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DVD/Blu-ray Roundup for Sept. 9, 2016

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Oh boy, oh boy. This is among the busiest weeks I’ve ever written about — there are more than 20 new releases arriving in a wide variety of genres… 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!

All the Way - While technically an HBO made-for-cable movie, this recent effort features an all-star cast and garnered critical raves that make it worthy of a mention here. Based on an award-winning play, this is a biopic about US President Lyndon B. Johnson and his early days in the White House after the Kennedy assassination. It has been called a powerful and well-acted drama with some interesting historical insights on its subject. It features Bryan Cranston as Johnson, as well as Anthony Mackie, Melissa Leo, Bradley Whitford, Aisha Hinds, Frank Langella, and Stephen Root.

A Bigger Splash - This independent arthouse film follows a rock musician vacationing with her partner in Italy. Complications arise when a record producer/old boyfriend arrives with his daughter and romantic sparks are reignited. Reviews were good overall for this drama/thriller. The cast includes Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Dakota Johnson.

Buddymoon - After being left at the alter by his bride-to-be, a groom decides to go on his planned honeymoon with his best man instead. Together, they backpack through the mountains of Oregon, encountering unusual strangers while trying to sort out how his relationship suddenly fell apart. Notices were solid for this independent comedy, featuring endearingly quirky characters and some genuine, funny moments.

The Darkness - In this horror flick, a supernatural force residing in the Grand Canyon follows a vacationing family back home and seeks to tear their home to pieces by using their worst fears and insecurities against them. This effort comes from producer Jason Blum (the Insidious, Paranormal Activity, and Purge series), but didn’t make a good impression with critics. They hated it. The cast includes Kevin Bacon, Radha Mitchell, Matt Walsh and Jennifer Morrison.

Equals - This sci-fi effort is set in a strange future world where emotions no longer exist. Two citizens come into contact with a disease that brings their sentiments and passions bubbling back to the surface. Unfortunately, write-ups were quite poor for this dramatic effort. Most acknowledged that the production looked impressive, but felt it suffered from the same conditions of its characters; it was flat, bland, rather slow-moving, and ponderous overall. The movie stars Kristen Stewart, Nicholas Hoult, Guy Pearce, Bel Powley, Scott Lawrence, and Jacki Weaver.

In-Lawfully Yours - A divorced woman decides to move in with her small town, widowed mother-in-law and ends up falling in love with a local pastor. As the relationship blossoms, her ex reappears in an attempt to win her back. This faith-based romance flick was made exclusively for the DVD market. It features Marilu Henner, Corbin Bernsen, Chelsey Crisp, Philip Boyd, and Joe Williamson.

Love & Friendship - This period comedy based on the Jane Austen novella was an arthouse hit at theaters and received a fantastic reception in the press. It involves a beautiful widow and her daughter who travel through high society and attempt to set themselves up with new husbands. Naturally, they attract numerous suitors, adding various complications to the plot. The movie was uniformly praised for being an effective take on the original story. Kate Beckinsale, Chloe Sevigny, Xavier Samuel, and Stephen Fry headline the feature.

Money Monster - A Wall Street TV talk-show host finds himself in hot water when a financially ruined viewer shows up at the studio and holds everyone hostage. As the host and producer try to investigate the details of what happened, they uncover some nasty trading practices, leading to a crisis of conscience. The movie split the press, although a few more gave it a passing grade. George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack O’Connell, Dominic West, and Giancarlo Esposito take on the leading roles.

The Neighbor - This horror flick is about a young man living in the Mississippi backcountry. When his girlfriend disappears, he begins to suspect his neighbor of having kidnapped her. After breaking in, he learns the truth and must struggle to find his way out of the creepy house. Cast members include Josh Stewart, Luke Edwards, Bill Engvall, and Alex Essoe.

Night of the Living Deb - Zombie-themed romantic comedies don’t come around too often (in fact, only a couple come to mind offhand). This addition to the subgenre tells the story of a woman who has a brief, drunken fling with a stranger; her walk home the next morning is complicated by a full-on undead apocalypse. Apparently, the screenplay won the second season of Project Greenlight. Notices were reasonable, calling it a sweet if somewhat slight effort that provides a few effective gags here and there. It features Maria Thayer, Michael Cassidy, Ray Wise and Chris Marquette.

Nina - Last week saw the release of a very notable documentary about the life of musician and activist Nina Simone. This week, a narrative biopic arrives with big names in its cast. The plot focuses on the woman, as well as her bouts with depression and alcohol abuse. It has been called an awkwardly staged, hammy, and ineffective misfire. Now viewers can decide for themselves. Zoe Saldana, David Oyelowo, Mike Epps, Ella Thomas, and Ella Joyce headline the feature.

The Ones Below - Here’s a little suspense film from the UK that wasn’t seen by many but got some good notices from the press. It’s about a couple awaiting the birth of their first child and living in a tiny apartment flat. Unfortunately, their new downstairs neighbors begin to cause them problems and psychological games ensue. While reviewers found it got a little silly toward the close, most described the movie as an effective slow-burn thriller with some nifty twists. The cast includes Clémence Poésy, David Morrissey, and Stephen Campbell Moore.

Blasts From the Past!

Some really fun stuff to talk about this week. Shout! Factory is bringing a heavy helping of cheese this week with their release of the Patrick Swayze cult item, Road House (1989). It’s an over-the-top action flick about a bouncer who takes on a position at the meanest, nastiest bar in Missouri. He also faces off against a corrupt big-shot businessman played by Ben Gazarra. Tongue-in-cheek ridiculousness, fisticuffs, and monster truck mayhem ensue.

Kino has some great Blu-ray titles as well. Daddy Long Legs (1955) is a Fred Astaire romance flick that probably isn’t easily available today due to its politically incorrect subject matter. The famous dancer plays a millionaire visiting France who falls for a young student and anonymously sponsors her schooling. When he returns to check up on her progress, the two come into contact and she falls for him. Presumably, they end up dancing with each other a lot.

I’m more interested in a couple of smaller ’80s flicks from my childhood that Kino’s also putting out this week. Grandview U.S.A. (1984) is a coming-of-age film starring C. Thomas Howell. It’s about a high-school student who joins a demolition derby and becomes romantically involved with the owner, played by Jamie Lee Curtis.

My Bodyguard (1980) is a well-regarded effort about an awkward teenager being tormented at school by a gang. He hires the meanest, toughest loner around to act as his go-to security — naturally, events escalate and the odd pairing must examine their roles in school society.

With the passing of Gene Wilder last week, Kino’s also bumped up the release date of two Blu-ray scheduled for the end of the month. Haunted Honeymoon (1986) is a comedy about a man set to inherit a creepy old castle. He visits and must contend with various eccentric family members, one of whom may even be a werewolf. The second title is the much stronger The Adventures of Sherlock Homes’ Smarter Brother (1975), about the famous detective’s lesser-known sibling, who attempts to make a name for himself as a crime-solver.

Warner Bros is releasing a Signature Edition of the beloved animated feature, The Iron Giant (1999) about a young boy who befriends a giant robot from outer space. The child decides to protect him from fearful and violent government agents. This is a sweet and very effective feature with arresting visuals. It’s probably a must-own.

And that’s not all. Paramount has a special (and expensive) Blu-ray box set hitting store shelves this week — Star Trek 50th Anniversary Movie Collection. It includes all seasons of the original series, the ’70s animated program in its entirety, as well as the feature films with original cast members, spanning from the 1979 original to the sixth film in 1991. The set also comes with over 20 hours of bonus material.

You Know, For Kids!

Here are some new releases that young children may enjoy.

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Halloween

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: You Are Special, Daniel Tiger!

Dennis the Menace: The Complete Series

The Iron Giant: Signature Edition (1999)

By Glenn Kay

For the Sun