Welcome to another look at some of the highlights arriving on Blu-ray and DVD. Once again, there’s a lot of interesting material to choose from in a variety of genres, as well as some great older features receiving high definition upgrades. So, since you can’t or likely shouldn’t go out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
AMULET: A homeless ex-soldier looking for a place to stay is offered a position from a mysterious woman. She tells him she needs his help caring for her dying mother. The lead accepts her proposal and moves in to their decaying house. It isn’t long before the new arrival not only develops strong feelings toward his boss, but starts suspecting that something dark and sinister may actually be going on within the locale.
Reaction toward this independent British horror flick was slightly more positive than negative. Some felt that the movie was poorly paced and didn’t deliver the required chills. Slightly more complimented the feature for its atmosphere and suggested that it was unique and unusual enough to maintain interest. It stars Carla Juri, Imelda Staunton, Alec Secareanu and Angeliki Papoulia.
EL CAMINO: A BREAKING BAD MOVIE: This spin-off from the hit TV-series Breaking Bad follows the character of Jesse Pinkman and his adventures after the big series finale. The character sets out to create a new identity and life for himself, while he evades capture from the cops and crooks still on his tail. This movie premiered on Netflix late last fall and is now making its debut on Blu-ray. Reaction toward the feature was very strong.
A small percentage did critique the movie as not being as fantastic as the show and stated that the follow-up was unnecessary. Still, the overwhelming majority wrote that the cast was great and the movie would provide thrills and fun for those who had been fans of the show. It stars Aaron Paul, Jonathan Banks, Matt Jones, Jesse Plemons, Tess Harper, Krysten Ritter and Bryan Cranston.
CATS & DOGS 3: PAWS UNITE: The original Cats & Dogs from 2001 was a moderately successful feature that detailed an elaborate and ongoing battle using spy technology between two cute animal species. The third feature in the series picks up some time after the previous installment with all the animals having enjoyed a lengthy truce. Unfortunately, a dog spy and cat agent realize that a sinister parrot wants to use high frequency radio waves to cause cats and dogs to fight once again. The heroic cat and dog set out to stop the bird.
The press panned this sequel. One thought it was fine for small kids, but everyone else called out this effort as being sloppily thrown together and suggesting that it was simply a cash-in on the franchise name. The voice talent includes George Lopez, Melissa Rauch and Max Greenfield.
CRESCENDO: This foreign-language drama from Germany follows a famous symphony conductor who accepts a new position to create an Israeli-Palestinian youth orchestra. After finding some talented musicians to fit the bill, he brings them together … only to have to referee various conflicts from outside forces, as well as within the group. The movie was released in its homeland just before the recent pandemic and seemed to fare well with critics in Europe. They thought the feature did a good job of avoiding clichés and allowed the characters to deal with issues directly, creating some effective drama.
It hasn’t been seen by reviewers in this part of the world yet, so it’s hard to say if the film will make the same kind of impact here. Peter Simonischek, Daniel Donskoy and Sabrina Amali headline the feature.
THE DOG DOC: Veterinarian Dr. Marty Goldstein is the focus of this documentary. For years, he’s been treating pets on whom other vets have given up and attempted to heal them using new holistic and integrative treatments. Viewers witness his life story as well as his efforts to save a few sick animals using his unusual techniques. Reaction toward this feature was generally positive.
There were some who thought that the movie felt like a commercial for the man and noted that the filmmakers did nothing to question his treatments or provide real evidence of its effects. Others thought that while people should still maintain some skepticism, the film was sweet and has some interesting points to consider about animal medical care.
HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY: THE REN & STIMPY STORY: There was a brief period of time in the early ‘90s when the animated Nickelodeon series The Ren & Stimpy Show became a pop-culture phenomenon. It followed the adventures of a psychotic Chihuahua and his best pal, an extraordinarily dim-witted cat. The bones of the show resembled old-fashioned buddy cartoons, but the animation and adult-oriented humor was new and created a stir. This documentary details the rise and fall of the groundbreaking animated series, as well as its controversial creator, John Kricfalusi.
The feature earned decent notices from the press. There was a contingent who didn’t like the way the movie was edited and suggested that it could have gone further into the darker aspects of its creator. However, the majority thought it served as an effective examination of how one man’s inflated ego eventually destroyed a popular TV show.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
Arrow Video is releasing a 2-disc, 25th Anniversary Special Edition Blu-ray of the Kevin Smith comedy, Mallrats (1995). This movie tells the story of two comic book fans who are dumped by their girlfriends. They head out to the local mall and encounter quirky characters as they try to sort their lives out. This is definitely a cult item that has amassed a large following over the years and the Blu-ray package won’t let fans down.
Just in time for Halloween, Shout! has an epic Blu-ray box set collection featuring one of horror’s most iconic movie series. The Friday the 13th Collection (1980 - 2009) contains all 12 movies in the franchise, from the original through the Freddy vs. Jason flick, as well as the remake. The only thing that isn’t in there is the TV series (which didn’t actually have anything to do with psychotic killer, Jason Voorhees). These discs contain the newest transfers available of the features, as well as multiple extended cuts of some of them as well.
And finally, Warner Archive is releasing a couple of made-to-order Blu-rays which can be ordered through their site or on online stores. One is the Oscar-winning true-crime drama, Reversal of Fortune (1990), which tells the story of Claus von Bulow and the … suspicious death of his wife. The movie stars Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close and Ron Silver. They also have the WWI drama, Sergeant York (1941) with Gary Cooper.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
Here are some titles that may be of interest to children.
Space Ghost & Dino Boy: The Complete Series (Warner Archive)
Ultraman R/B: The Movie aka Ultraman R/B the Movie: Select! The Crystal of Bond
ON THE TUBE!
And these are the week’s TV-themed releases.
The American West: Season 1
Fleabag: The Complete Series
Fleabag: Season 2
Masterpiece: Van Der Valk (PBS)
Space Ghost & Dino Boy: The Complete Series (Warner Archive)
Vikings: Season 6, Volume 1
VISIT: WWW.CINEMASTANCE.COM
By Glenn Kay
For the Sun