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OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases
March 21:
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The adventures of writer Newt Scamander in New York's secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school. (DVD, Blu-ray release: March 28)
March 24:
All Nighter: A workaholic father (J.K. Simmons) who attempts to visit his daughter during a layover in L.A. discovers that she's disappeared and he's forced to team up with her awkward ex-boyfriend (Emile Hirsch) to find her over the course of one transformative night.
Ali and Nino
(2016) Adam Bakri, Maria Valverde, Mandy Patinkin, Connie Nielsen. Set against the sweeping tide of history, this is a tale of a romance that crosses political, geographic and religious divides. Azerbaijan, 1918: Though he is Muslim and she is Christian, Ali and Nino defy their parents and marry. At first it appears their all-consuming love will be enough to overcome the differences in their backgrounds. But their bond is soon put to the test, first as she confronts what it means to be a westernized woman living in a traditionalist society, and then again when everything they know is turned upside down by the arrival of World War I. Formats: DVD. (IFC Films).
Assassin's Creed
(2016) Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson. When Callum Lynch explores the memories of his ancestor Aguilar and gains the skills of a Master Assassin, he discovers he is a descendant of the secret Assassins society.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo, VOD, Digital,
UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: TBA
(Fox).
Being There
The Brokenwood Mysteries, Series 3
(2016) The New Zealand detective series continues. After transferring from a big city to the small town of Brokenwood, Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd continues to settle into country life working with his assistant, Detective Kristin Sims. Despite the growing accord between the mismatched pair, all is not well in Brokenwood, where passions simmering beneath the sleepy surface regularly erupt into gruesome crimes. In these four feature-length mysteries, the detectives investigate the death of a "Lord of the Ringz" tour guide, a real-life Clue board game gone wrong, the death of a classic-car enthusiast and someone killing the Christmas spirit. Formats: Four-disc DVD, two-disc Blu-ray. Extras: Interviews with the cast and writer Tim Balme, photo gallery. (Acorn Media).
Frontline: Exodus
(2017) Since 2011, millions of people have fled their homes in Syria and other countries besieged by violence, helping to fuel Europe’s largest migration crisis since the end of World War II. This documentary explores the epic, first-hand stories of refugees and migrants as they make dangerous journeys across 26 countries seeking safety and a better life. The program draws on camera and smartphone footage filmed by refugees and migrants themselves -- from inside a sinking dinghy on a route across the Mediterranean Sea where thousands have died, to the tents and fires inside Calais’s notorious “Jungle” camp. Formats: DVD. (PBS Distribution).
Independent Lens: Birth of a Movement
(2017) Over 100 years after the release of D.W. Griffith’s "The Birth of a Nation," which depicted the KKK as heroes and African Americans in the most racist caricatures imaginable, this new documentary recounts the little-known story of the battle waged against the film by an early and largely forgotten civil rights activist named William Monroe Trotter. Angered by the film’s unrepentant racism, Trotter led African Americans in a pitched battle against the film’s exhibition that culminated with protests in the streets of Boston, laying the foundation for the civil rights movement to come. Through interviews with Spike Lee (whose NYU student film "The Answer" was a response to Griffith’s film), Reginald Hudlin, DJ Spooky, and others, “Birth of a Movement” explores how Griffith’s epic -- long taught in film classes as a groundbreaking work of genius -- motivated generations of African American filmmakers and artists as they worked to fight and reclaim their history and their onscreen image. Formats: DVD. (PBS Distribution).
A Kind of Murder
(2016) Patrick Wilson, Jessica Biel, Haley Bennett, Eddie Marsan. Based
on the acclaimed novel by Patricia Highsmith, the film unfolds a
spine-tingling murder mystery that blurs the lines of reality. A crime
novelist obsessed with an unsolved murder case begins to fantasize
about committing a crime of his own. His marriage is an unhappy one,
and his desire to be free from his beautiful but damaged wife becomes
an obsession. But when his wife is found dead the lines blur between
innocence and intent, forcing the question who, in fact, is the real
killer? Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital. Extras: "The 60s Look," "The Noirish Characters of A Kind of Murder," "The Psychological: Andy Goddard." (Magnolia
Home Entertainment).
Live By Night
(2016) Dir.: Ben Affleck. Stars: Ben Affleck, Elle Fanning, Brendan
Gleeson, Chris Messina, Sienna Miller, Zoe Saldana, Chris Cooper. A
group of Boston-bred gangsters set up shop in balmy Florida during the
Prohibition era, facing off against the competition and the Ku Klux
Klan. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud).
Extras: Deleted scenes.
Blu-ray adds "Angels with
Dirty Faces: The Women of Live By Night," "The Men of Live By Night,"
"Live By Night’s Prolific Author," "In Close Up: Creating a Classic
Car Chase," director’s commentary. (Warner).
Master of None: Season One
(2015) Two-disc set with all 10 episodes of the series that follows the personal and professional life of Dev, a 30-year-old in NYC who has trouble deciding what he wants to eat, much less the pathway for the rest of his life. Dev's story takes him through subjects as diverse as the plight of the elderly, the immigrant experience, and how to find the most delicious pasta for dinner. Formats: DVD.
(Universal).
Multiple Maniacs
RoboCop 3 BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1993) Robert John Burke, Remy Ryan, Nancy Allen, Felton Perry, Jill Hennessy. Formats:Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Nl audio commentary with director Fred Dekker; new audio commentary with the makers of “RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop” documentary – Gary Smart, Chris Griffiths and Eastwood Allen; new "Delta City Shuffle: The Making of Robocop 3" featuring director Fred Dekker, actors Nancy Allen, Bruce Locke, producer Patrick Crowley, cinematographer Gary Kibbe and production designer Hilda Stark; new "Robo-Vision: The FX of Robocop 3" featuring Peter Kuran, Phil Tippett, Craig Hayes, Kevin Kutchaver and Paul Gentry; new "The Corporate Ladder" interview with actor Felton Perry; new "Training Otomo" interview with actor Bruce Locke and martial arts trainer Bill Ryusaki; new "War Machine" interview with RoboCop gun fabricator James Belohovek; theatrical trailer; still gallery. (Scream Factory).
Sing
(2016) Voices of Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Seth MacFarlane, John C. Reilly, and Tori Kelly. In a city of humanoid animals, a hustling theater impresario's attempt to save his theater with a singing competition becomes grander than he anticipates even as its finalists' find that their lives will never be the same. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo 3D/Blu-ray Combo, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Three new mini-movies: "Gunter Babysits" (Gunter offers to watch all of Rosita’s 25 piglets for the night, trying to prove he’s the best babysitter ever), "Love at First Sight" (During a piano lesson with Johnny, Miss Crawly becomes nostalgic about the dancing and romancing of her youth. Johnny convinces her that it’s not too late to find someone and helps her setup a profile on a dating website); "Eddie’s Life Coach" (Eddie’s mom signs her slacker son up for a digital training seminar to get his life back on track); "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" music video starring Tori Kelly; "Making a Music Video with Tori Kelly" behind the scenes; "Faith" music video; "Faith" lyric video; "Set It All Free" lyric video; "The Making of Sing" behind-the-scenes documentary; "Finding the Rhythm: Editing Sing"; character profiles on the incredible cast; "Sing & Dance!" with celebrity choreographer Aakomon Jones, who takes viewers through a dance routine inspired by "Sing" and the song, "Faith"; "The Sing Network" offers the latest news and highlights of the business endeavors of the "Sing" stars: Gunter's Dance Studio, The Moon Theater, Rosita's Babysitting Gizmo, Mings each of the Moon Theater's newest stars (Buster Moon, Gunter, Rosita, Johnny, Meena, Ash, Mike; "The Best Of Gunter" mash-up of all the best Gunter one-liners; "The Making of the Mini-Movies." (Universal).
Split
(2016) Blurring fantasy and reality, the final film in Deborah Kampmeier's trilogy, following the Independent Spirit Nominated "Virgin" and Sundance's Controversial "Hounddog." American poet and political activist Muriel Rukeyser once opined that if one woman told the truth about her life, the world would split open. "Split" -- a powerful meditation on the traumas women face and the struggle to overcome them -- tells the story of Inanna (Amy Ferguson), a young actress working as a stripper, who becomes obsessed with a mask maker (Morgan Spector) and sacrifices parts of herself, piece by piece, in order to win his love. At the same time, the film depicts a mythic journey that blurs theater performance, dreams and real life, as Inanna connects with other women's experiences of trauma and repressed sexuality. This provocative and powerful confrontation frees Inanna, and she's able to claim her rage and rise to her own independence. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Candy Factory Films).
When Calls the Heart: The Heart of Faith
(2016) From celebrated author Janette Oke ("The Love Comes Softly" series) comes this latest feature in the "When Calls the Heart" series (originally released as "The Heart Of Christmas"). Christmas is coming to Hope Valley and everyone’s in a festive mood. Rosemary and Lee have returned from their honeymoon to reside in their new row house next to Elizabeth, who’s busy helping her students mount a nativity play. A travelling peddler, Sam, is mistaken for Santa by the kids ... and then mistaken for a thief by Jack. But Elizabeth is stunned when word arrives that the supply train has derailed. Without costumes for the play, food for the feast and presents for the kids, Christmas will be ruined. It takes a lot of faith, spirit, and the cooperation of friends and family to show Hope Valley what Christmas is all about. Formats: DVD. (Shout! Factory).
Wolf Creek: Season One
(2016) Two-disc set with all six episodes of the series based on the cult movie franchise. After her family is brutally murdered in the Australian outback, American college student Eve Thorogood vows to bring serial killer Mick Taylor to justice -- or die in the attempt.
Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. Extras: “Cinema to Series: The Legacy of Wolf Creek” featurette, “Making a Television Series” featurette, “Meet the Stars” featurette, “Discovering the Outback” featurette, “Visual Effects” featurette, “Meet the Supporting Cast” featurette. (Lionsgate).
Sing
Set in a world like ours but entirely inhabited by animals, Buster Moon, a dapper koala, presides over a once-grand theater that has fallen on hard times. Buster is an eternal -- some, might even say delusional -- optimist, who loves his theater above all and will do anything to preserve it. Now faced with the crumbling of his life's ambition, he has one final chance to restore his fading jewel to its former glory by producing the world's greatest singing competition.
Vitals: Director: Garth Jennings, Christophe Lourdelet. Stars: Voices of Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Seth MacFarlane, John C. Reilly, and Tori Kelly.
2016, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 108 min., Animated Family Comedy, Box office gross: $265.533 million, Universal.
Extras: Three new mini-movies: "Gunter Babysits" (Gunter offers to watch all of Rosita’s 25 piglets for the night, trying to prove he’s the best babysitter ever), "Love at First Sight" (During a piano lesson with Johnny, Miss Crawly becomes nostalgic about the dancing and romancing of her youth. Johnny convinces her that it’s not too late to find someone and helps her setup a profile on a dating website); "Eddie’s Life Coach" (Eddie’s mom signs her slacker son up for a digital training seminar to get his life back on track); "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" music video starring Tori Kelly; "Making a Music Video with Tori Kelly" behind the scenes; "Faith" music video; "Faith" lyric video; "Set It All Free" lyric video; "The Making of Sing" behind-the-scenes documentary; "Finding the Rhythm: Editing Sing"; character profiles on the incredible cast; "Sing & Dance!" with celebrity choreographer Aakomon Jones, who takes viewers through a dance routine inspired by "Sing" and the song, "Faith"; "The Sing Network" offers the latest news and highlights of the business endeavors of the "Sing" stars: Gunter's Dance Studio, The Moon Theater, Rosita's Babysitting Gizmo, Mings each of the Moon Theater's newest stars (Buster Moon, Gunter, Rosita, Johnny, Meena, Ash, Mike; "The Best Of Gunter" mash-up of all the best Gunter one-liners; "The Making of the Mini-Movies."
Live By Night
What you put out into this world will always come back to you, but it
never comes back how you predict. Taking fatherly advice is not in Joe
Coughlin's (Ben Affleck) nature. Instead, the WWI vet is a
self-proclaimed anti-establishment outlaw, despite being the son of
the Boston Police Deputy Superintendent. Joe's not all bad, though; in
fact, he's not really bad enough for the life he's chosen. Unlike the
Prohibition gangsters he refuses to work for, he has a sense of
justice and an open heart, and both work against him, leaving him
vulnerable time and again -- in business and in love. Driven by a need
to right the wrongs committed against him and those close to him, Joe
heads down a risky path that goes against his upbringing and his own
moral code. Leaving the cold Boston winter behind, he and his reckless
crew turn up the heat in Tampa. And while revenge may taste sweeter
than the molasses that infuses every drop of illegal rum he runs, Joe
will learn that it comes at a price.Based on the award-winning
best-seller by Dennis Lehane.
Vitals: Director: Ben
Affleck. Stars: Ben Affleck, Elle Fanning, Brendan Gleeson, Chris
Messina, Sienna Miller, Zoe Saldana, Chris Cooper.
2016, CC, MPAA rating: R, 129 min., Crime Drama, Box office gross: $10.338
million, Warner.
Extras: Deleted scenes.
Blu-ray adds "Angels with
Dirty Faces: The Women of Live By Night," "The Men of Live By Night,"
"Live By Night’s Prolific Author," "In Close Up: Creating a Classic
Car Chase," director’s commentary.
Assassin's Creed
Through a revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories, Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) experiences the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th Century Spain. Callum discovers he is descended from a mysterious secret society, the Assassins, and amasses incredible knowledge and skills to take on the oppressive and powerful Templar organization in the present day.
Vitals: Director:Justin Kurzel. Stars: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson.
2016, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 115 min., Action, Box office gross: $54.366
million, Company.
Extras: TBA.
Julieta: Emma Suárez and Adriana Ugarte share the title role as older and younger versions of the same character in Pedro Almodovar's story of a brokenhearted woman who faces the painful mystery of her long alienation from her daughter during flashbacks on her life and the most important events concerning her estranged daughter.
Office Christmas Party: When his uptight CEO sister threatens to shut down his branch, the branch manager throws an epic Christmas party in order to land a big client and save the day, but the party gets way out of hand. (DVD, Blu-ray release: April 4)
Star Wars: Rogue One: The Rebel Alliance makes a risky move to steal the plans for the Death Star, setting up the epic saga to follow. (DVD, Blu-ray release: April 4)
(1979) In one of his most finely tuned performances, Peter Sellers
plays the pure-hearted Chance, a gardener forced out of moneyed
seclusion and into the urban wilds of Washington, D.C., after the
death of his employer. Shocked to discover that the real world doesn't
respond to the click of a remote, Chance stumbles haplessly into
celebrity after being taken under the wing of a tycoon (Melvyn
Douglas), who mistakes his new protégé's mumbling about horticulture
for sagacious pronouncements on life and politics, and whose wife
targets Chance as the object of her desire. Adapted from a novel by
Jerzy Kosinski, this hilarious, deeply melancholy satire marks the
culmination a remarkable string of films by Hal Ashby in the 1970s,
and serves as a carefully modulated examination of the ideals,
anxieties, and media-fueled delusions that shaped American culture
during that decade. New, restored 4K digital transfer, supervised by
cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
on the Blu-ray. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc.
Extras: New documentary on
the making of the film, featuring interviews with members of the
production team; excerpts from a 1980 American Film Institute seminar
with director Hal Ashby; author Jerzy Kosinski in a 1979 appearance on
"The Dick Cavett Show"; appearances from 1980 by Sellers on NBC's
"Today" and "The Don Lane Show"; promo reel featuring Sellers and
Ashby; trailer and TV spots; deleted scene, outtakes, and an alternate
ending; an essay by critic Mark Harris.
(The Criterion Collection).
Insecure: The Complete First Season
(2016) Single disc with all eight episodes. This series -- created by, written by and starring Golden Globe nominee (Best Actress in a Comedy Series) Issa Rae ("The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl") -- follows best friends Issa (Rae) and Molly (Yvonne Orji) as they navigate the tricky professional and personal terrain of Los Angeles, while facing the challenges of being two black women who defy all stereotypes. The series explores the black female experience in a subtle, witty and authentic way, as Issa and Molly stumble their way towards pulling their lives together, while trying their hardest to never settle for less. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. Extras: Exclusive and extended look at the "Insecure" characters’ favorite reality show, “Conjugal Visits.” (HBO).
Julieta
(2016 -- Spain) Dir.: Pedro Almodovar; Emma Suárez, Adriana Ugarte, Daniel Grao, Inma Cuesta, Darío Grandinetti, Michelle Jenner, Rossy de Palma. In his 20th film, critically acclaimed director Pedro Almodovar tells a story about a mother’s struggle to survive uncertainty and come to grips with fate. It's the story of a brokenhearted woman who faces the painful mystery of her long alienation from her daughter during flashbacks on her life and the most important events concerning her estranged daughter. Julieta lives in Madrid with her daughter Antia. They are both in pain over the loss of Xoan, Antia’s father and Julieta’s husband. But sometimes grief doesn’t bring people closer, it drives them apart. When Antia turns 18, she abandons her mother without a word of explanation. Julieta is haunted by the mystery of this loss and it pervades everything in her life. Her struggle and obsession lead to self discovery and surprising revelations. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. Extras: Two Featurettes: “Portrait of Julieta,” "Celebrating Director Pedro Almodóvar.” (Sony).
(1970) The gloriously grotesque second feature directed by John Waters
is replete with all manner of depravity, from robbery to murder to one
of cinema's most memorably blasphemous moments. Made on a shoestring
budget in Waters' native Baltimore, with the filmmaker taking on
nearly every technical task, this gleeful mockery of the
peace-and-love ethos of its era features the Cavalcade of Perversion,
a traveling show mounted by a troupe of misfits whose shocking
proclivities are topped only by those of their leader: the
glammer-than-glam, larger-than-life Divine, out for blood after
discovering her lover's affair. Starring Waters' beloved regular cast
the Dreamlanders (including David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce, Mink
Stole, Susan Lowe, George Figgs, and Cookie Mueller), "Multiple
Maniacs" is an anarchic masterwork from an artist who has doggedly
tested the limits of good taste for decades. New 4K digital
restoration, supervised by director John Waters, with uncompressed
monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc.
Extras: New audio
commentary featuring Waters; new interviews with cast and crew members
Pat Moran, Vincent Peranio, Mink Stole, Susan Lowe, and George Figgs;
an essay by critic Linda Yablon.
(The Criterion Collection).
Property is No Longer a Theft
(1973) Having tackled the corrupting nature of power with "Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion" and taken an angry, impassioned look at labor relations with "The Working Class Goes to Heaven," Italian master Elio Petri next turned his attentions to capitalism for this darkly comic film. A young bank clerk (Flavio Bucci), denied a loan by his employer, decides to exact his revenge on the local butcher (Ugo Tognazzi) who is not only a nasty, violent, greedy piece of work but also one of the bank's star customers. Quitting his job, the clerk devotes all of his time to tormenting the butcher, stealing his possessions one-by-one, including his mistress (Daria Nicolodi). Told in an off-kilter fashion by Petri, abetted by the woozy sound design and another outstanding score by Ennio Morricone, "Property is No Longer a Theft" presents a caustic, blackly comic look at a corrupt society. 4K restoration from the original film negative. Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo. Extras:New interview with actor Flavio Bucci, new interview with producer Claudio Mancini, new interview with make-up artist Pierantonio Mecacci, reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh. (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment).
The Quiet Hour
(2014) Dakota Blue Richards, Karl Davies, Jack McMullen, Brigitte Millar. Humans are few and far between since Earth was invaded by extra-terrestrial machines that harvest the planet's resources and relentlessly kill its inhabitants. In a remote part of the countryside, where starved humans have become as dangerous as the alien machines in the sky, a feisty 19-year-old girl, Sarah Connolly, sets out on a desperate attempt to repel a group of bandits and defend her farm, the remaining livestock, and the solar panels that keep them safe. If she doesn't succeed, she will lose her only source of food and shelter; but if she resists, she and her blind brother will be killed. If the mysterious intruder dressed like a soldier turns out to be a liar -- then the enemy may already be in the house. Formats: DVD. (Monarch Home Entertainment).
RoboCop 2 BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1990) Peter Weller, Belinda Bauer, Nancy Allen, Felton Perry, Dan O'Herlihy. New 2K scan of the inter-positive. Formats:Blu-ray Disc. Extras: New audio commentary with author/CG supervisor Paul M. Sammon; new audio commentary with the makers of “RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop” documentary – Gary Smart, Chris Griffiths and Eastwood Allen; new "Corporate Wars: The Making of Robocop 2" featuring new and vintage interviews with director Irvin Kershner, producer Jon Davidson, cast members Tom Noonan, Nancy Allen, Galyn Görg, executive producer Patrick Crowley, associate producer Phil Tippett, cinematographer Mark Irwin and author/CG supervision Paul M. Sammon; new "Machine Parts: The FX of Robocop 2" featuring Phil Tippett, Peter Kuran, Craig Hayes, Jim Aupperle, Kirk Thatcher, Paul Gentry, Don Waller, Justin Kohn, Randal Dutra and Kevin Kutchaver; new "Robo-Fabricator" interview with RoboCop armor fabricator James Belohovek; new Adapting Frank Miller’s Robocop 2" interview with comic book writer Steven Grant; new "OCP Declassified" collection of rare archival production and behind-the-scenes videos including interviews with director Irvin Kershner, actors Peter Weller, Dan O’Herlihy and a look at the filming of some deleted scene; theatrical trailer: teaser trailers; TV spots; deleted scenes still gallery; still galleries (behind-the-scenes photos, stills, posters and lobby cards). (Scream Factory).
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March 20, 2017
(ISSN 1094-3676).
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