Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and DVD. There’s a real mix of big Hollywood efforts and smaller independent fare in this edition. So, if you can’t make it out to the movies this week or need to stay indoors for a few days, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
57 SECONDS: A tech blogger discovers a time-altering device in this science-fiction/action picture. Feeling hard done by a corporate empire who he claims destroyed his life, the protagonist decides to travel back in time and get the better of them. He soon discovers that his acts may have devastating consequences in the future and must alter his plans in order to prevent any calamities.
Reviewers generally panned this effort. There was a lone voice who thought it offered a unique spin on the concept, with the protagonist becoming addicted to his time-traveling activities. However, everyone else stated that the screenplay was silly and that the big twists weren’t believable. They also wrote that the film didn’t have a big enough budget to deliver the necessary thrills and spectacle.
This is a DVD-only release. It stars Josh Hutcherson, Morgan Freeman, Greg Germann and Lovie Simone.
THE BLIND: This biographical drama is set in Louisiana during the 1960s and tells the story of the Duck Dynasty T.V. show star Phil Robertson. It details how he fell in love and started a family, as well as the personal demons that threatened his well-being. Apparently, it also chronicles the man finding religion, cleaning up his act, and his attempts to build a successful life and business for generations to come.
Not many critics saw this independent production, but those who did were generally positive about it. One noted that the picture was highly fictionalized and choppily put together, leaving them suspicious about the entire enterprise. Still, the majority called the movie sweet and thought it would appeal to fans of the series.
The cast includes Aron von Andrian, Amelia Eve, Aaron Dalla Villa, Emily DeForest and John Ales.
DESPERATION ROAD: An ex-con decides to return to his hometown in Mississippi and make a new start in this neo-noir feature. After trying to apologize for his previous acts to his ex-wife, he crosses paths with a troubled young mother and her daughter. His attempts to help them lead all parties into the middle of a violent revenge plot.
Reaction was reasonably good towards this independent thriller (which is based on the well-regarded novel by Michael Ferris Smith). About one-third of reviewers complained that the story was overstuffed and that it eventually went to overly familiar and uninteresting places. Still, more appreciated the performances and characters, stating that it was an interesting slow-burn of a film that dealt effectively with themes of guilt and redemption.
Garrett Hedlund, Willa Fitzgerald, Mel Gibson, Ryan Hurst, Woody McClain and Katy Bodenhamer headline the picture.
THE EQUALIZER 3: Based on the popular T.V. show from the 1980s, this series of films follows an ex-government assassin who takes on private cases, trying to help those being treated unfairly and oppressed. This time out, he leaves the U.S. for Southern Italy. After making new friends in a small village, the lead discovers that they are under the control of a local mob. He decides to protect them and take down the criminal outfit.
The press was generally upbeat about this sequel. One-quarter of them were irked that the series focused on the protagonist being little more than a bloodthirsty vigilante. They wished the character would instead assist the other characters in clever ways. However, the overall consensus was that the action was well-handled, it delivered some wince-inducing thrills and served as a satisfying close to this reimagining of the concept.
It stars Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, David Denman, Eugenio Mastrandrea, Gaia Scodellaro and Remo Girone.
FREMONT: After serving a hard and lengthy stint in the American military as a translator, a young woman moves to the U.S. and tries to start a new life. She takes a job at a Chinese fortune cookie factory. Feeling lonely and adrift, the protagonist begins adding her own insights and hopeful messages into the product. Viewers follow the lead character as she begins to find her footage and her cookies go out into the public.
Notices were excellent for this quirky independent comedy and it has fared well on the festival circuit. One or two reviews found the movie exceedingly deadpan and quirky to the point where they were taken out of the story. Everyone else called the low-key movie charming. They called the lead very sympathetic and were amused by the film’s unique sense of humor.
The cast includes Anaita Wali Zada, Jeremy Allen White, Gregg Turkington and Hilda Schmelling.
MUZZLE: This buddy cop drama features a Los Angeles detective working with a German Shepherd K-9. When the animal is killed in the line of duty, the officer grieves and is quickly assigned a new dog partner. This particular pooch has a temper, but the two end up forming a bond anyway. In the process, the cop uncovers a conspiracy and sets out to take down the figures who killed his old K-9 partner.
This effort was panned by the press. About one-third of reviewers did think that the lead performance was strong and called it a gritty and effective crime film. However, the majority thought it missed the mark. They commented that despite being dark and somber, the themes weren’t well-handled and that the story became increasingly over-the-top and ultimately preposterous.
It features Aaron Eckhart, Stephen Lang, Diego Tinoco and Penelope Mitchell.
THE NUN II: This period horror sequel is a part of a series of spin-off films from The Conjuring cinematic universe, focusing on a menacing spirit who takes the form of a nun. It is set a few years after the events of the first picture and moves the action from Romania to France. The survivor of the first picture, Sister Irene, is asked to take a novice and investigate a series of occurrences across Europe involving the very same demon. They end up squaring off against the sinister force at a French boarding school.
The final product split reviewers. Almost half thought that while it delivered a few jolts, the middle section was very slow and that the final film wouldn’t make a lasting impression. The same number and a few more thought it was more effective than the previous installment and that it delivered the goods for genre fans.
Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, Storm Reid and Anna Popplewell headline the picture.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
Plenty of classic titles are being upgraded as well. Criterion is delivering The Last Picture Show (1971) as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set (it can also be purchased as a standalone Blu-ray). This 50s-set coming-of-age drama was nominated for eight Academy Awards (it won for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress) and stars Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges and Cybill Shepherd as teens trying to determine their futures while living in a small dying oil town. The release also includes the sequel Texasville (1990), which details what has happened to the characters over the following three decades.
The release includes a 4K digital restoration of the director’s cut of the film, as well as the theatrical and black-and-white director’s cut of Texasville, which is said to have significant alterations from the studio cut. You’ll get two commentaries with director Peter Bogdanovich and several cast members. It also includes three making-of documentaries, screen tests and location footage, a 1972 television interview that references the movie, as well as an introduction to Texasville featuring Bogdanovich, Shepherd and Bridges.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
Below is a list of titles that may appeal to children.
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 The Complete Series (1990 animated series) (Ncircle) DVD
CoComelon: Sing with Me (Moonbug Entertainment) DVD
Disney Legacy Animated Film Collection – 100 films on Blu-ray (Disney) Blu-ray
Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go – Off the Rails (Ncircle) DVD
ON THE TUBE!
All of the week’s TV-themed releases can be found below.
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 The Complete Series (1990 animated series) (Ncircle) DVD
CoComelon: Sing with Me (Moonbug Entertainment) DVD
Doc Martin: Last Christmas in Portwenn (Acorn) DVD
The Expanse The Complete Series (Universal) Blu-ray
For All Mankind Season 1 (Sony) Blu-ray
Hanukkah on Rye (Hallmark) DVD
The Holiday Stocking (Hallmark) DVD
Justified: City Primeval Season 1 (TV Mini-series) (Sony) Blu-ray or DVD
Leave It to Beaver The Complete Series (Universal) Blu-ray
Nancy Drew The Final Season (CBS/Allied) DVD
Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (Shout! Kids) DVD
Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go – Off the Rails (Ncircle) DVD
Ultraseven 55th Anniversary Anthology (Mill Creek Entertainment) Blu-ray
VISIT: WWW.CINEMASTANCE.COM
By Glenn Kay
For the Sun
