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DVD/Blu-ray Roundup for Sept. 16, 2016

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It’s time for another edition detailing the highlights coming your way on Blu-ray and DVD. There are a multitude of great options, ranging from the independent scene to Hollywood blockbuster. 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!

Being Canadian - This documentary follows a man who has moved from Calgary to LA. Once there, he struggles to separate himself from Canadian stereotypes and mounts a cross-country trip through the Great White North to provide worldwide viewers with a more detailed picture of his homeland. Along the way, he interviews countrymen like Seth Rogen, Cobie Smulders, Kim Cattrall, Mike Myers, Will Arnett, Dan Aykroyd, and many, many others. Critical reception was a little muted. Most explained that the movie was cute, but didn’t delve deeply enough into its subject matter.

Captain America: Civil War - The summer’s first tent-pole release remains the highest-grossing film of the year so far. This second sequel follows the superhero as he uncovers a conspiracy to split The Avengers apart. Along the way, more characters with exceptional abilities are introduced. The movie generated solid reviews and stars Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Chadwick Boseman, Jeremy Renner, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, William Hurt and Daniel Bruhl.

The Conjuring 2 - This sequel was another big hit over the summer. It follows the two paranormal investigators from the first film as they take on a new assignment in London. They come face to face with a nasty spirit tormenting a family. A box office success, the flick also scared up positive notices — but most admitted that when it got going, it provided plenty of thrills and chills. The cast includes Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Frances O’Connor, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Franka Potente and Simon McBurney.

The Fits - Reviews were pretty exemplary for this small, independent drama that runs a scant 72 minutes. It’s about a young girl taking dance lessons at a community center. Suddenly, she and others begin experiencing strange fainting spells. They soon attempt to find out exactly what is happening and why. It’s been called a completely unique and beautifully shot feature that includes an absolutely incredible performance from its young lead. The movie features Royalty Hightower, Alexis Neblett, and Makyla Burnam.

The Measure of a Man - An unemployed factory worker struggles to keep afloat in this French drama. He attempts all sorts of training courses and seminars to try and find a new gig, but is stymied at every turn. A position arises, but the man is forced to deal with serious ethical questions about what he will be doing. The movie got great reviews from the press; they described it as a subtle and powerful character piece. It also earned its lead, Vincent Lindon, an award at the Cannes Film Festival, and later a French Ceasar trophy for Best Actor. It also features Karine de Mirbeck.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping - Notices were also positive for this goofy summer comedy from the Lonely Island collective (known for their numerous musical spoofs that appear on Saturday Night Live). In this feature-length tale, a hugely popular, egotistical rapper is forced to reinvent himself after his sophomore album flops. While there were some who felt the flick was uneven, the majority thought this pop music satire featured enough funny moments and celebrity cameos to recommend. It stars Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Akiva Schaffer, Sarah Silverman, Tim Meadows, Maya Rudolph, Joan Cusack, and Imogen Poots.

Blasts From the Past!

It’s pretty much a guarantee that anyone looking for some great older titles will find something to fit the bill this week. Once again, Olive Films has a great slate arriving on Blu-ray. They’ve got the silent film The Captive (1915), about a romance that blossoms during a war between a female farmer and her captive worker. It’s from director Cecil B. Demile (who would later helm Cleopatra, The Greatest Show on Earth, and The Ten Commandments).

Olive is also releasing Commander Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe (1953), a goofy serial that was originally filmed as a TV series — it involves a heroic man of action who eventually puts on a rocket-suit who takes on alien and robotic threats. Looks like a lot of fun.

But that’s not all. Olive is delivering another gem in the form of Mankillers (1987), about a female CIA agent who leads an all-women army on a raid of a drug cartel’s base.

They’ve also got The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959) coming your way. It’s about a creature from the sea (read: a guy in a goofy-looking rubber monster suit) terrorizing a nearby village. Finally, Olive’s putting out a Blu-ray of the Lucille Ball/Henry Fonda comedy, Yours, Mine and Ours (1968). It’s about a widow and widower who tie the knot and amalgamate their 18 kids from previous marriages under one household.

Shout! Factory also has a couple of notable titles arriving on Blu-ray. Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983) is a cheesy sci-fi picture set in a grimy future, where a ranger attempts to stop a monstrous dictator from sacrificing a young woman to his magical crystal... Sure... Anyway, the most important piece of news is that the movie has been re-mastered in its original 3D.

Even better (and tying in with the release of the De Palma documentary), Shout! also has a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray of Raising Cain (1992). This is a pulpy thriller from the director, and stars John Lithgow as a psychologist with an obsessive streak.

If you were a kid in the ’80s, Transformers toys were a huge deal. Shout! is putting out a 30th Anniversary Edition of Transformers: The Movie (1986), an animated feature that marked the big screen debuts of these “robots in disguise.” The film has become a cult item, perhaps also for its bizarre casting — Orson Welles, Judd Nelson, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Idle, and Robert Stack providing the voices!

Kino has a couple of titles arriving on Blu-ray as well. They include Fritz Lang’s Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler (1922), and the Richard Widmark film-noir Road House (1948), about a small-town club owner who falls for a new singer and gets himself into all sorts of trouble.

Warner Archive is delivering a Blu-ray of the Oscar-winning biographical drama Love Me or Leave Me (1955). This title depicts the tumultuous relationship between jazz singer Ruth Etting and her manager. It stars Doris Day and James Cagney.

Speaking of DVDs, Shadowplay is releasing a couple of lost movies on the format that may be of interest to B-movie fans. The Legend of Frenchie King (1971) aka Frenchie King is a period western about two wild, outlaw sisters who inherit a ranch and cause all sorts of trouble in their new hometown. Vengeance Valley (1951) features Burt Lancaster in a more old-fashioned tale of a cattle rancher and an adopted brother battling for control of their father’s empire.

If horror is more to your liking, you’re covered there as well. Synapse is releasing Tenebre (1982) on Blu-ray. This picture involves a successful writer who has just published his latest trashy thriller about a psychopathic killer. While on a book tour, a copycat begins wiping out victims in brutally violent ways; the protagonist decides to solve the case himself.

With fall approaching, Universal is slowly releasing some of their Classic Monsters on Blu-ray. This week they’ve got the Frankenstein: Complete Legacy Collection, which contains eight movies. They cover everything from the original 1931 classic to 1948’s Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, and all of the features in between. The Wolf Man: Complete Legacy Collection includes seven films ranging from 1941 to 1948.

You Know, For Kids!

There’s plenty for kids too. Read below to find out what’s coming out this week.

Back to the Future: The Animated Series: Season 2

Barbie: Star Light Adventure

Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants

Curious George: Outdoor Adventures

Littlest Pet Shop: Mysteries at the Pet Shop

Shaun the Sheep: Little Sheep of Horrors

Thomas & Friends: The Great Race: The Movie

By Glenn Kay

For the Sun