves two siblings who decide to go white water rafting with a small group. When the brother announces that his troubled childhood friend will be joining them on the excursion, the sister becomes concerned. As it turns out, her fears are justified as the old pal turns out to be a dangerous threat.
This title is being released direct-to-disc and will also be available on streaming sites. It hasn’t been previewed for any members of the press thus far. Looks like interested viewers will have to take a chance and ride it without any hints as to its quality.
Leighton Meester, Adam Brody, Taran Killam, Olivia Swann and Eve Connolly headline the feature.
SORRY ABOUT THE DEMON: A young man is brokenhearted after his girlfriend breaks up with him and can’t seem to move forward with his life. If things weren’t bad enough, strange things begin occurring at the house he has rented. He soon learns that there is a demon living on the property who is demanding a human sacrifice. Many strange and darkly comical thoughts go through the protagonist’s head as he attempts to find a way out of his predicament.
This independent horror/comedy premiered on the Shudder streaming service and is now arriving as a DVD-only release. The film was generally well-received. A few didn’t think that the mix of laughs and scares worked. Regardless, everyone else found the performers charming and thought the picture was sweet and amusing, with a subtle point to make as it reached its close.
It features Jon Michael Simpson, Jeff McQuitty, Olivia Ducayen and Paige Evans.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
You can also find upgrades of older titles this week.
Paramount is delivering a 4K Ultra HD edition of the hit John Hughes comedy, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986). The title will also be available in Steelbook packaging. 4K Ultra HD only (also available in Steelbook packaging). It comes with all previously released extras, but no Blu-ray.
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, The Big Lebowski (1998) is arriving in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set as part of the Universal Essentials Collection. It’s a brilliant comedy from the Coen Brothers (Fargo, No Country for Old Men) about a mellow bowler who, thanks to a case of mistaken identity, ends up in the middle of all kinds of trouble. It stars Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, Philip Seymour Hoffman and John Turturro. In addition to the extras from the last set released, this release also includes art cards, a booklet on the feature, a film cell replica and a certificate of authenticity.
Finally, Warner Bros. is delivering the James Dean epic East of Eden (1955) in 4K Ultra HD. Besides the picture upgrade, it also comes with a film historian commentary track.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
You’ll find the week’s kid-friendly titles listed below.
“Peanuts 2-Movie Holiday Giftset – Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown and Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (And Don’t Come Back!) (1977 and 1980 animated films) (Paramount) DVD
ON THE TUBE!
And all of the TV-themed releases can be discovered right here.
Are You Afraid of the Dark? Ghost Island (Mini-series) (Nickelodeon/Paramount) DVD
Hallmark Hall of Fame 6-Movie Collection: Cupid & Cate, Grace & Glorie, After the Glory, The Piano Lesson, Follow the Stars Home, Rose Hill (Hallmark) DVD
NOVA: Hidden Volcano Abyss (PBS) DVD
Sense, Sensibility & Snowmen (Hallmark) DVD
VISIT: WWW.CINEMASTANCE.COM
By Glenn Kay
For the Sun
