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OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases
Beyond Beyond
(2014) Voices of Evan from EvanTubeHD, Jon Heder, Cary Elwes, Patrick Warburton, Emily Deschanel, Ambyr Childers. After the sudden disappearance of his mother (Childers), Jonah (Evan) goes on a journey to find her with his protective father (Elwes). In spite of his father's best efforts, Jonah finds himself separated from his dad and all on his own. Determined to find his parents in the strange land of The Feather King (Warburton), his wild adventures begin to unravel the strict rules of The Feather Kingdom. As the world they know begins crumbling around them, will Jonah find a way to return home with both of his parents, even at the cost of a whole new world order? Awarded the Dove Seal of Approval. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Giving the Characters a Voice: At the Recording Studio with Evan from EvanTubeHD, Cary Elwes, Emily Deschanel and Ambyr Childers" featurette. (Lionsgate).
The Bible Stories
(1994-96) Series of full-length films presenting powerful and moving tales from the Old Testament, originally broadcast on TV from 1993 to 1996. Newly restored and remastered from high-definition sources. "In the Beginning" is a four-disc set with four titles: "Abraham," "Jacob," "Joseph" and "Moses," featuring Ben Kingsley, Richard Harris, Barbara Hershey, Sean Bean and Christopher Lee; $19.99. Also available separately: "Abraham" and "Moses," $9.98 each. Formats: DVD. (Shout! Factory).
The Blue Hour
(2015 -- Thailand) A supernatural love story about a bullied loner, Tam, who finds solace in the arms of Phum, a boy he meets at a haunted swimming pool. Phum reveals that his family's land has been stolen and the newfound lovers imagine a perfect life together on the disputed land. Haunted by a ghostly presence, Tam struggles to stay connected to reality. An official selection of the Berlin International Film Festival. Formats: DVD. Extras: Original theatrical trailer. (Strand Releasing).
Children of the Stars
(2012) The strange but true story of a UFO contactee group who relive their past lives
on other planets by making their own science fiction films. In 1973, Ruth Norman, a 73-year-old widow and self described cosmic visionary, purchased 67 acres of land in the mountains east of San Diego as a landing site for the Space Brothers, emissaries from the Intergalactic Confederation. Nearly 40 years later, a group of dedicated followers still await their arrival. At the Unarius Academy of Science death does not exist, Nicola Tesla was a Space Brother, Satan drove a Cadillac and science fiction is real. To relive their pasts, the students film their own sci-fi extravaganzas with the increasingly extravagant Ruth Norman as the star and the lines between fantasy and reality dissolve. Using spectacular footage from original Unarius films and Hollywood Sci-Fi flicks to illustrate, comment upon, and subvert interviews with the remaining Unarius students, "Children of the Stars" covers millions of years, hundreds of galaxies and dozens of B movies to present a sympathetic look at faith and how people justify it in different ways. Formats: DVD. (MVD Entertainment).
Coming Home
(2014 -- China) From acclaimed Chinese film director Zhang Yimou ("House of Flying Daggers," "Hero") comes this Drama about love and loss. Lu (Chen Daoming) and Feng (Gong Li) are a devoted couple forced to separate when Lu is arrested and sent to a labor camp as a political prisoner during the Cultural Revolution. When Lu is released years later, he returns home to find his beloved wife has amnesia and remembers little of her past. Unable to recognize him, she still patiently awaits her husband's return. A stranger within his own family, Lu is determined to awaken his wife's memory through gentle displays of unconditional and eternal love. This is Gong Li's eighth film with Yimou. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital. Extras: Toronto International Film Festival Q & A with Zhang Yimou, director's commentary. (Sony).
Community: The Complete Final Season?
(2015) Two-disc set with all 13 episodes. Hacked emails, virtual reality, schlocky sci-fi filmmaking, grifting, forbidden paintball, a giant hand, a wedding and a stage adaptation of "The Karate Kid." Though the Study Group-turned-"Committee to Save Greendale" has succeeded in their mission (well, almost), Dean Pelton has hired a by-the-books administrative consultant to help improve the school's day-to-day operations. This, of course, doesn't exactly sit well with everyone in the group and, as a result, they'll see changes good and bad at their beloved school. Formats: DVD. Extras: "Community Trivia," "Six Seasons and a Finale," gag reel, deleted scenes. (Sony).
Flesh for the Inferno
(2015) Anna Rizzo, Michael Thurber, Jamie Lyn Bagley, Jamie Dufault, Sean Leser, Sarah Nicklin. A neighborhood youth group cleaning up a dilapidated Catholic school to ready it for demolition uncover a blasphemous tomb in the basement where, decades earlier, an evil priest, angry at the school's sisters, bricked them up in the building's walls. The nuns -- who had renounced their holy vows in the moments before their demise -- now return as Sisters of Perdition, and, with blood on their hands and revenge on their minds, Hell follows: The school itself starts twisting and distorting, becoming a mad nightmare that just may prove to be a gateway to a world beyond. Formats: DVD. Extras: Commentary with cast and crew, trailer. (MVD Visual).
40 Love
(2014 -- France) Olivier Gourmet, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Charles Merienne. The story of a father and son who are both trying to transcend their current reality to achieve their dreams. After losing his job as senior executive in a large chain store, Jerome is determined to start his own new business, despite the concerns of his wife. Their son Ugo, though only 11, already shows great promise as a future tennis pro, and hopes to get accepted to the national training center at Roland-Garros. Father and son are very close emotionally yet unable to really understand each other. Meanwhile the gaps between Jerome and his wife are insidiously widening. Together, Ugo and Jerome begin to realize that not all rules can be bent in the quest for success. Formats: DVD. (First Run Features).
Frankenstein
(2016) Helen McCrory, James Purefoy, Neil Pearson, Lindsay Duncan. A modern retelling of the classic. Helen McCrory stars as Dr. Victoria Frankenstein, a leading medical scientist using stem cells to create "replacement" human organs. Desperate to save her dying son William, Frankenstein secretly introduces his DNA to her research. From solitary cells grows a thrilling, emotionally charged gothic masterpiece that comes to a terrifying conclusion. Formats: DVD. Extras: (BBC Worldwide).
The Heavy Water War
(2015) All six episodes of the Norwegian miniseries about the Nazis' efforts to develop an atom bomb and the Allies' desperate struggle to prevent it from happening. The series starts in Stockholm in 1933 as German scientist Werner Heisenberg is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, and although considered "unreliable" by the Nazis, he is allowed into the secret Nazi nuclear energy project, "Uranverein." Heisenberg's work reveals that the atom bomb can only be made with the use of heavy water, which could be produced in sufficient quantities by the Norsk Hydro factory in Rjukan, Norway. After Norwegian professor Leif Tronstad catches wind of Germany's interest in heavy water, he escapes to England to enlist Allied help in thwarting the plan. Despite numerous sabotage attempts by the Allies against the factory, the atomic research continues and Heisenberg brags in a speech that the Germans will soon have a bomb no larger than a pineapple that will destroy London. Featuring leading English, Norwegian and German actors. Formats: DVD. (MHz Home Entertainment).
In the Heart of the Sea
(2015) Director: Ron Howard; Stars Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Ben Whishaw, Brendan Gleeson, Tom Holland. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, 3D Blu-ray, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Chase & Pollard: A Man of Means and a Man of Courage. Blu-ray adds "Whale Tales: Melville's Untold Story," "The Hard Life of a Whaler," "Lightning Strikes Twice: The Real-Life Sequel to Moby Dick," "Commanding the Heart of the Sea," deleted and extended scenes, "Ron Howard: Captain's Log." (Warner).
Jane B. Par Agnes V. and Kung-Fu Master!
Two newly restored gems from Agnes Varda, starring Jane Birkin. "Jane B. Par Agnes V." (1988): "I'll look at you, but not at the camera. It could be a trap," whispers Jane Birkin shyly into Agnes Varda's ear at the start of the film. The director of "Cleo From 5 To 7" once again paints a portrait of a woman, this time in a marvelously expressionistic way. "It's like an imaginary bio-pic," says Varda. Jane, of course, is the famed singer ("Je t'aime ... Moi non plus"), actress ("Blow Up"), fashion icon (the Hermes Birkin bag) and longtime muse to Serge Gainsbourg. Varda abandons the traditional bio-pic format, favoring instead a freewheeling mix of gorgeous and unexpected fantasy sequences. Newly-restored from the original 35mm camera negative, overseen by Varda. "Kung-Fu Master!" (1988): A lovely, bittersweet companion piece to" Jane B. Par Agnes V."The film has nothing to do with martial arts -- the title comes from an arcade video game played obsessively in the film by a teenaged boy, Julien (played by Varda's real-life son with husband Jaques Demy). Birkin delivers one of her finest performances as a lonely 40-year old woman who finds herself falling in love with the 14-year old Julien -- but is it romance, or a desperate attempt to turn back time in the face of middle age? A real family affair, Birkin's daughters, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon, her child with well-known filmmaker Jacques Doillon, also appear in the film. Long unavailable in the U.S., the film has been newly-restored from the original 35mm camera negative. Formats: Blu-ray Disc, VOD. Extras: Video interview with Varda by Miranda July, essay by Sandy Fitterman-Lewis. (Cinelicious Pics).
Littlest Pet Shop: Pet Tales
(2015) Join Blythe and her pet friends -- Zoe the spaniel, Pepper the skunk, Sunil the mongoose, Russell the hedgehog, Penny the panda, and Minka the monkey -- as they return for five more outrageous tales, including their tangles with fairies and witches, mysterious jungles, quarreling koalas and more. Formats: DVD. (Shout! Factory).
Macbeth
(2015) Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, David Thewlis, Paddy Considine. The critically acclaimed interpretation of one of literature's most famous and compelling characters. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Q&A with Michael Fassbender, "Making Macbeth" featurette. (Anchor Bay).
Mammon - Season 1
(2014) Three-disc set with all six episodes of the conspiracy-thriller Norwegian TV series about a newspaper journalist who, after revealing fraud in a large multinational company involving the country's financial and political elite, finds that his family is suspect, and ends up ruining his career, his family relations, and entangles him in a world of greed and corruption. Formats: DVD. (MHz Home Entertainment).
Manhattan: Season 2
(2015) All 10 episodes of the series that follows the tangled lives of the residents of Los Alamos, New Mexico, as they race to create the first nuclear bomb. Locked away in the world's most secretive city, the scientists and their families surrender their freedoms, compromise their marriages, and even sacrifice their sanity to end one war and usher in another - the Cold War, waiting just over the atomic horizon -- all while embedded spies and a climate of paranoia threaten to destroy the project from within. Formats: Three-disc DVD, two-disc Blu-ray, Digital. (Lionsgate).
The Mask You Live In
(2015) Documentary explores how our culture's narrow definition of masculinity is harming our boys, men and society at large and unveils what we can do about it. "The three most destructive words that every man receives when he was a boy is when he's told to 'be a man,'" says coach and former NFL player Joe Ehrmann, one of the many people -- psychologists, teachers, mentors and others -- who offer valuable insights in the film. How the pressure has warped many boys' and young men's views of themselves and how they get along -- or don't -- with others is at the heart of this film by writer-director-producer Jennifer Siebel Newsom, creator of the acclaimed "Miss Representation," which was about the portrayal of women in the media. The docu follows boys and young men as they struggle to stay true to themselves while negotiating America's limited definition of masculinity. Pressured by the media, their peer groups and even the adults in their lives, the males confront messages encouraging them to disconnect from their emotions, devalue authentic friendships, objectify women and resolve conflicts through violence. These gender stereotypes interconnect with race, class and circumstance, creating a maze of identity issues boys and young men must navigate to become "real" men. Formats: DVD, Digital. (Virgil Films).
Nelson Algren: The End Is Nothing, the Road Is All
(2015) This in-depth portrait of notorious American author Nelson Algren uses interviews, rare archival footage, and the gritty voice of Algren himself to capture the elusive and unique literary figure whose fame was cemented with the success of "The Man With the Golden Arm" and "A Walk on the Wild Side." Algren rose to prominence when he won the National Book Award in 1949 for "The Man With The Golden Arm," which was later adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Frank Sinatra and Kim Novak. His book "A Walk on the Wild Side" inspired Lou Reed's hit. Despite his mainstream success and pop-culture bona fides, Algren's career was irreparably damaged by FBI and CIA surveillance during the Red Scare. Kurt Vonnegut, Studs Terkel, Paul Buhle and others provide literary, social, and historic perspectives on a six-decade long career that produced five novels, two collections of short stories, countless articles and a public affair with Simone de Beauvoir. While his best work was produced over 50 years ago, Algren's prescient focus on disenchantment with consumer culture was prophetic, and remains relevant today. Formats: DVD. (First Run Features).
Open Season: Scared Silly
(2016) New animated movie celebrates "Open Season's" 10th anniversary. In the fourth entry in the franchise, when a case of mistaken identity leads both humans and animals to believe there is a monstrous werewolf on the prowl in Timberline National Forest, former hunter Shaw seizes on the opportunity to re-open open season. With Shaw on the loose and all the animals at risk, it's now up to Boog, Elliot, and Mr. Weenie to face their fears, track down the elusive werewolf, and get open season closed permanently. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital. Extras: "Stepping into the Spotlight - Mr. Weenie's Process," blooper and outtakes, "Scaredy Pants: The Fears of Open Season: Scared Silly," "Open Season Super Speedy Re-Cap," feature commentary with director David Feiss, director profile: David Feiss. (Sony).
Out of the Inferno
(2013 -- Hong Kong) Sean Lau, Louis Koo, Chen Si Cheng, Sinje Lee. On the hottest day in 50 years, a fire rages inside a 125-story skyscraper and two brothers face an unthinkable task -- evacuating the busy commercial tower before it's totally engulfed in flames. With few paths of escape, the brothers use their skills as firefighters to clear out the high-rise. From the Pang Brothers, the directors of "The Messengers," "The Eye" and "Bangkok Dangerous." Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Making Out of the Inferno" featurette. (Lionsgate).
The Peanuts Movie
(2015) Voices of Noah Schnapp, Bill Melendez, Hadley Belle Miller, Alexander Garfin, Rebecca Bloom. Formats: DVD, 3D/Blu-ray/DVD Combo, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Six "Snoopy Snippets," "Better When I'm Dancin'" Meghan Trainor music and lyric videos," "You Never Grow Up Charlie Brown," "Snoopy's Sibling Salute," "Learn to Draw Snoopy, Woodstock and Charlie Brown," "Get Down with Snoopy and Woodstock Music Video," "Behind the Scenes of Better When I'm Dancin," "Snoopy's Playlist." (Fox).
Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots
(2016) Ten snortingly-funny "peppasodes," including the new special, "The Golden Boots." The special finds Peppa Pig jumping up and down in muddy puddles wearing the awesome Golden Boots that she loves. Unfortunately, Mrs. Duck also takes a liking to Peppa's boots, and runs away with them. With the help of her family and friends -- Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig, George and Grampy Rabbit -- Peppa must travel across land, sea, and even into space to track down her Golden Boots before the big Puddle Jump competition. The nine other episodes: "Horse Twinkle Toes," "Shadows," Kylie Kangaroo," "Captain Daddy Dog," "The Little Boat," Going Boating," "Grampy Rabbit in Space," "Desert island" and "The Fish Pond." Formats: DVD. (Entertainment One).
Punk's Dead: SLC Punk 2
(2015) Ben Schnetzer, Hannah Marks, Colson "MGK" Baker, Sarah Clarke, Devon Sawa, Michael Goorjian, Adam Pascal, James Duvcal. Director James Merendino returns to the wild world of Salt Lake City punk's underground with this followup to his 1999 cult hit "SLC Punk!" The sequel -- partially funded by a highly successful Indiegogo campaign -- follows Ross (Schnetzer), the teenage love child of the late "Heroin Bob" (Goorjian) and Trish (Clarke), Penny (Marks) and Crash (Baker) on a rowdy road trip through the Utah hinterlands to see a huge punk show. During their odyssey, and with the help of a healthy dose of drugs, alcohol and punk music, Ross shreds his darkly Gothic outlook and embraces life. However, when his mother learns that he's in crisis, she recruits his "uncles," Bob's old SLC gang, to help find him. When all collide at the concert, they are forced to deal with their unresolved relationships with Bob. Formats: DVD, Digital, VOD. (Cinedigm).
The Spoils of Babylon
(2015) IFC mock miniseries is a satirical six-part saga that sends up the overblown TV movie events of the '70s and '80s and the pomposity behind them. Legendary author Eric Jonrosh (Will Ferrell), the undisputed master of dramatic fiction, introduces audiences to the brilliant adaptation of his best-selling novel, a sweeping chronicle of the provocative and captivating exploits of the Morehouse family. Patriarch Jonas Morehouse (Tim Robbins) shepherds his daughter Cynthia (Kristen Wiig) and adopted son Devon (Tobey Maguire) from meager beginnings in the oil fields of Texas to powerful boardrooms in New York City.
Formats: DVD. (Anchor Bay).
10,000 km
(2014 -- Spain) Natalia Tena, David Verdaguer. A love story about the challenges of a long distance relationship and the role of technology in fighting to keep a romance alive.
Alexandra moves to Los Angeles for a new job; Sergei stays in Barcelona. One year apart, with a continent between them, Alex and Sergi must rely on virtual communication to keep the flame of their relationship alive ... but with their realities no longer shared and the touch of one another gone, the technology that has supposedly brought the world closer together may tear them apart. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Broad Green Pictures).
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Season One
(2015) Two-disc set with all 13 episodes. Rescued after spending 15 years underground with a doomsday cult, Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) decides to rebuild her life in New York City armed with only a fifth-grade education and a firm belief that truly anything is possible. She quickly finds a roommate, Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess), a job working for a spoiled Manhattan mom, Jacqueline Voorhees (Jane Krakowski), and a new beginning. As they attemnpt to get all their lives on track, Kimmy and her friends encounter new loves, ghosts from the past, servant robots, Daddy's Boys, teenage girls, a World War II veteran who once ate a zoo giraffe, makeovers, homemade karate viudeos -- and much more. Formats: DVD. (Universal).
Victor Frankenstein
(2015) James McAvoy, Daniel Radcliffe. Radical scientist Victor Frankenstein (McAvoy) and his equally brilliant protege Igor Strausman (Radcliffe) share a noble vision of aiding humanity through their groundbreaking research into immortality. But Victor's experiments go too far, and his obsession has horrifying consequences. Only Igor can bring his friend back from the brink of madness and save him from his monstrous creation. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. Extras: "The Making of Victor Frankenstein"; production design, production photography and behind-the-scenes galleries; theatrical trailer. Blu-ray adds deleted scenes. (Fox).
When Calls the Heart: It Begins With Heart
(2015) Latest episode in the series based on the work of author Janette Oke ("The Love Comes Softly" series); originally broadcast under the title "A New Year's Wish." Big revelations are in store for Hope Valley as Elizabeth moves into her own rowhouse, dismaying Jack, who has been planning to build a new home for the both of them. Rosemary discovers that Lee has taken out a loan and worries that he's in financial difficulties. And Jesse, the young drifter who works in Abigail's kitchen, has information that could ruin Pastor Frank's good standing in Hope Valley. Formats: DVD. (Shout! Factory).
The Wonders
(2014 -- Italy) Alba Rohrwacher, Monica Bellucci, Maria Alexandra Lungu. Centers on a family of beekeepers living in stark isolation in the Tuscan countryside. The dynamic of their overcrowded household is disrupted by the simultaneous arrival of a silently troubled teenaged boy taken in as a farmhand and a reality TV show (featuring a host played by Monica Bellucci) intent on showcasing the family. Both intrusions are of particular interest to the eldest daughter, Gelsomina (Maria Alexandra Lungu), who is struggling to find her footing in the world. Winner of the Grand Prix at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. Formats: DVD. (Oscilloscope Laboratories).
You're Killing Me
(2015) Matthew McKelligon, Jeffery Self, Drew Droege, Mindy Cohn. George (Jeffery Self), a narcissistic wannabe internet star, starts dating Joe (Matthew McKelligon), a monotone serial killer. While all of George's friends agree that Joe seems a bit strange, George claims his new beau "isn't scary, he's gorgeous." But as George's friends start to disappear, the remaining group decides to take matters into their own hands.
Formats: DVD, VOD. Extras: Trailer, bloopers, "Improv: Drew & Edie." (Wolfe Video).
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