Welcome to the latest look at highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. This is a remarkably busy edition with plenty of big titles, as well as a few interesting independent features. So, if you can’t make it out to the movies this week or need to stay indoors for a while, be sure to check out one of these titles!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4: The fourth and reportedly final chapter in the John Wick series finds the title character on the run and hiding out from The High Table (who are a guild of assassins). When the new leader of this threatening organization makes it his mission to wipe out Wick and establish his complete power over his members, the protagonist uses it as an opportunity to finally end his long standing battle with them. Wick is chased across the globe as he attempts to confront The High Table kingpin.
Notices were very strong for this sequel. A small number complained that the movie was repetitive and the running time was too long to hold their attention. But while admitting it was overextended, the vast majority were impressed with the incredibly elaborate action sequences and called the film a fitting end to the action franchise (at least, for now).
The cast includes Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Shamier Anderson, Bill Skarsgård, Lawrence Fishburne, Ian McShane, Hiroyuki Sanada, Clancy Brown and Lance Reddick.
THE MAN FROM TORONTO: A fitness instructor gets unceremoniously fired from his job. Panicked about what his wife will think and the strain it will put on their marriage, he rents a lavish Airbnb as a gift for her birthday. Unfortunately, the lead arrives at the wrong address, where a murder involving the most dangerous assassin in the world is set to occur. The FBI arrive and tell the protagonist to help them capture the real killer. Our hero agrees, but is promptly kidnapped by the assassin. The two end up on the road and on the run, where they start to become friends.
This picture debuted on Netflix last year and is finally arriving on Blu-ray. The press largely panned it. About one-quarter of them thought that the talented cast saved the movie and helped it deliver more than they were expecting. Everyone else complained that much of the humor fell flat. They wrote that the end result was scattershot and uninspired.
It stars Kevin Hart, Woody Harrelson, Jasmine Matthews, Kaley Cuoco, Pierson Fode and Ellen Barkin.
THE POPE’S EXORCIST: Apparently, the Vatican has a Chief Exorcist, and this film claims that its story is based on a real event involving the figure. The Chief Exorcist is called to attend to a child who has been possessed by a powerful demon. After meeting with the youngster, the priest uncovers a devastating secret within the ranks of the Catholic Church. The exorcist also learns that the creature inside the boy wanted him to come, so that the demon can possess him and then move on to the Pope himself.
This horror film split reviewers right down the middle. Half were surprised to see an Oscar-winner in this genre flick but thought his work elevated the feature considerably. They called it effective and stated it was better than many recent horror movies. Still, just as many wrote that the movie was a collection of cliches that didn’t frighten them for a moment.
It features Russell Crowe, Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe and Franco Nero.
THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE: The famous Nintendo game characters get an updated movie adaptation with this animated fable that became a box office smash. Struggling plumbers Mario and Luigi open a new business and are accidentally transported to an alternate world on their first job. The two get separated and Mario learns from Princess Peach that an evil foe named Bowser is planning on taking control of this strange universe before invading those beyond.
Reaction from critics was slightly more positive than negative. A large number felt that the movie was solely interested in making video game in-jokes, leaving viewers with an underdeveloped narrative and a routine final product. Still, slightly more enjoyed the references and thought the film was bright and unexpectedly funny. They believed it would appeal to the entire family.
The voice cast includes Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen and Fred Armisen.
SWEETWATER: This narrative biopic tells the story of Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, the first African American to sign an NBA contract and play basketball in the league. Viewers see his early life and how he rose in the ranks before joining the Harlem Globetrotters. After making an impression on the coach of the New York Knickerbockers, he overcomes adversity and ends up being signed and playing through the 1950s.
The press didn’t give this feature high marks. Less than one-quarter of reviewers recommended the film, suggesting it was an interesting and inspiring story that would be of interest to basketball fans. Unfortunately, the majority called the tale bland and hackneyed, criticizing it for not providing a deeper understanding of the man or some of the behind-the-scenes issues the figure faced.
It stars Everett Osborne, Carey Elwes, Jeremy Piven, Kevin Pollak, Richard Dreyfuss, Jim Caviezel, Emmaline and Eric Roberts.
TOMMY GUNS: This co-production is set in Angola in the year 1974, at the end of the liberation war conflict between the Portuguese and pro-independence groups. The film has two main plotlines. One involves a tribal girl who falls in love with a Portuguese officer, and the other details a group of Portuguese soldiers who find themselves trapped in a barrack and under attack from figures from the past.
This foreign-language title mixes war, drama and horror elements and it ultimately split reviewers. Half thought the movie was overstuffed and that the sudden tonal shifts were bizarre and off-putting. The same number suggested that despite its flaws, this was an intriguing work with a unique sense of style and a memorable finale.
It features João Arrais, Anabela Moreira, Gustavo Sumpta and Leonor Silveira.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
If you’re looking for something older, there are plenty of options as well.
Criterion is giving the cult classic Time Bandits (1981) the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray treatment. This fantasy/dark comedy from Terry Gilliam (Brazil, The Fisher King, 12 Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) follows a young boy who meets some time-travelers. He helps them square off against an evil wizard and ends up meeting unusual and amusing versions of figures like Napoleon and Robin Hood. Gilliam supervised the new 4K transfer of the movie, and it comes with a star-studded commentary (featuring Gilliam, co-writer Michael Palin, co-stars David Warner, John Cleese and more), a program on how all the historical periods were created. You’ll also get a conversation with the director from 1998, Shelley Duvall speaking about the film with Tom Snyder in 1981, rare set photographs and a trailer.
Dark Force Entertainment is presenting a double-feature Blu-ray containing the swamp-based monster movie Bog (1979) and the Jaws knock-off Mako: Jaws of Death (1976). It also comes with a feature that allows you to view the movies in “drive-in” mode.
Subscribers of the Disney Movie Club can pick up two new exclusives. The first is a 70th anniversary edition of the animated classic, Peter Pan (1953), which contains both a Blu-ray and a DVD of the film. One assumes it has all of the same features as the out-of-print 65th anniversary Blu-ray. You can also pick up The Sword in the Stone (1963) Blu-ray and DVD as a Movie Club exclusive in celebration of the title’s 60th Anniversary.
Cheap Thrills (2013) is being rereleased on Blu-ray from Drafthouse Films. It involves a family man who is offered financial security from a wealthy couple if he partakes in a series of bizarre dares. The original edition included a director/star commentary as well as a lengthy making, so one assumes this edition will have the very same extras.
Here’s a curious one. Liberation Hall is set to put out a Blu-ray of Project: ALF (1996). The original ALF was a comedy TV-series about a fast-talking alien living with and frustrating a family with his eccentric behavior. It ran from 1986 to 1990 and ended on a cliffhanger. This TV-movie came six years later and attempted to wrap up all of the loose ends from the show. The cast includes Miguel Ferrer, Martin Sheen, Charles Robinson, Ed Begley Jr. and Ray Walston. There may be special features on the disc, but this has yet to be confirmed.
MVD Visual is known for releasing cult titles, but this week the distributor is presenting a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray set of the famed Tom Cruise/Dustin Hoffman drama, Rain Man (1988). This Best Picture-winner is about a car exporter who attends his estranged father’s funeral and learns that he has an autistic brother who has inherited his dad’s entire estate. The lead initially kidnaps his sibling to try and find a way to get some of the inheritance, but soon begins to care deeply for his new brother. The movie also won Academy Awards for Best Actor (Dustin Hoffman), Best Director (Barry Levinson) and Best Original Screenplay. Besides the picture upgrade, extras include a director commentary, a commentary each from both co-writers, featurettes, a deleted scene and a trailer.
Sandpiper is releasing Blu-rays of the Burt Lancaster western Lawman (1971) and the Tom Berenger period film One Man’s Hero (1999). Burt Lancaster also appears in the thriller Scorpio (1973), in which the actor plays a CIA agent who wants to retire, only to find himself being hunted by his employers (and the younger man who he has mentored for years).
Finally, silent film actor and comedian Raymond Griffith had an incredible career making hit comedies for Paramount Pictures during the early days of cinema, but few remember him today. Undercrank Productions is trying to correct that oversight with the Raymond Griffith: The Silk Hat Comedian Blu-ray. It includes the well-received movies Paths to Paradise (1925) and You’d Be Surprised (1926) with 2K digital restorations, as well as a bonus featurette giving more background information on the performer and his life.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
These releases may appeal to youngsters looking for some entertainment.
Barbie 8-Movie Music Collection (Universal) DVD
Peter Pan (1953) (Disney Movie Club Exclusive) Blu-ray and DVD
The Sword in the Stone (1963) (Disney Movie Club Exclusive) Blu-ray and DVD
Turbo The Complete Collection (Movie & 52 TV Episodes) (Dreamworks) DVD
ON THE TUBE!
And all the week’s TV-related titles are listed below.
Call the Midwife Season 12 (BBC) DVD
Christmas In Evergreen: Letters to Santa (Hallmark) DVD
Hallmark 6-Movie Collection: Love at First Dance, The Art of Us, Tulips in Spring, Dating the Delaneys, Fly Away with Me & Romance to the Rescue (Hallmark) DVD
Holding (Acorn) DVD
Mayberry R.F.D. The Complete Series (Warner Bros./Studio Distribution Services) DVD
Night Court The Complete Series (Warner Bros./Studio Distribution Services) DVD
Parenthood The Complete Series (Universal) Blu-ray
Project: ALF (1996) (TV-movie) (Liberation Hall) Blu-ray
Quantum Leap Season 1 (2022 series) (Universal) Blu-ray
Turbo The Complete Collection (Movie & 52 TV Episodes) (Dreamworks) DVD
The Venture Bros The Complete Series (Warner Bros./Studio Distribution Services) DVD
VISIT: WWW.CINEMASTANCE.COM
By Glenn Kay
For the Sun
